Disclaimer: I own nothing. Everything belongs to whomever really owns it. Though I am too lazy to point out who those people are, they know who they are.
Chapter 4
Straight or Twisted
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When things settled down after Pan's impromptu experiment with a potion that defied the laws of nature, Jaheira roughly hauled the mage up the stairs. Minsc and Yoshimo remained a few moments longer but decided that it would be best to hastily retreat after the women, the glares of the patrons becoming very hard to ignore. Apparently, being threatened by a giant red bubble is no way to make new friends.
As they were going up the stairs, Minsc let Boo run up along the polished banister, the hamster's fast pitter-patter of feet causing the huge man to coo at how fit he is. They found Jaheira scolding Pan in the hallway on the third floor by the stairs though it looked as if the daft alchemist had heard this speech a thousand times before. Yoshimo guessed that Pan probably did. She was examining the bottle of orange liquid, nodding absentmindedly as Jaheira's tirade droned on.
"How many times must I tell you not to experiment with your potions if you have no idea what you're doing? And especially not in a public area like a bar!"
"I am sorry." What did I put in this potion again?
"You could've injured yourself and you could've hurt someone else! Do you even think about the consequences of your actions? You cannot keep on endangering yourself like this!"
"I am sorry." I could sell this stuff at birthday parties.
"You could have died! One of these days you will not be so lucky!"
"I am sorry." Big Banging Birthday Bubble Bopper.
"Are you even listening to me?"
"I am sorry." Next time, I should double the dosage. Mmmmmm, bigger bubble bang.
Minsc and Yoshimo watched on amusedly as Jaheira launched into another speech about how Pan never listens. Keeping it to himself though, Yoshimo agreed with Jaheira, he himself having reservations about Pan's rather carefree methods and her disregard for personal as well as other's safety. The thief knew that what Pan did was dangerous, not only because they were in a crowded inn or that by her own admission she had no clue as to what she was doing but also because they are in a city that already disapproves of anything wizardry. If she was not more careful she could bring a lot more scrutiny down upon their party, something that he had no desire for, considering the precarious position he was already in.
On the other hand, despite the danger Pan presented to herself and others in her mad experimentation, Yoshimo could not help but admire the natural skill Pan possessed in her alchemy craft. He was astounded with what she could do to a bottle of regular healing potion and some common ingredients. After he got over his initial fright and the dissection of his bouquet, what Pan managed to do with that orange potion impressed him immensely.
Quite frankly, the alchemist greatly intrigued him. She did all that with only a small bottle of potion and some flower petals.
Yoshimo's thoughts were rudely interrupted however, when he was shoved roughly to the side by a tough looking dwarf. "Hah! If it daren't be the puny half-elf, dressed up as a mighty adventurer, I'd say! Ye skirt grabbin' floozy, I spilt me drink after that damn stunt ye pulled downstairs. No one wastes Mencar Pebblecrusher's booze and gets away with it. I'd say ye be owin' me that ale plus a few more rounds for me comrades else there be a reckoning!"
"… You want to see the pretty bubble again?"
Mencar was a stocky fellow, far more bulky than Korgan and had a number of scars on his face. He was wearing a suit of platemail and hefted in his hand a large, wickedly curved handaxe. Jaheira tensed at the dangerous looking dwarf's words, warily eyeing the rest of his companions who came up the stairs making their presence known. Much to her dismay they positioned themselves next to Minsc and Yoshimo, effectively covering their entire party.
Mencar and his companions were very much obviously drunk, the lot of them swaying slightly where they stood. One of them, a large man covered in hide was heard hiccupping on his way up the stairs. Jaheira knew that she and her friends were still in an unsafe position however, as drunken louts already had their weapons drawn. The large man had with him an equally large sword and took his position next to Minsc while another shifty looking one lurked behind Yoshimo, the glint of steel visible in his hands. Directly behind Mencar stood a gaunt looking man who was probably a mage considering the twitchy imp perched on his shoulder.
The large man barked loudly, "Hah! (hic!) That be a good jest, Mencar my friend! Hah! (hic!)"
"A good jest, says Smelly! A good jest, he says!" the imp squeaked.
"Awwwww, look at the cute naked birdy. Here naked birdy, birdy, birdy."
The imp looked around confusedly, "Huh? Me?"
"Amon! Ye tell yer stinkin', fart-smellin' imp to (hic!) stop calling me Smelly! The name (hic!) the name (hic!) be Smaeluv Orcslicer (hic!)! If he does (hic!) say it again (hic!) again, I'll smash him into impish goo!"
"Eeeeewwww… actually, he does kind of smell like fart," Pan said backing up Smaeluv's insults.
"Papa! Papa! Smelly is threatening me again, he is! Threatening! And the crazy girl thinks I is a naked birdy!"
"Calm yourself, Pooky. You there, you daft twit of a girl, Pooky is not a 'birdy' and of course he is naked, he is after all, an imp. Hardly impressive, I know but still adequately useful. As for you, you barbarian knucklehead... threaten my familiar once again and you'll spend the rest of the evening as a toad, am I understood?" the gaunt man drawled lazily.
"Whaaat?! (hic!)" Smaeluv balked, incredulous that anyone dared threaten him, "You DARE (hic!) besmirch the honour of Smaeluv Orcslicer! I will-!"
"ENOUGH, blast it!" Mencar screamed, upset that his show of force was not having the intimidating effect he had hoped, "I tire of yer bickering! Now... as for ye, little half-elf... ye'd best show me some coin or else I'm goin' to have to spank ye silly."
Jaheira tightened her grip on her scimitar's handle, not liking the look of undisguised hunger in Mencar's eyes. The dwarf licked his lips as his gaze roamed up and down Pan's body, "Ye know, mayhaps I just might spank ye around anyways."
The druid spat disgustedly, "You sick little-"
Whatever she was going to call Mencar was lost when in that instant, Pan stepped forward screaming, "No spanking! No spanking! Not my tushie! YAAAAAAHHH!" and a sparking blast of lightning shot forth from her hands.
Mencar yelped in shock, too surprised to dodge the attack. He did not have to.
"Ahhh phooey! Missed." Pan exclaimed.
In her excitement Pan forgot that dwarves are a naturally vertically challenged people so her lightning bolt flew over the head of Mencar, who did not even have to duck down. Everyone stared wide-eyed shocked at the alchemist and her unbelievably horrible miss at the target who was only a few steps in front of her.
Mencar growled murderously at the mage, "Ye best be screamin' now, ye bi-"
But Pan was not paying attention to the advancing dwarf, her eyes trailing her lightning shot that quickly sailed past everyone else, striking the opposite wall in the exact spot a large mirror was hanging. Fascinated, she followed the immediate ricochet fly straight into the disbelieving faces of Amon and Pooky.
"AAAAAAGHH!"
"AAAAOOWWWIIEEEE!"
Shocked by the screams, but not as shocked as his fallen comrades, the dwarf spun around to find Amon and Pooky twitching on the ground, the smell of burnt flesh filling the hallway The dead mage's face was an unidentifiable blackened mass, his familiar looking equally crispy. Screaming madly, the dwarf charged towards Pan, handaxe raised but he was soon intercepted by Jaheira who had her scimitar drawn.
The clang of metal and battle soon erupted.
An enraged roar from Smaeluv challenged Minsc just before the man viciously brought his sword down atop the ranger's head. However he made the mistake of being too close to his opponent allowing Minsc to swiftly raise his hands to grab the handle of the sword before it could hit him. A fierce wrestling match ensued between the two huge warriors, both vying for control over the sword, Minsc yelling all the while, "Go for eyes Boo, go for the eyes!"
In the large dark corner of the hallway, the shifty looking man and Yoshimo were playing a deadly game of cat and mouse, each taking turns slashing at each other while trying to get behind the other one.
Mencar Pebblecrusher proved to be a skilled fighter, the fight going in his favour despite the combined attacks of Jaheira and Pan. While the druid was the only one skilled enough to go toe to toe with the dwarf, Pan would knock off a few holding spells or magic missiles whenever the opportunity presented itself. However, the dwarf had entered into his battle rage, Pan's spells just bouncing off or having no effect and the mage had not having recovered fully enough to cast more complicated enchantments. While Jaheira tried making calculated strikes and parries, Mencar only needed to rely on pure brute strength, his strikes swinging wild and gouging deep slashes into the walls.
Soon Jaheira and Pan were on the defensive, the druid parrying the dwarf's continuous strikes while Pan desperately tried any spell that could slow him down. Mencar was lightly frothing at the corners of his mouth and Jaheira was having a tough time gripping her scimitar, the force of Mencar's blows reverberating through her entire body and step by step, cold steel striking cold steel, he forced her back.
Oooooh, I think this fellow needs a timeout, Pan thought concerned as another of her sleep spells did not even make him blink. As she continued to back Jaheira up with her limited magic, Pan quickly scanned the hallway to see how the others were doing.
Minsc and Smaeluv were still locked in the struggle over the sword though it looked to be going in the Rashemi warrior's favour. The ranger appeared to be enjoying himself and laughing loudly while on the other hand Smaeluv looked far more panicked about the hamster that was currently chewing on his ear.
Pan spied Yoshimo calmly watching the fight from the darkened corner, his stance slightly crouched. At first she thought that perhaps the bounty hunter already defeated his opponent but she could not see the body.
Maybe he ate him.
By now, Pan was starting to feel weary, the constant casting of spells taking its toll on her. Even Jaheira was panting heavily, a few cuts bleeding her arms. Mencar's strength remained the same, his swings coming in more wildly and a few times Jaheira had to jump out of harm's way.
Something caught Pan's eyes in Yoshimo's corner. A brief glint of metal came from directly behind the bounty hunter. Apparently the shady man did not get eaten and was in fact ready to plunge his blade into her friend's back.
In her panic Pan cried out, "Yoshi, behind you!" stopping her casting and staring in horror unable to do anything.
Even though it happened all so fast, she could still make out distinctly the man's face as it was slowly illuminated from the shadows. It was like some macabre drama, Yoshimo's face unsurprised and unmoving, the exact same as the man's coming closer from behind his shoulder. Slowly, though it really was a split second, the man's left hand begun to sneak around Yoshimo's neck, his right hand holding the blade ready to plunge into the body.
Pan could only scream. "Noooooo!" covering her eyes with both hands yet still peeking between the fingers.
The man's stoic face broke into a grim grin when as fast as the eye could follow, he stabbed forward… into nothing.
Displaying an amazing feat of acrobatics, the moment the man's blade started forward, Yoshimo leapt up and over, kicking his feet up until he was high over the other man, upside down. By the time the man's blade plunged into the spot Yoshimo used to be standing, the bounty hunter had grabbed onto the man's dark hair with one hand as he was flipping over and while still holding on to the hair, Yoshimo yanked the man's head backwards as the bounty hunter landed behind him. The man's face froze in shock as he was pulled back, a katana blade plunging out of his throat causing a fountain of blood to spray out.
Pan stared in shock at the way things played out. In the span of five seconds, when it looked like they would be burying Yoshimo in one, in the next he was stabbing his own blade from behind the man into his neck. The man fell to his knees, feebly trying to stop his blood from gushing out of the new hole in his throat. Yoshimo's expression was pitiless as he detestably kicked the man forward, the dying gurgles bubbling quietly as he lay face down in a growing pool of blood.
Pan continued to look at the bounty hunter who raised his own eyes to meet hers. Neither broke away from the other and an unfamiliar heat flooded and throbbed below her belly.
… Heeeee, I like this feeling-
Her contemplation of thoughts was rudely and literally knocked aside when Jaheira's body was sent crashing into her. They collapsed in a heap, Pan banging her head hard off the floor, stars flashing in her vision. "Ooowwwiiieeee," the alchemist moaned.
Groaning, Jaheira struggled to get back up when she felt a hard pain slam into the side of her head sending her rolling into the wall. Mencar had knocked the druid aside with his axe handle, exposing the still incoherent Pan lying on the floor. Snarling, the dwarf raised his axe above his head, the alchemist getting her head together enough to whimper fearfully.
"No spanking…"
"I'm gonna do worse than that to yer pretty little corpse," the dwarf threatened.
Pan gave a short scream when she saw the axe swing down on her.
Before the axe could touch her, Mencar was violently wrenched off his feet.
"Bloody hell?!"
"You dare, evil little man? You dare strike at little Pan when Minsc and Boo are nearby to stomp on you?" the huge ranger roared, hoisting the struggling dwarf high above his head and throwing him like a sack of homicidal wheat. Mencar brutally crashed and rolled at the far end of the hall, coming to a rest next to the body of Smaeluv who was currently wearing his own sword through his chest.
Distressed, Minsc scooped up both Jaheira and Pan into his massive arms, "Oh woe is the day! Minsc almost lost two good friends today, oh, all that is good would be so disappointed in me! Never again will evil get close enough to breathe its stinky little breath on the friends of Minsc and Boo! Eh? What is that Boo? I should loosen my mighty hug?"
Yoshimo had joined them, amusement at the sight of both Jaheira and Pan struggling in the ranger's grip, glad to be alive but both figuring they would be much happier if they were not getting crushed to death. When Jaheira looked over the ranger's shoulder she became very alarmed, "Minsc, put us down now, look behind you!"
Swiftly turning around they saw Mencar slowly struggling to get up. He was bleeding from a nasty cut on forehead and his left arm was bent at the opposite angle. Still he managed to get to his feet, a ghastly grin marring his visage.
"I… want… me bloody… ale…" and then he charged towards them, roaring defiantly and waving his handaxe with his one good arm.
"Minsc and Boo admire the evil little man's determination. But we still wish to kick his evil little butt."
"Stubborn fool," Jaheira muttered, getting into a defensive position alongside Minsc and Yoshimo.
He won't last long, not against the three of us and if Pan would just stay behind us-
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Ohhhhhh, it felt so nice to hear the screaming, so nice so nice so fulfilling really, mmm-mmmm, so excitinnnnnnng. The battle the battle the heat of battle always touching me in places that feel so so so so good, touching me, oh so low so low so loooooooowww. Sometimes the potions get bad, sometimes good, though really bad, Jaheira says they are bad but if they are bad why does it feel intoxicatingly beautifully good? I should have taken those dryad's skins, probably would make a wondrous massage oil, nnnnnngh, oh yes, oh gods yes I want to hear the blood spill, no more tears, no more tears, spilt blood sounds so much better than falling tears, pleasepleasepleaseplease no more tears! Where am I going? Am I still in the glass tube? Glass tube glass tube I hate the glass tube. I do not want to be an echo, I hate it I hate it I hate it I want out! Killing is bad, Gorion always says that killing is bad but good but bad but good, it is sooooooo stimulating, eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, it does not matter, we all fall down and get back up and fall back down and get back up and fall back down and get back up and fall back down and get back up and fall back down and get back up…
No more bad potions…
No more screaming bones…
…
…
Bonfire extract, used in the controlled burning of woodlands, powder with nitrate sodium, lime, diluted carbon, oak dust, mercurial glycogen…
…
No more flying wolf… please, no more… it hurts, you are hurting me… stop it stop it…please stop…
…
Mmmmmm nnnnnngh ohhhhh, buuuuurrrrnnn…
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The druid dropped her jaw in shock, though in the back of her mind she had been expecting it. As if fatefully disobeying her, the alchemist ran past them towards the dwarf, the bottle of orange liquid gripped in her hand.
"Fool child, what are doing?" Jaheira shrieked, Minsc and Yoshimo uncomprehending what was going on.
Pan screamed at Mencar who screamed back at her, as if they were playing a childish shouting game, and she threw the bottle with all her might at the dwarf. The bottle smashed directly in his face, halting him in his tracks, just as confused as the others as to what just happened.
"Ptooie! Argh, that tastes foul!" he cried, his face stained wet with the orange liquid, a mashed purple petal sticking unnoticed on the tip of his large nose.
"Take that, you stinky bastard!" Pan snarled.
Mencar was furious, "Ye stupid half-elf! Ye think that'll stop me from tearin' yer bloody head off?" he roared, stalking towards the mage once again.
He only managed two steps before he stopped, a confused look replacing the anger on his face. Grunting, he dropped his axe desperately trying to grasp his stomach with his one good arm through his armour, looking up at Pan with a horrified face. His fear magnified when he saw cold curiosity glint in her distant brown eyes.
She smiled cruelly, "Yes, I think it will."
"Wh-what did you-argh!-do to me?"
"Let us see, okay?"
The others came up beside her, keeping a cautious eye on the dwarf who was writhing in pain on the floor. They had a look of alarm as Mencar suddenly screamed aloud as his body began to transform. No one could tear their eyes away from the horrible sight unfolding before them. Pan tittered, not bothering to hide her smirk.
Mencar's body was inflating. Like a fleshy, dwarven balloon, his stocky body began swelling up, his armour bursting off unable to stay intact as he continuously grew larger and rounder, floating in midair. His tunic and pants thankfully remained on, though they were stretched and barely covered his extremities. Blue veins could clearly be seen, mapping out his hugely overblown body. His arms and legs protruded out like pegs, his boots ripping open to reveal round ripe feet, his fingers looking like fat sausages. The dwarf's cheeks were stretched out, reminding Pan of Boo whenever the hamster stuffs his face full of nuts. All that could be seen of his eyes beneath the folds of skin were the whites.
What horrified the party the most though, were the sounds. As he grew bigger, they could distinctly make out snapping bones and bursting organs reverberating hollowly from his massive, bloated body. Mencar Pebblecrusher's shrieks were clearly audible amidst the destruction of his insides.
"By the gods, he's still alive," Yoshimo uttered.
Though he looked ready to burst, the body remained impossibly intact, blocking up the entire hallway, ceiling to floor. Their morbid fascination at their enemy's demise quickly turned to concern when Mencar's body showed no signs of stopping its growth.
"Ah, Boo believes it would be best to… not be here soon," Minsc suggested nervously backing up.
They hastily began retreating away from the inflated body of Mencar, a roaring howl now emitting from his slack, gaping mouth. Only Pan remained standing, staring in complete awe at the massive flesh balloon, "Oooooh. Now that is an ugly bubble."
Any further observations were disrupted when Minsc hoisted the girl over his shoulder, running full sprint for the room at the end of the hall where Jaheira and Yoshimo were already hiding.
"Heeeee, bubblesbubblesbubblesbubbles!"
The ranger and the babbling mage ducked into the room, Yoshimo immediately slamming the door shut behind them, bracing against it for expected explosion that would decorate the third floor of the Den of the Seven Vales in a very nice shade of Pebblecrusher. The howling stopped.
"…."
"…."
"…."
… Pfffffffplplphhpllhlplflflphllplplphphppp!
Jaheira rolled her eyes, "Oh, you have got be kidding me."
The group entered back into the hallway where they witnessed the final end of Mencar. Like with what happened before in the dining hall, the bloated body began deflating exactly like a balloon that was quickly losing air. The dwarf's body shrivelled and shrank, collapsing back onto itself.
Phphhppplhpphlplppllplpppfffffffff…
Soon, all that was left of Mencar was lying in a crumpled heap in the middle of the hallway. The destruction of the dwarf's insides left nothing structured to support a shape, so it was a gruesome scene, his flesh just as wrinkly as the clothes around it. Its head could be identified by the patch of hair in one spot but other than that, there was nothing else that indicated it used to be humanoid.
Minsc covered his hamster in his massive hands, "Do not look Boo, it is not something for your delicate eyes."
"Not even back home…" Yoshimo trailed off.
Gathering around the mound of their fallen enemy, they stared at what used to be something that could support its own weight. Pan bent down to poke at the heap, Jaheira quickly grabbing her hand away from it, "What's the matter with you? Do not touch it!"
The mage crinkled her nose, "It is all squishy. Like a juice-filled bag of flesh."
"That is because it is a juice-filled bag of flesh," the druid retorted, angry that the girl had made such a horrendous potion, "What caused you to create such a...a… disgusting abomination of a concoction?" all eyes looking at Pan, awaiting her answer.
"Actually, I did not know it would do that. Heeeeee, did you fellows hear the noise he was making? He went snap! Crackle! But no pop! It is not the same without pop!"
Jaheira threw her arms into the air, "Arrr! Child you will be the death of me!"
Yoshimo interrupted the incoming scolding, "Perhaps it would be best if we settle this elsewh-"
"WHAT IN THE WIDE ARSED ABYSS IS GOING ON UP THERE?"
"-Too late," the bounty hunter grumbled, trying to hide behind Minsc who also became paler.
Mrs. Patricia emerged from the stairs, a podgy bundle of fury wielding a dangerous looking rolling pin. She barely glanced at the various corpses laid about and hardly balked at the sack of flesh she stepped over, marching right up to the group that was sheepishly standing around.
The innkeeper glared hard at the party, the males unable to meet her gaze. She spoke one word, venom laced through every letter, "Well?"
"Ummm, they started it?" Pan offered.
Minsc and Yoshimo visibly shrank back as soon as the innkeeper started screaming, "STARTED IT? LOOK WHAT HAPPENED WHEN Y'FINISHED IT! LOOK AT THIS BLEEDIN' MESS! DO Y'KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO GET RID OF BLOODSTAINS? GET OUT, GET OUT, ALL OF Y'GET OUT!"
Before Jaheira could explain fully what happened, Pan flew forward wrapping her arms around Mrs. Patricia's considerably wide neck.
"Waaahh! We d-did not m-m-mean to, Mrs. Patricia, but I-I was s-so s-s-scaaaaaared! Waaaaah!"
A complete change swept over the innkeeper as she hugged the crying mage, rocking her back forth and gently patting her back, "Oh, I'm so, so, so sorry dearie. I didn't mean to yell, I'm not angry with ye. There, there, hush now. It'll be all right, y'safe with Missus Patricia now, don't y'fret."
Minsc and Yoshimo could only gape at the scene in front of them. The innkeeper went from tyrannical to motherly at the drop of a woman's tear. Nobody noticed the small smirk playing on Jaheira's lips at Pan's antics, the mage quieting her sobs to Mrs. Patricia's soothing actions.
"Shhhh, easy does it, dear. Come now, tell Missus Patricia what happened. Did these two bastards hurt ye?" the sudden intense glare directed at Minsc and Yoshimo made the two men very uncomfortable and unable to show their offence.
"N-no." Sniff. "I-i-t was hiiiiiim!" the alchemist cried, bursting into a fresh round of tears, pointing at the remains of Mencar, "H-he said he w-w-was going to sp-" she paused as if unable to comprehend it, whispering the last bit, "spank me."
"Filth!" Mrs. Patricia spat good sized glob on the fleshy heap, if possible the crumpled mass shrivelling up even more.
The innkeeper of womanly righteousness returned her ire back onto the two men, "And where the hell were y'two while this poor lass was getting bullied?" ignoring the fact that Jaheira was also present. To the furious woman, the poor druid was probably also just another victim, "Sucking y'thumbs?"
The only two men present blushed, guiltily staring at the floor. They looked at Jaheira for some help but the druid merely shrugged, not bothering to hide her grin. "We, um, we were, uh…"
Before they could defend themselves properly, a familiar thrumming sound filled the air. Just like at the battle with Irencicus, a pair of dimensional doors appeared delivering two Cowled Wizards.
"You are unlicensed! This is an unsanctioned use of magical energy!" one of them cried pompously, glaring at the group.
Suddenly the wizard's fierce look, as well as his confidence, wilted away when he noticed the very angry innkeeper stomping towards him, Pan placed protectively behind her. "Oh hells. Aaah, Mrs. Patricia… we, uh, didn't see you there. Umm, how are you this fine evening?" the speaker squeaked.
The two Cowled Wizards shrank back when the woman got right in front of them, viciously poking the lead mage in the chest, "Never mind how I'm doing. What do y'want here?"
The wizard did not dare reprimand the woman for touching him, his voice shakily unsure, "We, uh… are enforcing the law?"
"What do y'figure about that?"
"Ummm… we must… we must apprehend that woman?" sounding more like he was asking permission than making demands.
"Is that so?" the threatening tone evident to all present.
"Ahem, er, yes," the wizard confirmed, straightening himself out and mustering whatever bit of courage he had left, "I hope you see the reason behind this, Mrs. Patricia. We, uh, we cannot let that girl go without proper punishment."
The Cowled Wizard's hopes of escaping the woman's wrath unscathed were dashed when it became apparent that the now very livid innkeeper did not agree to his reasoning. He cowered back as Mrs. Patricia reared herself up, positively looming over the taller man.
It was only by Pan's interjecting comment that saved the wizard's skin, "It was not me, it was him," the alchemist confidently pointing out Amon's remains, Jaheira in the background trying to cover up her laughter by pretending to cough.
"Uh, pardon?"
"What are y'deaf?" Mrs. Patricia yelled, cowing the wizard further, "Can y'not see that it was that sorry bastard over there that's been magicking away?"
"B-b-but he's dead."
"Oh, y'are a smart one, y'are. Top of the class I bet, smartest idiot boy in a classroom full of idiot boys. He's dead, well thank y'for that bit of information, y'bloody sorry excuse for a male."
The Cowled Wizard blushed deeply at the innkeeper's insults though he was still too intimidated to do anything about it.
"Well actually, he was not a very good mage. He blasted himself in the face and the poor naked birdy with his own lightning bolt," Pan explained.
Mrs. Patricia glared hard at the wizard, as if daring him to refute the alchemist's claims. The man gulped, trying to come up with an argument, "Then h-how about, uhhh, that one?" he questioned, pointing at Mencar's sack-like remains, "What happened to him?"
Pan merely shrugged, "I do not know. Maybe he just decided to go to his happy place?"
Blink.
Blink.
"There, is that a good enough explanation about what happened? Don't y'got something better to do than picking on poor, defenceless women?" Mrs. Patricia demanded.
"Ummm," the man hesitated, quite sure that the whole thing sounded sketchy, however the fierce glower emitting from the innkeeper quickly made up his mind, "Yes, well, apparently things are all cleared up here, wouldn't you say," he asked his partner who nodded his head intensely, just wanting to get as far away from this woman as possible.
The two Cowled Wizards cautiously began making their way towards the nearest exit, "It is evident that the perpetrator has died by his own hands and that no one, especially this fine outstanding woman here, are in any way at fault. We, uh, we'll just be heading out to write that report. Mrs. Patricia, you have yourself a fine, wonderful, pleasant evening. Don't you worry, we'll see ourselves out," and with that the two wizards ran as fast as they could down the stairs.
"…."
"… poor naked birdy." Pan muttered tearfully.
At the sound of her sad voice, Mrs. Patricia enveloped the mage in another comforting hug. Jaheira strode up to the woman, a look of pride on her face, "Mrs. Patricia, you are an incredible woman."
"Well, I've got to be! Someone's got to teach these ill mannered donkeys that they can't just strut around like they own the place. Y've got to teach them their place, y'do."
Jaheira nodded in complete agreement. During the entire exchange, Minsc and Yoshimo dared not move lest they grab the innkeeper's attention. Pan sniffled, still upset about the poor naked birdy.
"Come along dears," Mrs Patricia cajoled, leading the two women away, "Let's get y'out of here, 'tis no place for us ladies. The ordeal y'must've gone through, just terrible. And under my own roof too! I'll have y'know it's too bad that filthy dwarf is already dead or else I would've beat him sorry, I would've. Come with me and I'll fix y'both up a fresh batch of warm chicken stew. It'll make y'feel better, believe me."
"Thank you Mrs. Patricia. I believe that will help us immensely to get over what just happened," Jaheira said, heartily going along with her invitation.
Pan wiped a tear away, asking hopefully, "Can I have it with extra crackers?"
"Bless y'dearie, of course y'can."
Minsc and Yoshimo made to follow the women but they immediately froze in place when Mrs. Patricia looked back at them, loathing evident on her features.
"What in the hells do y'two think y'are doing? Clean up this damned mess y'made! And there better not be any stains when I come back!" and with that, the epitome of womanly justice disappeared down the stairs, her two admirers, Jaheira and Pan, following close behind.
Flabbergasted, Minsc and Yoshimo stood still, perplexed at the sudden turn of events.
"…."
Blink.
"…."
Blink.
"… Our mess?"
"… Boo says that we not safe here anymore."
Yoshimo sighed, disgusted with the task ahead of them but not enough to disobey the innkeeper's orders, "A question for you, Minsc, my friend. Does that woman make you feel guilty for being able to pee standing up?"
"Boo does not pee standing up. I am quite sure he is able to, though I don't invade his privacy to check on that… but yes, she does fill us both with guilt."
BGBGBGBGBGBGBGBGBG
The city gates of Athkatla symbolised the infrastructure of the city. The buildings of the area were simple and made of brick, not terribly rundown but not exactly befitting for a noble to be seen in. There was however, potential to be made here. Being at the entrance to the city, the owners and residents were given first hand opportunities to spy out any goods and merchandise, effectively giving them the advantage over the rest of Athkatla. Typically, they never had much to worry about finances and if they were shrewd enough, could accumulate quite a bit of wealth to escape to greener pastures.
In contrast, the city gates themselves were levels above extravagance compared to the average building in the area. The walls were massive, easily five stories high and thick enough for two carts to be able to travel side by side along its length. There were no steps to be seen but there were still guards atop the battlements, their height and armour making them far more imposing. The gate itself was massive, like a gaping maw, the iron gates hanging high above like teeth. Two sets of gigantic iron studded doors were place on both ends of the entrance and they looked as if it would take an entire patrol of soldiers just to move one. Two statues stood on either side of the entrance, their size making the ones at the Council of Six Building look like children. All along the surface of the wall on the city side were colourful and elaborate murals depicting the history of the country.
While Jaheira left to pick up their pack horse, the rest of the party milled about the entrance. Amnish guards were stationed about though they totally ignored everything that was going on about them, staring impassively forward.
Pan was currently badgering a soldier she had overheard about where she can get some blacklotus leaves. The man was fast becoming annoyed with the mage but he just could not shake her off. Minsc was nearby, pointing out to Boo the massive statues, predicting how one day there shall be one just like that for all miniature giant space hamsters.
Yoshimo was in a pleased enough mood, feeling the weight of the coin pouch on his belt. He had managed to sell off the equipment they had procured from the bodies of Mencar and his crew to a local bar patron who did not ask questions. They made enough coin to buy a decent dress of chainmail and a stout shield for Jaheira and a scabbard for Pan while still having enough left over for the thief to believe that the effort of fighting was worth it.
Though the clean up certainly wasn't enjoyable, the bounty hunter thought glumly.
Looting and getting rid of the bodies was not a problem however it took him and Minsc nearly half the night trying to get rid of the stains. Boo was of little help. When it came to getting rid of Mencar's remains, they were at a loss. Neither really wanted to touch it, so they finally settled on buying a few drunken patrons a round of ale if they could get rid of the fleshy bag for them. When they came back, neither the thief nor ranger asked them what they did with it.
When Korgan came back to meet them in the morning and found what had happened the night before, he was a dwarf of two reactions. On one hand, he was not really surprised that they got into a fight, considering the loopy, half-bred, scum tongue they have leading them. On the other hand he was astounded as to who it was they fought and that they actually prevailed.
While waiting for the druid, Korgan badgered Yoshimo once again to confirm what really happened, "Are ye tellin' me that the lot o' ye not only took on Mencar an' his crew but that ye also slew 'em all? Tae the last one?" the berserker asked disbelievingly.
"It wasn't easy but yes, we did take them all down. In the end they were no match for our superior skills. In fact, it was Pan who actually slew three of them including Mencar," Yoshimo added, deciding not to mention that it was only because of chance and not skill that tided in the mage's favour.
"Mencar? Mencar Pebblecrusher? Scarred, drunken, dangerous-looking dwarf with a handaxe?"
"Who also had a strong odour, yes, a most accurate description, my friend. Did you know him?"
Korgan narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the bounty hunter as if detecting for any hints of deceit. He was actually quite expecting Yoshimo to suddenly break out laughing and slap his back, telling him that he was kidding and that seriously, Mencar and his cronies really only just tripped down the stairs and broke their necks. Or at least that Pan did not kill three of them and really she was cowering under a blanket the entire time.
When it became apparent that the thief was not joking, the berserker widened his eyes in astonishment. This band of twits and idiots really did win that fight!
Smiling broadly, Korgan slapped his knees amusedly, "Har har! Un-bloody-believable! Mencar Pebblecrusher, dead by yer hands, hah! Ye tall-folk ain't so bad after all. Blood 'n' glory I wish I could've been there tae see his rottin' carcass."
Yoshimo raised an eyebrow, "I wouldn't use 'carcass' to describe his remains as I would… 'mess.' I take it you find his death good news?"
"Good news? Let me tell ye, laddie, that be the bloody best news I've heard all tenday. I had hoped it would've been me own axe that got buried in his stinkin', ugly, toad-kissin' mouth. That lowlife, turd playin', gut snot cheated the Bloodaxe 'afore outta some loot an' then some," Korgan spat, his eyes dangerously flashing though it went quickly as it came, replaced by grim satisfaction, "That douche bag got what he deserved an' I'll nay complain about the ones who done it. So, it be the crazy half-breed that done the deed, aye? Mayhaps I won't be splittin' her skull open so soon then. What she do, annoy the sewage-drinkin', horse-fartin', idjit tae death?"
"No, it was actually far more graphic and slightly disturbing."
"Is that right, pup? Spill the details an' donnae leave out a thing!" morbid glee shining in the berserker's eyes.
Seeing as how he had a captivated audience, the bounty hunter told the dwarf all that had happened, from Pan's experiment with Violet Tulips in the main hall to the clean up duty of him and Minsc. He may have slightly embellished his own feats of course but he told Korgan exactly what he wanted to hear about the manner of Mencar's death. When Jaheira came back with the pack horse in tow, she found them just as Yoshimo finished explaining the results of consuming Pan's potion.
"HAR HAR HAR! I always knew that rank, scabbin' bastard were full o' hot air! Har har!"
Indicating to them that they should be making their way out, Jaheira handed the horse's reigns to Minsc while remarking sardonically, "I see that Yoshimo has filled you in on what happened last night. Does the way our adversary met his end amuse that much?"
Korgan leered at the druid, "Damn right it does, tree-thumper."
"That does not surprise me at all. And do not call me tree-thumper again, dwarf."
"Whate'er pleases ye, tree-thumper."
Rolling her eyes and walking a bit faster to get away from Korgan, Jaheira called over her shoulder, "Pan! Leave that man alone, we have a long walk ahead of us!"
"Coming!" the mage called back, turning her attention to the soldier once more, "Come on, pleeeease? I have to go now, can you pleeeeease tell me where to get it? I will give you a brand new shiny rock if you do." fluttering her eyes pleadingly.
It had no effect on the soldier. "What in the Nine Hells would I do with a rock? For the last time, I don't know what you're talking about and even if I did it's none of your damn business so get out of here before I arrest you on charges of suspicious contraband!"
Pan stuck out her tongue at the soldier, "Scoundrel! I know where you work so you better be here when I come back," and with that she ran off after the rest of her party leaving behind a very annoyed soldier dreading her return.
When she caught up with them, Jaheira glanced aside at the girl who humming to herself, "What was that all about?"
Pan stopped her humming, tilting her head slightly, finger on her chin, "I heard him talking with a short fellow about blacklotus flowers so I just wanted to ask him where I can get some because you know I have been looking for that stuff but he had to be greedy scoundrel and not tell me because I bet he just wants to keep them all for himself because he is a scoundrel so he better be there when we get back so that I can get him to tell me where he keeps the stuff or else I will not give him a nice shiny rock," she babbled, taking a deep breath when she finished.
The druid shook her head having heard this before, "Child, how many times must I tell that the blacklotus flower is not something that you can just trade freely on the streets. Besides I don't think I want you near any of that substance, it's dangerous. Why Nature would allow such a thing to exist is beyond me."
Korgan's curiosity was peaked, "Blacklotus leaves, eh? Didnae take ye fer the type tae have such o' habit. Perhaps that explains why ye're so fouled up all the time, smokin' what yer puny body cannae handle."
Pan looked back at the dwarf confused, "What are you talking about? Smoking?"
Yoshimo spoke up, slightly disconcerted that the alchemist had an interest in the drug, "Pan-chan, you do know what the blacklotus is, right?"
"A pretty flower!"
"And a pretty powerful drug, the likes that fetches quite a high price in the black market."
"Ohhhhhh, but it so much more than that, so much more than tha-aaaat," the mage said in a sing song voice.
Korgan and Yoshimo glanced at each other, Jaheira and Minsc walking ahead having already heard this before. "Really? Than what do you need it for?"
Pan whipped her head around trying to see if anyone was listening in on her. She leaned towards them, one hand covering the side of her mouth and spoke in a conspiratorial tone, "It is for an ancient, super powerfully neat… potion!" pulling back and covering her mouth to hide her insane giggling.
Korgan did not sound as excited as she was about it, "Is 'at so?"
"Oh, yes. But you cannot tell anyone about it."
"Well what's it supposed tae do?"
"It is supposed to give you the power of a god and the ability to control the very universe!"
"Now that be soundin' like my kinda potion."
"Or was it supposed to be able to give you minty fresh breath for life? I always get the two mixed up."
"… Ye're an idjit an' I hope that potion'll give ye gas fer life."
"Eeeeeee, Killer Korgan, you are funny!"
BGBGBGBGBGBGBGBGBG
According to the map Yoshimo found at Valygar's home, half the journey would be along a well travelled road before they would cut into one of the less known trails. The warm climate of the region suited Jaheira just fine and she was glad to see that Minsc and Pan were handling it well. Perhaps it was meant to be a sign of good fortune for the weather was clear and balmy for travelling. The season was normally a hot one but the region was blessed with cool breezes. As they travelled, there would either be a dense copse of trees on the side of the road or a wide green plain the next, the odd farmland randomly dispersed throughout.
Traffic was minimal, the party only coming across other travellers every half hour or so. Yoshimo and Korgan were in the back trading tales of their exploits. Minsc was walking alongside Jaheira guiding the pack horse while Pan would be running all over the place. Either she would be going back and forth between the sides of the road, "just to make sure she did not miss anything," or she would be skipping along humming nonsensical ditties aloud. She would often pluck a flower or a pick up an object that she had no idea what it was but was still pretty sure it could be used to make something "neat" placing them into the pouch she carried.
Minsc walked with an extra bounce in his step, a smile of pure joy gracing his tough visage. Even Boo was squeaking happily on the warrior's shoulder. The Rashemi ranger felt a whole lot better now that they were actually doing something out in the country. There were too many little corners in a city where evil could hide and he would not mind giving it a good shake to see what falls out. He would hunt them all down if he could but then that would mean he would not have enough time to spend in the forests.
Minsc breathed in deeply, booming out happily, "Ahhhhh, smell the goodness in the air! Suck it in mightily for all that is not righteous must smell our noble breath and fall over! It is good that we must journey out here, eh, Boo? Justice must be brought wherever we tread, especially to the woods."
Jaheira gave a small smile at the ranger's enthusiasm. She wholeheartedly agreed with his attitude though she would not be so vocal about it. The druid was most eager to travel the countryside considering the extensive amount of time she and her friends spent between brick and stone.
She found that being out in the wilderness was such a stark contrast to being in the city. Nature's voice was often drowned out by the cacophony of city life. No matter how magnificent the architecture or how beautiful the carving there was always some level of falseness behind it, as if it were a disfigurement of Nature's children.
In the great settlements of people, there was constant interaction and for the most part unpleasant ones. No matter what the size of the home, people were separated by stone cells. Whole peoples became too individualistic when the strive for survival overrode most needs of the community. Decency was often cast aside in favour of making extra coin or in the more desperate cases, getting a hot meal. There was no balance in civilization. She has seen it in every city, in the areas the rich and noble do not bother to tread, the sections the poor and sick are often quarantined in. In Athkatla it was the Slums District and it was desperation she had to ignore.
Escaping the structures of civilization, even for a little bit was enough to rejuvenate her spirits. She had almost forgotten what it was to feel the breeze. While in the city, the noise of civilization drowned out the call of the earth. They are centers of displacement where misbalance overrides natural law. The druid thought it silly that for those who chose to live in the world of brick and building believe it to be the epitome of life. In truth, Jaheira believed that to live in the city is to surrender the soul to be lost. She had seen it in its desolation, its arrogance and its disregard. She had seen it when it took away Khalid.
His very name broke her heart. The others would never know but she often felt just as lost as they were. Her faith had become twisted, guided not by the blessing of Nature's light but by the cold gleam of revenge. It should be Khalid who walks beside her, calls her name, touches her, holds her, loves her. Now it is only she who returns to the lands they both cherished, the only piece of him she has left. Her balance has shifted. The irony she found was that even though the land would always be bigger than any city or country, to lose yourself in it, is to finally find yourself. She found the truth. He is dead and she lives. It burns within her.
And no one shall see the flames.
"Minsc, after all that has happened do you truly believe we follow the right path?" Jaheira asked calmly, her eyes half closed as she walked.
"I hope so. Minsc is not very good with reading things like maps which is why I leave that to smarter ones like Boo and you and the little man and sometimes little Pan. Not so much the little dwarf with mental problems. Minsc is much better suited for kicking butt when we reach the places maps tell us to go."
The druid began to regret asking the ranger anything, "That isn't exactly what I meant."
"…Oh? Oh. Oh! Of course we are! The right path is the path of righteousness or else why would the two both be right? Right is right and righteousness is right because it starts off right. Boo has explained it very clearly to me," the ranger saw Jaheira looking at him strangely, "But Boo also says that is not what you believe anymore."
Surprised, the druid glanced suspiciously at the scampering hamster, "Boo is very clever to see that."
"Yes, Boo is very clever and he knows it. See how he swaggers up and down my arm? Er, comrade Jaheira, why do you doubt ourselves so? We are not evil! Surely you see that we do not bathe in the same dark water as injustice and villainy. We smell much fresher than that."
Jaheira gave a small smile though it quickly disappeared, "Perhaps we are not as fresh as you think we are. We have been through so much and it has touched us deeply."
"Minsc and Boo touch back much harder."
She shook her head, "Water eventually wears out the hardest of stones. Our travels are long and our souls have been bared too often into darkness. We are jaded beings, our experiences a bitter taste that stays with us forever. Eventually, we become unbalanced and our direction is not as clear as it should be."
"Boo always points Minsc in the right direction."
"Not all of us have Boo for guidance. Eventually you have to come to conclusions yourself. Perhaps the goal, the destination is the same, but the path you must take to reach it changes. No Minsc, we are not evil, far from it. I would gladly do all I can to preserve the balance but I can longer believe we follow a path of righteousness."
"But-"
The druid held up her hand continuing, "The world is not so black and white as I used to believe. They must balance one another as equal parts certainly but it is the greyness that binds them together. 'Right' is no longer a single entity because it is interpreted through many levels. We have battled hard against darkness but not without leaving pieces of it inside us. Our actions traverse both sides as long as the end justifies the means. Damn whatever the path and forget those affected by our choices because we must do what must be done. Imoen is captured right before our eyes and so we must rescue her. Instead, we are now here, far from where she could be, hunting down Valygar Corthala, a man who has nothing to do with us but still we search for him in order to convey him before the one who may tell where she is. At the same time we also hunt Irenicus not for justice but for vengeance. And so I ask you, Minsc, is that righteousness?"
The ranger did not reply, his eyes deep in thought. Jaheira did not say anything more, both of them walking on though curiously she noted that Boo was perched on the Rashemi's shoulder looking at her.
Eventually Minsc spoke confidently, "Minsc sees why you are in doubt but Minsc also sees the obvious. We are righteous."
"As I said, there are levels to it."
The ranger shook his head, "Levels? There is no need to worry about levels when you can see the whole thing. Is stomping on injustice not right? Is kicking evil's butt not right? Is rescuing little Imoen not right? Minsc is clumsy and may accidently bonk heads that do not need bonking but after justice is met, all will be well because they will only have Minsc-size bruises that'll go away with a good night's sleep. It is only villainy we fight against and that is good enough for me. We're mighty, you and me and Boo and little Pan and little Imoen and the little thief and maybe the little dwarf because we smack evil very hard so that it cries stinky tears and never bothers anybody again. Righteousness is met through heroics and goodness and Boo and that is what we are!"
"How can you be so sure?" Jaheira insisted.
"Because we fight evil, that is why," Minsc replied as if that answered everything.
"We fight evil. Yes. We do that, don't we? But is that all we do?" a grim glint in her eye, "That may be your path Minsc but not all of us travel it. There is truth certainly in your words but they do not speak for all of us. You are clear in what you must do and it is straight through to the horizon. However there are other roads that twist and bend, that go over and under, through fog and mist. I walk it. Pan walks it. I have a duty as druid, Harper and lover to preserve the balance and in order to do that I have to walk both sides. I must walk both sides and everyday I fear which one I will be judged on. No, not all of us are as fortunate as you though we strive for the same destination."
"Hah!" a broad smile on the ranger's face, "Then do not worry and have no fear of judgement, little sister of the woods. Minsc and Boo are excellent judges of character and I will tell you right now that all will see you are good and just!"
Jaheira shook her head ruefully, the grimness gone from her face momentarily, "Minsc, sometimes I do not know which is your true blessing, your simplicity or your ignorance."
Minsc nodded sagely, "I don't really know what that means but Boo assures me that you agree with what we just said… though it was mostly Boo's ideas. I was just explaining them to you."
"Perhaps you are wiser than you give yourself credit for. Though I would like to see how you can explain the connection with Korgan and righteousness."
"Minsc welcomes all fighters who kick butt against evil, even the evil little dwarf with mental problems. At least we are travelling through the very wide land, yes? Boo says that it is good that we are out here in the land or else he would've gotten very surly. You do not want to see a surly hamster, believe me."
"Hmmm, yes, I must agree it is good that we finally can leave that city. I feel more relaxed out here without the confines of walls restricting our spirits," the druid said breathing in deeply.
"No walls can hold the combined might of Minsc and Boo. It would be best to leave the door open or else we shall smash ourselves a new one! Of course I would be doing most of the smashing but Boo would be pointing out the weak spots. It is good teamwork."
Regret suddenly filled Jaheira, causing her a slight falter in her step. For the most important part of her life, she always worked in a team. "Teamwork... yes, I had almost thought it lost forever," her voice barely a whisper.
The druid looked sharply at Minsc, the look on his face unreadable, so she tried to cover herself by quickly continuing,"If we are to survive the coming days we will need it, teamwork," hoping that he did not detect the hurried rush.
She continued walking, thinking that the ranger would refrain from speaking anymore.
However Minsc knew more than he looked, "Minsc and Boo always grieve hardest when a brother of the woods is lost. My tears were so great I almost drowned poor little Boo who also cried great big miniature giant tears. We do not want to forget brother Khalid and… a-and noble Dynaheir so we must do many great and noble deeds that are sung and echoed to reach their ears. Then they shall know that they are honoured."
Jaheira looked up at the huge ranger who a sad smile on his lips. The druid sighed, "Yes, we shall honour them. Still, I don't think it is enough," a loud cursing from behind causing her to slightly grit her teeth, "Considering the bunch we travel with," pointing out the ones behind them.
Yoshimo was walking in between Korgan and Pan, the bounty hunter having a broad smirk on his face trying to placate the berserker. Pan was currently skipping and giggling along, a mashed variety of flowers grasped in one hand. The only who was not amused was the dwarf who was tearing flowers out of his beard and threatening the alchemist that if she tried to stick anymore bloody roots into his beard, he was going to plant them right up her where the fertilizer comes from.
BGBGBGBGBGBGBGBGBG
Well after midday they left the main road and started travelling along the path that would lead to the cabin. It was an old trail that led through the trees that spaced thin enough to let in a good amount of daylight. It was a quiet trek, the shades of trees making the warm weather more pleasant. There was a small stream running alongside them and the smooth babble and burble of the waters was soothing music to the more nature sensitive members of the group. The only one who thought the whole place would be better off burnt to the ground was Korgan who made no effort to hide his opinion.
Minsc fell back with Yoshimo and Korgan, the three fellows and Boo having an interesting game of 'I Spy.' However it really was just the ranger and the bounty hunter having a rousing time with the visual game, the lead scorer apparently being Boo, whose answers were translated by Minsc. It astounded the Kara-Turan and Rashemi to no end that they were being beat by a hamster, though the humorous glint in Yoshimo's eyes said otherwise. Korgan was mostly content with making lewd comments every time a new object was 'spied.'
Pan was up front with Jaheira, the mage having worn herself out running around all day. The druid chastised the girl for not conserving her energy but Pan distracted her by getting her to take a look at the things she had collected into her pack, "Look Jaheira, looky look. I have some good things in here, I am pretty sure but there are some things I cannot identify so can you tell me what they are and what I can use them for and tell me which things can turn into spices or man-eating traps and see if I accidentally picked up a dragon's egg and even if I did I am not going to return it because I think it would make a really good eggnog. Mmmmm, eggnog, made from milk, sugar, eggs, Shining Gum Rum, salt cubes, maple extract and barley, mix well and stir over flame until bubbly then stomp continuously with bare feet, serve in little teacups after cooling. I have some plants and herbs and insects and stones and roots and some ditch water… Can we eat now?"
Jaheira reluctantly accepted the pack from Pan who had offered it to the older half-elf, an eagerness shining on her face one would usually find on children when they discover an insignificant oddity that fascinates them. She was quite certain she heard a faint chittering sound coming from inside. "Perhaps… I shall take a look after we have settled down somewhere for the night."
"Eeeeeeee! Camping! With room service!"
"Yes, I believe the men should be adequate enough to prepare things later on," the druid looked severely into the mage's face, "Just as we should have a little talk about your own lack of preparation."
"Aw, do we have to?" Pan whined then tried to tune her out by trying to get the pack horse to talk, "Hey there pony, does your union cover any and all horse shoeing expenses?"
"Pan, I am serious!" Jaheira barked, "Don't think that what happened at the inn last night is forgotten. I've told you time and time and time again to think! Think about what you're doing before you endanger yourself and others."
"But I did think! I thought about how exactly I was going to make that potion," Pan responded, defending herself.
"No! You did not think about your safety, of our safety, the safety of the rest of those people. You yourself admit that you didn't even know what in the abyss it was you were making. If you do not know, why would you continue to do so? Why did you not care about the risk it presented?"
"Oh, do not worry," Pan waving off Jaheira's concern, "Nothing bad happened, it is all over now, nobody got hurt. Well, except the Pebblecrusher fellow but he deserved it anyways… and maybe that perverted gnome who pinched my bottom."
"That is not the point whether or not people were hurt. Don't you understand that people could have gotten hurt? You are doing things you have no control over and it shall be you downfall if you're not careful."
"Fine, fine, fine. I am sorry, okay Jaheira? I will keep in mind that there are other people around me whenever I do those kind of things," Pan gave in, "I will not be so reckless with other people's lives. (It is not my fault if they stick around though.) There, happy?"
Jaheira looked incredulously at the alchemist, "Pan… how could you be so callous and just stand there and watch Mencar die like that?"
It was moments like these that made the druid truly question Pan's true depth of sanity. The mage had a ghost of a smile on her lips when she answered, "I liked the screaming."
Jaheira paled, her tone very serious, "Child, I no longer want you to make that orange filth ever again."
"What? Why? It made bubbles! We could make money at birthday parties."
"Because it is an affront to nature!" Jaheira all but spat, "What could have possibly caused you to create such a horrible substance? Do you not see how disgusting a weapon it is? That dwarf was still alive despite the mutilation done unto his body! Pan, he was suffering. No matter who they are, we need not to commit more than justice requires. Undue torture certainly is not a part of who we are."
"If you ask me, he certainly made an informative test subject," the alchemist muttered.
Jaheira's face darkened, "You are selfish."
"No I am not!"
"Yes, you are child! You only care about what your foolish experiments will reveal! It does not even occur to you that it just might bring harm on those around you. Every time Pan, every time you delve into your alchemical arts, I let you. I let you even though it is a slap in the face of my faith and all I hold dear. You pervert the laws of nature, Pan! There is no balance in your craft, you disregard all that is whole and pure in your pursuit of whatever damned thing it is you seek. By the gods Pan, I should have stopped you a long time ago," Jaheira's voice sounding almost pleading at this point, "but I know you have such a wondrous gift and I've seen the things you've done and not all have been depraved offences. I know you don't mean to pursue a dark path but you are too carefree in your ways. Your luck shall not always save you. One day you will die or you will fall… and I feel that way every time you experiment. Pan, I am so tired of fearing for you… and I know Imoen feels the same way."
"Jaheira…" Pan whimpered, placing her hand on the druid's shoulder.
She shook off the mage's hand, straightening herself out, "I am sick of losing loved ones, child. You will never make such potions ever again, do I make myself clear?"
Pan's response was a barely audible whisper, "Yes."
Jaheira nodded, leading the pack horse off the trail and calling out to the others, "That is enough for today. It is nearly dark, we shall set up camp over here."
"About bloody time!"
Pan remained standing motionless on the path as the others went over to Jaheira. The mage was absentmindedly curling a lock of her hair around her finger, glittering eyes watching the druid unload gear from the horse. She sniffled.
A large hand gently patted her on the head. She looked up, a kind smile on Minsc's face.
"No tears, little Pan. Comrade Jaheira is not angry. She is only worried about you. She is still very sad about losing brother Khalid, just like you and me and definitely little Imoen. Here, Boo wants to make you feel better with fuzzy cuteness."
"Hello, Boo," Pan said, accepting the hamster who made himself comfortable in her hands, still looking at the druid, "I know."
"Eh? What does little Pan know?"
"I know Jaheira is still sad," Pan said in her far away voice while calmly stroking Boo, "She cries at night. I hear the tears fall."