The Worlds Within

True Love

So it came about that they stood in the central square of Waterdeep, the sun just setting, the sky coloring in hues of indigo and orange, a tiefling and a planetar flanking a human cleric and the three of them facing down the dread Mephistopheles.

The arch devil towered high over them, laughing down at their tiny forms and mocking them. Hypatia stood, both katana's drawn yet not set for battle. She waited patiently for something, what her allies could not say.

The dred arch devil was disinclined to wait and began to taunt them. "So the young tiefling still deigns to travel with you… Valen Shadowbreath, is it not? A pleasure to meet you, my young man. The reputation of one such as yourself preceeds you."

Valen looked to Hypatia to see if she would intervene. She simply waited, patiently. Seemingly unconcerned with what was being said.

Turning back to the arch devil he snarled, "We have nothing to say to one another, devil. You are baatezu and I am tanar'ri. There can be nothing but death between us."

A flicker of a smile crossed Hypatia's face but no one was watching to see it.

Valen turned to her and spoke earnestly, "You are not alone Hypatia. The drums of the Blood War keep their beat in my veins and I will fight him to the death."

"Very touching," Mephistopheles mocked. "What if I told you I could rid you of your demonic taint, half-breed. You are half human and I could free you from the blood wars forever. What would that be worth to you, I wonder?"

"Not enough," Valen shot back, "To make me betray my love for Hypatia."

With a mocking sneer he turned to Hypatia, "You cannot defeat me, foolish mortal. I know everything there is to know about you."

"Not everything," she spoke primly then using his true name she commanded him to die.

The arch devil collapsed into smouldering dust and a foetid odor filled the square. It was over and before anyone braved coming out of their barricaded houses Hypatia turned to the Planetar, "Angelous, please transport us to Daerlun in Sembia. We must go to the temple of Sune there. And please make haste."

"As you wish, my love." The Planetar cast a mighty teleportation spell and within moments they appeared on a city street, startling passers by and causing a certain amount of panic. People took one look at the demonic form of Valen and ran. Even the angelic presence on the other side of Hypatia did not stop them.

Before them rose marbled steps from the street to the wide double doors of an ornate temple. Graceful columns rose to support the arching walls of the structure and fountains murmured from the corners. "This way," Hypatia, still holding her katana in her hands turned and mounted the steps, once more looking neither right nor left.

Some of the most beautiful people Valen had ever seen were counted amongst the priesthood of this temple and they took one look at his glowering countenance and hurried to get out of his way. Only pausing in their flight to watch the trio's passage from behind a convenient column or some other form of cover.

A priest with some authority about him, judging by the way he carried himself made to approach them but one look at the grim expression on Valen's face was enough to make him reconsider his course. So unchallenged they proceeded through the main hall of the temple towards the front where a cleverly constructed roof allowed sunlight to fall through in beams onto the ornately tiled floor.

There, her fair arms raised in benediction over a kneeling couple was a woman who's beauty was so radiant that it took the breath away. Her long hair fell in gentle curls of strawberry blond over her slender form, stopping half way down her back and she possessed blue/green eyes that beckoned like the sea on a cloudless day. She was soft and curvy where Hypatia was angular and far too thin now, though the likeness was still there. Her robes were of fine powder blue linen that fell from a gathering at her throat over her form like a cascade of water, tied at her waist with silver cords.

Turning to see who dared interrupt her service for the new couple she smiled and it was like the sun coming from behind a cloud to see it. "Hypatia, my dear sister. You have come to visit, and look at the fine companions you have brought with you."

Angelous, once known as the Sleeping Man took a step towards her, his focus suddenly wholly on the woman before them. His entire being radiating an attitude of utter captivation. And Cimmera, the lovely priestess of Sune, returned his adoring look, as clearly smitten by him as he was by her. Still he hesitated, glancing back at Hypatia, who was dirty and blood stained from countless battles. Gaunt and weary from the long trek across Cania, her hair half unbraided and hanging in a dirty tangled mess, standing proud and aloof; seemingly out of reach.

No! Silently Valen willed this not to happen. Hypatia deserved an angel, not to see her true love take one look at her twin and leave her side never to look back. He couldn't bring himself to speak the words though. For if the Planetar chose Cimmera that would mean that Hypatia was free to choose another. It was uncharitable, it was selfserving and he hated that it might cause her pain, that it would cause her pain, but he could not make himself speak the words to stop it.

"The prophecy," Angelous whispered, suddenly confused, "I would meet my true love at the Gates of Cania."

Hypatia who still held her katana, one gripped in each hand, still the ice maiden spoke, her voice cracking like a whip. "Go to her, you fool." Then she spoke more softly but with no less authority.

"She has ever been with me.

She was with me when I carved a path through the hells.

She was with me when I questioned the Knowers.

She was with me when I woke you.

She was with me at the Gates of Cania.

And so your prophecy is fulfilled."

With those words, the Planetar turned to Cimmera whom his heart told him really was his true love and never looked back. Cimmera welcomed him with open arms, recognizing him as her own true love, whom she had waited for. They greeted one another and when asked his name he told her what Hypatia had named him. This earned a droll look from Cimmera for her twin.

That was when she took a good look at her twin and, carefully putting her newfound love aside for a moment, approached her sister. "Hypatia," she searched the stoic face and frozen eyes worriedly. Sparing a glance for the huge tiefling who stood forbiddingly over her sister she hesitated. Then she reached for the two katana, placing her hands over her sisters, "Hypatia? It is over. You are safe now. Those you care about are safe now."

Hypatia blinked but did not release her grip on the weapons. She simply stood there looking ahead, at what was anyone's guess.

Cimmera frowned, tugging a little on the weapon hilts.

A cruel voice sneered from the side, "Perhaps she knows better than to trust a tiefling who is likely to turn on her and devour her at any moment." A weasely looking man with a pinched face made his way over, his hands moving in the motions of a spell casting.

Cimmera turned to silence the rude man, noting the growl that issued from the throat of the tiefling but to her shock Hypatia was faster.

Her katana lashed out and stopped only when the near one rested against the offending man's throat, "His name is Valen Shadowbreath. He is responsible for the fact that you are still breathing. Forget that and I will remedy it."

Stepping back Cimmera regarded the tiefling – no-- Valen, with new interest. A slow, hopeful smile curved her lips upward and a twinkle lit her blue/green eyes. "Valen…would you please take the weapons from my sisters grip?"

The pinched faced man fled at first opportunity.

"She needs to rest," Valen's voice, Cimmera noted, was smooth and smokey. He moved behind her sister and wrapped his large frame around her, resting his hands on hers, gripping her katana with her.

"Tell her," Cimmera encouraged him, "Tell her that she is safe now, Valen Shadowbreath." She looked up into his cobalt blue eyes and almost laughed with joy.

"Tia," Valen spoke gently to her, "You are safe now. Let go of your Katana." And she loosed her grip, falling to her knee as if someone had cut the strings of a puppet, her hands still held in Valen's much larger hands.

Cimmera's eyes widened, Tia? "Bring her." She commanded, smiling, "I will show you to my room here." She led the way, issuing orders to an acolyte to fetch food for them.

Valen almost dropped Hypatia's katana when she collapsed like that. He did drop them to gather her up, his arms under her knees and shoulders; curling her to his chest. He'd have to see that her katana made their way to her room. Someone moved towards the weapons and he shot a dark glare at them. It was more than enough to insure that the weapons were left alone.

Cimmera led them to a palatial suite of rooms, which as a high priestess was her right to occupy. "Put her on the bed, Valen. She'll need to sleep herself out now that she feels safe enough to do so."

She watched Valen obediently stride over and lay her sister on the enormous bed with a tenderness at odds with his size and heritage. He stood over her and watched her sleep deeply for the first time in weeks.

"She'll be ok," Cimmera bustled over and with some help from a young acolyte got Hypatia's boots and armor off of her. Noticing Valen standing there she tsk'd and said, "Why don't you go sit over there. You can have a bath if you like."

She turned and gave him a critical look, shaking her head. Now that she wasn't afraid of him, now that she knew her sister trusted him completely she could see the battle weariness and fatigue that made his eyes glow a dull red. He had injuries that hadn't had time to fully heal either and that spoke more than words ever could of the ferocity and number of battles he'd been in while traveling with her sister. Hypatia had early on shown a natural aptitude for healing magics and she never stinted when it came to those she considered under her care.

"There's a hot bath in that room off to the right. It's a private bath for this room only. I'll take care of Hypatia but you'll feel better for a bath and a decent meal. Don't worry, we're not going anywhere. You and I have much to discuss."

He stood there looking distinctly rebellious and Cimmera wiaved one graceful hand towards the bath, "Shoo."

Slightly affronted at being 'shoo'ed' he turned and took the bath. In truth it felt good after so long on forced march with Hypatia. That and he needed time to think about what had happened in the main hall of the temple. He knew in his heart that it had been important. That Hypatia had released her hold on her weapons for him but not for her sister meant something. He had a good idea what it might be but he was almost afraid to hope now. Perversely he didn't want to be her second choice.

Feeling more human for the bath Valen changed into the clean if somewhat ill fitting clothing that had been unobtrusively slipped into the small bathing room for him. He could smell the food that had been sent and was reminded of all the meals they'd missed in their haste to free themselves from the hells.

Stepping out into Cimmera's apartment he looked hopefully towards the bed, but Hypatia slept soundly. The mouth watering scent of the food, surprisingly, not compelling enough to penetrate her exhaustion. He noted Cimmera and The Planetar sitting on one side of the table, feeding each other and speaking in low private tones.

Cimmera looked over to him as soon as he set foot in the room and waived him over, "Come, eat and then we will talk. Actually you eat and I'll start the talking."

He sat at the table, scowling; hoping that this wasn't going to be some kind of 'keep away from my sister demon spawn' talk. The food smelled good, he served himself from the platters and began eating. At least he'd have a full stomach.

"I don't know how much Hypatia told you about herself. Knowing her, not nearly enough." Cimmera looked over to where her twin slept and shook her head sadly. "Our father was a merchant and a mean drunk. If our little caravan made a profit in a town he would get drunk and pass out, drinking all the profits. If we didn't make a profit, he'd get drunk and beat our mother and us. By the time we were five or six Hypatia had already started making herself his target when he got drunk so that he wouldn't beat our mother, or me."

Valen stopped in mid-chew, his eyes changing from dull red to a glowing crimson in an instant. He'd no idea and she was right, Hypatia hadn't breathed a word of this.

Watching him Cimmera carried on with the tale. "One day he made some bad trades in a remote village and lost a lot of money. That night he beat her so badly we were afraid she'd die. We didn't dare take her back into the village for healing while he was still awake so we waited, hoping that she wouldn't die before he passed out from drink. Finally he drank himself into a stupor and we gathered her up and ran back to the little temple in the village. The priest there healed her but he was angry. He was angry that a father would beat a helpless child half to death and then deny her the aid of a cleric. He wouldn't let us in to see her while she rested, angry too that our mother hadn't protected her. All the while we pleaded with him to hurry because if we weren't back before our father woke he'd beat us all." Cimmera closed her eyes, reliving her fear that her beloved twin would die.

"When dawn came, Hypatia walked out of the temple, her bruises gone, her broken bones mended and…that same blank expression on her face that she wore when you entered the temple here at her side." The priestess watched carefully as she told the story.

Valen sat forward, listening intently; this then would explain that terrible state of being that Hypatia had entered. He needed to hear this; needed to understand her.

Reaching for the hand of her angelic love to give her strength through the telling of this tale, Cimmera continued. "She maintained that blank expression, telling us nothing of what had happened in the temple. We were days shy of our 8th birthday when this happened. I remember mother begging father for a little coin so that she could make us a special supper and new dresses. He just slapped her and told her to quit whining."

Glancing towards the bed where she slept, Valen growled, "She was a child and had to protect those she loved from the one who should have protected her."

Nodding, pleased that he understood she spoke the rest of it, "We didn't know until the next time father got drunk but the priest had given her a potion. She kept it carefully hidden and when father got drunk, instead of taunting him to draw his wrath away from us she meekly got him another ale, offering it to him with her own hands. An ale she'd spiked with a drop or two from the potion."

"He was so disgusting he reveled in her subservience telling us that he should have beaten her sooner the sooner to teach her her proper place. The potion put him to sleep right away. He never beat us again, for every time he drank, Hypatia would spike his drink from her little potion. Always she carried that blank expression."

"Oftentimes I would catch her looking around, watching the road, the trees as we travelled. She watched and listened and it wasn't until many years later that I understood that she was keeping watch. She was protecting us as best she could. And it still wasn't enough.

One night we were gathering firewood for our camp and she dropped the sticks she'd picked up, turning to look back towards where the wagon was. I don't know how she knew, she's had an uncanny ability to simply know things ever since that beating that almost took her life; but she knew and she tackled me, covering my mouth and telling me to be still.

Terrified I could do no more than she insisted, and we lay there hiding in the undergrowth while a band of brigands fell upon our parents and murdered them. They looked for us but never found us.

When the sun rose, she calmly stood up and brushed herself off. I raged at her that she didn't feel anything but she simply looked at me and then turned and began to head back into the last town we'd been to. I had no choice but to follow her."

Cimmera might not have had the fortitude to tell the rest of the story but her newfound love wrapped his arms around her and leaning into him, fluffing his feathered wings with her long delicate fingers she found the courage to speak the rest of it. "There was a temple of Denir in the town and Hypatia presented herself to them, offering to be their scullery maid in exchange for food and a room for us. She adamantly refused to allow them to place me into servitude, arguing with a calm implacability far beyond her years that we would eat no more than one adult and so shouldn't have to do more work than one adult.

For some reason that tickled the head priest and he agreed. She bought my childhood by sacrificing her own. It was there that we learned to read and she discovered an insatiable curiosity within herself. Oftentimes if she could not be found in the kitchen or somewhere in the temple scrubbing floors, she could be found in the little library reading whatever she could get her hands on. Still that aloofness kept her apart from others. They offered her an apprenticeship to become an acolyte but she turned them down.

We stayed there some years, our lot far better than it might have been were it not for her. Then the kindly old priest who had first allowed us to stay grew ill and never recovered. Once he passed a new priest was sent and we were told that we could no longer stay there. So Hypatia packed up our meager belongings and we began a trek that would see us to this beautiful city. It was here, when we were accepted into the priesthoods of our chosen deities that she stood in this temple and smiled for the first time since that terrible beating so long ago. I took her hand and told her that she'd done it. We were safe."

Cimmera stopped to take a drink of her rapidly cooling tea and regard Valen carefully before she told him, "She was protecting me then. And I was the one who was able to convince her that she was safe. Her love for me drove her to become an avatar of something-- truth? Knowledge? Protection? Reason? I do not know what it is exactly but I know it was love that enabled her to endure beatings that should have killed her, that kept her spirit alive when her own father would have beaten it out of her."

Closing her eyes she inhaled slowly, letting go of the pain of the past. When she opened her eyes again she gave the tiefling a sly look and asked, "So, Valen Shadowbreath, who was she protecting this time?"

The utterly thunderstruck expression on his face was its own reward and laughing she pushed herself away from the table. "Sleep here tonight. She must see you when she wakes. My love and I will find another room." Then she left, leading her adoring angel by his hand.

Valen sat in the chair at the table for a long time, watching Hypatia sleep and thinking about what she'd gone through and what she'd done. If her twin was right, and there was every indication that she was, then Hypatia had and would again take on a role of some protector, denying her very self; to protect those she loved.

In the underdark she had the leisure to be herself. The threats were not so dire, her world was not threatened and through it her sister. Dare he hope to include himself in that? Was he included in her love? Cimmera had said that she had been the one to tell Hypatia that she was safe the first time. This time though, Hypatia had chosen not to listen to her sister. She had listened to him…only him.

Finally, with the night well advanced he got his bedroll out and laid it across the door, falling into a deep and for once dreamless sleep.

The morning came far too soon for most in the temple. The heavy drapes in Cimmeras suite kept the room in cool darkness, allowing the occupants to sleep well into the morning. They might have slept longer save for a commotion in the hallway outside the door.

Even asleep Valen's acute hearing picked up a loud male voice berating someone, making dire predictions about what could and probably had happened to the woman left alone and sleeping with such a dangerous creature as a tiefling.

Growling his eyes flicked open glowing deep red. Instantly awake and alert he rolled from his bedroll away from the door, grabbing his flail and rising fluidly to his feet. The door opened just as he went to kick his bedroll out of the way and Cimmera stepped in.

"There now," she spoke calmly over her shoulder, "He slept before the door. He was protecting her." She smiled up at him and handed him the silk wrapped bundle she was carrying.

Stepping back and shifting his massive flail to one hand he took the bundle and realized it was Hypatia's katana and they smelled freshly oiled. "She's still sleeping," he spoke in a hushed voice so as not to disturb her.

Behind Cimmera a pretty faced priest with shifty eyes pushed his way into the room. He gave Valen a scathing look and announced in a nasal voice, "That's just what he wants you to think. They're wicked clever."

Valen's grip tightened on his flail and he carefully reached over to set the katana down on a table. He turned a dark glare upon the shifty little man. The sound of a soft moan drew his instant attention to the bed where Hypatia was stirring. "You woke her," he growled at the priest.

"That you did," Cimmera turned a stern glare on the priest before stepping across the room and casting a healing spell upon her sister.

The priest shrank back from Valen and circled him warily, trying to get around him to where Cimmera and Hypatia were. Valen was having none of it and blocked him, moving with the swiftness and confidence that bore mute testimony to his life as a warrior.

Cimmera shot a resentful glare over her shoulder from where she was helping Hypatia sit up. The girl had pushed herself far too hard for far too long. She needed to rest, not to be disturbed by narrow minded, self important fools. "You're not high priest yet, Vicktor. Now get out."

Finding no help from Cimmera and fully intimidated by the tiefling, Vicktor did indeed, get out.

Propping herself up on one hand, Hypatia held the heel of her other hand to her aching head. Even Cimmera's healing spell couldn't get rid of the ache that seemed to go all the way through her. An ache that was the cumulation of weeks, if not months, of battle and travel, stress and fatigue; of too little food and too little sleep, the healing spell took care of the deep bruises and healing wounds she'd picked up along the way. Only time and rest would take care of the ache though.

"Come on, dear," Cimmera eased her towards the edge of the bed. "You're filthy and you smell. A hot bath and then we can get some food into you."

Tempted by a hot bath and food, Hypatia slid off the bed, standing carefully not quite certain her legs would hold her just yet. Once sure she could stand she looked around, searchingly until her eyes settled upon Valen. Her worried expression cleared and she smiled, her green eyes soft and warm. "You are still here…beloved."

A slow smile lit up Valen's face and he reminded her, "I once told you I would storm the Nine Hells themselves to bring you back to me."

Hypatia made her way carefully towards the heated bath, patting his muscular arm as she passed, "and I told you that you'd never lost me."

The door closed behind her and only a grateful sigh came through to indicate the battered cleric slipping into the heated waters.

Valen stared at the now closed door as if he could somehow see through it. He was startled out of his thoughts only by a shout from Hypatia's twin. Pivoting, ready to face some kind of threat he stopped in confusion.

"Yes!" Cimmera danced around the room. When she stopped she looked Valen over from head to toe and said, "I was half afraid she'd never fall in love."

A blush crept up his neck but before he could do more than glance back at the door beyond which Hypatia bathed, Cimmera danced out of the room calling back, "I'll return with food."

Hypatia sighed and settled into the gently steaming waters, picking from amongst the ornate bottles and vials that lined one side of the sunken tub to find a scent from her sister's collection that pleased her. It was pure luxury and she enjoyed the soft feel of the water on her skin. She had grown gaunt and hoped that Valen didn't find her unattractive now. She worried that he might change his mind about their love now that he'd seen what she could become.

It was a testament to how well Cimmera knew her sister that she returned with a heavily loaded tray of food just as her twin was stepping out of the bathing chamber, her hair wrapped in a large towel and another wrapped around her body. Sliding the tray onto the table she told Valen to get started and went to intercept her twin on the way to the ornately carved wardrobe standing over by the window.

"Oh, no you don't," she laughed when Hypatia would have chosen the most drab and least flattering garment in the lot. Reaching into the wardrobe she pulled out a green version of the flowing robes she'd worn the previous day. "This will flatter you and bring out your eyes."

She stepped behind the dressing screen, "Well come on, let's get you into it…Good gracious! What happened to your hair?"

Valen looked over when, a few minutes later Hypatia stepped out from behind the screen and simply stared. He'd seen her in a variety of armors, voluminous cleric robes and even linen shifts but he'd never seen her in something so lovely as the green garments Cimmera had selected. She was too thin and there were still dark smudges under her eyes from too little sleep but to him she looked beautiful.

Cimmera guided her to a chair next to Valen and then sat across the table from them. She picked at a flaky pastry, more to keep them company while they ate then because she was hungry. Once they were both eating she asked, "so, what happened? Last I heard you were answering the call from Waterdeep. Next thing I know you show up looking like a dozen leagues of bad road with an angel and a tiefling in tow." She took a sip from a tall glass of juice then spoke gravely, "We got word right after you collapsed yesterday that an Arch Devil had carved a bloody path up through the underdark and into Waterdeep. Every adventurer and mercenary in the city went to arms. Then, this morning we get word that a hero they'd sent into the Underdark had also surfaced and defeated the arch devil with the help of two companions." She gave them a penetrating look.

Hypatia shook her head slowly, "The details will arrive soon enough I'm sure. For now I'd like to recuperate in what anonymity we're still allowed before everyone knows who we are and what we've done."

It was not to be though. Word was filtering through the temple already and Cimmera's angelic true love answered any questions put to him with what little he knew; which was enough. He even recounted Valen throwing the Arch Devil's offer back in his teeth, citing his love for Hypatia as cause enough to reject the offer. This of course thrilled the clergy of Sune.

By the time the sun set, they could hardly turn around without someone asking questions about what had happened. Finally Hypatia snitched a special key from her sister and led Valen up to a hidden garden on the seaward facing side of the temple's roof. "Have you ever watched the sun set over the sea?" She asked him smiling.

"I have not." He allowed her to lead him to a comfortable bench set among a fragrant night blooming flower whose petals were just starting to open.

Hypatia watched the sun set, splashing colors of orange, red, indigo and green over waves that stretched from the shore to the far horizion. Valen watched her as much as the setting sun. She seemed happy.

"Might we speak, my lady?"

That startled her and she turned to him, frowning, "Certainly, Beloved. I am listening."

He smiled then turned serious. "Why didn't you tell the Sleeping Man that you were not his true love when he woke?"

She inhaled sharply, then nodded, her expression drawn. "Right. I wanted to but if I had he never would have followed me through the gates and to this temple where my sister waited for him."

He frowned, it made sense. "And you acted in the most practical manner…without regard to the pain it would cause?"

Her voice was sad when she answered, "I…I judged the pain of that to be less than the pain of my sister never meeting her true love."

His tail lashed behind him and he scowled deeply, "Did you, as you seem to have done all of your life; give your sister the best and keep second best for yourself."

"No," though her voice was choked with tears her answer was immediate. "This time, I kept the best for myself."

The moon rose, following its silvery path and reflecting off the waves. It gilded her tears and in so doing, her face.

"You deserve an angel, Hypatia." The words almost stuck in his throat but he forced them out, believing them with all his heart.

Turning she took his hand and held it over her heart, "I don't want an angel, Valen. I want you. How could I love a man who would sleep away eons of his life when I could love a man who went through hell for and with me? Yes, it was my choice to make. And I made it; long before that fool ever assumed I was his true love. An assumption he made based upon a cruel half truth told him by an obsessed and unrequited lover."

Any doubt he still carried fled before her heartfelt confession. Reaching for her he gently pulled her onto his lap and lowered his lips to hers in a deep kiss. Joining his heart to hers in true love.