User:JohnB/Scotti's Revenge 2

The Other Woman

THE REVENGE:

At this point, dear reader, it is best to back up and watch Scotti’s movements in Arenthia after Laila left for Vvardenfell. To hear Scotti tell it would not be as interesting as actually watching it happen.

Scotti made his way to the black market to do some rather costly wheeling-and-dealing. He first needed a “Thief Ring” enchanted with constant-effect 100% Chameleon. Then he needed a flask of highly volatile pyroil tar, a substance so inflammable that it requires official permission to purchase and use. He then spent the last of his gold on a ticket back to the Capitol.

In the mean time, Lord Vanech learned that the Silvenar of Silvenar had threatened to invalidate all the contracts if he continued to drag his feet in honoring his side of the deal, so he felt obliged to set up a task force of clerks to process the contracts in a more timely fashion.

Lord Vanech was in his office signing the paperwork when suddenly there was a sound like a clap of thunder and the windows shook. The clerks, their faces blackened and the hair singed off their heads, ran into his office.

“Your Lordship! The contracts! All burned to ashes!”

“Sound the alarm!” Vanech called out.

More employees came in.

“Your Lordship! The building is going fast! We have to get out of here!”

They stood outside helplessly as a column of fire and smoke shot skyward from the roof and flames shot out of the windows.

Vanech ran to the local chapter of the Dark Brotherhood.

“What is the status on Decumus Scotti?!” he demanded to know.

The task giver cleared his throat and mopped his brow as he was forced to admit that the assassination was a failure.

“AND YOU LET HIM GO?!” he bellowed. “If I can’t get satisfaction, then return my money!”

For good measure, Vanech then went to the police to report the arson. Scotti was now a marked man as he underwent yet another hand-to-mouth existence trudging northward overland to the sea. The Thief Ring helped immensely as it rendered him totally invisible to sleep where he pleased and wander the roads totally undetected.

ANOTHER UNWELCOME GUEST:

The young woman entered and surveyed the well-furnished dining room of the Census and Excise office in Seyda Neen, and her eye immediately fell on the iron dagger stuck upright in the table. She approached and pulled it from the table. She waited because she was no longer sure if he was still there.

“Come on, show yourself!” she demanded. “I know you’re in here.”

Scotti suddenly appeared seated at the dining table helping himself to somebody’s lunch. He was unkempt and wore ill-fitting clothing that looked as if it might have been stolen.

“Can you pass me the bread?” he asked pointing to the basket on the bench.

She glared at him.

“...please?” he added.

She picked up the basket and dropped it angrily on the table.

"Thank you."

“Who are you?” she demanded.

“Do you mind if we talk later?” he asked as he tore off a chunk of bread and piled crab meat onto it. “They were feeding you, but they weren’t feeding me.”

She sat down across from him at the table with the dagger pointed in his direction.

“Oh, and could you put that down?” he added. “I’ve got a wife waiting for me in Ebonheart, so I have no intention of harming you in any way.”

“Oh, so you’ve got a wife!” she chuckled sardonically.

“Well, sort of,” he continued and poured himself a drink. “We just haven’t consummated it yet.”

“Oh, is that so!” she said in mock surprise. “So you wanted to get cozy with another girl before you tie the knot, eh?”

“Listen, can I explain myself later? There’s somebody at the other end waiting for your papers.”

He slipped the Thief Ring back on, and she found herself seemingly alone again.

She presented her papers to Sellus Gravius and received a packet and some gold to live on for a few days.

YUMIYA DE AKAVIR:

“See that lighthouse over there?” he whispered as they exited the Census and Excise office, “Let’s go there.”

She sat down on edge of the entrance ramp in front of the lighthouse, and soon he was visibly sitting next to her.

“I’m really sorry for keeping you unwanted company the way I did, but it was the only way I could cross the sea as a stow-away. You were an easy choice first because you’re so petite with ample space at the foot of your bunk for me to curl up in, and second because you brought up the end of the line of prisoners, so there was nobody behind me. And though I shared your bunk, never once did I lay a hand on you. Am I correct?”

She nodded grudgingly.

“Then who are you?” she asked.

“I don’t want to give out any details because I’m going to be in some very hot water before too long, and the less you know about me the better. My name is Decumus Scotti, Esquire.”

“Oh! A gentleman!”

“I’m sorry you hadn’t noticed before.”

“Well, your constant bodiless presence was extremely annoying. And I could hardly sleep with your tossing and turning.”

”Well, your feet are by no means festooned with roses, you know.”

She laughed heartily.

“Sorry about that, but prisoners aren’t supposed to enjoy warm baths.”

She noticed he was looking at her very intently, and it was starting to make her feel uncomfortable.

“Is there something wrong?” she asked.

“Uh, forgive me. I’ve just never seen a woman as pretty as you before. And your hair is so black and glossy, like obsidian. Where are you from?"

“I'm asked that a lot around here. Have you ever heard of Akavir?”

“My mother gave me the book Mysterious Akavir for my tenth birthday, I still remember the lurid descriptions of 'Snow Hell' full of demons, the 'Snake Palace' full of serpent people, the 'Thousand Monkey Isles' full of monkey people, the 'Tiger-Dragon's Empire'. I admit now that it didn't make a whole lot of sense with these creatures either eating or being eaten. But when you're ten years old, the question becomes urgent: 'Who knows what the Akaviri think of Tamriel, but ask yourself: why have they tried to invade it three times or more?'"

“Anti-Akaviri propaganda, if you ask me," she answered dryly, "designed to scare a ten-year-old into eating his broccoli. We Nakan people are a vast diaspora spread very thinly over the inhabited world. We are often mistaken for Bosmer. Just look at the ears, people!”

She pulled her thick black hair aside for him to see they were indeed round. Scotti was truly amazed.

“Yumiya,” she said holding out her hand.

“Oh, thank you!” he said shaking her hand.

“That’s my name, Yumiya.”

He guffawed. “Oh, I thought you were saying, ‘You! Me! Yeah!’”

She laughed loudly and biffed him playfully on the shoulder.

“Princess Yumiya de Akavir to be more precise. Actually, Yumiya in our language means ‘Bow and Arrow’, so I suppose you can guess what I excel in.”

“So, do I have to say ‘Your Excellency’?”

“Oh, please don’t. Let’s not stand on ceremony. I’m just a regular girl who was never raised in a palace with servants. The princess business is a long-standing power struggle among my people, which is partly why I’m here. I don’t want to trouble you with all the details. Suffice it to say that I still have a big axe to grind for certain pretenders to my father's throne. At some point, I need to get even with them.”

“If there’s any way I can help, please let me know.”

“It’s very kind of you. Listen, I’m supposed to meet some guy, what’s his name?” She looked at the names on the sealed packet that was handed to her by Sellus Gravius and read them out loud. “’To Caius Cosades, from Uriel Septim.’ Who’s he?”

Scotti grabbed the packet from her hands and stared at it wide-eyed.

“Ye gods! Uriel Septim?! The Emperor of Tamriel?!”

“Oh, THAT Uriel Septim!” she chuckled.

“It looks as if they’ve got big plans for you.”

She took back the packet.

"I’m not supposed to let this out of my sight until I’ve given it to Cosades in Balmora. Where is that, by the way?”

“You see that big bug-like creature over there?” Scotti asked pointing at the creature with the plaintive, trumpet-like call. “That’s called a silt-strider and is the main form of transportation in these parts. Mount the platform and tell the driver your destination is Balmora.”

“Will do. I don’t know what I’m going to be doing in Vvardenfell, but it’s good to know I’m not all alone. I hope I can count on you as a friend, and you can certainly count on me. If you ever do need help, go to Balmora and wait for me. I’m sure I’ll be based there and will be coming and going.”

“Thank you, Yumiya,” as he stood up to see her off. “Be careful, and good luck!” But then he added, worried that he might never see her again, “Uh, do you mind greatly if I had a parting kiss?”

“All right, but hands behind you and eyes closed.”

He put his hands behind him, leaned forward, and puckered. She gave him a quick buss on the cheek and waved "Toodles!" as she turned to go. He couldn't help laughing at her cheekiness as he watched her sashay away. He hoped to the gods it would not be for the last time.

Once she got to know him, she was amiable with a refreshing devil-may-care outlook on life. If he didn’t have Laila waiting for him, he would have certainly offered to accompany Yumiya. But he had to cool his ardor because it was still too early for her to realize how useful a fighting partner would be to her. He decided it best to keep quiet about her to Laila.