I just realized the scene dividers on my chapters have not been working, so I'll have to g in and replace all of those. Eventually.

SandraSmit19: Thanks. Yeah, I hate him too. I can't decide whether to kill him or not, though.

BloodyKitsune: Yeah, in time…..

Locke Watcher: I just realize that, and must not meticulously go though all my chapters and fix that…… Oh well… Like, I said, can't decide if I'm gonna kill him or not. Nice zombie voice, by the way.

Okay, I'll squeeze in a few more chappies before the break. In Florida, I'll write a bunch more, as I'll be very bored, while dreaming about snow….. Ah, oh well. Sounds like plan. Though, as I'm planning to poodle-bait some alligators, I might not come back…..

BTW When I refer to Seeing, or any form of that word with a capital S, I mean seeing like seeing the future or past or present as a Seer does. That's Elysia's job, and basically what she does a lot, keeping tabs on her dearest Li-Li….

Disclaimer: Just look at the last damn chapter.

And now for my new, improved scene dividers…..

Atherin, knight of Helm and the Order of the Radiant Heart, was afraid.

He had every right to be so. He stood in front of the doors to Prelate Anomen Delryn's office, just as he had before. However, this time he returned as a failure, and it was unlikely that his superior would be forgiving or lenient. Anomen was not the type to let this mistake slide.

He knocked hesitantly on the door. He had to do this. There was no other option.

"Enter," said Anomen's indifferent voice through the door. Atherin opened the door, strode hesitantly into the room, and bowed.

"My lord," he said.

Anomen looked up. "Ah, Sir Atherin, how did your mission go?"

Atherin cringed inwardly. It was now or never…. "My lord, I fear…. I fear I have failed you."

"Oh, how so?" Odd, the Prelate did not sound angry or disappointed in the least. Something odd was going on, Atherin was sure of it.

"I came upon the criminal, Raziel, with her companions, the adventurers Jaheira, Imoen, Kelsey, and Sarevok. We attempted to extract the criminal, but the other refused and attacked. They distracted us as Sarevok and Raziel escaped, and the mage cast a spell that sent us searching for several days in the wrong direction. When we returned to where we had last seen them, the trail was too cold to follow."

"Hmmm…" said Anomen, musing on Atherin's report. Atherin steadied himself for the imminent outpouring of the Prelate's rage.

"So that is what happened. The druid refused to tell me."

Atherin certainly hadn't expected that rather confusing statement.

"Sir?"

Anomen focused on the knight in front of him once again. "This is a minor setback. Though we have lost the criminal and that thrice-damned Bhaalspawn, their friends came here yesterday and tried to convince me to let Raziel run free. They are currently safely in the cells below us, for the time being."

Atherin was shocked, though glad he was not going to be sent on some suicide mission for failing. "Sir, if I may inquire as to what Raziel's companions did to warrant being arrested?"

"They were harboring a known criminal and attempted to obstruct out righteous justice."

Atherin nodded. "If I may be so bold to ask, what do you plan to do to find Sarevok and Raziel?"

Anomen smiled slightly; the sight chilled Atherin to the bone. "I don't need to do anything about them. As soon as they get news of their friends, and I'm sure they will, they will come here."

"And if they don't?"

"Simple. We will bring their friends to them."

Raziel sighed, staring in the flickering fire in front of her. It was nearing midnight, though she had not intention to sleep.

After they entered Candlekeep, Elysia had made sure the two companions were well-fed, as she fussed like a mother duck (despite the fact that they were both much older than her). She and Raziel had caught up, though Raziel had told Elysia very little about what she had been doing. She doubted the girl wanted to hear of her less-than legal escapades.

Instead, she listened as Elysia related all the little things that had happened in the past year. The girl loved to tell her everything about her life, as most young girls do, and listening made Raziel feel almost normal again.

Almost.

Sarevok and she had been a tour of Candlekeep by Elysia for Sarevok's benefit, as Raziel had been their several times. Raziel could tell the Bhaalspawn was rather surprised with the ease in which Elysia navigated her way around Candlekeep, considering the girl had never actually seen the place. So had Raziel, when she had seen her young friend for the first time in nearly a year after the girl's village had been destroyed. But of course, Elysia was a Seer. Her lack of sight was not a problem with her strong sixth sense guiding her.

Raziel knew Sarevok had gone to bed an hour or so ago. Though he had not shown it, Raziel was pretty sure he was tired from their journey. Though she had been slow at first to return to Candlekeep, for fear of Elysia rejecting her, she had speed up on the last day, when she had realized that she had to confront her young friend no matter what happened. The ace had been rather grueling, even for an elf and a Bhaalspawn.

Elysia held the promise of redemption, something Raziel was beginning to yearn for. Her walls were cracking, and in all honesty the elf felt no need to re-erect them. She needed to see Elysia, and so, here she was.

Still staring into the fire, Raziel heard footsteps glide into the room from the door behind her. It was Elysia; the girl walked with a quiet grace reminiscent of the elf's own footsteps. She sat down in a big armchair next to Raziel, the firelight flickering across her soft face. It was dark, but Elysia's milky eyes almost glowed.

"You're scared," said Elysia.

"Always one to jump right into it, weren't you?"

"It's best to address a problem, not dance around it."

Raziel laughed. "I knew those monks were teaching you something. You sound older than you are."

Elysia smiled slightly. "I am sixteen, Liae."

"Hmm. A mere sapling. Besides, I'll have you know that I didn't act that serious till my mid-fifties."

Elysia sighed. "To the point, Liaedra?"

"Oh, right, that."

"What seems to be the problem?"

Raziel sighed. She didn't really know how to put this. It was one of those things that you rehearse for a long time, and yet when it comes to it you can't think of anything to say.

"Elysia, I…. I prepared for my revenge for so long. I trained, and hardened my very soul against any attempts to dissuade me. I was already dead. I convinced myself of that."

Elysia sighed. There was slight fear in her eyes. She did not want to let her surrogate older sister go, but….. "So what went wrong?"

Raziel sighed again. "Not what, who. They went wrong. My old friends."

To Elysia's surprise, the elf let a small smile rest upon her face. "I didn't expect to see them. They were at the last temple… it was Quinn's Holy Day, the day of his ascension, and despite my attacks against all their other temples his worshippers were having a good time, forgetting their troubles and sorrows. And the others… Sarevok, Jaheira, Imoen, and Kelsey, you remember I told you about them….. they were there too. One thing led to another, and Imoen saw me. That one glance she gave me started this whole thing, and…. By now I've just lost it."

Elysia nodded. "I Saw what happened in the temple of Amuanator. You should consider yourself blessed. Even the God of Light has taken interest in your plight."

"Joy. Because I need more divine intervention."

"Liae, please," said Elysia. "I know this is hard, but stop trying to change the subject, will you?"

"Fine." Raziel turned her gaze from Elysia to the fire, and was silent for a few moments before speaking again.

"El, what am I supposed to do? Amuana said I had some greater purpose, but how can I fulfill it? I want to live now, but everyone wants me dead. I can't just gain forgiveness or amnesty, especially not from the Order. Especially not from Anomen."

"Why is that?" asked Elysia. "I couldn't See a clear picture of him."

"Well, he is a favored of Helm, or at least he was. It's probably rather hard to See anything to do with him. I probably mentioned that he traveled with us back when we were fighting Irenicus. He had a lot of family problems, and turned to me to help him deal. I thought we were just friends, but after a particularly nasty incident, he confessed his undying love to me, or some such rot."

Elysia giggled. "Wow, you must have been quite a looker back in the day."

Raziel glared at her. "I still am, youngling. You know I haven't aged in decades, El, though I suppose I didn't have any scars back then. Well, in any case, I was already deeply in love with that bastard Quinn, so I turned him down as gently as I could. But Anomen got all nasty, insulting Quinn and being the stuck up knight he really is. He left the group after we had a very nasty fight, and I haven't seen him since."

Elysia nodded. "Except for now, since he's hunting you."

"Yes, rather diligently. And I think he's making this into something personal. That means he'll never forgive me, unless I agree to marry him or something. And as much as I kinda want to survive this, I'd rather die than marry Sir Stick-Up-His-Ass."

Elysia smiled. "I can understand that." She closed her eyes, falling silent once again. Raziel recognized this as a sign of her going into a trance. Seeing the past and present came rather easily to the young girl, whose talent, and its extent, had left the monks of Candlekeep in awe when it first manifested to it's full potential. Elysia could also See into the future, but this took more concentration. It was clear that that was the task the young Seer now undertook.

Elysia spoke, softly, still in a trance. "You can live, Liae. And there is an important role you have yet to play, that what that role is hidden from me. To complete this, you must survive the storm you find yourself in, and to do that……"

Elysia petered off, and Raziel was left in waiting. After a few moments, she spoke.

"What do I have to do? Is it that bad, or can you not see it?"

The girl opened her eyes slowly. There was a smile on her face, though Raziel knew the girl too well, and so found the hint of anxious fear hiding in her eyes. Elysia rarely expressed fear of what she Saw, no matter how horrible it may be.

"What is it, El? Is it really that bad?"

Elysia shook her head. "It is not horrible, nor life-threatening, but you will not like it."

"Why not?"

"Well…"

"Try me."

Elysia sighed. "Very well, then. To survive this ordeal, you must go to the source of you troubles and seek forgiveness, both from you problem and for yourself. Only then can you be cleared of all burdens, both of blame and guilt. Only then can you continue on the road fate has set for you."

Raziel was puzzled. "Really. And what did your vision define as the source of my problems?"

Elysia smiled sadly.

"Quinn. You must seek forgiveness….. from the God Tarquinn himself."

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Cliffhanger! Yes! Just have to wait for a few days… Oh well. Like I said before, next week it concert week, so I'm gonna be really busy, but I will put out another chapter, I promise.

Alao, I know I didn't include much Sarevok/Imoen/Kelsey/Jaheira action in this chapter, but you'll just have to wait….

Next chapter: What's wrong with Kelsey? How will Anomen's plans include the trio of adventurers in his dungeon? How will Sarevok react to Elysia's prophecy? And will Raziel go through with it? Also, how many times can I use a question mark? 7? 89? 145,639,201? Who the hell knows?