Note: I accidentally forgot to number the last chapter of TnT. "For the Hoard" was chapter 248. If you haven't read that one before this one, please make a stop there first. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Tankards and Tempers
Chapter 249: Interbellum
The moment Draconis landed in the secret cave at the top of a mountain where he had made his private roost, he instantly collapsed to the ground. The dragon shuddered as he lay on the cold stone, utterly defeated and exhausted. His wing had been torn, his body had been slashed and mutilated, but he was alive.
The moment he had seen the other dragons swarming out of his father's lair, he had known what had happened and had hurried to withdraw to his secret lair before they could catch up with them.
Draconis forced himself to stand, painfully folding his injured wing to his body. There was a bed of straw ahead... straw... such a disgrace. Dragons like him should sleep on pure gold! But, considering his current state, he was only too happy to collapse onto something soft where he could lick his wounds and try to recover.
This hadn’t been the first time that Draconis had been the target of his father’s temper. He still bore the scars of many earlier altercations. But he could always come back once his father’s anger had died down.
No more.
Abazigal was dead. His godhood would never come to pass. All because of a disgusting tiny elf. A filthy usurper!
What would he do now? He had been groomed all his life to sit at his father's throne as the son of a god, but that would never happen now. Think. He needed to think.
The first thing he should do was get the hell out of Tethyr. Find a lair somewhere where he would not be known and start over.
Suddenly, he became acutely aware that he was not alone in his lair. Immediately on the defensive, Draconis reared his head up and craned his neck so his one eye could scan the darkness.
“Poor, poor Draconis,” sounded a familiar woman's voice as she stepped from the shadow.
“You!” snarled the dragon as he recognized the huntress Illasera. “You're supposed to be dead.”
The huntress paid him no mind and, worse still, made it rather insultingly obvious that she didn't fear him. “Driven from your home. And now your father is dead, along with his dream of Draconic domination. Any dragon will likely kill you on sight. You will have no mate. No offspring, no territory and no hoard.”
Draconis knew that Illasera was completely right, but he wouldn't stoop to a lesser being reminding him of his misfortune. He snarled as he tried to make himself look big and ferocious. Again, the human was vexingly enough not impressed. “I will have food,” the dragon snarled, snowing the woman rows of sharp teeth.
Illasera merely shrugged. Another insult! “No doubt I will make a tasty meal,” said the huntress. “But instead of wasting your time trying to consume me, wouldn’t you rather strike back at those responsible for your misfortune?”
Draconis narrowed his one eye as the huntress, now staring him down, approached. “Through your father’s seed, you’re as much Bhaalspawn as I am. Oh, you’ll never achieve godhood, but you certainly could have enough power to found a kingdom of your own.”
“What do you want from me, exactly?” asked Draconis, getting more intrigued.
“I want to give you a second chance to make something out of yourself. Your father was an arrogant twat who lost himself in his own delusions!” snarled Illasera
“How dare…”
“You know it’s true!” Illasera snapped back. “He was a fool who fell victim to his own fantasies of grandeur! Are you a fool, Draconis? I think not. You're free from Abazigal's yoke. You're free from his delusions. How often did he abuse you? How often did he treat you with utter contempt? What I’m offering you is a partnership. A chance at a piece of the pie. Don’t you want revenge against the wretched she-elf who took your eye? If she is not stopped, it will be she who takes the divinity for herself. And then she will be forever out of your reach.”
The mere memory of the she-elf speeding towards his eye with swords out filled him with utter rage. Yes. Yes, the huntress was right. He was free of his father's violent insanity now. He was Draconis! A powerful dragon in his own right. But if he wanted to prove himself a greater being, he had to be able to smite his enemies. And right now, Laska Leafwalker was on top of his shit-list.
“Yes,” Draconis snarled. “I want her dead! Tell me what to do!”
Upon hearing this, Illasera allowed herself a moment for a quiet chuckle.
---
Passing through Saradush had been a rather good idea. It was good to see that the city was doing well. There was order, plenty of supplies and the wall was well on its way to being repaired. The ravaged outskirts outside the wall were also being rebuilt, not only giving more living space to those crowed within the walls of the city, but also going a long way towards making Saradush somewhat self-sufficient again.
Rose, as being an albeit temporary officer in the city guard, had been given temporary quarters at the ducal palace as Keldorn's guest. Laska lay naked on the bed, on her side while propping her head on a pillow, laying one hand on her hip, one on the sheets and having her knee pulled up. Next to the bed, on a stool and behind a wooden easel, Rose, equally naked, was vigorously sliding a piece of charcoal over her canvas.
“How's it looking?” Laska stretched. “I'm getting a cramp here.”
“Calm your shapely tits,” Rose replied with a smile. “I'm still doing detail work on your tattoos. And hold your pose!”
Laska chuckled to herself. “I've just realized that, technically, this is our wedding night, Rose.”
“Is it?” Rose thought for a moment, but their her eyes lit up. “Sune, you're right. We haven't actually spent any time together since the ceremony.”
The tattooed elf let out a snort. “Which makes it all the more funnier that I found you in the vampire brothel lip-locked with Laramie earlier this night,” she winked.
“Laugh it up,” Rose replied. “And I'm sure lovely Laska made a lot of people happy with that waggly tongue of hers.”
“Never had any complaints,” Laska smirked. “Any others?”
“Girl named Jesslyn,” said Rose while she kept drawing. “One of the soldiers stationed here. She reminds me of a lot of the young boys and girls who used to visit me when I was still working the Bridge. Young soldiers or sailors away from home for the first time. Lonely, confused. Mostly interested in talking, being hugged and maybe a kiss or two. I gave Jesslyn some comfort. And then, Jesslyn made me this wonderful easel as thanks. She's a really good woodcarver.”
“Cute,” Laska replied. “Maybe we should invite her to our bed? I feel I should give her a nice reward for making my girl happy.”
“Hah!” Rose shook her head. “She wouldn't be able to handle you. Better not.”
“Oh, come now,” Laska smirked, leaning forward. “We both know you like to watch, sweet little depraved Rose.”
Rose narrowed her eyes. “Back. Back to your pose!” she demanded, to which a sighing Laska complied. “Anyway, how's your sex life been?”
Laska thought for a moment. “Well, I've already told you about the boy from Amkethran and his crazy mother who chased me through half the desert because she wanted me to marry him and become a breeding factory for copper-skinned half-elves.”
Rose stifled a giggle. “That's still hilarious,” Rose replied. “But that couldn't have been the only one.”
“Well, there's the caravan guard Shayna. Tall, strong, jet-black hair. We should definitely invite her to our bed should all three of us be in Darromar at some point,” said Laska. “Tried to seduce queen Zaranda for a night of fun, but she wouldn't go for it.”
The charcoal kept flying over the canvas. “You certainly aim high. The queen will never know what she missed out on.”
“Oh, and I met a bunch of cool elves in Darromar too,” Laska said. “It was a really fun and big party which may or may not have ended with an orgy.”
“May or may not have?”
“There was definitely an orgy. Oh, and I slept with a really nice half-dragon bloke.”
“Because you'd never pass up the chance to sleep with a half-dragon,” Rose chuckled.
“Well, he did save my life.”
Rose put down the charcoal and looked at her work appreciatively. She took a wet rag and wiped the black soot from her hands. “All finished,” said Rose as she stood up and strolled over to the bed. She crawled onto it on all fours and, after soliciting a brief annoyed cry from Laska by placing an ice-cold hand on her hip, she settled in by turning around and placing her back against Laska's chest. The taller elf snaked her an arm around her waist and pulled her close, nuzzling the back of her neck as she did so. Rose awkwardly pulled the sheet over them both with her free hand.
“So we're here on our wedding night discussing each other's infidelities?” Laska chuckled. “There's nothing usual about our relationship, is it?”
Rose shrugged. “It's pretty usual. Two people who love each other and are committed to each other who just happen to have lovers on the side. There can be a difference between love and sex for pleasure. Prostitutes know this better than anyone.”
Laska nuzzled her lover's neck again. “I suppose I should write my mum that I've taken a bride. Not so sure what her reaction is going to be, though.”
“Hm?”
“I'm just over thirty,” said Laska. “And I'm an elf. I'm not even close to marriageable age. I married a century too early.”
“So, you're jailbait?” Rose joked. “But I sure as hell am not going to wait a century. I might not even live that long!”
“Some shite about not being mentally matured enough,” Laska shrugged. “Even Imoen gave me a big lecture about taking this marriage seriously.”
Rose shrugged. “Part of me isn't really expecting you to. You being so wild and unpredictable is a big reason why I love you.”
“This marriage thing. I'm sure it would be an issue if my life had any semblance of normality. You know what? I do what I like. I go where I like, I drink what I like, I shag who like and I marry whom I like. And if my mother doesn't agree, she can sod right off!”
“Be nice to your mother!” Rose admonished. “I'm taking your name, after all. Rose Leafwalker. I like the sound of that.”
“Might stir up some dust when a non-elf marries into an Evermeet elven house,” said Laska. “Could be fun. Though I think moon elven houses tend not to really get worried about such things. Besides, they already have a Bhaalspawn daughter. Though she might have problems with having a daughter-in-law who farts in bed.”
Instantly, Rose stiffened and craned her neck to glare over her shoulder. “Pardon?” she narrowed her eyes.
“You heard me!” Laska smirked.
Rose let her head drop to the pillow. With a slight growl on her voice, the offended half-elf spoke harshly. “I do... not... fa... pass wind in bed!”
“Yes you do!” Laska pressed.
“I never pass wind!”
“Not while you're awake!” Laska smirked. “But when you're asleep... phew, I need to flap the duvet a couple of times during the night or I'd get gassed for sure.”
Rose said nothing, but ground her teeth together. Instantly, she arched her stomach forward, pressing her shoulderblades against Laska's chest and pressing her rear end towards her elven wife. On cue, the half-elf released an impressive yet slightly girlish toot.
The first chortle came from Laska. Then Rose quickly joined in. Rose and Laska held on to each other while both their bodies quaked in laughter.
“I love you,” Laska whispered, tightening her hold on Rose. “I love you so very much.”
“Hmmm,” Rose closed her eyes, melting into the embrace.
The two were still embraced as the light of the moon danced in through the window. “Hm,” said Rose. “It's still our wedding night and we still haven't made love.”
Laska shrugged briefly. “We shag all the time. Be nice to celebrate this night with a cuddle.”
Rose quite agreed. Soon enough, the two lovers were fast asleep.
---
Lovely smells were wafting through the kitchens of the ducal palace. Laska, clad in her casual wear and having donned an apron, had put her creations in the oven while working on a batch of vanilla-flavored cream to put on them. Of course, working in the kitchen would be a lot easier if a certain half-elf wasn't clinging to her.
Right now, Rose had her arms wrapped around her bare midriff behind the apron and her cheek pressed against her shoulders. Ever so often, a hand moved up to slid inside her vest to massage her breast.
“Hm,” Laska chuckled throatily. “Rose, if you keep doing that, I might just throw you on top of the table to absolutely ravage you.”
“And this is a bad thing... how?” Rose purred.
“I'll lose track of time and the muffins will burn,” Laska said. “I can't ravage and cook at the same time.”
“How will you know unless you try?”
“Vixen.”
Any romantic thoughts were nipped in the bud when the fresh new duke of Saradush, Duke Keldorn Firecam, stepped inside the kitchen. “Ah, good morning,” said Keldorn. “I was told to find you here. What are you cooking this morning, Laska?”
Before Laska could utter a word, Rose answered for her. “My wife is baking blueberry muffins.”
“You love saying that, don't you?” Laska winked while Rose released her.
“I do believe congratulations are in order,” said Keldorn. “I received the paperwork from the temple after you left to make it official. It brightened my day, even if I had to spend all day stamping papers. So far, being duke requires quite a bit of paperwork.”
“Anyway,” Laska interrupted. “The muffins are almost done and I have plenty for everyone. Though if you are willing to wait, I'll have a nice vanilla cream to go with it.”
“Don't mind if I do,” said Keldorn. “And I think you'll have made Vesper's day as well.”
Rose leaned against the table while Laska did another quick check on the muffins before continuing to work on the vanilla cream. The half-elf lovingly raked her nails over the elf's back while she worked. “Is Vesper acclimatizing, Keldorn?”
“Vesper is loving all the attention,” said Keldorn. “And she's really good at making friends, thankfully. That made the move easier on her. Leona was in her last year, so she's staying with friends of the family until her studies are done and will join us later.”
“How did lady Maria take the news?” asked Laska. “I've yet to see her walking around the ducal palace.”
Keldorn smiled briefly. “I was rather worried when I had to break the news to Maria that I'd be coming out of retirement to become the effective ruler of Saradush. However, my worries were for naught; she was over the moon and made arrangements to move to Saradush in record time. She's spending more of her time playing socialite. It's rather helpful, really, to bond a bit with the local nobility.”
“Sounds like you're all enjoying yourselves,” said Laska as she stirred the cream.
Keldorn chuckled. “As retirements go, I can't think of anything better. I've been put in a position to spend my twilight years doing good things for the people of Saradush and Tethyr. Aside from the need for piles of paperwork and dealing with fussy gentry, there are few downsides.”
The sound of clanking came from the hall as a large armored human woman strode into the kitchen.
“And yet, there is one of them,” Keldorn muttered under his breath.
The full plate wearing woman marched to Keldorn, stopped right in front of him and stamped her armored boot on the floor as she stood at attention with her sword's hilt held against her chest.
“Laska,” said Keldorn. “This is Lady Chaelha Zaann, paladin of the Champions Vigilant and assigned to me as my bodyguard.”
“Indeed,” the lady announced. The paladin was not an unattractive woman with her short brown hair, angular strong chin and radiant blue eyes. “I am sworn and honor-bound to protect noble duke Keldorn Firecam from any harm that might befall him.”
“Chaelha,” sighed Keldorn. “I was a knight of the Order of the most Radiant Heart for over forty years. I defended the city with my militia for six months. I'm sure I'll be fine.”
“Complacancy can be fatal, sir Keldorn,” said Chaelha. “Queen-monarch Zaranda Star herself appointed me this honor. I shall not fail her, mor you.”
Keldorn sighed in frustration. “Chaelha, this is my good friend Laska Leafwalker. Though she might seem unorthodox, she is a good person at heart and a true hero.”
“My lady,” Chaelha nodded. “Even though your blood is birthed in darkness, your deeds far outshine them. Your actions at our fair city and your defeat of the dragon army are already the stuff of legends. It is my great honor to make your acquaintance.”
Rose blinked and whispered to Laska. “She's just standing there like a statue.”
“Uh-huh,” Laska spoke, a little louder. “She looks like she could use a good shag. Or two.”
Lady Chaelha was unphased by Laska's crassness. “Lady Leafwalker. I shall not break my vow of chastity. I shall not offer myself to anyone lest he or she defeats me on the battlefiend. On my honor, only he or she who bests me, shall bed me. As of yet, I stand before you undefeated.”
Laska blinked once. Twice. “That's literally the most dumbest thing I've ever heard! So you meet a nice bloke or bird after a night at the tavern and you can't have a little fun with them?”
Chaelha remained stoic. “Only he or she who defeats me in battle will...”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Laska put her hand to her forehead, taking a quick moment to bend over to check inside the oven how her muffins were doing. Rose seized the opportunity to give her a playful slap on the rear while the elf removed both trays of muffins after putting on oven mitts. After putting them on the counter to cool, Laska tossed off her apron. “You're nuts! Sex is fun! Sex is relaxing! And just by looking at you, you could use an ample serving of both. I mean, what if you meet the love of your life and he or she is not a fighter? Will you just let it go?!”
“Only those who best me in battle...”
Laska let out a groan. “I just don't understand some people. If I had been roped into a stupid vow like that, I'd deliberately lose every fight I'd get in!”
“I know what you're thinking,” Rose chuckled.
“What?” Laska raised an eyebrow.
“You love a challenge.”
The tattooed elf raised an eyebrow. “I might if she wasn't a paladin. They're far too obsessive. I've already had one lovestruck paladin following me around back in Athkatla and I'm really not in the mood to deal with a stalker right now.”
Before Rose could respond, Keldorn stepped in to grab hold of one of the muffins. He took a quick bite and, while Laska waited expectantly, gave her a smile. “That's better than the last batch of muffins you made,” said Keldorn.
“I added more cinnamon,” replied the elf.
“Anyway,” said Keldorn with his mouth full. “I came to fetch you and the rest of our friends. There has been a number of letters delivered by ravens from the west. One of them a message from the Queen-monarch about a lead on the location of the drow enclave. Another message came from our friend master Dekaras. You'll want to hear both of them.
---
About fifteen minutes later, Laska's friends had all gathered around the large wooden table in Keldorn's conference room in the highest tower of the ducal palace. The room was sparsely adorned with a single banner with the colors of Saradush. Keldorn, as was expected, had preferred to spend resources on rebuilding the city rather than making the palace look pretty.
Not that the gathered friends noticed much, as they were too busy devouring the stack of muffins put on the center of the table on a large round silver tray while Laska looked on as proud as the proverbial peacock.
“Uhm,” said Keldorn while still chewing his muffin. “Reason I call you all here is because I've received some correspondence you'll find interesting.”
“Hey, Keldorn, where'd your shadow go?” Imoen asked, just as she picked up another muffin to eat.
Keldorn sighed. “Thankfully, she respects the law of the land enough to keep out of my conference room when I tell her I'm sharing private information concerning the security of Tethyr. She's probably outside waiting by the door, ready to pounce on me the moment she leaves.”
“HAR HAR!” Korgan laughed. “Ye be 'avin' a stalker!”
“Definitely some sort of zealot,” Viconia said. “She was giving me the evil eye whenever I come within ten feet of you.”
“Zealot, eh?” Jan chuckled. “Reminds me of my youngest cousin Anita Jansen, who kept going on how she wanted better representation of gnomes in plays and the city. More big noses in the media, was her credo. Went on about how Athkatla wasn’t a safe space for gnomes. She kept trying to convince us all that we were being oppressed. When her own family told her that her struggles were all imagined and gnomes were doing fine, she called them Uncle Turnips and house-gnomes and shrieked her lungs out about internalized racism when her paper-thin arguments failed to hold water. Unfortunately, she bit off more than she could chew when confronted with her worst enemy; the straight white male griffin! As he carried her off into the air, she demanded to be put down so she could be captured and eaten by a proud genderfluid griffin of color instead. I can only assume the griffin found it quite a privilege to devour her. Can't we say we miss her all that much.”
“Quite,” Keldorn said as he fetched some paperwork. He rolled out a map of Tethyr and put down a letter. “Queen Zaranda's raven arrived around midnight. The letter says that analysts have been going over the documents you recovered from Amkethran and, after correlating it with several drow sightings, they have narrowed down the potential location of the drow enclave to three areas.”
Viconia and Korgan, as experts on the Underdark, shifted to move closed to Keldorn.
“The locations are here, near the Starspire Mountains to the northwest, near the ruins of olds Castle Tethyr to the west or here at the Sulduskoon river, also to the west,” said Keldorn.
“We can rule out Castle Tethyr,” said Viconia. “The tunnels there are unstable.”
“Aye, drowsy be right,” nodded Korgan. “Ye surfacers nay notice, but there be a lot of underground faults. It nay be a place fer a stable community. Dwarves might 'andle it, but drow be more concern with lookin' pretty rather than building strong.”
“I reluctantly agree with Korgan,” said Viconia.
“As fer the Starspire Mountains, that be too close to the ocean,” Korgan rubbed his beard before reaching for a muffin. “Ground water be too salty. They be 'aven' to get their water elsewhere. Not the best choice ta be settlin' there.”
“I agree,” said Viconia. “The Sulduskoon river is our best bet. Plenty of fresh water and it's an area of the Underdark that's relatively quiet and far away from anything important. A good place to hide.”
“So how'd they build an entire enclave so quickly?” asked Imoen.
“Likely, one was already there,” said Viconia as she pointed higher on the map. “Ust Natha is right here and has several outposts, like Vilaya. If I'd hazard a guess, the drow we're hunting have set up shop in a failed outpost that was abandoned or overrun. I'm leaning toward the first. There's really nothing here in the Underdark that warrants an outpost for a larger city, but a group of drow could be relatively self-sufficient regardless.”
“That settles is,” said Laska. “We'll leave later today. It's still at least five days travel out.”
Keldorn nodded. “I'll make arrangements for you to be well stocked with supplies and horses for the trip, courtesy of the queen. Still, finding them could be quite a task.”
Sarevok, whom had been silent in contemplation for the most part, slammed his fist on the table. “It will be glorious,” he said. “We have dispatched some of the our most powerful and wickest siblings. If we... Wait. Where have all the muffins gone?!”
“We ate them,” Jan replied.
“All of them?! Already?!” Sarevok huffed. “I didn't have one yet, you selfish pricks!”
“Be quicker, then!” Imoen laughed while Sarevok grumbled.
Laska shrugged. “I'll be baking a new batch soon. However, I'll be using turnip shavings rather than blueberries per Jan's request.”
“Yes!” Jan fist-pumped.
“Pass,” Sarevok pouted.
“Ahum,” Keldorn announced himself. “There was another letter with a message to you, Laska. I'll give it to you to read later, but for now I'll give you the short version. Vadrak Dekaras and his charge Edwin have been attacked while passing through Darromar on the way to Zazzesspur. They are doing fine, thankfully, but he has sent warning that he believes the attacker was a powerful Bhaalspawn. He describes his attacker as a deadly crossbow-wielding huntress, pale of skin and dark of hair. She had a facial tattoo across her eyes and he suspects she had ranger-training.”
“That...” Laska blinked.
“Illasera the Quick,” Viconia finished for her.
“Can't be!” Laska narrowed her eyes. “She's dead! I saw her fall off a cliff! I killed her myself.”
“Hah,” Sarevok chuckled. “You saw me die too, yet here I am. Looks like your friend Illasera also found a way to cheat death and we have one more sibling to deal with.”
“Shall I send a message to the queen to have the Tethyrian army and guards be on the look-out for her?” Keldorn asked. “Considering her skills, I doubt that she will found but it might at least hamper her ability to move freely.”
“Do it,” Laska nodded.
“Right,” said Keldorn. “Dekaras also sent this book along in the package. He said Illasera dropped it during the fight.”
The book itself was a leatherbound tome with a silver sigil of Bhaal etched into the cover. The tome was old, very old, but pieces of paper were sticking out from the side. Laska took the book and opened it. After leafing through it, they saw notes were scribbled in the margins in delicate female calligraphy.
“Is that...” Sarevok gasped and snatched the book out of Laska's hands. “The Murderous Grimoire!”
Imoen blinked. “That's a horrible title.”
“This... this is from Candlekeep,” said Sarevok. “In my youth, I scoured the great library for this very tome, but I was never given access to it. This is only complete copy to survive the purge of Bhaal's priesthood by Cyric's madness cult!”
“I think Sarry's in love,” Jan chuckled.
“Aye. Do ye need some time alone with it, lad?” Korgan winked.
“Shut up for a moment,” Sarevok said as he leafed through it. “I've managed to piece together some it by puzzling together several damaged copies, but this... this fills in the gaps!”
“Care to share?” Laska raised.
“Laska,” said Sarevok. “Have you never wondered what happened to the Bhaal essence when a powerful Bhaalspawn dissolves?”
Laska crossed her arms. “I thought it just spreads out onto the wind and disappears.”
“No,” Sarevok chuckled. “No, no, it certainly doesn't. It goes here!”
Sarevok slammed the book down and pointed at a rather rough illustration of some sort of triangular platform floating into nothingness. In the middle of the platform was a raised protuberance vaguely shaped like a seat and, further above, a large ring of energy circled the platform.
“What is that?” Imoen asked. “Looks ominous.”
“That, my dear siblings,” Sarevok grinned. “Is the throne of Bhaal. The energy you see here is the gathered Bhaal essence of all our fallen siblings, just waiting to be plucked. The ritual described in this book details the resurrection of our dead father. When all the Bhaalspawn are dead, it will herald the rebirth of our dark progenitor.”
Viconia put her finger to her mouth, deep in thought for a moment. “I'm starting to get a good idea what our friend Amellysan Wiseau was trying to achieve. She pitted Bhaalspawn against Bhaalspawn, but secretly allied herself with Five of the most powerful. She herded the minor Bhaalspawn into Saradush, along with Gromnir's army and then ordered Yaga-Shura to besiege the city. She was expecting the city to fall or implode due to Gromnir's paranoia, meaning all the Bhaalspawn inside would be killed during the sacking. Then, she would have pitted the Five against each other.”
“You think she wants to resurrect Bhaal?” Laska said. “I'm not sure that's possible. My balor friend told me Bhaal's plan was doomed to failure from the start.”
“That is why I think she wants the power for herself,” said Viconia. “Judging from the way she dispatched the critics of her awful play, she has enough of an ego to desire power for herself. She wants to be noticed for her greatness.”
“Fuck me,” Laska sighed. “All this nonsense because some awful artist got her feelings hurt.”
Jan smiled. “Well, looks like we did well enough. The little Bhaalspawn are still alive.”
“Indeed,” said Sarevok. “Individually, these minor Bhaalspawn are weak and beneath our notice, but together they represent a large chunk of Bhaal's power. We've robbed this Amellysan of that power, but with all the Bhaalspawn already killed, and three of the Five dead, she should still have enough... if she also kills you, dear sister.
“And we're about to kill another one,” Laska sighed. “We're playing right into her hands.”
“A confrontation with this woman is inevitable anyway,” said Sarevok. “She needs your essence as well.”
“So, where's this throne, then?” Imoen asked.
“That's a very good question,” said Viconia. “I venture Gehenna, your father's former realm.”
“Las!” Imoen grinned. “I just bet it's right next to that pocket-plane of yours!”
“Likely,” said Sarevok. “Gods like their irony.”
Laska grinned. “Let's go there and find out.”
Before Keldorn could stop her, the elf closed her eyes, willed herself to her pocket-plane and opened her eyes... to find herself still sitting at the table. “Huh,” she muttered and tried again. Again, she failed. “It's not working,” Laska grimaced.
Sarevok shook his head. “Amellysan's doing, no doubt. With the deaths of Yaga-Shura, Balthazar and Abazigal, it's quite possible that she's gathered enough power to lock you out. Makes sense too, as you're the biggest threat to her plans.”
Laska sighed. “I feel like I've been locked out of my own home,” the elf said. “I guess there's nothing else to do but to go drow hunting for now. Maybe we'll find a lead at the enclave.”
“That is the best we can hope for,” said Sarevok. “Amelyssan is not a Bhaalspawn so she will need to have some sort of portal to travel to Gehenna.”
“We leave today.” Laska nodded grimly before turning to Keldorn. “Thanks, Keldorn.”
As the group got up to leave and prepare for travel, Laska lay a hand on Imoen's shoulder. “Immy? Do you have a minute to talk? I've got something to share with you.”
---
The best way for Laska to share this bombshell with her little sister was to just come out and say it. Gorion had been the living shard of Naraphim which had gone back to the source after his death. To say that Imoen was gobsmacked was the understatement of the year.
“So dad was... a balor?” Imoen asked.
“Not exactly,” said Laska. “He was born and lived without the memory of being Naraphim. But they are the same... in a way. I don't really understand it myself.”
“Could he have been lying?” Imoen asked. “It sounds really outlandish.”
Laska shook her head. “I saw his eyes. I heard his voice. He still loves us, Immy. We're still his kids.”
“I...” Imoen sniffed. “I like the idea that dad is still out there, looking out for us.”
“He is,” Laska felt her eyes go watery as she hugged her sister. “He always was.”
“I wanna meet Naraphim again,” said Imoen. “I wanna talk to him. I wanna tell Gorion I love him.”
“We'll see him again, Immy,” said Laska. “I'm sure of it.”
Together, the sisters walked through the hallway of the ducal palace, on their way to the castle grounds. “Las... nothing in our lives is normal, is it?” Immy asked.
Laska chuckled. “Normal is boring, Im.”
“I guess,” said Imoen. “Will we be seeing off Rosie too? She's my sister-in-law now, I've just realized.”
“You're making a big deal out of that, Im,” Laska replied.
Imoen hooked her arm through Laska's and raised her chin. “And you're not making a big enough deal out of it,” she huffed. “And you'd better!”
By this time, they entered the castle training ground, where members of the newly formed city guards were training. Though there were some veterans from the militia, such as the medusa sisters whom were leading the training, most of them were fresh recruits from the surrounding countryside. They were diligently attacking target dummies or firing arrows at targets with varying success. However, Laska's eyes were drawn to Chaelha, who was awkwardly slicing up a target dummy. “Oh, gods,” Laska groaned. “She's so awful!”
It was then that Laska said her goodbyes to Imoen and decided to show the paladin some tricks.
The sparring match against Chaelha went pretty much as Laska expected. The tattooed elf had donned her armor and fought her with both swords in hand. A few things quickly became clear. First of all, Chaelha didn’t have much experience in practical combat. First of all, she fought with a greatsword… and a shield. Honestly, who fought with a great sword and a shield?!
As a result, the larger woman lumbered around the battlefield like a clydesdale, slow and unwieldy while swinging her massive sword. The far more nimble elf easily avoided every single strike with consummate ease by simply ducking or moving aside with fleet footwork. Like every single time before, the paladin let out a hoarse cry from the depths of her lungs before her swing; she was predictable as clockwork. Laska was a country mile away from her opponent’s arc before the sword was even swung.
Chaelha’s shieldwork was more than fine, but the way she wielded that sword left her other flank entirely undefended. This was just a friendly sparring march, so Laska wasn’t bringing her A-game. However, if this was real combat to the death, Laska would have pounced on her left side already with both swords to finish her off quickly.
She had to admit Chaelha was almost unnaturally strong, though. Her one and only attempt to parry one of Chaelha’s swings had resulted in her almost losing her balance, not to mention a slightly sore wrist.
Another cry, another easy sidestep, another groan from Laska; it was clear now that this woman had never seen actual combat outside of the training field. If all the opponents she’d faced were small fry like trainees, squires and city guards, it was no wonder she had never been bested in combat.
“Enough!” Laska cried out. The nimble elf shot forward, ducking underneath her sword while lashing with a sword to lift it out of Chaelha’s hand by tipping the crossguard. Instantly, Laska kicked at the back of the paladin’s knees and twirled around her axis to slam the hilt of her other sword into her chest.
Chaelha yelped as she fell to the ground. Her helmet came off and rolled over the ground as she looked up at the irate elf.
“First of all,” Laska started. “Longsword and shield, OR a greatsword. Pick one. If your opponent is close enough that you need your shield to defend yourself, your greatsword is already useless. If you use your greatsword properly, your enemy will never be close enough to you for your shield to be useful. Second, you leave to many openings I could have killed you ten times over. You lumber around like an ox, you don’t move your feet properly and you shout out before every swing. And for the sake of all the gods, secure your helmet or don’t wear one at all. Those straps are there for a reason!”
For the first time, Chaelha cracked a smile. “Lady Leafwalker,” she started, her voice firm as she got to her feet. “You have bested me in combat. You have earned the right to bed me.”
Laska blinked. “Didn’t you hear me? I’m giving you tips on how to survive a real battle-field. This was a sparring match.”
“Combat is combat.”
“But…”
The paladin started to glower. “You are honor bound to bed me.”
The elf blanched. “Oh, hell no!” she exclaimed before stomping off.
---
When it was time to leave to search for the drow enclave, Laska wasn't there. When her friends checked her quarters, they found that the elf hadn't packed at all. A search was quickly formed and the party split up in groups to try to find their missing elven friend. Rose and Korgan had just left the kitchens when they saw a familiar elf skulking about the storage rooms.
Korgan and Rose shared a look and rushed to the room Laska had fled into. “Laska!” Rose exclaimed when they slipped inside the room as found a wide-eyed Laska hiding among the barrels.
“Sssh!” Laska hissed. “Be quiet or she'll hear you!”
“Who?” Rose pressed. “What's going on? Why are you in here?”
“Chaelha!” Laska hissed. “I've been playing cat and mouse with her for over two hours! She wants me to do her!”
“Ey?” Korgan frowned. “What be the problem ‘ere? Just give ‘er a few licks and be done with.”
Laska shook her head vigorously. “You don’t understand! She’s nuts! And lawfully rigid! She’ll follow me around like a puppy dog!”
Rose let out a brief laugh. “You're so cute when you're all flushed. Don’t worry about it. I know how to handle paladins. It takes a soft and gentle touch. You’d probably overwhelm her. I’ll tell her you sent me in your stead… I'll give her a night to remember, but make it clear there'll be no more after that.”
The tattooed elf wrapped her arms around Rose's waist but adopted a rather pouty expression. “I can be soft and gentle,” she stated meekly.
Rose smiled and kissed her on the cheek. “You definitely can be. In your own way.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Laska raised an eyebrow.
“Aw, you’re so fragile,” Rose smiled and tickled Laska with the tip of her own braid. “Just trust me. Chaelha won't bother you again. And I think it'll be kind of fun anyway. It's been a while since I've been with a paladin.”
“Best wife ever,” Laska leaned in for a kiss. Their lips touched and Rose parted Laska's lips with her tongue. The tips of their tongues met as the kiss deepened and evolved into a passionate open-lip kiss.
“Aye,” Korgan sighed. “Don't be mindin' the dwarf 'ere. 'e just be standin' 'ere doin' nothin'.”
Suddenly, Laska's eyes snapped open and she broke the kiss. “Oh, gods, I hear clanking!”
“From that corridor?” Rose asked. “Let me handle it from here. Have fun at the drow enclave. I’ll see you in Darromar when you get back.”
Laska blew her wife a kiss while an irate Korgan started to drag her away. “Gods,” Laska told her dwarven friend as they rushed through the corridor. “We've been married for two weeks and haven't even made love yet.”
“Ye can shag 'er all day when ye be getting' back,” Korgan gruffed. “Now, we be huntin' drow!”
That reminder kinda snuck into a lighthearted discussion.
