Atreus and Ysmir strolled into the next room before being greeted by a balcony that overlooked a vast cavern with what appeared to be an elaborate island tomb made entirely of stone in the middle of a lake that rested beneath the various ledges that jutted out from the cave wall.
As they approached the balcony, they started hearing voices beneath them, which made Atreus hug the wall on the left side of the gate leading out before motioning for Ysmir to do the same as they started listening to the conversation.
"I'll never tell you anything vampire! My oath to Stendarr is...stronger than any suffering that you can inflict on me!" A man called out through a clearly pained wince, which made both Atreus and Ysmir peek out from their hiding place long enough to see if they could identify the man before noticing that he was a captive and battered Vigilant being interrogated by two vampires and one of their thralls.
"I think we found Adalvald…" Atreus said quietly as they turned their attention back to the scene beneath them. The lead vampire looked between his companions for a moment before turning his attention back to Adalvald with a wicked glimmer in his amber eyes and giving the man a content nod.
"I believe you, Vigilant...and I don't think you even know what you've found here; so go and meet your beloved Stendarr." The vampire said before running a knife across Adalvald's throat and killing him before he and his companions made their way separating them from the stone structure in the middle of the cavern. Atreus and Ysmir took this opportunity to step out of their hiding places and follow them as they used the shadows to hide their movements.
"Are you sure that was wise, Lokil? He still might have told us something...we haven't gotten anywhere ourselves with..." The second vampire began before the leader, who she identified as 'Lokil' interrupted her and kept his eyes locked on their quarry.
"He knew nothing...he served his purpose by leading us to this place, now it's up to us to bring Harkon the prize; and we will not return without it. Vingalmo and Orthjolf will make way for me after this." Lokil boasted arrogantly before Atreus allowed himself a light chuckle when he mentioned Adalvald outliving his usefulness by leading them to the crypt.
"Funny, I was just thinking the same thing about this self-absorbed bastard and his lackeys..." He said simply, making Ysmir look to him for a moment before shaking his head lightly as an amused smirk tugged at his lips. They turned their attention back to the vampires as they continued their conversation, although both men took note of the names they mentioned just in case one or all of them happened to be the masterminds behind all of this.
"Yes, of course Lokil...don't forget who brought you news of the Vigilant's discovery." The second vampire said in a simple, almost venomous tone as a deceitful smirk crossed Lokil's lips. "I never forget who my friends are...or my enemies." He assured simply as they crossed the bridge and started looking around for anything that would prove useful in revealing whatever artifact was hidden in the tomb.
Once Atreus and Ysmir reached the bridge, they watched the vampires fumble around in search of whatever clues they were looking for before looking to each other. "Okay, so how do we want to handle this lot...?" Ysmir asked curiously as Atreus looked between him, the vampires and the ledge to his left before turning his attention back to Ysmir.
"I'll distract them, get their tempers flaring and you stand at the end of that ledge, wait for an opening and see if you can pick one of them off with that crossbow Isran gave you...should be a quick easy fight." Atreus said simply, making Ysmir look to the ledge for a moment before turning his attention back to Atreus and giving him a light nod as he pulled the crossbow from his back and crept around to the ledge while Atreus strolled across the bridge.
"Ah! Lokil, was it? Thank you so much for leading me to this crypt, I doubt I would've been able to find it on my own." Atreus began in a clearly exaggerated and sarcastic tone, making the vampires and the mortal thrall accompanying them draw their weapons and glare at the stranger with obvious hostility.
"But, your job here is done, I'll take it from here...don't worry, I'll be sure to let Harkon know how helpful you've been in this endeavor when I finish up here!" He continued, further angering Lokil before he stepped forward and put his sword at Atreus' throat, although it didn't intimidate him in the slightest.
"I don't know who you are, but you will not be the one who delivers this prize to our lord...in fact, I have a feeling that you won't make it out of this crypt alive..." Lokil threatened in a venomous tone before Atreus gave him an amused smirk and met the vampire's amber eyes as his own icy blue ones gave off a brief, unnatural shimmer.
"Last chance...stand aside before this gets bloody..." Atreus warned, making Lokil give him a wicked smirk as he prepared to lop his head off only for Atreus to punch him in the ribs with enough force to send him flying back into the pedestal protruding from the middle of the structure.
It took a moment for the remaining vampire and the thrall to recover from the shock inspired by Atreus' display of strength and attempt to engage him; before the vampire could get close enough, however, she fell at his feet after a crossbow bolt tore through her skull and killed her.
The thrall, visibly shaken by all of this tried to retaliate before Leviathan cleaved its way through his flesh and froze him solid, killing him instantly while Atreus made his way over to Lokil, who was still recovering from the impact he had suffered as Atreus called Leviathan back to him then placed it on his back while the corpse shattered.
Upon reaching Lokil, Atreus wrapped his around his stunned opponent's throat and lifted him to his knees before tightening his grip until the vampire's bones shattered in his grasp, causing Atreus to casually drop the body like it was nothing and turn to see Ysmir approaching him.
"It's a damn good weapon, powerful...but, I think I prefer traditional bows; the reload time with this is a pain in the ass." He said simply as he placed the crossbow on his back, making Atreus let out a light chuckle as they started looking around to see if they could succeed where the vampires failed.
Ysmir started looking around and studying the darkened braziers that seemed to circle the pedestal at the center of the structure in what he believed was a peculiar manner while Atreus studied the pedestal itself before noticing the lines on the floor and how they seemed to connect to the braziers. "What do you think...?" Ysmir called out as he started noticing the pattern himself.
"I think whoever this Harkon is should have sent smarter lapdogs if he really wanted his prize..." Atreus said simply as Ysmir looked to him curiously before realizing that he must have pieced it all together. "Explain..." He said, making Atreus give him a light nod before continuing.
"You see the lines on the floor, right...? Whatever they are, they started at those braziers and circle this entire area...each one leads back to this pedestal..." He explained, making Ysmir look down at the lines and trace them back to the pedestal itself before stopping at Atreus' side.
"So, whatever's hidden here, it's hidden under this pedestal...and this is basically some big puzzle of some magical origin." Ysmir suggested, making Atreus nod in confirmation as they each studied the pedestal for a moment before noticing that the top of the pedestal seemed like it could be pressed down. "Now, the question is how do we activate it...?" He continued before Atreus looked to the pedestal and raised his hand.
"Only one way to find out." He said simply before pressing down on the top of the pedestal while Ysmir tried to stop him just in case it was a trap, however before he could protest, Atreus had pressed the button, which caused an iron spike to pierce his hand for a brief moment, which made him wince lightly, but otherwise didn't cause him any noticeable pain. With this done, the braziers ignited in dark purple flames with a path made of similar magic crawling along one of the lines and leading to the first brazier.
As Atreus pulled his hand back, Ysmir looked between him and the brazier for a moment before giving him a brief nod. "Well, I guess now all we have to do is push these braziers back into their proper place." He said simply, earning a light nod from Atreus as they each made their way to a brazier; as they followed the path and moved the braziers into place, the magic from whatever ritual guarded this artifact seemed to draw some sort of energy from them both until they solved the puzzle.
When the last brazier was in place, the floor of the structure descended into a set of steps as the pedestal rose to reveal a strange monolith that almost resembled a sarcophagus while violet magical energy emanated from the structure; once the stone settled, Atreus and Ysmir approached the monolith and studied it curiously for a moment before looking to each other.
Ysmir gave Atreus a nod before he pulled against the front of the monolith, causing the structure to slide open and reveal a young woman with pale skin and dark hair within it; once the structure opened, the woman fell out of it before instinctively catching herself so that she wouldn't hit the ground then rose to her feet as her crimson eyes opened groggily and looked between the two rather surprised men.
Atreus and Ysmir studied the woman for a moment as she tried to wake up, although thanks to her heightened senses, she had learned enough about her saviors by their scent alone to realize that they weren't like her, but she also realized that they weren't as human as they seemed either; however, it seemed that Atreus' scent threw her off the most, but she shook her curiosity and drowsiness off long enough to try and get answers.
"Where's...who sent you here...?" She asked in a noticeably disoriented, but curious tone as Ysmir and Atreus looked between her and each other for a moment like they were trying to figure out what to tell her. "I guess we're not who you were expecting...?" Atreus suggested curiously, drawing her attention back to him as she shook her head lightly in response.
"Actually, I was expecting someone more...well, like me, at least..." She said simply, her eyes studying Atreus the entire time she spoke, although it wasn't in the usual hungry manner that most vampires seemed to flaunt openly, there was more curiosity, intrigue and confusion in her eyes than anything. "You're..." Ysmir started before the woman looked to him and gave a brief nod to confirm his suspicion.
"A vampire, yes..." She answered, causing Ysmir to turn his gaze to Atreus for a moment before they each looked back to her, although Ysmir's surprise grew significantly when he noticed the exquisite, gold-plated relic draped across her back, which made him tap Atreus on the shoulder lightly.
"A word, if you don't mind...?" He asked in a kind of low tone, making Atreus raise his eyebrow lightly before the woman looked between them and shook her head lightly. "Anything you need to discuss, you can say in front of me...there's no point in talking like I'm not here." She assured in a simple, but somewhat offended tone before Atreus turned his attention to her and gave a light nod. "Sorry..." He said before shaking his head lightly and looking to Ysmir.
"What is it...?" Atreus asked, noticing the surprise in his comrade's eyes as he looked between him and the woman, his eyes drifting to the item on her back every now and then. "Look, I know the Dawnguard would want us to kill her..." Ysmir started in a low, but distinctly concerned tone, although the woman overheard the comment and it made her throw her guard up a little bit as Atreus responded with a shrug.
"We're the only Dawnguard agents here...and personally, I don't see any point in killing her...what has you so jumpy all of a sudden...?" Atreus said bluntly before Ysmir subtly motioned to the relic in her possession, which made Atreus study it and her even more curiously as she met his icy gaze for a brief moment, something that caught both of them off-guard before Atreus regained his reserve and acted like nothing happened.
"So, what...can you tell us about why you here locked up in this tomb...?" Atreus asked curiously before the woman's eyes dropped for a brief moment as she let out a quiet sigh and looked to him again, something that let him know that it must not have been a pleasant story.
"It's...complicated...and honestly, I'm not entirely sure I can trust either of you, yet..." She said in a simple, but cautious tone, which made Atreus raise his eyebrow in curiosity.
"Why's that...?" He asked, although he had a pretty good idea that it could be due to the fact he and Ysmir had just finished discussing whether or not they should kill her right in front of her; the question made her give a brief shrug as she seemed to study them a little more.
"You mean other than the fact you were both sent here to kill me...?" She suggested, making both men give a light nod in understanding before she spoke again. "Well, without sounding completely rude, your friend smells like a wet dog and...something else I haven't quite figured out, yet; I just know he's not as human as he presents himself to be...and you..." She stopped again as her eyes went back to Atreus, who she still seemed to have trouble figuring out.
"You're almost impossible to even try and figure out at all..." She finished, making the two men look between each other again with noticeable surprise in their eyes, although Atreus wasn't quite as surprised by her impression of him considering no one would be able to figure out his nature unless he outright told them or if said individual happened to be a God themselves. The woman looked between them for a moment before addressing them again.
"Tell you what, if you can get me to my home so that I can get a better sense of where we all stand, I'll tell you the whole story." She said in a calm tone, earning a content nod from Atreus before Ysmir nodded in agreement. "Aye, we can do that...where do we need to go...?" Ysmir asked curiously, making the woman give them each a content nod before letting out a quiet sigh of relief.
"My family used to live on an island off the coast of Solitude...I would guess they still do; hopefully, we'll be able to find a boat that can take us there." She answered simply as Atreus and Ysmir memorized the directions and prepared to exit the crypt. "By the way, I think introductions are in order...my name is Serana." She adds after a moment, making the two men each give a light nod in greeting.
"I'm Ysmir." Ysmir introduced himself in a calm, respectful tone before he and Serana turned their attention to Atreus as he scanned the cavern for a moment, almost like he was trying to keep his attention focused on something else, although upon hearing the woman's name, he looked back to her and Ysmir so that he could exchange pleasantries.
"Atreus...nice to meet you." Atreus introduced himself simply before Serana gave them each a content nod. "Good to meet you, too..." She said simply as Ysmir kind of watched them curiously, he couldn't help noticing that Atreus seemed to act a little more...tolerant around Serana compared to how he acted around anyone else and something about this apparent shift in demeanor seemed interesting to him.
Ysmir cleared his throat after a moment before turning his attention to Serana as she and Atreus looked to him, both of them seemingly oblivious to how distracted they seemed at the time. "Any idea how to get out of here, Lady Serana…?" He asked curiously, earning a light shrug from her as she looked around to see if she could figure something out.
"Your guess is as good as mine, honestly...this place looks pretty different compared to when I was locked away." She answered, making Ysmir give a light nod in understanding before he stepped around the monolith to see a bridge leading to the other side of the cavern.
"Alright, looks like we'll have to figure it out as we go...I'll take point, Serana, you take whichever position you're comfortable with and Atreus...do what you do best." He said quickly as Serana started following them while Atreus situated himself to the side so that he'd be able to engage anything they ran into from every possible direction.
"Does the air feel...heavy down here? I'm a little woozy, but it might just be from waking up." Serana asked, making them both shrug lightly considering they hadn't noticed. "To be fair, the air in here probably isn't helping with that process any..." Atreus suggested simply before she looked to him and gave a light nod in agreement before leaving the subject alone.
As they made their way across the bridge, they heard the sound of stone cracking and shifting, which made Serana stop in her tracks and look ahead before motioning for Ysmir and Atreus to stop. "Wait..." She called out, but before she could warn them about what was coming, two statues that were perched at the edge of the platform on the other side of the room sprung to life and revealed a pair of gargoyles. Atreus studied the creatures for a moment before looking to Ysmir and Serana.
"You two take the one over there...I'll handle this one." Atreus said as he motioned them to the gargoyle on the far left before charging at the one closest to them as it prepared to charge at them, earning a genuinely surprised look from Serana when he mentioned fighting one of them alone. "Are you insane...?" She called out before the gargoyle's head crashed into Atreus' shield only to be forced back without effort as he prepared for a fist fight.
When the first gargoyle was out of the way, Ysmir pulled his dual-bladed battle axe, which sported a spike at the end of the head and a carving of a screaming face separating the blades upon further inspection, and charged at the second gargoyle before popping it with the weapon's shaft; after a moment, Serana shook her head and let out a sigh before charging into the fray, casting ice spikes at the gargoyle Ysmir was fighting and lightning bolts at the one Atreus decided to face alone whenever she found an opening.
While Ysmir and Serana fought the second gargoyle, Atreus stood toe-to-toe with the first and effortlessly evaded the creature's claws before delivering a few devastating punches into every opening he could find until the creature cracked him across the head and made it coil back for a brief moment then deliver an uppercut to its jaw and send it flying backwards before crashing into the platform behind it.
The sound of the gargoyle's impact was enough to draw Serana's gaze to the scene as Atreus started strolling towards the downed creature as it struggled to its feet, which surprised her even more considering how easily he seemed to handle himself against something that would normally butcher even some of the best warriors if they made a wrong move, but Atreus made it look like child's play.
She watched long enough for the gargoyle to regain itself long enough to charge at Atreus again only for him to grab it by the horns, slam it down on the ground then drag it to its knees before casually snapping its neck then dropping its limp corpse at his feet then turn his attention to its companion, which Ysmir had crippled after cleaving his axe through its knee; Ysmir averted his gaze long enough to realize what Atreus had done, which gave the creature enough time to try and take advantage of his surprise and reach for his leg.
Upon seeing this, Atreus pulled his bow, nocked an arrow and took aim at the gargoyle's ribs before drawing the bowstring back. "Þruma!" He cried before releasing the lightning infused arrow and watching it pierce the creature's flesh, making it let out a pained cry as electricity coursed through its body and stunned it long enough for Ysmir and Serana to snap out of their shock before she cast an ice spike through its shoulder so that Ysmir could decapitate it and finish the job.
When the last gargoyle fell, Atreus strolled over to it as Serana's eyes followed him until he reached the corpse and ripped his arrow out of its flesh then replaced it in his quiver before turning and making his way back to the path leading out; he could tell that both Ysmir and Serana were still surprised by his display, but pretty much just shook it off before turning to face them and giving a light shrug.
"You coming...?" He asked in a simple tone as he waited for them by the ramp leading out of the cavern, making Ysmir give a light shrug before strolling towards Atreus while Serana just took a moment to regain her reserve then approach them quietly; as she passed by Atreus, she looked to him and studied him a little more, surprise, shock, curiosity and intrigue still fresh in her eyes as the trio made their way into the next room.
As they entered the next room, Ysmir went looking around for treasure that may have been stashed in a hidden crevice beside the platform that seemed to dominate half of the room while Atreus and Serana made their way up the stairs to see if they could find a way to open the gate that separated them from the exit; after getting a good look at the area, Atreus glanced at the lever before looking to the sarcophagi that lined the wall behind it.
"This looks way too easy...as soon as we pull that lever, draugr are going to spring out of those coffins and ambush us." Atreus said simply as Ysmir caught up to him and Serana, who raised her eyebrow suspiciously when she heard his observation. "You're sure about that...?" She asked in a curious, but clearly suspicious tone before he gave her a light nod in confirmation.
"Their sole purpose is guarding these crypts, right...? Why wouldn't they intervene if someone tried to escape...?" Atreus suggested, making her study him as she thought on what he said for a moment. Part of her wanted to disagree and say that he was just being paranoid, but after thinking about it and looking around the room, she knew he made an excellent point; Ysmir gave a light shrug before voicing his opinion.
"You're not wrong, Atreus...but, they don't always spring out of their resting places with every disturbance; maybe these will stay in their graves." He suggested simply, although he knew that they most likely wouldn't be that lucky, it was never that easy. "20 Septims says you're wrong." Atreus said simply, making Ysmir raise his eyebrow a bit before giving a light nod in response.
"Alright, you're on." Ysmir said simply as he stepped towards the lever while Atreus positioned himself in a spot where he'd be able to engage the draugr before they got close enough to cause any real damage. Serana watched them both curiously before shaking her head lightly. "Are you really making a bet on whether or not we're going to be attacked when we open the gate...?" She asked in a dull, sarcastic tone before Ysmir shrugged his shoulder's lightly.
"Not much of a bet, really...he's been right about everything else, so far." He said with a light chuckle, making her look between him and Atreus for a moment before shaking her head and preparing herself for every possible outcome as Ysmir pulled the lever, opening the gate without trouble before the sarcophagi sprung open to reveal five draugr, who stepped down from their tombs as their glowing blue eyes landed on the intruders.
"Told you." Atreus said in a quick tone as he pulled the Blades of Chaos from his back and rushed towards the strongest looking draugr then plunged them deep into its rotting flesh while Ysmir raised his shield to block the second's greatsword as Serana fired ice spikes and lighting bolts at the others. After Atreus finished slaughtering the first draugr, Ysmir used his axe to cleave the second's legs out from under it then cut it down like lumber before moving onto the third.
Serana finished off another draugr and turned just in time to see one with a horned helmet rear its head back like it was taking a breath, which caught Atreus' attention and made him dash in between her and the draugr. "FUS RO DAH!" The draugr shouts in a whispered tone, casting a light blue energy from its mouth that had enough force to send even well-conditioned beings across the room, although Atreus had raised his shield at the last moment and while he managed to absorb the bulk of the shout's force, it still sent him sliding backwards until Serana instinctively reached out and placed her hand on his back to stop him.
After recovering from the impact, Atreus lowered his shield then threw one of his blades into the draugr's flesh before pulling back to him then cracking his shield across its skull and making it crumble to the ground; once it was disoriented, he ripped the blade out through its torso then turned to face Serana for a moment.
"Thanks for catching me." He said quickly before she gave him a content nod as they both turned their attention to the remaining draugr. Ysmir cleaved his axe through the fourth while Serana sent an ice spike flying through the fifth's head before following it up with a lightning bolt that finished it off; after killing the last draugr, Ysmir caught up with Atreus and Serana then tossed the former a coin purse with a light smirk before they made their way through the gate, which led into what looked like an arena with a throne perched on each side.
"I don't like the look of this..." Serana said cautiously as they entered the room, making Ysmir and Atreus nod in agreement as they started looking around. "Me either...this place reeks of trouble." Atreus said simply, the three of them raising their guard as they descended down the steps before a rotting corpse dressed in aged, tattered robes glides into the center of the arena, utters a blood-freezing shriek and unleashed a wave of dark energy across the room that caused the corpses seated in their thrones to stir before standing while skeletal warriors rose from the ground.
"Lich!" Ysmir called out as Atreus and Serana looked to the robed creature in the center of the arena before Atreus tightened his grip on his blades. "I've got him, keep me covered!" He said quickly before rushing down the steps, making Serana shake her head lightly.
"Wait, Atreus...!" She called out in an attempt to stop him, but before she could say anything else, Atreus leapt from the last step and used the momentum from his inevitable landing to spin his blades around the room, shrouding his form in an inferno as they glide through the skeletal warriors before cutting through the lich as fire consumed the creature and caused it to retreat.
Serana looked to Ysmir with surprise before motioning to Atreus as he pursued the lich with a tenacity neither of them had witnessed in even the most seasoned warriors of Tamriel. "Shouldn't we help him...?" She asked in a noticeably surprised tone before Ysmir gave her a light nod.
"We can help him by keeping the rest of these draugr occupied...trust me, he can handle himself." He said quickly before charging at one of the more powerful draugr and cleaving his axe through its flesh and crippling it long enough to lop its head off as he turned his attention to three of its companions, two of which he cut down without effort before dueling with the third.
Upon hearing this, Serana shook her head before rushing into the fray and pelting everything she saw with ice spikes and lightning bolts then cutting into them fiercely with the dagger she had strapped to her side, occasionally looking between Atreus and Ysmir just in case they got themselves into a situation they couldn't handle alone. "I swear, they're both crazy..." She muttered to herself as she struck another draugr down with her magic.
After a moment, the lich returned to the arena in an attempt to evade Atreus' onslaught, but as soon as he found an opening, he ran along the length of one of the pillars long enough to give himself a boost before lunging forward and throwing his blades at the creature until they plunged themselves into its flesh; he used the chains to pull himself in and tackle the lich to the ground, ripping one blade out as soon as he landed then using the second to send it flying across the arena as it tore through the rotting flesh and bone.
As it tried to recover, Atreus strolled towards the lich then swung his blades into the ground before ripping them out again as a spout of hellfire consumed the creature and finished it off, which made him turn towards his companions as Serana finished off a group of draugr then rushed to help Ysmir finish off the last three; when he saw this, Atreus rushed after her as they each chose a draugr then engaged.
"YOL TOOR SHUL!" Ysmir shouts, making one of the draugr stagger as a torrent of fire consumed and destroyed it while Serana weakened the second with magic long enough for her to plunge her dagger into its skull and finish it off; the third turned to Atreus and reared its head back in an attempt to shout before being interrupted by his shield crashing into its skull as he plunged one of his blades into its torso then cut it clean in two.
When the smoke cleared, Serana looked between Atreus and Ysmir for a moment before shaking her head lightly and sheathing her dagger while the two men re-sheathed their weapons. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were both completely insane...especially you." She said in a simple, yet blunt tone before motioning to Atreus when she said the last part only to earn a light smirk from him in response. "But, it helps me feel a little better knowing I'm in good hands with you as my escorts..." She finished after a moment, making Ysmir and Atreus give her a content nod.
"Glad we could put your nerves at ease..." Ysmir said contently before looking to Atreus with a subtle smirk when he noticed that he had let his usual reserve down again, if only a little bit. "And honestly, you're no slouch yourself...glad we have you with us." He said simply, making Serana look to him for a moment as a subtle smile barely tugged at her lips before she gave him a light nod.
"Thanks..." She said simply, although the tone in her voice suggested that she genuinely appreciated knowing that the two men seemed grateful for her company, although she shook this off quickly and regained her reserve and looked to them again. "Can we go...?" She asked quickly, making her companions nod in agreement.
"Aye, let's go." Ysmir said quickly as the trio started making their way to the exit, although Atreus looked to Ysmir when he noticed the smirk on his lips. "What are you smirking at...?" He asked in a quick tone, making Ysmir snicker lightly before shaking his head lightly. "Don't worry about it..." He answered simply, although Atreus knew something had amused him, but decided not to question him about it for the time being.
As they made their way to the gate leading out, Ysmir noticed a wall that had strange markings carved into it and mysterious chanting echoing from the writing before approaching and studying the markings for a moment; once he finished, he gave a content nod and rejoined Atreus and Serana as they approached the gate, which Atreus opened before they strolled up the path then out of the exit.
As the trio strolled out of the cave mouth, Atreus looked to the west to see the sun setting before turning his attention to his companions as Ysmir studied the landscape to see if he could find their quickest path to Solitude from the cave while Serana closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, almost like she was savoring the sensation before letting it out with a content sigh.
"It feels good to breathe again...and this weather's incredible." She said in a soft, noticeably relieved tone as she looked around, almost like she was savoring the land's beauty before the light of the still setting sun burned her eyes and made her wince in a noticeable discomfort and irritation.
Atreus looked to her just in time to see her pulling a hood over her head in order to shield her eyes from the light, which made him notice the discomfort present in her expression as soon as his gaze landed on her. "What's wrong?" He asked in a simple, but noticeably quick tone before she blinked a couple of times to help her eyes adjust faster then look to him and give him a light nod.
"My eyes just need to adjust to the light..." She answered simply as she shook off her discomfort and met his icy eyes for a brief moment as he subtly started studying her and thinking on a way to make the trip home a little easier on her, but when he noticed that he almost let himself get distracted by her again, he quickly shook his head and took a moment to collect himself before offering a suggestion.
"We can wait until dark before moving on, if you want..." Atreus suggested simply as Ysmir just listened to them with a subtle, but amused smirk when he started noticing how he was acting around her; something about Atreus' demeanor around Serana reminded him of how he acted when they first saw Dayspring Canyon despite being somehow being much more amusing in comparison, but he chose not to comment on it yet.
Serana kept her eyes on him and just shook her head lightly. "No, it's okay...just have to get used to being outside again...thanks for offering, though..." She assured him before she felt a light, subtle smile threaten to tug at her lips, but she managed to suppress it enough so that neither one of her companions would notice.
"Yeah, um...don't mention it." Atreus said in a simple, somewhat softer tone before their eyes met again, he wasn't sure what it was, but there was something about her that seemed to hold his attention in a way that almost made him feel like he could lower his guard; although when he noticed the sensation, he collected himself and retook his reserve before clearing his throat to try and distract her and Ysmir from his temporary change in demeanor.
"We should go...this probably isn't the best place for small talk..." Atreus said in a simple, but quick tone before Serana realized that she had gotten a bit distracted herself and quickly regained her reserve so that she could focus on getting home. "Yes, you're right...let's go." She said simply as Ysmir shook his head lightly, his amused smirk still fresh on his lips as he turned his attention to the North-West.
"Solitude is this way...when we get there, we can make a quick stop at the tavern to find an alternative route to your home just in case we can't find a ferryman who's willing to take us the rest of the way there; if we don't find anyone, then we'll travel from the city and work from there." Ysmir said simply as Atreus and Serana looked to him before they each gave him a light nod in agreement.
"Sounds like a plan." Serana said as she, Ysmir and Atreus took their positions and made their way down the mountain side before strolling through the snow covered forest until they found themselves in the marshlands of Hjaalmarch...
Okay, so this one's longer than last time and I moved the scene outside of Dimhollow to the end for this one, because I wanted to work that part in last time; other than that, I think it's mostly aesthetic changes, fixings any typos I missed in my first proofreading and changing or adding to a few lines of dialogue to the end scene.
Anyway, Chapter 4, onto the next one, etc. and if anybody has questions that don't reveal BIG spoilers about anything beyond Chapter 6, don't hesitate to ask.
Read on, readers...