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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Chapter14 – 1
Hammer12th, 1370
Trademeet, Amn
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Haer Dalis' looked to the poor servant who served the dinner. Then he sighed and turned to Lady Lurroxol, "It's so hard to find good employees in these days. In which drain you have found this pathetic creature here?"
The noble lady smiled arrogantly, "I've found him near Amnwater, a few years ago. If I hadn't taken him under my wings, his fate had been to become a criminal or anything worse."
"I see the point. We have such poor persons in Sigil, too. If the nobles wouldn't lead them and showed them how to live in discipline, I'm sure they would kill themselves."
Lord Alibakar nodded, "Yes. It's our holy mission to show them their way of living… But, let's change the subject. You've talked about Sigil. I'm curious: Why Sigil sends a delegate to Trademeet?"
Haer Dalis' smiled, "It's known that your great town is a base of traders and excellent goods. We want to arrange cooperation between some Sigilian traders and your town."
The eyes of the two nobles flashed with greed and Lady Lurroxol told, "We're feeling honored, my dear Lord. I didn't know that Trademeet is known in Sigil."
"Sigil has eyes and ears everywhere."
"I see… But, eh, your wife, I'm sorry, but I have the feeling that I've seen her, when I was in Athkatla a few months ago."
Aerie nodded, "Yes, I've worked in the circus for some years. Haer Dalis', my love, came a few weeks ago and took me as his wife."
Alibakar looked at the tiefling irritated, "Eh, you've made an ordinary woman your wife."
Haer Dalis' grinned, "She's just one of my wives. It's a normal thing to have a harem in Sigil.
The two relaxed and Alibakar sighed, "One woman is more than enough. Two or more aren't worth the trouble, believe me."
"You're right, but of course I just have one main wife. The rest of my harem is just for… eh, pleasure, if you understand, what I mean."
The noble lord sighed, "You're a lucky man."
"Oh, eh, perhaps I can send you one or two of my women… And for you, Lady Lurroxol, perhaps I can find one nice man in a harem of one of the Sigilian noble ladies."
The lady blushed and shook her head intensively, "My dear Lord! I… eh, can't believe that you suggest such a shocking offer."
Haer Dalis's blinked, "So you refuse? That's a shame. Whatever… I've… heard that there was a fight between the nobles of Trademeet in earlier days. Tell me about it. I'm sure it was a fascinating match between two such great noble families."
The eyes of lady Lurroxol flashed in anger, and then she hissed, "Yes, eh… but one of Trademeet's worst enemies has united us."
Haer Dalis' looked at her with a bored expression on his face, but kept on listening. Aerie knew that this was the reaction the two nobles wanted to see: A complete bored noble, but a noble who knew the etiquette and still listened. The tiefling knew how to play his role.
The lady continued, "I'm sure you heard of her. Her name is Shelara."
"Oh yes, I've heard this name before. Is she that dangerously?"
Alibakar sighed, "Yes, she is. This stupid High Merchant Coprith made her and her criminal companions to the 'Heroes of Trademeet'."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes. They solved a problem with a gang of filthy druids from the nearby grove, but after that they did an unforgivable crime to the Alibakars and the Lurroxols."
"So? What a crime was it?"
Lady Lurroxol looked to Alibakar with an angry look, and then she pulled her face and turned to Haer Dalis', "We don't want to talk about it. But it was one of the worst things that had ever happened to our two families."
"And what do you want to do about it? Take her into prison?"
The lord smiled, "No. We will kill her. This stupid witch has made our beloved town to her base. If she enters Vyatris' inn the next time, we will kill her during the night, even if we have to burn the inn."
Haer Dalis' nodded, "Seems the right punishment for such an evil person…"
Aerie stared at him, and her eyes widened in panic, "Oh, how can you say…"
The tiefling sighed, "Aerie, my stupid love, what did I tell you? Don't talk about thing you don't understand."
He looked to the two nobles, "I have to apologize for her. Aerie's lovely, but she still don't know to behave among nobles."
The eyes of the avariel flashed angrily and ran out of the room.
Haer Dalis' sighed again, "I'm sorry. But I think I have to bring her back." He saw the nobles nodding in amusement and followed Aerie out of the room.
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The night was cold and cloudy and she could feel slight snowfall. Perhaps Aerie needed the cold and the tons of snow out here to cool down. She knew that her lover just played a role, but he played it almost too good.
Suddenly she heard steps behind her and in the next moment there were melodic words… low enough to be a whisper in the wind, "We have to warn her and all of our allies. If she sleeps one more night in this town, she will be killed. We can't trust anybody here."
"Except for one or two persons… Shelara told me about some inhabitants, she had helped. I think we can trust them."
"Hm, yeah."
"But we need another base anyway. What do you think about Nalia's keep?"
"It's not perfect. They, whoever 'they' are, will expect that move, but we need a base and the keep's better than nothing."
"Yes. When we go to sleep, I will go to Athkatla with a teleport. Anomen must know that Trademeet is lost."
"Well, let's go back or they'll become suspicious."
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Chapter14 – 2
Hammer12th, 1370
Athkatla, Amn
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Keldorn stood in a dark corner of the bridge district. He didn't like to hide in the dark, but the messenger had told him to wait here.
The paladin shook his head. No. This wasn't good. He was a power of the good and if he was forced to hide in the dark, his mission was led by the signs of darkness.
"Master Keldorn?" a male voice asked and woke him from his thoughts. Keldorn turned to the side and saw a little man in the uniform of the Cowled Wizards. The paladin nodded, "Yes, I'm Keldorn, sir. Please tell me who are you."
The man shook his head, "To tell you my name would be like a death sentence for me. Corneils' punishment for traitors is a cruel death."
"Corneil? The liaison officer between the Cowled Wizards and the council?"
"Yes," the man nodded.
"But I don't see a betrayal. You just talk to me."
"You're one of Shelara's allies. To talk to you is betrayal enough."
"Well, but I don't understand. Why your leaders don't do anything against us if they have a problem with Shelara?"
"We will never take action against the Radiant Hearts. As long as the order aids her, all of her helpers are out of our reach."
Keldorn grumbled, "And what has Corneil to do with that?"
"Corneil's words have weight in the council and at the Cowled Wizards. The difference between them is that some of the Wizards still know what Shelara had done for this city. But the council…" He stopped, sighed and continued, "Remember one thing: The members of this council are nobles and politicians, every one of them is avid for power and they're nervous about Shelara's influence in the hearts of the ordinary people. Her party has annihilated Bohdi's vampires, together with the Radiant Hearts. Even the Shadow thieves had helped… But the council just looked what happened. That wasn't good for the popularity of the council. Some of the city-leaders believe that Shelara could oust the council."
The old paladin rolled his eyes and kept on listening, "It was easy for Corneil to convince the council that they had to do anything against her."
"But, why do Corneil want to destroy her?"
The man whispered, "The brother of Corneil was Tolgerias, the wizard Shelara had killed in the planar sphere." [1]
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Chapter14 – 3
Hammer14th, 1370
Near Trademeet, Amn
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"Thanks to Waukeen that I've met you here!"
Shelara started and focused on the woman who brought out the shout. In the next moment she relaxed, "Hey Raissa! How you're doing?"
The woman smiled, "Oh, I'm fine. Since you killed this serial murderer everything is well."
She looked around the group. There were seven women, all of them in warm clothes and with packs on their backs. One of them, the youngest of them, was littered with bruises, but she was able to walk. Raissa looked at Shelara, "My Lady, listen, an elf named 'Aerie' told me to give you that letter here…"
"And she told me to give it to you outside of Trademeet, so I've looked for you at the south gate. Tiris is at the west gate."
"Oh thanks, that's nice. Hm, so let me have a look on this."
She opened the letter… and her smile vanished after a short while. Then she began to read:
Trademeet isn't a secure place. The Alibakars and the Lurroxols want to kill you. We've decided to send you and our allies to Nalia's keep, after you brought Yasraena back. This intrigue goes much deeper than we thought and it seemed that all of your old enemies want your death, but we're still searching to the leader of the intrigue. I hope we can tell you more in Nalia's keep after you freed Yasraena.
Aerie.
Nalia rolled her eyes, and then she hissed, "Oh yes, bring them all to the keep… If the council needs one more reason to send an army to my land, they have it now!"
"Nalia…" Shelara told and the noble sighed, "Yes, I know, we don't have any other chances. But please can you ask me the next time, when you decide to do such a thing?"
Shelara rolled her eyes, ignored Nalia and turned to Raissa again, "Have you told to anybody that you two were waiting for us?"
"No. Why do you…"
The priestess nodded and interrupted the woman, "Fine… Hm, do you know a place out there where we can sleep tonight."
"Yes. The elf said that I should find one for you. Please follow me, Lady."
Shelara tried to smile, "Please stop calling me 'Lady'. I'm just Shelara."
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The barn was in a distance of about an hour to the town in the midst of a forest and it was sure that no one would come here in the winter. It wasn't warm, but it had four walls and a roof and that was more than they got the last days. It would be enough… Nalia sighed: She really had loved it to sleep in a bed this night.
But they had to avoid Trademeet and these two stupid noble families.
It was ridiculous. The Alibakars and the Lurroxols wanted to kill Shelara because she had given this antic and shabby mantle to the High Merchant. And exactly this was the reason why Nalia didn't like other nobles. In Nalia's eyes it had been unimportant if she had been the heir of the man who had built this town, in her eyes it was more important to help the people... But for the Alibakars and the Lurroxols it was an inexcusable humiliation to give the mantle to another person.
She stopped thinking at this thing, looked at Saerileth. The injuries of the young paladin healed under the skillful hands of Shelara, but it was different with the injuries of her soul. The torture in the prison of Duke Darkwood had left more than bruises. When Nalia thought of what they had done to her, the anger rose in her heart like a mighty surf-surge. And Saerileth had lost Edorem too, when she was caught… The archmage guessed that the situation was hard for the paladin.
But she had to manage this on her own: Saerileth was young, but she had never been like a child, but a solemn fighter. The absolute obverse of Immy, she thought. And since they had freed her from Sigil, Saerileth didn't look more talkative. Apparently she wanted to fight against these inner demons on her own and Nalia, like every one of them, would help her, but only if Saerlieth asked them to help.
Suddenly her thoughts turned to another thing, to a person… to Isaea Roenall. Nalia felt ashamed that Shelara was in such trouble because of one of Nalia's enemies. The fight against Isaea was special for the mage. It was personal and Nalia wanted to give him a special punishment…
In the background Raissa told good bye to Shelara and Nalia looked at her, "Hey Raissa!"
"Yes, Lady de'Arnise?"
"We need your help again."
"Tell me what's to do."
Nalia smiled, "Can you talk to Mazzy, Cernd and Minsc when they come back to Trademeet?"
"Sure. What should I tell them?"
"Tell them that they should find and kidnap Isaea Roenall. When we come back from our next mission, I have to talk to this… beast!"
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-tbc-
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[1] The most things in this story depend on 'real' facts of the game. This was my idea.