Jump to content


Chapter 11


  • Please log in to reply
No replies to this topic

#1 Guest_Jover_*

Posted 03 December 2002 - 02:38 AM

Chapter 11

Jover led the companions over to where the dry-docked ship rested. Parts of the ship had long ago been converted into a more conventional building, but many of it's features still looked like they belonged at sea.

"Minsc is curious, why would people have a ship sitting in the middle of the city?"

"Trying to find reason in the minds of city dwellers." Jaheira said. "Even you should know better than that Minsc."

"I only see one guard up there." Jover said, looking up the steps that led up to the deck. "Lets take care of him and get inside so we can find the children."

"Children? What bloody children?" Korgan asked.

"The ones being held hostage inside there." Jaheira said. "Our goal is to rescue them."

"An' what be the reward for the return of the wee ones?" Korgan asked, rubbing his hands together.

"Korgan, I told you we're not doing this for gold." Jover said. "These children are being used to force their parents into slavery."

"Bloody hell!" Korgan swore. "I didn’t know you was a bunch a bleedin’ heroes, this could ruin me reputation."

"If you want out of our deal dwarf, say so now." Jover said. "But you’ll be losing out on your share of any valuables the slavers may have hidden in there."

"Nay.. nay.. I be needin’ the gold." Korgan said, feeling his empty coin purse. "An' criminals always be havin’ the best loot anyways."

"Minsc get your bow lets.. wait.. where is Aerie?" Jover asked, looking for the elf.

The companions had just started to look around when the guard suddenly came tumbling down the stairs to land unconscious at their feet. Looking up they saw Aerie walking down the stairs with a small smile on her face.

"How?" Jover asked looking at the guard, then at Aerie.

"I used an invisibility spell to sneak up there and then I tripped him." Aerie said, with a hint of pride.

"A spell, here in Athkatla where all magic is strictly regulated." Jaheira said, stepping towards the Avariel "Why did you not tell us you had a license to use magic."

"I.. I wasn’t sure that I did." Aerie said, backing away. "Quayle has one that covers everybody with the circus, so I.. I took a chance that it still included me."

"That was foolish risk, you could have brought the Cowled Wizards down upon us." Jaheira said, shaking her head. "You must be more careful child."

"Minsc thinks it was very brave of our witch to strike against evil all by herself." Minsc said, smiling at Aerie.

"Your're both right." Jover said, as he knelt to check the guard’s condition. "You did good Aerie, but warn us before going off on your own so we can be ready."

"Is.. is he dead?" Aerie asked, looking at the guard.

"Not yet." Jover said, taking a set of keys from the guard's belt, then dragging the slaver's body into the shadows under the stairs to make sure he would never hurt anyone else.

After they had gathered at the top of the stairs Jover quietly unlocked the door, hoping to maintain the small element of surprise they had. Luckily the entrance way was empty, but they could hear voices coming from the room just around the corner.

**

"All I'm saying is that we should be getting a bigger cut, we're the ones taking the risks. All that noble brat does is bark orders."

"You better not let Captain Haegan hear you talk like that, he thinks Roenal is on to something big and he's determined to be part of it."

**

Jover motioned for everyone to follow him only to be stopped by Jaheira's hand on his arm. Silently she handed a small bottle filled with a glowing orange liquid to Jover, who recognized the 'potion of explosions' and looked at Jaheira questioningly.

"Bernard gave me a few potions he lifted from Lehtinan's private stash." Jaheira whispered.

Jover grinned at the druid before waving his companions back and then he calmly walked around the corner that led to the next room. In the moments before he was spotted Jover quickly looked to make sure no children were in the room.

"Hey! Who the hell are you?" A guard yelled, pointing at Jover.

The all of the guards jumped to their feet as Jover hurled the potion bottle into the room and dived back around the corner. The roar of the explosion shook the ship as a massive fireball scorched the adjoining room. Before the smoke could clear the companions rushed forward, managing to cut down the few guards who still lived just as second group of slavers, alerted by the blast, came charging up the steps that led down to the hold.

Minsc grabbed a large shield from the floor and charged to the stairwell. His size and great strength were enough to hold back most of the slaver guards, but a few managed to get past him. As Korgan roared a battle cry and charged at the enemy, Jover spotted a mage among the guards and ran forward desperate to stop the man from using any magic to aid the slavers. Jaheira and Aerie having quickly cast their protective magic, started two new spells to help in the fight.

Jover and the mage he was fighting both reacted in surprise as the mage's defensive shield suddenly disappeared allowing Jover's sword to slice deep into the man’s chest. Blocking the attack of another slaver, Jover risked a glance at Minsc who was now struggling to hold back the larger group of slavers at the stairs. After his opponent was thrown to the floor by Aerie’s magic missile spell, Jover turned and signaled to Jaheira and before yelling. "Fallback! Minsc! Korgan! Retreat now!"

Jaheira summoned a horde of insects into the room to cover their retreat and slow the charging guards. She then turned to Aerie and whispered instructions in her ear.

Minsc gave one last mighty shove pushing the knot of guards backwards down the stairway, then turned and ran back towards Jover. "Korgan go!" Jover yelled, slashing at one of the guards Korgan was fighting.

"Nay!" the dwarf yelled back, as he attacked another slaver. "Yer a bunch o' bleedin’ cowards, Korgan Bloodaxe don’t run from a fight!"

Jover slamed the hilt of his sword against the dwarf's head and he and Minsc grabbed the stunned Korgan and quickly dragged him back towards the first room, where Aerie was waiting. As soon her companions were clear she cast a cloud of poisonous gas into the room that held the guards. Most of the slavers died quickly, only few managed to struggle through the gas and they were met by Jover and Minsc who granted them the mercy of a quick death by sword.

The companions stopped briefly to heal their injuries and wait for the poisonous cloud to clear.

After being healed by Jaheira, Korgan stood rubbing his head "Damned bloody back fighters, what hit me?"

"I did." Jover said.

"You!" Korgan said reaching for his axe. "Ye bloody long-limbed…"

"When I give an order Korgan, it's for a good reason." Jover said calmy, pointing at the room full of dead slaver guards. "Would rather I left you in there fighting with them."

Korgan didn’t say anything in reply, but did lower his axe which Jover thought was about as nice a gesture as the dwarf was able to make.

After making their way down the stairs into the ship's hold and finding no other guards, the companions quickly went to a heavy wooden door that was locked. Jover used the keys he had taken to open it, inside the room was a sight that stunned even the battle-hardened members of the group. The children were so closely huddled together it was hard to tell how many there were at first glance. What could be clearly seen though was how badly they had been treated. All of them were bone thin and filthy, with only rags for clothing. Some showed obvious signs of even worse abuse that had been done to them.

"We.. we are here to help you." Jaheira said, stepping forward.

The children cringed and tried to move further away backing into a corner of the small room. Some started crying others just stared blankly waiting for whatever new horror that was about to happen to them.

"Such evil!!!" Minsc yelled suddenly, causing everyone to start. "To lock little children away in cages! Children should be free to run and play in the sun, like hamsters! Minsc and Boo will hunt these evil men down and…"

"Minsc shut up! Jaheira back off, you're just scaring them." Jover said, speaking more harshly than he had ever done with his friends.

"I seen an' done a lot o' bloody terrible things in me life." Korgan muttered to himself, looking at one of the little girls. "But nay anythin' like this."

"Steady." Jover said, unsure if he was speaking to the others or himself.

From the moment she saw the children Aerie began to cry, one look at the fear in their little faces took her back to the CAGE and what another group of slavers had done to her so long ago. She wanted to turn and run far away from this place, but instead she found herself slowly walking to the middle of the small room. Acting on an instinct she didn't know she possessed Aerie knelt and pulled a water skin from her pack, silently offering it to one of the larger children who was standing in front of the others. The boy who looked to be about ten years old stared at the water and licked his lips, but was too afraid to even reach out his hand. Aerie took a sip of the water herself to show it was safe then offered it again to the child. The boy slowly edged forward and reached out a shaking hand to take the water, then quickly backed away to the other children. Taking only a small sip, the boy then handed the skin to a girl who poured water into the mouth of a smaller girl she held in her arms, before taking a drink herself and then passing the water along another child.

Seeing a chance to gain the children's trust, the other companions quickly placed whatever water and food that was in their packs next to where Aerie sat.

"Children.. we.." Aerie paused, trying to control her voice. "We were sent here to free you... your mothers sent us... Please let us help you.."

The children all looked to the older boy and he looked up at the companions then back to the food and water before nodding. As Jaheira and Aerie quickly set to work healing wounds, Jover and Misnc rationed out the food. Making sure that everyone of the children had at least a little something to eat, along with the promise of more to come.

Korgan stood back out of the way, helpless to do anything but watch. Seeing people suffer wasn't new to the dwarf but that kind suffering usually ended with a swing of his axe. This watching as children were in pain brought unwelcome memories to his mind. The dwarf was surprised to see a small boy walk right past him going into the hallway. "Here lad." Korgan said uncertainly, trying to herd the boy back into the room. "Ye get back in there with the other wee ones."

"I gotta find my sis.. he took her." the boy said, taking hold of the dwarf's hand. "Did you see her?"

"What? I.." Korgan said, looking nervously at the child. "Jover! This lad says his sister was taken."

"Who took her and when." Jover asked the child, after joining Korgan in the hall.

"Jus' before you got here." the boy said. "The Capt'n.. he grabbed her and ran."

"To the sewer tunnel, I bet." the boy Jover thought of as the leader said, as he came out to take the smaller boy back to the others. "I seen the door once, it's somewhere in the hallway wall."

Jover quickly stood and started searching the wall for a hidden door. 'Come on.. you've seen Imoen do this a hundred times.. find it.' Jover's thoughts were interrupted as Korgan’s axe smashed into the wall revealing the hidden passage leading down to the sewers.

"I'll be findin' tha' thrice-damned good fer nothin' an send him to a screamin' death!" Korgan said, as he ran down the steps.

"Korgan wait!" Jover yelled, as Jaheira came into the hallway.

"What has happened?" Jaheira asked, looking at the passage Korgan had opened.

"The captain of the slavers got away and he took one of the children." Jover said.

"We must get back to the Cornet before the bastard can warn Lehtinan." Jaheira said quietly. "Or these children's mothers may not be alive to see them."

"I know and we have to search the tunnels as well." Jover said. "He may just be trying to escape."

"We will have to split up then." Jaheira said.

"Take Minsc and get to the Cornet." Jover said "I'll go after Korgan and we'll meet you there."

As Jaheira turned and ran back towards the ships front door calling for Minsc to follow her, Jover returned quickly to the room and looked at Aerie who was still tending to the children.

"I heard everything Jover." Aerie said, brushing a strand of hair back behind her pointed ear. "Go on, I'll stay here with the children."

"Are you sure?" Jover asked. "You'll be here by yourself."

"I know." Aerie said, looking up at Jover with a confidence she had never felt before. "I'll be all right."

Jover smiled grimly, then turned and ran down the steps after Korgan.

***




0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users

Skin Designed By Evanescence at IBSkin.com