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The Elder Scrolls: Fruits of Contention - Chapter 2

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The Elder Scrolls: Fruits of Contention - Chapter 2 (Completed)

@Hank

The Elder Scrolls: Fruits of Contention - Chapter 2 (Completed)

5:45pm, Last Seed 16
Royal Garden, Evermore Castle

---

Already, the castle grounds were buzzing with activity. Administrators and guards admitted the early attendees (and occasionally turning away citizens trying to fake their way in), senior staff members shouted orders for their subordinates to finish the final preparations, while performers fine tuned their instruments. Swathes of ornamental lights lit up the courtyard even before sunset, and flowing banners of all High Rock states gently waved in the late summer wind. There were also tables and stages being set in the royal garden, where the early half of the event would be enjoyed when the air was still warm. The air was currently fragrant, of crafted scents and nature, and sprinkled with the occasional wafts of cooking emitted from the castle kitchens.

Gathered just beyond the main gate, where metal bars formed the raven crest of Evermore, the first wave of guests were being introduced to the royal garden. Gustav and most of the mercenaries were present, to get an early impression of various people before the crowd became difficult to sift through. There were just over two dozen people right now, being led by a Redguard gardener through marble arches and seas of summer flowers. Behind the group were two royal guards, one of whom checked off names from a wooden clipboard. Every few minutes or so, some new faces would be added to the tour. Most of these people wore the finest and carried themselves like they were the finest. However, as far as Gustav could see, none of the monarchs and generals appeared thus far.

Ariane strolled at the front of the group. She held Maj's right arm in her left, to make it look like Maj was her date. Her silver-quilted coat didn't quite match well with Maj's green dress, but compared to the fur-clad Bosmer "spinner" behind them, it was hardly unfashionable. Ariane held her head high, despite being one of the shortest person around. She followed the gardener with a slight sense of amusement, but mostly the detached boredom that was typical of the nobles around her. Gustav ordered her to stay vigilant, but Ariane hardly looked around. When she did, she saw none other than her uncle (and Keegan's debt owner), Horace Fontaine, joining the tour.

"Excuse us." Ariane said quickly, and took Maj's to a gazebo nearby. Thankfully, Horace didn't notice them in the process, and even better for Maj, the person behind Horace, Quyon Cox, didn't either.

"Sorry, that's-" Ariane apologized, suddenly appearing unsure of herself. "That's my uncle; we had a bit of a disagreement when we last met. Let's wait a bit here."

However, Maj wasn't paying attention to her; there's something of note about the man behind Horace.

"Are you alright?" Ariane shook her.

Turned out, it wasn't just Ariane and Maj seeing familiar faces. Comfortably standing in the middle of the crowd, with Sadri by his side, Gustav had been studying a peculiar pot of purple columbine. The plant smelled faintly of rotten meat. The gardener claimed it was the result from decades of meticulous breeding, but for all Gustav could see (and whispered to Sadri), it was a waste of money. He would have invested in something more substantial, like the patch of moss-like alchemy plants they passed by earlier, or those Ayleid marble arches they were walking under. Gustav remembered reading about the Duchess' interest in Ayleid architecture in the Gazette, how she renovated much of the castle in the style of ancient "flesh gardens", and speak of the Gazette...

"Hello there!" Someone suddenly appeared Gustav's left. It was Janne Swiftsong, one of the Swiftsong twins and editor of the Gazette branch in Skyrim. That meant...

"You are bold one, Gustav!" Jens Swiftsong practically jumped in from the right.

"Right, heh, hi." Gustav looked back and forth between them. One of them was sketching on a clipboard, while the other was writing in a notebook. "Heh, didn't expect to find you two here."

"Why not?" Jens spun his quill in between his fingers. "Breaking news of this importance requires a bit of personal touch!"

"Plus, we have to fill in for Madura." Janne added. "We know you're his biggest fan, but hey, give us a chance!"

"Uh, actually-" Gustav tried to say, but the sibling's enthusiasm didn't give him a chance.

"Anyway, what brought you here?" Jens asked. "Weren't you organizing a mercenary company?"

"There's a change of plan." Gustav shrugged.

"Ah, I see." Janne nodded, then she pointed to Sadri. "Anyway, I believe we haven't been introduced to your friend there, yet."

Towards the back of the group, Wylendriel and Niernen found themselves looking at glowing mushrooms imported from Redoran mines. Next to the mushrooms were hummingbird mint from Greenshade, Valenwood. The entire section was part of an exotic collection featuring plants not found in High Rock. The labels suggest most of them were actually consumed in some form; the mushroom as alternative light source and mint as flavoring in cocktails. Said cocktail was soon served as the tour ended. Several servants, one of them being Sagax (whom had passed the checkpoint), brought out beverages for the guests sip on. A bell ring signaled the formal start of the evening. People started to mingle with drinks in hand, and the first person to approach Wylendriel for conversation was Aries Machella.

It was at this time did Relyssa emerge with Alim in tow. There had been a quite few attendees picking up their attendants from the servants' quarters. Some of them were elderly, some of were injured war veterans, and some just wanted to boss the people around. Whatever the case, the attendants had to go through a painstaking orientation process on etiquette, safety and restricted areas. Nothing that wasn't known beforehand was said. For the hosts at the castle, it was their way to assert authority over third-party servants. For the attendants like Alim, it was a boring hour listening to self-righteous harping. For guests like Relyssa, their attendants were late by five minutes.

The Elder Scrolls: Fruits of Contention - Chapter 2 (Completed)

4pm, Last Seed 16
Side Entrance, Evermore Castle

---

Compared to the ornate metal and oak of the main gate, the side entrance to Evermore Castle was a plain double door. The processing of servants was unceremonial; a few officials ticking off names from a lists. However, there were no shortage of guards inspecting each of the servants. As typical with any formal Breton event, agents of espionage were commonplace, and their typical disguise being that of the unassuming servant. Therefore, the throng of royal guards was no strange sight for those familiar with such occasions.

Unfortunately for one Sagax Speculatus, his attempt to sneak in a dagger was caught red-handed. The guards were well-experienced with hidden weapons and contraband, so much so that they didn't think Sagax posed a threat.

"That's not a bad kitchen knife, but you should know outside tools are not allowed." A castle administrator (a gaunt Breton man with graying and receding hairline) finished patting down Sagax and took the dagger into his hand. He gave it a quick look around and beckoned Sagax to come with him.

"So, you're Shay Cormac." The administrator took Sagax into a small office near the entrance. "Heh, you think you're an assassin or something with this knife?"

"I joke, of course." The administrator put the dagger in a box behind him, which was labeled temporary storage.

"However, your name appeared yesterday and was immediately hired. We do need extra hands, but there's nothing of note about you." The administrator sat down behind a desk, but left no chair for Sagax to sit on. "I've never seen or heard of you around, and I know basically everyone in town."

"Now, son, why don't you tell me a bit about yourself?"

---

Luckily for Keegan, Alim and Tsleeixth, the unwilling distraction Sagax provided allowed them to pass undeterred. It also helped that they didn't stuff a chunk of metal in their jackets, and maybe the guards were too busy laughing at Keegan's jester custome, which was something between a fried banana and a frilled monkey.

It was the most humiliating attire Keegan had the displeasure of ever putting on. It also didn't help that he was carrying a sack of big, jingling balls (for juggling, of course). One of the guards had to give his ball sack a hard squeeze, while another patted his buttocks like a slap. When they finally let him through, most of them were more than amused.

"Blood hell, the Shifty Banana. What a cheeky bastard, that high elf." A guard chuckled. "Right, next! You must be, uh..."

"Slick-Teeth?" The guard looked confusingly at Tsleeixth. A quick pat down ended with a firm squeeze of the Argonian's tail. "Whatever, you Argonians all look the same. In you go, and do wash your hands, often."

When it came Alim's turn, the guards were almost bored with a standard looking human dressed in standard servant's attire. However, the mention of his role brought on a few looks.

"Can't say I envy you." Another servant said to Alim. "Personal attendant for one of those showoffs on high horses; they'll probably run you around all night, but hey, heard the tip's good, and maybe you'll get a bit of personal time with this Lady Relyssa." The other servant left with a wink.

"Personal time" would be way down on Alim's to-do list. Gustav had pulled Alim aside right after the mission briefing adjourned, and secretly gave him the detail of his assignment to Relyssa. Gustav needed Alim to do whatever's necessary to gain Relyssa's trust, even if it might be illegal. "Keep tabs on her and use your discretion" was what Gustav advised. The only thing he forbid was getting intimate.

"She's too manipulative," Alim could recall Gustav saying, "and I already reserved the first dance with her."

---

The first person Tsleeixth encountered in the kitchen was another Argonian. She wore a cook's clothing, complete with a white apron and hat. When she noticed Tsleeixth, her eyes lit up.

"Ayy, another Argonian!" She exclaimed. She rushed over from her station and offered Tsleeixth a very much Breton hand shake. "You have no idea how long it's been since I've seen another one of us; most of them ran off last month with that Hist nonsense. I've never had tht stuff and-"

"Hey, quit talking!" The head chef ordered. "Back to work!"

"Sorry, I do get excited sometimes." The Argonian cook apologized, seemingly only to Tsleeixth. They approached a table with various vegetables on it, and she began cutting them.

"My name's Chops-Lettuce, because, you know." she gestured to the lettuce she was chopping. "Raised on lettuce and never had Hist sap myself, probably why I didn't get those weird dreams. What about you, friend?"

After a few minutes of conversation, Chops-Lettuce went to fetch another batch of vegetables. While she was away, two more cooks, a Breton and a Redguard, took places on each side of Tsleeixth.

"Another lizard, huh? You just don't learn how to stay in your swamp." The Redguard stabbed a knife into the table, dangerously close to Tsleeixth's hand. "I see how this is."

"That's right, you beasts came and took our jobs, jobs from honest, hard-working humans." The Breton slammed a meat clever down near Tsleeixth's other hand. "You better pull your weight, or you'll be the one getting chopped."

What Are You Listening To?

What Are You Listening To?

The Elder Scrolls: Fruits of Contention - Chapter 2 (Completed)

5pm, Last Seed 16
Rear Entrance, Evermore Castle

---

It was an hour before main reception of the banquet opened. Beyond the busy final preparations were two wood carts strolling through the rear entrance. Two wooden crates rested on each cart, all painted with the East Empire Company logo on the side. Two people pushed them towards the rear entrance of Evermore Castle; Cilo and Saddi.

The crates clinked each time the carts hit a bump, which caused their contents and occupants to collide sharply into each other (and illiciting muffled curses). The average adult person had to be contorted in highly uncomfortable positions inside, and once the lids were sealed, breathing became somewhat difficult.

However, all Cilo and Saddi could see was a narrow secluded path from the back of the castle. The ground was roughly paved with cobblestones, the sides were tall castle walls and few of the lush vegetation that dotted the garden grew back here. This was the place for goods to be shipped, out from to the public eye and devoid of any decorations. They had already cleared the gatehouse at the outer wall, all that stood before the Khajiit and Imperial was the guarded entrance to the castle cellar.

"Halt!" One of two guards there stopped the mercenaries. "No more deliveries until the banquet ends."

The guard wore heavy metal plates of the Evermore Royal Guard, and his face indistinguishable under his fully covered helmet. He didn't sound happy to be here in the slightest, shooing away packages instead of watching the festivities (and maybe even sneak in some snacks).

"This is the EEC's gift to the duchess." Cilo said.

"That already came in yesterday." The second guard grunted. As she said so, a second pair of guards emerged from the cellar.

"Took you two long enough." The first guard shook his head. "We're just about to show these lost EEC folks the way out."

What Are You Listening To?

The Elder Scrolls: Fruits of Contention - Chapter 2 (Completed)

Morning, Last Seed 16
Market District, Evermore

---

"Give this one your lunch money!"

Keegan sighed upon hearing the voice. It was a familiar one, and one he wish he'd never hear again. The right (and obvious) course of action was to keep his head down and walk away. He got drunk last night and was still shaking off the hangover. Keegan hadn't drank since the induction party at Daggerfall Theatre, where he woke up aching in spots that weren't suppose to ache in that kind of way, and obscene shapes painted on his face. Well, he meant to drink tea instead of alcohol last night. But someone, probably the overly-excited tea seller, spiked his tea with a generous dose of liquor. Thankfully, Keegan didn't wake up with any invasive leftover on him (as far as he could tell). He also didn't wake up to deal with the debt collector that almost killed him in Dawnstar. There was also the fact that Keegan was carrying a armful of fresh peaches just bought from the market.

"I don't have any money on me!" The accosted individual sounded like a young woman. She was trapped in a narrow back alley, with the debt collector between them, his back towards Keegan. "Perhaps I can-"

"Money or knuckles to the face!"

The debt collector was a big and ugly Khajiit, a Cathay, as Do'Karth told Keegan. He was a brute, decked out in steel armor and brass knuckles, and fought by completely flattening his opponents. His name was Muh'ali the Champ, the second part of which was self-given. As far as Keegan was concerned, Muh'ali was not really a debt collector, but a bully that picked on the convenient and the vulnerable. Keegan hated him, more so than the long list of other people he hated. Scapegoating was deplorable, robbery was criminal, and combining the two was the absolute worst Nirn had to offer. So no matter how much Keegan didn't want to fight, he needed to put an end to Muh'ali, because otherwise, the Champ would eventually put an end to him.

Enough monologue, Keegan budged in with a barrage of magic. First came the paralysis, then the sparks from his staff, the conjured familiar, bound dagger, fear, and even a soul trap for his Soultrap Go!™ collection. When he exhausted his magic, Keegan threw his batch of peaches.

In his excitement and anger, Keegan completely forgot how Muh'ali was wearing armor enchanted with magicka-nullifying defenses. None of Keegan's spell did what they intended, but the sheer volume of them (and the splashing of peaches) knocked Muh'ali onto his back. Keegan was now standing over Muh'ali, the blades of staff pointed at the Khajiit's throat.

"You!" Muh'ali took in the interloper with a snarl, and then recognition. "You shouldn't-"

"Shut up!" Keegan yelled, his voice cracking.

"Ha, all grown up, have the cub?" Muh'ali smirked, he arced his head up from the ground, taunting Keegan as he pressed his neck against the blade tip. "You can't kill a fly, so Muh'ali will give you five seconds to run away, before he adds you to the meat cart as well."

"I said, shut up!" Keegan's voice was now more annoyed than intimidating. Could he really kill another person? He had never done so in the seven decades of his life. Keegan had joined a mercenary company, for Auriel's sake, where his peers slaughtered dozens in the blink of an eye. But he's not one of them, he never had been and likely never will. When Keegan attempted to push the staff blades in, he felt his palms become sweaty, his knees weakening and his arms heavy as lead. The spaghetti he had eaten last night was floating back up; Keegan was going to vomit on the new sweater he had gotten from Gustav's tailor.

Keegan blinked several times, clenched his jaw tight as a vice, and willed his arms to go forward. He had to do this, not for the company, not for the accosted young woman, not against Muh'ali, but to prove to himself that he had the courage to confront what he was afraid of the most.

"Ha!" Muh'ali's sudden laughter broke Keegan's concentration. All of a sudden, his grip on his staff loosened, and Muh'ali easily swatted it away from his throat. "Hahaha-"

Swoosh!

Flash!

Splat!

It all happened too fast for Keegan to comprehend. A orichalcum dagger flew out of the young woman's sleeve, it was immediately steered into Muh'ali's throat and buried deep with a sickening twist. The Khajiit hardly managed a single set of gurgles before he became deathly still. The young woman was now kneeling over Muh'ali's corpse, extracting the dagger with the precision of a hunter.

"My goodness, that's quite a handful of peaches! But how shall I ever repay you?" The young woman stood up and took a sultry step towards Keegan, her hip swaying suggestively. Her face was obstructed by a hood and the shadows of the buildings beside her. "But don't fret, my delicate flower. I'll satisfy your cravings later."

"Because we have plenty of time, my sweet." She took another step forward to stroke Keegan's cheeks. Now, he could see the woman's face; it was one he had seen before, despite the heavy makeup. Her next line came out halfway before the realization of who Keegan was stopped her. "Plenty of..."

This was not a helpless damsel as Keegan had expected. This was an experienced hunter with a crossdressing hobby. He's an Imperial named Lucex Venatorii, and Keegan fought alongside him in the Reach.

"Time." Keegan finished for a stunned Lucex.

"Keegan?" Lucex sputtered, his previously feminine voice shifting to masculine. He quickly backed away from Keegan's personal space. "I didn't- I mean, thanks for the help."

"What, what are you doing here, Lucex?" Keegan's mouth hung open. "Aren't you, uh, hunting around Whiterun?"

"You know, traveling, visiting places, new, I mean, news." Lucex tripped over his own words. For once, Keegan's not the most awkward speaker in a conversation. This meant that Keegan could press his luck a little further than he normally would.

"Horseshit." Keegan imitated the way Jorwen used to call out liars. The hand that wasn't gripping his staff now emanated blue illusory lights. "Tell me the truth."

The spell seeped into Lucex's mind, making his speech forced and his eyes droopy. "Gunnbjorn, Frieda, Elberond and I left the Hunting Guild because rebels are attacking Whiterun. We came to Bangkorai to hunt giant bats. They found out I was wearing dresses and seducing city lads at night, so they kicked me out. I had to prostitute myself to eat. Some nobles hired to me for the banquet, to service their-"

"Alright, that's enough." Keegan put his palm into face.

"What in Oblivion?" Lucex shook himself out of his daze once Keegan released the verity spell. The Imperial's grip tightened around his dagger. "Why did I just say all that? What did you do?"

"I didn't, you didn't-ow!" Keegan shuffled away, only to bang his head against a low hanging thatch. The situation was once again extremely disconcerting; Keegan just remembered his palms were drenched in sweat. "Look, we should just, just-"

"We should just forget this ever happened," Lucex suggested, "right?"

"Right." Keegan nodded. He pressed his back tightly against the wall as Lucex scooched by, both of their gazes trying to avoid each other, but somehow met in accident. Keegan hung his head embarrassingly, while Lucex sprinted away as fast as possible.

"Right." Keegan repeated to himself. He looked down at Muh'ali, blood clogging around the dead Khajiit's throat and peach juice splayed across his armor. Keegan kicked the corpse towards a corner, so that it wouldn't stick out, in case anyone looked in from the street. As he did so, all Keegan could think about was Dumhuvud.

"Right, champ." Keegan spared Muh'ali one final glance before walking away. "We live in a strange world."

The Elder Scrolls: Fruits of Contention - Chapter 2 (Completed)

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