Chapter 37: A Certain Point of View
When the three of them arrived in Minsc's room, Yoshimo was standing in between the giant ranger and Edwin, looking very much helpless in a clear attempt to stop matters from getting violent. Minsc seemed as if he would fly into his berserker rage at any moment, Edwin's expression was haughty and superior, and Haer'Dalis was watching the proceedings with an air of great amusement and interest.
Harrian cocked an eyebrow at them. "What's going on?" he asked levelly, folding his arms across his chest, and glaring at Edwin with the certainty that it was all his fault – which, to be fair, it probably was.
The mage waved the scroll in the air. "I have unlocked the secrets of the artefact!" he declared smugly. "And the great ape seems to be forgetting that your mindless quest cannot be continued without my help (as if they could manage it by themselves)."
Corias sighed, irked by Edwin. He hated the man with a passion, but had to confess that the mage's not inconsiderable magical powers were absolutely invaluable at the moment. He decided to humour him. "I'm impressed," he told him grudgingly. "What do you have?
Odesseiron's expression became infinitely smug. "A new revelation in my... er... our scroll. A spell of transformation, both basic and sophisticated. It is not unlike the transformation of mage to lich... but it must be more... much more..."
He took a step back with a flourish, grinning from ear to ear. "I've prepared for this moment all my life, and lifetimes before!" A slight insane glint came into his eyes, the glint that told of a passion and desire for power. "Be prepared to cower and flee! Nothing will stand in my way after this!"
Harrian frowned, horror rising within him. "Edwin… we had a deal. This scroll is to be used to bargain for Imoen… your reward was the job itself…" He started to realise, albeit too late, that he had underestimated Odesseiron.
Edwin shook his head, and laughed, waving the scroll aloft. "Coward! You and your frail morals will witness my rebirth, and then I shall repay your slander!" With a flourish, he lowered his head and began to read, arcane and mysterious words erupting from his lips before any of them could make a move…
… and a green light surrounded him, swirling in the air around the ambitious mage, as he started to shift and change before their very eyes into an unidentifiable form, a form of immense evil and power, expanding to almost fill the room.
Then, just as Harrian unsheathed his longsword, the shape contracted once again to normal size. The green light engulfed Edwin for a moment – just a moment – and then dissipated entirely, leaving him the same size and human once again.
There was a long silence as they gaped. The noise to break the silence was enough to make Harrian want to hug Edwin for what he had done, as Jaheira clamped a hand to her mouth in a vain attempt to smother a laugh.
"This is bad." The woman who was now Edwin stood shocked for a long moment, as if what had happened was so horrific that he… ah, she didn't want to contemplate. When the ensuing eruption came, none of them were disappointed.
"This is blasphemy!" s/he shrieked, practically hopping with rage as Yoshimo, standing next to her/him, almost doubled over with laughter. "An outrage against nature and order! I must redouble my efforts to cancel the hideous and deforming nature of this Nether scourge!"
Harrian, although he had to lean on Minsc for support as he laughed harder than he had in a long time, was immensely gratified to see Anomen and Jaheira sharing in the mirth of the moment. "Looks like you're in some trouble," he sniggered, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm down. "And by the way, nice rack," he added with a guffaw.
"What?!" Edwin shrieked, glaring at him, but the look was lacking some of the piercing arrogance that she had held as a man. "How dare you, scoundrel! Gawking at my mantle!" The mage straightened up haughtily, then glance down. "(Hey, they aren't that bad come to think of it... wait a moment. What happened to my… oh no. No. No!)"
With that, she rushed out and into the adjoining bathroom with unknown intents as the other six merely stood and laughed more than they ever had. Still struggling to remain calm, Harrian picked up the scroll and winked at the others, a broad smile on his face.
It took a few seconds for Edwin to remember the scroll, and she hurried out again, glaring at Harrian with something of his/her former venom. "That scroll is my only link to setting things right!" she snapped furiously. "Woman or not, my spellthrowing is unparalleled and will bring the wrath of cleansing hellfire upon you should the mood move me! Now give me that scroll!"
She leapt forwards, but Harrian lifted the scroll out of her reach just as she grasped for it. "This scroll is going to the Cowled Wizards as promised," he told her grimly. "If you had stuck by the agreement, you wouldn't need the scroll to get yourself out of this mess. Your on your own here, Edwin…a."
The mage looked panicked for a long moment, and Harrian felt, for a brief moment, worried that she would burst into tears there and then. Instead, she took a step forwards and grabbed him by the shirt pitifully. "No! No! My moment of greatest need! I plead you remain! I beg of you!" She released Harrian and grabbed Jaheira by the shoulders. "Sweet merciful warriors!" She moved on to clasp Minsc's arm pitifully. "Virtuous crusaders!" Then Yoshimo was grabbed by the shoulder. "Clever cutpurses! Please!"
Harrian watched her, grimacing as he realised what he was about to do. "You do know that finding Imoen is our first priority, and nothing can dislodge that, don't you," he said quietly, a deep frown on his face.
"I am not asking you to dislodge that misguided priority, monkey!" Edwin declared. Gone was the desperation and demand for pity as she practically hopped with rage and frustration once again. "I am just asking you not to damn well abandon me when I could do with you simians serving my cause, as you should know it is your place to do so!"
Corias sighed, disgusted with himself as the decision became solid in his mind. "Bah, very well," he groaned, throwing the scroll at him. "Make a copy of the writings and then leave. If you betray us to the Shadow Thieves or the Cowled Wizards then I will hunt you down let Minsc deal with you."
Edwin glared at him, but the expression was lacking some of its usual venom, and Harrian decided to acknowledge it as the closest thing to a look of gratitude he would receive from the bitter mage. She lifted the scroll then ran her fingers over the writing, muttering under her breath quietly.
A second scroll popped into existence without ceremony in thin air. The Thayvian grabbed it before it could fall, and stuck it deep inside her robes, which were still far too large for her. "Monkeys. Insufferable monkeys, all of you." Edwin glared at them again before starting for the door, throwing the original at Harrian. "This is not the last you have heard of me. That, I swear (Were that I could stop time and kill them all)."
The door slammed shut behind the Red Wizard, leaving the six party members to regard each other slowly. Yoshimo seemed to be resisting the urge not to burst out laughing, Minsc wore a broad smile, and even Anomen's eyes were twinkling with mirth, though his face was stony.
"Well. That was… different. I wonder –"
Harrian was interrupted as the air shimmered around them, and a silvery circle shivered into existence, the unmistakeable prelude to a dimension door. They had barely managed to draw their weapons as three Cowled Wizards appeared, each bearing staffs and smiling in an irritatingly smug way.
"You! You thought you could get away with this?" one of them demanded, stepping forwards. As he brushed his hood back, he revealed himself to be Corneil, the wizard they had spoken to in the Council of Six building.
Tolgerias, standing beside him, laughed mirthfully. "Indeed! We knew that at some point you would use the scroll and reveal yourselves to us. Hand it over, and we may not kill you." He considered this for a moment. "Or we shall at least kill you quickly."
"We shall do no such thing, mageling –" Anomen snapped, but was quickly interrupted as the third, unidentified wizard raised his hands and started to mutter arcane words under his breath, red light erupting at his fingertips.
Harrian didn't know what he was casting, and had no desire to find out. Quick as a flash, he leapt forward and grabbed the candle that was resting on the desktop Edwin had been working at. The wizards came to a halt as he held the flame dangerously close to the bottom of the scroll. "Finish that incantation and your secret's going bye-bye," he breathed, feeling his heart racing but forcing a confident expression onto his face.
Tolgerias waved a hand at the others. "You're not going to get away with this. We will have that scroll, one way or another. Even if we have to slaughter all of you to get it, we will have it –"
At this point, Corneil interrupted. "Quiet, man!" he barked, glancing at his comrade. Then he fixed Harrian will a cool look of ice-blue eyes. "Perhaps we can make a deal?" he queried at last. "You search for a friend who is held at Spellhold. If you give us the scroll, then we may be able to… overlook her breaking of the laws."
Corias nodded curtly. "I had hoped that such an arrangement might be possible," he murmured under his breath." Then his dark eyes hardened and met the Cowled Wizard's unflinchingly. "However, I don't trust you. If you deliver Imoen, then I will hand the scroll over to you."
"Unacceptable!" Tolgerias raged, his eyes flashing. "How are we to know that you will hand the scroll over once you have your friend?"
Harrian glared at him. "I'm more likely to do so than you are to hand over Imoen once you have the scroll," he pointed out. "Besides, you know who we are, and you are powerful wizards. If we failed to hand the scroll over to you, you could hunt us down with minimal problems."
This was the truth, and they knew it. Corias was just relying on their relative unimportance to stop the Wizards from exacting retribution once they had the scroll and Imoen had been delivered. "Unless, of course, you don't want this scrap of paper," he continued, lifting the candle a little for added effect.
He was not disappointed by their reaction. "Hold! We shall see if we can do as you ask!" Corneil practically screeched. "I do not see why not." He took a deep, calming breath. "We shall return within three days. It will be either with your Imoen or with a new proposal. If that scroll is damaged or destroyed, however…"
"We'll die? I've heard talk like that before," Harrian scoffed, shaking his head.
Corneil smiled thinly. "No, no. I just advise you take care of the scroll. Or else your friend might meet an 'accidental' end at Spellhold."
Corias's expression darkened. His throat tightened and a muscle at the side of his jaw twitched. "Leave," he instructed curtly. "Get Imoen out, and you shall have your scroll. If I find she has come to harm or been mistreated in any way, you shall not see the arcane secrets of this scrap of paper, and woe betide you if you attempt to harm me or any of my friends as retribution."
Tolgerias seemed ready to open his mouth for a retort, but a look from Corneil silenced him. The lead Cowled Wizard nodded slowly. "Very well. In three days, we will find and come to you. But do not expect us to be complacent in this business. I advise you to remain on your guard, Corias."
"As I do you, mage," Harrian replied in the same tone, and his gaze did not slip from Corneil's until they had magicked themselves out of the room. Once they were alone, he lowered the candle and regarded the others again, his face weary.
"Their response was prompter than I had anticipated, but it seems we are moving forward. I just pray I will not have to have their heads for this matter."