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1. The End is the Beginning


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#1 Guest_Oryx_*

Posted 12 November 2002 - 04:51 PM

1. The End is the Beginning

4 FLAMERULE 1100
THE ABYSS

“I choose a mortal life.”

“WOOHOO!” Lilacor the (questionably) sentient sword screamed from the soon-to-be-ex-Bhaalspawn’s back. “WE MAKE A GREAT TEAM! MORE KILLING AND SLASHING AND HACKING! YEAH SMITE THAT EVIL SMITE IT YEAH!!” In the next sheath, Carsomyr’s holy aura briefly reddened as if with embarrassment for two-handed swords everywhere.

Solar looked nonplussed but mustered her dignity and spoke. “Very well, Bhaalchild, a mortal you shall henceforth be.”

Columns of white light enshrouded the six adventurers, filling their senses and souls with feelings of purity and peace as the chilling presence of the Abyss faded.

Minsc felt as a child when he had first learned to swim, and Boo gave a soft hamster-purr from his pocket. Minsc thought to himself, as surely did Boo, at last the evil butts have kicked beyond repair. There are other bad people out there, but for now, hamster and rangers everywhere shall rejoice!

Nalia felt as a child when she had first sneaked some leftovers from a banquet to her maids. She thought to herself, we could not save Saradush, but surely we saved the rest of Amn from destruction at the hands of the Bhaalspawn and Melissan. At last, I have found why trudging around in dungeons and forests, why fighting and warring, help the less fortunate.

Imoen felt as a child, an eternal child, when she had first played a prank on her brother by furtively filching something from him. She thought to herself, at last it is over. I’ll never again be that innocent girl wandering around Candlekeep or up and down the Sword Coast with by brother and our companions, but finally we are free again to journey as we please, and get into what mischief or merriment we may.

Jaheira felt as a child, before being orphaned by murderous revolutionaries, when she had first wandered out into nature and played with a bunny rabbit. She thought to herself, surely as a goddess, a risen Lady of Murder, Melissan would have laid waste to the flora and fauna of the land as well as to the sentient races, as I realize every time I think of the scorched wasteland that was left of Saradush’s environs. My charge and I argued bitterly these last months over whether a balance of good and evil was indeed a balance of nature and we watched ourselves be driven apart, which I know has been painful for us both. I feel that I struggle still with questions of the balance within my very head.

Aerie felt as a child, before falling from the heavens, when she had first flown through the sky by herself, feeling free in every way. She thought to herself, now at last I feel free. Before I was a slave, the innocent felt like freedom but once lost, never could again. Quayle freed me once, but I only felt yet chained to the ground. Now, at last, I am a free person, I am free of imminent danger to myself, my love, my friends, and my unborn child, and finally I truly feel free, for I no longer feel longing for my wings. The adventure, friendship, and love I have found on the land have replaced them. I have never been so overjoyed; I will lead a happy life and work to free others too.

Onyx felt as a child, wandering with his sister outside Candlekeep, before he had begun to journey further from its walls in search of kobolds to slay, feeling both righteous resolve and furious wrath when he struck them down. He thought to himself, I feel as a child born of these two fathers. The taint that always whispered to but never corrupted me is gone. Still I feel both the calm and the fury. One side wishes only to live peacefully among my friends and with my fiancé and soon our child. The other side wishes only to hunt evil and pursue justice for unavenged wrongs and to rejoice in the rightful smiting. These are the entwined legacies of my fathers, Gorion and Bhaal.

**********

4 FLAMERULE 1200
OUTSIDE AMKETHRAN

In the desert outside Amkethran, it was high noon. Two figures, wearing white and black wide-brimmed hats respectively, faced each other from twenty paces apart, fingers wiggling just above the hand-crossbow-sheathes at their hips. A lone tumbleweed blew past between them, bouncing across the dusty sand, as they stared one another down.

"I am tha terro' of Tethyr! You'll never take me in, Sir Joneleth Wayne!" cried the black-hatted man and spat a wad of tobacco onto the ground, some of it clinging to his handlebar moustache.

"Yer a-gonna hang fer bein a no-good outlaw, William of Kidd!" declared the white-hatted man.

In a flash, the men drew and fired. Each clutched his chest and fell to the ground. But the white-hatted man stood a few minutes later, and let the top of an iron stove fall out from under his shirt.

"Serves ya right, ya scoundrel," he quipped, whistled for and mounted his horse, and rode off into the sunset.

A few minutes later, six columns of light descended upon the desert. They vanished and only the party remained, healed of its wounds from the last battle. They turned to face one another, each trying to speak but thinking of nothing truly appropriate to say, each breaking into a wide smile, and finally all six closing in the circle in a group hug and gales of laughter.

“We did it!” Imoen shouted first. “I can’t believe it!”

“I thought we were going to die!” Aerie squealed. “This is amazing!”

“I never doubted any of us!” Onyx chuckled and scoops his sister and lover up in an arm each.

“Minsc and Boo were fearless too and all tales shall be spun that righteousness won!” the ranger danced while being handed his witch by his paladin friend. “And all our witches blasted evil to pieces!” he laughed and effortlessly hoisted up Nalia in his other arm.

Nalia smiled calmly. “I’m just glad we saved the people of this land from it.”

“And don’t forget the land itself,” Jaheira added. She was then the first to interrupt the moment of levity. “So…what now?”

The other five looked around at the desert.

“Well, I’m beat,” Aerie sighed contentedly as Minsc let her down and she backed up to Onyx. “Why don’t we rest for a little while?” she suggested while taking his hand.

“Amkethran is not so far that way!” Minsc pointed at the easily visible edge of the city.

“We could pay Balthezar a visit,” Onyx mused. “Things…ended amicably enough between us, I think.”

“Well, it’s settled,” Nalia agreed whilst catching a large smile from Imoen and a modest nod of approval from Jaheira.

After only a few minutes of walking, they had come within a stone’s throw of the gates of the monastery, and Balthezar and somehow become aware of their approach and walked out to greet them.

“My fellow former Bhaalchild and his companions are indeed alive,” he betrayed a hint of expectant happiness in his calm voice. “I have been expecting you. Please honor us with your presence at a simple feast in honor of your victory.”

The other five were taken aback by the dispassionate monk’s friendliness as Onyx and Balthezar shook hands. Despite having nearly killed each other in battle only the day before, the no-longer-Bhaalspawns had made a solemn peace pact. Even so, with Onyx having already ceded the throne, Balthezar simply had no more reason to be at odds with him.

They party members were shown to their quarters. Nalia, still a tad suspicious, cast a wizard eye to look over their belongings while they shed their battle gear and went to wash their clothes and bathe. They reemerged for dinner feeling far more refreshed than they had in months.

The dinner that evening was laid out in the monastery’s central chamber upon low tables surrounded by pillows, to be eaten in cross-legged chairless fashion. True to the monastic tradition, the food was not extravagant, but satisfying and nourishing, and left one feeling far healthier than the most elegant Athkatla feast would have.

"OHHHH HOT!!!!!" a certain Rashemanian ranger, who shall remain nameless, exclaimed as he literally bit off more than he could chew of a spicy dish. He went berserk and began running around and trying to spit it out; eventually required half a dozen monks to tackle and restrain him while pouring milk in his mouth. "Ah....that is much better!"

“My friend and sibling,” Balthazar began to Onyx in a quiet, unassuming tone only the paladin could hear, “I thought of much as I gazed up the starry sky last night. I believe that I have at last learned well the meaning of good."

Onyx nodded. “I detected the very same upon first seeing you today.”

“I understood you did from your lack of surprise at my demeanor. But I’m afraid I will carry my guilt with me always; a reminder never to make the same mistakes again.”

“You did what you thought was right. Many opposed me for good reasons, not believing I had mastered our taint. Your monastic beliefs, I understand, might justify means that paladinic ethics might not."

“It is good that you have drawn such a contrast, for I now wish to address that issue in what I believe will be a most practical matter. I have had the idea of creating a Monastic Guard of monks and paladins to watch over this city and purge it from corruption, crime, and lawlessness.”

“A noble idea. A successful endeavor would doubtless attract many settlers and merchants.”

“Precisely; I wish not only to give a better life to those living here, but provide an option for such a better life to those elsewhere.”

“I expect many in Athkatla would seize such an opportunity, there is much work to be done there and I believe at least one of my companions means to do something about it. Upon returning to the city, I will notify the Order of your plans; I believe there are more than a few paladins there who would serve this new cause.”

“Let us toast then, to good and justice, which may yet be the ultimate legacy of the spawn of Bhaal.”

**********

5 FLAMERULE 0600
OUTSIDE AMKETHRAN

The party left at dawn the next day, heading northwest toward Athkatla. The desert gradually gave way to grasslands with scattered forests. Minsc was scouting a few hundred paces ahead, Onyx held hands with Aerie, who was chatting incessantly with Imoen and Nalia, and Jaheira trudged off to their side a bit.

As Minsc disappeared over a hill, the rest of the party heard a “YOU BITE BUM OF MINSC YOU MAKE MINSC AND BOO VERY MAD!!!!” echo from the other side. Jaheira polymorphed into a wolf and dashed ahead quickly to him while the other four ran. Before the four reached the hill, the druid had disappeared over the other side and soon reemerged a human at its crest, alongside Minsc and a newly charmed bobcat.

“False alarm!” Jaheira yelled and the other four returned to a walk. She turned to continue alongside Minsc, well ahead of the rest of the group. The two walked in silence for awhile.

“Hey, Belm baby, nice curves,” Lilacor, now on Minsc’s back, called to Jaheira’s scimitar. “Whaddaya say we duel? There’s plenty of room in this sheath for two, you know.”

“Hey, Lile,” Jaheira reprimanded, “just because Belm moves fast doesn’t mean she’s easy.”

“Just gets lonely, you know,” Lilacor sighed. “I tried talking to Backrazor, but hooboy, she’s a real mean one! She’s eeeeeeeeevil!”

Jaheira sighed. “I just don’t get it. After his sister filched Blackrazor off that djinni, the paladin was more than happy to wield an evil blade in one hand and a holy weapon in the other, and for awhile I thought he might actually finally be getting the idea of balance. I tried to tell him how happy I was, but then he just started preaching about destroying evil with evil.”

“He is so smart!” Minsc beamed, seeming oblivious to Jaheira’s mood. “He says that we do twice the good when evil is not destroyed, but turned against more evil! Isn’t that right, Boo?” A high-pitched “mmm-hmmm” squeak sounded from the ranger’s pocket.

“But that’s exactly the problem!” Jaheira nearly screamed. “He just wants to go around destroying! It puts him on the same level as Sarevok!”

“No no, druid lady!” Minsc spoke up and poked a finger into the air. “We are forces of righteousness and destroy only evil!”
“But that just starts the cycle over again,” Jaheira sighed. “You rangers and paladins just never understand.” She fell to thought and walked in silence alongside Minsc, who made only occasional trivial remarks to his hamster. The childish Rashemanian's obliviousness angered her almost as much as the cavalier paladin's arrogance.

The ranger perked up when he heard a horn sound in the distance.

“Hey, that sounds like…” Nalia smiled, further back, as Minsc’s horn suddenly cut her off with a responding blast of its own. Within a few minutes of walking, the other horn sounded, much closer, and Minsc sounded his again. A figure popped out of some nearby trees and ran toward them.

“It’s Valygar!” Nalia laughed happily as the two rangers met and gave one another slaps on the back. They slowed down and fell back, alongside Jaheira who dragged behind, or technically ahead, of them.

The stalker gave Onyx, Aerie, Imoen and Nalia each increasingly affectionate hugs, after which he sheepishly pulled back his somewhat unkempt dreadlocks. “Word is just reaching Athkatla of your victory!” he congratulated them. “I thought I’d find you along this road.”

“You…were in Athkatla?” Nalia frowned in concern. “Aren’t you still…at the ire of the Cowled wizards?” The noble-blooded pair each wrinkled their noses at the last words.

Valygar gave an edgy smirk. “Briefly, I hadn’t been back since we left together to seek the statue of Amaunator.”

Onyx put his arm over Aerie and held her tight at the reference. He offered his other hand to the stalker who shook it. “Thanks again for helping us…rout Bodhi.” He said solemnly, the real reason they’d had to enlist his help implicitly understood.

“Always, my friend, for such a noble quest.” Valygar nodded politely. “And besides, it was the least I could do after you helped me at the Sphere.”

“Anything new happen with it?”

“Nah, I’ve locked it to keep those infernal wizards from tampering with it, but I don’t really know what to do with it myself.”

“Oh Val, I was really hoping to see you again, to, um, ask you about that,” Nalia chimed in. “I was thinking we,” she also shot Aerie and Imoen quick glances to suggest their inclusion in the plural, “could maybe figure out the magical workings of it. There must be some way we could put it to good use.”

“Come with us back to Candlekeep!” Imoen exclaimed, snaking an arm around her brother’s and glancing at him and his bride. “If you’re going to find stuff on constructs like that anywhere, it’ll be there!”

“I appreciate your interest,” Valygar smiled at Nalia, “but you have your keep to rightfully win back, and weren’t you toying with the idea of politics?”

“You remembered!” Nalia beamed. “Yeah, I’ll have to stay in Athkatla, but I’ll be able to look at the Sphere with you.”

“I’ll keep an eye out for something helpful!” Imoen chimed. “And if I send you a book from Candlekeep, don’t worry about the due date!” the thief winked.

Jaheira walked silently beside them all, wondering what she was going to do with the next few weeks, indeed with the rest of her life.

“So, just out this way? Or just stop by to catch us and say hi?” Onyx asked Valygar with friendly sarcasm, sensing a purpose to the stalker’s having found them.

“Yes, it’s a bit of a long story, but we seem to have the time,” Valygar began. “I was up in my cabin in the hills, and another ranger who stopped by informed be that a circus was stopping by in Trademeet, one that, rumor has it, uses slaves.” Aerie shuddered and Onyx gripped his love even tighter. “I went into town to inspect it, and found more than I bargained for. Apparently, they were actually buying several score more while in town!”

“From whom?” Onyx demanded.

“I don’t know. I spied on them, but they kept avoiding proper names. I even kidnapped a few of them, but they didn’t know anything.”

“Where’s the circus going next?” Onyx asked.

“Beregost.” Valygar answered. Onyx almost changed course midstride, but Valygar added, “Don’t go after them alone. I went to report to the Vigilant Hawk Ranger Lodge outside Athkatla. They and - allied organizations - have more information on the circus and the slave trade. In fact, it was Keldorn Firecam from the Order who sent me here to request that you come see him.”

“Very well. It’s practically on the way.” Onyx nodded.

“Onyx! We agreed to take a break from this sort of thing!” Aerie piped up.

Onyx sighed. “I know, but I should at least talk to Keldorn about it. Aerie, fighting slavery is exactly the sort of thing we’ve decided to continue to do.”

“I know,” Aerie sighed. “I feel strongly about that, but right now? When will we ever get a break?”

“She’s got a point,” Imoen added, “I mean, there are tons of adventurers to be recruited, especially,” she broke into a wide grin, “with all the tales of us starting to float through the taverns!”

“Drunken novices,” Jaheira dismissed them. “This is a worthy cause, though I might caution against overzealousness. Slavery is a much larger battle than this, an evil that’s just part of the natural world, and we shouldn’t feel obligated.”

“A very worthy cause indeed,” Nalia agreed, “but one that must indeed be overcome eventually!” she disagreed. “I can’t stand the thought of all those poor helpless people in bondage,” she shot a patronizing look at Aerie. “But, my friends, this is the sort of reason I want to change Athkatla itself, and I feel I can be most valuable in a council building, not on the road.”

Onyx frowned at the lukewarm responses of his companions. He smiled when he heard a shout of “Minsc will kick the butts of slavers and slaveholders everywhere! Evil circuses beware the sword of Minsc!” An inquisitive squeak came from his pocket. “Oh, and the bite of Boo!”

“Well,” Valygar mediated, “we’ve still got a number of hours on the road to think about it, and we’ll get more information in Athkatla. So, tell me about the epic battle against the Bhaalspawn!”




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