Part 13
Familiar scents of wool and leather filtered through her mind with gentle persistence. Lazily, she rolled onto her shoulder, burrowing her face deeper into her blankets. The twinge of pain that blossomed in her temples, reminded Avress of the reasons for her recent unconsciousness. The tenseness of her neck told her that most of her pain had been slept off and she was exceedingly grateful for it. Pulling herself upright, she was greeted by Jaheira's concerned face. The tea Jaheira extended towards her was accepted and Avress swallowed down the lukewarm beverage.
"Are you well, Avress?" the druid asked.
"I'm fine. How long was I asleep for?"
"No more than three hours. I take it that sending Imoen and Minsc to Atkathla was difficult?"
"The portal did not wish to allow it. I forced it to do as I bid but I don't think I could do it again," Avress replied with a wince.
"Nor would I like you to try. You gave us quite a scare. Now, are you ready to approach the portal again?" Jaheira asked, ever practical.
"Yes, I believe so. We need to confront Yaga-Shura and I don't want to waste anymore time. I doubt he's the patient sort."
"That is true but do you think we will be able to defeat him without two of our members?" Jaheira questioned.
"With the addition of Sarevok, we're really only missing one member. We've gone without another mage before," Avress replied.
She was reluctant to replace her sister, even temporarily. It was almost as if by replacing her, then Imoen would not return. Avress bit her lip. It was a childish fear and partly based on her guilt. Regardless, she wasn't sure if finding someone else at such short notice would be a good idea. Learning to coordinate her efforts with a new mage took time. Sarevok's addition had put them off balance already. A new mage could be very dangerous. One uncoordinated group attack and a party could destroy themselves.
"That we have, but I worry about walking into an army when we are not at full strength," Jaheira said.
"I worry about walking into an army without an army of my own," Avress smiled. "Let us deal with Yaga-Shura and then we'll consider breaking in a new mage."
The druid agreed with a nod and began to roust the rest of the party. As Jaheira did so, Avress packed her bedding and readied herself for the next confrontation. She had not said anything, but Avress was a little worried about confronting the giant. They were putting their trust in Nyalee's witchcraft and Avress had no experience in that area to say if the heart had truly been rendered inert. If by some chance Yaga-Shura's protections had not been dissolved, they would be in very grave danger.
Taking a calming breath, Avress closed her eyes and looked inward. Her sorcery had replenished itself and it was eager to do her bidding. The taint pulsed electric within her, impatient for the upcoming battle. Pleased that she was ready for conflict, despite the trials of the night, Avress slung her backpack on her shoulders. Around her the party was waiting. When she touched the portal it seemed strangely reluctant and resentful. Its strange intelligence reminded Avress of a scolded child. Avress let it search her mind freely and then accepted one of the destinations offered.
They appeared at in the forest they had come to after leaving Saradush. It was several hours away from the siege camp but it was the closest the portal would take them. After taking their bearings, they set off towards Yaga-Shura's siege camp at a comfortable pace. They had previously met patrols of soldiers in the area but this time the patrols were strangely absent. Instead of being relieved at their absence, Avress felt increasingly troubled. The others also seemed concerned by the lack of enemy patrols. Jaheira was walking ahead to find their rout but was accompanied closely by Keldorn. Viconia followed smoothly behind them, taunting Sarevok. Caution weighing her steps down, Avress was last in their small column. After roughly an hour, Sarevok slowed his pace.
"Is Viconia still vexing you?" Avress inquired.
"That she-spider does not know when to stop for her own good," Sarevok snarled.
Avress did not point out that the longer he reacted to Viconia's teasing, the longer she would continue. Her amusement in taunting Keldorn had not waned for many weeks. Sarevok's temper and pride were targets too promising for the drow to ignore. Instead of commenting, Avress let Sarevok fall into step with her. She could tell there was something on his mind. Avress remained silent, waiting for him to broach whatever it was that bothered him.
"So... I yet remain at your side," Sarevok finally said after several moments of silence. "I am surprised. I remain even at the cost of your sister and from your companions' constant wary glances it seems that they do not trust my presence... but you have not done the same."
"Are you surprised by that?" asked Avress, avoiding the topic of Imoen.
"You have grown in power, so I do not expect you to fear me as you once may have," the warrior admitted unwillingly.
"We have all changed, Sarevok," Avress replied.
"I expected a lack of trust, the suspicion that I might betray you. If I were you, I would feel so. It eats away at me, then, as to why you would agree to take me with you and not force some form of compliance from me through an oath. I told you that oaths had real power in our father's realm. Why did you not demand an oath from me?"
"The easy answer would be that I don't believe in enslaving the wills of others," Avress sighed but then shook her head. "If there has been anything I've learned, it is that must all live according to our hearts. If you choose to do evil or good, it is your choice."
"So you... allow me to make my own destiny by your side, trusting I will not betray you..." Sarevok spoke uncomfortably, grappling with the concept. "Why? Vengeance aside, why would I not do so, if I thought I could gain an advantage?"
"You might. I cannot tell you what to do... but everyone gets a second chance, Sarevok. Even you."
"An... interesting view, Avress. Perhaps it shall be your downfall. I shall have to think on it."
Sarevok's words reminded Avress uncomfortably of their shared past. By no means did she think Sarevok rendered harmless or tamed. Even without the taint, he was a dire force to be reckoned with. And yet... something about their conversation made Avress wonder. For all that he had been challenging her motives she couldn't help but think he was really challenging his own. Avress had desired some form of resolution to the pain and hate that had stained their past exchanges. Even if Sarevok tried to pretend otherwise, they had seen far too much to remain the people they had once been. The Sarevok of the Iron Throne would never have questioned himself. Enmeshed with her thoughts, Avress paid little attention to her surroundings until Jaheira and Keldorn stopped suddenly.
Pure horror enveloped her, as Avress looked up and took in the black clouds of smoke rising from Saradush. The smell of carnage wafted from the city telling sordid tales of what the smoke obscured. Sullenly, the taint sounded its displeasure. With death come and gone, there was no murder to feast upon. White faced, Avress turned to her companions. Their expressions betrayed a variety of emotion but they all held knowledge of their failure. Keldorn was angry and disgusted as was Jaheira. The displeasure warred with aversion on Viconia's face. Sarevok's jaw was clenched around anger and frustration. Uncomfortably, Avress was reminded of how he had almost started a war of his own.
"A month! We had a month and we were barely gone five days!" Jaheira swore.
"Nothing is certain in war," Keldorn sighed.
"Something must have happened in our absence," Jaheira barked. "The whole town in is chaos. That madman must have raised it to the ground."
"Hopefully the confusion will give us some cover," Avress said sadly.
"We would still have to battle those that we met," Keldorn spoke up. "I suspect that Yaga-Shura would have ordered his soldiers to kill those not wearing his colors."
"Can you hide us from sight, abbil?" Viconia asked.
"Unlike Imoen, I cannot cast a mass invisibility spell but I have a scroll," Avress replied. "We'll need to be as quiet as possible. If we are discovered or the spell dissolves, I won't be able to recast it. This is our last mass invisibility scroll."
"Use the spell. We are strong but the numbers are against us. Even we could be overwhelmed. The giant's soldiers are well trained and will use that advantage against us," Sarevok spoke, voicing the thoughts they all shared.
Letting her sorcery rise up, Avress chanted the spell and let it loose. Her party faded from view and only their movements were to suggest where they stood. Moving together closely, they infiltrated the siege camp. In the camp itself, there were few soldiers. Instead they wove around the abandoned instruments of war. From the sounds coming from the city, it was clear that the soldiers were out looting and pillaging. The taint alerted her to a few deaths but already the city was a barren husk. To their disappointment, Yaga-Shura was not in the encampment. The only place he would otherwise be was the city. That significantly increased the risk of their attack. Unable and unwilling to back out, they moved towards the last intact bridge led into the city.
"Help us, someone!" cried a man darting across the bridge from the wreck of a house.
"Run for your lives!" another called.
"The army will kill us all!" a woman sobbed as she stumbled forward.
The narrow quarters of the bridge afforded the party no opportunity to dodge the fleeing people. Instead the peasants stumbled into Viconia. The spell melted away leaving them exposed to the eyes of the soldiers.
"That's the Bhaalspawn that was supposed to be in the city!" cried a particularly dirty soldier.
More soldiers looked up at their fellow's cry.
"Get them! There's a reward!"
"Kill them before more come!" Avress called frantically.
As quickly as the soldiers fell, more replaced them. The group had pressed forward and had found better ground than the narrow bridge but it was difficult to prevent themselves from being surrounded. Avress did not use her magic, except to erect some protections, and instead concentrated on using her daggers. She realized stopping the warning of their presence from spreading was futile, as heavy footsteps vibrated through the earth. Four fire giants lumbered into view. One wore polished armor and held a hammer glowing with enchantments. The taint within Avress reacted to the powerful Bhaalspawn before her. Bearing her teeth in a snarl, Avress began to speak the words of a spell.
"What a disappointment you created for me, worm!" Yaga-Shura called. "I redoubled our efforts to crush this worthless town when I heard you were within, the Terror of the Sword Coast... only to find you gone! I thought I would have to content myself with slaughtering all the weakling Bhaalspawn in the city and forget about you. But here you are!! HA ha ha ha!! I should have been the first sent after you, and now I shall prove it! Yaga-Shura shall become even greater still!!"
As he finished speaking, her cone of cold hit the giant in the face and torso. She had angled the blast of cold upwards, missing her companions. The giant stumbled back in surprise. His ruddy skin was blanched white and was cracked from the intense cold. The giant's reaction seemed strangely magnified. Avress sneered as she realized the giant knew not how to deal with pain after being so long without.
"What...?! No! No, this cannot be! I... I am wounded!! Yaga-Shura cannot be defeated!! Men... men, destroy them! Rip the hearts from their chests and make them suffer!! I will return with reinforcements!"
The giant general fled and Avress did not pause as she attacked the nearest soldier. With reinforcements coming, they would have to be done with their current opponents soon or they'd be overwhelmed. Keldorn and Sarevok cut a swath through the soldiers. By their sides, Viconia and Jaheira kept them from being surrounded. Between the two women, Avress kept herself out of trouble, striking only when she had a clear shot. A flood of fresh soldiers soon appeared from within the city followed by Yaga-Shura.
"You... you have weakened me! You and that foul witch, I know it!
"Betrayal breeds betrayal, giant," Avress snarled.
"NO MATTER!! Yaga-Shura will defeat you yet! RAAAAAUUUGHHH!!"
The huge Bhaalspawn threw himself into the battle knocking Keldorn down and throwing Sarevok into a wall. Not daring to meet the giant's charge, Viconia melted back. Jaheira stepped around the giant to attack, searching for an opportunity to crush his kneecaps. Avress did not move, instead letting the giant batter himself on the icy fires of her protections. His cries of frustration were music to her ears. The deadly mist that descended upon them was not quite so pleasant. Avress howled in agony as moisture was ripped from her body.
Across the clearing a mage smiled smugly. Rage fuelled by the taint filled her and Avress returned the spell. The mage was not so lucky. Nor were the soldiers caught within the circumference of the wilting spell. Yaga-Shura seemed to be hurt but it did not stop him for long. Avress was very relieved to see that Keldorn and Sarevok had returned to the battle. Viconia had sent an elemental to harass the soldiers and added her spells to the fray. She efficiently dealt with the second mage that foolishly stepped into the open.
"Ignore the soldiers!" Avress called. "Focus on Yaga-Shura!"
Her companions obeyed instantly and she let her sorcery rise again. Under their combined blows, the giant was slowly being defeated. Jaheira had succeeded in laming Yaga-Shura, so he could not flee but she had been badly wounded in the process. Both Sarevok and Keldorn had traded blows with the giant too. Yaga-Shura's soldiers continued to be problematic but for the most part, they ignored them to focus on their master. Finally, Avress let her wilting spell go. Thick deadly fog masked her companions for a moment. Using the spell's cover, Keldorn slid Carsomyr into the giant's ribs. Sarevok's blade soon followed, nearly carving the giant's arm from his body. The giant toppled and then fell to the ground. Cries of panic sounded amid the remaining soldiers. Their untouchable general had been killed. They began to flee and Avress smiled in victory. Before she could say anything, a strange light-headedness made the world spin. A familiar pulling sensation registered just as Avress appeared somewhere else.
"I greet you, you who are of-," the familiar Solar spoke and then paused. "This is unexpected. In all the possibilities I have mapped, this was unforeseen. No matter, it is time for your education to continue."
Avress followed the Solar's gaze to Sarevok. Blood spattered and wary, the large warrior glared at the Solar. She was not sure why Sarevok was there when the others were not. That the Solar had been surprised at his presence was not reassuring, but Avress did not have the luxury to worry about that. That her other companions had not materialized with them was what monopolized her concern. She did not wish to abandon them in the middle of a battle, even with the soldiers fleeing.
"Forgive me Solar, but your timing is not very convenient," Avress spoke up. "I fear for my companions. May I ask where they are?"
"Fear not for them, godchild. They observe but cannot interfere. That is all I will say on the matter. You, however, have been brought to this place because you are ready. The first step towards the fulfilment of your destiny has been taken. Yaga-Shura is dead by your hand, and the forces in play now move swiftly toward conclusion. Now you must know yourself and your past to reveal your future. That Sarevok is here is perhaps appropriate given what shall be revealed. Listen and be judged."
"Very well... I will listen," Avress replied apprehensively.
"To look upon oneself and ask, 'What is my nature?' one must know one's origin. Your own origin is a mystery to you, godchild. You have no beginning... and without a beginning, how can there be an ending? What do you know of your birth? What do you know of your mother, of your life before Gorion brought you to the safety of Candlekeep?"
"I know little of my life before Gorion. I asked but Gorion would always change the subject or tell me to wait until I was older," Avress admitted, her heart aching at the mention of her foster father. "He died before he could tell me the full truth."
"Your past unfolds for you. You would do well to heed it closely."
A fair haired elven woman appeared before Avress. Her presence startled Avress but she found herself ridged with amazement as she took in the strange elf's appearance. The similarities between the elven woman's features and her own were undeniable. Even Sarevok had noticed, his wordless exclamation of surprise echoed in the silence of the pocket plane. With a mixture of amazement and disbelief, Avress drank in the elven woman's presence.
"I am your mother. I am Alianna, a disciple of the great Lord of Murder, a priestess of Bhaal."
Those few words were enough to almost knock Avress to her knees. Gorion had not said much about her origins. His silence on the subject had caused her many pangs of curiosity and frustration. Only once had he mentioned her mother. That had been enough for Avress. Around his words, she had fashioned a thousand mother figures. Now they were all slain with the words of the cruel elf woman. Gorion's story of her mother being a long lost companion dissolved into a lingering feeling of hurt betrayal.
"In the Time of Troubles did Bhaal, himself, come and whisper in mine ear. I was to give birth to one of the Children. To you. I rose my arms up and hailed my Lord of Murder with great joy at my fate. Others of Bhaal's order took me away, to hide us in the darkest temple away from prying eyes. Others of the Children were there... and when our great Bhaal died did we begin our task."
Fanaticism marked every word she spoke. Blood filled her mouth from where Avress bit her cheek. The urge to cry increased with each new revelation, but she refused to show her tears. Avress refused to give her that much of herself to the elf that was her birth mother. A second figure joined Alianna and Avress gasped. There was no doubt in her mind that this time, it was truly was Gorion.
"Her task was to slay her own child, sacrifice her babe upon the bloodiest of altars," Gorion intoned sadly.
"I would slay you, my child," Alianna agreed with fervour. "So Bhaal could live again."
"But I and several of my colleagues had discovered the location of this temple. We attacked and stopped your mother from performing the sacrifice," Gorion continued.
"We resisted. This was the will of Bhaal, father of my child," Alianna spoke.
"They were many and their magic was strong. We had little time. I killed the priestess...."
"He slew me, your mother!"
Avress turned away from the elf that would dare demand affection and loyalty, when she would have plunged a dagger into her own child. Beside her, she heard Sarevok stir angrily. Had his mother also been a priestess, Avress thought wildly? Instead, Avress focused on the warm and loving eyes of Gorion.
"I rescued you and fled from the temple even as many other Bhaalspawn babes died," Gorion spoke.
The figure of Alianna fell as if in death when Gorion finished speaking. In her place, another figure immerged- that of a boy that was perhaps eight. The child's bronze skin and intense gaze was strangely familiar. A strangled cry from beside her, made Avress look towards Sarevok. Amazed, she looked back at the boy. The resemblance was too great to be discounted. The boy was Sarevok as a child.
"But not all of us died. Some of us used the chaos to escape, to flee," the boy said resentfully.
"Yes," agreed Gorion. "Not all the Bhaalspawn children died that night. I saved the only one I could."
"He could only save one, there was no time for more," the child agreed but then his face twisted in spite. "But I was there, as well."
"Enough!" Sarevok thundered. "End this Solar!"
Both Gorion and the younger version of Sarevok froze as if caught between one moment of time and another. Avress swallowed hard and tried to focus on the Solar who again stepped forward. Numbly, she looked at Sarevok. He was angrier than she had ever seen him. Old wounds had ripped afresh and new ones inflicted. Neither of them were unscathed. Under the shock induced numbness, a part of her also wanted to rage at the Solar that had inflicted the pain.
"What is begun must be finished. You both must confront the phantoms of your past. The time for lies, half-truths and illusions has ended," the Solar replied impassively, and with a wave of her hand, the figures were restored.
"I chose you, Avress." Gorion nodded at her and then turned regretfully to Sarevok. "I could not save both of you."
"He left me behind, saving you instead. And so I fled on my own, raised by foster parents in the Iron Throne. It mattered not. I killed Gorion in the end."
Both Gorion and the child disappeared, leaving Avress trembling. Her image of Gorion was forever changed. Her understanding of Sarevok was also irrefutably altered. Was that what her life was? A simple act of chance?
"And so your past is made plain," said the Solar. "Your mother, a priestess of Bhaal, killed by Gorion."
"Gorion did what he had to," Avress said without inflection.
"And what of your brother, Sarevok?" asked the Solar. "What if fate had not intervened, and Gorion had raised him rather than you? Would you have become as he was? Would Sarevok be in your place, now, if but for the smallest twist of fate? Is there a debt between you, then, that is yet unpaid?"
"Yes, there is a debt."
Sarevok stiffened in surprise. She didn't blame him. Her emotions were raw in her voice and it had taken everything she'd had to reply to the Solar. Unable to meet his eyes, she looked up at the Solar. The alien beauty of the Solar seemed so cold.
"I could have just as easily have had his life, and he mine," Avress continued.
"And you, warrior? Could you perhaps stand in Avress' place had things gone differently?" the Solar asked.
"You want me to admit to being fate's plaything? Gorion made a choice. A choice, not fate," Sarevok growled.
"We are finished, then, for now. Return to your cocoon plane and you will find part of it now open to you, godchild. Investigate, as you wish. Consider what you have learned here, today. Farewell."
A/N: For those of you who have subscribed to my mailing list, you will notice that this chapter is the same as the one I posted on the list. It had been my intention to edit it but real life intruded. I am currently in the middle of exams and have an upper respiratory infection that has sent me to hospital twice. Due to this, writing will probably be halted for a time. The parts that I have completed will be uploaded first at the mailing list and then here at ff.net.