3AN: I don't like this chapter much, but I can't be bothered to change it so here it is. Also, I'll be responding to guest reviews:
Catweed: Thank you for reading ^^
Yeah, Hayame's personality would be pretty annoying, I'll admit, but the point of this story is for them to grow as characters, and to be a little less annoying by the end of it.
I guess Marina wouldn't know too much about Markarth history, besides the Forsworn part of it. Yeah, I don't think she'd have much against the Stormcloaks, actually, I think she might be more Stormcloak-y than Hayame.
Thanks everyone for the reviews.
Hayame didn't like dragons, and didn't believe in legends, so she should rightfully be the first one the dragon killed, but somehow, she survived long enough to end up in front of keep, with two people arguing over her and Marina, the weird girl who was almost executed before the dragon attacked.
"Umm..." Hayame could hear Marina hesitating, almost debating her options, not like Hayame thought there was much to debate, for her, it's a matter of 'I live in Windhelm, and if I want it to stay that way, I'm going with Ralof'.
"I say we go with the Stormcloak." Hayame said, watching as the girl struggled through her decision, still.
"But-" The girl begun, but cut herself off, after a moment's hesitation. "Well, I suppose you do know best."
"Yeah." Hayame was willing to lie and bluff a little (a lot) to get what she wanted, even when she actually know about as much as a box of bricks (especially with the civil war).
"Through here. Let's go!" Ralof shouted at the two girls as they looked at him, and Marina shrugged, and walked in, while Hayame trailed more carefully behind, she didn't trust that Hadvar guy to not stab her in the back, but instead of getting the Hadvar guy stabbing her in the back, Hayame heard something disturbing coming from the big, black dragon.
"Hin sil fen nahkip bahloki." For some reason, Hayame figured that it meant 'your soul will feed my hunger', even if she had no experience in ancient dragon languages.
Once inside the keep, the trio encountered a dead Stormcloaks, which Ralof seemed to know, but then, didn't all Stormcloaks know each other?
"We'll meet again in Sovngarde, brother."
"I hope you find Sovngarde," Marina said, with a little nod to hold proper respect.
"Uh, have fun in Sovngarde?" Hayame said, she was completely inexperienced in these kind of things, and it didn't help that she held a completely different set of beliefs.
There was a moment of silence, before Hayame ducked down to search his body for anything of value.
"Are you for real?" Marina asked, and Hayame could only guess that the idiot thought of it as rude or something. Well it might be, but they were in this game to survive, not to throw tea parties with corpses.
"What? He won't need it anymore," Hayame pointed out, her hands instinctively snaking to his coin purse.
"I was going to say that." Ralof nodded at Hayame in approval, before turning to Marina. "I'll get those binds off you."
"At last."
"Here, take this." Hayame tossed the Stormcloak's armor at Marina. "You're going to need something more than rags to survive."
"And you?" Marina took the armor in her hands, and eyed Hayame, probably thinking of her lack of armor.
"It's fine. This coat is surprisingly strong." Hayame shrugged. "Also, take this." Hayame tossed a iron sword, it danced in the air, and was pretty dangerous, but Marina caught it, so no harm was done. "Who knows what fiends we're going to find here."
"Right." Hayame turned away and to Ralof, where he was examining two doors.
"Found anything?" Before he could answer, an Imperial soldier and captain opened the door, and Hayame cursed, turning to Marina.
"What?" Her brown eyes were so wide and innocent Hayame couldn't stand it, and the armor didn't fit her at all. Stormcloak blue was not meant for her brown hair and small frames.
"We're going to kill some fiends." Without another word, Hayame charged up some novice level flame spells, she was capable of something much more spectacular on her better days, but this was not one her 'better days'.
The two charged into battle against the captain, while Ralof killed the soldier. Hayame managed to burn her enough that Marina could drove a sharp stab through her heart, and the two were definitely a little too giddy about it. They giggled and high-fived, as if it was the first time they killed.
"Come on, let's go," Ralof said, clearly he didn't take for Hayame and Marina's zeal as normal.
"You got the key?" Hayame asked, nodding to the door that remained locked.
"Yeah." Ralof nodded, showing it to Hayame, before unlocking the door.
There was a storeroom, and along with supplies, there was two Imperial soldiers, and the moment the light in the room changed, they looked up at the trio, and did the only thing anyone in Skyrim apparently did, charge at people.
Marina let out a surprised gasp (what was she expecting? Puppies and unicorns?), and Hayame sent out yet another low level flame spell, sending it to one of the soldiers, while Ralof fought the other at a closely match fight.
"Marina, don't just stand there! I gave you a bloody sword for a reason!" Hayame called to the Breton, who stood there, still entranced by something or another. "Oh my god, it's a storeroom! Let's marvel at the miracle of the Divines later, will we?"
Marina still stood there, entranced for a second, before shaking it away and taking a look around her. Gripping her iron sword tighter, she sighed, and Hayame was prepared for some preaching about peace and love.
Instead, Marina let out a charged scream, and killed the soldier Ralof was fighting with one precision-aimed blow to his back, and killed the other one with equal ease.
"What just-" Hayame didn't finish that sentence, because the Breton was holding some secrets, and Hayame wasn't keen on finding any of them out.
"Sorry, I sort of spaced out for a second," Marina said, she looked sorta embarrassed about it, but Hayame couldn't tell for sure.
"Forget it, you did fine."
"You two should see if there's anything useful here," Ralof suggested, and the two girls nodded.
"If you find anything useful, give it to me," Hayame said, slipping the bag off her shoulder and began searching through barrels. "Mostly empty." She noted, more to herself than to anyone in particular. "Potions, this should be useful." Hayame more or less just dumped them into her bag without much thought.
"I've found bread," Marina said between mouthfuls. "Oh yeah, and these potions." Marina handed Hayame a potion of healing and a potion of magicka, Hayame dumped those equally carelessly, along with some rock warbler eggs she've found.
"Are you really going to eat that bread?" Hayame thought it might be poisoned, but kept silent, why is it any of her business if this Breton died?
"Yeah, I'm so hungry," Marina said it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"All right." Hayame turned away, and walked to Ralof. "Let's go?" She didn't know how she ended up in control of this group, but she didn't care.
She didn't wait for an answer, and walked on ahead, with the two following behind, Marina still chewing her bread loudly, sounding like she haven't ate in days, but then, almost being killed really has a way of making one lose all their energy.
Hayame stopped by a torturing chamber, safely out of sight of the torturer, and his assistant, and all the Stormcloaks he was torturing.
"Shouldn't we help?" Marina hissed, she'd finally finished her bread, and was now crouching behind Hayame.
"I don't know," Hayame said with a shrug. "Kinda weighing my options here... Do I want to die, or live?"
"You're so selfish." Hayame could almost picture Marina rolling her eyes, but remained stock-still.
"You are," Ralof said in agreement, and stood up. "You take the one to left, and I'll take the right one." Ralof nodded to Marina.
"I get the stronger one?" Marina's voice was pretty whiny.
"Oh my god, you've just killed two Imperial soldiers without even meaning to, of course you can take the stronger one," Hayame said, she'd never been so annoyed at someone. "I'll stay at the back and shoot some more fireballs if it looks like things are going wrong." Hayame said, much more calm and level, to Ralof.
"Ok." Ralof nodded at Marina, and the Breton nodded back. Hayame stayed crouched in her position, watching the two advance towards the two Imperials. Marina managed to backstab hers, but froze the moment the blood splattered over her face.
Hayame shot a slightly stronger fire spell at the Imperial's head, distracting him as Ralof killed him.
"We make a good team," Hayame said with a smirk as she walked to where the two stood. "The three of us."
"Was Jarl Ulfric with you?" Ralof ignored Hayame, favoring instead the Stormcloak soldiers.
"No, I haven't seen him since the dragon showed up," One of the soldiers said.
"Well, nothing we can do." Hayame shrugged. "So, let's go?"
"Wait a second," Ralof replied, as he stopped by a large cage. "It looks like there's something in this cage."
"Yeah?" Hayame squinted. "You're right."
"Ah, it's locked." Ralof turned to Hayame. "See if you can get it open with some picks. We'll need the gold when we get out." Ralof handed Hayame a handful of picks, and the girl ducked down, instantly getting to work.
Hayame has always found lock picking as a second nature, she's done it plenty of times with all kinds of locks back in Solstheim, as well as in Skyrim, any time she stumbled across a bandit or reaver hideout.
"Got it." It only took Hayame a second until she heard a satisfying 'click', and the door swung open. She stepped into the cage, careful not to step on any bones, because the last thing she needed was shards of someone else in her shoes.
The first thing Hayame noticed was a spell tome, it was a shame it was something she already knew, so she tossed it aside, and focused on gathering all the coins instead. There was a dead mage in the cage, but Hayame pretended he wasn't really human, and just took his potions of magicka.
Hayame walked outside the cage, and nodded to Ralof, it was only then that she realized Marina hadn't moved an inch from when she last killed the Imperial.
"Hey, earth to Marina!" Hayame shook the Breton, and she looked at Hayame, and blinked a few times.
"Sorry." Marina shook her head. "I'd never really thought I'd kill so much people."
"Ok, let's count how many people you killed." Hayame said mockingly. "A grand total of four, you're right, that is so much."
"Really?" Marina slapped Hayame's hands off her shoulders. "Why can't you just say something nice for once? Be a decent human being for once? Why must you cackle and scream and point out everyone's flaws?"
"Ok, why did you laugh at the first kill?" Hayame folded her arms, and tried a different angle, because this Marina girl had the capacity to be real strong, if she wasn't such dead weight.
"Because back then, it wasn't real, I didn't have time to think about the realities of it." Marina looked like she was about to cry.
"Look, you want realities? This is the realities. No one is going to be there to protect you, one day, you're going to come face to face with the worst of Skyrim, if you really wanted to cross the border, and find a better life, you're going to meet scumbags who try to kill you, and you know what, that's fine, you just have to kill them first. There's not going to be anyone out there who's going to rescue you, kill for you, not unless you shell out the 500 gold you do not have for some mercenary. It's sucks, but that's how it is, and nothing you say or do can change the realities." Marina gave a slow nod.
"Yeah, I know. I really should get used to it, huh?" The Breton gave a smile, one that looked like it might dissolve to tears any second.
"Good." Hayame smiled. She walked over to a table near the cage and grabbed a knapsack. "Here, take this."
"Right." Marina grabbed it, and slung it over her shoulders.
"The Book of the Dragonborn, any of you read it?" Hayame showed the world a book with black cover, and a insignia for the Imperial Legion.
"No, my parents hated reading," Marina replied, while Ralof and the Stormcloaks shook their heads.
"Ok." Hayame flicked through the book, and shrugged. "I don't get it." Marina peered behind Hayame's shoulders.
"Weird prophecy," she commented, "but can I keep the book?"
"Sure." Marina tossed the book into her knapsack.
Hayame took an iron dagger from the table, and fastened it to her waist, she'd use it just in case someone gets too close.
The two walked to the armory section, where Marina picked up an iron shield, and a couple of books, while Hayame got two lockpicks lying on a table.
"Let's go." Hayame found herself once again leading the group down a hallway lined with cells. Marina was downright terrified, and pressed herself against Hayame's body, hoping for even a little bit of support. "What?"
"There could be ghosts in here..." Marina said, she seemed terrified at the prospect.
"Look, honey, ghosts aren't real, and they never will be." Hayame shrugged Marina off, and turned her attention to one of the cells.
"And what are you doing now?" Marina demanded once Hayame began lockpicking at one of the cells.
"Trying to get the coin purse." Hayame replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"You know, if this place is actually haunted by vengeful ghosts, you'd be the first to die." Hayame shrugged, ignoring Marina, and grabbing the coin purse.
"Ok, let's move on." The group continued down the hallway, with Marina clinging a little tighter to Hayame, until they reached a room filled with cages.
Upon, inspection, the room seemed to hold nothing of interest, unless countless skeletons are counted. Marina was terrified of the room, so they quickly left, only to be met with a cave filled with Imperials, and everyone got into action, even Marina. Hayame was quick to dispatch of the unit of archers standing on higher ground, thanks to their idiotic tendency to stand near oil. She then turned to the other soldiers, dodging their blows while charging up a powerful lightning bolt spell, before sending it at a group of soldiers. They all fell at the attack, giving the Stormcloaks a chance to kill them.
The battle didn't last long, and was pretty one sided, but by the end of it, everyone was feeling slightly exhausted. The group walked to a drawbridge, where the Imperial archers were previously occupying, and as Hayame was picking up a Imperial bow, the Stormcloaks distracted er.
"We're going to stay here and wait for Jarl Ulfric," One of the Stormcloaks said and Hayame nodded.
"I see, good luck," Ralof said to the group, who nodded.
"Yeah, good luck," Marina said, with a smile.
"It's been real," Hayame said, "and good luck."
"Come on, let's go," Ralof said to the two girls, who nodded.
"Ok."
The group walked through the drawbridge, and into another area of the natural cave, when a loud roar sounded through the place, and rocks fell, destroying the drawbridge behind them.
"I hope they find another way..." Marina commented, sounding strangely worried.
"Yeah," Ralof said in agreement.
"Well, there's no turning back." Hayame said, more or less indifferent.
As the group walked through the cave, Hayame found a skeleton, and as was normal, she took its coin purse, and potion, before they entered a cavern filled with spider webs.
"You got to be kidding me," Marina said, but before she could whine any more, four frostbite spiders dropped from the ceiling. "Oh, so it's a frostbite family." Marina seemed to have no thought stabbing any of them the way she did with the Imperials, and was quick to kill them all before any had the chance to respond.
"What was that?" Hayame asked, stunned that the Breton could kill anything so fast.
"I hate spiders." Marina dusted their web off her body. "It doesn't help when you lived in an abandoned fort all your life."
"Ok." Hayame had no other words at that, and just exited the cavern.
The group carried on walking through the cave, until they reached a cart.
"Wait." Ralof stopped the two girls.
"What?" Marina asked, her eyes wide and innocent.
"There's a bear." Ralof pointed towards a sleeping silhouette, and Hayame squinted to get a better look, indeed, with its brown fur and large body shape, it did seem like a bear. "I think we should sneak through, but if you two are feeling lucky..." He placed a long bow and several arrows between the two girls.
"Oh, of course." Marina took the bow and arrows. "I've hunted many animals back in the Reach, from rabbits to sabre cats, this shouldn't be a problem."
"And back in my hometown, we hunted to survive," Hayame added, drawing the Imperial bow she stole earlier.
"You ready?" Marina took an iron arrow.
"Yeah." Hayame nodded, and took an iron arrow. "I'll get the neck, you get the head."
The two placed the arrow into their quivers, and fired it, both whizzed through the air, waking the bear too late, as Marina's hit him square in the head, and Hayame's cut off a major blood vessel in his neck.
"We did it!" Marina cheered, a bit too happy at the simple task.
"You two really are something," Ralof said with a smile.
"We are, huh?" Hayame said, before taking yet another coin purse, this time from the cart they stopped by, along with two bottles of alto wine, and a bottle of black-bair mead from a nearby skeleton.
"Come on, the exit's right over there!" Marina said. "I can't wait until I see sunlight."
"We all can't," Hayame said with a smile, and the group walked to the exit.
Outside the cave, the black dragon flied overhead, heading towards divines-knows-where, and Hayame gave a sigh. It looks like she was going to have to stay in Skyrim, at least until she got revenge on that dragon for trying to kill her.
AN: I hope it's fine, I'm sorry if it's bad, I didn't mean to, well please review, and follow. Unless it's bad, then tell me.
I think the way this will go is that first, I'll do the main questline, than Dragonborn, than any factions that you want. (I won't do 'Destroy the Dark Brotherhood', 'cause the Dark Brotherhood is just super Hayame-like, and I'm siding with the Dawnguard, Marina would rather kill herself than become a vampire)