Chapter 143: Wild Card

"Do not go to the elves for counsel, for they will say both no and yes," Harrian mumbled under his breath as the party weaved its way through the woods towards where they knew Elhan's camp to be. "Where'd I hear that? Somewhere. But it's really quite true."

Jaheira gave him a sideways glance which made it quite clear that being dead for a period of time hadn't softened her around the edges. "You have not even asked them anything yet."

"But they'll be evasive. Whatever Bodhi was going on about… we need to know," Harrian reasoned, scrambling through the undergrowth Minsc and Jaheira glided through. He had always been more at ease in a city than in the depths of nature.

"Bodhi was an immoral undead being who was doing everything in her power to distract and aggravate you," Anomen said, shaking his head. He, too, was finding the undergrowth to be something of a challenge to navigate, and his normally pristine armour was smeared with dirt and grass-stains. "She doubtless wanted you to go on and question Elhan and the other elves."

"No. She expected us all to die at her hands. Bodhi… wouldn't have come up with a backup plan in case of failure. She refused to acknowledge that losing the battle was a possibility. She had no reason to lie," Imoen said quietly, ducking under a branch. Anomen gave her brief look which went unmissed by all except Imoen, but made no reply.

"I think her being innately evil gave her a reason to lie," Reynald commented quietly, sidestepping the branch Imoen had released a little carelessly. "However, it matters not. Why Irenicus and Bodhi are attacking Suldanessellar is not as important as the fact that we must stop such destruction, no?" The Fallen Paladin gave Harrian a cautious glance, evidently waiting for his opinion.

"Well, I'm not about to abandon the elves for whatever they may have done. I refuse to believe that a people could bring this level of death and destruction upon themselves and be getting what they deserve. But I want answers." Harrian grimaced. "Irenicus knows me. He holds all the cards in this game. I seem to learn information as he wishes me to. I know he needs my soul to sustain him. But why? And why Suldanessellar?" His shoulders rose and fell with the deep, faltering breath he drew. "No, it doesn't really matter. But I want to know. I want answers."

"So we ask the elves," Jaheira prompted as the party emerged from the trees to the clearing where elven warriors and war mages could be seen milling about the tents.

"If they give us answers."

"Answers," a cool voice rang across the campsite, "come to those who ask questions. Though I do wonder if we have the time to exchange inquiries, curiosities, information and explanations. The city weakens as we speak." Elhan stepped from out of the tent nearest to them, making Harrian jump a little, and folded his arms across his chest, staring at them coolly. "You have the Rhynn Lanthorn?"

Harrian nodded in return, pulling his pack from his bag and rifling through it quickly before he pulled out the elven lantern. "Hard-earned, with many deaths to its name, but here. Bodhi and her vampires have been eliminated." Eliminated. Gods, man, you sound like a Shadow Thief assassin.

At last, Elhan's expression shifted from merely a cold lack of emotion, and his eyes lit up as a slow, genuine smile crossed his face. "You have it?" he said incredulously, stepping forward to reverentially take hold of the Lanthorn. "By the Seldarine! This is quite something indeed." The elven captain raised his eyes to regard the party. "Return to the city is now possible."

"Aye," Harrian agreed slowly, his brow furrowing. "But first I have a few questions." He noted Elhan stiffening, as if this was something he'd been apprehensive of all along. "I want to know why Irenicus is here, attacking Suldanessellar. I want to know exactly why Bodhi thought you are hiding something from me – and I want to know what that something is."

Elhan seemed to consider this for a moment, stroking his chin as he gripped the Lanthorn. "You hunt Irenicus, and I do not ask why. Why should we elaborate any further? Let us not ask questions, for answers merely complicate matters unnecessarily. Just think of the city." He moved to turn and walk towards where his war mages were assembled.

Harrian grabbed him by the shoulder, as unthreateningly as possible, and pulled him back to face him. "I am a Bhaalspawn," he hissed, his voice low and urgent. "Son of a God, divine essence and all. Irenicus has stolen my soul, though I know not why." Elhan began to look a little sick. "Am I foolish to assume that it has something to do with your city? Have I been caught in the middle of elven power games?"

"He is no elf!" Elhan snapped, smooth brow furrowing. "No elf would do these things!"

"That's exactly what Bodhi said to me," Harrian replied coolly. "Why would he need my soul if your city is his target?"

"He is a madman! Madmen do not need reasons."

"They do; they're just quite hard to understand. So far the only reason I've seen for all that I have suffered is 'because he can do it'. And I doubt soul-stealing is a hobby of his. Why my soul, why a soul with a divine essence? Why Suldanessellar? Why working in conjunction with a beast like Bodhi?" Harrian demanded.

"I do not know!"

"You are lying!" Harrian snapped at last, not bothering to keep his voice down. The elven warriors around them glanced up cautiously, and the party returned their cool glares easily. "You know, Elhan, and if you do not tell me I shall take the Rhynn Lanthorn and be on my way."

Elhan let out a brief bark of laughter, despite his sickly appearance. "There, Corias, I know you are lying. Being soulless is no joking matter, and you will not survive long in that state, just as an elf will suffer without his spirit." He straightened up. "I do not know everything there is to tell. No more than any other elf. I do not know the exact details of what happened."

"Any details would be pleasant," Imoen piped up, her expression also uncharacteristically grim.

Elhan considered this for a moment, breathing heavily. He waved a hand at the warriors around him, who had been discreetly readying weapons, then nodded slowly at the party. "Very well. But do not ask for more than this, as I do not know more.

"Jon Irenicus is not the man's true name. He was once known as Joneleth, great mage of the elven city of Suldanessellar, and consort, it is believed, of Queen Ellesime. He was one of the most powerful and admired individuals of our people. And yet… he had a darkness within him.

"I know not if it came of his own volition, or if his sister Bodhi poured sweetly poisoned words into his ear, but despite the power Joneleth had, he wanted more. And as his desire for power grew so, some believe, did his madness, until he committed the gravest offence against the elven people possible – tried to harvest the power of the Tree of Life to raise himself to the level of divinity, join the Seldarine."

There was a long pause as Elhan looked away, the words seeming to pain him, and the party waited in silence before he continued. "The attempt failed, but shook the city to its very core. That one of our own would do this… one we had considered to be so great and admirable… was hard to believe. You, as an outsider, cannot possibly understand how terrible what he did was," he said to Harrian.

"I can guess," the thief answered coolly, even though his face was sympathetic.

"So he had to be punished. Some proposed putting Joneleth to death, but the Queen would not have it. There had to be some… lingering affection for him, as she could not order her love, whatever he had done, to be killed. And so she called upon her link with the Seldarine, asked them to strip Joneleth and his sister Bodhi of their elven spirit and elven nature, and had them cast out of Suldanessellar, supposedly forever." Elhan looked back at the party, meeting their gazes unfalteringly. "And so Joneleth died and Jon Irenicus was born. Irenicus meaning 'Shattered One'."

He shrugged. "I know not how the Exile survived all these years, or what he did. It is clear that Bodhi turned to vampirism to stay alive, though I could not see Joneleth doing so. But he has been biding his time, and has now returned."

"To finish what he started," Jaheira concluded quietly.

"Indeed. And with a divine soul to sustain him until then," Elhan said grimly.

Harrian considered all of this for a long moment. "So these are the imprecise details you had pieced together, then?" he asked wryly.

Elhan's expression cleared a little, though his eyes remained dark. "It is not something we elves like to discuss. But if we require your assistance… then it is only fair that we explain what for. Our mistakes are coming back to haunt us, and we need to end this chapter of history forever."

"I'm just here to get my soul back," Harrian said quietly. "But the destruction of a city and a people cannot be allowed." He nodded slowly. "I shall stop Irenicus."

"Excellent." Elhan smiled thinly, then clapped the Bhaalspawn on the back. "Come, Corias," he declared at last, hefting the Rhynn Lanthorn and taking a few steps forwards. "Let us give this lantern to my war mages and see what they can make of it to speed our journey to the forest city!"