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After a brief meeting with the Guildmaster, I was told about
an intelligence member of the ASP. He had been seen in Vivec, in the Elven
Nations Cornerclub. I was ordered to find and kill him without drawing too much
attention to myself, but being subtile wasn't one of my strong points. I only
agreed to do it since the other missions were either boring or too much for me.
Hopping off the Slit Strider, I headed toward the Foreign
Quarter of Vivec. I stopped before the bridge and muttered the mark spell,
something told me this mission was going to be a bit difficult. I walked across
the bridge into Vivec, glancing up at the Foreign Quarter,
"Another mission in this dismal city, I should've taken a
different one." I sighed, returning my depressed gaze to the road ahead.
A Breton with a serious look on his face was chatting with the
gondolier, I caught a glimpse of a dagger as I passed by, the gondolier was
being robbed in broad daylight.
"I'm not in the mood for a fight, but I can't just let
him get away with it. Curse my luck." I thought, turning around.
"Pardon me," I said to the Breton, quickly pulling out my dagger and
holding to his throat, "explain to me what is going on here, are you
robbing this person?" he froze, feeling the blade against his skin.
"N...no." he stuttered,
"That's a lie! This man threatened to gut me where I
stood if I didn't give him all my gold!" gondolier shouted, taking a few
steps back.
I glared at the Breton "Is that so? You had better report
this then, I'll make sure he stays here."
"Th- thank you!" said the gondolier, before running
off to find an Ordinator. Moments later he returned with one, and the Breton was
arrested. "Thanks again for saving me," the gondolier said after the
Ordinator and Breton had gone, "I'm Devas Irano, is there anything I can do
to repay you?" "How about a lift to the Hlaalu
canton?"
"Of course! Follow me."
The gondola stopped at the Hlaalu canton dock, I said goodbye
to Devas and climbed to the plaza gates. Finding the Elven Nations Cornerclub
was easy, finding an ASP agent without being noticed was going to be a lot
harder. I went into the Elven Nations, sat down at the bar and ordered a drink,
listening to the various conversations.
An Imperial was complaining about his day to an Argonian, a
Bosmer was hitting on an Altmer with some of the worst pickup lines I had ever
heard, a Khajiit was telling a small group about a psychotic, cannibal Orc going
on a rampage in the Telvanni canton, nothing seemed noteworthy until I saw a
Dunmer, that fit the description that I was given, with a Redguard, having a
quiet conversation at the corner table. I strained my ears, trying to listen to
them.
"...my....sion..."
"Alw...ith....isn...?"
The other voices in the club muffled their whispers.
"Me....tairs....nutes."
I couldn't understand anything, but after that last bit the
Dunmer got up and left. I waited a moment before heading out myself. He left the
plaza, I stayed as far away as I could without losing sight of him. He went into
the canalworks and down the trapdoor to the underworks. I dashed across the room
to a different trapdoor and descended into the underworks after him.
From where I was I could see the agent at the other end of the
tunnel. "He must be waiting for someone, probably that Redguard." I
thought, looking for a way to get closer without being seen. The water running
through the center of the tunnel seemed to be the safest bet, as long as no
slaughter fish had found their way in here. I lowered myself into the water,
swimming as quietly as I could along the wall. When I was about halfway to the
Dunmer I heard the creak of a trapdoor opening.
"It's about time you got here," I heard the Dunmer
say "what kept you?"
"Someone was in the Canalworks, I had to wait until they
had gone."
I couldn't see who was talking, but it sounded like a Redguard,
and someone in the canalworks, did he mean me?
"So, what's the job this time?"
"You see, certain events have lowered our supplies a bit,
not really enough to worry about but enough to irritate the Master. We would
like you and your team to obtain some more from Fort Darius, they recently got a
shipment of equipment in, so there should be plenty for the taking."
"Gnisis huh? Not much out that way, that's got to be one
of the most pathetic Forts on Vvardenfell. What's the reward?"
"Ten thousand septims, is that agreeable?"
"Hmm... fine, I'll gather my troops and begin toward
Gnisis tomorrow, we'll go by foot, those lazy fetchers need the exercise."
"Very well, I shall inform the Master that you have taken
his offer." After a moment I heard the trapdoor open and close, I lifted my
head to see if both of them were gone, they were.
I pulled myself out of the water and
climbed up to the canalworks through the nearest trapdoor. Searching through the
canal and waistworks, my target had vanished. I eventually found myself on the
outside of the Hlaalu canton, gazing across the water at the Foreign Quarter and
Redoran cantons. I looked down at the sparkling blue water,
"The Guildmaster is not going to be happy about
this." I mumbled.
I stared at the water, thinking about going back to Suran,
when something caught my eye. The Dunmer I was sent to kill was walking over the
lower bridge to the Redoran canton! I grabbed my bow, dashing closer for a
better vantage point. I stopped in the middle of the high bridge and took out an
arrow, aiming at the back of the Dunmer. I took a deep breath, knowing if I
missed I probably wouldn't get another shot. I targeted his head, he wasn't too
far away yet so I had a good chance of hitting my mark, releasing the bowstring
I watched the arrow fly at him and pierce his neck. He fell to the ground, a
pool of blood growing in size around his head. "Whew, got him."
"You! Hold it!" someone shouted. I
turned to the Redoran side of the bridge and saw an Ordinator with his sword
drawn.
"Oh crap!" I shouted, turning to run back to the
Hlaalu canton, only to see an Ordinator on that side as well. "A pincer
attack? Damn!" I grumbled, wondering how I was going to get out of this,
it's not like I had enough gold to pay them off, and there was no way I was
going to prison. Before I could cast the recall spell they both rushed me,
swinging wildly. Their swords dug into my flesh, cutting through my armor like
it was made of paper. After taking an onslaught of slashes I lost what little
balance I had, falling backwards off the bridge. I hit the water head first,
sinking like a rock. With the last of my strength, I managed to cast the recall
spell.
"Hey! Wake up!" I heard someone
shout.
Opening my eyes I saw one of the cantons looming overhead. The
blurry figure of a Dunmer wearing a Gondoliers hat came into focus, "D...Devas?"
"Yeah, it's me."
As I tried to sit up a surge of pain went through my body, I
let out a scream.
"Don't try to move! You're lucky to be alive." he
said standing up, "Just hold on, I'll go get a healer."
I watched him run across the bridge into Vivec, realizing that
I was laying just outside the Foreign Quarter. I chanted a heal spell and tried
to sit up again, the pain was horrible, but I did my best to bear it. Looking
down at my body I saw my robe was cut to ribbons, stained red with blood and
soaking wet.
"Damn, this was one of my favorite robes too." I
looked up, Devas was running back with an Altmer in tow. After being healed,
buying a new robe and thanking Devas, I hurried to the Silt Strider and back to
Suran.
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