(Leonidas eventually makes his way to High Hrothgar on his way to Riverwood)
Arngeir: Ah! You've returned the horn of Jurgen Windcaller. Well done. You have now passed all of the trials. Come with me. It is time for us to recognize you formally as dragonborn. You are ready to learn the final word of unrelenting force. Dah. Which means push
Wulfgar: Dah
(The word of power appears on the ground, and Leonidas absorbs it)
Arngeir: With all 3 words together, this shout is much more powerful. Use it wisely. Master Wulfgar will now gift you his knowledge of dah
(Leonidas absorbs some power from Wulfgar)
Arngeir: You have completed your training, dragonborn. We would speak to you. Stand between us and prepare yourself. Few can withstand the unbridled voice of the greybeards. But you are ready
Greybeards: Long in sorrow has waited the storm crown, with no worthy head to rest on. By our voice, we give it now to you, dragonborn. By the power of Kyne. By the power of Shor. And by the power of Atmora of old. You have now become Ysmir, dragon of the north. Remember these words
(A whole arsenal of words of power have appeared on the walls of High Hrothgar, and Leonidas absorbed them all)
Arngeir: Dovahkiin. You have tasted the voice of the greybeards and passed through unscathed. High Hrothgar is open to you, and any trustworthy friends
Leonidas: I thank you, greybeards. But I must be on my way
Arngeir: Divines guide you, dragonborn
(Leonidas returns to Delphine's hideout in Riverwood)
Delphine: You made it out alive, at least. Your gear's safe in the chest as promised
(Leonidas grabs the rest of his gear from the chest)
Delphine: Did you learn anything useful?
Leonidas: I grabbed some Thalmor documents, but I didn't have time to read them yet. As far as I know, the Thalmor know nothing about the dragons. They're just as lost as we are
Delphine: Really? That seems hard to believe. Are you sure about that?
Leonidas: Positive. They're looking for someone named Esbern in Riften
Delphine: Esbern? He's alive? I thought the Thalmor must have got him years ago. That crazy old man... Figures the Thalmor would be on his trail. Though, if they were were trying to find out what's going on with the dragons
Leonidas: What would the Thalmor want with Esbern?
Delphine: You mean aside from wanting to kill every last blade they can lay their hands on? Esbern was one of the blades archivists. Hack before the Thalmor smashed us during the great war. He knew everything about the ancient dragon lore of the blades. Obsessed with it, really. Nobody paid much attention back then. I guess he wasn't as crazy as we all thought
Leonidas: So the Thalmor think the blades know about the dragons?
Delphine: It would explain why they're after Esbern. And you said he was in Riften, right? He's probably hiding in the ratway
Leonidas: I'm going alone again
Delphine: In that case, you'd better get there. And if you find Esbern, you might have some trouble getting him to trust you. Just ask him where he was on the 30th of frostfall. He'll know what it means
(Leonidas goes back to check on Whiterun)
Lydia: Hello Leonidas
Leonidas: Hello Lydia and Maximus. How is everyone doing?
Maximus: Nothing too major. A few attacks, but nothing we couldn't handle. Something on your mind?
Leonidas: I may need your help with this, Maximus. I'm looking to rescue someone being hunted by the Thalmor
Lydia: The Thalmor?
Maximus: I'd like a strike at them
Leonidas: Then follow me. We're going to Riften
Lydia: Someone needs to stay and keep an eye on things here. I'll do it
Maximus: We'll be back soon, Lydia
(Some time later, at Riften)
Guard: Hold there. Before I let you into Riften, you need to pay the visitor's tax
Maximus: What do I need to pay a tax for?
Guard: For the privilege of entering the city. What does it matter?
Leonidas: This is obviously a shakedown. You know what happens to thieves in Skyrim, don't you?
Guard: Alright, keep your voice down, you want everyone to hear you? I'll let you in. Just let me unlock the gate
(The guard unlocks Riften's gate)
(A man in armor walks up to Leonidas)
Maul: I don't know you. You in Riften looking for trouble?
Leonidas: What's it to you?
Maul: You better watch how you talk to me. The last thing the Black Briars need around here is some stranger sticking their nose where it don't belong
Leonidas: Stay out my my way, and I'll stay out of yours. Unless you have a problem?
(Extends assassin blades)
Maul: Nah. I'm good
(Maul walks away)
(Leonidas and Maximus hop the rail and land on the river dock)
Leonidas: Here it is. The ratway. The guy we're looking for is named Esbern. He should be somewhere in here
(Leonidas and Maximus walk into the ratway)
(Shavari and J'datharr follow them in)
Drahff: There they are!
Henwon: I knew it!
(Shavari, Jdatharr, Drahff, and Henwon surround Leonidas and Maximus)
Maximus: Who are you?
Shavari: We're here because of the attack on the Thalmor embassy. Almost everyone died from poisoned wine. Those who didn't were killed by magic and iron. Except for Elenwen, of course
Leonidas: She's still alive? She must have been smart enough not to drink
J'datharr: She never knew who did it, but we were tipped by a Thalmor agent that you were here. We are her vengeance
Leonidas: She doesn't have a very strong vengeance
Drahff: What are you talk-
Leonidas: FUS RO DAH!
(Leonidas shouts Shavari and J'datharr against a wall)
Maximus: YAH!
(Maximus hits Drahff with his shield and slices him with a sword)
(Leonidas uses his bow to puts some arrows into Shavari and J'datharr)
(Henwon hits Maximus with a mace)
Maximus: Big mistake
(Maximus grabs Henwon's throat with one hand and squeezes until he hears a loud crack)
Maximus: I presume the incident at the Thalmor embassy was your doing?
Leonidas: Indeed. Someone working for the Thalmor must have recognized me somewhere
Maximus: Lets worry about that later. For now we have a person to rescue
Lowlife: Never should have come here
(A group of lowlives charges at Leonidas and Maximus)
Leonidas: YOL TOOR SHUL!
(Leonidas uses his fire breath shout on the lowlives)
(They all burn to a crisp before they even hit the ground)
Maximus: Where did you learn that?
Leonidas: The greybeards
(Leonidas and Maximus make their way through the ratway until they find some Thalmor soldiers)
Thalmor Wizard: There's the blades agent! Kill him!
(The Thalmor wizard throws a fireball, which Leonidas dodges)
Leonidas: FO KRAH DIIN!
(Leonidas uses his frost breath shout, freezing a few Thalmor, and shattering them)
(Maximus stabs a Thalmor soldier through the stomach and kicks him off a ledge)
(A Thalmor soldier tries to hit Leonidas with a sword, but he blocks it with his arm guards and kills him with his assassin blades)
Maximus: Was that the last of them?
Leonidas: Lets hope so
(A cannibalistic man grabs a meat cleaver)
Knjakr: I'm going to eat well tonight-
(Maximus cuts Knjakr's throat open with his sword)
Hefid: Rah!
(Hefid tries to stab Leonidas with a dagger, but he grabs her arm and breaks it)
Hefid: Please don't kill me!
Leonidas: I hope you like your meat well done, cannibal. YOL TOOR SHUL!
(Leonidas uses his fire shout on Hefid, killing her)
(Leonidas and Maximus knock on a door)
Esbern: Go away!
Leonidas: Esbern? Open the door. I'm a friend
Esbern: What? That's not me. I'm not Esbern. I don't know what you're talking about
Leonidas: Delphine sent me. The Thalmor have found you. You need to get out of here
Esbern: Delphine? So... you've finally found her, and she led you to me. And here I am caught like a rat in a trap
Leonidas: I'm the one the blades have been looking for. The dragonborn
Esbern: This is just a trick to get me to open the door. I can see right through you!
Leonidas: Delphine said "remember the 30th of frostfall"
Esbern: Ah. So, you're dragonborn, you say? Then... there really is hope after all? You better come inside, quickly now. Thalmor agents have been seen in the ratway
(Esbern unlocks his door. He lets Leonidas and Maximus inside)
Esbern: Come in. Make yourselves at home
Maximus: Unfortunately, we cannot stay. The Thalmor are on their way, and we need your help. Plus, this place smells very bad
Esbern: Very well. So you. You're the dragonborn?
Leonidas: Yes. Delphine seemed to think it was important
Esbern: It is. For so long, all I could do was watch our doom approach helplessly
Maximus: Doom? As in the return of the dragons?
Esbern: Dragons? Pah. They can be killed. The blades killed many in their early days as dragon slayers. The dragons are merely the final portent of the end of days. Alduin has returned, just like the prophecy said. The dragon from the dawn of time, who devours the souls of the dead. No one can escape his hunger. Not here or even in the afterlife. Alduin will devour all things and the world will end. Nothing can stop him!
Leonidas: Alduin may be raising other dragons, but it's not completley helpless. I'm dragonborn
Esbern: You're right, I forget myself. I've lived without hope for so long. The prophecies are clear. Only the dragonborn can stop Alduin. We must go now, quickly. Take me to Delphine. We have much to discuss. But give me just a moment. I must gather a few things. Ok, now where did I put my annotated Anuad?
I mustn't leave secrets for the Thalmor... Well, I guess that's good enough. Lets be off
(Leonidas, Maximus, and Esbern exit, only to find some more Thalmor waiting for them)
Thalmor Wizard: There they are!
(Esbern uses his lightning magic to zap the Thalmor wizard, killing him)
(Leonidas pulls out his bow and shoots a couple of Thalmor soldiers with arrows)
(Maximus kicks a Thalmor soldier into a wall and stabs him in the forehead with his sword)
(After the fight is over, the trio leaves the ratway and makes a break for Riverwood)
Delphine: Now then. I assume you know about the situation
Esbern: Indeed, yes. This changes everything. There's no time to lose. We must locate... let me show you. I know I had it in here somewhere...
(Esbern starts looking through his bag)
Delphine: Esbern, what are you doing?
Esbern: Give me must a moment... Here it is. Let me show you
(Esbern puts a book on the table)
Esbern: You see, right here. Sky Haven Temple. Constructed around one of the main akaviri military camps in the reach, during their conquest of Skyrim. Alduin's wall, one of the lost secrets of the blades. Where they recorded all they knew of Alduin and his return. Part history, part prophecy. His location has been lost for centuries, but I've found it again. Not lost, you see, just forgotten. The blades archives held so many secrets. I was only able to save a few scraps
Leonidas: Do you think Alduin's wall will tell us how to defeat Alduin?
Esbern: Yes. Exactly. It's certainly our best hope. The ancient blades remembered much akaviri dragon lore that has now been forgotten
Maximus: Where can we find Alduin's wall?
Esbern: This is what I've been trying to explain. It is in Sky Haven temple, an ancient blades sanctuary, hidden deep in the crags of the reach. That is where we'll find Alduin's wall
Delphine: So you think that wall is the key to defeating Alduin?
Esbern: Yes. But of course, there is no guarantee
Leonidas: (Sarcastically) Thank you for the encouragement
(Leonidas, Maximus, Delphine, and Esbern set out to find Alduin's wall)
Delphine: We're marching right into Forsworn territory, so be prepared for trouble
(The group sees the entrance to the cave)
Leonidas: There it is. But it's guarded
(Leonidas takes out his bow, and Esbern readies his magic)
Leonidas: You two go in. Esbern and I will provide support from here
(Esbern summons a frost atronach)
Esbern: This should help deal with the Forsworn
(Maximus, Delphine, and the frost atronach rush in and fight the Forsworn head on)
(Leonidas and Esbern provide ranged support)
(Using teamwork, the group manages to het into the cave, but the frost atronach got destroyed in the battle)
Maximus: More of them!
Leonidas: FUS RO DAH!
(Leonidas force shouts a few Foresworn, killing them from blunt force as they hit the wall)
Leonidas: Up here. I found some symbols on these pillars
Esbern: Yes. Definetly early akaviri stonework is here
(After some mixing around, the pillars have the right combination, and a bridge drops over a gap)
Delphine: That looks promising
(Everyone follows the path until they reach Sky Haven Temple)
Maximus: That has to be it
Esbern: This is a blood seal. Another of the lost akaviri arts. No doubt triggered by blood. Specifically, your blood, dragonborn. Try dripping some blood on the carving on the floor
Leonidas: I will do what I must
(Leonidas takes out a knife and makes a small cut on his hand. He then lets a little bit of blood drip onto the seal)
(The blood seal begins to glow)
Delphine: That's done it! It's coming to life!
(A wall opens up)
(Leonidas casts a healing spell on himself to heal the cut on his hand)
Delphine: After you, dragonborn. You should have the honor of being the first to set foot in Sky Haven Temple
(Leonidas, Maximus, Esbern, and Delphine head into the temple to learn the secret of Alduin's wall)