Disclaimer:
I don't own Baldur's Gate, the great masterpiece of role-playing.
The story on hand, ‚The revenge' is fan-fiction. I wrote it, because I love to write, but I will not use ‚The revenge' in any commercial way.
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Rating: 'M'. Some scenes may be a 'T', but I had the feeling that a few scenes should be rated as 'MA'. I think, in general it's OK, to give 'M'. If you don't like that or if you are too young, don't read!
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Chapter5
Nightal 17th, 1369
De'Arnise keep, Amn
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After their enemies had withdrawn to a hill near the keep, Nalia and Imoen had placed magical traps in the cellar and in the side entrance. Their victory would be meaningless if the enemy could invade the keep again.
After Nalia, Imoen and Chloe had stopped the first flood of the drow, the regular guards of the keep had done the rest to hold the line and Nalia had to say that she was proud on them.
But they had lost four guards, six guards had been injured, including Cernick and Nalia had almost used all her healing potions and she had no reserve for a long siege.
Nevertheless the noble had an advantage: Their enemies had lost about thirty fighters and perhaps, for a short moment, the drow had lost their faith in their own strength.
Nalia had taken the last hours to get all of her equipment from her days as an adventurer. Together with the equipment of Imoen and Chloe, they had enough mighty items here to wipe out every band of invaders.
The noble had already worn her equipment for magic fights, except her ring of wizardry, but now she also had her utensils for archery – the magic quiver which created improved arrows, her ammunition belt, her braces of archery… and the Tuigan. There were better, stronger and more powerful bows out there, but the Tuigan allowed her to fire more arrows than another bow in the same time and to support the fighters in this way was damn important in her eyes. And to finish her equipment, there was the belt of inertial barrier, a nondescript, but important item.
Imoen had more utensils that were made for the arts of thieves and for hand-to-hand fighting. She was the more flexible of the archmages: Nalia had been the part of the group, who cast spells in the background or shot arrows. Imoen was able to hold the line for a short moment, if it was necessary. To do so she had some items like a girdle of strength, the elven chain of Aslyferund, the sword of Mask... and the staff of the ram, one of the best utensils they had found during their adventures. Her most important thief-items were the ring of the danger sense, elven boots, a cloak and a ring of invisibility.
Chloe had a girdle of strength and her two weapons, a scimitar called 'Rage of Arkadia' and a short sword named 'Lathander's blaze'.
Now, Nalia yawned and looked to the sunrise. She stood on the wall of the keep together with Imoen, Chloe and the Major Domo. The snowfall had stopped in the night and they could see the camp of their enemies.
The noble sighed, "This time we're prepared!"
Imoen nodded, "Sure… By the way, when you got your equipment, I tried the teleport-spell: It didn't work. We can't escape."
Chloe grumbled, "Kill or be killed!"
Immy nodded, "Yeah, hummingbird's right."
"It was clear that they would block our teleport-spells."
"So they have help by wizards," Chloe said.
Nalia shook her head, "That's not sure. Immy and I already fought against the drow. Their magic is powerful and I'm sure if they want to block our teleports, they can do it on themselves. Besides, I can't imagine that the drow work together with non-drow."
"Hm, when you say so…"
Immy cleared her throat, "And, eh, there's another point…"
"Yes?"
"I only found the corpse of male drow."
Chloe nodded, as Nalia did.
"I don't see the problem," the Major Domo said.
"The drow-culture is dominated by their women."
"And what does that mean?"
"I don't know. I'm wondering, where their female warriors are."
"Perhaps they're in the background… and attack later," Imoen said.
"You think they just wanted to test our defense with this attack and send their better troops later?" Nalia asked.
"Maybe."
Nalia rolled her eyes and sighed, "I don't like this idea."
"Yeah and I don't like the idea that they attacked the keep although they knew we are here. If this was an ordinary raid, they would try to attack the keep before or after we're here."
Chloe nodded, "She's right. It's no raid for plunder."
The eyes of the Major Domo widened and he looked to Nalia, "Lady! You have to escape! You…"
A strange noise interrupted him: A sound of a harp.
Nalia hesitated, but after a moment she began to laugh and turned to the Major Domo, "Order the guards to make a sally! Immediately!"
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Keto had sneaked near the camp of the drow.
Her chances to break through the line in a normal way and to reach the keep weren't good: There were too many of the drow to sneak around their camp. Keto saw almost seventy warriors. But she had to do it. She had to help Nalia and Imoen, her comrades and friends.
She stopped, thought to the two women. She'd had some problems with Nalia because of Nalia's naïve point of view about the rich and the poor. She didn't like the immature behavior of the noble to help every poor between here and the deepest hell. Keto had been poor for her complete life and she knew that Nalia couldn't solve these problems just with her good-will.
She had seen Imoen, the reason of Shelara's trip through the hell, just one time.
When they had come back from the Underdark, the party had met Keto one time in the Mithrest-inn, one day before the bard had been teleported to Feathersdale. There she'd met Immy and although Imoen had lost her soul in one of Irenicus's experiments, the mage was cheerfully lighthearted. Keto immediately liked her… and anyhow she was frustrated that she wouldn't have the chance to have adventures with her.
Now she had the possibility to do so.
Keto looked down at her body: She hadn't special items with her except the harp of discord.
She sighed and looked to the camp.
Three days ago she hadn't believed that she would fight against drow anytime… Drow! The shadows from a dark nightmare… Keto hated it to fight. Her job was to tell the stories, not to make the stories.
She sighed again and took her harp.
Time to fight again. She hoped that Nalia would see what was going on when she heard Keto's harp of discord.
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The gate opened from one moment to the other and about forty guards, accompanied by Nalia, Imoen and Chloe stormed out the keep.
Nalia had begged her guards and the two women to attack without questioning her order. It was too complicate to explain it now – and to tell them from Keto or her harp. She had seen the effects of that harp a few times. Shelara had liked to use this instrument: In the eyes of the priestess it was better than to use mere physical force.
The noble hoped that they would reach the camp of the drow in time.
When they ran through the snow up to the hill, she recognized that almost all of the drow were totally confused and ran from one end to another.
Please don't stop playing. We reach you soon, Keto…
Nalia remembered the effects of the harp of discord. It confused all enemies in earshot. Easy to explain and very useful.
War cries from the left side.
Nalia looked up and saw a group of ten or fifteen non-confused drow standing there, swinging their swords. Nalia heard as Chloe yelled to her, "I'll finish them!"
In the corners of her eyes the noble saw Imoen's lover together with ten guards storming to their enemies.
Suddenly she started, ducked and saw a bolt fly above her.
Seven more non-confused drow. Nalia activated a protection spell and saw as Imoen stopped at her side.
Imoen grinned shortly, "Don't think, you will get all the fun with those jerks on your own…"
In the next moment she cast a fireball and shot it between the seven drow.
Nalia smirked… but her smile died on her lips when she listened to battle out there. Swords, shields, crying fighters… but no harp.
"They are yours, Immy!" Nalia shouted and turned to the peak.
Damn! They had found Keto. She had to help her, had to find her…
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Keto ducked and saw as the flail missed her closely. She swerved to the right and cut the throat of the drow with her knife.
A cry behind the bard.
Keto whirled around and saw a female drow sinking to the ground with an arrow in her neck.
"You should take care, Keto!"
The bard smiled when she saw Nalia with the Tuigan in her hands. Keto sank back in the snow and began to laugh relieved.
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"I… I can't believe you!" Imoen said after a long and quiet period.
Keto saw into the faces of the three women. Nalia had clenched her fists in anger and Imoen sat there in disbelief. Chloe seemed to be cool, but Keto was sure that the kensai was shocked, too… Chloe… She didn't know Chloe or had heard stories from her, but she liked it that a skilled fighter was among them. But it really had surprised Keto that the kensai had won Imoen's heart. But… whatever. It didn't change anything. Hm, perhaps she would write an epic romance about the two.
She shook of her thoughts and thought to the battle for a short moment: They had defeated the drow and when the last remaining drow had realized that they couldn't escape, they had killed themselves.
She lifted her head and kept on talking, "Immy, open your eyes! This wasn't a normal raid for plunder or slaves, they wanted to destroy the keep, they wanted to kill you and Nalia, because you two had been in Shelara's group."
Silence.
Nalia was the first one, who came back to words, "Shit! We have to help them!"
Keto grinned, "Hey noble, I'm shocked that you know such words."
Nalia grumbled, but didn't answer. Then she turned to Imoen, "We have to go to Athkatla and free your sister."
Immy nodded, staring to the ground, "Yeah… We have to stop 'em!"
Chloe made a step at Imoen's side and placed a hand around the shoulders of the archmage, "Your way is my way, nightingale."
Imoen looked at the kensai with a grateful glance, "Thanks, love… Hm, Keto? What's about you?"
The bard laughed coldly, "These bastards have killed my parents! I want to see them kneeing on the ground before I rip out their hearts of their living bodies!"
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-tbc-