Ignem Tristitia (An Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Prequel) [ON HOLD]

Chapter Ten - Conversations in the Dark

I expected it to be Kharjo, but it wasn't. It was Brelas.

"Have you seen Kharjo?" I whispered.

"No, Drelas followed the crate he was in," he replied. "You two split up halfway here. I've got no idea where they are."

"S'rendarr, have mercy," I sighed, flicking a fly off my ear.

"Come," he whispered. "We need to get out of here."

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As we ran outside, narrowly dodging the guard inside, I took my first glimpse inside the city. The warehouse was facing the harbor, where the Legionnaire was docked. The city's imperial buildings were crafted with white stone bricks, tightly compacted with the most durable mortar known to man. The roofs were encased in almost metallic dark purple shingles.

The sun was now above the horizon, casting its yellow light from the east. The sky was almost cloudless, and the city was exactly how Brelas described it. Brelas' description didn't even compare with how magnificently beautiful this port city was.

"S'Drassa," Brelas said, waving at me to come on.

I didn't realize I was staring at the city, my mouth slightly opened. I closed it and caught up with him.

"All right, Duvrus'll be waiting at the Breasted Basilisk, which is down there," he said, pointing down the street at a tavern.

"Let's go, then," I said. "Wait, where are Star, Lumak, and Veezare?"

"Most likely already at the Basilisk," he replied, starting down the road. "C'mon."

We walked down the old, moss covered path, our boots clacking against the stone.

When we reached the tavern, Brelas pushed the door open slowly, to check if the team was inside. Surely enough, they were sitting at a table in the back left corner.

"That's them," Brelas said, stepping into the room.

We walked over to the table, where the three were.

"Where're Kharjo and Drelas?" asked Star, scrunching her face.

"Don't know," said Brelas. "They split off in the opposite direction."

"Well, let's go find them," Star said, standing up. "Duvrus, stay here in case they come."

"Okay," Duvrus said, nodding in agreement.

The five of us walked out the door, turning left down the path, toward the north of the city.

"Where d'you think they went?" asked Lumak.

"What'd you tell them the crates contained?" Brelas asked.

"One had paper and the other had weapons," Veezare said.

"I was paper," I said, remembering the stacks in the crate I thought was Kharjo's.

"Well, they'd probably in the trade yard store rooms," Brelas said.

"How do you know that?" asked Lumak.

Brelas stared at Lumak, stopping in the middle of the road.

"I was born here, remember?" Brelas said, sighing in annoyance.

"Oh yeah!" Lumak said.

"Moron," Veezare muttered under his breath.

The group continued down the road, led by Brelas. This part of town was the strongly imperial part, obviously. There were several census and excise offices. It's good slavery was outlawed, or else there'd be a lot worse I'd receive than dirty looks.