Chapter 11: Detour to Vivec
The flash of light from the recall spell blinded Zayden, Zeela, and Hui momentarily. When their sight returned they found themselves in a small annex room of the Balmora Mages Guild main hall, located below ground level. The annex room had a stone semi-circle tucked away in a corner, a platform where all incoming and outgoing transportees sood or appeared. A desk was situated in the opposite corner where an orange Khajiit woman and a brunette Breton woman were sitting. The three's arrival brought the two to their feet, the latter asking if they were the ones expected from Tel Fyr. Zayden confirmed and the Breton quickly left and brought someone new back with her.
The new arrival, now followed by a throng of curious guild members, was a young and stern faced Dunmer woman, clad in blue robe. She spoke with the same stiffness her visage portrayed, introducing herself as Ranis Athrys, head of the Balmora Mages Guild. She greeted each person individually but referred to Zayden by "Nerevarine," an act that rose murmurs from the growing onlookers behind her.
"It is only professional courtesy," she continued, "that I allow your passage through my guild building. I have associates outside preparing an area for your mounts." One could tell it pained her to act so helpfully to anyone friendly with the Telvanni. "Safe travels, Nerevarine."
Zayden thanked her wordlessly and the three pushed their way through the onlookers into the guild's main hall, a large square room with vaulted ceilings. Each quarter of the room seemed designated to a certain purpose: sleeping bunks, work benches, dining tables, and book shelves. Alchemy equipment and books seemed to cover any available flat surface and even with the crowd of onlookers there were still many who chose instead to focus on their work and pay no attention to the new arrivals. One such person was a Dunmer and the only male in the entire Balmora bureau, who had his nose buried in a book.
Hui's gaze fell upon the Dunmer and he froze in place. Zayden and Zeela stopped and followed the Argonian's eyes to the other man. Zayden knew immediately who this other was; Hui's promissed master, the one that sold him into slavery. Just as Hui was about to take a step forward toward the man Zayden grasped a hand on Hui's shoulder and pulled him back with a solid jerk.
"Don't! It won't be worth it," Zayden whispered into Hui's ear. "Let your success outside the guild be your revenge. Hurting him now in his own den will only end badly." Just then the Dunmer looked up from his text and his gaze locked onto the Argonian's. He recognized him instantly as well, his eyes growing wide and his face becoming ashen. But he did not move, nor did he speak. He sat motionless, petrified of what would occur next. Zayden looked back to his friend and feared he would strike.
But to Zayden's relief Hui merely turned and walked away, leaving the others to catch up. A long gradual corridor led upward to the ground floor and the front entrance of the guild building. Stepping outside into the sounds and smells of the commercial district was like falling into an old bed. Soon Hui forgot why he was angry moments ago. Soon everyone shared a collective, creeping grin upon their faces.
The moment was cut short by the call of another guild member a few yards away. She and a few others were creating a clear perimeter in the street where no one could enter or walk through. "Your mounts should arrive soon, Lord Nerevarine," she shouted. "Please, this way!" Her call already drew the confused glances of passersby. Zayden was already beginning to wonder what other enemies, apart from the obvious, his new titleage would summon.
Zayden and the others needed to wait for only a few minutes more before another blinding flash of a spell came, one that certainly brought passersby to a halt. From the light and sound appeared three guar, their large oblong heads harnessed with leather straps that connected to reins, a roomy saddle upon its back, and stirrups. Connected to each saddle near the tail end were tightly weaved wicker baskets with canvas cloth fastened over them. Inside, upon further inspection, were food provisions, clay jugs of water, bedrolls, and a tent large enough for the three of them, blankets, alchemy and cooking tools, and everything else a traveller of the wilderness could ever desire.
"Bless Fyr," Hui praised. "We will want for nothing with all he has given us."
"Except I have never ridden such a beast," Zayden remarked. Hui seemed to nod his head in admittance that he could not as well.
"Lucky for you two I can teach you," Zeela added. "I learned when I was teenaged. Guar are easy to lead and while not as fast as horses they spook much less easily. They are also omnivores and they'll eat practically anything you feed them." Zeela retrieved a length of rope from her guar, cut it into two sections, and tied at the saddle her guar to Zayden's, then his to Hui's. "Until you get a handle of it I'll have to tow you both."
"The beasts will follow my lead guar," she further stated, finally mounting the creature. Zayden and Hui cautiously did the same and after prodding her guar forward the string began lumbering forward. The Mage Guild members gave one final farewell as the trio slipped into the crowded market street.
Though many people on foot parted to give the guar space to pass, moving forward proved to be a slow process. At slow walking speeds guar sway left and right with each step of their hunched legs and long feet. Planting one's feet in the stirrups is practically necessary to stay on the saddle. As the three inched along Zeela explained to the two men the basics in riding a guar. As she alluded to earlier it turned out to be insultingly easy to lead them and by the time the three managed to exit the market and reach the Odai River Hui and Zayden felt almost confident to ride untethered.
As the beasts crossed the river and headed toward Labor Street a grim remembrance fell over Zayden. He called out to Zeela and asked if they could go to Caius's house before returning to South Wall. She spoke no reply but gave a solemn nod of her head. She turned left and followed the river canal several blocks before turning back east and cutting through the district. When they finally reached Labor Street Caius's house was in sight and close by.
The building was a total loss. The roof collapsed into itself and only the front wall remained standing. The openings where the door and windows were had outlines blackened with soot. As they approached one could still smell the smoke of burning wood. Zayden's knuckles turned pale white as the grip of his reins tightened, his eyes unbroken from the tragic sight before him.
"Those bastards weren't lying," Zayden spoke aloud. "The Blades must have really killed him…" Zayden looked around him and noticed a lone guard on patrol nearby. He waved and motioned him over.
"Yes, Imperial?" the guard asked in a cautious manner. "Is something wrong?"
"This house here," Zayden answered, giving the burnt out structure a gesture of his hand. "Do you know anything about what happened?"
"Why do you ask? Did you know the people living there?"
"Yes I- People? Only one man lived here. Caius Cosades. I heard he was killed in the fire?" The guard gave a nod of his head. "My companions and I had been away from Balmora for the last pair of weeks. We returned today and only just heard the news."
"So you do know of the man that lived there. Were you acquaintances with Caius?"
"She and I, yes," answered Zayden. "Not the Argonian, so much."
"Do you know if he had any enemies? Anyone that might have wished harm upon him?"
The Blades! The Emperor! The Empire itself!
Zayden wanted so desperately to scream these things. He wanted to reveal the truth and expose the abuse and corruption that occurred… but he didn't. He couldn't. As much as it pained him Zayden knew his story would not be believed and, worse than that, spreading the truth could bring the Blades back out of the woodwork and after him. Zayden knew he needed to play dumb.
"No, not a one," Zayden replied with a shake of his head. "I knew he had had his problems with addiction, but he was a friend to everyone he knew. I can't think of anyone who would want him dead."
"Hmmm," the guard seemed to agree. "Everyone else we've asked has said very much the same… Very well, Imperial. The fire, if you didn't already know, happened about two weeks ago. It went up like a tinder box in the middle of the night. The building was fully engulfed by the time any effort could be mounted to extinguish the flames. When it was eventually put out there were four bodies found all inside, all burned beyond recognition. The matter is being treated as a murder case, given what you and others have testified, that he lived alone. I am sorry for your friend's loss."
"Thank you…" Zayden's eyes fell slowly back upon the structure. "If I may ask, do you have any leads who might have killed him?"
"Only speculation. We believe the old man was on friendly terms with the Guild of Thieves, so we chiefly suspect the guild's main rival, the Camonna Tong… Say, Imperial. You and your woman look like guild thieves yourselves... And are you not the 'Rat Slayer' from several months back?" Zayden was forced to affirm with a nod while Zeela and Hui chuckled at remembering his old titilage. "So you knew the victim more than you let on! Are you sure he had no enemies of any kind?"
"It is as I said," said Zayden. "Caius was a friend to all who knew him. None of us have any idea who would want him dead…"
"I see… Very well, then. That is all I have to ask. If there is nothing more you wish to say, I will be going." The guard exchanged with the group one last nod before he went on his way. Once he turned a corner and left from sight Zeela urged the guar along once more, traveling the length of Labor Street south to its end.
Everyone felt lighter as the familiar sight of the South Wall Cornerclub came into view. It had only been a several days since they had been away but the time felt much longer. Zeela led the mounts behind the building and tied them off to the lone tree behind it. Before any of them could dismount a figure appeared around a corner of the building running toward them. It was Sugar-Lips and her body language betrayed how relieved she was that everyone had returned.
It was clear to the returning three that it took the Khajiit visible effort to keep professional. "Khajiit is pleased to see everyone return," she said. "Khajiit should give Zayden more scars across face for allowing himself to get captured…" Zayden forced a grin but it was hard to tell if that was said in jest or as a real threat.
"I don't think that will be necessary," Zeela objected with a grin of her own. "I would not want my new husband to look too ugly, now. Besides, the man has suffered enough recently, I think. Things… Things have changed, Mastermind. We've all learned something, about Zayden, that changes everything."
"Things change here as well. Zayden… There was an accident, at Caius's house. A fire… He did not make it out. There were other bodies in building, guard say he was murdered. None know who or why-"
Zayden shared a solemn look between his friends. "I know who," Zayden declared to Sugar-Lips, "and why. We can not discuss it here. Let's continue inside."
Sugar-Lips agreed and they all headed inside where the man, elf, and Argonian were greeted by the patrons and thieves for their safe return home. The four sat at a table in the cantina and they were served a round of ale before Zayden continued the story. He recalled everything that had happened upon his capture by the Blades: his encounter in the Cavern of the Incarnate, his contraction and curing of the Corprus disease, his time spent in Tel Fyr with Divayth Fyr and the Dwemer, and the reveal of his identity as Nerevarine. As the tale unwove Sugar-Lips seemed more and more in disbelief but spoke no denial of the events because she simply could not. Zayden had two other witnesses to confirm the events and the Moon-and-Star ring as physical proof. The gifts of Divayth Fyr and the three's new guar mounts were mere icing on the sweet roll of a tale.
When all was said and done Sugar-Lips had no choice but to believe all her eyes and ears told her. She mused upon these new outcomes and, naturally, questioned what this new future would hold. She questioned, firstly, what now happens from this point forward. Zayden concluded that after a few day's rest in Balmora he must travel to Vivec City to speak with the three Great Houses to be named Hortator by each, thus fulfilling the Fourth Trial. Sugar-Lips seemed annoyed that her two best thieves were going to leave once more and so soon, but soon enough relented, accepting that things were beyond her control.
Slight relief for Sugar-Lips, though, came when Zeela revealed to Zayden and the rest that she would not be travelling to Vivec. Her recent part in the heist on the Hlaalu bank vault would make returning to the city a death sentence. No change of hair style or new scars upon her face would stop her from being identified and, if not jailed, executed for her crimes. She regrettably would have to remain in Balmora.
The plan was finalized and the four spent the remainder of the evening drinking in celebration of the return home. By the time night came the four were barely able to stand and make their way back to their quarters, Zayden needing Zeela to lean on. Zayden was inches from reaching the handle of his and Hui's door when Zeela suddenly pulled him away and practically tossed him through her own door. That night, finally returned home and she finally recovered from learning Zayden's new identity, Zeela surrendered herself to Zayden and her own lingering desires to consummate her marriage.
Hui the next morning was both pleased for the happy couple and annoyed he had to listen to them the entire night. Zeela made it up to the lizard by promising to buy him premium cigar tobacco when she continued his and Zayden's riding lessons. The three spent much of that day in the less populated streets of Balmora to practice. They began once again tied together to Zeela's lead guar and rode back and forth the length of a single street. When an hour had passed the ties were lifted and for the first time the two men followed Zeela unassisted. Once they felt comfortable with this she then led the two throughout the city, eventually taking them back through the crowded markets where they would have to contend with the crowds.
Zeela was ultimately pleased with the two's progress by that evening, confident they could travel on their own the day after tomorrow. They spent much of the next day preparing for the journey. Everyone reviewed the packs and supplies of the guar and purchased more in the few places they found lacking. By that evening Zayden and Hui felt prepared to venture forth and do what was necessary.
That night a heavy rain came in and continued into the morning. It was a rain heavier than anything Zayden had seen in Balmora before, a storm that flooded all the streets in a few inches of water and turned all the stairwells into waterfalls. Hui had thought ahead the previous day and purchased for himself a wide gondolier's straw hat to keep the rain off his head and shoulders. Zayden had his waxed hooded cloak for protection but he knew that even that, under sustained rain, would eventually soak.
Zeela, Sugar-Lips, and the many other thieves and patrons of South Wall gave Zayden and Hui their farewells before the two set off into the rain-soaked morning. They mounted their guar and waded through rain filled streets west, back over the now raging river, and through the city's south gate. Ahead the road split east and west, presenting a choice in path.
Before they had reached the split, though, Zayden had noticed in his friend a queer change of mood. In spite of the miserable weather Hui had, since they had gone beyond the border of the city, an unwavering grin. Zayden finally decided then to stop and confront this.
"Do Argonians love the rain?" Zayden asked Hui. "Is that why you smile so? Because, otherwise, no sane man could grin in such a torrent."
"That is not why I grin," Hui answered with a chuckle. "It is true, though, that the Saxhleel enjoy the rain. In Black Marsh a rain storm can last over eight days, with this same intensity, without pause. This rain, in fact, is very much like our rainy season. But that is not why I grin. I grin because I think of all that has happened to me in such a short time. Less than a year ago I was a slave with no hope of being freed. Now I have been trained in magic by the great Divayth Fyr and travel the road with the Nerevarine! It sounds so unbelievable when spoken aloud."
"Well release the stars from your eyes for a moment and speak something else," Zayden laughed. "We have two paths ahead. One goes east, one goes west. Both eventually loop back and connect to the road that passes Pelagiad. Either path on these beasts will take us until tomorrow afternoon to reach Vivec. We will have to make camp at least once. No way I'm stepping foot in Pelagiad."
"Understandable," Hui laughed. "... Are we in any time table to reach Vivec?"
"Not really… What do you have in mind, lizard?"
"A scenic route with a… pleasant detour," Hui explained. "It will double our journey time but perhaps you would be interested?"
"You have a devil in your eyes, Hui, and it almost scares me. Just what exactly are you getting at?"
"We go east and follow the roads past the Fields of Kuumu to Suran. I've heard through the thieves in South Wall of a place of 'earthly delights' that the city is famous for. It is guild friendly and some travel from all corners of Vvardenfell to sample its wears. Suran has ferryboats that can take us into Vivec from there."
Hui's proposition was met by Zayden with an air of disbelief. For a long moment the Imperial said nothing and merely stared back, motionless in the rain. This reaction perplexed Hui similarly. "Do you disapprove?" Hui asked at length.
"I can not believe you actually suggested it," said Zayden. "Perhaps your devil is in more than your eye… This is an odd request, Hui, and one that seems quite against your nature. You're not one for such debauchery, and for that matter neither am I. It makes me think you have an ulterior motive…"
"Can a man not desire a few base pleasures?"
"Not you, Hui. You have something else in mind and I want to know what. Otherwise I am not moving from this spot."
Hui paused only for another moment before finally relenting. He looked over his shoulder, back at Balmora in the hazy distance, as if the city were eavesdropping the conversation. "I would rather tell you away from here. We take my path for an hour and I will tell you. I promise."
Zayden did not like this new behavior from Hui at all. He was still tempted to remain planted in his spot. But as he looked again into his friend's eyes he noticed that he too would be unwavering in his request. Zayden eventually relented himself, nodded, and told Hui to take the lead. They followed the road east, making a brief cut through a dormant lava foyada before entering into the Ascadian Isles region. They followed the road northeast and eventually connected with the northern coast of Lake Amaya, hugging the shoreline for the rest of the day until evening. The rain did not let up in the slightest for the hour they travelled.
As promised, when the two riders were well along the road and out of any possible earshot, Hui divulged his true intent. "When I was held in Dren Plantation," he began, "in the quarters I was crammed into with over thirty others, there was a woman…" Zayden immediately chuckled. He was already predicting how the rest of the story would go. "She was only eight years old when her family was travelling near the Black Marsh/Morrowind border. They were captured by a bandit group, all the other members of her family killed, and she was later sold off. Her textile skills were the only thing that stopped her from being sold to a brothel.
She was brought to and sold to Dren Plantation and made to weave rugs for the next seven years. I had known her for the last six months she was there. Others said she spoke to no one but for whatever reason she spoke to me… Then one day she came back to the quarters with her fingers wrapped in bandages. She said they were broken but refused to say how or why. Two days later she was sent off to 'a brothel in Suran.' That was the last I saw of her. That was a few months before I made my escape…"
"And that's why you want to go to Suran?" said Zayden. "In the hopes she will be there." Hui nodded. "... And if she is there, what will you do then?" The look in Hui's eyes said it all. "You plan to steal her?"
"Of course I do," Hui stated. "She is too innocent a soul to be sold for such a thing!"
"Because you love her…?" Hui nodded emphatically. "And how do you presume to do this? Does anyone else know you have this in mind?"
"Only you, friend. And I had hoped to do this with your help. You helped free me before-"
"Under very different circumstances! Ahnassi had the money to spare to buy your freedom. You had already escaped from the plantation! This is stealing a slave from right under her owner's nose!"
"Shouldn't be too hard a feat for a member of the Thieves Guild," Hui remarked. Zayden couldn't tell if he was being mocked or Hui was being genuine. In either case he was in no good position to refuse, morally or professionally.
"Besides," Hui continued, "I'm not without a plan. You know of Bittergreen, yes?"
"Of course. Nasty tasting plant that people chew to sober up more quickly."
"It's something most bars and taverns sell. I can use my alchemy skills and brew up a quick potion of invisibility." Zayden still knew very little of any of the forms of magic. The principles behind alchemy were a bit more grounded in basic physical reality, but the idea one could grind a few leaves together and make a potion that can let you fly never ceased to astound him. "It may not be strong, but strong enough to sneak out with her, provided we scout out an exit… What say you, friend?"
The answer was a foregone conclusion, for Hui knew Zayden would never refuse. With that matter settled the two continued on until the gray sky turned black with dusk. The two finally made camp under the wide canopy of a tall mushroom tree. They managed a meger fire and ate some of the food provisions before going to sleep. It continued to pour the entire night and when they woke the next morning it was still raining.
After breakfast Zayden and Hui mounted up and drudged the oppressive rains once more. The road continued east, passing north of the Fields of Kuumu. Hui had remarked that this was apparently a holy site, a place of pilgrimage for members of the Tribunal Temple, though its exact significance was lost to him. Zayden was too soaked to fake interest, the waterproofing wax of his cloak being to fail. But still, in continued spite of the weather, Hui seemed anxious and in high spirits for what was promised ahead. It managed to cause Zayden slight suspicion. He could not shake the feeling that this new, unknown destination could also spell danger.
Many more hours passed until the land finally converged into a peninsula and up ahead they could spot a deep gorge, the Nabai River cutting through it. North of Ules Manor was the bridge that would span the gorge into Suran. Or, rather, the place where the bridge had been. Two guards, clad in similar bonemold armor as the guard in Balmora, stood in the road where one of the bridge posts stood. They hailed the riders over as they approached.
"State your names, travellers," one of the guards demanded. "Where are you headed?"
"I am Zayden and my friend is Hui," Zayden answered. "We wish to enter Suran, but my friend and I's ultimate destination is Vivec City. We intend to stay the night in Suran and take boat to Vivec in the morn. My friend insists we see Suran's 'earthly delights' while we are here."
"I see…" the guard grumbled, seemingly unapproving of the answer.
"Has what I said offended you, sir?" Zayden asked.
"Many people come to Suran for its 'earthly delights,'" the guard spat. "I only wish the city was better known for other things. But I can not prevent you from entering for these reasons. You may enter." He motioned to a small path that led downward into the gorge. "There is a pontoon that will take you and your mounts across the river. One rider and beast at a time."
"I thought there was a bridge that spanned the river. Did it collapse?"
"More like destroyed! It occurred several days ago. Believe it or not, a mad mage blew it up! We think they were escaping from Vivec and were involved in the Hlaalu bank vault robbery."
"The Hlaalu vault was robbed?!" Hui exclaimed, putting on a convincing enough act.
"Yes, and the thieves escaped by boat to this very city. Some of the town guard went after them, tracking them up the river north, but they never returned and were never heard from again! The city guard had been on high alert ever since and that is why I stand here, soaked to the bone, protecting the road."
"Hopefully the rain lets up soon, then," Zayden wished to the guard. "My friend and I will be on our best behavior."
"See to it that you do. Now go, get moving, down the ravine!"
Hui led once more and the two led their guar down a steep, rain slick path to the river where a raft sat bobbing in the rushing river waters. Two thick ropes spanned the length and kept the craft on a single back-and-forth path. Hui rode his guar onto the craft and was taken across the river first, followed thereafter by Zayden, each of them giving the ferryman a few coins.
From there they headed back up the other side and found themselves just outside the northern archway into the city proper. Suran's architecture was like that of Balmora; tan clay buildings. The northern entrance opened up into the town's single, large round market plaza. Shops and stands lined its perimeter but the rains rendered the market very much empty. They quickly found a stable near a silt strider platform and sheltered their guar there.
Inside the stable Zayden and Hui paid for a quick cup of tea, some bread and scrambled kwama egg, and split a cigar between themselves. From the stable's owner they got directions to their intended destination, the gentleman's club aptly named "Desele's House of Earthly Delights," which sat across the plaza, its entrance in a narrow alleyway and down some stairs.
After finishing their meal and smoke the two men set back into the rain and followed the given direction to a three story bordello distinguished by red lanterns on its outside. They entered through the described door and were immediately hit with a sweet smoky smell upon stepping in. The establishment's main room was large and dimly lit with more red lanterns, small tables and stools arranged haphazardly abound. The weather had brought many patrons in, many of whom had their eyes fixated upon the nude dancers along the leftward wall.
Hui and Zayden were met at the door before they had a chance to shake the water from their clothes. A young Khajiit woman, dressed in olive green skirt and nothing else, head-to-toe with solid black fur, took from the men their cloaks and demanded of them all their weapons. Once the items were handed over and off to another servant for storage the Khajiit brought the two to the bar where Helviane Desele herself, a brunette Breton woman of similar skirt and similarly topless, was serving drinks.
"Newcomers to Suran? Welcome to my humble establishment," she greeted. "Take a seat wherever there is room. I'll have a girl come by and take your orders. And if you want to rent a room, come to me and we'll talk."
Zayden and Hui took a table near the back wall. Each table had a small metal bowl in its center clearly intended as an ashtray. Hui rolled a fresh cigar for both Zayden and himself and soon enough the same black Khajiit came over to take their order of mazte. The girl was quick to serve and it was not long before the rain-soaked hell that had been the last two days was a thing of distant memory.
For a long while neither of the two spoke, the two of them choosing to look across the room to the dancers, a small drum and lute band providing music. They sat in silence with attentive eyes and when they each finished two drinks they both had had no sight of any Argonian girls. When the Khajiit server returned again Zayden asked about renting a room and he and Hui were brought back to Helviane.
Hui, not wanting to arouse too much suspicion, ordered an average-priced room. Hui asked Zayden if he had ever smoked from a water pipe before. When he replied he hadd not Hui asked for one to be set up along with some food and more drink. Then, when it finally came time to pick their company for the evening, Helvaine began to recite her list of girls, emphasizing her variety for nearly every taste one could desire. When Hui asked if there were any Argonian girls available Helviane was a mixture of pleased and unsurprised.
"We happen to get one in not long ago," she said. "Clumsy thing, she is. Can't go a week without dropping a glass or a plate. She hasn't had much experience and, from the few customers she's had, she's a bit of a wooden board, if you understand my meaning. What was her name again…? Jeed-Ei?"
Zayden peeked at Hui from the corner of his eye. It was invisible to Desele but Hui was using visible effort to not appear surprised. "Jeed-Ei" must have been exactly the woman he was looking for. The longer journey would be worth the effort if she could be taken. "I have many other girls available," Desele continues, "ones who are much more experienced. You don't have to stick to your own kind, Argonian."
"I'll take her. I'm certain," Hui insisted.
"Very well then, sir. And you, Imperial?"
"Orc women," Hui answered. "The bigger and more muscles they have the be-"
Hui was quickly silenced by Zayden clamping his muzzle shut with one hand. Of course nothing Hui said was true and the Argonian laughed at his own joke through his nose. "Ignore him," said Zayden. "I'm here to keep my friend safe, not to partake. I'm already a married man."
"You and everyone else here," Desele shot back. "We have a rule here, Imperial; we don't allow two men to one girl in a room at a time. Like it or not you'll have to pick someone. No one will force you to touch her, if you don't want… Orc, then?"
"N-No, no… The black cat, the one serving us? Is she available?"
"Ah, Khinjarsi. Good choice." She logged the picks in a book on the bar top. "Your room will be prepared in about fifteen minutes. Please go back to your seat and you'll be served another round." Hui retreated back to the table and Zayden handed Desele ten extra coins as tip before doing the same. Another girl, a young Dunmer, served the final round of matze before the room was ready.
The two were led to a stairwell near the opposite side of the main room and up two flights of stairs. Their room was one of the first on the left. The room itself was a small rectangle with a stained glass window on the opposite end. In the center was a low table with the water pipe with four hoses, some finger foods, and pitcher of drink and glasses set up and arranged. The floor was covered in a patchwork of small rugs and the entire perimeter was lined with many large, flat cushions. The men were asked to make themselves comfortable and told that the girls would be arriving soon.
Zayden and Hui sat down just as the Dunmer left. Hui began examining and preparing the water pipe, commenting such things were commonly used in Black Marsh. Zayden meanwhile examined the pitcher, giving its contents a quick sniff. "Mead!" he exclaimed, pouring a small measure for himself and tasting it. "Strong mead, too. Not easy to come by in Vvardenfell. Guess my tip paid off."
"Same with this pipe," Hui added as he tinkered away with it. "It's of good quality. This place must make a pretty profit to afford such things. Oh, what am I saying! I shouldn't be giving this place any praise, the way it uses slaves! Damn the Dunmer and their practices… Sorry, Zayden. I know that Zeela-"
"She doesn't practice slavery, no," Zayden cut in, "but she's like most Dunmer, who are traditionalist. She would keep the practice in place even if she never took part… And to think, not long ago, we three all learned that I am now living retribution for the Dunmer and all their traditions, including slavery…"
Hui paused his work on the pipe for a moment. "As Nerevarine, you could speak against slavery. Attempt to ban the practice."
"It would be wishful thinking, even for the Nerevarine, to think he could accomplish such a feat. And I am no Nerevarine yet, Hui, despite what this ring proves. I'm an Imperial outlander to Morrowind, a face of the Empire. Trying to convince the Dunmer of anything is going to be a struggle, if it is at all possible… What I would give for another guide, one to navigate these Great Houses. Divayth could only say so much on the subject and I fear that was not enough. I fear we are heading into very shadowy territory, my friend."
"I have faith we will see it through," Hui reassured, "just as I have faith our plan tonight will work, too."
Zayden smiled back and began to drink more of his mead. Perhaps Hui was correct, perhaps not. In either case this bordello may be a good way to clear his mind of his future troubles. After a few moments the door opened and in came the black Khajiit from earlier, Khinjarsi. She quickly curled up inside one of Zayden's arms and pressed herself against his chest, purring and grinning.
"Khinjarsi glad Imperial has chosen me," she whispered. "Does sir like Khajiit?"
"I fell in love with one not a long time ago," Zayden answered, "and she loved me, but we could not be together. I had my obligations to another."
"Does Khinjarsi remind sir of her?" Zayden shrugged and scratched behind her ears. "Khajiit will make you forget all about her, guaranteed."
The Khajiit continued to nestle close and rubbed her face against his as Jeed-Ei, the Argonian Hui hoped to find, entered. Her pale, smooth yet scaly skin was beige with subtle brown bands, her eyes emerald green, and her head smooth and clean of any horns or fins, adorned instead with a purple veil that wrapped around the back of her skull. Like all the other girls she wore olive drab skirt and nothing else.
The moment Jeed-Ei entered, Zayden looked to Hui to see how he would react. His eyes could not have been any wider. He looked back to Jeed-Ei when she had met her gaze with Hui's and her eyes began to fill with tears. She fell forward onto her knees and into Hui's awaiting arms. For a long while they spoke not a word, she sobbing into his chest. Zayden merely looked on and smiled now seeing his friend's gamble was beginning to pay off.
Khinjarsi, meanwhile, looked on and trilled with curiosity. "Interesting," she remarked. "They cling like lovers, or special friends. Khinjarsi was told you two were newcomers to-"
Zayden quickly began pouring everyone drinks. The sooner he could get the Khajiit drunk, the sooner, he hoped, she would drop her suspicions. Zayden made a lackluster toast on the spot and together the room downed their drinks, followed immediately thereafter by another. To Zayden's surprise Khinjarsi drank the mead like it was water. Thankfully her attention fell off the Argonians quickly and she began using the water pipe, followed thereafter by everyone else.
The room soon filled with a thick white haze as everyone partook of the hookah, the air smelling sweet with vanilla, and the mead flowed in plenty. Hui and Zayden soon began sharing with the girls stories of their exploits, Hui's mostly during his time in Black Marsh and Zayden's dealing with his work with the Thieves Guild. Naturally nothing was said in regard to the Nerevarine prophecy. As the tales were told Khinjarsi continued more and more to rub her face and body against Zayden, hoping he would finally use her. Jeed-Ei meanwhile sat comfortably and content in Hui's arms and seemed to want nothing more in the world.
Eventually the Khajiit, after repeated failed advances, gave up in a huff. She angrily declared she had to use the facilities and took Jeed-Ei with her. Once gone Zayden cracked the window to vent the vapor in the air. When he sat back down and poured a new round for he and Hui the Argonian suddenly seemed not at all pleased. "H-Have I angered you?" Zayden slurred. "You've been enjoying yourself thus far. More than I can say for my company this evening."
"My thoughts exactly," Hui grumbled. His face was flushed with drunkenness but his voice was surprisingly stable. "Have you forgotten what we are here to do? If Khinjarsi becomes too upset she will leave for good and will take Jeed-Ei with her! And our plan will be ruined!"
"What do you want me to do? She expects me to use her."
"Then use her, damn you!" Hui exclaimed.
"... If that was a joke, Hui, I don't find it very funny."
"Damnit, Zayden! We're about to steal a slave from a brothel and you're worried about offending your honor?! If Zeela ever finds out she will understand your intentions, believe me. You're a member of the Thieves Guild. You're a fucking criminal! Start acting like one! Because if you mess this up I will never forgive you!"
Zayden was taken aback from this sudden change in Hui's demeanor. Drunk or not, Hui was not wrong. Zayden began to feel quite foolish. "... Vey well, Hui," Zayden said at length. "What will you do while I'm 'preoccupied?'"
"I'll take Jeed-Ei back downstairs and buy the Bittergreen and bring my bag back here. Just keep the Khajiit distracted." A few moments later the two returned. Jeed-Ei held a new full pitcher off mead and Khinjarsi was still quite angry. She flopped back down onto the cushions, this time putting herself a significant distance away from Zayden. She made no eye contact with him and began puffing away at the water pipe.
As soon as Jeed-Ei served a new round of drinks Hui quickly announced that he, too, needed to use the bathroom and asked Jeed-Ei to show her where it was. The two left and once Zayden and Khinjarsi were alone together she began to audibly growl in frustration.
"They're probably going to have fun on their own," she seethed. "At least one of us is…"
Zayden snatched up his cup and gulped its contents down in one furious go, along with what remained of his self-respect. "Is that all you care about?" Zayden nearly whispered under his breath.
"It's what you paid me to do. I suppose I have your money either way, but I'd like to have some fun along the way."
"Oh, 'fun?' Is that what you want? Fun?" Zayden shot to his feet and began tossing his clothes aside. "Well, on second thought, I decided I like getting my money's worth. So, we have something to mutually gain, kitty-cat. Get ready, because I have a wife waiting for me back in Balmora and I need to get some practice in for her."
Zayden dropped to the floor and threw himself atop the Khajiit. From this point forward details of exactly what the two did are not important. Suffice to say when Hui and Jeed-Ei returned to the room with his bag they each had to put mental blinds on both their eyes and ears to block out the exchange occurring in the room. Khinjarsi yelped and voiced muffled groans as her face was firmly pressed into a large pillow. Zayden sent an angry look in the direction of his friend and mouthed the words "Hurry up."
Hui wasted no time. He cleared off a section of the table and retrieved from his bag a mortar and pestle and hefty pinch of bittergreen leaves. He ground the leaves for over several minutes and poured the resulting fine powder into a mug of the mead. He then hovered a hand over the mug, whispered a few incomprehensible words, and what looked like a thin whisp of smoke entered the liquid. Hui then began grinding even more bittergreen along with a new, white granular substance in his apparatus. It took another several minutes for the new power to finish. By that time Khinjarsi was begging for a break and Zayden was praying for release.
When the second powder was poured into another drink and the spell cast upon it Hui placed the second mug on Zayden's side of the table and motioned that everything was ready. Zayden nodded and, turning his full attention back onto the Khajiit, gave one final, furious burst of effort into his intercourse. It finally ended with one explosive climax that rendered both he and the Khajiit into splayed, panting, sweaty messes on the floor.
It would be another minute before Zayden finally found the strength to sit back up. He glanced over to Jeed-Ei and Hui, both of them sharing slightly impressed looks. Khinjarsi rolled over and sat up a moment later, her eyes wide and firmly locked onto the Imperial.
"You lied to me," she said in a haggard, breathy voice. "Imperial did not need any 'practice.' Imperial has surprising stamina! And strength, the way you were able to handle me. This wife of yours must be a very happy woman indeed!"
Now fully embarrassed, Zayden shrugged his shoulders. Something about the praise of his "stamina and strength" rang familiar to Zayden but he could not remember exactly from where. "Truth be told," replied Zayden, "we have only made love once before. You have only been my second lay, as far as I can remember."
The Khajiit raised an eyebrow at that last remark but quickly forgot about it when she suddenly realized she was incredibly thirsty. She snatched up the nearest mug and gulped down its contents, then turning her attention to the two Argonians.
"Hey, Jeed-Ei," she called out. "If your friend isn't going to put out, maybe you should try the Imperial out yourself. He's a reeee…" Her words trailed off like a leaf fluttered in a breeze. Then, like a snuffed candle, Khinjarsi fell backwards and was fast asleep.
Zayden nearly gasped at how quickly the potion worked. "I-Is she…?"
"She's fine," Hui finished, "just in a deep sleep. That white powder I mixed in was moon sugar. That with bittergreen makes a powerful sleeping potion. She'll be out until next morning, most likely." Hui picked back up the other mug and gave it to Jeed-Ei. "This will be an invisibility potion. It will render you completely transparent and your every sound silent including your voice. But it will not last long, ten minutes at best. And it is weak; any sudden movements or if anything bumps into you the spell will break. Once you drink this, keep ahold of me if possible but keep as close as you can… Ready?"
Jeed-Ei gave a nervous smile and nodded. She took the cup from Hui and drank it whole. The two men then watched as she, over the next several seconds, became ever less and less opaque until she disappeared completely from sight.
Zayden scrambled to get his clothes on and Hui gathered his supplies. Soon the two, with Jeed-Ei occasionally brushing against Hui's tail to let him know she was close, exited the room and migrated back downstairs to the bar and to Desele. Hui took the lead and gave her a tip of his own, praising the establishment and their women simultaneously, stating he hopes to return someday soon. During the exchange Zayden turned around and took the room in one more time, knowing it was more likely his and Hui's last time here. His eyes eventually fell upon a particularly dimly lit corner on the opposite side and the sight there within made his blood chill.
A man, sitting at a table, was looking straight at Zayden. In the darkness his features were nearly impossible to make out but he was without a doubt watching him. Zayden wondered if it was possible he knew what they were doing, or that he could see Jeed-Ei. Zayden pretended to hear something behind him and turned back around to Hui. By then he had just finished up and was urging his friend toward the door. A girl returned to them their staff, cloak and weapons just before they stepped back outside.
By now the rains had finally died down to a drizzle, the skies still gray and overcast. Zayden waited until he and Hui had ascended the stairs before speaking. "I think we might have been found out," he whispered to Hui. "A man in the bordello was watching us the whole time as we were leaving. Don't raise suspicions, act natural, but we might want to quicken our pace."
Hui nodded in agreement and everyone quickened their pace to the fastest walk they could muster. They returned to the stable, retrieved their guar, and took off once they were sure Jeed-Ei had slipped onto the back of Hui's mount. They took off toward the river, to the docks, in search of a ferry. Many were available but few were of pontoon design large enough to take their mounts.
They chose upon a medium size pontoon with a canopy section near the stern. The boat's ferryman, a Dunmer man dressed much like the gondoliers of Vivec and his boy deck hand, sat bored under the canopy. The former smoked a long stemmed churchwarden pipe and the boy was rolling fistfulls of dice playing a numbers game. The two stood up as the riders' approach and the man halted them while they were still on the dock.
"Where to, travellers?" the ferryman asked.
"Vivec City," Zayden answered, "and soon, if possible. It's just us two and our guar."
The ferryman signaled to the boy and he came running over to lead the beasts onto the boat and tie them down. The riders dismounted and Zayden approached the ferryman readying his coin pouch. Just then a new voice sounded from the dock. Everyone turned and was met with the sight of a new person hopping off the dock and onto the boat.
The man was unmistakably dressed and armed like an Ashlander: a full suit of netch leather armor including a full helm with distinct white rimmed goggles, a length of red cloth wrapped around the neck and shoulders. The man was well armed with chitin weapons: a short one-handed spear, dagger and an axe sheathed at the waist, and a short bow and quiver of arrows secured to his back. He was quite clearly a warrior, but what he was doing so far south from his people's land was perplexing.
It took Zayden a moment more to realize but soon enough he knew this was the onlooker from the brothel. Zayden suddenly unsheathed his sword and aimed its point at the newcomer. To Zayden's surprise the Ashlander immediately raised his hands in surrender.
"Zayden, what are you doing!?" Hui protested.
"This man followed us from the brothel," Zayden answered. He took a step forward and brought the tip of the sword closer. "State your intentions, and quickly!"
"Be at ease, outlander," the Ashlander replied, his voice muffled behind his helm. "I am only here to help." He reached for a money pouch on his belt but stopped when Zayden tensed up. "Imperial, please. You and I both know you haven't much time and you need to leave Suran soon. Don't delay further." Zayden stepped back hesitantly and let the stranger grab his money. He quickly handed off to the ferryman a tall stack of coins.
"Umm, sir?" said the ferryman. "You have given me too much."
"The extra," the Ashlander replied, "is for you to set sail immediately, with no questions asked."
The ferryman paused for only a brief second before he and the boy set off to work. Within minutes the pontoon had shoved off, its main sail hoisted, and began its journey south down the Nabai River. Soon enough Suran disappeared behind a bend in the river. All this occurred with Zayden still threatening the Ashlander with the tip of his sword. The threat only broke when the boy suddenly called out to his master about the guar.
It was in that moment the spell on Jeed-Ei finally broke and she came fading into visibility. Once she knew she was spotted she hopped off and fled into Hui's protecting arms once more. The ferryman came marching over and was clearly furious. "Who in oblivion is that!?" he demanded.
His demand was quickly met by the Ashlander grabbing him by the shoulder and violently spinning him around to face him. "I thought we agreed, ferryman; no questions asked. She doesn't concern you, and if you are wise you will forget you ever saw her." He let go and pushed him backward to make the threat clear. The ferryman slunk to the bow of the ship and said nothing more of the subject.
Finally Zayden felt at ease with the stranger, at least enough to finally sheathe his weapon. He motioned to him and they, along with Hui and Jeed-Ei went under the canopy where the boy was steering the rudder. The two Argonians sat down near some crates and huddled close together. Then, to Zayden's surprise, for the first time since seeing her, Jeed-Ei spoke. She began whispering to Hui in Jel, the Argonian's native language, and he replied in kind. To the Imperial it sounded like a complex of grunts, chuffs and chittering, accompanied with body, tail, and hand movement. Whatever the two were discussing they quickly became engrossed and they seemed at peace in each other's arms.
Zayden left his friend be and turned his attention back to the Ashlander. He was standing next to the boy near the rudder. The boy was showing him his dice set and as Zayden approached the boy seemed to be explaining the rules of a game. He quickly stopped when Zayden approached, tucked his dice away, and returned his focus on the boat. He was afraid to look the Imperial in the eye.
The Ashlander turned and met Zayden's approach with a question. "How are the Argonians?"
"She's fine," Zayden answered, "but forget them for the moment. I have questions that you will answer… You are the one from the bordello, yes?" The man nodded. "You followed us from there to the ferry?" Another nod. "Did you know we had the girl rendered invisible?"
"I did. Her tail, at one point, bumped into a chair. You may be able to hide the anxiousness in your eyes, Imperial, but your friend could not. It wasn't hard to put the pieces together."
"But you didn't tell the owner what we were doing, nor the town guard. You followed and helped us escape the town. Why?"
"Is it so hard to believe one would do such a thing?"
"Not if we were in Cyrodill, or anywhere where slavery is forbidden. But in Vvardenfell? And from an Ashlander? That renders doubt."
"It would, if I were an Ashlander." Zayden scoffed at the notion, disbelieving, thinking he was playing games with him. "I am friends with the Ashlanders and have spent much time amongst them. They have clad me in their garb and their weapons in their friendship. But I am friend to them, not of them. You could call me a sort of 'honorary Ashlander.' Such is how Nibani Maesa referred to me."
The name made Zayden perk up instantly, the memory from the Cavern of The Incarnate rushing back. "Nibani Maesa?" Zayden repeated. "You know her?"
"Indeed. Do you as well?"
"Of her. But I am to meet her when my business in Vivec is complete."
"And what business would that be?"
"You would not believe me if I told you… Or perhaps you would…?" Zayden lifted his right hand and held out in front of the man his ring, One-Clan-Under-Moon-And-Star. "Look at this ring, 'Ashlander.' What significance does it hold for you?"
It only took a brief look to send the man reeling back, gasping and sounding dumbfounded. He would have fallen backwards onto the deck were it not for a nearby post of the canopy he grabbed onto. "By Azura," he exclaimed. He rushed back over and grabbed Zayden by the hand, giving the ring another gaze. "B-By Azura! By Azura! T-This is- T-The ring of the Incarnate! Moon-And-Star! Worn and its wearer still breathes!" The man looked back up at Zayden's face. "Nerevarine. You are Nerevarine!"
Hui, hearing the commotion, shot up to his feet and walked over to Zayden, Jeed-Ei quickly following. The man's exclamations similarly garnered curiosity from the boy, who left his rudder and walked toward the group. He was quickly stopped by the ferryman who dismissed the Ashlander as mad and told the boy to stay at the rudder.
"You have no doubts?" Zayden asked. "You are certain this is that very ring? I could have forged a fake."
"This is no forgery," the man insisted. "As I live and breathe this is the very ring Indoril wore, the ring to reveal his reincarnation! And to think, Zayden, it was you all along!"
Zayden took his hand back, pushed the man away, and drew his sword once again, this time bringing its tip within inches of the man's throat. "Not once, 'Ashlander,' have I ever said my name in your presence. Tell me who you really are this instant or you die!"
Slowly, the man raised both his hands up, placed them on each side of his helm, and lifted it off his head, revealing his face.
"A very old friend," said Caius