"Bring me Deekin Scalesinger."

The Reaper nodded his consent before tilting his head, eyes distant as he listened to something only he could hear.

My thoughts were scattered; torn between deep all-exhausting sadness and nervous anticipation. I could picture it already; holding little Deekin in my arms, laughing at something silly he said as I introduced him to Valen, the two of us exchanging stories just like we had around campfires so very long ago in a place so very different to this…

I shied away from the rose-tinted thought, stifling the flame of hope that had once more ignited in me. I breathed in deeply, bracing myself.

Valen wasn't far from my sights, and I saw my nervous energy was contagious. He ground his jaw in concern, eyes darting between the Reaper and myself nervously. I could see recognition in his eyes, he'd made the connection between my next request and the unfinished book he's read just last week. His arms fluttered uselessly by his sides as he shifted his weight.

And then, a sudden tickle of breeze — carrying the tinkling of wind chimes — wrenching a smile from my wavering lips.

The echo of a chuckle and a wash of childlike awe came next, all followed by the overwhelming knowledge that I was important to this little life force.

The excitement grew, bubbling over until it was my own, and then he was there.

Alive and whole and there.

He blinked into existence, eyes darting from the Reaper to me, a grin of teeth lighting up his reptilian face.

I opened my mouth to speak, but the little kobold cut me off, barrelling into me with a shrill "Boss!"

Sharp claws grabbed at my thigh, his scaled head pushing into my stomach as I gasped out a surprised laugh. Tears — more godawful tears! — sprang suddenly and unbidden to my eyes, the dam well and truly broke.

I heard Valen's distant chuckle — a deep throaty thing — and I patted a hand to the little kobold's scaled head. He looked up at me, arms still holding my leg tight and little eyes beaming with happiness.

"You bring Deekin back," he said in awe.

His raspy voice — something I never thought to hear again — pierced through me like a lance, and my smile grew to the point of breaking.

I stepped away from the kobold's embrace, taking him in as he considered me with a tilt to his head.

He looked the same as he had the last time I'd seen him. But his shoulders were pulled back more, his stance more confident. The smile was wide and free and uncaring.

Death suited him.

He placed his hands on his hips, not as easily impressed. "Deekin not likes the hair, Boss," he told me flatly.

I pulled at my ponytail with a mock frown, eyes crinkling in delight. I considered just how long it had grown, compared to the styled shoulder-length cut I used to sport. It's not like they have stylists on Toril, I thought with a roll of my eyes.

I couldn't help but wonder what other changes he noticed in me, but I was too afraid to ask.

Deekin seemed to finally consider the Reaper and the room around us, brow ridge lifting in surprise and eyes lingering on Valen a little longer than the tiefling seemed to like.

"Deekin, Valen." I introduced them with a smile. "Valen, this is Deekin."

Valen gave a low nod, lips pulled up in a wry smile and eyebrow raised at me as if to say 'really; this guy's Deekin?'

The kobold in question considered Valen with unabashed interest, from the tips of the tiefling's horns to the length of his tail.

"He be part goat, Boss?" The kobold asked me innocently in a stage whisper.

I gasped out a chuckle, more tears springing to my eyes. I covered my smiling mouth with a hand at Valen's indignant scowl.

He opened his mouth to object, but Deekin was already moving on, considering theReaper with a bird-like tilt to his head.

And damned if I wasn't going to let myself get caught up in the whirlwind of emotions with him.

"Deekin remember big, booming voices," he started explaining to me with a nod. "Lots of talking. Deekin thinks it never stop and then poof! Deekin awake again."

I chuckled again, eyeing the Reaper as he considered our exchange silently.

"What did the voices say?" I eventually asked Deekin through a chuckle.

He put a clawed finger to his chin, tapping it thoughtfully. "Umm… Deekin remembers big voice claim to be Kurtulmak. That be God of Kobolds, Boss. He burps and excuses himself lots. That bit pretty boring. Then lady voice says 'It's a good thing' and gives Deekin a frilly doily." His face lit up at the next bit. "Then boss yells over everyone; 'You gots to finish my story!' So Deekin feel really bad and comes back."

My smile quickly morphed into a surprised frown. "You could hear me?" I pressed, searching his eyes for the truth of it.

He nodded quickly, face a blur of energy. "Boss felt really sad," he shrugged. "Deekin had to come."

The connection went both ways? My eyes darted quickly in Valen's direction — eyes locking momentarily. He stood apart from us, considering our exchange with a small, lazy smile.

Biting my lip, I focused back on the jovial kobold, kneeling down with a hand on his shoulder as I took all of him in.

I was shifting his leather vest to sit better on his spindly shoulders when he carefully placed a clawed hand over my own; skin cool to the touch. I noted, with a pang of disappointment, that he hadn't sprouted wings as he had in the game.

Without the experience of the Underdark would he ever come fully into his own and become a Red Dragon Disciple?

He held my hand in place, blinking at me with a suddenly serious look on his features.

"Deekin happy not to be dead anymore," he assured me, before scrunching his face in distaste. "Death smells funny. Deekin even happier to see Boss again. Finish epic tale." He nodded, the decision made.

Smiling again, I pulled open my satchel, retrieving his book from within and passing it to him carefully. He ran a finger over the blank cover.

"I tried to finish it for you," I explained apologetically with a shrug. "I'm just not as good at it as you are. But I did think of a title; Shadows of Undrentide."

He seemed surprised at my idea, brow lowering in a frown as he said in a bemused rasp; "Deekin didn't know Boss be a romantic."

I scoffed, waving his comment off as he leafed through the pages absentmindedly. Soon enough he landing on the final page with writing, pausing. He ran a finger along the torn edge of the page I'd removed, frowning.

Suddenly, an idea took root.

I didn't give myself enough time to consider it, before I was pulling out my own notebook, placing it on top of his half-finished novel with a triumphant smile.

"I took notes," I told him, hoping to chase away the look of sadness that had crossed his face. "They might help you finish?"

Deekin's head shot up in excitement at the familiar bound book. "Boss' notes?" He hugged the books to his chest. "Deekin been wanting to read about Boss' world!"

I stilled at his wording, smile frozen in place and fighting against every instinct to glance in Valen's direction.

Swallowing, I scrambled to find the right words.

"Yep," I managed, widening my eyes in warning at the kobold. "Always fun to see the world through another set of eyes."

He stilled, looking between Valen and I. Then, very slowly, he nodded in understanding.

I grimaced through my smile.

Deekin was many things, but an actor he was not.

And so I told him how Xanos, Drogan and I had defeated the mysterious woman; who had — as I'd told them — ended up being Heurodis. I skipped over the finer details, pointing him to the notebook whenever he had questions — and boy did he have questions! I told him with a grim frown that Drogan hadn't made it, hand back on his shoulder as he nodded in grim understanding. And then I told him how I had travelled to Waterdeep, Undermountain and then the Underdark. How I had met Enserric, Valen, Nathyrra and the Seer's rebels; Deekin's eyes widening and hand twitching as he fought the urge to take notes.

Occasionally Enserric piped up in a wild flash of red light, Deekin insisting upon meeting the blade 'face-to-face' with a look of pure awe.

Finally, I told him about the siege, the march against the Valsharess and her devil, and the fateful teleportation spell that had whisked me away just as things were actually looking okay.

I finished my recap with a lacklustre; "and that's how I died," before motioning around the dim hallway of doors with a shrug.

Deekin's eyes darted to Valen, books tilting vicariously as he attempted to point at the tiefling. "And Goat-Man?" He pressed.

Valen's frown was back, deeper than before, as he looked at me in disbelief over the kobold's head.

Deekin waited.

He sighed. "How did I die?" Valen finally confirmed, blinking in surprise at the kobold. "The same way as Emma." He reiterated slowly.

"Nooooo," Deekin groaned out the word before Valen had even finished talking. He spoke the next bit slowly — as if explaining something to a small child. "Boss be teleported by Mephi… Mepho… by bad guy. You gots left behind." He said pointedly.

Valen glanced at me again, sheepishly scratching at the back of his neck. I could see the blush on his throat, his pale skin unforgiving.

I bit my lip to hide my smile, waiting as expectantly as Deekin for the tiefling's explanation.

Valen sighed, shaking his head and waving his hand at us both dismissively.

Deekin raised his brow even higher.

"Then," Valen glared at the kobold pointedly. "I managed to get into the Valsharess' tower whilst the rebel's attempted an assault." He gave an uncomfortable shrug, voice dropping for the final admission as his eyes sought our my own and held. "To be honest, I'm surprised I made it as far as I did."

My heart swelled as his blush deepened, a gentle smile curving my lips.

"Goat-Man be sneaky?" Deekin pressed quizzically, eyeing the tiefling up and down, altogether unconvinced.

I snorted a laugh as Valen's jaw locked and his eyes widened, silently begging for me to make it stop.

Between us was the unsaid — but very obvious — fact that Nathyrra would have been better suited to infiltration. But that she had not attempted it with him, given that she was currently alive and well. Well, she was currently alive. How the rebels currently fared was anyone's guess.

What Valen had attempted on his own was a half-baked suicide mission.

A suicide mission to help me.

One that, until the Reaper had summoned him, he must have wholeheartedly believed he'd failed.

I wonder if I'd made a pretty corpse… The thought, meant in jest, sent an unbidden shiver up my spine.

I put a firm hand on Deekins shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze and drawing his attention back to the present, and away from the not-so-distant past.

"So," Deekin lifted his head at my touch. "Now what?"

We got ourselves ready — or as ready as we could — to brave the frozen hellscape that was Cania, Deekin scribbling down a list of items that we would need, most of which was for him.

Finally, as prepared as we were ever going to be, we bid farewell to the Reaper, promising our return with his True Name.

Then, seconds before passing through, Deekin tugged on my hand nervously.

I turned to him; thinking to dissuade his fears about exploring one of the nine levels of hell. Or about travelling with someone that was part demon. Or about dying in a plane that was meant only for the devils and the dead.

But no.

I couldn't have been further from the truth of it.

"Ermm, Boss?" He shifted through my satchel, now slung over his shoulder. "Has you seen my doily?" He asked me.

"Doily?" Valen hissed in confusion.

When I passed through the portal, I was smiling.

And I didn't look back.

NOTEBOOK EXTRACT

The following is mainly written in Jane's hand. However, there is a scattering of notes in Deekin's much smaller style littered throughout the page.

Cania Local Flora

Velox Berries

The picture is of a scraggly and scrawny bush. The sparse leaves of the plant are large and waxy, pointing upwards. Deep within the twisting brambles is a scarce scattering of small red berries.

Jane had written: Found where wind cover is provided. The leaves can be brewed into a tea that seems to have some warming properties. The berries are mildly explosive; use one to three to start a fire. Without them, it's almost impossible in Cania.

Deekin has written: Yep, Boss right. No more than three!

Kanishta

The drawing is of a short plant that seems to grow in tendrils across the ground. Below the surface is a big dark-coloured root.

Jane has written: Can be chewed on for temporary relief from the cold, bringing a sense of renewed strength.

Deekin has written: Bitter. Freezing better than eating this root.

That's all that's on the page, taking up but a quarter of it. It's obvious Jane expected to find more plants than she did.