Cards Reshuffled

Illusions are more than mere lies, they are reflections and distortions of reality. And so it is with lies as well, the best lies are those containing a large amount of truth. The next time you face a reflection in a distorted mirror, look at it with the clear eyes of a madman and try to spot the truth behind the mirror image.

Excerpt from ‘Ruminations Of A Master Bard’

There was a woman standing at the far end of the room, beyond the spot where Aerie had been chained, and in front of a vast door leading into what was presumably another chamber. It might as well be another dimension though, for all was darkness within. The woman was young, and beautiful. This was clearly evident, for she was quite naked. She had long hair, long enough to reach the small of her back, and it was the pure gold of sunlight. Her skin was a flawless milky white, unmarred by the marks of life, and her form was fair enough to give pause, slight but shapely. From a heart shaped face a pair of large eyes, as blue as an empty summer sky stared at the adventurers. Blue, and empty, without whites or pupils.

That’s no ordinary woman, Zaerini thought. I…think it’s some sort of summoned construct. She looks quite a bit like Aerie too – I wonder what’s up with that? She even has pointy ears.

Clearly the Avariel had noticed that as well. Her eyes widened as she spotted the woman, becoming almost as empty as those of the construct, and for a moment her face resembled a blank canvas, waiting for an artist’s brush to create a painting. Then her rosebud mouth opened slightly, while a small frown appeared on her smooth brow. “Oh…” she said. “That…that is so h-horrid! P-poor Kalah…”

”Poor Kalah?” Jaheira said, sounding incredulous. “Did you not say that he was responsible for all the chaos created in this place, as well as the abduction of your uncle and your own transformation? And now this…this unnatural thing?”

“Y-yes,” Aerie said, her voice diminishing almost to a whisper. “But…but I always felt s-s-sorry for him, you see. He was so…so sad and l-lonely…like I was after…after losing my wings. And…and I t-tried to be kind to him. To…to be a f-friend to him. I…I didn’t realize that he…might wish for more than that. I…I just h-hope that he didn’t do all of…all of this to…to impress me.”

“I see,” the druid said, her face softening a little. “Well, you may have been foolish in not seeing which way things were going, but it cannot be helped now. We shall simply have to do our best.”

“Poor Aerie…” Minsc said, a pair of honest tears rolling down his cheeks. “That the innocent and good should be treated so, and be kept chained up by evil gnomes…it makes Minsc so angry! And when Minsc gets angry, Boo gets angry! And when Boo gets angry, EVIL GETS CHOPPED INTO TINY EVIL BITS BY HIS SHARP HAMSTER TEETH! RAARRRGGGH!”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Rini hastily added, throwing herself at the berserker and clinging to his arm to keep him from drawing his sword. “But Kalah isn’t here right now Minsc. Just calm down. Please? Before you hurt one of us by mistake? Boo wouldn’t want that, would he?”

It was several tense moments before Minsc’s breathing calmed and the red fire went out of his eyes, but then he suddenly smiled. “Little Rini is right as usual, Minsc and Boo must save their strength for the evil foes ahead, so they may protect their good friends. Minsc is sorry.”

“It’s all right, Minsc. I know what it’s like to get really angry. Just take some more deep breaths, that’s better…” The half-elf gave the giant ranger a brief hug, and got one in return that almost crushed her ribs. As she tried to force some air back into her mangled chest, she happened to look at Aerie. For a moment she had thought she saw a fleeting look of annoyance cross the elf’s face, but it was immediately replaced by a shy smile. No. I’m just paranoid after…after Irenicus. Now I see enemies everywhere.

“Perhaps,” Yoshimo suggested, “we should speak to this oh so delectable creation before us before she disappears into a puff of smoke…or perhaps changes into a harpy or a dragon? You never know in this place, it seems.”

“Right,” the bard agreed. She carefully approached the empty-eyed woman, half expecting an attack. Instead, the construct simply smiled, a perfect replica of Aerie’s sweet smile, and spoke in the Avariel’s voice. Well, it resembled Aerie’s voice, but it was strong and dominating where Aerie’s was shy and tremulous.

“Be thou not of impure heart or thou wilt surely destroy thyself. Kalah is the one Ruler, the One True Being.”

“Really?” Rini said. “Sounds like he is also the One True Conceited Prat to me…”

The construct’s face remained expressionless and her voice never trembled.

“Kalah is beyond thy ken, mortal! He is the Beginning. He is the End. He is our God and our King. Tremble before him and he may take pity on thee.”

“Let me guess…” the half-elf added. “He’s also the strongest, swiftest, smartest man alive, and all women who meet him swoon at his feet and want nothing more than to have his babies?”

“How didst thou know this, mortal one?”

“Oh, just a hunch. It seemed likely. So, is the One True Being home to visitors?”

The construct nodded. “Continue on thy path and if thou shouldst find favor in Kalah's eyes then thou shalt surely be granted an audience.”

“Isn’t that nice. Well, thanks for all your help then!” The redhead pushed past the naked woman, heading for the dark portal. “Well?” she asked her friends. “What are you waiting for? Don’t you want to meet the Beginning and the End?”

It seems you’re feeling a little better, kitten, Softpaws said as Zaerini walked through the portal.

I guess so…at least a little bit. I mean, I’m still worried sick about Immy and everything, but it seems likely I’ll soon get the chance to yank the chain of a pompous twit.

That’s much better, kitten. It’s good to see you playing with your prey; it means you’re feeling stronger again.

Heh, I suppose so. Though I doubt I’ll want to actually eat Kalah.

Behind the portal, the adventurers found another room, a round chamber with a floor of turquoise stone, the pure and perfect color of a warm ocean. Animal skins were lying here and there on the floor. The striped fur of a tiger, the black and white coat of a zebra. A golden skin that seemed to belong on a lion. Here and there lay heaps of large pillows in bright colors, soft and inviting. Bowls of fruit and bottles of cool wine stood on end tables, looking extremely tempting. Through stained glass windows, light streamed in, casting shadows of ruby, emerald and sapphire in dancing spots across the floor, though there was no sky and no sun outside those windows, only an even, magical light. All in all, it looked like a room fit for a sultan’s palace.

“B-be careful,” Aerie warned, nervously fiddling with the sleeves of the pale yellow mage robe she was wearing. “Kalah…he will have set some…some sort of t-trap!”

At that moment there was a low, sibilant hiss, and Rini twisted around to see the long shadows along the walls move and float towards her, forming humanoid shapes with grasping arms and hungry faces. At the same time, two large and furry creatures burst out of empty air, growling and baring sharp fangs, ears flattened back along elongated heads. She recognized them all too well. She had spent a memorable week marooned on an island populated with their like. Werewolves! And…some other monster, some form of undead. Kalah’s upping the stakes…

As Minsc gleefully charged the swiftly approaching werewolves and Jaheria readied her quarterstaff to take on the shadows, Zaerini prepared to cast a spell. She had a Haste spell memorized, that should help take those monsters out…

As the bard started casting her spell, she could hear Aerie chant something in the background, murmuring so quietly that she couldn’t make out the words. Then, a bright light flared up, bright enough to hurt her eyes, and when she looked again the werewolves were gone, vanished as if they had never been there. Illusions…of course! Kalah is supposed to be an illusionist after all. I should have guessed.

With their stronger allies gone, the two shadow creatures succumbed fairly quickly, and the adventurers sat down on the fluffy pillows to get some needed rest. “That was quick thinking,” Rini told Aerie. “Well done.”

The elf blushed prettily and looked down on her intertwined fingers. “I…I just th-thought that they might be illusions. So m-many things here are, and I…I know Kalah p-pretty well. I’m…I’m glad I could help.”

“Though we could have managed otherwise, it did spare us some trouble,” Jaheira agreed.

“Aerie was very brave!” Minsc exclaimed, beaming brightly. “She turned those evil illusions away with the clear Light of Truth.”

“Yes…” Yoshimo said with a small smile, idly studying the blade of his katana. “Such resolve…such fervor. I think anybody underestimating our little bird would be making a bad mistake.”

Aerie flinched visibly as if she had been struck, turning away, and when she raised her head again her eyes were brimming with tears.

“Aerie!” the distraught Minsc cried out, hurrying to the Avariels’ side. “What is wrong?”

“It…it is nothing, Minsc. I am only being…being weak and…and f-foolish. I’m sure it’s very s-silly of me to still feel such pain when people…when they remind me of my…my beautiful white wings. It is only…only right that they should…should give me no special treatment, I…I must learn to…to be strong!” She buried her face in her hands and broke down in quiet sobs. Minsc hovered uncertainly at her side, his enormous hand awkwardly patting her shoulder even as he was glaring at Yoshimo.

“You made Aerie cry!” he said. “Minsc does not like that.”

The Kara-Turan simply shrugged, reclining on the pillows as he studied the intricately patterned ceiling. “Ah, Yoshimo is but a poor rogue, who knows little of the ways of such gentle souls. If he has offended, he is sorry. Perhaps we might be told more of this sad story? I am sure it is one well worth hearing.”

Aerie wiped her eyes with a lacy little handkerchief, smiling through her tears. “If…if you’re sure…I would not…would not want to t-take up your t-time with my own p-problems…”

Everybody looked expectantly at Zaerini, and the half-elf suddenly was faced with the unpleasant realization that she was the one supposed to make a decision. Something about the situation was bothering her. It must be her voice. I suppose I’m sorry about her wings and all…but I really can’t stand her voice. Not that she can help that, I guess. And if I try to shut her up Minsc will think I’m an evil, nasty person, I’m sure. “Fine,” the half-elf said with a small sigh. “Tell us about your wings. We need to rest a little anyway.”

Amidst many a nervous smile and stutter, Aerie launched into her tale, with Minsc hanging devotedly on her every word. She spoke of her people, the Avariel who were winged elves living in a city high up in the mountain, far away, and of the joy of flying. Then she explained about how she had been captured by human slavers while trying to save a little human boy from them, and sold to a circus, one different than the one where she worked now. With tears in her eyes she described being kept in a cramped cage that made her wings become to diseased that they had to be cut off, and explained that Quayle had bought her free, teaching her of his own God, Baervan Wildwanderer of the gnomes. “I…I still miss my poor wings,” she concluded. “But…but I miss Uncle Quayle too, I am s-so worried about what Kalah might do to him…”

“I know it is difficult, but try to hope,” Jaheira said. “He may yet live, all hope is not lost.”

“Oh no,” Aerie said with a small smile on her lips. “I…I know that. I…have much faith in you all. Together, we will make everything turn out…for the b-best.”