Nathan looked over the three gruff looking Nords with curiosity. They looked so familiar and yet he couldn't recall them. One of them was a burly looking blonde woman in heavy steel armor. Another was an older looking blonde man in old mage robes that had gone out of style centuries ago, but they used to be quite high ranking. The last was a dark haired man with heavy traditional Nord armor that bore lots of details. All three of them looked like they were a force to be reckoned with. It unsettled Nate to think about how Jack knew them, but he followed Jack over to them. As they approached, the three straightened up more and glared at Jack. The woman rose off the steps she was sitting on, stating out flatly to Jack. "I'm surprised you made it here. Let alone had the nerve to face us." The older mage reached out to touch her arm, slipping in with a calm warning. "Calm yourself, Gormlaith. He is not his past self. Shor told you that." She snorted at Jack, growling out through clenched teeth. "How am I to believe he's any different? Strutting in here like he owns the place. He may not be Miraak, but Miraak's bad blood is in him! Tell me I'm wrong, Felldir!"

Tiidgein hissed at her from Jack's shoulder, while Nathan positioned himself up against a statue that was closer to her. Looking her in the eyes, he couldn't help purring out to her in Jack's defense. "There is no bad blood in him. As a vampire, you can take my word on that." Gormlaith faced him without a trace of fear, sourly snapping out at him with a fowl look on her face. "Why would I take the word of a blood sucking parasite like you? You wouldn't know bad blood if you tasted it because at your core, YOU are evil. Feeding off others to survive. It's sick." He had been insulted before, but her words cut him deeply. Curling his lips back, he let his fangs drop in the hopes of scaring her a little. He saw his eyes glow red in the reflection of hers, but she held her ground like she'd seen worse. Tensing up for a fight, he snarled back at her. "That's rich coming from someone who slaughters others for their land, only to die from a short life before you can reap the seeds of it!" The insult was a bit weaker than he wanted, but it still insulted Nords and that is what he wanted. Despite being one himself. Gormlaith reached for her sword hilt, fearlessly stating aloud. "You wish to fight me, Beast?! Cause I'll happily remove your head and wear your fangs around my neck!"

Nathan hissed louder to accept the challenge, but Mark and the dark haired Nord rushed in to separate them. The tension between their two groups was growing by the second. Then Felldir tried to lighten things up by giving Jack the short bow of his head, upon telling him coolly. "My apologies, Dragonborn. We may be warriors... but at our best... we failed. This knowledge has weighed heavy on our hearts." The dark haired Nord pushed Gormlaith behind himself, before gently telling Jack. "Yes. Do forgive us. We knew Miraak... but we do not know you. Only what he did to us... So how can we be expected to follow you into battle like this?" Nathan blinked as the names suddenly hit him. These were Skyrim's greatest heroes! The ones that fought Alduin in centuries past. He didn't understand how Jack knew them, but he kept listening to see if he could piece it together. Jack straightened up humbly, before honestly telling them with respect. "I don't. I'm not here to lead you. I don't expect you to trust me because I haven't earned it." Jack looked upon the heroes in turn, seriously adding on. "I can't prove to you that I'm not like Miraak. And doing so would take time that I just don't have. I'm no hero... but I'm not going to sit by and let him hurt those I love. Paarthurnax is plagued by his brother... and I'm here to end it. Once and for all. You can join me, or we will do it on our own... but with your help it will bring us a greater chance of victory. What say you?"

The heroes glanced at each other with unreadable faces. Nathan couldn't see how they could refuse this offer. They had nothing to lose and everything to gain... but Nords were stubborn and tended to hold onto grudges for centuries. Looking to Jack, the dark haired Nord asked him in an almost loving voice. "Paarthurnax? He's still alive?" Jack nodded with a loving smile of his own, which to Nathan's shock had the heroes suddenly smiling. He didn't know who this Paarthurnax was, but he was eager to meet him now. Was he a vampire? How old was the guy? Gormlaith shoved her way through the two men, proudly telling Jack in a warmer tone of voice. "If you're here to help Paarthurnax. We'll help you. Besides, I want another shot at killing that wyrm!" Nate glanced at Mark, watching him walk up to squeeze Jack's shoulder. Nathan couldn't help being a little impressed with Jack too. He had a way about him that inspired others and gave them hope. He didn't act like he was going to conquer the world alone and that was appealing. Withdrawing her sword, Gormlaith flipped her golden hair braid off her shoulder. Her pale blue eyes shined under the dark war paint across her face as she told them all with a grin. "At long last, Alduin's doom is now ours to seal. Just speak the word and with high hearts, we'll hasten forth to smite the wyrm. Where he lurks!"

Nathan started to head for the door, until Felldir stopped the others and announced aloud with a cool state of mind. "Hold comrades! Let us council take before battle is blindly joined." Nathan rolled his eyes, he just wanted to get this over with. He didn't want to strategize. Moving to the other statue in the Hall he leaned on it to wait though. Felldir paced around to look them all in the eyes as he continued lightly. "Alduin's mist is more than a snare. Its shadowy gloom is his cloak and shield." Nathan's attention drifted away, before he tensed up at the sight of Shor leaning on the stair railing watching them with a cool expression. Shor looked so calm. Did he already know how this fight was going to end? Nathan recalled his dad talking about how Talos was a fake Nordic god from Cyrodiil's influence on Skyrim. While Shor was the true Nordic god and was the king of gods until Akatosh and the others dethroned him. Locking him away in the 'afterlife' so that he wouldn't take up his sword against them in revenge. For Shor was only defeated through tricky. As a god of war, he was unmatched. It made him wonder if Akatosh, the god of dragons, had hoped that Shor would kill Alduin himself. Yet, Shor looked content with letting the heroes of old do it. That felt suspicious... Unless that was the bait. Something the other gods could blame Shor for, but by refusing to take up arms against him, he was ruining their plans.

Nathan glanced at Jack, then back at Shor. The Dragonborn? The Dragonborn was Akatosh's hero. Did Shor want to see Akatosh's own champion kill his son? The thought made Nathan shiver a little. The lore had always called the Dragonborn a dragon killer... but Akatosh hadn't intended for that to be his legacy. Narrowing his eyes on Shor, he wondered if Shor was playing strategic war games of his own against the other gods. After all... How had Alduin learned to turn souls into power and was allowed to use this place so freely with a powerful god like Shor here? Shor brought a tankard to his lips and Nathan caught his smug grin. The grin unsettled him. It was rarely a good thing to see a god smile. Nathan was so caught up trying to figure Shor's intentions out, that he jumped when the others shouted behind him with their weapons raised. "TO BATTLE!" Turning to see what he missed, he saw Gormlaith lower her weapon and tell the others excitedly. "MY FRIENDS! The field will echo with the clamor of war! TO VICTORY!" The other people in the hall cheered and raised their tankards to honor them. Gormlaith then stepped up to Jack, informing him stoically. "Outside the Hall there is a field. Plenty of room for him to land and for us to surround him. Are you ready to take this fight to him?"

Jack withdrew his slender katana blade that pulsed with power and Mark removed his greatsword from his back. Nathan glanced at Shor out of the corner of his eyes as he straightened himself up off the statue. Shor downed his tankard like the other people in the room, then walked down the steps and around a corner without a care in the world. Whether he knew they would die or not, Nathan was going to prove him wrong by surviving this. Lifting his wings high, he nodded to Jack and Jack confidently told Gormlaith. "Let's end this." Jack turned swiftly on his heel starting to lead them all out to the sounds of the people in the Hall banging their armor and shields. Nathan hung back a bit at the steps when he saw Shor standing with two people that yanked at his heartstrings. His mom and dad. His dad was dressed in full battle armor and with a small smile, he raised his tankard to him. While beside him, his mother was dressed in a beautiful green dress and her dark long hair was braided up with silver beads. She pressed fingers to her lips, then extended her hand out to him. Nathan staggered a bit. He wanted to stay and talk to them. There was so much he still had to say, but Shor cleared his throat and gestured toward the door with his refilled tankard in hand.

His eyes met Shor's in a hopeful look to stay, but Shor just shook his head without a word. Gulping his distress, he pressed his fingers to his lips and extended his hand out to his mother. Then fighting the tears that threatened to fall, he stormed up the steps and out after Jack. He told himself that one day, he would see them again. No matter what it took. He was not going to let Molag Bol keep his soul from being with his parents in the end. Wiping the blood from his eyes, he walked out just as a deep horn bellowed out from somewhere in the Hall for all of Sovengarde to hear. Making their way across the bridge, Mark hung back a bit from Jack to ask him curiously. "Are you alright?" Nathan nodded, trying to stifle his sniffle, when he answered softly. "Ya. Just... being part Nord... Shor's Hall has meaning to me. I hope one day that I'll be allowed back. But not yet... Not with... I have a lot to do still." Mark patted his back in comfort, telling him nicely. "Help us do this... and we'll talk about your problems." Nathan huffed with a little smirk. He didn't know if Mark really meant that, but it had lessened the burden on his mind to think so.

As they reached the tall man at the other end of the bridge, Jack stopped, letting the three heroes pass by him to head for the field. The tall guard bowed his head to each of the heroes respectfully, then as Jack passed him, he told him in his deep accent. "Blessings of Shor upon you this evening. Defeat Alduin. Destroy his corruption." Jack just nodded to him, joining up with the heroes in the large open field. Nathan stood by Mark wondering what they had planned to do next. He hadn't been listening to their plan. Were they just going to wait? Felldir gripped his sword tighter, stating aloud to everyone. "We cannot fight the foe in the mist! We must clear it first." The dark haired Nord glanced at his friends, asking nervously. "The souls in the mist? What if we hit them?" Nathan opened his mouth to make a snarky comment, but Gormlaith stated aloud as she pointed her sword toward the sky. "To the skies then! Let it hit only our target! Combine our shouts!" Felldir gestured for Jack to move up with the heroes, prompting Nathan to cross his arms. He and Mark felt a little left out in this. While Mark didn't appear to care, Nate did.

Felldir began to count down, then together they shouted into the sky above the mist. "LOK VAH KOOR!" Nathan blinked watching the fog start to drift back and clear away, until a deep voice thundered throughout Sovengarde using another shout in response. With it, the fog quickly returned. Nathan unfolded his arms, mumbling out to Mark. "It's not going to work. Alduin has regained too much." Mark put a hand on Nathan's arm but didn't look at him. His attention was on the heroes in front of them. Gormlaith stomped her foot, telling the others except Mark and Nate in a firm voice. "Again!" Felldir counted again and the others shouted once again. Only for the same thing to happen. Nathan shifted on his feet anxiously, but Mark told him discreetly. "Relax. He's hiding." Nathan thought about it for a moment, then smirked to himself. It made sense. Why would Alduin care if his fog was removed if he was ready for a fight. The fact that he was wasting energy to keep the fog up could only mean that he wasn't ready. Felldir shook his head with a grin on his face as he stated aloud with pride. "Again, as one! The World-Eater fears us!"

Once again, they shouted in unison and just for a laugh, Nathan joined them. While he didn't contribute anything to it, it got Mark to roll his eyes with a smirk. This time, there was no response from Alduin. The mist just disappeared to reveal the gorgeous lush mountain landscape of Sovengarde. Nathan scanned the area for anything that might be hiding a dragon, but he didn't see him. Instead, he heard him shout, bringing the fog back to shroud the area yet again. Nathan looked at Mark this time, telling him a little teasingly. "Took him longer to bring that shit back." Mark nodded, getting his sword ready. The dark haired Nord kicked the dirt, bittering growling out as the fog returned. "Does his strength have no end? Is our struggle in vain?!" Gormlaith swatted the man's chest plate, confidently retorting. "Stand fast! His strength is failing him! Once more and his might will be broken!" Felldir raised his sword, boldly stating aloud. "One more time and the World-Eater must face us!" Nathan could tell they were looking a little tired and wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer. Nudging Mark playfully though, he convinced him to shout with them for the sheer fun of it.

Shouting actually got Nathan all amped for the fight and Mark looked like he enjoyed it a little. The mist cleared again and this time what Nathan thought was apart of the scenery moved. Alduin blended in with the dark rocks a little too well. Perched on a rock, Alduin lifted his head to glare at them from clear across the valley. His teeth bared and his eyes glinting. His snarl reverberated throughout Sovengarde, before he menacingly growled out in a deep dark voice. "Dovahkiin..." Nathan braced for a fight, only to stop as he felt Alduin's anger diminish. He wasn't accepting the challenge. Looking up to the purple sky, Alduin spread his wings and tried to flee! Nathan hissed with disappointment. Alduin was weak enough that he wasn't willing to fight them at their best. Rushing out into the field a bit more, Jack yelled out quickly to the others. "CALL HIM! Don't let him flee!" Nate didn't get it until they all shouted in unison. "AL-DU-IN!" Nathan smirked to himself. Now he got it. Just like how Jack had called to Odahviing. Alduin had to answer to the power of their challenge. Twisting in the air with deep distressed roars, Alduin tried to resist the pull.

Alduin rose higher and higher into the sky with great resistance, but Jack gestured for them to call him again. Hearing his name again, Alduin stopped in midair. Hovering in place, he turned his massive head slowly to glare down at them in his frustration. Jack bravely raised his hands, yelling up across the valley. "You'll never get this chance again, Alduin! Fight me for my soul! You kill me here and you'll get it! Can you pass that up?!" Alduin snorted jets of fire from his nose, before twisting in the air to fly straight toward Jack with a roar that shook the very foundation of Sovengarde! Flexing his wings, Nathan hissed out to himself. "This is going to be fun..." To Be Continued...