The revenge Chapter 10, a baldur's gate fanfic

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.

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!

Chapter10 – 1

Hammer6th, 1370

Sigil, Outer Planes

Nalia pulled a face and tried to ignore her nausea and dizziness.

To go through a portal to Sigil was a challenge every time. Perhaps she would never get used to this.

But after a short moment she fought her feelings down and took a look around.

The Outer Planes weren't a colored place. This region of the multiverse was… anyhow grey, boring and by the way it was pretty dangerous here. But Nalia knew that many renegades lived here, because nobody in the Outer Planes was interested in background, lifestyle, former crimes or origins. It was one of the most tolerant places she had ever had heard from… But that also meant that thieves, murderers and rogues in Sigil raided every one, the nobles, travelers and beggars.

She looked around again.

The portal, which they had used, was in the middle of a big marketplace, but nobody was interested in the fact that six strangers had used it. It seemed that they had come to one of the poor parts of the city and Nalia could see that the buildings were old and unsound… and the persons didn't look much better.

Nalia turned to Shelara, "All right, what's now?"

Keto smiled in the background, "Let's find an inn. We search for information and the best place to get information is an inn."

Imoen nodded, "Yes, she's right."

Nalia sighed. Go to an inn… Obviously.

The archmage turned to one of the persons who stood next to her, "Good man, can you help us?"

The man, apparently a tiefling, grinned at her, "You're one of clueless, aren't you?"

Nalia stared at him, "Clueless?"

Keto interrupted her, "Yes, we are. You're a cager?"

He nodded, "Sure. You seem more experienced than the rest of your clueless."

"Thanks. I've been in Sigil two or three times ago."

"Well… And what do you want?"

"Just information. Please tell us, where we can find an inn."

"Oh, well. Look at the street on your right. After one mile you find an inn."

Keto bowed, "Thanks, cager."

She turned in the direction and began to walk. Her five companions followed her and Nalia asked, "Keto?"

"Yeah?"

"I haven't known that you were in Sigil… except this time our party was there."

The bard smiled, "Oh, I've been there for a few times. It's a nice place for poor bards and you can find inspiration at every corner."

"Hm. And what's about 'Cluelesss' and 'Cagers'?"

"Just names. People from Sigil call themselves 'Cagers'. Their name for persons from the material plane is 'Clueless' or 'Primes'. But the most cagers love to rile strangers by calling them 'clueless'."

"Hm. I don't know if like that."

Keto grinned, "You will get used to it. Cagers aren't so bad… Ah, look!"

The bard pointed at a point at the opponent side of the street. The inn.

In the background Shelara said, "All right. Let's go in… But remember, we just look for information, not for trouble."

After they had entered the building, the party made the way to the bar. The building was quite shabby, like the inns on the material plane. The priestess gave the bartender a short look, "Hello, I'm Shelara and these guys are my companions."

The man nodded, "All right. And what do you want? Something to drink?"

"No no… We just need someone who can give us information."

The bartender sighed and turned around to ignore them…

Suddenly Keto stood in his way and grinned, "We will pay for."

He eyed her skeptically, "How much do you pay?"

"Depends on the quality of your information."

"Hm," He ignored his customers and told Keto, "But without an advance payment I will say nothing."

Keto reached into her pocketbook, but Shelara thrust the bard aside, opened her own pocketbook and handed him fifty gold pieces, "Is that enough?"

Keto's eyes widened… Shelara knew that the bard was grown up in poverty and that fifty gold pieces was an amount she had earned in a complete year in earlier days.

The bartender grinned, "Well, that's fine… for the beginning. So tell me your question."

"We just need to know where we can find an old friend. She was abducted from the material plane by a duke of Sigil."

"A criminal?"

Keto hesitated, "In the eyes of the duke, she's a criminal, yes."

"Hm… Perhaps it could be the new prisonor of Duke Darkwood. [1] He told that he has a new captive and that he wants to execute her on the main square in the lady's ward in three days."

Chloe cleared her throat and eyed him, "I'm surprised that you can tell us such special information without any investigation."

"The information about executions isn't very special in Sigil. The cagers enjoy looking at it."

Silence.

Nalia shook her body, "Why do we meet just sadistic guys on our journeys?"

Shelara sighed and opened the pocketbook again, gave the bartender two hundred gold pieces.

He grinned, "I see, it's quite nice to make business with you. If you need anything, tell it."

The priestess didn't answer and left the inn.

Chapter10 – 2

Hammer6th, 1370

Sigil, Outer Planes

After two hours they reached the palace of Duke Darkwood. Chloe had suggested storming the palace, but Shelara was emphatic about being peaceful. She declared that it wasn't her way to use violence. First she wanted to talk.

The priestess turned to the guards of Darkwood, who stood in front of the big palace.

It took a few moments, until she came back and said, "He holds audience just one time in the month and the next time will be in twenty days."

Chloe crossed her arms, "You know my opinion, priestess."

"Cool down, love. Sis' knows how to manage this… At least I hope so."

"Hm, I could do the job. To sneak in and free Saerileth isn't that problematic, I guess," the kensai told.

Shelara ignored her and grinned widely, "But the soldiers said that the duke needs new jesters. His old one weren't funny and he tarred and feathered them, before he stoned them… or something like that."

The priestess looked to Keto.

The eyes of the bard widened, "Whoa! Hey, wait a minute! I'm a professional bard, not a jester!"

"But the group needs your abilities, Keto."

"My stories aren't funny… Well, I can tell interesting and thrilling stories, but I'm not the perfect jester. Really!"

In the background, Imoen smiled, "So you need a cheerful nature at your site, bard."

"You want to accompany her?"

Imoen nodded and her sister sighed, "Hm, well. I'm trusting in you, Imoen. But please be careful."

"Stop!"

Imoen started and looked to Chloe who grumbled, "I will not allow you to do such a stupid thing… without me."

"That's nice, love, but you're the absolute counterpart to a jester."

"You two need a… sword artist."

The archmage stared at her, "Well, eh… who are you and what have you done with Chloe?"

"Don't misunderstand my action. I do that, just because I'm concerned about you, nightingale."

Suddenly Imoen grinned widely, "Hm, perhaps we can buy one of those colorful theatrical costumes for you."

The kensai looked at her without humor, "Don't overdo it."

"Well…" Keto cleared her throat, "After that's clear, tell me what we do after we've met the duke."

Shelara looked to Nalia. The archmage smiled, "Immy…"

"Yeah, Nali, got it. Should call ya when we stand before him?"

"Exactly."

Chapter10 – 3

Hammer7th, 1370

Sigil, Outer Planes

The lobby of the duke's palace was huge.

Chloe had seen much in her life, but this room was really huge. It was decorated with expensive tapestries, marbled pillars and gold-plated furnishings. The kensai also saw that the ceiling was ornamented with a pretentious mosaic. But in comparison to the palace of Suldanessalar it was too swanky. She was sure that Darkwood had a bad taste. Perhaps he was one of those nobles who collected expensive thing just for one reason: To brag before other nobles.

In the middle of the room was a group of dwarven warriors in a quite ridiculous uniform, apparently the bodyguards of the duke. He stood in front of her guards and when Chloe eyed him, she could see that he was a tiefling and wore a fine silky costume.

Darkwood looked at the group of Keto, Imoen and Chloe and sighed, "So you are the new jesters?"

"Yeah, we are," Imoen grinned, "We're Mo, To and Ko. I'm a… yeah, you can say classical jester, To is our sword artist… but she can also work as juggler if you want and Ko is our storyteller."

"Ah, all right… So show me that you're really good."

Suddenly Chloe cleared her throat, "Eh… Mo?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm no juggler."

"If he wants you as a juggler, you will be a juggler," Imoen giggled.

"But I'm no juggler."

"Cl… To, what have we talked about yesterday?"

"I'm not playing the stupid jester!"

"But… you wanted to go with us!"

Chloe crossed her arms and eyed her nightingale, "Yes, but when I did, nobody told me that I would be an ordinary juggler."
"To…"

"No!"

Keto cleared her throat, "To… eh, this isn't the right place…"

"Shut up!" Chloe growled.

Silence.

"Perhaps when I do a handstand…"

Chloe looked at her in confusion, "What?"

"Or something else what is awkward."

"Eh… that's one of the most stupid things I ever heard!"

"Enough!" a voice shouted.

The three women looked to Darkwood, who nodded, "I like the way, you're arguing. It's bizarre and ridiculous. You've got the job… Go to the caretaker. He will allocate you your new rooms."

In the next moment the duke left the room.

Chloe shook her head, "Have I been funny?"

Imoen and Keto grinned and nodded.

Chapter10 – 4

Hammer7th, 1370

Sigil, Outer Planes

Somebody knocked at the door.

The duke lifted his head in irritation. He hadn't allowed anyone to meet him now, "Who's there?"

The door opened and Imoen, Chloe and Keto entered the room.

Darkwood snubbed his new jugglers, "What do you want? I didn't allow you to come!"

Chloe closed the door and Keto grinned, "I'm sorry for that, but we have to speak to you, dear Duke."

"Wha…"

Darkwood wanted to stand up and to take his sword, but Imoen whispered a short spell and the tiefling was forced to sit down again and wasn't able to move his body.

The women stopped in front of him and Darkwood stared at them nervously, "Do you want money?"

Chloe laughed disparagingly. Imoen ignored him, concentrated and sent a magical signal to Nalia.

The red haired archmage teleported after one more moment into the room.

"What! Nobody can break through the magical shields of my palace!" Darkwood gasped.

Imoen grinned, "Archmages can do."

Nalia turned to him and smiled, "I want to greet you, Duke Darkwood. First of all, I want to introduce ourselves: I'm Nalia De'Arnise and these ones here are Imoen of Candledeep, Chloe and Keto. I'm sure you heard of us before."

The eyes of the duke widened, "YOU! You fought with Saerileth and freed my prisoners!"

Nalia nodded, "Yes, we did and we came for Saerileth."

"Rather I would die than set her free!" Darkwood hissed.

The archmage smiled, "Listen, dear Duke. We don't see the necessarily to use violence. I've got an offer for you… You hand us Saerileth and as a countermove to that we will do anything for you."

The eyes of the duke flashed, "A deal?"

"Yes, a deal. What do you want?"

He began to grin, "Hm, there's really one thing you can do for me…"

-tbc-

[1] Sorry, but I didn't found out his true name for the English version of the game. I mean the duke, who gave the order to imprison Haer Dalis and his group in the planar prison.