Not Melodramatic

- "Bye bye Sword Coast, may we never come back," Peri mused as the large boat glided into the waters of the river Chionthar, leaving the city of Baldur's Gate behind and starting its journey further inland.

- "Do you not have any good memories?" Jelena asked.

- "Naturally some. There was Candlekeep... but it was childhood. It was innocence. It is gone. I grew into my power and immortality in but a few years and I got to know how people and the world are, in all their opposite of glory. I believe there is no universal cause worth fighting for - just sticking with those you call your own."

- "That is a cause in its own right, Peri. A philosophy like any other," Jelena said.

- "Perhaps. Then it is the one I chose and live by."

- "You do that, sister," Sarevok said. "We all have our ideals and goals, and they coincide well. And we are loving and loyal to each other, to and beyond death."

- "Gee, you two are always so darn melodramatic!" Imoen laughed.

Peri made a face, Imoen's good mood apparently not cheering her up. Sarevok didn't react at all.

- "Back to the practical matters at hand, we have a long journey ahead of us," Winski said. "Months, perhaps years."

- "Couldn't you two do some magic trick, you know, like the solar did?" Imoen asked. "So that we could just go whoops through some portal and enter Tamoko's backyard?"

- "Girl, planar powers are not that easy to manipulate," Winski said. "Naturally there are portals here and there, but we would have to know of their existence and destination and also reach them. As for me building a portal I might to be able to do that, but then I would have to reach the destination first, remember."

- "And the divine planar powers are not a means for easy and light travel," Jelena said. "I could take us to Bytopia, but I really couldn't pester my Lord to take us to Kara-Tur because we are too lazy to travel by means available to us. He has better things to do."

Imoen pouted a pit. But soon she was smiling again, reaching her hand to the murky waters.

- "I suggest we take the river up to the trading city of Scornubel," Winski continued. "We don't have to decide on our route before that. From there we could continue on the river, passing Berdusk and all the way to Easting, then riding the Trader's road through the sands of Dragon Coast to Westgate. It is a big coastal city, and we could take a ship all the way to Telflamm. The sea is plagued with pirates, though."

- "I have never been in any of those places," Peri said.

- "I had a lot of time to travel in my mortal life," Winski said. "Dragon Coast is a cutthroat place where everything has a price. With no central government or sense of national or other common identity, no-one is sneered at but not trusted either."

- "I bet Reiltar liked it there," Sarevok said.

- "Yes. He did. But actually, I too liked it better than Sembia, not to mention Amn. I prefer successful brigands honest in their ruthlessness to noveau riches showing off their wealth or merchant princes clinging on the thin veneer of law and respectability."

- "Yeah. Me too," Imoen said, and Peri was nodding.

- "That sounds like a long journey on sea," Sarevok said. "What is our other option? Hopping off at Scornubel and riding through Reaching Woods and the Sunset Mountains, on that trail passing the Zhentarim stronghold, I guess."

Winski nodded.

- "We could also ride from Easting, through the familiar roads of Cormyr and Sembia... there are several reasons that trail is usually avoided," he said.

- "Such as?" Jelena wanted to know.

- "The aforementioned stronghold. A graveyard of dragons disturbed by a dragolich chult. Depressing marshes on ruins of a lost civilization. It ending into a haunted city that has swallowed many powerful wizards never to come back. That kind of thing," Winski replied.

- "Sounds just like my life has been lately," Peri grinned.

- "No. I will not ride in Cormyr and Sembia. Too many painful memories," Sarevok said. "It is either the trail or Dragon coast."

- "And the rest of the journey? If I got things right in my head that only takes us somewhere north of Cormyr," Peri said.

- "I know something about that," Jelena said. "We would have to travel through the elven forests of Cormanthor... where the old court used to be... and get across the Moonsea, probably via north as the south route takes us to a nearly impassable mountain and glacier."

- "How do you know that?" Sarevok was impressed.

- "There is a monastery dedicated to Ilmater at the other side of the mountain, next to the glacier. And my grandmother always told me stories about Cormanthor and the elves."

- "That would mean Zhentil keep and harsh northern climate," Winski said. "For a long, long time. Even from Impiltur, where the climate gets marginally better, it is no picnic to reach Telflamm."

- "What's in Telflamm, anyway?" Imoen asked.

- "It is where the Golden way starts," Sarevok said, his eyes gazing somewhere far away. "It is an independent city right next to Thesk, run by the local thieves' guild called Shadowmasters. It is where... my Tamoko rode when she had only disgrace and death for her at the beautiful land of her ancestors. For months she rode, hunting, working as a mercenary... through dry, barren lands where the Tuigan barbarians dwell, simple people but honorable in their ways, fierce warriors on their horses... golden gates and red brick buildings and haughty armies of the Shou she passed, through hottest impenetrable jungles to the coldest desert nights she rode... my bravest, strongest soul, the woman I will always love."

He was quiet for a moment.

- "What?" He shot an annoyed look at his companions.

- "... is not melodramatic! Is little Cespenar's best friend!"

Cespenar was really bad at whispering.

But Sarevok didn't say anything, just looked away so that no-one would see the tear rolling on his cheek.