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[Weyoun]

Writer's comment : Okay, this is part 2 and the conclusion of the 9th Vierna-story... Hope you like it.

 
Light in Darkness Conclusion
By Weyoun.

Vierna woke up with a start when she heard the sounds of fighting just outside her room. She jumped out of her bed and put her ear against the door. She could hear shouting downstairs and strange crashing sounds, as if people were being thrown around... and the fighting was getting closer to her room. Vierna opened the door and carefully peeked outside, just in time to see one of the guards, who had been fighting an unseen enemy around the corner, being flung into the wall with great force. Vierna realised that whoever did that was mightily strong and would probably hurt her... Wisely, she decided to close the door and hide under her bed, hoping the bad person would go away.

The door made a creaking sound when it was slowly opened. From under her bed, Vierna could only see two black boots and the bottom of a cloak. The owner of the set of black clothing moved slowly to the middle of the room, as if searching for something. An unnatural coldness eminated from the person, seemingly drawing all the warmth from the room. For one of few times in her life, Vierna was scared to death and whimpered softly when she buried her face in her little hands.

The boots walked towards her bed now, and, slowly, the person knelt. Vierna started to weep in fear, when she forced herself to look... Despite her fear, Vierna was drawn to her tormentor, especially her eyes...

her eyes...

her eyes...

"Momma!" Vierna cried in relief as she quickly crawled from under her bed and hugged her mother's leg. "I was so scared!"

A cold hand fondled Vierna's long white hair for a moment.

"Yes, child. It is I, your mother... I want you to come with me..."

---

Imoen quickly followed the trail of wounded soldiers, crushed walls and broken weapons to Vierna's room. She snuck towards the door, took a deep breath and then stormed inside.

She was unprepared for what she would find. A familiar woman, radiating extreme coldness, was standing near Vierna, who looked at the woman with a loving look in her eyes.

"Stay here a moment, dear child... I must take care of someone before we go..."

Vierna complied and sat down on her bed. As the woman slowly turned around, Imoen was shocked when she recognized her.

"You?!" Imoen said and quickly prepared a spell.

Imoen barely dodged a violent swipe of a hand with long, sharp fingernails. The nails cut into her abdomen like daggers. Still, had she hestitated only a moment, she would have been disemboweled.

Imoen stumbled into the back wall and fell to the floor. In an instant, the woman was upon her. She felt a cold hand with long fingernails grab her chin, forcing her to look into the eyes of the woman. Imoen found herself unable to move, speak of even scream when the woman chuckled and drained the life and magic out of her body...

---

Viconia was lost in thought while walking back to the keep. She hated to admit it, but there was wisdom in Savash's words... Why had Shar taken her under her wing? Mercy? Pity? That could not be... She had always thought it was simply because Shar had seen her potential... That Shar saw she could be a valuable addition to the ranks of her clergy... But now she doubted this. How could a frightened huddling female, stripped of all her powers, be of use to such a powerful goddess... Viconia pondered this again when she approached the lowered drawbridge... 'Lowered drawbridge?' She wondered. Then she noticed the snapped chains... And the body of Preax. Viconia sped into the courtyard and noticed the many fallen soldiers on the ground... The majority of them were still alive, though it seemed that whatever attacked the guards had drained them of their life-force. Even if she had enough 'Restoration'-spells at her disposal, these soldiers would still be in no condition to fight...

Suddenly, she heard a soft moan from behind her. Viconia turned around and noticed Alexandria slumped against the wall. The young woman seemed to be in a state of shock and gasped violently when Viconia grabbed her by the shoulders...

"What happened here, girl? TELL ME!" Viconia asked desperately.

Alexandria simply shivered and huddled against the wall. Viconia sighed, unclasped her cloak and wrapped it around the shivering girl to keep her warm.

'VIERNA!!' Viconia thought, and was filled with mortal dread. She drew her flail and quickly entered the keep through the smashed door. The place was a mess.

As she ran through the hallway she noticed a trail of drained people... Metigo the butler, Major Domo... All were still alive, albeit barely... It gave her some hope...

She stormed into her daughter's room and looked around. She felt as if an invisible hand had reached into her chest and ripped out her heart...

"V...Vierna?" She asked softy. "Ssinjin eoul? Where are you? Are you hiding?". 'Please let her be alive and well'.

A soft moaning alerted her to the presence of Imoen, lying in the corner of Vierna's room. She was alive, but her wounds were deep. Viconia immediately cast a healing spell to relieve her pain, and a then a restoration spell.

"What happened here?! TELL ME!" Viconia asked .

"Vierna... Vampire took her... to the temple..." Imoen managed to say, before losing consciousness...

---

"Milady. We cannay get insid'the temple, 'ere.." Barnaby said. About a dozen guards, who were not downed by the vampire's attack had nervously taken up positions at the temple entrance.

"Yon neckbiter has collapsed the entrance inside the keep and uses some sort o'magic hat-trick to keep us out. Young Lochinvar 'ere," He motioned to a young man lying unconscious on the ground. "Got himself fried, trying to enner t'ere..."

Viconia noticed many of the men and women here, were not particulary anxious to get inside to temple. They knew what was inside... Just waiting for them to enter... She was getting more desperate and angry with every passing moment. The life of her child was at stake! Why were these ibliths such cowards?!

"Come..." A voice cold as ice, called to Viconia from within the temple. She carefully walked towards the magical field. It seemed to let her pass without obstruction, yet she felt some of her hair being singed, when the field once again closed behind her.

Viconia held on to her flail in a firm grip and walked down the stairs, slowly sneaking inside... On the way down, she found two more guards... Gerios and Sisca. Both their throats had been slashed. The temple itself was unnaturally cold and filled with a damp fog. The air stank of death.

"VIERNA!" She called out when she saw her precious girl sitting on top of the altar, smiling at a female vampire kneeling before it.

Viconia snarled and ran towards the woman to attack her. But, before she could reach her intended victim, she crashed into an wall of magical energy and was then violently thrown across the room. As a dazed Viconia tried to get to her feet, the vampire stood up and slowly turned around...

"How rude of you to interupt my prayers..." The vampire mocked. "Welcome... It seems you have arrived early."

"H...Hayaxi?" Viconia asked. The Vampire-priestess Hayaxi was a stunningly beautiful woman. She had a slender frame and hair the color of ashes, accentuated by her pale skin. The two long and sharp fangs in her mouth, were her most prominent features though...

"I have many names and even more titles... Hayaxi will do for now..." The vampire said absentmindedly...

"Let Vierna go!" Viconia demanded.

"No..." Hayaxi simply said. "I don't think she wants to leave..."

Haxayi waved her hands and the magical field disappeared. "Go on then, little one..." She said.

"Vierna, come to me quickly!" Viconia tried. "Please, ssinjin eoul, before she hurts you!" She pleaded desperately.

Vierna looked at her mother with a blank look in her eyes and then ran towards Haxayi, to hide behind her...

"Don't let her take me, momma! I don't want the nasty lady to take me!" Vierna cried at Hayaxi. She might as well have torn the heart from Viconia's body with her words.

"Well. It appears she does not want to leave." Hayaxi mocked again.

"What have you done to her?!" Viconia asked, trying to hold back her tears.

"A simple charm... If it's any consolation, she does think I'm you..."

"Who are you really? Novices don't have this kind of power..." Viconia asked.

Hayaxi sighed and walked back to the altar. "You are very perceptive... If you are really that intent on using proper rank, Watcher, you may adress me as Flame of Darkness"

Viconia gasped. The Flames of Darkness were the Arch-priestesses of Shar and her personally trusted servants! They only took their orders from the Nightsinger herself!

"Why?..."

"Why did I pretend to be a novice? Come on... Secrecy is the Sharran way. Travelling as a novice doesn't attract too much attention to me... And what better way to observe my underlings." Hayaxi said

"That was not what I wanted to ask..."

"Ah, then you must have meant to ask, why I attacked your home and stole your child here?" Hayaxi said. Viconia grimaced as the vampire ran her cold hand through Vierna's hair.

"DON'T you ever touch her again, Elg'caress!" Viconia shouted.

"Don't push you luck, Drow!" Hayaxi snarled back at her. "The Nightsinger demands your obediance."

"You have strayed too far from the path, Watcher Viconia..." Hayaxi spat. "Recent developments have indicated this region could soon be of importance to our war-effort against the Selunites. The Flames feel this region, and the temple here should be run by someone of strong faith, someone we know we can rely upon."

"You can rely on me! I have always honored the Nightsinger!" Viconia said. "This isn't necessary. Let my daughter go!" Viconia asked hopefully.

"No, you have not! If you simply had done what was expected of you, all this would not have been necesary!" Haxayi began. "Or did you really think our Mistress of the Night accepted you because of your 'potential'?"

"What..? What are you talking about...?" Viconia stammered when the vampire adressed her doubts.

"Such a wretched thing you were... Whimpering under the open sky, huddled into a ball... Oh, yes I know... I was there when you had finally managed to shake your elven pursuers. And I was there when Shar first spoke to you, when you were so overcome with sadness, you were preparing to plunge your knife into your own chest..."

"I..." Viconia didn't know how to respond. She couldn't yet accept the fact that Shar had taken advantage of her... Thankfully, the vampire continued her tale.

"How much do you know about Alaundo, Watcher Viconia?"

"He... he was the sage who predicted the coming of the Time of Troubles." Viconia replied.

"Alaundo was no fool. He knew all about the Time of Troubles and the War between the Children. He also knew the outcome of this war. And he knew Gorion's ward would achieve the ultimate victory..." Hayaxi paced around the altar again...

"I don't know," Hayaxi said, while looking pensive. "Perhaps the clergy we assigned to analyse the prophecies misinterpreted the true meaning of this 'Ultimate Victory'. Or perphaps Alaundo's prophecies were simply self-fulfilling..."

"Will you finally tell me what all this has to do with my daughter?!" Viconia asked.

"Simple... Did you know that one of Alaundo's prophecies actually mentioned you? Not by name, of course, but your identity was hidden among vague descriptions. And you were not the only one... Many of the ones who travelled with Gorion's ward, were mentioned as well, but most were so obscured in the words, that their identies only became clear to us after the ultimate outcome..." Haxayi, seeing Viconia's confused look, sighed and continued her tale. "You are, or perhaps were, a creature of dark lusts. We petitioned the Nightsinger to accept you in her clergy, so we might further our plans... I argued with the other flames about keeping you in the dark. If we had given you a direct assignment instead, the outcome might have been different... But I was overruled."

"Assignment? What was it that was expected of me?!"

"You were expected to use your 'dark lusts' to influence Gorions ward to accept the powers of godhood, in the name of Shar. That way, the Nightsinger would gain a powerful new ally against the Selunites. Unfortunately, we were unaware that, the 'ultimate victory' Alaundo prophecied, would not be ascenscion to godhood, but simple survival... An oversight of our clergy perhaps, but that is of no consequence."

"Shar... Shar used me..." Viconia felt sick to her stomach as the reality of this statement sank in. "She used me..."

Haxayi laughed. "Your own haughty pride allowed us to do so. Or did you expect our Mistress of the Night to feel sorry for you? I don't think you were ever right for the Sharran faith anyway, especially after you fell in love with your quarry. It took quite some effort on my part to keep you on the right path as well."

"You manipulated me?"

"Yes... You weren't supposed to simply leave after your victory in Baldur's Gate. But it seemed, it was for the best. Did you know your lover roamed the Sword Coast looking for you, just before he was taken by the minions of the Fallen Elves." Hayaxi sighed again. "That was an unforseen occurence. Even with the aid of the powerful divinations of the Nightsinger it took us quite some time to locate Gorion's ward again. And all the time you were still in Beregost..."

Hayaxi smiled, showing her fangs glistening in the darkness. "And you had strayed from the path of Shar already... Roran Midfellow," Hayaxi smiled again when she noticed Viconia's discomfort. "Did you know, he really didn't care that you were a Drow and that he really wanted to be your friend? A few simple charms changed him and his sons' demeanor entirely, though."

"You... You allowed those males to violate me?" Viconia asked.

"No... I ordered them to do so... And you had your vengeance, like a true Sharran. It was a simple matter to prod you to go to the south. There, I alerted the Beshabans of your presence and you were to be excecuted, just as your lover entered the Government square..." Haxayi chuckled.

Viconia took a deep breath, taking the time to let Hayaxi's last statement sink in... "You still haven't explained what this all has to do with Vierna." 'Her daughter! She had to get her daughter away from this vampiric fiend'

"Is that right? Well, the end result of the war didn't really matter. Bhaal was still dead, so there was no extra competition for Shar... Nothing really changed... much. So no reprisals were taken... And because you had become a very powerful cleric, and raised a temple in her honor, Shar decided to offer you leniency. But now, with the threat of war, we require someone of strong faith if we are to use this keep as a staging area. And you... you hope... you love... We cannot have one who has strayed from the path as far a you have." Haxayi picked up Vierna and put her on the altar. She noticed her appearance had changed. "A penance must be exacted. Once you have learned the true meaning of loss, you will be allowed to remain in the service of Shar."

"No! Not HER! Curse you and curse Shar!" Viconia shouted and launched herself towards the vampire priestess, preparing to attack with her flail. Her fiendish foe was prepared however, and, with the aid of a spell, savagely shoved the Drow backwards. Viconia wouldn't be defeated this easily, though and prepared a 'sunray' spell. As soon as the spell was supposed to go off, the magic fizzled in her hands.

"It's quite easy to 'miscast' magic, when I've cast one of my own spells on you first." Hayaxi chuckled.

No longer having access to usable spells, Viconia pulled out her flail again and stormed at the vampire. Hayaxi simply smiled as she cast another spell at the Drow. Suddenly, Viconia found herself unable to move...

"I do have a heart, Drow. Even though some claim I do not. Your child will never know what sent her to the next world."

Viconia wanted to scream, to move, to kill the Elg'Caress with all her fury. But she found herself not even able to cry as Hayaxi placed her hand on her daughter's chest and started to drain the very life out of her...

---

Hayaxi felt the young girl's life-force ebbing into her body. Ah, young innocent children were perhaps the most delectable of treats of all he meals this world had to offer... The vampire closed her eyes as she savored every bit of the precious sustanance. Suddenly, she felt something sharp enter the hand she was using to drain the girl. She opened her eyes and removed the offending foreign object. It was a throwing dagger, engraved with the symbol of Selune...

"Hayaxi!!" A young woman cried from the entrance of the temple. "I am Savash Cloudsilk. Crusader of Our Lady of Silver. For your countless atrocities against the Selunites and their allies. For the massacres at our temples in Luskan, Waterdeep and Neverwinter. For the murder of over sixhundred of our ranks, I sentence you to death!!"

"I am already dead... And you forgot the 56 dead Selunites in Calimport..." Hayaxi smiled. "The Nightsinger graciously grants me revenge on the living."

"As Shar's personal assassin..." Savash continued.

"Guilty as charged. I will gladly provide you with a full account if you just tell me how far you want me to go back." Hayaxi chuckled. "By the way, aren't you a little young to be a crusader?"

"I've trained and prepared all my life for this confrontation!" Savash threatened, while brandishing three stakes, blessed by the three Goddesses standing by her this night.

"Then yours has been a tragic waste of a life..." Hayaxi smiled. "Do you have any idea how often I have heard your words? I'm still here, and my would-be slayers are all dead."

"I will not fail!" Savash tried, but Hayaxi chuckled when she heard the nervousness in the young half-elf's voice.

Without warning, Hayaxi made the first move. She released her spell and a magical wave of pure destruction moved across the temple, crushing most of the objects in its path. Savash shrieked, but managed to erect a magical barrier around herself, just in time to keep her from being ripped apart. Savash was still knocked off her feet when the wave hit. She slowly opened her eyes and noticed Hayaxi was no longer were she had stood before. Realisation kicked in and she quickly rolled away from her position, just in time to avoid Hayaxi, seconds before the vampire would have snapped her neck like a twig. Savash jumped to her feet and moved to kick Hayaxi against the solar plexus. The vampire was one step ahead of her, though, and caught her leg. The next thing Savash knew, was that the was lying on the ground again.

"Impressive move. Studied in Kara-Tur?" Hayaxi mocked.

Savash gritted her teeth and grabbed one of the stakes to drive it into the Vampire's chest. Hayaxi was prepared for that move as well and grabbed the crusader's arm. With one hand, Hayaxi shattered the stake and with her other hand, she crushed Savash's wrist. Savash cried in agony and was violently thrown into the wall. Through her pain, she managed to attain the concentration for a healing spell. Relief soared though her body as shattered bones and torn flesh became whole once more...

Savash grabbed another stake and threw it at Hayaxi, who deftly caught it and flung it towards the altar. Another wave of death and destruction was headed towards Savash now, and she managed to dodge the wave as it crashed into the wall behind her, causing one of the large obsidian arches to collapse. Savash cast a flamestrike on Hayaxi. She sent a raging pillar of flame towards her nemesis, but the crafty Sharran blinked out of sight again, just before the spell took effect. A second arch fell, and this time, Savash could not dodge it. Pieces of rock fell on top of her, pinning her down. Utter despair set in when Hayaxi looked down upon the fallen crusader.

"Impressive. You've held out longer than most... Rest assured, I will also take care of your 'sisters' as soon as I have feasted on your warm blood!".

Hayaxi suddenly felt a strange sensation explode in her chest... Was it pain? She could barely remember how it felt. Hayaxi looked over her shoulder to the altar. The child was gone!... And so was the Drow!

"Looking for me?" Viconia mocked from behind her.

Hayaxi looked down at her chest and noticed the blessed stake, piecing her heart.

"Wha... How???" She managed to gasp before streams of searing agony were lancing into her black heart. For the first in over a thousand years, Hayaxi felt heat... and fear...

"No... this cannot..." She glanced at the holy symbol of Shar.

"You... you promised to protect me!" Hayaxi screamed before she exploded in countless particles of dust...

Viconia limped back to a niche in the wall and gently pulled Vierna to her chest. Her daughter felt so cold and she was barely breathing...

"Don't worry, little one. Momma's here..." She cooed and prepared to cast a restoration spell. But... the magic wouldn't flow. In fact, she felt all the magic and power being pulled from her body. This only seemed all too similar to what happened in the Underdark so many years ago. Shar had abandonned her...

"No! Not now!" She cried in desperation. "Let me heal my child!"

"Let me help..." A soft voice called behind her.

"KEEP AWAY FROM HER!" Viconia screamed and pulled Vierna out of Savash's reach...

"Please..." Savash tried. "I only want to help..."

Seeing she had no other choice, she handed Vierna to Savash. As soon as Savash had used her necklace to cast spell of restoration, color and warmth returned to Vierna's cheeks. Viconia took her precious child in her arms and hugged her tightly.

"Momma?" She asked weakly.

"Momma's here, little one..." Viconia whispered through her tears of joy.

---

Viconia woke in her bed. It was morning and the sunlight was warming her body. 'Perhaps this was all some sort of horrible nightmare' She thought, but when she felt the aching pain in her body, she knew it was all very real, and Shar had truly abandonned her.

"Good morning." Karis murmered with a sleepy voice. He was sitting beside her on the bed, holding her hand, which he had been doing ever since he found both her and Vierna asleep inside the ruined temple and carried them to bed.

"Vierna?" Viconia asked weakly.

"She's fine... Imoen said Vierna has stolen the entire cookie-jar from the kitchen and had Olma chase her around the keep." Karis chuckled. "She got away with all the cookies, though."

Viconia was relieved to hear Vierna was back to her old self again. "Does she..."

"No. She doesn't remember a thing about what happened last night. Funny though, neither do I."

Viconia groaned when she tried to get out of bed.

"Hey, hey... lay down. You've been through a lot. Savash told me what happened. The priestesses have resurrected and restored everyone, so, miraculously, there were no casualties. Cernick wants some extra training for the soldiers to avoid similar assaults, though. But I don't think it could have made a difference."

Viconia nodded. Hayaxi was simply too powerful.

"The temple has been completely destroyed, but miraculously, most of the artworks survived. The servants are putting them in storage for you as we speak..." Karis said.

"Shar... She has... I... I am nothing now." She stammered as the reality of the situation sank in once more.

"Don't say that... Whatever happens, you'll always have me and Vierna..." Karis smiled at her.

Viconia smiled briefly. Her daughter was alive and her lover was at her side. Perhaps things were not as bad as they seemed.

"Have ever thought about changing your profession?" Karis asked. "Okay, okay. Bad idea..."He said after Viconia gave him an odd look.

"I've been a Cleric all my life, Karis. I don't know how to be anything else... But what goddess would have me now. Me, who has betrayed two..." Viconia said sadly.

"That reminds me. The three high-priestesses we've met yesterday wanted me to give you a message. They want you and Vierna to stop by this evening. It seems they want to make you an offer. But... rest now. I'll bring you some breakfast. And how about a nice massage?"

"Hmmm..." She purred. "That sounds wonderful. My body feels like one big bruise..."

"It's a promise then." He said. Karis kissed her on the lips and then left for the kitchen. A few moments later, Viconia noticed Vierna sneak into the room. Her daughter had crumbs sticking on her face and was looking behind her to see if she had been followed. Vierna approached her mother and sheepishly hid the cookie-jar behind her back.

"Hey, there ssinjin eoul." She called. "Why are you lugging around an empty cookie-jar?"

"Urmmm. What cookie-jar?" Vierna lied.

Viconia chuckled. "The one you are hiding behind your back!"

"Urmmm. There isn't a cookie-jar there!" Vierna lied again.

"You're not in trouble, little one. Put it down and come here." Viconia said. Vierna complied and approached her mother, who pulled her into a fierce embrace.

"I almost lost you..." A tear rolled over her cheek.

"Don't cry momma! Is it because I've been bad? I promise I'll never do it again!" Vierna said, trying to keep her mother from weeping.

"Oh, no, no. It's not you. I was thinking of... of..."

"Is it Shar? Daddy told aunty Imoen, who told me. I think she's a mean, old stupid goddess for not wanting you. You're the best momma in the world!" Vierna said angrily. Viconia smiled sadly and hugged Vierna again.

---

"Remember. Whatever you decide to do, I'll support you." Karis said. "I'll wait here, if you need me."

Viconia smiled at her love and took Vierna by the hand. Together they walked to the clearing in the woods, where the priestesses greeted them. While Vierna ran towards the food (and the candy) in the food-court, several priestesses in the circle invited Viconia to join them.

---

"So," A scarred male elf said. "Your destiny had been fulfilled."

"So it seems." Savash replied.

"I trust the deal will be honored." The scarred elf said, with a hint of a threat.

"Yes, yes, yes. Regardless of what decision Viconia makes, Eilistraee will protect them both from Lolth and Selune will see to it they will be kept safe from Shar as well." Savash began. "And any of the Ladies will be happy to accept Viconia into their clergy. A cleric as powerful as her, would be quite an asset."

"Good..."

"Do not worry. The Ladies are very grateful for your assistance. Hayaxi's demise will cripple the Sharran war-effort for decades, maybe even centuries, but how did you know she would come here?"

"Hayaxi? Is that how she called herself these days? Shadowstalker, appropiate for vermin like her." The elf sighed. "Well, let's just say Hayaxi was a lot older than you Selunites thought she was."

"Why did you do all this? Why did you call in all those favors the gods owed you? Why did you risk the anger of Shar by tipping us off where to find Hayaxi. For the Drow?"

"No, not for her... For the kid! She deserves to live and not to be killed by the likes of Vari... I mean, Hayaxi."

The elf grinned at Savash. "Neither the kid or even you, were ever in any real danger..."

"You were there! You were in the temple when Hayaxi..." Savash realized.

"Well, who do you think dispelled Viconia's paralysis. Who do you think lifted that arch off your legs? And who do you think influenced the kid to find your holy circle in the first place? And I kept watch over Hayaxi at all times. Even when she was chasing the kid through the woods! And I would have intervened if the vamp tried to pull anything... But this way, It is the kid's mom who won the favor of your three lovely Ladies, and not me..."

Savash chuckled. "We're all winners in every which way..."

The elf chuckled."Well, except if you're called Shar, kid." Then he glared at her again. "Just see to it that your Ladies keep their end of the bargain. And that you don't tell the little one's mother! She doesn't seem the type that likes to be manipulated!"

That said, the scarred elf walked into the forest, leaving a puzzled Savash behind.

---

While Vierna danced happily in the holy circle with the remaining priestesses and Viconia was quietly taking to Yathi and Ysolde, a gust of wind moved through the woods as a gigantic red dragon took off to fly back to his lair...