A Cappella Part 304 - Breathing (long)

AC304-Breathing

She's not the kind of girl
Who likes to tell the world
About the way she feels about herself
She takes a little time in making up her mind
She doesn't want to fight against the tide

She knows the human heart
And how to read the stars
Now everything's about to fall apart
I won't be the one who's going to let you down
Maybe you'll get what you want this time around
The trick is to keep breathing

“The Trick Is To Keep Breathing” Garbage

 

Weeks later…

“Are you sure?” Valygar said urgently. “You do not have to do this.”

Imoen smiled at him and squeezed his hand. “I’m sure, Val. This is something I need… all of us do.”

Ignoring the curious stares of passersby, they peered into the large hole in the wall of the Promenade. Jarran cleared his throat. “Are we all ready? Jaheira?”

“It is unnecessary to worry about me, Jarran. I will be fine.”

“All right then. I’d like to thank all of you for coming. Most of you never knew Khalid and Dynaheir, and I appreciate your courtesy.”

“Perhaps I was not acquainted with the gentleman and lady, but you have spoken of them many times. I felt I owed them the respect that you obviously felt for them.”

“Thank you, Keldorn.”

“And Minsc is happy to be here today! Dynaheir should not stay in the evil one’s lair. She will rest under flowers and sunshine,” Minsc said fiercely. Aerie patted his arm sympathetically.

Jarran turned to the dwarf that stood in the entrance of the tunnel. “We are ready. Lead on, Durnin.”

They carefully picked their way through a long section of the sewers. The stairs that had descended from Irenicus’ laboratory had been destroyed, and the dwarves had built a ramp to replace it. The group climbed up and crossed a slightly tilted metal walkway.

They reached a large room. Small bits of brightly colored tiles crunched underfoot as the party crossed the destroyed mosaic floor. All around them were reminders of the battles and explosions that had taken place during their escape.

Imoen stopped and looked around. “Remember this room, Jar? The one with the wand traps?”

He nodded. “Yes, this was where Yoshimo…” Jarran hesitated.

Mazzy said gently, “This is where you meet him, was it not?”

“Not in this exact room, but nearby. Another victim of Irenicus’ madness.”

Sarevok looked around curiously. “How large is this place?”

“There are two levels full of what seemed to be endless rooms and tunnels. I’m sure our fear made it larger than it really was. That corridor leads to the room where we found the doppelganger, and the other is where Irenicus’ duergar servants lived.”

Valygar pointed to a doorway that had nothing left of the door but the hinges. “And there?”

“I don’t know what that room was for, but we were attacked by a vampire in it. It must have been one of Bodhi’s servants.”

Jarran led them out of the room and across a small catwalk over large pieces of machinery. There was an eerie silence as they walked through a long passageway.

When they finally reached a door, Jarran stopped. “Jaheira?”

“Please, Jarran. There is nothing beyond but his empty shell. My Khalid is in Silvanus’ realm.”

“I know but… I’m not sure that I am ready to face this,” the bard said, his voice thick with emotion.

She put her arms around him. “Khalid would understand if you cannot go in there. Let me see to him.”

“No, I can’t… I can’t be a coward. I have to face him.” Jarran threw open the door and strode in.

The others followed him inside. The large table was covered by a sheet, the dwarves not wanting the body to be disturbed by their excavations.

Jarran stared at it for a long moment before reverently pulling back the sheet. He and Jaheira contemplated Khalid’s remains in silence before he replaced the cloth. Without a word, Jarran put his arms around Jaheira and began to tremble.

As the others withdrew to allow them their privacy, Jaheira whispered, “Do not blame yourself. I know that Khalid would not.”

“It was my fault. If the two of you hadn’t felt obligated to stay with me, he wouldn’t have died. You and Khalid could have gone on working for the Harpers, Minsc and Dynaheir could have returned to Rashemen… I think Candlekeep might have let Imoen back in. Even after we left this place… Anomen, Ajantis, Coran… so many dead because of me.”

“No. I will not let you lay this burden upon yourself. Khalid was determined to stay with you. I felt that after we defeated Sarevok, you were mature enough to go your own way, but he insisted that you still needed our aid. By your reasoning, Khalid was responsible for his own death. Does that sound sensible in the slightest?”

“You are trying to placate me, but the hard truth is that a lot of people have died because I existed. I know what you are going to say, that I didn’t ask to be born a Bhaalspawn, but it is true.”

“Then let it be true. That still does not change the fact that you have done everything that you could to help those around you. The blame falls on the shoulders of those who caused those deaths, not you, Jarran.”

On the other side of the room, the others waited uneasily. Keldorn opened one of the cabinets in idle curiosity. The paladin blurted, “Torm’s mercy!” before slamming the door shut.

Sarevok frowned. “What was in there?”

“Nothing,” Keldorn muttered.

Valygar gave him a hard stare, then reached past the knight to open the cabinet door. He swore under his breath as shelves full of knives and shackles were revealed. He turned to face Imoen, his eyes full of questions.

She sighed and said, “Yes. This is the room where he… where Irenicus tortured us. He performed all sort of experiments.” She glanced over at a nearby door and her eyes widened. “The jars! We have to check the jars!”

Valygar said, “Jars? What?”

Imoen ran over to the door and into the room beyond. As the others crowded in behind her, the dim light of the dwarves’ lanterns showed a circle of large glass containers. The power to them had long since failed, and the bodies within were decaying.

Mazzy approached one. “Why… why would someone keep a corpse in here? By Arvoreen, there is one in each of these.”

Aerie said slowly, “They are all elven women. Wait, they look alike in every way. I do not understand.”

Minsc said, “Boo has told me that the evil wizard tried to create new women to love. It seems rather silly to Minsc, but he does not understand the minds of fiends.”

In a voice barely above a whisper, Imoen said, “He was trying to make another Ellesime. Irenicus was obsessed with her.”

Without a word, Valygar took her arm and led her out of the room. They found Jarran and Jaheira carefully wrapping Khalid’s body in a large cloth. The ranger said gruffly, “Let’s move on.”

The group went down a short hallway to find a large portal device. Imoen said, “Um, Jar? How are we going to get to the level below?”

The bard pulled out an elaborate key. “With this. I had the dwarves check, and it still works.”

“You still have Irenicus’ portal key? After all this time?”

“You know what a packrat I am, Im. I can never get rid of anything useful.” Jarran inserted the key in the slot next to the device, and the portal began to hum with power.

One by one the companions crossed through the portal to find themselves in an antechamber. They left the small room to enter a wrecked bedroom. Keldorn said, “A fierce battle obviously took place here. There is not a single piece of furniture untouched.”

Jarran looked uncomfortable and said, “Yes, ah, a battle. This way…”

They followed him through a series of rooms and passageways until they reached a large chamber full of cages. Minsc grabbed Aerie by the hand and dragged her over to his cell. “Look! See how Minsc pulled the bars aside when Jarran tricked me into believing he would leave Minsc and Boo behind? The evil ones feared my great might, and welded the cage shut!”

Sarevok examined the bars and said, “I am not sure that even I could have managed such a feat.”

Keldorn seemed lost as he looked around the room. “Such villainy was taking place beneath my very feet? Such suffering, and the Order was none the wiser. I wonder what other terrors take place in Athkatla without our knowledge.”

Mazzy looked equally horrified. “I do not believe I ever fully comprehended what you went through. I am amazed, my friends, that you survived with your sanity intact.”

Jarran and Imoen went to a cage that was on the other side of the room. He sighed sadly and said, “There she is.”

“Yes,” Imoen said softly.

A voice behind made both of them jump in surprise. “Minsc has the cloth to wrap his poor dead witch.”

Jarran swallowed hard. “Minsc, I don’t think you want to see this.”

“Minsc will be fine. Please. Dynaheir is my responsibility.” Minsc looked down at them, his face for once grave and sad.

Touched by Minsc’s seriousness, Jarran stepped aside. The gentle ranger gathered up the dried remains and wrapped them in the large cloth they had brought for that purpose. He lifted the body up and said, “Aerie and I have decided to bury her next to our cabin and plant many flowers there. Boo says that Dynaheir would have liked that very much.”

Jarran turned away from the cage to notice that the others were wandering throughout the room. “If you don’t mind, I’m not really in the mood to give a tour. If you would like to look around, though, feel free.”

Jaheira looked at him in surprise. “I would have thought you would want to leave as quickly as possible.”

“I have some thinking to do. Some demons I need to face before we go.”

 

Valygar slipped out of the cage room to explore in private. He roamed from room to room until he found himself back in the destroyed bedchamber. He saw a large archway and went to investigate.

As he entered the shadowy room, large figures loomed out of the darkness. Valygar’s hand instinctively dropped to his sword hilt. Something crunched underfoot and he stepped back. He saw dried dead leaves scattered on the floor and realized that the shapes were only trees, withered and lifeless with no magical sunshine and water to keep them alive.

“This must be the dryad room,” Valygar muttered to himself.

He crossed the chamber to the doorway beyond. Slowly he walked into a round room. Though it was dusty and dimly lit, the richness of the furnishings was obvious. Luxurious chairs sat near delicately carved tables, a thick rug cushioned his footsteps, and embroidered tapestries graced the walls.

Valygar froze, his gaze locked upon a single item that filled him with horror and anguish. Valygar took a staggering step towards it, but could go no farther as his legs began to tremble. He sank to his knees, his breath coming in hard gasps as his face was drenched in sweat. He fell forward, barely managing to stay on his hands and knees. Unable to hold back, Valygar moaned and vomited heavily onto the ornate rug beneath him. He retched again, and when at last there was nothing but bile, he buried his face in his hands and wept.

 

Imoen wandered the hallways, trying to find Valygar. I wish he hadn’t gone off on his own. We could all spend hours looking for each other.

She reached Irenicus’ bedroom and hesitated. Surely… he wouldn’t have gone there. That’s where… Imoen hurried through the once lovely trees to the room beyond.

She saw her husband kneeling on the floor and cried, “Val! What’s wrong?” As she ran to him Imoen said, “Did I miss a trap? Have you been poisoned?” She grabbed his arm and tugged. “Here, you lie on the bed while I go get Jaheira.”

“No!” he said with a groan. “Not that bed, anywhere but there.”

Imoen stood still, her face a frozen mask. Then she knelt by his side and said, “This… this is about him, isn’t it?”

“The terrible things he wrote in that infernal book… I suddenly realized that I was standing in the very place… the place where he hurt you.” Valygar clung to her as he whispered, “I am so sorry. I have tried to put it out of my mind. I could almost pretend that it was not real, that those sorts of things were just tales to tell around campfires. Because I knew that if I thought too hard about what happened to you, I would not be able to stand it. I have been a coward.”

“Don’t you ever call yourself that,” Imoen said fiercely. “Not ever.”

They held each other for a long moment. Valygar ran his hand over his face and said gruffly, “Look at me. You were the one who endured his torment, yet I am the one who cannot face the harsh truth.”

“It isn’t like that. I admit, sometimes it all seems like it was a dream. This room… he made it to look like Ellesime’s bedchamber, the one he had shared with her. It’s funny in a strange way. If Irenicus had put as much energy in redeeming himself as he did trying to re-create what he had had before, he would have been ruling Suldanessellar at her side decades ago. Instead he….” A tear trickled down her cheek.

Valygar kissed her gently and cupped her face in his hands. “Imoen, please… never again. Since the day that I met you, I have worried that something would take you from me. We have wealth, land, a lovely home… Can we just be Lord and Lady Corthala? Give up adventure and quests? Or would you find that life too commonplace?”

Imoen smiled though her eyes were wet with unshed tears. “That sounds wonderful to me. I’m tired of people trying to kill me, Val. I want… home. Just home.”

 

Sarevok, Keldorn and Mazzy gathered together. Sarevok grumbled, “This place still stinks of death.”

“Aye,” Keldorn said with a slow nod. “The very stones seem to ring with screams. This is the sort of mage that drove me to become an inquisitor. I am sorry that I could not aid in his defeat.”

“He was mad, even to the very end,” Mazzy said grimly. “I know little of the elven gods, but I am sure that no matter how much power he possessed, the Seldarine would not have allowed him to join them.”

Sarevok ran his fingers through the dark hair that was rapidly changing his appearance. “This place is the work of a lunatic. Using magic to create women… there are dozens within a hundred yards who would bed him for a gold piece.”

Keldorn shook his head. “He did not simply want a woman. He wanted his love.”

Mazzy said softly, “It is a wondrous thing, the power of love. It can drive us to great good and great evil.”

“Or great sorrow,” Sarevok said with a glare.

Keldorn put his hand on the other man’s shoulder. “Or great joy.”

 

Aerie shivered. “Minsc, can we leave here? All these cages… I do not like cages.”

Minsc said, “Aerie does not need to worry. She will never be in a cage again.”

“I… I hope not. Minsc, do you… do you think you will ever return to Rashemen?”

He thought for a long moment. Then Minsc said, “No. No, Rashemen is no longer the home of Minsc and Boo. We have many things to protect. Our village, our new witch…” Minsc’s voice dropped to a whisper as he said, “Our little one…”

Aerie clapped her hands to her mouth and gasped. “You know? But I only realized it myself a few days ago.”

“I am a ranger. Female animals change when they are bearing young, and I wondered why my little Aerie was changing. Then I understood, and without Boo’s help!” He beamed down at her.

She laughed and said, “Well, I am glad that you seem happy about it.”

“Of course Minsc is happy! Boo and I cannot protect the village forever. We must give them many strong sons and daughters to keep the villagers safe!”

Aerie blinked in surprise. “Um, Minsc… elves usually do not get pregnant very often. I doubt we will have a large family.”

Minsc gave her a smile that could almost be described as smug. “Other elf women do not have Minsc to father their children!”

 

Jarran stood silently in the weak lantern light. He heard a voice from behind say, “I thought that I would find you here.”

He smiled faintly as Jaheira joined him. “They’re dead now,” he said quietly as he nodded towards the glass containers that surrounded him.

“It is a mercy. It would be intolerable to live in such a way.”

“I’ve wondered about them so many times. We woke them up to question them, but could not do anything to help. And when…” Jarran shivered violently.

Jaheira put her arm around him. “When?”

“I told you about Spellhold. Waking up in that big glass cage just before Irenicus pulled my soul away. I was so afraid… that the container would start filling with liquid. That I would be just another creature drifting in a jar, slowly losing my mind.” Jarran pulled her into his arms and held her close.

“It is over now. We are free of Irenicus and of your heritage. Let us forget this tragedy and celebrate the new life before us.” Jaheira kissed him gently.

Jarran smiled. “At least this will be one thing I have managed to accomplish. We will give Khalid and Dynaheir decent burials while the dwarves are busy destroying this place.”

“Destroying? I do not understand.”

“I have given them orders to remove anything useful, like the books and scrolls in the library, then fill the whole thing in. They will wreck the portals and make sure that no one can ever use this vile place again. Let it serve as a grave for all these poor creatures.”

“But… the Promenade…”

He held up his hand in reassurance. “They will be careful. That was one of the reasons I hired dwarves, after all.”

“Then I think it is a fine idea. I do not wish another to discover this laboratory and make similar use of it.”

Jarran gave Jaheira a fierce hug before releasing her and saying, “I think it is time to get out of here.”

The two of them went in search of the others, and after a time the group had finally reassembled. Bearing the bodies of their fallen comrades with them, they returned to the Promenade entrance.

Imoen shivered slightly in the winter sun. “I’m glad that is over, and that I will never see those rooms again.”

Jaheira put her arm around Imoen’s shoulders and said, “The memories will fade in time.”

Jarran stared down the tunnel. “Fade, but not vanish.”

Minsc said softly, “Boo says that this place will never leave us, even after we leave it.”

“Boo is very wise.”

Yay, update!

“It is unnecessary to worry about me, Jarran. I will be fine.”

Yeah, but somehow I don't think that's going to stop him from worrying.

“No, I can’t… I can’t be a coward. I have to face him.” Jarran threw open the door and strode in.

After everything he's been through he can still consider himself a coward?

“You are trying to placate me, but the hard truth is that a lot of people have died because I existed. I know what you are going to say, that I didn’t ask to be born a Bhaalspawn, but it is true.”

Unfortunately it's difficult to argue witth that logic.

“You know what a packrat I am, Im. I can never get rid of anything useful.” Jarran inserted the key in the slot next to the device, and the portal began to hum with power.

That, one feels, takes packratism to the extreme. Besides, didn't the key disappear after use?

One by one the companions crossed through the portal to find themselves in an antechamber. They left the small room to enter a wrecked bedroom. Keldorn said, “A fierce battle obviously took place here. There is not a single piece of furniture untouched.”

Jarran looked uncomfortable and said, “Yes, ah, a battle. This way…”

I love all the little references, like this one, to the early chapters. It really gives this chapter a sense of closure, time for our heroes to move on.

They followed him through a series of rooms and passageways until they reached a large chamber full of cages. Minsc grabbed Aerie by the hand and dragged her over to his cell. “Look! See how Minsc pulled the bars aside when Jarran tricked me into believing he would leave Minsc and Boo behind? The evil ones feared my great might, and welded the cage shut!”

Aww, Misc trying to impress Aerie is so cute.

Sarevok examined the bars and said, “I am not sure that even I could have managed such a feat.”

Heavens, he's talking again!

“Minsc will be fine. Please. Dynaheir is my responsibility.” Minsc looked down at them, his face for once grave and sad.

Sad Minsc is just so wrong

Jarran turned away from the cage to notice that the others were wandering throughout the room. “If you don’t mind, I’m not really in the mood to give a tour. If you would like to look around, though, feel free.”

Yeah, not precisely a cheerful thought. 'Here's where I was gruesomely tortured, here's where I was locked up for months...'

Valygar froze, his gaze locked upon a single item that filled him with horror and anguish. Valygar took a staggering step towards it, but could go no farther as his legs began to tremble. He sank to his knees, his breath coming in hard gasps as his face was drenched in sweat. He fell forward, barely managing to stay on his hands and knees. Unable to hold back, Valygar moaned and vomited heavily onto the ornate rug beneath him. He retched again, and when at last there was nothing but bile, he buried his face in his hands and wept.

She reached Irenicus’ bedroom and hesitated. Surely… he wouldn’t have gone there. That’s where… Imoen hurried through the once lovely trees to the room beyond.

Don't rule out morbid curiousity

“The terrible things he wrote in that infernal book… I suddenly realized that I was standing in the very place… the place where he hurt you.” Valygar clung to her as he whispered, “I am so sorry. I have tried to put it out of my mind. I could almost pretend that it was not real, that those sorts of things were just tales to tell around campfires. Because I knew that if I thought too hard about what happened to you, I would not be able to stand it. I have been a coward.”

Another character with an inferiority complex! Valygar is about the last character I would ever describe as a coward.

“It isn’t like that. I admit, sometimes it all seems like it was a dream. This room… he made it to look like Ellesime’s bedchamber, the one he had shared with her. It’s funny in a strange way. If Irenicus had put as much energy in redeeming himself as he did trying to re-create what he had had before, he would have been ruling Suldanessellar at her side decades ago. Instead he….” A tear trickled down her cheek.

I guess in a way maybe he never saw what he did as wrong. So, he never saw the need to redeem himself.

Valygar kissed her gently and cupped her face in his hands. “Imoen, please… never again. Since the day that I met you, I have worried that something would take you from me. We have wealth, land, a lovely home… Can we just be Lord and Lady Corthala? Give up adventure and quests? Or would you find that life too commonplace?”

I can't imagine it'll be quite that simple, but for their sakes I hope they manage it.

Imoen smiled though her eyes were wet with unshed tears. “That sounds wonderful to me. I’m tired of people trying to kill me, Val. I want… home. Just home.”

'Home is where the heart is.' To me, the fact that Immy doesn't say 'a home' suggests that she wants more than just a place to live. The way you wrote it suggests love and safety and everything else that makes up a home. Intentional?

Keldorn put his hand on the other man’s shoulder. “Or great joy.”

Hopefully one day Sarevok will learn to concentrate on that.

Minsc gave her a smile that could almost be described as smug. “Other elf women do not have Minsc to father their children!”

ROFL! Lovely to see some humour in such a bleak chapter. Aerie's child symbolises a new life/start very nicely.

“Then I think it is a fine idea. I do not wish another to discover this laboratory and make similar use of it.”

There's always another maniac. And I'm sure some of the Cowled Wizards would love to get their hands on that place.

Minsc said softly, “Boo says that this place will never leave us, even after we leave it.”

“Boo is very wise.”

Can't disagree with that.

That was beautiful. As I said before, a nice sense of closure. If you wanted to leave that as the end of the story I really think you could. I hope you don't though, there's still lots of things I'm looking forward to reading about.

Yay, update!

*g* I've been trying to carve out more writing time.

“It is unnecessary to worry about me, Jarran. I will be fine.”

Yeah, but somehow I don't think that's going to stop him from worrying.

I don't think Jarran can ever stop worrying. It's just his nature.

“No, I can’t… I can’t be a coward. I have to face him.” Jarran threw open the door and strode in.

After everything he's been through he can still consider himself a coward?

Sometimes we are our own harshest critics. Jarran feels like he should be able to handle anything.

“You are trying to placate me, but the hard truth is that a lot of people have died because I existed. I know what you are going to say, that I didn’t ask to be born a Bhaalspawn, but it is true.”

Unfortunately it's difficult to argue witth that logic.

It's true, but that still doesn't make it Jarran's fault. He'll work through it in time.

“You know what a packrat I am, Im. I can never get rid of anything useful.” Jarran inserted the key in the slot next to the device, and the portal began to hum with power.

That, one feels, takes packratism to the extreme. Besides, didn't the key disappear after use?

We left Chateau Irenicus with a ton of keys, so I can't be sure. But if they had it, Jarran would have kept it (because I'm a terrible packrat myself).

One by one the companions crossed through the portal to find themselves in an antechamber. They left the small room to enter a wrecked bedroom. Keldorn said, “A fierce battle obviously took place here. There is not a single piece of furniture untouched.”

Jarran looked uncomfortable and said, “Yes, ah, a battle. This way…”

I love all the little references, like this one, to the early chapters. It really gives this chapter a sense of closure, time for our heroes to move on.

I felt that the previous events couldnt' be ignored. Jarran trashed the room, and I felt sure that someone would notice the wreckage.

They followed him through a series of rooms and passageways until they reached a large chamber full of cages. Minsc grabbed Aerie by the hand and dragged her over to his cell. “Look! See how Minsc pulled the bars aside when Jarran tricked me into believing he would leave Minsc and Boo behind? The evil ones feared my great might, and welded the cage shut!”

Aww, Misc trying to impress Aerie is so cute.

AC Minsc: A mighty warrior lets all know of his prowess!

Sarevok examined the bars and said, “I am not sure that even I could have managed such a feat.”

Heavens, he's talking again!

Bit by bit, he's coming out of his shell.

“Minsc will be fine. Please. Dynaheir is my responsibility.” Minsc looked down at them, his face for once grave and sad.

Sad Minsc is just so wrong

He's such a big sweety that it's hard to remember that he feels pain just like everyone else.

Jarran turned away from the cage to notice that the others were wandering throughout the room. “If you don’t mind, I’m not really in the mood to give a tour. If you would like to look around, though, feel free.”

Yeah, not precisely a cheerful thought. 'Here's where I was gruesomely tortured, here's where I was locked up for months...'

Exactly.

Valygar froze, his gaze locked upon a single item that filled him with horror and anguish. Valygar took a staggering step towards it, but could go no farther as his legs began to tremble. He sank to his knees, his breath coming in hard gasps as his face was drenched in sweat. He fell forward, barely managing to stay on his hands and knees. Unable to hold back, Valygar moaned and vomited heavily onto the ornate rug beneath him. He retched again, and when at last there was nothing but bile, he buried his face in his hands and wept.

He is in a lot of pain at the moment.

She reached Irenicus’ bedroom and hesitated. Surely… he wouldn’t have gone there. That’s where… Imoen hurried through the once lovely trees to the room beyond.

Don't rule out morbid curiousity

It wasn't so much that as a desire to see the reality of it for himself.

“The terrible things he wrote in that infernal book… I suddenly realized that I was standing in the very place… the place where he hurt you.” Valygar clung to her as he whispered, “I am so sorry. I have tried to put it out of my mind. I could almost pretend that it was not real, that those sorts of things were just tales to tell around campfires. Because I knew that if I thought too hard about what happened to you, I would not be able to stand it. I have been a coward.”

Another character with an inferiority complex! Valygar is about the last character I would ever describe as a coward.

He wants to be strong for Imoen, but even the strongest can suffer.

“It isn’t like that. I admit, sometimes it all seems like it was a dream. This room… he made it to look like Ellesime’s bedchamber, the one he had shared with her. It’s funny in a strange way. If Irenicus had put as much energy in redeeming himself as he did trying to re-create what he had had before, he would have been ruling Suldanessellar at her side decades ago. Instead he….” A tear trickled down her cheek.

I guess in a way maybe he never saw what he did as wrong. So, he never saw the need to redeem himself.

I think that was a lot of it. Irenicus felt that he deserved power, and the rest of the elves were fiends for not letting him get it. Never mind that whole destroying the Tree and killing lots of people part.

Valygar kissed her gently and cupped her face in his hands. “Imoen, please… never again. Since the day that I met you, I have worried that something would take you from me. We have wealth, land, a lovely home… Can we just be Lord and Lady Corthala? Give up adventure and quests? Or would you find that life too commonplace?”

I can't imagine it'll be quite that simple, but for their sakes I hope they manage it.

We'll see.

Imoen smiled though her eyes were wet with unshed tears. “That sounds wonderful to me. I’m tired of people trying to kill me, Val. I want… home. Just home.”

'Home is where the heart is.' To me, the fact that Immy doesn't say 'a home' suggests that she wants more than just a place to live. The way you wrote it suggests love and safety and everything else that makes up a home. Intentional?

Yep. Imoen and Jarran haven't had a real home since they left Candlekeep. So yes, she is thinking more of love than a building.

Keldorn put his hand on the other man’s shoulder. “Or great joy.”

Hopefully one day Sarevok will learn to concentrate on that.

Sarevok has a very... interesting future coming.

Minsc gave her a smile that could almost be described as smug. “Other elf women do not have Minsc to father their children!”

ROFL! Lovely to see some humour in such a bleak chapter. Aerie's child symbolises a new life/start very nicely.

Thankee. A dose of humor always helps.

“Then I think it is a fine idea. I do not wish another to discover this laboratory and make similar use of it.”

There's always another maniac. And I'm sure some of the Cowled Wizards would love to get their hands on that place.

One of the universal laws of dungeons is that once one is cleared out, something new moves in.

Minsc said softly, “Boo says that this place will never leave us, even after we leave it.”

“Boo is very wise.”

Can't disagree with that.

That was beautiful. As I said before, a nice sense of closure. If you wanted to leave that as the end of the story I really think you could. I hope you don't though, there's still lots of things I'm looking forward to reading about.

Thank you. But no fear, there are a number of chapters to come. I have to get them all 'settled'. And then of course, there are the epilogues...

Thanks for commenting!

Really got a sense of nostalgia reading this chapter. The characters have grown a lot since they first escaped from that dungeon.

The whole sequence gave a feel of finality to the series. Loose ends are being dealt with, and the characters new lives are coming together.

Really got a sense of nostalgia reading this chapter. The characters have grown a lot since they first escaped from that dungeon.

Yes, none of them are the same people who left there. Even Minsc has had to change and grow to survive.

The whole sequence gave a feel of finality to the series. Loose ends are being dealt with, and the characters new lives are coming together.

Yes, though this isn't the last chapter. I still have more to get them all nice and settled.

Thanks for commenting!