They had spent some time on the road before Ysmir had returned from the back of the cart. Now joining Raphtalia at the front of the cart Ysmir looked over at Raphtalia. She looked back at him with a smile that made Ysmir smile as well, she had come a long way. It was hard to think there was a time she was a small child that could barely speak. Ysmir's small moment of reflection was interrupted by a familiar presence. Ysmir looked towards a mountain with a familiar blue mist. Raphtalia looked towards the mountain as well, he had forgotten she also could sense them now. Ysmir turned to the mountain with a sense of dread, Alduin's mist. He was the only one who was able to conjure up that soul snaring mist.
"Filo, do you see a path up to that mountain?" Ysmir turned to Filo with a serious look in his eyes.
"I don't see away up there papa, but I'll find one!" Filo speeds up from walking to running at top speed.
Ysmir and Raphtalia sat back down as the cart began picking up speed. Ysmir looked into his bag pulling out his sword, he couldn't use it now. But someone else could, Ysmir turned to Raphtalia who had drawn her short sword. She was used to that weapon, he'd need to train her more before she could handle the weapon. Ysmir placed his sword back into his bag and looked at the mountain in fear as well as determination.
Ysmir was climbing the mountain while Raphtalia and Filo were racing around the winding paths. They were all aiming towards the top of the mountain, Ysmir had been using two pickaxes to climb his way up the mountain. He was almost to the top when he noticed a small town nearby covered in the mist. Ysmir stopped his climb and ran over to the village, Ysmir found a town full of unmoving bodies. They weren't dead, most were still visibly breathing. They were simply not moving.
'These poor fools, they knew not of the danger.' Ysmir growled slightly at the sight, he could already feel the familiar pull of Alduin's mist.
Ysmir walked to the edge of the mist and sent a fireball into the air. It exploded in the air making a bright flash of pure fire. Raphtalia and Filo raced to Ysmir and stopped right in front of the mist. Ysmir looked through the mist, it was made to ensnare mortal souls and keep them inside. If they tried to leave the mist would either turn them back around or simply keep their souls from moving.
"Ysmir, what's going on."
"Is there something wrong Papa?"
They both looked into the town that sat on the edge of the mist. They both gasped at the sight, Raphtalia made for the town. Ysmir grabbed her by her wrist holding her back. He looked to Filo who was still looking into the town, she looked worried for the people.
"Filo I need you to wait outside of the mist, do not go inside it. When Raphtalia and I take care of it you will need to round up everyone in town into the center. I'll help them once I can." Filo nodded sadly this was the second time Ysmir was leaving her behind and he regretted it immensely.
"Wait why does big sis get to go?" Filo transformed back into her human form and was pouting.
"Because I'm not going to let you go into that cursed mist. I'll be back ok, stay safe hatchling." Ysmir kneeled down and pressed a kiss onto her forehead.
"Ok papa, be safe please!" Ysmir smiled at her and walked into the mist with Raphtalia. He didn't miss the jealous look on Raphtalia's face as they walked away.
Ysmir arrived at the top of the mountain to find a familiar sight. A skeleton of a dragon with flesh still on select areas, this one seemed to be from his world which suprised him. The skeleton turned to Ysmir and Raphtalia and seemed to examine them.
"So, even in this new world… you haunt me Dovahkiin. How... Even in another realm I cannot escape your insufferable pressance." Ysmir was shocked as Raphtalia drew her sword preparing for a fight.
Ysmir quickly placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sheathe your weapon."
Ysmir took a deep breath. "Alduin, it has been some tiid since our last Tinvaak. I arrived due to the Joor in this new world, a Laan for a Laan. Who did this to you, I do not see the remains of Joor, so they must have escaped you?" Ysmir sat down cross legged and Raphtalia, though suspicious, did the same.
Alduin growled as his bones shook throwing off a few scales and pieces of flesh. "They did not escape me, I let them flee."
Alduin raised his boney and fleshless wings. "I am weak, I can no longer fly and my mist is all that keeps them away. Even now they wait for me higher in the mountains. But I am no longer able to use my magic nor my voice anymore... Coming to this world changed me..." Alduin actually sounded depressed, Ysmir had only heard him speak proudly of himself.
"I stayed here among the mountains existing with the Joor in that village. They let me be after I killed a weak Dovah who was an embarrassment to our kind. I took this as a chance to escape my fate after realizing my Zeymah was right..."
"They gave me offerings and came many times for knowledge. I felt fulfilled and even felt… at Drem, at peace as you mortals say." Alduin actually sounded somewhat happy, this shocked Ymsir. But then again this was what he had hoped Alduin would find in his next life when he let his soul escape him.
Alduin began to growl again as he slammed his skeleton claws into the ground. "But then Joor came here, forcing me to use this mist." Alduin was a skeleton, but Ysmir swore he saw sorrow in his eyes.
"The Joor here were able to speak to me without fear. They often came here for Tinvaak, to ask me of the world beyond. They attempted to stop the hero and he slaughtered them, incinerating them into ashes with that cursed sword. He had heard a rumor of a dragon from another world who could answer any question. He asked of you Dovhakiin." Ysmir nodded he himself could feel a presence he hadn't felt in a while.
It was one of the cardinal heroes, the sword hero to be specific.
"Aye, I know the man behind that blade. He is one of this world's legends, one of four, I am one as well. They are meant to save this world from being consumed by a great evil. I trust you didn't reveal our Vod." Ysmir nodded to the massive dragon skeleton who in turn nodded.
"I denied him this Onikaan. When I did he grew angry and attacked me, I fought back as best I could but when my soul came to this world I only had a fraction of my strength. I used the last of it to become an undead as DurnThe skeleton looked over to Raphtalia, Ysmir stood and walked closer to Alduin.
"He will not stop until he gets what he wants, without a Dovahkiin in this world you cannot die. Maybe this was not a curse but a blessing. Let me end your suffering, losing to a fellow dovah is better than losing to a mortal." Alduin huffed.
"He is arrogant but he will keep attacking you until he gets what he wants." Ysmir looked above them to a ledge where he could sense the hero was.
"I know this Dovahkiin, but I have one Laan. I wish to have my soul absorbed by the new blood." He said turning to Raphtalia as she sat there confused.
"Let my death have more meaning than simply a release from my body." The dragon bowed it's head down to Ysmir, he nodded at him.
"I have done enough to fulfill my part of the prophecy, now I will let you complete yours." Ysmir raised his hand and placed it upon the stump of Alduin's horn.
"Farewell Dovahkiin." Ysmir began absorbing Alduin's soul then turned to Raphtalia.
Once Ysmir had stopped absorbing Alduin's soul the skeleton stopped moving. The stump that Ysmir had grasped began disintegrating and the mist around them began to disappear. Ysmir looked at the skeleton before planting a small flower at the head of the skeleton. He grabbed a few more bones and as many scales as he could salvage. Ysmir stood up and began walking over to Raphtalia, he placed his hand on her slave crest. A glow began to erupt from him and began to flow into her crest. It glowed brightly and her eyes glowed again this time without her skin burning. They left Alduin's body where it was, Ysmir was quiet and began walking away. Raphtalia followed Ysmir after taking another look at the massive skeleton then walked out with Ysmir.
"Ysmir... What just happened..." Raphtalia looked at Ysmir.
"I mean to tell you later. But Alduin revealed it to you soooner than I'd like. You are dragon born now Raphtalia. Like me." Raphtalia froze in her tracks.
"But... I..." She seemed to completely be lost as Ysmir placed a hand softly on her shoulder.
"I know you must have many questions, but try not to think about it to much. I barely understand it myself.." Raphtalia nodded as the two continued back down the path to the town.
"Y'know, for the world eater he seemed like a decent dragon, wasn't he supposed to be pure evil?" Raphtalia said as she kicked a rock off the side of the path.
"There is no such thing as pure evil Raphtalia, there is only the good people and people who have lost their ways. Those who are evil were not born that way, Alduin lost his way long ago. But here in this world, at least he found his way if only for a short time." Ysmir said as they arrived in town to find a few of the people begining to wake up.
Ysmir didn't want to draw attention to himself more than he had to, but he had to admit. These other heroes were being more problematic than he could bear, the spear hero left a town to be consumed by plant life. The sword hero endangered an entire village much more than anyone in this world would know. At least he didn't know what the bow hero was doing. Ysmir and Raphtalia made their way back to Filo and their cart as they began to resume their path out of the country.