Champion of Dawn

Chapter I: On the Trails of Dusk

As the wagon’s wheels drove, the sound of the creaks beneath and the thump of the horses’ hooves that pulls it made its way to the trail that leads to the prison where these passengers of the wagon will be delivered to and meet their end.

“Ha! Didn’t expect we would get the biggest fish in the pond this easily” chuckled by the Imperial soldier whose man-handling the wagon. The very “passenger” of this is none other than the leader of the rebels, the man who started the brutal rebellion, the very head of the beast “Chillrends”, the Duke of Winterhold, Jarric Chillrend. He dons a long pale-blonde hair braided by the side and wears a dark-pale vestment with a breastplate with symbol claw of a sabretooth which is the signature mark of the Chillrend rebels. The skirmish that led him to his capture was a quick and tactically executed, like a hawk who skillfully strikes down its prey from above in an instant.

“Hmph, it’s only a matter of time, this will finally end the ridiculous war he started and it’s all thanks to the General,” response of the soldier beside him.

“Kyahahaha! That’s the General for you, if you need to get matters settled, let the blade of Gladios Tullium sever it and shove it in their asses!”

As the two soldiers continued their mockery to the Duke, the Duke himself is gagged by a cloth in the mouth and tied arms behind his back, the other Chillrends were also carried on the other wagons, almost a dozen of them gagged and tied to their fate. But in truth, not all of the prisoners are rebels but some are ordinary travelers or even citizens who are unfortunate enough to be caught between the ambush in the Harkwood Crossing. One of them is a blonde man who seems to have returned home for a long time of being away.

“What is going on here? Is the civil war really this worse? Even normal and innocent passerby are getting caught in it?” whispered in his mind by the man.

“Nonetheless, I didn’t quite expect that the perpetrator for this senseless war has been finally caught,” The man thought as he stared at the duke who is seem to be in a deep thought.

“After the last two years that I have been at the Empire, Duke Chillrend finally reached his breaking point, I know he was once a good man and a very brave and fearsome warrior who really is devout to his motherland but this is just getting too far,” as the man look around, he is in the wagon who is directly on the tail of the duke's who is at very lead following by another three more wagons who also carries Chillrend troops who is with the duke during the assault and some also few unlucky passersby who got caught in the middle of the raid.

“Mmmhpph! Grrmhmm!” mumbled by the prisoner who is in the same wagon with the blonde man. The kept trying to struggle out on his bindings since from their departure at Harkwwood Crossing, he is one of those unlucky people who got caught in the middle of the conflict.

“Still trying deny your fate, but alas I must also find a way to prove my innocence,” The blonde man thought. “Quit yer’ yapping you pig! You want to be the first one to be executed right here and now?!” shouted by the soldier handling their wagon.

As their trip continues, the sun almost down and the surroundings starts losing its vibrant dawn, it’s already dusk they are almost halfway to their destination. The Imperials are starting put on their lanterns to light the way to perilous slope of the trail leading to Skyhold. The horses started climbing the uphill slope making slower pace than before. As the dusk falls, several new noises can be heard around the vicinity, like the chirping of birds becomes flapping of some few bats’ tiny wings and some howling of some beast coming deep within the woods along trail.

Be that as it may, the prisoners’ expressions have become grimmer and starting to lose hope but some are still fueled by rage towards their captors, while the other people who got caught are starting to whimper behind their gagged mouths. As they passed the two-uphill slope on the trail, the hold is almost at sight. The Skyhold is known to be the oldest prison keep in the Skyreach dating back to the time of ancient Skyreachers and have kept many of the most notorious and wanted outlaw in Skyreach.

“We are almost there. Now we can finally put this miserable lot out of this to cease this treachery to the Empire!” announced by the soldier who is in-charged the duke’s wagon. The Duke Jarric glared at him menacingly without any fear or sense of hopelessness even he will be executed. Even during the whole journey, the duke didn’t much have any expression on him, maybe he even slept during that time or maybe he does have an idea to escape and he’s just waiting for the right time to do so.

“Grrrr! You will wipe that stupid look on your face later Chillrend! That won’t last till we behead you I finally put an end to your schemes!” as the wagons approached the wooden barricade in the front of the hold, there a squad of Imperial soldiers waiting in and among them is a man who has a distinguished appearance, he’s got a grayish-white buzz-cut hair and dons a half-plate armor which has a crimson-chainmail underneath and bears the crest of the “Celestial Dragon” on his chest.

As the man approaches the incoming carriages with his soldiers, “Welcome to the Skyhold, your grace. How fares the trip on the way here? Duke Jarric Chillrend?” the man who approached was none other than the General Tullium himself.

“Bring them in one by one! And Ser Havard hand me the list of this prisoners!” commanded by the general to the soldier who came out of the hold.

“Yes sir! Here it is. We managed to capture a dozen soldiers of the rebels and one of them is the duke himself, but still…” paused by Ser Havard who is a bit unnerve.

“What? What is it?” asked by the general. “It seems that some of the duke’s top lieutenants aren’t here and even his second-in-command Lord Wake-Beard the Stone,” added by Ser Havard. After that, one by one the prisoners were led inside the hold and the time is also at night when they arrived in Skyhold.

“You, on the next wagon come down here!” yelled by the soldier who is sorting the prisoners out.

“I guess this is it. Skyhold, the great prison from the Sky. This will be a bloody night,” as the blonde man’s thought as he cleared the wagon and into the hold…