Idal – Thanks for catching the misspell of Ellesime; fixed it! And I have to admit, I enjoy writing the dialog between Jess and the Slayer, so I'm glad that others like it, too!
OOO
Jaheira watched from the corner of her eye as Jess and Imoen left the room, then glanced briefly at Anomen as the knight knelt beside their packs, his expression wooden as he engaged in the completely unnecessary task of rearranging their contents.
The druid sighed. Her hearing, while not so keen as that of a full blooded elf, had nevertheless been sharp enough to overhear the conversation between the young knight and Jessime, and she had been hard pressed not to stride over and cuff them both soundly.
Were Khalid and I so obtuse at that stage? She chuckled softly, the first time since his death that the thought of her husband brought something besides sorrow. Even more so, if I am to be perfectly honest, she admitted to herself. She had watched Jess and Anomen's tentative steps toward romance with a mixture of amusement, exasperation and bittersweet recognition, but this most recent snag concerned her. Jess' transformation into the Slayer had not cooled the knight's ardor; what could have happened to cause the drastic change in his demeanor now?
Deal with that later…focus on your meditations. The first priority was to regain her spells before they found themselves facing Irenicus again. Closing her eyes, she drew deep, slow breaths, finding her balance, and reached out to Silvanus in prayer. When she opened her eyes some time later, she felt calm, centered and relaxed, her renewed spells creating their usual gentle pressure in her mind. She remained kneeling, enjoying the quiet…
"Hey! Let me go! There's no need to be so damn rough!"
So much for quiet. Rolling to her feet and snatching up her staff, she turned around as a familiar figure was shoved unceremoniously through the doorway to fall in a heap on the rubble strewn floor. Jess strode through the door behind him, Flameblades drawn with fire rippling through the steel, with Imoen bringing up the rear.
Havarian. As he tried to regain his feet, Jess planted a boot in his backside that sent him sprawling again.
"Just stay down," she told him coldly, and Jaheira realized with a chill that the girl's eyes, while they had not gone completely golden, were undeniably lighter than her usual green.
The man had enough sense to remain where he had fallen as the group gathered around him, taking in the ruination of the chamber with startled blue eyes that quickly turned shrewd and calculating. Jaheira eyed him warily; he was a handsome enough man, and considered himself to be a dashing rogue, but the druid knew that his heart was ruled by greed. He had sold them out once before, and would not hesitate to do so again for the right price.
"I see you put that crazy wizard in his place," he observed, smoothing his blond hair back into place and flashing what he obviously thought to be a charming smile. "Sorry about that business on the docks, but his bitch sister didn't give me much choice." His eyes widened again as he caught sight of Yoshimo, and he paused, clearly uncertain now.
"You seem to know much of them," Jaheira told him, placing the blade of the staff of Silvanus beneath his chin and using it to force him to raise his head to meet her eyes. "Why did you come here? Were you to receive further orders from them?"
"Well…yes, actually," he admitted, then smiled cheerfully, "but you seem to have done an admirable job of releasing me from my servitude…as you have done with my Kara-Turan friend, here." He nodded to Yoshimo, who regarded him impassively.
"I am no friend to you," the bounty hunter said quietly. "My participation was coerced…yours was purchased."
The pirate looked wounded. "Well they paid me, right enough, but they'd have killed me if I didn't do what they said. But they're gone now, and you're all alive…so no harm done, right?" He looked around hopefully, meeting only stony stares.
"That we are all alive is no thanks to you," Anomen growled, stepping forward with his hand curled tightly about the hilt of the Flail of Ages. "You delivered us here knowing what awaited us, knowing that one among us was a traitor." He sent a cold stare to Yoshimo, who merely nodded in silent acknowledgment. "You share the blame for all that we have suffered here…give me one good reason why we should not kill you now?"
"Aye!" Minsc bent down and grabbed Saemon roughly by the throat, raising him until his eyes were level with those of the towering ranger, his feet thrashing wildly a good foot from the floor. "You are evil, little man, and Boo thinks that the world would be better if you were not in it." He began to tighten his grip, and the pirate's eyes bulged, but Jess suddenly stepped forward, placing a hand on the Rashemi's arm.
"Not yet," she told him quietly. "Put him down, Minsc." The ranger sent her a reproachful look, but complied immediately. Havarian dropped to the ground, gagging and coughing, glaring at them resentfully.
"You think I haven't suffered?" he spat. "I've lost one of my most profitable ports of call! I can never go back to Athkatla…Aran Linvail will have my head…all because of you." He caught himself then, and paused, obviously calculating his odds of survival and finding them not at all to his liking. "As I said before, though…no harm done, so no hard feelings, right? And to prove it, I'll even help you out."
Jess regarded him with evident amusement – but the golden cast still lingered in her eyes. "Making the highly unlikely assumption that we would trust you enough to accept it, what possible help could you offer us?"
"More than you've got right now, that's certain," he replied spitefully. "I know where they're going, and I can get you there ahead of them." He raised a hand as Jess began to speak. "I know that you know about Suldanesselar; I heard you talking about it."
Jaheira felt ice in her veins at the name; what was that monster planning to do to the beautiful elven city? Jess' attention was focused on Havarian, so the druid sent a questioning glance to Imoen, who nodded soberly.
The pirate continued, "I heard you talking about the portal, as well, and you're right. It doesn't go to Suldanesselar, and you'd be damn fools to follow him that way."
"And why is that?" Jess asked him coolly.
"Because that portal leads to the Underdark," he replied, and grinned nastily at Aerie's sharp intake of breath. "Oh, yes, pretty one…dark, dank caves where the sun's light never touches…populated by drow and worse. No place for one like you."
Jess put a hand on Minsc's chest as the ranger started forward with murder in his eyes, then turned to glare at the pirate. "And you, of course, are willing take us straight to Suldanesselar and save us the trip through the Underdark – out of your sheer goodness of heart."
"Something like that," Havarian replied, ignoring the heavy sarcasm in her voice. "Just to show that there's no hard feelings, like I said." He cleared his throat suddenly. "Of course, I'd be needing a bit of assistance before we could be leaving."
Jess shot Jaheira a sidelong glance, the sardonic gleam in her eyes making her thoughts apparent: Here it comes. "I was wondering when we'd be getting to the catch," she murmured. "All right…what is it?"
Surely Jess is not seriously considering putting our lives in the hands of this miscreant again? The Underdark would be preferable! Jaheira glanced at Aerie, whose face was still pale. Then again, perhaps not. The avariel had an instinctive dread of anything that shut them away from the sky, but their fear of caves was the strongest; Aerie's inability to fly had evidently not diminished that fear in her. Of course not…a wingless avariel would have almost no chance to escape the drow. Resigning herself to a long voyage in poor company, she turned her attention back to Saemon as the pirate began to explain.
"Well, I had a bit of a – misunderstanding – with the Pirate Lord," he said delicately, "and he's impounded my ship. We'd have to get her back, but I'd be more than willing to take you to Suldanesselar in exchange for your assistance…a bunch of half-drunk pirates should be no trouble for a group as skilled as yourselves."
"Your faith in us is touching," Jess said dryly, then turned to the avariel. "Aerie?" she asked gently. "I won't force you to go down there."
"I know," Aerie replied, leaning against Minsc and closing her eyes for a long moment. When she opened them again, they were filled with a fearful resolve. "But I would rather risk the drow than trust this filthy little man with our lives again."
Jess smiled at her…but the smile didn't reach her eyes, and Jaheira saw with dread that they had gone completely golden. "Good. Then we don't need him."
"Filthy!" Saemon exclaimed indignantly, but faltered when Jess turned to face him, raising the Flameblades until the tips of both were a hairsbreadth beneath his chin. "Now…now just wait a minute…I'm open to negotiation…I've some choice items on my ship that I'd be willing to part with in addition to giving you passage."
"Negotiations have ended," Jess said flatly, her expression eerily remote.
Imoen stepped forward, her face fearful. "Jess, don't," she pleaded quietly, placing one hand on her sister's arm, "not like this."
"He betrayed us once," Jess replied coldly. "I'm not going to give him the chance to do it again."
Jaheira moved to the warrior's other side, placing her hand on Jess' wrist, pushing gently downward. "She's right, Jess; killing him in cold blood would be wrong…regardless of what he has done."
"It's what the Slayer wants, not you, Jess," Imoen added earnestly. "Don't let it tell you otherwise."
Jess looked from one woman to the other, the struggle within plainly visible on her face as her eyes slowly reverted to their normal shade of green. With a deep breath, she stepped back, lowering the scimitars.
Havarian let out an explosive breath and sagged in relief. "Glad you've listened to reason, lass. Now, as I said…my offer is open to negotiation if you –"
Jess glared down at him in contempt and spat a single word at him: "Go." Without waiting for a response, she turned back to Aerie. "You still have the Earthquake spell in your memory?"
Aerie nodded, a faint smile on her face. "I do."
The pirate stared at them. "But…but, I'm telling you, it's suicide to follow the mage that way…if we just get my ship…"
"Shut up!" Jess spun back to face him. "Any more talk from you, and I'll kill you here and now. I said to go, and I meant it. In about ten minutes, we're going to reduce Spellhold to a pile of rubble. I don't know what effect that will have on the rest of this stinking island, but in ten minutes, you might be able to make it back to Brynnlaw and find a ship to stow away on before the fun begins," she paused significantly, "if you leave now."
Havarian gaped at her for a moment, then evidently decided that she meant what she had said. Scrambling to his feet, he staggered away from them and out the door without looking back.
Jess watched until he was gone, then turned to Imoen and Jaheira. "Thank you," she said quietly. "I have a feeling that I'm going to regret not killing that slippery bastard, but you were right."
"Were you serious about the earthquake spell?" Jaheira asked her.
"Very much so," Jess replied with a crooked grin, "if you think it will work."
The druid cocked her head, considering, and found that the notion appealed to her. "It should," she said thoughtfully, "if we time it properly, but it will destroy the portal, as well."
Jess shrugged. "I wasn't planning on coming back. Aerie?"
The elf nodded, her expression resolute. "I can do it. I don't want them to ever be able to use this horrible place again."
"It's settled, then…assuming the rest of you agree." Jess hugged her, then turned to the others, quickly explaining what had been in the journal that she and Imoen had found. "I think that our best bet for catching Irenicus is to follow the path he's taken…but that means the Underdark. If anyone has a better idea, now is the time to speak." She looked around at them expectantly.
"Not my idea of a pleasant excursion," Jaheira said distastefully, "but you are correct; it is the best option available to us."
"You know me, Jess," Imoen chimed in with a saucy grin. "Ready and willing!" Jaheira noticed that her face was paler than normal, however, and her hand reached out for Jess' as she spoke. Jess noticed it too, for she immediately drew her sister into the protective circle of her arm before turning back to see what the rest would say.
"It is tactically sound, my lady," Anomen said, his tone and expression carefully professional, and his eyes not quite meeting Jess' questioning gaze.
"Boo says that there will be all sorts of evil in such a dank, dark place," Minsc exclaimed, grinning in anticipation. "He says that all the butt kicking will wear out even Minsc's mighty boot…but he is joking, of course."
Aerie looked up at the ranger, smiling fondly. "It frightens me, Jess," she admitted candidly, leaning against the broad chest of her guardian, "but with all of you there with me, I can face it…I just may need help, sometimes."
"You'll have it," Jess assured her, then turned to Yoshimo with a challenging gleam in her eye. "Still wanting to rejoin us?"
Jaheira expected one of the bounty hunter's usual quips in response, but he simply nodded. "I owe you my life; I will follow you until that debt is paid, if you will have me."
Jess returned the nod. "You are welcome, then," she replied. From the corner of her eye, Jaheira saw Anomen wince as if her words had been a blow, but Jess had already turned and was shouldering her pack. "Imoen, you have the wardstone?"
"Nope!" came the instant reply. "Sent it with Sammy when he left!"
"Smartass," Jess mumbled with a grin. "Everybody get your things; the room with the portal is down the hall."
When they reached the room, Imoen stepped forward, holding the wardstone in her outstretched hand. There was a brief flash of green, and Jaheira felt Jess tense beside her, then the air cleared, and Imoen stepped across the threshold to face the shimmering surface of the massive portal that dominated the room.
Jess joined her, eying the structure appraisingly. "Okay…Anomen and Minsc go through first, then Im and Yoshimo. Jaheira and I will stay with Aerie until she casts the spell."
The knight nodded and stepped through immediately with the ranger close behind. A moment later, he re-emerged. "The chamber we will enter is deserted, my lady," he reported. "The others may come through when they are ready." Without waiting for a response, he turned and was gone again. Jess frowned and shook her head irritably, but motioned for Imoen and Yoshimo to proceed. When they had gone, she turned to Aerie and Jaheira. "Ready?"
Jaheira nodded, followed by Aerie, and the three women moved together into a close formation directly in front of the portal.
"All right, Aerie," Jess said quietly. "Let's put an end to this place."
Aerie nodded again and turned to face away from the portal, her hands forming intricate patterns in the air as the words of the spell fell from her lips. Before the last syllables had died away, the ground leaped beneath their feet and rubble showered down on them from above. Aerie staggered, and would have fallen if not for Jess and Jaheira, who each grabbed an arm to support her. Leaning on each other, the three leaped through the portal as the ground heaved again and the ceiling of the chamber collapsed.
