(A/N:
You'll find a reference to the song mentioned in this chapter in
Chapter Ten of Dependence I: Heartsinger, after Daschnaya tells
Deekin's fortune. To celestine01: Exactly. To everyone else
who guessed: You're doing great! Don't forget about Umbra's robe.
To snackfiend101: Yes, there is a story behind that. A
horribly, HORRIBLY cheesy story, which sends chills of laughter up
Deekin's spine to recall. To Witchwolf: Thanks for the
awesome, really long review!
This is the longest chapter so far,
also marking the sequel as longer than the first part... and there's
still more to go, though the story is at last nearing an ending. I
thank all my reviewers, and hope you enjoy this chapter.
Disclaimer: And thus, a disclaimer was spawned, disclaiming any and all ownership of Neverwinter Nights.)
Chapter Fourteen
It took long enough, but after some rest the three made it out of the beholder caves and back into the open Underdark at last. The past few hours had been quite uneventful, Deekin's nervous chatter having died down shortly after they left the caves. Putting the finishing touches on the newest addition to his tale and correcting a few misspellings, the reptilian breathed out, closed his notebook over the self-inking quill, and looked ahead. As always, Valen and Umbra strode ahead of him. In recent days he had grown used to it, but after today's (tonight's?) earlier events, Valen's close proximity to Umbra was making him more and more uncomfortable. Deekin tried to put it out of his mind, examining his surroundings and noticing that mushrooms down here could grow as big as humans, luminous blue and plain gray alike. Still, it didn't take long for his gaze to return to Umbra. He wanted desperately to speak with her, but with Valen's proper speech to compare to, Deekin was increasingly ashamed of how fragmented his own spoken Common was. A quiet while later, he reopened his notebook, took out the quill and flipped to the final pages, which could be scribbled on and torn out and they wouldn't be missed. Closing his eyes, it didn't take him long to recall the lyrics he wanted, and he began writing.
The second song he had ever written (the first was "Oh! How Smelly the Dragon's Den Be!" and had not gone over well with Tymofarrar) was composed three years ago, during his caravan trip across the Anauroch. He had written dozens of songs since then, though few had met with public approval when they were sung by a kobold. Of them all his favorite song was always the one for Umbra; and yet, he had never finished it, not even titled it. During the years Umbra was gone he'd worked on it a number of times, but never found the right words for it. Now that their adventures had resumed, there was barely enough opportunity to write the epic tale, let alone the song. But - Deekin looked around to make sure - there was no danger to contend with for the time being, and he'd finished writing all the exciting bits of the epic. Surely, now he could work on the song.
After rewriting the first lines from memory, Deekin paused and tried to think of what to write next. He couldn't.
"Fine time for Deekin to gets writer's block," the kobold grumbled, tapping his skull with the quill's plume ponderously. It was so easy to get stuck when he was drawing from his own imagination, because he always knew he could better his own mind's products. Not so with reality - what happened, happened. And that was that. Finding that the more he dwelt on the song the harder it was to think up the next lyrics, Deekin took a break before he'd even begun and looked around. No signs of enemies; just rocks and mushrooms. Mushrooms sure did get big down here, he thought again, turning back to the pages hopefully. No luck... writer's block persisted.
A movement sighted out the corner of his eye prompted him to look up. His eyes swept the area carefully, settling on a five-foot-tall mushroom shortly behind them. Had that been there before? Deekin shook his his head and got back to brainstorming; his mind was obviously concocting excuses not to write. His heart sank slightly. Even if he did finish the song, what would he do? It was dedicated to Umbra, but did he suppose he would ever work up the courage to sing it to her? Was he really entertaining fantasies of serenading the hero, like so many romantic bards of yore? Deekin growled lowly at his own self-doubts and tapped the quill against his temple again. He stopped short and twisted his neck around. He was sure he'd seen something move that time...
Deekin hovered the quill just above the paper, carefully not to bump ink into the page as he walked and keeping a wary eye about him. A-HA! He knew he'd seen something now! The kobold spun around in an instant. He saw a stone settling as though something had disturbed it - only, it wasn't a little chunk of rock. It was more of a boulder. There was definitely something going on here. Deekin turned back ahead and alternated between gazing at his notebook and glancing behind him. Up ahead, Valen and Umbra were unaware of this; Deekin picked up on a mild conversation between them. But each time he looked behind him there was something else amiss - some pebbles scattered, a mushroom several feet away from where it had been, a heavy rock toppled over (and then righted again next time he looked). Not to mention, there was the peculiar phenomenon of some of the scenery following them, as opposed to shrinking in the distance. Even when he wasn't looking, he could hear the sounds of things being shuffled and moved around. Deekin dismissed these occurences as figments of his imagination as long as he could, but he could deny it no longer. It was getting ridiculous - when he looked around this time, five giant mushrooms and three boulders were arranged in a semicircle, which they most certainly had not been earlier. When he looked away, there was the loud clunking sound of something heavy moving. He looked back - sure enough, the mushrooms and rocks were as close to him as they had been before, despite the fact the trio had been moving away from them. In fact, Deekin could have sworn they'd moved even closer. Deekin's gaze switched to Valen soberly.
"Mean goat man!" Deekin called, closing his book and tucking it in the top of his pack.
"What is it?" Valen answered, accustomed to but far from thrilled with his new nickname.
"Deekin not supposes mushrooms and rocks moves around in Underdark, does they?"
"No, but some creatures closely resemble them. Why?" Valen looked back at the kobold curiously.
"Ah," Deekin replied with a sage nod. "That explains lots." At that moment, the rocks and mushrooms attacked. Of course, at this point they had sprouted stubby limbs and spiteful faces.
"First jelly cubes," Deekin muttered, starting a spell while shaking his head disapprovingly. "Now this. Underdark be strange, strange place, Deekin thinking." Deekin completed the spell, sending magic missiles slamming into his foes and smashing them into rocky rubble and fungal pulp, respectively. A ridiculously easy encounter, but a strange one nonetheless. The triad resumed their journey.
"What be those things, anyways?" Deekin found himself asking Valen.
"The rocks were bi-nou, the mushrooms were myconids," the tiefling responded. "Myconids aren't usually malicious, but there are exceptions to everything. You're living proof of that, kobold."
"Deekin not sure whether he should takes that as compliment or not," the kobold noted. Valen must not have heard him; either that, or he chose not to respond this time. Deekin took his notebook back out and opened it again, turning to where he'd left off writing the tale. He wouldn't be finishing the song just yet, but at least he could add a bit more to the epic tale. And what an interesting bit it was.
The trio continued on for a while after the bizarre encounter. Valen brought out the map from his belt satchel and checked it periodically, comparing stalactites and stalagmites to the dots imprinted on the sheet. Valen and Umbra showed no signs of slowing down, and though Deekin was finding himself short of breath and longing for rest, he wasn't about to concede weakness, and kept on anyway. Time passed, and Valen's naturally taut stance relaxed slightly, suggesting they were nearing their goal.
"We'll be there soon," he said, verifying this. "When we get there, we'll need to be cautious. Not overly cautious, though - Zorvak'Mur is more of a trading post than an actual settlement. The illithid there are quite reasonable, and do business with other races regularly, so we shouldn't have to worry about the usual mind flayer reactio - "
"MIND FLAYER!" Deekin shrieked, stumbling over a rock. "We be goings to sees MIND FLAYERS?"
"Of course," Valen said, somewhat puzzled. "Didn't I mention that?"
"Not quite," Umbra informed.
"Oh. Sorry about that," Valen apologized, looking ahead. "But like I said, we don't have much to worry about. We just have to be careful not think bad thoughts."
"They reads minds?" Deekin asked, growing increasingly worried. To be honest, the few tales he'd read about mind flayers, aka illithid, hadn't usually extended beyond the hero slashing off their octopus-like heads and squishing them down on pikes.
"Anyway," Valen continued, making up his mind to ignore Deekin as best he could, "the illithid are highly intelligent race. Highly cruel... but highly intelligent. If we can convince them to let us see the Elder Brain - "
"Elder Brain?" Deekin said. "What be that?"
"Their leader," Valen answered quickly, breaking his own vow.
"What it looks like?" Deekin wondered, opening his notebook.
"A giant brain, I would imagine," the tiefling said, deciding it would be easier on his sanity if he didn't fight the kobold's interrogation. "When a wise mind flayer dies, the other mind flayers add its brain to the Elder... or, so I've been told."
Deekin was mostly quiet as he wrote this down, but remarked, "That be disgusting."
"I know," Valen said. "But as I was saying, we might be able to convince the Elder Brain to convince the Elder Concord - "
"What be Elder Concord?"
"TheElderConcordisthebiggroupofElderBrainsareyougoingtoaskmequestionsthewholetime?" Valen spat out through gritted teeth.
"...maybe. Whatever be best for story. Ooh, Deekin writes that down!" said Deekin, writing that down.
Valen's tail switched, but he went on. "Our goal is to convince the Elder Brain of Zorvak'Mur to convince the Elder Concord to disband with the Valsharess and side with the rebels."
"But even if we manage that, how do we know the Elder Brain will keep its word?" Umbra asked.
"We don't," Valen said grimly. "We can only hope." He sighed. "Admittedly, our chances of succeeding are slim, but we might as well try."
"While that is true," Umbra noted, "would it not be advised to go somewhere such outright danger is not present, at least until we have better means of dealing with said danger?"
Valen lifted an eyebrow, facing Umbra again. "Why the trepidation?"
"It seems a foolish thing to march into a place where your mind could so easily be stripped of you," Umbra stated. "This one has no fears, but thinks it an unwise move. Tell this one... do you often take such risks?"
Valen shrugged. "The mind flayers have to be dealt with, if not now, another time. It might as well be now." The tiefling felt Umbra's unseen gaze lingering on him studiously.
"You care a great lot for this Seer, do you not, Valen?" she said at last. "You would give your life, your mind in an instant for her sake." Valen's sudden muteness indicated this was true. Umbra's next words were edged with meaning. "As such, you will understand this one has her own loyalties. This one will aid your cause, but not if it means sacrificing her own."
"...but not if it means sacrificing her own." What was Umbra's cause? Deekin wondered, posing this question in the epic tale. A tense silence hung in the air.
"I understand," Valen said coolly. "If you grow afraid at any time in Zorvak'Mur, you and your 'cause' may flee."
"So we shall," Umbra answered, none of the tiefling's hostility returned in her neutral tone; only firm conviction. Nothing more was said. Deekin barely dared to breathe, so strong was the quiet. Perhaps this newfound tension between the two meant a break in the romance... or, if they settled their differences, the romance could be strengthened. Deekin didn't seem to realize how fickle his concerns were, and as no one else was able to hear them, no one could tell him. And even if they had, perhaps he wouldn't have cared... throughout their adventures, the cowled one had completely captured his heart. Nothing related to Umbra could be fickle in Deekin's mind.
The illithid of Zorvak'Mur could not be accused of modesty. Zorvak'Mur itself was an humongous construct, putting any single building in Waterdeep to shame - though as a city, to which it was more akin, it was quite small. Constructed of black rock so it erupted seamlessly from the ground, the building rose high up into the... well, nothing in the Underdark could rightly be called a sky. The top ended off in a glasslike green globe, while the building's length was ringed with hundreds of tiny red windows. At its base were four immense statues of illithid heads placed regularly around the building, one for each direction. In turn, each statue bore four long tentacles, twisting and curling so realistically it was difficult to believe they were crafted of stone. Red eyes glimmered in the statues' heads, made of the same substance as the windows. Deekin was uneasy as they approached the structure. He could swear something watched him through the statues' glassy eyes... and perhaps it did.
In each illithid head, past a mass of stone tentacles, was a door. The door was a sharp beak, modeled after the one every mind flayer carries beneath its tentacles, and at the moment, closed shut. As the trio approached, some unknown signaled to it, and the beak slid open to allow the three entrance. Valen was first to enter, casting a look over his shoulder to see if Umbra would follow. She did. The beak began to close up, making Deekin hurry, though Umbra was quick to help him through.
"Thanks, Boss," Deekin muttered.
"Think nothing of it," Umbra replied kindly, following after Valen. Deekin started after, but paused. Was that... sadness he'd heard in Umbra's voice? What would she be sad about? Valen, most likely. The kobold glowered and trudged after.
If Zorvak'Mur's outside was fantastic, the inside was a hundred times so. Every wall, every high ceiling, every square inch of floor was made of common Underdark rock, but carved so intricately its beauty surpassed the most elaborate surface mansion. Even Undrentide could not have matched it - the walls were slit and ridged in such a way that the shadows cast on them refracted and merged specifically, giving the illusion that the walls went on forever, the effect broken only by occasional fragile stone designs that brought to mind butterflies, or snowflakes. Deekin could have stared forever, but Zorvak'Mur had other eye-candies to offer. The floor was riddled with stone carvings of various scenes mostly concerning illithid, so artistic they appeared beautiful even to surfacers, the carved mind flayers' long tentacles curling and winding splendidly; even the carvings of illithid extracting the brains of other races carried a quality of grace and awe about them. But there were other scenes, as well - drow slaying each other on battlefields, made so realistic Deekin could hear the silent screams; beholders, dancing in unknown rituals and shooting dazzling lasers from their eyes (the lasers were filled in with quartz or some other shiny mineral, so they actually sparkled); as well as numerous other subterranean races Deekin couldn't begin to name, but admired nonetheless. No pattern was repeated, and each blended seamlessly into the next, so that if Deekin tried to separate the floor scenes he grew dizzy. The kobold looked up; the stone ceiling was gently aglow with a faintly luminous but breathtakingly beautiful substance, arranged in pulsating patterns of jellyfish-like light. From the ceiling's center spouted a beam of soft violet light, letting down to the floor and probably marking a teleportation spell that led up into higher floors. An unknown source emanated strange music, a hauntingly beautiful sound that cut into Deekin's heart and made him afraid, but no less awestruck. For the first time in his life, he realized that fear could be beautiful. Getting out his notebook, he attempted to write a music sheet of this wondrous, emotionally striking song, but it was too complex. The kobold soon gave up and enjoyed the music anyway, frightening as it was.
Zorvak'Mur's decorations were so visually stunning that Deekin almost forgot about the inhabitants. All around the immense room, tentacle-faced mind flayers went about business. This was a marketplace, the kobold realized; a bizarre bazaar. Some illithid sold things as common as traveling clothes, others marketing things so exotic Deekin couldn't begin to think what they might be. He could hear their marketing gimmicks echoing in his head, jumbled together senselessly but clear in their intentions, and giving him something of a headache. In addition to the mind flayers were the four-legged monstrosities known as intellect devourers; mindless humanoid slaves lugged heavy loads for their masters' convenience; and, standing a little too close to some illithid for comfort, were hulking green lizardmen. A bit like large kobolds, Deekin thought, but much uglier. To his surprise (and disturbance), Deekin also noticed some odd creatures that resembled lizardmen, but for their tentacle-ringed faces. He hoped they weren't what he thought they were.
A good twelve yards away, several dozen seated figures raised hands alternately. Standing before them was an important-looking blue illithid in green robes, a human woman at his side, her skin sickly pale from lack of sunlight. She wore brown rags and a sloppy half-smile, drooling copious amounts. In a cage behind her, various hominids suffered from the same affliction, only a few still with their wits about them, who were clawing and screaming to get out if they hadn't given up already. It was a slave auction. A purple illithid with red tentacles won the bid and led the woman away on a leash. Still drooling, the woman dropped to all fours and scuffled along obediently. Deekin would have dismissed this cruelty as a staple of illithid culture, but he saw plenty of non-illithids here, surfacers and Underdark denizens alike, vouching for slaves right along with the tentacle-heads. In the distance, Deekin could hear the cheers and pained shouts of a gladiatorial pit. He sighed, shook his head and looked to see Valen's reaction (no use checking for Umbra's, emotionless as ever). The hard lines etched into the tiefling's face showed he was disgusted by this, no matter how fascinated by the architecture.
Deekin had approximately thirty seconds to take this all in, for in this colony of mind-readers, a herald could not have done a better job of announcing the trio's arrival. By that time, every mind flayer in the colony knew exactly who they were, why they had come, and what color their underwear was. Not a pleasant detail for any illithid, but such was the price of mind-reading. After a short bout of linked thinking, the mind flayers decided upon one to represent them. A red-violet illithid in silky golden attire made its way over to the triad promptly, tentacles curling as it felt their thoughts. Its voice rang through Deekin's skull impatiently:
"Scouts from the rebel camp in Lith My'athar. You've come to bargain with us about our agreement with the Valsharess... well, let's get it over with."
"We'll speak with the Elder Brain," Valen said curtly. The red-violet mind flayer's eyes were blank white orbs, but they glistened in such a way that Deekin realized the illithid was rolling its eyes.
"Another of the thrall race thinking it can speak with the Elder? I would explain your incredible inferiority, but I haven't got all day. Simply put, no. You may not see the Elder. Speak with me, and I will relay your message."
"No need. I will see them." This new voice appeared out of nowhere. It boomed in Deekin's head; he could feel his teeth chatter and a headache swell at the extreme mental force. Clearly, this was the Elder Brain speaking. The red-violet illithid's eyes widened in surprise, but there was no questioning the Elder Brain. Its eyes drooped concedingly.
"There is a portal at the center of this floor," it informed the three, pointing to the violet light shaft poking through the ceiling, which Deekin had noticed earlier. "Step in and you will be taken to the Elder Brain." It looked at Umbra meaningfully. "Except you... you should stay." Umbra seemed oblivious to the mind flayer's remark.
"We go together," Valen replied steadfastly.
The illithid shrugged its lavishly garbed but frail shoulders, though keeping an uneasy eye on the cowled one. "No harm in it, I suppose. Go on." It turned back and strode away through the crowd. That was strange, Deekin thought. What Umbra said next as they started toward the portal was stranger yet.
"Why do the illithid persist being mute?" she questioned. "Is it out of disdain for other races?"
"Mute?" Valen repeated, perplexed. "That illithid just spoke to us! And didn't you hear the Elder Brain?"
"This one heard no Elder Brain," Umbra puzzled.
"Deekin hears Elder Brain," the kobold chimed in. "Big, loud voice in Deekin's brain! It gives Deekin headache... ouch."
"In your..." Umbra trailed off, confusion giving way to realization. "Of course! That is, of course, this one... heard the Elder Brain. And the illithid."
"You just said you didn't," Valen answered, looking at Umbra suspiciously.
"It was a joke," Umbra dismissed. "Now, we should be getting to where we are going..."
"The Elder Brain?" Deekin suggested.
"Yes, there," Umbra said uneasily. "Valen, lead the way." The tiefling nodded, his eyes still trained on the hooded one mistrustfully. Though far from mistrustful, Deekin did watch his hero with a look of curiosity. Even the kobold had picked up a lie in the Boss's voice, and the nervous looks illithid kept shooting Umbra were making Deekin nervous. Something was amiss, here.
Per the illithid's advice, the three arranged themselves in the shaft of light (Umbra moved in once the others were in place). Blinding violet brightness swept over their vision, clearing again to reveal another room. A green dome covered the place, eliminating need for walls or ceiling, glimmering of its own fulgence and bathing the room in a verdant light; this was the top floor. This room was much smaller than the previous, though still vast, and looking all the vaster for being empty.
Well, almost empty. We mustn't discount our heroes... or the large tub which took up the center of the room. Said tub was stylishly lopsided, made of black marble patterned with waves of royal blue and embedded with ornately arranged rows of glistening diamonds, any one diamond so small it could have fit on the tip of one of Valen's fangs with room to spare. Gorgeous as the tub was, its contents were not. A purplish-pink, crinkled mass that could only be formed of countless brains slopped around in the tub, slimy tentacles squirming out of its being and over the tub's sides. The oversized brain basked in a pool of its own juices. If Deekin dared step close enough, he could see small, dark forms wriggling through the opaque liquid; illithid tadpoles. This thing, the Elder Brain, convulsed; Deekin had the unsettling feeling of every crease, every membrane of his brain being probed by this thing's consciousness. Pleased with its discoveries, the Elder Brain spoke, its psychical voice erupting in Deekin's mind.
"You have been given the privilege of beholding me. A rare privilege for a thrall, indeed." Deekin didn't think it much of a privilege. Valen tensed.
"We're not thralls," he said curtly. "We've come - "
"To speak of the Valsharess, to negotiate with me, in hopes I will dissuade all the Elder Concord and the illithid under us from our choice," the Elder Brain summarized. "Don't look so surprised. No secrets can be kept from me here." Deekin could sense unease as many of the Elder Brain's thoughts focused on Umbra. "Except for that one. Have it remove its robe, or whatever shields its mind from me."
"Deekin not think it very polite to ask lady to takes off her robe," Deekin noted, chilled despite his seemingly nonchalant attitude. The Elder Brain couldn't read Umbra's mind? How could that be?
"Answer our questions," Valen maintained stubbornly. The Elder's mental equivalent of sigh permeated Deekin's thoughts.
"Which questions? The ones you haven't asked? Not much point... I already know every reason you've come, every possible question you could ask of me, and every possible answer I could give you. The Valsharess commands a sea of soldiers, and an archduke of the hells. Your puny rebel camp only exists because she has no reason to rush her tyranny. I know your thoughts, thus I know you can offer my kind nothing against her. You cannot convince us to follow you. The Concord will not jeopardize our people."
"But - " Valen tried.
"Definitely not," the Brain responded easily.
"What if - "
"Not a chance."
Valen stared at the Elder Brain, long and steady. His breathing became rapid, eyes flickering. He couldn't fail the Seer... he wouldn't.
Deekin watched with horrified fascination as the angered tiefling's eyes welled with red, lips pulling back and fangs parting as a slow growl rumbled in his throat. His grip on his flail tightened, tail swung erratically. Though he would have overcome it, in that instant, Valen's demonic nature surfaced. The inconceivable hatred that only a fiend can know flooded his thoughts... and it was directed toward the Elder.
With mere words, I cannot begin to describe the malevolent forces which drive demons to do what they do. A demon is the epitome of evil and chaos, desiring nothing more than to cause the suffering of others without focus or control. A mere glimpse of such a dark, confusing mind would drive most mortals to madness. To feel a demon's undying loathing directed toward them and them alone, as the mind-reading Elder Brain did, would cause their hearts to shrivel to ashes in their chests. A being as powerful and literally heartless as the Elder Brain was able to resist such a horrible fate, but the Elder was mortal nonetheless, and overwhelmingly terrified. Summoning its psionic defenses, it retaliated in the best way it could.
Exruciating pain exploded in Deekin's mind. The kobold gave a small cry, was vaguely aware of falling, and blacked out.
He didn't know how long he lay there. Soon enough, though, he awakened by a perfumed breeze tickling his nose. He lay there a moment longer, before his eyes blinked open in realization. "They not gots breezes in Underdark," Deekin murmured, sitting up and rubbing the back of his still slightly sore head. He looked up. "Or blue skies... or fluffy clouds... or sun that hurts Deekin's eyes if he stares too long... ouch. Yep, that be sun alright." Deekin stood up and gazed at his surroundings. "Wow."
In all directions splayed miles and miles of lush, grassy green terrain. Countless hundreds of brightly colored flower heads bobbed slightly in the breeze. The rippling effect was entrancing, especially to one who had spent so long in the Underdark. Deekin breathed in the sweet scent of fresh blooms deeply. He'd seen this field of flowers before, when Umbra was still trapped on the Shadow Plane. He'd thought it was the second most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, and would have been complete if only Umbra was there. He felt the same way now.
"Deekin?" a familiar voice said. Deekin spun around, heart leaping; sure enough, there stood Umbra behind him.
"Boss!" he cried gleefully, running over flowers to her.
"Thank the gods you have awoken," Umbra said, kneeling down so their faces were level and stroking his head. "You were having a terrible dream. This one was so worried for you."
"You not needs to worries, Boss," Deekin assured her, holding her hand. "Deekin be just great, now that you be here." He gazed at her face fondly. The Underdark, the drow, the beholders, the mind flayers, that tiefling... it had all been a dream. Just a horrible dream, as Umbra had said. Umbra's hand closed around Deekin's own. Standing up, she tugged gently at his arm.
"Come, m'love," she beseeched him. "Come with this one and forsake those horrible dreams. Come with this one, and we shall be happy forever."
"Forever, Boss?" He admired that half-hidden black face, dark even in this illuminating light. To always be with Umbra, just Umbra... oh, how he would love that!
"Forever," she replied. And then she smiled. Deekin, in turn, frowned deeply, his hand slipping out of hers as he backed away cautiously.
"You not be Boss," he realized. "Boss never smiles. Not even when she be happy."
The imposter laughed. "Of course this one is Umbra. Come now, Deekin... do you not want to be with this one?"
"Boss never laughs, either," the kobold growled, eyes slitting. To his surprise, the imposter laughed again.
"No? So this one does not. But you believed this one to be your beloved, if even for an instant." The imposter continued to laugh, drawing closer. "You are trapped here, a victim of your own desires. Do you not feel ashamed? Frightened, even?"
"No," Deekin spat. "Because Boss always saves Deekin." Before the imposter could reply, the world vanished, sunny fields and all. In its stead was blackness and a splitting headache. Deekin groaned; the ground beneath him was cold and hard, and judging by the throbbing at the back of his head, he'd cracked his skull against it. This was the least of his cranial pains, however. He could feel thousands of panicked screams ringing throughout his head, images of terror, pain and death pounding against his brain. Opening his eyes, he saw why.
The Elder Brain was on fire, ablaze with roaring flames. Valen was sprawled on the floor, looking as dazed as Deekin. Only Umbra stood, completely unharmed. Seeing the fate that had befallen her companions, she had set the Elder Brain afire, breaking its hold over them. But there would be no rejoicing just yet; flashes of light filled the room, several illithid appearing out of thin air with due thanks to teleportation spells, attracted by their leader's dying screams. They were bizarre, even by illithid standards, many more than four tentacles writhing on each aberration's bloated face - and from what Deekin had learned in his years of adventuring, probably more powerful.
Umbra knew better than to fight them. Reaching into her pack, she withdrew something twisted and radiant; the Relic of the Reaper, Deekin recognized. Ribbons of shadow spread out of Relic, twisting through the air and weaving around the trio. In a burst of darkness, the three vanished from Zorvak'Mur.
Lith My'athar was much as they had left it. Well, except for the overall lack of pedestrians. But the trio was too preoccupied with other matters to notice.
After teleporting, Deekin and Valen had lain dazed on the ground for a few more moments. Valen was the first to fully recover from the mind attack, holding his head and getting to his knees.
"At the risk of sounding like one Xanos Messarmos," Umbra said wryly, "this one must say... 'I told you so.'" Valen was not amused, his gaze settling on Umbra darkly.
"Why weren't you affected?" he demanded. "No one could resist an Elder Brain's mental attack! Especially not at such close range!"
"You are bitter because you failed," Umbra dismissed. "Do not unleash your anger on this one."
"I want to know what you ARE!" Valen stated, getting to his feet and towering over Umbra. "Take off that hood! If you're an agent of the enemy, I want to know it now!"
"This one will do no such thing," Umbra answered steadfastly.
"I have to know if you're a threat to the Seer." Valen's hand moved toward Umbra. "If you don't take the hood off, I'll take it off for you..."
"STOPS IT!" Deekin snapped, jumping in front of Umbra protectively. "Boss saves your life! You shoulds be thankful!" Deekin growled. "If you lays one hand on her..." Valen's eyes met the kobold's, glaring back at him fiercely. With a sigh, the tiefling let his hand drop and looked away. No one said anything. When a voice finally pierced the silence, it was not one of the three's.
"Valen! Umbra! You have returned!" A well-armored drow came running over, a look of desperation on his face. "And only just in time."
"Osyyr? What's wrong?" Valen asked.
"The Seer has been asking for you... she'll explain," Osyyr told him, stepping back and gesturing for him to follow. "Quickly, I will take you to her." He looked at Umbra. "Miss Lumina, the Seer wants you as well."
"And Deekin?" Umbra prompted. Osyyr eyed the kobold, as though he'd just noticed Deekin's presence.
"He can come too," Osyyr decided. "Now hurry." He began racing toward a large building in the center of the city. The temple, Deekin remembered, as he and the others followed. Still, it was hard to concentrate on much of anything with the previous event still running through the kobold's head. The tiefling had THREATENED Umbra... how dare he! Deekin fumed, casting an unsavory look in Valen's direction. He knew he was a mean goat man... he knew it.
Just as before, many drow were guarding the Seer when Osyyr and the others arrived. The Seer looked up from her meditation, giving Valen a weak smile before looking to Umbra.
"It is good you are here, Umbra Lumina," she greeted. "The army of the Valsharess is on the move. They are marching on Lith My'athar." Valen paled, his worst fears confirmed.
"We have to get you out of here!" he insisted, moving toward the Seer, who only shook her head.
"No, Valen. It is time for us to make our final stand. Our fate will be decided here. Eilistraee has shown me a vision... Umbra will lead our troops to victory over the Valsharess."
Valen's eyes settled on Umbra mistrustfully, but he nodded. The Seer looked to Umbra appraisingly.
"Eilistraee has told me of your deeds," she said. "You have proven yourself worthy of this honor, Umbra Lumina. Even House Maeviir will follow your orders in the coming battle."
"This one shall aid you as well as she is able, Seer," Umbra replied.
"I am glad to hear that," the Seer smiled. "We will make preparations all through the night. I am confident in your abilities, but Captain Imloth" - she nodded to a drow man at her side - "will test you in them, so you are ready. You may rest when you feel it is necessary. In the morning, the enemy will arrive and the battle will begin."
A flurry of preparations began past that, which Deekin could not begin to keep track of. Umbra was taken off to train, Valen stayed to protect the Seer against any unexpected assassins, and Deekin found himself aimlessly wandering Lith My'athar's mostly-empty streets - all citizens and refugees were either concentrated in small areas as they discussed battle plans, or locked away inside their houses. The Underdark was a dark, dank place at any hour, but Deekin couldn't help but be reminded of his time in Waterdeep.
The curtain of night had fallen, black and starless; the moon was alone tonight. The darkness cloaked the city entirely, reminding Deekin of the complete blackness that composed the Shadow Plane. Remembering this, of course, made him remember Umbra. He could picture her in his mind--shrouded in darkness, wandering the plane aimlessly, cold and alone...
Umbra was back, now. But he was still sad. Why? He sighed, gazing at the ground; he knew. It was because of his own jealousy. Valen was better at fighting, better at talking, and just plain better at being human. He was just the dark, dashing sort to win a heroine's heart, and Deekin hadn't been able to look at Umbra without remembering that. He'd felt insecure and insignificant... and now that he thought about that, it was ridiculous. Valen obviously didn't trust Umbra - there could never be anything between them. And Umbra would never abandon Deekin! Hells... she had given up her own freedom for him.
"How thick-headed you BE!" Deekin chastised himself, slapping his forehead and dragging the hand down his face in disgust. "You stupid, stupid, STUPID kobold! You be Boss's best friend... she say so herself! And YOU lets mean goat man gets between you, not Boss! Boss..." He loved Umbra. He'd known in Undrentide, he'd known it when she was gone, he'd known it when they reunited, he'd known it all the while he feared Valen would steal her from him. Never, in his entire life, had he loved anyone as much he loved Umbra. Could it be... she felt the same?
He should tell her how he felt. If he didn't tell her now, he might never tell her. Encouraged, Deekin began running toward of source of voices. Not too far away, just behind a large building ornamented with spider statues, he saw two drow clashing swords to fine-tune their skills for the upcoming battle. Under normal circumstances the kobold would have approached them cautiously, but determination emboldened his steps now.
"You knows where Umbra Lumina be?" he asked. The drow paused mid-swing. Fortunately, one of them spoke Common.
"She's training with Imloth in the south part of town," the drow replied, jerking her chin southerly.
"Thanks!" Deekin nodded, bolting off in that direction, the sounds of the practice duel resuming shortly after he had left. The kobold panted with exertion, running faster as he ran farther, a smile on his face. A tall cliff face rose up before him, marking the end of the town. The sound of things being sliced apart drew him to the left. Sure enough, there stood Umbra, sword out and a sea of demolished test dummies torn into shreds of cloth and piles of sawdust around her. A drow male shook his head slowly as he gazed at all the ruined equipment, though commending Umbra for her lethal abilities. The planar did not respond, immediately noticing Deekin's arrival. Sheathing her sword, she strode over to the kobold.
"You look in bright spirits, Deekin," she noted warmly. "This one is happy for that." Deekin smiled broadly and nodded, the smile wilting a little nervously as he remembered what he'd come to ask.
"Umm, Boss... we talks in private, maybe?" he asked.
"Of course," she answered. "Imloth, if you would not mind."
"We don't have long before the Valsharess's troops arrive," the drow frowned. "Make it quick."
Deekin led Umbra a while on, past the strange drow buildings, until Imloth and any others were out of earshot. The kobold breathed deeply, but was quiet.
"Do you require something, Deekin?" Umbra wondered at last. Deekin smiled at the sound of her voice.
"Yep, Deekin does..." He paused as he thought how to put this into words. Such a simple thing... how many ways were there to say it? Best just say it straight. "Deekin loves you, Boss."
"This one loves you as well, Deekin," Umbra replied. "You are a fine friend."
"Umm... that not what Deekin means, Boss."
"What is your meaning, then?"
"Deekin... loves you. Like when bard... falls in love with great hero... and they lives happily ever after..." A silence as this sank in.
"You... love this one?"
"Yep."
"As when a husband... and a wife..."
"That kind... yep."
"You would... you would devote such an immortal love... to the likes of this one, Deekin?"
"Deekin would, Boss."
"You... are certain?"
"In all his life, Deekin never be surer." Silence. "Boss?"
"No." Umbra stepped back. "That cannot be. No... no, Deekin. You would not... you would not be happy. Not happy at all."
His heart sank with dread. "What... what you saying, Boss?"
"Forget this one," Umbra commanded. "This one should never have left the Shadows. When this adventure is done... forget this one. Find another like yourself. Please." She swept around, lurking back toward Imloth's training grounds swiftly. The shadows seemed to envelop her, and soon, she was out of sight.
"Boss..." The name escaped Deekin's throat weakly as he slumped to the ground. She had... rejected him. Find another like yourself. But of course. He was just a kobold... a lowly, scaly, lizard-like kobold. How could he have thought a hero so great could ever love one such as him? The kobold found tears trailing down his face as he got to his feet, bumping against his lute's strings and striking a brief discord. Somehow, it seemed fitting.