Chapter Three

Chapter Three

“So let me get this straight”.

“You were drinking in the Copper Coronet, a tavern in the Capital of Amn, Athkatla” Vegeta questioned.

“You then woke up the next morning and you was trapped down here”.

“Yes that is correct” Yoshimo replied uncertainly.

Vegeta burst into laughter.

“That has got to be he dumbest thing I have ever heard”.

“And you say you’re a thief” Vegeta continued with his taunts.

Jaheira stepped forward.

“Now Vegeta there is no need for such harshness”

“We were also captured by the same man remember” she said while glaring at Vegeta.

“Yeah but we was jumped in the middle of the night by a large amount of armed man” he replied.

Vegeta turned to Yoshimo.

“We have no need for someone as weak as you in our party” he said with a tone in his voice that left no room for arguing.

“Very well, I shall survive by taking the wise path. Go ahead and forge the trail. I will follow your path once I have rested a bit.” Yoshimo suggested.

“Before you leave I have a warning for you, in the next chamber there are four portals. Each of these portals releases little cackling fiends that try to kill me.”

“One more thing... you will find a wide hall before too long that contains several wands mounted on pedestals. If you walk before these wands you may be killed.”
With that Yoshimo turned his back on Vegeta and disappeared into the shadows.

*****************************

Imoen and Minsc sat with their backs against a wall waiting to receive a healing spell from Jaheira.

Yoshimo’s warning about the portals in the next room had been true.

As soon as they had entered the room they had been immediately attacked by a group of small flying creatures that unleashed a Varity of magical effects at them.

Some shot rays of fire, others unleashed beams of blinding colour and other could make them selves invisible allowing them to sneak up on you.

The fight had been going well until Minsc was knocked unconscious by one of the little creatures that fired beams of blinding light.

This meant Vegeta and Jaheira had to summon add to enable them to destroy the portals preventing any more creatures from being summoned.

Vegeta had summoned a skeleton and Jaheira had summoned two large black bears.

Now the party was having a quick rest to recuperate and determine their next move.

“Is everyone ready?” Vegeta asked looking around.

“Right then lets go.”

As they approached the door on the opposite side of the room Vegeta caught sight of a mutilated body lying on a near by table.

They had found Khalid and had discovered his fate.

“Kha...Khalid?” Vegeta heard Jaheira’s anguished voice behind him.

“Khalid! No... this... this is an illusion... a dream... a bad dream...”

“Where are the mirrors... the switches to pull to... to show where he is hidden... Khalid...”

“Damn... damn you...”

“Damn you! I will have the heart of who has done this! I will tear their blackened heart from their... I will...”

Vegeta turned his gaze from Jaheira’s face; he could bear to watch the tears streaming down her cheeks from eyes.

He had never felt this bad before, this was his fault.

He had lost one of his closest friends all because of his tainted blood.

“He’ll pay, ill make him suffer for this” he heard himself saying.

He was surprised at the level of anger in his voice.

“Shut up! No more words! Words are nothing!” Vegeta heard Jaheira shout at him.

At this point Minsc moved towards Jaheira holding boo in his hands

“A brave man has fallen here, but that is no cause to hurl insults at the living. Here, Boo shall comfort you.”

If Minsc had thought this would help then he was mistaken as Jaheira turned her verbal assault on him.

“Imbecile! Affront to nature! What do you and your rodent know! What can you know!!” she shouted

“No words! No more words!! Save your speeches, save your proverbs!! The only voice I wish to hear is... is dead!! No more!! No...”

“No...”

“Sil... Silvanus guide the light... to the source. Take this man to what he justly deserves. By... nature's will, what was given is returned, what was turmoil is now... is now peace.”

“Khalid of my heart let my love...my love guide the way...”
“We...we must hurry before we are noticed. We must get out of this...this grave...and seek the light above. Let us go.”

Vegeta nodded.

“No pointless crying, we will honour him when there is time.” He said whilst looking directly into Jaheira’s eyes.

“We live in a time of miracles, and nature allows the rebirth of many that have passed beyond the veil, but there is a time when... when it is better to let go.”

“Then we will not disturb his body further. We will honour his loss with future deeds.” Vegeta suggested.

“That is the way of things. There will be...there will be payment for this crime, and I shall not rest until it is collected. When we are able, there will be...”

“Enough. I would leave this place.”

With that Jaheira turned and walked through the nearby door.

Vegeta watched her retreating back for a few moments before moving to follow her.

*****************************

They stood at the exit to Irenicus’s dungeon; it hadn’t been easy to get here.

They had to battle through the surviving shadow thieves who thought that they were allies of Irenicus.

They had also had to battle a vampire and a Doppelganger as well as more Mephits, Goblins and another group of Duergar.

Vegeta took great pleasure in destroying the mage in this group had he had done with the mage in the first group.

They had also discovered the second room that Yoshimo had mentioned.

They had watched as a shadow thief and two Duergar were killed by the six wand traps that lined the walls of that room.

Fortunately for Vegeta and his party they had discovered the keys to remove the wands from their pedestals preventing the trap from causing them any harm.

Vegeta was stood watching Imoen and Jaheira, shortly after they had left the body of Khalid Imoen had suddenly announced to Jaheira they he did not suffer.

That he was already dead before Irenicus started to cut him to pieces, this hadn’t gone down to well with Jaheira who now seemed to be avoiding Imoen.

“This is it, we have finally reached the exit” Vegeta said as he looked around at the rest of his party.

They marched forward into the daylight not realising that their troubles were only just beginning.