Crossover: Chapter 6 - Escape

  • Gunner commander Mark Collins coughed as the smoke filled his lungs and rocks fell on his back, he wasn’t finished yet. He‘d seen the lizard and warrior run out of the cave, but that meant that the cyborg and the girl were still here. He knew he couldn’t face the cyborg, he was a big figure in the Commonwealth and would likely end him in seconds, but the girl was weak. He would kidnap her and take her as far away as possible then use her as leverage to get them to tell him how to get back, He was certain they knew.

     

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    San-Kai and Bjorn charged into the collapsed cave, now opened up by the light of Julianos, they looked around for a path, the smell of burnt flesh filled their nostrils as they saw a few burning corpses of bandits. The smoke made it difficult to see so San cast a magelight spell to make it easier, with clearer visibility the two now saw the best path to take. The original passage through the cave was still accessible but a lot thinner; they squeezed through. Bjorn cursed under his breath as he cut his arm on a rock but ignored the pain, he carried on –ignoring San-Kai’s complaints as part of his expensive mage robe was burnt by the fire.

     

    They got through the tiny passage and came into a wider area of the cave, several paths were available, San-Kai voiced his concern “Where do we go now?”

     

    Bjorn concentrated and tapped into his wolf spirit to enhance his hearing; he rarely fully turned after the incident but frequently used its powers for hunting or to hear a thief sneaking up behind him. Eventually he was fully focused and he strained his ears to hear something; he could hear the rise and fall of someone’s chest accompanied by the clanking of metal – Nigel.

     

    He was about to tell San-Kai which direction to go in but then a piercing scream hit him as he held his head in agony, so loud even San-Kai heard it without wolf hearing. The amplified noise of an already loud scream was intensely painful, Bjorn tuned out of his wolf hearing and looked up at San-Kai, who was gazing with concern at him: “You alright”?

     

    “Yeah, fine” Bjorn lied. “I know which way to go to find Nigel; shall we find him or go to wherever that scream came from? It could be Lucy”

     

    “The scream was probably a bandit being roasted alive and anyway we’re not sure where it came from, let’s go and find Nigel – it’s easier”

     

    So the pair head off down the path to Nigel, San-Kai used his frost magic to extinguish some of the flames and Bjorn smashed a few obtrusive rocks with his battle-axe. They heard no more from the girl who screamed and carried on towards Nigel, it was far easier than searching around for someone who may or may not be Lucy…

     

    ***********

     

    Nigel had heard the scream as plain as day, it was Lucy – he’d heard the sound enough times to recognise it. He shot the rock wall in protest, he had been trapped in a room in the cave and no amount of lasers could budge the rock that sealed the entrance. He roared in frustration, he couldn’t help her, all he could do was hope that San-Kai and Bjorn went after her – why wouldn’t they?

     

    ************

     

    Lucy lay unconscious on the ground, her clothes were ripped and several cuts and bruises scarred her body. Commander Mark Collins stood by the side of her unconscious body, baseball bat in hand; it was unfortunate she’d screamed it likely alerted the cyborg and possibly the other two.

     

    Commander Collins picked her up and slung her over his shoulder with little regard for her safety, he picked up his gun and blasted his way through the collapsed rock, after few minutes he’d reached the cave entrance – blasted open by San-Kai’s magic. Collins trudged through the forest and off towards a cave some of the bandits had told him about, Shimmermist…

     

    ************

    San-Kai and Bjorn continued through the cave system, smashing rock after rock. Eventually they came to a dead end; the wall that blocked Nigel from going anywhere. Bjorn could hear him inside and yelled in an attempt to speak to him – “Nigel! Are you in there?”

     

    “Yeah! I’m trapped - did you save Lucy?” Nigel yelled back

     

    “She was the one who screamed?” San-Kai joined in with the yelling

     

    “Obviously! Please tell me you went to her before me?”

     

    “No, we came here first”

     

    “You WHAT?!” Nigel was roaring in anger now. “She was obviously in danger, why didn’t you help her?!”

     

    “It was easier…” San-Kai mumbled

     

    Nigel’s robotic ear drum picked it up, “It was EASIER?! You decided not to save someone’s life because it was EASIER!?”

     

    Bjorn swung his battleaxe and broke down the wall between them; Nigel glared at them with pure anger and hatred. San-Kai walked towards him, his hands gesturing peace, “I am sorry, we should have gone after her, but if we had he may have killed you instead, so in a way –we saved your life…”

     

    Nigel’s voice dropped to a quiet tone yet dripping with even more hatred, “You saved my life? Did you honestly just say that?” His voice slowly built up until he was shouting. “No! San-Kai, none of your lizard charisma will save you now – you’re an egotistical, idiotic lizard wizard who thinks he’s always right!”

     

    Bjorn stepped in to try and diffuse the situation, “Nigel, we really are sorry we didn’t save her – we should have. But you never know, she might be alive…”

     

    “You’re no better!” Nigel knew Bjorn was trying to be nice but he couldn’t hold his anger in. “You’re a murderer, it’s probably just another name on your list!”

     

    This struck Bjorn hard and he turned around and walked away, the memories of what he’d done overwhelming his mind, he walked silently back through the path towards the cave entrance.

     

    Nigel groaned, “Damn, I’m sorry Bjorn – I didn’t mean to go that far” Bjorn didn’t hear him

     

    San-Kai walked over to Nigel, “Sorry friend, we are all a little jumpy today – I forgive the comments made to me”

     

    Nigel looked relieved, “I’m sorry I said them San, it’s just that I can’t bear to imagine Lucy hurt”

     

    “I understand, A few years ago I too could not bear to see my sister hurt – I did some things I regret”

     

    “What did you do?”

     

    “I will tell you another time, but not today”

     

    ************

    Bjorn sat outside and gazed at the ground: the green blades of grass, the fallen leaves, the bloodied footprints…

     

    Bloodied footprints?

     

    Bjorn stood up so quickly he felt dizzy but followed the tracks for a few metres; Bjorn reckoned he was in the Reach, so the tracks led off towards Whiterun. He analysed the footprints with years of hunters experience and deduced that the footprints were of a man who was walking with a body on his left shoulder, the footprints dug a little deeper on that side. No bandit would carry a corpse anywhere so it could only mean…

     

    Bjorn raced back through the cave back towards Nigel and San-Kai, he burst into the room and registered the confused looks of the pair. Nigel attempted to apologise but Bjorn dismissed him with the wave of his hand - he paused for breath then uttered two words and two words only.

     

    “She’s alive"