Upon returning to the mainland and making their way back to Solitude, Atreus and Ysmir stopped by the harbor and scanned the map in order to find the quickest and least difficult path back to Riften so they would be able to carry on to Fort Dawnguard with minimal interference.
"So, our best bet is taking a boat to Windhelm and continuing to Riften from there...only thing we need to decide now is whether or not we go to Riften by carriage or just keep going on foot." Ysmir said simply as Atreus listened while he studied the map before giving him a light shrug.
"Taking the carriage from Windhelm would probably be faster, but I think we'd be able to leave on foot and still make it to Riften pretty fast if we forget about sleeping, but something tells me that won't be a problem for either of us." Atreus suggested simply before Ysmir looked to him, thought on the suggestion for a moment then gave him a content nod in agreement.
"Aye, good point...it'd probably save a few septims if we left Windhelm on foot, too." Ysmir said simply, making Atreus give him a light nod in agreement. "Sounds like a good enough reason in itself." Atreus said simply, earning a content chuckle from Ysmir.
"Hard to argue with that idea...especially if it means saving some coin." Ysmir said wittily as he folded his map, which led to both men rising from their chairs and preparing for the next leg of their journey. "Guess it's off to Windhelm, then." Atreus said simply, earning a light nod from Ysmir.
"Aye." He said simply as the two men made their way down the docks where the ferryman conducted his business before finally approaching the man. "Where you headed?" The man asked simply before Ysmir tossed him a small, but rather hefty coin purse. "Windhelm." He said simply, earning a content nod from the ferryman.
"Come aboard and we'll be off." He said simply as Atreus and Ysmir made their way onto the small, but sturdy rowboat, although before he situated himself in the boat, Atreus looked in the direction of Castle Volkihar, which he could still see rather well despite the distance and the fog shrouding the island itself.
Ysmir noticed this and lightly tapped Atreus on the shoulder, making him tense up like he was going for a weapon before he met the Dragonborn's gaze. "She'll be fine, Atreus..." Ysmir said simply, although Atreus took a moment to regain his reserve before finally giving the man a brief nod.
"I know...she can handle herself...just don't trust her father, especially after the 'welcoming party' he gave her." He said in a kind of dull tone before Ysmir gave him a light nod in understanding as it was kind of hard to argue with the observation after meeting Harkon for themselves.
In fact, Ysmir agreed with Atreus' sentiment and the distrust he held for Harkon considering he came to the same conclusion when they first met the vampire lord, a sentiment that was proven to be justified when he spoke with them directly; but he knew that Serana noticed this as well, especially considering how she acted when Atreus called her father out on his apparent lack of concern for her well being and figured that she may decide to seek them out if her father's madness ended up getting too far out of hand.
"Come on...let's go." Ysmir said simply as he sat down in the boat, earning a light nod from Atreus as he stared at the eerie castle a little longer. "Yeah..." He said simply before finally looking away and taking his seat across from the Dragonborn before the ferryman started rowing into the water en-route to Windhelm.
Once they reached Windhelm and made their way through the snow-covered city of stone, Atreus and Ysmir strolled through the wilds of Eastmarch with their sights set on the city of Riften. "So werewolf, huh...?" Atreus asked simply after a couple of hours of travel and contemplative silence.
"Aye...what about it?" Ysmir asked in a simple, but curious tone before Atreus gave him a light shrug in response. "Just doesn't seem like something a fabled hero of legend would allow themselves to accept...unless you really didn't have much of a choice and haven't found a cure, at least." He observed simply, making Ysmir think on the statement for a moment before giving him a shrug.
"Even the most celebrated and decorated heroes have their darker secrets that provide them with a significant advantage over their peers...you of all people should know that." Ysmir suggested before Atreus gave him a brief chuckle and shook his head lightly.
"I'm not a hero, Ysmir...definitely not a good example of what a hero should be." Atreus states simply as Ysmir just watched and listened to him for a moment. "And don't get me wrong, from what I've heard about lycanthropy, I can see the appeal and the advantages, but knowing someone who seems like they hold their Nordic traditions in such high regard using power that would go against those traditions...it's just a bit of a surprise..." He explained simply, making Ysmir think on it before letting out a light chuckle and giving a brief nod.
"Aye, I see your point...but, to be fair, it's not a subject that's brought up very often." Ysmir said in a kind of witty tone, making Atreus give him a light nod in understanding. "Yeah, fair enough...sounds like it'd be a pretty entertaining conversation to listen in on, though." He said simply, earning a light laugh from Ysmir as he shook his head lightly.
"Tell you what, if I ever decide to have that conversation with anybody else, I'll let you know so that you can eavesdrop and see their reaction for yourself." Ysmir said with an amused chuckle before Atreus let out a light, amused laugh of his own.
"Might have to take you up on it..." Atreus said simply as they made their way through the mountain path that connected Eastmarch to the forests of the Rift with both men laughing at the amusing idea of Ysmir actually sitting someone down and admitting that he was one of Hircine's hounds even if it was an event that was only done for their own personal amusement.
After arriving in Riften and stopping by Ysmir's home long enough for the Dragonborn to replace the divine sword he used in Dimhollow on the weapon rack that he used to display it and placing the crossbow and any remaining bolts in a chest at the foot of his bed, the two men left the city and continued down the path leading to Fort Dawnguard.
"Alright, so I told you a few things about myself, now it's your turn..." Ysmir said simply before Atreus uttered a light, dull chuckle before shaking his head lightly. "Still trying to get to know me...?" He asked simply, earning a light shrug from Ysmir in response.
"Might as well...especially considering how long we've been traveling together coupled with the fact you now know more about me than I know about you." Ysmir suggested simply, which made Atreus think on the observation for a moment before letting out a brief sigh then nodding in agreement. "Yeah, fair enough...couldn't argue with that one even if I wanted to." Atreus said in a slightly duller tone before Ysmir shrugged lightly and watched him for a moment.
"Tell you what...tell me the story behind that axe and I won't bother you about your past until you actually feel like talking about it." He said simply, making Atreus consider the suggestion for a moment before giving him a light nod as he pulled Leviathan from his back and studied the weapon; however, he had no intention of telling him the entire story for the time being.
"All I know is that it was made using ancient and long forgotten magic...a lot of what you've seen it do is connected to the runes going down the length of the blade; some stories suggest that it was imbued with the breath of twenty frost trolls and was made to rival or even surpass one of the most powerful weapons in the realms...which was used to slaughter an entire civilization...the smiths who made that weapon forged this as a means of redeeming their tarnished honor." Atreus explained simply and with a noticeable sentiment in his tone as Ysmir listened to the story with intrigue and fascination.
"Does it have a name...? A weapon with a story like that surely has a name attached to it." Ysmir asked curiously before earning a light nod in confirmation from Atreus. "Leviathan." He answered simply as Ysmir continued to study the axe before giving him a content nod.
"Sounds like a fitting name...where did you get it...?" Ysmir asked simply, although his curiosity was still at the forefront, but Atreus didn't answer right away considering the damage from losing everything he ever loved was still fresh and how that damage had turned most of his memories of his past life into nightmares.
"Family heirloom..." Atreus answered dully as he propped the axe on his shoulder, something that Ysmir took as a sign to leave the subject alone and made him give a brief nod before the two men went silent again. As they made their way along the path and approached the bridge where they first encountered each other, a gray-skinned elven man dressed in leather armor that was adorned with a hood drew a pair of daggers then stepped in their path with his dark red eyes locked on the two warriors.
"Alright, hand over your valuables or I'll gut you like a fish." The highwayman demanded in a tone that was clearly meant to intimidate the men only for Atreus to roll his eyes unamused as he tightened the grip on his axe just in case the thief decided to do something stupid before Ysmir stepped in between them.
"You really don't want to do that, friend...it won't end well..." Ysmir warned the thief, who simply shook his warning off like it was nothing more than a hollow threat from a fool who couldn't defend himself. "Nice try, but you don't scare me...I won't ask again." The thief taunted, which made Ysmir let out a brief sigh before walking forward without another word as he knew that Atreus would most likely deal with the thief if he tried anything.
Once Ysmir walked forward, Atreus followed him after shoving the highwayman out of his way with his eyes forward, although he kept his senses open just in case the thief was actually stupid enough to try and attack them; the thief was infuriated by their attempts to refuse his demands and tightened his grip on his daggers.
"Don't you walk away from me!" The thief shouts before rushing towards the duo with his daggers raised and aimed for their throats only for Atreus to turn, raise his axe in a seemingly defensive stance then cast a beam of ice from the weapon that slowly, but steadily froze the highwayman solid until one of the daggers stopped barely an inch from his throat.
The commotion caused Ysmir to turn around just in time to see Atreus lower Leviathan and leave a frozen statue in the highwayman's place before replacing the axe on his back and turning to continue down the path with a subtle blue-green shimmer in his eyes for a moment before they faded back to their usual ice blue, which made him raise his eyebrow curiously, but he chose not to question it.
"Shouldn't we do something about that...?" Ysmir asked simply, making Atreus look back to the frozen highwayman before giving the Dragonborn a light shrug in response. "I don't think he'll be going anywhere...much less bothering anyone else." He said simply as he strolled forward, making Ysmir look between him and the thief for a moment before just shrugging it off and turning to catch up with Atreus.
Before long, Atreus and Ysmir made it back to Dayspring Canyon and strolled through the cavern without delay as they continued along the path leading to the fort itself, although the further they walked along the path, the more they both felt like something wasn't right, which made Ysmir subtly sniff the air in order to confirm any suspicions.
"We've got company..." Ysmir said quickly as he rushed up the path with Atreus hot on his heels until they made it to a simple log wall and a wooden gate that blocked their path before Ysmir quickly pushed it open as he drew his sword while Atreus drew his blades, neither one of them missing a step the entire time.
When they made their way up the hill and around the turn leading to the fort, they were greeted by Isran and a few other Dawnguard members fighting off a group of vampires that had somehow slipped past their defenses.
After cutting a vampire down with his axe, the man who greeted Atreus and Ysmir upon their arrival to the fort looked up just in time to see another fire an ice spike at him, which he deflected with his shield only for the creature to strike him with lightning and stagger him long enough to start draining his lifeforce, which he managed to resist for awhile until the combination of the vampire's magic and his slight fatigue started taking its toll and weakening him.
When the vampire drew his blade and started closing in to finish his opponent off, Atreus threw one of his blades at the creature then listened to him scream when the fiery weapon bit into his flesh before pulling him in long enough for Ysmir to separate his head from his shoulders before Atreus caught his weapon then rip it out of the headless corpse, which gave the man plenty of time to regain himself.
The man quickly recovered from the attack and cleaved his axe into another vampire's side before Isran closed in while an aura of sunlight shielded him from any of the creatures who tried to ambush him then shattered the creature's leg with his hammer as his comrade ripped his axe out of its side so that Isran could bring the hammer down on its ribs then crack it in the head and finish it off.
At this point, Ysmir had made his way into the fray and was fighting off three vampires, one of which he skewered with his sword before shield bashing the second in order to stun it as the third lunged at him only for the Dragonborn to catch it on his shield then send it flying towards Atreus, who caught it with one of his blades and pulled it to him before plunging the second through its body then use them to slice it in half; as the mangled pieces of the creature's corpse fell at Atreus' feet, Ysmir ripped his sword out of the first vampire while the second recovered only to have the Dragonborn's blade plunged through its ribs to finish it off.
Isran and the red haired man who watched the doors to the fort had just finished off another set of vampires, although the two Dawnguard agents were so caught up in the carnage that Isran didn't notice another sneaking up behind him with a dagger raised and ready to plunge into his back; upon seeing this, Atreus cut the creature's legs out from under it as it's agonized screams caught Isran's attention and caused him to turn and splatter its head with his hammer while Atreus pulled the fiery blade back to him.
As soon as the smoke cleared, Atreus and Ysmir approached Isran as everyone sheathed their weapons while the Dawnguard leader scanned the vampire corpses before shaking his head lightly and looking to them. "Look at this...I should have known it was only a matter of time before they found us; it's the price we pay for openly recruiting...we'll have to step up our defenses." He said in a noticeably disappointed and frustrated tone.
"You should have already done something about that..." Atreus muttered before Ysmir elbowed him in the side as Isran studied them for a moment, his eyes lingering on Atreus for a moment when he did. Even though the Dawnguard leader didn't have the patience for his sarcasm at the moment, he really couldn't argue with the observation, so he begrudgingly chose to ignore it before moving on to the status quo.
"I don't suppose you have any good news for me...?" Isran asked simply, although he already had a pretty good hunch that they didn't before earning a shrug from Ysmir. "Not exactly, no..." Ysmir began simply, earning a light, frustrated sigh from Isran when he heard the answer. "Should've known that was too much to hope for...alright, tell me what you know." He said simply before noticing that both Ysmir and Atreus seemed to be thinking on their answer for a moment, which told him that he most likely wouldn't like whatever they had to say.
"The vampires were after a woman who was trapped in Dimhollow...locked up in some elaborate tomb that was guarded by some form of ancient magic." Ysmir explained simply, making Isran raise his eyebrow curiously as he processed the information for a moment before shaking his head lightly.
"A woman...? Trapped in there? That doesn't make any sense...who is she...and more importantly, where is she...?" Isran asked in a noticeably more urgent tone before Ysmir hesitated briefly then turned his attention to Atreus as he wasn't sure if he would appreciate his telling him about Serana or the fact she was a vampire.
"She wanted to go back to her home...an island off of the coast of Solitude, which turned out being full of vampires...we're not sure if the residents have always been like that or if it was a recent development, but she claims that they are...or at least 'were' her family." Atreus explained simply as Ysmir raised his eyebrow lightly when he noticed how easy it was for him to stretch the truth like he did while Isran studied him suspiciously for a moment.
"And you delivered her right to them...? Whatever her past with them, if they've embraced vampirism then they're not her family anymore...and who's to say she wasn't one herself...?" Isran suggested in a simple, but noticeably irritated tone before earning a light shrug from Atreus.
"Whatever her connection to the lot or her own condition, she didn't act like she was very eager to trust us until we escorted her home...figured it was the only way to get more information on what we're dealing with..." Atreus states bluntly as Isran kept studying him before giving a reluctant nod in understanding. Even though he didn't really agree with the decision to agree to escort some strange woman buried in a tomb to an island ruled by vampires, especially with the distinct possibility that she maybe one herself, he couldn't exactly argue with Atreus' reasoning behind it.
"So what's the bad news...?" Isran asked before Atreus looked to Ysmir, making the Dragonborn take a breath as he knew that Isran wouldn't like the answer at all. "They have an Elder Scroll..." He answered simply, making Isran scowl at them with a mix of surprise and fury for a moment.
"They what?!" He started before taking a moment to recollect his reserve again. "And you didn't stop them...you didn't secure the scroll?" He asked in a calmer, but still relatively angry tone, making Atreus narrow his eyes and glare at him before speaking.
"It was too well guarded...they had it under tight lock and key and in a spot where the entire brood could have intervened if we tried to snatch it out from under them; and considering how paranoid their patriarch was, we didn't have a good enough opening to get anywhere near it...we're damn lucky we even got a good look at it." He states in a noticeably cold tone, making Ysmir give a light nod in confirmation as Isran looked between them before letting out a brief, frustrated sigh.
"I suppose you're lucky you're not dead...or worse, one of them..." Isran said simply as he pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head lightly. "By the Divines...this couldn't get much worse...this is more than the three of us can handle..." He said irritably as Atreus raised his eyebrow lightly.
"Well, I hope somebody has a backup plan...because I don't believe in surrender and if you two give up on me, I'll storm the island by myself..." He states bluntly, making Isran and Ysmir look at him for a moment before the Dawnguard leader looked to the Dragonborn. "Is he serious...?" He asked in a dull, unamused, but curious tone before Ysmir gave him a light shrug in response.
"Honestly, I wouldn't put it past him...but, he has a point, we need to do something and working together is our best bet." Ysmir said simply before Isran looked to Atreus again for a moment then turned his attention back to Ysmir. "Well, of course we do...I'm old, not stupid...we're going to need some more help." He said in a simple tone, making both Atreus and Ysmir give him a content nod.
"If they're bold enough to attack us here, then this maybe bigger than I thought...I have good men here, but..." Isran said simply before taking a brief pause as Ysmir and Atreus just listened quietly and waited for him to make his point. "There are people I've met and worked with over the years, we need their skills, their talents if we're going to survive this...if you two can find them, then we might stand a chance." He finished after a moment, making the two men give him a light shrug.
"So, who are we looking for and where can we find them...?" Atreus asked in a simple tone as he and Ysmir wait for his response before Isran looked between them for a moment. "Both of you get right to the point, don't you...? I like that...not like those fools in the order." He said simply before looking to Atreus for a moment. "You just have more of an attitude, though...might want to work on that." He adds simply, making Atreus let out a brief and somewhat amused scoff.
"My attitude and lack of tolerance for someone else's shit just helped save your ass when one of those vampires tried to plunge a knife in your back...and this is nothing compared to how I used to be..." Atreus states simply, making Isran narrow his eyes briefly before Ysmir gave the man a light nod to confirm his observation.
"I can vouch for him there...you should have seen him when we met the vampire lord who ruled that island; I'm surprised he didn't rip the man's head off and honestly, if it wasn't for me and the woman we found in Dimhollow, he probably would have." Ysmir said simply as Isran listened to the Dragonborn's observation before looking to Atreus again then letting out a brief and somewhat amused chuckle.
"Hmph...in that case, I guess your attitude problem could prove useful." He said simply before clearing his throat and getting back to the matter at hand. "As I was saying, we should keep it small...too many people and we'll draw unwanted attention to ourselves...I think we'll want Sorine Jurard, Breton girl, whip smart and good with tinkering...fascination with the Dwemer, weapons in particular; last I knew, she was out in the Reach...convinced she was about to find the biggest Dwarven ruins, yet." He began simply as Atreus and Ysmir memorized the name and location.
"She'll help us?" Ysmir asked simply, earning a light nod in confirmation from Isran. "Might need a little convincing, but she should...you'll also want to find Gunmar, big brute of a Nord, hates vampires almost as much as I do...got it into his head years back that his experience with animals would help; trolls in particular from what I hear." He continued simply, making an amused smirk tug at Atreus' lip when he heard the idea.
"Fun...where's he hiding?" Atreus said in an amused tone as he and Ysmir wait for Isran to give them the man's location. "Last I knew, he was out scouring Skyrim for more beasts to tame...bring the two of them back here and we can get started on coming up with a plan." He answered simply, making them both give him a brief nod in understanding.
"Sounds like we have our work cut out for us, Atreus...let's get started." Ysmir said simply as he turned his attention to his comrade only to find that he was already making his way down the path leading away from the fort before looking back to Isran and the Dragonborn. "You coming, Ysmir? We've got work to do." He called out simply, making Isran study him for a moment before shaking his head lightly and looking to Ysmir.
"Where in Stendarr's name did you find him...?" Isran asked in a curious tone before Ysmir gave him a light shrug in response. "Ran into him on the way here, actually...while he was butchering a group of vampires that tried to ambush him; if I hadn't already known they were up to no good, I probably would have felt sorry for them." He explained simply, making Isran raise his eyebrow curiously when he heard the observation before Ysmir shook his head a bit.
"Long story, might fill you in when we get back with Sorine and Gunmar if you're interested." He said simply, earning a light nod from the Dawnguard leader before he turned and made his way back into the fort as Ysmir caught up to Atreus so that they could get started on their recruiting mission.
As they made their way down the path towards the cavern leading out, Atreus and Ysmir scanned the area surrounding them just in case there happened to be another group of vampires waiting to ambush them or any other Dawnguard members who happened to be passing through. "So, who should we look for first...?" Ysmir asked simply before Atreus gave him a light shrug in response.
"I think our best bet would be tracking Gunmar down first since we really don't have a general idea where to find him...might be better to get the longer and more difficult search out of the way then save the easy part for last, you know?" He suggested simply, making Ysmir think on the suggestion for a moment before giving him a light nod in agreement.
"Good point...it maybe a longer trip to the Reach, but at least we know for sure that Sorine's there..." Ysmir said simply as they continued along the path with their eyes still scanning the area for any signs of trouble. "So, find out where Gunmar is, track him down and send him this way, go to the Reach and find Sorine then sent her here and make the round trip back..." He added simply, earning a light nod from Atreus.
"Right...sounds like the best way to do it." Atreus said simply, making Ysmir give a contend nod in agreement as they approached the cavern leading back into the Rift. "Alright, let's go find Gunmar and work from there, then." Ysmir said simply as they left Dayspring Canyon and prepared to track down Gunmar so they could get their recruiting mission over with...
Okay, sorry this one took so long to get done, but I ran into a few blocks in places and ended up procrastinating a little bit; terrible combination. lol
Anyway, here's Chapter 7, sorry if the quality's kind of lack luster compared to the rest of them, but hopefully it's decent enough to at least keep y'all satisfied until the next one's done.
See y'all next time and I'll try not to take as long with the next one as I did with this one and hopefully, it'll be much better in comparison since this one is more of an 'exposition' chapter than anything.
Till next time...
