Thalia and Ralof approached the iron gate on the other side of the room, only to find it locked. Thalia tested the handle a couple of times, frustration flashing across her face, before sighing.
Then Thalia said, "What now?"
Ralof frowned, glancing around the dimly lit room as he tightened his grip on his axe. "We could try to pick it," he suggested, looking back at her. "I don't suppose you have any on you?"
Thalia shook her head quickly, her expression flat. "Nope… and I also don't know how."
Ralof let out a quiet, annoyed sigh. "That's unfortunate…." He suddenly paused, his expression shifting to alertness as his ears caught something faint. He raised a hand sharply and whispered, "Wait—do you hear that? Imperials. Get out of sight!"
They immediately pressed their backs against the cold stone walls, hugging the shadows as the sound of armored boots grew louder. Moments later, two Imperial soldiers entered the room from the door behind them.
Ralof didn't waste a second. With a low growl, he gripped his axe tightly and charged the soldier at the back, swinging viciously. The clash of steel rang through the room. The captain, a stern-faced woman, drew her sword in a flash and lunged at Ralof to defend her comrade—only for Thalia to intercept her with incredible speed.
Thalia planted her feet firmly and blocked the captain's downward strike with the wooden shaft of her spear, sparks flying from the impact. Her arms trembled slightly under the force, but she gritted her teeth, eyes narrowing in fierce determination. With a sharp shove, she pushed the woman back, creating space, and then lunged forward.
Her spear drove deep into the captain's gut with a solid, sickening thunk. The captain gasped, stumbling forward as Thalia gripped the weapon tightly. In one fluid motion, Thalia pulled the woman closer, twisting her body as her foot shot up in a brutal spin kick that slammed into the captain's face. The sheer force sent her flying off the spear, crashing hard onto the cold stone floor.
Thalia exhaled heavily, sweat beading on her forehead as she trained the tip of her spear on the fallen captain. Her voice was steady, though there was tension beneath it, as she said coldly, "Stay down."
But the captain didn't listen. Groaning in pain, she clutched at her gut and staggered to her feet, blood dripping from her wound. With fire in her eyes, she shouted hoarsely, "Death to the rebels!" and charged Thalia, sword raised high.
Thalia's breath caught in her throat, instinct taking over. Without thinking, she thrust her spear forward with deadly precision, the point piercing through the captain's exposed throat.
The woman's charge stopped instantly. Her sword slipped from her fingers, clattering against the stone floor as she collapsed forward, the light in her eyes fading. Thalia's own eyes widened in shock, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she watched the life drain from the captain's face before the body slid off her spear and hit the ground with a dull thud.
Thalia stumbled back a step, her grip trembling on the weapon. Her breathing became shallow and uneven as she tried to calm the pounding of her heart.
Ralof glanced over, blood still splattered on his armor, and walked up to her slowly. He placed a heavy, reassuring hand on her shoulder and said softly, his voice steady and warm, "It's okay, lass… it was her or you. Deep breaths now… you did what you had to."
Thalia closed her eyes tightly, forcing herself to inhale and exhale slowly. After a few tense moments, she steadied herself, her body relaxing just a little. She wiped the sweat from her brow and muttered, still slightly shaky but determined, "I'm okay… Could you search them for a key?"
Ralof gave a short nod and replied, "Aye. Leave it to me."
He moved toward the fallen Imperials, crouching down as the tension of the battle began to ease—but the weight of what had just happened still hung heavy in the air.
Ralof found the key after a moment of searching, his fingers curling around the cold iron with relief. "Got it," he muttered, quickly unlocking the gate with a sharp click. He and Thalia pushed forward, their boots crunching against loose stone and rubble as they made their way deeper into the collapsing fortress.
Suddenly, the walls around them trembled violently as another deafening roar shook the air, followed by the splintering crash of stone giving way. Dust and fragments of ceiling rained down, forcing them both to stumble and brace themselves against the nearby walls.
"Damn dragon's bringing the whole place down on our heads!" Ralof growled, teeth clenched as he glanced back toward Thalia.
With a thunderous rumble, part of the ceiling ahead of them collapsed entirely, blocking the corridor in a shower of stone and dust. The door to their left now stood as their only path forward. Ralof quickly motioned to it, and the two hurried inside, slamming the door behind them just as another distant roar echoed through the halls.
They found themselves standing in what looked like an old kitchen, the scent of stale bread and burnt wood lingering faintly in the air. Rusted pots and broken utensils lay scattered across the counters and floor, and at the center of the room, two Imperial soldiers stood poised, blades already drawn, their eyes narrowing at the unexpected intruders.
Ralof tightened his grip on his axe, glancing toward Thalia with a serious expression. "Do you need me to handle this, lass?" he asked, his voice low but steady, ready to jump in if needed.
Thalia, however, shifted her stance, her fingers wrapping firmly around the shaft of her spear as she locked eyes with one of the soldiers. Her lips curved into a confident, determined smirk. "No," she replied, her voice sharp and unwavering. "I'm good."
Ralof returned her nod, and in the next instant, the room erupted into chaos as the two of them leapt into battle.
Ralof charged straight at the Imperial wielding a longsword, their weapons clashing with a metallic clang as sparks flew from the impact. Meanwhile, Thalia engaged the soldier armed with a massive greatsword. She ducked under the soldier's heavy initial swing, the blade slicing through the air just inches from her head, before twisting to the side and countering with a swift, precise thrust aimed at his ribs.
The confined kitchen filled with the sound of grunts, the crash of steel on steel, and the pounding of boots against stone as the fight for survival continued.
After taking down the two soldiers, Thalia and Ralof continued through the fortress, their boots thudding against the stone floor as they made their way down a dimly lit corridor and descended a flight of worn stairs. At the bottom, they entered a small, cramped prison that reeked of damp stone and rot.
The moment they stepped inside, an old man wearing a tattered hood and his heavily armed bodyguard immediately attacked without hesitation. The bodyguard lunged forward, swinging a heavy iron mace directly at Ralof's head, forcing him to duck back with a sharp grunt. Meanwhile, the hooded old man raised his hand, releasing a crackling stream of lightning straight toward Thalia.
Instead of screaming or dodging, Thalia stopped mid-step, her eyes widening briefly before she… giggled.
"Stop it," she said between little bursts of laughter, her voice carrying a teasing edge. "That tickles."
She casually walked through the barrage of lightning as if strolling through a light spring drizzle, the arcs dancing harmlessly across her skin. The old man's eyes went wide, his jaw dropping in disbelief as she approached him step by step.
"I… impossible," he stammered, voice trembling as he instinctively backed away, his hand still sparking.
Thalia's lips curled into a dangerous smirk. Without hesitation, she reached out, grabbed him by the throat, and lifted him effortlessly off the ground. Her voice dropped into a cold, commanding tone as she hissed, "Try my lightning."
A surge of raw power erupted from her palm, lightning bursting forth and slamming directly into the old man's skull. The smell of burning flesh filled the air as his body went rigid, eyes rolling back before he went limp. Thalia let his lifeless body drop with a dull thud against the stone floor.
Spinning on her heel, she thrust her hand toward the bodyguard, releasing another violent bolt of lightning. The blast caught him square in the chest, hurling him backward. The force stunned him long enough for Ralof to roar, step in, and bring his axe down in a brutal, skull-splitting strike, ending the fight.
Ralof wiped his axe clean on the fallen man's cloak, then glanced at Thalia with raised brows and a half-smirk. "Didn't figure you for a mage, lass."
Thalia rested her spear against her shoulder and shrugged casually, though her expression held a spark of pride. "Yeah, well, when you're on your own, it pays to know more than one way to take someone out."
Ralof chuckled, a deep and genuine sound. "True enough."
As he turned, his gaze landed on the cell behind Thalia, where a fresh corpse slumped against the bars with a small bag of gold clutched tightly in its lifeless hand. His eyes narrowed, scanning the room until he spotted a set of lockpicks lying forgotten on a nearby table. He picked them up, testing their weight in his palm, and then walked over to Thalia with a grin.
"Perfect. Here," he said, handing her the lockpicks. "You don't know how to pick locks, right? Well… now's a good time to learn."
Thalia blinked, then smirked faintly and nodded. "Alright, show me."
She walked over to the cell while Ralof crouched beside her, patiently explaining the process. It took her a couple of tries, but after a few clicks and a soft snap, the lock came free.
Ralof grinned wide. "Well done, lass."
Thalia smiled back, a flicker of pride flashing across her face, and grabbed the bag of gold before storing it in her inventory.
The two continued deeper into the fortress, pressing forward through winding passages as the stone walls gradually gave way to jagged rock. The air grew damp and cool, and soon the fortress slowly transitioned into twisting cavern tunnels.
Finally, they stepped into a massive, open cave illuminated faintly by glowing blue fungi along the walls. The moment they emerged, an Imperial archer was waiting for them, bowstring drawn taut, her arrow aimed directly at Thalia's chest.
Before the woman could release her shot, Thalia thrust out her hand with a calm, deadly precision. A searing bolt of lightning exploded from her palm, striking the archer square in the chest and launching her violently into the cavern wall with a sickening crack.
The commotion drew the attention of the three remaining Imperial soldiers deeper within the cave. Weapons drawn, they shouted a battle cry and charged straight at Thalia and Ralof.
Ralof met the nearest soldier head-on, steel clashing against steel in a brutal exchange, while Thalia took on the two behind him.
Her fist surged with crackling energy as she wrapped it in lightning and drove it directly into the jaw of the closest soldier. The strike landed with a loud snap, sending him stumbling back, dazed and disoriented. Without wasting a second, Thalia shifted her attention to the second soldier.
He swung his blade at her with a wild, heavy arc, but she sidestepped effortlessly, her movements fluid and precise. Her spear reversed in her grip, and she slammed the pommel down hard on his foot, shattering his toes. He screamed, doubling over in pain, and Thalia seized the opening — driving her spear tip straight through his temple with ruthless precision.
Blood sprayed as she yanked her weapon free, spinning just in time to stab the first soldier clean through the heart as he tried to rise, his body going limp on her spear before she shoved him aside.
Ralof, panting from his own fight, pulled his axe free from the final soldier's chest and glanced over at Thalia with a half-grin, shaking his head in disbelief.
"I need to try harder," he said between breaths. "You're stealing all the kills. Thought you didn't have any fighting experience?"
Thalia wiped her spear clean, exhaling slowly as she met his gaze. "Oh no, I have plenty of fighting experience," she admitted, her tone calm but tinged with a weight she didn't bother hiding. "This is just the first day I've killed people. I'm… slowly getting used to it. Not sure that's a good thing, though."
Ralof paused, his expression softening slightly before he nodded. "It depends," he said evenly. "Most of the people trying to kill you will be either soldiers or bandits… so you should be fine." He rested his axe against his shoulder and motioned forward. "Now, let's keep going."
Not much happened after that. Thalia and Ralof made their way through the rest of the caves, their footsteps echoing faintly against the damp stone walls. Along the way, they fought off several giant spiders, their fangs dripping venom as they skittered out from the shadows, and even managed to take down a massive, enraged bear that came crashing out of its den with a roar. Both were breathing heavily by the time the beast finally fell, but neither slowed down for long.
Eventually, after what felt like an eternity in the dark, winding tunnels, the faint light of day began to filter in ahead. They quickened their pace, emerging from the cave mouth just in time to witness a massive dragon soaring high above the treetops, its black silhouette cutting across the pale sky. Its wings beat with thunderous force as it disappeared into the distant horizon.
Ralof stopped, staring after it with narrowed eyes and a frustrated scowl before letting out a rough sigh. "There the damned thing goes," he muttered bitterly, watching the fading figure until it was gone from sight.
He then turned to Thalia, his expression softening slightly, though his tone carried a hint of weariness. "Well, lass… I think it's best we part ways here. You're not a Stormcloak, and the Empire doesn't know your face yet. But being seen with me? That'll only get you labeled as one of us."
Thalia frowned slightly, her grip tightening on her spear, but she nodded in understanding.
Ralof gestured down the dirt path ahead, his voice steady and reassuring. "If you follow this road, you'll reach my hometown — Riverwood. The people there are good folk; they'll help you on your way if you need anything."
Thalia smiled softly, her exhaustion mixing with genuine gratitude. She stepped forward, extending her hand toward him. "Thank you for everything, Ralof."
Ralof clasped her hand firmly, giving it a strong shake before pulling back with a small, tired grin. "It was no trouble, lass. You've got guts, and you fight well. Good luck on your travels."
With that, the two of them shared a final nod of mutual respect before turning in opposite directions, each setting out on their own path their separate journeys just beginning under the same sky.