Marcus exhaled deeply as his breath became visible amidst the cold air as it stung his cheek. Asuka protested his violent movements from saddling Cynthia as she tried to keep warm in his fur coat.

"You have everything?" Mother asked.

"Yes, yes. Besides, if I didn't pack it, you sure did. I feel sorry for your horse."

"She's used to it." Mother replied with a chuckle.

When Marcus's parents heard that he wanted to go on a trip, they initially disagreed. After all, what parent in their right mind will let their nine-year-old child go off on a journey, much less a place as dangerous as Skyr*m. However, Marcus insisted that this was vital for his plans.

After a night of deliberation, his parents eventually agreed on the condition that they join him. Although Marcus had not mentioned any events that would happen in the future, they knew he had a purpose. Would a blessed child be born for no reason? His parents did not think so.

Marcus had done and had asked him to do many things that initially confused them. However, when they realized their strength had noticeably improved, they began to understand Marcus saw the world differently than them. He was a very focused individual and wouldn't do things without a good reason, and they trusted him.

"It's so cold out. I can't wait until the sun burns through the morning fog."

"If you want to reach Fort Amol before sunset, this is what you have to do. Just be happy that we have horses, else it would take another half day."

"I know. Father, are you sure you can't help with the stormcloaks?"

"I highly doubt either of us will have much influence," Father said with a sigh. "As you know, neither of us were ever part of the stormcloaks. We voluntarily joined the Jarl to aid in defense of the Empire. While some of those forces did join the stormcloaks, the majority did not. Hopefully, you will find what you're looking for without any trouble, and they won't care about it."

"I'm not even certain it's there, though I do not believe they will care to part with it."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Daylight is burning." Mother said with a chuckle.

...

The setting sun tinted the forest orange as the family of three continued silently. Having spent the last nine years together, the three left few topics for idle chatter. The only thing that kept Marcus sane was studying, else his mind, trained for constant stimulus in the modern world, would have gone crazy. Of course, the other reason for their silence was to keep a check on their surroundings.

As a general rule, the more traveled roads were safer. However, this was usually only from wildlife. Main roads had a decent chance of containing bandits, which had become a plague in Skyr*m. Due to the civil war, the two sides focused most official military forces at strategic locations instead of being distributed throughout the land. This left pockets of space where bandits could dominate and often be ignored unless they raised too much ruckus. Of course, the civil war did more than giving bandits room to grow; It also encouraged them. Many were forced to banditry to avoid conscription or the heavier taxation needed to sustain a fighting force. Of course, the increasing refugee population from those fleeing the Dominion assault also contributed.

"Fort Amol should be coming in sight shortly," Father said, breaking the silence.

Marcus was about to reply but stopped when he noticed Asuka quickly flying back from scouting. Once she landed on his shoulder, she started chirping and frantically gesturing. "It seems as though there was a fight ahead, and she seems to have found dead humans," Marcus said.

Both of his parents frowned at this news.

"Let's leave the horses here and go in on foot. Horses will be too high profile for us to check on the fort without being noticed."

The family of three quickly left the horses behind, not worried for them as they were trained. They silently made their way towards the fort. Eventually, a rundown structure made of stone entered their sight. Hiding amidst the forest, covered by the shadows cast by the setting sun, the three peered towards the fort.

"There are two individuals at the entry of the fort, one within the pathway and one above. They do not appear to be stormcloaks." Father said.

"No, those are mage robes." Mother added.

Marcus suddenly became startled by this revelation. The fort was recently overrun by Mages in the game, as was evident by the stormcloak bodies still strewn about the fort. Of course, this was the case in the game regardless of whenever you arrived, implying it was recent. However, this was no longer a game. The timing was far too coincidental, and the implications were tremendous.

Worried, Marcus quickly queried the System. The System did not have an AI per se, but more on the lines of an assistant that could respond to questions asked. Unfortunately for Marcus, the response he got was both good and bad. The timing mages had taken the fort from the stormcloaks was, in part, because Marcus was going there, which implied that his presence could trigger events, like the player character. Thankfully, the operative word here was 'could.'

Event triggers could happen due to the rules that govern the world. Spacetime did not bind the rules, which meant that certain events could trigger based upon Marcus's actions. These rules existed because the base of this world was a game, though it was far more flexible than one.

After asking a few more questions, Marcus was relieved. While this was an example, it was not guaranteed to happen. As it turned out, other variables needed to be filled outside of Marcus to be possible. It seems that, in this instance, the stars aligned. Additionally, some of the more significant events that occurred would not do so based upon his actions alone. Marcus was thankful this was the case because, if it weren't, he would have to change his plans drastically. He wanted to ensure that Skyr*m would not become unrecognizable before the cannon-start. Thankful for this knowledge, Marcus focused back on the matter at hand.

"Well, at least we have justification for entering the Fort now."

The two parents glanced at each other before looking back at Marcus.

"What is the plan?" Father asked.

"Follow me."