Chapter 7: Third Times A Charm…

"Sarevok," I grunted the name in a rankled tone. But not with anger as one might expect, or even aggravation. Rather, it was exasperated. For that was who now stood before me, a ghostly form of my dead half-brother, who I myself had killed. Twice actually. He now loomed before me, his body wavering like smoke, making it difficult to read his face or see his eyes clearly.

"So," his dark hollow voice rang out, not having changed since the last time, "You have finally arrived. I have been waiting for you." I turned to face him, wary of course, but in no mood to talk to him.

"Waiting for me?" I echoed, "I'm touched that you wanted to see me again Sarevok. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. Now begone, I am in no mood to fight you again." He did not heed my request.

"Unfortunately, I cannot go brother. And it seems that you can't either. But perhaps that could change if you are willing to hear my words…" I almost laughed at that, but settled for a gaze of skepticism and irritation.

"That's real tempting and all, but I think I've heard more than enough of your words in my life already. If I recall, when I saw you last time in Hell, your words then were merely insults which you threw in an attempt to bait me, so that I would transform into the Slayer. But then I destroyed you…again."

"Indeed you did brother, though that was no fault of mine. It was you who had summoned me to that place to perform the role of a source of you inner anger, even if the words were my own. If you recall, it is your will that shapes our father's realm…whether you are aware of it or not."

"My father's realm? Right, that's what…that solar said…" There was a change in expression from Sarevok, hard to see as his face was still clouded, almost hazy.

"You mean…you did not know where you were when you arrived? You did not come here on purpose?"

"On purpose?" This time, I actually did give a tired laugh at the thought of such idiocy; "Do you think that I would intentionally come to this forsaken hell?" At this, Sarevok began to laugh himself, a sound that had haunted me in my earlier days. He had uttered that cold and mirthless laugh many a time, his deep voice giving it a chilling quality to it.

"Ha, what a bitter irony this is! You all but stumble about nearly blind to your true power, and yet you still survive. Whilst I am reduced to this! Bah. Very well brother, you may know of where we are, but you still sound as if you do not fully understand. I shall explain it. As I have said, this is the realm of our father, his abyssal realm brother. Once ruled by Bhaal, it is now shaped and remade by the taint present in your soul. Though no longer present in mine." He cast a ghostly hand around, as if to showcase the dire plane we now stood.

"You have been here before…Do you not recall when you battled the wizard who stole your divine essence? This is that place, altered once again by your own consciousness. In truth, it is a cocoon of sorts, a miniature version of our father's larger realm. A plane within a plane one might say. I can only assume that your mind formed it to protect you from the power of this place…Quite a remarkable feat dear brother, I would not have guessed you could be so clever."

"Right. And while this is all very interesting, what does any of this have to do with me? Or you for that matter. Such as…why are you here?" Sarevok advanced a few steps. His footfalls didn't make any noise, not even a whisper of sound. I guess ghosts don't make some of the physical noises that we of the living do. At his approach, I tensed beneath my robe, waiting to see what he would do. One could never tell what tricks this dead brother of mine had up his sleeve.

"Why?" he pressed, with an interesting light tone in his almost expressionless voice, "I wish to make a deal naturally. I have little left to lose now brother, but much to gain. You see, when this plane began to form, I spotted it and surmised that you would eventually find your way here. Therefore I waited, waited for you to arrive so that we might discuss my…deal."

"And we come to it at last!" I groaned. I had suspected that Sarevok hadn't shown up just to talk about old times or to have a brotherly drink. "Typical of your nature I suppose, you wish for something. However, as I understand it, there isn't really much a ghost needs. What is it that you want from me?" He answered, advancing a step more.

"In the time since you destroyed me again, I have done nothing but try to reform my shattered self. And I am still a phantom, nothing but a shadow, standing before you. But I grow so weary of this…nightmare. What do you think I want brother? I wish to live again…I wish to exist. You can do that." Silence fell between us as his words faded in the air around us. I didn't react at first, almost not registering what he had just said. I would have laughed when it got through, but all I managed was a grunt.

"Bring you back to life? You're kidding right?" One look at his hazy face was all the answer I needed. "I see. I take it then that you believe that I am a madman? For starters, I have no gifts as a cleric, and I follow no god. I have no power to attempt such a thing, nor a god to appeal to…Not than any of them would take the job."

"You require no connection with gods brother, to assist me. All that is required is the smallest fraction of your soul…given freely, with the taint of our dead father within it. That would recreate my flesh, restore my mortality…Sarevok would live again!" I scoffed at that.

"Yes, Sarevok the man who sought my death will live again. What am I…an idiot? I see no rational reason as to why I would ever consider doing something like that. You've tried to kill me Sarevok…Twice! Why in the name of each and every god of the Realms would I consider such insanity?"

"I do not deny the things I have done in the past," he answered levelly, "And I know you have ample reason to despise me. But I'm not asking you accept what I am. I suppose I am asking you to put aside past grievances to assist me."

"You're wanting me to forgive you, is that it? After everything that you've done, and not just to me? That's certainly asking a mouthful." He snorted, shaking his head, there being a trace of humor now.

"Have you not had your satisfaction? You killed me for slaying Gorion and involving you in my own murderous planning. Was that not enough for your bloodlust? And in Hell, I was merely doing the job that you yourself called me to do. Do you hold grudges against the dead now?"

I knew he was right. My past adventures had shown me that. I had loved Gorion, the man who had been my only real father and guardian. I had been heartbroken and filled with hatred at his killer, and much of my motivation in pressing onward was spurred by thoughts of vengeance. And indeed, I had eventually killed Sarevok, banishing him to Hell.

But even after that battle, having finally avenged Gorion, I hadn't felt better. Actually, I had felt worse, knowing then that I was merely doing what my murderous blood was dictating. It almost made killing Sarevok meaningless. Perhaps at first I had wanted to butcher him for what he had done, but when I had killed him, I had felt nothing. There really wasn't any reason for it, as I knew that he too was driven on by the same tainted blood we shared.

I could feel my resistance towards refusing his request slipping, and I tried to retake control.

"I seem to remember that you said deal? Meaning you have something to trade…What could you possibly offer me in return for this?" Sarevok gave me a funny look. Funny for him anyway, his head shook and his eyes widened.

"I do not come before you empty-handed brother. I have much to offer…And you needn't fear me any longer. You think me a fool? Twice now I have fallen to your skills. You are stronger than I; this is something I do not contest. But I know things about this place that you do not. Such as how to leave it, and even more, insight on what lies before you in your future."

I stood quiet. I was stuck here, and I had no clue as to how to escape. I had searched thoroughly and had come up with nothing. My brother claimed he knew how to leave. That was, if I could trust what he said. My first reaction was to gibe at my own idiocy, of course he was lying, it was who he was. But looking hard at him, despite my understandable skepticism, he seemed to be speaking honestly and perhaps he could clarify things where the solar had failed to do so. Gods and celestials had somewhat of an annoying habit of always being vague in details. Mortals on the other hand had a tendency to be more blunt. Especially in my dead brother's care. Blunt was his specialty.

"Perhaps you'd care to explain where you came by this…information?" I pressed him.

"I did much studying and research back in my days within the Iron Throne. I gathered much of the old lore when I was alive. If you will remember, it was my goal to assume the place of our father, thus I would need to understand all the olden foretellings. And even in death, I still retain that knowledge. What say you brother? Will you accept?"

I was at a point of indecision. Sarevok had done much to wrong me in the past, yet I could feel it…He wasn't the same anymore. And I could see it as well. His manner, though still harsh and dare I say grouchy, wasn't as sinister as I once remembered; he didn't seem to have that bloodthirsty growl in his voice. The one that had terrified me so greatly when I first saw him. Perhaps because he was dead…Or maybe, without the taint of Bhaal in him, he no longer was driven to rise in power.

And he had openly told me that I was stronger than him. I never knew my brother very well, since the few times we had met he had tried to kill me, but I felt certain that such an admission was something that his original character would never have admitted to. He would have defied that to the end.

"Before I answer, tell me something…What would you do? If you came back, what would you do with this new life?" There was no response, as I could tell that he was thinking hard.

"Truthfully…I am…unsure brother. I would avoid your wrath, certainly. Beyond that, I…don't know. Without the taint of Bhaal, I do not have the same drive as before, thus I would have much to think about with my new life…But I am sure that I wish to live again. I wish to be free of this torment."

I could only imagine the horrors of what his death had brought him. Probably the same fate awaited me. I didn't feel sorry for him as it was a fate well earned, but I did feel compelled to assist. He may still have been evil, but right now he was simply asking for help, and it was almost in my nature to aid him. Despite many who may call me a sucker for doing so. In the past, I had aided evil before…Perhaps…one more time…

"I must be mad…" I sighed, stepping forward myself. "Very well Sarevok…You have a deal." I didn't think it was possible for a ghost to look so lively and joyful, but his face turned into an almost wild grin.

"Yes! I have cheated death! Thank you brother!" He extended his undead hand towards me, so naturally I reached out.

Despite him being nearly transparent, I still felt something solid as I took his forearm and when he grasped mine. At once there was a sudden jolt, my head bursting with stabbing pain, my eyes bulging, watering as my vision faded. I couldn't breath, my lungs had frozen, almost numb, and my legs began to quake, buckling beneath me. Hells, my whole body was quivering and I felt that unmistakable sense of nausea wash over my insides, rising up, encouraging me to remove my breakfast from my body.

I steeled myself through the waves of disorientation, willing myself to remain conscious, and in a few grueling moments, it had passed. Sarevok released my hand and I fell back, staggering a pace or two away. I still felt woozy, gasping for air and my vision was impaired, but I could still see somewhat.

Sarevok's phantom-like body was beginning to solidify, the trails of vapors following him began to dissipate, and a light glow of pale verdant light seemed to shine from within. When it faded, my brother was standing there, in simple clothes, unarmed, but unmistakably living. He examined himself, running his hands over his arms, testing the stability of his new form. There was a grin on his face, which grew and grew as his eyes opened wide. He then leaned back and hollered up at the green sky, thrusting his fists upward in triumph.

"I LIVE! Flesh and blood and bone! I AM ALIVE! Ha ha, I swore I would scratch and crawl my way back to the world of the living! And I have done it!" His exhilaration was quite a sight; I had never before seen a happy Sarevok before. Kinda creepy. He looked moments away from perhaps breaking out into a wild jig of victory and joy, but I have a suspicion that the Heavens themselves would collapse long before this brother of mine would do anything like that.

I looked him over myself.

"You know, without that huge set of dark armor you always wore…you don't look nearly as terrifying as I seem to recall you being." It was true, as he stood there he no longer reminded me of a hulking armored demon, looking like a man only. Well, a really really big man that was still quite imposing.

"Perhaps, but is just as well that it didn't return with me. Without the essence of Bhaal to channel its power, it is useless to me." He faced me, looking like he would bow. He didn't though. "Thank you brother, for this gift. I am pleased."

"It wasn't a gift Sarevok. This was a trade. Now tell me what you know, or else we're going to be starting round three."

"Very well, first I shall tell you how to leave this place…" He turned towards the portal behind him, the one that looked like an endless void. "This plane is an extension of your soul. It exists because you need it to. This portal here is the way out. You use your will and you depart. But it will not take you wherever you wish to go. It will only take you to the place where you need to be. Or at least where you think you need to be."

"So, I just mentally will myself out of here, and I'll appear in some random place? Gee, that's sure sounds really safe."

"Not random, as there is a certain location where you must go. And I know where. In my youth I spent much of my time looking into the old lore of the dead Bhaal priesthood, and uncovered one of the old prophecies. It spoke of the Sword Coast running red with blood, but much of this conflict will culminate in a great struggle within the Tethyrian city of Saradush. It is there you must go, where the prophecy of old will begin."

Saradush…" I mused, "That's a far cry from where I was. So what will I find there pertaining to this whole ordeal?"

"How would I know?" he grunted, "The prophecies do not spell out every detail as to what is going to happen. It acts merely as guidelines that will lead you to your destiny." I sighed. All these shrouded mysteries was starting to make my head hurt.

"Alright, well if I'm going to be whisked off to Saradush against my will, then I suppose I'd best be on my way. I suppose I should say thanks Sarevok, for the information. You actually surprised me, I sort of thought you were lying just to get my cooperation. So thanks, hope you enjoy life. Again." I strode for my magic portal gateway, passing my brother. His voice made me pause.
"One moment brother. You cannot leave yet. The portal will not work for you at the moment." I froze, and I sent a boiling stare over my shoulder. It figures.

"What? I hope for your sake that you weren't lying to me Sarevok, because that's a really good way to get me mad. What? You haven't died enough times for your liking? If you wish to be killed again then please…let me know. I'd do my best to help you." Sarevok held up a hand, perhaps to motion me to stay my wrath.

"I did not lie brother. I cannot give you the ability to activate the portal. There are many places in this plane of yours that I have been barred from. One I can open, and inside is the answer you seek. Watch." So saying, Sarevok closed his eyes, and was silent. There was a tingling in my body, as I felt this tugging feeling, urging and compelling me to look towards one of the doorways that had been blocked by the magical fog earlier. One of the openings was clear now, the mystic smoke having dissipated.

"Inside you will face a challenge. Once you complete that, you may access the portal and begin your journey."

"A challenge? What kind of challenge?"

"I do not know in detail, except that it will mirror yourself and your experiences. Thus it is likely to be hazardous. That is why I have one final thing to ask of you brother…Take me with you."