Salthasar quakes a little before saying, "L-luckily, the one that sssold it to me broke the ruless to get it. Ssso... I could probably let it ssslip that he goess by Creep, and you can probably find him running around the ratway without getting punished."
"I see, thanks for being so cooperative, Salthasar." I tell him with a smile as I stop blocking his path letting him slip away.
"My pleasssure..." Salthasar says with a hiss of relief as he slinks far away from us.
"Mreow, Stupid lizard, when should we find this, Creep?" M'rissi asks as she glares at the shrinking figure of Salthasar.
"We need to go into the depths of the ratway anyways, so after I speak with the face sculpter we can go down with Inigo." I reassure her as I rub between her sholder blades before searching around for the wood elf, Galathil, as M'rissi goes to the bar to speak with Inigo.
Who I see stopping M'rissi from taking a drink from Vekel, as she glares at Inigo before he leans in and whispers something to her which makes her go surprisingly quiet as she furativelyglances over at me before pushing away her drink as I continue my search.
I look around the Ragged Flaggon for several minutes, as several new branching rooms seems to have been added since I was last here.
Off in a small alcove, hidden behind a shabby curtain I find Galathil peering through a medical textbook by candle light.
"Hmm, I suppose you are here for my services." Galathil sighs as she looks at me degectedly, her eyes dull and while not lifeless, seem to be missing a spark of joy they have once held. Her tattered red robes seem to add to her
"Yes, I am in need of a change of face, but are you sure you're up to the task?" I question her as I enter her alcove. Noticing a messy bed, a small wooden table that holds her books and tools, and a few herbs and spices hanging down from the ceiling.
One of which gives off a sour scent as I feel my skin crawl as I enter the small space and sit down on her bed that creaks under my weight.
"You-! How dare you question my skill?! I am a master of the sculpting of flesh! I studied under the Chirurgeons of Cloudrest! I walked with the Hollow-Faced Men of Nohotogrha for years! I have sculpted nobility of both the Empire and the Dominion with my very own hands!" Galathil begins to shout at me as she slams her book down in a rage, breathing some fire back into her eyes as she recounts her accomplished history before she sighs in defeat and slumps back into her chair.
"Huph... And yet... I have fallen so low that I must justify myself to a wanderer in the sewers of this backwater of the world... Divines, where did it all go wrong?" Galathil sifgs in defeat as a look of dejected acceptance spreads across her downtrodden face.
Feeling my plan is even more likely to succeed after seeing the state my mark, cough, cough, I mean, valuable new recruit is in.
"You know, someone of your caliber shouldn't be wasting away in a cesspool like this... In fact, I think your talents deserve to be commended and utilzed to their fullest." I tell her as I remove my facemask.
"Hmmm, flattery... It's been a while since someone tried to woo me for access to my talents. Alright, what is it you had in mind? Want me to remake your face to escape the law? A jilted lover, perhaps?" Galathil asks with a slight teasing smile as she stands from her chair and gets a closer look at my face.
Peering at me, not as a man, but as if she were an artist and I a block of marble, just waiting to be shaped into what it has always supposed to be.
I smile back at her as I take off my thieves hood so she can get a better look at me, "No, ha ha, all my lovers are currently quite satisfied. I actually want to give you an opportunity like no other."
Galathil gets on the bed beside me, cause it to creak even further as she leans even closer to me, running her hands along my face.
Paying extra attention to my ears, tusks, brow, chin, and nose as she feels a long my face as a gleam flashes across her eyes, almost making me shiver
"And... What might that opportunity be? Hmmm... Interesting..." Galathil asks, as I feel her fingers lightly press into my cheeks and along my jaw. Allowing me to feel some kind of warm energy spreading throughout my face before it stops and she pulls back as she looks into my eyes, as if deep in thought.
"I'll not only give you a chance at life of freedom up above these sorid shadows, but you can mold the face of future royalty... Royalty that will transform this backwater into the beating heart of Tamriel." I tell her with a charming smile as I put my all into this persuasion attempt.
"Hmmm... You do make quite a bold promise... And there's just something about your flesh that seems more malleable than any other I've come across... The ease at which it can shift is astounding... The perfect foundation for my greatest masterpiece..." Galathil mumbles slightly aloud, as she continues getting lost in staring at my face, as if mapping out all the possibilities.
"Alright... You win, I accept this challenge, I've had very few opportunities to work with an orc, and I've deeply missed working amongst the royal salons... If you take me away from this wretched sewer and promise to protect me from those who might desire my head, I will make you into my magnum opus." Galathil says after much internal debate.
Her claims about people being after her head pique my interest, but my biggest concern right now is throwing the people seeking mine off my trail, so I agree to her terms without any hesitation, "Of course, you have my word. After I finish my business in the ratway, you can travel with to my base of operations."
"Excellent, now lie down. I have much work to do, also, please remove your armor and clothing. I need to make sure the perfect face I craft aligns with the body underneath." Galathil explains as she gets up from the bed and turns to watch me.
(Author's Note: Hey everyone, sorry for the delay again. Was busy putting in a grape vine patch the other day. Hope you enjoy!)