A/N Let me just say that all of your continued support and reviews, both positive and negative alike, are greatly appreciated and it is what keeps me going on this epic journey that I hope to actually improve upon as things progress. I realize my last chapter seems a bit rushed, and that's because it was due to my major procrastination up until now. Eventually I kicked myself in the butt and forced myself to get it going again, so I did some cutting out of another chapter I had previously written, pasted it into the one I had going, and tried to make it fit as best as possible before finally getting tired of seeing no new progress made and posted it up without going through it better. For that, I apologize since you all deserve better for being as patient as you have been so far already. So, this next chapter will hopefully see a return to my true ability once again.
A/N Addition; I introduced Drizzt briefly my last chapter. I thought it fitting then that if he can make an appearance, then so can Drizzt's most famous and ruthless enemy, Artemis Entreri, also known as Barrabus the Grey. I haven't finished the Neverwinter series of books where he is tied to the Netherese Lord, Herzgo Alegni, so this will need to be AU from what is canon. If you have a problem, you can kiss my quad. :P
A/N Addendum; You have Inkess, a loyal follower to this story thus far, for what's coming. She gave me quite a wonderful idea for a new OC villian, now I just need to get his character set up right and then the war against the Realms shall begin! Well….at least until I figure out what to do with him anyway lol.
Chapter 6; Dragons, Assassins, and Biotic Gods
1435 DR
Dragonspear Castle, northeast of the Trollbark Forest. Western Heartlands
Aboveground former ruins of Dragonspear Castle
Defense contract….for the moment.
He might have owed Drizzt Do'Urden, Jarlaxle, and a few other people a debt of gratitude for slaying Herzgo Alegni and thus freeing him from the damnable magic that he had placed upon the sword that rested on the assassin's right hip even then, but that didn't mean he couldn't still hate the Drow warrior and all that he stood for. That hatred had long since turned into an obsession perhaps which had been tempered some years and dulled others, but it always came back as long as he heard that the Drow ranger, rogue, and the finest swordsman in the Realms still lived, and now even had children of his own. They were told to be just as dangerous in their respective fields as the man himself and the formerly human assassin known as Artemis Entreri, now known as Barrabus the Grey because of a Shade he had killed with his beautifully jeweled vampiric dagger he kept on his left hip, knew that with his new employers, that eventually they would come to Dragonspear Castle where he now resided, working as a bodyguard for the dark Zhentarim mercenaries and their Black Network of allies.
It was more than that however since forty years ago, one of the most outlandish things that had ever happened to the legendary assassin occurred on this very pit of ground where the ruins of the castle still stood. An alien craft had crash landed behind the castle grounds, a deep trench that was still there even now being left behind as the ship ran aground and stopped almost a mile off before finally coming to a full stop. Barrabus had been on his way to Calimshan, but he had not been in any particular hurry so he had kept his travels as long as possible, stopping by wherever he deemed he'd go along the way and let any fool try to stop him or tell him otherwise. That had been a very unusual first meeting as a blue skinned humanoid stumbled out of the craft's side, a door appearing where he had at first not seen one a moment ago, and coughed up an equally strange shade of blood onto the grass before her, seeing that the stranger was definitely female the closer he got, his curiosity getting the better of him. Just thinking about it as he made his way through the castle grounds and to the single above ground passageway that led deeper into the fortress's dungeons, made Barrabus's mind wander…
Auora couldn't believe her luck. Batarian bastards! Her frigate was fried but at least she and her two dozen crew, mostly Asari like her, were alive. They had a Salarain tech expert working to get some of their systems back online, and from what he had seen before they had been forced to make an emergency landing, their enemies weren't following which was a good thing. She and the rest of her team were more or less ok but she had a gash in her right side, just hitting her lung which had forced her out of the stifling heat of the ship which still had fires that were being put out one by one, hopefully before their core went up and atomized them all. She was hurting but she was still alive, her application of medi-gel helping with some of the damage done. She coughed and fell to her hands and knees on soft grass before her, pain lancing through her body with each blood filled cough that came out of her mouth. She felt the pain dulling though, which helped as bone and sinew started to knit together thanks to the healing properties of the medi-gel she had used first chance she got, but she'd still need several days if not longer to rest and recover. It was only when her vision cleared that she saw the human approaching them.
Auora as Barrabus would learn, was named after the first of her species to ever walk on land, so it was fitting that she would be the first to walk on Toril's surface. The assassin had noted the strange yellow armor she wore but didn't seem unaffected by the very absurd metal ship that she was standing before, clutching at her wounded right side. The unusually skinned woman and her equally strange colored blood didn't seem to faze the man much at all, which made the Asari wonder if he had seen similar things before. In truth, Barrabus had not, at least not from beyond the stars, but his pale ghost like face didn't reveal even a flicker of uncertainty as he continued to approach. Something about him unnerved Auora, sensing a cold and confident aura around the man that screamed that he was truly a danger to her well being in ways the Batarians that had been chasing them would be sorely pressed to match. She had every reason to fear since he was no friend to anyone save for himself.
He wore no armor that could hope to protect him against their weapons, but even so, Auora was afraid that her still functioning pistol wouldn't be enough to stop him. Her biotics might though but she didn't attack him yet since the man had not made an open threat of any sort. "Who are you?" The assassin cocked his head to the side, curiosity clear on his pale face since he hadn't expected to be able to understand the woman. But he didn't give it much thought, not really caring as to why, only that he could.
"Barrabus the Grey." Was all that he'd say as he finally stopped before the woman, considerably shorter than she but that still didn't make his presence any easier to bear since her very skin felt cold as ice near this man that scared the crap out of her. He was compact with wiry, strong muscles. His face is angular with high cheekbones and prominent sideburns. The man's hair was raven black, thick and full, and despite being clean shaven overall, to Auora's eyes he looked like he needed to shave again. His eyes….that's what it was that scared her the most if she ever had or rather, got a chance to explain it later. His eyes were void of any emotion, of any trace of what humans called a soul. They were grey just as his skin was and they didn't waver, didn't reduce the effect of his intense stare at all as Auora locked her own green orbs with his own despite her best effort to look elsewhere. She had seen a jeweled dagger on one hip and a wicked looking sword on the other, what looked like a human's ribcage for the hand guard but she couldn't make much else out, not without being able to break her deadlock stare with the assassin before her.
He broke it first and Auora breathed a lot easier as he turned his gaze to her Salarian tech expert who had come out to tell his boss that they were going to need a lot longer to get their ship working again when he stopped too and his giant lizard like orbs met Barrabus's face. She was glad she wasn't the only one that found it hard to feel anything but cold dread from this human local. If his presence was this terrifying, just what was he capable of? The Salarian wasn't so easily cowed however and went for his pistol, a fatal mistake in Barrabus's presence as the man seemed to completely blur as he moved forward at an incredible speed, his jeweled dagger in his left hand as if it had always been there. Auora would never figure out how it happened even though she'd survive the next 40 years, but one minute the Salarian was standing tall, and then the next he had the assassin's dagger in his chest despite the light battle Eclipse armor he wore.
That wasn't the worst part as red light started to flow out of her man's chest where the dagger had connected and flow into the human's hand and up his arm. The look on the Salarian's face was a silent scream as his very life was sucked out of his body. It only took a few seconds before there was nothing left to take and the assassin casually pulled his blade free, letting the alien fall at his feet without so much as a backward's glance. "I'd tell your men to not try that again, Auora." The asari could only stare; slack jawed at the death of the Salarian as Barrabus walked away from the scene. It wouldn't be the last time they'd meet….
Auora's men had not pursued him, which was quite wise since he wouldn't have had any trouble taking them apart if they got in his way, but several years later he'd be called back to Dragonspear Castle since the Eclipse mercs he would learn, had decided they liked Toril quite a bit and had even made allies with the Zhentarim, his current employers. He hadn't been summoned until much later, when the Eclipse and the Zhentarim had become solid allies and brothers in arms. The Eclipse had brought considerable weapons tech and abilities that no one on Toril had ever seen, and the Zhentarim brought their own unique abilities to the mix, showing the outworlders magic and creatures that even they found hard to combat with their equipment and strange mass effecting 'magics' called biotics. Barrabus didn't care one way or the other, he only cared about the job, nothing more.
He really should give them more credit. The above ground ruins had since been fortified with their futuristic materials and weaponry, making it a formidable place for the forward operations base between the Eclipse and the Zhentarim. The Zhentarim's home cities, far to the northeast in the Moonsea region, had also been fortified against the legions of undead that had once plagued them after the Spellplague hit all of the Realms. Even before things had not been looking good since the Zhents had made allies with a dangerous enemy that another group had destroyed completely, and the Zhentarim had paid the price as well, nearly losing everything during that war. Now they were well on their way to rebuilding thanks to the Eclipse, and their alliance had been assured because of this. The best part was that few people even knew it was going on outside of the Zhentarim's ranks.
Barrabus didn't believe it would last however. Nothing like this ever did. He had lived long enough thanks to the Shade he had sucked dry with his dagger to know that nothing ever lasted. Kingdoms would rise and fall all the time regardless of where you happened to come from or who you happened to be. It was the way it worked, nothing more nothing less, but as long as it did, Barrabus would throw his skill in with the winning side, and with the recent retaking of the Citadel of the Ravens, the Zhents had plans to move on the rest of the Realms. It was only a matter of time…
Dragonspear Castle had been through wars with demons coming out of a Hell Portal underneath the former fortress that was told to have been home to a copper dragon before it was slain eons ago. The local lore was well known by the current residents on both sides of the galactic scale, but neither was about to delve too deep into the dungeons underneath to risk upsetting whatever seal was over the Gate that was still located deep within the bowels of the formerly glorious fortress. Both sides had ordered their minions to stay on the upper levels of the castle dungeons while construction up top was completed. Given its isolated location, the castle itself situated between the Trollbark Forest and the High Moors which proved a challenge to any stupid enough to try to pass through them, none of the main roads went anywhere near the grounds themselves, making it an excellent staging point for any future invasions.
The Eclipse didn't have the advantage as they thought against their local partners, and the Zhentarim knew it since they had a secret weapon on their side. They really had the Eclipse to thank for the man that was a loyal supporter to their cause, who just happened to have a biotic amp jacked into the back of his skull along with magical abilities. He was only 20 years old, and he had been exposed to eezo stolen right out from under the Eclipse's collective nose and they had no clue who had done the deed. Now, it was too late to do anything about it despite a few of their number trying to do just that. Their biotic mage, the term given to their powerhouse by one of their Lords, had decimated them with power that neither side had expected at all. Even a few of their Lords in the Zhentarim ranks had been nervous, and rightfully so as he batted aside everything the Eclipse traitors had thrown at him with an ease that made him appear as if he was possessed by one of their dark gods.
His father had been Marik, their former mage assassin that a certain half Drow bitch had eliminated quite recently. He had been trying to gain monetary support for their operations by demanding ransom from the leaders in Baldur's Gate, but that plan had gone up in smoke thanks to her and her new Alliance friends. She and the rest of the Western Heartlands would pay dearly for their actions, but they still needed to prepare. For one, their biotic mage was unstable. Two, after each display of his unique combination of magic and biotic might, he needed a few hours more than either to recuperate his lost energy lest his head burst into flames. He hadn't been the first one the Zhents had tried to combine their magical superiority with that of their allies' science. He had just been the successful one was all. The Eclipse did regular checks on their potentially dangerous ally to see if they could fine tune the amp to help with the side effects, but so far only minimal progress had been made. It would have to be enough.
The man himself was busy indulging himself with a few of their ill gotten gains. They worked for the highest bidder when not trying to fulfill their own goals along the way. Most of their devious work was offered by the Black Network, and they dealt in everything from slaves, illegal goods, and more, so it was only natural that their more favored members in the Zhentarim would be allowed some…perks. If the heated moans and cries of pleasure were anything to go by, Barrabus would have guessed that he was quite enjoying the perks of the job a little too much although he doubted the elven slaves he was currently engaged with would agree…if they had the wills to do so. Personally, the assassin would have been quite happy to slit the bastard's throat from ear to ear since he found the man rather repulsive, at least with Marik he could appreciate him since he had always treated Barrabus with a measure of respect, and Barrabus had returned the favor.
The Zhentarim's weapon of choice however treated everyone save for his dark overlords as if they were beneath him, but given his powers maybe he had a right to do so? He wasn't going to bother to talk to the impulsive young pup as Barrabus pushed the door open to one of the underground living quarters which like most of the castle grounds above and below, the stone walls had been replaced with sterile white metal materials or covered up entirely when replacing the old building materials wasn't possible. His gray eyes ignored the fact that the young pestilence was just finishing up with the second of the two light elven slaves, the first passed out on her back beside the two rutting animals. His gray lifeless eyes narrowed to dangerous slits since he knew the man saw the assassin but chose to ignore him until he was done.
One final triumphant cry was let loose from Marik's bastard of a son before he pushed the elven slave away, letting her collapse where she would as the young biotic mage flickered and pulled his black robes towards him before dressing as he climbed off the bed. Despite how much he hated the bastard, Barrabus couldn't deny that any woman would have found him hard to ignore since he could see some light elven blood mixed in with his human father's facial features. High cheekbones, a short almost flat nose, those same piercing yellow eyes Marik had once possessed, pointed ears on either side of his head, yet unlike Marik this fellow's hair was almost blindingly blonde, most likely from his mother's side. Not only that, but unlike Marik, the young mage had no real muscle to him since he didn't believe in training with a weapon of any sort just like most mages, believing his magic and biotic power would see him through any situation. Again maybe he had a good reason to believe so, but Barrabus still thought him a fool and an arrogant one at that.
"Ah Barrabus, I didn't see you." Barrabus didn't blink, didn't say a word as the pestilent young man chuckled as he grabbed his discarded black pants off the ground and pulled them on a moment later. "I take it you were called down here to retrieve me. Ever the faithful dog, aren't you?"
"I'd watch that tongue of yours Alexia." Barrabus let his hand drop to his jeweled dagger, making the action appear as if he was just resting his hand on the hilt, but they both knew all it would take for the assassin to put it to use was the blink of an eye. They both knew that it would be a close call as a ball of flickering dark energy, interlaced with green acidic magical energy he correctly assumed, appeared in Alexia's right hand which he held out before him. Alexia's yellow eyes shone with an inner insanity that seemed to have been inherited from his equally insane recently dead father, but Barrabus didn't look away or flinch a muscle, his sheer willpower and discipline helping him to stare down the mage before him.
Alexia gave a humorless laugh and snapped his hand shut. "I have more important things to do than to destroy the new dog they found in you, assassin." He spat the last word out but Barrabus didn't comment as the young pest pushed past the assassin without preamble, and again Barrabus was tempted to bury his dagger into the man's back and kill him. Again his loyalty to his employers stopped him, but only by a hair's breath. There would be a reckoning between them soon enough, but for now Barrabus, once known as Artemis long ago, did nothing but watch the biotic mage wander off to the temporary meeting hall on one of the upper floors of the fortified castle dungeons. He had other, more important fish to fry with Giselle. Alexia would get his either from her or Barrabus, but either way, the Zhentarim's weapon would die, soon if the assassin had anything to say about it.
2178 CE. March 5th
The Woods of Sharp Teeth, the Western Heartlands
SSV Hastings, med bay.
Debriefing….
Giselle had no idea what she was going to be walking out of when she exited the med bay, but it sure wasn't what she saw. She had expected more of the same metal walls and maybe a few odd machines like the ones back in Chakwas's medical bay, but her expectations had been blown out of the water when she set eyes upon the rest of the ship's interior on this floor at least. "By the gods above and below." She managed to say, Alexandria's gaze falling on her friend's shocked expression but her worries for her friend's obvious culture shock weren't entirely needed since the half Drow recovered quickly as she smiled, albeit weakly, at Shepard to show she was going to be alright. "It's just…a lot to take in is all."
"I gathered that. Don't worry, stick close and feel free to ask whatever questions you want." Giselle nodded as Shepard walked her through the ship's interior, heading to the front where the cockpit resided, along with the CIC itself. The interior of the ship was big, almost circular from stem to stern except for the wings in the back which gave it an almost shark like appearance to Giselle's opinion from what she'd say later when she saw the outside of it. Rows of computer and holographic interfaces as Shepard called them, were against both sides of the wall, circling the entire perimeter. Even the cockpit in the front had many such interfaces before the three man crew in the front of the ship who as Shepard explained, were the ones that got from around with the help of the crew running various important functions of the ship. "I know it's a lot to take in, but everyone here works together to accomplish our goals, whatever our superiors deem them to be. If one person screws up, which thankfully rarely happens since we all go through rigorous training no matter what we choose to do, it could have severe consequences for the rest of us if we don't catch it in time and there aren't specific routines and safety features that can help stop anything catastrophic from killing us all in most cases."
"You're like a hive of bees or ants, each person having a job that they do for the good of the colony, or in this case, the ship." Alexandria had to nod in agreement at the comparison since it made a weird kind of sense, but before Alexandria could ask where she came up with that though, Giselle shrugged and continued. "I know the ways of the forest and the wild lands. Remember I said that my father taught me everything I know? He learned from a ranger, a man that my father highly respected and came to call his first true friend when he came to the surface long ago. Much wisdom can be learned from observing even the simplest of creatures and unexpected allies as well if my father's tales are to be believed." She had no reason to doubt what he had told her growing up, but some of them were just a little farfetched even for Giselle to believe. Still, she'd never say he was a liar since she truly loved the man even if they had separated on a rather harsh note at the time.
Shepard had forgotten that she had met the man Giselle so highly valued, and rightfully so, until then, but she didn't say anything just yet since she really did need her help if they were given the go ahead to assault the Eclipse base that they knew about. She didn't want to go in blind without someone that knew about the locals, and neither did someone else higher up the chain of command who was coming to Toril, a message being received and passed along to the rest of the crew a moment later.
Alexandria was concerned that if she did mention the fact that she had met Giselle's father in Baldur's Gate, then she'd want to try to hurry up and catch up with him. She hated manipulating anyone like this but she wanted to be prepared, just in case, hence why she kept her silence about the whole affair….for now.
"Got a message from the Alliance. They're sending a full repair crew and needed supplies to help us finish, but there's a VIP coming with them. Better brace yourselves, it's Anderson." There was an audible curse from the captain, at least audible to Giselle who saw the man who was saluted as he rushed to the front of the ship since he wanted a word with the brass, and he wanted a chance to chew someone poor unfortunate who happened to get in his way a new asshole. At least that's what Alexandria got from the expression stamped on the man's face. Shepard though smiled briefly to herself, a fact Giselle didn't miss and a twinkle of amusement entered her hazel eyes.
"Anderson a friend of yours Shepard?" Giselle asked, earning a small smile from Shepard who rubbed the back of her head a little, seeming almost embarrassed to admit what she was about to say.
"Yeah, you could say that. He's one of the reasons why I joined the Alliance. He's been like a mentor figure to me, same as your dad is to you." Giselle nodded as Shepard lead the way out of the CIC area and to the lower levels. The conversation would be continued later when they were at a safe distance away from the irate man that passed for leadership onboard.
Giselle had immediately taken a dislike to the man since he was obviously not suited for his position if her opinion was asked. His men and women obviously feared him rather than respected him, something that she didn't tolerate well with people in authority, regardless of who they happened to be or where they came from. There was a fine line between fear and respect, and one would likely get you killed if you had your men under your command too afraid to perform to the best of their abilities. Anger was not a good quality to have when trying to lead other people.
Alexandria had a similar thought going through her head, unbeknownst to either woman as she lead the half Drow down to the armory and docking area in the SSV Hastings where they stored their Mako and the weapons and armor lockers belonging to the crew. Giselle followed close behind Shepard as she lead the way to her own personal locker which opened up at the press of her thumb to the scanner attached to the thing, silently observing as the human prepared to head outside.
She wasn't about to take a chance that more of those creatures were outside, waiting for a feast if she was asked to head out again, which was a possibility, especially if Anderson was coming to help coordinate them. She had a feeling he would since she wasn't the only one that had a thing against mercenaries, especially if they were messing around on an uncharted world, doing who knew what. That was probably the reason why the captain here had a stick up his butt, he wanted to head out and leave the backwater locals to deal with the problem themselves, a phrase she had caught him saying shortly after she had checked on Giselle's status after getting back to the ship yesterday.
Any praise she had felt earlier from the captain's words was gone now because of this wish to abandon the locals, and Alexandria wouldn't have it, or at least she wouldn't if she could get away with speaking against her current CO without getting into more trouble anyway. Something just didn't seem right about it was all, but what that might be she had no clue as she opened the cargo ramp and watched it as it slowly unfolded and extended outward, revealing the mid afternoon light outside along with the forested region the Hastings was currently located within. For now, she sighed and shook her head, making Giselle wonder what Alexandria was thinking about as they went outside and found a nearby fallen log to sit on within the clearing that was within easy walking distance of the ship's entrance.
She knew however when someone wanted to talk alone with one they at least felt comfortable with and Giselle was dead on as Alexandria nodded for her to sit down, but Giselle preferred to stand. "It'd be safer if one of us was standing Shepard, especially if there are monsters about out there. The time it takes for someone to stand, draw a weapon and to put it to use might be only a few seconds, but a few seconds is more than enough for some to kill you on the spot." Alexandria wasn't about to argue the point since there was too much on her mind already, something that the half Drow could tell without needing to be a mind reader if the scowl on the human's young face was anything to go by. "Speak what's on your mind; I'll keep an ear out for anyone trying to eavesdrop. What? I've been around long enough to know how to talk and let my other senses do their job at making sure my various contacts weren't overheard by potential enemies."
Alexandria's facial expression had been enough to tell Giselle that her comment had surprised her by the fact she was spot on about her observations. Then again, she was more than twice Alexandria's age so it was reasonable to assume that the half Drow would be able to tell she needed to talk and didn't want to risk discovery by one of her captain's lackeys or the captain himself for that matter. "You're much more experienced in this than is probably healthy if you read all that from my face Giselle." Giselle shrugged since it was a bit regrettable some days that she knew how to handle being spied upon, among other things of the same ilk, but such was how she was raised and it had saved her life a few times in the past.
"Sometimes I do wish that I had led a more normal life, but those are rare since most days, I wouldn't know what to do with myself otherwise. This is what I know, and this is what I'll always be most likely." She almost sounded sad about it as she sighed and looked away, perhaps not as convincing as she tried to sound to Alexandria who gave her a sympathetic look in turn, perhaps understanding her wish to be something more than what she was.
"It's not unreasonable to wish to lead a life that didn't require us to do the things we do. If there wasn't a need for people like us, then there would be no reason for war and violence to be stopped on a regular basis. I'm a soldier, you're an adventurer, in the end we do what we can to make sure others don't have to suffer the evils of another upon their well being, their freedoms, even if our end methods are different as well as our personal motivations." It was Giselle's turn to be surprised since she hadn't expected Alexandria to catch on so quickly to her personal turmoil. She truly did enjoy helping people, but some days she felt like she had had no choice but to follow in her father's footsteps. That's the real reason she had run off, although feeling like she was a caged bird hadn't helped either.
"You're far wiser than you look Alexandria. You'd be a better leader for the people onboard than the current captain. You have a….way about you that makes even me who trusts few people, especially on a first meeting, to follow you into the Nine Hells and back if you asked, although it would have to be a very good reason to go marching into such a place." Giselle teased, alleviating the tension a little that had started to gather between them. Alexandria's blue eyes shone a moment as she sat forward a little, resting her hands underneath her chin as she pondered the warrior's words. She had heard similar things before during Basic Training, but she didn't quite believe it herself, at least not yet.
"Thanks, but I'm just another human, I'm not particularly special in any real sense of the word Giselle. Still, you wouldn't be the first one to say that; I just find it hard to believe is all. My whole family has been soldiers in the Alliance Navy; I'm just carrying on the tradition is all. My mother is the leader, not me. She's in command of her own ship and she's long since earned the respect of her crew. I don't think I'd make a very good leader." Giselle wasn't convinced as she finally decided that maybe she had been standing up long enough despite her earlier comment about wanting to be standing if they got attacked.
"If you compare yourself to your parents and try to fill their shoes, then you will never grow into your own Shepard. Take it from someone that knows from personal experience." Giselle replied, but Shepard's mind was wandering over the Battle of the Skyllian Blitz, as well as her recent losses here on Toril. People had looked to her both times and she had failed too many for her to ever be able to sleep easily again. She had rallied the people of Elysium to defend their homes and their families, but there had still been too many losses all the same. And now….she had lost two of her own men that had relied upon her and they had died because of what they had run up against. They had relied on her and she had failed them. The half Drow could see that her words weren't getting through and wondered if she was missing something important. "That's not what's really bothering you….is it?"
Shepard stood and took several steps away from both the ship and the dark skinned woman behind her. She was a marine, a soldier, yet she had been chosen to lead and she had not done a very good job of it. She didn't want to talk about it but she couldn't keep it bottled up forever either. She had seen what that did to people, and she didn't want to be one of those that constantly dealt with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or Survivor's Guilt or any of that. Giselle she oddly enough trusted already despite how obviously different they were, at least on a physical level if nothing else.
Giselle despite herself had been honest with Alexandria, so it was a welcome relief to know that the human trusted her with what she heard from the human as the young woman explained what had happened on another world far from where they were now. She listened without question as Alexandria walked her through the Skyllian Blitz and how she had been a part of the defensive line against the slavers and pirates that had taken it upon themselves to try to decimate everything her species had tried to achieve. She found her ebony skinned hands clenched up into tight fists by the time Shepard was done, but it was her more recent exploits that put things into perspective for the half Drow.
She didn't say anything until she was standing in front of Shepard, her back to the human woman. Alexandria didn't know what to expect, and so was surprised when Giselle reached behind her back and pulled up her mithril chainmail shirt up and almost over her head, revealing three formerly ragged scars across her shoulder blades. They looked exceptionally deep and she rightfully assumed that they had been the source of many painful days of recovery. "I might not know what a Batarian or a mech or any of those things are that you told me about, but I understand what it is you went through Alexandria Shepard. I might not have been placed in such a massive scale of a battle as you have been already, but I still know what it's like to see those you feel you failed to save because you weren't fast enough, weren't strong enough to protect them all." Pulling her armor shirt back down, Giselle turned on her heel and told her own story that had helped shape the young warrior into who she was today.
"It was about three years ago now. There had been recent reports of a creature burning entire villages to the ground, plundering anything of value it could find, even kidnapped a few women and taken them back to its lair. Typical red or lesser elemental fire dragon behavior overall except for the last part, something that isn't unheard of for some species of dragon but as far as I've ever heard reds are more concerned with devouring anything they can get their hands on as well as increasing their treasure hoards rather than breeding half dragons. Whatever, didn't matter what it was, only that there was a large group of heroes planning to take it apart and I wanted in. I had seen the destruction it left in its wake and I wasn't going to allow it to continue if at all possible. Most older dragons that have lived for hundreds of years have lore written about them, ways to exploit any personality weaknesses they might have, among other things, but this one hadn't been around long enough to have warranted such research."
"You went in blind?" Giselle nodded since it was the gist of it. That was a mistake as they'd find out since while any dragon, good or not, was a threat to even the strongest of heroes and the most cunning of warriors, some were easier to manage than others. A red was common enough that most tactics that had been developed for such worked, but this one had developed a few tricks of its own despite its young age.
"It had only been maybe 140, 150 years old, so that made it an adult if not a young adult, and we were young and cocky, thinking to bring home stories of a slain dragon, except for me. I knew better than to assume it'd be easy, turns out I was right. Out of the two dozen that went up to its mountain lair, only three of us made it out. Near the end of that intense fight, most likely one of the hardest in my life so far, I had managed to disable its breath weapon, making it a lot easier to manage by making it impossible to use his fire on us anymore without hurting himself in the process, but we were at the end of our endurance by then, as was the dragon." Alexandria could tell this wasn't an easy topic for Giselle to talk about since the moment she had begun; the half Drow hadn't been able to talk above a whisper the whole time.
She waited for her to finish, and she didn't have to wait long since while it was hard, it wasn't impossible for Giselle to speak about the battle that had nearly killed her, especially since there had been a silver lining despite all the death and destruction along the way. "We thought it slain as the dragon's long, serpentine neck fell against the floor, the head of the beast falling at our feet a moment later, but as we were going outside after collecting a fair bit of its treasure for ourselves as proof, the beast had one more dredge of strength to throw at us. I got in the way of the attack just in time to save another's life. I had seen enough people die that day and I wasn't going to watch another fall. I didn't know anything more until I woke up numb from the neck down, on my stomach as my wounds were being tended to again I was told later, having been out of commission for a week. It was at the temple we managed to crawl back to that I met my closest friend and ally, Neria Zathrieal. If not for her, even if I had somehow survived my wounds, I doubt I'd be who I am now since she tended to more than my physical well being. She helped me put myself back together mentally as well since I felt extreme guilt and shame at being able to survive when so few others had."
Giselle smiled softly as she looked to Alexnadria's face, her hazel eyes showing warmth and understanding for what she was going through now that she had an idea of why she was beating herself up as much as she was. "Neria told me what her mentor told her. You can save as many people as you want, but only the gods have the power to save everyone and they don't interfere directly however since what would be the point of us living if everything was done for us? We live, we grow, we bleed, we cry, but as long as we don't give up, as long as we continue to fight for what we believe in, then nothing can ever stop us. Don't let what happened to you or your men stop you from going on Shepard. I wasn't in a leadership position perhaps but people still depended upon me, and I might not have been able to save them all, but that doesn't stop me from trying. I simply embrace the idea that no matter how strong you are, no matter how fast you are, you'll never be able to save everyone. While it sounds like I'm being hard, I am really not being a cold bitch about this Shepard. I still wish that I had been able to save those that had fallen, but thinking about it will only lead to madness. As long as I do all in my power to make sure I CAN protect as many people as possible, I sleep better at night."
Giselle's wisdom was well received as Shepard still felt bad about the loss of life, but she was right. The formerly defeated look on her young face was gone, replaced by a new outlook on what she had recently endured which showed in the small smile she now wore. "Thanks Giselle. You have no idea how much that was needed. It still might take me some time to get over it but you gave me a way to handle it better than I had been."
"I'd be worried if you were feeling better about it here and now Shepard." Giselle countered, making both women chuckle lightly as a stray breeze rustled the grass and the leaves above them lightly. For several moments they sat there and silently pondered what the other had said, having taken much from the conversation they had had with each other, and growing stronger overall because of it. Despite how different their lives had been, underneath they were quite similar, in more ways than some would ever understand.
1435 DR
Baldur's Gate, the Western Heartlands
The Elfsong Tavern.
Harper Negotiations….
The Elfsong Tavern, so named because of the haunting singing of an elven woman's ghost somewhere on the upper floor of the Tavern, would forever echo around the wooden and stone structure. The ghost in question was storied to have lost her love when she was alive, a soldier who had died, defending Baldur's Gate, and that she sings every night in the hopes that he would return home. It was true because Drizzt and several companions he had traveled with beyond those of his closest friends, had seen the soldier and learned the other half of the story from that very soldier, enslaved to Eldrith the Betrayer's powerful will inside her Onyx Tower fortress. Eldrith the Betrayer, a legendary tactician and unrivaled human swordswoman, had been at the heart of a dark alliance between his own people, the Drow, gnolls, ogres, giants, and more. She had bested Death itself and had returned to the Prime Material Plane to wreak havoc and chaos against the city she had felt had betrayed her in life long ago.
That particular story had begun right here, in the Elfsong Tavern, so it seemed fitting that a new one would begin here as well. Just like then, the legendary Drow ranger had been approached by a Harper, and just like then, so it was now. The irony was not lost on Drizzt Do'Urden as he let his mind wander for a few brief seconds, unable to suppress the stirrings of a voice of his first true love as it echoed throughout his consciousness.
"I will always love you Drizzt Do'Urden my life was full and without regret because I knew you and was completed by you. Sleep well, my love."
Those were the last words Cattie-brie, adopted daughter to Bruenor Battlehammer, had ever spoken to him before Mielikki herself, using the avatar of a spectral unicorn, took her away because there was no hope of recovery for the human woman he had watched grow from a young child into such a beautiful woman over the years of his life on the surface world. The Spellplague had claimed her, right before his eyes, and he had not been able to save her.
It was her eternal reward for all that she had done, both for the world they had lived in together….as well as for him since she had kept him from the darkest parts of his own soul for so long. If not for the equally lost mother of his children who had entered his life shortly after he had lost the first true love of his soul, Drizzt was sure he would have yet fallen into despair unending and might have even become that which he had warned the human from beyond this world's surface himself.
He was pulled out of his reverie however, out of his centuries old memories as well as the more recent ones, by the man that had enlisted his own flesh and blood into the Harpers. He still wasn't particularly happy about how the fellow had managed it, especially under the Drow's nose, but on the other hand he was being overprotective and he knew it.
Drizzt's lavender eyes softened their hard gaze as he let the man carry on, trying to explain in a calm a voice as possible, (which he wasn't all that successful with if the quaver in his speech was anything to go by,) until Drizzt had heard enough and silenced the Harper with a firm hand on his shoulder. "Be at peace, Jarus, great grandson of Jherek. I understand the need was great, and you chose your people well. I am simply an old father that should not cage his own children as much as he does. My anger at you is misplaced friend, of that I know now."
Jarus breathed a sigh of relief as he slumped in the booth they shared with each other. The Harper still kept his hood up as he normally did, but it did little to hide his identity from the night enhanced eyes of the Drow warrior before him. "I can understand the desire to protect your own Drizzt, but as you yourself have said they are your children. If any can get the jobs done that need done, it is they. It just happened to be Giselle that I came across first was all."
"Indeed. But they wouldn't be who they are today if they hadn't desired to learn what they know now. Teachings can only go so far if the student is unwilling to learn. I was blessed, as is the rest of this world, in that they wanted to be greater than those that came before them, although I am proud to say that that was not their sole reason for training in their respective arts as they have." Drizzt tipped his glass of wine and took a slow and measured sip after raising his glass in thanks to the goddess he still followed, a gesture that Jarus didn't miss but he didn't say anything of it. He had been rightfully afraid that the legendary ranger would have had more than a few harsh words for the Harper who had recruited one of his own without so much as a warning letter in case things went south, but thankfully everything went fine and he still had his head on his shoulders.
Those scimitar blades he wore on his hips were not mere decoration after all, and Jarus wondered, and not for the first time, just how many had fallen to the legendary skill of the warrior before him with those same weapons he favored. He was just lucky that he wasn't doomed to follow them. "People like yourself are rare; the world is truly blessed to have you and your continued legacy to help protect the Realms…."
"when the Realms cannot protect themselves. I know the Harper creed." Drizzt chuckled lightly as he finished his wine and set the empty glass down before him. "No, the Realms are lucky to have not just my own sword even now, but that of my children as well, but not just they. Heroes are still out there Jarus, even beyond this world they are still out there. I met one today, as you are well aware. You met her yourself."
"Shepard." Drizzt nodded since the human was not like most people he had come across. There was strength, untapped as of yet, about her that no sentient being could miss if they had eyes to see and ears to hear. "You truly believe her leader's words then?"
"I believe in many things Jarus. The possibility of life beyond our sphere that we call Toril might be farfetched even to someone as old as I, but I do not dismiss the possibility out of hand either. I keep an open mind to all things. Besides, have you ever seen a metal carriage such as the one that landed in the middle of this city before the night before?" Jarus could not argue that point since the human woman's armor and gear were quite different from those they were used to here on Toril. So Jarus could do the only thing he could and shook his head at the question, confirming the Drow's line of questioning. Said Drow's lavender eyes seemed to soften further since that meant while what he had said earlier was true, he at least was not the only one that was open to the idea of life beyond Toril. He had just never given it much thought before.
They were about to go on until the doors to the Elfsong opened, and while most other times Drizzt wouldn't have paid it any mind, his nose detected even amidst the smells of old ale and unwashed bodies the sweet perfume and the scent of the woods as the breeze carried it to the table he shared with Jarus. He turned his gaze then and was surprised to see the light elf that Giselle had spoken quite highly of in her letters.
He also noted the sword and shield along with the finely crafted elven mithril chainmail she wore on her slender frame, denoting more than a simple healer. She was a cleric, and the crescent moon pendant she wore around her pale neck on a silver chain identified her faith as that belonging to most light elven, that of Corellan Larathain. Jarus noted it as well and had a feeling this fair maiden was here for Drizzt. He was right as Neria's sea green eyes finally fell upon the one she had been looking for, although she had been hoping to find Giselle instead.
Take what you can get. Neria mentally said to herself, truly happy to have found ANY of the Do'Urden family since Baldur's Gate was quite big. She had been lucky enough to hear of the legendary warrior's passing since Drow were not common anywhere on the face of Toril, so it made finding him easier, but the size of the city was still enough that it had taken her almost three hours to finally track him down to the Elfsong Tavern. "Pray forgive my intrusion Lord Do'Urden…"
Drizzt stopped her with a raised hand and a soft, warm and compassionate smile. "I am no lord, Neria Zathrieal, and neither would I want to be in a position of such power over anyone. Please, just call me Drizzt, for that is all I am and all I ever wish to be." Neria felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment but she nodded, quick to adapt since she hadn't been sure how to address such a famed and fabled warrior as he. His smile grew a little wider since she hadn't been the first to have made that mistake, but it was one easily forgiven.
Jarus rose and offered a quick farewell to the two, excusing himself before said warrior changed his mind and decided he'd want another word with the Harper. Drizzt indicated the seat that had just been vacated and Neria offered a quick thank you before sitting down, feeling ill at ease before him, a fact Drizzt was quick to note. "There is no need to be afraid of me in any sense Neria. My fame is well earned perhaps, but I am just another wandering adventurer, finding his place in the world wherever he can."
"You speak too lowly of yourself. You who have faced countless enemies and survived to tell the tale. You are an inspiration to so many, myself included. You mean a great deal to countless people, and it is a rare honor to be able to talk to someone of your ability." Drizzt again could understand why Neria would be so ill at ease, but again he tried to allay her awe and fear of upsetting him in some form. Some people he knew that had anywhere near the experiences and tales that he had behind them would have long since let said exploits get to their heads, expecting special treatment and the like for deeds Drizzt and those true heroes like himself did for the good of all without any real need for reward.
"Consider it this way then if it shall help you Neria. You consider me a hero, a warrior without equal and thus to be feared and respected in the same breath. You know my daughter; she often spoke highly of you in the letters I'd periodically receive from her when she wasn't able to come back to Mithral Hall in person, and so I know of you. If anyone should receive the praise you have been throwing at me, it should be you, Neria Zathrieal. The trials you have endured would have broken a lesser person." The light elf's eyes were wide as saucers but she was more surprised that this dark elven warrior, this Drow, would say such a thing about her rather than the fact he had brought up the most horrible moment of her life, and the sad and sympathetic expression on his visage was a clear indicator he didn't do it lightly.
"I…thank you…Drizzt Do'Urden." Neria replied, her throat partially closed up since even that brief mention of her past made it hard to subdue the tears that were still fresh from visiting the graves of her clan just the other day. Drizzt patiently waited for her to recover, truly wishing that no one had to endure such a thing as she had, but the fact that she had become the woman she was now was testament to how strong she was, both because of it and because of who she had become later on. Neria meanwhile managed to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat and offered a weak smile, trying to convey she was alright. Drizzt didn't believe her but he didn't say anything. Let her deal with it as she had for now. He had only just met her and it wasn't his place to immediately try to get her to open up to him. That was Giselle's job. She was Giselle's friend, but if Neria started to call the old ranger a friend, then he would gladly accept the offer.
"What brings you here and to me Neria? You looked like you were on an urgent mission when I first saw you, so please, speak your mind openly with me."
"Of course. It…started a month ago." Drizzt listened intently as Neria recalled the possibly prophetic dreams she had been having, his face growing more serious in its appearance as the light elf before him continued on with her tale. He didn't interrupt her, didn't ask needless and pointless questions, he simply sat and observed her every movement, gauging for himself whether she was in her right mind or not. He found no reason to believe she was crazy, but despite his own close encounters with beings that rivaled the gods of Toril itself, he wasn't quick to dismiss or accept Neria's dreams as anything but dreams despite the obvious content of them. Or at least, he wouldn't have been so quick to accept or dismiss them, if not for the events of last night and this morning.
"I believe you." Drizzt replied simply, noting that Neria was shocked to hear it as was told by the expression on her face. He was quick to continue. "I have seen many things in this world over my long life, but last night saw something even I was not entirely prepared for. If you're willing then I would gladly show you proof of what it is I've seen and tell you the tale that has been surely passing through the city like wildfire since last night and the early morning." Neria had heard such rumors on her way to the Elfsong but she had been quick to dismiss them, now to hear the same from someone as trustworthy and noteworthy as Drizzt himself made her wonder if she had been wise to dismiss such wild claims that visitors from beyond their skies had come down for some reason or another.
"Show me so that I might make sense of what's transpired here and what I might be seeing in my dreams of late, Drizzt Do'Urden."
A/N The introduction of a son from Marik, the former human assassin Artemis Entreri now known as Barrabus the Grey, Neria's continued investigation that is likely to lead her to the Woods of Sharp Teeth, and the arrival of the future Captain David Anderson on the planet of Toril. All this and more, all before the beginning of the first ME game. Even I had not expected things to turn as they have been, but I truly hope that you all have enjoyed the tale as much as I've enjoyed writing for all of you.