Changing Faces

"Excuse me …"

Evelyn stopped dead in her tracks. Imoen stopped beside her. She swallowed.

"… my lord, but …"

The man came to a halt. She cleared her throat.

"… where are we going?"

She shook her head, unsure as to whether a servant should have spoken to a man like him as such. But then he was rounding slowly back upon them. His face was as still as death.

"Did you find what Aldeth sent you to retrieve for him?" His eyes and tongue suddenly burst back into motion. Evelyn only blinked at him.

"What?"

Imoen nudged her hard in the side.

The man cracked a smile at them. He took a step forward.

"Tell me …," he pursed his thin lips beneath his beard, "just what did you find in my office?"

They were alone. That extravagant hallway stretched on around them, red-trimmed carpet and pristine marble beneath their feet. There were no servants. There were no guards. There was no Aldeth or Dynaheir or Minsc. There was just her, and Imoen … and that bearded merchant.

She gave the pink-haired woman a look. The other returned it.

Her hand was clutching the dagger at her waist. And she started to slide it free …

But the other was still speaking.

"What if I was to tell you," Zorl continued slowly, his eyes still fixed and unwavering, "… that we were both looking for the same thing …?"

She felt her hand stop. It gave her pause. But she hardly released the dagger.

Evelyn frowned at the bearded man.

"What do you mean?"

The other only smiled once more, taking another step toward them.

"You found … the letters … did you not?"

Evelyn shook her head slightly, hardly knowing just what he meant. But Imoen seemed somewhat less confused beside her. She gave the woman a sidelong look.

The man nodded.

"Then you must know of Shalak," he began, "and how that creature was meant to kill me and assume my position here, cleanly, and with none the wiser."

He looked from one woman to the other, but Evelyn still wasn't quite sure what he was talking about. Imoen kept that hand buried beneath her coat at her side, though. Her pixie face was strangely hard, and set.

"I know what you are thinking …" The man was fixing Imoen with a discerning eye. His lips twitched upward. He almost seemed amused. "But I am not who you think I am …"

Imoen said nothing. Evelyn glanced quickly from first one to the other. Zorl's face had gone still for a brief moment once more.

"Shalak attempted to dispose of me some time ago," he continued. "But I assure you … he was not successful." He shook his head slowly, his eyes never leaving them. "I drove the creature, whatever it was, off … it had been posing as one of the household guards." He paused. "But I managed to take something from its person first … a letter. That … you undoubtedly saw …"

The pink-haired woman made no move. She still did not speak. Her hand had not moved from inside her coat.

"Someone wanted our leading members dead," the man spoke on. "Aldeth, Irlentree, and myself. Aldeth was away at the time, but Irlentree and I were not. I drove Shalak off … but I was not so fortunate to have killed him. And he did not leave for good …"

His voice was sure and slow, and if he knew anything of just how armed the two women before him were … he hardly seemed perturbed. It was that, more than anything, that was beginning to seed more doubt in Evelyn's mind. And then she blinked at him in surprise.

"Irlentree …"

The bearded man glanced back over toward her. He nodded his head.

"Shalak murdered Irlentree instead … I am sure of it." His face hardened just a little at that. "I had already begun using the letter I found to try and trace this conspiracy back to its source – whoever ordered our deaths had still believed that Shalak had succeeded in his original task. I began conversing with his master as if he had." He gave them each a pointed look. "And it was soon after that that Irlentree had begun doing some … uncharacteristic things."

Evelyn glanced toward her best friend. The man must have been speaking of the papers the other woman had found. But Eve hadn't looked at them. Imoen's brow was furrowing as she studied the other. Her hand was not so tight beneath her pink coat.

"My old friend has been trying to kill me ever since," he continued more strongly. "I am sure of it. And when Aldeth returned … unfortunately, the man did not take matters so well as I did. Though he managed to stay alive … with a little luck, and a little help …"

Imoen shook her head.

"Brandilar …"

"Brandilar is a good man," Zorl spoke over her quickly. "Simple, but good." His eyes narrowed. "But Irlentree controls his wages, as he does all of the household guard. I ask you … where do you think the man's loyalties might lie?" He shook his head. "I could not afford to trust him. And neither can you."

Evelyn stared at the bearded man, frowning deeply. After everything they had been told so far, it was getting hard to keep her head from spinning with all the lies and scheming that seemed to be going on behind everything there in that building. Everyone seemed to think they knew what was going on … and everyone else seemed like they had a finger pointed at them or couldn't be trusted. Half the people were trying to kill each other. But she thought she remembered Winthrop saying something about that kind of thing long ago. Backstabbing. Maybe all merchants were like that … she didn't know.

What she did know, though, was that Zorl seemed to be the closest to finding out just who was behind that conspiracy among the merchants in the city. It had been exactly what Scar had told them to look for. He wanted to know – that had been his price. And, maybe, if they could find some hard proof …

She almost didn't care about what was happening there. She almost didn't care about Aldeth Sashenstar, or scheming merchants, or … or just who was trying to stick a blade in who! As long as it wasn't them. All she cared about … was getting into the Irone Throne and finding Sarevok Anchev. And if what this man knew was just what Scar was looking for, well … she could deal with that place just a little bit longer.

She nodded resolutely to herself. And then she fixed the other with an eye. She opened her mouth.

But the bearded man suddenly started where he stood, his eyes flashing wildly about. He almost crouched down warily there in the middle of the hall. Evelyn blinked at him in surprise. But it was not for them.

He fixed finally on the other end of the hall.

"Come," he voiced urgently. He lifted a hand toward them, gesturing frantically. "We have stayed here too long already, and this is no place to speak of such things! I do not know just how many of the guard might be in that imposter's service! Come!"

The robed man rounded back abruptly, hurrying away down the hallway. Evelyn's eyes flashed over toward her best friend's, but she hardly had time to wait and see just what the other woman would say. Imoen was glancing warily back over her shoulder. She seemed to believe the man somewhat at least. But he was swiftly getting away from them.

And then the two women were hurrying on after the other, the bearded merchant tearing away quickly and quietly through the pristine halls.

She could manage just a little bit longer … she was sure of it.


Three hallways, two side passages, and a vacant sitting room later, though … Evelyn had gotten completely lost.

Her best friend gave her an anxious look beside her, both women slinking along the walls as if someone were actually hounding their steps. But Zorl had been adamant about letting no one see them … if a guard were to spot them attending the merchant, then there was no telling if he could be trusted or not and whether or not Irlentree might hear of it and put them in even greater danger. As it was, they seemed harmless enough with their Rashemi mistress, though Zorl told them he had no doubt that Shalak had seen right through their ruse. It had made sense at least, and it explained why the man had been acting so strangely before. They could only hope that Irlentree was still busy with his other duties … and that they didn't include finding ways to kill the lot of them.

They had seen no one in their hasty flight. The bearded man had guided them along through empty passages and rooms, always making certain ahead of them that the way was clear. But with each step, Evelyn began to feel her heart sink further and further. For all they knew, Aldeth was already dead and Minsc and Dynaheir with him. It had been the first time the man had been back to the Merchant's League since nearly being killed by a man that looked like, but could not have been, his brother. And they had accompanied him in besides. If Shalak had panicked, as he very well might have, he could have taken the opportunity to just kill them all while he had the chance. If he had the entire house guard under his control, it certainly wouldn't have been too hard. And that only made her think terrible things about just what she might have gotten the two Rashemi into. They should have been the ones escaping with Zorl for help, not her. But there was nothing to do for it now, but to regroup … and prepare for whatever might come.

Zorl stopped ahead of them. In his stout slippers and silken robes, Evelyn didn't hear him. She almost knocked him over before she realized that he was holding them back with a hand. He glanced furtively around the next corner. A moment later, he returned to them.

"Go!" he gestured curtly with his head. "Up the stairs!" There was another pristine set of steps rising up ahead of them just around the bend. Evelyn looked sharply back at the man. "I will follow in a moment … Go!"

Evelyn gave him a concerned look, glancing once more about toward the empty halls. They could not have been vacant much longer. And then she nodded at the man. Pulling Imoen along after her, they flew quickly up the steps toward the floor above.

She just barely caught sight of a man in armor walking into sight at the end of the hall behind before they were gone.

They stopped to catch their breath at the top of the steps, looking warily about. Imoen was staring back down the way they had come. Evelyn could just hear Zorl speaking down there at the bottom. It must have been with the guard.

"This isn't good, Eve …" her best friend was saying quietly. She gave her another worried look. "What about Dynaheir and Minsc? If all of the guards are …"

Evelyn only nodded her head. "I know …" The other woman shook hers.

"I thought we could trust Brandilar …"

"Maybe we can," was all the raven-haired woman said. Zorl had not told them for sure whether or not the man was with Shalak. He had certainly seemed as if he wasn't.

But then the robed man was poking his bearded head up from below on the stairs. He hurried up to meet them, casting a brief glance back down as he did so. And then he joined them at the top.

"In here," he gestured with a hand past them toward a set of doors across the landing. "We should be safe."

Without a moment's hesitation, Evelyn stepped hastily across to the door. She looked down the hall to either side, her hand landing on the latch. Only a maid was in sight, but she was walking away with her back to them. And then Evelyn pushed it open.

She came up instantly short.

Imoen bumped into her from behind, pressing into the room. And then Zorl was at their rear, moving slowly in as well. The pink-haired woman's eyes went wide.

Six men were sitting around a large table in the middle of the room … it seemed like a simple dining chamber at best. They all looked as one to the three barging into the room.

The bearded man paused behind them, but hardly seemed perturbed by the presence of the others. It was then that Evelyn realized they were all dressed in servant's garb, one even wearing a cook's apron. She could have almost thought they had interrupted a meal, but no one was speaking … and there was no food to be seen.

Each of the six servants rose slowly to their feet. They instantly fixed on Zorl. For several moments, no one said anything. But then the bearded man was bobbing his head. He looked past them toward the others.

"When you are done," he said aloud, "I want the two of you to join me with our other guests downstairs."

Evelyn looked back toward him, but the man wasn't speaking to her or Imoen. A few of the servants simply nodded. The robed merchant held up a key for them to see. He stuck it in the door. And then he was speaking to them.

"I hope to see your faces again soon," Zorl told the two women with a small smile. But before Evelyn could even begin to make sense of that, he had turned around and strode briskly back through the door. It closed quickly behind.

Imoen was at the thing in an instant, pulling viciously at the handle. "Hey!" she pounded a hand angrily into the wood. Her best friend hardly needed to check herself to know that it had been locked.

Instead, she turned back toward the servants.

The six men were on their feet, and a few of them were grinning at them wolfishly. She didn't know exactly what they were supposed to do with them, or what Zorl needed two of them for afterward. But she didn't like those looks at all. It seemed like nothing so much as six cats had suddenly caught two mice in a trap.

Evelyn slipped a hand behind her back, and pulled the Kara-Turian blade free. Fuller's dagger joined it in her other hand.

Unfortunately for them, she thought grimly, those mice at least … had claws of their own.

Seeing steel suddenly in their prey's hands gave the six men pause. They had no weapons of their own that Evelyn could see. But it did not last long.

One of the men leapt at them without a second thought. He came at her from the side, and the raven-haired woman swung around to meet him … but a dagger suddenly buried itself in the side of the man's head. He went down with a sharp, strangled cry.

Imoen was at her side, another knife in her hand. The servant she had struck was writhing on the ground while the others had only slowed in their advance. She had a knife in both her hands then.

"Stay back!" the pink-haired woman shouted at them. "I'm warning you …"

But Evelyn only clutched her two blades tighter from beside her. The men hardly seemed as if they were listening … or cared. The space between them was closing all too quickly.

Another two of them came at them, hissing and roaring as they swung heavy fists towards the women. Evelyn ducked beneath one, slicing him up along his ribs. She planted Fuller's dagger in the other's side. Then she was leaping past them.

Two more had cornered Imoen, but the woman caught one in the chest with a knife, the other in the thigh. They both went down quickly enough, grunting. And Evelyn was closing in on the last.

She whirled around, her boot coming up to strike the man hard on the face as she neared him. His head snapped to one side, and she had already started to turn away. But he did not fall. Instead those two eyes rounded slowly back on her.

She stood there for a moment, blinking at him in surprise. But she recovered swiftly. Hefting the Kara-Turian blade in her other hand, she thrust it toward the man's side.

But he was ready for her. He twisted away, the blade flashing past. And then he had her wrist in his hand. He wrenched it aside.

She cried out sharply, and the blade tumbled free from her hand. But she didn't have anymore time to wonder just how the man had possibly been able to move that fast. She was free in the next instant, twisting away. Before she could, though, a hand swept in, and his fingers were closing around her throat.

She started to gasp, but the breath caught in her lungs. And then, what's more … he lifted her clear off her feet. She hung there, dangling in the air in his grasp, her eyes wide. His own just narrowed up at her in turn.

"Your time is done … primate!" he snarled through clenched teeth.

And then he started to squeeze …

There was a flash of pink … and Imoen was there, stabbing down viciously into the man's throat. Evelyn dropped free from his grasp, crumpling down to the floor while her friend tore into the servant's neck. He was gargling blood … and Evelyn was choking almost in tandem with him there on the ground. An elbow took the pink-haired woman in the chest, though, and she tumbled over backwards onto the table behind them. The man staggered.

He was dead. Blood was pouring vengefully out of his neck, and it was all he could do to keep himself on his feet for just those few moments longer as his eyes darted wildly about. And then they suddenly clouded over milk-white. Evelyn could only watch, gagging on her knees, as he toppled over.

She hadn't wanted to kill any of them … no matter what they might do. The blood singing in her veins seemed to disagree. She forced it aside.

As the man slumped over onto his side, though … his skin started to shrivel up and recede. Her eyes went wide again as she watched, still choking as the dead man's flesh just started … crawling … there on his bones. All his color drained. The clothes he had been wearing fell loose about his corpse.

She didn't have long to look, however. She twisted back around only to see the others climbing back to their feet. Some were pulling out Imoen's knives, and Evelyn could only watch in disbelief. Those wounds should have kept them down at least. Imoen was back on her feet beside her.

She watched the four men begin closing in on them once more … seeming just a little less amused, and angrier than before. Only the one with the dagger in the side of his head didn't stand. He was snarling wildly there on the floor. Evelyn snatched up the Kara-Turian blade from beneath her.

As she watched those other four, glancing briefly toward the one already dead on the ground, though, her thoughts turned grim. She suddenly didn't think so much of their chances anymore. Whatever was going on there … those men were far from ordinary servants. And Zorl had lied to them. He had locked them in there to die.

She looked sharply at the door past the four seeming servants of a sudden then. The bearded merchant had locked them in there … but he must have done it from the inside. Otherwise, those others could not have gotten out when they had finished with her and Imoen. And he had meant for them too. They must have had a key.

"Imoen!" she hissed at the other woman. Her best friend blinked in surprise, giving her a quick look before fixing back on the the four men closing in on them. They had both started easing their way back into the room.

"A key! We have to find their key!"

Imoen just gave her a wide-eyed look as if she was mad, but it didn't take her long to understand. She nodded her head quickly enough.

The men had begun to spread out. Before she knew it, they had surrounded them. Evelyn swiped several times with her blade, trying to keep them from getting too close. Imoen held two more knives in her hands. Eve could only wonder just how many she might have. She doubted it would have been enough.

"There!"

The pink-haired woman thrust one of her knives toward the fifth man still lying on the floor. There was a small iron key ring at his belt. Thankfully, it only had one.

But each of the four men standing leapt at them of a sudden then, one taking Imoen instantly off her feet. Evelyn sidestepped the next, stabbed another – not caring this time whether it killed him or not – and leapt over toward her best friend. She pulled free Fuller's dagger from one of the others, hammered the hilt down into the one atop Imoen, and booted the other in the face. He went sprawling. And then she was rolling over, her best friend with her.

Imoen landed on the wounded man, pulling free her knife and slicing free the key ring at his belt all in one motion. Evelyn pulled her back to her feet. In another moment they were hurtling toward the door.

Something caught Imoen's foot, and she cried out sharply as she went down. The raven-haired woman spun back around – the wounded man had snatched the other woman's boot. She leapt toward him, Kara-Turian blade in hand. But she reeled back in surprise as she caught sight of his face. It was pale and distorted, milk-white eyes glaring up at her. There were no pupils. A knife was still sticking out the side.

Most of the others were back on their feet. Evelyn hardly wasted another moment. Whatever that thing was … it wasn't a man. She brought the curved blade down hard on its arm. The thing howled aloud, and Imoen pulled free. And then they were jamming the key hurriedly into the door.

The wood closed quickly behind. The last thing Evelyn saw was one of those man-servant-things leaping towards them. But then it slammed hard into the door. She shoved the key back down into the hole, locking it once more. The two women started backing away.

"What …?" Imoen trailed off, her eyes wide and breathing hard. But her best friend only shook her head beside the other, chucking the key hurriedly away and far down the hall.

"I don't know."

Whatever they were, they were gone for the moment. And they had far more important things to worry about, the least of which … was Zorl. Aldeth had been right about him. He had probably been right about Irlentree too. But she hardly knew just what to think anymore. Whatever was going on in that place, she just stopped trying to make sense of it right then and there. They turned away.

Something slammed hard behind them, and both women jumped. Evelyn was twisting instantly back around, her eyes going wide once more. All she could see was a knot of gray, hairless arms squirming out of a large hole in the wooden door behind. Wood shards littered the floor. They were reaching for the handle.

And that was far more than she had wanted to see.

"Come on!"

Imoen snatched her arm and pulled her away. And then they were charging back down the stairs to the floor below.

She didn't dare look back again.


It was starting to make sense to her.

As she began to realize that the passages around them couldn't possibly have wound so much as they had seemed while Zorl had led them on that wild chase through the Merchant's Consortium, she could only think of just how much of a fool she had been. He hadn't been keeping them away from the guards … at least she didn't think so. He had been keeping them away from Aldeth and the two Rashemi. It had all been a lie …

And now she was staring down a not so familiar passage, no few guards and servants to be seen striding up and down the halls in every direction. None of those guards had even given her a second glance … at least not until they saw the Kara-Turian blade and the dagger in her hands. And then steel was sliding free.

"What are we gonna do, Eve?"

Her best friend was casting no few wary looks toward the pair of guards that had suddenly started shouting at them and hurrying down the hall, swords in hand. Maybe they were under Irlentree's orders … or even Zorl's. But even if they didn't know just what two women charging down their halls, one with weapons in hand, meant, that certainly wouldn't have stopped them from trying to catch the two.

But they hardly had time to get caught.

"We have to find them," was all she said back to her friend. The other woman knew full well what she meant. Zorl had told those servant-things to join him with his 'other guests' downstairs. He could only have meant Dynaheir and Minsc. And that meant that the two were still alive. At least for the moment.

Given just how he had treated those two guests, though, Evelyn hardly thought that would last for very long.

She hardly wasted another moment before bolting down that hallway she didn't recognize. If nothing else, at least she knew that none of the ones they had been down before were likely to be where they would find Aldeth and the Rashemi. The two guards charged after them.

She almost passed right by it. They reached the end of the hall quickly enough, the guards right on their heels. And then they were flying down the next. But Imoen snatched her up swiftly, pulling her back. She turned. And there … strewn about a large sitting room … was everyone.

She could see Zorl. He was sitting in a chair, enjoying what looked to be a glass of wine. Irlentree too, was there. He was standing off to one side. Brandilar was next to him, looking none too happy. Aldeth was in a corner next to a large rack full of bottles and a bar, tilting his head back with one in hand. And Dynaheir was sitting next to the black-robed man in another chair, Minsc standing at her back. She was flashing the man one of those small smiles that did not touch her eyes.

But all at once … every pair of eyes in the room was fixed on them.

For a moment, no one spoke.

It did not last long.

"What is the meaning of this?" Brandilar demanded angrily from one side of the room, even as Zorl slowly rose to his feet. Evelyn just began moving her way warily around, circling the black-robed man with her blades before her and closing on the two Rashemi, her teeth bared. Imoen followed closely on her heels. They said nothing.

In the corner, Aldeth just tipped his bottle back all the way.

But as the bearded merchant came to stand … the smile bled off his lips. He glanced toward the man in lace.

The other simply nodded.

Evelyn wasn't sure just where it came from, but there was a dagger in Irlentree's hand then. Without a second thought, it slammed hard up and into the throat of the guard commander beside him. The man hardly had time to gasp before he was tumbling down to his knees, clutching at his throat and loosing blood to the carpets below. The man in lace pulled free a sword at his side.

Zorl was moving almost at once. Evelyn leapt toward him, blades bared, but he was too quick. Minsc suddenly howled, and that massive sword came free. Dynaheir was on her feet. The giant man leapt clean over her chair.

The guards who had followed them were in the door. They didn't last long. Zorl paid none of them any mind. Without a word, he pushed through the two men, bowling them over with a hand to either mailed chest. Both went down with two loud grunts to the floor below. And then the bearded merchant vanished into the hallway beyond.

Irlentree had that blade thrust out before him even as the giant Rashemi closed in swiftly. There was no fear in his eyes as he faced the larger man. But then that massive sword was sweeping toward the other's skull. The slender blade was hardly enough to stop it. That same expression never left his face … even as it came to rest on the other side of the room.

The only sound in the sitting room for a moment then … was Aldeth gulping down the last of the bottle in his hands.

Evelyn glanced toward the two guards climbing back to their feet at the door, and then the two corpses bleeding out on the floor. At least they knew just what side Brandilar had been on …

"I think it's time to go …"

She almost didn't care anymore. She should have let those merchants solve their own problems in the first place. And they hadn't learned anything at all …

She started to turn away, but Dynaheir caught her arm.

"Look," the other woman told her firmly. She gestured with one slim hand toward the corpse of Irlentree there on the floor. The face of the man Minsc had killed was still the same where it lay several feet away … but the body was different. It had shriveled up somehow, just like the others. She looked sharply to the witch.

"A Doppleganger," the woman breathed, eyes wide in surprise. But Evelyn hardly knew just what that was supposed to mean. And she didn't have time to think about it. Steel suddenly started ringing in the halls beyond. And screams were quick to follow.

She pushed past the two guards as they got back to their feet without another word. Imoen was on her heels. And so were the two Rashemi. And then she was back out into the hallway … and chaos.

Everything … was chaos.

She looked from first one end to the other, but it was the same. Guards in mail had swords free, suddenly tearing into each other and maids and servants both. A man in dark livery rounded a corner … only to have his head swept cleanly off. Another man in mail thrust a blade up through the back of that one's armor. And then another threw that next one aside, slamming him hard into a wall. A slender young cook suddenly leapt upon another man, stabbing her slim fist almost clean through a man's skull. She took a blade to the stomach a moment later … and then threw the wounded guard who had done it clear across the hall.

Bodies were starting to fall … everywhere. Some of them began shriveling up were they lay, skin crawling and receding until it was pale and gray and hairless. Others did not change at all. But that hardly stopped them from falling as well.

Evelyn stood their, eyes wide and mouth agape with the horror of it all. But it didn't last long. A servant was suddenly leaping for her throat. She ducked beneath the blow, and then Minsc was there, both of the man's arms held tightly in his own and stayed from their mark. The two bared their teeth at each other, and it actually took the Rashemi a few moments to subdue the much smaller man. He did, though.

"Eve!"

Evelyn looked where her best friend was pointing. There was a flash of black robes as a man took down another guard at the end of the hallway. The armored man flew clear off his feet. And then it was gone.

Imoen didn't wait for her. The pink-haired woman was suddenly bounding forward down the hallway after that receding form, leaving her best friend to hurry after. Dynaheir and Minsc were only slightly less swift on her heels. The giant Rashemi was forcing another murderous maidservant aside.

"Imoen!"

People were still fighting all over … and it was all Evelyn could do to avoid a few of those blades cast her way, accidentally or otherwise. Minsc was right behind her, though, and for every one she leapt beneath, he took it with his own giant sword, forcing guards and servants aside. A few of them leapt at the Rashemi, but they only made it so far before they lost more flesh than they could still manage without. She could feel heat flaring at her back too as the witch shouted aloud. But that didn't matter. Her best friend was getting away.

A fist took her in the side. She slammed one right back into someone's face. A blade swept in for her skull. She twisted around and sent a boot flying for his. Another two men went down in a brawl, rolling beneath her feet. She leapt over them without a moment's pause. All the while, the pink-haired woman somehow managed to just run right through it all.

They were at the stairwell. Imoen was already flying down the pristine steps. Zorl must have been somewhere below. The raven-haired woman hardly wasted another moment before leaping down after them.

And then they were suddenly back where they had begun.

Imoen had come up fast. Evelyn came up short beside her, boots squeaking loudly on marble. She could hear Dynaheir shouting at Minsc somewhere behind. The giant Rashemi suddenly roared. But that was not what she cared about just then.

Zorl was facing them from across the alabaster landscape with its red carpets. And they were made all the more colorful by the crimson mess that had been loosed down upon them. The guards down there were already dead. Only four armed men and the bearded merchant stood facing them. And two young women, claws aside, hardly seemed to daunt any of them.

The bearded man clicked his tongue. The smile on his face hardly looked pleased at all.

"Just look at the mess that you have made in coming here …" He gestured impatiently about with an arm. "If you only knew how much trouble it would be to have all of this cleaned up and kept from the Fist." He shook his head. "But I am afraid a goodly part of cleaning up that mess will be dealing with you, my young friends. You should never have come here."

Evelyn's eyes flashed quickly from first one armed man to another. She had already realized that very same thing some time ago. And she somehow doubted that there was much chance of getting any information out of the bearded merchant then. His eyes were unflappably calm … but she could almost feel the anger and the hatred burning deep there within. She was sure it was already far too late to just ask politely to leave.

"We have a business here to maintain," the robed man continued, "even if it isn't for very long. Please … do try not to make any more of a mess than is absolutely necessary. These carpets will take forever to clean …"

There were footsteps behind her; she could hear them pounding down the steps. The four guards were striding forward, blades bared and raised toward them. She didn't turn to look. She clutched both the Kara-Turian blade and Fuller's dagger firmly in each hand. Imoen reeled back beside her. She just hoped Ajantis had been right about how good she had proved to be …

But she didn't get a chance to find out.

Three men suddenly tore past her from behind, howling aloud as they barreled into the four guards advancing on the two women. Steel was clashing everywhere then, and all seven armored men began brawling all over the pristine marble and crimson carpets. Evelyn only stood staring in surprise. She could hardly tell just who was who. At least they seemed to know.

She was spinning back around. She briefly caught sight of Minsc leaping down the steps and roaring as he threw himself into the fray as well. But it was not he who she was staring at then. Instead, it was the man in his dirty, gilded armor dragging himself leadenly down the stairs.

Aldeth Sashenstar was hardly anymore sober than before, but a sword hung at his side in his hand. He was dropping his feet down one at a time, haltingly descending down to the vast entry chamber below. A bottle dangled from his other hand.

"You miserable ape!" someone snarled loudly back from behind. Evelyn rounded back about only to see Zorl's face twisting in blind rage. He was all but foaming at the mouth as he glared up at the drunken man then.

"Stupid fool!"

The black-robed man was moving. Even as he did so, Evelyn could only stare as his face kept twisting. The skin began to crawl even as she watched. Imoen had gone still beside her.

Some of the guards were still fighting. The bearded merchant tossed them roughly aside. He passed right through. Evelyn and Imoen were before him then. He had shrunken down, now barely taller than either of the two women. He snatched each by the collar, too fast for them to stop. He threw them bodily away.

"Everything would have gone simply if only you had just died!"

The bearded man was ascending the steps toward the other. He didn't have a beard anymore.

Dynaheir was standing beside Aldeth. She muttered something, and fire leapt toward the ascending man. It burned away black robes at his side, revealing pale, gaunt, and gray flesh over jutting bones beneath. But the thing hardly slowed.

Minsc was bellowing loudly as he leapt at the thing from behind. There was no hair upon either's head now. But the thing ducked beneath the other's sword easily. It came back up swiftly, shoving a bony gray fist into the Rashemi's chest. The man toppled over and tumbled back down the steps behind. His tattoed head struck hard on the marble floor.

Evelyn was back on her feet – just in time to see more fire burn away some of the thing's flesh. And then it had Dynaheir's throat in its long, skeletal hand.

For a moment, Evelyn froze. One thin arm held the Rashemi witch aloft, the thing growling there as it glared deep into the other's dark eyes. For a moment those black eyes actually filled with fear as she clutched desperately at the thing's pale, wiry flesh. They went wide … and Evelyn could almost see the thing's thin lips curling at the side of its gaunt face.

She started to move … but it was too late. That sinewy arm swung wide, and Dynaheir was hurtling through the air, violet robes and all. She hit carpeted marble a dozen feet away and below, tumbling over, and then lay still.

"Thisss problem will be easssily fikssed now, foolissh meat!"

The thing was bearing down on Aldeth. Evelyn came back around, eyes wide. He was all alone on the steps. But he still had that sword in hand. He thrust it hastily toward the other.

The thing that used to be Zorl twisted aside from the blade easily … as if it were nothing. It snatched the man's wrist in its bony hand, and Aldeth toppled over and back down to the steps behind, eyes wide. Bone snapped, and the drunken man cried out. The sword tumbled free from useless fingers.

Aldeth was in the air in the next moment, held up high by skeletal claws tightening around his paling throat. The man started kicking wildly.

Evelyn could almost hear his neck start to crack. She was leaping up the stairs. But something hissed past her head. She stopped dead in her tracks, stumbling aside in surprise.

A knife bloomed in the thing's back, stabbing through tattered robes. It shuddered, losing its grip on the drunken merchant. The man tumbled down to the marble steps below. And then it rounded back on the others.

Imoen was standing there at the bottom of the steps. She was staring at the thing above in horror as it fixed on her then. It was the first they had seen of its face – a bony, twisted, and skeletal expanse of bloody rage and violent hatred both. It took a step down towards her, face twisting even more. There was no doubt just what it meant to do to the other then.

Glass suddenly shattered. The thing came to an abrupt halt as shards sliced into its bony skull. It started to round back on Aldeth, the broken remnants of a bottle falling free from his hand. And then there was only steel in that one good hand.

The drunken man thrust forward. The thing took it through the gut, hissing in surprise. It glared at the other man, snarling then and throwing its bony arms wide to take him. It hauled Aldeth back roughly to his feet. But then the blade slid free, swung wide around, and swept cleanly through the other's head. It came away at the neck.

There was silence. And the only sound was that of the bony creature's body crumpling down to the marble steps. Tattered robes flapped loudly as it tumbled down to the floor below.

Only one of the guards had gotten back to his feet, that one cradling his arm but hardly making a move to attack anyone else. Aldeth paid him no mind. He paid no one any mind just then. Instead he just let himself drop back down on the steps behind, pawing with his one good hand at his belt.

He pulled free a small metal flask, forced it to his lips … and drank.

For once, Evelyn could hardly have blamed him.