Okay, so this is both an apology and not an apology at all. I want to explain why I have been gone so long from writing and also what's getting me back into it. First off, the apology. A lot of real life has kept me from writing. You know, school, work, and the whatnot... But another part of it was that I was afraid. Afraid of what I was writing and how bad it was turning out. Note to self, never read TVtropes. That website will highlight all of the finer points of bad Mary Sue writing which, incidentally, started presenting themselves in my story. I found it incredibly depressing on how many tropes I was hitting at one time. It's even harder to swallow when the character you're writing is yourself. I came to think of myself not only as a bad writer but as an uncreative one as well. For someone who was always been so proud of her imagination that was the most painful blow of all. What changed was I ended up taking a creative writing course at my college and I did well. I even got one of my pieces published. It was nice to have the realization that I am not as terrible as I perceived myself to be. This story is not great nor even good sometimes. But! This story is fun. It is fun for me to write. I enjoy it. I love these characters with all my heart and I want to see the fantasy world I live in put on paper. So this is my non-apology. This story will not make sense at all times. This story has shallow characters. This story may ramble. Things will be said and not shown. And there will be scenes that will not make sense if you have not played the game. A lot of stuff will be skipped (god help me, I'm never writing action sequences again!) There may be frequent rewrites. However it is fun and I hope you have fun reading it. Okay, long rambling authors note over. Back to story of Allesyn and Kivan.

Enjoy!

Chapter Eleven: Imprisonment

The pain will only be passing. You should survive the process.

Allesyn opened her eyes. The hard steel cage filled her vision, an ominous, yet familiar, sight. How long had it been? How much of her blood was on the floor? Allesyn couldn't remember much of the time leading up to her imprisonment. If she concentrated, she could recall the shadowy figures jumping out from the edges of the campfire's light. She remembered being overpowered before she give a warning cry.

Now the days were filled with oppressive cages, occasionally broken by intervals where she was put under the knife. It was during those times that she saw Imoen.

Scarred, frightened Imoen.

"Stop hurting them! I'll do whatever you want!"

"Don't look, Imoen! Close your eyes, stare at the floor, just don't look!"

Allesyn had not seen Jaheira, Khalid, Minsc or Dynaheir since the night of their abduction. No, she had only seen Imoen and... and...

Allesyn began to shake. Her tormentor, the man with no name and empty eyes. His voice filled the young elf's nightmares, calm and smooth but lacking any empathy.

"You will watch, Imoen," he said. "Watch and learn. She will scream eventually."

Allesyn focused her attention on the uneven cold stones of the floor digging into her side, aggravating her many wounds. Scars crisscrossed her back, chest and arms, some of them fresh. She gently fingered the jagged cut along her jawbone, a gift from the unknown captors.

A sign of her failure to protect her friends.

Grief threatened to overwhelm the elf. She felt as helpless as she did years ago when she was being tortured by Mardael. What was the point of all her training if she ended up in the same place again? Would she ever see sunlight again? She longed for her sword, Rune. It saved her from Mardael, she liked to imagine that it would save her again.

Idly, she traced patterns into the dirt beneath her. A sun here. A star there. An arrow. An arrow...

Not for the first time, Allesyn's mind wandered back to the ranger. Surely by now Kivan had made it back to Shilmista. She felt a dull ache in her heart thinking of the man she had called friend. She would give anything to see him once more, but she was glad that he was not here. Allesyn could not bear it if he had been.

A loud, but distant explosion cut into Allesyn's thoughts. Given what little she knew of the layout of the dungeon, she wasn't sure what direction the sound had come from, but she was almost positive it hadn't come from the torture room. No, this was something different.

Allesyn strained, trying to make out any other sounds. Long moments passed before she heard footsteps lightly traipsing down the hall. She held her breath and braced herself for the worst as the door to the room opened.

"Anyone in here?"

It was Imoen!

"Imoen!" Allesyn cried. She pulled herself up to a sitting position. "How did you escape?"

The red-haired thief nimbly scampered over to Allesyn's cage and started fiddling with the lock.

"There's some sorta commotion going on down here. My cell got damaged."

"Have you seen the others?"

"No, but I think I might have an idea where they are. And where some of our gear is."

There was a soft click, and the lock fell from Allesyn's prison. The young elf stepped out and for the first time in what felt like ages, she stood upright and stretched her arms toward the ceiling. Her muscles cried out in response, but Allesyn barely felt it. She was going to be free and there wasn't a damn thing that was going to stop her.

Imoen retreated back to the door and peered down the hallway. "I don't think our gracious host is home at the moment, but I'd like to get out of here before he returns."

"Agreed, but I wouldn't mind repaying him for a few favors."

Imoen looked back at Allesyn. She chewed on her lower lip for a minute. "I just want to leave. He's hurt my friends. He's hurt me. It's not a normal pain either. He wanted me to see something amidst the torture and death. I don't know what. I just... I want to get out of here." She glanced down at the floor, then back to Allesyn. "You didn't scream. Why didn't you scream?"

The elf gritted her teeth. "I didn't want to give that bastard the pleasure. And I wanted to spare you. It's all I could do in my position."

Imoen rested her head against the door frame. "Thank you." Suddenly, she perked up. "Let's keep moving. Our supplies are just down the hall."

Allesyn followed Imoen to small room that was dominated by a wooden table. To the side was a steel chest with no lock. The party's armor lay discarded all over the table, a thin layer of dust already starting to form on the worn outfits. The two women suited themselves quickly and Allesyn moved to the chest. It was strange that there was no lock on the box. Their tormentor obviously didn't think that security would be much of an issue. Allesyn lifted the lid and found most of their lost weapons lying within. After tossing a dagger to Imoen, the elf shifted through the contents, cursing under her breath.

"Something wrong?" Imoen inquired.

"It's not here."

"What isn't?"

"Rune. I dropped my sword when were attacked. It must of been left behind."

"I'm sorry."

Allesyn shook her head and fetched herself a basic sword to use. The blade felt like a stranger in her hand. There was no use dwelling on what could not be changed, but her heart was heavy with the loss of Rune. She knew every detail of that blade as well as she knew her own self. It many ways, it was a part of her being.

"Allesyn!" Imoen whispered. She stood out in the hall. "Do you hear that?"

Echoing from down another twisting hall, the women could hear a man's voice yelling. The words were incomprehensible from where they stood. Cautiously, they started to follow the sound, Allesyn keeping her weapon at the ready and Imoen behind her. They came to thick metal door. Allesyn sucked in her breath and opened it.

"Minsc will be free! These bars will not hold my wrath! Butts will be liberally kicked in good measure for this injustice!"

Imoen practically skipped for joy over to the large man in the cage. "Oh, Minsc! You're okay!"

The bars of another cage across the room rattled loudly. "By Silvanus, Imoen! You're alive! Open the door so we might escape this place!"

Imoen grinned. "I never thought I'd be happy to hear your voice, Jaheira!" She picked open Minsc's cell and started on Jaheira's lock.

"Have you seen Khalid?" the druid inquired. "I have not seen him since we got here. Nor have I seen Dynaheir."

Imoen's hands stilled on the lock. "They... he took them."

Jaheira took a step back. "No. No... you cannot mean..."

Minsc uttered a great sob. "I have failed Dynaheir! The wizard killed my witch! I was to guard her! I will cave his skull for what he has done!"

The last lock clicked open and Jaheira practically knocked Imoen aside as she rushed out of the room. The usually level-headed druid ran down the hall, checking room after room. To her credit, she attempted to stay in the shadows, but reason was to be damned at this moment. Minsc, Imoen and Allesyn followed as best they could. They lost sight of her after several turns of the corridor, but the sound of a great cry of anguish zeroed the party in on her whereabouts. They found the druid bent over a metal table covered in red stains. On the table was the remains of a pale half-elf.

Khalid.

No one spoke. Jaheira bowed her head, her jaw clenched tightly. She curled and uncurled her fists several times as she sought some rationale within her mind. Imoen took a step forward.

"Jaheira. I'm so sorry. I know-"

The druid's head snapped up. "Silence! All of you! You know nothing!" She bowed her head again. "Silvanus, guide this man to the light. My he find the peace he deserves. May..." Her voice cracked. "May my heart find his again."

With that, Jaheira straightened herself. She forced herself to look ahead and steel her nerves. "Let us leave this tomb. We will find the way out and make the bastard pay." She moved stiffly towards the door, the rest of the party following silently behind her, each nodding a last respect to their fallen comrade.

Minutes passed like hours as the group found their way, lost it, then found it again in the labyrinthian dungeon. They had seen empty rooms, workshops, and more signs of their captor's cruelty than they cared to imagine. However, the room they stood in now was far different than anything they had seen previously. It was a beautiful lady's bedroom. Every detail, down to the hairbrush on the vanity, was arranged as if someone had been living in this room, and yet, it was all off. Nothing showed any sign of actual use. The air itself seemed to be holding its breath for someone to come home.

A delicate voice wafted in from the alcove just off to the side. "Is that the master come back?" From the alcove stepped, not one, but three lovely maidens with hair of leaves and skin of wood.

"Dryads?" Imoen whispered to Jaheira.

The druid nodded. She had heard stories of these fey creatures, but had never seen one for herself.

"You are not the master," the dryad stated plainly.

Allesyn snorted. "We are not his friends either. Who are you?"

The woman's amber eyes filled with tears. "We are his slaves and concubines."

Allesyn gripped her borrowed sword tightly in its sheath. "Do you know who this man is?"

"Yes. His name is Jon Irenicus. He keeps us here to remind him of her." She swept her hand towards the large bed. Allesyn shuddered at the implication. "This is all for her, though we do not know who she is. The master knows, or at least, he did once."

"Come with us," Imoen said. "We'll find a way to freedom together."

The dryad shook her head slowly. "We cannot. My sisters and I would die if we tried."

"There must be something we can do!"

Another maiden stepped forward. "Perhaps. If you could take our acorns to the Fairy Queen who lives south of the Windspear Hills we could be saved."

Allesyn released her tight grip on the sword and strode forward. "I give you my word that I shall deliver these acorns to her myself. I will not stand to see anyone left in the care of this Irenicus." She practically spat the name out.

The dryad produced the acorns from her hair and handed them to the elf. "May the forest always open a path to you."


Once again, the group found themselves wandering vacant halls in search of an exit.

"Is there no end to this damnable place?!" Jaheira exclaimed. "Irenicus is sure to find us before we find him!"

Having no answer, Allesyn examined the wall, trying to clear her thoughts. She gasped. The were scorch marks upon the stones. Recent ones. Perhaps from the explosion she had heard earlier. It was the first sign of any progress. She almost dared to feel hope again.

Suddenly Minsc started clamoring in his armor. He pat his hands up and down his body and through his pack. "Boo! This is no time for hide and seek! Show yourself!"

"By Silvanus! We've lost our way and the rodent as well?"

Imoen nodded towards large door sitting slightly ajar. "I think I saw something scurry that way. Come on."

The party followed Minsc inside and stopped, aghast.

The entire room was filled with glass tubes the size of a human along the walls like flasks in a chemistry set. The floor was covered in piping that was too big for the small space. Each of the tubes held a beautiful blonde elven woman suspended in almost a death-like animation. The same blonde elven woman though each one was missing some detail, an arm or a leg. Identical beings floating silently in a glass prison.

Allesyn cautiously stepped closer to one of the tubes. The woman inside this particular capsule was complete, no missing parts. Allesyn ran a hand over the smooth surface. She felt a crack in the glass, most likely gained from the recent turmoil.

As she examined, the woman in the tube's eyes flew open. With a soundless fury, the strange elf threw her fist against the crack again and again. Allesyn jumped away in shock as the tube began to shatter. The glass gave away and the fluids inside poured out to the ground. The blonde elf uneasily stepped out of the tube, her fists bloodied.

"I will not be copied anymore!" it screamed at Allesyn. "I am not her!"

Tendrils of smoke started to rise from the woman's skin. Boils appeared on her body as the creation lurched towards Allesyn. The young elf stumbled back, unable to tear her gaze away from the sight. She tripped over the various wires and tubes on the floor, hitting the ground with a painful thud. The creature advanced towards Allesyn, its skin now dissolving away to the bone.

"I will not be used! I will not..." The protests became gargled as the last of its flesh and muscle disappeared. The skeletal remains dropped to the floor, a boney arm reaching towards the terrified elf.

Imoen held her hand over her mouth, trying to hold back her screams. "I want out of here!" she cried. "I want no part of this place! I want out!"

She ran out the door, with Jaheira at her heels. Minsc followed shortly after, pausing only to scoop his beloved hamster from the ground. Allesyn turned to her side, heaving heavy breaths. Her stomach turned over painfully. If she had had food in her stomach, it would not have been there long. Finally she regained her senses and joined the other in the hallway.

Jaheira acknowledge the warrior with a curt nod. "I see the marks you noticed earlier. At least it's something."

Imoen said nothing, but kept her head buried against Minsc's arm. Her eyes were still wet with tears but her jaw was set. She would escape.

The floor beneath them rattled and another large explosion roared down the hall. After the clamor of crumbling stonework settled, the group could hear the sounds of battle echoing through the corridor. But what was far more important was the smell of fresh air that was drifting along with din of combat.

Allesyn turned to the others. "I think we need to go that way." She drew the sword and took the lead. As unfamiliar as the blade was to her, she would manage. She would not allow anyone else to die under her care.

The group eagerly started forward, hoping to see sunlight soon.