Light Wrapped in Darkness

Magicman: Something extremely vexing has occurred. It seems that doesn't like side-text based stories. As such, the pack of...less than wonderful people have deleted Love Problems, the EBA, and the Escaflowne Christmas Carol. If you guys have any side-text based stories, then I urge you to try and save them before it's too late!

Smokegirl: Aren't you putting all your other stories at risk by beginning and ending like this?

Magicman: My others aren't side-text based.

Dilandau-with-a-cowboy-hat: Wait a minute. They killed the EBA? Those are my glory chapters! This sucks!

Magicman: Yep. Hard work down the drain. But I suppose there's not much for it except to keep on. Sigh...

The Cowled Wizards had only one real agent on the island of Brynnlaw. Perth, as he was called, was mostly a recluse who stayed away from everyone, alone in his house. Town rumour had it that he had gone insane and cut off all contact from his superiors in Amn. Others said that he was a puppet being controlled by unknown forces. Still other rumours declared that the man had died of food poisoning. No matter which rumour you believed, according to Claire he was the only one who could access the asylum at will. Apparently he had a charmed stone which would break past the security magics set up around Spellhold.

Thanking Claire once again for her information, Taurus and the others followed her directions to Perth's house. Taurus was expecting something relatively grand from a Cowled Wizard. As such, he was disappointed. As far as buildings went, it was quite run down. The stone walls were crumbling and ivy choked every available surface. Even the wooden door looked rotted.

"Alright" Taurus said brightly as he turned to the group. "Who wants to go in first?"

Seconds later he found himself turning the doorknob and muttering impolite drowish words he'd heard from Viconia. A light push opened the path to the interior.

Once inside, Taurus' first impressions of Perth reluctantly faded. The single room was elegantly furnished, though ill kept of recent. The bed's soft blankets were rumpled and unmade, dishes lay scattered at various locations on the floor, books had fallen, their open pages revealing obscure magical texts. And at the small wooden table sat a man. Scrawny and underfed, dirty and unkempt, with dark sleepless bags beneath sunken eyes, but a Cowled Wizard nonetheless.

Taurus took a deep breath before speaking. There was something vaguely unsettling about the man. "Excuse me."

Perth blinked slowly. Then he turned his head toward Taurus' voice. "What is it?" he asked, carefully forming each syllable. "Is it time for another test already?"

The crintri couldn't put his finger on it, but something about this man was very queer. Most magic users he'd known had had some odd habits, but nothing he'd seen was quite like this.

"My name is Taurus" he said slowly, his hand straying toward his weapon. "I need to talk to you about the Asylum."

At last Perth showed some signs of life. An odd light shone in his lackluster eyes. His lips moved, forming words that were not his own. "Taurus? ...Taurus?"

An intake of breath from behind him turned Taurus' head. Aerie and the rest of the party waited by the door, though the elf's eyes had widened with shock. "He's been dominated!" she nearly whispered, pulling her staff closer. "Someone is controlling him magically!"

Perth suddenly jerked to his feet, shoving the table over as he went. "Taurus." He droned. "If the subject is encountered, do not hesitate to test its limits. Loss of life is acceptable for research purposes. Yes. Test limits. Test limits." Perth's hands glowed with magical energy as he began to weave a spell.

The fireball exploded among the party. Taurus managed to flip out of the way and Jaheira was still outside, but Aerie Viconia and Minsc were all his hard. The drow easily resisted the spell but the avariel was nearly blown off her feet, much of her skin charred. Still, she managed to cast Breach on the magical armour that Perth called to his aid. Minsc shrugged off the affects easier than his witch and managed to carry her out the door where Jaheira started t heal her.

Taurus and Viconia flanked the mind-controlled wizard, each drawing his attention with light strikes, disrupting his magic before it could be cast. Perth finally whirled on the drow, flailing with his staff. Viconia smacked it aside with her shield contemptuously before slashing with her mace. The man didn't even try to avoid the blow, and so his brains were soon leaking out over the floor.

Taurus nodded to Viconia before rushing outside to Aerie, nearly bowling over Jaheira. The half-elf ignored him and stepped into the building. As she studied her surroundings she walked over to Viconia. The drow was just finishing looting Perth's corpse and came up with two items of interest. "The rivvin had some interesting items on his person." Viconia tossed a book to Jaheira. "An auto-spell book, as it were. Which would explain how he could cast that fireball spell so quickly. But more importantly, we have this."

Jaheira looked closer at the rune stone carved to resemble a screaming face. "Charming. What is it?" Viconia grinned.

"Unless I miss my guess, this is what will get us into the Asylum. This corpse", she kicked Perth's body disparagingly, "was the Cowled ones' representative on the island. It makes sense that he would have a way inside."

Jaheira considered before nodding. "Yes," she said, "I think you are right. We should get going then, as soon as we're ready."

Viconia stood gracefully. "It seems that we're reaching the end of our journey. What will you do once this madness is all over?"

Jaheira shrugged. "I cannot say. Perhaps I will spend some time on Taurus' lands. Nature does need tending."

Viconia made a face. "I might have known. Tree huggers are all the same. No ambition. Now drow are conquerors! It's a shame that we have grown so stagnant over the years. I could easily see Taurus growing in power. With a little effort the two of us could carve out an empire among the kingdoms. That would be something to see, would it not?"

"Ah, but what about Aerie?"

Viconia wrinkled her nose. "We'll do it quietly then. But enough for now. The madman is waiting for us." Hefting her mace, the drow woman strolled casually toward the door. "Conquering the world will just have to wait for now."

In later years Taurus would describe Spellhold asylum as a nightmare, carved from shadows by a madman. A gloom dripped from the aged stone walls and pooled into the surrounding ruins. This part of the island had been abandoned, and for good reason. Cruel experiments, dissections of mind and magic, had driven away island residents. Now strange experimentations roamed in their stead, twisted and mutated with a hatred for everything alive.

Now as he surveyed the building, Taurus was curiously unaffected by the nightmare made solid. He stood in one place, calmly stroking the hilt of his katana and regarding the object of his travels with icy cold eyes. "So they're in here, hmm?" he asked Sime.

The thief nodded slowly. "Yep. Beauty and the beast, as it were. You've got a way in?"

When Taurus didn't answer, Jaheira pulled out the wardstone from Perth. Sime nodded. "Alright then. See what you can do about the asylum. I'll see if I can get word back to Aran. Maybe even bring in some backup. Good luck friends." Without another word, she stepped back and disappeared into the early afternoon shadows.

Aerie bristled. "Thanks for sticking around to help!" she muttered to herself. Sighing, she flattened her hair and tried reciting spell words in her mind. It usually calmed her down. This time it failed.

The blonde elf found herself watching Taurus, worry drifting through her crystalline eyes. He had been having these fits of strange emotions for a few weeks now. Sometimes he would just fly into a rage over something stupid. A few days ago on the ship he had sliced open his thumb while sharpening one of those swords he carried around in his pack. He just snapped and smashed a nearby table to pieces. Days before that while they had still been Athkatla, he had been attacked by a trio of muggers. He had ripped them to pieces in seconds. Not surprising really, Athkatla was a dangerous city and Taurus was deadly with a sword. But Aerie had been the first of the party on the scene after the attack, and she'd watched her love smile hungrily as he twisted Celestial Fury in the would be mugger's gut.

And sometimes he was just so cold. Not violent or hateful. Just cold. These moments scared Aerie more than the fits of rage.

Whatever cloud had passed over Taurus mind was gone now. He smiled ruefully. "Nothing's ever easy, is it? Ah well. Onwards and upwards!" He hit the broken stone path at a steady jogging pace. His eagerness to find Imoen was so sincere that Aerie almost thought she had been imagining his earlier mood.

Almost. Taking a breath she set off after him.

Lizard men, born from a terrible fusion had clawed at Taurus' flesh. An air elemental had grievously harmed Jaheira with jets of icy and boiling air. Wraiths and shadows had tried to suck out Viconia's soul, and the rotting wood of the walkways collapsed beneath Minsc's feet, nearly sending him on a one way trip through fifty feet of air onto sharp jagged rocks.

Compared to all that, the magical wards gave way easily to the power of Perth's keystone.

The hunk of rock did its thing and dispelled magic that would surely have fried flesh from bones.

Jaheira delicately fit the stone into the corresponding slot on the door as the party tensed up. The door swung open simply and quietly. There was no clap of thunder or rush of wind. But ice did creep up the druid's neck. As Taurus was about to step through the black gate, she grabbed his arm. "Taurus" she began, but seeing the look of cold determination on his face her protests of caution faded. She just nodded and followed him into the dark.

The dark lasted for only a moment as Taurus, Jaheira and the rest walked through the narrow archway. On the other side was a man.

Cowled and robed, his face hidden by cloth, he stood quietly with his hands in his sleeves. An aura of magic surrounded him as he regarded the crintri and his friends with a clinical interest. "I trust you have a good reason for being here." The man's voice was muffled and quiet, so much so that Taurus had to lean forward to hear him. "Taurus, isn't it?"

Taurus immediately tensed. "How do you know me?"

"You made inquiries in the town and I have agents and spies all across the island. I know why you have come in fact. You are no doubt brimming with concern for your Imoen. I am the asylum coordinator." The man did not extend his hand in greeting. He did not even move. Taurus didn't answer.

The wizard continued. "Your friend is quite alright, given the circumstances. This is not a prison, but an institution of learning and healing."

"Then release her to me." Taurus grated out.

The coordinator seemed to shrug. "It is not that simple, but it never is. If you come with me I will show you why. Then perhaps you will understand."

Taurus glanced behind him at his party. Then he returned his attention back to the wizard before him and slowly released the death grip on his sword. "I will come but I will be wary of any treachery."

"Of course. This way please."

Keeping the simple brown robes in sight at all times the party walked through the asylum antechamber and down a dimly lit corridor. The coordinator led them past numerous barred doors without comment. He stopped in front of one seemingly at random then turned to face his guests.

"The Residence for the Magically Deviant hosts many who can benefit from a structured society" the wizard spoke. "They can also be studied so that what they are capable of can be understood. Take young Dili, this cell's occupant. At a remarkably young age she learned to shape magical energy, to change her shape at will. And for her talents, she was driven from her home. Here she is safe, and others have learned something of what she does. It is invaluable information."

Taurus followed the coordinator without looking into the cell. Aerie stopped by the door and peered inside. She saw a young girl, her face dirty and her clothing ragged. "They locked you away in here?" she murmured. "But you're just a child! How could they?"

Dili looked up curiously and smiled. "Have you a new face today?" she asked in her high-pitched child-like voice. "I think you do. I can see the real one. I'll be you, okay?" Something rippled about the young girl. Then Aerie found herself blinking at herself.

It was a strange sensation, and it was a few minutes before she caught up the tour group. The strange wizard had stopped in front of another cell and was speaking in that politely cold voice of his.

"This is Wanev" the man said. "He used to be Coordinator before I took the post. A bad reaction to a particular spell unhinged him quite dramatically."

"I want this hall cleaned!" shrieked the thin pale man as he threw himself against the bars of his cell. Don't you stare at me! I want it cleaned now!"

Jaheira watched him curiously. "A particularly bad reaction to have stripped him of sanity" she mentioned casually to the coordinator. "Unless, of course, that was the intent."

The wizard did not answer her, he merely continued on. "With study we can prevent it from happening again. His career is over though."

No one spoke until the group came to the next room. A dapper young man sat wistfully, a bowl of soup held delicately in one hand. He seemed to stare off into space. "I used to have pretties piled high to the sky. Don't remember where they are though." He sighed. "Hmm. Pretties."

The coordinator clarified the ramblings. "Naljier Skal here was once a great bard of some repute. His last research project was on the nature of the gods and what lay between the planes. Apparently someone didn't like him looking. He retains his spellcasting abilities however. And he can be incredibly dangerous if unsupervised."

Minsc shook his head sorrowfully. "Minds are a dime a dozen, but great tunes are few and far between. Such a loss."

The next cell was only a dozen feet away. The occupant was a young woman, arms wrapped around her knees in a fetal position. The coordinator continued his grim narration. "This is Aphril, and she sees rather too much as well. She is able to see through the fabric of the planes. Apparently she can also see the denizens of those planes. They are quite numerous apparently, and she is never really alone."

A whimper from Aphril drew the party's attention. "All around" she whispered. "Behind, above, all around!" She jumped up suddenly, a shriek tearing from her throat. Taurus watched her, something resembling pity in his eyes.

The coordinator watched him from under his hood. "She does not sleep much" he observed. "What use are eyelids when you can see through the planes, after all?" Taurus didn't answer. He just watched the mad woman.

The next inmate was rather familiar. When he spoke of him, the coordinator's voice took on a hint of exasperation. "This is-"

"Tiax?" Taurus was surprised out of his solemnity. "How did he get here?"

"Ahem. He was found raving by the side of some road."

"Tiax rules all!" the gnome yelled to the world. "You are all but grease for the wheels of his conquest. Silence the squeaking of those that protest! He rules all!"

The coordinator rolled his eyes behind his hood. "Obviously a danger, you can see."

The next inmate lay deeper in the asylum. The party had to go down some stairs first before they reached him. He was an aged elven mage, as the coordinator described him, whose name was Dradeel.

Dradeel howled at the sight of the companions. "Bad dogs!" he screamed. "Werewolves all! Back with you!" He snapped viciously at Viconia as she passed by. The drow raised her upper lip and snarled back.

The coordinator passed by him, narrating as he walked. "Obviously he has had some sort of traumatic experience in the past which has rendered him incapable of trusting a soul. He simply cannot be allowed to roam with the power he possesses. But lastly," he added as he led the group into a large room, "We have the one you seek. She is comparatively well given the circumstances."

For the first time since he'd entered the asylum, Taurus betrayed heartfelt emotion. "Imoen!"

The strawberry blonde teenager sat in a well-stuffed chair, her hands clasped in her lap and her head lolled back. She was unmindful of her ragged tunic and pants or the state of her face and her hair. "So empty", she murmured. She sounded so lost and helpless. It tore at the heart. "Empty."

"She does not seem willing to respond right now" the cowled coordinator observed. "It is fortunate that you arrived when you did."

"It certainly is!" Taurus snapped, glaring at the guide. "She looks like a shadow of herself! I'll be taking her away from here now."

"I afraid you misunderstand. It is fortunate for me that you arrived when you did. I am finished with her for now. It is you I am after."

This statement was spoken in such a calm matter of fact tone that Taurus almost missed it. Slowly he turned from his childhood friend and faced the mysterious wizard, his features stony. The coordinator continued to speak. "I knew you would come after her so I made the path difficult but not impossible, all designed to test your potential. We met in this asylum as strangers. But I think you perhaps know me now."

"Irenicus" Taurus slowly ground out the name, each syllable twisted with hate. In a flash his swords came out and the party tensed for battle. "I'm going to kill you for what you've done to me and mine!" He would have said more but something made him stop, a sudden weakening in his legs.

Irenicus removed his hood, revealing his face. The skin that was of dried leather parchment. The mouth that was twisted with an ancient grudge. The empty and lifeless eyes. Now those eyes regarded him without emotion. "You are intent upon revenge or justice no doubt. You will have neither. My agents aboard Havarian's ship carefully prepared your meal to my specifications. The sleeping drugs should be taking affect about now."

Even as the mad wizard spoke Taurus could feel himself grow weaker. His swords which always felt so light and delicate in his hands were like lead weights and he didn't have the strength to stand much less hold them. The shadows closing in on his vision. The sounds of his companions falling echoed around him, but he was too furious to care. Desperately he lurched back to his feet and set his sights on the mage. Irenicus would die! He would! He would...

Defeated, he slumped to the ground. As he faded into blackness Irenicus' words drifted into his ears.

"There will be no violence, no heroics. Only sleep."

Taurus woke suddenly to the sensation that he was trapped and helpless. As awareness flooded into his being he realised two things.

He was imprisoned in a crystalline test tube, and his three prison guards were none other than Irenicus and Bhodi, with Saemon Havarian watching from the background.

Snarling, the crintri hurled himself at the glass wall, striving to crack it. He failed; magic thwarted his physical strength.

Irenicus watched him with the look of one who has come by an interesting bug. "Well my test subject has awoken at last Bhodi" he said to his sister before returning his attention to Taurus. "It has been as I predicted. It all has been. I fear I have had an advantage over you from the start. And with that advantage I knew exactly what you would do and where you would go. It was rather interesting to watch you scurry across Athkatla, but now business is at hand."

Taurus slammed a fist into the prison. "You bastard!" he snarled. "Where is Imoen? What did you do to her and my friends?"

Irenicus gave a fraction of a shrug. "I am quite finished with her, as I said earlier. She even survived. This bodes well for you. You are stronger, more focused. You are 'aware'."

"Aware?! Aware of what?"

"Gorion made one fatal flaw when he took the two of you in and raised you. He never told you what you were. If he had then you wouldn't have grown up fearing your heritage. Had you accepted the power of your blood from the beginning then perhaps you would not be here right now."

"So you wanted me because of my blood? But That's just me! Imoen isn't... You didn't need to..." Taurus' arguments faded before they were formed as the dark possibility surfaced in his mind for the first time. "That's insane!" he snapped immediately. "She can't be!"

For the first time, a hint of a smile tugged at Irenicus' lips. "Why not? You are both the same age and neither of you know anything of your origins. But then your origins are not so different, are they?"

"Yes, Imoen is indeed a Child of Bhaal."

Overwhelming shock deafened Taurus. Irenicus continued to speak but he may as well have been moving his lips with no sound for all that Taurus heard him. His oldest friend. The girl he used to swipe cookies with from the kitchens at Candlekeep. The young woman he'd watched creep across countless rooftops for the sheer joy of breaking someone's defences. His closest companion, who he'd told all his secrets and loved and trusted like a sister. She was his sister. They shared the blood of a dead god. Taurus clenched a fist and damned Bhaal with whispered words for cursing Imoen the way he'd been cursed.

"But you don't have to worry about that." Irenicus interrupted Taurus' thoughts. "Your life ends today. The curse that was wrought against Bhodi and I will be lifted and yours will begin. I believe" he added, "That things will be less painful for you if you do not resist. You may even survive."

Taurus looked up into Irenicus' face through the magical prison. "I will kill you for everything you've done to me and Imoen" he told him flatly and coldly.

Bhodi let out a short sharp laugh. Irenicus nodded. "Perhaps. But for now my will remains supreme." The mage closed his eyes and moved his hands in an intricate dance of power, weaving the fabrics of reality to his will. Taurus didn't recognise the spell, and that made cold fear rush through his blood.

From a laboratory beneath the asylum, several shadow thieves screamed in agony as their lives were torn from their bodies to fuel the magic Irenicus harnessed. They rushed down the leylines that converged upon the asylum and into the room were the mage worked his magic.

And when they arrived, pain rushed into Taurus' skull, pain so sharp and harsh that he couldn't even scream. Light consumed his vision and he knew no more.

Magicman: Ha! Take that world! I've updated! Muahahahahahahaaa!

Smokegirl: Muahahahahahahahahahaha!

Dilandau-with-a-cowboy-hat: Muahahahaha- hey! What are we laughing about?

Magicman: Oh just life. Hope you guys enjoyed!

Smokegirl: Review or I burn you all!

Magicman: You couldn't resist, could you?