Hello, my readers! In this chapter, there will be a very special moment for two party members...But there’s nothing explicit, sorry *grin*
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...You got everything I want now
Let me fill your fantasies
And give you what you dream ‘bout…(David Guetta feat Nicki Minaj and Lil’Wayne, “Light my body up”)
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CHAPTER 34
When the group reached the courtesan’s room, Meg dispelled the invisibility hiding her male companions and gave Chremy’s pendant to Yoshimo. "Sensei, I want you to pretend being one of the new masters of the Festhall. Look around for any sign of Galvena, or Claire", she instructed him and the Kozakuran nodded.
The courtesan intervened, "Wait a moment, please", he said, going to his bedside table and taking a purple bottle out of the drawer, "This is a sleeping potion that Galvena gives us for the customers with particularly full pockets. If you manage to make the guards drink it, you will have no trouble in walking around the place".
The bounty hunter took the potion with a slight frown, "I appreciate it, but I doubt they would drink from this bottle: it practically screams “magic”. Don’t you have one that could look less suspicious?". "I have this empty wine bottle left from my last customer, will it do?". "It will work perfectly", he nodded and quickly poured the potion into it, "Good. I’m going".
The Ilmatari stopped him, "Hold on, we’re coming too. Aerie?". Once again, the Avariel shrouded her companions with invisibility and they all followed the Kara-Turan along the corridor. The guards were all too happy to drink the offered “wine” and in a matter of moments, the floor was littered with unconscious bodies.
Galvena was in a hidden part of the Festhall filled with cells and in one of them was a young woman with long honey-brown hair, whose face and body showed the signs of a heavy beating: her lower lip was split, her right eye was so puffed it couldn’t open anymore and she was covered in cuts and bruises. The mistress smiled cruelly down at her, "So, Claire, for your treason, you are sentenced to death", she announced coldly.
"Please, don’t kill me!", Claire begged, "I have served you loyally for many years! Please, I have done nothing to deserve this...". "You were planning to escape with that stupid boyfriend of yours, weren’t you? Sanik, was that his name? I have heard that he has died recently...An unfortunate accident, they say". The poor girl’s sound eye filled with tears at that, "No...No, Sanik...Why? He was a good man...". "He was a fool! He tried to steal something of my property!
Now his death will be a warning to all of those who were thinking of doing the same", Galvena hissed, then she turned to look behind herself at her mage ally, "Vadek, I...", she blinked in confusion at not seeing him, until she lowered her eyes and saw his dead body on the floor. Before she could open her mouth to shout, a dagger pressed into her throat and a male voice, velvety and pleasantly accented, whispered in her ear.
"Oyasuminasai, Galvena", Yoshimo said and with a quick gesture he killed her, a fountain of blood sprouting from the slashed carotid artery and showering the captive woman in crimson droplets. Claire looked fearfully up at the Kozakuran, "Please, don’t kill me...", she pleaded and he smiled. "Fear not, we are here to save you".
The air shimmered as his companions became visible again and Margaret Dawn was quick to kneel next to Claire and heal her. "It’s all right, Claire, we are friends of Sanik. And by the way, Galvena was lying: he’s safe and sound at the inn and he’s waiting for you". The younger woman relaxed and her once again intact lips curved in a smile, "Really? How, thank you, thank you so much! How can I repay your kindness?". "We already have a deal with your husband, he will give us some information as a payment for this. Now come, let’s not make him wait any longer".
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With Galvena’s death, all of the courtesans got their freedom back, including Claire, who followed the adventurers to the Vulgar Monkey and flew into her husband’s arms, tears of happiness flowing from the eyes of them both. "You did it!", Sanik looked at the party with gratitude, "I don’t know how to thank you, I will remember you in my prayers!".
"Yes, yes, that is so generous of you, we’re moved, really (Bah, at least he didn’t call us heroes too. I don’t think I could have endured that twice in the same day)", Edwin huffed. Meg hid an amused smile and turned to the joyful couple, "I’m sorry to spoil the moment, but we had an agreement, Sanik", she said and the merchant nodded. "Oh, yes, I haven’t forgotten.
There are two ways to get into the asylum: the first one is, well, as...As inmates. Desharik has sent a lot of his enemies to Spellhold like that, but don’t worry, there will be no need to cross him: you can easily get the same result by paying him a generous, uh, offer". The adventurers exchanged glances at that and Aerie gave voice to what everyone was thinking, "I would rather avoid being put in a cell as an inmate, if there is an alternative. What is the other way?".
"Since the asylum is run by the Cowled Wizards, each one of them has a wardstone which grants them free access to the place. There’s a Cowlie who lives not far from here: his name’s Perth, pretty weird man if you ask me. I suppose he would not be above a little “monetary persuasion” either, if you catch my meaning", Sanik said. Anomen scowled, "By Helm, is there anyone on this wretched island who can’t be corrupted, apart from ourselves?", he snorted.
Yoshimo grinned and patted his back, "Come on, don’t be so glum, young samurai from the West: this diffused lack of moral principles among the locals works to our advantage, after all". "I know, I know...But that doesn’t mean I have to like it". Jaheira intervened, "If the asylum is protected by a magical barrier, there may be traps too and I’m not sure if the wardstone will be enough to protect us from them", she noted.
Margaret Dawn smiled, "Well, we have Yoshimo here to take care of the traps, so there’s absolutely nothing we should worry about". The bounty hunter bowed, "Your faith in me and in my skills warms my heart, sekai no hikari". "My faith in you and your skills is well-deserved, sensei", the young priestess replied, "Now let’s go and see if this Perth is a reasonable person".
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The door to Perth’s home was slightly open and no sound could be heard from inside, but the Painbearer knocked all the same and called, "Hello? Anyone at home?". No answer came, so she pushed the door and she and her friends got in, only to find the Cowled One standing still in the middle of the living room, completely oblivious to his surroundings, his open eyes glassy and unfocused.
Edwin carefully inched closer and studied him for a moment, "He’s under some sort of mental control", he stated, "(Not that it’s such a big feat to control the mind of a lesser being)". "Maybe a healing spell can help him", Meg moved closer too, but as soon as she was in front of Perth, the Cowled One’s eyes focused on her face and he blinked.
"You...", he rasped, his body jerking slightly for the effort of moving after such a prolonged stillness, "Your face is known to me...It has been imprinted in my mind so that I could recognize it...You are Margaret Dawn. Margaret Dawn!", he suddenly shouted like a madman, "If you meet the subject, don’t hesitate to test her limits! They are...", he trailed off and fell to the floor, unconscious: while he was still raving, she had knocked him out with a solid blow of her enchanted Mace to the head.
In one of his pockets, she found the precious wardstone and her face brightened, "Here it is! Now we have our key". "And what about the Cowled One?", Jaheira asked, "He wanted to attack you". "He was not himself. Someone...And I think we all know who this “someone” is...Was controlling him like a puppet: this poor man has no fault for it. Let’s just leave him alone".
The druidess smiled, "As you wish, child", she nodded, glad to see that her “daughter” was still capable of mercy, "Shall we go to the asylum now?". "No, we’d better wait until nightfall: we need to memorize our spells before going there and besides, the darkness will help us avoid detection. We’ll go back to the inn, have dinner, rest and when the sky is dark, we’ll break into that damned place and save Immy", the Ilmatari said, And whoever tries to stop me will sorely regret it!.
Anomen made a face, "That inn is a lowly place, my lady...Do you really want to rest there?". "It’s the only inn of the island, so we don’t have that much choice and I’d rather not sleep out in the open, with the risk of getting assaulted by a drunken pirate or worse, some slaver wretch. The accommodation might not be luxurious, but at least it’s safe.
Besides, I don’t really care if it’s not a royal palace: the only thing that counts is the company", she said, taking his hand and smiling warmly, "And if I’m with you guys, even the Vulgar Monkey is not that bad".
The Helmite smiled back, kissing her hand, "You are unique, my lady". "I know", she winked and couldn’t help remembering the Slayer’s words about herself and Sarevok: «you are unique, you are special...You are two halves of a whole...». Yes, we are. And I swear to all the Gods and Goddesses that we will be together again.
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After having a surprisingly good dinner (it turned out that the cook was a former pirate who had retired three years before and who was nearly obsessed with cooking perfect meals), nearly all of the party members left to retire to their respective room: since they didn’t need to save money for the ransom anymore, they had decided to rent a room each, eager to enjoy a bit of privacy for once.
Before Margaret Dawn could leave, the knight stopped her, "Meg, can I talk to you? In private?". "Sure". They moved to a secluded corner and he took her hands in his, taking a deep breath, "My love, I know that this inn is a filthy place, unworthy of you and I will understand if you don’t want for us to...To become one in such a place, but...". The young woman smiled and put a hand on his lips to silence him, "I want this, Anomen".
"Are...Are you sure?". "I am", she nodded, This time tomorrow I could be dead, so why in the Nine Hells should we wait? "Which room should we use?". "Mine is the farthest one from all the others’, so it’s the best choice". "Yours it is, then. I’ll join you soon, beloved, just give me the time to properly wash myself". "Okay. I’ll wait for you", she promised, giving him a quick kiss, "See you later".
After roughly an hour, the young man walked quietly along the corridor and slipped inside Margaret Dawn’s room, locking the door behind himself, so that nobody could come upon them. "At last you’re here", she smiled and slid her arms around his broad shoulders, "I was starting to wonder if you’d ever show up". "Sorry for the delay, beloved, but I wanted to make sure our companions were all in their rooms, before coming here", he explained, before kissing her deeply.
He helped her out of her nightgown, leaving her dressed only in her green cotton panties and his breath caught in his throat: Meg’s body was slender and toned by the long hours of travel and training and the countless fights she had faced, her round and firm breasts reminded him of two halves of a ripe melon, she had a narrow waist and thanks to one of her healing spells, her fair skin was perfectly smooth, as if Irenicus’ blades had never carved into her.
She blushed under his adoring gaze, suddenly uncertain, "Don’t you like me?", she asked and he started. "Oh, my love, of course I like you! You’re even more beautiful than any dream I’ve ever had", the knight reassured her. "So you’ve dreamt of me, hm?". "Many, many times", he admitted, kissing her again, "But none of those dreams can compare to reality".
"I’ve dreamt of you too", the Painbearer purred in his ear, tugging at his tunic and as soon as it was out of the way, she eagerly set to exploring his strong chest with her hands, while kissing and nibbling his neck. "Meg...", Anomen moaned, grabbing her waist and pressing her against himself, against the proof of his desire. She started opening his breeches and he readily helped her to divest himself, tossing the now useless trousers and smallclothes aside, then he gently lifted her in his arms and lowered his precious load on the bed.
Margaret Dawn admired his strong body, her loving gaze moving over his form like a caress and she blushed when it reached his lower regions. Feeling that her shyness was threatening to overcome her, the young woman resorted to humour, "I thought that, being a priest, you were forbidden to carry a longsword", she said with a mischievous grin.
"What?", the Helmite blinked, puzzled, then he realized her meaning and chuckled under his breath, "Oh! Well, I...I didn’t think it was a proper topic for conversation, especially with a lady. So you...You approve of my form?". Her smile softened and she nodded, "Oh, yes, I do. You’re magnificent, my love, both in body and spirit. Come here".
The young man hesitated, "Meg, I...I fear that I can’t...Fulfil your needs as you deserve". "We’ve already talked about this, Anomen and you know I’m just as clueless as you are. We’ll learn together, as it should be", she rose to her knees and wrapped her arms around his waist, "Come to me, beloved". He let out a sigh of relief and nodded, bending to kiss her soft lips.
They explored each other, shyly at first, then with growing passion, their fear and uncertainty swept away by the trust they placed in each other and by their need. Afterwards, they lay entwined, her head on his chest and his arms around her, trying to catch their breath. And before sleep claimed him, while stroking her back and breathing in her light smell of wild roses, Anomen sent yet another prayer of thanks to Helm for having sent him to the Copper Coronet that fateful day.
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As soon as the sky was dark, the adventurers walked to the narrow path leading to Spellhold and found Sime waiting for them. "Ah, here you are! I hope you have good news for me". The Ilmatari nodded and showed her the wardstone, "Yes, we have the key to enter the asylum". The Shadow Thief relaxed, "Mask be praised. I will go and report to the Shadowmaster, then. Good luck, guys: I really hope you will save your friend". "Thank you, Sime. Good luck to you too".
The two women clasped hands, then the party moved onwards, until they found themselves in front of the big inlaid doors. Yoshimo checked the hinges and the treshold for traps and after his nod, Minsc and Anomoen pushed the doors open. The hall of Spellhold was wide, with a mosaic floor depicting a luxuriant tropical forest and big round columns of white marble lined the walls and supported the beautiful roof, on which was a big frescoe depicting a clear summer sky with multicoloured birds flying among the clouds.
All things considered, this place doesn’t look that bad, Margaret Dawn thought, but her attention snapped back to her surroundings when a figure approached them. It was a man, nearly as tall as she was, dressed in the typical robe of the Cowled Wizards and under the cloth, she could see the outline of his sculpted shoulders and arms.
"Welcome, visitors", he said, his voice calm and soothing, "I know why you are here...". "Then lead us to Imoen! We won’t accept any more delays!", Jaheira snapped, gripping her spear more tightly. The man nodded, "Of course, I will immediately lead you to her. Follow me, please", he said, pointing towards the corridor.
Meg shook her head, she knew who he was: his aura was unmistakable, she would have recognized that unique mixture of agonizing pain, rage, despair and hate everywhere. "Nice try, Jon", she commented and her companions started, while Irenicus lowered his cowl. "Ah, you’re perceptive, Child of Bhaal, just as I thought.
After all, you managed to discover the “Geas” and free my puppet from his strings", he added, gesturing towards Yoshimo, "Impressive, I have to admit it". The bounty hunter gritted his teeth, "I’m not your puppet anymore, you akuma! Now that I’m finally free from your spell, nothing will stop me from making you pay for what you did to all of us!", he snarled, his obsidian eyes burning with fury.
Jon shook his head, completely unimpressed, "You can get mad at me all you want, but your anger is useless. There will be no fight, no heroic deeds. Only sleep", he replied, then he said the triggering word and one by one, the adventurers fell to the floor, unconscious, as the spell component that Saemon had secretely put in their food during the journey did its job.
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Oyasuminasai = goodnight (Japanese/Kozakuran)
Akuma = devil, demon (Japanese/Kozakuran)
