"Sss— huff!"
Agmaer took a deep, shaky breath, trying to steady his rattling nerves with every step forward.
He had finally reached Fort Dawnguard. Naturally, he hadn't come for a sightseeing tour; he was here to become a professional vampire hunter.
"Haa... maybe I should just go home while I still can."
The fortress loomed beyond the thickets. Despite the goal in sight, Agmaer couldn't bring himself to bridge the final distance to the stone walls.
In truth, he didn't have a tragic backstory like the others—no family or lovers lost to the fangs of the undead. He was just the son of ordinary farmers from a remote corner of the province.
He'd heard rumors about vampires and the news of a professional hunting organization being formed, and on a whim, he'd decided to try and 'be someone.' Just like that.
Of course, there was a part of him that wanted to protect his neighbors from potential bloodsucker attacks, but he was barely an adult and had never received a single day of proper martial training.
To be honest, he was terrified.
Vampires—the monsters the Dawnguard fought—were on an entirely different level compared to the deer or foxes his uncle hunted in the woods. Agmaer might have been a country bumpkin, but he wasn't ignorant enough to underestimate what a vampire was. They weren't enemies for a boy who had spent his life swinging a hoe in a field.
'Yeah. I'll think about it some more and come back later.'
Since Dayspring Canyon and his home weren't that far apart, he decided to retreat for now.
—Rustle.
But then, he heard a presence behind him.
As we navigated the steep, narrow rocky cliffs, the warm sunlight sliced through the forest canopy to greet us. I shielded my eyes with one hand and scanned the area. As the name suggested, Dayspring Canyon felt oddly temperate, as if it held a piece of spring captive in its heart.
Butterflies fluttered among the wildflowers, and the green grass swayed like waves in the gentle breeze. The entrance to the canyon was so cramped that we'd had to leave the horses behind and proceed on foot.
At the center of the canyon, near a calm lake, I spotted a young Nord lingering indecisively.
'Oho, that must be Agmaer.'
In the game, you can take him as a follower starting from the mid-point of the Dawnguard questline, but since his stats are mediocre, I didn't have many memories of him. Still, seeing a familiar face I'd encountered across countless playthroughs felt surprisingly nostalgic.
"Hey there, friend. You here to join the Dawnguard too?"
In the game, Agmaer usually speaks first, but out of genuine nostalgia, I approached him first.
"Huh!? Y-yeah! That's right!"
He was visibly flustered, but I kept the conversation going without a second thought.
"The fort is that way. Come on, let's go together."
'Damn it. Now I can't even say I want to turn back because I'm scared...' Agmaer thought.
Agmaer felt a sense of camaraderie with this man who had come for the same purpose, but it wasn't entirely welcome. Now that he'd confessed his goal, he couldn't retreat without looking like a coward.
Worse, the man had female companions with him. If girls like them were brave enough to face vampires, the excuses he was making for himself felt pathetic.
'Fine! Let's just do it!'
—Slap!
Agmaer slapped both his cheeks hard to snap himself out of it and entered the fortress alongside our party of four.
'Whoa...'
As we approached Fort Dawnguard, I couldn't stop the exclamations from escaping. The soaring spires and the sturdy brick battlements exuded a sense of sheer majesty. The watch-towers connecting the peaks and the walls were a sight to behold.
"I can't believe I'm seeing this with my own eyes..."
As a long-time Skyrim fan, it was almost enough to bring a tear to my eye.
"You all applicants? Oh, and it's you lot again."
Durak, who happened to be practicing his crossbow aim in the outer courtyard, noticed us and Agmaer and called out. "Go inside. There's a man named Isran. Talk to him, and you can join up."
"Thanks for the heads-up."
Upon hearing Durak's words, I practically bolted toward the main gates. I was genuinely excited to be at the Dawnguard headquarters.
"Mister! Slow down!"
The Dragonborn shouted something from behind, but I ignored her and threw the heavy doors open.
The center of the fortress was a massive hall with a high ceiling that opened up to the second floor. There, Isran was in the middle of a heated conversation with another man.
"What gave you the nerve to show your face here? I cut ties with the Vigilants of Stendarr a lifetime ago."
"You were right... about everything. The vampires are a massive threat. Please, you have to help us!"
The man in the Vigilant robes, Tolan, pleaded with Isran as he apologized.
"You should have listened when I first warned you. Now you can figure it out amongst yourselves, you 'Vigilants.'"
But Isran was cold. Dejected, Tolan spoke in a low, hollow voice. "Figure it out ourselves? Isran... most of the Vigilants are dead or captured and thralled. I'm the only one left..."
"!!"
That revelation even took Isran aback.
"Are you serious? Even Carcette?"
"Carcette is gone, too..."
"Haa..."
A deeply troubled Isran massaged his face with a rough hand, trying to process the grim news.
"Excuse me! We're here because we want to join the Dawnguard!"
"Hmm?"
I had been waiting for the right moment while eavesdropping, and now I chimed in with plenty of energy.
"Ah, good timing. New recruits are always welcome. Especially this many at once."
Despite his headache, the prospect of gaining five new members at once seemed to lift his spirits slightly.
"Hmm... your will seems solid, but I need to test your skills."
The Dawnguard was an elite organization. They couldn't just take in anyone off the street.
"Works for me!"
"Then let's start with the elf. Come, spar with me."
"Got it!"
The Dragonborn faced Isran with a confident stride. She drew her two swords and dropped into a combat stance.
"Ho—dual-wielding? Not a bad choice. Let's begin then."
Isran gripped the massive warhammer he had been carrying on his back.
"Wait, are we using real weapons?" Lydia asked from the side.
"Don't worry. I'm an expert in Restoration magic."
He was the leader of a vampire-hunting order, after all. Being able to cast Expert-level Restoration spells, which were lethal to the undead, was a given. Eloise, being a Restoration major herself, looked on in awe at Isran's unexpected level of mastery.
"Alright, let's see what you've got!"
At Isran's signal, the Dragonborn charged instantly.
—Clang! Clang!
"Hmph!"
"You looked frail, but you've got some bite in you!"
Isran's hammer and the Dragonborn's dual blades collided in a flurry of sparks. The exchanges were fast enough to track with the eye, but still remarkably rapid.
'Neither of them is being serious yet.'
Both looked composed; clearly, they were holding back. The exchange of blows continued for a while. Deciding that having two healers on standby meant she didn't need to worry, the Dragonborn finally committed, lunging to sink her twin blades into Isran's gut.
However, just before the steel touched him, Isran caught both blades with his bare hands.
"Eh?"
—Thud!
Isran used the grip on her swords to jerk her arms wide, leaving her torso completely exposed. In that split second, he drove a knee squarely into her stomach.
"Urgh..."
She slammed into the stone wall and crumpled to the floor, groaning as she clutched her throbbing midsection.
"Are you alright?"
Isran hurried toward her, with Eloise right behind him. Under their combined healing spells, her pain and bruising vanished in an instant.
"My apologies. Your skill was so impressive that I reacted instinctively for a moment," Isran said, helping her up.
Even if he said he reacted on instinct, the Dragonborn had been overwhelmed in a heartbeat. Granted, things might be different if she used her Shouts or Destruction magic, but Isran had magic of his own. Still, as the Dragonborn, she would surely outstrip him in power before long.
That said, the sheer combat prowess Isran had cultivated over decades of fighting undead and Daedra for the Vigilants was monstrous.
"Did I fail...?" the Dragonborn asked with trembling eyes.
"Haha! You pass." Isran let out a booming laugh, confirming her enrollment.
"Next! Let's see what you two can do."
Lydia and I stepped up next, but we failed to even force Isran to get serious before we were soundly beaten.
"Unbelievable..."
"How embarrassing..."
Lydia and I flopped onto the floor, wallowing in our pathetic performance compared to the Dragonborn.
"Don't look so down. You're both strong enough. I'll officially recognize you as members of the order."
Since Eloise was a healer, she got a free pass without having to swing a sword.
"I... I want to join too!"
As our tests concluded, Agmaer spoke up, cautiously sliding into the conversation.
"Hmm?"
Isran scanned Agmaer once and knew instantly—this boy had never known a day of combat in his life. However, seeing his frame and the look in his eyes, he saw a glimmer of potential. Usually, he'd have sent him packing back home, but the Dawnguard was severely understaffed.
Besides, Isran figured it wouldn't be bad to have a proper disciple to train from scratch for a change. He gave him the nod.
"Thank you! I'll work my hardest!"
"Good. I'll be training you personally, so don't you worry."
"Ahem. Isran?" Tolan, who had been watching with his arms crossed, spoke up.
"Right, I haven't forgotten. You mentioned Dimhollow Crypt, wasn't it?"
Tolan nodded in confirmation. "Yes. According to my investigation, that cave is linked to the vampires who attacked the Vigilants."
"Good. Tolan, take these four with you and go investigate the place."
We were recruits, but we were an experienced party; Agmaer, on the other hand, was a total novice and couldn't possibly keep up on a mission like this.
"Yes, sir. Leave it to us."
"I appreciate it. And here, take this."
Isran handed me the crossbow he had been carrying on his back.
"This is?"
"Vampires are resilient, but these crossbows have enough piercing power to punch right through their tough hides."
I took the crossbow with slightly trembling hands. The wooden stock felt solid, the drawstring made of beast sinew was taut and ready, and the Dawnguard insignia was beautifully engraved in silver.
'Whoa, a crossbow!'
To be honest, I was more used to a standard bow and its higher fire rate, but who could say no to a weapon this cool? I test-fired a bolt into a nearby wall.
"Shoulder it firm, and pull the trigger underneath."
"Like this?"
Isran moved to help me, but seeing that I handled it with natural skill, he turned his attention back to coaching Agmaer.
After a few more practice shots, we bowed to Isran.
"We'll be on our way then."
"Good luck. And don't forget to report back with whatever you find."
Thus, our group of five, including Tolan, departed to explore Dimhollow Crypt, while Isran remained behind in the fort to teach Agmaer how to load a bolt.