Ralis and his party members never learned how Desharik and his pirates transported them to the Spellhold asylum, because Desharik's pirates placed them all in a large crates, four in one crate, four in another, four in another, four in another, four in another, and Ralis and Viconia were in the last crate together, and the pirates filled the crates with sleeping gas. Then afterwards, Desharik contacted the man who looks after the deviants of Spellhold, Lonk the Sane, informing him that there are 20 people led by a young human man named Ralis who need to be sent to Spellhold because one of his friends, a tall man with a purple tattoo on he side of his bald head with a hamster has some kind of disease that lowers the intelligence of those around him. The pirates got to work transporting the six crates to the Spellhold asylum on the island's cliffside. Ralis and his companions were never awake to see the asylum up close, but if they were awake to see it, they would view Spellhold as an old, decrepit asylum that looks more like a castle belonging to a crazy, antisocial alchemist with too much time on his or her hands.
When Ralis and his companions woke up, they found themselves in what appear to be regular prison cells. Only three people can share the same prison cell. Ralis, Viconia and Althir shared the first prison cell in the long hallway, Aerie, Tashia and Minsc shared another, Hexxat, Cernd and Jan shared the other, Nalia, Valygar and Yoshimo shared the other cell, Jaheira, Rasaad and Neera shared the next prison cell, Korgan, Edwin and Abdel shared the next cell, and Anomen and Dorn share the cell that comes after Korgan, Edwin, Abdel. No one tried to escape their prison cells, they just patiently waited for what may soon happen. As far as they could tell by looking out the oval shaped, grated windows on the opposite side of the hallway, it is still nightfall, possibly close to midnight, judging by the fact that they could barely see that the sky is still dark blue. Either that or a day has passed and it is nightfall again, who knows? Plus, all of their weapons have been confiscated, so they have no way of trying to break out of their prison cells. And Aerie, Tashia, Nalia, Jan, Jaheira and Edwin knew that it would be futile to try to cast a spell on the barred doors. This is Spellhold, an asylum meant to imprison people with spellcasting abilities.
After what felt like nine hours of waiting since they woke up, daylight came, the sunlight poured in from the square holes of the grated windows, and soon Ralis, Viconia and Althir heard the distant sound of keys rattling and the sound of locks being unlocked. Soon a dwarf man wearing plain clothes came around the corner from the other hallway of prison cells, and now he prepared to unlock the barred door keeping Ralis, Viconia and Althir from getting out. He must have been unlocking the jail cells of other deviants, possibly so they can have some measure of freedom before having to return to their cells. Once the dwarf man unlocked the door, he opened it and said:
"Proceed to the recreation area. Enjoy your time out, you go back under key when night comes."
Ralis shook his head.
"What is this place?" He asked the dwarf.
The dwarf gave a puzzled look at Ralis as if he asked a stupid question.
"What is this place?" He repeated. "Strange question coming from you. It was my understanding that you wanted to be confined here."
Ralis felt the need to slap himself in the face. Oh, that's right. Maybe I am getting stupider like Desharik...
"But I suppose you ARE out of your mind, so I will explain. This is Spellhold. I am Lonk..." the dwarf pointed at himself with both of his thumbs. "... you are an inmate..." Lonk pointed both of his index fingers at Ralis at that moment. "... and this is recreation time," he pointed outside down the left side of the hallway. "Frolic, if you please. You will find this time is the most relaxing of the day. Examinations may follow, and you will want to be well-rested."
While stepping outside with Althir and Viconia, Ralis noticed that Lonk isn't dressed like a Cowled Wizard, he is dressed in clothes that don't hint his affiliation with them.
"What is your job here?" Ralis asked Lonk as he headed for the next jail cells to release Aerie, Tashia and Minsc.
After sticking the key into the keyhole, Lonk looked at Ralis as if he asked a dumb question.
"My job? Taking care of crazies like you," Lonk replied, then twisted the key in the lock until a loud clicking noise could be heard, then he opened the door, allowing Minsc, Aerie and Tashia to walk out. "Making sure you don't go and hurt yourselves with your deviant powers. And cookies. I make cookies."
Damn, why did he mention cookies? I could go for some cookies right about now, Ralis thought to himself as he followed Lonk with Viconia, Althir, Tashia, Aerie and Minsc alongside him.
"Did he say he bakes cookies?" Minsc asked.
"Don't let your hunger distract you, ranger," Althir warned him.
Viconia grimaced slightly, trying her best not to think about food, because she already started to feel the slightly mild hunger pains from her stomach warning her that she needs more nourishment, not just for herself, but also for her half-drow child steadily developing within her body. The vegetable soup she had eaten with her companions and former lover aboard Saemon's ship wasn't enough.
Minsc nodded in agreement and Boo squeaked. After Lonk released Hexxat, Cernd and Jan, Ralis had another question for him.
"Do you know of an inmate by the name of Imoen?"
Lonk scratched his beard in thought as he casually walked down the hallway towards the cell holding Valygar, Nalia and Yoshimo.
"Imoen? I think so. Hard to say. There is a girl that used to answer to that. Don't think she remembers it anymore," he said.
Ralis softly gasped, and so did Aerie and Minsc.
Imoen forgot her own name? Oh no... I hope I'm not too late... Ralis thought fearfully.
When Lonk prepared to unlock the cell door holding Yoshimo, Valygar and Nalia, he noticed that Ralis has a worried look on his face.
"She's down the hall behind us. Be careful, though, she almost killed two other inmates the other day. She's got a vicious streak that is downright scary," Lonk warned him.
Ralis couldn't believe his ears. Imoen almost killed two inmates? Why? Was she being attacked? Did she fight back in self-defense? There is no way in hell Imoen would try to kill someone in cold blood, it can't be! Ralis calmed himself down and continued following Lonk down the hallways as he released more of his companions.
"Do you know of an inmate by the name of Irenicus?" Ralis asked Lonk as he prepared to release Jaheira, Neera and Rasaad.
Lonk turned his head towards Ralis and stared at him with wide, surprised eyes after he shut the door when Neera, Jaheira and Rasaad stepped out.
"Irenicus? How do you know that name? Hmm, no matter. You'll be seeing him soon enough. He sees everybody."
Ralis did not like the way how Lonk reacted. He seemed confused in a surprised way at how Ralis knows of him, and he had this nervous look in his eyes when he said that Irenicus sees everybody. What does he mean by that? Is he hinting that Irenicus has taken control of Spellhold?
Irenicus? In control of Spellhold? No, that can't be true, Ralis thought as he and his companions followed Lonk to the last two cells to release Korgan, Edwin, Abdel, Anomen and Dorn.
After releasing them, Lonk turned to face the new inmates he had released, and he smiled at them reassuringly to let them know that everything will be fine.
"So, try to relax, and enjoy your time out of your cells. The warden will be by soon enough. Then cookies," Lonk said then walked away, going 20 steps down the hall then turning left at the end, disappearing from view. Then suddenly he peeked his head around the corner to say one more thing to Ralis and his group.
"Oh, please try to stay away from Wanev. He's very excitable. Still sore about losing his position here. I tell him he shouldn't dwell on it, but he's quite inconsolable," lonk said, then pulled his head out of view, permanently disappearing out of sight to attend to other duties elsewhere in Spellhold.
Ralis looked back at his companions, his eyes darting from Rasaad to Dorn, then to Jaheira.
"I am at a loss of what to do," he admitted.
"Why don't we look for Imoen? That's why we're here, right?" Neera asked, darting her eyes left and right to look for agreements from everyone else.
"And killing the mage that tortured you," Edwin added, crossing his arms.
Ralis nodded in agreement, then the echo of an inmate shouting nearby startled almost everyone. The inmate shouted:
"LEAVE ME ALONE!"
Neera scratched her pink hair nervously. "Okay... that was random and freaky..."
"We should be careful with who we run into here. The deviants of Spellhold are all mentally unstable people," Althir reminded everyone.
"Let's just focus on finding Imoen. Let's go back this way," Ralis said, squeezing past his clustered group of companions, going back down the hallway towards the prison cell that he and Viconia and Althir were once inside.
His companions followed close behind. During every step they took, they heard the somewhat distant indistinct exclamations of the mentally unstable inmates. When they walked past the cell that once held Ralis, Viconia and Althir, they saw a woman up ahead appear from the corner of the hallway's end where the hall curves to the right. The woman was walking around in bewilderment, as if she is seeing things that no one else can't see, and it terrifies her deeply. As far as Ralis could tell, she is a human woman, wearing an old green dress, and her long black hair appeared frizzled and unkempt, and her lower eyelids are dark and baggy as if she hasn't gotten a peaceful sleep in months. When she saw Ralis and his companions approaching, she started to talk to them instead of whimpering to herself.
"What? What do you want? I see you! I see you all!" She pointed at Ralis and his party, then at the ceiling.
Ralis and his party froze, trying to figure out whether this woman is a threat or not. They were all unsure if they should speak to this insane woman or not. Ralis looked back at his companions for advice, but no one answered, they all gave him mixed signals. Ralis turned to face the whimpering woman and said:
"What? What do you see?"
The woman who is named Aphril looked at Ralis with wide, wild eyes.
"Everything... everyone! Across the planes! All the time! My eyes do not close when closed!" She exclaimed, eyes wide in insanity and fear. "And they are next to you, and me, and everyone! Always! More and more creatures from everywhere and every time!" She hugged her body against the wall and crouched into a fetal position, trembling. "Never alone, even when alone. You just cannot SEE!"
Jaheira and Edwin found her situation rather interesting, to say the least.
"She sees the universe unrestricted. It is amazing that she manages to be as lucid as she is," Jaheira commented, drawing everyone's attention.
"She retains some of her sanity, yet the fact that she cannot control her gift is a weakness on her part. A superior mind could handle such a gift," Edwin said.
"Ha! A pity we do not have one here!" Viconia said, hoping to annoy Edwin's ego.
Ralis didn't want to hear anyone in his party bickering like immature kids right now, so he had to get them moving.
"Come on, people. Imoen must be around here somewhere. Follow me," Ralis instructed them, and he led them towards the end of the hall where Aphril appeared and turned right, and everyone else followed his lead. As Edwin followed, he sighed in both depression and resentment at Viconia's earlier remark. He hated it when people reminded him that he is likely not meant for great things.
"(... It's aggravation like this that'll eventually cause me to fireball the entire party as they sleep,)" Edwin whispered to himself, then started to grin. "(Yes indeed, everyone peaceful and quiet and then FOOM!)" Edwin's grin grew wider at the fantasy.
During the moment Jaheira and Edwin were commenting on Aphril's state of mind, she saw another vision of something happening in another plane of existence. The vision confused her profoundly. When Viconia insulted Edwin's ego, Aphril's vision ended, and she said:
"I see... a walking corpse... he speaks... to a pillar of skulls? See, it is madness!" Although no one was paying attention to her,
The vision she saw took place in Baator, also known as the Nine Hells. The walking corpse she referred to is a fairly tall, muscular man with unnaturally old and pale skin which made him look like a corpse, semi long black hair, no facial hair, and many scars and tattoos over his partially naked body clothed in a leather loincloth adorned with bones. He is known as the Nameless One, as he has no memory of his past and identity. Aphril caught a quick glimpse of the Nameless One standing in front of a 14 foot tall pillar of skulls, communicating to it while his companions stood back and watched. Her vision ended just seconds before Ralis and his group decided to move past her and go to the next hallway to the right.
Ralis and his companions carefully walked down this new hallway, briefly checking each prison cell they passed by that Lonk the Sane had previously unlocked. Some were empty, others still had inmates inside, even though the doors were open for them to come out. But none of them seemed to want want to come out of their prison cells for some reason. By the time Ralis and his group saw the third inmate cowering in his or her prison cell, who happens to be a young human girl with dirty dark blonde hair no older than eight named Dili crouching at the corner, shivering like she is cold or terrified, Ralis and the others realized that something is seriously wrong here, and they couldn't shake that feeling off.
"This place is too darn creepy... I've been trying to stay away from places like this ever since I've been running from the Red Wizards," Neera said, gripping her staff with both hands.
Edwin saw an opportunity to throw an insult at her and he didn't squander it.
"Is that so? How well has that worked out for you?" He smugly said.
She decided not to dignify that with a response even though that remark upset her. However, to Neera's surprise, she found herself flanked by Anomen and Aerie Anomen to her right, and Aerie to her left.
"Do not fear, dear lady, I shall be by your side to protect you," Anomen assured her.
Neera wasn't sure if Anomen said that to make her feel better as a necessary step to get one step closer to getting inside her pants, or if he is really being honest, but she reminded herself that he is a true paladin now, he is more chivalrous than flirtatious now. When Neera turned to look at Aerie, their eyes met and Aerie smiled at her.
"I won't let them get three feet near you, Neera," Aerie promised her.
Neera felt like crying. The first person to stand up for her was Ralis, and now there are more people like him, willing to defend her even though her wild magic is too wild to be considered reliable.
"Gee... Thanks, guys..." Neera said the moment everyone passed by the 6th prison cell down the hallway.
When Ralis and his group were about to pass by the eighth open prison cell, Ralis peered in, and he noticed a human girl much older than Dili inside, possibly 20 or 21, close to his age sitting on the wooden bed suspended by chains, her head lowered as if she were sad or ashamed of something. Her red hair has grown out long and disheveled, almost past her shoulders. Ralis thought back carefully. He remembered that Imoen has red hair, but that doesn't mean that this girl could be Imoen... but he felt the need to make sure.
"Hey. Hello? You, the girl with red hair. Can I talk to you for a minute?" Ralis called to her calmly.
The girl lifted her head up and turned towards Ralis, giving him and everyone else a good look at her face. Ralis gasped softly as his eyes widened, even Abdel couldn't believe his eyes, including Minsc.
"Who- who... who is that?" Imoen stammered nervously, then she jumped out of her bed, backing herself into the wall as Ralis, Abdel, Minsc and Jaheira entered the cell. "Keep back... Keep back!" Imoen demanded nervously as these four people entered her cell.
Ralis felt disheartened to hear that Imoen doesn't seem to remember him at all.
"Imoen, it's me, Ralis. Don't you remember me? Those good times we've had back in Candlekeep with Abdel before he left? What about Minsc? Remember Minsc and Boo?" Ralis pointed towards Abdel and Minsc respectively, hoping to jog Imoen's memory.
"Little Imoen, it is Minsc. See, here's Boo..." Minsc said as he stepped an inch forward, then reached out with his right hand to grab Boo sitting on his left shoulder with the intent of holding him out towards Imoen's face like he did to Desharik, but Boo squeaked and almost bit Minsc's finger, but not hard enough to draw blood. Minsc was surprised at Boo's behavior. "Boo, stop that," Minsc said, then Boo replied squeaking into Minsc's ear urgently. "Sure she looks a bit... stressed, but it's still her," Minsc tried to reason with his wary hamster.
Minsc noticed Ralis and Jaheira giving him puzzled frowns, and Minsc looked at them in a clueless manner.
"I don't know what's wrong. Boo is all jittery. Something is different about Imoen," Minsc said.
That can't be good, Jaheira thought. If Boo feels uneasy around Imoen, something is seriously wrong...
"Who is Imoen?" Imoen asked. "I don't know that name. I don't know that name! She's not here!" She pressed her back against the wall's corner now, trying to distance herself from these strangers to no avail.
"Imoen, it's me, Abdel. Come on, I know you remember us. Please. Remember back when you were ten years old, you used to call me "Abe", and you called Ralis "Ray"? We're here to rescue you from this hellhole, Imoen. Please, we fought tooth and nail all year to get to you. That's how much Ralis and I missed you," Abdel said.
Abdel and Ralis backed away when Imoen's eyebrows which were arched upwards to display her confusion and nervousness started to arch downwards creating a few wrinkles between them to display her annoyance, and Boo squeaked nervously.
"Get away from me!" Imoen exclaimed angrily, no longer backing herself against the wall but bravely inching towards Ralis, Abdel, Jaheira and Minsc, her eyes blazing with rage and her fingernails prepared to scratch up anyone who dares to come near her. "I'll... I'll kill you! I'll rip your eyes from your filthy faces! Do not tempt my wrath!" Imoen's burgeoning rage slowly gave way to confused sadness and she sank to the floor, holding her head as if she has developed a big headache. "Do not..." She said, her voice breaking in near grief.
Ralis couldn't believe what he just saw. One moment Imoen acted like a nervous mouse, the next, she almost lashed out at them in self-defense, but she managed to stop herself from doing so.
Gods... what happened to her? What happened to the Imoen I once knew...? Ralis felt his eyes burning and he knew tears would follow soon.
"I... she's not here. I do not know that... name," Imoen said softly, still sitting down on cold stone floor in a fetal position.
Ralis remembered that Irenicus did this to her, back when they were imprisoned in the dungeon underneath Waukeen's Promenade. He curled his hands into fists, hoping that soon he'll get the chance to drive both Kondar and Albruin into Irenicus' chest, when he finds them.
"Damn that Irenicus. This is his doing. I'll see him dead for this," Ralis whispered to himself angrily. "You just rest, Imoen. I'll get you out of here, I swear it," he said aloud to Imoen.
Imoen nodded absentmindedly.
"I see... yes... I see... She's not here... Someone else will come..." She said with her voice in a near whisper.
Ralis, Jaheira, Minsc and Abdel stepped out of the prison cell, rejoining everyone.
"How is she? Is she all right?" Tashia asked.
Ralis shook his head.
"Whatever Irenicus did to her, he warped her mind. She doesn't know who she is, and she doesn't recognize either me nor Abdel," he said.
"Oh no..." Aerie said while covering her mouth with both hands in shock.
Ralis shook his head in depression. He did not want to leave Imoen, but there's nothing he nor anyone else can do for her at this moment. They must leave her for a while.
"Let's go explore around for a minute," Ralis suggested.
They continued walking down the hallway about 27 steps ahead until they reached the end that curves to the right. The next corridor is relatively short, ending with a door at the end. Ralis and his group approached the door carefully, and when Ralis got close enough to the door, he put his hand on the doorknob and tried to twist it, only to discover that it is locked.
"It's locked," he informed his group.
Hexxat checked her thieving kit for lock-picking tools only to discover that not only the Cowled Wizards have confiscated all of their weapons, but also any tool that would help them escape this place.
"Damn it. They took my lock-picking tools, too," Hexxat grunted in disapproval.
It started to become apparent to everyone now that they must retrace their steps back to the corridor where their prison cells are and go down the opposite end of the hall where Lonk the Sane disappeared. Ralis walked away from the locked door, moving past his companions.
"Let's go. We must go back the way we came, this is a dead end," he said.
They walked past Imoen's prison cell, and all the others. But when they started to pass by Dili's cell, she was standing up on her feet, preparing to walk out until she saw Ralis and his group walking by.
"Hello!" She called out to them, and they stopped walking and looked at her, wondering what she wants. "I never seen you around before. You are all are new faces. Are they really your faces? Funny. Ha! Maybe change them," she said with that eerily childish glee that made people feel uneasy.
When Neera saw Dili, she gasped in horror, obviously because she found it terrible that a girl her age is in a place like this.
"Oh gods. Ralis, this is a child. A CHILD," she turned to Ralis with tears in her eyes. "We've got to do something. Please."
Ralis nodded to assure her everything will be fine, then he stepped forward so that he could have Dili's undivided attention, standing directly in the cell's opening, then he knelt down.
"What do you mean by "change them"? What's wrong with my face?" Ralis asked her.
Dili shook her head, smiling with her lips closed.
"Nothing. Don't you change your face?"
Ralis was about to reply hesitantly, but Dili cut him off before he could slowly utter a word.
"That's okay, I'll take it and change it for you. Don't worry, you can keep it too. Who are you today?" She asked.
"Ralis is my name," he responded.
Dili raised her right eyebrow and tilted her head slightly to the left in a puzzled manner briefly as she processed this man's name in her memory.
"Ralis? Okay, I'll be Ralis tomorrow. I've seen you, so now I can take your face. Don't worry, you can keep it too," she said cheerfully.
Minsc shuddered. "I do not think Boo is too thrilled about you borrowing his face. He only has the one. You don't hurt those you mirror, do you?" He asked Dili in an unsettled tone.
Dili giggled. "I like taking puppy's face, but it scares him. He's not here, though."
Ralis stood up and walked out of the cell.
"Ralis, what are you doing? You're not going to help her?" Neera asked in a pleading tone.
Ralis turned around and placed both hands on her shoulders, looking into her sad eyes.
"Neera, we can't help anybody, not even Imoen for not. The best we can do right now is get familiar with our surroundings. Don't worry, we'll help Imoen and this girl when the time comes," Ralis promised her.
Neera slowly nodded. "Okay... I understand..." she said in a slight whisper.
Ralis released her shoulders and prepared to lead the group back to the hall where their prison cells are. As they walked, Minsc and Aerie consoled Neera, who still felt sad to see a little girl in such a cold, inhospitable place full of mentally deranged men and women arrested by the Cowled Wizards. After passing through the hallway where their prison cells are, they turned left at the end, and journeyed down a new corridor they haven't explored yet, with more open, empty prison cells. A couple minutes later, in another corridor, they saw an open room up ahead about 40 feet away, and they heard the noise of indistinct chattering.
"What is that sound...?" Cernd wondered aloud.
"If you are thinking maybe it is the wind, druid, it is not," Dorn said.
As they neared closer to the end of the corridor, they soon discovered that they have just entered the R&R room of Spellhold. It is a wide open, spacious room where the deviants of Spellhold, the fairly sane ones, at least, can chat and play board games like Draughts, Chess, table dice (a.k.a. backgammon) and Tails, which is a popular card game in West Faerun. There are nineteen deviants in the room, some of them don't seem to be dangerous at all, but Ralis remembered Lonk's warning to stay away from Wanev, whoever he may be.
"This looks like a rest and recreation room," Tashia commented, coming up beside Ralis.
Then Yoshimo came up next to him too.
"Watch your step here, Ralis. This is a den of insanity, where anything can happen," Yoshimo said, then his attention was drawn by a voice who loudly exclaimed:
"TIAX RULES ALL! BOW BEFORE THE MIGHT OF THE GREAT TIAX!"
"What the hell...?" Ralis followed the direction the voice came from, and he and his group saw a lone gnome standing on a table in the middle of the room, shouting at the top of his lungs to be noticed by everyone.
And some people did notice him, but others ignored him. Far as Ralis and his party could tell, this man who calls himself Tiax is a gnome like Jan, the only difference is Tiax's nose is not as bulbous as Jan's, and he wore a small shabby brown hat on his head, and his hair is long, shaggy and brown, and his large mustache and beard is straight and smooth, yet dirty. He also carried a calabash pipe in his right hand, smoking it occasionally, and he wore a shabby crimson tunic with old boots.
"(What is this buffoon's malfunction? And these peons thought I am insane, muttering to myself!)" Edwin muttered to himself, glad that he has finally found someone who makes him look sane by comparison.
"All of you should be grateful to be part of my grand scheme of world domination!" Tiax declared with lots of bravado, pointing at everyone in the room.
"Shut up, Tiax! Or I'll write you up for disturbing order in Spellhold again!" A man dressed like a Cowled Wizard exclaimed angrily at Tiax.
Tiax scowled at the man in amusement.
"Ah, is this a dissident, I see? You dare defy my authority? I shall smite you where you stand! ... But not today. I have bigger fish to fry," He declared, but his tone became a bit calmer and he waved a hand dismissively at the man when he stated he will not smite him today.
Neera would have snickered at the thought of comparing Tiax to Edwin, but she wasn't in the right state of mind to so so, But she did feel the need to tell Tashia what she thought about Tiax, though.
"This guy sounds like Edwin. All talk and no bite," she whispered to Tashia, and Tashia smiled.
The disgruntled Cowled Wizard growled in frustration, walked back to his table where he is playing Tails with some other man, scribbled something on a piece of paper, walked over to the table Tiax is standing on, and placed the scribbled paper on the table close to Tiax's right boot.
"You are in trouble once again, Tiax! No more corn and dressing with cranberry sauce for you for another three months! That's nine months total!"
Tiax glanced down at the paper near his boot and kicked it off the table.
"Bah! Papers signed by a man who no longer has power in this place shall not halt my progress on creating a worldwide theocracy in Cyric's name! You are but a fly buzzing in my ear, Wanev!" Tiax leaned towards the former Cowled Wizard named Wanev, sneering at him. "You cannot halt the grand scheme of a cleric of Cyric such as I!"
Ralis and his group remained near the R&R room's entrance, distancing themselves from the arguing deviants in the center of the room, even those who are playing card or board games warrant caution. Then suddenly, in front of Ralis' eyes, a dimensional door opened, and a man stepped out of it, and the portal disappeared into thin air. The man that stood before them all is none other than Jon Irenicus himself.
"You...!" Ralis snarled, preparing to grab his swords but realized his scabbards are empty, they aren't with him anymore.
"I see you made yourself at home. I didn't think you would feel out of place here," Irenicus told Ralis.
Ralis took stock of what's going on and realized that Irenicus, being the most dangerous deviant in Spellhold should not be allowed to wander free like Tiax and the other deviants.
"Do not look so surprised," Irenicus said, reading Ralis' facial expression. "You must have expected to find me near your Imoen."
"I am surprised that you are allowed to walk around freely. I would have killed you," Ralis made his feelings clear to Irenicus.
Irenicus crossed his arms and smirked ever so slightly.
"Oh, but I am not incarcerated here- no, I am the new coordinator, and you are in my care... once again."
"What...?!" Ralis gasped in surprise, even his companions were shocked.
"He... took over Spellhold singlehandedly?!" Abdel gasped.
"H-H-How is that possible...?!" Even Edwin was impressed.
Irenicus grew annoyed at Tiax and Wanev's arguing loud then cast the Silence spell directly on Tiax. The spell silenced everything in the center of the R&R room around Tiax, even Wanev and the other deviants. When Tiax realized that he can no longer hear his voice or anyone else's, he started panicking. Since Irenicus and Ralis and his party were in the southern corner of the room, the Silence spell did not affect them. Now Irenicus turned his attention back to Ralis and his party.
"It is fortunate you arrived when you did. I am eager to resume my experiments and was growing tired of waiting a whole year for you to arrive."
"That's a foolish plan. I can counter any Cowled Wizard ambush you throw at me," Ralis said brazenly.
"The Cowled Wizards no longer run the asylum. With Bodhi's aid, I was able to take control quite quickly. She is a fine sibling, if a touch predatory," Irenicus replied.
"Bodhi played me?!" Abdel exclaimed in shock.
"She played us all, Abdel. She never intended on killing Irenicus, her real goal was to lead us to him," Jaheira stated.
"You ruined Imoen's mind, you monster! You killed Dynaheir, Khalid, and ruined Imoen!" Ralis snarled. "You'll pay for what you've done, Irenicus! I owe you a great debt of pain!"
Irenicus shrugged off the threats with indifference.
"You are intent on revenge or justice or whatever, but I don't really care. You can't do anything I don't wish you to," Irenicus said, then his eyes focused on Yoshimo.
"Yoshimo, I trust everything is as I instructed?"
Ralis gasped softly and turned to face Yoshimo.
"Yoshi, what is he talking about?" Ralis asked him, his heart pounding nervously because he subconsciously knew what is going on.
Yoshimo had a lot of trouble keeping eye contact with Ralis.
"Th... things are not as they seem, Ralis, and for that, I apologize. I can offer no explanation that you would find sufficient," Yoshimo said in a disheartened tone as he distanced himself from the people he worked alongside with ever since the Year of the Gauntlet and standing beside his master.
Even Minsc, Tashia, Aerie and Anomen were shocked to learn of Yoshimo's betrayal. But Althir and Rasaad were not surprised in the very least. They, along with Haer'Dalis knew there was something shifty about Yoshimo, but they couldn't figure out what.
"Grrr... Had I paid attention to him, Ralis, I would have snapped his neck before we arrived," Dorn told Ralis.
Ralis didn't like this at all, he even ignored Dorn's comment.
"You have done as you must, Yoshimo. I have seen to it. Now, is everything as I asked?" Irenicus asked.
"Y-yes, Master Irenicus, just as you wanted it," Yoshimo hesitantly said.
Ralis' heart rate increased.
"Are you betraying me to this monster? I thought I earned your trust. I thought we were brothers."
"What you earned is of no consequence. I *took* his trust in the beginning. That is all there is to be said," Irenicus said coldly.
No... No... Ralis felt his world slowly spinning out of control.
"Yoshimo betrayed us? Why? I thought you were a good man! A slap in the face of our trust! A sword to the heart of our confidence! A boot to the prunes of our friendship! Perhaps I go too far, but but Boo is absolutely incensed!" Minsc exclaimed.
The guilt is clear in Yoshimo's eyes. He didn't want to do this, but he had to.
"I apologize, Ralis and Minsc. There are circumstances that neither of you are not aware of," Yoshimo said.
"You will hear the name "traitor" many more times today, Yoshimo, but let me be the first among the group to spit it at you!" Jaheira exclaimed.
"The next time we meet, you will die," Althir said coldly.
"Yeah... What he said," Abdel added.
Yoshimo sighed dejectedly.
"I cannot give a reason that will satisfy. Your wrath will come regardless," he said.
Ralis wondered why would Yoshimo ally with Irenicus of all people? Why is a bounty hunter pledging allegiance to a man like Irenicus?
"We will discuss this later, Yoshimo. You can be assured of that," Ralis pointed an accusing finger at him.
Irenicus smirked again.
"You may be disappointed, but I am well pleased. My servants have proven to be artists with herbs, as well with deception. Your meals aboard the ship were prepared exactly to my specifications," Irenicus said.
Ralis scoffed with confidence. "I am prepared for an ambush. Your talk does not worry me," he said.
"Your fate has been sealed since before you arrived. A simple addition to rations and meals by a master of herbs, Mister Saemon Havarian."
Saemon Havarian betrayed us too?! Ralis couldn't believe it, and neither could everyone else. So much betrayal from so many people! First Bodhi, then Yoshimo, now Saemon Havarian?! What the hell is going on here?!
"You will find you are powerless. I have taken precautions that you will not be damaged. Your rage is for naught," Irenicus cast a special spell that caused everyone to fall asleep.
When Ralis turned around he saw that everyone was knocked out cold.
"We were brothers, Yoshimo..." Ralis reminded him, feeling severely heartbroken.
Yoshimo averted his eyes.
"There is no battle, no heroics. Only sleep," Irenicus said, then he cast the spell that knocked out the party on Ralis, and the world seen from Ralis' eyes began to darken as he lost consciousness and collapsed to the floor.
When Ralis woke up, he found himself inside a large wall of glass, like a birdcage of sorts. He groggily stood up and tried to get his bearings. A lot of machinery surrounded him outside the jar-shaped glass. He also saw Jon Irenicus standing outside the glass, accompanied by a man and woman he has never seen before, and the traitor Yoshimo. Irenicus had his back turned on Ralis, speaking to the unfamiliar woman, so he didn't immediately realize that Ralis had woken up, but the woman pointed directly at Ralis, telling Irenicus that he has finally awoken. Irenicus turned to face Ralis, and he saw something he had never seen Irenicus have before. A smile. Irenicus can be so cold and calculating, he rarely smiles, that much Ralis knew about him, so seeing him smile is a disturbing sight to see.
"Well, it would seem that my visitor has awakened!" Irenicus declared with more cheerful emotion than Ralis has heard him utter before. "It is as I predicted. It all has been."
Ralis felt his heart sinking.
"You KNEW I was coming?" Ralis couldn't believe it. How could this man have such accurate foresight of the outcomes?
The smile disappeared from Irenicus' face now, going back to his emotionless demeanor.
"I fear I have had an advantage over you. I have planned your coming from the start. Ever since Dragonspear."
That was a remark Ralis never expected Irenicus to say.
"What...?! How do you know about Dragonspear?! Tell me!" Ralis exclaimed then banged his right fist against the glass, and discovered that it must be strong enough to take a punch from an orc and not break.
Irenicus shook his head. "I am puzzled that you have not figured it out yet. Almost two years ago, I had been watching you, studying you, analyzing your behavior ever since the day you and Caelar Argent crossed paths. I once told you my intention was not to act just yet, but merely to evaluate you. Today is the day I am taking action, as I had promised."
Ralis understood everything now, and his mind felt like imploding!
"YOU ARE THE HOODED MAN!" Ralis exclaimed. "You're the bastard who killed Skie Silvershield with the Soultaker Dagger, ruining my good reputation in Baldur's Gate!"
Irenicus nodded slowly. "Yes, that was all my doing. Exposing your heritage to the people of Baldur's Gate was the only way I could draw you out to me. It could be no other way," he said while slowly pacing towards Yoshimo near the control panels. "Had you known of Yoshimo, things might have been different... but a spell component slipped into a soup will still get anyone in the end."
Ralis felt that he should be relieved with this revelation that the mysterious hooded man and Jon Irenicus were the same person all along, just like Collus Darathon and Alorgoth. It makes his quest for revenge and redemption much easier, but it also means Irenicus is not only responsible for the deaths of Dynaheir and Khalid, but also Skie Silvershield. Ralis wanted to tear apart Jon Irenicus so badly, but to get out of this predicament, he must think with a cool, leveled head.
"I have yet to make a judgment on that subject," Ralis informed Irenicus. "I'm sure all of your words are lies," he added.
Irenicus crossed his arms while facing Ralis.
"It was his suggestion, really," Irenicus said, nodding towards dejected Yoshimo as he spoke. "A fine way to retrieve you unharmed. Of course, your safety is no longer a concern at this point," he said, then got started checking the control panel for something.
"I did not spend so much time in Ralis' company just to have him killed. That could have been done a dozen times over," Yoshimo admonished Irenicus as he tended to the machines.
"Then I am curious why you didn't. You have the opportunity even now," Ralis said to Yoshimo even though he wasn't talking to him.
Yoshimo gave Ralis a disheartened look.
"Don't make this harder than it already is, Ralis. I can't help you. There are circumstances that you are not aware of," he pleaded softly.
"Then enlighten me!" Ralis demanded angrily, slamming his fist against the glass once.
"Death!" Yoshimo blurted out with more emotion than Ralis had expected.
The man and woman looked at Yoshimo with surprised looks on their faces as he continued his emotional outburst.
"Death no matter where I would go or what I would do! That is what awaited me if I faded. Can you understand that?" Yoshimo cried.
Ralis remained silent, and Yoshimo realized that he needs to tell Ralis everything.
"I have traveled a long way from Kozakura to West Faerun, searching for my long lost sister. My leads directed me to Athkatla, where she was supposedly last seen. When I first met Irenicus a couple years ago, he promised that he would help me locate her only if I would pledge my services to him. Don't you see, Ralis? My service was promised long before I was called to do this! I did not know what would come! I did not know what a filthy creature Irenicus truly was. I did not!" Yoshimo exclaimed with profound sadness.
Deep down, Ralis wanted to believe Yoshimo's story, especially about his sister, since he has mentioned her before, but not in full detail, but he felt unsure if the words of a traitor are to be believed. Yoshimo's betrayal hurt Ralis like being stabbed in the arm by a knife. Betrayed by a friend he called "brother". Throughout this conversation, Irenicus was still making some adjustments on the control panels, but he listened to everything Ralis and Yoshimo said with cold indifference.
"Quiet yourself, Yoshimo, and quit babbling about death. You are quite safe now, and my plans for Ralis go beyond simple murder. You will see soon enough."
Yoshimo groaned the moment Irenicus finished doing whatever he was doing with the machine's control panels, then he directed his attention to emotionally confused Ralis in the glass tank.
"But don't worry- you won't have to think about any of this or that. Your life ends today," he told Ralis.
Ralis wished so badly that he could break out of this tank so that he can strangle Irenicus with his bare hands. But he noticed something amiss. Imoen is missing.
"Where is Imoen?! What have you done to her?!" Ralis angrily demanded.
Irenicus pressed a few buttons on the panel, then Ralis heard a low humming sound.
"Don't worry, Imoen has already suffered what she must for my cause. She even survived, and this bodes well for you. You are stronger, more focused, and you are "aware"," Irenicus told him.
Ralis raised his right eyebrow.
"Aware? Aware of what?" He asked.
Irenicus stepped closer to the tank until he got three inches near it.
"Aware of what you are, child of Bhaal. You are aware, and she is not. That makes you more able to focus. You didn't know?"
Ralis gasped softly. Irenicus' words imply that Imoen is a child of Bhaal just like Ralis is. That means after all these years, Imoen is his half sister, same father but a different mother. But the problem with Irenicus' claim is that throughout the Year of the Banner and the short time they had together in the Year of the Gauntlet, Imoen never had any nightmares about being tempted to murder. Ralis had those nightmares even before he was aware of his heritage. Why hasn't Imoen been through what he has if she really is another Bhaalspawn? It makes no sense unless Irenicus is lying through his teeth.
"This is madness, fool. You are out of your mind!" Ralis snarled.
Irenicus did not flinch.
"You must have suspected. Perhaps she felt no symptoms, but the taint was there. She is of similar age to you, and was apparently secluded as a child, just as you were," Irenicus said.
Ralis silently admitted that Irenicus is right about their age. He was born in 1347 DR, and Imoen was born in 1348 DR. But what about Abdel? He is older than Ralis and Imoen, he was born in 1343 DR, and Gorion had adopted him too. How can Irenicus justify that?
"What about Abdel?" Ralis blurted out, hoping to find a contradiction in Irenicus' claims. "Gorion adopted him first, a few years before Imoen and I were born, yet you had him in your dungeon back in Athkatla too. Why?"
Irenicus smirked. "The exact same reason I captured you and Imoen. The taint is in him as well."
No! Impossible! Abdel is a child of Bhaal, too?! All three of us?! Father Gorion kept all three of us together and didn't tell us what we really are?!
When Ralis glanced over at Yoshimo, he saw that even he is surprised to learn all of this. Ralis turned his attention back to Irenicus.
"But... this makes no sense! You are clearly focused on me and Imoen. Why did you kidnap and torture Abdel, too?" Ralis asked him, looking into his bright blue eyes.
"Because at the time I did not know who would be the stronger child of Bhaal between you and Abdel. That was why I had to evaluate you during your conflict against Caelar Argent's crusade. I had previously evaluated Abdel in secret and he showed some promise, but you have shown more, especially since you have bested Sarevok in battle even though at the time he had more power than you. That was why I captured you both. I had to be sure that nothing would change. I had my attention entirely focused on you because you have shown more potential than Abdel has. When I had you and Imoen, I had the Shadow Thieves' torturer Booter personally "torture" Abdel, testing his potential and inform me on possible changes, but nothing has changed. You remain supreme over Abdel, and that is why I am interested in you instead of him."
Irenicus fell into silence for a moment as Ralis processed all of this information. It is indeed a lot to swallow.
"This Gorion of yours should have told you about yourselves early on. You might have learned not to fear what you are," Irenicus said. "Whether you choose to believe it or not, Imoen is indeed a child of Bhaal, including Abdel. I suspect her innocent charm and humor suppressed the darkness. She showed no symptoms because there was no place for shadow in her spirit. As for Abdel Adrian, his impulsive love for battle which drove him to leave Candlekeep when he could served as fuel for the darkness within him. He has seen many dark shadows in his life as a mercenary for hire, but Imoen, apparently, has not."
Irenicus paused for a moment and began pacing left and right in front of the glass tank, turning around every three steps.
"I had to show her some very dark shadows, indeed. It is unfortunate that it had to be done, but it was necessary to get what I needed." He stopped pacing and looked Ralis into his glaring brown eyes. "Now I must focus on you," he said.
"It will be a cold day in Avernus before I help you," Ralis spat spitefully.
"You assume you are a volunteer, but I don't need your cooperation. I will take the essence of you regardless." Irenicus turned his back on Ralis and walked down to the metallic floor and stood in front of the control panel close by Yoshimo.
"Do you see the Shadow Thieves in the other chambers?"Irenicus called to Ralis.
Ralis turned his attention to the corners of the room and saw dozens of Shadow Thieves guild members in glass chambers similar to the one he is in. some were crouched in a fetal position, sobbing in fear of their imminent death, and others tried punching and kicking the glass to no avail. Irenicus must have cast a Silence spell on them too, because Ralis could not here a single guild member audibly cry out for his or her life to be spared.
"They are the fruits of Bodhi's guild war, and their deaths shall force the divine soul from you," Irenicus told Ralis, then he pressed a few more buttons on the panel, and Ralis could hear the low humming of the machinery around his glass chamber grow a little louder.
"Don't be afraid, Ralis. I suspect this will be mercifully quick," Irenicus assured Ralis in a cold manner.
Ralis felt his heart pounding fast. This could be the end of his life. If Irenicus' goal is to extract his divine soul as a Bhaalspawn and take it for himself, there's a possibility that he will not survive the process.
"Yoshimo! It's not too late! Help me!" Ralis called out to him, desperately banging on the glass.
Yoshimo only turned his back on Ralis.
"It is too late, Ralis. He can't help you. I've ensured it, and you will be soon beyond it all anyway," Irenicus said as he turned a dial on the panel up until the arrow pointed at "1000".
Then Irenicus cast some kind of spell on Ralis, chanting the right words and motioning his arms the correct way to cast the spell. Ralis didn't know what the spell was meant to do. Maybe it was meant to link Irenicus' soul with Ralis' soul for the transfer to be necessary. The humming of the machinery grew louder, and Ralis noticed that one by one, the Shadow Thief guild members started dropping dead. Ralis thought he was imagining it, but he was certain that he saw the souls of the Shadow Thief guild members being sucked out of their lifeless bodies and into the tubes connecting each chamber to his chamber. Immediately after every Shadow Thief guild member had their souls sucked out, the souls were transferred to Ralis' chamber, and he got suddenly assaulted by the terrified, painful shrieks of the souls sharing the chamber with him, and soon he blacked out even though he was still standing upright the moment everything his eyes could see turned pitch black.
When his eyesight returned, Ralis found himself in a completely different location. Ralis looked around, trying to get his bearings. the skies are an eerie dark orange color, similar to the skies of Avernus, and he is surrounded by fortified walls ahead and behind him, but in front of him is the inner courtyard and library that looks more like a castle, a place all too familiar. He is back in Candlekeep. But how...?
"Do... not... fight... To fight... is to lose... Come to me... Find me..." Ralis heard a familiar voice whisper as if it were near him.
"Imoen? Where are you?" Ralis looked around, but saw no one, not a single soul could be seen or heard.
"Within... Find me within... You cannot fight alone... You cannot... Fine me within..." Imoen's voice responded, whispering as if she does not want her voice to be heard by someone else.
Ralis had a very bad feeling about this. His "fight or flight" instinct told him that though he is in familiar territory, there is a great danger somewhere within Candlekeep with him. A danger that is so great, the hairs on his forearms stand straight up. Imoen told him not to fight, but don't fight what? Ralis cautiously walked towards the open gates leading into the central area where the Great Library stood. He headed for the library's entrance, walking in between the large square holes where two water fountains are supposed to be. Though there is a demon guarding the library's entrance, Ralis did not falter. He checked his scabbards and discovered that somehow he got Kondar and Albruin back. The demon took notice of Ralis as soon as he climbed up the first flight of steps.
"The path is to the core... the depths of your soul. Only through sacrifice can you achieve such insight," the demon spoke to Ralis.
Ralis stopped seven feet away from the demon.
"Do you give of yourself that you will know yourself? Do you let go of what you are, that you might see from a distance? Choose what you will sacrifice to know yourself, to walk within. Give of your health, your mind, your wits, or your youth," the demon offered.
Ralis began to assume that Imoen must mean that he should not fight this demon. But he must go within Candlekeep to find Imoen like she requested. Ralis started to consider very carefully what he is willing to sacrifice. Giving up his health doesn't sound like a good idea, he needs his endurance to survive a battle. He needs his mind to to learn new tactics, he needs his wisdom to remember things he has learned, and giving up youth sounds terrible too. But he must pick his poison. Ralis thought about the possibilities of losing his intellect, becoming almost like Minsc. Losing the capability to learn doesn't sound terrible in retrospect, especially since he will retain his wisdom, what he has already learned in the past. He'll just be like a dog unable to learn new tricks.
"I give of my mind and my capacity to learn," Ralis told the demon finally.
The demon nodded.
"Then you shall become less clouded by facts, and be closer to the emotions of your soul. You shall know more of yourself through what you have lost. A gesture of your intent within. Pass as you should, and do not fear what comes," it said.
After the demon disappeared, Ralis didn't feel too different from before. Actually, he couldn't feel the difference he requested. Without hesitation, he continued towards the door of the Great Library, opened the door and stepped inside, closing the door behind him.
"Imoen?" Ralis whispered as he walked past the statue of Alaundo, heading for the arch that heralded entry into the library.
The library is quiet. Too quiet. Not a single soul could be seen or heard.
"Imoen? Where are you?" Ralis called while walking down the open aisle carefully, turning his head left and right to look down the alphabetized rows of books sitting on the shelves. He walked past the stairs that would take him to the second floor, and when Ralis looked down the third aisle of books alphabetized from "C", he finally saw Imoen waiting for him. She looked a bit pale, and distant.
"I... I can see you there... Wait... and we can win..." She said slowly as she approached him.
Ralis wanted to hug her, but he knew this is all an illusion. Back in reality, Irenicus is trying to steal his divine soul.
"How do we get out of here, Imoen?" Ralis asked her.
Imoen put her index finger up to her lips and went: "Shhh." Then she looked left and right carefully as if being wary that someone is watching her. "Before the shadows return to me, I have seen what is to come... One alone cannot fight."
"Imoen, I... I... I don't understand," Ralis stammered. "What must we fight?" Ralis asked.
Imoen looked at him with extreme seriousness on her face.
"Your instinct. Together we must battle your instinct... Alone, you would fall whether you win or lose... but here, in my sight... we can defeat it," she said.
Ralis nodded. "I think I understand. We must face my instinct together. So let's go find it and show it what we are made of," Ralis said.
He started to pull Imoen with him ,but she didn't budge one inch. Ralis tried to pull her again ,but Imoen pulled her right hand out of his hand.
"Lead the creature here- lead it to me- and we shall fight it together. Together... he does not expect us together... but he has shown me how..." Imoen said.
Ralis hesitated.
"Go and lead the beast here. It is your only chance... and my last..." Imoen urged him.
Ralis nodded then finally turned his back on Imoen and departed the library.
As Ralis stepped back outside, back under the gaze of the nightmarish orange skies high above, he wondered, what form will his instinct take? Irenicus? Sarevok? Of course it would be Sarevok, who else? Problem is, if his instinct is hunting for him, where would he find it? Ralis decided to walk around the Great Library clockwise, wanting to make sure if his instinct is close by somewhere around the Great Library instead of somewhere else like the Gatewarden's cabin, he doesn't want to miss it. If it is not anywhere near the Great Library, then he will check around the outer parts of the fortress's insides, around Winthrop's inn, Dreppin's stables, the House of Rest, the House of the Binder, wherever he can look. As he walked around the library clockwise, he made sure to look behind him every four seconds to make sure that his instinct won't sneak up behind him and end his life without giving him a chance to defend himself.
Once Ralis reached the left side of the library fortress directly in the 9:00 position, he continued going forward, walking ever cautiously, but when he reached the 10:18 position, he saw a figure emerge into clear view from around the library's corner up ahead. He saw a lone intimidating figure holding a broadsword in his right hand, wearing dark body armor and no helmet coming his way. Ralis couldn't see his face clearly at first, he is only 54 feet away. The unsettling figure caught sight of Ralis and started to come at him fast walking with his broadsword drawn. When Ralis saw the figure's face a little more clearly, he had a feeling that this is his murderous instinct taken on a certain form, but not as Sarevok... but as Bhaal himself. Though Bhaal is now 48 feet away and quickly getting closer even though he isn't running yet, Ralis heard his voice loud and clear, mingling with the clanking and rattling of his body armor pieces.
"Fall to your knees- you can do no other! I am within you. I am your essence," Bhaal growled.
Ralis remembered the physical appearance of Bhaal's avatar in the vision of his death when he fell unconscious at Boareskyr Bridge- and realized without a doubt that his instinct to murder had chosen to appear as Bhaal instead of Sarevok even though Ralis had never personally met his father before. Sarevok had caramel colored skin, a goatee and a bald head, Bhaal had pale skin, long hair and a thick beard and dark eyes.
So my instinct to murder is in the form of the one who sired me... I should have known, Ralis thought.
"You wish to battle within me? Catch me if you can!" Ralis called out loud to Bhaal, then turned and ran without hesitation, as Bhaal is already 39 feet away from Ralis at this moment.
"You cannot run from yourself, you cannot defeat yourself! I am the blood! I am the instinct!" Bhaal roared angrily, then started to run.
Ralis ran as fast as his ankheg armor could allow him to run. He could hear the somewhat distant clanking noise of Bhaal's body armor pieces clashing together as he chased his mortal son not far behind. From Ralis' point of view, the corner of the library fortress up ahead to the left felt so distant, but Ralis did not give in to despair, he resisted the urge to look back, he just kept on running, never focusing on the distance, but focusing on making sure he runs properly so that he won't hurt a leg joint or twist his ankle, which is something he is hoping won't happen right now. He could still hear the rattling of Bhaal's armor steadily growing louder in his ears, including his annoyed growls. If Ralis had ran into Bhaal earlier without meeting Imoen first, he would actually be terrified at this moment, knowing that fighting Bhaal head on is an extremely terrible action that would lead to his death in reality whether he defeats Bhaal or dies by his sword. Ralis finally rounded the corner of the Great Library after almost a minute of running back towards the front of the library, finally seeing the stairs that lead up to the doors. He ran for the stairs, panting and putting everything he got into it even though his lungs were burning. He only looked over his left shoulder once to catch a glimpse of Bhaal 22 feet behind him trying to catch up to him with his broadsword in his right hand.
Damn! He's slightly faster than me! And I'm wearing lighter armor! Ralis thought.
Ralis sprinted up the stairs then opened the door and charged inside, this time leaving the door open. After running past Alaundo's statue, Ralis slowed and looked back to see if Bhaal is still following him, and he saw that he has just entered the door, then Ralis continued running, heading for the spot where he found Imoen. He found Imoen near the stairway leading up to the second floor, and he stopped next to her, waiting for Bhaal to approach them.
"Now! It is in my sight!" Imoen spoke loudly with sheer confidence. "I will add my will to yours! He has shown me... how to make it vulnerable!"
Ralis drew his swords out of their scabbards, feeling very confident now, eager to fight his instinct to the death.
"YOU WANT A FIGHT?! HERE IT IS!" Ralis shouted defiantly at Bhaal, then charged at him.
Bhaal hesitated for a moment, wondering why Ralis suddenly has the desire to fight him now when he was running scared like a recently castrated dog. But he had no time to think, he had to parry Ralis' swords, and he almost did it at the last minute. Ralis found that fighting Bhaal turns out to be much easier than fighting Sarevok. Somehow for some reason, Bhaal has slow reflexes compared to Ralis. He sometimes failed to parry slashes, resulting in Ralis nicking and cutting his armor, creating minor wounds on Bhaal's chest and arms. Maybe it is because of Imoen adding her willpower to Ralis' willpower is what is making him faster and stronger, overpowering Bhaal. The more superficial wounds Ralis created on Bhaal's body, the more sluggish and unfocused his sword swings got.
As Ralis attacked Bhaal, and parried and dodged his increasingly awkward, yet brutal sword strikes, he began to realize why it is important that he fight Bhaal in front of Imoen rather than trying to fight him alone. This is a battle between instinct and free will. Unlike Imoen, Ralis has had to struggle against his instinct, his impulse to murder ever since he was forced to leave Candlekeep two years ago. Sometimes he won, sometimes he lost. Actually, most of the time he lost, because he gave in to the temptation to murder those he thought deserved it, and he has even murdered some people either by accident or under forced circumstances. But Imoen has not been burdened by those issues at all, because of her positive, cheerful demeanor nullifying the temptations of her own divine essence. The fact that she has flawlessly resisted her instincts as a Bhaalspawn entirely ever since 1368 DR is proof that biological instincts cannot control you unless you let it.
The battle to prevail over your instinct is usually never easy, but that does not mean it is impossible. Last year, when exposing the corruption of the Unseeing Eye cult, Ralis has met undead led by an undead named Theshal who has vowed not to attack and eat living creatures, only eating dead flesh. The desire to eat living flesh is strong for undead like Theshal, it is part of their instinctive drive, but Theshal and his fellow undead fight hard every day to resist their instincts, no matter how hard it is. Every creature, even humans, have instincts, and the problem with instincts is they have no moral code, only the drive to survive at any cost, even at the expense of making other lives miserable, or worse, ending lives. But creatures who resist their instincts can find alternative ways to survive without giving in to their instinct! Ralis also learned this when he resisted his impulse to kill Dabron Sashenstar, who was actually Elminster in disguise testing Ralis' nature. Instead of killing a man out for revenge over his uncle's murder, Ralis chose to spare his life. Though it was a heavy risk sparing the life of a vengeful man, it was the right thing to do. Doing what is right and doing what's necessary for one's survival is a difference that Bhaal does not want his mortal children to understand. Instincts cannot direct a creature to think and act outside the box, but the individual themselves can if their willpower is strong enough. With this revelation strengthening his resolve, Ralis performed two devastating blows on Bhaal, creating a big gash on the breastplate of his armor with a powerful slash from Kondar, spraying blood all over the floor, then stabbing Albruin's blade straight into his stomach, mortally wounding him.
"I am in control! NOT you!" Ralis said through gritted teeth, his face several inches from Bhaal's face, looking into his biological father's dark eyes as he forced him down to his knees.
Bhaal coughed up blood.
"I am your instinct, yet you deny me?! Fight me within your own mind!? I should devour you! How do you stand?!" Bhaal exclaimed in rage and surprise, and Ralis did not flinch when spittle flew into his face.
Bhaal couldn't understand it. Whether Ralis won or lost in their duel, he should have inevitably died. Ralis pulled Albruin out of Bhaal's abdomen, and stepped back, watching Bhaal struggling with his remaining energy not to collapse dead.
"I sense your soul... It has taken form to guide from within!" Bhaal exclaimed, slowly raising his right arm to point at Imoen behind Ralis. "You are strange among your kin!" Bhaal exclaimed to Ralis, his dark eyes wide in disbelief and teeth stained in blood. "But it... it is weak and will not help again! You are empty inside! There is nothing within but the instinct!"
Ralis frowned in confusion, then turned back to look at Imoen. She is looking at her hands in, bewilderment, and her body is emanating a dark aura.
"Something is wrong... I... no... not again! Not again!" Imoen exclaimed, then she screamed at the top of her lungs as the dark aura engulfed everyone and everything in its path.
Ralis got enveloped in darkness once again.
