Thieves Never Prosper?
folder
+A through F › Elder Scrolls - Oblivion
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
5
Views:
3,557
Reviews:
5
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
+A through F › Elder Scrolls - Oblivion
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
5
Views:
3,557
Reviews:
5
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Uncomfortably Numb
To his horror, Varon Vamori felt a sudden tingling throughout his body, beginning with his toes then shooting upwards. The sensation quickly cooled to a leaden feeling, as if he had become entirely numb. He tried to move but nothing happened. His hands, his legs, nothing responded to his increasingly frantic attempts. He fell over with a sickening thud, but he heard rather than felt the impact. He knew, without being able to look down that his body was in the same pose as it had been when he was standing.
He was facing upward, at least. An Altmer mage was looming over him, and he recognised the face of Henantier.
“I’d be tempted to kick you, but it seems unfair to do that while you’re down,” said Henantier.
Above him, the window was opening wide. Varon saw Kud-Ei leaning out. “What’s going on out here?”
“I’m sure our friend here would explain, if he wasn’t currently incapacitated,” said Henantier. “He seemed to be eavesdropping under your window.”
“Who? I can’t see in the dark out there.”
“I don’t recall his name, but he’s Dunmer, and his face is familiar. I think he’s a local lad.”
“Don’t tell me any more,” said Kud-Ei wearily. “I think I can guess. Just bring him in.”
Henantier called two other mages outside. They carried Varon indoors as if moving a statue, and propped him up at a slight angle against the wall. It seemed they all found the situation highly amusing. Henantier looked remarkably smug: he told the others that he’d been working on a new paralysis spell, and this was the first time he’d had the opportunity to try it out on anything larger than a mudcrab. The other mages amused themselves by poking Varon with their fingers and speculating whether he could feel anything.
Finally, the two people Varon least wished to see in this condition came and stood in front of his field of vision. Kud-Ei's reptilian features were pursed in a scowl, while Ardaline appeared quite alarmed.
“What’s he doing in here?” she said, her voice rather panicky-sounding. “And why does he have that strange frozen look about him?”
“Because he is frozen,” said Henantier proudly. It’s a modified paralysis spell. I’ve been working on this for a while. It’s far more long-lasting than a normal spell but is gentle enough to allow shallow breathing. His face should be capable of enough movement to speak, but the limbs will remain incapacitated. You can just imagine the potential applications. To give one example, it should be ideal when a dangerous prisoner needs to be taken for questioning.”
“I’m not sure our young Dunmer is dangerous, but he’s certainly our prisoner right now,” said Kud-Ei. She turned to face Varon. “Go on, say something. It would be in your interest to explain exactly what you were up to.”
Varon tried to move his mouth, but nothing came out save for a grunt.
“Hmm,” said Henantier. “In theory, the effect should be weakest around the face.” He pinched Varon's cheek, and then slapped it hard enough to make a ringing sound. Varon felt no stinging: he felt nothing save for embarrassment.
Henantier frowned. “Do you think he was trying to find out about my new spell? I've been trying to keep the finer details under wraps until I perfected it, since the Guild have been so inflexible about how I conducted my experiments in the past.”
Highly unlikely,” said Kud-Ei. “This was the same one who was stalking Ardaline a few months ago - and still is, by the looks of things.”
Stalking? Varon thought it was a gross exaggeration. He tried to protest but managed nothing more eloquent than another coarse grunt. Ardaline looked even more alarmed at the animalistic sound. He suspected that if it were possible, he might have found a way to sink even lower in her estimation.
“I remember your mentioning that incident," said Henantier. "I suppose it happened during the time when I was... asleep.”
Kud-Ei nodded. “Asleep for some weeks. And all the while this young man kept coming in here and annoying Ardaline. I didn’t punish him because I could see that he had a hopelessly one-sided infatuation with her. I was foolish enough to feel sorry for him. I hoped he would learn from the experience, but clearly I was wrong. You say he was eavesdropping on us?”
Varon heard a little gasp. “All of those things I said tonight!” cried Ardaline. The next sound was of footsteps running upstairs.
“Poor child,” said Kud-Ei. “She doesn’t seem to be blessed with luck in love. Ah well... how long does this spell last?”
“I’m not entirely sure. It’s designed to be fairly long-lasting, but how many hours, I simply can’t say at this stage. It's a little unpredictable.”
“Somehow, I knew you were going to say that,” said the Argonian. “Now, let’s get this lovesick Dunmer out of everyone’s sight and put him in one of the bedrooms while this spell wears off. If it wears off.”
He was facing upward, at least. An Altmer mage was looming over him, and he recognised the face of Henantier.
“I’d be tempted to kick you, but it seems unfair to do that while you’re down,” said Henantier.
Above him, the window was opening wide. Varon saw Kud-Ei leaning out. “What’s going on out here?”
“I’m sure our friend here would explain, if he wasn’t currently incapacitated,” said Henantier. “He seemed to be eavesdropping under your window.”
“Who? I can’t see in the dark out there.”
“I don’t recall his name, but he’s Dunmer, and his face is familiar. I think he’s a local lad.”
“Don’t tell me any more,” said Kud-Ei wearily. “I think I can guess. Just bring him in.”
Henantier called two other mages outside. They carried Varon indoors as if moving a statue, and propped him up at a slight angle against the wall. It seemed they all found the situation highly amusing. Henantier looked remarkably smug: he told the others that he’d been working on a new paralysis spell, and this was the first time he’d had the opportunity to try it out on anything larger than a mudcrab. The other mages amused themselves by poking Varon with their fingers and speculating whether he could feel anything.
Finally, the two people Varon least wished to see in this condition came and stood in front of his field of vision. Kud-Ei's reptilian features were pursed in a scowl, while Ardaline appeared quite alarmed.
“What’s he doing in here?” she said, her voice rather panicky-sounding. “And why does he have that strange frozen look about him?”
“Because he is frozen,” said Henantier proudly. It’s a modified paralysis spell. I’ve been working on this for a while. It’s far more long-lasting than a normal spell but is gentle enough to allow shallow breathing. His face should be capable of enough movement to speak, but the limbs will remain incapacitated. You can just imagine the potential applications. To give one example, it should be ideal when a dangerous prisoner needs to be taken for questioning.”
“I’m not sure our young Dunmer is dangerous, but he’s certainly our prisoner right now,” said Kud-Ei. She turned to face Varon. “Go on, say something. It would be in your interest to explain exactly what you were up to.”
Varon tried to move his mouth, but nothing came out save for a grunt.
“Hmm,” said Henantier. “In theory, the effect should be weakest around the face.” He pinched Varon's cheek, and then slapped it hard enough to make a ringing sound. Varon felt no stinging: he felt nothing save for embarrassment.
Henantier frowned. “Do you think he was trying to find out about my new spell? I've been trying to keep the finer details under wraps until I perfected it, since the Guild have been so inflexible about how I conducted my experiments in the past.”
Highly unlikely,” said Kud-Ei. “This was the same one who was stalking Ardaline a few months ago - and still is, by the looks of things.”
Stalking? Varon thought it was a gross exaggeration. He tried to protest but managed nothing more eloquent than another coarse grunt. Ardaline looked even more alarmed at the animalistic sound. He suspected that if it were possible, he might have found a way to sink even lower in her estimation.
“I remember your mentioning that incident," said Henantier. "I suppose it happened during the time when I was... asleep.”
Kud-Ei nodded. “Asleep for some weeks. And all the while this young man kept coming in here and annoying Ardaline. I didn’t punish him because I could see that he had a hopelessly one-sided infatuation with her. I was foolish enough to feel sorry for him. I hoped he would learn from the experience, but clearly I was wrong. You say he was eavesdropping on us?”
Varon heard a little gasp. “All of those things I said tonight!” cried Ardaline. The next sound was of footsteps running upstairs.
“Poor child,” said Kud-Ei. “She doesn’t seem to be blessed with luck in love. Ah well... how long does this spell last?”
“I’m not entirely sure. It’s designed to be fairly long-lasting, but how many hours, I simply can’t say at this stage. It's a little unpredictable.”
“Somehow, I knew you were going to say that,” said the Argonian. “Now, let’s get this lovesick Dunmer out of everyone’s sight and put him in one of the bedrooms while this spell wears off. If it wears off.”