Seven's A Crowd
An unearthly howl pierced the air as the party drew back, the shadow fiend before them crumpling with the exit of Minsc's sword from its ethereal body. It seemed to melt away, spilling through the cracked stone and moss covered rock that formed the walls and floors of this old temple; at one point it might've served to awe and inspire the worshippers of Amaunator, but now it held nothing but death for those who entered. Still, one more of the legion of undead was slain, granting them passage as they continued through the halls of shadow and evil, hoping to find the source of this evil and cleanse it from the Temple and the Umar Hills.
Khan nudged the next door open, the wood almost rotted off the hinges, but it swung open nonetheless and revealed another room of almost complete pitch black, though a pair of cells could barely be made out in the darkness beyond. Khan squinted; motioning at Minsc and Jaheira, the two of them moved in on his left and right while Khan took middle, everyone's senses on full alert as they slipped toward the cells. Aerie and Imoen were close behind, Viconia guarding their rear with mace in hand. Coming up to the cell door, a voice cried out from the darkness, "Strangers! Ho there, if you are a servant of right in any respects, I beg you, release me from this cell!"
"That I am... and I'd not leave a fellow knight in need in such a place as this." Khan declared, fixing his sight on the halfling woman who was gazing up at the party in gratitude as Khan's blade took the door apart. "For that is what you are, by your manner and your equipment piled up over here?"
"Indeed; my deepest thanks. My name is Mazzy Fentan, an adventurer, and servant of righteousness." she said, stepping out of her cell and bowing low, to which Khan respectfully returned a bow.
"Wonderful... another stray with a hero complex." Viconia snorted quietly, to nobody in particular.
Aerie shot Viconia a glare, though Viconia's demeanor didn't move a bit, even as Mazzy slipped her gear and equipment on again. "I came here in search of the evil that had befallen these lands, and with your aid I would continue to do so. Would my company discomfort you in any way?"
Khan looked at her for a moment, looked at the members of his party... did a mental count, "Er... sorry. Can't take you with us. You'll have to find your own way out."
There was dead silence in the room for a moment, as though nobody had quite understood what Khan had said. Mazzy's brow was laced with uncertainty as she spoke once more, "My lord... are you certain I might not prove of some use? If only long enough to leave this wretched place, I think-"
"Nope. Sorry, best get going before the shadows find you, hmm?"
"Khan? I think we need to have a talk." Jaheira growled with an edge to her voice that brooked no argument as she pulled him off to the side along with the rest of the group, leaving a bewildered Mazzy standing alone.
"What is it?" he asked as they finally stopped, out of Mazzy's hearing range.
"What do you think you're doing?" she hissed. "What could possibly possess you to leave the halfling here, in a temple full of shades and evil?! She's a knight, you're a paladin... I should think the differences would be slim."
"You know, Khan... come to think of it, you've been like this for a while." Imoen frowned.
"What are you both talking about... I've been like what for a while?" he protested.
"Exclusive." Jaheira remarked.
"You're imagining things." Khan rebutted. "We've got a fantastic group here."
"Then why won't you let Mazzy come with us?" Aerie asked.
"Well... we did find her in a creepy dungeon, right? Are we sure we can trust she's not a shade trying to ambush us?"
"You know that as a paladin, you should be able to sense evil." Viconia remarked with a smile, obviously enjoying all this.
"Too much residual evil around... can't get a good lock on her." Khan said stubbornly.
"Fine... let's say we believe that." Jaheira snorted. "What about Valygar?"
"He hated magic and had a serious loner complex." Khan shrugged.
"Keldorn?"
"Too old. That and he smelled like the sewer." Khan shook his head.
Jaheira threw up her hands with a curse as Imoen tried to continue and reason with him. "Well... why didn't we let Nalia come?"
"She's a noble. She's too snooty."
"She wasn't that bad... never mind. Cernd was nice enough-"
"Too many nature analogies. That and he turns into a wolf... I certainly don't want fleas in my things."
"Haer'Dalis??"
"Did you want him calling all of us birds the rest of the trip?"
"What about Anomen?"
"Trust me... you wouldn't have liked him. Believe me, I know." Khan said, breathing a sigh of relief as he thought of the priest.
"This is ridiculous! You reject so many good folks and refuse their aid, and yet you let... her, travel with us?" Jaheira finished with a gesture towards Viconia.
"Perhaps I have something that those other surfacers could not offer our fearless leader." Viconia purred as she slinked close to Khan and put one arm around his waist, smirking as Jaheira's fury rose higher.
"Er... she does have a point, Jaheira." Khan shrugged helplessly as he looked at the seductive drow beside him.
"We. Are. Taking. Her. With. Us. Understand?" Jaheira spelled it out for Khan, poking him in the chestplate with each word, finally turning on her heel as Khan finally sighed helplessly.
The paladin went over to the still slightly bewildered halfling and nodded to her. "Sorry about that... a bit of misunderstanding, that's all. Of course you can accompany us out."
"Ah, tis good to hear!" Mazzy exclaimed. "I did not welcome the prospect of facing this temple alone once more."
"I understand completely... this place is not to be taken lightly, or alone for that matter." Khan muttered as he glanced at the other members of his party. Seven now... damn it. "Hmm... Minsc! You know how to get back to Athkatla from here, right?"
"Yes... Boo knows the way."
"And you have plenty of healing potions?"
"Well... yes, Minsc does. Why?"
"Umm, I've got some bad news, old friend..."
Author's Post Script: This little chapter is devoted to Arabellaesque; thanks so much for the idea!