A/N: Small chapter here, that didn't really fit in with the next one, or the previous, so... have it as a sort of brief interlude!
General disclaimer: I own nothing, even Maiyn generally decides her own path.
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Imprisonment
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Jaheira came around groggily and took several minutes to gather herself before she could sit up. She was in a smaller cell than previously, and alone. Glass separated her form her companions, however; so she could see them, as dishevelled as herself, their own prisons as sparse as hers. Most of them were still unconscious.
She had no idea how long she'd been affected by the drug, but her body ached and her muscles were sore. She was thirsty and hungry, and suspected that it had been at least several hours. Her arms cracked as she stretched them, then her mind got to work trying to figure out what had happened.
She remembered Irenicus appearing, then speaking of the drug. Yoshimo was behind him; a quick glance at her fellow prisoners affirmed he was no longer part of their group. More worrying was the absence of Maiyn, and Imoen had not been moved to be with them. The druid frowned with concern.
Her cell door was firmly locked, and the glass didn't show any signs of breaking when she kicked at it with her boot. She wasn't stupid; one attempt was enough to test it, then she conserved her strength, sitting on the bare ground as she thought. Kivan was awake too, and he threw her a supportive look. She appreciated it and offered a weak but wry smile in return.
They'd have to wait until their captor appeared and try to make their escape.
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Kivan sat with his back against the stone wall. His cell was in the corner of the block, and he could see all the others still asleep, although Jaheira was showing signs of stirring gently into consciousness. He already knew there was to be no escape and had resigned himself to a long period of sitting and waiting. It was unlikely that they'd be left there just to rot -- if that had been Irenicus' intention, he wouldn't have needed to use such intricate cells.
No, the ranger was sure there was a reason they'd been placed here. Perhaps so they could see each other, but not communicate at all. They'd see each others worry and fear, and maybe he hoped it'd cultivate a growing sense of panic. Kivan couldn't be sure; but whatever was planned and expected, he intended to defy.
He'd known Maiyn wouldn't be amongst them. She was clearly the intended target and they'd walked into the elaborate trap after foolishly allowing the thief to gain their trust. He couldn't blame the others for it -- even he had felt there was little to worry about with the Kara-tuan.
All he could do was to reach out to Sehanine and silently commune with the Lady of Dreams, hoping that she listened to his tribute; his plea for Maiyn to be protected from whatever she was facing, and the strength for her to get through her trials to be reunited with her friends once more. He knew She was listening; She was a kind-hearted deity, though many believed her to be aloof. Kivan was rapidly becoming one of her most loyal followers and her blessings upon him didn't go unnoticed. For the first time since Deheriana's death, he believed.
Jaheira sat up, several cells away, and he nodded slightly to her, hoping to give her some sort of strength. She smiled weakly back, then turned her attention to her surroundings. A quick kick to the glass wall showed her fiery nature, but it was ruled by her patience; she sat back down, just as he'd have expected, and gathered a focussed look as she fell deep into thought.
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Xan awoke to a thumping headache and his body feeling like it had been clubbed all over by something heavy and spiked. He groaned as he tried to stretch, then rolled onto his side and found his face pressed up against the glass wall that surrounded him.
"Oh Corellon," he muttered, forcing himself to sit up and take in his surroundings.
He could see the others in various states, all in individual cells. He felt butterflies as he searched through them -- Maiyn was nowhere to be seen. His heart sank -- never before had his feeling of impending doom felt so real. Kivan and Jaheira were sitting in their prisons, both with their eyes closed. He wondered if they were praying, and briefly considered if it was worth him to do likewise.
What's the point?
Slowly the other forms began to move, and one by one the companions groggily came round. The whole time he sat still, numb with shock and depression. He couldn't have imagined a worse scenario, and he was heartsick with worry over what could be happening to their leader. Both her absence, and that of Imoen, weighed heavily on his mind, and though he tried to push it away and do something productive, he was unable to. He found he couldn't even recall the most basic of spells and his feeling of foreboding did nothing but grow and grow until it was threatening to consume him.
Unable to think of any other way to deal with it, the enchanter closed his eyes, and willed himself into reverie.
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Squeak.
"Eh?" asked Minsc, opening his eyes. He couldn't remember where he was meant to be, but it was most unusual for him to have taken such an uncomfortable bed. He tried to stretch, realising he was stiff from being curled up for so long, but he only succeeded in banging his head against something, and his feet did likewise. It took him a few minutes to realise the walls were made of glass.
"Look, Boo," he said with puzzlement. "Our friends are here too, but we cannot get to them. What has happened?"
A series of squeaks emanated from the rodent, varying in pitch and tone, but sounding almost frantic. Slowly an expression of realisation dawned on him and he leapt to his feet, glaring all around.
"Where have they taken her, Boo?" he roared in demand. "Minsc and Boo shall exact heavy justice from the evil mage for his sins!"
More squeaks, and Minsc faltered slightly.
"We cannot get out? But we thought that before, and little Maiyn showed us the true way to victory. We need to find our berserker rage, and even the bars of the mightiest prison shall bend and break before the combined force of Minsc and Boo!"
Squeak.
"Well, it might work even with glass prisons? Can we not kick the glass?"
Squeak.
"Ah, Little Jaheira already tried? That is a shame then. But I will do what you suggest, and we shall sit and fume in a quiet rage, so that when our door is opened, we are ready to firmly kick the butts of the evil that infests this place!"
Squeak.
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Anomen opened his eyes to realise that the sound of his companions' laughter was nothing more than a dream. He winced in pain as he discovered how sore he felt; the cold stone floor wasn't the most welcoming place to rest, and his body was protesting bitterly about the treatment it had been enduring while he was unconscious.
Slowly he lifted his head and pushed himself up into a semi-sitting position. He wasn't the first to recover, which dented his pride somewhat; Kivan and Jaheira looked as if they'd been awake for some time, and Minsc and Xan were clearly trying to clear their own heads.
He frowned as he tried to remember what had happened. They were in Spellhold, he knew that; they'd just discovered something strange... about Yoshimo! Yes! But he couldn't quite place what it had been. His frown deepened and he bit his lip in concentration.
Maiyn had found her sister, but she'd been unreceptive. They'd been trying to decide what to do next when... ah, yes, when the mage had appeared, Yoshimo behind him. That's what it was. Then he'd uttered a word, and they'd all lost consciousness, ending up here in these glass cells.
A sudden movement to his left caused him to look over and see Minsc standing in his cell, looking furious. The berserker's mouth was moving intermittently but Anomen could hear nothing except for his own slightly laboured breathing. He looked for their leader, and was disquieted by her absence -- she had been the mage's target, obviously, but what was happening to her while they were locked up?
With effort, he got to his feet and examined the cell. There was, simply, no way out. He felt helpless and an anger began to build up inside him. He was a warrior priest of Helm! A Knight of the Order of the Most Radiant Heart! He shouldn't be imprisoned like this -- he shouldn't be unable to get out!
He looked over to see Jaheira looking at him. Something in her expression made him calm down -- she was sitting, cross-legged with a serene look, and as he relaxed, she closed her eyes, returning to her thoughts. He took a deep breath and sat down as well. There was little he could do except seek guidance from Helm.
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When Sime awoke she felt cold -- much colder than she could ever remember feeling. The floor was freezing despite her body having lain on it for however long, and she shivered and huddled into her cloak as she tried to remember where she was.
It didn't take long for it all to flood back, and she recalled vividly the look on Yoshimo's face as they'd fallen to the ground together. He'd smirked -- his attention fixed firmly onto Maiyn, completely ignoring her own presence. She meant nothing to him -- most likely never had, but she'd been foolish enough to think... to hope... that there was more to it than a brief fling.
They'd seemed to be perfect for each other; they shared views, had common interests -- they understood each other. Or she thought they had -- his part had just been an act to finalise the perfect performance, helping him to fit in even better as 'one of the group'. A human man, with needs and urges like the rest, charming and witty, guarded as a rogue, but able to show his affection to a likeminded soul.
And she'd believed it all. She was a fool.
She glanced around. The others were all awake, sitting around in various positions. Most seemed to be in prayer or meditation with their eyes closed. She had no god to call out to; Mask was unlikely to concern himself with her current predicament, and she'd never been a true follower of his in any regard.
She was alone -- as alone as one could be, because she didn't even feel the camaraderie that the others were using to get themselves through this test. Not only was she an outsider to the group, but she'd allied herself with their traitor. She wouldn't blame them if they wanted little more to do with her, even if they escaped.
She buried her head into her arms as she felt the tears pricking at her eyes. There was no point in crying; she'd noticed that Maiyn wasn't among their number, and doubtless her fate was worse than anything Sime would experience considering the effort they'd gone to to get her here.
She swallowed hard. If we make it from here, I promise I'll do what I can to help them, she thought to herself. And she meant it.
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How long they all sat there was anyone's guess, but the time passed as slowly as it could, as if they were all under the effects of a slow spell. Xan came back out of his reverie to realise that nothing had changed, and he sighed a long and deep sigh, leaning back against the glass wall, wondering if this really was going to be the end.
There was no warning when it happened, and none of them expected it. The doors to their cells just seemed to melt away, and the sound of an agonised scream drifted into their space. They all darted out from their confines, grouping together in a show of solidarity -- even Sime was drawn to be close to them. Jaheira quickly checked the only door leading out from the room, but it was locked, and Sime shakily tried to work at it with a spare hairpin that she pulled from her head.
The anguished cries continued, seeming to get louder and louder. Xan had paled until he was as white as a sheet, and Kivan was looking at him with concern, a hand on his shoulder in an unspoken movement of support. Minsc was yelling, almost drowning out the tortured noise and Anomen couldn't calm him. Sime eventually cried out, and pulled the door open, the companions rushing to move forward to their escape; to their hunt for Maiyn and Imoen. Collectively they stopped.
Outside their prison stood Bodhi and several of her vampiric servants. A few minutes later, they were all under the influence of the domination spells thrust upon them, and they were led along the dark corridor to their fate.