Update: July 9 2013: Story was revised to fix typos and punctuation errors such as spoken sentences beginning with lower case letters. Majority of author's notes were removed.

X

"Hey, you. Breton." Ralof tried once more to wake the skinny young man sitting across the wagon from him. His face was obscured by his unkempt black hair, and he was out cold. His robes were torn and ragged, and he had no weapon of any kind.

"What does Breton mean? do you mean British?"

"No, I mean Breton. What's your name, kid?"

L snapped fully awake, and looked around. He was in a horse-drawn carriage with his hands bound, and the three men around him were wearing old-fashioned robes, or in Ralof's case, chain mail. Incredible. Was this some sort of afterlife? Had Kira killed him in his sleep? Had Light Yagami grown bolder than he expected?

"Breton. I'm talking to you."

"Do you know what a Death Note is?"

"No, what is it?"

"Excellent. Have you heard of the mass murderer using the alias Kira?"

"No…"

"Then you may call me L."

"L? are you kidding? What kind of name is that?"

L shook his head. "You haven't heard of me either."

"All I know is that you were caught trying to cross the southern border."

"Southern border into what?"

"Skyrim, lad. Home of the Nords, home of Talos, home of honour."

L had never heard of Skyrim. Even if this was such a small matter as a dream, L intended to solve the puzzle. "Who is he?" he asked, nodding to the man in the fur robe, with his mouth covered.

"Yeah, what's with this guy?" added Lokir, a horse thief.

"Watch your tongue! You're speaking of Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King!"

"Ulfric? The Jarl of Windhelm? You're the leader of the rebellion… but if they've captured you… oh Gods, where are they taking us?"

"I don't know where we're going, but Sovngarde awaits."

L sat silently, thinking this over. Sovngarde, by the way this man said it, was an afterlife, and this was a pagan, medieval society ruled by city kings, called Jarls, and above them, a High King. This land was called Skyrim, and clearly the men in brown and red armour driving the chariot were attempting to suppress the High King, likely through execution. "What village are you from, horse thief?"

L cringed. He despised being around any criminals he couldn't forcibly bring to justice. "Rorikstead… I'm from Rorikstead. Why do you care?"

"A Nord's last thoughts should be of home."

L concluded then, that the soldier, horse thief, and king were all called Nords. "This is Helgen. I used to be sweet on a girl from here… I wonder of Vilod is still making that mead with juniper berries mixed in."

L, meanwhile, was already planning his escape. The chariot drew to a halt, and L sighed. This would not go well. "Let's go, best not keep the gods waiting for us."

"When I call your name, step towards the block!" block, of course, meant chopping block. Decapitation wasn't such a horrible way to go, certainly better than hanging or drowning, but still, L much preferred living.

"Imperials love their damn lists."

He paused to think as the Imperial called Ulfric and Ralof's names. The horse thief, Lokir, was liable to run… "Lokir of Rorikstead."

"No! I'm not a rebel! You can't do this!" he broke into a run. "You're not gonna kill me…"

"Archers!" Lokir was shot in the back, and fell. L winced at the memories of Ukita's and Higuchi's deaths. "Anyone else feel like running?" the captain asked.

"Wait. You there, step forward." L did, and the Imperial soldier asked, "who are you?"

L paused to consider this. There was no harm in giving his name here, where no one had heard of either L or Kira, and yet, old habits die hard. "My name is Ryuzaki, I am a twenty-five-year-old Breton…" L didn't hesitate for a moment, having had plenty experience with lying. Imperial meant there was an Empire, and if there was an Empire… "I am here on official business from the Emperor. I must ask that you release me peacefully, and certainly not kill me, or else you may well find your own head on a block. I'm not threatening you, either, but I know how valuable a head is."

While L had been stalling, he had also been listening to Tullius talking to Ulfric in the distance. His voice was barely audible. "…but a hero doesn't use a power like the Voice to murder his king and usurp his throne. You started this war, plunged Skyrim into chaos, and now the Empire is going to put you down, and restore the peace!"

"What official business might that be?" the Imperial asked.

"I am here to investigate the circumstances of the High King's murder, in particular, the so-called power of the Voice, and also to look for a peaceful solution to this political conflict over whether Ulfric Stormcloak is a hero or a terrorist."

L threw on his best poker face, and waited or the Imperial guard's reaction. "He's a callous murderer, everyone knows that. That bit about the Voice sounds more reasonable."

L nodded. "That's what I thought when I got my orders."

A great screaming roar, made faint by wind and distance, sounded over Helgen. "What was that?" muttered a few guards.

"Never mind it! Next prisoner!" the captain thundered. "The Stormcloak lackey!"

Ralof stepped forward, and allowed himself to be pushed onto the already bloody chopping block. "My Lord Stormcloak, I will see you in Sovngarde."

The roar came again. "What in Oblivion is that?" Tullius exclaimed as Alduin landed atop a guard tower.

"Dragon!" a Stormcloak bellowed.

"FUS RO DAH!" Alduin bellowed, sending various guards flying, and killing the headsman. Everyone scattered, except L and the guard standing with him.

"Cut me loose while you can, please." the guard drew his sword and cut the bindings on L's hands. This was too easy to be a nightmare. However, there was the matter of the giant black dragon sending people flying through the air to their deaths, and burning everything in sight to a crisp. L and the guard began to run, and L paused to pick up an old iron sword lying on the ground. What a horrible dream this was. L, however, continued to run, eventually outrunning the Imperial and meeting with the "Stormcloak lackey" Ralof, who led L into a tower where two other Stormcloaks and Ulfric himself were taking cover.

"That was a dragon, wasn't it? Like in the old stories and legends."

"Legends don't burn down villages," Ulfric said grimly. "Hey, you. Mr. Official Business. You're with us now."

"What, you really thought I was with them? They're stupid, I've concluded that much, but they're not stupid enough to capture and execute their own diplomats. I was lying through my teeth."

Ralof laughed grimly. "I like this guy. Let's hope you survive long enough to get out of here with us, 'Ryuzaki.'"

"Your hearing is sharp, both of you."

"You need keen senses if you're gonna survive civil war with the Imperial machine. Come on, up the tower!" Ralof ran up the stairs as Alduin's head crashed through the wall, spewing fire. Alduin then left, and L jumped across the road to the inn whose roof had been nearly destroyed.

He then rolled to his feet and jumped through a hole in the floor, down to ground level. He hesitantly stepped outside, and spun as the Imperial he ditched said, "Still alive, prisoner? Stick with me if you want to stay that way."

"One cannot be a prisoner without a prison, which we seem to lack now." L drew his sword, noting how heavy and unwieldy it felt.

He and the Imperial ran for about a minute, narrowly dodging Alduin's attacks, until at last Ralof and a couple of gates came into view. "Ralof! You damned traitor!"

"We're escaping, Hadvar. You're not going to stop us this time!"

"Fine! I hope that dragon takes you all to Sovngarde!"

L followed Ralof through a gate, leaving Hadvar alone to fend off Stormcloaks and a dragon.

"So, you already got your bindings off…"

L nodded. He considered taking the dead Stormcloak's armour, but he seemed to be faring well enough in clothes. The iron dagger on a table, however, interested him more. He sheathed his sword and wielded the dagger instead, able to swing it twice as fast as a sword. "Damn it, this gate's locked. Try the other one."

L heard footsteps and hid past the edge of the gate, closely followed by Ralof. Two lightly armoured Imperials and one heavily armoured, the captain, unlocked the gate and opened it. Ralof immediately lunged at the nearest Imperial, swinging his axe into his foe's face. "Ryuzaki, the captain!"

L understood, and threw his dagger into the captain's exposed face. He drew his sword, still assuming it was all a terrible dream, and impaled the third and final Imperial. Panting, he withdrew the weapon and sheathed it. If he were to continue to tire at this rate, he likely wouldn't survive long enough to escape the innards of Helgen.

Ralof led L through the tunnels of Helgen, occasionally talking to him, still calling him Ryuzaki. "Troll's blood, it's a torture room!"

L winced each time his sword struck the flesh of the torturer's assistant, while Ralof slaughtered the half-helpless torturer with aid from another Stormcloak. "There simply has to be a cleaner way to kill," L muttered. His eye caught on the corpse of a robed man in a cage, and a book next to him. "A torture victim, I presume?"

"By the looks of it, the poor fellow's been dead a while. Here, see if you can get it open with some picks." Ralof handed L a fistful of lockpicks, which L immediately put to use, picking the lock in seconds. Although these locks must have been hand-forged, their interior workings were similar to those on modern Earth. L grimaced as he took the mage's robes and put them on. He also took the few scattered gold coins and the dagger before picking up the book. He noted the flame pattern on the cover, then hesitantly opened it…

And screamed as the knowledge of magic forced its way into his unprepared mind. He fell backward, yelping, as the book disintegrated into ash that scattered in a nonexistent wind. When L stood, his right hand was alight with electricity, and thanks to the knowledge of the spell book, he actually knew how to use it. He stared at his hand, then the thin layer of ash spread over the floor. "Remarkable," he finally mumbled, and lowered his hand, allowing the sparks to dissipate.

"Come on, then. We still have a dragon to worry about," the female Stormcloak said, and added, "Has anyone seen the Jarl?"

"Not since the tower," Ralof replied. "What about you, Ryuzaki?"

L was pleased that Ralof understood the importance of maintaining an alias. "I haven't seen him. By any chance, is it true that he has some sort of power called the Voice?"

"The same as what allowed that dragon to summon wind and fire. A Dragon Shout."

"Then he should be able to fend off the Imperials. The dragon won't notice him in the confusion."

L stuffed his hands into the pockets of his new robes, and proceeded down the hall. He was soon attacked by Imperials, and put his newfound magical abilities to the test. I can only do this for about five seconds straight. This ability seems to run on internal power not connected to the physical or the mental, which takes around a minute to regenerate. It's disappointingly inefficient. Still, I can kill without splattering blood all over myself, at least for a few moments.

An Imperial soldier aimed a bow at him and fired, grazing the edge of his shoulder as he dodged. He turned his electrical mayhem at this foe, and charged. The Imperial fell to his knees just as L's magicka ran out. L drew his daggers and stabbed the man in the back of the neck. He left the blade sticking there, since he had a spare dagger from the mage. He then took the Imperial's bow and quiver of arrows. This weapon was far more familiar than a sword, and L put it to good use, easily finishing off the group of Imperials. When this bloody work was finished, L hung the bow on his back, hooking it into place over the quiver.

They continued down the halls until a cave-in, likely due to the dragon's rampage, separated Ralof and L from the other Stormcloaks. Ralof muttered something about them being on their own, and forced himself to continue forward, waking a group of four giant spiders which dropped from the ceiling. L fired four arrows into two spiders, killing both, while Ralof hacked a third to bits with his axe. The fourth pinned Ralof and attempted to bite him, but L fired a fifth arrow, a perfect shot straight through one and out through another. Ralof panted, "Thanks… I hate those damn things. Too many eyes, you know?"

L made no response, simply retrieved his arrows from the dead spiders. This dream was frightening in its depth and complexity. If he hadn't been living it, L would have assumed a less than one percent probability that giant spiders would appear in a dream of his. He didn't suffer from arachnophobia, nor did he believe in magic. The dragon could perhaps symbolize destructive power, and the civil war might perhaps be a surrogate for his battle with Light Yagami… no. He had to stop assigning Light's name to his image of Kira. Higuchi's death and the existence of the Death Note proved that Light no longer had the power of Kira, and the thirteen-day rule seemingly debunked L's theories that Light had ever been Kira. However, it would do no good to dwell on the Kira case when giant spiders, dragons, and sword-wielding soldiers were all trying to kill him. L refused to let this dream transition into a nightmare, he defeated monsters every day as a detective. Serial killers, war criminals, con artists, thieves who robbed banks once a month. Sword-swinging barbarians presented little challenge.

"Wait! Look up ahead, there's a bear. I'd rather not tangle with her right now, let's try to sneak around. Just keep your head down, and take it nice and slow."

L considered shooting the bear, but decided Ralof was right. Even if he could take it down, there was no point. They silently passed the bear, and were rewarded with daylight at the end of one final tunnel.

"Get down!" Ralof called, and ducked behind a rock as Alduin flew away from the smouldering ruin that had once been Helgen.

"Relax. It's too far away to see us, or care enough to come back and kill us."

Ralof loosened up at that, and stood once the dragon was out of sight. "You've got nerves of steel, I'll give you that. You should come to Windhelm and join the fight to free Skyrim. If anyone will know what the coming of the dragon means, it's Ulfric." Ralof added, "my sister Gerdur works at the lumber mill in Riverwood. Maybe we should head there, she'll help us out."

L put his hands in his pockets and followed Ralof. "Could you tell me more about the civil war? Who's fighting, and why?"

"You met Ulfric. You saw the bindings on his mouth, and the power of the Voice. It all began when Ulfric challenged the High King Torygg, on the basis of being a weakling pawn for the Thalmor, elves who think they rule all of Tamriel. The High King should be the strongest of all Nords, not some crooked pushover bent over a horde of High Elf coin while his land goes to rot. Once the challenge was issued, Torygg had no choice to accept, as is Nord custom. Ulfric defeated him with the Voice, and pierced his heart with his blade. Nords from all over Skyrim began to rally under him, taking his last name Stormcloak to represent us as a whole. Those who didn't are either aligned with the Empire or they keep their affiliation hidden, as is the case in Whiterun Hold, where Jarl Balgruuf rules, and has decided to refuse entry to both Imperial and Stormcloak soldiers. I don't blame him for wanting to keep his people safe, but I wish he'd hurry up and join Ulfric. We could really use his help, and that of his army."

"And what would an Imperial tell me of this struggle?"

"Something along the lines that there was no fair challenge, Torygg was murdered in cold blood, and Ulfric Stormcloak is a traitor. They'll tell you he's a ruthless dictator, whose only goal is to eradicate all presence in Skyrim that isn't Nord enough for him. They point out the slums in Windhelm where the Dark Elves and Argonians reside, and they'll mention his attacks on the 'peaceful' Forsworn while he ruled Markarth, a city far to the west. If you ask what I think, I say Ulfric's a good man, and he wants Skyrim to be free. The Thalmor suppressed our worship of Talos, patron god of the Nord race, and it was a move that Torygg allowed. Sure, the immigrants from Morrowind and Black Marsh have it hard here, but it's not like Ulfric is oppressing them on purpose. A lot of Nords have become supremacists and extremists, taking Ulfric's doctrine beyond what even he believes, and Ulfric's had the Dark Elves and Argonians segregated for their own protection. I'll tell you this. I've seen elves and Imperials serve in the Stormcloak rebellion, and they've fought as hard as any Nord, because they call this land home, and they want it to be free of those milk drinkers who say we're not allowed to worship our gods and live life the way we have for thousands of years."

L absorbed this information quietly, and finally decided, "From what you've explained, Ulfric himself seems to be in the right, but his people have taken his beliefs too far. If this issue can be rectified, then I would happily aid the Stormcloak rebellion, but there is one other matter. You see, I'm not a warrior, Nord or otherwise, at least not yet. I can tell I'll need to become a fighter to survive here, but I'm not ready to fight a war."

"You fought those Imperials as bravely and fiercely as any Stormcloak I've met. Even Ulfric!"

"I was not brave, I simply wasn't afraid. I knew what I was capable of, and the Imperials presented little challenge. There was nothing to fear, except the dragon, from which we were protected by the stone walls of a castle."

"Nothing to fear? The first foe I saw you kill was a veteran Imperial captain. Heavily armed and armoured, and you just threw a knife in her face. And in the tower, you just flung yourself out, across a street and into a burning inn."

"It was easy. A piece of cake." L paused. "you have cake here, right?"

Ralof didn't answer, the question seemed too childish. "See that ruin up there? Bleak Falls Barrow. I could never understand how my sister could live in the shadow of such a place. Just something you get used to, I guess." a while later, Ralof turned toward a pavilion where three ancient pillars stood, and pointed. "These are the Guardian Stones, three of the thirteen ancient standing stones that dot across Skyrim. Go ahead, see for yourself."

L stood in the middle of the pavilion, and looked around. Warrior, mage, thief. Thief didn't appeal to the world's greatest detective, but Mage and Warrior both did. He looked at his empty hands, the right which he used to cast magic, and the left which he used to hold his bow. After consideration, he decided he had more to gain by mastering magic, and chose the Mage Stone. "Mage, huh? To each his own, I guess. I'm not going to judge."

"You disapprove of magic?"

"I'm a little prejudiced. See, there's a city way up north, Winterhold, that was almost completely destroyed by a collapsing cliff beneath it. Most of the city fell into the Sea of Ghosts, but the Mage's College there was untouched, even though it hung furthest outward over the ocean. Nords find that suspicious, and then there's the Thalmor, who are High Elves, who are renowned for magical ability. Me, I see nothing wrong with magic, but if it's used by the wrong person, there can be a disaster."

L held up a lightning-wreathed hand. "The way I see it, this power can be as effective as any sword, and if I can master it, I can strike with great power from as far away as I choose. Thus, I can more effectively battle for my own safety, and perhaps the lives of others."

L shivered as he remembered what else fit that description. Light's… no, Kira's motives could easily be described as such. The power to kill from a distance, the will to use it to right wrongs, and make a better world for the innocent. Although L still saw that Kira needed to be brought to justice, he had developed an odd respect for the true Kira's abilities and devotion. The Second Kira had shown no remorse killing innocents simply to send a message, even killing Ukita simply to allow the Sakura tape broadcast to continue. The true Kira had only killed the FBI agents for his own safety. But worst of them was Kyosuke Higuchi, who had tried to kill anyone in his way to attain power and wealth. His greed and lust had been the end of him, but Kira and the Second Kira were still on the loose, and L was here in some bizarre dream, or at least he hoped it was a dream, but even if it was, he was surely sleeping in.

"Ryuzaki? What's bothering you?"

L snapped back to the situation at hand. "You remember I gave my name as L in the carriage, and mentioned a serial killer called Kira?"

"Yeah, I remember."

L began telling Ralof about the Kira case as the two continued their journey to Riverwood.