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Ri’Darsha’s screaming and yowling sounded in vain against the rushes of the Niben. Not that anyone would care even if they could hear him. Not when they were this far from the center of Leyawiin. Nobody cared what happened south of the docks, much less outside the walls.
The Khajiit thrashed in vain against the combined vice grip of Garyn and Apelles as the porcine fists of Lorbulg gro-Bagamu pummeled his ribcage once more. His fur was matted and filthy with blood. Garyn had no idea how the catman’s chest hadn’t collapsed in on itself.
Lorbulg finally ceased his barrage of punches. The orc stepped back and shook his hands theatrically.
“I’m starting to get bored with this,” he said. “So I’ll say it for you again, real simple and slow-like. You owe me money. Pay it back right now or I really get mad.”
“Ri’Darsha…is not…withholding anything!” the Khajiit cried between labored breaths. “Give him more time!”
“You’ve had long enough,” said the orc.
“He’s telling the truth, Lorbulg,” Garyn said, loosening his grip slightly. “I don’t think he has it.”
“Think he’s right, boss,” Apelles said.
“Yes! Listen!”
Lorbulg smiled grimly. “Well, then. What do you suppose we should do about that?”
Ri’Darsha’s eyes widened. “Please –“
“I can think of a few things, boss,” Apelles said.
“Ri’Darsha needs more time –“
“I’ll take care of him,” Garyn said.
The orc nodded. “Do it.”
“Garyn, no –“
It was effortless. It was quick. A chop to the neck, a dagger to the belly. The Khajiit fell limp.
The Niben roared quietly. There was no other sound. Then –
“It’s finished,” Garyn said.
Apelles nodded, shaking the momentary dumbness that had struck him.
“What do you suppose we do with it, boss?” Apelles asked.
Garyn intercepted the question. “You go. I’ll take care of it.”
Lorbulg started to protest, but Garyn cut him off again. “You’re needed at the Guildhall, sir. And Apelles would get in my way. I'm the one who killed him – I'll be the one to dump him outside the underworks.”
Lorbulg sighed. “Very well. Apelles – you’re with me. Garyn, make sure he turns up eventually."
Then, smiling - "One way or another, I always collect. Tomorrow this city will be on notice.”
The pair walked away as Garyn draped the Khajiit over his broad right shoulder.
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Ri’Darsha grunted as Garyn set him down upon the sludgy banks of a drainage culvert.
“I knew you weren’t on the level, Ri’Darsha,” Garyn said. “But I never thought you'd be the sort who’d associate with an idiot like Lorbulg. I figured you for a better class of pusher than that.”
“And who is the one working for Lorbulg, Ri’Darsha wonders?”
“Even I didn’t know he was in this deep,” Garyn said. “I’m not in his inner circle. Neither are most of us at the Fighters Guild. You’re lucky he even brought me along. And that I thought to bring this.”
Garyn waved the empty leather pouch filled with false blood.
“You’re welcome, by the way,” he continued. “I don’t know why I'm sticking my neck out for you. But you should know better. You know he doesn’t know skooma from his own jizz.”
“He offered Ri’Darsha a bigger cut than he was getting.”
“And you figured you’d take out an advance straight from the merchandise itself.”
Ri’Darsha shrugged. “Ri’Darsha is Khajiit.”
“Ri’Darsha is Ri’Darsha,” Garyn said. “Lorbulg doesn’t know you like I do. And you don’t know Lorbulg, or you’d know he's in debt up to his tusks. He must be in deeper than I thought if he’s this desperate to collect from his debtors.”
“Ri’Darsha knew, but he underestimated.”
“It’s alright, so did I,” Garyn said. “Can you walk?”
Slowly, Ri’Darsha made his way up to his feet. It wasn’t easy, but he was just about able to manage. “…Y-yes,” he said.
“Good,” Garyn said. “Because you're about to skip town. It’s dark out, so you’ll need to hide in the woods and have Neesei take you on the first boat to Elsweyr tomorrow morning. You can bide your time there until this blows over. Which means don’t come back until you’re absolutely sure that Lorbulg is either dead or in prison.”
“Ri’Darsha gives that about six months.”
“More than I'd give it,” Garyn said. “Still, I can’t linger. Lorbulg will be looking for me. If we don’t meet again, then I bid you farewell.”
“Thank you, my friend,” Ri’Darsha said. “May you walk on warm sands.”
Garyn nodded, and left the Khajiit to himself.
The Khajiit thrashed in vain against the combined vice grip of Garyn and Apelles as the porcine fists of Lorbulg gro-Bagamu pummeled his ribcage once more. His fur was matted and filthy with blood. Garyn had no idea how the catman’s chest hadn’t collapsed in on itself.
Lorbulg finally ceased his barrage of punches. The orc stepped back and shook his hands theatrically.
“I’m starting to get bored with this,” he said. “So I’ll say it for you again, real simple and slow-like. You owe me money. Pay it back right now or I really get mad.”
“Ri’Darsha…is not…withholding anything!” the Khajiit cried between labored breaths. “Give him more time!”
“You’ve had long enough,” said the orc.
“He’s telling the truth, Lorbulg,” Garyn said, loosening his grip slightly. “I don’t think he has it.”
“Think he’s right, boss,” Apelles said.
“Yes! Listen!”
Lorbulg smiled grimly. “Well, then. What do you suppose we should do about that?”
Ri’Darsha’s eyes widened. “Please –“
“I can think of a few things, boss,” Apelles said.
“Ri’Darsha needs more time –“
“I’ll take care of him,” Garyn said.
The orc nodded. “Do it.”
“Garyn, no –“
It was effortless. It was quick. A chop to the neck, a dagger to the belly. The Khajiit fell limp.
The Niben roared quietly. There was no other sound. Then –
“It’s finished,” Garyn said.
Apelles nodded, shaking the momentary dumbness that had struck him.
“What do you suppose we do with it, boss?” Apelles asked.
Garyn intercepted the question. “You go. I’ll take care of it.”
Lorbulg started to protest, but Garyn cut him off again. “You’re needed at the Guildhall, sir. And Apelles would get in my way. I'm the one who killed him – I'll be the one to dump him outside the underworks.”
Lorbulg sighed. “Very well. Apelles – you’re with me. Garyn, make sure he turns up eventually."
Then, smiling - "One way or another, I always collect. Tomorrow this city will be on notice.”
The pair walked away as Garyn draped the Khajiit over his broad right shoulder.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ri’Darsha grunted as Garyn set him down upon the sludgy banks of a drainage culvert.
“I knew you weren’t on the level, Ri’Darsha,” Garyn said. “But I never thought you'd be the sort who’d associate with an idiot like Lorbulg. I figured you for a better class of pusher than that.”
“And who is the one working for Lorbulg, Ri’Darsha wonders?”
“Even I didn’t know he was in this deep,” Garyn said. “I’m not in his inner circle. Neither are most of us at the Fighters Guild. You’re lucky he even brought me along. And that I thought to bring this.”
Garyn waved the empty leather pouch filled with false blood.
“You’re welcome, by the way,” he continued. “I don’t know why I'm sticking my neck out for you. But you should know better. You know he doesn’t know skooma from his own jizz.”
“He offered Ri’Darsha a bigger cut than he was getting.”
“And you figured you’d take out an advance straight from the merchandise itself.”
Ri’Darsha shrugged. “Ri’Darsha is Khajiit.”
“Ri’Darsha is Ri’Darsha,” Garyn said. “Lorbulg doesn’t know you like I do. And you don’t know Lorbulg, or you’d know he's in debt up to his tusks. He must be in deeper than I thought if he’s this desperate to collect from his debtors.”
“Ri’Darsha knew, but he underestimated.”
“It’s alright, so did I,” Garyn said. “Can you walk?”
Slowly, Ri’Darsha made his way up to his feet. It wasn’t easy, but he was just about able to manage. “…Y-yes,” he said.
“Good,” Garyn said. “Because you're about to skip town. It’s dark out, so you’ll need to hide in the woods and have Neesei take you on the first boat to Elsweyr tomorrow morning. You can bide your time there until this blows over. Which means don’t come back until you’re absolutely sure that Lorbulg is either dead or in prison.”
“Ri’Darsha gives that about six months.”
“More than I'd give it,” Garyn said. “Still, I can’t linger. Lorbulg will be looking for me. If we don’t meet again, then I bid you farewell.”
“Thank you, my friend,” Ri’Darsha said. “May you walk on warm sands.”
Garyn nodded, and left the Khajiit to himself.