The Connivers Options

[redsrock]

Short, I know, but it's only the introductory chapter. Expect the remaining chapters to be about two times longer, perhaps a bit more. Anyhoo...enjoy!

Also, I won't be writing Hunting the Hunted, at least not for a while. My inspiration from FO3 has been temporarily severed.

Chapter One

*Ebonheart, East Empire Company Hall, Factor Canctunian Ponius’s office.

“If you are unable to at least tell me who you believe has stolen our property, Sivian, how do you propose to solve the matter?”

Factor Canctunian’s tone was getting more impatient by the second. Like tears from the sky paint the ground, his anger would soon fall down upon Sivian if he wasn’t careful. He knew angering Canctunian was the last thing anyone would want to accomplish. But at the same time, Sivian also knew that he could not just stand pat while company vaults was being broken into, whether or not he had any leads on whom the perpetrator was.

“I don’t know for sure, sir, but my own agents are telling me the Camonna Tong may have something to do with the break-ins. And-“

“The Camonna Tong?” Canctunian yelled, his fist pounding upon the long wooden table he and his agent were sitting at. “Do you realize how outrageous an accusation this is? Orvas Dren and his minions wish us dead as it is! Why would you want to anger them even further when you have no evidence to prove your allegation?”

It was true that the Camonna Tong hated the East Empire Company, for several reasons. One, and most importantly, they were foreigners. And two, the Imperial-originated organization was reaping the benefits of Vvardenfell’s natural minerals; and this includes items such as raw ebony, raw glass, and Dwemer artifacts, just to name a few. Not to mention other trade goods such as flin and other alcoholic beverages.

Trying to keep his cool, though he was finding it rather hard to do so, Sivian replied with a gentle, “Your majesty, this is simply what my men are telling me. I am not accusing anyone of anything just yet. It’s only an idea.”

“And what an idea it is! What exactly has been stolen, Sivian? You’ve yet to address the specifics of the theft.”

“I suppose I wasn’t clear enough in the beginning, because we’ve lost nothing. Nothing was actually stolen.”

“Then way are you wasting my time?”

“Please, let me explain. Our vault at Fort Frostmoth in Solstheim was broken into as well, but nothing was stolen there either.”

“What?” The Factor asked, his anger starting to dwindle, and instead curiosity beginning to sink in. “Are you suggesting there is a conspiracy going on? Someone is trying to find something that we hold?”

“Precisely, sir. I realize Fort Frostmoth and Ebonheart are far away from each other, but I don’t think this is simply a coincidence. Do you?”

“No, not at all. Not now. How do you know our offices in Solstheim have been broken into? Did you speak with Carnius?”

“No, sir. Carnius sent a mage to deliver the message, a note written by Carnius himself detailing what I have just told you. It’s the same thing that’s happened here I’m afraid. The vault there was broken into, but nothing was taken.”

Canctunian stood up from his chair and began pacing around the small, cramped room. “Is the messenger still here?”

“Yes, sir. Just outside the room, waiting for his next orders.”

“Tell him to inform Carnius that I want to meet with him this evening, so that he and his own agent can discuss matters with us face to face. That gives him the rest of the day to make arrangements for Deputy Falco Galenus to take his place during his leave. You’re dismissed.”

“Yes, sir,” Sivian nodded, and then left to give the mage his orders. Afterwards, once the mage had left and was on his magical-way back to Solstheim, Sivian poked his head back into Canctunian’s office, to find the Factor sitting in his chair, with his head in his hands. “Is there anything you wish for me to do while we wait for Carnius’s arrival, sir?”

Canctunian quickly looked up, and gave a disturbed, “Nothing in particular. Just be sure that your men are on the lookout for anyone suspicious. Also, double check and triple check to make sure nothing was stolen. I find it strange that someone would leave empty-handed if they didn’t absolutely have to.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll do that at once.”

“And close the damn door behind you!”

********************


*Fort Frostmoth, Carnius Magius’s private chamber.*

“A meeting? This evening? Why, it’s almost noon already!”

“Obviously, but do you really have the time to whine and complain? You heard what the messenger just said. We have to go. Besides, this is important, uncle. I know none of your precious gold was stolen, but if our vault in Ebonheart was broken into as well…”

Carnius Magius, the Fort Frostmoth-based Company Factor, gave his young nephew a snarl. “You’re attitude will be the end of you, nephew. Mark my words. If I hadn’t promised your mother to look after you, I’d have thrown you out already.”

“I’m sure, uncle, but again, this doesn’t matter. Shall I inform Falco of the situation?”

“Yes. Go!”

Sirius gave his uncle a smile and a nod, and then left. The end of me? he thought to himself once he was outside in the cold and snow. He should try directing that statement to himself. That’d make more sense at least…

The horse ride to Raven Rock, a tiny mining colony northwest of Fort Frostmoth that dug up raw ebony in the underground mines, took only about a half an hour. There, Sirius went straight for Falco’s house, which was located just inside the city’s southeastern gate, to the left. He knocked on the door, and Falco answered within seconds.

“Sirius!” Falco exclaimed cheerfully, happy to see Sirius and not his uncle. “How are you this beautiful day?”

“I’m well, thank you. But unfortunately for you, I don’t think you’re going to think this day so beautiful once I give you a bit of bad news.”

“Oh? What’s wrong?”

Sirius explained the situation quickly, and then told Falco that he was needed at Fort Frostmoth to act as an unofficial Factor until Sirius and Carnius returned. “Fine, just let me pack a few things, just in case you two are gone for more than a day.”

“I don’t believe that’s necessary. Everything you’ll need my uncle office will have. Besides, today you don’t want to keep him waiting any longer than required. He’s grumpier than normal it seems.”

“And that’s certainly saying something, isn’t it?” Falco asked playfully, ruffling his long, brown beard with his right hand.

“Yes,” Sirius laughed…a real laugh. Something he hadn’t done in a while. “It sure is.”

[redsrock]

Chapter Three

*New Gnisis, inside Jak’s office, three days later*

With the storm having already settled outside, the storm inside Jak’s home had just begun. He had purchased the home himself with the gold he had made working for the East Empire Company, and that was when Viana had still been living back in Chorrol of Cyrodiil. She hadn’t wanted to move, but Jak had assured her it was for the better, and thus, she obliged to his plead for her to move. Back then he thought the decision of new scenery was to give her a new outlook on life, and to get her away from the spoiled aristocrats that littered the streets, but these days he’s come to realize he had only wanted her closer to him. For the fear he had felt in the ending days of his tenure with the Company were quite severe, and since she was closer, whatever letters they would write back and forth would come soon. It is true that in the end of his tenure the letters between each other were more frequent, even if Viana didn’t seem to realize that.

What am I to do now? It appears that our family ties have been somewhat severed, but I can’t just leave her forever. Jak thought to himself, tapping lightly on the desk with his fingers to a tune he had heard from a guarskin-drummer back in Ebonheart. It was three days since he and his sister’s argument, and the two hadn’t said a word to each other since. Jak somewhat liked it this way, but he was starting to feel lonely again. Then again…what would it hurt? It’s obvious the two of us will never again see eye to eye, and unfortunately I can’t give her the sibling-love she wishes for. I can’t tell her what happened because she will never understand. She’ll only see me as a monster. Would that feeling towards me be justified? I still can’t decide…

Jak was sitting at the desk of his overly-cramped office, the door closed, and of course locked. What was also locked, and sitting on his desk, was a wooden box, the border of its lid encrusted with glamorous pearls. He had purchased the box in Vivec on his way home from Ebonheart, three days after his leaving from the Company. He had been searching around the many markets, for nothing in particular, and found a pretty young Redguard girl selling various odds and ends. She looked to be in her early twenties, possibly her late teens. Jak remembered how much she reminded him of Devin’s sister, or at least from the descriptions he had given.

“Looking for something special?” That girl in Vivec had asked. “How about a pretty box for your pretty wife?”

She had showed him the box, and just by looking at it Jake was almost certain it had to have been stolen. By that time he had searched through the richest market places, and was then peddling around in the poorer markets. “I don’t think I can afford it,” he had replied. But when the girl asked for a mere two-hundred septims, Jak’s eye lit up. The box was clearly worth more than that, but he didn’t ask any more questions. For some reason he had been drawn to the box like no other item he had ever possessed, not even the family talisman, a family heirloom he still wears around his neck to this very day. He purchased the box and immediately left Vivec, finally returning to Gnisis.

The box was meant to hold jewelry, and lots of it by the looks of its size. Jak possessed no jewelry of course, but his sister did. Even so, he did not even mention the box. As soon as he got home he took it out of his pack and placed it on the desk in his room, where it has stayed since (Albeit, since his arrival he’s been able to construct a secret compartment to place it in, just in case anyone were to actually break into his room), because on the road back to Gnisis Jak had thought of a wonderful alternate use for his jewelry box. He decided to write something of a novella, based on what happened back in Ebonheart. He would never show anyone of course, hence the reason for his room being locked at all times, but he wanted to put everything down on paper so that he could remember it for eternity. It wasn’t something he’d be forgetting anytime soon, but Jak enjoyed writing anyway.

I should just leave. I could always good back to Cyrodiil and live in some of the other cities. Or maybe I could-

Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by his sister’s voice, which startled him so much he almost fell out of his chair, for he had been in such a deep trance. “Jak, there’s a man here to see you!” Viana yelled.

Without thinking, Jak immediately snatched the jewelry box from his desk. “Hold on, give me a few seconds!” he called while getting on both knees just beside his bed, which was located directly to the right of his desk. A rug was situated at the side of his bed, and by lifting the rug, there was the secret compartment Jak had built for himself. It wasn’t that deep, just big enough for the book to fit. He placed the book inside, closed the compartment, and then locked that as well with an entirely different key. “I’m coming!”

He exited the room, and there standing at inside his house, was a man he thought he’d never see again. “Hello, Jak,” the man said, a smile spread about his face.

Despite his surprise, and somewhat fear, Jak did his best to keep a calm face, for his sister was standing not too far to his right, eying both of the men with utmost curiosity. “Sivian…what a surprise. Is there something wrong?”

Sivian chuckled and then brushed back his long brown hair. “No, of course not. I was simply in the area and decided to stop by and see how you’re doing. Is there a place we can meet perhaps? Catch up and whatnot?”

Jak knew just what that meant; he knew Sivian wasn’t just ‘in the area’. What was most surprising to Jak was that he knew where he lived in the first place. As far as he remembered, he had told no one. Not even Devin. “Of course. There’s a lovely tavern inside Old Gnisis. What a…what a pleasant surprise it is to see you here!”

“Would you be willing to meet me now? I’m afraid I don’t have much long. Busy as ever, you know.”

“Yes, I think now would do fine. If you’ll step back outside and give me a few seconds I can grab my coat.”

After Sivian had stepped outside, Jak turned to Viana. “Viana, I’ll tell you everything as soon as I get back. I think that would be best, for both of us.” After all the thinking he had done over the past several days, Jak came to the decision that he could keep letting the guilt eat at his weakened heart.

“Who is that man? Is he from the East Empire Company?” She asked, a sense of uncertainty in her voice.

“Yes, he is. He’s an old colleague of mine. There’s nothing to worry about I assure you. He’s a good man.”

He put on his coat, locked his room door, and was about to walk out of the house when his sister said, “Be careful all the same, Jak. I love you.”

Jak stopped dead in his tracks, turned back around, and then walked over to kiss his sister’s forehead. “Don’t worry, I will.”


*Fort Frostmoth, Carnius Magius’s private chamber*

“No, uncle, there was nothing to find. Falco is clean, just as I told you to begin with. And please don’t have me check him a third time. That would be quite redundant, don’t you think?”

Carnius sighed heavily and took a look around his room, checking to make sure nothing was missing for the umpteenth time. He was so certain Falco was the intruder, but his bias played a large role in that. The two hardly ever agreed, if any at all. It didn’t help that Falco was the official ‘Factor-in-waiting’, of the Southern Solstheim branch, if anything was ever to happen to Carnius. “Are you absolutely certain, Sirius? And the guards have nothing to do with it either?”

“Yes, uncle, please stop asking. Falco didn’t do it. Besides, I’m not even sure if he has a key to the fort basement. If I remember correctly you told Captain Falx not to give him one. Oh, and the guards are clean as well, unfortunately enough. As much as I didn’t believe it, I wanted think the guards were in fact behind all this. It would have made things much easier at least. What should we do now? I have nothing to report to Canctunian.”

“I suppose you might as well inform him of the non-news, just so he won’t bother me about it later. Before you leave, though, stop by Falco and give him these orders, please.”

“What are they?”

“They’re papers ordering him to check in with me three times a day. Once in the morning, once in the afternoon, and then once again just before he closes his offices for the night. You say he’s not involved in this, and unfortunately I think you’re correct, but I still can’t take any chances.”

Sirius read the document, and sure enough, it outlaid the information Carnius had just said. Sirius couldn’t believe it; after all the years he’s lived and served his uncle, the feud between Carnius and Falco has never ceased. “Uncle…this is completely unnecessary.”

“Oh, please tell me why you think so!” Carnius retorted sarcastically.

“Why must you always blame Falco for everything bad that happens, uncle? This personal vendetta you have against him is ridiculous!”

“You see it as ridiculous, but I see it as a necessity!” Carnius yelled, pounding his fist on the table. “As much as it annoys me that you seem to always take Falco’s side in these matters, that doesn’t change my opinion of you. You’re a smart young man, Sirius, but you’re terribly misguided. This chair that I sit on will be yours one day. It’s my job to see to it that you’re ready when that time comes. Don’t answer that immediately, and rather…dwell on it overnight. Think about what I’ve said, forget the bias you think I have, and see if you can understand my intent. Now, leave.”

Sirius shook his head and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Outside snow was falling gently from the sky, a silent falling that made it all the more peaceful. This type of phenomena was so magnificent to Sirius. Rain was so noisy, but snow was not. Blizzards were a different story of course, but that sort of weather occurred more frequently as one went deeper in the island. Sirius preferred the cold more than the hot of Anvil of Cyrodiil, so it mattered not to him whether it snowed heavily or not. After all, he was half Nord anyway, with his Imperial mother having married his Nordic father long ago. Sirius hoped to travel back Skyrim one day and visit his father’s birthplace in Dragonstar, even though he’s heard many rumors about political division and unrest within the northern city.

As he trudged along in the knee deep snow (he had not brought along his horse, for Sirius enjoyed walking in the snowy forest at night), Sirius thought about what his uncle had said. Even though Sirius did indeed see Carnius’s bias, he couldn’t but think he actually meant what he had said about Sirius someday taking his place. Sirius always thought Carnius simply put up with him because he had to. He had never been treated badly, but respect was usually hard to come by with Carnius Magius.

Have I been wrong this entire time? Is Carnius really the good guy, and Falco the opposite? No, that can’t be. My uncle is an arrogant know-it-all, that will never change, no matter how much I want it to.

One feeling that he knew for sure was that the document he was delivering was entirely outrageous, and just another way for Carnius to throw his rank around. Falco told him one day that Carnius had once been a relatively friendly fellow, as well as polite. But in his earlier years with the Company, as soon as he knew there was a good chance he could become Factor, he turned into the monster he is to this day; an conceited, wealth-obsessive tyrant of a person, and nothing less.

He arrived at Raven Rock in no time, and knocked on Falco’s door. It was already ten o’clock, but he seriously doubted the Deputy would be asleep. Sirius remembered one day where Falco mentioned he liked to read by the fire with a tall mug of Nordic Mead at his side before falling asleep. He was the only Imperial Sirius had seen who could drink the Nordic alcohol and enjoy it as well. “Sirius? Is something wrong?” Falco said at the doorway.

“Well…sort of. Nobody’s hurt or in trouble, but you’re probably going to feel like hurting something in a few minutes.”

Falco and Sirius both sat down at a table where Falco was reading. Sirius explained what the document meant and what Falco had to do. “Why does he insist on making my life miserable, Sirius?”

Sirius was surprised to see Falco actually smiling, chuckling even. He assumed it was because he was used to the misery Carnius caused. “Because that is simply who he is. He puts people down because it makes him feel good about himself. It makes him feel powerful. The rank has gotten to his head I think,” Sirius winked. “Of course, I’m sure you know that firsthand, eh? I’ve only had to put up with it for a couple of years. Before he hired me I lived with his wife back in the Imperial City. She’s wonderful to be around.”

“So I’ve heard, from Carnius actually. Well…thanks for bringing me this, Sirius. I’ll be sure to check in tomorrow morning. I can’t say I’m surprised by this, though. In fact, if anything, I’m surprised something like this hasn’t happened sooner. It has ‘Carnius” written all over it, now that I think about it. Oh well, there’s no point in getting mad I suppose. Would you like a glass of wine? I apologize for not asking sooner.”

“Sorry, but I think I’m going to have to pass on this one. I’m leaving early tomorrow morning to meet with Canctunian.” He didn’t mention why because Falco had never been aware he was being investigated to begin with. Or at least not to Sirius’s knowledge anyway. “Thanks for the offer, though. I’m sure I can oblige sometime when I get back.”

“I’ll hold you to it. Good night, Sirius.”

“Same to you, friend.”

Sirius left Falco’s house and then headed back into the thick forest ahead of him. Roughly half-way through he heard a twig snap, seemingly to his right. He immediately stopped and then looked around, only to find a small baby bunny hopping across the snow. He chuckled at this, but more so because he had gotten so scared. The winds had picked up since he talked with Falco, and the snow was falling down a tad bit heavier as well.

He started walking again, but then he heard another twig snap. This time when he turned around, he was hit in the head by something hard, likely a rock of some kind. He immediately fell to the ground in a state of daze, for the hit had almost knocked him out cold. Sirius looked up at a figure standing above him, though he couldn’t tell who it was because of the dark. Sirius muttered something, but even he wasn’t sure what it was. He could have sworn the figure smiled. The next thing he knew the figure raised his hands in air, holding whatever it was he had hit Sirius with, and that was the last thing he saw before the lights went out.