Sorry for the short chapter, but it was that or 7000 words… next one will be longer, I promise. I hope you're still hanging in there despite the repeated delays…
Chapter XXXIV. The Battle of Waterdeep
Valen and Aribeth shared the first line as they had agreed, with Somnus and Chama protecting them with healing and defensive spells. Chama rained destruction on Mephistopheles in the form of incredibly powerful spells – epic spells, Valen knew, which only grand wizards could ever hope to master. However, even they accomplished remarkably little against the devil's skin, which was as hard as the strongest metal, and the warriors' enchanted weapons did not fare much better, even though they were wielded by three of the deadliest fighters of the planes.
The battle raged on for hours. The sun held on high in the sky for a time before inching downward to the west. Weariness settled in Valen's limbs, but he relentlessly pressed his attacks, drawing from the ferocity of the demon within. Aribeth held her ground to his left, her incorporeal features blurred with exhaustion. Sometime in the middle of it, Somnus joined them on the first line, his spells exhausted. Only Chama still cast, interspersing her spells with quick forays into Mephistopheles' space to deliver sneak attacks at his back.
Gradually, exhaustion and injuries veiled Valen's perspective with a surreal cast. Fighting on pure instinct, the tiefling stopped to monitor the devil's agonizingly slow but steady weakening. He had been in this battle for the entirety of his life, and it encompassed the meaning and the very essence of his existence.
The fog only lifted when the devil collapsed on one knee. Suddenly Valen remembered his three battle companions, and the little detail of Mephistopheles' plans of invasion of the Prime. But it did not change the fact that it had been the fight of his life. Glancing back at Somnus, Aribeth and Chama, with immense relief he saw them all still standing, though they seemed as drawn as he.
Shuddering, the arch-devil bent forward to support himself on the ground with a hand, each downward inch conceded only grudgingly, even though blood mixed with fire sprouted from the thousand wounds on his body. Sputtering blood, he spoke to Chama with difficulty.
"It appears you have been my downfall, mortal… I underestimated you. Next time I won't make the same mistake…"
Quickly extending a hand to her arm, Valen stopped Chama who marched on the devil in defiance. Even though Mephistopheles appeared genuinely bested, devils could be deceitful, and Chama was not wary enough. They stood close enough to Mephistopheles' prostrate form.
"There will not be a next time. Thra'axfyl the Ambitious, I command you to stop the destruction you seek to bring to the Prime."
"My… My True Name!", Mephistopheles exclaimed, some life returning to his injured and battered body. Fire ran wilder out of his wounds. "You've commanded me!? Where did you learn it?!" He grunted, fighting to the last of his strength against the command of his name in the gods' tongue. "But I must obey! What… what is it you wish of me, mistress? How must I serve you?"
"Thra'axfyl the Ambitious, I command you to return to Cania and remain there forever."
He snorted. "Banished to Cania, home and exile all at once… Thank you, mistress! Thank you for your mercy! May frozen Cania be my home forevermore…"
Too weak to stand, the arch-devil performed his spell down on his knees. Under his lifted hand, a gate circle appeared on the ground, glowing in wicked red. Three pillars of stone erupted from the ground to encage the devil and he disappeared from the Prime material plane, a malevolent glint in his eyes still.
Valen took a few seconds to catch his breath, while the sound of the drums of the Blood Wars washed out from his ears and their beat faded from his veins. Slowly he sorted out his human and demon halves and reasserted himself above his tanar'ri half. His eyes reverted to their cyan colour.
Then he noted that Chama's knees were shaking as she struggled to keep to her feet, and she was bleeding. She had been hit more than once when Mephistopheles had teleported her close enough to hit her with his trident, and also when she had rushed at his back to deliver sneak attacks. In an instant, Valen was by her side and had lifted her off in his arms.
"Why did you wait until now to use his True Name?", he asked.
"Because I thought we were strong enough to bring him down somewhat, and I felt it better to weaken him before returning him to Cania, lest he hatch another plan too soon."
He shook his head at the risky scheme, and silently surveyed the extent of her wounds. His heart constricted in his chest.
"We need to bring you to a priest, my love," he stated the obvious.
Aribeth and Somnus, also bloodied and battered, walked up to them, leaning on each other.
"You appear to know this city, Chama," Aribeth remarked. "Where would we find a temple? We are all in need of healing."
At that point relative silence had reigned over the city, and Durnan chose that moment to timidly peer through a creak in a barricaded doorway. Seeing the four companions standing, alive, and no Mephistopheles anywhere, he pushed the door open completely and with a joyous cry rushed to them. All hell broke loose as everyone in Waterdeep let out their collectively held breath and burst in euphoric cheers.
"You beat him!", Durnan exclaimed. "By the bloody Hells, you beat him! You freed Waterdeep! You freed us all!"
"Yes, we did," Chama agreed in a weary sigh. "But please, Durnan, keep the celebrations for later. We've just been through the Eighth Hell and we need healing and a rest."
"Of course! Come on over at the inn, it's been repurposed to tend to the wounded because it was right by the battlefield. White Thesta's there. But you'll have to tell me your tale later, Chama."
"Durnan, I promise I'll tell you everything and I'll even try to be as good as Deekin. But please… right now I want some rest."
With that, she passed out, her head on Valen's shoulder. The four comrades followed Durnan to what burning ruins were left of his inn, the Yawning Portal. Cots supporting wailing and wounded men littered the common room, with White Thesta and her acolytes patrolling the narrow aisles between them. Despite Chama's injuries that worried Valen greatly, sudden fear coiled in the pit of his stomach. If this was what Mephistopheles had been capable of doing to Waterdeep, then what had he done to the Underdark? Had the Seer, Imloth, Deekin, Nathyrra and all the others managed to escape with their lives?
Distracting him from his worry, Durnan bellowed to White Thesta to "come heal the heroes". Leaving the wounded she was treating to one of her acolytes, the priestess walked up to Valen. Unlike the common soldiers she had merely saved with spells and patched up with bandages, she healed Chama, Valen, Somnus and Aribeth with spells all the way. Valen gave her an inquisitive look.
"It is the reward I can afford for those who sent Mephistopheles back to Hell. Now, I would suggest a bit of rest for the four of you," she concluded with a pointed stare at Valen holding Chama in his arms. Despite the ludicrousness of the idea, considering how both of them were bruised and exhausted, the tall warrior blushed furiously. Trying to cover up his embarrassment, he turned to Durnan.
"I would gladly take White Thesta up on that offer. Is there some place we can lie down for a while?"
"Here, follow me. There's some private quarters left, something I arranged in nearby houses for the army commanders. We'll accommodate you easily."
Durnan guided the four adventurers to a neighbouring house. Halfway across the street, Chama regained consciousness.
"Granduc, you can set me back on my feet, I'm fine now." Sudden cheer came over Valen at the sound of her voice and at her struggles to escape his arms. He set her down gently, supporting her when she swayed for a second. They made their way into a relatively intact house that seemed to have suffered nothing worse than soot on its stony façade and two broken windows. They crossed a living room transformed into a war council and climbed a set of stairs to find themselves in a quiet corridor. Durnan pointed out the four doors on the left side and designated them as their rooms.
"Durnan, I know these are no easy times, but I would so love a hot bath. Is it possible?"
The old innkeeper smiled at her in a fatherly manner. "Chama, after what you just did, anything is possible."
"And it would also be possible for my companions, I hope?"
"Of course. Make yourselves comfortable, someone will be up in a moment with the hot water."
Durnan disappeared down the hall, leaving the four companions alone. Chama exchanged a long look with them.
"What you did… what we all did… it was extraordinary. I would never have survived this far without you. I want to say 'thank you', but it doesn't even start to cover it."
"I share the feeling," Aribeth said with a smile.
"It has been an honour to join you in the final battle," Somnus declared. "It was a worthy cause and I am proud to have been part of this victory."
Everyone turned to Valen, awaiting his comment on the situation, but instead the tiefling glared pointedly at Somnus and Aribeth. Taking their cue, the ghost and celestial inclined their heads and entered the two rooms nearest the staircase. Once alone in the corridor with Chama, Valen removed his gauntlet and gently caressed her hair. She looked up at him with an utterly vulnerable look in her eyes.
"You know you don't have to thank me, my love. I said I would storm the Nine Hells themselves for you. I meant it, and it has been worth it."
Closing her eyes, she took his hand in hers. "Oh, Valen. Thank you. I could never have done it without you."
He chuckled. "It is I who should thank you. But for now we should go into our rooms before Durnan comes back and finds us here."
Smiling, she stepped towards her room, pausing briefly to squeeze his fingers a last moment before letting go and disappearing inside the furthest room. Entering his own room with a sigh, Valen started removing his armour. Just a few minutes later, a group of soldiers whose duties had been changed from the battle against Mephistopheles to a simple carrying of water entered and poured him a hot bath.
ooooo
As soon as the soldiers had left, Chama locked the door behind them, disrobed and slid into the hot water. She had a particularly keen appreciation for the steamy water because she had suffered from the cold in Cania. However, the heat eroded her control and she had to fight not to lose consciousness as she washed herself, acutely aware of the weakness of her female body. She had always thought her weakness was something cursed upon her along with her sex; even though she had trained hard to become a hunter for two decades, she had never managed to pass the tests of endurance. She had eventually been forced to realize that she would never have the necessary constitution to be a ranger. She often wondered how Aribeth could be as tough and strong as many men. Not as much as Valen though. Not many men were as tough, quick and strong as Valen, and less women, Chama thought.
Pushing away the useless concerns, Chama finished cleaning herself and slid into a priestess robe that White Thesta had lent her. Looking over at Balpheron's robe discarded next to the bath tub, all drenched by the snow, scorched by fire and splattered in blood and gore, Chama nearly fainted at the mere idea of washing it. The robe's magic would have rewoven its scorched and torn places by itself tomorrow anyway. She left it to rot on the floor for the time being; surely there was still one chambermaid left in all of Waterdeep? Chama put some order in her pack and spell reagents. Then she silently slid out of her room and knocked on Valen's door.