The tavern was lively when Derogan stepped into the Bee And Barb. The usual crowd was out and about, drinking and talking aimlessly. The redguard smiled at the familiar scene. It had been two weeks since he had arrived in Riften, one week abroad to find the rumored Skyshadow Crypt, a place that, if the rumors were true, was the resting place of many, many old Blades. It was this place, in fact, that had brought the young man this far out into the colds of Skyrim. Riften wasn't so bad, though, especially considering this, his final stop. The Rift was a beautiful place, a far cry from the cold lands found almost everywhere else.
"Talen! Another round!" cried Vulwulf, an aged Nord man. As a warrior himself, Derogan had taken some interest in the Snow-Shods. While surely and set in his ways, Vulwulf was a stout, proud man, and invested in the town and his family. Most of his family, at least.
"I think you've had plenty, Vulwulf. Maybe you should head on home," replied Talen-Jei, one of the two proprietors of the inn. Talen was the first person Derogan officially met in Riften, a level-headed man who looked kept a look-out for his patrons, and could spot problems well before they surfaced.
Vulwulf set his mug down on the table where he sat. Derogan almost tensed at the animosity that suddenly sprung from the old man. "You stupid lizard! I said bring me some more drink, or I'll have your head on a pike!"
"Suit yourself," Talen said with a shrug. The Argonian was obviously used to this kind of treatment, which almost always ended up with a scoff and the situation fizzling out. This was one of those times. Vulwulf huffed and turned in his chair, and set his attention elsewhere. Derogan followed the Nord's gaze to the bar. He'd been so focused on Vulwulf and Talen that he hadn't seen the trio at the bar.
A tiny young Argonian girl sat between two mercenary types. The girl, who couldn't be older than 20, flirted with the two men. From Derogan's guess, they were both Imperial, older men in their 40's, and immensely enjoying the attention. Derogan was certain the young woman had no idea what she was getting into. Mercs had a very bad reputation with the beast races. If they could get her alone, they would certainly do horrible things to her to satisfy themselves, and then sell her for a good price. Slavery was forbidden in Skyrim, but laws were lax in other provinces.
"Her name is Mazuli." Derogan swiveled his gaze to find Talen beside his table. The questioning look in the redguard's eyes was enough to continue. "She arrived two days ago. She's been quite a handful, starts trouble whenever we get people passing through. You're lucky she's been distracted by these two before you got here."
"You're joking." Derogan laughed when Talen failed to confirm this. "Look at her, she's...she's five foot nothing, she's wearing a dress, she's unarmed."
"You haven't run into many mage types, have you?"
"Well sure, but-" Derogan's continued argument was interrupted by a sudden change in atmosphere. The man on Mazuli's left had grabbed her wrist, halfway extended and gripping a coin purse. The two continued to watch in silent trepidation as the argonian was hauled from her stool, both arms held in vice-like grips.
"You're a cheeky little lizard. Figured you weren't after my loins, pretty little thing like you probably thinks she's above such a crass notion. You're just after the hard-earned gold my partner and I got fair and square." Mazuli stared up into the eyes of the man that she tried to rob as he attempted to feed her something akin to intelligent speech. She smiled and batted her eyelashes at him.
"Oh, please release her. She promises, it will not have to worry about Mazuli ever bothering it again."
"I think I've seen enough," Derogan said as he got to his feet. "Thief or not-"
It all happened so fast. Derogan caught the sight of a tell-tale spell, a dark, nearly black shell of magica covering the young argonian's body, extending even to her clothes. The second, the mercenary on her right plunged a dagger into her back. And the third, the most surprising, Mazuli gripped the man she'd tried to steal from and tossed him across the room, landing him across a table where he collapsed with a broken neck. "Not nice," the tiny woman said, turning to her assailant. He took one look at her before he turned tail and ran for the door. A figure came into his view, a man in Colovian iron armor bearing a green sword and shield, bared in force. The mercenary drew his sword halfway out of it's hilt when he went dead cold and fell to the floor, amidst several of his teeth.
"By the Hist!" Talen exclaimed. "I haven't seen a shield bash like that in years!"
Derogan shook his shield arm out. The other man had been bigger than he, and had been wearing full steel armor. His arm was almost numb. "Well. Fool should've run for the other door, I'm sure Letrush could've given the man what-for as well. Right, Letrush?" The older man, who never seemed to leave his corner, spat.
"Another table! Talen, that's it. I want her out." Talen cringed as his lover, the other proprietor of the bar, spoke. "For good this time. I don't even want her back in Riften...even though it's not my call," she begrudgingly added.
Mazuli, still under her strange alteration spell, glowered at Keerava. The older Argonian shuddered. Mazuli's skin had gone almost charcoal black, but those deep blue eyes remained the same. It was an imposing look, despite how utterly cute she could be when not wearing the spell. Not a word was spoken between them for a moment. Finally, the young girl reached behind her and dislodged the dagger from her back, revealing it had not sunk into her flesh more than a half an inch. The blade clattered to the floor as she left.
"What..." Derogan murmured.
"Mage types," Talen told him. "Her spell is armor and enhanced strength. Those two didn't stand a chance. I'd wager she could easy stand against that shield of yours...not that I would ask you to put yourself in harm's way. I doubt we will see her again. At least until Keerava remembers that Mazuli attracts customers."
"Not likely," Keerava huffed. She glowered at her lover until he began to pick up the wreckage. There were a few moments of silence in the bar when it became apparent the redguard had left. "I'm almost sorry I get to miss what's about to happen," she chuckled.