Chapter Two
The dungeon smelt of blood and the long dankness of wood and fabric. The little light that entered it cast an eerie yellowish glow on its stained floors. Several cages hung empty apart from the blood that coloured the iron bars. A tormented prisoner laid exhausted in one, his twitching body trying to recover from the long and painful torture he had endured earlier. He made a plebian cry as he opened his eyes, the excruciating throbbing in his head flooded his thoughts, immobilizing him. An ominous shadow then entered the room, a foreboding aura hang around the tall, lean figure.
"Ah, the child of Bhaal has awoken. It is time for more... experiments."
Ash made great effort to stand, trying to get his bearings. He was utterly disorientated and confused, the pain in his head not helping him at all. He looked at the figure before him in terrified recognition. No it can't be. This is some bad dream. However, the ache he felt all over his body was too real to be a mere nightmare. Ash pressed his body against the bars of his cage as he tried to avoid being burnt with no avail. His skin was stinging from the raw pain but somehow he managed to remain conscious.
"The pain will only be passing, you should survive the process," the mage told his prisoner while casting a few more deadly spells. "Interesting, you have much untapped power."
"More intruders have entered the complex, Master," said a golem, interrupting Irenicus.
"They act sooner than we had anticipated. No matter, they will only prove a slight delay," a visibly aggravated Irenicus replied.
"Wake up, we've gotta get outta here!" Imoen shook Ash.
"Arrghh!" The Bhaalspawn cried out, Imoen's shaking him caused a jarring pain that shot up through his shoulder. "Alright, let's go. Be gentle with me okay? I've suffered much..."
Imoen helped Ash out of his cage, careful not to hurt him further. He took a few sluggish and unsteady steps before he caught sight of Minsc and Jaheira still locked in their cages. He pulled Imoen along as he limped awkwardly towards them, stumbling several times even with her support. When will this pain end? This is all too real... if I could hurt like this; it's possible that I could even die here, wherever here is.
"Ash... what happened to you? Hurry, release me from my cage so I can heal you and we can leave this place at once!" The half-elf greeted him from behind her bars.
"But... but how? It's locked. I haven't got the key!"
"Then find it! Perhaps it is in one of the nearby rooms. We must make haste if we are to leave this dungeon alive."
Imoen hurriedly dragged the groaning and whimpering Ash for the room located beside their former prison. She was starting to get annoyed by his incessant complaining. She had suffered too, and he was supposed to be the stronger one. She found that taking a leading position hardly matched her at all. Imoen stopped herself abruptly, discovering that the ground before her lay trapped. Ignoring Ash's complains about how the sudden stop had almost pained him to death, she set out to disarm it. Heh, child's play. She turned to the Bhaalspawn, even now he whined as he tugged her tattered sleeve. I should have left the trap to finish him off. She thought, glaring at her hopelessly lost friend. Imoen shook her head violently, trying to clear out her thoughts. How could she have thought of that? What's happening to her? She had only one answer. Irenicus.
"Argh! Minsc will be free! These bonds will not hold my wrath! Butts will be liberally kicked and in good measure!" Minsc roared.
Ash glanced at the massive ranger trying to free himself. He felt his heart drop and shivered in fear. Swallowing hard, he gingerly took another look at what appeared to him a deranged psychotic ready to snap his neck anytime. Ash looked down at his puny half-evlen body in self pity. No, it is better to leave madmen in their cages. It would be good for his health too.
"Um... I'll just be going this way. Never mind me...," Ash responded in a nearly inaudible whisper. He shuffled his feet nervously, moving away from the cage.
"You... have tossed Minsc aside. Minsc will... Argghhh!" The ranger bellowed bending the bars with his berserker strength. Ash's eyes widened in sheer horror, stepping back he felt his breath quickened, panic consumed him. Minsc walked towards the half-elf, smiling, he was saying something but Ash could not hear the words in his panicked state. The berserker reached out to shake his hand at the same time bought out a furry brown hamster and shoved it into Ash's face. The little critter looked up at Ash with its black liquid eyes, staring at him. Oh God, this is too much. The hamster! How evilly it looks at me! Ash hyperventilated and fainted from all the terror that faced him. It was simply too much for his poor heart to take.
"Hey!" Imoen shook Ash's motionless form. "Wake up! What's wrong with you? Jah, are you sure you healed him completely?"
"Of course I did...why would I not?" She bent over and slapped the fallen half-elf's face repeatedly. He stirred for a few moments before rapidly opening his eyes.
"Ah... no... don't kill me... stop clawing my face you foul rodent!" Ash shrieked, cowering behind his arms. "Snap out of it boy! I am no rodent!" The older half-elf replied firmly, pulling him to his feet.
"Oh... thank the Gods it's gone." Ash said as he looked around.
"But Boo means you no harm. See how he shakes with enthusiasm when he sees you!"
"Ahhh... keep it away!" The puny half-elf shrieked for the second time, running behind Imoen and Jaheira.
"I guess your brain's been really messed up eh? Come on... this place is just too darn creepy. I want to get out," Imoen voiced out, already heading for the passageway in front.
The hallway before them was scattered with dozens of dead bodies, the smell of death was still raw and heavy in the air. A sinister glow bounced off the walls, illuminating the path, at the same time casting disturbing shadows as they walked through. Faint sounds of a raging battle far away were drown out by the scuffling of the party's boots and their heavy, labored breathing which echoed down the corridor. The passageway led to a room which held some strange contraption in the middle. Once they stepped into the room, a sudden bolt of light flashed and Ash immediately ran out of the room screaming in panic. The other three were so distracted by his sudden display of immense speed and cowardice that they failed to notice the new danger in the room. The mephit took the chance and charged at Imoen.
"What the...Ahh!" Imoen cried out raising her hands blasting the mephit to oblivion with a magic missile spell.
"Good job, Immy!" Ash called out from the corridor.
"Heh, it's just a reflex action, I guess."
"Enough talk, quickly another appears. It must be spawning from this machine. Ash, find a way to shut it off!" Jaheira uttered in her usual bossy way while she advanced to the second mephit. Ash scanned the room frantically, running around like a headless chicken, trying to avoid Minsc's hefty swinging blade in the process. Where? What the heck am I supposed to look for? Maybe they could just destroy the machine. I wish Fay- Ane was here. God give me strength... no give me answers! Oh... crap! Ash stumbled on something, crashing to the ground. After which, the machine immediately stopped humming.
"Hey guys, I did it!"
"Yes you did. And Boo wishes to congratulate you!" Minsc roared delightfully, thrusting the furry rodent into Ash's face once again. Boo squeaked merrily at the half-elf and proceeded to get a better sniff of him by crawling onto his face.
"Nooooo! The foul critter is on my face. Too much...get off! Now! I can't take it anymore...ohhh," Ash screamed hysterically and slumped over, narrowly crushing Boo as the young half-elf lost consciousness.
The dungeon smelt of blood and the long dankness of wood and fabric. The little light that entered it cast an eerie yellowish glow on its stained floors. Several cages hung empty apart from the blood that coloured the iron bars. A tormented prisoner laid exhausted in one, his twitching body trying to recover from the long and painful torture he had endured earlier. He made a plebian cry as he opened his eyes, the excruciating throbbing in his head flooded his thoughts, immobilizing him. An ominous shadow then entered the room, a foreboding aura hang around the tall, lean figure.
"Ah, the child of Bhaal has awoken. It is time for more... experiments."
Ash made great effort to stand, trying to get his bearings. He was utterly disorientated and confused, the pain in his head not helping him at all. He looked at the figure before him in terrified recognition. No it can't be. This is some bad dream. However, the ache he felt all over his body was too real to be a mere nightmare. Ash pressed his body against the bars of his cage as he tried to avoid being burnt with no avail. His skin was stinging from the raw pain but somehow he managed to remain conscious.
"The pain will only be passing, you should survive the process," the mage told his prisoner while casting a few more deadly spells. "Interesting, you have much untapped power."
"More intruders have entered the complex, Master," said a golem, interrupting Irenicus.
"They act sooner than we had anticipated. No matter, they will only prove a slight delay," a visibly aggravated Irenicus replied.
"Wake up, we've gotta get outta here!" Imoen shook Ash.
"Arrghh!" The Bhaalspawn cried out, Imoen's shaking him caused a jarring pain that shot up through his shoulder. "Alright, let's go. Be gentle with me okay? I've suffered much..."
Imoen helped Ash out of his cage, careful not to hurt him further. He took a few sluggish and unsteady steps before he caught sight of Minsc and Jaheira still locked in their cages. He pulled Imoen along as he limped awkwardly towards them, stumbling several times even with her support. When will this pain end? This is all too real... if I could hurt like this; it's possible that I could even die here, wherever here is.
"Ash... what happened to you? Hurry, release me from my cage so I can heal you and we can leave this place at once!" The half-elf greeted him from behind her bars.
"But... but how? It's locked. I haven't got the key!"
"Then find it! Perhaps it is in one of the nearby rooms. We must make haste if we are to leave this dungeon alive."
Imoen hurriedly dragged the groaning and whimpering Ash for the room located beside their former prison. She was starting to get annoyed by his incessant complaining. She had suffered too, and he was supposed to be the stronger one. She found that taking a leading position hardly matched her at all. Imoen stopped herself abruptly, discovering that the ground before her lay trapped. Ignoring Ash's complains about how the sudden stop had almost pained him to death, she set out to disarm it. Heh, child's play. She turned to the Bhaalspawn, even now he whined as he tugged her tattered sleeve. I should have left the trap to finish him off. She thought, glaring at her hopelessly lost friend. Imoen shook her head violently, trying to clear out her thoughts. How could she have thought of that? What's happening to her? She had only one answer. Irenicus.
"Argh! Minsc will be free! These bonds will not hold my wrath! Butts will be liberally kicked and in good measure!" Minsc roared.
Ash glanced at the massive ranger trying to free himself. He felt his heart drop and shivered in fear. Swallowing hard, he gingerly took another look at what appeared to him a deranged psychotic ready to snap his neck anytime. Ash looked down at his puny half-evlen body in self pity. No, it is better to leave madmen in their cages. It would be good for his health too.
"Um... I'll just be going this way. Never mind me...," Ash responded in a nearly inaudible whisper. He shuffled his feet nervously, moving away from the cage.
"You... have tossed Minsc aside. Minsc will... Argghhh!" The ranger bellowed bending the bars with his berserker strength. Ash's eyes widened in sheer horror, stepping back he felt his breath quickened, panic consumed him. Minsc walked towards the half-elf, smiling, he was saying something but Ash could not hear the words in his panicked state. The berserker reached out to shake his hand at the same time bought out a furry brown hamster and shoved it into Ash's face. The little critter looked up at Ash with its black liquid eyes, staring at him. Oh God, this is too much. The hamster! How evilly it looks at me! Ash hyperventilated and fainted from all the terror that faced him. It was simply too much for his poor heart to take.
"Hey!" Imoen shook Ash's motionless form. "Wake up! What's wrong with you? Jah, are you sure you healed him completely?"
"Of course I did...why would I not?" She bent over and slapped the fallen half-elf's face repeatedly. He stirred for a few moments before rapidly opening his eyes.
"Ah... no... don't kill me... stop clawing my face you foul rodent!" Ash shrieked, cowering behind his arms. "Snap out of it boy! I am no rodent!" The older half-elf replied firmly, pulling him to his feet.
"Oh... thank the Gods it's gone." Ash said as he looked around.
"But Boo means you no harm. See how he shakes with enthusiasm when he sees you!"
"Ahhh... keep it away!" The puny half-elf shrieked for the second time, running behind Imoen and Jaheira.
"I guess your brain's been really messed up eh? Come on... this place is just too darn creepy. I want to get out," Imoen voiced out, already heading for the passageway in front.
The hallway before them was scattered with dozens of dead bodies, the smell of death was still raw and heavy in the air. A sinister glow bounced off the walls, illuminating the path, at the same time casting disturbing shadows as they walked through. Faint sounds of a raging battle far away were drown out by the scuffling of the party's boots and their heavy, labored breathing which echoed down the corridor. The passageway led to a room which held some strange contraption in the middle. Once they stepped into the room, a sudden bolt of light flashed and Ash immediately ran out of the room screaming in panic. The other three were so distracted by his sudden display of immense speed and cowardice that they failed to notice the new danger in the room. The mephit took the chance and charged at Imoen.
"What the...Ahh!" Imoen cried out raising her hands blasting the mephit to oblivion with a magic missile spell.
"Good job, Immy!" Ash called out from the corridor.
"Heh, it's just a reflex action, I guess."
"Enough talk, quickly another appears. It must be spawning from this machine. Ash, find a way to shut it off!" Jaheira uttered in her usual bossy way while she advanced to the second mephit. Ash scanned the room frantically, running around like a headless chicken, trying to avoid Minsc's hefty swinging blade in the process. Where? What the heck am I supposed to look for? Maybe they could just destroy the machine. I wish Fay- Ane was here. God give me strength... no give me answers! Oh... crap! Ash stumbled on something, crashing to the ground. After which, the machine immediately stopped humming.
"Hey guys, I did it!"
"Yes you did. And Boo wishes to congratulate you!" Minsc roared delightfully, thrusting the furry rodent into Ash's face once again. Boo squeaked merrily at the half-elf and proceeded to get a better sniff of him by crawling onto his face.
"Nooooo! The foul critter is on my face. Too much...get off! Now! I can't take it anymore...ohhh," Ash screamed hysterically and slumped over, narrowly crushing Boo as the young half-elf lost consciousness.