Chapter 272 - The Skeleton Key
The 5000 Votes Extra
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The [Skeleton Key], just lying carelessly right there.
My head blanked out for a second but in the next, I snatched it like lightning from the desk. To throw such an item in such a place, what kind of idiot is her.
This a top of a collection item. Something that its worth can't be measured with any amount of gold or gems. Between all the valuable things in this room, this [Skeleton Key] is the most important item.
What is the [Skeleton Key]? Well… that's a hard thing to answer.
Let's see. Imagine it at the Master Key of anything and everything, and if that is not enough for you then I don't know what else is.
It is an item that appeared on every main Elder Scrolls game and always created a lot of uproars. In the right hands or even the wrong hands, its powers are simply limitless.
It is a Daedric artifact created by the Daedric Prince Nocturnal. In appearance, it doesn't always take the form of a key, and sometimes manifests as a lockpick instead. In its key form, it can be used to unlock any lock. As a lockpick, it is nigh unbreakable and can get past even the toughest locks.
The artifact functions as a tool for "unlocking" all things, and by 'all things' it means [All Things] physical and nonphysical. And that includes Portals, Potential, Magic, Matter, Power and many unknown possibilities. Whatever that can be turned on or off is all possible.
Want to make a No Magic Zone? Then 'lock' the Magic in the Zone.
Want to make holes in walls? Then 'unlock' the foundation of a certain sector in all by a key. Want to build a wall? Then do the opposite?
"... The possibilities!" My head started going left and right with that thing in my hand. I can do many things that the game didn't allow the player to do.
The [Skeleton Key] took many appearances throughout the years and this time it looked like a key with many projections and tips that vary in shape. The bow of the key was a black knob with blue markings and seemed rather off for a key but whatever.
Still, the feeling it gave me was very mystical and profound.
"Between all the valuable things around here, you go for that… thing." Jull's words woke me up from my state.
"It is what I am after, let's get out of here."
As I said so, I walked away from the desk but I heard the sound of something snapping.
The drainages around the room started flooding its water and the room's door got locked by a hidden mechanism.
"Mercer, you fuck!" I cursed with anger but I remembered that I don't need the door anyway.
"Nefertiti, I want you to go out and collect the other half of [Greed] and activate the traps Jull deactivated.
"You are too greedy, Hooman. One thing at a time." Nefertiti replied and disappeared.
"What should we do?" Jull was a bit worried.
"I want you to fill the room with Slime Spider Eggs and make sure that they hatch right away. And don't worry, I got this."
I cast 'Telepathy' and tried to contact Alina.
{What took you so long?}
{It wasn't as easy as I thought, do it now.}
{On it.}
Alina, who was already outside, started to cast a custom spell that connects our Magicka to each other, we created a Magicka link and I started to materialize it. Once we matched our wavelengths with each other, I started to cast 'Teleport' but I had a good idea and I stopped right away.
I looked at the [Skeleton Key] and…
"Oh yeah!"
I used the Key in on the Magicka I released and 'Unlocked' the space.
*Bzzzt*
"Wow!"
It appeared! A real Portal appeared. Through it, I could see the rooftop that Alina and was standing on.
"Hey." I waved at Alina whose jaw dropped when she saw the portal.
"Oh look, it's Jon." Wulfur responded normally. I am sure he doesn't understand what I did.
"Hooman, I am done."
"Okay, good. Let's go."
I grabbed Nefertiti and Jullanar then pushed them through the Portal. As I made sure I forgot nothing, I went through it after them.
I looked behind me and I saw a circular rift in space. I don't even know how to cast a [Portal] spell and I just did it with the [Skeleton Key].
I put the Key through the rift and 'Locked' the space once again.
*Bzzzt*
"W- W- W- What did you just do what that thing?" Alina grabbed me right away.
"Oh! This? Long story… I'll explain later. Wulf, did you distribute the Slime Spider eggs on all the locations?"
"Yes, they will have to deal with them for at least a week or so."
"Good job. The spiders may go outside the Ratway but they are harmless in most cases. Job well done, guys."
***
Three days have passed since the heist on Mercer's house. Each day, I went down in the Ragged Flagon and helped with exterminating the Slime Spiders. In the second day, Mercer's face was so pale and he didn't look well at all. He was reading a few books behind his desk in the office.
He started asking questions about Magic and then asked me about books about famous artifacts. Luckily, he was guided for a book called 'Tamrielic Lore' written by Yagrum Bagarn, the last living Dwarf.
The book mentions the most famous artifacts in the world and I could see that Mercer was reading on page 366. That is the page that talks about the Skeleton Key. I remember it mentioning that a limitation was placed on the Key by wizards who sought to protect their storehouses were that the Key would never be the property of one thief for too long, eventually disappearing.
This line seemed to have caused Mercer to almost cough out blood.
Well, that enchantment is true but it was erased at some point in time. Still, that is a common theme among many artifacts, [King Orgnum's Coffer] is the same, an artifact that can produce gold until it mysteriously vanishes once it makes its user rich enough to shame the wealthiest of merchants. [Auriel's Bow and Shield] also were the same as the bow would disappear if its energy is overused and the shield would abandon the owner in the hour of most need. The same went to the [Staff of Magnus] that abandon its owner if he became too strong for the balance to be broken.
'This was a really common theme as only people with strong fates can hold these artifacts long enough.' that line that made Mercer made an unsightly face.
Well, I don't care anymore. The key is mine and I kept it in a [Containment Chest], something that even Shadow, a remnant of a high ranking immortal spirit, described it as a tricky toy.
As long as I don't catch the eye of Nocturnal, the Daedric Prince who owns the [Skeleton Key], I guess I am mostly fine. I also asked Shadow before I steal the key and he told me that the temperament of Azura is different than Nocturnal. Azura might be a prideful goddess who hates mischievousness but her sister Nocturnal is quite the opposite as she actually enjoys a good heist so I might even get blessed by her for stealing the Key from Mercer.
All for the good then.
I decided to leave Riften after the city started to calm from the three majors accidents I caused in one week. I know I know… I am a famous disaster child that caused trouble for everyone before even getting born.
But this far, I butchered the storyline of both the usual storyline of the Dark Brotherhood by killing Grelod and the storyline of the Thieves Guild by stealing the [Skeleton Key]. Things can be the way they were for the 'Dark Brotherhood' as joining them requires killing someone they were going to kill… and oh man! I know plenty of those.
The Thieves Guild storyline will be the problem but I am sure that it will be far easier with Mercer losing the Skeleton Key.
I actually messed up most of the game's storyline by being just rebuilding Winterhold and messing up with the Empire and the Stormcloaks. Still, I don't regret it. Fate is a bitch and I know it won't disappoint me.
Now I was sitting in the Haven Cube while the rest of my group were traveling outside. I was studying the [Skeleton Key] with all my heart and mind.
First, I am super interested in the Original Enchantment that the Daedric Prince Nocturnal put on the Key. To speak of Daedric Artifacts is to speak of the Daedric Princes who created them.
How so? A Daedric Artifact is practically part of the Daedric Prince that they sent from Oblivion to Mundus. To make it easier, it is the same relationship between me and Greed, an object with a strong soul and mind that can be linked to another being to act as some sort of 'Spiritual Tools'.
So to say, Nocturnal is also known as the Night Mistress, is a Daedric Prince whose sphere is the night and darkness. She is frequently depicted as a female accompanied by jet-black ravens, which are said to have the power of speech. Her realm in Oblivion is Evergloam, a realm of twilight and shadows. Her artifacts other than the [Skeleton Key] are the [Grey Cowl] which was worn by the most infamous thief ever lived, the 'Grey Fox', the one I inspired my 'Red Cat Cowl' and 'Catatoskr' title from. The other artifact is the [Bow of Shadows] which grants its user invisibility and speed.
I read many books about Nocturnal and readied myself to read the enchantment on the [Skeleton Key]. The people who attempted to do so before are said to have never ever reached any good result and some even turned mad while trying.
I sat to meditate before doing so to keep my mind in a calm state. I then took the [Skeleton Key] and let my consciousness into the Key.
A second, two, three… the enchantment started to show itself in my sea of consciousness bit by bit.
It was vast… like the biggest enchantment I have ever seen in my entire life. Reading it is going to be a hurdle… or so I thought.
Once I picked the first line I went like…
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH!"
Its first script said… '01010100 01110010 01110101 01100101 00100000 01110100 01101111 00100000 01000110 01100001 01101100 01110011 01100101'
A binary code!