A/N: Poetic license is taken with this chapter, because I'm attractive and I can get away with it. Not too many vampires, layout of the prison, etc. Plus, the unthinkable...
Well, crap.
Even after the most restful sleep of my young life, I still had a ton of bull to deal with in the morning. First off, the food was horrible. Everyone at the table grimaced and shoveled it down as fast as possible. The task complete, we set about town to try to have a little 'chat' with Gromnir. That didn't go so well. We walked around, trying to help everyone. We helped Lazarus get his book back, we found shelter for some elves, broke up a few fights, rooted out a traitor, and generally made ourselves useful. It was almost sundown before we figured out that there were two ways into Gromnir's fortress. We sat in the Tankard Tree, discussing our options.
"We should approach through the sewers," rumbled Sarevok. "There could be sapping teams there. There's no point in killing Gromnir if the city will simply fall minutes later."
Minsc nodded his agreement. The incident with Kiser has cast serious doubt on the crumbling defenses of Saradush.
"Not much point in fighting Gromnir -if we even have to- while vampires attack the people we're trying to protect," Aerie countered. She was growing more and more confident...and attractive. She had a point, though.
"Let's split up, then," I suggested, "Sarevok, you lead half the party down into the sewers, I'll go slap around those damn undead."
He nodded.
"The ranger and Viconia will accompany me."
Minsc didn't appear pleased. I wasn't too happy, either. I hoped fervently that vampires would keep them from squabbling. We split up to armor up and prepare.
"See you in the castle!" Viconia called out behind her. I sure hoped both smaller teams would make it inside.
BGBGBGBGBGBG
We were running. Trying to keep up with the old man's ghost, trying to outrun what seemed like hundreds of vampires. I smashed a door off its hinges. Well, not so much off its hinges as smashed through the rotted wood. Aerie was hot on my heels. I skidded to a stop, caught one in the chest with the Flail of Ages. The power of the artifact punched it off its feet with a horrible shriek, and Jaheira stomped on its skull viciously as she stormed through the door behind Aerie. She gave me a feral, wild grin. I knew that as long as we were together, it didn't matter if we were the steely fist of justice or farming the soil outside of Nashkel. She was happiest with me there. Aerie whipped a bullet past me, triumphant and independent. It was good for my soul to see her like that.
The ghost sauntered through the halls in front of us. The vampires ignored him outright. Hell, some ran right through him. I smashed a fledgling aside with my shield, kept running trying to keep up. He beckoned us over to a cell. The bloodsuckers kept coming, though. Aerie leaped the prone vampire. We were at an L-shaped intersection. Aerie and I blocked off the corridors as Jaheira kicked down the door. We called upon the holy might of our gods, using their power to turn back the undead menace. The vampires gnashed their fangs at us as Jaheira tore the room apart.
"There is nothing here!"
"Nothing?" I managed between the Litany of the Faithful and Requiem for the Sunset.
"A skull!"
The old man's ghost pointed, excited. He gestured for us to follow from the wrong side of a phalanx of bloodsuckers. Aerie stopped chanting, hands going to her ammo belt.
"Shall we dance, my love?" Jaheira barked as we charged forwards. I caught a glimpse of Aerie's glare as I looked behind me. Despite the anger, I could see the magic dancing on her fingertips, ready to heal us or burn down the foe. I returned Jaheira's grin. I could see something primal in her eyes. We had been fighting side by side so long, we were almost symbiotic. We merged in combat, somehow. She went right, and I knew just went to duck, to shuffle aside, to go back to back with her.
We found it in a corner, a little mound of dirt with a femur sticking out of it. A shallow grave. The ghost mimed and pointed. Strangely enough, the vampires avoided the area. Still, Aerie stood watch as me and Jaheira dug up the bones, made him a proper grave. We even poured some elven holy water on it for good measure. The ghost appeared once more, and delivered a gift upon us. It was an ioun stone, bronze in color. I handed it to Aerie as she watched over us, hand on her shoulder. Great, big blue eyes looked up at me.
"For me?"
"Yes, dear. You know a hell of a lot more than I ever will. Anyways, we have to look out for each other, right?"
She looked at her feet shyly, then stroked my cheek with the back of her hand.
"We do. We have to. It's what keeps us alive in the hard times."
She smiled, and it seemed like the whole dungeon lit up. I stroked her hair gently, and we moved on.
The horde of vampires didn't seem to end. We fought along the crumbling halls until we finally came upon the entrance to the castle. Well, sort of. It was right where Sister Farielle said it would be, only bricked over. I guess Gromnir didn't like the undead. Tired, sweating, bleeding, we came upon the wall and began cursing. Cursing loudly. And that's when the leader of the undead appeared. She glowered at us.
"You're a Bhaalspawn."
"Yeah. And I don't like the undead. Save me the trouble and jump on a stake."
"You'll destroy us, I can tell. Come, my children, let us fight one last time!"
Great.
So, we fought them. Aerie conjured up all kinds of magical lightning and fire. She summoned holy fury, an avatar of destruction. Jaheira and I mauled all the vampires within reach. Back to back, as it always was, we fought them off. We whirled in time. A little pressure from an armored calf, and we turned. She lashed out, driving the butt end of her staff through the skull of a vampire, as I snap-kicked one in the knee before delivering a killing blow. We attacked as one, defended as one. Finally, there were no more undead. Not one.
Aerie's earth elemental tore down the wall quick enough. It was exhilarating in a way, beating death again with the woman...women I loved by my side. We broke through the wall, into a stock room. Sitting down on crate, I reached into my pack and began to bind a gash from a vampire's claw. Aerie leaned against a wall, sweating and exhausted. Jaheira leaned on her staff. She was sore, I could tell. I stood, reached out. I rested my forehead against hers, sweat mingling as my hand reached out and rubbed her neck. She smiled.
"I wonder where the others are," called out Aerie. She looked at us, looking a little pained. I wondered if it was me and Jaheira or the exertion of spellcasting.
"Dunno."
Suddenly, I heard it. The scream of a man in agony, the impact of bodies, the splintering of wood. We whipped around to see one of Gromnir's own fly through a door, spilling and tumbling on the floor. A wide-eyed Minsc shoved the remains of the door aside, stepped in.
"Sarevok should join a berserker lodge, maybe, once he is less evil. He tosses bad guys like one of us!"