Professional Opinion

The necromancer wormed uncomfortably, unable to sleep. The autumn air was thick and cool that evening, creeping under fabric with its icy tendrils. After a moment, he reached up to the headboard and pulled the Candlekeep cloak down on top of him. It must have been his imagination, but he swore it still smelled like her.

The cloak did the trick, however, and within minutes he was quite comfortably warm. Xzar wagered there was quite a spot of mundane magic embedded in that cloth; and similar cloaks would have fetched him a fortune around Moonsea. He was awake now, though, so he called on a light cantrip and hauled his spellbook up onto his pillow.

"Gods damn ye, wizard, put that out! YE been squirmin' like a pig all evenin' but ain't mean I deserve to suffer with ye!"

Xzar sneered across the dark room at where he knew his 'companion' to be. Hate was not an accurate descriptor for the wizard's feelings; that was what Xzar normally felt towards the Cyrites whom he served, worked with, and commanded. Overwhelming, aching, continuous hatred.

He fit in well enough as he was needed, and his collaborations had proved remarkably successful even whilst he was in the depths of madness (Cyrites hardly minded that, now did they?). But beneath it all was always hate: simmering calmly and waiting.

Montaron needed a whole new special emotion defined just for him. Something like hatred, but with the additions of inconvenience, annoyance, pity (for the less mentally fortunate) and of course a scathing and overbearing frustration with the cage the halfling both represented and reinforced.

"Suffer? I'm sure you deserve to suffer," Xzar noted.

"So many places I'd godsdamned rather be than this room right now," the halfling growled.

"And I, insipid friend, could think of so many places I'd rather be than running repetitive missions alone with you. Like the end of a hangman's noose or immersed in a vat of black dragon saliva..."

The halfling laughed darkly. "They ain't ever gonna let ye slip me, fool. They can tell yer bitin' at the bit and it's makin' em squint curious, now it is. What's the mad wizard want? they wonder. What's his game?"

Xzar scowled. "It is your fault I have need to dispose of you in the first place," he muttered, making a tent from the cloak about his head and elbows. "I have a solution: I shall kill you, jam some other spirit into your corpse, bring the both of you back to life, and then send you off on a mad stabbing spree directed at all of your superiors... You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Montaron opened an eye and sighed, irritated that he was about to actually launch anything other than invective the wizard's way. But Xzar had been fussy, and Montaron knew well enough why. "Ye can't sleep cause ye want a woman, fool, like any other man o' flesh. I'd say to go seduce one but, since yer face is ugly as sin, I'll say three gold'll get a lass ta scratch that itch for ye real quick."

Xzar looked haughtily indignant, and the halfling laughed bitterly at his facial expression.

"What? Go downstairs and have the pick of the litter. Hopefully ye'll throttle her halfway through and get lynched by a mob right proper for a man of your profession..."

Xzar rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Unlike some people, I don't get excited over gap-toothed graceless pillars of flesh, just because they are dripping bags of swollen fat tissues in a suggestively fertile manner."

"What the-? The hell is wrong with liking a woman's breasts, exactly? And that maid had a cute grin!"

"That was no maid," Xzar intoned with a disdainful grimace.

"Yer kiddin' me. The necromancer wants women smellin' fresh and unused? 'Druther a personality and a bit of spark in the eyes. Ya know, something I don't want to smother with a pillow." Then he realized he was having an almost reasonable conversation with the wizard and he grimaced in disgust.

"Well! Apparently my smothering threshold is higher than yours," the wizard retorted. "Now hush, toad, and let me study. It soothes the nerves well enough."

Buffered by ten other party members, it had been easy for Montaron to pay no attention to Xzar. Now, partnered up alone with him again and investigating the caravans from Waterdeep, the necromancer's changes were glaringly obvious. It seemed Xzar had shaken significant signs of madness.

Xzar had never been an incompetent imbecile, Montaron knew. The necromancer had been aggravatingly successful in all his pursuits since his 'release.' He'd been welcomed by the ranks of wizards. And he had climbed hand over foot, crossing the bodies of every incompetent peer, rival, or obstacle that he could find. He had wrested back power, trust, and fear with every clenched grasp.

Aye, that was the rub: The madman who babbled about rabbits and gold was respected! Was enough to drive any man mad! A wizard prone to hysteria, raving, and tantrums had some authority, where Montaron had none! But Xzar was unpredictable, flighty, and not entirely trustworthy; and Montaron knew not to bite the hand that fed him. Which meant Montaron was little more than a babysitter for the madman, and he both knew and hated it.

But now something was different. Xzar was collected, calm, and even quiet at times. His head still wandered, but he rarely seemed to get lost. He watched everything with an uncanny acuteness. It was eerie, and concerned the halfling. Nothing to be done for it yet, though. Soon enough though, alright. Soon enough. Montaron rolled over and tried to get some sleep

..

Xzar was midway through turning a page when a sudden, unpleasant, and bizarre sensation overcame him. He had felt something... similar... before. It was an empty feeling, a drained feeling. It took him a moment to match the sensations. Then he sat bolt upright, frantically trying to summon up positive energy.

None came!

A panicked flutter burst through his chest. No. Not again. Not again, not again, not again! He surged out of bed, scrambling up to the window an unlatching it to get some fresh air. No doubt she's just exerted herself. That has to be it. That needs to be it! Her power is only weak and limited at present!

He clutched the window frame, shaking and nauseous. He did not move for quite some time, trying to steady himself by any means. He thought of every bone, muscle, vein, and organ in the human body. He did addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. He mentally calculated geometric problems, recited history, and recalled literature.

At long last, when the sun was peeking over the forests in the distance, he realized just how long he had been standing there at the window. Nervously, he murmured in the old tongue for a spell of Divine Shield. A rush blew through him, like wind in an old cavern. He caught up a strangled breath, as a red and golden gleam rushed protectively up around him.

Then he loosed the breath hard, dragging in air through relieved half-sobs for several moments. When he could move, he stumbled and collapsed back to a seat upon his bed. He sat there with his forearms draped over his thighs, and occasionally wiped his face.

Damn Montaron. If the little fool had possessed but an iota of loyalty to anything, or if he'd stopped to consider the future for even a moment, Xzar could have been alongside her that very moment! Now he was helpless; so close and yet so far; and there was nothing immediately available for him to do to change the situation!

Xzar looked at the golden and red gleam swimming around him. His thoughts dissolved from the practical and went down a thousand different routes; some old and some new. Then a shudder took him and he dropped his head into his hands, crying silently.

..

Kelddath greeted them warmly as his intrepid group of adventurers and asked what he could do for them. But when Imoen explained what had happened, he realized he was dealing with no mundane affliction. He bad Imoen sit the injured wizard down as he conducted his examination and attempted to discern what the heart of the matter was.

At last he drew back in surprise, rubbing his chin. "This... this is no simple enchantment," he observed at last. "This condition itself seems permanent, and sealed in place with a curse."

"Can you fix it?" Imoen asked.

Kelddath hesitated. "Tell me..." he said slowly. "Does this man have any nefarious intents?"

"Uh," Imoen answered. Xan couldn't help a dry chuckle. "It would be more informative if I answered that he does occasionally have intents which are not nefarious."

"You are aware that Lathander disapproves of inaction which permits evil to fester?" the priest asked.

"Didn't see you complaining when he was helping you de-petrify people," Imoen rolled her eyes. "Though, ya know, if that's the way it is, I'm sure my sizable payment for services at the Temple of Umberlee would also result in some festering evil."

Kelddath raised a brow at her, but he had seen enough distraught persons with damaged comrades in his life to recognize concern as separate from hostility. Branwen coughed to remind Imoen they were in a gigantic temple to Lathander.

"Sorry for being snippy. Can you help him?" Imoen repeated the query.

"No," Kelddath answered, seeming slightly surprised by the answer and shaking his head. "Whoever did this to him put tremendous power behind the blow. The only reason he has even survived is because something interceded to shield him from the brunt of the force. But the remaining curse is like an impact crater, a brand; burning with the willpower of some incredibly angry foes."

Imoen's eyes widened. "Survived?" she glanced back at Xan. "They were trying to kill him?"

"It seems so," Kelddath confirmed. "The wound tells the story of a spear thrust that was opposed before it could reach its conclusion. With my companions and acolytes, I could come close to approximating this kind of raw power, but, no, I cannot quite overwhelm it."

"Well- um- what can be done?" Imoen asked nervously.

"You may be able to get the kind of help you will need in Baldur's Gate, and most certainly in Waterdeep. The fee will be steep. And depending on who you are willing to fund, it might be difficult to get help for a Red Wizard."

Aegis crossed her arms over her chest, thinking. Imoen was quiet a moment before asking: "Is there any way to weaken the curse or something, to make it easier to cure?"

A smirk flickered on the priest's lips. "A Wychlaran might know," he answered dryly. "Let me convene with the Sirines."

"They were trying to kill him?" Imoen protested, whirling on Xan as she pulled out her potion bag. The enchanter sighed.

"Dynaheir was not trying to kill him," Xan answered. "But when Edwin stepped in to strike her, her coven apparently decided he needed to be stopped at all costs. They went over her head. Dynaheir only ever wanted to leave in peace."

"Well... that... does sound like Dyn," Imoen admitted, who well recalled that Dynaheir's very first solution to Edwin had been to burn his spellbook to send him home unharmed.

Aegis chuckled and when the party glanced at her she shrugged. "She probably even felt really guilty about it afterwards," the ranger noted. "That's Dynaheir for you. Are you giving him a potion now?"

Imoen nodded, drawing out one of the vials. Edwin, who had been zoned out staring off at the pillars, perked up immediately at the sight of the little bottle. {Sparkles!} he realized joyfully, clutching at Imoen's sleeves.

"You sure you don't want to keep him this way?" Branwen teased. "He's much nicer, I think!"

Imoen laughed. "Don't let him hear you say that! Tiwu, tiwu, rodi Kwefai wuched a'ta!" She plopped into the seat beside him, uncorked the bottle, and then got it securely into his trembling fingertips. He drank it swiftly and then covered his face, reeling from the instant headache. She rubbed his shoulder.

"Cranky dragon incoming in three... two...!"

"One," the Thayvian muttered, lifting his head and squinting in the temple lighting. He perked up slightly as his mind gathered together where they were, and then he looked worriedly to Imoen. "I am under the effects of a potion," he noted quickly, "but not cured."

"Kelddath says he can't fix it!" Imoen complained. "He says the coven's hit ought to have obliterated you and you're lucky to be alive!"

Edwin tensed slightly. Then an angry expression drew his brows together. "And you fools condemned me for trying to interrupt her casting!?" he glared at Xan. "Would you prefer I had lain down and let them kill me!?"

Xan took in a slow breath, but it was Imoen had answered: "Oh shut up ass-face. It would have totally been much harder for them to murder you at range in the first place. And in the second place, Dyn just wanted you incapacitated briefly. The coven freaked out when you came at her with your arm on fire and a Lemure in the room."

Edwin glared at her. "She called on the help of twelve powerful, jaded women who aren't used to being questioned. All of whom most likely would have insisted on killing a Red Wizard anyway! Why does the fact that I tried to save my own hide somehow change that? I but verbally harassed her and she responded with the most powerful form of magic she knows!"

"Oh boy does this argument sound familiar," Aegis muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Look, just because people shouldn't murder each other over words, doesn't mean you can say whatever the hell you want and claim innocence of wrongdoing."

"Yeah," Imoen agreed. "That had to have been incredibly traumatizing. I was traumatized when Xan decided a reenactment was the best way to get his point across to me."

"I'll tell you what: next time I want to start a camp fire, I will call on a unit of Red Wizards to empower my Burning Hands!" the Thayvian snarled. "You think a dozen Jaheiras would have been turned aside for an instant in murdering Xzar to protect Aegis!?"

Xan stepped forward. "Everything changes with the simple fact that you have always insisted you will one day murder Dynaheir!" he snapped. "Everyone else can be turned aside from murder but you!"

"You-!" Edwin snarled, taloned fingers clutching angrily at the air as if he wanted to throttle the elf. Abruptly he paused and blinked a moment. Then he looked at Imoen. "Xan did what to you?" he asked in a completely different tone of voice.

Despite herself, Aegis broke out laughing.

"Are you insane!?"

Aegis settled down beside her sister, watching as the two wizards shouted and gesticulated angrily at one another. Kivan and Branwen looked to the two sisters worriedly, but Aegis waved a hand to indicate it would be fine. Edwin had no spells prepared, after all.

"Me!?" Xan exclaimed incredulously. "I was merely showing her actions of yours!"

"From hold spells, to emotional manipulations, to charms- every time a party member is doing something which displeases you, you resort to enchantment as a means of getting your way!" the Thayvian was shouting. "It is like you have no clue how to solve social problems by any other means!"

Xan's face screwed up with incredulity, as this accusation was so incredibly unexpected (particularly from Edwin) that he didn't even know where to begin defending himself. "I will not listen to you lecture me on social matters!" the elf managed to get out in a strangled voice.

"No, you will listen to me! This conflict is between myself and Dynaheir, and you had no business misdirecting any of it onto someone else!"

"As if you are somehow opposed to harming bystanders!? You, you who solves every problem by lobbing fire!?"

"I do not use enchantment to force nineteen year old children to sit still for me! I certainly do not use enchantments to force unwilling girls into playing the victim in acts of simulated psychological warfare!"

"You are chastising me for unveiling unforgivable actions you committed!? She deserved to see what you had done to Dynaheir!" Aegis and Imoen glanced at each other. Branwen raised a brow. Edwin threw his arms up in anger.

"You are saying that repeating my 'unforgivable' actions onto an uninvolved person was valid, all because I had done them first onto an involved person?! Those words were not for her ears, like curse words are not for infants! I also do not bring home whores to fuck in front of her, either! What is the matter with you!?"

"I was not repeating, I was demonstrating! She is an adult! She made the decision to defend you with none of the evidence against you clearly presented. You are a monster and she needed to know that!"

"No! I will NOT argue my own credentials here, I will NOT accept your attempts to discredit my statements by throwing an ancient war between Red Wizards and Rashemi in the way! I am not arguing that I am faultless; I am telling you that you are a pitiless tyrant yourself when it pleases you!"

Xan snarled, advancing on him. "Dynaheir is a good woman, and innocent of any intention to harm you or yours-!"

"Over a week ago, you dominated the mind of your party member. You entered the mind of your ally, and took over control of her bodily functions. You walked her downstairs while she fought against you for control of her limbs. You put disgusting materials on her; you had her dump the shit and offal and piss of a dozen drunkards and slobs all over herself, and then you attempted to subject her to an act of sexual molestation by putting her into proximity to me!"

Xan jerked backwards. "You asked me to do it nude next time-!"

"This is not about me. This is about you, and how you think you have the right to do whatever pleases you because you are somehow unbiased, objective, and morally enlightened!" he hissed. "Numerous times, you have cast spells to manipulate the emotional states of your party members in order to control their actions."

"Most of the time, I was using Calm Emotions on you to prevent you from attacking Imoen!"

"I have smacked, shouted at, insulted, scratched, grappled with, spit at, cussed out, and threatened Imoen ten thousand times since I came into this party, and I have never once cast any spell on her or genuinely harmed her. I have always pulled up short. I have certainly never compelled her into anything!"

"Then my Calm Emotions clearly worked!"

"Really? You were not there when she poured two tumbler-fulls of wine over my head, or stole my spellbook out of my hands when I was pinned under a rock, yet I did not burn her face off or seize control of her thoughts! Yet in a simple disagreement with Viconia over necromancy, you charmed the drow and forced her to 'behave' as you deemed proper. You were grossly irresponsible with your power over her, and caused her to engage in an undesired act of intimacy with the paladin!"

"I- you- she was making a mockery of a- I had no idea she was going to kiss Ajantis-!"

"You routinely read the minds of your party members, which I have observed that even your closest companion has repeatedly told you is inappropriate, and which it is high time you stopped!"

"How do you even know that!?" Xan was dismayed.

"You paralysed the entire party at the springs in some kind of accidental fit, where it is only by some miracle that none of us drowned or murdered one another! Do you realize that this- this wild elf reached the springs while we were all paralysed and apparently did not notice that I was frozen looking up at the cliff face, so I saw him stand there for several minutes staring at Viconia, wondering if he should push her into the water!?"

Kivan blinked in surprise. Aegis raised a brow. Xan gaped like a fish.

"Do you realize the only reason I didn't knock Dynaheir over so she'd drown when my contingency disabled my own paralysis is because Imoen found me first?" The pink thief in question blinked, finally standing up. All of this was starting to get weirdly out of hand.

"How the hell is that somehow my fault!?" Xan exclaimed.

"Okay, both of you, this is getting absurd," Aegis said, getting up and getting between the two men. Imoen joined her, and Branwen tried to get to Xan.

Edwin scoffed past them. "At least I can be counted upon only to harm the people I specify! My enemies!" Edwin snarled. "You use your magics against people you claim as allies! When I want to control something, I make a foothold in it. When you want to control someone, you hook puppet strings into their head!" Imoen took hold of his arm.

"This conversation is insane!" the enchanter shrieked as Branwen grabbed him around the middle and tried to tug him backwards. "And it stops now, or I will charm you next!"

"Hey!" Imoen exclaimed. "Stop it, both of you!"

Edwin stepped back, crossing his arms over his chest and lifting his chin. "I'm sure you will," he responded with an angry smirk, his point demonstrated.

"Edwin!" Imoen insisted he stop.

"You are an inflammatory thug who sows discord through provocative slander and twisting lies, with no further justification for your actions than blind ambition and fallacious patriotism!"

"Xan!" Imoen was getting upset, and Aegis was on the verge of ordering both wizards away from one another.

"It seems our elf can't take criticism," Edwin grinned. "Only dish it out." Xan was absolutely livid.

Imoen whirled on Edwin and grabbed him by the hood, yanking his head down. Edwin stumbled slightly and looked at her. "Kagain is dead!"

Edwin blinked, confused. He vaguely remembered that this was familiar, but was uncertain exactly how it should filter into their present conversation. "What?" Xan stopped up short of saying anything further, equally startled by the sudden interjection. Aegis twisted about to look at her sister.

"Kagain is dead!" Imoen repeated. "Because of a fight! Because he tried to kill someone else! I watched Aegis hack him to pieces, I had horrible nightmares about you dying, I am really upset right now, you are my best friend, you are provoking my other best friend, you want to kill my other good friend, you are going to leave, you are injured, I'm upset, I'm sick of this, I'm really, really, really, really upset, and YOU BOTH NEED TO STOP FIGHTING RIGHT NOW!"

Xan was dismayed. He looked up at Branwen, trying to figure out if he was somehow to blame for Imoen's distress. He still wasn't exactly sure what had just happened, or why Edwin had gone off on him. The cleric shook her head and kissed his temple reassuringly.

Edwin frowned in surprise as he examined his pink companion. There were tears in her eyes and her lower lip was trembling. His first thought was that she was being ridiculous; if anyone ought to be upset at the moment it ought to have been himself. He was the one living in a state of mental handicap where people began talking about how he'd be better off dead each and every time his disturbed, pink companion chose to feed him an intelligence potion.

But he didn't feel the compulsion to insult or humiliate her. He ventured that, for whatever reason, he did not find the thief's emotional outpouring to be particularly discomforting. After a long bewildered moment, he lifted his hands to hers and detached her from his hood so he could stand upright again. {I have stopped,} he noted. Then he tilted his head to the side. {Are you alright, child?}

Imoen blinked rapidly, trying not to cry. {I totally survived the horrible, nasty, evil hold spell,} she rebuked him, pulling her hands free. Then her face softened. {Thank you for noticing. Even if it was your fault in the first place.} As rotten as Edwin had been to Dynaheir, he was also the only person in the world who knew the second reason Imoen had been traumatized by being subjected to the enchantment spell of a trusted ally.

Edwin studied her for a moment and then nodded with a brief close of his eyes. Her choice of unsentimental recognition was noted.

..

"Perhaps we should turn our attention back to my little problem, then," Edwin suggested. "Last I recall, we were discussing that the coven had attempted to kill me."

"Right," Imoen answered. "And that Kelddath can't fix it."

Edwin's face soured. "Yes. And why was that?"

"Too powerful with so many witches behind it," Imoen explained, wiping the remaining emotion from her face as she collected herself. "The hit left behind a curse of sorts. He suggested we go to Baldur's Gate and, if that doesn't work, Waterdeep. I asked him if there was a way to weaken the curse, and he's talking to the Sirines for insight."

Xan cleared his throat. "Of course Dynaheir might know something about how to weaken it," he observed pointedly.

Edwin glanced at the enchanter as if the elf were an idiot. He shook his head and then grimaced down at Imoen. "Do I at least get your remaining two potions to get myself to Baldur's Gate? Or do I somehow have to manage it over the next six hours?"

Imoen laughed despite herself. "Don't be silly. If that's what we have to do, then I'll get you there myself."

Aegis shook her head. "Imoen, a trip to Baldur's Gate is not really feasible right now. And Waterdeep sure isn't," she explained with a sigh. "And definitely not for someone who's just going to turn around and leave us."

"Yeah, I know," Imoen understood. "That's fine. You guys keep prepping for the bandits. I'll get Edwin there and be back before ya know it."

There was silence for a moment. Then Aegis' deafening, "WHAT!?" could be heard in every corner of the temple. "Imoen! You're shitting me! My two most combustive wizards, my awesome tag-team beserker, and my poor, poor, angry little dwarf; those are losses I can somehow manage to handle. But you? Imm!"

The thief smiled. "I made a promise!" the pink girl told her. "And I'm keeping it! Hopefully I won't be in Baldur's Gate long anyway."

"But!" Aegis protested, dazed. "But- but- but-! Hold on, I need to stand here reeling for a moment as I process this." And so she did.

Xan made a dismayed expression. More time alone pitying Edwin was the last thing Imoen needed right now. "There are alternative options," the enchanter disagreed. "Thalantyr has experience in breaking curses. You do not even know if you are going to be able to afford the fee in Baldur's Gate."

Imoen rolled her eyes. "Thalantyr made it clear he hates Red Wizards," the thief retorted. "It would be one hell of a haggle to get that grumpy old goat to help. Plus, I've only got two potions left! If I can't find another source, it makes the most sense to go straight for Baldur's Gate."

"Not with the rampant banditry on the roads leading north into the city!" Xan exclaimed.

"Brain... hurts..." Aegis mumbled, still dazed. "Heart hurts... more..."

Imoen sighed in exasperation, trying to think. Then she looked to Edwin, who was watching her strangely. "Well, you've got six hours to think. Try to come up with something?" she suggested.

The conjurer grimaced, lifting a hand to his face and rubbing his chin as he tried to think. He paused abruptly and looked to his hand. Then he rubbed his jawline and lifted a brow at Imoen. Then vague memories came back to him and he reached up through his hood, touching his hair. A scowl dripped low his face. "What did you do, Kwefai?" he complained, shoving back the hood to feel.

"It appears..." Aegis mumbled, "that she has kept you shaven, and also braided your hair. And now you look quite dashing, if I might say so."

Most everyone in the room, conjurer included, gaped at her in horror. Obvious she was delirious from fear of losing Imoen. Xan cleared his throat. "Edwin. I was not being contrite when I mentioned that Dynaheir might know something about your condition. She would likely be willing to help if you accepted a geas not to harm her."

Edwin bristled immediately, folding his arms over his chest once more. "What form of perverse blackmail is that?! To send me begging help from the witch that left me like this in the first place?!"

Xan sniffed. "Which do you value more, your mind or your honor?"

Edwin grimaced and then frowned at Imoen. "You... you said the coven's hit should have killed me."

"Aye," the thief agreed. "For the record, I am totally in favor of the 'call on Dynaheir and promise not to hurt her in exchange for help' plan. As for the coven attacking you, Kelddath said it looked as if something had stepped in on your behalf and either forced back or soaked the shot. Any idea what might have happened?"

The Thayvian's expression went blank. He was still for a moment, gazing down at her but seeming not to see much. Then he shifted one arm up along his side almost absently to touch the back of his right shoulder. Imoen caught the gesture and found it odd; though if she remembered correctly, Edwin had a tattoo on that shoulder which had regenerated along with his skin after the ogre attack. A moment later, he shook his head. "I am going to go for a walk," he muttered. "You fools are distracting."

"Kay. I'll come find you in a few hours," Imoen agreed. "Or if Kelddath thinks of anything. But, Edwin, really, Dynaheir would be willing to-"

The conjurer grunted and turned to leave swiftly. The thief frowned after him.

..

Imoen did come up to Xan to talk after a period of reflection. "Hey, you okay?" she asked him, glancing up at where Branwen was coddling him. "I um, I do forgive you for the Hold spell, by the way..."

"I... I will be fine," Xan sighed. "Thank you for your concern, however. I know I have not been... making you particularly happy with me of late."

"Still my best girlfriend," Imoen teased, and hugged him. "I know you meant well, even when I disagreed with you."

Xan smiled, looking a little relieved. He hugged her back. "He... perhaps he had a... a few points. Loathsome and self-destructive as he is. Do you have any idea what set him off? I-Iexpected him to focus entirely on himself, not abruptly take the moral high ground on an indirectly related topic... It... it truly caught me off-guard."

"Ehm," Imoen hesitated. "That was him being protective of his apprentice is all." Xan lifted a brow. "You know, he's just a man. He has more character traits than one."

They were interrupted by a magically glowing white pigeon, which swooped into the chamber and plopped itself down lightly on Aegis' shoulder. The ranger nearly jumped out of her skin and then looked bewildered up at the animal. "Er. Hello?" She lifted a hand to the animal, and then jumped again when it spontaneously transformed into a glimmering white envelope. Quite distracted by this strange and unexpected addition to their day, Aegis unfolded the envelope and pulled out a neatly folded piece of parchment. She opened it up and then straightened a good inch or two.

"What?" Kivan asked.

Aegis shook her head and read: "Dearest, Darlingest, Deathly Deva..."

Imoen and Xan both twisted about to look at her. "Is it from Xzar?" the thief squawked.

Aegis' whole face was lighting up. "It's signed with a gorgeously dangerous looking X," she laughed, raising a hand to her mouth and blushing with pleasure. "It is!"

"Read it!" Imoen laughed in surprise, as she and Xan hurried up to investigate this unexpected letter. Branwen followed curiously. Kivan was of the opinion that letters typically ought to remain between their senders and receivers.

Aegis read: "Dearest, Darlingest, Deathly Deva,

"It has occurred to me that I have a means by which to update you on my situation, and this is therefore the result. At this juncture, I am to remain working closely with The Exile, and so I cannot rejoin you. Many apologies. I am working on it.

"You are nearly always in my thoughts, Nature Childe. I felt a sudden chill the other day that caused me to wonder if you were alright. If you are unharmed and have not yet forgotten this humble wizard, my messenger can carry a reply letter in the reverse.

"Note: I have included some tea sachets which I have prepared for your use. One cup of water or more per sachet, and steep for no less than five minutes and no longer than fifteen. Do not let anyone else have them. (Particularly our enchanter. That would be disastrous.)

"Yours Sincerely, X."

..

Elminster scowled at Khelben but then turned his gaze back to Gorion hesitantly. He pressed his lips together momentarily in thought and then straightened his posture. "Will you show me this child?" he asked more neutrally.

The last thing Gorion wanted to do was to put his children within touching distance of anyone who had just referred to her as a 'monster.' It took a considerable act of will to step forward and peel the towel back, turning Aegis outward so that the others could see. She blinked, releasing her ducky from her mouth and peering uncertainly at each strange face she now found staring down at her.

She focused at Elminster at last. Then she smiled, bounced slightly with excitement, and wagged her ducky. Doubtless all parents thought their babies look perfect; but Gorion thought Aegis had a smile that could light up an entire room. She would tuck in her chin mischievously and open her mouth as the the corners of her lips curled upward and her eyes took on a shape like a half-moon or sunrise. Those smiles had so much character to them, and each and every last one of them made him feel like he had won some form of medal.

Apparently Gorion was not uniquely susceptible to Aegis' smiles, because Elminster seemed to deflate a little. He tilted his hat back a few degrees and studied the child across the short distance between them.

Esmerae stepped forward. "You must permit us to examine her more closely," she said. "All of the Bhaalspawn who were adopted had a certain low threshold of taint, and there is no reason to believe-"

"I 'must' do nothing," Gorion answered. "We agreed any child we found with a devoted parent would be left to them. Well, this little one has a parent."

"A foster parent," Esmerae disagreed with dismay, "but not a parent. You are no cleric of Lathander, and you should know better regardless. But if you insist, then permit me to look into this child's mind, and I will ascertain whether she is salvageable."

Aegis focused on Esmerae and frowned. Her forehead drew together slightly and she pouted uncertainly.

Khelben waved a hand definitively. "You will do no such thing. Whether he keeps the child is neither of your decisions to make. And after what we've put him through, you should be ashamed for trying to deny him his one wish."

"His one wish could have catastrophic consequences," Esmerae disagreed. "You described the origins of the child, and all the factors that are likely adversely affecting his mental state. Even now he could be under the influence of Bhaal. We must know for certain."

A Mr. Arunsun was not happy with Esmerae. His face was twitching slightly as he imagined Esmerae forcing her enchantments on Gorion or- heavens forbid- the child Gorion was so obsessed over. He was so irate in that moment that he could scarcely find the focus to say anything. He imagined stuffing her head into a angry bee hive. Of dire bees. Infected with some sort of poisonous, necrotic tissue plague from the depths of the Abyss. Would she be as 'enchanting' afterwards, he wondered?

Aegis started to cry, and released her ducky to the ground. Gorion blinked, startled, and pulled her close to bounce her. "Oh no, no, no," he murmured into her brow. "What's wrong? What's wrong?" Aegis mumbled and gurgled, her fingers clutching into his hair. The wide-eyed expression she gave him was strange however. She looked terrified. Her father frowned uncertainly, glancing at the Chosens.

"Gorion, are you listening?" Esmerae asked. "A demon-child's tears are no excuse to ignore us. You are bewitched. I see it even now."

"Bewi-" Gorion stammered in a hiss. Then he sneered when Aegis kept crying, pulling her against his shoulder and rocking her. "Hush, hush, hush, love," he murmured, confused as it appeared that Aegis was getting more and more upset.

"Gorion, this child is a monster-"

Khelben abruptly spat out "Bild dii lokalaat nol gelahuz!" and reached over to touch the infant. There was a flash as a Protection Against Enchantment spell rippled up around her, and the girl cut off screaming almost immediately. She cooed in confusion and then hummed contently. Gorion looked first to his daughter, and then to the enchantress.

Esmerae blinked, withdrawing a step in surprise. Elminster turned about to stare at her. A long moment passed in silence.

Then everyone began moving at once. Spells were flying, sequencers, Time Stops, and all sorts of other madness were going off left and right.

"I am HOLDING a BABY! Gods damn all of you, you are WORSE than my GRANDMOTHER! What if you HIT her!? Wh- Now she's crying! Damn you, damn all of you, you are all irresponsible CHILDREN!"

..

Tried to draw inspiration from how Edwin banters with Anomen, Keldorn, and Jaheira :) Did a similar thing for Elminster. Honestly one would think he'd argue with Ajantis more if Xan didn't already have that angle countered...