"Whatcha doin'?" Imoen bubbled as she entered the bedroom she shared with Viconia and plopped down on the bed, making it bounce her up and down a little. She lay on her stomach, watching Viconia sitting behind her desk pouring over books and crude drawings of the local temple of Lolth.
"Busy?" Imoen asked.
"Ngh," Viconia replied without looking.
"Ngh?" Imoen blinked. "Is that a yes or a no?"
"That's a Ngh," Viconia spoke impassionedly.
"Working on getting the eggs back?" Imoen said. "Can I help?"
"You can help by keeping quiet and letting me work," Viconia said. "I need to find out what silver dragon eggs look like, so I took all these books from the Wizard's library to make sure the artisan I hired will make exact copies."
"You still need to get those eggs in and out of there, you know?" Imoen asked. "Want me to help? Maybe you could use a thief's eye."
"No," Viconia said. "What would you know about breaking into temples anyway?"
"You didn't complain when I took those silver candlesticks from the temple of Helm back in Baldur's Gate."
"That was Helm... this is Lolth.... Big difference," Viconia replied and returned to her books.
"Okay, okay," Imoen sighed and rolled over the bed. "I'll just pine away in boredom right over here.... Pine... Pine... PINEpinepine... Pining, pine, pine, pine... Pineypine-pineypiningpine... Pine, pine, pine, pine, pine... pine, pine, pinedy-pine-pine... Pinepinepinepine.... PINE, p-pine, pin-ne... I'm still pining here, Vic..."
"Can you pine away quietly?!" Viconia snapped. "If you're bored you can just go watch Laska fight."
"Nah," Imoen said. "She'll win anyway if I'm there or not." It was silent for a few moments. But then : "PIIIIIIIINNNNNNEEEEEEE! Pine, pine... pine... pine... pine... pine... PPPPPPIIIINNNNNNNEEEEE... Pining, pining, oh, I'm so pining, pine, pine, pine, so young, so fine, now I pine..."
"SHUT UP!" Viconia snarled, then regained her calmth. "Alright, maybe I do need to get out... Let's go take a look at that temple them!"
"Oh, goody!" Imoen slid off the bed. "My thief's eye is yours for as long as you want it."
"As long as you use it quietly."
She could hear the excited cheers of the crowds outside... But then again, Laska had always known she was a crowd pleaser. She sat on a bench next to the entrance of the arena, pressing her back into the stone. Due to the lava-streams running under and around the Spire, the stone was quite warm and pleasant to touch...
But she hardly noticed the warmth of the rock. In fact, she was riled up to fight another opponent. She had made it to the semi-finals, leaving a trail of defeated opponents behind her. She stared into the darkness, thinking of her soon-to-be won victory in the ring.
"He fears you," she heard a voice from an unclear source. Where it was coming from, she did not know. From the darkness? From inside her head? From someone in the ring? She did not know and she did not care.
"They all fear your strength," she heard, from a different voice this time.
"Slut."
"Murderer."
"Beast."
"Those are not bad things. Use everything at your disposal. All your assets, all your abilities... You have done so all your life."
"You have always punished those who dared to sin against you," a final voice spoke. "Remember...."
"She's delirious right now," Laska sighed in a state of near-despair as she stood in the local pharmacy just outside the Friendly Arms Inn. Imoen was still inside the inn, where she left her to get the medicine she needed. This was turning out to be a terrible mess. First Gorion had been killed, trusting them out into the world all alone... and then Imoen had been bitten by a diseased gibberling just off the road.
"The wound is badly infected, I just don't know what to do," Laska sighed.
"Gibberling, ey?" the apothecary spoke. He was a tall man, in his forties, not unhandsome but not particularly attractive either. "Well, a simple universal antidote will do. But it'll cost you 50 gold. It's not cheap."
"I... I'm new to this adventuring game, I... I haven't gotten any jobs yet..." Laska stammered and looked at the floor. She didn't like being helpless and at someone's mercy. "But... I can let you have one of my swords? Or my armor? I'm... I'm not using this shield..."
"Tsk, tsk," the apothecary spoke and made Laska feel like she burned under his eyes roaming over her body. "I can think of other ways you could pay for the medicine for your sister."
Laska wasn't sure she was going to like this option, but nodded nonetheless. She didn't have much choice.
"You are a very... very beautiful young elf," the apothecary said as he circled Laska, to finally rest his dirty fingers on her shoulders. "And I am a very lonely man..."
Laska balled her fists and shook in barely controlled rage as the man roamed his hands across her sides, slowly rubbing over her soft, exposed skin. The cursed wearing her vest today when he finally rested one of his hands on her belly, while the other one hovered dangerously close to her breasts.
"Young and voluptuous," the man leeched. "Firm breasts, soft skin..."
"How about I kill you and take the medicine instead?" Laska snarled, but refrained from pulling away from his grasp, seeing her sister's life was at stake. She was, however, fingering one of her daggers.
"You could," the man grinned, "but look around yo.? See all the bottles, potions, ointments and salves? You've only been adventuring shortly..." Laska balled her fists with rage when the man slid his hand up to her breast and squeezed slightly "Do you think you can even recognize an antidote potion in this mess? Or would you risk ferrying all my goods to your sister and feeding them to her one by one." Laska grimaced when she felt his hand slide into her leather pants and rest on her buttocks. "Oh, no underwear," he shuddered. "You saucy vixen."
"Still having doubts?" the man said. "Well, I know a bit about gibberling poison. You see, first comes the delirium... then the fevers," he grinned, "most go mad with disease... Then blood pressure mounts and mounts... you can hear their hearts beating from across the hall... Sometimes the victim's eyeballs explode. Yes, you get the opportunity to watch your sister die. You'll get to see her suffer horribly..."
"ENOUGH!" Laska turned to the man to shout in his face.
He merely smiled smugly. Laska clenched her jaw and looked upon the man with all the hatred she could muster as she started to unlace her vest.
"The bedroom is over there," the man practically skipped.
"That was... incredible," the man sighed and staggered as he waddled his way back into the front-end of the store. "With one word, incredible!"
Laska said nothing, but stared bloody death at the man as she adjusted her pants and vest before directing her attention to her slightly disheveled hair where he had deemed fit to paw her. She had done her best to get it over with as quickly as possible, but her anger was mounting by the second still.
"You're a credit to your race, young lady," the man and walked to a plank to get the antidote. "You could earn a lot of money as a courtesan, you know? Some of the things you can do to a man? Wow..."
Laska decided not to dignify that with a response. Instead, she gladly accepted the antidote.
"Is this it?"
"Of course," the man spoke.
"Are you sure?"
"I know my job, my voluptuous young flower."
"Good," Laska grinned. "I hope you enjoyed your quickie..."
"Sexy thing, you may always come back if you need more. You know my price and... GURK!" he felt a sudden jerk in the neck-area. After hearing a deafening snap, the man suddenly found himself looking back at the doorway he had just passed. For a moment, he considered how he could have turned around that fast.
"Because it was your last!" Laska snarled. The man now was surprised to hear that the elf was suddenly standing behind him... And why was his neck so stiff? Suddenly, he realized his body was making strange movements, as if he was convulsing. Still not quite realizing what was going on, he was confronted with the grim reality as his body sank to its knees and he got a terrifying view of the back of his own heels. So great was the force of Laska's anger, that his neck had not only snapped, but had turned his head almost 150 degrees around. As the horrified man's vision started to fade to black, the last thing he saw was Laska snarling down at him, just before spitting in his face. He tried to hurl one last curse, but like a fish on dry land, his mouth moved but the words never came.
"I feel much better, Las," Imoen said meekly as she lay in her bed and Laska sat at her side.
"Good," Laska patted the bed. "Now, you get some sleep and we'll be off in the morning."
"What happened Las?" Imoen said. "Why is there a whiff of smoke on your hair?"
"Heh," Laska replied. "There's a whiff of smoke on everybody. The apothecary's hut burned to the ground just after I... got you the antidote."
"You're kidding!"
"Nah, it's no surprise, really," Laska forced a smile. "He was fumbling and pawing so much he probably knocked over one his braziers by accident. The hut went up like a bonfire with all the chemicals and dry leaves inside."
"Poor man," Imoen said. "Is he okay?"
"Died in the fire."
"Oh, no!" Imoen replied. "How sad!"
"Yes," Laska looked past Imoen. "Very sad. I'm going to take a bath to wash the... the stench off my body..."
"Gonna pick up the barmaid, huh?" Imoen grinned. "I bet you can get her into your bed before the clock strikes 10!"
"Nah," Laska nodded. "I don't feel like it tonight."
"Hold the presses, call the gods, a miracle has taken place! Laska's not in the mood for sex! Wow, that happens about as often as a solar eclipse!" Imoen giggled.
"Watch your tongue, little sister! And get some sleep," Laska grinned and walked out the door... but as soon as she left the room, she closed her eyes and walked to the bathing area... she'd soak for a long time and then she would sell her shield and use the money to get something to drink... a LOT to drink, actually...
"He deserved it," Laska snarled into the darkness.
"Your first true murder."
"Cold-blooded."
"No excuses."
"No regret."
"He had done it to more women," Laska then grinned. "Not anymore, though."
Laska noticed a satisfied grin on her partners face as they lay in bed together. The man was a small-time nobleman named Jarondo, relatively young and good-looking, who had made a small fortune in the Baldur's Gate shipping trade. Tonight was the third time they had slept together after several tumultuous meetings. Right now, Laska was lying in Jarondo's embrace after both of them recovered from a rather intense activity.
"I'll be leaving soon," Laska said. "Got a job in Ulgoth's Beard."
"I want you to stay," Jarondo spoke as he caressed her cheek, pushing a strand of hair from her face. "Stay with me, my tattooed goddess."
"Look," Laska sighed. "I told you up front that I didn't want you to expect anything else than a couple of nights of fun."
Jarondo sat up, placing his lips on those of his lover. Laska immediately responded passionately, but broke off a little too early for Jarondo's liking. "I've grown quite fond of you, Laska. I want you to stay with me."
"Look," Laska withdrew from his embrace and rolled away from him. "I told you I'm only in it for the fun. I'm an adventurer on the road. I don't have time or inclination to be in any kind of relationship."
"Then stay!" Jarondo smiled. "Settle down with me. I can provide for you more than adequately. With me, you'll have no more need to make a meager living chasing down monsters for gold, no more risking your life for others, no more living outside."
"And no more fun," Laska snickered as she gathered her pants and expertly slipped inside of them.
"I'm being serious, Laska," Jarondo smiled. "Stay here with me... as my wife."
That stopped Laska in her tracks. She looked Jarondo in his eyes, and then looked away, chuckling at little. "You cannot be serious," she said as she put on her vest and started to lace it shut. "Oh, what is it with me? Why can't I find a bloke that just has shagging on his mind and nothing else? Gods, every man I meet, well, sure they wanna shag me silly, but after the fun is done and it's time for me to go, they want me to stay and either marry or live with them and be an oven for their buns."
"What can I do, Laska?" Jarondo tried. "What can I say? How can I win your heart?"
"HAH!" Laska replied. "I'm not a prize to be won! Look, I told you before I only wanted to have some fun, nothing more! If you can't accept that, well, then, bugger you! I'm off..." Laska said and turned to the door. Suddenly, however, she felt a little woozy... quite light on her legs.
Soon, she found herself on her knees, unable to keep her heavy eyelids from closing. "My drink," she whimpered. "You put something in my drink... crap, I drank the whole bottle..."
"I didn't want you to run," Jarondo spoke. "I love you... and I want you to love me. Just give it time, and you'll come to love me..."
Laska felt her head pound as she awakened in a pleasant, yet damp place. She was in a well-furnished room, including a bed, drapes soft carpet and a dresser with mirror. But she quickly noticed it was only pleasant in a small circle in the middle of a damp basement... She found herself in a golden cage with a small door. Jarondo was standing near the cage with love in his eyes.
Laska didn't waste time and sped forward, rattling the cage with her hands.
"Let me out of here, you asswank!" Laska snarled.
"Stay here with me, Laska," Jarondo smiled. "This is the place I have had built for all the women whom I want to love me."
"I bet you say that to all the bloody girls," Laska spat.
"No," Jarondo spoke. "My tattooed goddess, I so want you to be mine."
"Great," Laska sighed. "Why can't I just meet some normal people... Just once! How do I always end up shagging the nutters? Is there some kind of divine conspiracy against me?!"
"Come on," Jarondo smiled. "You'll learn to love me."
"Oh, maybe it won't be so bad. Three things, Jarondo" Laska said.
"Those are?"
"Come here..."
Jarondo smiled and took a step forward... and finally found himself being yanked forward. His head was suddenly painfully pulled between two of the gilded bars by Laska's strength. "First of all," Laska aimed at the struggling Jarondo, "I'm stronger than I look. Secondly," she bent the gold with her free arm slightly while she kept her other arm curled around his neck, "gold is a very weak metal." She then trapped his head between the cage, letting him standing bent over and struggling against the cage. "Thirdly, I have no intention of staying," she said after bending the bars apart just enough for her to snake her dexterous body through.
"No, wait!" Jarondo tried as Laska walked towards the door. "You can't just leave me here!"
"If you ever try to poison me again, I'll kill you," Laska said calmly. "But don't worry. I'll be going to Ulgoth's Beard with my party. It's a small town, so I'll be back in two days. I'll send someone down to release you."
After a couple of tumultuous weeks, Laska found herself strolling the streets of Baldur's Gate looking for the nearest bars, when she suddenly noticed a commotion around a house. Immediately, she realized it was Jarondo's house.
"What happened here?" Laska asked one of the Flaming Fist officers standing near the entrance to the house, just before two others were carrying out a body on a stretcher covered by a white sheet.
"Dehydration," the officer said. "Stupid git got his head stuck in a cage. Nobody heard him down in the basement either."
"Crap," Laska said as she watched the officers carry away the body. "I know I'd forgotten about something." She then shrugged and went back to looking for a bar.
Laska nodded as the voiced laughed.
"You have been using people all your life."
"Why should that change?"
"Their lives are yours to use."
"Lexi, come on," Laska said as she nuzzled the neck of the young noblewoman. "You smell great. Let's do it..."
"Fresh," Lexi smiled coyly and slid out of Laska grasp deftly. The young noblewoman was a lovely young red-haired lass with a sparkly demeanor, currently wearing a silk dress.
"Come on, you know you want me in that bedroom," Laska giggled as she regained grip around Lexi's waist. The elf smelled Lexi's hair, a sweet odor. Lexi had been difficult to conquer, but had been worth every effort she had to make. They had met first at the party, after Laska had briefly died at Sarevok's hand. After that, she had come to realize that life had to be experienced to the fullest, no matter who would pay the price for it... and no matter her nosy friends trying to calm her down.
"Later, Laska!" Lexi giggled in return. "We can celebrate later."
"Celebrate?" Laska smiled as she slowly raised her hands across the side of Lexi's bodice. "Celebrate what?"
"Oh, it's a surprise!" Lexi grinned. "You'll have to come back later."
"You don't want me to go," Laska stopped to nibble on Lexi's earlobe.
"Please," Lexi shuddered.
"You don't want me to go," Laska said as her hand disappeared into the top of Lexi's bodice. Lexi's servants, knowing what was coming, found it wise to discreetly leave the room.
"I don't want to jump you just yet," Lexi chuckled and quickly, very quickly, wrestled herself away from the randy elf. "Just return to the inn and wait for two hours," she blew Laska a kiss.
"Two hours?" Laska pouted like a puppy-dog.
"Two hours," Lexi smiled. "You won't be disappointed, I promise. I love you so much, Laska..."
"Two hours," Laska sighed as she downed another glass. She sat at the bar, not particularly interested in doing anything. Suddenly, a handsome half-elf plopped down beside her. He was an adventurer type, in fine shape and had jet-black hair to his shoulders.
"Can I buy you a drink?" he asked her with a friendly smile.
"Sure," Laska chuckled. "I have, oh, about two hours."
Lexi smiled as she walked into the Blade & Stars. The jeweller had finished early, so she could surprise Laska earlier as well. After not finding her in the bar, she went upstairs to Laska's room. Using the key the innkeep had provided her with she opened the door.
Lexi was stunned to find the room completely dark, but she knew very well what the moans and sighs meant. As soon as her eyes adjusted to the dark, she found a very naked Laska sitting on top of an equally naked unknown half-elf.
"Laska!!" Lexi shouted out in disbelief.
Laska whipped her head around, but showed no intention to stop what she was doing. "Lexi?" Laska said, then smiled. "Wanna join in?" Laska continued rocking her hips.
Tears streamed out of Lexi's eyes as she run away from the site as quickly as her legs could carry her.
"Um," the half-elf spoke during sharp exhaled, "shouldn't you go after her?"
"Nah," Laska said as she bent down and kissed her lover of the day. "You don't want me to go, don't you?"
"LIAR!!!"
Laska deftly dodged a thrown vase which soon joined the many shards already lying on the floor. Returning to Lexi's mansion she was confronted with a rather irate Lexi.
"Hey, it was only some fun," Laska chuckled. "Lighten up."
"Fun?" Lexi whispered. "FUN?!" she snarled, then threw a candlestick at the elf.
"Well, you shouldn't have kept me waiting, geez," Laska snickered. "I'm young, my time is finite..."
"You don't understand, don't you?" Lexi sighed. "You really don't. They all told me you were bad news... I gave you everything."
"Hey, you want the gifts back, that's fine with me..." Laska said.
"I also gave you my virginity..." Lexi cried.
"Ah, I can't return that," Laska winked.
"You know why I kept you waiting?" Lexi snarled. "Because I got you this!" she then produced a gold and diamond-stuffed bracelet, intricately designed and lovingly hand-made. "As a symbol of my love for you," she almost spat. "I wanted to you live here, to stay with me here. To have a place to return to when you come back from adventure."
"Lexi," Laska sighed. "What's wrong with just having fun?"
"You strung me along," Lexi cried. "You don't understand. You just don't understand..."
"Then make me understand!"
"You can't... You can't understand because you can't love anyone. You just want to have fun," Lexi sighed. "I pity you, Laska... But as much as I pity you, I also hate you. I'll find a way to make you pay for this, elf! I swear."
Laska just sighed and turned away to leave Lexi's mansion forever.
"You used her. Because you are strong. It is your right to take."
"Was it?" Laska sighed.
"It was..."
"I guess so," Laska grinned for a moment. "Yes, it was. And it is."
Phaere nodded as her two giggling sisters flashed a very satisfied grin at her and passed her to exit Phaere's private quarters. The Drow chuckled as she found Laska lying on her bed, completely exhausted.
"I am destroyed, dead, buried," Laska gasped.
"My sisters seemed pleased."
"They took the best years of my life," Laska stared at the ceiling.
"Well, I have always shared everything I have with Sinvyl and Vinvyl," Phaere chuckled.
"I've noticed," Laska smiled.
"Here," Phaere grinned. "Put your clothes on, I'd like to talk to you."
"So, how are you like living in Ust Natha?" Phaere smiled as the two walked across one of the lower walkways, under the main commercial hub but still above the commoner area of the city. Most of the noble houses were located here, as well as several amenities for the entire city, including the city ports. It was late, and the walkways were mostly deserted, giving Phaere and Laska privacy to talk.
"It's so much different from... Ched Nassad," Laska said. "But I love it here. There is beauty in this city, and life."
"Have you decided what to do when your tenure here ends? Will you and your group be staying here?"
"We used to go where work leads us," Laska smiled.
"Why don't you come into my employ?" Phaere asked carefully. "I can pay well and I can always use enforcers."
"You don't need more enforcers, you've got plenty already, certainly enough for your needs."
"Hm, you caught me," Phaere grinned. "Maybe I want you as a gladiator... or as a consort. I enjoy your... prowess."
"Oh, look," Laska smiled as she and Phaere passed by a large basin filled to the brim with water.
"Laska, what are you doing?" Phaere asked.
"What does it look like?" Laska chuckled as she removed her boots, pants and vest and, with the grace of a swan, dove into the cold water. She stayed underwater for a moment, and then surfaced, rubbing her hands through her wet hair.
"Get out of there!" Phaere said. "That's the water supply for the noble houses!"
"I used to be afraid of water," Laska said as she swam gracefully through the basin. "But not anymore... I love it now, and I've missed my morning dips so much. Come on, Phaere, get in!"
"Are you mad?" Phaere hissed. "Do you realize what would happen to my reputation if I'm found frolicking in the water supply?"
"Come on, live a little!" Laska grinned. "And, I'm not coming out until you're coming in."
"Fool," Phaere snarled, but started to unbuckle her decorative low-cut armor. A second splash soon followed. Phaere floated to the surface and swam towards Laska.
"You are mad, you know that?" Phaere narrowed her eyes.
"I think I'll like living here," Laska grinned, just before drawing Phaere into a tight embrace. And when Phaere and Laska were firmly liplocked, the thought of getting caught was only making things more exciting.
Laska smiled, thinking of the memories. Then, the bell rang and Laska was called out. Calling upon all her inner fury, she was ready for combat most violent as she stepped into the ring ready to face her opponent. Oh, yes, this was a most perfect world.
"No way in," Imoen said as she and Viconia lay between two giant mushrooms from another walkway which gave them a nice and covert look on the temple suspended high over the city. "Except the front door. All the windows are too high up, you'll be seen at all hours of the day. Damn, this temple is a thief's nightmare."
"I told you, didn't I?" Viconia said. "We still have no idea how to get in."
"We could disguise ourselves as guards or priestesses?" Imoen suggested.
"No good," Viconia said. "The guards all know each other, and the priestesses are always under scrutiny by the handmaidens who ferret out dissidents and the like... and the occasional thief."
"Jumpin' Jeepers, what a lousy day," Imoen said.
"You'd rather have stayed to watch Laska fight?"
"Nah," Imoen said. "To be honest, Laska's really starting to frighten me, you know? Kinda like after Laska, you know, got killed? She also went pretty wild after that, didn't she?"
"Who knows what dying does to a person? None of us can certainly know, because Laska's the only one of us who ever died," Viconia said. "But the theft of her soul is dying of a sort, I suppose."
"But she can snap out of it, then!" Imoen grasped Vic's shoulder. "Like she did last time!"
"I think that might be too much to hope for," Viconia said. "It took a long torture session by a mad elf in a dungeon to get her to snap out of it... I shudder to think what'll be required this time around."
"But she can! She has to and... hey, what's that?" Imoen said as she pointed to a large cart pulled by two rothe. The cart was loaded with supplies and was headed towards the gates of the temple.
"Priestesses and guards live at the temple," Viconia said. "They need... Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"That's our way in," Imoen grinned.
"Whatcha doin'?" was suddenly asked. Looking over their shoulders, Viconia and Imoen saw a tiny Drow boy standing behind them, looking upon them with questioning eyes, his face and cheeks covered with a lime-colored sticky substance.
"Um," Imoen started to say.
"Dinin!" shouted a male voice from the distance. "Come back here, son! Can't you see those two females want to be alone?"
"Sorry," the boy spoke. "Mother doesn't want me disturbing her adult-time with her handmaidens and weapon-masters either."
"My," Imoen chuckled. "Yes, auntie Vic and I are dreadfully behind on our adult-time. We need to be catching up. Run along, now."
"Adult-time," Viconia said. "Well, now that we're here..."
"Vic!" Imoen blushed.
"Oh, you promised!" Viconia mock-pouted.
"I've, um, got a headache?" Imoen chuckled.
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Last modified on January 3, 2005
Copyright © 2001-2005 by Weyoun. All rights reserved.