Idal – Individuality & ambition...yeah, this one's got more than a touch of both. And Imoen definitely needs hugs. Thanks for reviewing!
OOO
"Try again," Jessime pleaded with Jaheira, staring helplessly at the small, still form that lay limply in her arms. "Please?" She raised beseeching eyes to the druid and saw the answer in her sorrowful expression even before she spoke.
"I have tried, Jess. Twice, now. It's no good. She's gone. They all are."
Jess shook her head. "Anomen, then…or Aerie…" She raised her eyes to search for them, tried to stand, but Jaheira restrained her with a gentle hand on her arm.
"They have tried as well, with the others. It's no use, Jess. You have to accept that."
Jess glared at her, green eyes flashing defiantly, then sagged, dropping back to her knees in defeat. Bending, she gently lay Dili's body on the ground, closed the sightless blue eyes and kissed the still warm skin of her forehead.
Be at peace, little one. You had little enough of that in life.
Standing, she surveyed the ruin of Irenicus' laboratory. Her eyes sought out her companions one by one, reassuring herself that they, at least, had come through the fight alive, though none of them appeared to be unscathed. Aerie was tending Minsc, who had been badly burned by a fireball spell, while Anomen was healing Imoen's broken arm. Jaheira had already healed Jess, whose right arm had been blistered from hand to shoulder by the same fireball that had scorched Minsc.
Crossing the room to join the knight and her sister, Jess stepped carelessly over several grey, vaguely humanoid bodies. Thankfully, the doppelgangers had assumed their own forms in death. It had been unnerving enough for Jess to see the faces of those she loved on opponents that sought to kill her; to see those same faces frozen in their death throes would have been all but unbearable.
Other bodies were not so easily dismissed. Aphril lay huddled on her side, her wide eyes finally free of the unwanted visions that had tormented her. Naljier Skal was sprawled nearby on his back, his expression, even in death, one of faint puzzlement. Other bodies lay where they had fallen, as well: Wanev…Dradeel…Tiax…all dead, beyond resurrection.
Dead because of me, Jess thought bleakly. I turned them loose on Irenicus, used them to shield me and my friends from harm. It was not an entirely fair assessment, and she knew it. She and her companions had been in the thick of the battle, had taken no small amount of damage in the fight.
Still, it was a fact that she had released the prisoners of Spellhold and convinced them to join the attack on Irenicus to improve their odds for success. The release had gone according to plan; the jailer had been more than amenable to Jess' offer: his life in return for the enchanted keys to the cells. Even the convincing part had worked well…too well, since she had never intended to bring Dili into the fight. One of the prisoners – Jess thought that it had been Tiax – had teleported the entire group into the lab without warning, bringing them face to face with Irenicus, catching the mage by surprise; the idea that Jess might ally herself with the inmates of the asylum, none of whom could be described as even remotely sane, had apparently never occurred to him.
And it had still not been enough.
The mage had been more than ready to deal with Jessime and her companions; in addition to his arsenal of spells, he had doppelgangers who had taken the semblance of each of them, adding even more confusion to the swirling chaos of combat.
The addition of five powerful – if unbalanced – spellcasters had upset his plans and very nearly been his undoing. The battle had all but obliterated the lab, potent spells filling the air with incandescent magic as the mages battled Irenicus directly, while the warriors found themselves confronted with the doppelgangers, as well as the creatures summoned by Irenicus' spells.
Once – just once – Jess had confronted Irenicus, had seen one of her Flameblades pass scarcely a finger-width from his neck before she felt herself being dragged backward by powerful claws and was forced to turn and fight a summoned wyvern.
Finally, in danger of being overwhelmed, Irenicus had unleashed a Death spell. Aerie had recognized it in time to cast a counterspell that had protected Jess and the others, but the effect of the spell had still knocked them all senseless for several seconds. When they recovered, Irenicus was gone, and the inmates of Spellhold were dead. Jess was relieved that those closest to her had been spared, but that relief only increased her feeling of guilt at the deaths of the others.
Jess did not understand why Aerie's spell had failed to protect them; perhaps the time they had spent under the dark wizard's control had left their minds more vulnerable to his power, but if that were the case, why hadn't Imoen –
Don't even think about that, Jess told herself with a shudder. Anomen raised his eyes as she approached.
"Do you require healing, my lady?"
Jess shook her head tiredly. "No, Jaheira took care of it. Imoen?"
"I'm all right," the mage said quietly, and she did seem to be recovered physically. The look in her eyes as she stared at the broken bodies scattered around the room, however, said plainly that other types of damage would not be so easy to heal. "They're dead, aren't they? We can't bring them back?" Jess shook her head silently, and Imoen looked away, her eyes bright with tears. "I didn't know them," she whispered. "Not really. Even before he came, they didn't let us talk to each other much. But they didn't deserve – this. If we hadn't let them out…hadn't talked them into fighting…"
"Then we would have died, my lady," Anomen told her gently, "and the foul wizard would have slain them in their cells before he left this place. I am certain of that. At least they were given the chance to fight for their lives. It was Irenicus who killed them, not us."
"Well said," Jess murmured, grateful for the knight's words. They seemed to help Imoen; some of the tension left her thin frame, and the haunted expression on her face eased somewhat. Jess found that her own sense of guilt was somewhat assuaged by Anomen's logic, but the anger in her only grew as she realized that it was true that Irenicus would have killed the inmates once they had served his purposes. They had never had a chance, from the moment the bastard had taken over Spellhold – perhaps even before that. Jess glared at the walls and ceiling of the room as though it were an enemy capable of being fought, struggling to suppress a frustrated rage that had nowhere to vent itself.
IF YOU HAD ALLOWED ME TO FIGHT, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO NEED FOR THE MAD ONES, the Slayer observed coldly. ONLY THE WIZARD WOULD HAVE DIED.
Maybe. Jess was frankly dubious of this claim, but still…
Dammit. She had refused to use the taint, had not allowed herself to become the Slayer out of the fear that innocent people would die – but they had died, anyway.
IF YOU JOIN ME, YOU CAN DECIDE WHO DIES – AND PROTECT THOSE THAT YOU WOULD ALLOW TO LIVE.
Allow to live? Jess echoed with a sardonic twist of her lips. You think that I want that kind of power over peoples' lives?
YOU WILL, it promised before falling silent once more.
Aerie and Minsc joined them. The big ranger was anxiously examining Boo, who had been shielded from the flames by the heavy leather pouch that Minsc carried him in.
"Good timing with the spell, Aerie," Jess told her. "We owe you our lives."
The avariel nodded gratefully, but her blue eyes remained sad. "I just wish I could have saved the others," she replied.
"The little one is dead, too?" Minsc asked, his broad forehead creasing in anger as he caught sight of Dili's tiny body. "Boo says that the evil one must be made to pay for the slaying of children!"
"He will, Minsc," Jess replied, steel in her voice. "I swear it."
"As do I," Jaheira added as she picked her way across the corpses toward them. "We should try to find his trail; he will be weakened –" She stumbled, cried out; Jess thought for a moment that she had tripped over one of the bodies, until she saw the dagger wedged into the shoulder of her armor. A slight shimmer in the air behind her told the rest of the story.
"Aerie!" Jess snapped, sending a dagger spinning through the air at the shimmering spot. It stuck, and there was a groan as blood began dripping to the ground. The shimmer grew more pronounced, and a cloaked figure staggered into view, clutching at Jess' dagger buried in its chest. Jaheira spun with a snarled oath, the staff of Silvanus a blur in the air until the blade at its tip found the assassin's throat.
A single word from Aerie broke the invisibility spell, and the companions found themselves surrounded.
The bastard left one last surprise for us, Jess realized angrily as she pulled the Flameblades from their sheaths and leaped forward. She immediately found herself facing three assailants, each one bearing the unmistakable stamp of professional killers. A series of glowing missiles flew past her shoulder into the nearest of her opponents, and he crumpled to the ground with a strangled cry.
Imoen. Spells that would have been useless against Irenicus were far more formidable against these foes. With a predatory grin, Jess lunged, feeling a savage joy at having something to release her anger at. The remaining two fell back slightly, startled by the intensity of her sudden offensive, and their hesitation cost them dearly. Fire rippled through the blades as Jess used the left to parry the nearest one's shortsword while the right opened his throat in a gout of blood and flame. Without hesitating, she drove the left blade to the hilt into the belly of the second, just beneath the breastbone, easily avoiding the dying thrust of his dagger.
Spinning, she took out one of three that had challenged Jaheira, slicing across the back of his knees, causing him to collapse backward and driving him to the ground with an overhand blow that nearly cut him in two. Jaheira drove her spear into the chest of the second as a series of glowing orbs from Aerie flew into the face of the third, a woman with cruelly scarred cheeks, causing her to stagger back, dropping her weapon to claw at her eyes. Jaheira finished her off easily. Quickly ascertaining that the druid had received no serious injury, Jess raised her head, searching out the remainder of her companions.
Their attackers had fared as poorly elsewhere. Imoen and Aerie were back to back, making effective use of the missile spells that had been held back in the earlier confrontation, the bodies at their feet giving evidence of their ability to defend themselves at close range, as well. Minsc had been attacked by four; two were already dead, and as Jess watched, he knocked another into the wall with the flat of his greatsword. The assassin slid to the ground in a broken heap, and Minsc brought the blade back in a return arc as effortlessly as if the massive weapon were as light as a rapier, an expert twist of his wrists rotating the sword until the edge was parallel with the ground. The last of his attackers barely had the time to recognize his impending death before the blade bit deep into his chest. Minsc wrenched the sword free and glared around; finding no one else to fight, he was at Aerie's side in half a dozen great strides.
Anomen had finished off two of his three opponents and was advancing on the third when Jess spotted another rushing him from behind, a narrow stiletto held low and to the side, ready to drive into the gap in the side of his cuirass.
Jess felt her heart stop. "Anomen!" she shouted, knowing that the knight would never be able to turn quickly enough to deflect the attack. She felt the keen anticipation of the Slayer as she reached for the taint – but suddenly, a figure darted from the shadows, intercepting the attacker before he reached Anomen, katana flashing in an all too familiar style.
Yoshimo.
By the time that Jess reached them, the bounty hunter had slain the assassin and was facing Anomen, who regarded him with barely controlled loathing.
"I should kill you where you stand!" the knight growled angrily, clutching the Flail of Ages in a white-knuckled grip.
"You!" Jaheira hissed from behind Jess. Knowing well what was coming, Jessime held her arm out, blocking the druid as she lunged for Yoshimo.
"No!" she snapped. "He just saved Anomen's life, dammit!"
"I'll give him a head start, then," the half elf replied, eying the Kara-Turan the way a hungry snake would stare at a mouse, "if he starts running now."
Jess turned to Jaheira. "I said no," she said, quietly but firmly, holding the druid's gaze until she nodded reluctantly. "I'll handle it," she added, her eyes meeting each of theirs in turn, making sure they understood before turning back to Yoshimo.
"You saved Anomen's life," she told him flatly. "That buys yours, but it doesn't change the fact that you betrayed us all. Go," she said, pointing to the door. "Go now, and don't ever let me see you again."
"I can't." The bounty hunter was in obvious pain, beads of sweat standing out on his pale face. "Do you think I would have faced you again if I was given a choice? The wizard has changed the terms of my geas."
Despite a chill of foreboding, Jess made herself smile coldly. "It seems that you need to exercise more care in choosing your employers."
Yoshimo tried for a sardonic chuckle, but it turned into a scream of pain halfway out, and Jess almost lost her hold on her façade of indifference. After a long moment, he regained control and raised haunted eyes to meet hers.
"I doubt that will be a problem in the future," he told her with a bitter smile. "I've been ordered to kill you."
Jess remained silent; she had suspected as much from the moment she had seen him again.
"Fool!" Jaheira spat. "Do you truly think we would allow you to harm her?"
"I do not," Yoshimo replied. "In fact, I am counting on it." No sooner had the words left his mouth than a powerful spasm drove him to his knees, the katana falling from his hand as he clutched his stomach.
"Anomen, leave it," Jess ordered as the knight stepped forward to pick up the weapon. He shot her a puzzled glance. "I said that I would handle it," she reminded him. "Everybody get back," she said, motioning with her arms until they had moved several steps away. She turned back to Yoshimo, her mind working quickly and not liking the conclusions it was reaching.
Irenicus could not have possibly expected the bounty hunter to kill her in the condition the geas had left him. The mage wanted her to kill Yoshimo…wanted her to pursue vengeance, to draw closer to the Slayer in nature. Why? What did he stand to gain? Or was it simply another of his sadistic games, intended only to amuse himself and get rid of a reluctant ally?
WHAT DOES IT MATTER? The Slayer demanded impatiently. IF YOU DO NOT KILL HIM, HE WILL KILL YOU! RELEASE ME, AND LET US FINISH HIM TOGETHER!
It matters because I'm tired of dancing to whatever tune that bastard plays, Jess replied, and I hardly need your help to fight him as he is now.
That was true enough. Yoshimo barely managed to drag himself to his feet, retrieving the katana and facing her unsteadily.
"If I do not kill you, my death will be slow and painful," he told her. "I will die as a coward, begging for release. If I die by your blades, at least it will be quick – and perhaps I will retain a scrap of honor to carry to my ancestors." He raised the blade to the ready position. "My friend, I have no right to ask anything of you, but I ask this: fight me. Let me die as a warrior."
"You would dare to call her friend after betraying her?" Anomen demanded incredulously.
"It is a trick, Jess!" Jaheira warned her.
"I don't think so," Jess replied. She looked curiously at Yoshimo. "You still consider me a friend?"
"I do," he answered, "and the others as well. I betrayed you from cowardice. Death I could face, but this pain –" his face contorted, and he groaned.
"We have a problem, then," Jess said, "because, if you remember, back in Athkatla I told you that I don't kill friends." Her mind raced. Two options: kill him quickly or leave him to die slowly. She found neither to her liking. What, then? "Aerie, could you break the geas?" she asked, knowing the answer before the avariel spoke.
"Only the one who places a geas can remove it, Jess. I think that if I were to even try to remove this one, it would kill him."
So the only way to end the geas was for him to kill her. A spark of an idea flared in her mind – but would it work? She held her breath, calculating the odds.
Yoshimo watched her despairingly. "You cannot break the geas, Jessime. Kill me now…please!" He raised the katana in a weak attempt to threaten her.
It's got to work…no reason why it shouldn't, Jess reasoned, feeling her heart start to hammer at what she was planning. She glanced behind her. "Jaheira, do you have any resurrection spells left?"
"Yes," the druid replied, frowning, "but it won't work. The geas will simply reestablish itself once he returns to life."
Jess nodded, turning back to Yoshimo. She only had seconds to act now; Jaheira and Imoen knew her better than anyone, and once they realized her intent, they would try to stop her.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING? the Slayer demanded, suddenly alarmed by what it sensed in her.
Something my sire would never do, Jess replied in grim satisfaction. Raising the Flameblades, she feinted forward suddenly, causing Yoshimo to raise his katana in a reflexive attempt at defense.
"Jess, NO!" Imoen wailed, but Jessime was already in motion, legs driving her forward onto the Kara-Turan's blade. There was a scrape as the enchanted katana cut through her armor, and then the blade plunged into her chest, piercing her heart.
Her momentum carried her forward into Yoshimo's arms, and as she stared into his wide eyes, her last thought was one of strange satisfaction: she had finally managed to surprise the inscrutable bastard.