Disclaimer: Forgotten Realms belongs to RAS, WotC, and all the wonderful writers who have contributed to the world of Faerûn. We seek not to steal the ideas, only to embrace them and create a story of our own. The characters and the world may belong to RAS, but the plot is our own.

Kristi lie awake in bed and looked over to Alex who was tossing and turning. She couldn't get to sleep so she leaned back against the bed and just stared for a while thinking.

Alex couldn't get to sleep either. She thought, 'this is useless. I can't sleep. But I best keep it down though, just in case Kristi is asleep.'

The hours passed by and morning was upon them.

Kristi still sat in the same position she was hours before.

Alex rolled over on her side and blinked, noticing that Kristi was awake. "Didn't you sleep?"

"No, I couldn't sleep," she said.

Alex sighed. "I didn't get much either."

"Yeah, I know."

"You knew?"

Kristi was silent for a moment, and then shrugged. "Well, you did sleep for a little bit though."

Her eyes drifted downward. "But it was not a peaceful sleep I can tell you that."

Kristi was tempted to say, 'I know,' but she decided against it. "Some sleep is better than no sleep. It's good that you gained some rest. I rested, just not from sleep.

Alex looked to her questioningly.

Jarlaxle was waiting for Pharaun in his study. When the wizard finally did enter, he was carrying several scrolls. "What are all of those for? You said this was one spell."

Pharaun grinned. "This is one spell and besides, I never said it was going to be easy."

Jarlaxle rolled his eyes. "So what must we do?"

Pharaun handed Jarlaxle some scrolls. "Copy down these symbols and then when we're finished we chant the spell. Everything must be perfect. Hence the several scrolls so we can double check."

Jarlaxle looked to him questioningly, inwardly muttering 'wizards' but he did what he was told.

An hour later when they finished transcribing the symbols they were ready to perform the spell. "Now, let us chant," Pharaun said.

The two drow chanted for five minutes and a mist started to fill the room. It then started to drift toward the room where Alex and Kristi were staying.

Kristi didn't notice the mist, but she knew that something was wrong. She absently clutched at her heart.

"Kristi! Are you all right?" Alex noticed the mist. "They've done something."

"Yeah, I'm okay I guess." She blinked dizzily and visibly thought. "I don't know what they're doing."

Pharaun finished the last of the chant and looked to Jarlaxle. "It is done. The more she resists the more her friend will suffer. We shall have some fun with this."

Jarlaxle nodded. "Oh yes, we shall."

Pharaun headed out of Jarlaxle's study. "Let us go start the fun."

Alex looked to Kristi. "I do not like this."

Kristi sat on her bed, very confused. "I don't like it either."

"What do you think happened?"

"Something bad, very bad."

"We best be on our guard."

Pharaun entered the room without knocking, startling Alex a bit. He widely smiled to himself. Alex turned to regard the two drow and Kristi stood as they walked into the room.

Kristi looked to them. "What do you want?"

Alex looked to Kristi and then the two drow, not liking where the situation was heading.

Pharaun walked over to Kristi. "Oh nothing."

Kristi looked to him suspiciously. "Nothing from you means something."

Jarlaxle let his gaze drift from Alex to Kristi. "You are a smart one."

Kristi now looked to Jarlaxle suspiciously. "And a compliment from you means something as well."

"That was sarcasm my dear," he said looking back to Alex with an evil smile. This action caused Alex to shift.

"Right," Kristi said with more than a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "What are we doing today then?" Thus far she had not resisted and this caused an exchange of looks between Pharaun and Jarlaxle. It seemed as if they were sharing a secret.

"You're going to do whatever we tell you to do," Pharaun said.

Alex blinked. "What is going on here?"

Kristi sniffed. "Yeah right." She saw Alex flinch a little, but she didn't let her thoughts linger on that.

"What do you mean she is going to do whatever you tell her to?!"

Pharaun grinned. "I mean what I say, that is all you need to know." He didn't

want to reveal everything right away and ruin their fun.

Kristi stared at the drow skeptically.

Alex looked to Kristi then back to the drow and mumbled, "this is bad. . .very bad."

Jarlaxle overheard Alex. "Now now my dear it is not that bad at all." He continued smiling far too widely.

"Yes it is quite the contrary from bad," Pharaun said, "in fact it is good for us. Today my dear Kristi you get to kill someone."

"I'm not killing anyone!" Kristi looked perplexed as Alex stepped back in pain. Alex looked horrified. "What the-. . .Alex? Are you okay?"

She looked up. "I. . .I think so."

Pharaun snapped his fingers and the girls were transported by a blue light to a dirty room filled with human slaves. Jarlaxle and himself appeared behind the girls.

"What the-?" Alex looked around. "What are we doing here?!"

Kristi looked perplexed as she tried to fit the pieces together.

Pharaun tossed Kristi a sword. "I want you to kill that human." He pointed out a dirty male huddled near her.

"Don't do it!"

"No!" Kristi looked to Alex and saw her cringe in pain. "I'm not killing anyone!"

Alex gasped and shuddered in pain. Kristi dropped the sword in defiance and Alex tried not to cry out, but a small whimper escaped her lips.

Kristi backed away from the human, but looked to Alex's state. "No. . ."

Jarlaxle smiled and looked to Kristi as he placed a hand on Alex's back. "You see my dear when you resist us your friend here suffers greatly."

Kristi was angry, but she tried to compose herself. "I've already ascertained that
fact, but why?"

Alex looked up to Kristi and mouthed the words, 'don't do it no matter what.'

Kristi was wide eyed in shock, but nodded to Alex. "I'm not going
to kill! No matter what! You can't make me do anything!" Alex cried out in pain and fell to her knees. Kristi looked away from Alex, shutting her eyes. She whispered, "no matter what." She flinched at another of Alex's cries.

Jarlaxle moved his hand from Alex's back to her shoulder, and then turned to Kristi. "You should comply my dear. Do you want to see your friend suffer?"

"I don't want her to suffer," Kristi's gaze was drawn to the man who looked to her. His eyes were devoid of hope. "No!" She stared firmly at Jarlaxle.

Alex cried out again and tears of pain leaked from her eyes.

Jarlaxle shook his head. "Stop resisting. . .it will only get worse."

Kristi turned away until Pharaun forced her to watch. "You are causing this pain. . .not us."

Kristi clenched her fists at her side. "No!"

"Don't. . .give. . .in," Alex gasped out between painful breaths.

"I won't Alex." Kristi squeezed her eyes shut, but couldn't get the image of Alex's suffering out of her head. She began to doubt herself, but she stood firm.

"No matter what happens we'll always be friends," Alex said. She cried out again.

Pharaun placed the sword back into Kristi's hand. "Just do it." His voice purred, almost as if he anticipated the spilling of blood.

Kristi opened her eyes and looked to the sword in shock. She thought to herself, 'death must be a better fate. No, I mustn't. . .I can't.' She watched as Alex doubled over in pain.

Alex managed to growl out, "no!" She squeezed her eyes shut, refusing to let the drow see the pain in her eyes.

Jarlaxle knelt down next to Alex and lifted her chin with his finger. "Open your eyes my dear."

"Never. . .never will I give you that satisfaction."

Pharaun smiled in enlightenment and shoved Kristi at the human who leaped at her. He used his magic to have the two collide.

Kristi's eyes were wide in shock as she released her grip on the sword. She was stunned and in shock at the blood on her hands. "I. . .didn't. . ." She pulled the sword out and dropped to her knees. Her hands shook and she dropped the sword. "No. . ." She was sickened by what she saw and she felt her heart drop as she stared at the human. She inwardly thought, 'it wasn't me. . .but it was.'

Alex was relieved of pain and heard the sword fall to the ground. She whispered, "no."

Pharaun looked to Kristi. "Enjoy your first kill. It is the best."

Kristi stared deep into the man's eyes as he died. She turned her head to see that Alex's eyes were still closed. "Alex, I. . ." she trailed off, casting her eyes to the ground and closing them.

"No, no, no, no!" Alex started to beat on Jarlaxle's chest. "No, you bastards!" Tears flowed from her shut eyes. "Kristi. . ."

Pharaun smiled as he sensed Alex's faith in her friend falter ever so slightly.

Alex whispered, "Kristi, no. . ."

Jarlaxle smiled and wrapped his arms around Alex protectively. "Shhh, my sweet."

Kristi looked to the blood on her hands. The blood she caused. Guilt weighed heavily on her soul. She saw Jarlaxle with his arms about Alex and she stood enraged, but she stopped when she saw Alex flinch in pain. "Alex, no. . ." She sighed. "I may not be able to resist, but you still can."

Pharaun smiled and said to Kristi. "Be silent!"

Kristi knew that to refuse Pharaun's words would be resisting, so she remained silent. She looked on in evident pain and she stared at Alex with dry eyes. She was emotionless, yet was filled with so much pain.

Alex started to cry openly.

Jarlaxle brushed the hair out of Alex's face. "Shhhh. Calm down my dear."

Alex cringed at his touch. She opened her eyes and looked to Kristi, then back to Jarlaxle. "No. . .I won't give in. I can't!"

Kristi smiled, but even that seemed to cause Alex pain.

Alex looked to Pharaun. "Stop this! Why are you doing this to us?!"

Kristi remained silent, staring forlornly at the body.

"Why you ask? You did this to yourselves, you could have avoided all this," he looked to Kristi then Alex, "pain, if you would have obeyed our wills."

"No! Never!"

"It is unavoidable, you will each cease to resist. It may take time, but time is what we have and what you require."

Kristi stared in silent reverie at the body and inwardly pondered, 'time. . .'

"Don't give in Kristi!"

Pharaun looked to Jarlaxle who nodded, then looked to Kristi. "We have another little mission for you."

Kristi's eyes flashed in anger. She thought to herself, 'I'll never give in.' She saw Alex twinge in pain, hoping she would understand.

Jarlaxle smiled. "Would you like to know what it is?"

Kristi wanted to shake her head 'no' but she nodded slowly and angrily.

Pharaun chuckled, "oh yes. You may speak."

Kristi asked icily, "What mission?" Pharaun looked Kristi in the eyes, and then moved his gaze to the blood soaked sword on the ground. Kristi followed his gaze suspiciously. Alex also followed the gaze and her eyes widened in horror when she realized what they wanted her to do.

Kristi seemed confused. "What do you mean?"

Pharaun said nonchalantly. "Think my dear. . .think."

"No."

Alex doubled over in pain.

Kristi shook her head. "No. You forced me to kill and I'll not do anything of that sort again! No! Do you hear me? No!"

Alex cried out and stumbled back, into Jarlaxle's arms. She looked up horrified to him. "You can't ask her to do this again." Tears of pain sprang to her eyes.

Kristi kept whispering, "no," to herself causing Alex to cry out. She felt close to crying every time Alex cried out in pain.

Alex looked Jarlaxle in the eyes. "Stop. . .please."

Kristi remained unmoved and stared at the ground. Her jaw was set and determined and she repeated the word 'no.'

Alex cried out so loudly that the slaves cowered away from her. She looked to Jarlaxle again. "Please, please just make it stop. I can't take the pain."

Kristi stopped saying 'no' and Alex's pain stopped. "It's not him Alex. He can't do anything and he knows it. He's simply indulging himself by staying close to you."

Jarlaxle looked to Pharaun who nodded. "If you kill another slave, we will spare your friend's life."

"What?!"

"If you kill another slave, all of this will stop."

"I can't trust you!" She spoke quickly in a rash of emotion, "How do I know that if I kill one, two, three more you won't threaten me more? There's no guarantee."

Pharaun spoke, "we promise this in the name of the Spider Queen herself."

She visibly paused; she sensed a truth in that promise.

"Do we have an agreement?"

She stared emotionless at the drow and the slaves. She looked into the minds of the slaves and could hear their pleas of 'kill me.' She shuddered to think of the tortures that they had gone through.

Pharaun smirked and snapped his fingers. A small girl of about six years old appeared before them.

Kristi stood there, staring at the girl numbly. She hoped for some semblance of a plan to break through. Alex looked to her with pleading eyes and Kristi met her gaze, but then it turned to the child. She slowly picked up the sword from the ground and looked at it.

Pharaun's eyes lit up in excitement. "Yes! Do it!"

"I'm sorry Alex."

In a swift motion Kristi thrust the sword in the child. The child's eyes widened in a light of surprise, but then that light disappeared as the child slumped to the ground.

"No!" Tears welled up in Alex's eyes and she looked away.

Kristi pulled out the sword and the child fell to the ground. Little did everyone know. . .Kristi had a plan. She was resisting to be sure, but she was not resisting them. She resisted her own urge to kill. Using what magical power she had acquired since setting foot in this realm, she made it appear as if the child died. In reality the girl would recover in two hours time. Pharaun and Jarlaxle did not know. . .and neither did Alex, who looked on now in horror. Kristi knew she couldn't contact Alex psychically so she just fell to her knees in anguish. She let the sword fall from her hands, making it appear as if she was battling anger and sorrow. Deep down Kristi knew the drow would not have killed Alex, but they would have killed the child no matter what happened. Everyone deserved life, no matter how dismal it may be.

Tears flowed from Alex's eyes and she whispered, "Kristi, how could you?"

Pharaun smiled to himself, savoring what he perceived to be as surrender.

Kristi stood up, emotionless now and said icily, "I had to Alex. . .I had to."

She shook her head. "No! No! You had a choice!" She whispered, "no," and bowed her head.

Kristi averted her eyes from Alex, to the fallen child, still concentrating on the charade she was pulling. She whispered, "Yes, I had a choice."

Pharaun walked over to Kristi smiling. "Well done my child. Well done!" He clapped his hands in approval. Kristi was surprised by the clapping, but stood rigidly. "Come! Let us celebrate this moment." He put an arm around Kristi and tried to lead her out of the room.

Kristi tried to pull away. "I don't want to celebrate." She didn't want to leave Jarlaxle and Alex alone.

"Ahh, but you must," Pharaun continued. "This is a must for this moment."

Alex looked over to Kristi with anger filled eyes. She hissed out, "Yes go! You should celebrate this 'victory.'"

Pharaun eventually dragged Kristi out of the room. But before being dragged out she gave one final look of pain to Alex, hoping her friend would understand.

Jarlaxle had been smiling to himself throughout the whole ordeal. "Your friend kills, is that truly the work of a friend?" He wanted to toy with Alex's anger. "I mean, honestly, that's the first thing I noticed about her. . .the willingness to inflict pain."

Alex looked to the ground and whispered, "How could she?"

Jarlaxle raised her chin. "Now now, no cause for sadness. . .we would have killed the child anyway."

Alex looked up to Jarlaxle with sadness and anger.

He mumbled, "my aren't you pretty when you're angry."

Alex sharply turned her head away. "If it wasn't for you and that wizard she would not have done it! Why?! I must know, why?"

"Are you so sure she wouldn't have done it?"

"I'm her friend. . .I know she wouldn't have." She couldn't help lower her eyes again. "But she did."

"Precisely my dear. And now she is celebrating with Pharaun."

"She would never. . .," Alex trailed off, in denial of what she was hearing.

"Oh yes she would. Did I hear never? You are in a state of denial my dear. Accept the fact that your friend killed an innocent child, not even in defense, but on our command."

Alex squeezed her eyes shut, trying to prevent the tears from spilling out. She was failing in this effort. "No. . ."

Jarlaxle wiped a tear away and whispered, "yes."

Alex sharply turned her head away from him and stepped away. "Don't touch me."

"Oh please my dear, can you honestly resist?" Jarlaxle made sure to emphasize the word resist, to continually remind her of her friend.

She turned her back on him. "Please, just leave me be."

"Fine." Jarlaxle went to walk out of the room. "I'm going to join the celebration, you can follow if you'd like." He grinned slyly.

Alex turned around slowly, watching him leave, but she called out, "No, wait!"

Jarlaxle waited until she was behind him, then continued.

Kristi sat at a table glaring at Pharaun. He was eating some kind of delicacy, as he so claimed. Her food remained untouched.

Alex arrived behind Jarlaxle and looked around the room. She saw Kristi, but then averted her gaze elsewhere. Kristi noticed her action and looked down in pain.

Jarlaxle grinned. "Well, if it isn't our little mercenary, I didn't think you had it in you."

Kristi shifted her glare to him. Pharaun looked up from his meal and smiled knowingly at Jarlaxle.

Kristi rolled her eyes at their smiles. "I need to use the washroom." She stood. "Alex, do you need to use it as well?" Her stare bore into Alex.

Alex looked to her in anger, then averted her gaze, and shook her head 'no.'

Jarlaxle sensed the tension.

"Are you sure Alex?" Kristi almost seemed to plead with her.

Pharaun also sensed the tension. "Well this has been a tiring day. Shall we retire to our rooms?"

Kristi snapped, "Fine!" She headed in the direction of their room, but hid behind a wall, waiting for them to pass by her.

Alex turned her back on Kristi, still in disbelief at what her friend has done.

Pharaun turned to her. "Don't be so glum my dear, after all it won't be long until we get those bloodthirsty tendencies out of you."

Alex whirled to Pharaun angrily, then turned to Jarlaxle. "Is there a room in here where I can stay? I need to be alone." She needed to think about what had happened and somehow come up with a way to make things right again.

"Of course." Jarlaxle motioned down the corridor. "The second last room on the right in available. Pharaun and I must discuss matters privately."

"Thank you," Alex said as she walked out of the room.

Kristi watched as Alex walked down the corridor. Anticipating the moment, she leapt into the corridor, clamped her hand over Alex's mouth, and dragged her into the washroom. "Shhh! You have to listen to me!"

Alex pushed her away. "No! You gave into them!"

"If ever there was a time to listen, it is now."

"No! Leave me be!"

"I didn't kill the girl!"

"What are you going to tell me? That we must listen to them now?"

"No! Gods no!"

"I saw it with my eyes, you killed her."

"I figured out a loophole."

Alex pushed past her.

"Listen to me as a friend! Who are you more willing to believe? Me or them?! I can resist them if I resist myself. The girl will recover soon. I need your help to change her appearance magically. They'll really kill her if they find out she's alive! I'm fighting a battle against myself and in a battle there's a loser, so either way I'm going to lose. I'd rather not have any casualties. Please listen to me. . .as a friend."

Alex looked to Kristi in such anger that she took a step back. She hissed out, "how do I know that you aren't lying to me? I saw you stab that girl. I saw it with my own two eyes!! You gave into their will! Now, if you will excuse me!"

"No!"

"Yes, my friend." Alex walked out of the washroom.

"I had to deceive them and you, the reaction had to be real." Kristi followed her down the corridor. "Don't you think I felt the urge to kill? Do you know what that's like?! To feel it and then to stop it? No!" Kristi sighed, "Fine then don't believe me, I've always believed in you."

Alex noticed that Kristi was following her and sighed. "Please just leave me be. I need to think. I just need to be alone for an hour's time." She slipped into the room, but left the door slightly ajar.

Kristi stood at the door and said quietly, "You must think. . . search your mind for the girl whose blood will be on your hands if you do not help her. I will still be your friend. For now we must keep this charade up. You must be strong."

Alex sat on the bed and looked to Kristi with tears in her eyes. She whispered, "Tell me. . .tell me, what really happened in there. . .the whole thing. Why did you give in? How could you betray me that way?"

"I never gave in, in there. I never betrayed you! If anything, I nearly betrayed myself. The girl still lives."

Tears fell from her eyes, "but I saw it all."

Looking to Alex, "I sensed the spell Pharaun was going to use to kill the girl, I twisted it to stun her. You saw what I wanted you to see."

Alex sniffled. "You what? But how?"

"I don't know. All I do know is that by resisting my own urges and not their wills, I break the spell they cast on me to cause you pain. That is how I saw the spell, that is how the girl still lives and that my friend is why two drow have let down their guard because they think the 'strong' one has given in. They will go after you next. They seek to divide us, which is what they think they've already done."

Alex looked Kristi in the eyes and wiped at her own tears. "So what do we do now? How do we keep them from knowing?"

"That's the hard part. As long as they don't have me 'kill' again," Kristi shook her head at that notion. "Pharaun has let down a magical guard on me because he thinks I'll bend to his will. If I wink at you double over in fake pain and they'll think I'm still trying to resist. For now you must go to your dreams, for they are powerful allies. You must dream of the girl having a different form, tomorrow our little act will go into play."

"And what about the girl? And Jarlaxle?"

"Your dreams will keep her safe, she will not perish." Kristi looked to her questioningly. "And what about Jarlaxle?"

"He thinks that I have turned to him for condolence."

Kristi fought back the urge to laugh. "Alex, we are women after all. Besides, I have a feeling he likes you."

"And what pray tell do you mean by that?"

"Oh come on, you know what I mean."

"Yes, yes I do."

"After all, he won't have Pharaun harm you. But if Jarlaxle draws the line I'm going after him."

"But here my question, do I still keep that act up too?"

"That will be the hard part. We also have to 'act' like we have a bit of tension between us. I have to go to my room now, to make sure this little charade will last." With a devious smile, "just go with it."

Alex closed her eyes and sighed. "I don't know if I can do this. The only reason before was because I was in so much pain, then shock. But I shall try my damned well hardest."

Kristi yelled. "Fine!" Before stalking down the corridor she flashed Alex a smile and a nod, then reached her room and slammed the door shut with a resounding slam.

Pharaun heard commotion in the corridor. "It seems as if they are 'talking.'"

Jarlaxle smiled as he heard a door slam. "Indeed, all is going as planned after all."

"Surprisingly yes."

A smile flashed on Jarlaxle's lips. "And the light-haired one, Alex, is falling for my charm." He laughed.

Pharaun rolled his eyes. "Charm. . ." He regarded the drow sitting beside him. "I'm surprised you haven't enlisted the dark haired one as a mercenary."

"Her skill is great for a human."

"She does possess magic as well."

"I should put that on my 'to do' list."

"Yes, and what of the light haired one? Is she on your 'to do' list?"

Jarlaxle chuckled, then turned serious. "She will become my assistant and second in command."

"Really? Are you sure that is wise?"

"I have grown quite fond of her."

"Yes. . . you and your fondness."

"She is weak willed and relies on those that are stronger. She will turn to me."

"We shall see," Pharaun said. "Since we've broken the spirit of the one she will follow."

"You have noticed it yourself. The light-haired one is weak and has been struggling with this all along."

Pharaun nodded. "True, but still. . . the dark haired one's spirit may be broken but it is not dead yet."

"It will be soon, her friend no longer has faith in her."

"If we go after the light-haired one tomorrow it will all be over for them and I'll leave that to you," Jarlaxle said. He then added darkly, "but if you permanently harm her I will hunt you down and slay you myself."

Pharaun smiled. "Of course, of course. "What of the dark haired one's plight tomorrow? Will you take care of that?"

Jarlaxle smiled. "Of course, do not worry I will not permanently harm her."

Pharaun nodded and grinned, tomorrow would be an interesting day indeed.

Author's Note: It seems that Kristi and Alex have a plan. . .but will it work? In the Underdark plans have a funny way of becoming something else. Next chapter, Pharaun and Jarlaxle have a plan of their own to break the girls. Writes on a scroll 'please review' and chants the words