Blind Devotion

by dnd4evr

While on the run from a haunting past, a half-orc warlock finds himself the chance companion of a blind elf doctor. Despite her quirks, he finds great comfort in her company, and the two make fast friends...even if their enemies are never far behind. All original characters that are HIGHLY INSPIRED by the cast of Critical Role.

19. Twisted Threads

[Good news, readers! My book is officially being made into a comic! It will drop on Webtoon and Tapas on March 28th. I hope to see you there!]

He felt nothing.

There was no sensation; only void, darkness, numbness, until he slowly became aware of warmth. He felt as if he was held within the embrace of a loving mother, his limbs swaddled against his chest as the dull rhythm of a heartbeat slowly reached his ears. There was nothing but this. He didn't mind at all. In fact, he rather liked it, and hoped it would continue.

"Wake up, you idiot!"

Jayce startled awake, throwing off the covers. He sighed as he realized the comforting feeling was just a product of the quilt he had used that night. Somehow, he had completely cocooned himself, and his legs were still tangled in the bed sheets.

He groaned in annoyance, rolled his neck to find several satisfying pops, and then turned to face the person who had yelled at him. Of course it was Al. The half-elf was standing there in his baggy clothes, but no armor or cloak. Jayce winced as his head hurt. He quickly shook it off and glared at the man at his bedside.

"Thanks for the fuckin' wake-up call," Jayce hissed. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Al thumbed over his shoulder. "Some cleric of Melora walked in last night. He's performing the restoration ritual on Dahlia in a few minutes."

Jayce nearly choked on his own tongue. What happened?! "Wait a fuckin' minute, what?!"

Al shrugged. "You heard me. She wants everyone downstairs so she can see us all when her eyes are restored. Better get dressed if you want to make a good impression."

Jayce briefly looked over Al's disheveled appearance and rolled his eyes. "I'll look like a fuckin' saint next to you anyway," he mumbled.

By the time he had finished grumbling, Al had already left the room, so Jayce wasted no time in pulling himself out of bed. His limbs were sluggish and heavy, but not sore. In fact, they were strangely numb, and when he tried to freshen up, he nearly cut himself with his straight razor twice due to losing track of his hands. He shook his head and slapped himself in the face to wake himself up. Thankfully, the slap stung, so he brightened up quickly afterwards.

He took a second to look around the room. It was the room from the Sword of Vines. Did he black out in the Parchwood Timberlands? They must have carried him back if that was the case. That made sense. He was reasonably sure Gauth and Dahlia wouldn't leave him behind, and Zoe would drag him back from death just for the bragging rights. Al was probably upset that Jayce had been dead weight the whole way back.

He'd have to ask them how it went. He couldn't imagine fighting off that woman creature was anything short of harrowing. He tried to think back to that moment. What was the last thing he remembered?

A white hot needle of pain shot through his mind and nearly folded him in half as he instinctively reacted to it. Again, his limbs went heavy and numb as he dropped to his knees, cradling his head as he wheezed through the throbbing in his skull. Thankfully, in just a few moments, it passed.

"Gods-fuckin'-damn it all…" he hissed through his teeth, his skull pounding between his ears. "What the hell did that bitch do to me?"

He slowly stood back up, but it wasn't slow enough. The world began to pitch as a wave of vertigo crashed into him, and he threw out his arms to catch himself on anything nearby. His fingertips grazed the edge of the bed frame and slipped out of reach as he slammed into the ground with jaw-clattering force.

Jayce laid still, panting as he fought back a wave of nausea that had followed the vertigo like silt in the tide. He wheezed and coughed, gagging once before he finally managed to breathe. What was going on?

"I said, wake up, you idiot!" a voice screamed through the door.

A fist pounded at the door as Jayce numbly looked toward it. Who was screaming?

"If you don't come down right this minute, we're going to get started without you!" Al yelled.

Right. Al was screaming. Impatient as ever.

Another pain shot through his skull as he fought to his knees, but his feet wouldn't cooperate. Jayce glanced back and noticed he had somehow re-tangled his legs in the bed sheet again. Were they always white? He couldn't remember.

Jayce grabbed the sheet and yanked it off. Why did Al's voice sound so odd through the door?

Al pounded again. "Jayce, are you seriously back in bed?" he yelled.

"Keep yer shirt on! I'm almost out!" Jayce yelled back. Gods above, how his head hurt. That bitch must have really messed with him.

Jayce finally made it to his feet and stumbled toward the door, nearly crashing into it with his shoulder as he grabbed the doorknob. His hands felt clumsy and thick as he twists the round knob several times before it finally unlatched and opened to the hallway beyond.

The hallway was empty, both of people and decoration. Jayce again rubbed at his face and made his way to the stairwell, leaning heavily on the wall in case he lost his balance again. He almost wished he had revived back in the fight so he could punch that strange woods woman for whatever hell she had put him through. Or maybe and eldritch bolt through the face-

He paused at the top of the stairs. His body didn't hurt. It was just his head that did. How odd. What happened to him so that only his head would hurt?

He shook his head to clear it and made his way down the stairs. At the landing halfway down, he saw a flash of light from around the corner and cursed to himself. It seemed the others had decided not to wait for him.

Then he paused again. That also meant Dahlia had not waited for him. His chest felt tight at the realization.

"Fuck that hurts…" he mumbled to himself. Could he really blame her, though? He would imagine she would be excited to get her sight back-

The pain crashed into his mind again, a searing white-hot agony that made his ears ring at a fever pitch. Something was very wrong. He needed help, and quickly.

The world pitched around him again, and the floor disappeared as he twisted to try and catch himself. His shoulder slammed into the steps as he twisted and crashed down the stairwell.

He could hear his friends cry out in alarm, and the pounding of feet as they raced over. There was a pause as several voices clamored out around him.

"Let me through!" Dahlia called out. "Please give me space!"

Amorphous faces parted Dahlia, pale and beautiful, stepped into view. She lunged for him, her face full of worry...but then she paused, hesitating before she could reach him.

"Who...is this?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"That's Jayce," someone responded.

Dahlia shook her head. "No. You're wrong. Who is this?"

"That's Jayce," the voice responded, exactly as before.

Dahlia shook her head emphatically and gripped her ears. "No! You're wrong! You have to be wrong!"

"Dahlia…!" Jayce gasped, his hand limply reaching for her. He couldn't feel anything except the throbbing in his skull and shoulder.

"That can't be Jayce! That's a monster!"

His vision went white as she struck not his hand but his head with her heel, and the ringing screeched through his mind. He screamed in gut-wrenching agony as the world went black.

xXxXx

"I said, wake up you fucking idiot!"

Jayce jolted awake as someone's heel jammed into his shoulder, just behind the joint for his arm. He roared as the pain and anguish of whatever fever dream had just possessed him consumed his being, but it was thankfully short-lived. He immediately dropped his voice as a clacking sound chattered and abused his ears at an alarming volume. Jayce listened in abject terror for a brief moment before the clacking faded away, with the sound of something massive brushing through shifting debris that followed the sound in some hidden corner. Once several seconds had passed in silence, a voice above Jayce spoke.

"Gods-damn… Should have figured you were a screamer. You awake yet?"

Jayce panted, his eyes stinging from drops of sweat that had dropped into them. He blinked several times to clear his vision and then looked up, where he noted with terror that he had been lashed to a massive spiderweb, the threads thicker than his fingers. He wrenched and twisted, but his entire body had been wrapped in the sticky silk that trapped him against the messy web.

"Stay fucking still, you gods-damn idiot!" the voice hissed. Jayce immediately went stiff as a board and paused, his strange companion's intent quite clear in their predicament. Once another few seconds had passed in silence, Jayce fought to twist his head enough to look up, where he could just barely see a backwards pair of brown boots just above his shoulder.

Unfortunately, any attempt to move his vision farther was impossible due to the silk ropes that had him tangled in the web. All he could see if he tried looking with just his eyeballs was his brow, which was quickly giving him a headache.

"Who…?" Jayce gasped, his throat dry and sore. What had happened to him?

"Name's Cadwgawn, but Cad's fine. More accurate anyway," the voice responded. "You?"

"Jayce…" Jayce said weakly. His whole body was numb. "What happened to me?"

"You lied to Desdemona," Cad said simply. "How many questions did you get through?"

"...One?" Jayce sighed. Gods above, his eyes hurt. He wished he could rub the sweat out of them.

Cad sputtered a laugh. "Wow, you really are a fucking idiot. You didn't give her your real name?"

"That fuckin' name's dead anyway…" Jayce growled under his breath. He tried to twist his head toward Cad, but again was lashed too tightly to move. He sighed again and raised his voice just enough to be heard. "How long have we got?"

"Until her pets get hungry," Cad responded, his voice grave. "Until then, she feeds us these gummy ball things and lets us just 'hang around'."

"So could be a day, could be a week," Jayce groaned. "An' why's my voice sound weird here? Like it's got an echo."

"That's because we're on the ethereal plane," Cad responded. "Close as I can tell, anyway. I'm just lucky you got tossed at the web in a spot where I could reach. Oh, and sorry about your shoulder. Couldn't really shake you awake."

"Fuckin' fine," Jayce grumbled. "I'll live. Practically prefer this to that gods-damned nightmare I just had."

"Yeah, the toxin is pretty bad," Cad said. "Doesn't matter if it wears off though. Not like you can move. Well, not like I can move. You probably could."

"Why's that?" Jayce asked. He wondered if the toxin was still making his body numb, and that was why it was so hard to fight against the webbing.

"Because of that thing sticking out of your back."

Jayce went stock still. "The...what?"

Terrified, Jayce tried to turn and see what was actually sticking out of his back. What could it be? A weapon? No, he felt no pain, and he didn't seem to be dying...but was that only because he was numb?

He fought to look down, just to glance over himself, and though he could barely see anything, he could tell Cad was unable to see the whole picture as well.

Pulsing as if feeding fluid into his lungs, six thin tendrils had pierced his chest, just between his ribs, and moved with a life of their own.

xXxXx

"So kind of you to partake," Desdemona creaked through a grin. "That's my special blend of tea."

"I...am morbidly curious what's in it," Al said through a forced smile. He was constantly repeating all his etiquette lessons in his mind as his hand subtly trembled the teacup at his lips.

"Chamomile and ginseng," Desdemona said simply. "Although, why won't you partake, young elf?"

"I don't like tea," Dahlia said with a simple shrug, her hands still clasped in her lap. She had already popped all of the joints in her hands but that did not stop her from continuing to stress her knuckles. Her fear had long shifted to rage at the disappearance of the man she had come to realize was her best friend. She had already determined most of the rules of the game; continue to answer questions truthfully, and you stayed at the table. Lie, and you were taken away. Insult her, and her own temper flared. Now the only question that remained was if the temper had a breaking point. An angry opponent was far simpler than a calculated one.

"I don't abide liars," Desdemona hissed.

"And I haven't spoken one," Dahlia said flatly.

The monstrous woman glared at Dahlia, her eyes flashing as they searched Dahlia's person for any perceptible flaw. Perhaps it was because Dahlia was blind, but she did not flinch in the slightest.

"Everyone likes tea," Desdemona hissed.

"Except I don't. By that statement, you have just spoken a lie."

Desdemona screeched in rage and clawed at the table, as if tempted to crawl across it and rake her broken fingernails across Dahlia's face. Everyone at the table flinched, with the exception of Dahlia; to her, Desdemona had the temperament of a petulant child, albeit one with dangerous magical ability.

As suddenly as it surfaced, Desdemona's rage disappeared. "Ah, where are my manners?" she croaked. She rose from the table and gestured to the wall to her left. "Hungry, little lambs?"

With trepidation on their faces, they turned to the indicated wall. One tall cabinet, originally hidden behind bouquets of bluish dried herbs, opened on its own to show slabs of dry-aged meat, blackened along its surface from a desiccated crust of oxidized muscle fiber. As if that alone was not unappetizing enough, large coils of sausage hung directly next to it, colored purple and green due to some fungus growing upon the sausage casing. They stared a moment in horror as they collectively wondered exactly what kind of animal had been subjected to such disgusting butchery, and none of them dared risk a guess.

Dahlia, unable to see the display, shrugged and faced Desdemona. "I am not hungry right now, but I appreciate your attempt at hospitality."

"I...think I've lost my appetite too," Jonathan wheezed. He gently nudged his teacup farther from himself, as if it was somehow related to the meat in the cabinet.

"Perhaps something fresher would be more appealing," Desdemona grinned, her face almost cracking as that crooked smile threatened to spread unnaturally far across her features. "Do you have a preference? I have vole, horse, canine...among others."

"Thank you kindly, but I am not interested," Dahlia said, her tone still emotionless and flat. She could easily tell from the tone of her companions that they were all terrified, and she could guess their reasons; Bera seemed to have a phobia of spiders, which had been a running theme thus far, and even Gauth would hesitate in front of an obviously powerful mage. Desdemona's game relied on her victims being dishonest, and as that was the case, Dahlia was her friends' best chance at survival. She could only hope that, while she intentionally antagonized the strange woman, the others had some way of wordlessly communicating some sort of plan.

Dahlia also had to parse out why the names were important. Normally, such a question hardly mattered if a name was true or not unless the one who asked planned on following up on the person somehow, such as inquiring after their reputation among others. Considering Desdemona's location and demeanor, Dahlia found that reason to be incredibly unlikely.

"What about the rest of you? Bera, tell me what you want from my collection," Desdemona said as her smile cracked even wider.

Bera snapped up straight in her seat, her eyes wide with terror. "I-I-I'd like horse, please!" she stammered.

Dahlia pulled back in shock. Something had just happened there, but whatever it was, she had missed it.

"And what about you, dear Gauthak?" Desdemona croaked.

"I...want…" Gauth winced hard enough that Dahlia heard it, but he continued nonetheless. "Canine…"

Dahlia turned in Gauth's direction, her face twisted up in confusion. Did Gauth even know that word? It was pretty clear to her that he didn't want to speak, and yet he still finished his thought. What was happening?

"That doesn't sound like a consensus," Desdemona said with a crackling giggle to her voice. "Jonathan? Zoe? Would either of you like to add?"

"H-horse...for me," Jonathan grunted, the wince on his face audible in his voice. "Please."

"Pass," Zoe huffed, her voice full of disgust. Dahlia listened closely. She had to find out what was happening between her companions.

Desdemona shrugged and turned to the final companion. "Al? What would you like to eat?"

"I would like a chance to allow myself to settle, thank you," Al said, uncharacteristically polite.

Just like before, Desdemona growled under her breath at Al's response, but she quickly moved on. "Then we shall have horse. Greta! Greech! Please be little lovelies and fetch a horse for our guests."

For a tense moment, there was no movement or sound, but then the sound of dry twigs cracking and shattering clattered above them, accompanied by the sound of a horse whinnying in panic. The cacophonous sound drifted in from the cracks in the walls, but eventually became clear as the source crawled its way in from the gaping maw above the massive suspended brazier. Everyone flinched as a heavy body hit the flame, causing both a whoosh of cinders to flood the area above the brazier while the horse screamed in pain and panic. In seconds, the sound had settled to just the crackle of fire.

"Should be a few minutes then, unless you like it raw," Desdemona cackled. "While we wait, I would like to learn more about my guests. I-"

"I will speak for us," Dahlia cut in. Whatever happened to Bera, Gauth, and Jonathan, it was clearly initiated when Desdemona spoke to them. She had to prevent her from addressing them directly.

Desdemona growled, but faced Dahlia. "I am now curious. Was your mother not one for manners?"

"She was a woman who left the rearing of her children to others," Dahlia said, her voice flat and void of emotion. In truth, she was worried that this woman's ability to probe their minds was based on their own emotional state; Al and Zoe had both been affected by the calm spell earlier, and seemed able to brush off Desdemona's influence. Perhaps that was the key.

"Perhaps what you need is a mother figure," Desdemona said darkly, her voice deep and quiet. "I am in need of an apprentice. Perhaps you are interested, Dahlia."

Dahlia felt an icy claw creep up the back of her skull and latch into her mind, but she calmed herself and took a deep breath. The claw disappeared.

So that was what her friends had been experiencing when Desdemona spoke to them. She steeled herself and spoke clearly.

"No thank you, ma'am. You are not the type of matron I would be looking for."

Desdemona growled, low and grumbling, her fingernails scratching at the table as she slowly clenched a fist. "I would be willing to restore your sight, Dahlia."

Again, that strange claw dug its nails into her mind, her skull ice cold from the touch. Again, Dahlia steadied herself and took a deep breath. In through the nose. Filth, rot, vinegar. Out through the mouth. A tingle in her nose. She paused and breathed in again, and this time she paid close attention to the scent. Something sharp brushed by her senses, vinegar and spices, coupled with the foul smell of burnt grains. A spell, arcane in nature, triggered by the mention of her name.

The realization came to her in an instant. Desdemona needed their names to bypass their mental guards!

"I'm quite fine being blind, actually," Dahlia said, and this time she smiled. A plan was beginning to form in her mind.

"Surely you would love to see the faces of your companions," Desdemona replied, her voice deep. "Imagine...seeing them smile, watching them dance."

As Desdemona spoke, Dahlia felt that same icy claw clatter across her skull, but it found no purchase. This was not the same as the magical charm, but that did not matter. The strange woman would find no purchase in her mind.

Only part of her strength came from her heritage. Most of her mental fortitude came from her resolve to see her friends saved from this creature.

"I have a better proposal," Dahlia began. Her friends were beginning to whisper, terrified they would be heard, but so long as she kept the woman's attention, she was confident they would be just fine. "If you would refresh my tea, I will take one sip for every riddle I fail to answer. You have my word upon the light of the Dawn that I will utter no single falsehood, regardless of the question you ask me."

There was a heavy silence at the table, the others watching in morbid fascination as Desdemona clacked her ragged fingernails against her chapped lips. "I will play this game, but only if you swear to also answer every question I ask of you. Silence is not an answer I will take."

Dahlia's jaw went tight as she clenched her fists under the table. She had little choice if she was going to give her friends a chance to regroup. She had to choose her words carefully. "Then I propose that, for every true answer, you allow one of my friends to leave this room, to wait outside."

Desdemona's face cracked into an evil smirk. "That is fine with me, little lamb. We shall begin. What is your real name?"

Dahlia flinched. Of course that was the first question.

She sat up straight and faced Desdemona as well as she was able. "That doesn't make any sense."

"Little lamb, it makes enough sense that you know your current name is not your true one," Desdemona wheezed, a laugh just barely audible behind her lips.

"Then define for me a name. What would qualify as a 'true name' in such a way to satisfy you?" Dahlia asked.

Desdemona grimaced, and Dahlia hid a smirk of her own. To reveal so much would be to clue in the others to the specifics of her magic. Unfortunately, her smirk was more visible than she had hoped.

"I can see your plan, little lamb. Fine. I shall ask something else," Desdemona hissed.

Dahlia clenched her fists again and sat up straight, swallowing back the disappointment in herself. After a tense moment, the silence almost palpable between them, Desdemona spoke.

"How did you gain the name, 'Dahlia'?"

There was no hesitation in the answer, and Dahlia's voice was clear. "My anatomy teacher gave it to me because I tended to avoid his gaze. He likened my actions to the blooming of a dahlia bush. I was fond of the name, and as I traveled, it became a habit to use it."

Desdemona opened her mouth to speak, but Dahlia held up a hand to stop her. "Hold on. One of my friends may leave, remember?"

The woodland witch cracked her face into an evil grin and steepled her fingers. "Only if you sip the tea, lamb. Your first answer was not satisfactory."

Dahlia flinched. Technically, Desdemona was correct. Resigned to her fate, Dahlia brushed her fingers across the table until she touched the warm cup in front of her, and with the vessel cradled in both hands for her comfort, Dahlia brought it up to her lips. Chamomile and ginseng brushed her nose, but so did the slight hint of pepper. She had no doubt now; the tea was magically altered.

She could hear everyone catch their breath as the teacup touched her lips, and despite a prayer that she could at least drink the tea this time, the hot liquid made her pitch forward with a dry heave the second it touched her tongue. The tea splashed over her hand holding the cup as she clapped her left over her mouth in an attempt to avoid vomiting. Several seconds felt like torturous minutes before she finally, finally swallowed.

Dahlia gasped and cleared her throat, as she felt as if some of the errant tea had made it down her windpipe while she struggled. If it hadn't been for the medicinal tea she had been drinking each night, she wasn't sure she would have succeeded against this magically poisoned version.

"You really don't like tea," Desdemona mused.

"I said," Dahlia wheezed, her glare generically in Desdemona's direction, "I do not speak lies."

Desdemona grinned and then motioned across the table. "A deal is a deal. Pick one of your companions to leave my home."

Dahlia paused. She could clearly hear Bera begging the air to be chosen, and Dahlia couldn't blame her. Even she felt terrified, although clearly not to the extent of her halfling friend. However, Al would be able to scout the area, and his expertise would be useful if there was anything that could be used to their advantage outside.

As much as she wanted to spare Bera her current fate, Dahlia felt she had little choice. She sat up straight and faced Desdemona. "Al may leave."

Al immediately shot up from his stool and raced out the door, the comment, "No need to tell me twice!" fading on the air as Desdemona's rickety door swung on its creaking hinges. Desdemona growled and glared at the rest of the team, her eyes thin and dangerous.

"The rest of you will follow proper manners and ask for permission first," she hissed.

"You got it," Zoe wheezed, clearly nervous.

"I'm ready for the next question," Dahlia panted, her breath finally recovered from the trial by tea just moments earlier. Her throat hurt as if she had ingested acid, but she had to endure. She had to get her friends to safety, and then find Jayce.

She prayed he was still alive.

Desdemona turned back to Dahlia and sneered. "Of course, lamb. Now, Bera, why does your friend here speak for you?"

The answer was practically squealed out, with no hesitation between when Desdemona finished the command and Bera began. "She doesn't lie and she's really smart and she probably has a plan!"

Bera slapped both hands over her mouth, her eyes wide in terrified panic as she clearly did not intend to speak as she had. If it wasn't clear before, it was now obvious to the others that Desdemona was slowly gaining some sort of hold over them all.

Desdemona cocked an eyebrow, intrigued at that response. "You have a reputation, lamb. Color me curious."

Dahlia grimaced and swallowed back her fear. She should have required all questions be directed to her, rather than just trust that was a condition of the deal. "I am waiting for the next question, Desdemona."

A crackling laugh escaped the withered form of the strange woman as the sound of blistering meat searing above them became audible. Either in a tactic to stall or prolong the suspense, Desdemona called for "Greta and Greech" to retrieve the meat and serve it to her guests. Everyone looked up, even if they lacked the ability to see, as two massive spiders, the blue and white ones from before, crawled out of the smoke above them. Lashed between them on strands of charred spider silk was the remains of a horse that had been burned alive, its fur and mane long gone from the hellish heat in the brazier. Exposed bone was blackened with soot from the filthy flame, the muscle of the beast far past well done on the side directly in contact with the coals. Without ceremony or regard, Greta and Greech, identical in all visible ways, dropped the corpse the twelve feet from the ceiling to the round table, where it slammed the surface hard enough to bounce all the teacups a good few inches in the air. Zoe, Jonathan, and Bera all screamed as the stomach of the beast, filled with boiling bile, was crushed under its own weight and the expired creature vomited across the table in its death.

Gauth looked at the beast, rage seething in his veins. This was a needless, terrible death, and he wanted nothing more than to subject the horrible woman across from him to a similar fate. His fists clenched at his sides, his jaw set and tight, he reached for his axe-

"Ah-ah-ah, Gauthak, calm yourself. Take a bite to eat," Desdemona cooed, her voice grating on their ears. "I know you're hungry."

His limbs clearly moved on their own, his arm shaking as Gauth did everything in his power to resist her strange voice. No one missed her sneer as Gauth grabbed a front limb of the horse and easily tore it from the corpse, his teeth sinking into the shoulder meat before anyone could protest.

"What the fuck are you doing to us?!" Zoe snapped, her stool clattering as she jumped to her feat.

"Sit, Zoe," Desdemona growled in warning. Zoe and the witch woman locked eyes, Zoe's limbs straining against some unseen force.

"N-no…!" Zoe grunted, her hands planted against the table as if it would keep her from dropping into her seat. "I-I'm...leaving!"

"I'm not playing the game with you anymore; I'm playing it with our little lamb. Sit, Zoe."

Zoe punched the table and finally stood up straight. "Fuck you, bitch!" she spat, then turned on her heel and marched to the door. She yanked on it, clearly shocked that it did not immediately bend to her whim, and grabbed the handle more solidly to give it another try. With another jerking pull, her muscles strained mightily against whatever magic held the door closed, when she suddenly reeled backward...as the handle had broken off in her hand. Even so, the door remained firmly shut.

"I will not say this again," Desdemona hissed. "Sit, Zoe."

Zoe's body shuddered again, but she walked back over to the table, reset her stool, and wordlessly sat, her eyes attempting to bore holes in Desdemona's skull through pure rage. Although she had followed the command, she tried to make it clear through expression alone that she had done so under her own will, and not because she had been told to comply.

"Please, Desdemona," Dahlia quickly begged, her own rage at the woman drowning in her fear for her friends, "the next question. Play your game. I'm ready."

Desdemona's face literally cracked in a smile, her cheek threatening to shatter as her dry skin stretched across her jaw. "Ah-ah-ah, first things first. Gauthak, you should swallow."

Everyone at the table turned to Gauth, his jaw tight and the muscles in his neck strained from tension. Despite his clear attempts to resist whatever magic Desdemona held over him, they all could do nothing but watch in horror as Gauth audibly swallowed the chunk of charred meat he had been holding in his mouth since the command to bite. Even so, he did not gag or choke, and his eyes burned with a terrible anger as he glared at the forest witch.

"There…" Desdemona wheezed, her words whistling through her teeth like pressurized air escaping from a sealed vessel. "Much better. Now we play."

Dahlia fidgeted under the table, her thumbs nearly popping from the pressure she put on them. She was beginning to regret having cracked her knuckles already.

"Dahlia, please tell me… Who is your mother?" Desdemona creaked, her voice unnervingly soft.

Dahlia could hear the cruel smile in the woman's voice, and despite herself, she flinched at the question as if it was a literal barb. Again, that icy claw crawled up the back of her skull and dug its claws in deep, but this time, she was powerless to resist. Cold, jagged nails raked her mind with malicious glee as her voice ripped itself from her throat.

"The Genetrice, the keeper of the blood, our guide and noble guardian," Dahlia spat, her voice choked between strain and an ambush of sobs. Tears welled in her eyes as she realized how powerless she was to stop the flow of speech from her own lips. "She who bore us and to whom we owe our lives and loyalty. Mother Eternal."

Now the witch's intent was clear. Desdemona had noticed Dahlia had been keeping secrets, and if she wanted to save her friends, it would be at the expense of their friendship. Dahlia dropped her head in shame as tears trickled down her face, her body tight as a coiled spring. As soon as they left Desdemona's hovel, she knew she would have to leave them.

Maybe she should do something desperate. She had a few things in her medicine bag that could become explosive if mixed together; perhaps she could take them both, save her friends, and they would never have to deal with her demons again. Her hand drifted to her bag at her side. All she needed to do-

She needed to stop. She had promised Jayce not to kill herself in desperation, and he was still at the mercy of that terrible, cruel woman. Dahlia bit her lip hard enough to nearly break the skin and looked back in Desdemona's direction. At least until Jayce was safe, she had to see this through.

Of course, she could not see the stare of shock from the others in the silence. None of them had expected such an answer from her. Jonathan and Zoe shared a quick glance of worry and fear in the tense pause. What kind of parent would be described in such a manner? Even their father, who terrified them both, would not elicit such a rote response from them.

"Good," Desdemona grinned, a gleeful laugh in her voice. "Now, drink, Dahlia, and then choose."

Dahlia's hand shook as she slowly searched for the teacup, the frigid claw still crawling across the back of her mind. Her resolve renewed, she tried to resist the machinations of Desdemona's strange magic, but Desdemona's magic proved too powerful. When the cup touched her lips, she took the tiniest sip she could manage, and nearly spit the hot liquid across the table as soon as it touched her tongue. Again she gagged, but she managed to swallow the enchanted liquid between lurches of her stomach.

She already knew exactly who to choose. "Gauth," she panted. "Gauth leaves."

"A deal's a deal, little lamb," Desdemona cackled. The door swung open with a loud, ear-scratching creak with a wave of her hand. "Go on, Gauthak. Step outside."

Gauth shuddered, his muscles straining against her magical influence, but he was powerless against her. He stood, but before he left, he grabbed the horse's carcass and shouldered it awkwardly as his feet attempted to leave without him. Unable to do anything else, Gauth marched right out of the hovel and disappeared outside as the door slammed shut the second he crossed the threshold.

"Dahlia," Zoe said, her voice thin and weak from a terrified whine, "you don't have to do this. You can stop."

"We can fight for ourselves," Jonathan quickly added.

Bera whimpered, terrified to speak lest she, once again, babble something she did not intend. As much as she shared the siblings' sentiment, she was terrified and wanted to leave. She knew it was selfish, but she felt she had no other option; Dahlia had to continue so she could escape.

There was a heavy silence as Dahlia parsed her words. Desdemona watched them all, her fingers steepled as she leaned back in her chair. She was clearly amused by this little game of hers.

"I...will continue," Dahlia whimpered, her voice shaking from tears. "We have to bring spring back to the forest. Desdemona, I'm ready."

"Why…" Desdemona creaked, intentionally drawing out the word to watch them squirm in suspense. "...did you run away from your mother? Spare no details, Dahlia."

That frozen claw clenched her mind with vengeance, and she had a split second to decide. Should she allow herself to speak, so her mind was free to think of a way to counteract the magic? Or should she resist as she was able, to avoid potentially saying anything too damning for her friends to forgive?

She couldn't risk it. She had to resist, even if it meant being under that woman's influence even longer. "I...was the autopsy specialist and medical examiner for...the prisoners...of my family," Dahlia huffed. She nearly relaxed, but then the spell dug its claws ever deeper and forced her to speak further. Details. She had to come up with details. Something safe to say. "I...was required...to assess their health...before they…" She winced as the words felt as if they were scratching at her throat for escape. "They were used...for breeding...and food."

Finally, the spell released her. She nearly slumped against the table in weakness at the sudden relief. Even so, a chill shivered up her spine. Did she say too much?

"I couldn't...I couldn't stand it, so… I found my chance, and I ran," Dahlia wheezed. Please, she begged the air. Please understand I never wanted that life.

"Good," Desdemona purred, a terrible sound of gravel that imitated a speaking voice. "Now take a sip, little lamb."

A soon as the relief faded, Dahlia was overcome with an onslaught of rage. She grabbed the teacup and downed a gulp, almost as if she was taking a shot. Her throat clenched in panic, but she persevered, and she even managed to suppress the coughs that would have otherwise wracked her throat.

"Bera," Dahlia wheezed, her intense glare in Desdemona's vague direction as she wiped tea from her lips. "She's next."

Bera's stool clattered at she launched from her seat, practically diving at the door. Desdemona cackled in malicious glee as Bera scrambled at the door's surface, still void of handle, as she tried to find any purchase with which to open it. After several seconds of panic, the door whipped open of its own accord, but Bera nimbly dodged to the side and dove through the now open door, disappearing into the falling ash beyond. The door slammed shut as quickly as it opened, and Bera was gone.

"Next question, you obtuse limp-wristed gasbag," Dahlia hissed. Desdemona had gotten far too bold with her questions, and now Dahlia could possibly lose her friends as soon as the dust settled and they had a chance to talk. On top of that, Desdemona had been making her drink the tea despite answering the witch's questions. If Dahlia could get the witch mad enough to rant, it would give her a few precious seconds to think through counteracting the tea they had all consumed.

Desdemona seethed as her fingernails scratched at the table, one of which popped off from the force as the wood splintered under her ire. "We are here to play a game, Dahlia," Desdemona hissed. "Not antagonize me with your foul mouth."

Dahlia stood from her seat, her gaze locked on the source of Desdemona's voice. "You are here to play your game, Desdemona. We are here to find out why you are possessing a woman in the Sword of Vines, why you are choking the forest with your damnable ash, why you are stealing men and women from those they travel with, and why you insist on hiding behind cowardly charms instead of facing your guests under your own power. You want to play a game? How about we play one of mine."

Desdemona slammed her hands on the table, the teacups shattering under a magical force as the room began to heave and clatter around them. Jonathan and Zoe both cried out in shock and alarm, stumbling away from the table as it began to lift and slowly spin. It creaked as the boards began to splinter away from each other, as if Desdemona's rage was literally tearing the table apart. The room felt devoid of air as the witch breathed in, her chest rattling as she clearly intended to scream her response-

The wall behind Dahlia shattered under massive force as the burnt corpse of a horse flew into the room. The support that had held up one of the three chains for the massive brazier exploded from the collision, sending the brazier swinging wildly into the far wall. Red hot coals rained down on those who remained in the room, burning through cloth nearly instantly to leave behind inflamed skin.

Desdemona seethed and glared at the assembled faces. She raised her hands, locking eyes in the strangely slow moment of Gauth charging, his axe poised to strike, when she hissed, "Alright, lambs. My turn."

xXxXx

The world shook, a strand of spider silk snapping behind Jayce's shoulder and pitching him forward. He yelped in shock as the webbing stretched and bounced, finally settling with him hovering about a foot above the strangely blue-tinted wooden floor.

"What the hell just happened?!" Cad yelped. "You brought friends, right?! What did they do?!"

"Like I got a fuckin' clue!" Jayce yelled. He thrashed against the webbing, but it held tight despite its recent damage. "Unless you got some special magic trick, we're cut off!"

"I can't do shit while my hands are tied," Cad grunted. The web shook as it was clear he was also attempting escape. "You got any spells that are just vocal?"

"I don't even know what the fuck that means…!" Jayce growled. He thrashed with renewed vigor, the webbing straining against him as the tendrils in his chest heaved with him. They pulsed, as if injecting him with fluid, when his eyes flashed with dark fire and something bubbled up his throat. He offered no resistance as an unseen power bade him to speak.

"Let. Me. Go!" he roared, and the air around him exploded into dark slivers of metal that slashed the air with viscous speed. The webbing was eviscerated into useless scraps as the slivers disappeared, although the air carried a whiff of sulfur. Soon, even that was gone without a trace.

Jayce landed on the ground with a heavy thud, the blue-black flame flickering across his shoulders. He was free. He could move! He leapt up to his feet and turned, finally able to see the man who had roused him from the nightmare, and even as his sword flashed into his palm, ready to strike the limp webs, he had to pause.

Cad had been lashed to the web backwards, his face hidden as his backside had been hanging out nearly level with Jayce's face once he stood. What caused the concern, however, was the clearly visible silver tail that had been stuck to the web at an awkward angle, curled almost painfully on the side opposite from where Jayce had cut himself free.

"Well?! Are you going to cut me free or not?!" Cad yelped as he tried his own thrashing against the webbing. "I'm still stuck here!"

"Fuck! Right!" Jayce chirped. Cad's voice had snapped him back to reality and he quickly slashed at the vines. The magical edge to his strange blade made short work of the binds, and Cad finally dropped to the ground, the silver scales on his face and strikingly blue eyes obvious even in the strange not-quite-light of the ethereal plane.

"Gods above, I'm finally out," Cad whined in relief as he rubbed life into his arms. He glanced over himself and shook out his thick tail, straightening out a brown embroidered tunic cinched at his waist with a heavy pouch-laden belt. "I'm numb all over."

Due to the silence in response to his comments, Cad glanced over at Jayce, who was still holding the burning blade in silence as he stared at the silver dragonborn. A mischievous smile crawled along Cad's face as he realized Jayce was numb from shock.

"Boo," Cad puffed right into Jayce's face, which caused the half-orc to startle backwards. Cad nearly burst out laughing as Jayce went red from embarrassment and frustration.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Jayce spat. "We're stuck in some goddamned ghost plane with no fuckin' way home, and you're jokin' around?!"

"Yeah, well, you were staring, and it was rude," Cad snickered. "Consider us even. Now, let's move before those spiders get back."

Cad's eyes dropped to Jayce's chest, and despite his already silver-white scaled face, he seemed to go slightly pale in disgusted fear. "And find some place to figure out what...all that is," he said, motioning to Jayce's torso.

"Trust me, I ain't a fan of it either," Jayce grumbled.

A shockwave pulsed through the air, briefly pushing them off a step with the force. Instinctively, they both dove to hide behind nearby debris as Desdemona, her body seeping a black smoke, like liquid shadow, appeared in a puff of dark mist and screamed in rage. Within a breath, her two damnable spiders appeared in the fog beside her.

She threw out a hand and hissed commands, which her spiders followed without hesitation. One of the blue and white pets, its back speckled with black soot, clattered toward their hiding spot with murderous speed. Cad glanced through the debris that hid them and quickly grabbed a buckler and ripped a curved sword from a mummified hand. With a glance and a nod, Jayce brandished his own sword, ready and waiting for the spider to make it into range.

The crosshilt on Jayce's falchion split and stretched, a newt's eye revealed in the brief moment before dark shadows swam and clung to the spider's legs. Jayce leapt over the debris and used the momentum to slash downward, the shadows guiding his blade to strike across the spider's eyes. Blue-black flame flashed across the spider's head as it let out a screech that sounded like nails scratching porcelain.

It immediately retaliated, twisting its head to clamp its jaws around Jayce's waist and tear at him, its fangs pumping poison directly into his body. He could feel his muscles lock up as fire throbbed in his veins, but rage and stubbornness refused to let him die. Fueled by pure anger, Jayce released the sword, slammed a fist into the spider's gnashing maw, and summoned the blade back into his palm. The blade instantly pierced the spider's jaw, unhinging it on its right side as it thrashed in agony.

Cad leapt over the debris in that moment, his sword wreathed in green eldritch flame as he attempted an attack against the spider. At the last second, it yanked Jayce into the way of the attack, and Cad barely pulled his blade back in time. Horrified at Jayce's current predicament, Cad ripped a silver scale off his neck and focused a spell into it, barking out a command in a harsh language that wrapped Jayce in a silvery light. The spider hissed and chattered, forced to drop Jayce as it backed away, twitching as if something had clawed into its mind.

Another shockwave buffeted them both, and the spider disappeared into thin air, as if it had never existed. Jayce faltered and nearly dropped to a knee, but Cad managed to grab his arm and steady him.

"Don't you pass out on me!" Cad roared. He shoved a potion bottle in Jayce's hand. "Chug it down while we got a chance to breathe!"

Not one to question a gift, Jayce immediately popped the cork and forced himself to swallow the brackish solution as quickly as possible. Immediately, the wounds around his waist began to glow red and seal, and the strange tendrils pierced through his coat shivered as if pleased. Jayce couldn't help but grimace in disgust and Cad shuddered in agreement.

Another shockwave and they immediately brandished their weapons, just in time for Desdemona, bloody and seething, to appear just feet away from them. Jayce threw his hand forward, cursing with fury as blue-black flame erupted from his palm. She heard the magically charged insult and ducked to the side, her tiny eyes flashing with rage of her own as the blast harmlessly whizzed by her shoulder. Despite their small size, Jayce could easily see the gaze of her eyes flash between the two of them.

"Cadwgawn, take care of him, will you? I'm busy," she hissed.

Cad recoiled as if someone had punched him in the gut, his body tensed like a spring as he heaved through his teeth. Jayce looked at him in shock, completely unprepared to react as Cad's blade ripped through the air and Jayce's arm as the half-orc stumbled away. The silvery mist that clung to Jayce's skin fell away, almost as if ripped away by the strike against him.

"What the fuck?!" Jayce yelped, his sword disappearing as he gripped at his now nearly useless arm. "Cad! I ain't the enemy here!"

"I can't-! Control-!" Cad huffed through his teeth, straining against the magic that gripped him. His movements were awkward and jerking, as if he was pulled along like a marionette on strings guided by an unpracticed novice. "Run! I can't… fight her!"

Jayce scrambled backward, his footing almost failing him as he stumbled through the clutter and debris around them. Cad lurched forward, sword first as if it was pulled along independently from his grip, but Jayce had already made it out of reach.

Cad pulled up his arm, clearly ready for another strike despite the clear anguish on his face. Even though he knew it was a risk, Jayce glanced behind him to check his space, and a spiderweb with unnaturally thick cords hung just inches from his nose. He couldn't retreat any farther, and he knew just one good strike from Cad could actually kill him. His mind began to race in panic. Cad's borrowed sword flashed as it caught strange light from the distant darkness, when an idea suddenly jumped into Jayce's mind.

Dahlia told him the best way to diffuse a tense situation was with confusion. Time to see if it would work.

"Hey Cad! Why did I put little hats on that witch's pets?!" Jayce yelped as loud and forcefully as he could, despite his pain and panic.

To his relief, Cad hesitated. Even though he was unfamiliar with the facial expressions of a dragonborn, he could clearly see Cad was confused.

"It was just to spider!" Jayce yelled. His arm was beginning to throb with fiery pain and his throat was tight, but he refused to look away. If this failed, and Cad really did strike, he refused to die like a coward.

Cad's arm began to shake, the sword above him shuddering for a brief moment before Cad's hand went limp and the old sword dropped to the ground. Failing to hold back mirth and surprise, Cad folded in half, gripping his stomach as he burst out in a guffaw.

"Sp-spider?! What?! Wha- Spite? The hell?!" Cad gasped as soon as he caught his breath. "You yelled at me for joking around and then you go and spit that out!"

Jayce felt as if he might collapse in relief. "Yeah, but you ain't that bitch's puppet now, are you?"

"Holy shit you're right!" Cad said, his face a wide, gleeful smile. "You got more of those?"

"Thousands," Jayce grinned.

Cad picked up the sword and slapped it against the buckler with a mighty clang. "Then let's hunt a witch," he smiled darkly, his eyes burning with determination. "Let's give as good as we got!"

"Great, now I got a fuckin' stupid idea," Jayce grinned, his eyes filled with mischievous intent. He slipped off his bag just long enough to grab a potion from inside and chugged it down. Once again, Dahlia's work was more potent that he had expected, but it did its work beautifully. The wound on his arm knit and healed to little more than a bruise as he looked Cad back in the eye. "Next time that witch pops in, we jump 'er and hang on like fuckin' barnacles on a ship until she pops us back. Sound good?"

"I like it," Cad beamed. "She should be showing up any second now. You ready?"

Jayce nodded and ran to the center of the odd room, dodging debris easily as Cad followed. He shifted his backpack to sit more solidly and widened his stance, his arms out as he had seen Zoe do during their grappling practice. He knew he would have only one chance, and then the witch would be tipped off to their plan.

The shockwave buffeted from behind, shoving him nearly off a step, but his wide stance was solid. He shifted awkwardly, twisting hard before he launched almost blindly at the figure behind him. Desdemona screeched as Jayce's arm's clamped around her neck and arm in the same grip Zoe had once used on him.

He barely felt Cad grab the back of his coat before there was another shockwave, a stronger one that nearly threw him from Desdemona's body, as one of her damnable spiders, bloody and hacking a dark hemolymph from its unhinged jaw, appeared in the space beside her. Bera's scarf, dark and wet, was tangled in its mandibles as it screeched and leapt to the aid of its master.

Cad immediately let go and charged the beast, just as Desdemona screeched the command that passed her between the planes. In an instant, Jayce felt cold to his bones, but he had no time to think; as soon as they had returned to the mortal plane, Desdemona screamed out, "Gauthak, help me!" and clawed at Jayce's grip around her throat. Jayce responded by throwing out his hips and yanking her backward, twisting her hard enough that her arms flailed about harmlessly.

Al, bloody and burned from magical flame, yelled for Jayce to look out as Gauth, under the mercy of Desdemona's spell, rushed them both, his axe raised and ready to strike. Gauth's face was twisted in anguish as his body clearly moved on it's own, and Jayce knew he had barely even a second to react.

"What do you call a boomerang that won't come back?! A stick!" Jayce screamed.

Gauth skid to a stop, his face now twisted in restrained amusement as a giggle barely made it past his lips. Desdemona glanced between then in shock, completely confused as to what just happened.

Jayce smirked. "Hey, buddy, fuck 'er up for me."

"With pleasure," Gauth growled, his body heaving as the humor from the joke melted away and all that flooded his mind was the torture this creature had placed upon his friends. How carelessly she treated the lives around her, how maliciously she hunted her prey. He could not, and would never, forgive her for her transgressions.

Jayce planted a boot on the small of Desdemona's back as she barked out Gauth's name, but she was unable to finish her command as she lurched forward from Jayce's kick. Gauth dropped his axe and locked both hands around her throat, wrenching and squeezing with all his might as she began to choke and writhe in his grip.

Another shockwave shook the room, and Cad, tangled in the now completely jawless maw of the large spider, appeared among them while he stabbed repeatedly into creature's face. It thrashed against him with its may legs, and Al, more concerned it would win and attack them again, leapt on the spider's back and drove both his blades under the exoskeletal plate at the base of its head. With a mighty twist, the spider went limp with jarring speed, which caused Cad to stab into its eyes twice more before he truly believed it was dead.

All those gathered turned to Gauth, his mighty frame towering over the form of the demented woman as she began to choke and collapse under his grip. She shuddered, her legs buckled beneath her, and Gauth followed her down. With a twist, he slammed her head into the floor and pressed his grip, hard enough to choke her voice, but not hard enough to snap her neck or knock her unconscious. Desdemona gasped and wheezed, her jagged nails scratching and digging at Gauth's flesh, but he took no notice. Tears gathered at her unnaturally small, dark eyes, her voice croaking the names of her pets, almost incomprehensibly begging for help or mercy, and it suddenly became abundantly clear to them all.

Gauth was prolonging her death on purpose.

Al twisted, his eyes scanning the room as he slid off the spider's corpse, and he paused as soon as he spotted Dahlia among them. She was bloody from a spider's bite, her hip drenched in her own blood, but her face was emotionless. Numb. As Al looked around, he could see the others wince or grimace, unwilling to get involved but disproving all the same...all except Dahlia. Unlike the others, her cold demeanor seemed almost approving of Gauth's actions.

What did that witch do to her after he left?

The room shuddered, the brazier flaring above them as Desdemona's death throes possessed the hovel. Furniture suddenly launched itself at them, the floor bucking under their feet as if alive, the brazier flaring with lethal heat as they dodged chairs and flatware. They all screamed and dove for cover, mostly behind the bodies of the spiders as those seemed exempt from Desdemona's magical flailing. All except Gauth, who continued to squeeze the life from her, gasp by gasp, and Dahlia, who remained numb as she listened.

Then there was an audible snap, and the room dropped into a deafening silence. The brazier fell unnaturally cold, as if the fire within it had been drenched months ago, and everything that had been flying through the air dropped with the weight of heavy stones. The only thing anyone could hear for several moments was the beating of their heart in their ears.

Gauth sat back on his heels and let his head fall back, the rage leaving him as if rain had washed it away. After a heavy sigh, he stood back up, his movements sluggish and awkward, as if he had lost the feelings in his limbs, but he was not yet done. Standing above Desdemona's corpse, he raised a foot, and drove his heel into her skull.

With a squelching crunch, the witch was no more.

"Gauth, you… okay?" Al asked. He took a hesitant step toward his friend as he sheathed his blades on the back of his belt. He trepidatiously held out his hand toward Gauth but did not place it on the giantkin's back, despite having closed the distance between them.

"Yes," Gauth sighed, his shoulders slumped as he gazed over the corpse. "I am...myself."

"Okay, good," Al said as he finally patted Gauth's back. "Good to have you back. Now we just need to get Jayce-"

"Oy, fucker! I'm right here!" Jayce called out. "You fuckin' yelled at me-"

"Get Jayce back for that damn awful joke!" Al finished, glaring at the half-orc in question. Jayce nearly yelled a retort, but his voice was stolen as Dahlia almost tackled him with a hug.

"You're back! Dawn's light, you made it back!" Dahlia cried as she squeezed Jayce around the shoulders. "I didn't- I'm sorry!"

Jayce wrapped her in a warm and welcome embrace and held her close, just for a moment. He allowed himself the indulgence, even though fear still tugged at his heart. Memories of so many nightmares came to the front of his mind, called by her touch. It took nearly all his will to ignore them.

"Wouldn't leave you with these fuckers alone," Jayce snickered. "'Sides, can't really keep my promise from...wherever I was."

"Yeah, where were you?" Jonathan asked. His pants were torn around a bloody and nasty spider bite across his thigh that was nearly the entire length of his upper leg. "What happened when you disappeared?"

"I can answer that one!" Cad's voice called out. "As soon as you all help me get this goddamned spider corpse off of me!"

"And that's Cad," Jayce snickered. He motioned for Gauth and Al to join him as he walked over to the dead spider. "He woke me up from the web I was stuck in, and helped me escape."

The three of them stood at one side of the spider, hands planted against its carcass before they began to shove in unison at Gauth's signal.

"You…!" Cad huffed, his cheeks puffing out as he heaved with the others to remove the spider, "probably did...more of the escaping part!"

With a final shove, the dead spider was pushed off Cad's chest, where it immediately rolled to its back and clenched its legs. Everyone twitched, but thankfully there were no overreactions to the strange death throes. Cad stood up and brushed himself off, his tunic slashed through where the spider had ineffectually gnawed at him and was drenched in both blood of unknown origin and the spider's own blood-like fluid.

"Pleasure to meet you-"

"Sorry! Sorry, sorry," Dahlia squeaked. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I want to do a head count. I haven't heard Zoe or Bera speak and I'm worried."

"I'm here," Zoe grunted. Her coat had been removed and tied tightly across her chest to staunch the wound on her back. "Gauth got me good when that bitch had him enthralled, or whatever it was."

"I could not control myself," Gauth mumbled in shame.

"Trust me, I get it," Zoe huffed. Her jaw was tight from the pain, but it was clear she held no grudge against him.

"And Bera?" Dahlia asked.

There was silence, and everyone looked around, trying to spot her. Cad pulled Bera's headscarf from his side, where it had been plastered to him from the mixture of blood and hemolymph that soaked both his clothes and the cloth. He held it out to the others. "Is this...hers?"

"Oh fuck no," Zoe gasped. "That is hers!"

"Everyone hush!" Dahlia barked. Instantly, the others on her team fell to silence, but Cad watched in confused concern as Dahlia tilted her head in strange ways. After a moment where the chill of the Parchwood Timberlands finally breached the cracks in the walls, Dahlia carefully picked her way to a fallen cupboard by the door frame, which only held its door by the might of a single rope hinge.

The others watched as Dahlia kneeled down by the side of the cupboard before she gently pulled open the single door on it, and tangled within among the potion bottles and herbs was Bera. The halfling had not managed to avoid the bloody attacks that plagued them all, and she was panting through her teeth, her arms clenched around her ears in fear. Her normally wild hair was slicked back and stuck to her face by the power of viscous blood, but it was unclear if the blood was hers or from some other source.

"Bera, can you hear me?" Dahlia asked softly. Bera whined and curled up tighter, so Dahlia tried again. "Bera, you are safe now. Our enemies are gone, and I need to assess you. I can smell blood."

"No shit can you smell blood. She's practically drenched in it," Cad whispered. It seemed wrong to speak too loudly in that moment.

"Hush. She's blind," Jonathan whispered sharply back.

Cad's eyes snapped open in surprised and he turned to Jonathan, but the only response he managed to glean was Jonathan putting a finger to his lips with a clearly annoyed expression. Resigned to wait, Cad turned back to watch the blind woman gently remove the halfling from the fallen cupboard.

"She's very hurt," Dahlia said to the air, even though Bera was practically cuddled in her lap. "Everyone, get as close as you can. I don't have much left, but if we can rest for a while, I can pray and heal you."

"How much is a while?" Al asked.

Dahlia winced as if embarrassed. "Give or take ten minutes?"

Al threw his head back and groaned into his hands before he finally responded. "You want us to hang out here for ten minutes?! Next to the corpses?!"

"I can't move while I'm praying, and there are far more animated corpses beyond the door," Dahlia said quickly. "Ones that are probably no longer magically inclined to leave us alone."

"Well, it'll give us a chance to chat, and if we're lucky, a chance to figure out how that witch shifted between planes…" Cad said as he scanned the room. He noticed Al right next to him and smiled. "Thanks for the save, by the way. I appreciate it."

Al shrugged. "Better a dead spider than the alternative, but you're welcome. I gotta say, I haven't seen a dragonborn around in a while. Where're you from?"

Cad waggled his flat hand. "Dwendalian Empire, thereabouts. You all? I'm at a loss for names."

"Speaking of," Jonathan whispered to Zoe as Al recited the names of everyone in the room to Cad, "some names weren't exactly truthful."

"Yeah, Jayce," Zoe whispered back. "That clearly wasn't his real name. Think we can ask him about it?"

Jonathan intentionally ignored the fact that Dahlia's name was also untruthful, despite being said in such a way that Desdemona could not call it a lie. "I...don't know. You've seen the power he wields, right?"

Zoe huffed and crossed her arms, then decided against it when she realized such an action stretched the skin on her already tender back. "Yeah, I've been paying attention. Last couple fights were… Yeah that's not natural."

"We need answers, and I'm concerned asking Jayce directly won't get us truthful answers," Jonathan whispered.

"And where are we gonna get them? If we can't trust Jayce, we don't really know anyone who can answer those questions," Zoe shot back, as quietly as she could. "Only thing I can think of is getting him fucking drunk and hoping he slips up."

Jonathan placed a hand on her shoulder and gently turned her away from the group so they could whisper more confidently. "Then that's our plan. Once we get back to the Sword of Vines, we'll 'celebrate' our triumphant return."

xXxXx

The requested ten minutes passed faster than most of them anticipated, especially once Cad nearly passed out from the poison left over from the spider-made wound in his chest. Thankfully, all he really needed was something to settle his constitution while the poison made its short-lived journey through his system, and by the time Dahlia had finished her prayer and given Bera a dose of a paste made from setwell herbs, he had recovered to the point of being able to walk. By then, Gauth, Al, and Jayce had taken every corpse they could find and thrown it into a pile where the brazier had dumped its coals, and restarted the pyre to ensure the bodies were sufficiently destroyed.

The warmth and light was welcome, despite what it revealed in the corners of Desdemona's destroyed hovel. Even so, with everyone searching, they managed to find a black, heart-like crystal on the witch's person before she was burned, which Cad identified as a "heartstone", and a leather bag that had been crafted with tanned human skin and dried sinew. Rather than identify that, Cad tossed it onto the fire, and no one objected.

Using his knowledge of the arcane, Jonathan managed to activate the dark stone, which briefly sent him to the ethereal plane. Several minutes later, he returned, his arrival announced by a small radial burst of air, and in his arms were Cad's missing bag, several pieces of armor that looked to be in good condition, and a few wands that Jonathan was convinced still had magical charges within them. Al and Jayce both wanted to claim the armor, but after several rounds of boulder-paper-sheers, Jayce managed to claim the set and replaced the single leather breastplate he had been using thus far.

Cad nodded his approval as the others gathered whatever they could scavenge from the hovel. "Your friend managed to find a good set there."

Jayce twisted his arms to check the straps on the leather-backed chainmail vambrace, one of a pair that matched the chainmail and leather vest that was connected to enough of an independent leather sleeve to protect his left shoulder. "Hells yeah he did. Gettin' fuckin' tired of leakin' like a sieve each time we get into a fight."

"Speaking of being poked full of holes," Cad said quietly. He glanced about to see what the others were doing and was pleased to notice nearly everyone had been occupied with arranging the sleeping Bera's transport back to the inn. He dropped his voice and stepped closer to Jayce to keep the conversation private. "What was that thing in your chest on the other plane?"

Jayce shuddered and threw on his coat with all haste. "Hell if I know. Been seein' that fuckin' thing in my dreams. I think. It's usually bigger. What'd you see on my back?"

Cad grimaced and couldn't look Jayce in the eye. "Nothing good. Almost looked like a cross between a melted squid and a beholder's eye. It followed your spine from the small of your back to the base of your skull, with that damnable eye between your shoulders. I've never seen anything like it before."

Jayce unconsciously rubbed the back of his neck as he heard the description. "And...any idea what it is?"

Cad crossed his arms and shrugged. "Just a guess. A demonic leech, usually left behind when there's a claim on your soul."

"The fuck?!" Jayce said, his voice as tense as his limbs when he nearly recoiled from Cad's comment. "How the hell did I get some goddamned demon leech on me?!"

Cad shook his head. "Can't say. That's wandering into warlock territory, and unfortunately, my knowledge of the arcane ends at a few spells I picked up while training alongside mages. You...didn't happen to bargain your soul away for power, did you?"

"The fuckin' hell I did not!" Jayce hissed. "You'd have to be an idiot to do somethin' so stupid!"

Cad sighed and shrugged again. "Then I don't know. Just...you seem like a good sort, and I believe you when you say you never intended a contract. I'd look into this, next chance you get. It's a fate I wouldn't wish on anyone, and I was Desdemona's pin cushion for weeks."

Jayce paused in rebuttoning his coat and turned to Cad. "If...this is a demon pact, any advice for getting' out of it?"

Cad shook his head. "Without knowing the patron that hosted the contract, or the contract itself, your chances would be worse than an icicle against a magma mephit. A name would be your first step. The next time it communicates with you, try to become aware enough to speak with it. Maybe...with some luck, you can learn its name."

Jayce nodded and finished buttoning his coat, although one button was stubborn as Jayce was clearly distracted. Cad patted him on the shoulder for comfort, but then turned away, as he had nothing else to add to the conversation.

Dahlia concluded her prayer, and while bleeding wounds had knitted shut, the blood lost still stained the clothes of those assembled. Bera had been swaddled in Gauth's rain cloak and lashed to his back with what rope they could find. Jonathan and Zoe had found enough dried herbs and charcoal to summon Puffpaw, who had been injured during the fight and had retreated to the realm of spirits to escape death. Ten minutes had passed in relative peace, mostly due to whatever they had chosen to keep themselves busy.

Even so, Al was an exception. After he had made himself scarce once he lost the small hand game to Jayce, he had found an opportune place to hide away and listen. Once again, his curiosity had gotten the better of him, and he had overheard everything between Cad and Jayce.

He slipped away, outside the door as he heard the others assemble and get ready to leave. With the modicum of privacy that afforded him, Al parsed through what he heard. Jayce was apparently possessed by a demon, or at the very least some kind of fiend, and that was why he seemed to have magical ability. It was then that a dangerous thought entered his mind; Perhaps the demonic influence was to blame for more of Jayce's faults, and there were quite a few. To name several, Jayce had his temper, his obsession with puns…even his green skin.

If all of that could be cured with the breaking of a contract, perhaps it would be worth a look. Jayce may even feel indebted to him, and of course would want to return the favor. Al teased his lip over his teeth as he thought about the possible ways the favor could be returned.

Al nodded to himself and turned to call the others outside. He even had an idea of who he could talk to, once they made it to Whitestone.

Finally, the others were ready to move on. As soon as they left the hovel and began the trek back, Al sidled up to Gauth and quietly conferred with him before anyone else could catch on. It was the work of a moment to fill in Gauth about Jayce's particular relationship with a demonic entity. After all, it was never wise to keep secrets from friends.

xXxXx

Caidove was pacing outside the Sword of Vines, long after her patrons had gone to sleep. Despite the late hour habits of some tavern-going guests, she worked hard to make the Sword of Vines a place of rest and tranquility, and so it was actually quite rare to have anyone stay at the bar past midnight. She had the peace of a quiet night all to herself as she walked a worn path on the edge of the hallowed grounds.

Audria stepped out of the back door, pausing for a moment as she watched her wife walk in increasingly serious circles on the edge of their property. There was a moment where she marveled at the power of the Wildmother, because even in this strange, cursed forest where the dead haunted the bone-like boughs of the woods, green and vibrant life flourished upon the small parcel of land that held Melora's blessing.

"Dove, come inside. Please. I need… Fuck." Audria rubbed her face hard and looked back up at Caidove, who was still pacing. As embarrassed as she was to ask for help, it still felt worse to be ignored. "Caidove! Stop the goddamned walking for one second and look at me!"

Caidove dug her heel into the ground for a hard stop, her body tensed like a spring as if she expected an attack. As soon as she realized who spoke, she breathed a sigh of relief and dropped her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, darling. I'm...worried for you. And them. I don't know how we're going to pay them back, or if they'll even make it back, and if they fail… Tonight will be the third night." Caidove hugged herself and shivered. "You know how magic likes sets of threes."

Audria reached for Caidove but hesitated, and then withdrew her hand and pressed the heel of it into her face. "I know, and I- Just-! Fucking hell…!"

Immediately, Caidove closed the distance between them and held her wife tightly in her arms. She was far too familiar with her wife's habits to ignore what was, to her, an obvious cry for help.

"Hush, darling. I have faith. Wildmother willing, they will return, and you will be safe." She stroked Audria's hair as her wife settled into the hug. "Until then, we'll work together to keep you awake. We could read together, or… Oh! We haven't cooked together in so long. I still have gooseberries. We could make that jam you like, and fill some tarts while we wait."

"I don't deserve you," Audria whined into Caidove's chest. "I yell at customers, I break dishes, I scare off assholes, last few nights I've literally attacked you...and you wanna make pastries like it's all okay. How do you still love me?"

Caidove smiled and nuzzled her face next to her wife's. "Because I do."

"Pfft. Like that's an answer," Audria mumbled, but not in a way to be taken seriously. Caidove chuckled and rested her chin on Audria's head, just to rest a moment in the comfort of the shared embrace, when she looked out into the Parchwood Timberlands and gasped.

The Ceylon Seven had returned.

xXxXx

Despite the late hour, the kitchen was in full swing as Caidove baked and cooked up a storm, bolstered with magical prestidigitation to enhance the flavor beyond what was possible on short notice. Audria had broken out the good ale that had been ordered specially from Emon, and couldn't wipe the grin from her face as the Ceylon Seven all imbibed the expensive drink. After all, they no longer had to fear possession from an evil creature they couldn't find or track. It was a time for celebration, and a celebration was not a time to be frugal with one's gifts.

Gauth, Al, Zoe, and Jayce all quaffed the ale with gusto while Jonathan and Bera cheered them on, Dahlia silently listening at the table as she just listened to her friends in joy. The trepidation that they had felt at Desdemona's hovel was finally gone, and the realization of their victory had taken its place. Cad had joined them, but he was more interested in stuffing his face with baked treats than with drinking, and he had already learned that wooing Caidove was the fastest way to get Audria to pull a blade on him.

To his credit, Caidove was more amused than threatened, which helped Audria calm down and go back to serving drinks.

Gauth slammed his mug down and threw up his arms, the clear victor who kept his cry of triumph to himself when Dahlia quickly threw a finger to her lips. After all, people were still sleeping upstairs, and they would only tolerate so much noise. Even so, she had a smile on her face, so Gauth smiled back and, as quietly as he could, extolled his own abilities to absolutely crush his opponents in drinking contests.

Jayce landed his mug next, followed by Al, and then Zoe, who blamed her trouble on the particularly fizzy ale she had been handed. To prove her point, she then belched loudly enough that they were surprised the table didn't rattle. Despite Dahlia's previous warning against excessive noise, they all burst out laughing and steadied themselves for another round.

Once again, Gauth was easily the victor as he practically emptied his mug before the others had gotten halfway through theirs, and once again he threw his arms up in victory as Dahlia, Bera, Jonathan, and Cad clapped and tried to quietly cheer for him.

Just as Jayce pulled back his ale to gasp for air before taking another gulp, Zoe attempted to tip her ale into his to fill his mug.

"Hey! That's fuckin' cheatin'!" Jayce laughed. He elbowed her hard enough to shove her almost off step, but she threw herself back over him.

"No! I'm losing! Lose with me!" she whined, once again trying to dump her ale into his mug. Despite the chaos of the moment, she managed to successfully dump all her remaining ale into his mug even as he tried to pull it out of her reach.

Thankfully, Jayce took it in stride. "Hah! All that ale's fuckin' mine now, bitch! Get yer own drink!" he laughed. Again, he shoved her away, only hard enough to actually get her to move, before he again quaffed it down, every drop disappearing down his gullet with clearly practiced speed.

Zoe glanced at Jonathan, who gave her a slight nod in return. In the revelry of the others, it was a subtle movement that was completely missed.

"Round three?" Jonathan asked, his own mug barely touched as he had to keep his wits about him. If the competition continued, Jayce would easily become inebriated enough for a drunken interrogation in a few more rounds.

"Yeah! I'll crush you all!" Gauth yelled, only to be backhanded in the side by Al, who quickly reminded him to shut up. Gauth coughed awkwardly as the others giggled, and Caidove beamed as she placed another platter of strawberry tarts on the table.

"Oh, it's fine. All the plants I grow in here help to muffle the sound for anyone upstairs, so you can afford to be a little free with your volume," she said brightly. "Besides, we can't fault you for being excited. Honestly, what you've done for us…it's beyond my thanks. I wish I could do more."

"You've done enough," Dahlia said quickly. "I had already suspected the witch had caused harm to our horse, Kake, and that was more-or-less confirmed during our talk with her. She was a clearly evil being, and the world is brighter without her."

Gauth harrumphed and crossed his arms. "Kake is… Al, what is the word for, uh…"

"Probably 'avenged', buddy," Al hiccuped, leaning heavily on his palm. "Oof. This stuff is good. I don't know if I can go another round."

"Then eat first," Caidove said gently. "It will help you."

"Did I hear another round?" Audria practically chirped as she returned with six mugs, all filled to the brim with the sparkling ale.

Unable to say no to the drinks once presented, the group jumped for it, with Cad joining in as the quick gobbling of pastries gave him the time to state his intention. To their absolute shock, Cad quaffed the ale so quickly Gauth nearly spat his back out when he realized he had been beaten by the silver dragonborn man.

By the end of the fifth round, after another win by Cad and even one win by Jayce, it was clear the inebriation was catching up to all of them, as Al had literally passed out at the table and Zoe as swaying in her seat and getting frisky with anyone who happened to walk into range, so long as they were female. Audria got amusingly flustered when Zoe called her pretty, to which Caidove loudly agreed that her wife was quite beautiful. Audria, red as a beet, retreated from the room with haste as the others giggled at her expense.

As Gauth shouldered Al to take him upstairs and grabbed Zoe by the back of her vest to help her walk, Jayce caught Caidove's attention and called her over to the side of the bar while the others talked.

"Uh, ma'am, I...gotta admit, I'm pretty fuckin' foggy right now, but I gotta ask; is all this…" Jayce motioned across the room where Dahlia and Jonathan were animatedly talking about various spells, especially Hold Person, as they both held iron nails to compare over tarts, "is this gonna put you out? Just...last night, it sounded like you ain't good for gold, and-"

Caidove, embarrassed, held up a hand to stop him. "I'm sorry, but don't fret over this. We will make it work, and you all deserve so much more for what you've done for both me and my wife, and our livelihood. Honestly, you have our thanks, and evermore should you return someday."

Jayce shook his head. "No. I ain't one to put people into debt, and seein' as I got a windfall I'm still sailin' on, I've got enough to spare if you need some coin. Please, let me help."

Caidove gripped her arms, and it was clear she felt small despite Jayce being several feet shorter than her. She sat on a barstool so they could more easily converse at eye level and turned to him. "It would be cruel of me to ask you to pay for a meal made in thanks, especially as it was a gift. I...don't-!"

Caidove's voice caught in her throat as tears welled behind her faltering gaze. She buried her face in her hands and fought the sobs with everything she had. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice weak from the extreme emotion hidden behind her words. "It's been a long night."

"Dove?" Audria came up to her side and rubbed her back, completely ignoring Jayce as she tended to her wife. "What happened? Are you okay?"

Caidove rubbed away small tears and nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. Jayce was offering to pay for the meal, and-"

"Then he fucking should!" Audria snapped. "You know we need the money-!"

"Audria!" Caidove barked, embarrassed more than angry at Audria's outburst.

Jayce reached over and took Caidove's hand and gently held it in his own. "Ma'ams, please, it'll tear me apart if I know I was the cause of your grief." A thought came to him. "Last night, y'all mentioned 'paperwork'. You ain't in legal trouble, right?"

Audria shook her head emphatically and planted both hands on her hips. "No. Fucking greedy bastards in Whitestone are asking for a damn ridiculous amount of money to adopt a kid. To pay for the 'processing and paperwork', if you'd believe it. Assholes are practically asking to bleed us dry just to have a family!"

Caidove's eyes went wide with panic as she realized Audria had just dumped their problems on a guest of the Sword of Vines. "Oh my gods, Audria! Jayce, I'm so sorry. Please, don't pay us any heed; they're our problems, so we will solve them. You don't need to shoulder our anguish."

Caidove suddenly lost her voice as she realized Jayce's face had gone dark and cold. He gripped her hand solidly, then ducked a hand into a pouch at his side before practically burying a fistful of coins into Caidove's palm. Before he removed his hand so they could see the bounty, Jayce locked eyes with them both, his own practically on fire from a deep-seated resolve in his soul.

"You take this, don't you dare say anythin' about 'no', and you get that kid outta that system. You bring them home, you love them to pieces, you raise them right. Better yet, if you can, find a pair of siblings, and keep them together, like a family should be. Promise me you will, and every fuckin' coin you got in your hand is yours to keep. You get me?"

"We...we promise," Audria whispered, as her wife was mute from shock. Even then, it was strangely hard to believe, but then again, he could have just placed coppers in Caidove's palm. Audria was doing her best to mitigate her excitement, even as her heart ached and hoped for a miracle.

Then Jayce removed his hand.

Silver in color, but edged similarly to a copper coin, one hundred platinum coins rested in Caidove's palm. They were small, despite their value, but as soon as Jayce's hand was removed, Caidove practically had to scramble to catch the clattering coins before they could tumble from her grip.

Caidove and Audria took a moment to fully absorb the idea that a literal fortune had been dropped into their hands, and they both looked at Jayce dumbly as they failed to process it all.

Jayce, his face as serious and grave as an undertaker, matched their eyes one last time. "You save those kids, and give them a good life. Don't...let them turn out like me."

With that, he turned and walked away, begging the Dawnfather to give them every blessing on their journey to become a family.