A rather dark and disturbing chapter this time. Contains mention of rape.
The Nether Scroll Disaster: Part 14
Despite her need for answers, Edwina kept putting off talking to Kane about what Crystal had said. She knew that her lover was considered an evil man by many, that he had done terrible things in the past, murder and blackmail and other things, though he had avoided going into detail, he had always been honest about that. But since they had been together, he had changed. He wasn’t good, far from it, but he no longer did evil things. He helped those who needed it, like Nalia, and he had people he cared for. And though she wanted to know everything about him, even the worst of it, another part of her was afraid to hear him say it.
The incident with the girl had shaken Kane up, though he was careful not to openly show it, and when they arrived back at the Copper Coronet, he immediately retired to his room with a whisky bottle. Edwina spent a while talking to Cory, knowing that talking to her lover was useless when he was in a bad mood and bringing up the topic of his past wouldn’t make things any better. If she just left it for a while, he’d be in a better mood.
She went up about an hour later, only to find the whisky bottle half empty and the Bhaalspawn still in a bad mood. But Edwina had already made up her mind that she was going to ask him her questions.
“I want to talk to you,” she told him firmly. “It’s important.”
“Talk?” Kane raised an eyebrow and then shrugged. “Very well. About what?”
“I want to talk about Crystal,” his lover said carefully. “About what she said earlier.”
“What she said earlier,” the warrior said, his voice suddenly growing colder. “Was complete rubbish. That woman has had it in for me for years and you’re a fool if you believe even half of what she says.”
“You must have done something to her,” Edwina persisted. “She was terrified of you, anyone could see that.”
“Considering that Benny and I tortured her lover to death,” the warrior shrugged. “I would have been surprised if she wasn’t afraid of me.”
“It was more than that,” the wizard searched his lover’s face hoping to find an answer there, but she found none. Although really she didn’t need one. Deep inside she already knew that what the girl had said was the truth. “You did rape her, didn’t you?”
“I fail to see why it is suddenly a big deal for you,” Kane shot back, deliberately avoiding the question. “I’ve never pretended to be good, Eddie. When we met, you knew that I was an evil man, that I had done evil things, and you accepted that. So what’s changed?”
“Nothing!” Edwina said at once. “What Crystal said…it made me realise how little I know about you and about who you were before you met me. I just need to know.” Kane just stared at him for a moment.
“You knew what I was like,” he repeated finally. “And yet I know what you want me to say and I can’t say it. I suppose this is a conversation that was long overdue, whatever the outcome.” He hesitated and turned away. “When I was younger, I never cared what I did or who I hurt. Never thought about my actions until afterwards. And I have done some bad things, helping Sarevok to murder the man who took me in, killing those two half-elven friends of his…that was fun. What I did to Crystal…I regret that.”
“So you did…?”
“Yes,” Kane interrupted quickly. “But I didn’t mean it to…it wasn’t planned. I knew what Carlo was like, the hold he had over her, and I took advantage of that. I made him watch you know, because I knew that watching that would hurt him more than anything else I could do to him. He treated her badly, but he really did love her. I just wanted to get back at him, hurt him like he had hurt me some many times before.”
“Only you didn’t just hurt him,” Edwina said quietly. She was struggling to get her head around everything, though she had expected it; it was still a shock to actually hear it. “You hurt her too, when she had done nothing to deserve it.”
“She loved him,” the Bhaalspawn spat. “That was enough. She was one of them, the enemy.” He crossed the room to the table and picked up the whisky bottle. “So, are you happy now? Heard all you want to hear? Or do you want to hear more details?” His hand was shaking slightly as he poured himself a drink and then downed it in one gulp. “How about the screaming, you want to hear about that?”
“No.”
“Maybe you want to hear about some of the other things I’ve done then?” Kane’s voice took on a faint mocking tone. “When I killed those friends of Gorion’s, people who had done nothing wrong. The male was easy enough to take out; I just went up behind him and stabbed him in the back. She was more difficult though, put up quite a struggle. I managed to slit her throat in the end, but not before she smashed me in the face with her staff. Got her blood all over me and nearly had two guards to deal with too, when they came to investigate her screams.” He glanced over at the wizard and smiled humourlessly. “What’s the matter, Eddie? You wanted to hear this. Maybe you’d like to hear what Benny and I did to my father too while we’re at it. Poison, slow working poison. He was in agony for hours before he died…probably the best hours of my life.”
“How many?” Edwina whispered, not really expecting an answer. “How many women…”
“Even after everything we’ve been through, even you think I make a habit of forcing myself on women?” His voice had lost its coldness now, he just sounded beaten. “I suppose it was to be expected. Kane Theaza, blackmailer, thief, bribe-taker, murderer and general all round loser. Might as well add rapist to that list too, huh?”
“I never thought…”
“Yes you did,” Kane laughed darkly. “And I can’t blame you. I told you, I’m ashamed of what I did to Crystal. I was angry with my brother and I wanted to hurt him, and I was still struggling to get the taint under my control. You’re right of course, she never deserved what I did to her. But I can’t change it, it’s in the past now. I’m a different man now, you know that…” He slumped in the chair, put his elbows on the table and rested his head in his hands. “Only am I?” he continued after a moment, more to himself than Edwina. “The Bhaal taint…it’s still in there. If I lose control…who knows what I might be capable of.”
“You won’t lose control again,” Edwina needed to say something, she couldn’t bear to see her lover so unhappy. “Because I’m here and so is Benny and we’ll do everything in our power to stop you from going down that path.” Hesitantly, she reached out and touched his dark hair. He didn’t move, didn’t even acknowledge that she had spoken. “Don’t get upset,” she pleaded, moving her hands lower so they rested on his shoulders. “I’m sorry…”
“Not your fault,” the warrior muttered, turning and pressing his face against her robes. “You wanted to know and it was the way it should be. Just say you don’t hate me, Eddie.”
“What you did to Crystal was wrong,” the wizard told him, holding him against her. “But you were young and angry and I know that you are sorry. I know you. And although it was quite a shock, I don’t hate you for it. I could never hate you…” she broke off as she suddenly realised something. “Kane?” she asked cautiously. “Are you crying?”
“Of course not,” Kane said weakly, his voice muffled. “This is me you are talking too, remember? I…don’t cry.”
“Of course,” Edwina agreed, but she knew that she was right. And in despite of everything she had heard that evening, as she stood there holding him against her and allowing him to quietly sob into her robes, she felt closer to him than she ever had before.
********
While Kane and Edwin were having their argument, Cory decided that he wanted to go for a walk, it was too crowded in the tavern and he needed some air. Quickly he slipped outside, into the cool evening air, and set off towards the bridge district. A moment later, Kagain appeared at his side, grunted a greeting and fell silent again. Cory assumed that the dwarf just wanted some different company and he certainly didn’t care.
“Hold a moment, adventurers!” The voice came suddenly from just behind them. The assassin and the dwarf turned to see a tall wizard approaching, his long robes bright red and a very similar style to those Edwina wore. “I would ask a question of you.”
“Very well,” Cory stood straighter, his eyes fixed on the wizard’s face. “I am Cory of the Shadow Thieves. How can I be of assistance? From the look of your robes, you appear to be a Red Wizard.”
“Indeed I am,” the wizard nodded, not appearing the least bit annoyed by the assassin’s observation. He was being incredibly bold walking freely through mage-fearing Amn. “The Red Wizards are interested in the whereabouts of Edwin Odesseiron, another Red Wizard. Homelands magics indicate this area to be a likely place for the vulture to roost and we have discovered that he was working for the Shadow Thieves for a while before mysteriously disappearing again. Might you have heard anything about him?”
“I’m afraid that I know no more than you have been told,” Cory exchanged a quick glance with Kagain. “Yes, he was working for us briefly, but he disappeared after my guildmaster was killed in suspicious circumstances. May I ask why you are looking for him?”
“Edwin Odesseiron is a self-serving, nerveless worm,” the wizard told them, his voice growing harder with anger. “He was set a task to do, a simple task to test his loyalty to his homeland and he failed miserably, let his superiors down badly. Not to mention that he has been running around with a dangerous Bhaalspawn, who is also an ally of those we consider enemies. He has been labelled a traitor and we are searching for him in order to return him to Thay where he shall be punished. There is a large reward for his capture, but take care. His magic consists of little more than parlour tricks, but he is likely to be travelling with powerful companions.”
“I’ll be bettin’ that the wizard be more powerful than ye give ‘im credit for,” Kagain snorted. “In either case, we’ll not be underestimating no wizards, no matter what no one says.”
“My companion is right,” Cory agreed. “All wizards can be dangerous if underestimated. In any case, this Edwin Odesseiron you seek has probably long left the city, wizards are rare here and he’d stand out too much. But if we see him on our travels, we shall certainly do our best to capture him.”
“You will indeed be rewarded well,” the wizard promised. “Now I must continue my search. Fair thee well, adventurers.”
He disappeared as quickly as he had come, leaving a shocked dwarf and assassin behind him.
“So they be lookin’ for the wizard to take ‘im back to Thay and punish ‘im fer being a traitor?” Kagain said finally. “This ain’t going to be good.”
“Well we saw him off this time,” Cory said carefully. “He didn’t seem to suspect we were lying but it won’t be long before he bumps into Kane and Edwina, and I doubt that Edwina’s new form will be enough to fool him. We need to warn them and quickly.”
Next Part: The party are left shocked by news of the Red Wizard and Benny discovers what has been plaguing the city after an incident in the graveyard.
The Nether Scroll Disaster: Part 14
Started by
Guest_Silver_*
, Sep 14 2003 08:19 PM
5 replies to this topic
#2
Laufey
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Transcendant
Posted 14 September 2003 - 09:43 PM
Despite her need for answers, Edwina kept putting off talking to Kane about what Crystal had said. She knew that her lover was considered an evil man by many, that he had done terrible things in the past, murder and blackmail and other things, though he had avoided going into detail, he had always been honest about that. But since they had been together, he had changed. He wasn’t good, far from it, but he no longer did evil things. He helped those who needed it, like Nalia, and he had people he cared for. And though she wanted to know everything about him, even the worst of it, another part of her was afraid to hear him say it.
It feels kind of funny to hear Edwina worrying about Kane being evil...I kind of think that she would focus more on how he behaves towards *her* and less on if he helps other people. But it's your call of course.
“It was more than that,” the wizard searched his lover’s face hoping to find an answer there, but she found none. Although really she didn’t need one. Deep inside she already knew that what the girl had said was the truth. “You did rape her, didn’t you?”
Ouch...now this is one thing I do think Edwina would care about.
“Yes,” Kane interrupted quickly. “But I didn’t mean it to…it wasn’t planned. I knew what Carlo was like, the hold he had over her, and I took advantage of that. I made him watch you know, because I knew that watching that would hurt him more than anything else I could do to him. He treated her badly, but he really did love her. I just wanted to get back at him, hurt him like he had hurt me some many times before.”
Oh gods...that is a *very* dark deed.
“Maybe you want to hear about some of the other things I’ve done then?” Kane’s voice took on a faint mocking tone. “When I killed those friends of Gorion’s, people who had done nothing wrong. The male was easy enough to take out; I just went up behind him and stabbed him in the back. She was more difficult though, put up quite a struggle. I managed to slit her throat in the end, but not before she smashed me in the face with her staff. Got her blood all over me and nearly had two guards to deal with too, when they came to investigate her screams.” He glanced over at the wizard and smiled humourlessly. “What’s the matter, Eddie? You wanted to hear this. Maybe you’d like to hear what Benny and I did to my father too while we’re at it. Poison, slow working poison. He was in agony for hours before he died…probably the best hours of my life.”
So why did he kill Khalid and Jaheira then?
“Yes you did,” Kane laughed darkly. “And I can’t blame you. I told you, I’m ashamed of what I did to Crystal. I was angry with my brother and I wanted to hurt him, and I was still struggling to get the taint under my control. You’re right of course, she never deserved what I did to her. But I can’t change it, it’s in the past now. I’m a different man now, you know that…” He slumped in the chair, put his elbows on the table and rested his head in his hands. “Only am I?” he continued after a moment, more to himself than Edwina. “The Bhaal taint…it’s still in there. If I lose control…who knows what I might be capable of.”
He knows he did wrong, at least, and that gives him some hope.
“You won’t lose control again,” Edwina needed to say something, she couldn’t bear to see her lover so unhappy. “Because I’m here and so is Benny and we’ll do everything in our power to stop you from going down that path.” Hesitantly, she reached out and touched his dark hair. He didn’t move, didn’t even acknowledge that she had spoken. “Don’t get upset,” she pleaded, moving her hands lower so they rested on his shoulders. “I’m sorry…”
Now, now Edwina...don't go apologizing.
“Of course not,” Kane said weakly, his voice muffled. “This is me you are talking too, remember? I…don’t cry.”
“Of course,” Edwina agreed, but she knew that she was right. And in despite of everything she had heard that evening, as she stood there holding him against her and allowing him to quietly sob into her robes, she felt closer to him than she ever had before.
“You will indeed be rewarded well,” the wizard promised. “Now I must continue my search. Fair thee well, adventurers.”
He disappeared as quickly as he had come, leaving a shocked dwarf and assassin behind him.
“So they be lookin’ for the wizard to take ‘im back to Thay and punish ‘im fer being a traitor?” Kagain said finally. “This ain’t going to be good.”
“Well we saw him off this time,” Cory said carefully. “He didn’t seem to suspect we were lying but it won’t be long before he bumps into Kane and Edwina, and I doubt that Edwina’s new form will be enough to fool him. We need to warn them and quickly.”
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear...trouble is brewing indeed. Glad to see you writing this story again!
Rogues do it from behind.
#6
Guest_Bjorn_*
Guest_Bjorn_*
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Posted 15 September 2003 - 11:32 PM
“Nothing!” Edwina said at once. “What Crystal said…it made me realise how little I know about you and about who you were before you met me. I just need to know.” Kane just stared at him for a moment.
Fair enough - Kane ought to trust her enough by now to be able to tell her.
“Yes,” Kane interrupted quickly. “But I didn’t mean it to…it wasn’t planned. I knew what Carlo was like, the hold he had over her, and I took advantage of that. I made him watch you know, because I knew that watching that would hurt him more than anything else I could do to him. He treated her badly, but he really did love her. I just wanted to get back at him, hurt him like he had hurt me some many times before.”
Kane was one nasty guy in those days, it seems.
“Maybe you want to hear about some of the other things I’ve done then?” Kane’s voice took on a faint mocking tone. “When I killed those friends of Gorion’s, people who had done nothing wrong. The male was easy enough to take out; I just went up behind him and stabbed him in the back. She was more difficult though, put up quite a struggle. I managed to slit her throat in the end, but not before she smashed me in the face with her staff. Got her blood all over me and nearly had two guards to deal with too, when they came to investigate her screams.” He glanced over at the wizard and smiled humourlessly. “What’s the matter, Eddie? You wanted to hear this. Maybe you’d like to hear what Benny and I did to my father too while we’re at it. Poison, slow working poison. He was in agony for hours before he died…probably the best hours of my life.”
Kane sounds like he's hurting himself with these memories just as much as he's hurting Eddie.“Very well,” Cory stood straighter, his eyes fixed on the wizard’s face. “I am Cory of the Shadow Thieves. How can I be of assistance? From the look of your robes, you appear to be a Red Wizard.”
Cory's great
. He's probably the only Shadow Thief in the world who would announce himself like that, but it did sound cool.Nice chapter
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