A quick short story

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StrategicusRex

A quick and I admit sloppily written short story produced from boredom based once again in the Elder Scrolls universe.

 

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Shape-shifter

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Juline Faroume sat at her usual table in her usual restaurant drinking her usual drink: a mug of greef.  She leaned back in the chair, slightly drunk and extremely bored.  She was a thief - a darn good thief.  She’d filched a beautiful silver dagger from the smith, robbed the fine clothier of a fine burgundy silk shirt, whisked away a small bag full of precious gems from the jeweler, and orchestrated quite a few other impressive heists.

            However, she’d taken most of the valuable things from the shops in the city, and she was tired of waiting for the vendors to restock.  She stared into her mug, watching the greef slowly swirl around and try to crawl up the side of it.  It was then that something caught her attention.

            A common tradition of hers was to sit and eavesdrop on other patrons’ conversations.  Every once in a while, she heard something interesting.  This time, however, she heard the word “treasure” and began listening with all her might.

            Her ears led her eyes to a pair seated at the bar.  Juline listened closely and it was not long before her hawk ears were rewarded.  The pair was talking about the Denaren Ancestral Tomb, which Juline knew was just a short walk down the road west of the town.  However, as Juline listened on, the two patrons talked of how there was but one guardian of the treasure, something called the shape-shifter.

            Juline thought it odd that there would only be one guard for a tomb filled with treasure.  She questioned the story’s credibility, but she also wanted the treasure that was inside the tomb.  She wasn’t a master fighter, but she’d picked up quite a few tricks on how to handle a short sword from the trainers she’d paid with her ill-gotten gold.  B’vek, even her blade was stolen.  She took it from a fine smith when she was staying in another town.  A fine steel short sword with a silver-plated blade.  Because of the silver, the blade could harm supernatural creatures as well as normal ones.

            Juline was also an adept sneaker.  During every heist she pulled, she had to sneak by at least two guards.  She never got caught, but she’d had some close calls.  She had no experience in fighting or evading monsters, but she didn’t think it could be that much different than sneaking by peoples.  Besides, if things got too tough for her, she could always just turn back and leave, right?

            She was uneasy about venturing into the tomb, but she also wanted the treasure inside.  She elected to venture into the tomb to seek out the rumored riches that lay inside.

           

           

            After a few days of preparation, she made her way to the tomb.  She had all her equipment with her: her silver-plated short sword, her lockpicks and probes, and a healing potion incase she sustained injury.  She didn’t wear armor; she preferred to just not be in a sword’s way.  During the past few days, she had thought quite a bit about what manner of being this shape-shifter could be.  Was he a daedroth?  A spirit?

            She inhaled deeply and opened the door to the tomb.  Beyond the door was a long, straight corridor with torches hung on both sides at precise intervals that gave the entire hall an eerie glow.  She stepped inside and closed the door behind her.  She was in.  Now, where is the treasure?

            She walked down the corridor and passed through a few rooms, all the while being wary of this shape-shifter.  Along the way, she also took care to evade the trip-wires and pressure plates, and also picked the locks on the doors easily.  At last, she came to a large door with odd designs carved on it.  Once again, she defeated the lock and opened it.

            As the door opened, a large room came into view.  It was empty except for an altar at the back wall with a large chest on it.  “Jackpot!” she whispered as she stepped into the room.

            She walked across the room to the altar and set to work trying to open the chest.  She’d brought a bag with her; it seemed easier than trying to lug a chest out of there.

            She fought with the lock on the chest for a long time.  Nothing she tried worked, and after a while she started to wonder if the lock could even be picked with a conventional pick.  Finally, she gave up in frustration.  It was then that she noticed a key lying on the altar beside the chest.

            She felt stupid, but she also thought that they were stupid for leaving the key behind.  She snatched up the key without thinking, and immediately there was a loud slam behind her and groaning sounds above her.

            She wheeled around and found that the door had slammed shut.  Then, she looked up and saw a wall of spikes descending down upon her.  She sprinted for the door and tried to thrust the key into the lock, hoping it worked for the door to.

            The lock accepted the key and she heaved it open.  For a moment, she thought she was free, but then she heard the groaning sounds above her again.  She glanced up and once again was met by a wall of spikes coming down.  She bolted for the door on the other side of the room, which had also closed.  Mercifully, the key fit.  She ran back through all the rooms, whose doors all accepted the key.  Finally, she was back in the entrance corridor.

            The ceiling above her began moaning and, not even pausing to look up, Juline ran for the exit.  She was up the short staircase in a single leap and thrust the key into the lock.            

            However, the key did not go into the lock, and as Juline looked at it more closely, she saw no longer a key in her hand, but a bar.  She began screaming and throwing herself against the door.  The door never gave way though, and eventually, the ceiling had come down too far for her to stand.

            Juline collapsed on the floor, exhausted and awaiting her certain death.  Her head lay on its side, staring at the object in her hand, which was once again a key.  She was baffled momentarily, but then she had an epiphany of understanding.  “Shape-shifter.” she whispered as she clutched the key in her hand and closed her eyes to await the lowering spikes.

Svetamodieifed

Wowie, another good one!  I REALLY want to know how it ends.

Anyways, you should puplish these short stories as a fan fiction for Elder Scolls.  Some one did that for WoW, why not you for Elder Scolls?  Anyways, it's just food for thought.

Don't stop writing, keep going!

StrategicusRex

I wasn't planning on making a chapter 2, but I suppose I could.......I'm not sure how it would continue though.

StrategicusRex

Do you want me to make another part?

Svetamodieifed

Sure.  I'm not kidding about the REALLY WANT MORE part.

StrategicusRex

I didn't really think this was that well put together.  Alright, I'm working on part 2.

Not bad for a non-trained writer I guess.  I'm just 15 too.  Smile

Svetamodieifed

*nods*  Just a teen who likes to write fiction.