A few days had passed since the night of the party and rescuing Duke from the ship. From then he had been healing up and staying relatively quiet. I had continually practiced my magic and other abilities in the tucked away spaces of the clock tower. The two of us surprisingly talked very little to each other, despite showing quite a bit of relief to see the other was safe. No matter how I tried to interact with him, Duke seemed to slip away with these attempts.
In the city the searches continued. Some people were rounded up, other gang members, suspicious wanderers, etc. A few were made examples of in the town square by the captain of the guards. Yet the stone they sought out remained a hidden mystery.
This made it hard to venture out. However, with needing to rest, this hadn't been a problem yet.
It was a particularly stormy evening, when Duke climbed down from the rafters, after doing some balance exercises. He looked about the group of us, wondering, "How's everyone holdin' up?"
Latha had spent the last few days continuing her studies and trying to remain unsuspicious. Fortunately, lack of any major examinations and having completed most of her course works in advance meant she had plenty of time to actually recuperate after the madness of the ball and following rescue.
"Doing well, actually! Or... as well as anyone with how things are this moment."
Looking out the window at the streets below, as rain struck against the panes of glass, Mr. Bump let out a sigh. His arms crossed, he looked back to the one eyed swashbuckler, "As good as Aye can be, boss. Fings gettin' down right awful out dere."
"That's why we're tryin' to fix it, right?" Duke attempted with some confidence in his voice, "Just a little longer before we go after our next target."

I now stepped into the main room with them, Duke gave me a quiet nod of a greeting that I tried in vain to look away from. With a sigh, I went over to Latha , "How are your studies going? Anything I can help with?"
Latha, however, noticed that the weather seemed to be picking up outside the tower.
"Their doing well, I tend to make a point of getting a week or so ahead in most of my work, especially after...the incident last year after I fell behind," At the memory Latha shivered, "So much pudding..."
Moving over to the window, the Tiefling would tilt her head slightly as she considered the sprawling city scape, "The weather seems to be picking up."
Mister Bump notices that my right hand was wrapped in gauze, and that I was cradling it a bit, keeping it tucked against my chest to try and have it go unseen.
As well as the storm brewing outside.
I gave a nod to Latha, "Let me know if you want to practice or study together...though we should probably be careful."
Raising a brow, the bugbear looked over towards me, "Ey, ya alright dere?"
I looked up at Mister Bump, a bit surprised at first before glancing down and saying, "Oh, this...? A spell just backfired on me a bit...it's not too bad."
"Ya best be careful dere... perhaps ya should talk to Latha to see if she could help ya?"
"Spell backfire! Heart, you should have mentioned something. Let me have a look, I'm no healer but I've had enough experience myself." Latha said, beckoning me over to a side table.
I took a seat, looking a little reluctant at first, before joining my friend, "It's really not that bad..." as I unraveled the bandaging, Latha would get to take a look.
Latha would see burn marks left from a shock of electricity. My fingers still moved, though they were a bit sore and stiff. I winced while trying to flex them a bit.
"Eventually I will have some, if not full immunity to this I've been told," I mentioned.
"Electric element? Be that as it may, you should still be careful! Paralysis, even short term and localized, is no laughing matter. And that's not even getting into the long term effects of sever burn or nerve damage. Wait here, I'll see if there are any poultices here to help sooth the burns at least."
One the studious sorceress had the supplies in hand, she would begin tending to my wound as well she could.
"There should be a decent stock," Duke mentioned.
"Not that I ever...coughs a bit jokingly need it," he tried to add, "Right Mister Bump ?"
With a smirk, he nodded. "Righto... course not... nevah..." He chuckled, as he lumbered over to a chair, and took a seat.

Pulling out a map of the city, he began to look over it, contemplating something.
"Somethin' up? Or lookin' for a future home to take a certain cat lady?" Duke teased lightly.

If it wasn't for the thick coat of fur over his shaggy form, perhaps Duke would've seen the bugbear blush a little, "Just ta tryin' figure out what ta do next, d'at's all."
I watched as my hand was tended to, feeling my joints move a little easier, "This is helping. Thank you, Latha."
"Always happy to help my apprentice slash study buddy. So, things going well? You've seemed a little...somber lately."
"It's hard to explain..." I said while looking towards the window, as though avoiding our leader, or at least making eye contact with him, "Nor do I even know how to go about things right now..."
Duke, placing a hand to his chest a moment again, gave a smile and said, "Well, our next step is to acquire what everyone is lookin' for. With it, we can restore your place in the city all the sooner."
The wind started to grumble and growl outside the tower.

Looking first to Duke, then back to me, Latha though for a minute. A part of the problem, she considered, was that there had never been any classes for this kind of thing, romance having not been something she was familiar with. Still, she had to at least try for her friend.
"Well... when studying, sometimes I find it best to first break things down to the basics? Start with what I do understand and then use that to build up? It um..." She paused, and took a deep breath. "Sometimes, things are complicated, and other times, they are only as complicated as we let them be. The first step is to understand what you know, er feel that is, and then move to what you want. I am... not exactly the most astute or learned in these kinds of matters but, well even on a test or experiment, some times all you can do is try and see what happens. I imagine this is... maybe a little the same?"
For once Mister Bump would see Duke blush a bit, before stepping away and out of the room again. I gave a frustrated sigh as I watched him do this, "I thought it was that simple too...but it seems I may have been mistaken...?" I tried to mask this.
Forcing a thin smile, I said, "Thank you though."

Thunder began rumbling outside, trying to draw our attention.
Glancing towards the window, the bugbear gave a grimace. "Welp, best ta make sure da roof doesn't give in durin' da storm. If ya excuse me..." With that, he got up, and began to clamber upstairs to make sure everything was in shape.
Latha would also look out into the storm, letting her mind wander a bit.

Mister Bump would find me up on the roof as well, balancing along a piece of it as I had just a bit ago.
"Well, fancy bumpin inta ya here," he chuckled, before making sure the boards were intact.
I walked over and held the loose boards in place for Mister Bump. I shrugged at my friend's comment, "The storm is lookin' pretty bad." Indeed it was picking up in strength.
Mister Bump would keep his stance steady as the wind blew against him.
I, however would falter a bit, nearly losing balance, but with Mister Bump there, I was able to keep a decent holding, "Thanks, friend...for everythin' lately..."
Getting a hold of me, he gave a very worried look, "We might wanna get ta safe ground if it keeps up like dis."

"We can go the base floor of the tower, it's boarded up down there. Leavin' isn't much of an option right now," I mentioned.

"Aye, let's get down to safety.. muh fur's gettin all wet..."

Duke gave a nod as he began heading back down to the main room of the tower.

Latha would easily see that the weather was growing quite rough. Rain began to beat against the outer walls and windows of the tower, some of it getting in to spit at them.
"Well, looks like I may be staying the night, with this weather."
Lightening began to dance out around the city. Some a little too close for comfort while up on a roof of a large tower.
"Ladies, we need to take better shelter in the base part of our hideout I'm afraid," I said to Heart and Latha as I hopped in, rather soaked already.
With a nod, Latha stood up to follow her compatriots.
The soaked brute coming in behind me, shaking the moisture from his fur real quick, waved for them to follow him to the cellar.
Once down below it was quite dark. The bit of light we had was provided by a few hooded lanterns that had a decent bit of oil in them. There was room for the group of us to spread out a little, and there was some food stored there as well.

"Nice an' cozy," I attempted a light smile as I took a seat on some of the blankets and fabric I'd managed to grab.
Carefully sitting down, Latha leaned back lightly against a nearby wall, eyes closed and sighing.
"So...while we're here...anythin' ya want to ask about? I know a lot has happened," I offered.
Eyes snapping open, giving her a clear view at what had suddenly become the most interesting ceiling in the world, Latha tensed a little. Slowly relaxing again, she breathed deeply and though.
"Do you... do you remember anything your captors said that might hint at their greater plans? Names? An...Anything?" She asked, trying to keep any tightness out of her voice.
The goblinoid nodded, and gestured towards the tiefling "Wut she said."
I sighed, "Well...I guess it's only fair I tell ya a bit more about him...an'..." I paused a moment. "Duke, you can trust us," Heart attempted.

I took a breath, and began to explain, "Ya see, Falcone, a former good friend of mine, or so I thought a long time ago,...seems to be partnered with Xanathar now. They made some sort of deal, Falcone gets rid of Lady Cezanni, an' he'll get some power here with our monstrous head of the city. The party was a ruse to lure Heart out, an' I should've seen that..."
Mister Bump gave a nod, crossing his arms as he leaned against the wall.

Latha nodded as well, not being as up to date on politics, but following anyway.
"Duke, none of us knew what would happen the other night," Heart mentioned softly.

I scoffed at myself a bit, but then continued on, "We seem to be in a race now...Our job is to get the pieces before they do."
"And there's whoever that...Thing at the party was working with Xanathar ..." Latha remembered, shivering.
"Dat brain fing... nasty crittah... wondah where he got somefing like dat."
"So you did hear about him too?" I asked, a bit alarmed.
"Saw him, and spoke, thankfully briefly." Said the tiefling, scowling.
"Saw him?" I pondered aloud, before saying, "Xanathar never leaves his hideout...too paranoid. It must have been one of his followers. We need to be even more careful now." I grimaced with my hand on my chest again.
Latha would catch a grimace of pain on my face as I did this. She would also hear the storm beginning to rage outside. Which Mister Bump was too focused on the storm.

Possibly wondering about a certain feline, "Hope she's outta da storm..."
"Are you...all right, Duke?" Latha asked, suddenly nervous and concerned. "You've been holding your chest a lot lately, ever since we got you off the boat."
Heart looked over at me, clearly having been wondering the same thing. I tried to give a casual shrug, "Yeah..."
As Latha cast her spell without my knowing, a strong, twisted signal was given off from my core. It grew tense, causing me to keep a hand on my chest. A feint glow could be seen emanating from there, but only seen by the spell caster. Something...was almost embedded there in my chest it seemed.
"What's going on?" Mister Bump asked the horned young lady.
Latha's eyed widened in shock and horror, hand raising to point as her mouth opened to speak!
However, as Latha cast her spell, a bit of magic seemed to almost fill the air itself.
Mister Bump would feel a bit of a tingling however and see that his fur was now a deep shade of green.
"Duke's chest! Something...Something is in is chest!"
"... wait wut?!" The bugbear exclaimed, grimacing at the thought, "Like wut exactly?!"
Looking at the bugbear, Latha shook her head, "I don't know, but it's giving off magic, bad magic! Duke, open your shirt, now!"
I raised a brow, while Heart looked to me looking to be quite frightened. I tried to wave it off, but the look in her eyes made me pause. I proceeded to oblige, revealing nothing external showing for the naked eye. However both Latha and Heart, with detect magic, could see the strong glow of a very evil object embedded in me somehow. The aura was that of a cursed object, a piece of a crystal in fact.
"Oh, oh that is not good...Duke, Bump, Heart, do not panic but there is a cursed object embedded within Duke's chest. It is... uh..." Latha would focus again, this time trying to get more of a feel as she knew what she was looking for.
"When they had me...that cretin said somethin' about me bein' more useful alive...but then I...I blacked out...from..." I tried to remember.
"Blood 'ell..." Mister Bump exclaimed, running his hand down his face... and seeing his now mossy green fur, he let out a grumble. "... of course.."
"Get. Over. It." Hissed Latha, trying to concentrate, "The roots should still be the same, and odds are your girlfriend will like it, gives you an earthy but punk-ish look!"
Latha would then recall stories of crystals that could be used to control an individual. Particularly, the Aboleth's Gem...and how the enslave spell was attached to it...but also that it was indeed a difficult curse to break free of, even when aware of it.
"... dis is true... but Aye'll worry bout dat later... if needin, Aye can do abit of healing."
"...Aboleth's Gem." Latha whispered in horror, "We need to hold Duke down and get it out, now!"
"You're what?!" I attempted.
"Well... sorry mate." The burly bruiser went to hold me in place. "So, ya know any doctoring, Latha?"
"It's a gem, it has a mind control curse on it, hard to break, don't know the trigger," Latha would sum up quickly. "I...I am not so sure how, or if I can counter it. We need to figure out how deep it is before I can tell if I can do it. Damn it why'd it have to storm today!"
I went to try and evade Mister Bump's grasp.
"Duke please we are trying to help you!" Latha exclaimed.

Still I rolled out of Mister Bump's grasp out of instinct.
"Mate... Aye don't wanna have ta do dis..." With that, he balled up his fist, and went for me.
"I don't...It's in his chest, but it's also like it's a part of his chest, like he's absorbed it..." Latha would be running a hand through her hair, trying to think. "I...I don't think it can be physically removed! I I don't..."
Latha would turn to where she remembered Heart being, looking to her form some idea she hadn't yet come to.
Mister Bump would catch me this time, striking me in the shoulder to temporarily cause me to falter long enough to be grabbed up by my friend. While I let out a sharp groan from the initial hit.
Outside the wind howled on. Thunder clapped in a burst of anger that shook the tower itself.
"Sorry old chum, but dis is for the best of ya."
Looking away from Heart for the moment, Latha cautiously approached me, speaking calmly.
"Duke, you need to relax. We are trying to help. The...thing in your chest is cursed, and there's a good chance whoever put it there could use it to control you at any time. I know this isn't... ideal, but we have to be cautious. For your sake just as much as ours. How would you react if whoever did this took control and made you try to hurt us... try to..." Latha paused, feeling a bit sick at the card they were about to play, but knowing it was their best bet, "What if they made you try and hurt Heart, Duke? Please, you have to relax while we figure out how to help you."
I reluctantly paused in my movements and attempts to get free, allowing myself to grow limp as my friend held me in place. I growled a bit though, frustration rising with the storm itself, "That cretin...! I remember...he used some spell to try an' read my thoughts...he knows about Heart...an'..." I then refused to look her in the eye, or anyone.
Taking another deep breath, Latha tried to think of something, muttering as she did, "...Maybe, no, I haven't advanced enough to try a counter curse...If we could get to the University we could find a professor, or maybe Lady Silverhand? ...But the damn storm."
"Might have ta..." Mister Bump said, as he held tightly onto me.
That storm indeed began to howl. Heart then looked to me, mentioning, "We can't bring him to anyone like that anyway. Duke is a wanted man, remember?" I jolted slightly from the comment.
Latha winced, having forgotten in her panic.
"All we can do is watch for signs of a change and deal with it as they come...maybe him being aware of it will help him counter it?"
"There has to be something I... we could do?" Latha recalled that being aware of a curse or spell can help the subject fight it.
Heart looked to Latha, "This is far better than him not knowing at all. Trust yourself more."
Nodding, Latha though for a moment, "I...I think I remember reading somewhere that there was a way to fight the effects of the curse. I need to do some reading to make sure first though but... I think I might be able to help with that."
Pulling a rope out of his bag, Bump went to start tying me up.
"Don't ya think I could get outta that if I wanted to?" I pointed out, despite not fighting at the moment.
"Just a precaution friend... and Aye know ya can..."
Latha reads on to find that the main source of fighting the enslave spell is will power. Knowing about it can help a great deal, "Right! So, from what I found, the spell is mostly a match of willpowers. So long as Duke keeps resisting, he should be alright...ish. Also, it doesn't let the caster see or know anything the victim does, so hopefully are location isn't compromised! Even better, if we can find a ward for protection against evil, or just find someone who can cast the spell, it should assist greatly!"
"... so wut we do in da meanwhile?"
Heart looked to Mister Bump, "I don't think the rope is necessary. Falcone isn't close by to puppet him, especially in here."
Eye twitching slightly, Latha answers in an only slightly loud, completely confident voice,
"Still working on it!"
"I think we should continue on with our plan for now," Heart mentioned, "If we can get the pieces we need, we can stop Falcone and Xanathar. Then along the way we can find a way to help him?"
"...I suppose that's the best we can do, isn't it? And at least now we know what to look out for. Better then being taken totally by surprise." Latha admitted, shoulders slumping slightly.
Heart looked to Latha still, "You did more than you seem to believe, Latha. You gave us a chance to help him. So please, be proud of yourself."
Mister Bump gave a nod, and began to loosen the binds.
Latha smiled lightly and nods, standing a bit straighter.
Once I was free, I looked to my companions, "I picked the right crew it seems."

A slight smile was attempted before I looked away from Heart again. She, however, didn't turn away from me. Though to the others, she mentioned, "I know where that stone they want is."
"... where is it den?"
"We have it, I hid it there some time ago...back when..."

"Quite the viper, as always," I chuckled softly.

"The storm's aftermath will give us a bit of time to try and reach it, and without being followed," she suggested.
Latha nodded, a look of determination crossing her face, "So, as soon as the storm lifts, we make our way there, grab the stone, free Duke, and save the city from going completely to hell!" She surmised, a confident look straining as she listed off each step,. "That... that go great! I have full confidence in this plan!"
"That's part of it...there's still a piece we will need to deal with that cretin, Falcone," I replied.
"Aye have full confidence in ya, Duke..."

"You too, my friend," I said with full sincerity.

At last I risked a glance at Heart, for the first time in a while. She was watching me in turn, her sapphire eyes filled with concern. A sigh escaped my throat, "I knew somethin' was pullin' at me...somethin' that I was ashamed of...that he knows from usin' that spell...he was able to read some of my thoughts...that I knew ya..."

the hurt in her eyes was too much as she finally yelled, "So that means you turn away?! You think that's better?! I thought...that you didn't..." the storm howled on.

Thunder drummed again as I realized what she was trying to say. Yet before I could answer, the door to the cellar burst open from that wind.
Latha jumped with a squeak, Chaos Bolts ready in her hands as she turned towards the doors.
Grabbing for his axe, the furry brute whipped around, ready for a fight.

However, it was just the storm we would soon realize. Perhaps a warning of the quest to come, and how the city and it's troubles would come barging in if we waited much longer.
Latha would lower her hands, her bleached bone skin making her blush absolutely atomic,
"...I think I'm just going to lie down till the storms over now thank you."
I gave a nod as I went to try and close the doors again. Heart looked to Latha as I did this, "Thank you. If we succeed in all of this, I promise to see what we can go about your debt, as I find myself in yours now."
"We best get some rest... we got a lot of work ahead of us..."Mister Bump agreed while looking for a place to do just that.
"Sounds like a good idea," Heart agreed as she then came over to help me with the second door, the two of us pushing them shut and securing them.

Through it, we would be too close to one another to avoid things any longer.

"The other night...when you were taken..." she started to say to me.

"I know, Heart," I replied with lingering frustration in my tone as I kept the door closed to try and lock them.

"Do you?" she pushed, her tone unforgiving as she wanted the answers I didn't want to give her.

"Of course, I do," I stated while slipping the latch in place to lock the doors we were pinning closed.

With a sigh, I looked to her, and found those eyes looking up at me.

Our two companions had mercifully gone to sleep as we remained close to one another. Sitting before one another as we were close to the now locked doors. I wanted so much to reach my hand out to her, to brush my hand against her cheek as I had many times before.

"Have things really changed?" she asked, forcing her voice not to shake.

Despite my trying to fight it for a moment or so, those sapphires drew out the truth. With this, I looked into them and breathed, "Of course not, sweetheart."

As I allowed myself to brush the damp strands of hair out of those eyes, and leaned in closer to her. Before finally tracing her lips with my thumb, and then kissing them, "I love ya, Heart."

"I love you too, Duke," she whispered after catching her breath, "No matter what happens, I want to be with you."

"I do too," I promised her.
When the storm broke, and the morning found us, the others would find the two of us sound asleep and holding onto one another.

"What was it you two were fighting over in the first place?" I finally asked him.

The dark lord thief let out a sigh, "I was considerin' steppin' back from her..."

"What?!" I exclaimed in shock.

"Considerin' what all happened, maybe I should have...it would have saved us both a lot of heart ache...an'..."

"After everything you both had gone through, don't you think that would break her heart to hear? That you regret being with her?!" I didn't realize that my voice was rising.

"My Lady, please-"

"How could you say something like that?! Dark Lord or not, you clearly miss her, you've remembered so much about being with her, more than yourself!" I snapped.

He looked to me, quite a bit taken aback. His remaining eye wide in his shock from my outburst, he tried to ask with considerable calm, "Why get so upset, darlin'?"

I looked away, taking a quick breath and releasing it as I did. Then I replied, "It's a slap in the face after hearing all of this. I realize something lead you to being here, that somehow you were both seperated. Still, can you really say you wish you'd never been with her? From what I've read thus far with you, she never would have wanted that herself. She fought so hard to stay with you, to find some happiness with you, even when it seemed hopeless. She never gave up on you, and you would just give up on her?"

I realized I was shaking, and had to focus so not to drop the book still in my hands. I needed to gather myself, and quick.

"Perhaps I should take your heart now, an' rid ya of those feelin's that are makin' ya so angry?" he suggested.

"We have a deal, don't we?" I reminded him, "We're to see this through to the end."

"Of course," he gave in, "When you're ready then?"

I gave a nod, and requested with a soft breath, "Let's continue? I'll read when you need help remembering, whether it's what happened, or how she felt for you."

"Alright," he started again, and I would catch what seemed to be a blend of concern and pain in the depths of his remaining eye. As I then proceeded with the next chapter in his tale.