Highschool of the Dead: Dragonborn

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Chapter 3: The Sword & the Dead.

Saeko's eye fluttered open and was greeted with rays of morning sunlight peeking in through the window, creeping up her face. Mumbling slightly, Saeko sat up and wiped away the remnants of drool on her chin. Rubbing her eyes so that she was more awake, she groaned to herself as she felt the pressure of having a bra on for too long getting to her. Slipping off the tunic Dragonborn had given her, then unclipping the bra, Saeko heaved a sigh of relief as she felt the pressure on her chest was released. Laying back down on the mat, Saeko still felt a little drowsy and nearly fell back asleep when the door to the shrine opened. Looking up, Saeko saw Dragonborn standing in the doorway to the shrine, still wearing his helmet that concealed his otherwise handsome features to her.

"Dragonborn-san!" Saeko greeted him. Saeko suddenly blushed as she released she was without a shirt, she quickly covered her bare breasts with her hands. "Sorry! I-I…" she tried to say.

"It's alright," Dragonborn cut her off. "Nudity doesn't offend me, and I'm not a stranger to the female form," he said to her. "But I will give you a moment to look decent," he then added as he went back outside and closed the door.

Smiling slightly at the show of consideration her saviour had given her, Saeko slipped the soft tunic back on and folded up her bra neatly beside her. "You can come back in, now," Saeko called out and the door opened again to reveal Dragonborn.

"Are you alright? Anything hurting?" Dragonborn asked her as he squatted down to sit opposite her.

"I'm a little drowsy, but nothing hurts, thankfully," said Saeko. "That potion of yours really worked wonders," she added gratefully.

"I'm glad it did, although I must apologise for not telling you the side effects of it," Dragonborn said apologetically.

"It's nothing," Saeko said waving off her saviour's apology. "Where have you been?" she asked changing subjects and curious where the man had been.

"I was doing some scouting and taking care of any potential threats in the area," Dragonborn replied. "I also went back to the site where I found you and recovered this," he said as he pulled out the broken remains of a bokken.

Saeko gave a forlorn smile; she knew it was but a matter of time before her bokken would become damaged or broken beyond repair. But she was touched that her rescuer went back to retrieve it all the same.

"Thank you, Dragonborn-san," Saeko said to him gratefully. "I know my bokken is broken beyond repair, but it was still sweet of you to retrieve it for me," she added with a soft smile.

"If I had some tools, I'd be able to fix it for you," Dragonborn said. "But when I first brought you here, I came across a weapon that I think will suit your needs just as fine, if not better than before," he added as he stood to his feet and walked to the back of the shrine. Returning a moment later, Dragonborn held in his hands something that made Saeko's eyes light up in wonder.

It was a katana, and it did not look to be any ordinary katana either. The Kanjis on the black lacquered scabbard were ones signifying a master swordsmith's work. The hilt was made of carved ivory with a dragon's head on the pommel. Dragonborn drew the blade from the scabbard and Saeko's eyes had a dazzled look in them as she gazed upon the steel blade which spoke of being forged from high quality tamahagane steel, the proper steel for forging katanas. Engraved on the flat of the blade near the guard were kanjis that again signified the work of a master swordsmith.

Dragonborn held the blade out in one gauntleted hand and gave it an experimental swing, testing its weight. Dragonborn gave an approving nod before saying, "This is good steel. It should serve you well, Lady Saeko," he said. "But it's a little dull for my liking," he added with a hint of disapproval in his voice.

"Give me a moment," the armoured man said as he sat down and pulled from his satchel, a whetstone, a small bottle of oil and a rag. Saeko watched as Dragonborn sharpened the katana to his liking. A few minutes later, Dragonborn stopped and pulling off a gauntlet and running a fingertip along the edge and drawing a bead of blood, Dragonborn nodded and said, "Much better." Sheathing the blade, Dragonborn the offered the weapon to Saeko.

Saeko almost hesitated to take the blade from Dragonborn's hands; after a moment, she took the offered weapon from her rescuer's hands and felt a small rush of endorphins and excitement flood her veins as she held in her hands a real sword. Saeko felt her eyes grow damp as she said to Dragonborn, "Thank you, Dragonborn-kun," she said changing the honorific to something more personal. "You… you have no idea how valuable this is to me!" she declared. Dragonborn reached across and with his thumb, he gently wiped away a solitary tear that ran down Saeko's right cheek.

"You're welcome, Lady Saeko," the armoured man said to her. "I imagine such a weapon would prove extremely useful in your hands," he commented.

"Yes. It would. It will be," Saeko replied as she gazed at her new weapon with pride.

"I noticed you changed the honorific you call me to something else," Dragonborn then said making Saeko look up at him in surprise. "Is there a reason why?" he asked her.

Saeko blushed slightly before replying, "I changed the honorific to something more… personal, because you've done so much for me already without asking anything in return," she admitted. "You've proven yourself to be a worthy friend," she stated.

"Is that all we are? Friends?" Dragonborn asked casually. Saeko blushed at the question. "Apologies. I overstepped there," Dragonborn said quietly.

"N-No. It's fine," said Saeko with a soft smile, the blush still on her cheeks. She'd be lying if she thought of something of a more intimate relationship with her rescuer, even though she barely knew him for more than a day. But, Dragonborn had proven himself to be a good man already having rescued and healed her injuries and provided her a weapon that suited her skills. Add the fact that he was a handsome man beneath his helm, Saeko wouldn't be surprised if this man had suitors and potential mates lining up for the chance to be with him.

But then some creeping doubts crawled into Saeko's mind; the little whispering voice that told her what might happen if her saviour knew her true nature and that he might reject her. Saeko lost herself in those thoughts, when Dragonborn's voice interrupted those thoughts.

"Are you alright, Lady Saeko?" Saeko blinked and looked at Dragonborn; she wasn't certain, given that Dragonborn wore his helmet, but it seemed that he was concerned. "You're lost in thought," he remarked.

"It's nothing," Saeko said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Nothing's always something," Dragonborn replied.

Saeko gave a small giggle at that witty reply but said, "It's nothing. Really," she said.

"Well, I shan't pressure you, milady," Dragonborn said stoically. "Are you well enough to travel?" he asked her.

"I am, but I am a little hungry though," said Saeko.

"I was going to do some scavenging for some food," Dragonborn said to as he stood up and Saeko stood up with him. Saeko then took a moment to realise just how tall Dragonborn was; she was by no means short herself. In fact, people commented that Saeko was quite tall for a Japanese girl, 5 feet and 8.5 inches tall to be exact and wearing the high heeled combat boots borrowed from Nurse Shizuka's friend's wardrobe gave her a couple more inches. But Dragonborn seemed to dwarf Saeko in height; granted the armour he wore added to his height and mass, but Saeko suspected that her rescuer was still an impressive specimen of manhood. The indigo-haired swordswoman wondered if Dragonborn's body was as strong as his armour looked.

Dragonborn's voice interrupted Saeko's thoughts again. "I could use someone to watch my back. Do you wish to join me? Or go your own way?" he asked.

"Go my own way?" Saeko said.

Dragonborn nodded and said, "Aye. I thought since you are well enough to travel, you would go your own way to reunite with your friends," he said.

Saeko frowned at this. "I do desire to return to my friends," she admitted truthfully, feeling it would be pointless to lie to Dragonborn. "But you rescued and healed my injuries at risk to yourself and never asked anything in return," she then said. "For such a noble act, I am indebted to you and wish to repay your kindness," she added.

"You do not owe me anything," Dragonborn said to her calmly. "I did what any good person would do. To expect something of you in return is out of the question," he explained.

"As a daughter of the House Busujima, I could not face my ancestors without repaying the debt I owe to you," Saeko stated firmly. "Such an act would be seen as a disgrace to my family," she then said. "And as a daughter of the House Busujima, I intend to repay my debt and be true to my word," she declared boldly.

Dragonborn hummed in response and said, "Very well. If that is what you wish, then so be it."

Saeko smiled in response before speaking. "Shall we get going then?" she asked.

"In a moment," Dragonborn said. "If you're going to accompany me, you'll need some better equipment," he added.

"What's wrong with what I have?" Saeko asked, confused by what Dragonborn said.

"You'll need some armour to protect yourself with," Dragonborn replied as he dug through his satchel and pulled out a pair of leather bracers and a leather cuirass and offered them to her. "Put these on," he said to her, but not in a way that was a command.

Saeko slipped on the leather bracers, feeling them conform to her forearms and wrists snugly. Slipping the leather cuirass around her torso, Saeko shuddered slightly as she felt the hardened leather wrap around her, encasing her in a protective layer.

Dragonborn also gave Saeko a belt to attach her new weapon to. Wrapping the leather belt around her waist and attaching her newly acquired katana to her left hip, Saeko felt a small thrill run up her spine. She felt powerful, energised and like she could take on the world.

"Very nice," Dragonborn complimented Saeko making her blush a little. "And are you going to still use that? Or leave it here?" he suddenly asked pointing to the discarded bra on the floor. Saeko's cheeks went cherry red and she hastily snatched up the lingerie and stuffed the item into her belt. Dragonborn made no comment on the act and said, "Let's go."

Exiting the Shrine, Saeko fell into step beside Dragonborn as they left the area. Saeko then saw the burnt bodies of Them in a pile and she looked at Dragonborn is askance. Seeing Saeko's questioning look, Dragonborn said to her, "My activities last night. I took care of this lot when They encroached on this place while you were asleep," he explained. Saeko gave an "Ah" of understanding and decided not to press further into the matter; if anything, she was glad that the threat of Them was taken care of in this area.

As they entered the limits of the inner city, Saeko looked around sadly at the buildings and blood coated streets of Tokonosu. If They hadn't appeared at all, these streets would've been filled with traffic and people going about their daily lives and she would've still been at Fujimi Academy. Saeko shook her head roughly as those errant thoughts entered her head; it was no good dwelling on what things could've been. Such thoughts would get her killed.

"Are you alright?"

Saeko glanced at Dragonborn who once again seemed concerned for her wellbeing. "I'm fine, Dragonborn-kun," she said to him. "Just thinking about…" she trailed away softly.

"About what could've been if this undead threat didn't occur?" Dragonborn said for her. Saeko gave a brief chuckle.

"That obvious?" she asked and her saviour nodded which made Saeko chuckle more. "Yes. I was thinking about what life could've, would've, still been like if They hadn't shown up at all," she said.

"And what might your life have been like if you hadn't met me," Dragonborn then said. Saeko blinked, a little surprised at this sentence; if They hadn't been around, would she still have met her saviour? It was not a fun thought to ponder and it led to some more not-so-fun thoughts entering her mind.

"Apologies," Dragonborn then said. "I do not wish to distract you," he added.

"It's nothing, Dragonborn-kun," Saeko replied with a soft smile. "Let's just continue on with our day," she said firmly. Dragonborn nodded in reply.

As they passed the burnt-out cars and buildings and walked past chewed up corpses of survivors who were unlucky enough to run into the ravenous hordes of Them, Saeko placed one hand on the hilt of her sword, ready to draw it at a moment's notice. So far, there had been no signs of Them, but the slightest sounds could draw Them near and where there was one, a dozen more were nearby.

Sure enough, Saeko and Dragonborn heard the low wheezing groans and shuffling feet of Them. Dragonborn placed a hand to his sword, a finger resting on the dragon's head pommel.

"You said these creatures are drawn to sound, yes?" Dragonborn whispered quietly to Saeko and she nodded in response. Dragonborn grunted before giving a low but audible whistle. Then shambling out of an alleyway was a group of Them, their bodies a sickly ashen grey pallor, their eyes a milky white colour with open and rotting wounds on various parts of their limbs and their clothing torn and ripped in places. Dragonborn then drew his sword with a rasping whisper of metal scraping wood and leather, revealing a dark and smoky blade that rippled with a thousand folds. Saeko stared briefly at the magnificent blade Dragonborn held in his hand; she thought her new katana was a work of art, but Dragonborn's sword made it look like a cheap piece of steel. Drawing her katana from its scabbard and holding it in a traditional kendo stance, Saeko felt the familiar rush of excitement flood her veins like a highly addictive narcotic.

Dragonborn gave another low whistle, this one going for longer and the group of Them surged forward with a collective groan. The first was bisected clean in half by Dragonborn's sword, the second had its head slashed off by Saeko, the third had its arms lopped off then its head cleaved in half and the fourth and fifth were decapitated in one stroke by Dragonborn. The sixth was knocked to the ground by Saeko who then stabbed her sword into its head, piercing its brain or whatever was left of it and the seventh almost snuck up on her when Dragonborn grabbed it by the arm, hefting the wretch up into the air, over and down onto the ground with a wet thud where its skull was crushed by Dragonborn's heavy boot.

As Saeko killed the eighth, a smile on her lips as she relished the battle against Them, she turned around to deal with another, only to stop dead at what she saw.

Three children. Three innocent children, each with sickly grey skin, whited out eyes and wounds on their bodies. Saeko could only stare in horror; could she do this? Could she truly bring herself to kill three children who were now a part of Them? Saeko continued to stare in horror as one of the three children reached out with a rotting hand, when Dragonborn appeared in front of Saeko and dispatched the children with fast strikes of his sword. Saeko stood there, shocked and lost in her thoughts. Dragonborn shook her shoulder roughly.

"Lady Saeko? Saeko!"

Saeko gave a start and looked at Dragonborn whose armour and sword were spattered with dark sludgy liquid. "It's over," he said to her firmly. "They're all dead now," he added.

Saeko dropped her sword with a clang and fell to her knees, looking at her shaking hands, clenching and unclenching them.

"Lady Saeko? Saeko… are you alright?" Dragonborn asked his voice calm and soothing.

Tears pricked Saeko's eyes as her emotions threatened to overwhelm her. "I'm… I'm…" she tried to say through choking sobs. Dragonborn knelt on the ground beside her and embraced her in his arms.

"It's alright. Let it all out," he whispered to her. Saeko wrapped her arms around Dragonborn's neck and gave a wracking sob, her body quivering with the onslaught of emotions inside her. Saeko's inner turmoil coming to the forefront and reminding her what she truly was and what she very nearly did. Dragonborn stroked Saeko's hair, giving gentle soothing noises as though she were a crying child.

After that, Saeko blacked out and woke up a moment later, in an average sized bed. Her sword was resting nearby and seemingly cleaned after the battle. Looking around her, Saeko wondered where she was and if Dragonborn brought her here.

Then entering the room was Dragonborn sans helmet, showing his pale handsome features. His mouth was set in a firm line, but his amethyst-like eyes were kind and unjudging.

"You're awake," he quipped as he sat on the edge of the bed looking at her. Saeko glanced away looking embarrassed at what happened earlier. "I think we need to talk," Dragonborn said to her gently. "What happened back there?" he enquired gently.

"The… The…" Saeko tried to form the words, but they wouldn't come.

"The children?" Dragonborn said for her and Saeko nodded, feeling ashamed at such weakness.

"I hesitated to kill them," Saeko managed to say. "It nearly killed me!" she gritted out feeling angry at herself.

"I'd be surprised if you hadn't hesitated to kill them," Dragonborn said to Saeko. "But there's more to this than that, isn't there?" he asked her. Saeko cast her head down, looking at the floor, lost in her memories.

"Saeko." She looked up to see Dragonborn's handsome face, his violet-purple eyes kind and caring even. "If you want to tell me, then tell me. But know that I won't force you to tell me anything if you don't want to," he said gently yet firmly.

Saeko debated on whether she should tell a stranger she'd only met a day before what haunted her mind. But some part of her said that this perfect stranger may understand what she had been through all those years ago and what she still struggled with to this day.

Taking in a deep breath and giving a shaky sigh, she spoke. "Four years ago, I was on my way home from kendo practice. I was attacked on the street by a would-be molester," she said, her eyes having a faraway look to them as the events of that night played out in her mind. "I was scared at first, but I had my bokken with me, and I felt this sudden rush of power overcome me," she recounted.

"I gained the upper hand on my attacker and dealt him a serious injury," Saeko then said. "I was so calm and when I saw him cowering on the ground… I… I…" she tried to form the words.

"What did you do?" Dragonborn coaxed her.

"I kept hitting him!" A hysterical smile was on Saeko's face as she said those words as her self-loathing came to bite her. "His frightened movements were so inviting! I just kept hitting him, over and over!" a perverse giggle issued out of Saeko as she looked at Dragonborn whose face was calm and stoic.

"That's me! That's who I am! Can you not see?" she asked. "The power and control I had of someone else's life in my hands! I loved it!" she gave another dark giggle before breaking down into sobs.

"What happened afterwards?" Dragonborn asked, seemingly undisturbed by Saeko's confession.

"The police let me go and gave me a ride home," Saeko said as tears fell down her cheeks. "But after that night, I realised that there was a side of me that enjoyed inflicting pain and suffering," she added.

Dragonborn placed a hand on Saeko's shoulder and said to her, "Sounds to me like it was a case of self-defence," he said knowingly.

"That's what I try to tell myself," Saeko sobbed out. "But deep down, I'm a monster!" she said and she looked at Dragonborn again. "How does someone like me deserve friendship? Or even love?" she asked.

Dragonborn had a stony look on his features. "I ever tell you the first time I killed someone?" he said to her. Saeko looked at him in askance and he continued, "When I first arrived in Skyrim and was captured with the Stormcloaks, in the wrong place at the wrong time as it were, I was sent to the Helgen to be executed," he told her.

"When the execution was… interrupted by an outside force, I managed to escape in the chaos with a Stormcloak rebel named Ralof," Dragonborn then said. "We made our way into the Helgen castle where I was given an axe and told that we were to escape and kill anyone who stopped us," he added.

"The first person I killed was an Imperial Legionnaire; he couldn't have been any older than 18 or 19 summers. I remembered the moment my axe cleaved into his head, splitting it open and showing his brains."

"I was so shocked at what I did, I was nearly killed by his companion had Ralof not been there. After that, there was no time to think about it, escaping was the only thing on my mind. I don't know how many Legionnaires I killed in my escape from Helgen, but I do know that any who faced died," Dragonborn said.

He then gave a hard look at Saeko, "Do you know how many people I have killed thus far?" he asked her and Saeko shook her head in answer. "I lost count somewhere along the way, but I think somewhere in the region of two to three thousand people I have personally killed," he then said with dispassion in his voice.

Saeko looked at Dragonborn in shock; she didn't know if it was the number of people he had, or the way he said it so dispassionately. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, trying to articulate the words she wanted to express but couldn't.

"When I picked up a blade for the first time and killed some bandits, I felt the power of having their lives in my hands intoxicating, same as you did with your molester," Dragonborn then said. "I tried to deny it and say that it was in self-defence, but the truth was I enjoyed putting them down in the ground. They were better off dead, I said at the time," he added.

"When I joined the Imperial Legion, I killed many Stormcloak rebels because I wouldn't stand for theirs and their leader's bigotry. But, the truth was I was glad to kill them all," Dragonborn said a dark grin crossing his face that almost made Saeko shrink back in fear.

"But, by the time the rebellion was over, a friend I had made in the rebellion, Hadvar, a Legionnaire, had been killed by Ralof in the final battle," Dragonborn then said sombrely. "It made me realise that all the killing had made me lose a good friend and left me empty inside," he added.

"But I couldn't stop fighting. Not then and not now," Dragonborn looked at Saeko with sad tired eyes. "I've killed for duty, I've killed for self-defence and I've killed for money. So, don't ever call yourself monster and give up on yourself, because you don't know what it's like to be a monster like I am!" he declared.

Saeko stared at her friend in shock, seeing someone else entirely. Yet, she felt a profound sense of kinship with him; someone who understood what it was like to have that intoxicating power over other people's lives. Perhaps it was destiny she had met this man who could understand her.

Saeko looked at Dragonborn who looked back at her. The sun was slowly setting, darkening the room as they leaned towards each other.

…

TO BE CONTINUED…

A/N: Well… did not expect that to happen! Not in the slightest! Not sure if I intended this to happen so fast, but I hope it lays the seeds for Saeko and Dragonborn's relationship (not sure if it can be called that) and how they can understand each other and what they've been through, but I dunno… I mean, I did want Saeko's true nature reveal to be over and done with, but I was hoping to get some character development happening. Oh, well, what's done is done and I hope it was good enough to make the grade.

I don't think Saeko and Dragonborn's relationship has reached the more physical/intimate side of things yet, but I think it's getting there. Otherwise, I really don't know. I didn't wanna half-ass this which I think I've already done, but I dunno, I guess I just wanted to get this chapter done and wrote this out.

Hopefully the next chapter will see some character development between Saeko and Dragonborn and how the reveal has changed their relationship. Hopefully in a positive way as I feel Saeko has found someone who can understand and perhaps even tell her that such a thing is necessary for survival in the HOTD world.

Other than that, not much else to say. So leave a review if you liked this chapter and what you hope to see in the next chapter and I'll see you all in the next one!

Kind regards,

Angry lil' elf.