User blog:SkyrimsShillelagh/A Con of Epic Proportions

This is just a reference for the process Yaden-Gal and Zinlokaal go through in their scams. This also appears on The Sands of Elsweyr.

The Con
The Khajitt village of T'irgh in the Tenmar Forest was peaceful.

Farmers worked their trade, blacksmiths their craft, shopkeepers their shops. They had no weapons, no warriors.

Which is why, when a dragon attacked, they were woefully unprepared.

Fire rained down on the village, houses were reduced to ash, villagers wounded, and lives ruined. It was only moments, but the damage was done. Luckily no one was killed, but they were still in a bad way.

The dragon did not leave, however, it took up perch on a visible mountain, and watched from there, large, firey eyes alight.

When the attack was through, what remained of the T'irgh came together in the town's center. They discussed what was to be done.

That was when the Dragonslayer arrived. A massive, beast of an Orc with intimidating scars and burns that screamed he was someone not to mess with. He told them that he had been tracking the dragon for some time, months now, and would slay for them for a small fee. He small fee was actually quite large, but the villagers managed to pool enough silver together for him.

Upon payment, the Orc took up position right there. He pulled his massive, inhumnanly large crossbow from his back, sighted the dragon up, and unleashed the bolt. It traveled some three hundred metres, and struck the dragon directly in the heart.

All watched as the overgrown lizard tumbled from the mountain, clutching at it's chest, and plummeted to the earth. The cheers erupted not soon after, and the Dragonslayer was showered with praise and thanks. He spent some further time in that village, assisted in reconstruction, told people who had lost their livelihoods ways they could make up for it, and made sure that all the wounded were carried for. When he departed, a woman told him that she would be naming her first son "Draco" in honor of his accomplishment.

The Dragonslayer had simply smiled, seeming sad for some reason, nodded, and departed.

"You fool!" Yaden shouted, storming up to the stream. "You took up a perch too far! I never would've hit that!"

Zinlokaal waved one massive wing dismissively from his lounging place among the rocks. He was stretched out on them, letting the sun warm his back. He was a lizard, after all. And a lazy one at that.

"It worked, did it not?" The dragon replied, voice like thunder. "You are not lynched. Nii los oblaan, It was successful."

"It doesn't matter if it worked." Yaden replied, furrowing his ample brow. "What matters is that it looks like you're actually dead. If one of those villagers had suspected something..."

"Drem, but they did not."

"The point is, Zin, that you don't make those calls. I do. That's part of our arrangement."

"Zu'u lost ann mey, it is a ridiculous arrangement."

"You didn't think it so ridiculous when this was pointing down at your face." Yaden said, tapping his crossbow.

Zinlokaal considered him for a moment, before looking off. "Where do you head now?"

"Rimmen. I have business there. Meet me in the eastern desert in three days."

"Nii fent kos, so it shall be done." Zinlokaal pushed himself up from the rock with his large legs, and then took off into the air with one powerful flap of his wings. He had moved behind the mountain, as to not be spotted by the villagers.

Yaden watched the dragon until he was out of sight, then set off to the north.