{"id":2539,"date":"2018-10-06T07:19:17","date_gmt":"2018-10-06T12:19:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/?p=2539"},"modified":"2018-10-13T07:27:59","modified_gmt":"2018-10-13T12:27:59","slug":"dovahkins-flight-part-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/?p=2539","title":{"rendered":"Dovahkin’s Flight – Part 3"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dovahkin’s Flight<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

by AJ Marks<\/p>\n

Part 3<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Zoe made her way past a group of people and she recognized several, including the Orc and Imperial from earlier and Tegan.\u00a0 Pausing she looked on at the scene and noticed that Tegan appeared to be trying to appease them all.\u00a0 Moving closer until she could make out the conversation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know you swindled us,\u201d the Orc said to Tegan.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, I don\u2019t know a thing of what you\u2019re talking about,\u201d Tegan said, holding his hands up as he plead with the group.\u00a0 \u201cAll I know is what they tell me, what matches are going to be that day, that\u2019s it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd why should we believe you?\u201d the imperial said, stepping closer to Tegan who now was against the wall looking for an escape route.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know what it looked like, and it was a surprise to me as well,\u201d Tegan said to them.\u00a0 His eyes glancing around at all of them.<\/p>\n

\u201cI figure you swindled all of us out of some good coin today, how much did you get?\u201d the Orc said, grabbing his shirt and lifting him up.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t get anything,\u201d Tegan cried.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, I don\u2019t like a liar,\u201d the Orc threatened, still holding Tegan up by his shirt.<\/p>\n

Zoe felt split, knowing that he probably didn\u2019t have anything to do with what happened yet felt he did know.\u00a0 How could he work there and not hear anything?<\/p>\n

\u201cI-I\u2019m not, b-but if you think something did happen talk to Ygesser,\u201d Teagan said suddenly.\u00a0 \u201cHe knows everything going on with the fighters.\u00a0 He just tells me who\u2019s fighting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe doesn\u2019t take our money,\u201d the imperial said looking at Tegan then the Orc.\u00a0 \u201cProbably works with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before anything else could happen several guards showed up.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s going on here,\u201d one guard said, moving forward towards the group.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing\u2019s wrong,\u201d the Orc said, releasing Tegan as he and the Imperial stepped back with a few others.<\/p>\n

Tegan took the opportunity to move away from the group and closer to the guards.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d Tegan said.\u00a0 \u201cWe were having a misunderstanding and things were starting to get out of control.\u00a0 I\u2019m so glad you came along and stopped this before things did get out of hand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, everyone move along,\u201d the guard said to them all.<\/p>\n

Zoe continued on making her way to the bar as her mind went over what she heard.\u00a0 She wasn\u2019t the only one who thought the fight was rigged.\u00a0 That raised a question was Valis actually behind it, or did he take advantage of it?<\/p>\n

Entering the bar she noticed a few regulars who waved as she sat down and ordered a drink.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, what brings you here?\u201d a regular, who Zoe recognized as Renold, asked.\u00a0 \u201cDidn\u2019t expect to see you for another couple of days.\u201d<\/p>\n

Renold was a tall Imperial, taller than most nords and had been around for a while.\u00a0 She had heard a lot of stories from him as he loved to tell stories.\u00a0 She did wonder about his ability to exaggerate versus truth.\u00a0 Many stories seemed too improbable to be true, but that was part of his charm.<\/p>\n

\u201cRan into trouble,\u201d Zoe replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore like who hasn\u2019t today,\u201d Renold replied.\u00a0 \u201cSeems like that\u2019s all I\u2019m hearing.\u00a0 Just a short time ago Eric and Havlac were in here talking about how some match in the arena was rigged.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Zoe said quietly taking a sip of her drink.<\/p>\n

\u201cYep, got themselves all worked up over it,\u201d Renold said.\u00a0 \u201cThen they decided they were going to go and do something about it.\u00a0 Bunch of idiots if you ask me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zoe stayed quiet recalling the encounter outside earlier.\u00a0 It seems as if Eric was the imperial from the confrontation, she had heard that name before.\u00a0 It meant the Orc\u2019s name was Havlac.<\/p>\n

\u201cWonder if the fools did something stupid,\u201d Renold asked, even as the door opened allowing a few more people in.\u00a0 They watched as eh Orc and Imperial wondered in.\u00a0 \u201cGuess not, or they didn\u2019t find who they were looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zoe watched as they sat down at the bar ordering a drink.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, chickened out?\u201d Renold asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, fool got lucky some guards happened upon us,\u201d Havlac stated.<\/p>\n

\u201cSurprised you\u2019re not in jail,\u201d Renold stated to them.<\/p>\n

\u201cVery funny old man,\u201d Eric replied back looking around.\u00a0 \u201cAsk her, she was there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zoe sighed knowing she had been there at the arena, and wondered if they had noticed her earlier.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich part?\u201d Renold asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe arena,\u201d Zoe replied.\u00a0 \u201cWas there most of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAww, you bet on that as well,\u201d Renold half asked half knew.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeemed like a good bet,\u201d Zoe stated.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that\u2019s why you don\u2019t do it,\u201d Renold said taking a drink as Eric and Havlac reached for their drinks as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo risk no reward,\u201d Zoe replied back to him.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve done that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, but not with the deck stacked against me,\u201d Renold replied back to them.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s just asking to lose.\u00a0 I thought you were smarter than that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I don\u2019t have your skills,\u201d Zoe replied, feeling even worse as she took another sip of her drink.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I had no skills either when I started out,\u201d Renold said.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll find many are weak, don\u2019t want to work on gaining skills.\u00a0 If you have a bit of work ethic you\u2019ll find yourself climbing the ranks rather quickly.\u00a0 Hell, those fighters in the arena lack ambition in the real world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, those are some good fighters,\u201d Zoe replied recalling watching the fights.<\/p>\n

\u201cStaged with no real consequences,\u201d Renold replied back to her.\u00a0 \u201cWhen you\u2019re out in the wild facing a pack of wolves, or a bear, things are very different.\u00a0 There is no second chance.\u00a0 Or even a group of bandits.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, yeah,\u201d Zoe said.\u00a0 \u201cI guess I don\u2019t have the same drive you do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, sometimes things happen which you can\u2019t avoid, that\u2019s how I got my start,\u201d Renold sad.\u00a0 \u201cJust a routine visit to Kvatch, and bam, my whole life changed overnight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zoe mentally rolled her eyes, having heard the story a few times as he was off telling the story to her.\u00a0 She wondered how much of the story was actually true, meeting some stranger on the road who wanted help with recovering some item.\u00a0 He agreed and from there realized how much he could help and do something called dungeon hunting.<\/p>\n

How much treasure could be held in a dungeon anymore?\u00a0 Surely they were all recovered by now, cleaned out.\u00a0 From his reports some were constantly being renewed by the creatures who lived there.\u00a0 Some gathered gold like crazy, and reports of more gold than one could carry was often mentioned by him.<\/p>\n

Having enough to not worry, she wondered what that might be like.<\/p>\n

Renold\u2019s story was interrupted by another two people walking in.\u00a0 Zoe observed the two, a male and female both looking to be either Imperial or Bretons and she didn\u2019t recognize either of them.<\/p>\n

\u201cDamn Thalmor,\u201d the male said sitting down ordering a drink.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d be careful if I were you, never know who is listening,\u201d Eric said to them.\u00a0 \u201cThey have spies everyone here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood, maybe they\u2019ll hear my protests,\u201d the man said.\u00a0 \u201cRuin everything they touch.\u201d<\/p>\n

The man and woman looked on but said nothing even as Zoe paid for another drink, something she didn\u2019t do often.\u00a0 She already had a bit today and was feeling the last one, perhaps if she could get drunk enough things wouldn\u2019t matter anymore.\u00a0 She had to admit the Thalmor were nothing but trouble.\u00a0 Finally deciding to gather her courage she asked the man and woman what the problem with the Thalmor had been.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike normal, they butt in wherever they are not wanted.\u00a0 Thought we were Talos worshipers,\u201d the man replied, pointing to him and the woman who Zoe now wondered if she was his wife.\u00a0 \u201cDidn\u2019t listen to us at all, busted in and then fabricated the evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKicked us out of the town,\u201d the woman said.\u00a0 \u201cHad a good business as well, but too competitive for that Thalmor down the street.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat better way to get rid of your competition than slander them,\u201d the man said, downing his ale.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd they get away with it because they own the local justices and guards,\u201d Eric said from where he sat.<\/p>\n

\u201cIts true, they do,\u201d Havlac stated as they joined the couple.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven here,\u201d the man said.\u00a0 \u201cGuess maybe its time to head north, or to the Redbeards land.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cToo cold up north,\u201d Havlac said.\u00a0 \u201cKnew a few from Skyrim, harsh place.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt least they have guts up there,\u201d the man said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThings are never like they appear,\u201d Renold said speaking up having been listening in.\u00a0 \u201cWhat looks promising is many times isn\u2019t, and what doesn\u2019t look promising is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zoe shook her head at that logic.\u00a0 It seemed to contradict itself.\u00a0 However all the talk of the Thalmor only fueled her anger, now mixed with her drinking giving her a boost of false confidence.<\/p>\n

She went for another drink.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou sure you have the coin?\u201d the bartender asked.<\/p>\n

Zoe angrily fished out her pockets but now came up with nothing.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry Zoe, but you know the rules,\u201d he said to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cCom\u2019on, one more, won\u2019t harm anyone,\u201d she pleaded.<\/p>\n

\u201cNope, that\u2019s the rule, no coin no drink,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cFine,\u201d Zoe muttered angrily and stormed out of the bar.\u00a0 She couldn\u2019t even enjoy a drink and it was all thanks to that damn Thalmor, Valis.\u00a0 Walking around her anger at the elf grew.\u00a0 He had been a constant irritation in her life.\u00a0 Perhaps it was time someone else took him down a notch or two.<\/p>\n

Pausing she realized she now stood right outside the High Elf Tavern, a bar which only served elves not allowing anyone else in.\u00a0 Standing outside were two guards making sure that policy was upheld, dressed as always in Thalmor armor.\u00a0 Their elitist attitude finally pushed her over the edge as she walked up.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo humans, elves only,\u201d one guard stated smugly and looking down at her with a smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cTell that rat, Valis, to get his ass out here,\u201d Zoe growled.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd why should I do that,\u201d the guard replied, as another guard walked over.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust tell him Zoe is out here,\u201d Zoe replied back, using her taller than normal height to hopefully show she wasn\u2019t intimidated by either guard.<\/p>\n

Even as they all stood looking at each other Valis walked out looking even more smug than usual.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, well, well, look who is crawling to talk to me,\u201d he said with a smile.<\/p>\n

The tone only infuriated Zoe even more despite knowing she wasn\u2019t strong enough to take him and two guards.\u00a0 Still despite her situation her anger took over.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou bastard,\u201d she spat, rushing forward to grab him by his collar, slamming him to the door.\u00a0 \u201cYou had my house burned down!\u201d<\/p>\n

She moved so fast neither guard even had time to react but Valis never dropped his smug expression.\u00a0 In fact he seemed even more pleased with her actions.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that can be called assault, don\u2019t you,\u201d he said calmly while looking at her then over at the guards nearby.\u00a0 \u201cYou are mine now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zoe realized with clarity what happened and what she had done.\u00a0 The two guards snapped out of their shock and seized her, one grabbed each arm.\u00a0 Valis played this to almost perfection to capture her.\u00a0 He wanted her to act in this manner, come to him and do something like this.\u00a0 She hadn\u2019t been careful and allowed her anger at him to spill out in front of others so he had a valid excuse to press charges.\u00a0 Of course he would drop the charges if she agreed to his demands.<\/p>\n

Part of her felt sick for falling for his manipulations so easily.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think some time in the jail will cool you off,\u201d one of the guards said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAssaulting a high ranking Thalmor, you\u2019ll be lucky to not get the death penalty,\u201d the other guard stated.<\/p>\n

She stared at Valis who appeared to gloat.<\/p>\n

\u201cOr, if you\u2019re open to a suggestion I can be, reasonable,\u201d he stated to her.<\/p>\n

Zoe panicked at the thought of her future.\u00a0 In a desperate lunge she broke free from the two guards and started to run.\u00a0 She had no idea where to run to, just to get away from the Thalmor.\u00a0 She needed a place even they didn\u2019t dare go as she ran wild through the streets.<\/p>\n

As she ran blindly through the streets she noticed something, the grate to the underground.\u00a0 Her one hope.\u00a0 Racing over she flung it open, and closing it behind her ran down into the depths unsure what might await her.<\/p>\n

End part 3<\/p>\n

Continued in part 4<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dovahkin’s Flight by AJ Marks Part 3 Zoe made her way past a group of people and she recognized several, including the Orc and Imperial from earlier and Tegan.\u00a0 Pausing she looked on at the scene and noticed that Tegan appeared to be trying to appease them all.\u00a0 Moving closer until she could make out […]
Continue reading…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[3,10,28,85,12],"class_list":["post-2539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fanfiction","tag-aj-marks","tag-fanfiction","tag-original","tag-skyrim","tag-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2539","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2539"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2539\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2545,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2539\/revisions\/2545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2539"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2539"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2539"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}