A/N: Took me a long time... Well, anyway, I hope you'll like it. For those who like fantasy books, I put a Lord of the Rings and a Discworld reference in this chapter. Can you people find them? (Well, the LotR one is fairly easy, I admit.) On a final note, Magicman, I don't want to see Folken threatening Jaheira now ;)

Chapter Five: The Council of Elminster

Having suddenly found herself in impenetrable darkness, alone but for a certain berserker and his hamster, Aerie almost panicked. She was hit with the realization that she didn't have a clue where the others were – or even who the others were. The all-encompassing void whispered into her ear sweet words about the hopelessness of all struggles, about the heavenly oblivion... How easily she could surrender and slumber, like so many did in the Limbo! Aerie gripped Minsc's hand tightly.

And then she heard another voice, clear and fraught with irritation. Aerie, Minsc, will you please come here, we'll waiting only for you!

Jaheira! Aerie had never thought that a scolding from the bossy druid would sound so wonderful. She could now distinctly see a green, pulsating trail. Closing her eyes, she reached out to touch it. Her ears rang.

"H-here they are," someone said.

Aerie opened her eyes and looked around. To be honest, she hadn't expected the conspirators to be so numerous. She certainly hadn't expected Jon Irenicus to be one of them. The mage sent her and Minsc an amused glance.

"Little elvish girl and her protector, as brave as he is stupid. What a worthy addition to our group."

Jaheira looked like she might be agreeing with him on that. Khalid scowled and started to speak, but Anomen Delryn beat him to it. "Be careful, wizard," he growled, "or perhaps we'll find them to be more worthy than you are!"

"Gentlemen, PLEASE," a dark-skinned woman dressed in purple robes raised her hands. "We need to..."

The rest of her words was drowned out by Minsc's joyous cry, "DYNAHEIR!"

'Oh. So I gather she must be his previous witch.'

"Minsc thought you were dead! He mourned for you, when – when ––" the joy on his face slowly evaporated, replaced by incredulity and rage. "Ooh, now I remember! And I understand! Aerie is right, Alienor is EVIL!"

"I'm glad... Minsc... could you now... let go... ribs cracking..."

"Hey," a tired, haggard Imoen smiled at Aerie. "Sit here, next to me." She was pointing at the chair between herself and Jaheira. Aerie hesitated, but the only other unoccupied seat was the one between Dynaheir and Irenicus, which would be even worse. She sat down, tugging self-consciously at the hem of her robe.

Jaheira moved. "I promised you an explanation, child," she said harshly. "As you already know, we wanted – we still want – to kill Alienor. We managed to smuggle Khalid to Athkatla, alive. Unfortunately Alienor and the world on the whole refuse to acknowledge it."

"Hence m-my wraith-like state," Khalid supplied.

"Oh. And does..."

"Be quiet, child! Can't you see Dynaheir is about to speak?"

Aerie sunk lower in her chair, blinking down traitorous tears. 'If only I could stand up to her...'

Dynaheir cleared her throat, not really to get their collective attention, but rather because she still had troubles breathing after having been caught in a bear hug by Minsc. "I've got good news. I managed to seek out Elminster and he promised to help us."

"Oh, joy," Irenicus muttered.

"I'm afraid he won't be able to stay with us for a long time, though. He's in an even worse shape than you, Khalid."

"My most sincere condolences."

"Silence, evil mage! Minsc's witch is talking! Um... can Minsc have two witches?"

"Of course you can," Dynaheir replied smoothly. "What was I...?"

"You were saying, if I remember correctly, that I am quite unwell at the moment."

It was an old man's voice, quiet and yet powerful, booming all around them and whispering in their hearts at the same time. When Aerie saw the speaker, she let out a gasp. Dynaheir had put the matter way too cautiously. Khalid was immaterial, true – but Elminster didn't look like a human being at all. He seemed to be a wisp of smoke, a reddish-hued splinter of nothingness.

"Yes, Aerie," he said gently. "That's what I've become. Even an ordinary talk tasks my strength heavily. Despite that, I'll try to help you as much as I can."

"How can we defeat the Bhaalspawn?" Anomen burst out.

"Alienor's power is greater than you think. She controls not only our fates ––"

"Yes," Khalid interrupted. "I've s-seen it. I've s-seen human puppets, human pawns. D-deprived even of a conscious m-mind and a chance to c-curse her name. D-do you know, what Athk-katla is r-right n-now? Nothing b-but a giant chessboard."

Imoen covered her mouth. Jaheira drew a loud, hissing breath. Anomen all but fell from his chair. "It's impossible!" he shouted. "It hasn't been like that, ever! True, there were us and the likes, but the people... the people..."

"Were people," Aerie finished quietly.

They exchanged horror-struck looks. The situation was more and more like a bad dream. The vision of mute, mindless beings swarming in the whole Faerun froze even the bravest hearts.

"I did not know," Elminster said hollowly, "although I should have foreseen it."

"Why?" Yoshimo frowned.

"Alienor is not so mighty as to rule over the real Toril. The Athkatla you know is not the real Athkatla – at least not thoroughly. It is an artificial world, created by her and for her."

"And you," Jaheira asked, scrutinizing him intently, "are you the real Elminster?"

It almost seemed like the sage smiled. "The answer to that question," he replied, "lies somewhere between 'no' and 'yes'."

"Could you explain?" Yoshimo, again.

"Just like Athkatla both is and is not the real Athkatla, I both am and am not the real Elminster. I exist doubly even more than Khalid does." He paused, seeing blank stares all around. "It's not that easy to explain."

"Let's get to the point then," Anomen demanded. "Advise us in plain simple words what we can do."

Elminster didn't answer right away and when he did speak, there was an undertone of weariness in his voice. He was, if possible, less material than when they saw him first. "You have done something already: Khalid is in Athkatla, alive, though he was destined to die. You've changed the story."

"A l-lot of good it did us."

"It may seem so now. But actually you've done much. Each change means a slight loss of Alienor's control over the situation. I think that is why she suddenly robbed the citizens of Athkatla of their free will – as if she was clenching her fist, trying to get a better grip on a thing that was slipping through her fingers. The more differences you make, the stronger will her grip be, until she overdoes and shatters the cage she constructed herself. Then we will be free."

"Or we will die among the splinters of the cage," Yoshimo shook his head.

"I'd like to be able to rule out such a risk," Elminster answered in a voice than was now a mere whisper. "Alas, my wisdom fails me. I must leave you; I am very tired. Look for allies, enlist anyone you can. Goodbye and good luck!"

The mage's transparent form started to fade away. Before he vanished, they heard his amused voice yet again, "Oh, yes – do tell Irenicus he can stop hiding now."

Irenicus gnashed his teeth, but reappeared on his chair. One or two people chuckled. He sent them a murderous glare. "This table is too small for two powerful wizards."

"What a pity, Irenicus, are you planning to leave?" a mocking drawl sounded. Minsc recognized the speaker at once.

"The enemy of sweet Dynaheir!" he roared, springing up. "I'll..."

"Down, simian," Edwin cut in, having emerged from the darkness. "You are sitting at the table with her murderer; how do you think, which one of us you should be threatening? Consult your rodent if that is too complicated a query for you. (Come to think of it, I do believe that any rodent has more intellectual potential than this simian AND his witch.)"

Dynaheir's face was stony, her eyes narrowed to slits. "Did we invite you, Thayvian?"

"No, I followed your tracks, witch," Edwin replied casually, while imagining himself a chair. "You almost gave me a serious brain damage. (On the other hand, those monkeys may not regard it as a life-threatening injury. If they have brains, that is, which I doubt.)"

"You're mighty cheerful today, aren't you?" Imoen remarked lightly.

"Ha, ha. Your sarcasm is killing me."

"Sarcasm? I was quite serious!"

Edwin found no answer to that, so he grunted and smoothed the cowl of his bright red robe. Despite his defiant words, he took care to sit as far from Minsc as he could.

"B-back to the point, please," Khalid said with emphasis, getting their collective attention and probably preventing the breaking out of at least three quarrels. "Elm-minster suggested us to f-find more help. I'm the only one who can m-move around more or less freely, b-but I don't know Athk-katla or its inhabitants. You n-need to tell me with whom should I get in touch."

"Well," Anomen hesitated. "Perhaps Valygar Corthala?"

"Smart and resolute," Jaheira agreed. "Yes, it's a good idea. We could use more people like him." Aerie had that vague and unpleasant feeling that Jaheira's words had had something to do with her.

"Boo counsels us to invite Valygar's ancestor, too," Minsc volunteered. "It is hard to understand, because Lavok is an evil necromancer, but the wisdom of a hamster is great and inscrutable."

"And one who is capable of building a Planar Sphere is indeed hard to overestimate as an ally," Irenicus finished. "Do you know, berserker, I start to believe that there is more to your animal friend than meets the eye."

"Because you certainly couldn't have thought of it on your own," Edwin murmured scathingly.

Fortunately, Minsc didn't hear him. Dynaheir, who did, chose to ignore the mockery. "I can find that Lavok myself. If he's in a Planar Sphere, he's more or less in the Limbo. His descendant is your job. Anyone else?"

"Bodhi?" Yoshimo suggested reluctantly.

"I'm afraid my dear sister is, as someone put it, unpredictable. In my opinion we'd do well not to inform her about our plans right now."

"Viconia," Imoen said with conviction. "She's about as tough as they go. And she's practical."

Some indignant gasps followed her declaration. Edwin, in contrast, looked pleased. "I second that. (Dark elves have... class.)"

"Th-that'll be enough for now," Khalid stated cautiously. "I m-mean, I'm n-not sure if I'll have th-the chance to contact even the two of th-them till our next m-meeting. I suggest we call the gathering closed."

"I agree ––" Dynaheir began. Then she realized that her chair had disappeared. With a cry of surprise she landed on what was the Limbo equivalent of the ground. Next to her, Minsc fell, too.

"I deem," Edwin's smug voice rang in their ears, "that in this case the verdict should be two one for Thay."