章 168: Mystery
A lively night filled with comforting mead and hearty food is beginning in the Ivarstead Inn. Currently participating in this nightly event are the townsfolk that usually frequent the establishment.
The blacksmith has just ordered two bottles of mead after wiping the grease off his hands, while the milling workers are eating happily while talking about their day at work. They all stopped reflexively when they heard the Inn door open again.
The reason is simple, everyone in the town that would come to the Inn so late has already arrived. People entering at this hour is something out of the ordinary, out of the ordinary for this little town means something interesting.
*creak*
The door opened with a squeak, something the locals knew how to avoid since this door has been doing that for years...
*Tap* *Tap*
The steady tapping of a walking stick sounded, approaching the entryway steadily. Those present were surprised for a second, then they understood a thing about this visitor. Their faces became serious and they all looked away instantly, they didn't want anything to do with a mage...the only type of person who could open the door while still approaching from afar.
*TAP*
The tapping stopped with a louder thud, all present knew that based on the sound's echo, the stranger mage has entered the Inn and stopped walking. Some brave citizens risked a side glance, and what they saw was so foreign and bizarre that shivers went up their spine as they turned away quickly. Silently focusing on their food and drink...
The man wore a pitch-black high-collared trench coat, black as the night that reached the top of his boots. He wore skin-tight black leather gloves and a pitch-black mask that looked like a man's face.....but it was artificially angled and shiny with only a few distinct aspects. Its eye holes were covered by a layer of unknown black mesh material, and the mouth was nothing but a black rectangular hole...
The tall black top-hat and black granite walking staff engraved with runic patterns completed the mysterious outfit.
The masked man stood at the entry door quietly before leisurely walking towards the Inn owner behind the far-off counter. The tapping echoed again in the silent hall...
After taking a few steps, those brave enough to steal a glance at the moving Mage saw his left-hand gesture weakly, before the door closed behind him on its own, the gentle *click* of the latch after the gentle closing showed the control of Magicka this man held.
[Telekenisis] goes a long way when impressing average folk...
Contrary to the rest of the citizens, the Inn owner was a little more used to strangers. He's seen quite a few mages, and although no one was so eerie as this man, it gave him the courage to greet the potential patron politely and serve him normally when he reached the counter.
"Welcome to my Inn, how can I serve you today?..."
The masked man stilled like a statue for a few uncomfortable seconds before he spoke curtly....." owner, I'm here on an assignment and need information, I hope you can provide it..."
The owner breathed a relieved sigh silently before nodding and waiting...
"....I've been ordered to ensure The Greybeards receive this letter" the mysterious man pulled off his top hat and held it upside down in his left hand, while the right hand threw the staff into the hat.
Like something out of a fantasy story, the long granite staff was engulfed, as if a vast void resided within the cap. With wide eyes, the Inn Keeper could only continue to wonder when the mysterious man reached into the hat and pulled out a sealed letter with an unusual wax seal on the envelope.
The owner stared at the sealed letter for a moment, allowing the mysterious man to put the hat atop his head once more before he came back to his senses...
*cough* *cough*
"....of course. I can hand this off to Klimmek, he's making the next food delivery up the mountain tomorrow. Will that be alright mi lord?..."
The masked man stilled after tilting his head, and after a minute of tense silence, he nodded before placing the letter on the counter.
"....see that it is done without issue, The Foundation thanks you. " The unusual voice came out from beneath the mask, and the mysterious man pulled a thick pouch full of hundreds of septims from his coat.
*clank*
The money sack hit the counter before the masked man gave a small tip of the hat before black vapor began to eminate from his figure...
He turned to leave in a flourish, but his visage disappeared in black smoke in front of everyone's eyes...
The Innkeeper breathed heavily with the man's dissaperence before pocketing the money and message, he would ensure Kimmeck understood the gravity of this task tomorrow....'The Foundation..... such an entity could order a mage like that around, how awful...'
Just like that, the normal town had some new gossip to spread, a powerful mage completed a mysterious task given to him by The Foundation.
........
Two days later, when one of the elder Greybeards went outside High Hrothgar to check the delivery chest, an unexpected letter was stacked on top of the goods.
He opened the letter and began to read...
The more he read, the more his face changed and he eventually turned and shouted towards the way he came...
"WULD NAH KEST.."
*woosh*
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