章 71: Words with a theif
[AN]: It has come to my attention that webnovel had some update that limits people reading the story on a PC. If you prefer reading that way, I do post this novel to fanfic . net. So you can read it there instead. It may not always be updated as punctually, but it does happen within a day or so.
Okay, enough of that and back to what people actually care about.
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As Rictus was leaving the lodge, he could sense a strange magical energy outside. It pulsed strongly yet slipped away like a shadow. The Skeleton Key was the most likely suspect. He took a good look around as he walked out the door to see who and what they were up against.
The most striking thing was the glowing portal right ahead of them. People continued exiting the portal even as the lodge was slowly surrounded. Five of his Restored were standing before the door in a semicircle with Stalleo behind them. A few were trapped in the stables with the mounts while the rest were in the watchtower.
Finally, people stopped exiting the portal as it closed without a sound. All in all, they were heavily outnumbered by what appeared to be a collection of thieves, mercenaries, and beggars. Maven was looking at all of them with an arrogant sneer on her face, but Rictus could see her hands clenched in nervousness. Interestingly, Maul did not seem surprised or nervous.
People moved away and created a small clearing as three people walked past them. Two of them were walking slightly behind the other one. Those two were a male and female Nord. The woman had brown hair slightly past the shoulder with piercing blue eyes. She wore a brown sleeveless version of the traditional thieves guild armor. The male's reddish-brown hair also came down to his shoulders, but he was wearing faded black thieves guild armor. The person in the middle demanded more attention though.
The dark black thieves guild armor the Khajiit woman wore was a much higher quality than her followers. It clung to her like a second skin and left little of her curvaceous body to the imagination. The black armor melded almost perfectly with her dark black fur which lightened up marginally around her muzzle and tuffs of her ears. Brilliant yellow gold eyes sparkled with intelligence and mirth as she stalked forward like a leopard which just caught its prey. Her voice had a musical and seductive lilt which could cause a monk to second guess his dedication to celibacy.
"My, my, seems someone has been up to something recently, huh Maven? And is that Karliah with you? You must be after the guild if you are consorting with Gallus's killer. Are you perhaps thinking or repeating the feat?"
She placed a hand over her mouth in fake surprise as the man beside her stared hatefully at Karliah and Maven.
"I was skeptical at first but seeing you here with that murderer proves your ill intentions to the guild Maven."
Maven scoffed as she looked over at the Karliah.
"As if I would work with someone like her. I caught her trying to spy on me just moments ago. You are more than welcome to her."
The Khajiit woman had a thoughtful look on her face.
"That is very convenient timing if you ask me. You have to admit a meeting with the killer of at least one guild master, and the leader of the Restored mercenary group way out here is mighty suspicious."
Slowly, Karliah was moved away from the group and surrounded by an angry group of thieves. The Khajiit woman turned to Rictus finally as she gave him a sensual smile and spoke in a slightly husky tone.
"Ah but where are my manners. I haven't introduced myself to your guest. You can call me Laverna Bastat, thief extraordinaire and guild master for the thieves guild. I have been looking forward to meeting you for a long time now Rictus."
"Not interested. I know some furries would jizz their pants at the sight of you with all those straps, but that's not my thing. Not trying to kink shame you, just making sure you know where we stand."
Everyone just stood in shocked silence at his words. No one really understood exactly what he was talking about, but they got the jist of it. Meanwhile, Laverna just stared at him a moment before letting out a melodious laugh.
"HAHA! It really has been too long since I have interacted with someone like you. I was not prepared for that at all."
No one else said a word as she slowly shook her head in amusement. It was immediately replaced by a no-nonsense look.
"I know why you are all here. Karliah being here is a surprise, but not a great one. I am willing to let it pass if you bend to my demands."
Maven rolled her eyes at the thought of someone else giving her demands.
"Your worries and suspicions have no proof. I was meeting with Rictus to provide some new guards for my merchandise when he caught the murderer spying on us. We then came out here when we heard a commotion. Nothing more, nothing less."
A bored looked crossed the new guild master's face as she looked behind Maven. The ringing of a blade exiting a scabbard was heard followed by someone gasping. Turning around revealed Maul with his sword to Ingun's throat.
"They were planning and talking about exactly what you suspected guild master."
Maven's face turned red with barely contained rage as she clenched her fists hard enough to almost draw blood. Her voice seethed with malice as she looked at her former right-hand man.
"How dare you…after everything I have done for you!? This is how you treat me and my family! You better run as far away as possible after this, because nowhere in Skyrim will be safe for you after this betrayal."
The man gave her a hard look as he brought the blade closer to Ingun's throat.
"You better be careful how you speak to me. Wouldn't want my arm to slip and cause an accident right now. It would be a real shame if you lost another kid, especially since one is still in jail, and we both know how dangerous that place can be."
A soft chuckle came from Laverna as she looked at one of Skyrim's most powerful persons dancing in the palm of her hand. She then turned back to Rictus, acting as if Maven was beneath her notice. A claw tapped on her chin as she started pacing back and forth like a predator stalking its prey.
"Now what to do with you. No crimes were technically committed yet, but you were still implicit in a plot against me. I cannot just let something like that go. It would ruin my reputation. I am sure you can understand."
Her words caused the Restored around him to tense up. They did not appreciate the way the conversation was going. He spoke up before any of them could do anything stupid.
"How about we just forget the whole thing? There is no need for conflict between us. You all can figure things out between while we leave. Although, Ingun will be coming with us when we go. I already saved her life once and she still owes me. I wouldn't want her to die before she returns the favor."
Shaking her head, Laverna obviously disagreed.
"That's not quite good enough I am afraid. Plotting an assassination is a serious crime. I don't think my followers and fellow guild members could accept such a thing. While I would be fine with it, I fear they may act out if you aren't punished."
Rictus rolled his eyes at her words.
"Let's hurry this up and you just tell me what you want. I am getting a little tired and want to leave this place. Its Fredas, and I got a keg of Vilod's newest Juniper brew calling my name."
She stared at him a moment before motioning to his side.
"Give me your grimoire and you can go. I will even let you take Ingun if you hand it over peacefully and promise she won't return to the Rift unless I say so. You will also of course have to give me some additional favors, but we can work on that at a later time."
Letting his fingers run through his beard, Rictus pondered the request for a moment. A book wasn't a terrible trade for peace with the thieves guild. It wasn't like he actually used it or anything like that.
"Hmm. I think I am going to have to pass on the offer. I'm keeping the book."
A chuckle snuck from her lips as the surrounding thieves gave him a dirty smile.
"I think you misunderstood something. That was not an offer, but what will happen. I will get the grimoire one way or another. Personally, I was hoping you would resist so I could test somethings out."
Rictus seeing that things were not going so well raised his right hand as he channeled his mana towards the ground. He planned on raising a wall to give them some space before launching a counterattack.
…Nothing happened. Looking at his sides revealed shocked looks of fear on both Stalleo and Ma'randru-jo's face. They both looked at their hands a moment before turning towards him. Ma'randru-jo spoke in a low and shaky voice.
"It is gone. This one can no longer feel the magic. What is happening?"
Rictus also felt somehow less than he did just moments before. Looking up revealed Laverna giving him a victorious look. In her hands was an ancient looking key with a large bluish nob that she was pointing right at him. He stared at her a moment before commenting.
"The Skeleton Key…seems it is as powerful as people speculated after all. I guess this was part of the plan all along."
It was the truth too. He had thought the Key was way more powerful than an unbreakable lockpick like it was shown in the game. Seems all those fan theories about it were at least somewhat correct. Laverna's grin grew more pronounced at his words.
"I do so love someone with some intelligence. A mage without their magic isn't really much of a threat to me at all, especially since I can guess how you got all those muscles. This is Checkmate for you."
He stared at her for a moment before a slight grin appeared on his face. Reaching out, he grabbed the ebony battleax one of his soldiers had on his back before walking forward.
"It may be check, but not mate. How about I show you if these muscles really are just for show?"
Laughter spilled out of her throat as she saw him do some amateurish swings one handed while holding the ax in the middle of the shaft. A hand movement had her people stop advancing as she sashayed towards Rictus while drawing a daedric dagger.
"I was taught not to play with my food, but I think I can make an exception this time. I think I misjudged your intelligence if you are facing me, especially wielded that one handed and without any armor."
No words were spoken as he kept advancing towards her with a steady pace.
She shrugged her shoulders after giving him a moment longer to change his mind.
"Guess we do this the hard way then."
She exploded forward faster than Rictus expected. He was able to move his ax up just in time to block the dagger thrust at him with the large, bladed head. The force surprised him but wasn't enough to push him back. Trying to push back at her proved fruitless as she already moved backwards. Her eyes narrowed at the fact he blocked her first strike. Maybe he wasn't as hopeless as she thought.
Rictus took a large swing at her while letting the shaft slide through his hands until it stopped at the pommel. The extra reach almost took her by surprise, but she rolled under it as she swiped at his leg. A slight stinging sensation told him she had landed the first blow. She wasn't done though as she tried to hamstring him. Kicking out with his foot caused her to back off while he regained his stance.
They soon met again with a clash of blades. Small wounds began accumulating on Rictus as it became apparent she was the faster and more skilled of the two. Laverna and the other thieves were not surprised since Rictus was a handicapped mage. After he barely managed to dodge an attack, she backed off.
"Go ahead and give up. You lost. There is no shame in admitting defeat, and I don't honestly want to kill you."
Spitting on the ground, he smiled back at her.
"How about you give me and my companions back out magic, and we forget this ever happened?"
Her face scrunched in confusion.
"Why would I do that when you are beaten?"
A defiant look appeared on his face as he stared down his opponent.
"Ha I can do this all day. I am just getting warmed up."
A sigh escaped her as she shook her head at his arrogance while cringing at his words which sounded like a crappy anime protagonist.
"Why don't we change things up then? Make it at least a little more interesting."
She pulled out a book which had been strapped to her side. It looked eerily similar to Rictus's grimoire except it had the symbol for Oblivion and conjuration on it. After opening the book, a large black circle with purplish fames appeared. Out stepped a large humanoid wearing spiked black and red daedric armor and wielding a daedric greatsword.
"I smell weakness…"
She had summoned a Dremora Lord. Arguably the best summons from the Skyrim game. Laverna gestured at Rictus with a flick of her hand.
"Subdue him for me."
Eyes like the abyss stared at him before a bloodthirsty yell came from the dremora.
"I honor my lord, by destroying you!"
"…balls."
The explicative had barely left his mouth before the monster was before him swinging with all the might of a mountain. Despite blocking, the dremora pushed him back a step from the force of the swing. This would not be the easy fight Rictus hoped for.
He had to dodge a couple more swipes from the sword as he tried to think of the best way to counterattack. Its thick armor would most likely turn back any strike not swung at full power, and it was more skilled with its weapon than he was. 'Guess it is time to try and speed things up. Couldn't keep the arm hidden forever. I may be really good with a blade, but this beast is a master.' He ducked under a horizontal swing while choking up on his ax with both hands and letting the blade slide against the armor around the summon's knee. The armor slightly dented but ultimately held. This would be a battle of attrition after all.
Everyone was transfixed watching the fight going on before them. Where Rictus had been the slow one before, he was now skirting around the summoned dremora while taking short, controlled slashes at it with both hands. It was a complete reversal from the fight between him and Laverna. Having the use of both hands had surprised the watching thieves. They all suspected it was his trump card which he had to use now instead of against Laverna. Unfortunately, his opponent's thick armor and monstrous strength kept the unarmored Rictus on the defensive.
Rictus caught an overhead swing with the top of his ax while keeping the pommel on the ground to catch the blow. His foot then shot out faster than ever before and hit the knee joint of the dremora's armor. A sickening crunch was heard as the armor crumbled under his kick. The dremora lord fell to the ground as it lost its grip on its sword.
"No! Not by a mortal!"
The body slowly dissolved into nothing as Rictus's blade lodged into the ground where its neck had been just moments before. Everyone was stunned into silence for a moment before the Restored started cheering. A loud slow clapping sound stopped their cheering as everyone turned to see what was going on.
Laverna stood there with a slight smile on her face.
"Looks like you were hiding some of your strength during our spar. Too bad you didn't utilize it earlier. You may have stood a chance then. Unfortunately for you, I already have what I want."
Rictus's hand shot down towards his waist where his grimoire normally sat. It was gone. He looked back towards her as she patted the book now in her hands. 'When did she have the chance to do that?'
She answered his unspoken question.
"While you were distracted with the fighting, I was able to snatch this off you fairly easily. I am a master pickpocket. Such a thing was trivial for me."
"Why do you even want it that badly? It's not like it has any use for you."
Her smile only got wider. Rictus kept his face neutral as he internally hoped for the classic monologue and explanation.
"Ah that is where you are mistaken. I have what some would consider a god given talent to seamlessly use magical artifacts I pickpocket. That was how I summoned the dremora lord after all. Combine that ability with the grimoire's ability to drastically reduce the magical cost of spells in the corresponding school of magic while holding it in hand, and I can cast magic as good if not better than some masters."
His eyes widened in shock at the explanation. He tried thinking back on all his experiences with spells to this point and got a sickening revelation.
A thought burned in his mind. 'I don't think I ever tried casting a spell while holding the book…Did I really get such ant item at the start and never used it? I only thought it recorded information and was convenient to write in. Wait…was that how I was able to summon so many of those mage lights in the Breeze home as soon as I got to Skyrim? What a hack.'
Seeing his shocked face and slightly misinterpreting it, Laverna puffed up in pride. She wasn't usually one to boast, but something about winning against someone like her brought deep satisfaction. Her actions and thoughts were a little altered from her normal calm and collected persona, but it was natural after such success.
"I can tell you see your new position. Having to finally pay full cost for your spells will limit you for a while, but that is no problem. Join me, and I will make sure you have plenty of potions to help you out. Think of all we could accomplish working together! Your Restored will stand in the light while my guild will control the shadows."
Rictus stared at the hand she held out at her offer. It wasn't a terrible deal given the situation. Having the thieves guild working with him could take their information gathering to new heights. Having dedicated rogues would also even out some of his adventuring teams and make certain missions significantly easier. They wouldn't have to worry about their caravans in the south and could focus their full attention on the north. Working with a knowledgeable Skilled would also carry a lot of benefits. It was a good deal.
"I believe I already mentioned it, but I am not interested."
Seeing his apathetic expression ticked Laverna off. She had made him an excellent deal which would greatly profit both of them. Why wouldn't anyone accept such a proposition?
"You are not nearly as smart as I thought. This could have been the start of something special. Instead, you will be my prisoner which will keep the Restored in line anyways. I don't actually need your cooperation."
She couldn't help but sigh at the turn of events. Some people were just too prideful to see common sense.
"Bound them all up. No need to be gentle either. If anyone resists, don't take any chances with your life."
Her followers moved to apprehend the stoic Restored. She had to give them some credit. None of them showed any fear at all despite the hopelessness in their situation. They all stood solidly with their weapons still in hand and their eyes closed. Another sigh escaped her at the trouble this would cause. Letting her people go to work, she couldn't resist peeking at the new grimoire she just acquired. Her fingers caressed the binding as she opened it up.
"Let's see what secrets you hold…"
Brilliant Bright Light suddenly flooded the area, blinding everyone as a loud rumbling could be heard. Many of the thieves screamed out at the surprise of it all. When the light finally died down after a few minutes, they were shocked at what they saw.
Rows of thickly armored warriors surrounded them with weapons drawn. Archers aimed at them from rocky platforms they could have sworn were not there earlier. All of the warriors who suddenly appeared looked ready to attack at any moment. The thieves were caught completely by surprise and turned their heads to their leader, which gave them another shock.
Laverna was standing completely still with her hands miming at opening a book. Another thing stood out even more than her not moving. She was completely naked. All her belongings were scattered on the ground around her. None of the thieves could wrap their heads around why she was like that or the sudden turn of events. Everyone's eyes turned and followed the figure walking towards the paralyzed guild master.
Rictus unfurled a large sheet of fabric from his back before placing it on Laverna. As soon as it contacted her skin, it started disintegrating as large amounts of rock and ash encased her entire body while leaving the head uncovered.
"You should have locked down the magic in the area instead of just our personal magic. That would have stopped runes from working and others from interfering."
He petted her head condescendingly before reaching down and picking up the item of interest. Even with his magic locked, he could feel the power of the Skeleton Key. The possibilities of such a thing were nearly endless. Just imagining the things he could accomplish with it sent a small shiver down his spine. His gaze turned towards the Nightingale who had been silent this entire time.
"Karliah, can you use the Key to undo what was done to us?"
She simply nodded her head and walked over to him at his beckoning. Her mind was still processing everything she just witnessed. As she got close, Rictus tossed the Key at her like it wasn't one of the most powerful daedric artifacts in existence. Karliah caught the key and activated it instinctively. A rush of familiar power poured into Rictus as he felt reconnected with his magic.
"Ah that's better. Now, I think you should probably take that away from mortal hands and back where it belongs with Nocturnal. Using the key to get there faster would be smart. Maybe after that you can persuade the other thieves here of your innocence. Gallus's journal would probably help with that. If not, I could find a use for someone of your abilities."
Karliah nodded in determination as his words reaffirmed why she was here. After seeing everything that just happened, she did not question how he why she was here. Before she could activate the Skeleton Key, a voice stopped her.
Laverna looked confused and discombobulated as she stared at Rictus. She couldn't quite understand what had just happened.
"How?"
Rictus looked over at her still trapped in stone.
"Magic."
He moved his hands back and forth as little magical lights sparkled around them. Like he was going to explain anything to her. Turning towards Karliah, he motioned at the trapped Laverna.
"You should take her with you. I bet your patron would be very interested in meeting someone who kept the Skeleton Key knowing its importance."
Laverna's eyes widened in fear at that statement. No words left her mouth as Karliah simply nodded in agreement. The two of them disappeared as a portal swallowed them up leaving Rictus standing there with a contemplative look on his face. Ma'randru-jo was the first to approach him.
"Was it wise to give away such a powerful artifact? Much could have been done with it."
"Perhaps it wasn't but keeping it could have proven more troublesome in the long run. I try to avoid angering or even interacting with any of the daedric princes. I feared if I used it, there was no way I wouldn't keep it. That kind of power corrupts. I'm probably being an idiot about the whole thing, but what's done is done. Now we just have to figure out this whole mess."
He hadn't really thought as much about what would happen after this moment. The contingencies for the thieves guild showing up had worked perfectly. He had informed Miruma and Illia about his worries regarding the meeting. They had gathered up a large quick reaction force including all his Minions who would come to their aid if he needed it. He purposely leisurely rode towards the meeting so that his enemies would know his whereabouts and could guess who he was meeting with. While he had stopped on the hill overlooking the lodge, he had carved out a teleportation glyph under the ground so that his people could appear. Rev broke off from the group as soon as they arrived at the lodge to keep an eye out for the thieves approach. He had broken the linked charm which caused Rictus's totem to light up when they appeared.
Rictus then broke another charm which was the signal for his forces to prepare and get in place. The signal for their intervention would be the bright light. He had prepared a fake grimoire before the meeting which he had trapped with three overpowered runes. One would make the extremely bright light. One was a paralyze spell. The final one was the spell Sanguine had taught him. It basically removed all the items a person had on them. Rictus went with this one in case the person who stole it had the Skeleton Key on them. This would remove it from their person and limit any retaliation against him. Thankfully, everything had gone according to plan. The only problem now would be figuring out what to do with all the thieves here.
A sigh escaped him as he looked at the rising tensions between his Restored and the remaining thieves.
"Nothing is ever simple it seems."
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[AN]: Hey there readers. I hope you liked the chapter and weren't too disappointed in how it went with the Skeleton Key. I debated for a long time about whether he should keep it or not, but ultimately decided to return it. He could have potentially done like a lot of people say and 'unlock' his and his followers' potentials, but it didn't happen. I never said Rictus was the most intelligent of people.
I read a theory somewhere that the Key can do that, but it needs to stay close for such changes to last. Don't know if that has any merit, but I kind of like it. In the end, making Nocturnal happy and allowing her to more fully interact with the world sounded like the safer option.
クリエイターの想い 
Pepey_LePew
Pepey_LePew Thanks so much for taking the time to read my story. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let me know. I love the feedback and get most my ideas from the readers.
To those wanting to know a little something extra, I got you. President William McKinley wore a red carnation for good luck. When greeting a crowd in 1901, he gave it to a little girl. Minutes later, he was fatall shot. His luck ran out apparently.
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