Chapter 256: Anguish
After a rather long-winded explanation, complete with many questions and inquiries from his shocked-looking and slightly sceptical listeners, he lets out a sigh and rests his back against the stone wall, wondering if it was good enough.
"So, let me get this straight." Wei starts with a complicated expression, "You are from another world, and we are trapped within your book, along with others who claim to be dead... So we're dead?... And I hadn't even completed my training!?" she exclaims, horrified, though, Michael wasn't sure if it was because she was 'dead' or because she'd never get to use what she'd learned.
Michael shrugs, "I mean, do you guys remember dying? Because the others do, one died of old age, one died after perving on the wrong woman, and one died getting backstabbed by his colleague."
Wei sniffs, "What a marvellous group you've gathered."
He crooks a brow at her, "You know that 'marvellous group' includes you right?"
...
Michael looks away from the glaring Wei and focuses on her master, who was standing next to her with crossed arms and a speculative expression. "My last memories... They were of my confrontation with that creature, the Butcher, Pudge it referred to itself as. I... Avoided its cursed chains and Blinked behind it to take its head, but..." he rubs his temple as if remembering it was a straining task, "Chains exploded forth from its putrid flesh, it caught me off guard and bound me. Allowing the creature to devour me, piece by piece." he says with a harsh look.
...
Wei looks stricken by his admittance, her eyes wide as she thinks back on her own memories, "I was waiting for you to return from the Fields of Carnage. But on the fourth week the sky turned green and dark. A fog rolled into the monastery, and I... Passed out...?"
Anti-Mage scowls with anger, "The Dead God, he must have sent his champion to purge what was left of us after I was slain..." he looks at Wei solemnly, taking a knee and lowering his head, "My disciple... I'm sorry, I failed you where a teacher should not. You paid for my weakness, my negligence..."
Wei stands and grabs him by his shoulders, "Master! You didn't fail me! There was nothing you could have done!"
Anti-Mage shakes his head, a look of absolute guilt and regret on his face, "It was still my duty, my duty to protect you until you were ready!"
Michael watches as the two argue, his thoughts drifting to the Dead God. Rhasta mentioned it once didn't he?... Hmm, he felt that there was more to this story that was not yet known... Maybe he'd find out once Lina was available to speak to.
Nodding to himself, he focuses back on the arguing duo and decides to speak up, "*Ahem!*, regardless of whose fault it was or wasn't, you guy's are dead, and are now residents of this. Place... I've told you of my circumstances already, but what I want to know is what you guys want to do?"
...
"What we want to do?" Wei questions with a raised brow, "We're trapped here from what you said, there is nothing we can do."
Anti-Mage nods, "Perhaps it would be better if you slew us and laid us to rest." he says bitterly.
"I... I'm not sure if that would even work. I've been killed in one of these worlds before and I just get kicked out from the book, tired, but healthy. I doubt the book'll just let you die like that, I mean, it seems to serve a purpose. Right now I'm getting taught by two of the Spirits."
Anti-Mage frowns, "And you seek my tutelage? I refuse." he determinately says almost immedaitely.
Michael lets out a sigh, "I already know some of your abilities, and it isn't like I'd leave you empty-handed... Make your request, and I'll do my best to fulfil it." he presses, not wanting to risk losing a potential source of knowledge.
...
"I will not teach one such as yourself, one who uses magic blatantly and selfishly. I made an oath to obliterate magic from the world, that might be impossible now, but stopping you from stealing Turstarkuri secrets? I could rest with that." he states.
Wei looks to Anti-Mage with a conflicted expression, "Master, maybe things aren't as dire as they seem... He said that the people and abilities the book grants improve over time. How long would it be until he acquires a way to raise the dead?"
*Smack!*
Wei's head whips to the side from her Master's strike, the girl looking mildly shocked that he'd struck her, "M-master?"
"Do not dare say that again. The dead should remain so, and any who would alter the natural order are abominations, unworthy of the air they breathe. We may have perished, my Disciple, but there are limits to what I will allow. My teachings remain, regardless of the state we exist in." he coldly states before marching off, exiting out of the monastery door and Blinking away, leaving Michael and Wei awkwardly standing there.
"You alright?" he asks, unsure if he should ignore what just happened or try and reassure her...
She touches her cheek with her hand and lets out a sigh, "Yes. It was stupid of me to say that. My master has suffered greatly at the actions of the Dead God, suggesting that you resurrect us must have brought back memories..."
Michael nods in understanding but wets his lips as he carefully thinks about his next words... "If I did have a way to bring you to the world of the living... Would you accept? I don't know if it's possible now, but I think I'd be able to do it eventually."
...
"I... I think you should leave." she mutters, sitting back onto the floor in her previous meditative stance, "Give us time, all of this is... Difficult to process."
Michael lets out a sigh, "Are you sure? I know I'm not the best person to say this but, I'm sorry for what happened to you. And this shit situation you've gotten caught up in."
She nods, but doesn't say anything else, closing her eyes and beginning to meditate. With that, Michael leaves, not knowing if Anti-Mage would ever be willing to teach him. Wei seemed friendlier, so maybe he could persuade her to teach him while Anti-Mage was brooding?... We'll see.
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Chapter 257: Toll
The next day after the group had conquered the Draugr crypt, the group made their way to Riften, the large walled, lakeside city that housed thriving fishing businesses, meaderies, smithies... Not to mention the rather public secret that the Thieves Guild was housed there.
Michael spots the dark stone walls after an hour or two more of riding, the entrance was sparse, aside from a few visitors and the two guards that stood on either side of the open gate. The buildings of the town looked far better constructed than Falkreath, indeed, everything did.
Despite its reputation as an utter cesspool, it seems that the city wasn't losing out on gold because of it. If anything, it made Falkreath look like a homeless hovel... It made him wonder just how Solitude would look.
"Okay, just let me do the talking so we can get through the gates in one piece." Medresi states.
"Is it really so bad? Surely they wouldn't do anything to guests of the city?" Tiffania asks, pulling her hood tighter over her head to avoid her ears being seen.
Medresi nods, "It is, you see, it doesn't matter what side of the law you're on in this place. Guard, thief, Jarl, all of them are criminals to some degree."
Michael sends a sideways glance at her, "Does that include you as well?"
The Dark Elf shrugs her shoulders, "Let's just say that the gold I used to pay the miners wasn't earned." she says before hopping off of the cart and walking towards the guards.
"Halt, carts and carriages require licences to move through the city. There is also a toll for any visitor who doesn't own any property." Michael hears one of the guards says.
Medresi just crosses her arms and glares at the armoured man, "Oh? Well that's good then, considering I live here and own a business. It should be under my name, Dresi Mrad. Check it."
...
The guard pulls out some parchments and goes through them, eventually nodding, "You're on it." he says but nods his head in the group's direction, "But they're not, they have to pay the toll."
Medresi lets out a sigh, "I see, I suppose I'll have to let my friend, Naven know that I've been obstructed." she drawls, causing the men to freeze up.
"S-sorry, did you say Maven?" one stutters out in a barely audible whisper.
Medresi smiles innocently, "Oh? Did I?" she says, not elaborating any further.
...
The guards look at one another and quickly nod, making way and having the gates open. Medresi smirks and hops back onto the cart as Michael has the horses move, a confused and slightly wary look on his face. "You know Maven Black-Briar?" he questions. He had cause to be worried too, even in Falkreath the reach of Maven could be felt, her family having deep ties to both Skyrim Nobility and the Empire. This was the case both through legal means and illegal. He'd even heard that the Black-Briars had tied with the Dark Brotherhood, a rumour that started when an upcoming rival business was steadily wiped out over two weeks, the entire family that owned it disappearing.
There was also Maven's ties with the Thieves Guild to keep in mind, he remembered that from the game. The woman basically owned the guild through her patronage of it, along with Mercer Fray stealing from the guild and putting it in such deep debt that they'd never shake Maven's control.
Medresi shakes her head, "I've never met Maven, nor have I any dealings with her... I just... Mislead the guards slightly."
"Isn't that... You know. Very, dangerous? And very stupid?" he asks, knowing thing using the Black-Briar name without permission was basically a death sentence.
Again the Dark Elf shakes her head, "Did I say Maven? I was only talking about my friend Naven, they must've misheard." she smiles coyly, "Besides, the guards are not supposed to be collecting 'tolls' anyway, they won't say a word of this to anyone, fearing retaliation from Maven's goons... Anyway, shall we go to my property and drop off my part of the treasure?"
Michael just nods, following the directions of the woman while observing the town itself. The main streets looked fine, clean even. But it only took a peek into the alleyways and sidepaths to see the real Riften. Gangs, thieves, thugs, and every other criminal you could name inhabited the place.
There was a distinct lack of homeless present as well, though, whether this was because of Riften's policies or because of the many criminals, he didn't know. The city's security isn't the best either, with guards either sleeping at their posts or literally assisting those who they were supposed to capture.
The fact that half of the city was built atop docks that sat over the lake was also a factor... All it would take is an ember in the wrong place and bam, the whole place would burn. The wooden docks were ill-maintained, with much of them rotting or lazily patched over with another plank of wood nailed into it.
Eventually, they stop the cart in front of an average-sized building on the east side of town. Medresi gets out after glaring at the few watches who was greedily looking at the contents of the cart, the woman throwing a couple rocks at the more persistent ones.
With that done, she enters the building to check if anything had moved before getting Michael and the others to help her move her shit inside... Unfortunately, this endeavour would not be as peaceful as they hoped.
As Michael retrieved the last sack of Medresi's gold, a group of five quickly approaches him as he's about to walk through the doors.
"You there. it seems you've got something of ours. We'd like it back!" the leader demands, a dagger already in his hand.
Michael groans and pinches the bridge of his nose, "Can you mooks and nobodies just piss off and mind your own business for once?"
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Niggross
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