Allonia took a long, good look at the large man who hadn't noticed her yet. Physically he still looked like the young, 17 years old Sarevok she remembered. The same bald, imposing head, proud stature, broad shoulders, feral disposition. But there was this barely noticeable glow, which could be mistaken for just a twirling oddity of light in the heat... and the eyes. The amber-golden glow was there, but gone was the child-like innocent and pure passion. The eyes were ancient. They were eyes of a being who had seen far too much and could never get over it. The eyes of someone very lonely and not quite mortal. At the moment there was a very concentrated and gentle expression on Sarevok's face, as he was talking quietly with a very pretty little Calimshite boy. Sarevok was smiling protectively.
- "Who's the kid?" Allonia asked quietly. "Or kids, actually." There were indeed many of them. Jelena was also there, tending to the children, some of whom seemed to be ill.
- "They have been for sale for pleasure slaves," Winski said grimly, and Allonia's eyes darkened and narrowed.
- "Er...hi," Allonia said loudly.
The children looked up with no apparent surprise, but Sarevok's hand dropped and he just stared for a moment, Jelena also speechless for a second.
Then both of them walked to Allonia, Jelena a bit reserved, but benevolent and interested, Sarevok a mixture of joy and confusion.
- "You saved us all once. We would not travel together like this without you," Jelena said, and hugged the other woman. She could not help feeling a tiny bit jealous as she was Winski's former lover. Yet, she knew peoples' hearts. She knew Allonia's was true, and that Winski's devotion to her was as unshakable as such things got.
- "Oh, what a man you are, Sarevok," Allonia grinned. "Say, is my butt already too old and sagging for you to admire?"
Sarevok blushed a bit, but nonchalantly walked behind the woman and took a long, contemplative look at the body part in question.
- "A top-notch behind if I ever saw one," he announced. "Were we to burgle anything together, I'd make sure to make you climb the rope first."
- "It was kind of flattering at the time, even though 13 year old kids are not that particular," Allonia laughed.
They made themselves as comfortable as they could in the circumstances, and explained about their operation with the children.
- "Sickening people, giving the profession a bad name," Allonia said, furious.
- "There are certain questionable things about the ethics of assassination as a profession," Jelena said.
- "I choose my assignments and don't kill anyone who a, isn't an asshole or b, isn't in the business and knows the risks," Allonia said a bit stiffly.
- "Forgive me. I have no right to make judgements on you and of how you make your living," Jelena said and cast her look down. "Without you I wouldn't even have lived to find out that Winski loves me... and knowing that there can be love for me..."
- "S'okay, Jel," Allonia smiled and patted the other woman's shoulder. "Winski mentioned some sort of priestess deal you got in the afterlife. You seem more powerful than a little wife beaten meek indeed to me."
- "I serve lord Ilmater. What power I have is from him."
- "I wouldn't say exactly that," Winski said. "He grants you a lot of powers but the most significant one you have is your personality, courage and strength of faith."
- "Winski is probably right. Now when he died he had this idiotic scheme going on, trying to start the war and stuff, and that kind of thing doesn't generally go well in the upper planes if I have my lore right. He said that you saved him and led him through retribution and made him a better man in the process. I think you couldn't do that if you were just some sort of empty pipeline channeling Ilmater's power..."
- "...as I formerly thought all priests are," Winski added.
- "When I was in the process of deciding to turn my new life around and seek redemption... I am afraid to admit this, but actually a person who had a significant role in it was a paladin," Sarevok said, faintly blushing.
- "A PALADIN?" Allonia shrieked, grinning like a madwoman.
- "A paladin of Torm. Sir Keldorn Firecam," Sarevok nodded, his voice monotonous.
- "A... paladin. Of... Torm. SIR Keldorn." Allonia's voice was flat, the corners of her mouth twitching.
- "There was also an imp who had been Bhaal's butler and decided that I was his best friend, and an insane, brain-injured ranger who was obsessed with his companion rodent. And a pink-haired little sister who gave me a spark of her sugary, sweet soul. Actually she is shopping for pink hair dye right now. And Peri."
- "All right. I will really have to hear this from the beginning..."
