1 00:00:01,620 --> 00:00:02,900 The Thieves Guild 2 00:00:04,380 --> 00:00:05,759 by Jake Kerr. 3 00:00:12,139 --> 00:00:14,339 Episode 119: 4 00:00:18,699 --> 00:00:19,419 Lies. 5 00:00:24,340 --> 00:00:29,100 They were small things, nearly imperceptible, something that perhaps 6 00:00:29,119 --> 00:00:33,960 only a thief that was as skilled at observing as Allard was would catch: 7 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:39,040 the look of the guard toward Alexio when he was bringing their food, the 8 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:43,579 glance of Alexio toward the guard as he entered, and then his glance at 9 00:00:43,700 --> 00:00:48,380 Allard as if sizing up Allard's intention of violence against an 10 00:00:48,419 --> 00:00:51,900 ally. And then there were their conversations. 11 00:00:52,379 --> 00:00:56,680 Alexio was quite secretive, and perhaps one could assign his 12 00:00:56,719 --> 00:01:01,439 reticence to talk to his experience as a blade, but Allard saw through 13 00:01:01,479 --> 00:01:02,179 that too. 14 00:01:02,819 --> 00:01:07,539 However, it was the conversation about Pietro that confirmed his belief 15 00:01:07,719 --> 00:01:10,999 that this prisoner was not the blade of the merchant guild. 16 00:01:10,999 --> 00:01:15,499 "How did you kill Pietro?" Allard said the words bluntly, without 17 00:01:15,539 --> 00:01:20,199 emotion. If others were in the room, they would have seen a calm, confident 18 00:01:20,239 --> 00:01:22,739 Alexio frown as if offended, 19 00:01:23,459 --> 00:01:27,019 but Allard saw something else, even in the dim light. 20 00:01:27,519 --> 00:01:31,639 A flicker in the eyes, the tiniest of twitches: 21 00:01:32,539 --> 00:01:37,439 fear. "I did not kill Pietro. That would have been the blade of 22 00:01:37,479 --> 00:01:39,099 the craft guild." 23 00:01:39,939 --> 00:01:44,479 Before meeting Vesper, Allard admitted that Vesper killing Pietro 24 00:01:44,719 --> 00:01:49,359 was a possibility. But one of Vesper's strengths, and it was a 25 00:01:49,359 --> 00:01:53,659 strength that Allard himself felt that Vesper didn't understand or 26 00:01:53,699 --> 00:01:58,679 underestimated in himself, was his disarming honesty. 27 00:01:58,679 --> 00:02:03,559 It wasn't just pride in his work, it seemed like purity of 28 00:02:03,639 --> 00:02:07,999 vision, as if lying would somehow stain his work as a blade. 29 00:02:08,679 --> 00:02:11,659 No, Vesper didn't kill Pietro. 30 00:02:12,439 --> 00:02:17,399 Allard was sure of it. That meant that Alexio killed him and was denying 31 00:02:17,439 --> 00:02:20,479 it, or that Alexio wasn't a blade at all. 32 00:02:21,059 --> 00:02:25,939 And at this point, Allard was almost positive that Alexio wasn't a blade. 33 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:29,199 He was a spy for whoever had imprisoned him. 34 00:02:29,799 --> 00:02:34,599 Despite Alexio's confidence, Allard had one more card to play. 35 00:02:34,599 --> 00:02:37,739 "And what is the name of the blade of the craft guild? 36 00:02:38,399 --> 00:02:41,119 You clearly know him if you are sure he killed Pietro." 37 00:02:41,839 --> 00:02:46,699 Alexio paused before replying, and then nodding his head as if 38 00:02:46,699 --> 00:02:51,539 he made some important decision, he said, "If we escape, you will kill him." 39 00:02:51,539 --> 00:02:56,059 "What an absurd question. Of course I will kill him." Alexio nodded 40 00:02:56,059 --> 00:03:01,019 again. "His name is Garrick. You will often find him coming in and out of the craft guild 41 00:03:01,039 --> 00:03:05,819 tower, but his only business there is his work as a blade." If Alexio had 42 00:03:05,839 --> 00:03:10,739 said the name Vesper, Allard still wasn't sure he would have believed him, but 43 00:03:10,799 --> 00:03:15,699 the blatant lie of this Garrick name made it clear Alexio was not 44 00:03:15,739 --> 00:03:20,599 to be trusted, and he almost certainly wasn't the blade of the merchant guild. 45 00:03:20,599 --> 00:03:25,539 "I see." Allard didn't say anything else, and Alexio seemed 46 00:03:25,559 --> 00:03:28,899 to understand that something had changed between them. 47 00:03:29,419 --> 00:03:34,339 He tensed as he spoke. "When we escape, he will be easy to find." 48 00:03:34,339 --> 00:03:39,119 "You give him up so easily. Is there no honor among blades?" "You're a thief, 49 00:03:39,519 --> 00:03:44,399 what know you of honor?" Alexio said it casually, as if it was obvious 50 00:03:44,419 --> 00:03:49,299 that he was dealing with the worst among the citizens of Ness, and that Allard would 51 00:03:49,299 --> 00:03:53,339 accept such a description. Allard struggled to his feet. 52 00:03:53,899 --> 00:03:58,799 The swelling in his face had gone down and he could see well enough, but his knee 53 00:03:58,839 --> 00:04:02,939 was painful and stiff. He took a step toward Alexio. 54 00:04:02,939 --> 00:04:07,679 "What are you doing?" Alexio's concern was not just in his body 55 00:04:07,739 --> 00:04:11,259 language, it was in his spoken language now too. 56 00:04:11,259 --> 00:04:16,059 "I'm going to kill you for lying to me." Alexio scrambled to his feet, and at 57 00:04:16,099 --> 00:04:20,979 that moment it was clear to Allard: Alexio was not only not a blade, 58 00:04:21,219 --> 00:04:25,999 he wasn't even a guard or knight. He held himself awkwardly as he faced 59 00:04:25,999 --> 00:04:30,819 Allard. Smiling, Allard paused and looked Alexio up and down. 60 00:04:30,819 --> 00:04:34,739 "Who are you? You are not a spy, a guard, and you are certainly not a blade. 61 00:04:35,019 --> 00:04:39,939 Some lackey, a captain who felt he could score some goodwill by fooling the badly injured Allard 62 00:04:39,959 --> 00:04:44,779 without risk." "I c- I told you, I'm the blade of the merchant guild." 63 00:04:45,439 --> 00:04:50,199 Allard laughed. "You didn't kill Polo, fool. Two blades had already attempted to reach him. 64 00:04:50,479 --> 00:04:53,959 One is most likely dead, and the other said the task was impossible. 65 00:04:54,439 --> 00:04:59,399 Now he is a formidable blade, and do you know why, pretender?" "Uh, why?" 66 00:05:00,019 --> 00:05:04,659 Alexio scrambled back, pressing his back against the wall of their cell. 67 00:05:05,019 --> 00:05:09,939 Allard strode forward. "Because he understands power, and he understood when he didn't have 68 00:05:09,979 --> 00:05:13,859 it. He didn't have the power to reach Polo, and he admitted that. 69 00:05:14,079 --> 00:05:19,039 And he didn't have the power to hurt me or fool me, and he admitted that too." Allard 70 00:05:19,079 --> 00:05:23,939 was within arm's reach of Alexio, who awkwardly held his hands up in a boxer's 71 00:05:23,979 --> 00:05:27,859 stance. Ignoring the fists, Allard leaned forward. 72 00:05:27,859 --> 00:05:31,819 "Do you have the power to hurt me, liar?" "Guard, guard! 73 00:05:32,139 --> 00:05:33,719 Allard is attacking me. Help!" 74 00:05:34,579 --> 00:05:39,359 Alexio tried to slip away from Allard's reach and scrambled along the wall. 75 00:05:39,779 --> 00:05:44,199 Allard grabbed his arm and roughly pulled him back, spinning him around. 76 00:05:44,719 --> 00:05:49,659 Alexio tried to punch Allard, who shoved him against the wall, his body hitting 77 00:05:49,699 --> 00:05:54,359 the stone with a thud. As Allard closed in, Alexio kicked 78 00:05:54,379 --> 00:05:59,299 Allard's damaged knee. The flash of pain was intense, but Allard ignored 79 00:05:59,339 --> 00:06:04,299 it as he grabbed Alexio's head and quickly twisted it in his powerful hands, 80 00:06:04,579 --> 00:06:09,377 breaking his neck.The cell door was opening, and Allard limped 81 00:06:09,377 --> 00:06:14,278 quickly toward it. As it flew open, the guard entered with a sword in his 82 00:06:14,297 --> 00:06:19,257 hand, looking around. Allard swung his fist down, slamming it into 83 00:06:19,297 --> 00:06:24,058 the guard's wrist. With a cry of pain, the guard wrenched his arm back as the 84 00:06:24,117 --> 00:06:26,017 sword went spinning to the floor. 85 00:06:26,697 --> 00:06:31,457 Another step forward, two quick punches, and the guard was 86 00:06:31,597 --> 00:06:36,558 on his knees. Allard would have normally knocked him aside with a solid kick, but 87 00:06:36,577 --> 00:06:40,117 his knee was barely able to hold him up, let alone kick. 88 00:06:40,617 --> 00:06:45,518 Allard grabbed the guard's arm in one hand, and as he pulled him to his feet with it, 89 00:06:45,677 --> 00:06:47,938 he struck him in the jaw with the other. 90 00:06:48,337 --> 00:06:52,877 The guard slumped to the ground, his helmet making a clang as his head hit the 91 00:06:52,898 --> 00:06:57,497 floor. Grabbing the sword, Allard limped toward the door to the cell. 92 00:06:57,997 --> 00:07:01,177 He walked out and immediately knew where he was. 93 00:07:01,817 --> 00:07:06,537 The stone walls, the stone floor, the torches, the 94 00:07:06,617 --> 00:07:11,597 long, carved hallway. He was in the mines, and the Harvest Guild 95 00:07:11,597 --> 00:07:12,697 were his captors. 96 00:07:13,377 --> 00:07:17,997 The good news was that he apparently had been imprisoned deep in the mines, 97 00:07:18,437 --> 00:07:20,937 and there were no other guards nearby. 98 00:07:21,357 --> 00:07:26,057 The bad news was that he had no idea how to get out, or how many 99 00:07:26,177 --> 00:07:28,837 swords stood between him and freedom. 100 00:07:29,457 --> 00:07:33,237 He limped forward, occasionally using the sword as a cane. 101 00:07:33,657 --> 00:07:36,717 He had no plan other than to find sunlight. 102 00:07:37,537 --> 00:07:42,237 The wall ended at another door. It was iron and locked. 103 00:07:42,637 --> 00:07:47,557 He knew it was guarded on the other side, and thus, he had to come up with some kind 104 00:07:47,577 --> 00:07:48,337 of plan. 105 00:07:49,137 --> 00:07:51,617 He went over the options available to him. 106 00:07:52,017 --> 00:07:55,717 In his younger days, he could have conceivably fought his way out. 107 00:07:56,217 --> 00:08:01,137 Later in life, he could have counted on Pietro to miraculously do something that would have 108 00:08:01,237 --> 00:08:01,917 saved him. 109 00:08:02,577 --> 00:08:03,257 But now? 110 00:08:03,857 --> 00:08:08,397 He once again thought of Vesper, who came to the old quarter to assassinate 111 00:08:08,437 --> 00:08:11,677 Raillen and left the Thieves Guild an ally. 112 00:08:12,337 --> 00:08:15,297 Allard pounded on the door with the hilt of the sword. 113 00:08:15,797 --> 00:08:18,677 Guard, it is Allard. Your foolish spy lies dead. 114 00:08:18,877 --> 00:08:21,337 The guard will have a headache, but is otherwise fine. 115 00:08:21,857 --> 00:08:24,797 I had no quarrel with him, nor do I have a quarrel with you. 116 00:08:25,237 --> 00:08:29,437 Guildmaster Polo had hoped to have his man earn my trust to get information from me. 117 00:08:29,977 --> 00:08:33,377 I will give it gladly. I am injured and not a threat. 118 00:08:33,677 --> 00:08:38,057 Allard dropped the sword, which made a clang as it hit the ground. 119 00:08:38,517 --> 00:08:41,077 Take me to Polo. Put me in chains for all I care. 120 00:08:41,297 --> 00:08:44,817 He wishes to hear from me, and I wish to talk to him. Let's make it so. 121 00:08:44,817 --> 00:08:48,757 The door opened to blinding light from the other side. 122 00:08:49,197 --> 00:08:53,357 As Allard squinted, two knights with drawn swords walked in. 123 00:08:53,917 --> 00:08:55,837 Allard held up his arms. 124 00:08:55,997 --> 00:08:57,557 I am prepared for chains. 125 00:08:57,937 --> 00:09:02,817 Before he could say anything else, one of the knights slammed him in the face with the hilt of 126 00:09:02,817 --> 00:09:03,437 his sword, 127 00:09:04,177 --> 00:09:06,597 and everything once again went dark. 128 00:09:06,597 --> 00:09:43,117 (dramatic music) 129 00:09:43,117 --> 00:09:43,137 .