2nd Chapter in Ulcaster! Expecting 2 more after this XD.
Cheshire! Log in so I can reply to your reviews and stalk you XD. Alas! I did not specify which pink maniac XD. Although Imoen has come leaping off of buildings and trees into Aegis' arms before, it HAS been awhile in terms of chapters XD.
Blue: Imoen is totally managing half the party journal, I'm sure. The part that looks like a grocery shopping list with arrows everywhere XD. Or maybe a Systems Engineering Use Case Diagram or UML... Ajantis is totally a good guy XD. Him getting blocked from smiting left and right early on ended up being important! I just find it funny how he's getting along with Viconia when we know how his mentor would advise him about her XD.
Murder-Chan: I wanted to do at least one really cool treasure room scene but I'm not sure I'll have time for it. I always love that scene at the end of National Treasure (the first one) where they are all looking at the treasure room at the end and it is just unbelievably massive and the female protagonist goes up to some scrolls and says they're from the Library at Alexandria. Beautiful moment there! *sniff*
..
History Lessons
When there was finally time to think, Gorion ended up burning the house down. He was careful about it, putting up wards to protect the villas on either side. Still, he needed to destroy it; that awful place which otherwise would remind him eternally that Bhaal was hardly restricted in what forms he could take or what lies he could spin.
He watched the villa burn from some distance away. He expected the first people to arrive would be the authorities, but instead he heard soft footsteps and turned around to see a very unwelcome halfling not far behind him.
"How... dare you... show your face here?" he asked.
"You too?" Tallix muttered, grimacing in frustration. "Are you at least going to tell me what I did before attacking me?"
Gorion glowered at her, slowly taking note of her injuries. Winthrop had managed to catch her with two or three enchanted arrows, it seemed. "What happened?" he asked darkly.
"I'm asking you!" Tallix protexted. "The others just attacked me! I'm lucky to have escaped with my life! I thought if I could find ye and Lull, ye might explain the fuck is going on! She sneered. "Though why I thought ye'd do shit to explain when Harus himself were trying to kill me... bah!"
Gorion was quiet a very long moment. "That 'medication' you fed Lullorin... was it blood?"
Tallix shifted uncertainly. "Aye."
"And that didn't concern you? You didn't warn anyone?" he pressed.
"Look, you're her lover, not me! If anyone were privy to her secrets, I'd figure it'd be you!"
"Lullorin was your 'friend,' " he reminded her. "She recruited you to the party."
"Damn straight, cause I'm the best! What? Did she... were she... She's not here, with ye." Tallix frowned hesitantly. "The blood were important? Was she... some sort of vampire or demon or summat?"
Gorion stared piercingly down at the halfling. "Summat," he responded in a growl.
"So," the thief muttered, "that's my death sentence. I were only let to help ye cause she vouched for me. Now there ain't nothin' standin' between a Harper n' a Zhent. That right?"
The aasimar was quiet for some time. Then he shook his head. "Run, Tallix. Run very, very far away. I never want to see you again."
The thief shifted slightly. "What about... yer mission/"
"I will find a Harper Dungeoneer. Run, Tallix. Before I change my mind. Before I forget you were my friend and that I cared about you."
The halfling backed up a few steps and then nodded. "Take care of yerself, Rion," she told him quietly, and then turned and vanished into the night.
"What's the matter, Xan?" Viconia teased. "Haven't you ever seen a zombie before?"
"That- that-!" The enchanter protested, "-that was an elf, once! Destroy it!"
Viconia looked to the Rebuked zombie in amusement and then glanced back at Xan. "Was it really? All you surfacers look alike to me. Never fear, it is entirely under my control."
"Destroy it!" Xan insisted with renewed fierceness. "One of the fair folk should not be reduced to such!"
Viconia lifted a brow. "But it's okay for Rivvin to be reduced to such?" she asked with an alligator smile, ironically baiting out a racist quip.
"Of course not! The fight is over. You have no further need of it!"
The dark elf lifted a brow, wondering at the ludicrousness of such a question. She needed it for the next battle of course. Yet seeing him so riled up filled her with pleasure. "I think you may be overreacting," she chuckled. "Come here pretty zombie, give your mistress a kiss..."
The zombie shambled forward to do just that, planting a grotesque but harmless kiss on Viconia's face as the enchanter recoiled backwards in horror.
"Viconia!" Ajantis shouted. "Let the dead rest! This vessel has served its purpose!"
She laughed. "I really don't know what you two are so upset about. It is hardly as if this is the first time I have ever puppeted a surface elf into an act of intimacy with me- oops, did I say that out loud? The blonde ones always did fetch the highest prices. Well, don't pay any mind to that little slip up; It is also hardly the first time I have ever puppeted an undead elf, either."
Xan gave a strangled sound of indignant rage, he turned around, and stalked off to the side of the group. Viconia watched him go with a smirk of satisfaction, and then turned to tend to their wounded. A moment passed and she felt a spell fall over her and fail against her magic resistance. Confused, she perked up and looked around. Another spell hit her, and she drew out her mace. "Whoever is-!" On the third time, Xan's Charm Person spell took hold. The dark elf stood there for a moment, swaying slightly back and forward. Then she smiled.
"What was I thinking?" she laughed. "Why would I want this dirty zombie following me around right now? Go ahead and hack it to pieces, Ajantis; I don't need it." The paladin blinked and then turned a grimace on to Xan.
"Release her," he growled. "Reserve your magic for the enemy."
Xan scowled incredulously. "Kill the zombie first," he retorted. "That's what you wanted to do, isn't it?"
"It doesn't change anything if she does not choose to do it of her own free will!" Ajantis countered, but he stood and went to dispatch of the zombie.
"Ehm, Elf..." Edwin purred with lewd intent. "What do you want in exchange for-"
"No," Xan cut him off. "Branwen is already going to have harsh words with me just for this. Viconia, dear, why don't you at least thank Ajantis for not killing Shar-Teel? I'm sure he could use the distraction of some pleasant conversation."
Viconia considered the suggestion. When Ajantis came back, wiping his blade free of zombie blood, she came up to him, grasped the collar of his armor, and placed a kiss on his mouth. Ajantis' eyes went wide. Xan stiffened. Oops. 'Thank.' Misinterpretation of the suggestion.
Minsc was wincing with the force of the Blood Jelly's poison, clutching shakily at his stomach. Dynaheir did not look particularly well, although Branwen had applied her very last Slow Poison on the woman only moments earlier. Shar-Teel was still unconscious. Aegis had been hit by poison early on in the fight and refused to hold still so that the clerics could mend her, but she seemed to have weathered it well. Kagain had remained on his feet, and if he had been poisoned then the force of the acidic toxin had not done much against his dwarven hardiness.
Aegis looked around at her party and then slowly shook her head. She came up to Minsc, who was still grimacing at the sensations of the poison. "Everyone, we need to camp."
"What?" Imoen jumped, nearly losing a chest she'd been carefully peeling red jelly back from an old bookcase. "We can't sleep down here!"
The ranger huffed. "We don't have a choice. We're not going to make it back up to the surface this evening with so many wounded; if any 'problems' wandered in to place behind us we're too tired to handle them right now. And of course it would also be stupid of us to push forward. Hold still Minsc. I think I'm developing a little talent with nature magic. Let me see if I can help with the poison."
This was news to Minsc and Imoen, who were both curious enough to watch with interest. Indeed, it turned out that Aegis' experience with Kivan had been no fluke. A few moments after giving intention to the tingling in her fingers, Minsc was quite cured. He beamed and hugged her emphatically.
"ENCHANTER!" Ajantis bellowed, sword raised, charging across their vision. "Release her! Release her immediately! I cannot believe you compelled her to do such a thing!"
"I'm telling you, I had no intention of her kis-!" Xan was protesting. Branwen moved to rise, but Kagain gave her a hearty pat on the shoulder to let her know he had this one.
"Imma kick that moron's ass," the dwarf sighed sighed, wading over to threaten some kneecaps unless the Amnite quieted down. Kagain might not have suffered much from the poison, but he was developing one heck of a headache.
Dynaheir shook her head in amusement. "I have an idea for how we might be able to create a safe area for the evening" she explained to Aegis, pulling her pack from her shoulders and rummaging in it. After a few moments she pulled out a bag of chalk and a number of thick white candles. "I had considered that something of this nature might happen. I have packed two evening's worth of white candles for purification magic. With these as spell components, and three wizards and two clerics; I am sure we can sanctify a space for rest this evening. In fact, I am sure we can make ourselves veritably invisible to the undead. The question is: where should we do so?"
"Not on a bridge, that's for sure," Aegis responded. "And not in the dead jelly room either. Let's backtrack to that old dining hall we saw a half hour ago. We can throw your circle down right around one of the pillars. It's not a claustrophobic space, but it should be defensible while you are setting everything up..."
"Oh gods," Imoen whimpered, as the nature magic was no longer distracting her and it was becoming more and more obvious that they would be sleeping in an undead-invested ruins that evening. "Edwin, the ghouls are going to eat my ankles while I'm sleeping, aren't they?"
The conjurer shook his head as he carefully burnt gobs of red aside, and then finally eased the book case opened. It was filled with well-preserved bellum-bound books filled with leaves of delicate papyrus. "What the hells is it with you and ankles, Monkey? Ah! Lovely. It looks like the acidity of the slimes prevented any mold from eating these documents."
Imoen waggled her arms in the air "Didn't you see the jellies rushing to grab them out from under us!? We're all going to die! We're doomed! Dooooommmed! Ooh, that book looks cool! Wait, where is Xan? Doom, Xan!"
"Over here," Xan sighed, coming up beside her and looked as if he felt slightly guilty about something totally unrelated to his failure to say 'doomed' at the necessary moment. "Our resident suicide monger, Ajantis, is currently goading our delightfully odorous dwarf companion into a fight. Most likely without realizing it."
"Some days," Aegis sighed. "Some days..." She pat Minsc's shoulder so he'd release her. "I'll go rescue the paladin."
"Alright, everyone, behave! And don't go anywhere alone."
"I have to pee!" Imoen complained.
"So does the entire party," Viconia muttered, shooting the occasional unforgiving glare at Xan. "We'll take shifts, then. Women first."
"Boys in ten minutes," Aegis agreed.
"Ah, good, I've been workin' on this log for hours," Kagain sighed. "Was thinking just ta-"
"Flee!" Aegis ordered the rest of her companions, hurrying over to where Ajantis was settling Shar-Teel down alongside where their spellcasters were arguing over exactly what kind of protective circle to draw. Kagain broke out laughing. "Flee for your lives! Hey, Ajantis. How's Shar-Teel doing?"
"She's recovering. She still hasn't reached consciousness," the paladin explained. "I am realizing she is not particularly hardy for one so strong."
"She should never challenge Aegis to arm-wrestling," Minsc grinned. "Fiesty One! You must use the bathroom now and not do spellwork! You will regret it later!"
Aegis rubbed her brow. Wizards.
Xan shuddered. "Is it very cold down here... or am I still cursed?"
"Likely both," Aegis muttered. "Everyone remember we don't have a fire tonight. Bundle up in a second pair of clothes if you have any, or borrow from someone who does."
"Edwin!" Imoen chimed. "I've got some fresh clothes for you!"
The conjurer blinked. "What? Again? Why?"
"Because I'm your mum, Edwin," the thief told him matter-of-factly. Edwin got a funny look on his face. Aegis broke out laughing.
"No, I am done wearing peasant textiles," the Red Wizard told the Pink One dismissively.
"That's why I bought silk!" Imoen chimed. "They're a black shirt and trousers with gold trim! I ransacked the stores last night, thinking 'evil wizard, evil wizard, evil wizard; 'twas the only garment which worked!"
Edwin hesitated. Then he sighed and came over to have a look.
Xan glanced at Aegis, who was still laughing. Branwen tossed him his extra clothing. [What's so funny?] he asked the ranger.
Aegis smiled sadly. [Once upon a time, an old monk secured a brand new book he was excessively eager to translate. He worked day and night; not sleeping more than an hour in twenty four, barely touching his food, and locking the door to his study when people insisted on bothering him.]
[I see. And what happened to this monk?]
[About three days later, his eighteen year old daughter kicked in the door to his study, manhandled him out of his chair, and ended up carrying him like a sack of potatoes out of the study. In his defense, he did try a number of spells to stop her; but sleep-deprivation tends to wreck havoc on a wizard's ability to remember draconic. He had a nice, uninterrupted, sixteen hours of sleep that night; and breakfast in bed on the morrow. In his daughter's defense, it was his birthday. She made scrambled eggs in the shape of a heart and everything.]
Xan peered up at her for a moment, blinking slowly and hugging his clothing to his chest. [One day I hope my children love me half so much as that.]
[Love you enough to bodily carry you out of your own study? Hmm.] She glanced at Branwen. [Somehow, I don't foresee you having a problem in that arena. In the event that you end up choosing to have any children, that is.]
Xan followed her gaze and then turned scarlet.
[I should warn you there was an awful lot of yelling involved and me shouting 'This is for your own good!' while he threatened my allowance, grounding me, selling my cats, and all sorts of other nefarious punishments... You never can tell your older relatives how to behave and expect them to pull punches on the reprisal... Fortunately, I was totally right and he broke down laughing halfway across the hallway.]
Viconia grimaced at the sight of both Branwen and Imoen carrying clothing on behalf a male. "Are you both laundry maids now?" Aegis rolled her eyes. Viconia was annoyed. "Imoen, Edwin is male. He should be dressing you.
Edwin laughed where he was admiring the new and neatly cut silk garment with its high color and its neat double gold trim down the front. The fasteners were concealed beneath fabric. "Nightflower, I would only be too happy to undress you. We could keep the chill back in other ways!"
The drow rolled her eyes. "How unappealing must you be that you cannot even get your roommate to sleep with you?"
Edwin balked. "What? She is my student."
"And? So you've a position of power over her; what better excuse do you need?"
Edwin and Imoen looked at each other, similarly dismayed. Ironically, it seemed both Candlekeep and the Red Wizard Academy had some ethical principle in common: if you were going to to sleep with your student you ought to at least hide it or something.
Edwin looked back at Viconia and shrugged off that drow found such behavior good form. "You are assuming a lot in thinking I've even tried. I am hardly that desperate.
Imoen stuck out her tongue and then laughed. "Ha! Whatever. Viccy, you forget, I've watched what kind of women he picks!" The Red Wizard lifted a brow at her.
"Oh?" the drow asked, amused. "Have you now? And what are his weaknesses?"
"He likes mature women-which means for humans at least twenty-five though he'll take ladies older than him, women who are as thin as a rail, no gross imperfections- scars are okay, no real butt, small to medium breasts, long legs, reasonably pretty, they must be experienced and not shy, and be wearing bare minimum makeup- he draws the line at dark eye shadow, mascara and modest blush; he likes very luxurious alto voices, and he seems to have a terrible, terrible weakness for very nice hair."
Edwin made a baffled face, staring at Imoen incredulously.
"Well!" Viconia laughed, "This explains why you are right out." The drow seemed to accept this entire description as a form of praise, and even appeared to be preening slightly. "At least he has good taste."
The Red Wizard lifted a brow. When Viconia departed, he leaned near to Imoen. {What did you just do?}
{I told you we needed to work on your pick-up lines!} the thief giggled.
{She just complemented me. After we were discussing prostitutes. Why?}
{Why? You know what, a thousand gold says I can get her to sleep with you by the end of the week. No promises that she'll be nice about it, or the morning after, though!}
Edwin scowled. {Why the hell would you be able to get her to sleep with me?}
{Excuse me? Which of us pays for sex, and which of us entices it?} She lifted a brow at him. {That's right. Don't question the master.}
{Mas-! I don't have to p-! You've only been sleeping with people for-! I loathe you, pink whore. Loathe!} He considered. {If she decides to sleep with me owed to your actions, I will buy you a pony.}
Imoen thought about this. {Will it be a rainbow pony?}
{I shall have it dyed,} he told her solemnly.
{Hmm...} She tapped her fingers together in mimicry of him. {Challenge... Accepted.}
"Edwin! Edwin, I can't sleep!" the pink girl pleaded, shaking his shoulder.
"Ungh. What?" He blinked sleepily, rubbing his face and wincing at the hardness of his palette. At least the extra layer of clothing was doing wonders for temperature. "Until a moment ago, you were the only one."
"I can't sleep! Ghouls are going to eat us!"
"By the gods, child, the circle is fine. The white candles remain lit. The undead can neither see nor hear us. Go back to bed."
"What if a mage ghost finds us, what if everyone but me gets dragged out of the circle by their ankles and I'm alone, what if I get dragged out by my ankles, what if I or you or everyone just dissappears and reappears when I close my eyes and then I'm alone in the dark, what if there's a wind and the candles go out, what if we all die in our sleep, or I wake up and you're all zombies, or-" She kept going.
Edwin had gone through the stages of waking up, rubbing sleep from his eyes, tuning in to what she was saying, disbelief, irritation, anger, resignation, and now at last amusement. He watched her in bafflement as she described equally more horrifying and improbable possibilities, and then at last he pulled himself to a sitting position and leaned back against the pillar.
Imoen frowned and went silent for a moment. Then she scooted over to join him. He pulled his pack up beside him and then drew out some of the delicate books the party had recovered. Peeling apart the brittle papyrus with painstaking slowness, he splayed open the pages for their examination. {How about you put that hyperactive mind of yours to more productive work?} he suggested.
She hesitated, looking around at the darkness of the chamber beyond. {Can I hide under your cloak?} she asked him.
Edwin sighed. {Yes, Monkey. Once. If you can avoid making a habit of asking.}
This seemed satisfactory to her, because she shuffled up to his side and pulled almost the whole of his cloak about her. She held the Blacksun (which really had to be renamed) across her shoulder, and each of them summoned a small light to see by. Having an activity to occupy her mind must have helped, because her heart-rate settled against his shoulder, and by the end of thirty minutes she seemed calm.
{What is Thay like?} she asked him abruptly. The question interested him, though he tried not to let it show.
{Thay is a land of power and resources, where cunning and ability make men and women great. The undeserving and unintelligent are kept at the service of their betters. Red Wizards and, to a lesser extent, military leaders hold all forms of relevant power; including power in the legal, diplomatic, and economic spheres. The more 'monstrous' races are better tolerated for their strength and fierceness, and creatures like gnolls, hobgoblins, or ogres often hold live quite comfortably as guards, bouncers, or military personnel.}
{Isn't it a slave state?}
{As I said. The undeserving and unintelligent are kept at the service of their betters.}
{But who are the slaves, and who are the slave owners? You've mentioned an ethnicity called the 'Mulan'?}
{Mulan and Mulan descendants make up privileged classes of Thay, though many have sunk to the level of commoners. Our system does not reward lack of ambition; nor lack of talent. Still, Mulan are of noble blood, and that is never to be forgotten. Thayvian commoners are largely derived from Rashami stock, though it is an insult to call them 'Rashemi.' They are simply 'Thayvian.' Slaves are diverse; though there is a Rashemi majority. We collect slaves from all over the Realms as it suits us.}
{That sounds horrible,} Imoen protested.
Edwin chuckled. {Really? There are many people in the world who contribute nothing to the whole; who are barely capable of taking care of themselves. Why should these people not be bound to a will stronger their own? Why should they not contribute by supporting their elites? In exchange for obedience, they are provided for by their owners. Slaves are expensive possessions, after all.}
Imoen eyed him and lifted a brow. He chuckled.
{Well. I suppose I am not being entirely truthful. We took prisoners in war for a time; men and women who were more useful to us alive than dead. But hands are a valuable commodity, and we were strong enough to keep bringing in more. In time, a luxury trade grew atop the utilitarian one. Exotic slaves are brought in like exotic game; like Wyvren eggs or young Blink Dogs. With the right coin and connections, anything is possible in Thay. There is no limit to what one can accomplish. We are one of the world's greatest and best-supplied magical bastions, and we've no lack for mundane luxuries.}
She rolled her eyes: {It sounds like a horrible place. For everyone! Everyone who isn't at the very tip top, that is!}
{Then one should endeavor to be in that top group, mm? Which I am, even if you are not.} He rolled his eyes at her naivety.
Imoen looked thoughtfully out at nothing. {Would I be very different if I had been born Mulan, I wonder?}
{And born in Thay? You would have already conquered half the known world and would have a harem of pleasure slaves at your back and call,} he assured her.
{Okay, tell me about something that isn't horrible. What's the food like?}
{The meat, noodles, rice, and vegetables are served with a great deal of spice. The fruit is lush citrus. We are famous for our cherries, actually. Any cherry you've ever eaten, if it was sweet rather than sour, it originated in Thay; and it was harvested by slaves.}
{And now you've ruined cherries for me...} she sighed. {What is the land like?}
{A series of plateaus called the First and Second Escarpment, and the surrounding land; very difficult to invade, and warded against scrying magic to make spying impossible. Our country circles the Thaymount, a series of active volcanoes. The highest plateau is where Red Wizards and affluent nobles build summer homes to escape from the heat. Thay is hot.}
{Explains why you don't have warmer clothing.}
{At one point much of the land was desert, scrub, or grass; but through magic we have controlled the weather to bring rains where we require them. We produce a great deal of citrus, as I mentioned, and also textiles; and we maintain self-sustaining forests. There are a few major ports for trade. The city of Bezantur in the tharch- that means 'province'- of Priador is our largest port. It is a city of trade which boasts the largest constant population in Thay, and has the largest temple to Umberlee in the world. It is often called the city of temples because a temple to almost every god in Faerun can be found there. The exception is Mystra.}
{No temple to Mystra?! Why?}
{The Red Wizards monopolize magical education in Thay, for very good reasons. The country is a theocracy, ruled by a council of powerful mages called zukirs; one for each school of magic. Wizards are a nobility above nobility in Thay; it is understandable that their education should have some level of standardization to it. For example: it likely should contain an element of patriotism. Mystra may be the mother of magic, but her agents are subversive towards Thayvian authority, and are typically unwelcome on the plateau.}
{Unwelcome? So who can visit? Anyone? Merchants? Adventurers? Bards? No one?}
{Plenty of people do 'visit.' To enter Thay, one must have good reason and obtain travel papers at the border, which stipulate what areas one may visit and what activities one may partake in. Foreigners are handled with due suspicion. Merchants still come and go. Occasionally an adventuring band enters at the behest of a tharchion- the leader of a tharch- though often they owe the tharchion a steep cut of their finds.}
{Who would you know if you didn't have these identification papers? Couldn't you just glamour yourself to look Rashemi or whatever?}
{Almost all Thayvians have papers. Anyone who is not nobility or wearing a slave collar must travel at all times with identification papers; and nobles must be able to produce theirs within twenty-four hours of a request for them. A Red Wizard is recognizable by the robes; no one else may wear red. Of course, as with any system, we have our share of corruption. Forgeries exist. But it is much harder, and it helps greatly reduce spies}
Imoen was a little staggered by how... un-free Thay sounded. She could only imagine how living there actually felt. She imagined it was soul-crushing unless you were a Red Wizard or at least nobility. {Edwin, you have a last name. You're nobility, right?}
{I am,} he said with a little pride. {My father is tharchion of Surthay, in the north. Trade would be better, as we sit on lake Mulsantir and have access to The Golden Way, which links Faerun with Kara-Tur and which we could infuse with Thayvian goods. However, across the lake is Rashamen, which restricts our motions for now. We have a smaller port, and are responsible for trade heading along the treacherous River Thay, which can quickly ferry goods up and down from the Second Escarpment.}
{I assume this river is worked by slaves?}
He smirked. {No. Zombies. Someone in High Thay, who may or may not be a lich, became distressed with the fees the river's porters were charging. Homicidally so.}
{Of course.} She made a face. {So. Do you miss Thay?}
{It is my homeland,} he responded with a bit of pride. {Also the food out here is terrible.}
{So you'll go back?} she asked.
He raised a brow. {Of course.}
{When?}
{When my business here is concluded,} he answered neatly, waiting to see if he could slip in a hook to this conversation.
{When... Dyn is dead?} She made a distressed expression.
He smiled to himself but then, upon glancing at her, he suggested the remarkably considerate: {Perhaps she might walk herself off a cliff and spare me the trouble.} Imoen got the sense that this was the kindest Edwin could manage to be on the subject. She sighed.
{Can't you just kill her and report the deed done and then I can pay an outrageously large sum to revive her?}
Edwin pretended to take the query into consideration as he assembled his icebreaker on the topic he wished to breach. {Let us say by some miraculous chain of events, Dynaheir and I both survive this party.} He wet his lips. {I will still return to Thay eventually.}
The answer didn't seem to make her happy, and Edwin had to suppress a victorious and predatory smile. He succeeded. {Have you considered coming with me?} he asked as gently as he knew how.
She jumped and looked at him in surprise. {What!?} she exclaimed.
{I did mention that I considered tutoring you to be a long term investment,} he noted with slight irritation. I offered to apprentice you. It will take years.
{I'm not leaving my sister alone with some giant evil knight chasing after her!} Imoen protested.
{Granted. I assumed as such. What about afterward?} he pressed. {(It is as if she thinks I did not notice her loyalty to Aegis.)}
Imoen thought about it. {I dunno. Would I 'disappear?' It sounds like a horrible place to visit.}
What? No! Silly child. He shook his head rapidly, realizing he should have taken some time to describe how things were different for a man of his stature. {You would be safe as my guest. A Red Wizard is an authority in Thay. Most, if not all, common restrictions are repealed for our guests. The plateau would be pleasant for you.}
She eyed him for a moment, and then asked astutely: {Would I be safe from you?} Edwin was surprised by the question. {Like... when I wanted to leave again?}}
{Yes, yes,} he muttered irritably. {Of course.}
{That was an incredibly unconvincing answer,} Imoen giggled. {Do you want to share your evil plot with the team, Edwin?}
He scowled at her. If I planned to kidnap you child, I wouldn't need to bait you first. Then she shook his head and gestured with a hand palm-up. {I am merely suggesting that perhaps you should migrate to continue your apprenticeship.} He was sure she must have understood what he was asking her. {Once your sister is safe, of course.}
She frowned at him as if he had somehow confused her.
Are you being deliberately obtuse, or have I really caught you by surprise? He realized he had to repeat the offer clearly and asked: {Will you accompany me to Thay, Imoen?}
The expression on her face was a strange one. She considered the question for a very long time before shaking her head. {No,} she told him at last.
He was surprised by the bluntness of the answer. It left a strange numb sensation hanging in the air. {No?} he wondered aloud. {'No.'} He considered the response, and then tilted his head to the side. {Why?} I am your teacher. Does that really mean so little to you?
Imoen blew out a rush of air and then shook her head. {I lived my whole life in a bird cage. I don't want to go live in another.}
A cage? Thay is not a-! But Edwin fell quiet, staring at her. He found himself unable to muster the patriotism to defend his homeland when faced with the ridiculous way she was using her staff to protect her ankles. Thay was a place of nobility and order; it was in many ways the perfect ideal for a country. The Monkey was, by contrast, an incredibly imperfect child.
He entertained an altered version of her for a moment; her exuberance trained into ambition and her humor twisted into something darker and more palatable. Red, not pink. Ruthless and impish; spicy instead of cute. Maybe with time and resources he could draw out the side of her. Or could have. He was not working with a blank slate, and Ulraunt had clearly damaged her along the neat seams Edwin would have wanted to fold. Not to mention that Imoen was going on twenty, and much more willful than docile.
There were ways to break a will, of course.
He placed these thoughts to simmer and shook his head. Then he gestured to draw her attention to the book they had been studying.
{Do you have to go back?} she asked, tugging up one of her blankets to cover her knees with because the air really was chill. He waved aside the question.
{Spellwork now,} he told her. {Tell me: What is this sequence?} He made her study until her eyes were drooping. After a time she began to nod off, twitching awake at every little sound and rush of wind. He eased the study materials aside, murmuring the words to a Resist Fear spell. Within moments she slumped entirely against his side. Good. He needed some quiet time to reorganize thoughts and shuffle plans.
Edwin looked up, watching as something dark and hunched with blades and bones jutting out from its back walked by, breathing white mist out from its mouth. He raised a brow, looked to each of the candles. Then he sighed, stole half of Kwefai's blanket and tried to get some sleep.
I am not sure what is more horrifying: that Imoen gets the pony, or that this story might continue on bereft of rainbow ponies.
