„It Never Rains, It Pours"
The party reached the gates of the City of Coins an hour before the sunset, blending with the diverse crowd flowing through the main gates at every time of day and night. They already had a plan, set during the long hours of marching through plains and roads. As simple as it was, it consisted of sneaking into the city by the dusk and staying through the night in Copper Coronet, the closest inn to the location of the Sphere. Before the dawn they would enter the construction and try to find and kill Lavoc. Daria had a vague feeling that things were going to prove a bit more complicated, but she made an effort of appearing optimistic, knowing how a worried diviner was working for party's morale. Khalid always exaggerated even her smallest frown, taking it for gods knew what. Heaviness in the chest was all that remained of the heartbreaking pain after the loss of a friend. Given time all emotions dulled and memories faded. Daria thought it was both a blessing and a curse. Thinking that Khalid and Dynaheir were only memories now made her feeling guilty she survived and she decided that she needs a distraction or she was going to ruin every positive emotion in the radiant of two miles.
"Anomen, could you tell me more about the Most Radiant Order of the Glowing Heart?" she was almost certain she made a mistake in at least one part of the title, but it was these self-important paladins' fault. She didn't ask them to choose such a long and complicated name for themselves.
The priest smiled at her, confirming her suspicions about the mistake, but complied getting into details of the Order's activities all over the Sword Coast. She didn't pay much attention to his words, preferring to watch as his face changed when he began his favorite topic. He didn't remind her of Ajantis anymore, different character hidden behind the chivalrous manners and exaggerated tales of his deeds. There was a fascination in his voice, a dream of becoming a knight guiding him like light in the darkness, probably the dark events in his childhood she could vaguely sense. She could almost see the moment of young priest being accepted by the paladins, standing proud in a high building of the headquarters. Someone with such a bright future ahead… She would feel envious, were she not caught up in this dream as well. She had her part in it, hadn't she? Maybe rescuing Imoen would bring him enough fame to pass his trial.
She felt something warm inside her die out when she watched as his grin disappear, replaced by the look of torment only an hour later. He was reading a letter left for him in the Copper Coronet by a courier from the Order again and again, as if expecting that the massage would change before his eyes. Something bad must have happened, but this time her abilities didn't give her any clues. With care she took the piece of paper from the priest's hands when he stopped reading and she studied it quickly.
"Sweet Seldarine…" she whispered. 'With greatest sympathy… your sister Moira murdered… unknown attackers…' She glanced at the priest sitting at the chair, looking at her with despair and uncertainty, as if he was praying for her to say it was all not true.
"I am so sorry, Anomen" she said with constricted throat. Someone took the letter from her hand, but she didn't turn to check who it was.
"I need to go to my home in Government District" the priest said, getting up. He hadn't even waited for her answer as he dashed outside, probably forgetting all about their plan to keep a low profile. She immediately went after him, only stopping by the doorframe to look at the rest of the party gathered around Yoshimo, who held the letter.
"What are you waiting for?" Daria addressed them. "We're coming with him. I'm not going to let him walk through the streets alone at night."
It was worse than Daria imagined, worse than she saw in few blurry foresights. An undeniably rich in its past estate of the Delryn family, was now in a state of complete ruin, every valuable item sold, beginning from the ornamented tablecloth, through curtains and carpets, ending with the glass from the windows, only old but sturdy furniture remaining inside. There were signs of attempts to at least keep the house clean, but the effect was destroyed by lord Cor Delryn, Anomen's father, sitting in the middle of the floor with a bottle in his hand, leaning on a broken flowerpot with a dead plant in it. No one missed the fact that there were much more of already emptied flasks all over the room.
And the father… Daria couldn't help but thank the heavens from the depth of her heart for a caring and wise step-father Gorion was. She couldn't imagine growing up by the ever drunk and gibbering man, obsessed with his former wealth and seeing enemies behind every corner. He was muttering with hatred and screaming constantly about a foreign trader, Saerk Farrahd, accusing him for every evil of this word and provoking Anomen to get revenge on him for killing his sister. The priest tried to defend himself from his father's abusing words, but eventually he just lowered his head, giving up to the mass of insults coming from the man's mouth.
"Is there any proof that this Saerk is indeed responsible for the murder of your daughter?" Jaheira eventually lost her patience to the man's rambling.
"He took everything from me, that's the proof! I only had Moira left, after my worthless son abandoned me, so he took her as well!" Lord Cor shouted in response. Anomen didn't say a word, but Daria could tell he was angry, the rage only exceeded by his shame.
"But is there any material proof?" the druidess was visibly restraining herself from ending the yelling with her fist.
"What other proof do you need? Saerk has a lot of gold in his house and you can take it all once you kill him" the drunk snickered, probably thinking himself clever. Now Daria joined Jaheira in the sudden desire to punch him straight in the mouth. She pitied her ashamed friend, knowing only too well how it was to be feeling guilty about one's parents.
"My lady… Would it be to bold to ask, if you could find who is the killer?" Anomen turned to the diviner. She wondered if he knew how hard it was, without proper preparations and concentration. But the tormented look on his face and the humility… She decided to never laugh at his arrogance again.
She nodded and took few deep breaths gaining as much serenity of mind as she could. She knew it was going to prove hard, but she had to at least try, for Anomen. Jaheira moved to the priest's father to stop his yapping, not to ruin Daria's concentration. Anomen a bit shyly entwined his fingers with hers. At first the sun elf was startled by the gesture, but when she reflected on it for a second she realized that if someone was not going to hold her she would end on a floor of the estate, in a pool of spilled alcohol and… other, more organic liquids. And Xan wasn't strong enough for the job. She tried not to think that he would decline if she asked.
She moved closer to the priest and guided his arms to enfold her.
"Just don't let go of me" she wanted to sound warningly, but changed her tone to gentler last second, deciding that he had enough abuse for one day.
She sharpened her hearing to grasp the sound of Xan's heart, feeling slightly uncomfortable being held by Anomen, though she was happy he left his armor in the Copper Coronet at least and she wouldn't come round with rings of chainmail imprinted on her face.
Seeking a person out in time instead of distance was a completely different thing. Looking back in time was like walking backward, seeing only what was forward and nothing in the direction where she was going. An uneasy feeling was rising in her stomach the further she went. With each step it was harder, as if breaking through air becoming denser and denser, watching day and night changing behind a window of the estate. Looking at Anomen's father drinking backward in time was making her sick. It looked as if he was spitting the alcohol to the bottle instead the other way. When she saw him vomiting it was even worse.
And then she saw it. A hazy image rapidly earning sharpness showed a girl bleeding on the floor, a man with a bloodied knife and his employer, standing behind him in a shadow, an invisible puppeteer, more of a metaphor, than the actual event. Daria was unbelievably stunned to realize that Saerk Farrahd was indeed the killer, as her divinations proved, and the ever-drunk Anomen's father was actually right. Even more shocking was fact that Anomen's father witnessed the murder. The drunk was huddled in the corner, covered in spilled wine, looking at his own daughter being stabbed and left to die. The old drunk didn't say a thing, probably too poisoned by the alcohol he drunk to remember what happened clearly. A calling of death was like a kick in the stomach. Daria hastily began her journey back, feeling something akin to a pressure one could experience while diving deep underwater, forcing down her skull.
Seeing the past was like straining rubber band – returning to the present was certainly easier and the beat of her beloved enchanter's heart was becoming louder the closer she got. But then another vision came, hurting like one of the mad wizard's tortures. Her material body tensed in a sudden spasm and she screamed as she jolted into the future like on a rubber band in fact. A series of images burned her mind like hot iron. Anomen in rage, murdering Saerk's daughter, his polished armor sprayed with blood… proud paladins of the Order surrounding him on his trial in a hall of the headquarters, the priest of Helm being cast away, deprived of his dream and his future, and hollow bitterness appearing in his eyes, making him resemble his father so much... She knew she's trashing violently in Anomen's grasp, even though she couldn't feel nor see it. Someone slapped her in a face to rouse her, but she couldn't stop another series of visions, her body tensing again. Bright hall with statues of three gods… the same story, changed only a little bit and… the successful Trial, earning knighthood and happiness, true happiness only those rare lucky ones experienced, chosen ones who had a wish of their life and managed to fulfill it.
She woke up suddenly after another slap.
"Saerk is not the killer" she whispered at once, limp in the arms holding her. She knew what she had to do, she saw the light in the Helm's priest's eyes and the dream hidden in his heart. She was a part of it indeed, but not the way she expected. And if it was her choice whether he would fulfill his dream or not, than she was willing to pay for it with her silence.
"You worthless dog! You trust this elven wretch more than your father?!" Lord Cor screamed making her cry out in pain caused by his magnified voice. She cuddled into Anomen's tunic trying to muffle the noise.
"I do" she heard Anomen answer barely audibly, quietly enough not to hurt her. Daria felt the movement of air when Jaheira standing before her, smelling with sixty-four different herbs she had in her pack, gestured the man holding the diviner to lead her out.
"If you leave this house now you will never be able to come back! You will become a nameless dog, unworthy of crawling beneath my feet!" the last threats followed them outside as the floor began to crush her feet with every step, but Anomen stayed silent.
"Watch out puny man, or Boo might feast on your eyes" Minsc threat was the last thing they heard from the house.
The diviner made one small step after another, supported by Anomen. His shoulders were shaking, making Daria feel as if she was on a board of a ship during the storm, but he hadn't stopped, or even looked back at his home for the last time. And the diviner knew it was all her fault and that she might have made the wrong decision, but though she could still change it, she didn't say a word.
It took her a while to realize that her nose was bleeding, leaving red stains on the squire's tunic. The healing spells he muttered as quietly as he could stopped the flow, but she felt a bit scared with the rapidness of the vision and her body's reaction to it. She was placed on a bench not far from the estate they just left, and given wide space for the use of her senses only. She tried to recall the list of nutrition she was told to memorize back in Candlekeep with the effects of their deficiency. She was certain that there was nose-bleeding mentioned somewhere in there. What was the point of learning it all by heart, if she forgot it the moment she left the class?
It took total fifteen minutes for her senses to return to normal. It was much more than usual, and even after this time she felt she wouldn't be able to walk. She wiped the blood from her face.
"You can come closer" Daria was relieved that her voice hadn't deafened her when she turned to her companions.
"My lady, I beg your forgiveness for asking you for something like that. Should I know how painful it would be for you, I'd never even mention it. I shouldn't have considered that my father's words could hold any truth in them." Anomen had a haunted look in his face. It was the worst night of his life, but Daria knew it would be better from now on, at least for him. Something was happening with her head and she felt as if she was drunk.
"I need to rest" she said with a faltering voice. The priest moved to pick her up from the bench, but a slender hand on his shoulder stopped him.
"I'll do it" Xan said, looking pointedly at the blood staining priest's tunic. Daria admitted that she did underestimate the enchanter, thinking about him as of a typical mage, whose main strong point was intelligence. She forgot that he was a Moonblade wielder as well and used the longsword, which she couldn't even lift. Because it would turn her into a sad pile of dust on the floor, but that was beside the point. Somehow it didn't cross her mind that a starved for almost three months elven woman was hardly a burden.
"Do you mind if I sleep a bit?" she asked when the enchanter took her in his arms, purple robes more pleasant in touch than priest's rough tunic.
"N-not at all" she heard his heart speeding up when she cuddled herself into him. She really didn't feel like sleeping anymore, savoring every moment deprived of pain and magnified noises, covered by the scent of books and magic and Xan. She made a quiet prayer to thank Labelas that Minsc was still in his armor otherwise all she could savor would be a hamster twiddling on her belly. Xan's skin she could feel through his robe was becoming warmer with every step and she was a bit worried if she's not too heavy, but he didn't complain. Though if he usually complained then the sudden silence could be a reason to be concerned.
She pretended to be asleep and opened her eyes only when she felt the familiar smell of the slums, an equivalent of bathing in sewage wastes for a nose.
"I can walk now" she whispered for his ears only and kissed his chin gingerly. She didn't need to look at his face to now that he was blushing when he carefully placed her on the ground. Jaheira slowed her pace momentarily giving her ward some time to get used to the marching, but it was unnecessary. Daria already felt like after a month of lazing around, a comfortable bliss in her mind not quite in harmony with the tired legs. But the combination was enough to let her walk along with the group.
It was too good to last with her almost legendary bad luck that chased her though the Sword Coast back and forth. Bad luck she used to name 'the call of adventure' before. She wondered how she could ever be that… dumb. A group of armed city guards standing in front of the Copper Coronet was suspicious enough, since Slums rarely being taken into account in the guard patrols. But when the group assembled at the sight of the approaching party it was twice as bad.
"Nalia, my dear, I was hoping to see you here. You disappeared so suddenly after the unfortunate demise of your father." One of the men moved at the front of the group. Daria cursed under her breath. Someone in the inn must have been sent to the Coronet to wait for them to show up, the inn apparently being a place Nalia visited quite often. And since they already paid for the rooms they could be sure they show themselves again this night. She had no idea who the man standing before them was, but since he took a platoon of guards with him on a meeting he couldn't be a friend.
"Isaea Roenall? What are you doing here?" Nalia was surprised, but not in a pleasant way. She was glaring as much as her naïve demeanor allowed.
"I came to make arrangements for our wedding of course. By the word of your father you are my betrothed and the de'Arnise keep now belongs to the Roenall family".
"You may take the Keep, but if you think that I'm going to marry you than you are… you are… wrong!" It seemed young noblewoman couldn't think of any better rudeness than that.
"Surely you don't mean that. You wouldn't break your father's word like that."
"I'm never going to be your wife you - you scoundrel!" Nalia seemed to get angry, but Daria really heard better insults in Candlekeep kitchen as a child. Nalia needed some lessons.
"Then I'm afraid I will have to do what I can to protect you. Nalia de'Arnise, you are under arrest. You are clearly influenced by some powers and cannot make reasonable decisions. As your betrothed I have to ensure your safety."
"…what?" Nalia only stammered.
"Now wait a second! You can't do that!" Daria stood in front of the girl as the guards came forward to seize her.
"I can't? As a high official of the government I can pass my judgment and direct the city guard. Of course you can pass a complaint should you wish so. I'll try to look into it as soon as I can."
"You son of a…!" Daria didn't have Nalia's restrictions towards using coarse language.
"Away with you, peasant! Step aside or you're going to have to deal with the entire city guard of Athkatla." The diviner was pushed aside by one of the guards. Her companions drew their weapons, but their leader immediately regained her balance and hissed them to stop.
"Wise choice" Isaea gave a representative self-important snicker. "Don't take it personally. I'm simply a better man than you will ever be". Daria clenched her teeth so hard that she wasn't certain she would be able to open her mouth ever again.
The guards lead the dumbstruck Nalia, disappearing at the road out of the slums. The diviner's eyes followed them until they were completely out of sight.
"What are we going to do now?" Valygar asked.
"Little Nalia was kidnapped! Boo is in rage!"
"I'll fix him! 'Better man'! He'll regret he was born! I'll dig all dirt from his past since the moment he said his first word!" Daria suddenly exploded like a barrel of gondites' gunpowder, surprising even Minsc.
"My lady, perhaps we could do it the legal way?" Deep tiredness was ringing in Anomen's voice, making him sound like he was only pretending to care. Daria suddenly realized that most of her party was noble born, Jaheira as partly a cormyran noble, Xan a high born in Evereska, not to mention Anomen, Valygar and Nalia. For a moment she felt like a peasant indeed and thought with sudden sympathy about Yoshimo and Minsc, her fraction of 'lower' population.
The approach she presented could be indeed shocking with someone of such upbringing, but she wasn't going to let it pass. She tried to steady herself and calm the anger taking few deep breaths. Isaea Roenall didn't appear like a man who lives an honest and decent life and she decided to hold on to her body in precognition. It vastly decreased her capabilities and all she would usually come up with were few glimpses out of context, but she only needed few clues how to destroy any trace of creditability the noble might had. Freeing Nalia should be easy from then.
"Perhaps you should rest first? You can hardly stand on your own" Daria felt Xan's hand on her shoulder.
"I'm not going to wait until they take her somewhere where I can't reach her!" she answered with ferociousness astonishing even to her.
"Your stubbornness will be your death" he sighed, but didn't push any further sensing a hurting spot. She focused.
'That might prove useful' she thought looking through the images. She already worked out a photographic memory, a most useful tool of every diviner. What was the point of seeing things she couldn't remember for more than a minute? 'Contacts with pirates, slavery, smuggling gems…' that was much more than she expected.
"Daria, please stop" the diviner heard a distressed voice. She came round being held by Minsc and Yoshimo, Xan pressing a bloodied handkerchief to her nose. A wave of warmth enveloped her, Jaheira's or Anomen's healing spell at work, but the blood flow hasn't stopped this time. She couldn't say whose spell it was, because the handkerchief was effectively reducing her screen of view.
"Take her inside" she heard Jaheira. 'Not again' Daria decided grimly. She had enough of being carried like a bag all the time. Her abilities made her weaker physically, but she refused to be a burden. She pressed the bloodied piece of cloth to her nose and got to her feet, stumbling into the inn without anyone's help, her companions right behind her.
"Jaheira, dearest, it's so good to see you." One of the unshaved men by the counter rose from his seat to greet them with a false smile.
"Excuse me, do I know you?" the druidess asked in return.
***
Now there were two of them: Daria with her constantly bleeding nose and Jaheira, coughing and weakened by an unknown curse. The diviner was placed on the bed in her room and left alone to get some rest. She felt like a load stacked in a corner, but she decided to check what's wrong with Jaheira, sensing a diversion. The druidess was attacked by one of the mages accompanying the man who approached her, going by the name Ployer, former baron and slave-trader, exposed years ago by a group of Harpers, Jaheira among them. He most obviously held a grudge against her for ruining his profitable business and decided to invest his last money into revenge. How typically human. The man with three mages disappeared moment after, leaving the half-elven druidess with a nasty curse.
Sharpening hearing resulted in locating her friends talking in the other room they rented, luckily backing onto hers.
"…can't be removed." Daria heard the end of the sentence, spoken by Jaheira.
"It is unusual, but the specifically induced curses may resist basic spells. A personal item may be applied to such task." The morose tone couldn't belong to anyone but Xan.
"Then the only logical course of action would be finding Ployer and discover what he did to curse me." It was Jaheira, logical and somewhat angry.
"But where may he be?" A low voice – Valygar?
"Finding him in a population of the amnian poor might prove difficult my friend." Chirpy and worried at the same time, only Yoshimo could sound like that.
"How much time do you think we have?" Daria heard Xan was trying to be gentle. She felt a shiver going down her spine. How much time before what?
There was a long moment of silence. The diviner strained her hearing.
"Not much more than two days." Jaheira was reluctant saying the words.
"I'll do what I can. I have few contacts in Slums…"
"Just don't mention anything to Daria… yet." Jaheira's words were the last thing the diviner heard.
'Don't mention anything to Daria'? What was that supposed to mean?! She was the leader, why wouldn't they tell her? What did they think she'd do, use her precognition despite the exhaustion? Than they were right. She was worse, much worse than exhaustion before. She survived tortures, starvation and countless days of bleak existence in the dungeon. Did they think she couldn't take one more divination, that she would stand by idly, as they try to find one scoundrel in the sea of corruption and vileness Athkatla was? She couldn't leave Nalia in Isaea's hands and she was supposed to let a woman she considered her mother wither under a curse, dying? She'd rather die herself.
Serene calmness was all she felt when one more time she let the silver glow shine in her eyes. 'Baron Ployer, of the Calimshan Ployers'. It was as simple as following a guide. He was clearly trying to hide, but even covering his head under a blanket would be more effective, her sight penetrating stone walls as effortlessly as if it was steam on the glass one could swipe with one move.
Her nose only bled a little more when she finished the divination, but a headache was included in the list of the aches she now had to put up with. She made herself comfortable in her bed, coming to another phase, the plan making. If she set it all properly Jaheira would be curse-free before the morning and Isaea would be in one big trouble at the same time. And all she needed was a good plan…