Bodhi having decided to end the chase prematurely, they suddenly found themselves surrounded in a room with an immense statue missing it's horns.
"Bloodsuckers, Traitors, and now Cheaters!" Negrath shouted, a rage not entirely his own flowed to the front of his mind, where it caused the initiation of a process that had the Essence laughing loud enough for Negrath to wonder why the others didn't seem to notice.
Skin hardening and darkening, his size increased dramatically, and the target of what little rage came from him were suddenly the mice of a most unusual battle. Retreating hurriedly back into the previous room, his friends seemed to trigger the idea in Bodhi as well;
"Enough! Leave now. These news must be told!"
And with that, the still-raging creature known as the Slayer were alone, sniffing the air for traces of enemies…a.k.a. "life other than itself". Soon enough it was scrambling through the short corridor into the room where the others had settled down to discuss and wait, evidently not having considered the possibility that Bodhi would leave before he had turned back.
Quickly scanning the warm-blooded figures before it, the Slayer recognized the one that threatened it's existence by simply being there. It could already feel the puny human it had come from, run screaming around in it's head, looking frantically for some sort of control over what he had become. Yelling victoriously, the large, ominous creature advanced, dimly aware that the other enemies in the room had gotten the point when it smacked one of the annoying little stingers into the wall.
Idly curious as to why it's prey didn't run as the others, the shadow-given-substance studied it's opponent, knowing how to harm her the worst and the slowest in an instant. As it reached out it's clawhand to begin, it met her eyes… Next thing it knew, the appointed claw had frozen, hanging unmoving in the air at her waist, refusing to obey.
Growling angrily, the intimidating avatar of Bhaal instinctively knew that the infuriating bug it had been locked up in had found at least one place in it's mind to cause problems from. The growl tapering off into an earpiercing howl of rage entirely it's own, and therefore ineffectual, it felt it's human component gain more and more control, until it had nothing to do but shrink back into it's infuriating prison of flesh.
Negrath shaking his head dazily, having fallen on his knees as soon as the transformation rewound, looked up carefully…only to find a kneeling, curious Drow studying his face…
"Such power…" she whispered in awe.
"Don't, -cough-, don't expect me to brandish it again any time soon."
"I know…still, I know we'll find a way to exploit it…it cannot be allowed to lie dormant."
Eyes flashing angrily, she added;
"But for future reference, keep those claws away from me!"
"Shouldn't be a problem if you paid enough attention to know when it was about to appear." Negrath commented.
Laughing, she shook her head in amusement;
"I must be crazy, but I will accept that. Now, let's see what it takes for that damn door to open in there…"
A most excessive amount of monstrous corpses later, they found their way into an area Imoen recognized. Pointing at the door across the corridor they had just entered, she pressed herself against the door they had just passed through, trying to get as far away from it's opponent as possible, she whispered in fear;
"In there…he works in there…thieves….died….I….I got drained."
"I know." Were Negrath's toneless reply, reaching his hand out for his other katana.
Minsc surrendered it, while soundlessly requesting Keldorn's longblade. As the three spellcasters showered their selected fighters in every ounce of protective magics they had in their repertoire, the paladin stepped over to the fateful door, waiting for Negrath's nod. Imoen confirming that it was unlocked, Negrath gave his signal, and Keldorn slammed shoulder first into it, following his momentum to stand behind it as it stopped it's inward swing.
Storming inside, Minsc and Negrath, fully aware of where the fiend could be found, stormed toward him, legs working with a desperate strength that had them within a spearlength by the time his protections sprang up around him. Aerie's only readied Remove Magic, sent from the doorway, having no noticeable effect, they began to loose hope…yet kept their assault on the oddly physical inner shield, ignoring the flames leaping at them whenever their blades connected with the magical fields.
From the doorway, Keldorn swore, and stormed up to grab Minsc's swordhand, pulling it from the ranger's hands…once in his hands, the sword once more exercised it's power of spell removal….and suddenly, Negrath saw his blades carve trough what was left of the many protective spheres, to cut the flesh of the madman inside. Having studied them with bland interest up until that point, the hostile mage flooded the surrounding area in wave upon wave of flame, no visible sign of the extensive preparation for such a spell ever evident.
As the third burning wave washed over him, Negrath could feel his control slipping. Ignoring his body's complaints, he gathered what willpower he had, and managed to stop the change, ending up with a dark, clawed hand too heavy for his arm. Swinging it at his foe, he cursed loudly as it passed through the shimmering portal Irenicus had left with, not once showing a single shred of the expected fear.
Knowing his enemy probably walked around fully healed that very second, Negrath glared at the half-changed hand, before turning it on the Will that Was Not His… Moments later, his hand returned to normal quickly enough to go white as snow, before balancing out on it's normal statistics.
Turning, he became aware of a newcomer in the room; Saemon Havarian, the captain by whose ship they were there in the first place…and by whose meals his group were captured a second time. Seeing him do his best to dodge his friends approach, he told them to leave him alone.
As the sailor stopped before him, the Kensai held up a hand as the other opened his mouth to speak;
"I do not know who you are, but I suppose your reason for being here is not that you are beyond imbecile?"
"Indeed it is not. I am aware that you probably do not trust me much, but I really had no interest in seeing you captured…as it was, though, those two had quite a bit on me…at least they kept their word, and has currently no hold on me…my ship stands ready to bring you home to Atkathla in a flash. If you intend to catch up to him as fast as possible however, you will have to enter the Underdark to do so…"
Unsurprised, Negrath felt a hand on his shoulder, and, turning his head, saw Viconia glare him a warning.
"Now, dual one!" Saemon urged impatiently.
Swallowing, Negrath turned back to the captain, cleared his throat, and asked;
"How would we go about following them?"
Saemon dancing backwards as he looked over Negrath's shoulder, made the Bhaalspawn throw himself sideways, just barely avoiding being impaled on Jaheira's spear. Rolling to stand, he found that the druid had little to do with it, where she stood empty-handed, before acquiring and tossing him her staff;
"I assume you have little interest in harming her?"
Nodding, he grabbed it, stumbling sideways as the Drow saw a chance.
"I will hold you to -my- interpretation of what you said, whether it matters to you or not!" the cleric raged, sharp speartip flashing by his face.
Dancing around her, he found that he had an easier time imagining her drive the weapon through him, than he had considering to even trip her with the staff. He believed that was very bad news… Turning to run, he prayed she wouldn't do what he thought of. He was wrong, he realized, as the metal-tipped staff sailed over his head, evidently not under much control. As it hit the floor in front of him, it offered an obstruction. Jumping to clear it, he felt something heavy slam into his back, and moments later lay flat on same, head suspended over the stone floor by a pair of dark-skinned hands that shivered with the need to mash it into the all-too solid rock beneath…
Forcing himself to relax his neck so as to avoid her breaking it, should she decide to go for it, he felt the pressure on his ears lift, and watched as she stood, staring hotly down at him, a few tears that had refused to be denied rolling down her face, she accused, voice hoarse;
"I knew I should have made you promise properly. You sleep alone this night, Bhaalspawn."
Turning to leave, she made no sign of having heard his head hit the floor with a tired -thump-…Bodhi
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Last modified on September 2, 2001
Copyright © 2001-2003 by Hans-Olav Bråtun. All rights reserved.
