A Thief's Ascension, The story of Jak's life from small beginnings Options

[BretonBlood]

I am by no means a writer, in fact I am horrible but figured I'd post a story I wrote on the Bethesda Forums here. I fully expect to be picked apart for my bad writing, this was also written about 2 years ago. I also like to include pictures to somewhat show what is going on since it kind of helps take away some of the burden of creating the scene through writing.

Chapter 1

"Oh wait, aren't you going to eat something before you go to work?"

"I can't I slept in, sorry mom." Jak said as he quickly rushed out the door to head to the Riften Docks.

Once at the docks Jak got to work quickly with the daily chores he was assigned when he got the job. Luckily he had been doing it for so long that even starting late he could get his work done in time, and after a few hours he took a break to relax watching the lake. It was peaceful for awhile until...

"Hey Jak! What are you doing?" The young Breton came up from behind and sat down beside Jak.

"Hello, Fina..." She stretched her legs out across his lap. "Alright then... well I am on my break, I got all my stuff done and before I get back to work I wanted to relax over the lake."

"Oh, that sounds like fun, I mean I can't imagine working here is all that fun."

"It isn't bad, it can get boring but it pays okay. Plus I get to rest here every now and then and take in the view and fresh air."

"It is beautiful, isn't it? "

"So what are you doing here, Fina?"

"I don't have anything to do since I haven't gotten any jobs from the Jarl or anyone, so I decided I would come see you today."

"Lucky me." Jak smirked and Fina smacked his arm.

Jak eventually stood up and explained he had to get back to work, so Fina hugged him and said good bye. Once the sun began set Jak finished up his remaining work, and headed home where his mother cooked a meal while he recovered from another day of working for the Riften Fishery.

As usual Jak worked a long day at the Riften Fishery and decided to go to the Bee and Barb for an afternoon drink. He sat the bar drinking several mugs of mead trying to take the edge off.

"By the gods, Fina? Is that you?"

"Marc?"

"That's right. Wow it has been years, what are you doing in Riften?"

"I live here, in fact I just got back from a job the jarl gave me to go take care some smugglers. What about you?"

"I have been travelling Skyrim looking for potential patrons, and ended up here. It is great to see you, want to get a drink?"

"Umm, sure." Fina and Marcurio headed to the bar to order some mead when Fina noticed Jak sitting at the bar and walked up to him.

"Jak, how are you?" She stood beside him at the bar and Jak nodded his head as Marcurio walked up to the bar. "Marc, this is Jak... Jak this Marc, he is an old friend of mine."

Marcurio greeted Jak, but Jak gave a quick hand gesture and took another drink of his mead. "Jak are you drunk?" Fina asked.

"Not drunk enough." he replied.

"I'm going to change out of my armor. Marc watch him for me and make sure he doesn't get into trouble." Marcurio laughed and agreed to the request.

"She is great isn't she?" Marc gave a sigh, "It's been so long since I've seen her."

"Yeah, she is great..." Jak replied.

Marcurio leaned forward onto the bar, "So what's the story between you two? Are you?"

"We're just good friends." Jak explained.

"Oh. Interesting."

Marcurio began small talk with Jak and explained how he knew Fina from when they used to study magic in Cyrodiil when they were younger. Then he began to rant about how he was a master of the arcane and his skill in battle was unmatched. He also hinted that if Jak ever needed him he could be hired. Jak didn't pay much attention, he instead noticed the coin purse he had hanging from his belt. After a couple minutes Jak went to get up from the bar, but stumbled and Marcurio caught him before he fell.
"I think you have had enough to drink, at least until Fina gets back."

"Fine. Maybe you are right, I'll just go home now. Tell Fina I said bye." Jak made his way to the door, "Sucker." Jak smirked and put the coin purse in his pocket.

[BretonBlood]

Sorry for the hold up. I planned to write a chapter last week on Tuesday because I was going to be leaving for the beach from Wednesday until Saturday, but I hurt my back Monday and was laying around trying to recover and I finally was able to set up my computer and get back on this.


Darkness Eternal: This is definitely more than Jak planned for when he teamed up with Arissa, but he is a nice person and is willing to help those in need. He doesn't like taking orders from a condescending Maven, he will have to be careful though. Lol

It couldn't have ended better for Arissa, getting the revenge she so long craved. Funny enough, when playing that part of her quest she actually did get the final blow as I tried to kill him with Jak so I went with it.

Fixed that nit.


Last time: After having decided to join up and become a team of thieves Jak and Arissa taken on Jak
s task of infiltrating Goldenglow Estate. After successfully returning the two recieve their reward and rest up. Despite only knowing Jak for a little while, Arissa slowly trusts Jak enough to share some of her past and ask for his help in seeking revenge against a man who wronged her family. The two find the man and kill him, and try to escape the collapsing cave the man was hiding in. However, Arissa was left watching Jak fall to his peril into an abyss after a ledge gave out...

Chapter 7

Jak awoke in a strange place as he slowly opened his eyes and his vision cleared. Having no clue where he was or what had happened after his fall he sat up and noticed he was in a tent when Arissa walked in surprised to find him awake.

"Arissa!" he jumped up excited to see her, "Where are we? What happened in the cave?"

"Jak, you should probably sit down and rest, you may not be fully healed." Jak objected and reassured her he was fine and so she continued, "Okay, well after you fell I didn't know what to do so I somewhat panicked and I didn't know what was at the bottom of that pit... and so I jumped. I figured it was the only way out and I wanted to make sure you were okay. I don't know what happened, but you must have hit the water head first because you were out cold when I landed in the water, so I grabbed you and pulled you out of the water. We were in a giant cave or something with a dwarven lift to the surface so I dragged you to the lift and when we got to the surface I had no idea what to do with you while you were out cold."

Jak nodded along as she continued, "I wanted to get help in case you were seriously injured, and this Stormcloak camp was nearby so I brought you here."

"But you are an Imperial, how did they let you into the camp?"

"I have a way with words." She smiled, "I told them we were attacked by Imperials and they believed me so here we are."

Jak was amazed by what he had missed and Arissa's courage in saving him, so after thanking her he decided they should leave the camp and head to Solitude, but not before thanking the Stormcloak general for his hospitality.

"Don't worry about it. We are not lawless brutes who act like animals as the Imperials would have you believe. Good luck in your journeys."

So with that the two left the camp and headed back to Solitude to complete the jobs they were given by Vex and Delvin. They arrived in Solitude late in the afternoon and headed to the Winking Skeever to wait for nightfall, they grabbed a table and ordered some food and drink.

"So how are you feeling? You know, after all that happened and killing the man who betrayed your family, are you alright?"

"I'm okay, it's good to know justice may finally prevail."

"That's good." Jak paused for a second, "Do you mind if I ask what happened in your past?"

"I guess I can tell you, it's the least I can do after all you have done for me. It's a long story though, are you sure you want to hear it?"

Jak nodded and Arissa began to explain her life long story of how her family owned a rich farm with a bunch of land and how her family would be paid for supplies for the Imperials and the Aldmeri Dominion. Then, after some time a Thalmor by the name Vidric came to their farms in hopes of buying the land, but her father refused and so Vidric sent the man they had just killed named Gunnher to pose as Stormcloaks who would protect them from the Thalmor.

"Of course, Gunnher and his men did nothing but cause trouble and one night I followed one of Gunnher's men to this farmer's house where he started demanding bread and ale. Then he tried to touch the farmer's wife and..."

"Things got ugly." Jak finished her thought.

"Yes, the farmer and his wife fought back, and I watched as Gunnher's lapdog killed both of them. I ran as fast as I could to hide as the rest of the people from our land gathered at the house demanding answers for what had happened. I couldn't let it go on any longer so I stepped forward and told the truth about my father accepting aid from the Stormcloaks so he could keep the land... but this was all part of Vidric's plan and he had Gunnher, his men, and my family arrested and then he seized our land claiming imperial right."

"I'm really sorry, Arissa. That sounds horrible. Why didn't they arrest you?"

"They tried, but I fled to Skyrim and became a wanderer from village to village. I was raised to be a nobleman's daughter, but ended up a cutpurse. I had lost everything that was dear to me and it was all my fault."

"You can't blame yourself for what happened."

"Tell that to my angry 18 year old self, I blamed myself plenty. I was angry, confused, and had no purpose, and all I did was wander Skyrim that was my life for the last ten years... until I met you."

"Me?"

"Yes, you have shown me what it is like to have a purpose again, and to help those who need it. So thank you, Jak."

"I'm glad I could help."

The two ate their food and drank their drinks and before they knew it night had fallen. They left the Winking Skeever and made their way to the house they needed to rob; Jak asked Arissa to wait outside and keep a look out while he went inside, so he picked the lock and entered the house. The golden ship was nowhere to be found downstairs so he quietly went up the stairs and found the ship on the end table next to the sleeping owner. He moved slowly and steadily eventually grabbing the ship and then made his way out of the house. With Vex's job done all they needed to do was steal 500 golds worth of items, and Arissa wanted to be risky and convinced Jak to go to the Blue Palace and steal what they needed there. They arrived at the Blue Palace and Arissa commented how she felt under dressed and felt she needed something more radiant. Guards were posted all along the entrance so Arissa distracted the guards with playful banter and Jak was able to sneak by. Inside, he went from room to room and stole potions and coin purses and eventually met his goal. He returned to Arissa and she said goodbye to the guards who appeared lovestruck by her and the two left without any trouble, and with all they needed they left the city to head to Whiterun for Maven's job she had given Jak.

They paid the carriage driver and hopped into the back for their journey to Whiterun.
"I have been to Whiterun quite a few times, I know just about every brick there is to know in this city... that may or may not include Dragonsreach's dungeon." Arissa said as they got off the carriage outside of Whiterun. Jak laughed and the two made their way up the hill into the city. It was mid afternoon when they entered the city, they watched some children running in the street as they made their way to the Bannered Mare where Jak was told to meet Mallus.

"Which one do you think is Mallus?" Jak said as they entered the Bannered Mare. They asked around and finally found him sitting in the room to the side, he was a pale man who looked sinister. Jak introduced himself and told him that Maven had sent him. Mallus gestured for him to sit and so he did.

"I was expecting you to come alone." Mallus looked at Arissa and then back at Jak.

"She can be trusted, she is with me."

"Fine." Mallus sighed and then began explaining his plan. He wanted them to go to the brewery and help Sabjorn with a skeever problem that he had caused, that way they could poison the mead for the tasting the captain of the guard had planned at the meadery. He then went on about how the clever part of the plan is Sabjorn was going to be giving them the poison to get rid of the skeevers, but they would also use it in the mead. "Sabjorn has already closed up the meadery today so he can prepare for tomorrow, so you will have to get there in the morning to perform the job, because the captain of the guard will be there in the afternoon." Mallus said before Jak got up and he and Arissa left the room.

The two of them wandered in the market a little while and then went to see the Gildergreen tree in the middle of Whiterun before returning to the Bannered Mare. They sat around the fire and drank mead, ate food, and listened to the bard as he sang his songs and played his instruments. It had gotten late and the two decided it was best to pay for their rooms and get some rest for tomorrow.

"I would like to rent two rooms for the night."

"I'm sorry, we only have one available, everything else is full."

"Really? Well..." Jak began to think.

"We'll take it." Arissa spoke up.

"We will?"

"Yes, we don't have any other choice." Arissa stepped forward and handed Hulda the gold and she showed them to their room, then left.

Jak looked around the room and then checked out the balcony while Arissa took off her armor. He then came back into the room and checked the side table for some gold just in case, and Arissa laughed at his greediness.

"So how do you want to do the sleeping arrangement? I can sleep on the floor and you can have the bed, I don't mind."

"Or.." Arissa pushed him onto the bed and removed his hood, "We could share the bed, I mean it's not like we are strangers anymore."

"Yeah, I guess we could... it's just, won't that be a little awkward?"

Arissa chuckled, "You don't get what I'm saying here do you?" She leaned in and kissed Jak.

"Wow... I don't know what to say, I mean I thought we were just business partners?"

"We are, but to be honest I find you physically attractive, I have since we first met in that house in Windhelm... I also feel like you have done so much for me like save my life, help clear my families name, and shown me what it's like to have a purpose again. And after all this you have asked for nothing in return."

"You don't need to pay me back in this way, you have done your fair share of helping me too."

"I am not doing this to pay you back, I am doing it because I want to. What I just said was some of the reasons I have become attracted to you even more, outside of your appearance."

"Okay. But what..."

"Shh." Arissa placed her finger on his mouth, "You are over thinking this, lets just have fun."