The Dragoon In Skyrim - Volume 1 Chapter 96 The Black Emporium
Vincent was drinking his Ale waiting for the five to return when a Dwarf approached him. He sat down beside Vincent and says, “I’m Varric Tethras, rogue, writer and businessman. I heard from you, Ambassador Highwind. It’s rumored that you eat children.”
“Do you believe the rumors, is my question,” says Vincent while drinking another Ale down as if it was nothing.
“No, only gossipers and stupid people would believe them. My contact, on the other hand, told me that you can use Magic. That would explain why they disappeared out of nowhere,” says Varric as the waitress brought another Ale for Vincent.
“Bring another one for my friend here,” says Vincent as the Waitress nods and leaves to get another Ale for Varric.
“So what do you want Varric?” asks Vincent with a smile as Varric smiled back.
“I’m interested in the Continent you call home and wanted to ask if you could take me there,” says Varric as he wanted to see how Tamriel really is without sugar-coating it.
“Fine by me but what do I gain from it,” says Vincent as a joke making Varric smile brighter.
“How about a lifelong friend and free access to the books I will write,” says Varric as Vincent stretches his hand out and Varric shakes it.
“Welcome on board Varric. Pack your things we are leaving tomorrow. Show this to the people on the Black Emperor and they will let you board the ship,” says Vincent handing Varric a symbol of the Highwind House.
“Thank you for taking me with you,” says Varric while Vincent smiles as the Ale arrived and Vincent lifts his glass.
“On a good relationship,” says Vincent they touched each others’ glass before drinking it.
“Why would you be here Ambassador?” asks Varric curious as he expected Vincent in some other tavern that isn’t in Low Town.
“Call me Vincent and I’m here because the ancestors of my children lived here before they died. I bought the Estate so they can use it when they need a vacation from Tamriel and Akavir,” says Vincent as he lifted his glass making to know he needed more.
“You seem to be quite good to your children,” says Varric as Vincent couldn’t deny it.
“If you are raised like I was, you will appreciate the time you can spend with your children but that’s another story,” says Vincent as the waitress came again with a worried face serving Vincent another Ale.
“Are you alright?” asks the waitress as Vincent looked at her normal.
“Don’t worry women, where I came from the people can drink far more than this and still fight. It might be because our alcohol is stronger,” says Vincent as he wasn’t even tipsy from all the drinking.
The waitress leaves while Vincent was drinking with Varric when Garrett entered the Hanged Man and says, “We are done with our uncle.”
“You are?” asks Vincent as Garrett nods before he stood up and says, “Varric, how about you accompany me tonight.”
“It would be an honor,” says Varric intended as a joke making Garrett glared at him while Vincent laughed.
“I like this Dwarf. Garrett let me present you to Varric Tethras. Varric this is my son Garrett Hawke Highwind,” says Vincent as he walked towards the exit with both.
Outside the other four were waiting for them as they walked back into High Town when Vincent takes a pouch out for all three and says, “How about you have some fun, but be warned if you enter the Blooming Rose and get someone pregnant you will marry that girl, do you understand.”
This went for both Garrett and Carver as Bethany was quite a shy girl and wouldn’t enter such a place if she wasn’t following her brothers.
“Varric you should join them. I and Leandra will be in the Amell Estate until then,” says Vincent as he and Leandra with Meredith as their guide went back to the Estate.
Once back Vlad was awaiting them and says, “Everything is cleaned up. But I found this.”
Vlad takes an old doc.u.ment out that was already cleaned from the dust as Vincent reads it and says, “It seems your brother played quite dirty.”
“What do you mean,” says Leandra as Vincent gives her the doc.u.ment so she could read it. After reading it she says angrily, “Gamlen lied about everything.”
“Do you want to take revenge?” asks Vlad as his dagger was in his hand ready to use it making Leandra look at him quite pale because Vlad wanted to kill her brother.
“Really?” says Vincent looking at Vlad.
“I have to take every opportunity I can get since our travel so far was quite boring for me,” says Vlad as he put the dagger away.
“But maybe we should send the children to talk to them. I still need to search for something,” says Vincent as he was feeling something nearby.
“Where are you going?” asks Meredith as she was still with them when Vincent smiles.
“To a place that could be dangerous for normal people,” says Vincent as he looked at Vlad and says, “Keep Leandra safe until the others return. After that join me.”
Vlad nods as Vincent leaves the house. He walks in the street when suddenly a man in black clothes with a hood over his head appears beside him.
“An old soul lives in this city. You should visit him,” says the man that appeared beside him.
“How old, Arkay?” asks Vincent as he looked at him.
“Older than a human should live. He is older than you by 50 years if we roll-up. He escaped death by becoming immortal thanks to a witch but he isn’t like you,” says Arkay as his golden eyes could be seen under the hood.
“What do you mean?” asks Vincent as Arkay smiles.
“Immortality doesn’t make you stay young. You need both Immortality and to stay forever young or you will wither away with time. He is still alive but maybe you can strike a deal with him in your favor,” says Arkay as they walked some stairs down reaching a dark place with many homeless people.
They continued without a problem as if they weren’t there for the people. Arkay opens a door and they enter it and arrive at the place they wanted to go.
“Oh, we have guests, has it been a century or two since I had company,” says a voice as Vincent began to look around while Arkay kept moving forward.
“Welcome to the Black Emporium. You can find anything that your heart wants,” says the voice as Vincent had his eyes on the thing sitting on a chair in the middle of the room.
“You are Xenon the Antiquarian, am I right,” says Arkay as a big black book appeared in his hand and continues, “You should have died some years ago.”
“I’m not easy to kill,” says the voice suspicious of both.
“Well, I don’t care even if I want to burn you down for looking like an undead. But my brother has a business to conduct with you,” says Arkay as he points at Vincent.
“You are really brothers. You sure about that he isn’t even human,” says the voice as Vincent was quite angry about it.
“I’m also no human, mortal. One of those days I will come for your soul if my brother isn’t faster,” says Arkay as he showed his anger.
Holy Light was beginning to radiate from his body making Xenon’s body feel pain as the voice screamed in pain.
“What do you want from me?” asks Xenon as Arkay retracted his aura.
“How about this your whole treasury for being forever young,” says Vincent as could suddenly piece everything together what Arkay was saying before.
“How do I know that you can make me forever young?” asks Xenon suspicious of them.
“I’m over 200 years old while my brother here is a bit younger than Nirn itself,” says Vincent as Xenon looked at them suspiciously.
“Nirn?” asks Xenon looking at them as Arkay towards a Globus and points at it.
“That’s Nirn,” says Arkay.
“You mean the world is named Nirn,” says Xenon as both nod.
“Well if you aren’t convinced we will have to use another way to purchase your wares,” says Vincent as he appears in his armor holding his spear when a shadow appears behind Xenon’s body holding two daggers.
“What do think are you doing in my Sanctuary,” says Xenon as Vincent takes a Black Soul Gem out.
“You don’t want to make a deal with us, I will have to show some dominance for looking down on us,” says Vincent as he goes in position when two Dragons manifested behind him.
“Vlad, we are going for the fast kill,” says Vincent as he attacked from the front while Vlad from the rear when some mechanism began to move.
Traps got activated but both were far too old to fall for them as they either evaded or blocked them and used magic to attack Xenon as the body began to burn in flames while Xenon says, “I will get my reve-”
He couldn’t finish his sentence as he was pulled into the Soul Gem and sent to the Soul Cairn when Arkay says, “You really should try to take over Shor’s place if you keep solving everything like a Nord.”
“You mean Sovngarde. I was only once there and that was only because a Dragon Priest opened an entrance in Skuldafn by accident,” says Vincent as that time was more of an accident.
He needed to enter Sovngarde to kill the Dragon Priest just to find out that the dead Heroes handled it already for him.
“Anyway, we should take everything he has before returning,” says Vincent as he saw some schematics he never saw before as well as some books making the treasure he found worth it.
Then he turned to the mirror as he asks, “What might be so important on that mirror?”
“I think this book might explain it,” says Arkay as he was done reading the book while making an enraged faces
Vincent takes the book and was surprised while saying, “This can’t be.”
“Oh, it is but to a World we don’t have any influence on. That Xenon was still trying to cheat me by getting Forever Youth thanks to those Velen Crones,” says Arkay as he was quite angry that someone was trying to interfere with his task.