ONE YEAR AGO
1:05AM, 11th of Frostfall, East Empire Company, Solitude
"I don't care, what you say, allow me to speak to House Hlaalu, at once! If not, I can promise, that Solitude's trade with Solsthiem will drop, and I will personally check your shipments. Hopefully we won't find any Skooma, again. It would be a pity if you closed down just because of illegal shipment of narcotics!" Growled the Breton.
"Sir, please understand, we are still... wa..wait..waiting on House Hlaalu executive members to arrive.. Perhaps if we delayed the negotiations.."
"THERE WILL BE NO DELAYS! If I lift one freaking finger your entire trade turns to, ironically, ash. Now, either you get me House Hlaalu, or I leave, and set sail for Solsthiem, to personally greet your workers."
The seat under the Nord creaked, almost as much as the moist floorboards did. Two guards burst through the door to Ormax's left, both Dunmeri escorts. Their faces were covered, likely to hide the Dunmer's hideous facial structure, Ormax thought to himself with a sneer.
"Sir," they both faced the Nord while speaking in unison, "we suggest you come with us, now."
Ormax recognized this, immediately. A coward he was. The Nord was a filthy coward.
Placing his right hand on the Nordic man's shoulder, and pushing down Ormax uttered," Why must you leave so quickly, allow us to continue, our conversation.."
The larger of the two guards held his sword out against Ormax's neck. As he swallowed, a droplet of blood emerged from his throat. His crimson eyes met those of the guard, even through the large, clunky bonemold helmet. Within seconds, the guard sheathed his blade and walked outside. The final guard stood, watching tentatively.
"Ormax, I get it.. you're in power.. bu.. but, you don't need to make these threats. Power is not everything. Neither is wealth." Firmly yet reluctantly, he added in, "That means you are not better than my guards nor I."
"Power and wealth has not nothing to do with superiority, young fool. Blood, does. How can a Nord, a brutish, primitive minded, petty human compare to an elf? Now, do the humans have good qualities, of course. All creatures, have good qualities. They even best elves at some of these. Elves best humans at many others. So, what does that make me? The very formula, for perfection. That is what I am. A Breton, and one more skilled than most of my kind. That is what makes me better than you and your guards. I have the best qualities of you and them, and my own amazing qualities that you, a Nord, could never hope to achieve, particularly at the scale that I perform at. Now, allow me to inquire something of you..."
The Nord trembled, only now realizing just how serious the Breton was.
"Do you fear the shadows? The very essence that creates the night. The darkness that clouds us, even now, in this small, pathetic, dimly lit, room?"
The Nord spoke not a single syllable, shaking violently.
"It is okay, I realize your fear, for the company, and for yourself. I know House Hlaalu isn't coming. Though, I feel.. almost as if I had remorse, for you. So, allow us to play a game. If I win, I do what I wish with you. If I lose, I let you free, and I promise to never make any threats again. Now, shall we begin? "
----------------------------------------------------
"I've always enjoyed card games, particularly Poker. You do know, how to play, yes?" Asked Ormax with a sly grin.
"I do.." answered the Nord.
Carefully, the Breton placed the deck of cards in his hands, riffling down through the fifty two cards with the tip of his thumb. Finally, he lifted up the deck with his right hand, and held it in front of the Nord, while pulling away, under the table with his free hand.
The Nord gripped the deck tightly, and shuffled, muscles clenched and sweat nesting in his eyebrows. After giving each of them five cards, he placed the deck in the center of the wooden oak table.
The trader gazed deep into the Breton's eyes. Too deep. They were like voids, absorbing morsels of your soul one by one, with each second that you looked at them. Until you were left with but a sliver of yourself, a sliver of blood-curdling frost, a thin rime coating your mind in an almost elegant manor.
Reluctantly, he placed his cards down. The hand of a loser. Nothing useful, unless, of course his opposition was even less lucky.
With a sneer, Ormax fingered his cards, and placed them down on the table all as one, so that the Nord could only see one card. Then, gently, and slowly, he pushed each card off, so that the man would see each one after another, until finally emerged with his final card. A royal flush.
"You cheated! You must have!"
"How then, did I cheat?"
"Does it matter? You still cheated! Games of luck, such as these, cannot afford cheaters, like yourself! Play it again, and no cheating this time.."
Ormax snickered to himself before replying, "Games of luck, hm? Games of luck, are something that should not exist. Luck must define nothing. I transmute these petty games of blasphemy into what they truly should be, a gamble of wit and skill. So yes, I cheated. But you do not know how. Thus, you cannot prove that I cheated, so I am victorious. Had you cheated, and I had not notice, I would have been fair, and allowed you away with your life. But now, you've acted too dimwitted to escape from my bindings, and now, you are mine."
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