Chapter 71: Of Blood

            Jon Irenicus folded his arms across his chest, as he was wont to do when satisfied with himself. He turned to Bodhi. "Sister, I believe this is the most successful endeavour I have ever trusted you with. I am most impressed," he commented, the raising of his eyebrow hidden behind the leather mask covering his face.

Bodhi smiled a sensuous smile, her pale skin contrasting massively with her deep red lips as she licked the remnants of her dinner from around her mouth. "I told you that my brethren would satisfy you, did I not?"

They stood in the deepest chamber of the vampire lair, Bodhi perched on the edge of the pool of blood in the centre as Irenicus critically viewed the four prone bodies before him. All of them were tightly bound, trussed up neatly in the corner.

"You did indeed," Irenicus conceded as Imoen began to stir slowly, and he stepped forwards. The mage's eyes fluttered as he leant down towards her and ran a slender hand along her jaw-line. "Awaken, little one… your time has come."

Imoen shot awake, eyes wide with fear. As she saw the dark, sinister eyes of her captor, the cold mask hiding his face, the terrible memories she had worked so hard to repress blasted to the surface.

She screamed.

Irenicus laughed a low, sinister laugh born more of satisfaction than malevolence as he pulled her upright without ceremony. "Hush, now," he murmured, his voice devoid of any comfort. "Calm yourself."

"W-what are you going to do to me?" she stammered, visibly shaking, and Irenicus noted with some glee that he would not need to commence much work to return her to her former state. The Bhaal blood was hidden so deeply within her that it took a lot to bring it to the forefront – yet his work had not been undone in her absence, the wounds he had inflicted far from healing. He just needed to reopen them, which would not take much.

"Do not worry; it is nothing worse than what I shall do to your friend," Irenicus replied, nodding at the still unconscious Harrian. He looked over at a vampire lurking around the doorway. "Take her and get us ready. We should be as swift as possible – no need to waste time."

The vampire, who had probably been a warrior in life and was now even more powerful in undeath, stepped forwards with a grim smile to take Imoen by the arm. He leant down and his sharp claws cut the ropes binding her ankles, then grabbed the struggling mage and pulled her down the corridor out of the room.

Bodhi shivered with apprehension, but frowned. "Why are you concerning yourself with her first, and not the more powerful one? Do you not ache for his soul?" she asked lightly, dipping a finger into the pool of blood and sucking it lightly.

"I ache for nothing now!" the mage responded sharply. "But the essence of this one is less powerful. It has more chance of working, thus I shall attempt first," Irenicus explained, glancing at her. "Fear not, sister; you shall have a soul soon."

At their voices, Harrian shifted slowly, letting out a low moan as he rolled over to his back. His eyes opened, then closed. Irenicus and Bodhi leant forwards to watch him intently, though it took him a moment to realise that his hands and feet were bound; that the couldn't stretch as he wished. His eyes flew open.

"You!" he gasped, fixing on Irenicus. "What do you want? Why am I here?" There was no response as the mage just looked at him, seemingly amused. "Answer me!" Still no reply. Harrian looked around wildly. "Where's Imoen? And Yoshimo?"

Irenicus shrugged slowly. "Soon, you shall not worry yourself about either of them very much. Simply know that the girl will be returned to you, and the thief… the thief has done admirably well." He stood at Harrian's confused looks, giving brief glances at the others as Minsc and Haer'Dalis slowly returned to consciousness. "He was most efficient at slipping the drug into your drinks earlier this night. A shame you did not partake in a late-night aperitif, Bhaalspawn, but Bodhi's vampires managed to take care of that."

Corias paused, increasingly overwhelmed by this rush of news. He glanced over at Bodhi, who smiled evilly and gave him a brief wave, then he looked back at Irenicus, his face a mask of disbelief. "Yoshimo did… what?"

Irenicus laughed, but again it was devoid of malice. "You have many enemies, son of Bhaal, many people who oppose you and work against you. I doubt you ever believed that they would also be standing beside you?" Without waiting for an answer, he turned and glanced over towards the sole corridor leading out of the chamber. "Yoshimo!"

There was a long pause, then the soft patter of slow, cautious footsteps. The bounty hunter appeared by the doorway, his hood low over his head, a guarded expression on his face. "Y-yes, Master Irenicus?" he demanded sullenly, folding his arms defensively.

"Traitor!" Minsc bellowed, somehow managing to move himself to his feet, although entirely bound. "A slap in the face of our trust! A sword to the heart of our confidence! A boot to the prunes of our friendship! Perhaps I go too far, but Boo is absolutely incensed!" The hamster squeaked indignantly, but the ranger fell silent as Irenicus, almost lazily, pushed him back to the floor.

Haer'Dalis raised an eyebrow. "Interesting," he commented. "An uncertain path opens as the party fractures beneath us. Destruction that was inevitable, though the source is most surprising."

Yoshimo shrugged again, not meeting their gaze. "I cannot give a reason that will satisfy. Your wrath will come, regardless," he commented quietly, moving over slowly to stand next to Irenicus.

Harrian's eyes were full of a lack of comprehension as he regarded the thief. "We will discuss this later, Yoshimo, you can be assured of that," was all he could manage, rolling over to clamber to a kneeling position. "Just as soon as we get out of here," he added, frowning considerably.

* *

Their cell was dark, cold, and reeked of blood – doubtless it had once been the home of a very busy vampire until its conversion. The three prisoners sat silently with their backs to the wall, lost in their own quiet thoughts.

Harrian stared at his hands, marvelling how the group had shrank in a mere day. In twenty four hours, they had lost Jaheira, Anomen, Keldorn, Imoen was gone and now Yoshimo had… betrayed them.

Corias closed his eyes, resting his head against the wall. Yoshimo… how could you? How could you betray us? We are – were – your friends! What could he have offered, how much gold could he have offered to make that irrelevant?

They had been there for two hours now. Harrian didn't know what time it was, whether it was day or night, or how long he'd been unconscious. He was bone weary yet couldn't sleep. Imoen was missing. Gone. And he couldn't protect her.

As soon as that thought was finished, the door to the cell swung open noisily, and Imoen was thrown in. The pink-haired mage staggered then fell to her knees, clutching herself desperately, her eyes closed tight. She didn't move.

Haer'Dalis sat up swiftly, but Harrian was quicker. Without a word he lunged beside her and grabbed her shoulder rapidly, panic setting in. "Imoen! Talk to me! What did he do to you?" he demanded speedily.

Suddenly, her eyes snapped open, and she leapt sideways, bashing into the side of the cell. Imoen didn't seem to notice however, for her gaze was full of absolute terror as she gazed at him. "Who… who's that? Keep back. Keep back!" she snapped fearfully.

Corias felt his stomach drop out. "Imoen, it's me, Harrian. Remember me?" He tentatively shifted across the cell towards her, a hand outstretched as if to show he meant her no harm. "Gods, what has he done to you?"

Confusion filled Imoen's face. "Who is Imoen? I don't know that name. I don't know that name! She's not here!" the girl shrieked, retreating even further into a corner, cowering most pitifully.

Harrian blinked as tears threatened to overwhelm him. "I'll kill that bastard," he mumbled under his breath, before glancing sideways. "You don't remember me? What about Minsc? Remember Minsc and Boo?" he asked hopefully, looking pointedly at the giant ranger.

Minsc shifted over towards her, holding the hamster in an outstretched palm. "Little Imoen, it is Minsc. See, here's Boo…" Boo, at that moment, chose to let out a rather shocked-sounding shriek. "Boo, stop that. It's Imoen. Sure she looks a bit… stressed, but it's still her," the ranger rebuked his hamster.

He turned to Harrian. "I don't know what's wrong," the ranger explained apologetically. "Boo is all jittery. Something is different about Imoen."

Imoen's eyes snapped open again, and she lunged at Harrian, hands outstretched viciously. "Get away from me!" she shrieked angrily." I'll… I'll kill you! I'll rip your eyes from your filthy faces! Do not tempt my wrath!"

Harrian grabbed her by the wrists as she tried to claw at him, and he pulled her to him in a fierce hug, wrapping his arms around her so she couldn't lash out. "Imoen, Imoen, it's me," he murmured, eyes closed tight. "Please, please… remember me…"

Imoen stopped struggling and buried her face in his shoulder as she started to sob sorrowfully. "I… she's not here. I do not know that… name."

Corias grimaced with pain as he stroked her hair lightly, murmuring comforting non-words in her ear. "You just rest, Imoen. I'll get you out of here. I swear it."

"Touching," the voice from the doorway intoned dryly, and Harrian looked up to see Irenicus standing there. The mage had clearly been watching the whole encounter, and looked unimpressed. "But you're next."