The Reachman: Denilwen's Vision is the fourth book in my series and the first of three books detailing the Oblivion Crisis. Please read The Reachman: Prologue, Dayan's Riders and The Temple first or you won't understand the story!
1
18 First Seed 4E46, West Weald Inn, Skingrad, Cyrodiil
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
The young woman chose to ignore the comments of the eager young Wood Elf looking over her shoulder. She nervously scanned the room peering deep into the eyes of her opponents, anticipating their decisions, predicting their next moves. Her leg twitched with excitement. She placed a hand down on her thigh to stop the shaking.
"Don't do anything crazy now. You have a lot to lose."
"We'll see about that."
A loud thud echoed in the tavern as the Nord's large fist slammed down upon the table.
"Call 'em out."
"Three twos."
"Five twos."
"Two fours."
"Five fives."
An exchange of confident glances.
"Seven sixes."
"Two eights."
The Nord peered at the die hidden under his cup. The young woman watched for any changes in his body language, looking intently for his tell.
"Nine sevens." The Nord cracked his knuckles.
Gotcha.
"Gunnar you are a liar!" She challenged.
"You sure about that Balan?"
"Show me what you've got big boy."
Gunnar and his two companions lifted their cups, exposing their die. Each competitor quickly calculated the numbers hoping they would be first to prove the young Redguard wrong.
"Five sevens, hot damn!"
Balan threw up her hands and greedily hoarded the assortment of coins and jewels piled in the center of the table. The three remaining competitors counted and recounted the die hoping to find an anomaly in their calculations. After just a few moments, Gunnar's two friends pushed away from the table and stormed angrily outside.
"Come on Balan, you have to give me a chance to win back that money."
"Horse shit I do! I won it fair and square."
"Don't be like that. I'll put in double what I did last time. You know I'm good for it."
"Gunnar it'll take you six months to earn back what you just lost in a single evening. You're no good to me anymore."
"I can cover him."
An elderly Dunmer woman, her face hidden beneath a dark cowl strutted confidently over to the two bickering gamblers. Balan reached for her blade only to realize she had left it with the bouncer upon entering the tavern. She eyed the rack of weapons by the door looking for the opportunity to reclaim her sword.
"Well all right! You hear that Balan? This pretty young thing is gonna help me win my money back! And she'll win herself a good portion of my winnings when I do." Gunnar joked.
"I told you I'm done." Balan declined moving backwards to the weapons rack.
Sasha balled her hands into a fist, discharging electricity that thundered like an approaching rainstorm resounding off the thick oak walls of the tavern. Balan stopped moving.
"Sit down, both of you."
Gunnar nervously produced a smile. Balan slowly pulled out a chair and eased herself down. Sasha joined them. Without a word Sasha, Gunnar and Balan herded six die into their cups, shook, then smacked them down onto the table. The elderly Dunmer never broke her gaze on the Redguard.
"Not to be impolite ma'am, but you said you were covering me for this round, right?"
"We're not playing for money Gunnar." Sasha answered. "The stakes are much higher."
Balan shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
"As you are aware, the object of this game is to goad your opponent into lying about their hand by increasingly raising the stakes. However there is no point in me playing this game with your friend here because I already know she is a liar."
"I didn't –"
Sasha raised a hand and Balan immediately stopped talking. Her eyes swelled with tears.
"Maybe I should go." Gunnar offered. "I have no quarrel with you."
"Nor I you, but the die has been cast. We must finish the game. If I lose and either of you catch me in a lie, I let Balan walk away. If I win and prove either of you a liar, well…let's just see where that goes. I call two twos." She challenged without looking beneath her cup.
"Aren't you gonna –"
"Two twos." She repeated.
"Three twos." Gunnar calmly spoke.
"They cornered me in the Waterfront, the Enforcers, I had no choice."
"Place your bet Balan."
"Come on Sasha, you know how it goes. He would've killed me! We all do what we must to survive, don't punish me for that."
"Place your bet." She repeated.
Balan peered underneath her cup and took little time calculating the numbers.
"Three threes."
Sasha stood, flipping the heavy wooden table in the process spilling drinks and die onto the floor with a loud crash. Gunnar ducked behind a nearby table for safety and as Balan turned towards the weapons rack behind her, the Dunmer unleashed a destructive lightning attack shot forth from her palms. The bolt of energy carried the Redguard off her feet and sent her flying through the air. Balan's head impacted with the tavern's front doors, penetrating clear through to the outside. Sasha quietly knelt down and counted the die spread across the floor, then unfastened a pouch of gold from off the Redguard's lifeless dangling body and tossed it to the frightened Nord.
"She was lying Gunnar, you win."
Two days later, The Flowing Bowl, Independent Republic of Anvil, Cyrodiil
The Reachman, long away from home, did not remember the lessons passed to him by his fathers and his father's fathers. He could not remember the words of his teachers spoken to him on the mysterious nature of fate. Unseen to past and present, future shrouded behind the veil of time, the paths of all men are cloaked in obscurity, revealed only through faith and self realization.
"I thought you said that The Reachman was nonsense?" Sasha pulled up a chair beside the young author seated at a table in the far corner of the dockside tavern.
"I still think it is, but I've met with nearly every person in town that was alive during the Crisis and no one can recall seeing or knowing Roe. We might have hit a dead end Sasha. Did Balan say if Ancus was still alive?"
"She never got the chance."
"I see. Does that mean we are safe?"
"For the time being." She estimated. "I don't want to stay here long though. Balderic has most likely figured out his Dunmer assassins failed and will send more after us, that is if we haven't already been discovered."
A questionable look from several patrons at the tavern counter made Sasha slowly turn facing the opposite side of the bar.
"Balderic can't send his Enforcers into the sovereign territory of Anvil however their influence reaches all across the Old Empire. Morag Tong assassins won't be the last opposition we face young author." Sasha warned.
"We need to find out where Roe went and get on his trail, sooner than later."
Sean took a sip from his tankard of mead and set it gently down on the table.
"Okay I've been in worst predicaments than this. Let's start at the beginning. After you left Roe in the City, where do you think he might've gone?"
Sasha did not answer right away. She appeared upset.
"He wasn't ready to be on his own. For goodness sakes he was so young. I shouldn't have left him."
"He was a grown man, Sasha."
"Roe was my responsibility. He wasn't just a teammate, he…I…"
"You don't have to say it." Sean interrupted. "Besides I think Roe was perfectly capable of taking care of himself thanks to you. If he wasn't, than I wouldn't have this book?"
Sasha smiled at the young author and took a long gulp of her ale.
"You're right Sean."
"Really? Thank you Sasha."
"If I was wrong, that book wouldn't exist. That very extensive, in depth biography wouldn't exist." She hinted.
"Of course! Why didn't I think of that! The book might tell us where he went."
Sean eagerly delved into the pages of text, scanning for a clue about the mysterious Reachman's whereabouts. The elderly Dunmer slowly sipped her drink watching the young author with amusement.
"Here, read this!"
It is said that the ancient city was among the first built by the Yokus – the inhabitants of Yokuda who traversed the Abecean Sea to settle in what is now Hammerfell. The Temple of Satakal, dedicated to the greatest of the Redguard deities, can be seen from miles away, its gold domes reflecting the sunlight, white stone glimmering in the shadow of Masser and Secunda as bright as any star. Here it is said the Reachman traveled, seeking knowledge of Yokuda's mightiest warriors, wielders of unmatched and unimaginable power.
"Do you know where this place is?"
Sasha nodded and pushed back from the table. A small congregation of seedy looking gentlemen was huddled together in a corner of the room. One of the men looked up and over at Sasha and Sean. His mates scolded him for making such an obvious gesture of interest.
"I'm going to stay behind and make sure none of Duncan's Enforcer goons follow us. Get yourself a ship or a fast horse and I'll meet you in Rihad in four days."