A/N: Thanks to everyone who's reviewed - I think I managed to get replies out to you all, and I'm glad that people seem to be enjoying it:) Because I went over'Discovery' so often I can't help but feel that a lot of it feels a lot more... polished than this one perhaps, but it's fun updating as I write, rather than when I'm done with the whole thing!
General disclaimer: I own nothing, even Maiyn generally decides her own path.
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Larger Than Life
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"Hold!" Maiyn stopped, and stared at the armoured woman. Her attention was not fully on them; she had been examining a part of the wall, and was still focussing on it as she spoke. "I warn you, I have killed many of your brethren to get this... oh!" The woman paused as she looked up, and a look of relief crossed her pale face. "Forgive my manner. I feared you were another group of orcs, come to harass me."
Maiyn smiled politely. "I have been called many things, but never 'orc'," she remarked dryly. "May I enquire as to who you are?"
"My apologies," said the woman, with a small bobbing curtsey. She had a slender figure, not hidden in the slightest by the leathers she wore for armour. Her golden hair was tied into intricate bundles that stuck out from under her helmet. "I am Samia, and it would appear we are in the same situation. Have you come searching for the tomb as well? I was not aware of another expedition."
Maiyn frowned slightly. "Expedition? No, I know nothing of anything like that. I am here seeking a villain known as Firkraag."
"Hmm," replied Samia thoughtfully. "I was approached by a Lord Jierdan Firkraag. He seemed to suggest that I would need his approval if I were to make it through here. I haven't had much trouble though; there were a few orcs, but they seem to be afraid of this area."
"They may be in league with him," suggested Maiyn. "He is somewhere here with a kidnap victim, and I intend to seek them out."
"Then it is good I refused his sponsorship," stated Samia with a slight nod. "It has, however, left me lacking support. Perhaps a temporary partnership between us? We could benefit each other quite nicely."
"I am unsure as to why you are here or what assistance we could offer you," Maiyn said hesitantly.
"I seek the Tomb of King Strohm III of Tethyr," said Samia sincerely. "He lost his life to treachery, a sad end for such a noble man. I hope to find texts in his tomb that will detail his life, but I cannot pass beyond one of the doorways. Something prevents my entry; perhaps the magic is attuned to stop those of a certain heritage." Maiyn flinched at the suggestion.
"Forgive my intrusion," spoke up Xan, "but that is not a valid excuse. If you cannot pass through a certain door, neither can we."
"Oh, I am sure there is a device or some such that you will find," responded Samia dismissively. "I have failed to locate anything, and I will not risk it again. It is probably a hold-over from the time of war; they will not have wanted enemies defiling the resting place."
"I am afraid I cannot help you," said Maiyn apologetically. "We have other things to do, as we mentioned before. But we wish you every success at achieving your goal." The ranger went to march on, but the woman caught her arm and the elf paused, regarding her with suspicion.
"Why can't you help?" demanded Samia with a scowl. "I should think that an adventuring sort like you would jump at the chance to help someone in need."
Maiyn's jaw dropped open slightly, but she composed herself quickly and took on a steely expression. "I would," she said coldly. "Which is why I must decline your offer, and go on with my rescue attempt, to free the prisoner being held here. I apologise, but I really cannot spare the time. Now excuse me..."
"Blast," exclaimed the woman as Maiyn walked past her, the companions following. "I hoped to get you to do the grunt work... I'll do it, but not with you at my back. You'd leave me dead and take whatever I found... that's what I was planning with you!" She turned quickly, fiddling with the wall she'd been examining, allowing part of it to swing open and reveal several other people. "Akae! The plan did not work! Strike now!"
A blinding flash exploded around Maiyn's group as a dispel cantrip stripped magical effects from them. Maiyn smiled to herself, thankful that they'd so far neglected to intone their protections, and she noticed Jaheira's skin turning a dull grey colour - almost matching Xan's stoneskin - as the druid tried out her ironskins spell. It was the latest addition to the blessings she received from Silvanus, and she had been quite eager to try it out.
Several others rushed from the hidden door; a large half-orc leading the way, brandishing his huge axe, followed by two robed figures, looking suspiciously like mages, and a lithe figure with a holy symbol that Maiyn didn't recognise. Last, but not least, was a slender boy, trying his best to blend into the shadows and skirt around the party, eyeing up Kivan as he concentrated on his shots at Samia.
The roguish foe didn't count on Verya however, and the cat leapt at him as he crept along, biting him ferociously on the arm, and drawing her claws across his face. It was enough to get Jaheira's attention, and the druid leapt over to help the feline, leaving Minsc and Anomen to deal with Samia and the half-orc.
Maiyn managed to take out one of the mage's quickly, a quick and forceful thrust of her sword stabbing deep into his torso. The other immediately stoneskinned and mirrored, and the ranger sighed as she began her stabs, penetrating the magical defences and working against the mage's hushed murmuring.
Xan's haste spell shimmered around the party, speeding up their fighting and giving Jaheira the edge she needed to finish off her target. She swiftly moved on to the cleric, clubbing him across the head as he prayed to his god, distracting him enough for his call to be disturbed. Minsc and Anomen managed to bring down the half-orc, arrows from Yoshimo helping greatly. Their attention turned to Samia, and their own thief slipped into the shadows, drawing his sword from his belt quietly as he moved around behind Jaheira and her foe.
Xan rattled off another cantrip, and a purple hued globe shot towards Maiyn's opponent, engulfing him in a breach which stripped his stoneskin as his last mirror winked out of existence. Maiyn roared as she drove both her swords into the vulnerable mage's body; Xan watched from a distance, noting how much her eyes glowed as she took another's life. It terrified him to see the taint taking its hold on the young ranger, and he felt helpless as he watched her killing; kills she had to do to survive, generally in defence of her own well being. The taint didn't seem to mind how they came about, though - each gave it a bit more power, a bit more grip on her. And as it got stronger, her tendency to kill, rather than talk, grew stronger.
Minsc and Anomen brought Samia down as Yoshimo stepped from the shadows behind Jaheira's clerical adversary. He calmly whipped his sword around to slit the priest's throat, letting him drop to the floor as the druid stepped back to avoid the spraying of blood from the wound.
Maiyn looked around as Yoshimo rummaged for valuables, passing magical looking items over to Xan. The enchanter was giving her a curious look; he looked concerned about something, but when she raised an inquisitive eyebrow, he looked away quickly. She shrugged to herself slightly, and waited for the identifying to be done, and the goods to be shared.
"That could have been worse," she remarked airily accepting a key that Yoshimo offered her. She also took the magical studded leather armour that Xan identified, and the enchanter looked relieved as he watched her putting it on. Anomen was told to wear the enchanted platemail, and Jaheira gladly took Samia's shield, also imbued with a protection incantation. Healing potions were stored in packs, and Maiyn lingered in the area, peering through the secret door into a dark chamber, idly toying with the key in her hands.
"Whatever they were after was obviously important," she mused. "I don't believe it was just a book they sought to gain."
"We need to get to Garren's child," Jaheira reminded her.
"I know..." she replied, biting her lip. "We could spare a few minutes to go through and have a quick look though, couldn't we?"
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Almost three hours later Maiyn held up a crude mask with pride. Jaheira's frown remained in place, but Anomen looked suitably impressed with her handiwork.
"You've used all the pieces?" asked Kivan.
Maiyn nodded. It had taken them longer than she'd anticipated to explore the trap-littered area, much to Jaheira's obvious disgust. They'd encountered several genie guardians; each speaking in cryptic riddles as they referred to the wards placed over King Strohm's Tomb, each dropping small items that appeared to be broken and useless. The companions had slowly figured out that they could be put together; that the finished item must be important, perhaps related to the guardians' clues. Xan had sighed heavily as he explained that the genies were trying to tell them they needed it just to be able to see the final guardian.
Maiyn had then spent many minutes trying to find the correct way to assemble them, and now had an ugly headdress that she put on, having removed her Helm of Balduran.
"It's certainly your colour," remarked Yoshimo, causing her to grin underneath the cover of the ensemble.
She turned back to the remaining door. "Everyone ready?" she asked. She assumed they were nodding because she couldn't see very well from the holes that had been cut for the eyes, so she threw the door open and charged into the room. She only stopped when she realised how empty it was, as she pushed the mask slightly to the side in order to have a better view. Her companions followed her closely, all looking around with caution.
It is here.
"Verya can feel it," whsipered Maiyn, causing the group to tense. Then, suddenly it appeared - a large flaming entity, resembling a fire elemental in many ways, but much larger and much more ferocious. It knocked Maiyn aside with a lazy swing of its arm, and she clambered back to her feet as the others tried to battle it - only Minsc and his blade seemed capable of making contact with it and causing damage.
The guardian let out an ear-splitting roar as Minsc managed to slice through its being with Lilarcor; the sword's cries of 'Oooh that'll leave a mark!' echoing around the chamber. Yoshimo quickly moved to the door on the far wall, cautiously wandering through and locating a crudely covered pit. Maiyn watched as he pulled out an intricate longsword and a bright red shield, and Xan rummaged in his pack to find some identify scrolls before proclaiming them as the Dragon-Slayer Longsword and Dragon-Scale Shield.
"Both are heavily enchanted," he explained, a hint of awe in his voice. He held out the sword to Maiyn - she was the only member of the group who used the weapon type regularly, and she placed her non-magical blade in her pack. She carefully accepted the new sword, weighing it in her right hand as she cut through the air with it.
"It's beautiful," she murmured dreamily, causing Minsc to beam with pride at her weapon appreciation.
"Larry would like to meet your new sword!" the berserker said, causing a stream of innuendo to flow from the sentient weapon. Maiyn ignored it, and looked over to Jaheira with a bemused expression. The druid had tied her newly acquired enchanted shield to her pack, disregarding it in favour of the sturdy and scaled one they'd just found.
"I still think it was a waste of precious time," she muttered as she stalked past the laughing Maiyn.
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Maiyn couldn't quite believe her eyes.
After discovering the dragon-related items, they had battled their way through werewolves, golems, hobgoblins and orogs. They'd even taken on a rather annoyed air elemental that had appeared when Minsc spotted an object nestled into a bucket, hanging down the stupidly large well that they found themselves in. Maiyn had only stopped yelling at him when Xan noted that it provided resistance to some elements as well as being a sturdy item of equipment. Now Minsc was wearing it proudly. He'd worn it to kill Chief Digdag and his comrades, and he'd worn it when they found Taar lying unconscious in the cell beyond the orcs. They had been unable to open the door to his prison, but had spied stairs over at the other side of the room.
Yoshimo had been looting the corpses quickly - the room was also used as a guard post it seemed, as a table took up most of it, and a locked cabinet had rewarded the lockpicking thief with a pile of gems. It was then that he'd appeared, striding up the stairs towards them, his ominous cackle echoing off the walls.
"Tazok?" asked Maiyn, stunned. Kivan had gone deathly pale, his grip on his bow so firm that he was threatening to snap it in half.
"Aah, so you did come!" exclaimed the ogre. "He said you would, but I thought you too much a coward. I will have your flesh after all!" Maiyn just stood, as if frozen to the spot. He'd stopped moving towards him, and she couldn't quite take her eyes from his figure. He was as tall and as fierce as she remembered him, but he looked much stronger, despite his ghoulish appearance.
"Aren't you... dead?" she finally managed. "You died, with Sarevok..."
Tazok snorted disdainfully. "Sarevok took too much for his plate, left us in a bad position. You'll find my new master much smarter, and me much harder to kill! It seems Firkraag has a special treat in store - even brought me here especially for you. Got a special bug in his craw about seeing you perform."
"We should be thankful he did not want to make a full impression," muttered Xan darkly, "also resurrecting Sarevok, Davaeorn, Tranzig..."
"I am all for that!" laughed the ogre. "Revenge Firkraag wants, and revenge I will have! Who am I to disagree if it means I get to put my foot into you once more? Fight! And know that behind Tazok is a power greater than you have ever seen!"
"If I have to kill you a hundred times I would do it!" snarled Kivan.
"Ha! Kill an elfwoman and spare her man - that way you have entertainment for life," snarled Tazok as he pulled a huge sword from his belt. "I should remember that for the next time I capture a couple..."
"No! Minsc and Boo shall not let the evil ogre capture any more!" roared Minsc as he charged at his foe, Anomen following him quickly. Maiyn and Jaheira were close behind, taking a few seconds longer to get over their shock, and Xan's murmuring in the background could only just be heard over the sounds of steel upon steel.
Tazok somehow managed to parry all four of them, his sheer size and strength making him a formidable enemy. Minsc slipped into his berserker rage, causing Anomen to back off slightly, away from his errant swordsmanship. Arrows flew towards Tazok, bouncing harmlessly from his heavy armour, causing Kivan to grab his spear and advance into the melee. Xan's acid arrow struck home, causing Tazok to flinch only slightly, his sword coming down heavily on Anomen as the cleric tried to manoeuvre himself around to the rear of their foe.
Minsc stepped in the way before Tazok could cause further injury to their fallen comrade, Lilarcor slicing across the ogre's face while he parried Maiyn's stabbing attempts. Kivan's spear found the join in his armour, stabbing through and into the ogre's torso while Jaheira used her club to firmly strike him across the head, dazing him slightly despite his large horned helmet.
Minsc took his blade back for a follow up cleave and neatly separated Tazok's head from his shoulders, Maiyn and Jaheira instantly rushing to the berserkers side to try and calm him down from his rage before he turned on any of the companions in his frenzy. When he was calm, Jaheira turned to help Anomen tend his injury and Maiyn walked quietly over to stand beside Kivan.
The stoic ranger was staring at Tazok's corpse, his face impassive. When he spoke his voice was hoarse.
"I do not expect you to understand what I am about to do, but I must do it."
"I will not understand?" she asked. "Try me."
"Maiyn, mellonamin, comrade-at-arms - forgive me for being curt. I do not want to explain myself just now," he said, his voice choking on his words as he looked to her. She held his gaze until he reluctantly continued. "I am going to cut his heart out of his chest and keep it with me." Maiyn shook her head slowly, but he looked away as he continued. "Anyone who wishes to resurrect him again will have to wrest it from me first."
"No," said Maiyn calmly, putting her hand on his arm as he reached out. He instinctively stopped. "I forbid it," she continued strongly. "It is not the way of a ranger."
"Arwen en amin... my lady... your compassion touches me," Kivan said quietly. "But I must end this murderous thing."
"Do not let Tazok destroy you so completely," Maiyn urged. "Do not turn into him with your actions."
Kivan tensed, and he withdrew his arm sharply. "I... yes," he said almost inaudibly. "Simple words, but true."
Maiyn quickly signalled for Xan to come over, and whispered something to him. He looked surprised, but helped her to remove the armour from the ogre and then began a quiet incantation. Within seconds he'd directed a series of small flaming arrows at the fallen ogre's corpse, burning through well into the chest. Kivan nodded with satisfaction and thanked them both before turning away and taking a moment to himself.
"Is it damaged enough?" asked Maiyn quietly. Xan shrugged as he peered at the blackened wound.
"I would imagine so," he mused. "One can never be certain though."
"I could-"
"No." Xan's voice was firm. "You stopped him from falling to the depths. Don't let yourself fall there in his wake."
Maiyn nodded, but her eyes remained fixed to the corpse. Verya appeared by her side having remained hidden during the fiercer battles.
I can do it.
Maiyn watched as the cat's claws raked into the already torn flesh of Tazok. Within minutes his corpse was mutilated, and Verya slunk away to clean herself. She shared her distaste of the ogre with Maiyn as she melded into the shadows, communing that she would wait there for them to return.
Maiyn handed the newly acquired armour to Minsc - it emanated the same enchantment as the set Anomen had received from Samia's group, but this set was larger and provided more covering. The damage done by the part was minimal and would easily be repaired; it was slightly too large for the Rashemeni, but he was able to move fluidly enough in it, and so Maiyn nodded satisfactorily, and looked back to the stairs.
"Down we go," she said softly, taking a deep breath as she moved forward. Her companions followed, as quietly as they could be as she descended down the gradual flight. The steps were carved from a white rock which contrasted with the dull grey walls around them. Eventually they came to an end, leading to a large, vast cavern that opened up before them. The party gathered at the base of the steps, gazing around; then slowly, one by one, their gaze settled on Firkraag.
Kivan managed to catch Xan as he fainted, and held him upright with Minsc's help while Jaheira quickly administered a small spell on him to waken him up. Anomen's mouth was slightly open as he gawped at the sight; Yoshimo was looking a strange combination of confused, amused and horrified. Maiyn just stared, then moved forward much to the surprise of her group.
"Welcome," said Firkraag. At least, Maiyn assumed it was Firkraag; it certainly seemed pleased to see her, and it certainly seemed to recognise her. It bore absolutely no resemblance to the man she had conversed with in the Copper Coronet, however, except for a vague similarity in the voice. His voice now, however, was booming and strong, and coming from a large red dragon. "You have come as I wanted," it continued. "It has been an interesting game, but to tell the truth, I tire of it."
"As do I," said Maiyn as loudly as she could manage without actually shouting. Her voice still managed to sound pitifully small. "I do not even know the reason for it."
"For my amusement," replied Firkraag casually, "for my curiosity, and for my memory of transgressions long since past. All of this spurred me on, but now I grow bored with you."
Maiyn frowned with confusions. "Transgressions? What are you speaking of? Explain!"
The dragon appeared to be amused by her demand. "Very well, an in-depth response. Your fathers are my interest."
Maiyn winced, and almost wished she hadn't asked.
"Your lineage crosses the mortal and spiritual," it continued, "and both concern me somewhat. Gorion raised you; I know this from my own spies and followers. They are subtle when I wish it. Gorion was as much your father as anyone. He was also an adventurer in his day, and crossed my path long ago. He and his Harper friends." Firkraag looked over to Jaheira as she spoke, and the druid scowled back until his attention returned to Maiyn. "I bear the scars of that meeting. He is beyond my revenge, dead as he is. So, I settled for the next best thing... I can torment his spirit by destroying you. Wherever he is, he is seething." The dragon rumbled a chuckle.
"All of this over an old grudge with a dead man?" shouted Maiyn furiously. "Are you mad?"
"I had toyed with forgetting it all," admitted Firkraag. "It has not been that long in dragon terms though. It was your other father who made me curious however."
Maiyn stepped back slightly, as if her retreat would halt his words. To her despair, the dragon kept talking.
"You are a Child of Bhaal; what an interesting subject to study, or so I thought. Really, you are not so different, despite your little personal struggles. What will be interesting will be your conflict with Irenicus. That is something I would very much like to see - so I leave you your life. Do with it what you will."
Maiyn's concerns for how some of her companions were treating the news were quickly put aside at the mention of the mage's name. "What do you know of Irenicus?" she growled.
"I will have no dealings with that creature," replied Firkraag dismissively. "I am merely interested in your confrontation with him. Yes, that will be something to see. But for now, you bore me. I will taunt you no more. This has been such sport that I bear you no ill will. You may go."
Maiyn's eyes flashed with anger as she gawped at the dragon's nerve. She took a deep breath. "I cannot go without Garren's child; you know this."
"Do I know this?" asked Firkraag with amusement. "Do I really? Oh, very well." He sighed. "The brat was but a by-product of my scrutiny of you anyway. The child has proven no more intelligent than its father. I had finished taunting him some years ago; it was only your arrival that brought him into this."
Maiyn recoiled visibly. More blame; she was guilty of yet another person's misery, just by her mere presence. "His suffering never ended," she hissed. "You took his lands!"
"I think he is actually happier now that the burden of leadership has been lifted," remarked Firkraag thoughtfully. "Such resilience took all the fun out of his downfall. All that is left for me to do is kill him and take the deed to the land."
Maiyn's frown deepened, and she moved to say more but the dragon waved her down with the idle wave of a claw.
"Here," it said, sounding bored, "rescue the child from my servant." Another wave brought forward a man who had been lurking in the shadows; Maiyn hadn't even noticed him, preoccupied as she was by the discovery of the true form of Firkraag. "Feel fulfilled if you succeed. Do not think that it will be easy - I test my servants thusly all the time and they know that failure is death. Conster! Go to the child - if Maiyn fails to take it from you, kill it."
The robed man nodded and bowed, disappearing in a flash of teleportation.
"I will rescue the child and return for you in the future," said Maiyn strongly. "I swear it."
"Do as you must," replied Firkraag dismissively. "It does not interest me until the 'future' becomes 'now'. If you wish to make a confrontation inevitable, you know where I shall be lying in wait. Now walk away and see to your little rescue efforts. Take your time, enjoy your life. You have much to face."
It was with a great effort that Maiyn made herself walk away from the dragon's last few patronising words, and she realised that both Yoshimo and Anomen were watching her carefully. She groaned, and turned to them.
"We do not have time to discuss this right now," she said quietly, "but I promise I will explain to you both when we get outside." They nodded, neither replying to her words, and the party quickly readied themselves for the battle awaiting them upstairs. When all preparations were done, Maiyn led the way quietly to the top of the steps. The mage stood ahead of them, several magical defences already in place.
"Come then fool," he sneered. "Let me prove my worth to the beast I serve!"
"You will not survive this meeting," shouted Maiyn as she started walking towards the mage.
"You speak too soon!" he laughed, his hands moving in place to begin the hyptnotizing weave of a spell. "I make my fortune here, or gladly take death. See my devotion, Lord Firkraag!"
Maiyn let out an almighty cry, signalling the charge of the fighters, and the battle began.