Chapter 25: To Quench A Heart
I didn't even bother asking her how she knew who and what I was. Those eyes of hers seemed to pierce through me with an insatiably hungry curiosity.
"Pardon me, uh…madam…but what are you doing in this place?" I didn't think I had said anything particularly funny with this question, yet she tossed her head back and cawed a disturbing laugher, like dead leaves rolling through the wind. From the corner of my eye I saw Jaheira wince slightly at it.
"So polite and kind Spawn-Child is," the crone cackled, "so mannered and honest…Not like other Children, no no, this one far from them…" She shuffled a few steps closer, extending an ancient hand out to me. "Come closer Powerful One; come closer to old Nyalee, so she might see you better. Old is Nyalee, and see well she doesn't…"
I took a few steps closer, letting her look me up and down with a toothy smile, her eyes holding mine.
"Ah, handsome and powerful you are Spawn-Child, fortunate you have been, oh yes. But you are wary, I see, wary of Nyalee. Come, stand before me Child, I mean no harm to you…"
I didn't want to get too close at the moment. She may have been just a crazy old woman, but I wasn't taking any chances. After all, she hung out in a dilapidated temple of Bhaal chock full of undead. Not the usual haunt of the sane.
She seemed to understand. "Nyalee lives here just fine, amidst loyal Bhaal servants, she does, and Nyalee is I. Witch of the Glade I am. But questions you have Spawn-Child, oh yes, many questions you have for old Nyalee."
"I suppose I might. What makes you think I'm here to speak with you?" She let out that hoary laughter once again, her whole skeletal form trembling at the force of it.
"Nyalee knows much Spawn-Child, she does. Knows you've been coming, knows why you are here!"
"Then speak you old hag," Sarevok commanded, "And cease your mindless riddles." His words only served to amuse her further, as she turned to Sarevok.
"Nyalee knows more than just the Powerful One, she does. She knows you too, Sarevok, oh yes. She sees what's happened to you little one, falling under the spell of the blood, and loosing your power. Now you have little, very little left, and its speaks of the Powerful One, it does. So, wrestled back from the depths of Hell you have? Clever little Sarevok, oh so clever to escape from Fate, you are!"
On the surface Sarevok never gave any sort of reaction to what he was thinking or feeling, and this time was no exception, though I have a suspicion that he would have butchered her ruthlessly if I wasn't there. The old witch must have known that for she gave him a dismissing wave and turned to me, her muted gray eyes now narrowing with seriousness.
"You have come because of my boy, that traitorous half-giant boy of mine, yes? You've come because of Yaga-Shura? My boy had been trouble for you, much trouble, and trouble for old Nyalee as well. You've come to find a way to his blood yes?"
"Your boy?" Keldorn asked with noticeable skepticism in his voice, "Are we to believe that this Yaga-Shura is your offspring?" Nyalee gave Keldorn a disapproving glare, eyes narrowing, flicking up and down him, taking note of his weapon.
"Nay, foolish paladin, nay. The traitorous boy did not spring from Nyalee's loins, but old Nyalee raised him like a son, raised him to be strong. Nyalee saw him as a powerful one too, and stole him as a babe from the crib, raised him here, she did, raised him like her own."
"You've raised him like a son," Jaheira was reciting carefully, "Training him to be strong, and yet you speak as if you would assist us in stopping him. Does this mean you wish for his death?" At that, Nyalee's face contorted in rage, causing Jaheira to step back in caution and Sarevok and Keldorn to step forward. But she paid no notice, instead tossing her head back and yowling like an enraged feline at the dead branches overhead.
"Nyalee took in the boy, cared for him. Taught him the old tricks she did! Ungrateful boy left Nyalee here to rot with mindless shambling bones, and betrays her! Steals her heart, damn him!"
"Uh, is anyone getting this?" I asked, looking around. Nyalee seemed to disregard our presence, going off on a deluded rant, wavering her arms about and stalking back and forth.
"She seems to have a grudge against Yaga-Shura," Jaheira stood by my side watching, "He learned what he needed, betrayed her, and left her behind. Regardless, if she raised him, then she must know something about his powers, and she sounds as if she is willing to help us. Perhaps our cause is still achievable."
"Oh yes, Nyalee will help Spawn-Child," the old witch turned to us, her haranguing frenzy vanished like smoke in the wind, "Nyalee will help to defeat traitorous boy, oh yes. Foolish boy won't see it coming, no he won't, too busy killing siblings that he won't know what's coming…"
"If you can help us, then I thank you. Tell us Nyalee, how can we defeat Yaga-Shura? How can we overcome his invulnerability?"
"Slowly, Spawn-Child, slowly, Nyalee must explain everything…Once long ago, Nyalee wasn't so old and was a great cleric of Bhaal, servant of the master yes. But when Bhaal died, Nyalee was striped of her powers and looked for other ways to survive. Came across ancient magic's she did, powerful ones. And stole the boy, teaching him the secrets too. Hoped to create a new God of Murder, Nyalee did. Foolish old Nyalee…"
She trailed off, a glimmer of nostalgia in her voice.
"So these vile magic's of old are responsible for Yaga-Shura's invulnerability I take it?" Keldorn brought her back to the present with his noble voice. She glared at him, shrugging impatiently.
"Vile, righteous paladin says. Speaking out of ignorance you are. Understanding the true way of things you do not."
"Enough," Sarevok snarled, his forbearance having expired a few minutes ago. He strode forward, now towering over the gaunt old woman, brought his burning yellow eyes right up to hers, his hand reaching for his massive blade. "Tell us what makes Yaga-Shura invulnerable else I will crush the rest of you to dust right here."
I'd have to say that just about anyone on the whole face of Faerun would have felt at least slightly intimidated by the tremendous hulk that was my impatient brother, with his burning yellow eyes and almost palpable bloodlust, but Nyalee didn't so much as flinch. She grinned up at him with a sly smile instead; perhaps knowing he was merely trying to frighten her into divulging what she knew. And though she wasn't influenced by Sarevok's words, she did indeed answer.
"His heart, restless one, it is. It's his heart. Nyalee taught him that she did. Taught him to remove it, to keep it safe from harm. With no heart, die he cannot."
"I must apologize for interrupting," Yoshimo nudged in, "But do you mean to say that he…well, literally took his heart out? I was not aware such a feat was possible, magic or no."
"Oh yes, wily trickster," the ancient crone cackled, "Many things like that has Nyalee learned, passed on to foolish Yaga-Shura. Keeps his heart awash in magic flames, he does. So long as his heart burns, die Yaga-Shura cannot. You wish to defeat him them Spawn-Child, defeat the traitorous boy of mine?"
"Yes. So I take it then that I must locate his heart and find a way to extinguish this…burning fire…before I can fight him?"
"Nay hasty Spawn-Child, nay. Magic that strong does not break easy, it does not. Only Nyalee knows what must be done to quench his power, oh yes. But the treacherous boy…" her face filled with fury once again, shrieking to the trees around us. "Stole my heart, he did, stole Nyalee's heart! Damn the boy! And without her heart, Nyalee can't use her powers and have vengeance." She turned to me once again.
"Find the boy's heart Spawn-Child. Find Nyalee's heart as well. Bring them here you must, then Nyalee will put out his heart. Then…hah ha ha ha! Oh so surprised the boy will be, oh yes, very surprised!"
"Where would he keep them?" Jaheira asked her, "Close by surely…With him in his army's camp, to protect them?"
"Not with him, the hearts are not. Keeps them safe, locked away he does. A shrine he has, built for him in fire mountains. Many followers he has. There they will be, guarded most carefully yes…you must search there Spawn-Child."
"The Marching Mountains…" a name Melissan had spoken of. "We are heading that way right now, so we will certainly search for both Yaga-Shura's and your heart while we are there. And when we return, we can finally confront and stop Yaga-Shura."
"This is very confusing," Minsc cried out in frustration, shaking his head, "This talk of hearts and giants and strange magic's are going far over poor Minsc's head. He doesn't know anything about hearts, no sir, Minsc only knows how to stomp evil with his boot and to journey the land with friends and Boo. But Boo thinks you know much, heart lady, know much more about hearts."
"Astute your critter is," Nyalee answered with a beaming smile, "Much Nyalee knows about hearts. My boy's, old Nyalee's…even powerful Spawn-Child's heart, oh yes, Nyalee can see his very well. A good heart, valorous and untamed."
"Well…I thank you…I suppose…I always thought it was a good heart myself…"
"What would you know about his heart?" Jaheira was watching her warily, perhaps suspecting foul play, "Wishing to take it for yourself?"
"His heart yes," Nyalee cooed, stepping forward slowly, her gaze never wavering from me, "Nyalee would like to but cannot, not without hers first. But she can see into your heart Spawn-Child, she can. Can see it well. It's a mighty heart full of strange things, things Spawn-Child normally would not have. Place for you, nature's warrior, a big place yes…Feel for you he does…your heart is similar, Nyalee sees…"
Jaheira cleared her throat, a tint of red rising to her cheeks, and the witch turned to me.
"Now quickly Spawn-Child, retrieve the hearts quickly you must. Time is short for you yes, must hurry. Find the hearts and return. Then the blood of Yaga-Shura you shall have…"