Viconia was awakened by a rough slap across her cheek. Snarling, Viconia sat up in bed, only to find that the still-sleeping Imoen had been flailing her limbs in her sleep again. Viconia sighed and glanced at the porthole. Seeing the sun was up and it was time to awake anyway, Viconia shook her head and slipped out of bed.

Immediately, Imoen rolled over and claimed the entire bed for her own. Viconia turned around and suppressed a smirk. Though Viconia would never confess it to a living person, she actually quite enjoyed Imoen's company. Sure, she might be annoying to the core, but she was also spritely, always cheerful and full of life, some things the Drow always missed. Viconia had felt better when Imoen had been sleeping next to her, even though she had kicked her out of the room so that she could perform another nightly actively with Limryu the past few days. She felt a touch of guilt for making her sleep in the hold all those nights.

Another glance at Imoen revealed another disturbing thought. No doubt the spiritedly Imoen would be reduced to a slave as soon as she met and married one of those surfacer-males. The fools in charge of this male-dominated world would find a way to break her spirit and force her into servitude. To Viconia, female rule wasn't only preferable, but she felt it should be the norm. She'd hate to think of Imoen being under the thumb of some male she would undoubtedly meet in the future. And to be honest, Viconia hadn't seen many examples of decent males in this surface-world. Certainly, there were the male members of her party, who all had no problems with a free-spirited female leader, but she had seen plenty of other, less accepting males. The thought of one of them ruling Imoen's life, touching her if he pleased filled her with bile.

But with one sweep in her mind, she dismissed the thought. 'Tymora, I am turning more protective of her than Laska. I've got to get this out of my mind.'

Immediately, Viconia lifted her sleeping shift over her head and strolled over to the washbasin to toss some cold water in her face. After washing up, she took a moment to look outside though the porthole. She found the light of the sun reflecting off the calm ocean aesthetically pleasing, but quickly sat down to groom her hair. She carefully let her brush glide through her long white hair, starting her usual morning ritual of 200 strokes with the brush from top to bottom for maximum effect.

She got to 190 when she suddenly heard Imoen stirring in her sleep. "Hmmmmmm," Imoen moaned sensuously, "chocolate icecream!!" Viconia snorted for a bit. "Hey, Vic?" Imoen then asked groggily. "Vic, where are you?"

Viconia turned around on her stool, giving her hair the remaining 10 strokes while Imoen's eyes fluttered open. "Whoa!" Imoen blushed bright red and hid her head under the blankets. "Nude wet topless Drow! Put something on!"

"Oh, please," Viconia snorted. "It's nothing you haven't seen before."

"Yeah, but it's a big step from dreaming about chocolate to seeing a Drow without any clothes on," Imoen called from under the blankets.

"Well," Viconia smirked while she slipped on her pants and reached for her tunic. "My skin-color is roughly the same as chocolate... Dark chocolate, that is. The most tasty chocolate of all, I think."

"Ermmm," Imoen gulped again, "could we have a conversation with less innuendo, please?"

"It melts on your tongue," Viconia licked her lips. She enjoyed teasing Imoen, because the girl always managed to take everything she said so seriously. "So, I'll go get breakfast. Any special orders?"

"Well, I do have a sudden craving for dark chocolate," Imoen spoke from under the blankets.

"Who's talking innuendo now?" Viconia winked at a horrified Imoen before leaving the room.

"Oh, yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah?" Imoen replied with a smile. "Well... double innuendo on you!"

'I have to teach her some better ways to swear,' Viconia smirked as she made her way to the pantry.

"Come on, where are they?" Viconia snarled as she rummaged through the cupboards in the pantry to look where Laska had put her pre-created delicacies. Unfortunately, the pantry was organized exactly like Laska's mind : chaotically. Constantly, Viconia found foodstuffs and crockery that were seemingly out of place, though she had no doubt the tattooed elf considered their placing logical.

"Ah!" Viconia smiled as she found her prize hidden away underneath a set of pans.

"What's going on here?" Keldorn asked as she entered the pantry. "Oh," he said as she spotted the Drow, "good morning Viconia. I was just wondering who was making all this noise at so early a time."

"I was just me," Viconia said. "Swearing and tossing things out of cupboards, I'm afraid."

"I see," Keldorn said as he glanced at the pottery strewn all over the floor. "What are you looking for?"

"These," Viconia said and held up a paper bag containing her prize. "Laska's prized chocolate-chip muffins, containing a liberal amount of chocolate chips and theirs tops being covered with rich dark chocolate. Laska hides these, but we always find them."

"That's a lot of chocolate," Keldorn blinked. "I never figured you'd be a sweet-tooth."

"It's not for me," Viconia said. "It's Imoen's breakfast."

"I've noticed that you've been taking better care of her as of late."

"Yes, well, she's been through a lot, and, well," Viconia said. "I've... recently gotten to realize something. Something important."

"Something you'd like to share?" Keldorn offered. "There is a willing ear right in front of you."

"Well," Viconia sat down on a stool. "For as long as I have been part of Laska's party, Imoen has been doing her best to make me feel comfortable and to make me fit in. I was the first to join Laska and Imoen a few years back. Even during the first days, when I was very distant and hostile, she was always kind and accommodating. I remember that the first day we slept in the wilderness, I kept my distance when sleeping near the fire. When Imoen saw me shivering in my old ratty bedroll, she came over to bring me an extra blanket. I, of course, took the blanket and snarled at her to get lost. But she never did. She was always making sure I was alright, well fed and warm... She didn't only do that for me but for everyone. She always kept us all together. It... saddens me to think that mostly repaid her genuine kindness with snarls and curses, or sought for duplicity behind her actions."

"Guilt?" Keldorn said.

"Do not be a fool!" Viconia said. "I am a Drow! I do not know guilt. If I did, I wouldn't able to function considering my past..."

"But you do feel guilty about shunning Imoen," Keldorn nodded.

"Yes," Viconia whispered. "Funny thing, that. I still find her annoying, her pink hair can blind my vision and her cheerfulness can be overbearing... But sometimes, she tries to hug me in her sleep and I no longer find myself pulling away. So, she is my friend now... May the gods help us both," Viconia chuckled and took her prize.

A few minutes later, Keldorn could hear Imoen's squeal of happiness coming from the Captain's Quarters.

Mook had returned a few hours after breakfast to report her findings to the party. With her came a tall and shifty-looking Kara-Turan male with a ready smile who she said was her main informant. Immediately, the party gathered in the stately Captain's Quarters which had been claimed by Viconia when the Swiftwind first set sail.

"All we have to do," spoke the Kara-Turan male in a pleasant voice.

A slight belch could be heard from Imoen's directions. As all heads turned to her, she blushed and wiped the chocolate from her face. Laska scowled... she quickly realized the source of that chocolate.

"Like I was saying," the man smiled again, "all we have to do is convince the pirate-lord Desharik to part with his key to the Asylum. That's all."

"WHAT?!" Mook snarled and rose from her seat. The petite elf glowered at the Kara-Turan male with untold fury. "This is the 'Big secret' you've been baiting me with?! I could have told them that in the first place!"

"But..."

"Shut up! Dammit, I had to sleep in a ditch waiting for you to turn up!" Mook snarled. "Catch rabies, you human waste!" she said and turned towards the door. "How dare that bastard? Mutton-mongering riff-raff," she muttered before slamming the door shut.

"Right," Laska said. "Keldorn suggested we only go in with a small group to avoid suspicion. So, me, Imoen, Viconia and Keldorn will be going to Desharik and to the Asylum. In the meantime, Minsc, Dynaheir, Korgan and Jan will try to deal with the pirate problem this island has."

"We'll set sail as soon as you leave," Irylarr said. "We've agitated the pirates enough and we have to keep these poor girls Rose rescued safe. Mook suggested we drop anchor in a small cove on the other side of the island. It should hide us from searches by sea. You'll have to contact us by fireball in the air and we'll come to get you."

"Right," Laska said. "Let's get to it."

"Son," Keldorn spoke as the party left the room to gather their things. "I don't believe you've ever told us your name."

"Yoshimo," the Kara-Turan male replied with a warm smile.

The Swiftwind set sail right after the party disembarked and went their separate ways after Rose and Laska shared a brief kiss. In a few moments, Yoshimo had led the party to a mansion on the other side of the mountain. It was huge and luxurious, in fact it was a bit too gaudy for a pirate lord.

"It used to belong to the pirate princess of this island until Desharik drove her out," Yoshimo said. "Strangely enough, the mansion has gotten a lot less unfriendly after he got rid of the pirana-poodles."

"Remember the plan," Laska said, "we're all jabbering mental patients looking to be healed."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Keldorn said. "Do I look like a mental patient to you?"

"Oh, just act like you think you're a chicken or something," Imoen said. "That always works for me when some guy is hitting on me in a bar."

"Good girl," Viconia spoke absentmindedly. "Though it would even be better if you took a knife and take away the reason he's insulting you with his presence."

Quickly enough, Yoshimo convinced an unsavory looking servant to let the party inside the mansion. Inside, the mansion was even more luxurious and gaudy than it had looked from the outside. Paintings and golden objects were scattered haphazardly all over the place, as if the current owner had no idea of style but still wanted to display his wealth.

They were quickly met by a man who was obviously Desharik. He was a tall, broad shouldered man with ebony skin and an eyepatch over his left eye. He wore a velvet coat and a less than convincing triangle-shaped hat.

"So, you are the lot that slaughtered Galvana and took away the joy of so many lonely pirates," he spoke. "You've got guts, I'll give you that. So, what do you wish from old Desharik."

"We're sick," Laska said quickly and darted her eyes wildly across the room. "We really, really need help."

"Oh?" Desharik said and took a few steps back. "H-how so?"

"Well," Laska spoke, "all of a sudden I JUST randomly TALK LOUDLY just like THIS!" she said and started to stalk across the room in circles. "And I GET REALLY ANNOYED!" she said, picked up one of the vases and smashed it against the wall. "AND I randomly start SLAPPING PEOPLE!" she added and slapped a servant so hard that the poor man slammed into the wall with such a force that he slid into unconsciousness.

"Anyway," Laska said, being calm again. "You see how that can be a problem."

"I... see," Desharik said, but remained unconvinced. "And what about you?"

"Me?" Imoen's eyes fluttered. "I... I just love pink, I'm such a little girly," she giggled. "But sometimes I get really mad and I wear black and I go out and kill everyone with my weird magical powers," she said, and, on clue, shot out a ball of light which exploded as it impacted on the wall. "Then I take my victims home and put them in the cauldron to make my vorpal pink hair dye," she said, adding a sexy hair-flip. "Like my hair?"

"It's, um, lovely," Desharik said, took a step back but still didn't look convinced. "And you?"

"Oh, I'm just a Drow how cares for her pets," Viconia smiled. "I sleep with men..."

"Well, that's good," Desharik offered a lopsided grin, inching his head towards the bedroom. "How about a go?"

"Such a kind offer," Viconia smiled. "But after I sleep with the males, I take out my dagger and slice off their manhoods. Them, I feed them to my pet pirana's while I make the male watch." On cue, the dagger appeared from her boot. "So, do you have enough to feed my fish."

"AH!" Desharik now hid behind one of the columns, but still he wasn't convinced. "And you?!"

"Me?" Keldorn said. "Well, I, um, that is to say, I...."

A quick jab in the elbow from Imoen awakened him from his stupor. "I... I am a chicken," he finally said.

"A... chicken?" Desharik blinked.

Keldorn sighed heavily. "Cluck," he finally said dispassionately.

"AAAAAAHHHH!" Desharik screamed and tossed them the key. "TAKE IT TAKE IT TAKE IT! I don't want to catch fowl cholera from you!" that said, the high and might pirate lord ran from the room and locked himself in the bedroom.

"Well, that was easily," Yoshimo grinned. "Let us proceed to the Asylum."

"Let's get your soul back, Imoen," Laska smiled.

"And rescue my friends from that hell-hole!" Imoen grinned.

Yoshimo nodded for a moment and then led the way.