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The Thieves Guild

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by Jake Kerr.

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Episode 63:

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Under the Tower.

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The screech of the iron door wasn't loud, yet it
pierced

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Vesper's skull enough to give him a sudden
headache.

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The silence in the thief dungeon had been
absolute.

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There were no drips of water, no scurrying
animals, no creaking wood.

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Not even the moans of other prisoners, just
terrifying silence.

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Standing up, Vesper prepared to meet Allard and
the guild master thief.

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"Could Raylan actually be the guild master of this
mysterious guild?"

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Vesper thought. He doubted it. He'd seen the
guards, the

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invisible and potent defenses near the great
bridge, and the work

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being done at the edge of the Ash Fields.

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Who in their right mind would trust that to the
miscreant boy, Raylan?

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The words, "Here is the blade, guild master,"
preceded an approaching

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glow. Vesper stood at attention, his hands clasped
behind his

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back as two figures appeared.

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Allard waved a hand toward Vesper. Walking next to
him was Raylan,

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wearing typical guild master garb, with the stark
exception of it being

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jet black. Stopping in front of the bars, Raylan
nodded at Vesper.

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"What's your name?"

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"Vesper."

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Not knowing how this conversation could go, and
well aware that Allard could

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kill him in an instant at the word of his guild
master, Vesper decided to take

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great care in his responses.

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"You are the blade of the guild master craft."

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It was a statement, not a question, but Vesper
answered anyway.

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He had already admitted as much to Allard, and
starting with an obvious and yet

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difficult truth would go a long way toward
eventually slipping past a subtle

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lie.

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"I am."

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Raylan nodded.

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"Why did you cross the river?"

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Vesper thought long and hard. He had told Allard
he wouldn't answer any

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more questions without assurance of him coming to
no harm.

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Could he make the same demand of Raylan?

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Allard seemed curious, whereas Raylan was
inscrutable, standing

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there staring at him. He decided to share another
dangerous truth for the

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simple reason that practically everything that
would follow would be a lie.

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"I was on a mission to assassinate you."

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Raylan's only response was to nod his head
slightly.

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Allard stood still, his hood covering his face and
hiding his

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response.

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"You do realize that admitting this has sealed
your death warrant."

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"I am more valuable alive than dead,"

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Vesper replied, keeping his voice calm despite the
threat he just

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heard.

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"Doubtful, but I'm listening."

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Raylan smiled and Vesper saw worlds in that smile.

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It was the smile of someone who was utterly
confident in his position, who

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knew his power and where he stood, and the smile
of someone who would not be

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easily intimidated.

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"I will tell no more unless you guarantee my
safety."

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"Ah, now this is interesting, is it not, deputy?"

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Raylan turned to Allard, ignoring Vesper's
presence.

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"The prisoner has information to save his life,
and yet to give us this

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information, we must promise to spare his life.

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I dare say that's a dubious claim."

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"Indeed, guild master."

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Vesper, who had spent his life with an
extraordinary mastery over his nerves,

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and a focus that allowed him to do both amazing
and unspeakable things,

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stammered...

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"I, I misspoke."

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Raylan turned to Vesper.

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"Go on."

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I will embrace a new plan, Vesper decided.

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I will tell you everything and will demand nothing
in return but for some questions

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answered, for you are correct. I am in no position
to demand anything, but I

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hope that you will hear the truth in my words and
the sincerity in my heart as I

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conclude my comments.

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Raylan said nothing.

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Will you at least promise to be open to what I
offer?

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"That, I can do.

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Ask your questions, and I promise whatever offer
or ideas that you present to me,

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I will consider with an open mind."

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Vesper then outlined everything, from his belief
that the merchant blade

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killed Guild Master Pietro, that Orion was working
with Larsen to create

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an emperor of Ness, and that Orion was playing
Larsen for the fool that he

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was.

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"Wait, are you telling me that Orion has been
pretending to be dim-witted and

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oblivious this whole time, and that his goal is to
assassinate Larsen at some point

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and to take over as leader of Ness?"

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"It is so."

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"You expect me to believe that? Orion is a

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lovable oaf."

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"Orion is the most dangerous man in Ness."

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"But if he was waiting for Larsen, why were you
here trying to assassinate me?"

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Raylan seemed utterly transfixed by Vesper's
story.

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"Orion feels Larsen is ineffective and inept.

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I was to make Larsen's job easier by killing you
and dumping your body on the banks of the Great

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River."

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Raylan laughed.

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"You say that with such a straight face.

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How can I not trust your words when you speak them
directly to me?"

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Turning to Allard, he asked...

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"What do you think, deputy?"

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"I never considered Orion as stupid as others
have, but these words still

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surprise me.

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That said, I believe him."

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Turning back to Vesper, Raylan said, "So there you
go.

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We believe you, Blade. So what are your questions?
And what is this offer you have?

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It must truly be miraculous after hearing you are
on a mission to kill me."

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"What is the Thieves Guild? What is your mission?"
Vesper didn't

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have to fake the sincerity in his voice.

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Raylan paused, as if considering his words, and
then replied,

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"We are the largest guild in Ness. We stand alone,
and

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yet are part of every other guild.

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We live behind the scenes to provide shelter and
food for those that are overlooked by

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their own guilds, even as we are hunted and killed
for doing so."

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After a short pause, Raylan stated, an almost
regal confidence

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in his voice, "We take so we can give." "I don't

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understand."

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Raylan looked at Allard, who spoke up, his deep
voice seemingly

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penetrating the rock itself with its resonance.

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"Every guild has its lowest members.

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We take care of them, because their guilds do
not." Vesper did not believe this.

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He had never heard of a guild turning its back on
its members. "That is false.

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Guilds take care of their own." "Blade, your own
guild includes those that repair the sewers under

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Ness,

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correct?"

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Vesper did not know this, but repairs of buildings
and equipment were the Craft

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Guild's responsibility. "I assume so." "Do you
know where

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those that clean the sewers live?" He was going to
answer, "The flats," but he knew the answer

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was the Wretched Quarter. While most of those who
crossed the great bridge to

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work were dirty Harvest Guild members, he knew
that some of his guild members

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lived in the Wretched Quarter as well.

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"Across the bridge?" Allard nodded.

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"And how much are they paid for the unpleasant
services they provide?" "Enough to eat

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and..." Vesper was going to say, "pay rent," but
how much was rent in the

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Wretched Quarter? Were there even inns or places
to rent?

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Did they possibly live in hovels? Vesper didn't
know.

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"Live," was his eventual reply. "They are paid
less than a

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crown for a week of work." "Ridiculous," Vesper
replied.

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The amount was barely enough to pay for a day's
worth of food.

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"Indeed, it is ridiculous," Raylan

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replied. "So we provide them the food and shelter
they need.

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We do it by stealing food, clothing, and money
from those that don't need it."

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"You steal from the rich and provide it to the
poor?"

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Vesper replied, not quite believing that the
thieves, the people that

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Orion had always taught him were evil and selfish,
were actually

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generous and providing for those without.

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"Yes," was Raylan's simple reply. "So you rule all
of the

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land on this side of the river?" "Yes. We man the
walls and patrol the streets.

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It helps that the only way here is a single
bridge."

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Raylan scratched his head. "Is that all?" "No, one
more

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question. What do you plan to do with Larson and
Orion?"

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Raylan peered at Vesper for a long time and then
replied,

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"Nothing.

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Things seem stable.

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We have plans to further improve Ness, but they
are subtle, and I will not share them

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with you."

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Raylan sighed. "We have answered your questions,
so before you

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die, you said you had an offer.

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Now is the time to make it." "May I beg one last

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question?"

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Raylan nodded. "Do you have a blade?"

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Raylan looked disconcerted by the question, and
Vesper wondered what it could

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mean. It appeared that the thieves did have a
blade, but something had

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happened to him.

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He had started the conversation with two possible
plans.

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The first was to offer himself as the blade of the
guild master thief, but

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after Raylan's response, Vesper went with his
second plan.

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"Let me spy for you. I will return to Orion and
tell him that I couldn't find you.

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He will not be surprised. He knew the mission had
a low chance of success.

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I will be included in all of his planning, which I
will share with you." Raylan

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shook his head, which worried Vesper, but his
reply was encouraging.

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"So you would betray your guild master to save
your life?" "It

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seems like a reasonable trade, don't you think?"
Raylan laughed at that.

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"For such as you, but I fear if you were to betray
Orion, you would just as

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easily betray me. So why should I trust you?"

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Vesper took a deep breath.

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His life depended on this answer. "Because as I
climbed over the wall to the ash

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fields, I was moved by those who were trying to
reclaim the land.

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The tower above me is both majestic and hidden.

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That is how I see myself, hidden and yet powerful
and majestic in my own way,

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if you may beg my arrogance. When I experienced
the invisible defenses you

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have beyond the bridge, and the guards on the
walls, I realized that something amazing

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was happening here."

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Vesper took a step forward. "What I saw was
amazing.

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What you said was amazing. I am not blind.

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There is something both honorable and mysterious
in what you are doing. I am not a fool.

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I know I have been working for an evil man.

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I yearn to work for a good one."

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Vesper lowered his head. "So my offer is this:
forgive my devotion

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to an evil guild master so I may serve a good
one."

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Raylan was quiet for a mere moment before
replying, "Let me

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think on this."

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And without saying another word, he and Allard
walked down the hall, the

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eventual grinding scream of the iron door a
metaphor for what Vesper

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felt inside.He had a reprieve, but the uncertainty
was as

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painful as a stab. When Allard returned alone
three hours later,

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Vesper was sure his life was at an end.

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The ominous former knight paused in front of the
door to Vesper's cell.

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"I have a question." "I will answer truthfully,"

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Vesper replied, letting hope creep into his heart.

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"Other than the obvious answer of saving your own
life, what is the one thing

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about the Thieves Guild that makes you want to
serve us?"

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Vesper knew that the best answer was to say
helping the poor of other guilds

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or to provide aid to those in need, or any number
of things that illustrated

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his dedication to the guild's mission.

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Yet the more he thought of the question, the more
he couldn't shake the image of the

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huge dark tower at the base of the mountain.

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It drew him across the ash fields. He had to see
it.

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It was as if the tower itself was reaching out to
him.

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He felt a need to understand its mysteries and to
climb its stairs and

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experience its view.

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It was as basic as that, and yet so much more.

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It was irrational, it made no sense, and it was
the worst answer he could

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give, but that was how he replied. "The tower.

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The moment I saw it, I was filled with an
unshakable desire to know more about it.

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It is Nessus' greatest monument, and yet it is
hidden in plain sight."

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Stabbing himself in the chest with a finger,
Vesper added.

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"Nothing about the thieves touches my heart as
much as the tower itself."

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The next day, Vesper was at the west side of the
Great Bridge.

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"We will contact you," his thief escort told him
before

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disappearing into the crowd like a drop of rain
into a river.

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Turning back to the southwest, Vesper looked at
the great Tower of the Thieves,

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barely discernible even from there.

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He had fooled the thieves with a stupid story of
some passing fancy.

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An impressive tower.

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Vesper couldn't even understand why he told the
story, yet it was

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presumably one of the reasons he was released.

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As he crossed the Great Bridge, Vesper organized
his thoughts for his report to

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00:14:33,344 --> 00:14:37,724
Orion about the dangerous and previously hidden
Thieves Guild.

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00:14:38,264 --> 00:14:42,943
It was difficult to focus, however, for every few
steps, Vesper would

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00:14:42,984 --> 00:14:47,823
pause and look over his shoulder, glancing at the
mysterious, impressive and

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00:14:47,883 --> 00:14:50,523
nearly invisible tower in the distance.

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00:14:50,523 --> 00:15:32,404
(instrumental music plays)