„Enter the Ragged Group of Adventurers"
A sound of a muffled sneeze woke her up from her slumber, but on instinct she kept her eyes shut, probing the surroundings with a quick divination. Daria was a diviner, and a good one at that – she didn't need her eyes open to see, though the glow from under her eyelids making her look as if she was crying pure silver could betray she was awake. She relaxed immediately, realizing she's safe in an inn room. Xan was the only person inside and he didn't seem to notice her quick probing, muffling another sneeze. Gooseberry must have been somewhere near as well.
She did all she promised to Jaheira, mostly to annoy the druidess and show her she could take care of herself. As an elf she rarely needed more than four hours of reverie, six after using her precognition, but now she decided to break the record, sleeping until Jaheira comes and tells her that's enough. It ended with sleeping like a dead through almost two days in a slumber not even a horde of dragons storming the city could end, not to mention the druidess. She never realized she had that much tiredness stacked somewhere in her body. Hells, she didn't even think it was possible for an elf to sleep for that long. But her inner clock couldn't be wrong. Either she suffered from amnesia, which was unlikely, or she truly took the longest nap of her life. It was strange that she didn't feel rested. As soon as the sleepiness subdued it was replaced with edginess and agitation. She wasted so much time!
The enchanter was sitting on a chair by her bed, squeezing her hand. Her gloves were removed, she realized instantly, since she hardly ever took them off, preferring to sleep in them. She a bit ashamed for making him that worried about her. Maybe she really was immature to tease Jaheira like that, without considering what all others felt? He didn't realize she was awake and she could take advantage of the situation cuddling to his arm, pretending to be dreaming, but she wasn't in a mood. Instead she just opened her eyes and looked at him.
It was there, the same intense worried expression she saw through Gooseberry's eyes, making her heart beat faster. Their eyes met and she felt something passing through his gaze, aiming for her heart instead of mind. He lowered his head slowly and for a second she believed he was going to kiss her. Her lips parted slightly on their own accord when her pulse became faster and faster, until he blinked unexpectedly several times, drawing back. He was only feeling drowsy… She felt frustration rising inside her, the same kind that made otherwise completely reasonable men yelling "Why?!" in the middle of a busy street, crying like a child. She suppressed the feeling.
"Good morning. How long did I sleep?" Daria asked to fill the awkward silence. Since her divining skills improved she had no problems with assessing the date or time. She did it on instinct, without having to resort to incantations. It was as natural as seeing the light and darkness.
"A night, a day and then another night" Xan answered. His nose was all red, probably because of the allergy. 'What made him sit here like that if he was sneezing constantly?' she couldn't help but wonder. Even friendship should have some limits set by common sense. She silently passed a message to Gooseberry, that she's feeling fine and that they need some time alone. Xan's hand began to gently stroke hers, but he didn't seem to realize what he was doing. "I… We were afraid you will never wake up" he seemed to try to jest, but nothing in his voice indicated his words to be humorous.
"What about Nalia?" the diviner asked, rubbing her temples with the other hand. It felt really strange to be asleep for that long. She tried to ignore the feeling of shame for upsetting Xan yet again. And she already began to hope they could put the unfortunate nightmare and its long list of consequences behind them.
"She's been freed. She is checking to see if you woke up every hour, even Jaheira started to worry. And Anomen hasn't left your side for the most of the night" Xan forced out the last sentence.
"I'm sorry" Daria sighed deeply. "It's just… the more I struggle, the worse it becomes. I should become stronger to find Imoen, but there are just more problems, traps and difficulties. For a moment I wished we could just k-kill Valygar and…" eyen her voice betrayed her now, along with her thoughts. "One could think that things become easier when you gain experience, but everything was simpler when I didn't understand much, living with idealistic fantasies, traveling through the Sword Coast in search of 'adventure'".
"And it will only become worse. The longer you live, the more it gets to you how pointless it is. Should there be anything to ease our existence… but there is nothing apart from death that awaits us in the end. But… I wish it could be different." Xan was the one to listen to all worries and made them look even worse. But somehow it was reassuring that by his side she could be simply sad knowing there was nothing inappropriate in it.
"Xan, there's something I want to tell you" the sentence escaped her lips before she could stop it. She froze when he looked at her, not with curiosity, but with… with this willingness to listen that distinguished true friends from colleagues. And now she had to say something, but definitely not what she meant in the first place. A slight trace of panic in her mind didn't help creativity.
"Sometimes I think it all would be better if I just gave up" she simply voiced her deepest worry, most hidden concern. She'd rather let him look at her with pity than make him feel this uncomfortable guilt of knowing that he couldn't return her feelings. It wasn't a pleasant emotion, as she experienced before.
"Don't say so, don't even think about it!" he uttered with genuine fear.
She knew he would be worried and it would frighten him a bit, though it wasn't her intention. Though to hear that someone cares about how she feels was like feeling a warm blanket around her arms, sitting by a warm fire after a escaping from a snowstorm.
"It was my fault from the beginning that Imoen was caught and it's my fault she was captured along with Irenicus" she continued with bitter taste in her mouth. "I was the target of his experiments and now Immy is a bait to provoke me to find him. Because of me, Khalid and Dynaheir were killed, Minsc and Jaheira suffering and I can't help but fear that it will only become worse. Because of my heritage death will always follow my trail. I will never have any respite from being hunted, it's a part of who I am, but dragging the ones I care about down with me…" she stopped. She just did what she tried to avoid from the beginning – burdening her friend with her problems. Daria remembered how she explained to Jaheira countless times how making others stuck with worries that aren't even their own, would not improve her mood in any detectable way and declined to share what bothers her. But in the end the druidess was right. As always.
"We will die sooner or later, no matter if by Irenicus' hand, in an ambush in a blind alley or by a food poisoning." He watched her with compassion. She had to avert her eyes under this gaze. "You cannot help it. And for what it's worth, dying by your side is preferable to…"
"…returning to Evereska and taking some rest, having some peace at last in it's beautiful gardens and temples, finding harmony and maybe love in you homeland?" Daria finished with empty sarcasm.
"A beautiful dream, but more likely is that I'd be sent for another mission, even more dangerous than eliminating a coven of vampires, inevitably ending with my death. But even if I… Your friendship stands above any delusions of safety."
"But don't you want to have some rest at last, find you place by someone's side, start a family, have children maybe?" she wanted to know, but she knew she wouldn't receive her answer.
"A Moonblade wielder can't simply decide to retire. I'm doomed to my duty as long as I live." He said the same thing she heard many months before, when he told her about the Moonblade the first time, with exactly same deep sadness in his voice.
"But if you could travel with the one you love, could you find some happiness?" she had to ask.
"I already travel with you." Daria couldn't stop a stare of disbelief when he said that. Surely he couldn't mean… but there was no other interpretation… but she knew he didn't… but he just said…
"I meant that the team's company is a welcomed respite from endless lone traveling, that is." Xan corrected himself hastily. "We are all doomed to perish, but…" he stopped seeing disappointment replacing the disbelief on the diviner's face.
"I care of what will happen to you. You're my friend and I don't want to see you waste away." Daria squeezed the elf's hand, still entwined with hers. He looked at their joined hands astounded. He didn't remember when they linked.
"I'm off to get some breakfast. Are you coming with me?" the diviner asked a bit sulkily, gathering herself from bed with difficulty. She began to put on her gloves and cloak.
Xan nodded absentmindedly, looking at his now empty hand.
***
An elven diviner in a dark robes, clad tightly in a dark cloak despite the blazing sun with face hidden under an equally dark hood stood in front of the gigantic gray orb, which looked as if been placed there by an insane architect, whose motto couldn't be different that „If there's no place we should make one by cutting out this, and these, and..." The denizens of slums didn't seem to be bothered by the sinister plane-traveling device anymore, bustling around it like bees in a hive. The metaphor was quite accurate with all the buzzing and haste, but the most important part was lacking. The effect of the busy slums' work couldn't be compared to honey in any possible way.
All people from beggars to lost guards did keep their distance from the construction, as well as from the wizardess, who seemed to radiate with irritation. It was commonly know by now that the Sphere disintegrated everybody who dared to touch it. From what was known about the Cowled Wizards who used to circle around it, they could do that and much more. And the wizardess didn't seem to be in a kindhearted mood.
It was more than mere irritation in the wizardess behavior - it was anger, centered on one person, the person missing from the group of adventurers hurrying to join their leader by the Sphere. Daria clenched her teeth when she thought about Nalia.
They rescued the noblewoman from Isaea's prison, given her freedom and gods knew it wasn't easy to get all the evidence and demonstrate them to the authorities, not to mention that the diviner had to stay in bed longer than ever afterwards, because of the exhaustion. And what they got in return? A 'thank you' and a 'farewell'. Or rather 'get lost, I don't need you anymore'.
Of course Nalia did give them a lengthy explanation of how she was free from the engagement, now after her betrothed was found guilty of supporting slave-traders and smugglers, her Keep no longer under 'care' of Roenalls' family. Naturally she wasn't that keen on adventuring and helping the poor and needy anymore, now that she had a home for herself and a steady income at her disposal. Endangering her precious life wasn't worth rescuing a distant village not even on her father's lands, it seemed. The fact that she was leaving her companions in the eve of a dangerous escapade they could use her help with didn't seem to matter either.
Daria listened to all Nalia's explanations with an understanding smile and respectful nods, wishing the noble born girl luck in returning the keep back to its previous glory. Nalia got her share of party funds for a good start and they parted. A polite handshake, official words of invitation to the Keep once it would be restored and weaving hands by the city gates were as they should be pictured in a book of stories for children. But as soon as the noblewoman disappeared from sight Daria covered her face with a hood hiding a furious frown and began to march in the direction of the slums.
Anger was adding speed to her marching and soon even Jaheira was left behind in the crowd of people. The sun elf was so absorbed by her sulking that she only noticed that her friends were left behind once she stepped through the hazy border of the slums. She waited few moments, but the impatience kept her from standing in place and she decided to wait for the rest of the party by the Sphere.
'How childish Nalia was to leave us like that?' only her thoughts kept her company while Gooseberry slept in her pack. 'Even Imoen, the synonym of mischief and waywardness never left the party side for more than a minute she needed to steal something. Nalia could at least help us with the Sphere in return. We would need as much magic as we can gather inside there.' She stopped herself from kicking the hard stone of Lavoc's construction just on time.
'But it isn't about the magic or the Keep, is it?' the cynical part of her mind, the part she was beginning to hate, chimed in. No, it wasn't, she knew it. Or rather it was – about the Keep, about a home. It was envy. Bitter, deep and wholehearted envy. There was only one thing she wanted more than being able to wake up in her room in Candlekeep, or some other room, or compartment, or hut, anything, as long as she could call it her own, and it wasn't possible either. With madmen like Irenicus at her heels, her mysterious brothers and sisters, lurking somewhere around Faerun and likely beyond, finding a permanent place to live was like sending an invitation to assassins. And Nalia could have it, she could say that she has enough of adventuring for now and go back home. She did. And Daria hated her for it.
"What took you so long?!" the sun elf greeted her friends courteously.
"Don't snap at us child." Jaheira, a dedicated enemy of snapping, said with unruffled tone.
"Fine!" Daria snapped. "Valygar, could you please open this…" she took a deep breath. "…this Sphere" she ended with a bit calmer voice.
The dark ranger didn't say a word, stepping up to the place where the construction was cutting into the paved and filthy ground of slums. He didn't hesitate a moment with raising his hand to touch the smooth and oddly clean surface, but Daria could bet any money that he wasn't all that composed inside. Come to think of it, it was strange that the shell on the orb wasn't stained even a little bit. Poor pigeons must have had a close contact with a disintegration spell.
Nothing happened through few tensed moments, which was both a good and a bad sign - a good one because Valygar was still alive and in one piece instead of a pile of disintegrated dust, and bad, because there was no other plan for getting inside.
"The entrance is somewhere higher, probably in the middle of Sphere's height" Valygar stated. Was there a slight tremble in his voice? No one asked how the ranger knew what to do. The answer couldn't be any other than 'magic'.
"We could get higher climbing the surrounding buildings, my friend." Yoshimo pointed the buildings cut by the Sphere which seemed to be teleported into a nice group of the steadiest constructions of the Slums. Not so steady anymore.
Daria threw a doubtful look at the slashed in half structures. Some less stable were already ruined, creating piles of debris by the orb.
"Scouting ahead for a safe path would be a good idea. I'll go and check…" the diviner began.
"Daria, you shouldn't…" Jaheira began a rant.
"Fine! Yoshimo, you alone won't find the entrance, so take Valygar with you." The bounty hunter made an offended face. "It's magically sealed, my friend." She added a sweet smile.
It was either her imagination or the building really bent slightly after the two men entered. She began to tap her foot unnervingly.
"At least let me…" the diviner started.
"No." And Jaheira ended.
Daria resumed tapping.
"We found an opened way in. It's on a second storage of the building. The path looks stable enough." By the time Yoshimo and Valygar emerged Daria was almost ready to ignore Jaheira and check what was taking them whole long five minutes. They were only to enter a complex of crumbling buildings, after all.
The doorway inside the mage's tower Lavoc's style was spectacular, in its own specific way. On the outside it was a plain oval-shaped fissure in the bare stone, without any ornaments or even signs of direction. But the bright sunlight was extending only for few steps into the corridor and then seemed to lose its courage. The rest of the passage was covered in thick darkness neither sunlight nor infravision could penetrate, creating a nice sinister atmosphere every necromancer could be proud of.
"It will not end well" a mournful voice stated with usual doomed certainty.
"What are you waiting for? Get in!" a chipper loud shout came from Minsc's sword sheath.
"What was that?!" Daria considered adding '…the hell', but some strange foreboding stopped her.
"Minsc found a new bigger sword!" the berserker proclaimed happily.
"I want to kill things!" the talking sword added with equal joy. The rest of the team threw a doubtful look at their friend's new weapon.
"Pleased to make an acquaintance. We're going in." Daria said brusquely and marched into the darkness without looking back. Surely the simple darkness couldn't be hiding anything worse than what her subconscious associated with 'the hell'.