PATHFINDER: RISE OF THE RUNELORDS

Hello, everyone!

A new chapter here... and finally, we get to know more about certain moments in Yan's past, and how they relate to the current situation! As well as introducing one of my favourite secondary characters from the official AP...

oooooooooo

Chapter 9 - Friendship from the Past

As they walked out of the glassworks, the adventurers were burdened with the painful task of explaining what had happened to the people of Sandpoint, and bringing in a group of town guards to carry away the bodies of Lonjiku Kaijitsu and the workers that had been murdered by Tsuto and his goblins. The half-elven outlaw was taken away amidst scenes of despair from the victims' families and a crowd who wanted to lynch him, and only the Yan and Reji's intervention kept the vengeful friends and relatives from taking justice in their own hands.

"Let me at him!" a large man roared, trying and failing to get past Reji. "We ain't wasting time and food on that lowlife!"

"That bastard murdered my brother!" a younger man shouted in rage and despair. "He must pay!"

Yan held out an open hand to stop the enraged citizens from going any further. "And he will pay!" he assured them as Tsuto was handcuffed and taken away, and his weapons were being taken away. "But not like this! He deserves a fair trial at the very least!"

In the entire tragedy, the only good news was that Ameiko had been saved - a little shaken and bruised, but none the worse for wear. At that moment, the young innkeeper was standing by the entrance to the glassworks building, watching with cold deatchment as two men carried away Lonjiku's glass-encrusted corpse. In death, Longiku's expression remained frozen in a grimace of anger and fear - which was all too fitting to the kind of person he had been.

"Lonjiku... was never a good parent. Not for me, and certainly not for Tsuto." Ameiko stated coldly as her father's body was carried out of sight. "Our relationship has always been distant... and even now that he's dead, if I'm being honest... I don't really feel sorry for him. Rather... I'm sorry that I'm not feeling sorry, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I think I understand, Ameiko ... it's not a pleasant feeling, but you can't just decide to love someone. Especially when your father has been so distant all this time." Jolan replied. Misia had taken care to cast some healing spells on him and the other members of the group so that all that was left were minor scrapes and bruises.

The young woman shrugged. "Regardless, whether I like it or not, I am now the sole heir of the Kaijitsu. And basically, I'm officially a noble, for whatever that's worth," she affirmed. "But if I'm being honest ... now the Rusty Dragon is my life's business. That said, I will do everything I can to keep the glassworks going. It provides important business for Sandpoint's economy, and many families rely on it. I have a responsibilty towards them."

Yan nodded in approval. "All we can do is wish you good luck, Ameiko."

"Thank you..." Ameiko sighed after a moment's pause, feeling a little better. "Oh, yeah, and remind me that as long as you are here in Sandpoint, there will always be a place for you at the Rusty Dragon."

Despite everything, Yan managed a smile. "Thank you, Ameiko. We certainly won't forget that," he answered. "Now... sorry, but I need to go to my friends. I believe they deserve some explanation."

"Same goes for me. I've been living in Sandpoint all this time. And now that this story has come up, I can't help but think that if I had done something about it, we might not be in this mess." Jolan replied, forlornly looking into the distance.

"Is this about this Nualia person? Well... yes, I guess I can understand that." the young innkeeper answered. "I'm not really sure how that could be your fault at all, Jolan, but... well, good luck to you all the same. And thank you for everything."

"Are you sure you're going to be okay, Ameiko?" Yan asked. "Can you get to the Rusty Dragon on your own two feet?"

Ameiko managed to smile, and this time there was a lot more resolve in her expression. "Don't worry, I can make it. I just need to catch my breath... and take a good night's rest." she replied. "See you soon. And take care."

"You too, Ameiko. See you around." Jolan answered with a nod. He and Yan waved at Ameiko and headed back toward the party, which at that moment was busy helping the city guards secure what was left of the glassworks and collecting anything that might constitute evidence or a clue. Yan reached the team first, and gave Reji's shoulder a friendly pat, to which the young female monk turned to him and nodded. "Sorry I'm late, folks."

"It's okay, Yan. Don't worry about it," Misia replied. "Now... you wanted to tell us about this Nualia person, right? About what you know about the woman behind this plot?"

The young swordsman took a deep breath and cast a glance to the ground, in an attempt to get his emotions under control. Even now, so many years later, he found it difficult to talk about such things. "Yes... I think it's the least I can do," he finally replied, as the girls gathered around him and Jolan in order to listen to their story. "It's something I don't like to talk about, believe me... even now, it feels like some kind of bad dream I thought I had woken up from..."

"I-I'm sorry, Yan... I had no idea..." a shocked and mortified Reji commented, seeing her friend and companion sitting melanchonically on a nearby wall.

When he was sure he had his emotions under control, Yan caught his breath and began to tslk. "It's okay, Reji - after all, I never really talked about this part of my life story," the young man recounted. "Anyway, back to us. You probably already know that I was born here, in Sandpoint. My parents are artisans, and we can say that my family lived decently. Oh, sure, we didn't live in comfort, but we weren't struggling either. Anyway, as I grew up here, I had quite a few friends among boys and girls my age. And one of thede friends was Nualia Tobyn, Father Ezakien's adoptive daughter."

"At that time, Father Ezakien Tobyn was Sandpoint's spiritual guide and a cleric to Desna, the goddess of dreams." Jolan explained.

Eli nodded, spurring her companion to go on. "Yeah... and we also know that Nualia was... or rather, is ... an aasimar." the half-elven wizard answered. "But... does that have anything to do with this whole mess?"

Yan nodded grimly. "Father Ezakien didn't really care for Nualia as a person." he went on. "In his mind, having an aasimar as an adopted daughter was just something to brag about. Some sort of badge of honor that Desna had bestowed upon him for being such a virtuous man." He paused for a moment to shake his head in disgust. "Ever since she was a child, Nualia was conditioned by her father to become a priestess of Desna and remain 'pure'. Ezakien hoped to send her to some prestigious convent so that everyone could see his devotion. And for that reason, he restricted her in all her activities, forbade her to play the games that other children played, and tried to convince her that she was somehow different from the others, and that her place was not among ordinary mortals."

"Did Nualia not have any friends? I mean, among children her age? What about the adults around her?" Misia asked apprehensively.

"The other kids thought Nualia was some kind of freak," Jolan replied. "And as for the people of Sandpoint, many of the residents were stubbornly convinced that she was some sort of angel, and became convinced that Nualia was capable of all sorts of miracles. They said she could foretell the future, that a lock of her hair brought good luck... that her tears added to tea could cure ailments."

"And Father Ezakien knew... but he did nothing to prevent this," Yan went on. "In fact, he subtly encouraged people to go to Nualia and ask for more. In fact... I think I was the only one who treated Nualia as a person rather than some kind of walking miracle..."

oooooooooo

(FLASHBACK)

"Come on, Nualia, it's just a small favor we're asking of you!" an older boy, wearing a falsely friendly smile, sneered as he, along with two more burly and tough-looking boys,advanced menacingly toward the white-haired, dark-skinned girl who was desperately trying to leave. "Why don't you shed a few more tears for us? My father has a terrible backache from working in the fields, and you can heal him, can't you?"

The white-haired girl took a step away and looked at the three boys, frantically looking around for a way out, but the three of them placed themselves around her so that Nualia found herself surrounded. "I-I...I..." she tried to explain. "I don't... I can't do... what you're asking for... I mean... I'm not a cleric... it's clerics who can cast spells that heal people... I can't do that..."

"What do you mean, you can't?" another boy retorted, growing more threatening. "You're such a selfish jerk! I mean, you're some kind of angel come down to Golarion, and you would refuse to do good to others?"

"I guess she thinks she's better than us!" the third boy retorted, now standing only a step away from Nualia. "She thinks she is so great just because she is an aasimar and Father Ezakien's adopted daughter, right? Maybe she thinks she is the most beautiful just because she has this pretty little face and this snow-colored hair!"

"Didn't your father teach you that you should look after the faithful?" the first boy asked menacingly. "Come on, Nualia, give us your tears, and we'll leave you alone for today..."

"No, I can't do miracles... No, stop, you're hurting me!" exclaimed Nualia, trying as best she could to wriggle out when the oldest of the three grabbed her by the wrist and roughly pulled her along, the three of them chuckling at her distress.

oooooooooo

The young aasimar sobbed sadly as she sat on the steps of the small shrine, her eyes downcast and reddened, and her cheeks lined with tears. Once again, they had come looking for her to have some miracle done by her, despite the fact that she had said several times that she was unable to do what they asked of her. Why wouldn't they understand? Why did they continue to treat her as if she was obligated to help everyone? She just wanted to live like other children her age... but her father said that she was different from the others, that she was descended from angels and that she was Desna's gift to Golarion... and so, she was not to mix with the common children. She was not to play with them, she was not to loiter with them around Sandpoint...

But when they came to her for hair, her tears or scraps of her clothing, she was to accommodate them and not protest. The few times she had told her father what was going on and tried to get him to stop the bullying and the harassment, she had been harshly scolded and locked up in her room for a whole day.

Was it really so wrong for her to want to live like a normal child?

"Nualia...?" she heard herself being called, and after a moment of surprise, she looked up at the young boy about her own age who had called her. Ruffled brown hair, somewhat worn but dignified clothes, a dusty face with a pair of deep brown eyes... the little girl seemed to console herself at least a little when she saw that this was the only person in Sandpoint she could really consider her friend.

"Nualia, is everything all right?" little Yan Gudril asked in genuine concern. A question that no one else there at Sandpoint had ever bothered to ask her. "You-you seem so sad..."

The young aasimar did not answer, hugging her knees and looking shyly at her friend.

Yan swallowed, figuring it was a somewhat indelicate question. "Did they - come again to ask you for a lock of hair-or a button?"

"They wanted my tears..." she replied in a low voice, bowing her head again.

Yan remained silent, looking both sorry for his friend and indignant at what they had done to her. If he could have found the offenders, he would have made them pay for what they had done to Nualia - but what mattered most to him, at that moment, was to stay close to Nualia and console her. "I-I'm sorry, Nualia. I think that, well... if people always came to me to ask for things I can't give them, I wouldn't like it at all. Do you-do you want me to stay with you for a while?"

Nualia blinked uncertainly. "I - I would, Yan, but - you know that if my father finds us, he will punish us," she replied. "He... doesn't want me to play with you. He says that you are... a bad influence on me."

The brown-haired boy flashed an encouraging smile. "Well, then we don't let him find us!" he answered. "Why don't we go see the old lighthouse together? It's such a cool place!"

For a few moments, Nualia remained uncertain as Yan held out his hand and smiled gently at her. Then, regaining some hope, the aasimar child took her friend's hand, and he helped her to her feet and guided her to their new destination...

(END FLASHBACK)

oooooooooo

Yan hesitated for a few moments before continuing his tale. "It went on like this for a long time. Even though I begged Father Ezakien to give Nualia some more freedom, and to protect her from those who treated her like some kind of living saint... he never listened to me. I was the only one Nualia could trust - at least until Nualia turned seventeen. That's when that Varisian prettyboy, Delek Vishkanta, came to Sandpoint."

The other members of the group had the distinct feeling that Yan was speaking from a jealousy that had never quite subsided, but they made no comment and waited for the young swordsman to resume his tale. "I will not bore you with the details. Suffice it to say that this Delek immediately began courting Nualia," he continued. "You can imagine how Nualia felt after being treated in that... inhuman... way all her life. For the first time she met someone besides me who appreciated her for who she really was."

Yan sighed and swiped the sole of his right boot on the ground. Now the most hurtful part was coming - the part where he had the distinct impression that he could and should have done something more to keep everything from falling apart.

"And to be perfectly honest..." he continued after bringing some order to his thoughts. "I don't know exactly how I felt about that. I mean, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't happy that Nualia had finally found someone else who really loved her. But... on the other hand... I'll admit, I was envious. Envious for no longer being the only special one for Nualia, the only one she could lean on."

"Were you... in love with Nualia, Yan?" Shalelu asked.

Yan widened his eyes, taken aback by this sudden question. He paused for a moment, not knowing exactly how to answer. It was a wholly unexpected question. Had he... really felt something toward Nualia that went beyond just friendship or compassion? He wasn't sure... he liked being with her, and he was sorry when she was in pain or lonely... but was there anything else? Well, if so, then those feelings of dislike toward Delek made even more sense... but he had not stopped to think about this issue long enough to give himself a proper answer.

"I don't know," he finally replied, thinking it best to be honest. "All I know is that I couldn't bring myself to like the guy... however, Nualia had grown fond of him, and who was I to deny her that little bit of happiness she had managed to find ? If Nualia was happy, I could live with that."

"But things... didn't turn out so well," Jolan continued sadly. "A few months after Delek had settled in Sandpoint, Nualia found out she was pregnant... and Delek was the father. With all the times they had met in secret... something was bound to happen in the end, if you know what I mean. And that's when Delek revealed himself for the bastard he was."

"Of course. It sounded too good to be true." Eli stated sarcastically.

Ignoring the joke, Yan continued his tale. "When Nualia found out she was expecting Delek's child, she went to him to tell the news. I was there with her. I had thought it was only right that a friend of hers was there to support her," he recounted. "And when he heard what was happening... Delek insulted Nualia. He accused her of seducing him, called her a whore... and at that point, I couldn't stand it anymore and smashed his fucking face in!"

Yan slammed his fist on the wall in a fit of rage. Even long after the fact, the memory of how Delek had behaved made him furious - and the girls all took a step back, shocked by his sudden reaction.

"Wow... Remind me never to piss you off, Yan..." Misia affirmed, swallowing audibly.

Jolan continued after everyone's tempers had cooled down enough. "Well... after this episode, Delek ran away from Sandpoint like the shitty coward he was," he recounted. "But things didn't get any better for Nualia. Ezakien disowned her, furious that Nualia had, in his own words, 'thrown away her purity.' He kept her sequestered in his shrine and forbade her to go out, beating her and forcing her to fast and beg Desna's forgiveness."

"I tried to stay close to her. I begged Father Ezakien to let me talk to her, to allow me to help her. But each and every time, he would kick me out, accusing me of being one of those who had... 'corrupted' Nualia. From that day on, I was no longer able to see her," Yan continued. "And then one day... when Nualia was now seventh months pregnant... she began to feel sick. And it soon became clear that she was going to have a miscarriage. I don't know exactly how things went... but I think that's when Nualia lost all hope. I haven't heard anything about her since then. When... when there was that fire, and Nualia disappeared... I felt horrible for her, but... at least I felt some consolation in thinking that her suffering was over... and instead..."

Yan wiped his eyes and looked at his audience. Everyone had been shocked by that tale, and how it had unfolded. Yan's past, kept hidden until then, was now coming powerfully back into the light - and it was turning out to be closely connected with the crisis Sandpoint was facing.

At last, Reji put a hand on Yan's shoulder, trying to support him. "I-I'm sorry, Yan. I had no idea that you and Nualia went through this sort of things," she affirmed.

"It's alright, my friend. You couldn't have known. I never told you about it. It was... a tragedy in my past that I thought I had left behind." Yan stated evenly. "But... if there's one thing that bastard Tsuto was right about, it's that you don't solve problems by ignoring them. Now we're all caught up in this mess, and the only thing we can do is find out as much as we can and stop Nualia from destroying Sandpoint."

"You know that you might be talking about something really huge, don't you? I mean, it might be a sacrifice for you that few would be willing to make!" Jolan replied. "In order to stop Nualia and her henchmen from invading Sandpoint and razing it... we might have to kill her. Unfortunately, in certain situations, you cannot hope to appeal to your enemy's humanity."

"And don't get your hopes up." Shalelu continued with a sigh. "Right now, Nualia is our enemy."

Yan stood in silence for several seconds, reflecting on his companions' words. Unfortunately, as much as he hated to admit it, they were right. If it was possible to stop Nualia without killing her, to convince her to lay down her arms - it would be a win for everyone. But Yan knew he had to be realistic... and prepare for the chance that he and Nualia might have to fight to the death. It was an idea that terrified him, and at the same time it might have been inevitable. At that moment, the lives and safety of the people of Sandpoint - more than a thousand souls - were at stake. Surely, his friendship with Nualia wasn't worth that many lives.

But if only it was possible to save both Sandpoint and Nualia... then why not try?

Fortunately, Shalelu stepped up and rested a hand on the young man's shoulder, and when Yan raised his head, he saw that the elven ranger was smiling at him. "Having said that... Nualia has also been your friend, hasn't she?" she asked rhetorically. "So don't let that get you down. Hold on to the hope that she has not forgotten what you were to her. Surely you will be one of her few happy memories of her childhood. I don't want to raise false hopes... but there is this chance, at the very least."

If nothing else, Shalelu's words managed to give Yan some hope that the problem would be solved... and when he looked around, he saw that the rest of the party seemed to be on his side. Eli gave a small smile and clenched a fist in a thumbs-up sign.

"Yeah, I'm with Miss Shalelu on this one." Reji affirmed. "It's worth a try. If anyone can convince Nualia to abandon her plans, it is you. Put your faith in the fact that she will at least listen to you."

"Thank you - I just hope that when I meet her - no,that's right, I must not simply hope. I have to trust that I will be able to rescue her from the darkness she has fallen into." he affirmed, suddenly feeling more decisive.

Eli nodded and adjusted her glasses. "Now, having said that ... before we look for Nualia and the rest of her associates..." the half-elven wizard stated. "There is one matter that I believe deserves our immediate attention. And that is, those sinspawn who were with Tsuto. How did he get to have two of those monstrosities from ancient Thassilon on his side?"

"Excuse me..." The adventurers heard themselves being called by a male voice, and turned their attention to the person who had spoken - one of Sandpoint's city guards, a black-haired young man dressed in a leather bodice and armed with a short spear. "Sorry to bother you, but... there is a matter I needed to bring to your attention, gentlemen."

"If we can help," Misia affirmed. "What is this about?"

The guard cleared his throat and pointed to the entrance of the glassworks. "While my colleagues and I were taking a look at the site of this heinous crime and the basement, we... we discovered a passage going into the underground. We had a look, and it seems that this passage reaches some other rooms, deep below Sandpoint. But we have no idea what might be down there, and we would like to ask if you could go and check it out. For now, we've put up barricades, so that if there was something over there, it wouldn't be able to get to the surface so easily. But we would need your help to make sure there are no risks - and if there are, you are certainly more qualified than we are to neutralize them."

Reji rubbed her chin, thinking back to the basement where she and Shalelu had freed Ameiko. "Hmm... When Miss Shalelu and I went down there to rescue Ameiko, I thought I saw a tunnel going even further underground. There was no time to check what was there... maybe that's what you're referring to?" she asked, and the guard nodded in confirmation.

"If that's the case... I don't see why not take a look down there. If there's indeed something down there, it could be a danger to Sandpoint." Eli commented.

"Do you think those... sinspawn... came from this underground place?" Yan asked, now more willing to face this new problem.

Jolan shrugged. "Might as well take a look," he affirmed.

"If indeed the sinspawn are coming from there, those underground locales pose a serious danger to Sandpoint." Eli stated after thinking about it for a moment. "Who's to say that there are no other sinspawn or other Thassilonian monstrosities that could come up from there and endanger the city? We have to make sure. So, let's take some time to rest, renew our spells, and maybe get some equipment... then, let's go take a look at those dungeons, and make sure any danger is neutralized."

"Yes, you're right, Eli," Jolan answered. "Better be sure there's nothing dangerous around there anymore."

The soldier nodded his head in thanks. "Thank you, gentlemen. In the meantime, my comrades and I will reinforce the barricades and take turns on guard duty. If anything happens, we will notify you immediately."

Yan nodded slowly, trying to prepare himself for the task ahead. Before long, he would have to confront Nualia, and hopefully convince her to abandon her plans. But first, he too had to do his part and make sure that the basement was safe...

oooooooooo

Orik Vancaskerkin had the distinct feeling that his life had long ago turned into some kind of absurd joke.

It had already been several months since he had arrived there in Thistletop, having accepted the work offer from that mysterious dark-skinned, white-haired woman in that smoky Magnimar inn. It was a simple job, on the surface. Acting as her bodyguard, for a salary of no less than ten platinum pieces a month. Who could ever say no to ten platinum pieces? And if there was one thing Orik could brag about, it was his skill with weapons. What could have been so complicated about it? In his mind, Orik had already formed a plan to return to Riddleport, set up his own gang with his earnings, and kick out that damn Clegg Zincher guy - just desserts for forcing him to run away.

Things had even gone smoothly for some time... but now, the whole thing was starting to get more complicated than he cared for, and Orik was becoming convinced that putting himself in the service of that Nualia Tobyn girl had just been the latest in a long string of bad choices. Put herself in charge of the goblin tribes in the area? Assault Sandpoint andburn it to ashes? It was only a matter of time before someone realized what they were planning, and then they would have every adventurer in this part of Varisia on their heels! Nualia had assured him that she would be able to seize control of what was hidden in the depths of Thistletop before they could be found out, but Orik did not know what that thing was, nor did he care enough to find out. And to be perfectly honest, the cult of Lamashtu gave him the creeps. Besides, those few times he had been there, Sandpoint had seemed like a nice place. It did not deserve to burn.

Perhaps, he was beginning to think as he stood guard at the mouth of the bridge that connected the main Thistletop complex to the mainland, it would be wiser to drop the whole thing, ride away and join his brother Verik in Korvosa. He had heard that Verik had been successful, and had even managed to enlist in the city guard. And if he could convince Lyrie to come with him, all the better.

Sure, that dark-skinned beauty could get foul-mouthed and bad-tempered, but... well, that only made her all the more attractive in Orik's eyes.

The mercenary's thoughts were interrupted when some goblins emerged from behind a bush, holding up their hands to make themselves known. Orik glared at them sternly, knowing full well that those little menaces were not to be trusted. But fortunately, the goblins didn't seem to want to try anything funny - in fact, the mercenary noted, they seemed frightened and hesitant. What could have scared those hyperactive little monsters so far? Were they from the party that had gone with that damn prettyboy Tsuto (Asmodeus take him)?

"You." Orik greeted the goblins in a strong voice. "What are you doing here? What do you want?"

"Calm down! Longshanks calm down! We here for report!" shrieked the goblin at the head of the group, with obvious agitation. "We-we here from glassworks! Gone all wrong! They got Tsuto!"

Orik furrowed his brow. Not that he gave a damn about what had happened to that dandy - as far as he was concerned, Tsuto might as well have thrown himself off a cliff. But that might have meant that the scenario Orik had imagined was already coming to fruition, and that the situation was already falling apart.

"Who got him?" Orik asked. "We need to know who our enemies are. They are the ones who clobbered you when you attacked Sandpoint, right?"

The goblin grit his teeth, not at all pleased to recall the humiliation he and his comrades had suffered. "Yes-yes, them! It was those five who made group! And goblin killer elf girl was with them!"

Orik sighed and shrugged. Goblis notoriously had a vanishingly short attention span. To them, "longshanks" were all the same, and asking them if they had noticed anything special or memorized any names would be an exercise in futility.

At least, that's what Orik believed, only to be proven wrong shortly afterward.

"We-we heard a few names!" one goblin, seemingly a little smarter than the others, exclaimed. "One of them was named Yan... then there was leggy woman named Eli... and a halfling named Jolan! Also, girl who uses fists and kicks... and female gnome with strange powers! Me remember no more, me swear!"

Well, that was more than he expected from a bunch of goblins. "Alright then... I'll report to Nualia right away," he stated. "You go back to Ripnugget and stand by for further orders. Now come on. Scram. Get lost."

The goblins hurriedly dispersed into the forest around Thistletop, eager to return to their leader's side. After making sure that the goblins had not been followed, Orik crossed the bridge to the entrance of the fortification, hoping to himself that this was not the beginning of the end for him as well...

oooooooooo

"I demand to know, Nualia! Why did you not allow me to accompany Tsuto?"

The corrupt aasimar sighed in irritation when the young woman of color dressed in white repeated the same question for the sixth time. Determined to shut her subordinate up once and for all, Nualia turned an icy stare on her. "Do you think you are in the position to demand anything, Lyrie?" she exclaimed angrily. "And anyway, this was a matter concerning Tsuto, and only him. Tsuto made himself useful to our cause, and he personally went to try and convince his sister to join us. I owed him a favor, and I don't think he would have appreciated your interference."

"Not true!" Lyrie exclaimed angrily. A young woman of Garundi ethnicity, with black hair tied in several braids, Lyrie wore a white cape complete with a hood, a white skirt on which her worktools were secured, and a pair of knee-high sandals. Beside her, an arrogant-looking white cat stared resentfully at Nualia and hissed at her. "Tsuto and I love each other! He appreciates my contribution better than you do!"

"All you've done so far is try to seduce Tsuto with some childish ploys, and lock yourself up in your room to translate a few sentences from Thassilionian," Nualia retorted. "Do you really think that I can't do without you? I could take you back to Magnimar whenever I wanted! Of cpurse, you don't want to go back to that place and risk getting caught by the authorities, do you? They certainly wouldn't be nice to you, since you murdered those two Pathfinder aspirants!"

The woman named Lyrie angrily grit her teeth . As much as it pained her to admit it, that was why she had fled Magnimar. She was convinced she'd be able to get away with eliminating two potential contenders for a nomination as an official member of the prestigious Pathfinder Society... yet, apparently, she had not covered her tracks well enough. Lyrie was reluctantly forced to concede, even as she vowed to herself that she would make Nualia pay, one way or another.

The sound of quick footsteps interrupted the argument between the two women, and Lyrie turned to the source of the sound in the hope that it was Tsuto, and that he would take her side in the altercation. Instead, to her chagrin, the muscular figure with roughly attractive features of Orik Vancaskerkin entered from the nearest tunnel, then stopped at a respectful distance and raised a hand in greeting. "Lady Nualia, Miss Lyrie... I apologize for the disturbance," he stated. "I have just now received a report from our goblins. The attempt to persuade Ameiko Kaijitsu has failed, and Tsuto has been captured by Sandpoint adventurers."

Nualia's reaction was composed, if concerned. The priestess of Lamashtu narrowed her shining eyes, and her lower lip quivered in both anger and worry. Not that she reciprocated Tsuto's love, or perhaps it was just lust, but he was still a valuable subordinate and a person she felt close to, their mutual desire for revenge allowing them to bond.

Lyrie, on the other hand, was far less composed...

"What? Tsuto was captured?" the Garundi woman exclaimed. The cat hovering around her yowled in irritation when Lyrie almost tripped on him when she went to grab Orik's sleeve and pull it furiously toward her. "What does that mean? Who did this? Where did they take him? We have to run and get him back! Right away!"

"Hold... hold on, Lyrie, calm down!" Orik exclaimed, putting a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her - and expertly hiding his disgust at her infatuation with that half-elven dandy. "Unfortunately, I only know what those goblin told me! Evidently, those adventurers turned out to be tougher than expected, and Tsuto had no choice but to surrender to them. Now... he's probably in Sandpoint's jail, waiting for the sheriff to return."

"Even with the sinspawn helping him, he got caught?" an irritated and worried Nualia asked. "Tch... that was not part of the plan at all. That means we're dealing with dangerous opponents."

"We must go to Sandpoint right away and get him out of there!" Lyrie exclaimed, punching the palm of her hand. Her cat familiar meowed in assent.

Nualia raised her deformed demonic arm in what was meant to be a calming gesture. "We will do no such thing!" the corrupted aasimar exclaimed. "The plan has reached a critical point, and within no more than a week we should be able to free Malfeshnekor. At that point, we will be able to attack Sandpoint, and by then, Tsuto will definitely still be there. To rush things could result in disaster."

"What? You can't say that, Nualia! I don't want to wait! Tsuto could be in danger!" Lyrie tried to protest, but an icy, threatening stare from the corrupt aasimar shut her up.

"Lyrie. I will not repeat myself." Nualia hissed. Her face was an expressionless mask except for the icy rage burning in her eyes, and the Garundi woman shuddered and took a step back. Orik immediately went to support her, but Lyrie angrily wriggled away from his supportive hands and walked away, her cat familiar following a short distance away.

"Damn bitch. You're going to pay for this." Lyrie whispered to herself, once she was far enough away not to be heard.

Nualia glared at her subordinate as she walked away, then turned to Orik again. "Have you heard anything about the people who took Tsuto? Can we get an idea of their abilities?" she asked. "And maybe even their names, if those stupid goblins cared enough to remember them."

Orik nodded quickly, hoping he could get away soon enough and go try to support Lyrie once again. "Yeah, from what I heard, they're a pretty diverse bunch. Aside from that goblin-hunting elf, Shalelu... I know there's a halfling named Jolan, a female gnome with divine powers - an oracle, I think - and then there's an half-elf wizard named Eli, a swordsman named Yan, and a martial arts expert."

The mercenary had not given too much weight to the information he had reported... so he was somewhat surprised when Nualia's icy expression abruptly changed as soon as he mentioned the swordsman's name. The young Aasimar woman looked shocked and dismayed, and for a moment Orik thought she was about to faint... but she held herself up by clinging to a wall with her demonic arm and stared at the ground for a few moments. "Lady Nualia! What's the problem?"

"Orik... did you... did you really say...? Yan? Yan Gudril, by any chance? A swordsman?" she exclaimed, bombarding the stunned Riddleport mercenary with a barrage of questions. He had never seen Nualia so flustered. She was usually so icy and self-possessed... what was that name to her, to have such an explosive reaction?

"I don't... I don't know about that, Lady Nualia..." Orik finally replied, shuddering as the demonic priestess' eyes bore into his own. "I-I only know that his name is Yan. And that he is a swordsman. He doesn't seem to know magic or stuff like that."

Nualia angrily stared into her subordinate's eyes, as if she was trying to read his mind and see whether of not he had been telling the truth. Finally, much to Orik's relief, she turned away and walked towards her room. "I wish... to be left alone for a while," she said, trying to sound as controlled as possible. "As for you... return to your duties. Now."

Stunned by this behavior, Orik took a moment to give an affirmative answer... and by the time he replied, the demonic priestess had disappeared. With a brisk pace to her step, Nualia reached her room and locked herself in it, then went to her bed and sat on it, her head in her hands in a gesture of shock and confusion.

Could it be? After she had lost sight of him for all that time? Could it be possible that that swordsman was really her closest - and only - childhood friend? If this was a twist of fate, Nualia did not find it funny at all. Why was this happening to her? Was this another cruel trick life was playing on her? Once again, she was being offered a chance to escape her misery, only to have it snatched away from under her nose? How had Yan come back? Not being able to find him had been her only regret after leaving Sandpoint and joining the dark priesthood of Lamashtu. She thought it was now a closed chapter in her life, a reminder of those few carefree moments she had had before Delek and that creep who dared to call himself her father took everything away from her...

"NUALIA." Lamashtu's voice thundered in her head, shaking the aasimar woman from her troubled thoughts. "ARE YOU THINKING OF ABANDONING YOUR INTENTIONS OF REVENGE? IS THE THOUGHT OF A PETTY LITTLE CHILDHOOD FRIEND ENOUGH TO DISTRACT YOU? YOU PROMISED LOYALTY AND UNCONDITIONAL LOVE TO ME! ARE YOU THINKING OF ABANDONING MY EMBRACE WHEN I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO EVER REACHED OUT TO YOU? THE ONLY ONE WHO GAVE HOPE TO THE FORSAKEN WRETCH THAT YOU ARE?"

"N-NO!" Nualia suddenly exclaimed. The aasimar sprang to her feet and began frantically walking up and down her room, invoking her demonic patron. "No, Mother Lamashtu! I don't... I was not thinking of betraying you! I-I know what you have done for me! It will not be... a memory to lead me astray! That boy means nothing to me anymore! Absolutely nothing!"

"THEN PROVE IT. WHEN HE COMES, YOU WILL CAPTURE HIM AND SACRIFICE HIM TO ME." the demon goddess' voice continued. "DO THAT, AND I WILL CONSIDER THIS MOMENT AS JUST A BRIEF FALTERING ON YOUR PART. DO NOT DISAPPOINT ME. YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE ALONE AGAIN, DO YOU?"

"My love goes to you and you alone, Mother Lamashtu!" Nualia implored, falling to her knees with tears of hysteria in her eyes. "I will do anything you want! Anything you want... anything... anything..."

No longer hearing the demonic goddess speak to her, Nualia shakily stood up, hoping that her position in Lamashtu's eyes was not in jeorapdy, and vowing that she would be ready to kill every feeling she had for Yan, and sacrifice him. But no matter how hard she tried to convince herself, she could not stifle that burning sensation - that thought that if she really faced her old friend, she would end up wavering in her convinctions...

Suddenly feeling exhausted, Nualia slumped on her bed and drifted off to a dreamless sleep...

oooooooooo

TO BE CONTINUED...