Makings of a Monster

Jelena was spending a peaceful evening at home, alone. Reiltar had gone to Cormyr, and would still be gone for more than a week, while Winski, Sarevok and Tamoko were on an assignment, and due back tomorrow. Jelena quite liked the girl, even though her matter-of-fact attitude towards killing and fighting unnerved her a little. Still, she could tell that Tamoko really was devoted to Sarevok, and was not one to give up her loyalties lightly. She missed them all so much that her mind drifted to the idea of the new life they soon would start. After the... inevitable was done, they'd travel west and find a good place to dwell, figure a worthy way to make a living for them all. They would be nearer Candlekeep and able to study the prophecy eventually.

Jelena pictured herself as Winski's wife, Mrs. Perorate. No need to hide anything, no reason to fear. She could kiss him on the doorsteps if she so wished, and they could have friends and invite them over... perhaps Sarevok and Tamoko would marry and have children, and she would have the joy to play with beautiful grandchildren... and as Winski and she would grow older, they'd still sit together drinking their tea and laugh and tease each other, always feeling loved, accepted even though neither of them was perfect.

Jelena's smile fainted as she remembered the price of her dream. Sarevok had said that he'd make his move as soon as it was possible so that he could get away with it. Jelena sighed and prayed to Ilmater. She had always revered the kind, forgiving and merciful deity, who was willing to help anyone who was suffering, and carry others' burdens for them. She prayed and asked him to forgive the evil they would have to do to get their freedom. As she finished the prayer, she heard the door.

- "Sarevok?" she asked, puzzled. Had she mixed up the dates?
- "No Sarevok, Jelena dear."
She recognized the voice and felt the dread and fluttering in her stomach.
- "R...reiltar... I though you would still be in Cormyr for a long time..." she managed, as the man appeared in the doorway. He had the expression again. His eyes were cold as usual, but on the top of that coldness was the glee, the mirth. He was enjoying himself.
- "So you thought. So does everyone in Ordulin think, including Sarevok and Winski. And that means I officially am not here."
- "W...would you like me to make some tea for you?" Fear made Jelena's voice quiver, and she could tell well enough that Reiltar had something bad on his mind. Still, she grabbed the pretense of normality as a drowning person grabs a bulrush.
- "No Jelena, I think I want something other than tea," said Reiltar. His voice was strangely mild, almost gentle, and it made Jelena even more scared.

As Reiltar approached her, she involuntarily took a few steps back.
- "You really thought I would let you get away with it? You swung that cleaver at me and bitched about how you are... correct me if I'm wrong, 'sick of me'." Reiltar had gone over the incident in his mind many times, and he felt as if the words were burned inside him, screaming for a just revenge. And all that stuff about Winski, and how well the two seemed to get along... surely Jelena wouldn't have dared to actually sleep with him, but even entertaining such ideas was an inexcusable crime against Reiltar's honor.
- "I know you have been eyeing Winski, you bitch. Don't try to deny it. You are supposed to keep the housework done and being loyal without question. Not too difficult for anyone even with your brain. And still you can't get it done. Pathetic excuse of a cow!" Now his voice was rising, and he produced something Jelena didn't recognize but was scared of all the same. A cord of wire, flexible, shiny.

He had said 'eyeing'. So he didn't know for sure. Jelena silently prayed Ilmater to give her strength so that she wouldn't give Winski away.
- "Jelena, this is a garrote. I hear it is particularly painful method of death if made of wire as it cuts through your skin and arteries first."
Jelena felt like panicking, running away, but there was nowhere to go. Reiltar had pinned her against the wall, gloating over her horror. He started to strangle her, very slowly. Jelena knew she was as good as dead, and tried to get her hands to move, to do something, hurt him even someplace. But her hands didn't move as the pain and fear intensified, and her face started to get bloated, and breathing hurt.
- "Sarevok... Sarevok will..." she tried to say.
- "Sarevok will do nothing," said Reiltar firmly. "I have it all planned. He will have the pleasure of finding you, and once he cools down he will know that he'd better show loyalty or end up like you. A good way to drive the point home, don't you think."

Jelena started to lose her consciousness. She would have screamed if she could have, and it felt like her eyeballs were bursting. She only saw flashes and red, and she felt arteries snapping on her scalp. Reiltar eased the garrote up a bit and let her breathe a little.
- "I have... waited fir this, Jelena. Waited."
He started to tighten the garrote again, and it bit into Jelena's neck, and in Jelena's fuzzy mind the last picture was Sarevok, his big handsome warrior son.
- "Sarevok, save me! Save me!" It came out as little more than croak even though her mind was screaming it. Finally there was no pain, no light, nothing any more.

Reiltar looked at the slumped corpse. Should have done it a bit slower. It was over too soon. Gods, how good it felt when the fear in her eyes intensified and then he could feel the power of taking her life away... the corpse looked appropriately grim though. She looked like she had suffered a lot, and the blood was a nice touch. That should impress the rest of them into submission. He left back to Cormyr, savoring the memory.