18+ Lionheart

[Leseras]

CHAPTER TWO ADDED 18/08/2013

Lionheart​

There was a time when lions were a symbol of bravery and honor. Many people in the Empire held the creature in great respect, often times placing them on emblems of their households. One family in particular held great favor with the emperor for their many years of loyal military service. For their bravery and dedication, the household was dubbed with the name Lionheart to signify their high standing in the empire. The family flourished greatly with large manors and countless properties. When the oblivion crisis struck and the empire went into decline, the Lionhearts went along with it. A dire situation was only worsened with the signing of the White-Gold Concordat. Eventually, the name Lionheart was just that, a name. The Thalmor have succeeded. A once great family has faded into the annals of history...

Draconius Lionheart​

At present, the Thalmor have accused the Lionhearts of worshiping Talos. The emperor, barred by the White-Gold Concordat, does nothing to help them.The head, the matron and the heir are thus forced to flee the empire in fear. Along the journey, their carriage stops along the border for a pit-stop, hoping to gather supplies before carrying one. Out of nowhere, men dressed in blue storm the clearing, clearly fleeing from something. Not long after, imperial soldiers arrive with their bows drawn. The arrows are indiscriminate in their targets, piercing soldier and civilian alike. The last sight that Draco saw before his world faded to black was the sight of his parents stone-still in a pool of crimson. In that moment, he swore vengeance.

Authors Note​

This is my first story on this site. I hope to provide a meaningful experience for both you and I in writing this story. Here is a basic list of what this story will entail.
-An alternate start. No following Hadvar or Ralof like every dragonborn story.
-Evil dragonborn
-An in depth story on the psychology of said evil dragonborn (think Batman style)
-Explorations on what dragonborns really are
-Explorations on what vampires really are
-A dabble of Daedra here and there, but not the main focus
-Hearing the stories of hostile mobs in Skyrim, like bandits and such.
-Some heavy violence, torture and general cruelty. No actual smut but there might be allusions to sex and rape. I will not graphically describe them. Don't worry.
That's about it! My posting speed is generally slow(Once a few days at most normally). With all that out of the way, I hope you enjoy the story. Please do provide any opinions that you have. I appreciate them all.
-Leseras

Table of Contents​

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Chapter One: Horsethief​

Chapter Two: Change​

 

[Matt]

While this story seems like it might be interesting, I cannot fathom why you would decide to make a post in the Fanfic section informing us that you will eventually write a story. What's more, instead of writing a complete story for us to read, you will only give it to us in short segments over a long period of time? Forgive me, but this turns me off to the prospect of reading your work. Take the time to finish it, and then we can enjoy your work from start to finish. It is a lot to ask of a prospective reader that we wait for you to post your story and then we wait some more between chapters. It might be different if your chapters were going to come relatively rapidly, (even then I'm no fan of the forum serial method of posting stories) but you yourself have assured us of the long wait between parts.

My apologies for being a bit of a buzzkill, but if we can't be honest, then what can we be? If you are intending on posting in installments because you have difficulty completing a piece, then this forum is full of peers (as you may already know) who can review your work in private as you write it to help you gain the confidence you need. I'd be more than willing to serve in such a capacity, if you wish. You've already stated that time between segments will be long, so why not just write your story?

Good luck to you, Leseras, in your literary ventures.

 

[Leseras]

No worries. Chapter One is due tomorrow. It's just a habit I've built up from being on fanfiction.net to leave small periods in between releases to let the story sink in rather then to blah it out all at once. I'm just putting it up to get exposure out and have a little teaser first. As for my statement of long periods, its simply so that I don't get expectations too high on my posting speed. Most likely its once a day or two days, not weeks or months, but there may be times when I'm a little busy with RL. I hope this answers your concerns.

 

[Matt]

Honestly, your explanation, while reasonable, does not change my opinion. Upon further consideration, I can understand posting this topic as a form of "advertising" as you work on your piece. That said, I still feel your best course of action is to finish it.

Understandably, it may not be prudent to post a novel length story all at once in a forum setting. That said, you should still complete the story you are eager to tell and then release it part by part. It will prevent the "blah it out" you mentioned but allow you to complete a thought before subjecting yourself to the opinions of your audience. The instant gratification that comes with a forum serial does change the outcome and even the voice of a piece as the work continues.

That is merely my two cents however. Again, I wish you the best of luck.

 

[Leseras]

I feel that I should point out two things. The first is that the story has already been planned from start to finish. I've merely yet to allocate the contents to chapters (I usually tend to do that as a write, hence I've not reserved any number of posts because I am unsure). While the opinions of readers are important, it will merely affect my writing style or sentence structure at best. The second thing I want to point out, and this is the most important, is that everybody does it. Most of the stories I see here are updated as the writers churn out a new chapter.

In actuality, writing an entire story and not posting it quickly is frowned upon in many communities because it is seen as holding the chapters ransom in exchange for reviews. While I may write a few chapters in advance, I won't do anything like that. It is a moral issue for me. That said, I may be wrong and the community here may be different then what I think it is. However, I don't find anything morally or ethically wrong with the style I'm using now.

 

[Matt]

I don't find anything wrong morally or ethically wrong with how you've chosen to do it either. You are not wrong that many writers on this very forum and others like it utilize that method. That being the case, I did what any good peer would do in this situation and gave you honest feedback regarding your upcoming fanfiction. I represent a smaller population in this community, as I do not view a forum serial as others do, but it is a position I do support and will continue advising as long as I am a part of places such as this. Inarguably, it is a method that many readers have taken a fancy for, so I will not scorn it.

In actuality, writing an entire story and not posting it quickly is frowned upon in many communities because it is seen as holding the chapters ransom in exchange for reviews.

In direct response to this statement, is this not why forum serials are posted in the manner they are? For instant reviews on a single section before continuing the story? I'm not attempting to be snippy, I am genuinely curious.

 

[Leseras]

Lionheart​

By: Leseras​

Chapter One: Horse Thief​

“Damn you Ulfric! Damn you and all your Stormcloaks!” screamed the man in rags. After his outburst, he sullenly ambled towards the large gathering of bound Stormcloaks, quietly accepting his fate.

Draco’s mind was still in a whirlwind of a mess. How did all this happen? His family had only been crossing the border into Skyrim when they were all slaughtered by the Imperial Legionnaires. Why did the Empire attack her own people? Now here he was, a noble getting lined up for the chopping block. With all the rage he could muster, he glared furiously at the female officer. Saying that she was a bitch would be putting it lightly.

“Next prisoner!” she called out. Deliberately, he took slow and heavy steps towards the duo. He was not going to make this easy and planned to resist up till his death. Now that was a morbid thought. Why am I so accepting of my death? His final step thumped with a sound of finality. Slowly, he raised his head and stared straight into her eyes. The officer flinched. Draco smirked, only to receive a hard punch in his gut, dropping him to his knees. He heaved and wheezed, feeling the effects of a metallic fist impacting such a vital area. Refusing to give in, he mustered all his strength and pulled his body up. From the corner of his eye, he could see the other Imperial man glancing at him with sympathy. Bah! I don’t need their pity!

The man glanced down at the parchment in his hands and back at Draco. He seemed slightly confused, but spoke out anyway. “Who are you? I don’t recognize you from anywhere.” This was it. It was the make or break moment. With his chest puffed out, Draco declared, “Draconius Lionheart.” The duo seemed slightly startled at the mention of his name. It lasted only for a moment. The female officer gained a smug grin on her face before announcing jubilantly, “The Lionheart family has been declared to be enemies of the state for their worship of Talos. Any member is to be executed on sight. It seems that your time has come traitor!” She thumbed towards the execution block.

The expression on his face was unreadable. His body was stock still and his legs were rooted to the spot. Crimson liquid stained his fists as he clenched harder and harder. The fury that he felt was almost palpable. In his mind, a maelstrom of emotions raged against each other. One stood out amongst the rest; anger. He felt anger for his situation. He felt anger for the female bitch. But most of all, he felt anger towards the Empire. The once proud Lionheart family had done so much for the Empire. Each generation of sons were sent to die on the frontlines and almost all of them died each time. It was once considered an honor to die for the Empire. But here he was, getting ready to die by the Empire.

I WILL NOT FORGIVE THEM. I WILL NEVER FORGIVE THEM. THEY WILL ALL DIE BY MY HANDS!
Draco chanted the mantra to himself over and over. Even as he felt his knees give out from the impact on his back and his head collide with the execution stone, he chanted to himself. But his anger was for naught. What could a dead man do? Draco closed his eyes in resignation as a tear slipped past his façade. This was the end.

Then he heard it.

It was a roar that was unlike any he had ever heard. The roar of the mountain lions in Cyrodiil paled against this monstrous roar. But just what beast could produce such a terrifying sound? At that moment, the tall wooden gate flew off its hinges as a large black silhouette poked in. A geyser of flame burst forth, incinerating any soldier that was unlucky enough. When the crowd realized what had happened, total anarchy gripped the hearts of everyone. Legionnaires broke their formations, some running for their cowardly lives and others trying to find better vantage positions. Draco took the chance to bounce to his feet and head butt the executioner right on the face. The man stumbled slightly, dropping his oversized ax on the ground. Quick as a lightning, he cut his bindings against the blade and freed himself. Spotting the sword and shield of an incinerated soldier on the ground, he rushed forward and grabbed them.

On his mad dash out, he freed as many prisoners as he could. An enemy of the Empire is a friend of mine. One of them, the one in rags like him, seemed to tail after him, trusting in his lead. Deciding to take a risk, Draco dashed past the black lizard creature out of the gates. The monster didn’t seem to be very interested in the two prisoners. It seemingly preferred to flambé the Imperials. Aren’t I an Imperial too? He shook his head angrily. No, not anymore.
It seemed like they had ran for an eternity before stopping. Their hearts were thumping heavily against their chest. Ragged breathes came in quick intervals, breaking the silence. The other man slowly turned towards Draco and gave him a once over. “I’m…My name is Lokir…Lokir of Rorikstead.” he said. He stumbled towards Draco and held his hand out. “Nice to meet you.”
Draco tentatively shook his hand in return. There was this strange feeling of familiarity that he felt whenever he glanced at this strange man. The man was slightly nerved when Draco opted to stare at him instead of replying. In an effort to break the tension, he spoke again. “So what were you in for? I was actually stealing a horse from this carriage that had stopped on the border. The poor saps didn’t even know what hit them! If it weren’t for the damn Stormcloaks, I would’ve have gotten away scot free! Now I’m a wanted man!”

He stole a horse…from a carriage. HE STOLE A HORSE FROM MY CARRIAGE!

The memories flooded in rapidly, painfully reminding him of just why his parents had been in the way of the arrows; there was no horse to pull away the carriage. Without the horse, his parents had been stranded on the carriage, oblivious to the wooden shafts of death raining on them from behind. This was the man who killed them.

An insane glint entered his eyes. “You can call me Draco…and I didn’t actually do anything. Wrong place, wrong time was all there was to it.” muttered Draco. Lokir seemed to accept his answer and turn around. He placed his hand above his eyes and squinted slightly. “There seems to be a bandit encampment right ahead. Say, maybe we should join up wit-Hurk!” Blood dribbled down his chin. Crimson pooled around the metal appendage sticking through his chest. His body slid off slowly and collapsed to the ground, unmoving.
Draco pulled out the blade and stared at the blood flowing off it. Then the reality hit him.

This was the first man he had killed.

 

[Matt]

I am happily not surprised by the quality of your efforts, Leseras. You seemed like you had a great mind and I am pleased that I was not wrong. Your grammar is as excellent as I imagined and I found this piece easy to read.

What did surprise me was the quality of the scene itself given its source material. I'll explain that by saying, Dragonborn tales are a dime a dozen. And usually, they are uninteresting for me since in my mind, the story is different. In everyone's mind that plays the game, there is a personal flavor to this tale and I am certainly no different. I gave yours a chance, however, and am glad I did.

Dare I say it, I am ready for more. Before I can offer anything more constructive, I will have to see more. I am interested to see what sorts of things your imaginative mind has in store for us, and where you are taking the dragonborn. Good luck, Leseras.

 

[Leseras]

Thanks for your very encouraging review. And yes, perhaps that's why forum serials are like that. But I'm not used to the format of forums and more to official fanfiction sites, hence my methodology remains the same. It's not that the format in forums are bad, I just prefer the one I'e been using.

 

[Leseras]

Lionheart​

By: Leseras​

Chapter Two: Change​

Putrid fluid smothered the ground, leaking down cracks and crevices. The taint of blood and vomit blended together to form a foul concoction, causing any who would draw near to retch in disgust. Draco was stock still on his hands and knees. His chest heaved in and out in rhythm with his heavy breathing. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead, drenching his rags.

This was new territory for him. Sure, he came from a long line of Imperial soldiers. His forefathers had slain plenty of men on the battlefield and executed countless innocents. Yet the only living being Draco had ever slain before this was a mountain lion as part of his rite of passage into adulthood. In fact, he hadn’t really slain the beast. It actually impaled itself on his sword.

Flashback

He was tired and wary. After being thrust into the wilderness with nothing but an iron sword and the clothes off his back, Draco had been traversing the plains for hours, careful to avoid the many creatures that dotted Cyrodiil. His throat was as dry as his stomach was empty. How was he supposed to find and more importantly kill a mountain lion?

Trainers of different martial disciplines had honed his skills since childhood, but training and experience were not the same. He didn’t know how to track, nor had he ever fought in a life and death situation. It seemed he was doomed to failure from the start. Just as he was about to throw his sword on the ground in anger and frustration, his ear twitched from hearing a most deadly sound.

A growl pierced the silence. His fear stricken body slowly turned around to come face to face with a large mountain lion. It was poised and ready to strike him down. The lion lunged at him with its claws positioned in a lethal pose. Just as it landed on him, Draco’s snapped back into reality and rolled forwards, barely dodging the lunge from the predator.

As the beast surged forth to strike him once more, he side-stepped and dodged backwards, putting some distance between him and the lion. This process of cat and mouse continued for several minutes. The fight started to take its toll on young Draco, who had seemed to have forgotten all about the weapon clutched in his right hand due to his fear.

Eventually, the lion managed to catch him off guard and pounced on him. It pinned him to the ground, fangs poised to tear off his windpipe. It seemed to be the end. But Draco wouldn’t give up so easily. Just as his life was about to end, something in him snapped. His eyes hardened. Draco swung his fist at the lion relentless, actually managing to toss it off him. Mustering all his strength, he stood up on his shaky legs. The lion seemed annoyed that its prey still had fight in it, and prepared to end it once and for all. However it was not to be.

“Obey me!” commanded Draco with authority. The beast seemed stunned for a moment before laying on the ground with its head bowed in submission. With strength he had never felt before, Draco held his sword aloft, pointed straight at the creature.

“Now die!” he screamed. The lion dashed forward with zeal, only this time it didn’t lunge at him but his sword. Its lifeless body slowly slid off the iron construct, crimson staining its majestic fur.

Flashback End

Draco never understood what had happened on that day. That strange ability he had to command the lion could not be replicated no matter how hard he tried. Everyone he performed it on seemed to only laugh it off. Thinking that it only worked with lions, he approached one of the caged beasts in his family estate and attempted to command it. He failed.

But that wasn’t important right now. What was important was the body that lay on the ground motionless in front of him. As his sword pierced the flesh of the horse thief, his eyes glimpsed into that of Lokir, watching as the life left them. He had just knowingly taken the life of a living and breathing man.

What gave him the right? Lokir probably had a whole family in Rorikstead waiting for his return. When he returned home, they would probably celebrate with a small feast to welcome their lost member back into the fold. Maybe he would woo the village beauty and settle down with her to open a horse ranch. Draco chortled at the irony. But now, all of those things were lost to him. His fate was not in the hands of whatever deity he prayed to.

But then again, neither can I experience any of those things. Draco slammed his fist on the ground. My home, –slam- my family, –slam- and even my integrity. His fist impacted with a final thud. Tears leaked out endlessly. So what does it matter if he can’t do any of those things? I can’t either! I’ll make sure that if I can’t do it, then no one can!

Stepping forward, he placed his hand on the hilt and pulled. The sword left the corpse with a satisfying squelch, causing a geyser of blood to burst out and drench his face in crimson liquid. The old Draco would have found this disgusting or cowered at the sight of so much blood. But something had changed in him. The death of his family, the humiliation at the hands of the Imperials and his kill had made him much more than he was before.

With a mission in mind, Draco stalked off in the direction that Lokir was pointing at. As he traveled along the wilderness, he soon came across a small cottage with a sign that read “Pinewatch”. Draco reached for the handle and turned, only to find that it was locked. This left him in a conundrum as he had no idea how to pick a lock. However, it was soon rectified as the door was wrenched open by a haggard man who seemed stunned at all the blood that was covering Draco.
Draco smirked.

“Knock knock.”​