I Became a Side Character in the World Of Skyrim

With their preparations complete, Alex, Astrid, and Durak climbed onto the horse-drawn carriage. The wooden frame creaked softly under their combined weight as the driver flicked the reins, urging the horses forward. The wheels began to roll, crunching steadily against the dirt path as the carriage set off toward Fort Dawnguard.

A cool breeze brushed past them, carrying the faint scent of grass and dust. For a while, the three sat in silence, the rhythmic clatter of the wheels filling the air.

Then Alex shifted slightly in his seat, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees. His gaze slid toward Durak, curiosity flickering in his eyes.

“So,” Alex began, tilting his head slightly, his tone casual but probing, “the vampires you usually face… how do you defeat one of them?”

Durak glanced at him, his expression steady and composed. He adjusted his grip on the edge of the carriage before answering, his voice calm and matter-of-fact.

“It’s simple,” he said, raising a finger as if listing the points. “First, kill them at sunrise—they become extremely weak then.” He lifted a second finger. “Second, you should use weapons made of silver, like swords or bows.” Then a third. “And third… they’re vulnerable to fire.”

As Durak spoke, Alex’s eyes narrowed slightly in thought. His fingers tapped lightly against his knee, his posture growing more still as he processed the information.

(Hmm… fire, huh?)

His gaze drifted downward for a moment, brows knitting together in quiet concentration.

(Alright… I’ve been focusing on lightning spells so far… maybe it’s time to shift my focus.)

A faint spark of determination flickered across his face, the corners of his lips tightening just a little.

(Destruction magic… fire type this time.)

He leaned back slightly, exhaling through his nose as if settling on a decision, his eyes lifting once more—now sharper, more focused than before.

After a moment, he spoke up again. “Oh, right. I’m curious—do you also hunt things other than vampires?”

Durak nodded slightly. “Hmm, yes. Sometimes we hunt bandits and take on other requests besides vampires. But even so, vampires remain our top priority—that’s the whole purpose of the Dawnguard.”

Astrid, who had been quietly listening with her arms loosely folded across her chest, shifted slightly in her seat. Her brows drew together in mild curiosity as she turned her head toward Durak, strands of her hair swaying gently with the movement.

“Then what about werewolves?” she asked, her tone thoughtful, eyes narrowing just a little as if weighing the idea. “Do you hunt them too?”

Durak didn’t answer right away. He leaned back slightly, one hand coming up to rub the back of his neck as his gaze drifted off to the side. His lips pressed into a thin line, and he let out a low hum as he searched his memory.

“Hmm…” he muttered, his brow furrowing. After a brief pause, he shook his head faintly. “I don’t think so.”

He shifted his posture, resting one arm on his knee as he continued, his voice steady but tinged with uncertainty.

“If I’m not mistaken… there’s another organization that deals with that kind of monster.” He lifted his hand slightly, gesturing as he spoke. “We only work together with the Vigilants of Stendarr… and our leader is actually a former member of that group.”

Alex, who had been listening intently, raised an eyebrow. He tilted his head slightly, his fingers loosely interlocked as he leaned forward just a bit.

“Aren’t the Vigilants of Stendarr only hunting rogue Daedra?” he asked, his tone curious but laced with a hint of skepticism.

Durak let out a soft breath through his nose, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips as if he’d expected that question. He straightened slightly, his expression growing more serious.

“Yeah… you could say that,” he replied, giving a small nod. Then his gaze shifted forward, his eyes focusing on the road ahead as his voice took on a more reflective tone.

“But to really understand it… you have to go back to the Oblivion Crisis.” His jaw tightened slightly at the mention, as though recalling something grim. “You may have heard of it.”

He paused briefly, his fingers tapping once against his knee before continuing.

“I think… because of the trauma caused by that event, the organization was founded.” His eyes darkened just a fraction, his voice lowering. “But in truth, they do more than just hunt Daedra…”

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He turned his head slightly, looking back at Alex and Astrid, his gaze firm and unwavering.

“They hunt anything that poses a threat to mortals.”

Astrid tilted her head slightly, her fingers idly tracing along the wooden edge of the carriage as her gaze lingered on Durak. A thoughtful look settled across her face, her brows knitting together just a little.

“Hmm… why do they work together with the Dawnguard?” she asked, her tone calm but laced with curiosity.

Durak shifted in his seat, straightening his back as his expression turned more serious. He rested his forearms on his thighs, fingers loosely interlocked as if grounding himself before speaking.

“Like I said… our leader, Isran, is a former Vigilant of Stendarr,” he began, his voice steady. His eyes drifted forward, unfocused, as though replaying an old story in his mind.

“The story began when his family was slaughtered by a group of vampires.”

As he spoke those words, his jaw tightened ever so slightly. His hands clenched together for a brief moment before relaxing again.

“After that… he grew to hate vampires deeply.” Durak exhaled slowly through his nose, shaking his head faintly. “Even his fellow Vigilants thought his methods were too extreme.”

He lifted one hand, gesturing lightly as he continued, his tone carrying a quiet weight.

“Unsatisfied with how the Vigilants of Stendarr operated, Isran left the organization.” His gaze sharpened a little. “Then he managed to restore Fort Dawnguard, deep in the Velothi Mountains… and started recruiting warriors—people willing to fight back against the undead.”

The carriage continued to roll forward, the steady rhythm of the wheels filling the brief silence that followed. None of them spoke for a moment, the air growing slightly heavier after Durak’s explanation.

Then, suddenly, Durak let out a short, amused chuckle, breaking the tension. He leaned back slightly, one hand rubbing his chin as a faint grin tugged at his lips.

“But the funny thing about Isran…” he said, his tone lightening, “is that he always tells us never to sleep. Says a vampire might attack us at any moment.”

He let out a quiet huff of laughter, shaking his head.

“And yet… none of us have ever seen him sleep.” His brows lifted slightly, amusement flickering in his eyes. “We don’t know if he sleeps in secret… or if he doesn’t sleep at all.”

He shrugged faintly. “Still a mystery to this day.”

Alex, who had been listening with his arms loosely resting on his knees, suddenly let out a soft snort. His shoulders shook slightly as a grin spread across his face.

“Haha… you could figure it out, Durak,” he said, leaning forward a bit, one hand gesturing casually in the air. “If he doesn’t sleep, there should be dark circles under his eyes.”

He smirked, clearly amused with himself.

“Where I’m from, we call that ‘9-to-5 eyes.’”

The moment the words left his mouth, Alex burst into laughter, his head tilting back slightly as he chuckled to himself. His shoulders bounced with each laugh, completely entertained by his own joke—

…even though neither Astrid nor Durak reacted.

Astrid merely blinked, her expression flat for a second before she slowly turned her gaze away, while Durak just stared at Alex in silence, clearly not understanding a single word of it.

And yet, Alex kept laughing anyway.

After a short while, the sound of the carriage wheels filled the silence again—steady, almost hypnotic. Astrid, who had been quietly watching the passing scenery, slowly turned her gaze back toward Durak. Her expression softened, though there was a trace of hesitation in her eyes.

She shifted slightly, her fingers resting loosely in her lap before tightening just a little, as if choosing her words carefully.

“But… why did you join the Dawnguard?” she asked, her voice gentler now, almost cautious.

Durak didn’t answer immediately.

His shoulders rose subtly as he drew in a deep breath, his chest expanding before he exhaled slowly. The faint trace of ease that had been on his face earlier disappeared, replaced by something heavier… something weighed down by memory.

“I was one of the victims of those vampires,” he said at last, his voice low and restrained.

His hand tightened against his knee, fingers curling into the fabric of his clothing.

“They…” He paused, his jaw clenching as if forcing the words out. “…took both of my wives from me.”

For a brief moment, his voice wavered—just slightly—before hardening like tempered steel.

His eyes darkened, a cold, burning anger rising within them.

“I would gladly cut those vampires into pieces,” he continued, his tone sharpening, each word edged with fury. “And display their heads in my yard.”

The air grew heavy again, the weight of his words settling over them.

But then, slowly, that tension in his expression eased. His shoulders lowered just a fraction, and the fire in his eyes dimmed into something quieter… something deeper.

He turned his head slightly, his gaze distant.

“That’s why I can understand Isran,” he said, more calmly now. “Why he hates vampires so much.”

Alex, who had been listening in silence, felt his chest tighten slightly.

(If Astrid had died back then…)

His eyes drifted downward, his fingers unconsciously curling against his palm.

(…I might have wiped out every vampire in Skyrim.)

A faint shadow passed over his expression.

Then, slowly, his gaze shifted toward Astrid. For a brief second, his eyes softened—relief flickering quietly beneath the surface.

(But… I’m more grateful that she’s still alive… smiling every day.)

He exhaled softly through his nose before turning his attention back to Durak.

This time, there was a clear hint of sympathy in his eyes.

(He must be in so much pain… losing his wives like that…)

Alex straightened slightly, his tone lowering as he spoke.

“That must have been really hard, Durak. My condolences.”

Durak blinked once, as if snapping out of his thoughts. Then, unexpectedly, he let out a short laugh—not loud, but enough to break the heaviness that lingered in the air.

“Hah…” He rubbed the back of his neck, a crooked grin forming on his lips. “That’s exactly why I joined the Dawnguard.”

He leaned back slightly, his earlier intensity returning—but now laced with a strange, almost grim humor.

“To kill those damn vampires… and avenge my wives.”

His grin widened just a little, though there was something raw behind it.

“Hahaha… I live to slaughter them.”

The tension in the carriage eased after that. The conversation, though heavy, seemed to settle into something steadier—something understood.

Outside, the road stretched onward as the horses continued their steady pace toward Fort Dawnguard.

And as the carriage rolled forward, the atmosphere—though still touched by lingering sorrow—felt just a little lighter than before.