Chapter 380 - Hiring A Mercenary

A/n: the 5K votes chapter.

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*Falkreath*

Two silhouettes could be seen clashing the forest, the sound of their blades crossing each other was akin to the sound of a high pitched untasteful music. One side was moving leisurely while the other was retreating while clenching his teeth.

The fight was completely one-sided and the chaser was playing with his opponent like a child.

"Not fair, dammit! Not fair!"

"You started it."

The first voice was that of a Breton youth and the second was Jon's. The Breton youth who is fighting Jon while jumping nimbly from one place to the other was totally fed up with Jon's attitude.

"Listen, Labourer of Azura. I was told to bring that and I am sure it doesn't involve your Labour. Can I just…"

"No."

Jon cut the youth's words short as he unleashed an energy attack from [Bloodskal].

"Stop it… Fuck!"

And the chase kept going.

"It would be easier for you if you tell me how do you know about me and how did you find out what I was looking for. Also, hand it over."

"In your dreams."

"Do you really want to go through that all over again?" Jon smiled and launched his sword towards the Breton youth.

The latter was jumping away and had no use of evading mid-air, he only used his blade and hit Jon's sword to give himself some space to evade and landed with a backflip. As the youth was about to run again, his own shadow assaulted him and he tripped on the ground.

Jon landed beside the youth and tossed [Greed] at him completely to immobilize the annoying Breton.

"Thanks, Manmer. You really saved me a lot of time digging around." Jon looked at the Silver-haired Breton and thanked him with a flick to the forehead.

"Tsk! Give that back." The Breton was completely enraged by Jon's action and started shouting but he was already in the grasps of [Greed].

Jon took out a small wooden box and opened it to find a Dwemer device that looked like the Haven Cube, it was called the 'Attunement Crystal'. It was the thing reason why Jon chose to make a stop at Falkreath before heading back home.

Jon flipped his hand and the 'Attunement Crystal' disappeared in the [Cube] like a magic trick. Jon winked to the Breton and then looked around.

"You can show yourself now. I know you are around."

As he spoke, two figures showed themselves. The first was a human woman who was also a Breton, short black hair and black makeup on her pale skin, she was wearing a very revealing gypsy dress and many accessories. The second was none other than Jon's prophet, Aranea Ienith, the Priestess of Azura.

"I suppose that answers some questions." Jon said as he saw Aranea showing up, "Now… will you be so kind and tell me why are you interfering in my business?"

His aura locked on the two women showing no mercy towards them. Seems like the Daedra were trying to sabotage his plans for some reason.

Jon recalled what happened just some time ago.

***

An hour ago when he arrived through a Portal to Falkreath, he had a plan in his mind to look for a certain thing hidden on an old skeleton that was somewhere around Peak's Shade Tower. As soon as he spread his Magicka to search, he found a certain person digging through the ground and taking hold of the 'Attunement Crystal' he was after.

Jon couldn't tell how someone beat him to something none should know about as it was some of the official mods he added to his game before but he wasn't going to let it go. It also seemed that the other party was expecting his arrival as soon as he detected Jon's Magicka.

That man was a Breton who is a cut above the rest among his own kin, he was tall and buff like a Greek God with silver hair and piercing blue eyes, he looked a bit older than Jon with the beard and all that but the age difference wasn't that vast.

As a fearsome warrior as the Breton is, he was also an unbelievably strong Conjurer that shocked Jon for sure. He could conjure a group of Dremora that dressed in a unique spartan fashion and fought as a well-trained battalion.

At first, the Breton conjured over a hundred Dremora warriors that tried to chase Jon away but Jon conjured a single Daedric creature that took care of all of them in a few moves. The Breton was shocked senseless and tried to escape from Jon but the latter was as playful as ever and stopped him, in the end, retrieving the 'Attunement Crystal' and revealing the presence of the two women that seemed to be following.

***

"So this is the Labourer of Azura?" The strange woman spoke with playful eyes.

"Yes, he is… he is also a dangerous man. Please control your actions." Priestess Aranea said.

"Am I some Zoo animal? Why do I feel like some Zoo animal?" Jon asked himself then looked at Aranea, "I think I asked you a question just now, why are you people interfering in my business?"

"... The things you are trying to acquire… do you have any idea how powerful they are?" Aranea asked Jon.

"And?"

"And? And what? You are the troublemaker prophesied with three Elder Scrolls. Gaining those things as totally as bad as having three Elder Scrolls."

"Hahaha! So Azura was up to the thing I am about to do? What? Is she afraid that I might break the pact between me and her to not continue the Labour?" Jon laughed and said.

Aranea looked at Jon with wide eyes then took a few seconds to calm down.

"... Yes, among other things. You are far too reckless to hold those items, what happened in Coldharbour has already reached the ears of the other Daedric Princes."

"Really? But that has nothing to do with me, it is all those Sith people." Jon said with a sly smile.

"We know. Those Sith or whatever are being searched for by the forces of Oblivion for now. You are the last man who saw them if I am not wrong."

"Well… as you see. They helped me escape to Molag Bal and the Vampires so our deal was to keep things hush hush. I gave my word."

Jon's conversation with Aranea made the other two present people frown.

"There is a way to break the pact of the Labours?" The man said.

"What foul method is that?" The woman asked.

Jon looked at them with a smile.

"Will you please introduce us?"

Aranea sighed and nodded.

"This woman is known as the 'Gypsy' and that man is called Brom of Jehanna, a mercenary active around Markarth and Solitude. He is a Labourer and she is his Prophet."

"I see… wait! Brom of Jehanna… a mercenary! I remember now… Brom of the Daedric Band, was it you?" Jon looked at the famous mercenary who was being hanged by [Greed] on a tree.

[A/n: Brom the Breton, a sponsored character by Mr. McGuffin.]

"Can you at least give me some dignity back?" Brom asked.

"Nope."

"Tsk… hey, you said something about breaking the Pact of the Labour, right? Can you really do that?"

"Not really, I am not planning to do it any way but I think it is possible when someone attains a certain level of power. The Prophet of yours should at least know that, right?" Jon said and looked at the woman called the 'Gypsy'.

"I don't know what you are talking about." The woman snorted and looked away.

"Figures. What Daedra is that woman associated with?" Jon asked.

"The 'Gypsy' is a Priestess of Sanguine, the Daedric Prince of hedonistic revelry, debauchery and passionate indulgences of darker natures." Aranea said.

"Well well well, charmed… charmed indeed." Jon made an understanding face.

"You too, handsome." the 'Gypsy' winked at Jon.

Sanguine was the Daedric Prince associated with prostitutes so a priestess in his service should be at least this much.

"I think I get it now why would our friend Brom here is able to summon Dremora that skillfully. You are the Keeper of the Rose, right?" Jon said as he commanded [Greed] to search Brom.

Indeed and there it was, [Greed] took out a rose with two leaves and a lot of red petals. It looked and ordinary rose at first but Jon took out [Pride] and dispelled the cloaking magic on the rose showing its true form.

The rose enlarged and turned into a staff with green shaft and a Rose as a head.

[Sanguine's Rose], an artifact that can summon Dremora and completely subdue them, it can also enhance the number of the summons.

Not a really powerful artifact except for the part where it makes Dremora really polite. No mage cares about that though.

Jon let down Brom from the binding of [Greed] and gave him [Sanguine's Rose] back.

"So, why did Azura send Sanguine's Labourer after me?" Jon asked.

"It was Lord Sanguine himself… you see… he put a bet against you and for some reason, he wanted you to not have that thing." The Gypsy woman said.

"Oh! Sanguine bet against me too. Now I have Malacath, Mehrunes Dagon, Molag Bal and Sanguine up my ass. Who else is there to worry about, Aranea?" Jon asked.

"Eh… I don't know but I know that you got the support of Sheogorath, Boethiah, Mephala, Vaermina and Hircine."

"Why does this feel like a talent show? Whatever… I am off."

Jon said and proceeded to open a Portal but he stopped before doing so.

"Hey, Mercenary." He called Brom.

"What?"

"You can command those Dremora properly, right?" He asked.

"Tsk! Just to let you know, I am called the one man army. Whatever that creature you conjured, it was unfair." Brom shouted.

"Haha! Sorry about that, he is still getting used to his new body." Jon said, "I have an offer to you."

"An offer?"

"Yep, there is a fight that is about to break out in Winterhold tomorrow. I don't know the scale but it is big. I'll hire you, 500 Septims per Day."

"500?!" Brom gasped.

"Hey, your Labour is to take that Crystal from him." The Gypsy shouted at Brom.

Brom looked at her but his eyes were turning into ($)_($). He was completely in for the offer.

"And as a Bonus, I will give you this Crystal to finish your Labour when I am done with it. You game?" Jon took Brom by the shoulder and added him the offer.

"I'm game, chief." Brom's attitude turned immediately.

"Call me Boss."

"Boss!"

The two boys were completely on the same side now.

"Told you he is troublesome." Aranea said to the Gypsy.

Jon waved [Pride] and opened a portal to Winterhold.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the final boarding call for Portal AF-69 heading to Winterhold. Hold on tight cause things get messy."