„Story without an Ending"
The two months that came after Exile's assault were a difficult time. Time spent tending to the bleeding wounds and cries of despair, clearing the ruins of once immaculately beautiful city. But even though the constant struggle was tiring and wretched many hearts, it also brought some relief. The sacred presence of Seldarine returned to the temple desecrated by the drow after a long time of cleansing the taint brought from the pits of godforsaken Underdark. The grounds of the sanctuary beneath Suldanessellar were once again teaming with life, filled with bird songs and whispers of the trees. Only now, after two months, one could see that the elven city has been saved.
Alveola prayed in her chamber, thanking Rillifane for this miracle, the same prayer she was sending to her patron every morning since his holy light returned to the temple. When her morning prayers were complete she washed her face and changed a loose nightgown for a ceremonial robe of a priestess she wore while performing her duties, the symbol of the Oak Father embedded skillfully in a fabric on her chest. Her hair she braided carefully into her usual hairstyle, weaving few eagle feathers into the plain braid to liven up the dark blond tone of her locks she couldn't help but always consider dull and uninteresting. Each of these actions she performed with care and as slowly as she could. Today she had clerical duties to attend to.
The duties she would gladly avoid, even though it was the Highpriestess herself that bestowed this task upon her. Her own judgment wasn't enough to overshadow her trust in the Highpriestess, a wise and experienced woman, but she couldn't help what she felt. Keeping a Bhaalspawn alive was something she should not by any means be comfortable with. But even such heavy doubts did not affect the healing blessings sent to her by the Seldarine and all she could do was to have faith in the holy patrons.
It was unnatural. Each time the air felt uneasy in the close proximity of the Bhaalspawn, as if it was denser and much darker. From the outside the woman looked just as any other sun elf, no recognizable trait linking her to her sire. All in her appeared natural, normal – the light brown tone of a well tanned skin, the chestnut hair in natural curls, the eyes, always closed, did not glow demonic red. Perhaps that was precisely the dead deity's intention – to let his spawn disappear among the good folk so no one would be able to discern their presence until it was too late… Or it could be the image of its unfortunate mother, a woman cursed with the fate that crossed her path with the fallen god. No matter of the cause it was blasphemous for an elven body, created from Corellon's blood, to bear such a dark taint. For Alveola the very thought was revolting. Even if it was the truth that the city still stood because the Bhaalspawn took part in the struggle, it didn't mean there was no sinister motive behind its actions.
The priestess took her medicine kit and left her chamber. No matter how much she wished to dwindle that was her duty.
And then there was him. She knew he would be there, sitting by the Bhaalspawn's side, no matter how early she got up to attend to it, or how much she stalled from doing what she had to. From what she gathered he was one of its companions during the struggles against the pair of Exiles, a true hero of the elves – a Moonblade wielder from Evereska. He was sitting by her side every morning from the first day Alveola took over the duty ten days ago and probably long before that, when other priests were performing the unpleasant chore. Each day he was waiting for someone to check up on its condition and to hear that it remains unchanged.
And so was today. Alveola entered quietly as always, yet his pale impassive face immediately turned to her. Then he stood up from his chair and walked out without saying another word, to wait outside until she was done. The first time she tried to talk to him, asking about the weather, a topic she thought was always acceptable, but he never responded with more than a single word. Today she only let her yellow eyes follow him until the doors closed behind him. She would have thought that it was a sad romantic story of unfulfilled love, but first – she was a hopeless dreamer like her little brother, a bard, sniffing up romance practically everywhere. And second – the moon elf always kept a careful distance between him and the spawn of Bhaal, never touching her skin for even a briefest moment, not even moving too close, his face was always the same stone mask. It was more likely that he was sent by the evereskan Council to keep an eye out for the elf-shaped Bhaalspawn. She admired his conviction to duty. They had that much in common.
The gray-colored eye didn't react to light when she lifted up its eyelid, already used to the slight revulsion she felt while touching it. The body was limp, no reactions, breathing was stable if shallow. It appeared as if a woman was asleep continuously for two months. If what her companions said about her being a diviner was true, then her mind's link with this body was broken and she would never come back from wherever she was, dreaming. Alveola tried to tell this to the other healer taking care of the Bhaalspawn, a half-elven druidess, but the woman didn't seem to be able to understand what it meant. 'I have faith in her', was all that she said, as if it was up for the strong conviction to restore what no longer existed.
Rillifane's priestess began chanting the spell she cast many times already, to prolong the life of this shell of demigoddess. And at the same time she hoped it would never wake up. Because if it woke one day, every life it would take, all the destruction and chaos it would bring, would weight on Alveola's conscience as well. The only thing that helped her carrying those deeds and thoughts was her faith. Seldarine were the hand that guided her and her Kin and they would not make a meaningless decision.
After all, some things were just meant to be.
End of Part II
A.N. This is the end of the story of Daria the Bhaalspawn. I hoped you liked it. I'm not well versed with the etiquette of writing a fan-fiction, but I think thanking my reviewers is socially acceptable. And so I'd like to thank you all, especially Lalaithe – for many kind words and time spent on reviewing, Kulyok – for creating such a wonderful and detailed mod, Alice – for crying and laughing because of something I wrote, and Code Name Adania – for pointing put first typos (though I still can't figure out how to correct those in a published chapter) and constructive criticism. Thank you!