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Chapter 22


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#1 Guest_theacefes_*

Posted 03 April 2005 - 11:23 PM

Sacrifice: Chapter 22

"You have the lanthorn!" Elhan cried.

After giving him the lanthorn, we made our way to a thick grouping of trees.

"I don't see any city," Imoen whispered.

"It's hidden," I said. "It's hidden so that people don't just stumble into it."

"The lanthorn is buzzing. We are at the entrance," Elhan said.

"Hey Imoen, are you busy?" I asked as I knocked on the door of the room my sister was staying in while we were resting at Nalia's keep.

"Nope, come in!" she said.

I opened the door and walked in. Imoen was lying on her stomach on the floor. Books were scattered everywhere.

"What's this?" I asked.

"Spell books, magic stuff. I'm just preparing so if...when we fight Irenicus, I'm ready," she said, not looking up from the book.

I nodded and said, "Listen, Imoen, we really haven't gotten a chance to talk."

"About what?"

"You know very well 'about what'," I said.

Imoen looked up and sighed, closing her book as she did so. "So you and Nalia are together. What's to talk about?"

"Oh...well, I just wanted to see if you were okay with that," I said.

Imoen smiled. "I think Nalia's great, Auren, I really do. But remember-,"

"I know, she has a title and a totally different background than me. I'm a Bhaalspawn and murder is in my blood. She's probably better off marrying some stuck up rich guy whose parents gave him a title rather than letting me drag her across Faerun, not to mention I'm putting her life in danger nearly everyday!" I exclaimed.

Imoen stared at me and giggled.

"What?" I demanded.

My sister grinned and said, "Nalia's great, Auren, I've been around her long enough to know that." She got up and walked over to me.

"I think you know what you want, Auren, and I think Nalia knows, too," she said.

I stared at her in surprise. *Imoen* was giving *me* advice! "Then, what were you going to say?"

She giggled again. "I was going to say, before you rudely interrupted me, that should should just be aware of what the Amnish nobility will think and how they will react."

I shrugged. "What are they going to do?"

She looked at me and laughed. "I guess you have a point."

I smiled. "Thanks Imoen."

"No problem. I'm always here to give sisterly advice."

I rolled my eyes and made my way to the library.



"Ah, sweet Suldanesselar. It is good to be home again," Elhan whispered.

What had once been a thick grouping of trees was now a large opening that emitted a great deal of white light.

"Go in with respect," Elhan said. "You are about to step where very few outsiders have gone before."

We slowly walked into the opening.


"What are you doing?"

I looked up from the thick book about Amnish law. Nalia was standing next to me.

"Me? Oh...nothing. Just looking though this," I said.

Nalia looked puzzled. "Why?"

I shrugged. "Oh, um...well, I haven't been in Amn that long, and I figured I should be familiar with the laws."

Nalia nodded. "I see. Well, just call me if you need anything."

"Okay," I said.

Nalia smiled and kissed me on the cheek before leaving.

I flipped through the pages for about an hour until I finally found what I was looking for, or rather, what I was *not* looking for. I checked a few other books just to be sure, and there was no difference. I put the books away and headed to my sister's room.



"Th-thank you strangers, for your assistance," the shaken elven high priestess said.

Upon entering the city, we were shocked to see it looking like a battlefield. Groups of demons, golems, and other magical creatures had overrun the city. The bodies of elf and demon alike were scattered across the city. Elhan had told us to go see the queen's high priestess, Demin. We entered Demin's house and found her surrounded by rakshasa. We dispatched them quickly.

It was a very bloody fight. Between my swords, Minsc's greatsword, Aerie and Jaheira's staffs, and Imoen and Nalia's arrows, there was a large pool of blood on the floor when we were through with the rakshasa.

Demin explained to us that Irenicus and Bodhi had once been well respected in the elven society, and Irenicus had even had the favor of Queen Ellisime. But between Irenicus' desire for power and Bodhi's encouragement, everything changed.

"He stole power from the Tree of Life, the very source of our life," Demin explained. "He sought to join the Seldarine."

"The elven gods?!" Jaheira gasped. "They'd never allow it! By Silvanus he *is* mad!"

Demin explained that Bodhi and Irenicus' punishment was to be stripped of their elven mortality and exiled, with a life shorter than a human's.

"The Queen is being held by the Exile in the palace. You must find the three symbols of Rillifane, our god, the Leaflord, and bring them to the temple. Once Rillifane is summoned, it is he who can destroy these demons and open the palace gates!" she said.




"Imoen?"

"Hi Auri. Need something?" Imoen was studying her spells once again.

"I need a favor." I told her what I wanted. Imoen's face contorted into an expression of shock. "What? But, Auren...that's-"

"Is it possible?" I asked.

"Well, yeah...but why would you do that?" she said.

"You know very well why," I said. "Can you do it?"

"Auren, please stop and think about this..."

"I have thought about it, Im," I said. "Please...for your sister?"

Imoen was dead serious for a moment. Finally, she sighed. "Okay," she said and chose a book from the bookshelf.

"You dont have the spell?" I asked.

"Nah, but Nalia does. I guess she can do a little magic too. I found this spell the other day when I was exploring the keep," Imoen said and opened the book. I sat on the bed.

Imoen looked at me. "You sure you wanna do this?"

"Yes I'm sure."

"You really love her don't you?"

"Yup."

"Okay, hold still." She said a few incantations and her hands began to glow with a blueish light. She touched my cheek and quickly withdrew her hand.

"Done?" I said, even though I could feel that it was done.

"Yes," she said. She shook her head. "I can't believe I just did that."

I stood up and hugged her. "Thanks, Imoen."

"Yeah, yeah, go do what you have to do," she said, now smiling.

I quickly made my way to my room, I opened my pack and took out a small pouch.



"Nalia? I said as we made our way to the temple. We had encountered demon and dragon alike and had taken them all down, retrieving the necessary artifacts to summon Rillfane in doing so.

"Yes, Auren?" she said, pushing some of her reddish hair behind her ears. I was able to spot drops of blood that dotted her hair, no doubt the blood of the creatures we had fought.

"I...um...could we talk for a moment?" I tried not to look nervous.

"Sure...if we could just-," she said.

"There it is!" Jaheira shouted. "The temple! Auren, we *must* hurry!"

Nalia gave me an apologetic look and I sighed as we continued on to the temple.

"That's okay, I wouldn't want to be proposed to on a battlefield either," I heard a voice say. Aerie was half-smiling at me.

"How did you know?" I asked quietly.

"Well, for one thing, I thought Nalia had talked to you about it already," she said.

"Nalia...spoke about this?" I stuttered.

"I've told you a billion times...we talk a lot. And yes, she did mention it a few times." I could tell Aerie was tiring as she used her staff to steady herself on as we walked.

"Did...did she want to?"

Aerie smiled. "That's for you to find out. Imoen told me what you did..what you gave up. That's huge Auren."

"I know," I said as I looked at Nalia, who was up front with Jaheira. "But she's worth it."

"You're starting to act like you're from some cheesy romance novel," Aerie said.

"Anyway, " I said. "How else did you know?"

"Oh!" Aerie pulled our a small pouch and handed it to me. "You dropped this."

"I would have looked like a fool," I said as I took it.

"Could I...could I see it?" she asked.

I nodded and opened the pouch and pulled out the ring.

"It's...it's beautiful!" she gasped in awe.

"It was my mother's."

"But you told me she never married."

"She didn't," I said. "But it's been passed on through every generation in my family."

"Wow...I never...it looks like it's worth a lot," Aerie said.

"Yes..it is....so you think she'll say yes?" I said.

Aerie laughed. "Just don't ask her in the middle of a battle."

__________________

I stood in front of the statue inside the palace, hesistating. We had summoned Rillifane, who had destroyed the demons. We saved the city from destruction. Now, all that was left was to save the queen...and kill Irenicus.

I stared at the statue, whose hands were open, waiting for me to give it something. We had found a harp and a horn during our exploration of the city, and these statues were what the instruments went to. We had given one the harp.

"Ready?" I said to the group as I prepared to give the statue the horn.

"Do it, Auren," Imoen said.

A few moments later, a set of stairs going down appeared in the center of the room.

I stared at the black pit that I know would lead us to the Tree of Life. O turned to my friends.

"Minsc," I said, "I know you want vengance for Dynaheir, but...you don't have to go."

"Minsc and Boo havge sworn to protect little Aerie and fight with Auren until evil is no more! We come with you!" Minsc declared.

I smiled and turned to Aerie. "Aerie, you're still young. This isn't your fight."

Aerie grinned. "Hey, you saved me at the circus, didn't you? No, Auren, I'm staying with you."

Jaheira stepped forward. "Don't even try to make a speech. Gorion named me your guardian should anything happen to him, and I remain you guardian, no matter how old and capable you think you may be. I will fight at your side."

I nodded. "Thanks, Jaheira."

She made what seemed like a flicker of a smile. "I must also be there to make sure Aerie doesn't get herself killed," she said and everyone laughed.

I turned to Imoen. My best friend, my sister, the one who kept me going all this time.

"Imoen, I almost lost you to Sarevok...I'm not about to lose you to Irenicus," I said. "Please...don't go."

Imoen shook her head. "No way, Auri. I've told ya from day one, I'm sticking with you, no matter what. We're getting your soul back."

"Im, you have your soul back, " I said. "You should go...and live your life while you have it."

Imoen smirked. "Auren, if I'm going to live my life, I dont want to live it all by myself. Besides, we just found out we're sisters, and we should have an entire *human* lifetime to do sisterly stuff." She grinned.

"Except Auren's an elf," I heard a voice say. Nalia, who souded weary, was splattered with blood, but who still looked beautiful, was leaning on the wall.

I walked up to her. " I am an elf, huh?"

She nodded. "Yup, which means you still have like, a thousand years to go."

I took her hands. "Not necessarily."

She looked at me strangely. "What are you talking about?"

Imoen giggled. "Well, Nalia...Auren's not exactly a full elf anymore."

Nalia's eyes widened. "Why...what happened?"

I smiled. "I had Im do a spell that would give me the lifespan of a human."

Nalia blinked and then blinked again. "Wh-why would you do that?!"

I squeezed her hands. "Because I couldn't stand to live without you, Nalia. I...I want to spend my whole life with you."

I expected Nalia to back away or kick me, perhaps even scream and run away...but she didn't.

I took this as a good sign and continued. A wave of nervousness hit me hard as I shakily fumbled for the small pouch in my bag. I heard Jaheira mutter something and Aerie giggle. I tried to ignore everything around me as I fished the ring out of the pouch, my hand still shaking as I struggled to keep my grip on the ring. My heart was racing.

I knelt down on one knee, holding the ring up to her.

"Nalia," I said, looking straight into her eyes, "will you marry me?"

I saw the corners of Nalia's mouth twitch before, to my surprise, she broke into a huge smile and pulled me to my feet by my shirt collar. She wrapped her arms around me.

"Definitely," she said and kissed me right in front of everyone.

"Really?" I said, still in shock.

"Really," she said, grinning, and hugged me. She then held out her hand and let me slide the ring on her finger.

"Wait...you gave up your elven life...to be with me?" she asked seriously.

I nodded as I took her hands again. "Yup."

Nalia beamed at me and kissed me again.

"Oooh, a wedding! I LOVE stuff like this! I'M GOING TO PLAN IT!" Imoen squealed.

"I will assist, lest your wedding turns out to be some horrid bunny-filled disaster," Jaheira said. I noticed she was smiling.

I stared down the stairwell. Nalia took my hand.

"I guess before a wedding we have to do this first," she said.

I squeezed her hand and took a deep breath.

"Let's do it."




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