Chapter 11 - Anni & Sarevok

While Anni had been contemplating suicide her companions were left in the common room, most of them staring at their food or at their drinks, except Edwin who had his Nether scroll out and was in his own little world.

"Well, that was certainly interesting." Haer'Dalis broke the silence.

"Interesting?! Is that all you can say bard?" Anomen shot back.

"What else can be said, Anomen? What can we say that won't hurt Anni any further?" Jaheira rubbed her head looking at them. "I suggest that none of us even try to talk to her about this. Anything that we say will either drive her away or confirm Bhaal's words to her."

"What do you mean Bhaal's words? I know she is one of his children but it was my understanding that she did not know him."

"She doesn't know him. Bhaal lives inside each of his children. He speaks to them, tries to turn them into what he wants. He will tell you your every fear, expose your every doubt and twist everything until you cannot see the truth."

"Lady Anni told you of this."

"Not directly, Anni talks extensively in her sleep and she had talked to Imoen and Khalid about this. She was scared to tell me of it for some reason but they told me what she said. Bhaal has been able to talk to her since Gorion died. I remember that when she met up with us she wasn't very trusting of us, which was odd since we had known her since she was a child. It wasn't until later Imoen told us of what Bhaal was saying to Anni."

She took a sip of her ale. "Anni has changed more than I can say since she started hearing Bhaal. I believe that since he started talking to her she feels she has to be..." Jaheira paused, searching for the right word.

"Annoyingly honest? So honorable that it would make paladin feel shame?"

"Thank you Edwin that is enough. She feels she needs to make up for being able to even hear him, much less actually believe him."

"You mentioned something of this happening before."

"Yes, when she fought Sarevok. She took him on herself while we fought his minions."

"From my understanding this Sarevok was a monster of a man, very strong and such. How did she defeat him?"

"She ripped his heart out."

---

Six months ago
"This is it. I can feel it. He's inside." Anni turned to her friends as she looked them over. "You guys don't have to come with me. This is between me and Sarevok."

"Child, we must heal ourselves before going to face him."

"There is no time, if I do not face him now he will get away. I need to stop him. I have to talk to him."

"Talk?! He killed Gorion Anni. The bastard needs to die."

"Shut up Imoen. I was there when Gorion was killed and I'm the one that Sarevok's been hunting all this time. Not you, all of you can go home for all I care."

"P-p-please reconsider. You are in n-n-no condition to fight." Khalid pointed towards her broken arm, which was lashed to against her chest.

"The coward is right for once. You are useless at the moment.(I have not come this far only to die a fool's death by rushing into this)"

"Child please-"

"No, no more words. You can't understand, all my life I've always had a dream that haunted me about a boy I called "Sarrey", one that I was taken away from. Can you guess who Sarrey is?"

"That's impossible you were only a mere babe at the time. You were too young to remember what happened."

"I was five, not a baby. After this is over Jaheira, I want the whole story, I want to know how Gorion found me." Without another word she pushed the doors open. Inside the horrid temple Sarevok stood in full armor along with three others, but Anni only had eyes for him.

"You are indeed family. No other could have lived to oppose me in person. Of course, it will not matter in the end. Ultimately I will prevail, and a new era will be born unto the Realms. Come "little sister" let us finish this."

"I do not want to fight you Sarevok."

"Typical weakling. I'll kill you, just as I killed that old man Gorion."

"Take off your helm. I want to see your face."

"An odd request, perhaps you are one who wants to see the face of their murderer." Anni stepped towards him as the helm landed with a thud on the ground.

"I was right. You are Sarrey. You weren't just a dream."

"What are you babbling about, girl?"

"I thought I was imagaging things, but I was right. Sarrey don't you remember me?"

"Stop calling me by that foolish name, girl." His eyes where fixed towards her but weren't seeing her.

"Look at me, really look at me, see me as I am, not as the ward of Gorion." For a moment his glowing eyes faded to the amber ones she remembered as a child. "You know me. You protected me once upon a time. You came to Candlekeep a one time while I was growing up, you talked to me. I can't believe I didn't realize it sooner. I don't want to fight you Sarrey." She slowly came closer to him. "Don't you remember? You taught me how to play chess as soon as I was able to sit at the table. Of course you regretted later when I always won."

She reached up and touched a scar by his eye. "Remember I gave you this when I pushed you into the table that one time? Remember I always called you Sarrey because I had problems with the v and the k? Remember how it was always just us, how mother didn't care about us? Remember you were the one who taught me to read?" He looked at her seeming lost, not knowing what to do.

"Anna?" His hand reached out to her and rested on her cheek for a moment but only a moment as his eyes flared back to their glowing state. Before she could step back he grabbed her by the hair, yanking her head back to a painful angle. "Did you expect me to fall for such silly sentiments? I have always known who you are and who I am. I am not that weakling child you remember I am the next Lord of Murder." The sound of fighting momentarily distracted him as he looked on at her companions fighting his. It gave her enough time to reach up and rake her nails down his face. The pain caused him to loosen his hold on her allowing her to free herself.

"I didn't want to fight you! I wanted to help you, you knucklehead. I want my big brother back!" She backed away as he came towards her with his sword. There was no one to save her as her friends were too busy fighting the others. She dodged his sword and continued to stay out of his way. "You promised always to take care of me! You said you would always be there big brother, that you would never hurt me!" For a moment he faltered, his eyes fading to amber before changing back.

"You betrayed me little sister, you and that old man left me to die. You forgot me."

"I was five Sarevok! It was not my fault!" She screamed.

"It doesn't matter. You will fall here today as you should have in the temple so long ago Annalesca. You were never worthy of Bhaal's blood."

"Fine we'll see who's the better child of Bhaal. What do you say, Sarevok, just us, no weapons, no armor. Just the natural skills. And no help from any of these mortals? Or are you scared that without your fancy toys you are nothing?"

"What game are you playing at? We both know you do not stand a chance against me."

"I know you, every time you had a challenge you had to take it. If you let it go for any amount of time you would always start second guessing yourself. If you don't do this you'll always wonder if it's only your weapon that makes you better than me. You'll never know if I would have beaten you had you not had that sword and that ugly armor. What do you have to lose? You'll be facing a girl with a broken arm. All I'm proposing is you face me with the powers that our father gave us. After all this isn't chess, you might have a chance."

"I will enjoy this. This is one game you cannot beat me in." He laughed as he embedded his sword into the floor and dropped his armor to the ground next to it. Sarevok didn't need the armor to look scary, he was mostly muscle and was nearly seven foot tall, which for some one like her standing only at five foot three, it was impressive. She remembered that he was still fast for his size, he had always been.

"Finally really to accept me are you daughter?" Bhaal's ever present annoying voice asked.
"Yes yes, can we get this over all ready?" She hissed. "And you know it wouldn't have killed you to take the form of a human when you sleep with my mother like you did with Sarevok. I hate being so damn small." She added peevishly. He laughed.

She clutched her head as she let Bhaal inside her head voluntarily, when she opened her eyes they glowed just like Sarevok's. "What is this trick?"

"Did you think you were the only child that could use his power?" She ripped her arm out of it's bindings and smiled as she move it. "Interesting, I was always a fast healer but this is ridiculous. Come brother let's end this."

She made no move to defend herself as he backhanded her knocking her down. He stood over her and reached down to haul her to her feet when her leg came up and kicked him with all the force in her body between the legs. No matter what heritage a man has, all will fall to a hit like that, Sarevok was no exception. As he fell Anni's hand hit him below the ribs, but her hand did not stop there. Her hand went into his skin and under his rib cage. They where both on their knees, eye to eye, her hand holding his heart.

"I'm sorry Sarrey." She whispered.

"Impossi..." Were his last words as she pulled his heart out of his body. She watched as his body went rapidly decomposed until there was nothing but dust left.

---

Present Day

Jaheira and Minsc told their versions of what happened, leaving Anomen and Haer'Dalis gaping at them. Sometime during the story, Edwin had become pale and left with his scroll without a word.

"How did she control herself last? Did she turn on you then?"

"No, Imoen rushed to her side before she could do anything and then Anni started to cry."

"It was a most glorious battle, right Boo?" Minsc laughed.

"We were lucky to survive that battle. We were all injured but Edwin suffered the worst, I had to resurrect him. I believe that's why he left shortly after."

"It's a pity he found you again."

"Edwin's amusing in that "What the hell is wrong with you?" kind of way."

They sat in silence as they ate their food, Minsc was hungry enough he ate Edwin's untouched food. After some more strained silence they all decided to turn in for the night.

---

When Jaheira opened her eyes it was late into the day. Her mind felt hazy and out of sorts. -Almost like I had been drinking.- She sat up slowly and shook her head trying to clear the cobwebs from her mind. It was after she had refreshed herself and changed that she noticed the letter. After reading it three times, she walked to Anni's room.
She sighed knowing that either she would find a pile of dust or all of Anni's stuff gone inside the room. She pushed the door open a little too hard but caught it before it could slam in to the wall. The sight in front of her was not what she had been expecting.

On the bed was Anni and Edwin. Jaheira was thankful that they were both fully clothed. -That is one image I do not need.- Part of her was jealous as she looked upon the two. In her sleep, Anni's head was against his chest, her body tucked tightly against his, her one arm around his waist while she had her thumb in her mouth. Edwin had his arm around her while his other hand had her hair wrapped around it, as if he was scared to let her go.

"It's about time." She whispered as she quietly closed the door. She felt her heart ache, she missed her Khalid. She remember mornings waking up to him holding her and now she had nothing. It had taken her time but she knew there was no one to blame for his death except Irenicus. She did not have Khalid to keep her warm at night but she did have her dreams of vengeance. They almost made her feel warm and fuzzy inside.