Atreus sat in one of the much more secluded corners within the 'Bee and Barb' as he quietly nursed a bottle of Black-Briar Mead and just watched the Riften locals carry on with their seemingly mediocre lives.
Other than calling on one of the reptilian bartenders who ran the tavern and tended to its patrons whenever he wanted a drink, he made no effort to interact with anyone and honestly, he preferred it this way; the only reason he was even here was to try and drink away bad memories and listen to the latest rumors in the hopes of learning of another monster to slay or another tomb to explore so that he could keep himself occupied and earn some coin while he was at it.
Despite the fact it had been roughly fifty years since Ragnarok came to pass, the horrific and gruesome memories of the conflict were still fresh in Atreus' mind almost like it hadn't even been a day since it all happened; he still remembered the day the world tree splintered when Thor and Jormungand faced each other, resulting in the latter being cast back in time.
He still remembered the terror in Thor's eyes when he carved the arrogant bastard's heart from his chest in retaliation, but the one memory that caused him the most pain and torment was the moment his father, Kratos, sacrificed himself to protect him from Odin's wrath; the only thing he found truly satisfying about that day was the moment he shattered Mjolnir against the All-Father's skull and finally avenged his father before being cast into this foreign land.
Atreus kept his hollow, icy blue gaze forward as the memories continuously played in his head, almost like they were taunting him for not being fast or strong enough to prevent his father's demise before he heard a scream coming from his left, drawing his eyes to the source where he saw a young woman struggling with a hooded man who eventually snatched a necklace from around her neck then made a run for it.
"Hey, give that back! Please! It was my mother's!" The woman cried before falling to her knees while the thief tried to make his escape through the back door only for an ornate war axe to plant itself in the wood barely an inch from his head.
The thief found himself paralyzed by shock before the tavern grew quiet and all eyes went to Atreus as he rose from his seat then casually stroll towards the thief, his cold eyes locking with the frightened criminal's gaze while everyone else's followed the towering young man across the establishment until he stopped right in front of the assailant.
"Give it back." Atreus demanded coldly, his tone noticeably irritated by the disturbance as his eyes locked on the wretch and froze his blood in his veins. "What if I don't?!" The thief snapped, clearly trying to make himself sound even more intimidating in the face of this stranger who despite his agile build, looked like he could snap his bones like they were twigs, although Atreus clearly wasn't amused.
"Either you give it back or I'll rip your damn head off...I won't ask again." He answered, his tone growing noticeably colder with every word and making the thief shake in absolute terror until he finally gave in and passed the necklace to him.
"Thank you...now get lost." Atreus snapped coldly as he grasped the necklace, pulled Leviathan out of the wooden door and watched the horrified thief flee the tavern without a single word. Once everything calmed down, Atreus replaced his axe on his back before walking over to the golden haired young woman and returning her necklace without a single word, earning a grateful smile from her in the process.
"Thank you! I...I don't know what I would have done if I lost this!" She said happily, tears still streaming from her eyes as Atreus gave her a rather dull nod. "You're welcome..." He answered dully as the young woman fastened the necklace back around her neck.
"I hope the Gods bless..." The woman started again before Atreus raised his hand to stop her, a noticeably frustrated look in his icy eyes at the mere mention of 'Gods' as he shook his head lightly.
"Don't...whatever blessings your Gods have to offer are worthless to me..." He states dully, making the woman's smile fade before she gave him a light, reluctant nod as he passed her by, finished his drink and approached the bar before passing a coin purse to Keerava, one of the Argonians who ran the tavern and served the numerous patrons within.
"This should cover the damages and my drinks...sorry for the commotion." He said before making his way out of the tavern without another word while everyone within returned to their business, many of them still noticeably shaken by what they had just witnessed, although no one spoke of it as they felt it was something better left alone; in fact, no one made any effort to speak at all after they watched Atreus leave.
After leaving the 'Bee and Barb', Atreus made his way to the docks outside of the city walls and looked out at the lake so that he could watch the sun set, a sight that was quite possibly the only thing that made him feel any form of peace anymore; he sat down on the edge of the dock that was furthest away from the gates and twirled the knife his father gave him when he was still a boy through his fingers as he stared across the water.
As the sun started to sink behind the mountains, Atreus just watched the serene sight with tears threatening to fall from his eyes despite his best efforts to keep them away. He missed his father, the adventures they shared and the days when they trained together as father and son, but he knew that tears wouldn't bring him back; nothing would.
He also knew that his father would want him to stay strong and keep going, easier said than done, but Kratos had taught him well, even in the end; so, Atreus wiped his tears, put the knife away and turned his attention back to the sunset to distract himself from the pain if only for a little while.
When the night fell over Skyrim, Atreus made his way back into Riften's walls and just walked through the city for a little while just in case there just so happened to be someone waiting for an opportunity to try and ambush a wayward citizen who found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Atreus may have been more or less indifferent to the people of Skyrim, but he still had his mother's heart and wanted to at least try and help others whenever he could, so dealing with any cowards or monsters that preyed on others seemed like the best way to do it.
During his night time stroll, Atreus noticed an Orc dressed in a suit of armor that suggested that he was a knight who quite possibly belonged to some religious order enter the city gates and glance around at the locals almost like he was analyzing them for some unknown reason. When the Orc's eyes landed on Atreus, a noticeable intrigue shimmered in his gaze as he approached, which made Atreus slow his steps a little bit.
"You there!" The Orc called out quickly before stopping in front of Atreus and causing the young man to look down to him when he stepped in his path. "What do you want?" Atreus asked in a dull, but curious tone as the Orc met his gaze before speaking again.
"My name is Durak, I represent the Dawnguard...we're looking for people to help fight against the growing vampire menace; would you care to join?" Durak explained, making Atreus raise his eyebrow lightly as he thought on the offer for a moment.
Atreus had dealt with vampires a few times during his travels in this land and really didn't have any trouble slaughtering them on the condition that they were actually causing trouble, although he wasn't entirely interested in working with a group who's Gods didn't even care enough about their subjects to aid them when they were in dire need. After a moment, Atreus let out a subtle sigh before looking to Durak again. "Yeah, sure...I wouldn't mind spilling some vampiric blood." He said simply, earning a light grin from the Orc.
"Ha! I think Isran's going to like you...head to Fort Dawnguard, South-East of here and report to him; he'll decide if you have what it takes." Durak said simply, earning a brief nod from Atreus as he pulled out his map and scanned it for a moment. "Fort Dawnguard, South-East of the city...can you mark it on my map? I'm not familiar with the location." He requested before Durak gave him a light nod and looked at the young man's map.
"Right here, on the other side of the canyon." Durak answered as he pointed to the mountain range that hugged Skyrim's Southern borders then marked the location on his map just in case he got turned around, making Atreus give him a content nod before folding the map up and placing it in his pocket.
"Thanks...I'll meet you there as soon as I take care of a few things here." Atreus said simply, although this was partially a lie as while he wanted to finish his walk and retrieve his father's blades from their hiding place, he really didn't feel like traveling with someone else at the moment.
"Very well...do what you need to do and I'll see you there; safe travels." Durak said contently before turning to leave the city and make his way back to Fort Dawnguard while Atreus turned and went back to his rounds, thinking on what kind of threat these vampires actually were that it would inspire whoever these 'Dawnguard' were to actively seek new recruits in order to combat them effectively.
A few hours after he finished his rounds, Atreus approached the Shrine of Talos that was set up behind the city's Temple to the Goddess, Mara and reached behind the makeshift altar then removed what one would assume to be a package wrapped in worn red cloth before placing it on the ground and kneeling.
Atreus took a brief moment before unwrapping the cloth to reveal the Blades of Chaos then running his fingers along the edges, which were still as sharp as they were during the days of Ragnarok; he closed his eyes, took a breath then removed the Guardian Shield and his bracers before wrapping the chains around his arms then replacing the remaining pieces of his armor.
Once this was done, Atreus wrapped his fingers around the hilts of his father's blades, which seemed to come alive as hellfire crept up the blades with his touch; he watched the flames dance along the blades for a moment before rising to his feet as the fires settled as he placed the weapons on his back and collected the cloth that held them.
After collecting his father's blades and what supplies he had for the journey, Atreus made his way to the gates leading out into the wilds surrounding the city and strolled out without a single word or even the slightest sign of hesitation.
Regardless of his apparent indifference to Skryrim's people, Atreus wasn't the type to back down from an opportunity to fight and perhaps this supposed 'vampire menace' would actually provide him with a decent challenge.
Atreus continued down the path leading to Fort Dawnguard, part of him feeling a bit disappointed that the journey had proven rather uneventful so far, but he knew that Skyrim was a dangerous place where trouble could literally appear out of nowhere, so he figured that something or someone just might prove bold enough to try their luck against him before he reached his destination.
"You there! Uh, traveler! Over here!" A voice called out as he made his way across the old stone bridge that arched over a rather shallow river, his eyes narrowing a bit when he heard the stranger's tone and the rather unconvincing way he spoke; even a blind, deaf man could tell that this was a trap.
"Oh please...you're not fooling anyone." Atreus muttered to himself as he reached the other side of the bridge and headed towards a group of what at first looked like priests who seemed like they had just escaped a struggle, although when he studied them closer, he noticed the hungry amber glow in their eyes. "Alright, let's get this over with..." He said to himself as he approached the vampires, pulling the Blades of Chaos from his back the entire time.
"That's close enough f...AGH!" The lead vampire began before a fiery blade plunged itself deep into his chest and made him start choking on his own blood, which made his companions follow the savage weapon's chain to Atreus as he used the blade to pull the vampire to him then catch him by the throat while he caught the blade in his right hand. He brought the vampire to his knees, pushed the blade deeper into his flesh then pulled it up through his body and split him in two before watching the now mangled corpse drop at his feet while the three remaining vampires watched in horror as their amber eyes met his icy blue ones.
"Come and get me..." Atreus taunted coldly as the flames surrounding the Blades of Chaos intensified, the inferno reflecting in his eyes and giving them an almost unearthly shimmer before the remaining vampires charged towards him, with two strafing to the left in an attempt to flank him while the third charged headfirst to his doom.
Each of them casting ice spikes at him only for them to shatter against his shield before he eviscerates the first vampire with his blades, with the sheer force of the impact making pieces of the creature's corpse fly across the woods in a brutal display of blood and fire. The sight of their comrade being utterly annihilated in such a manner made the remaining vampires hesitate for a moment before one of them tried to drain Atreus's life force from his body with a crimson beam only for him to swing one of his blades around his head and decapitate the vampire as he turned his attention to the last, who was now charging towards him in a rage.
Atreus locked his eyes on the vampire as he caught his blade and waited until it was close enough before pulling his left arm back, causing the Guardian shield to form around his arm before planting the rim of it into his opponent's skull, nearly shattering its bones on impact and disorienting it long enough for him to plant his foot in its head and finish splattering the creature's brains all over the road.
As Atreus collected himself and prepared to continue on his way, he noticed more vampires coming from the East, presumably allies of the four he had just finished butchering that were on standby just in case the rather pathetic ambush they had set up failed; it didn't matter to him, though, they would fall just as easily as their friend even though they outnumbered him. He counted eight this time and they grew closer and closer, which made Atreus pop his neck in preparation for the slaughter as his fingers tightened around his blades; it wasn't long until he decided that they were within range of his weapons and he prepared to take them down until...
"YOL TOOR SHUL!" A voice thundered from his left as a wave of fire engulfed the creatures, causing many of them to scream in pain as the flames consumed them as the ones who survived the inferno followed Atreus' gaze to the source, which he learned was a warrior clad in leather armor that was adorned with bronzed scales, bracers and boots that looked as though they were made of ice and an iron helmet with horns curving down from either side on his head; the man held a Banded Iron Shield in his left hand and a sword that looked like it was made from some kind of bone in his right while a blackened, dual bladed battle axe rested on his back.
The remaining vampires looked between the two combatants before reanimating the corpses of their fallen brethren and splitting up in an attempt to divide them in the hopes of making the final kill much easier; three went after their new opponent with their undead thralls in tow while the rest went after Atreus. The mysterious warrior bashed one vampire's head in with his shield before plunging his sword into its chest then deflected another blow at the last moment as the two engaged in a single duel while the third circled around so that he could try to ambush the man while his back was turned.
Atreus remained focused on the other three along with the revenants they had raised as they charged only for him to swing his blades around behind him, causing the flames around them to intensify before they clashed together with a distinct ring as the creatures found themselves consumed by a deadly firestorm, killing one vampire and its thrall, mortally wounding the second while its thrall burned and weakening the third. Once the flames died down, Atreus charged at the survivors before lunging and eviscerating them all in a fiery cyclone then landing as his blades returned to him.
He replaced the weapons on his back once they cooled down and turned his attention to his unknown comrade as the man cut down the fifth vampire he had found himself dueling while the last crept up behind him, raising his blade as he prepared to drive it through the warrior's back; Atreus pulled his bow, Talon from his back, nocked an arrow, took aim and prepared to fire.
"Þruma!" He cried as he released the arrow, imbuing it with electricity as it glides through the air, hitting its mark and paralyzing the vampire long enough for the strange warrior to turn and decapitate the creature then watch his body fall to the ground, even watching it twitch for a moment as any lingering lightning magic coursed through the now lifeless corpse.
Once the smoke cleared, the strange warrior sheathed his sword and made his way to Atreus, who had already turned to continue down the path leading to Fort Dawnguard with a steady trot, which gave the man plenty of time to catch up to him.
"You handle yourself well, friend, I'm glad you were there to watch my back." The man said simply, his accent bearing the same Nordic drawl common among many of Skyrim's natives save for a noticeably outlandish dialect similar to whatever tongue he used to conjure the firestorm.
"Yeah, sure..." Atreus said dully, not even bothering to turn to face the man when he spoke as he continued on his way, causing the stranger to raise his eyebrow curiously as he studied the young man in front of him like he was trying to figure him out; he certainly didn't seem like anyone he had ever met in Skyrim or anywhere else in Tamriel for that matter, although one thing he could make out from his demeanor was that he seemed to carry some demons that he was keeping under tight lock and key.
"Do you have a name...?" The man asked curiously, making Atreus roll his eyes a bit before finally looking to him with a noticeably cold look in his icy eyes; he was hoping that the man would realize that he didn't care anything about making friends, but upon further observation, he noticed that this stranger seemed like the persistent type.
"Atreus." He answered, his tone still dull and even a bit irritable, although the man didn't seem phased by this and simply gave a nod before speaking again. "Pleased to meet you, Atreus...Name's Ysmir." He introduced himself simply, earning a brief nod from Atreus before he turned away again and kept walking, peeking the man's curiosity further when he noticed the path he was taking.
"Where are you headed...?" Ysmir asked curiously, making Atreus ball his fist up, close his eyes and take a breath to keep his temper from getting the best of him as he had no interest in starting a fight with a man he just saved. "Fort Dawnguard...you know it?" He said simply, making the man nod in confirmation when he heard the name. "Aye, I know it...actually headed there myself; perhaps we can travel together...?" He suggested, making Atreus shake his head lightly at the thought.
"I travel alone..." Atreus answered dully, which earned a casual shrug from Ysmir. "Don't think of it so much as 'traveling together'...think of it more as 'we just so happen to be going to the same place', if you prefer." Ysmir suggested simply, hoping that this would be enough to convince the young man to agree to the idea considering this was literally the position they found themselves in; Atreus narrowed his eyes before letting out a frustrated sigh.
"Fine...but, don't expect me to act like we're friends; I don't care anything about having friends." Atreus states, his tone almost cold when he did, which made Ysmir study him for a moment before giving a light nod in understanding.
"Fair enough." He said simply, earning a content nod from Atreus. "Good..." He said simply before he continued on his way, not sparing Ysmir so much as another glance as the two of them made their way to Fort Dawnguard without so much as another word...
Okay, so brief note for any and all returning readers: Welcome back to the story and if you've re-read this chapter, I'm sure you've already noticed that any changes made here are strictly aesthetic so that it's a little easier on the eyes.
This will not be the case with the others even though they have also received the same treatment, but there maybe be scenes that have been moved back and effectively fleshed out more in the remaining chapters so that the story (Hopefully) has a smoother flow and to compensate for anything that was moved or changed. Anyway, hope the revisions have done their job and that it's still as enjoyable as the first time. (If not more.)
Now, newcomers: Welcome to the story! As I have mentioned in the note addressing everybody who's read this already, I started this story recently and got to a certain point before I noticed that it needed more of a polish, that there were scenes I needed to flesh out more and details that I meant to add the first time, but didn't until now.
Also, a couple of side notes for you newcomers, I know the beginning of 'Dawnguard' probably seems like an odd place to kick this off, but I do plan on covering the 'Dragon Crisis' and 'Miraak's Uprising' as well; this just seemed like the best place to start so that the story can kind of bleed into those questlines later on. I also plan on having Atreus go into more detail concerning the events of Ragnarok in later chapters, too, so there's that.
Okay, I think that's all I wanted and needed to say; hope y'all enjoy it...
P.S.: For anybody who just so happened to be wondering, yes Atreus will be using the 'endgame' (Level 5) Blades of Chaos, Leviathan Axe and Talon Bow; as far as armor, I'm thinking he'll be wearing something with a similar aesthetic to what he wore as a kid in the game, but I haven't quite figure out how to describe it here, yet; I did take the liberty of posting a link to a pic that shows the overall aesthetic I'm going for, though; Blades of Chaos, Leviathan and Guardian Shield not included in pic. *I borrowed the pic from 'Google Images', so it's not my handiwork; all credit for it goes to the original artist.*