“The Khajiit and The Amulet of Divine Luck” A Story Inspired by Elder Scroll’s IV: Oblivion
"The Khajiit and The Amulet of Divine Luck"
A Story Inspired by Elder Scroll's IV: Oblivion
I remember my father once telling me that only a fool would trust a Khajiit with a Cheshire
grin. I found his point of philosophy to be exceptionally vague, because the Khajiit race is noted for their somewhat unnerving smile. The Renrijra Krin, a noted gang of Khajiit thugs, smugglers, skooma dealers and alleged freedom fighters are also known as "The Mercenaries Smile." Many officers of the watch have dictated to the Imperial chamber of records that many suspected members of the Renrijra Krin, despite the harshness of there torture and interrogations never ceased smiling and continued to fringe ignorance. I remember coming across one note that during an interrogation of a young Khjaiit male, suspected of being a contact for the Renrijra Krin, the interrogator noted and I quote: "I have broken the wills of many criminals that have been sent to me for my reputed methods of "specialized persuasion." I have beaten, battered and burned the confessions out countless prisoners and taken great pride in doing so for the good of the empire...but this one single male Khajiit managed with just simply smiling all the while...to brake my spirit and make me feel disgusted with myself...curse these furlickers and there house cat grins!" After reading this, there is no doubt in my mind of the power Khajiits have with just a simple smile.
Being a scholar by profession, I have come across many humors stories involving these sly smiling beast folk, but by far the one tale that made me think back to my fathers lecture on not trusting a smiling Khjaiit and it is the tale of a fellow Imperial who on a night of hard luck in gambling came across a sly smiling Khjaiit who offered him a deal he just couldn't refuse and soon...regretted ever trusting a Khajiit smiling a big Cheshire grin!
Within the Imperial city, a lone Imperial exited one of the warehouses overlooking the sea dock. He was down to his last ten Sceptims, having lost almost two months wages in just two hours of a dice match between a Bosmer slope-drudge and an Argonian deckhand. He figured the gods were not with him at all this night and decided to spend whatever was left of his wages in a bottle of strong Nord ale or maybe 10 Sceptims worth of skooma to help make him forget his hard luck. He only walked a few steps when suddenly he heard this gruff voice say,
"Hard luck poor Imperial! Maybe your luck will change yes?" After hearing this voice, he turned and standing there in the corner was a smartly dressed Khajiit in fine silk clothing with gold trim stitches. The Imperial was bewildered to see one of these creatures of debauched values and reputed drug abuse, looking like a nobleman in all his expensive glory.
"How is it that the gods have granted a heathen like you with such wealth and warm clothes, while a poor working man of the Nine Divines is basically working for nothing and is all but starving every day? Has the world gone mad?" The Imperial demanded sounding very jealous. The Khajiit just kept smiling and replied,
"Gods? Qa'dar believes in no gods..." Just then the Khajiits eyes lit up as he continued, "He dose believe in luck and magical trinkets!" The Imperial attention was caught by the mere mention of magical trinkets and he asked,
"Magical trinkets? You mean you have a magical token that has granted you such blessings and wealth?" The Khajiit changed his smile from an ordinary to a big toothy grin as he knew he had the desperate Imperial within his claws.
"Oh yes! Qa'dar has a very special trinket!" The Khajiit said and he reached up to his neck and as he tugged lightly on something, just then an out of place ugly brown cord with a crude blue stone amulet emerged from under the Khajiits expensive shirt and was now dangling in plan sight upon his chest.
"Behold! The amulet of Divine Luck! Giving to a poor wretch by the Daedric prince Clavicus Vile himself!" The Imperials eyes burned with want as they locked upon the seemingly worthless amulet, but from what his ears were hearing, this was the holy of holies for anyone who wishes to wear fine silk and party like a nobleman for the rest of his years.
"Could...could you..." The Imperials voice drifted off as visions of gold filling his pockets and days of never having to see another ship crate dance in his mind and he continued, "Could you lend me this marvelous item? Just for tonight! I'm broke but for these last 10 sceptims and the solid gold ring my father gave me before he died!"
After hearing the mention of a solid gold ring, the Khajiits eyes hunted the Imperials fingers and soon saw the glint of yellow gold that was embraced round his ring finger and then replied,
"Oh...Qa'dar couldn't possible separated himself from this magical amulet, for without it he is no more lucky then you are!" The Khajiit then taking the amulet in his hand, traced circles around the blue stone and pretended to be in deep thought, but in reality he had already made up his mind and said,
"Tell you what..." The Khajiit walked over to the Imperial, put his arm around his shoulders and walked with him a little ways down the dock and stopped where the edge met the water, "Qa'dar has made quite a fortune with this amulet and if he is wise, his years will still be spent in wealth." The Khajiit looked down into the dark water for a moment and as he turned to face the Imperial he said,
"Qa'dar will give you this wondrous amulet..." The Khajiit stopped for a moment as he locked eyes with the Imperial and making sure the Imperial wasn't in a state to make a reconsideration he continued, "In exchange for the gold ring!" The Imperial broke eye contact with the Khajiit to look down at his ring as he brought into full view. He was reluctant of course to consider the Khajiits generous offer, but with his string of bad luck and the fact he will be evicted at any moment from his shambles of a house, that was just a few foots steps away from where he is standing on the docks. He stroked his ring a few times before he began pulling it off his finger. It took a little effort thanks to the many years of it never once leaving his finger, but now it was finally removed.
After rubbing the pale band area around where the ring once ways, the Imperial held up the gold ring to the Khajiit and said, "Deal! The ring in exchange for The amulet of Divine Luck!" The Khajiit only nodded still smiling and as he gave a hard tug at the amulet's cord, it popped free from around his neck and he offered to the Imperial but kept a hard hold onto it until the gold ring feel from the Imperials hold and into his claws.
"Qa'dar thinks he will regret this night..." The Khajiit said as he looked at the ring for a moment and closed his fingers around it, "But maybe your gods wanted this to happen?" The Imperial couldn't agree more with that as he quickly tied the amulet around his neck and walked away without another word, feeling like the luckiest man in all of Tamriel.
The Khajiit watched the Imperial walk away till he was no longer in sight and chuckled to himself as he opened his hand which held his new gold ring,
"This is getting too easy!" The Khajiit said to himself as he slipped the gold ring onto his finger and took a moment to admire its splendor. He worked the ring around his finger until it was seated comfortably and quickly turned his attention over to another unlucky soul stepping out of the warehouse and walking down the docks counting his last few sceptiems and looking very worried.
"Well now..." The Khajiit said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out another crude amulet that looked just like the one he trade to the Imperial for the gold ring not to long ago. He quickly tied it around his neck, tucked it neatly under his expensive shirt and as he got into position, he waited for the stranger to approach within ears shot and said aloud as his next victim began to pass by,
"Hard luck poor Bosmer! Maybe your luck will change yes?"