I hope everyone has been enjoying the story!
This chapter took a bit longer since finals week of my summer semester just wrapped up.
Anyway, here is the third chapter!
I don't wanna sugarcoat this
Stop dumbing down all my emotions
When it just sucks, when you're holding on for your life
To a rope that's just floating in the night
Floating In the Night - Judah & the Lion
Karlach had met the Zhent before. They ran the black market of Baldur's Gate and the lands surrounding. They cared little for much besides coin, and if they could be said to have a creed, it would only be to make as much gold as possible.
The two survivors crept from the cave, hesitant and fearful. The older man had his arm in a sling that was soaked with blood, and the head of the young boy was wrapped with a bandage, but neither of them had any injuries that looked permanent. The younger man eyed the party with distrust, but made no hostile movements. Tav was knelt by Lae'zel, as she sat against a rock. She winced as he removed the remains of her broken pauldron, revealing the scale mail beneath. Tav began to hum a small tune, his hand on her shoulder. Her expression melted into a relief that proved just how much pain she had been in. Tav mumbled something to her that sounded like 'dislocated, not broken'. The older Zhent stumbled up to the group, leaving his younger companion to gather what little supplies hadn't been destroyed by the gnolls.
"By the gods, you're a sweet sight. Are any of my crew still alive out there?"
Tav shook his head without looking at him. "No. It's a grim sight."
The man cursed under his breath. "This whole journey has been one grim sight after another. Gnolls, goblins, drow." He spat to one side. "Risen road's more dangerous than ever. You're the first friendly face we've seen since Elturgard."
Tav looked up thoughtfully. "Elturgard is a long way from here. Where are you headed?"
"We're bound for Bauldur's Gate - got some cargo to deliver. But we've got to make a stop along the way."
"Where's that?" Tav asked. He had moved to Lae'zel's other side, holding her left forearm up so he could see the gash. He began humming again, his hand hovering over the injury as it knit close.
"Waukeen's Rest. It's just up the road. I'd be enjoying a mug of ale right now if those beasts hadn't jumped us." He paused, considering the four of them. "Listen, you look like you know how to handle yourself. You should meet my associates. We've got our own drinking spot by the tavern." He leaned in with a conspiratorial wink. "Invitation only. Tell the fellow by the door 'Little serpent, long shadow'. He'll take care of you.
As the two Zhentarim departed, Tav stood up and helped Lae'zel to her feet. She winced again, but from where Karlach was standing, she looked much better. Tav stooped down and grabbed the scrap of silver armor he had removed and offered it to the gith. She took it without comment, and strode through the scattered bodies of the gnolls, where Astarion had begun removing the ears. She pulled a pouch from her bag and opened it for the elf, where he dumped his supply.
Karlach turned to Tav, confused. He pointed at one of the gnoll corpses nearby.
"Gnoll ears are a potent potion ingredient. They are essential to potions of speed." He explained. "There is a wizard in our camp that is a passable alchemist." He looked her over briefly. "May I?" He said, with a gesture to her thigh.
She was confused for a second, before she looked down and remembered the wound left by the fangs of the hyena.
"Oh—uh, yeah—of course, that's fine." Karlach was still unaccustomed to this kindness. She took a seat on a stone near the base of the cliff, and Tav sat across from her. He began humming a tune Karlach vaguely recognized as his hands hovered above the injury. The feeling of her wound closing made her itch something fierce, but she ignored the sensation as best she could and looked at the other two as they gathered the ears.
Lae'zel was moving with caution, a slight limp hitching her step. Even though her injuries had been healed of any lasting damage, it clearly still pained her. Karlach watched with some concern as Lae'zel stumbled slightly, but the gith caught herself with her sword and glared at the ground angrily as she stood again.
Tav saw the worry on her face and glanced in the direction she was looking, before smiling slightly.
"Don't let her see you making that face. She'll probably take it as an insult." His voice was tinged with humor, and Karlach guessed he had made that mistake before. His hands moved to hover above the shoulder where Karlach had been knocked into the cliff face. She felt the bruise fading, and sighed with relief.. "Just in case she doesn't tell you herself, thank you for stepping in to help her." Tav said with sincerity.
"You care about them." Karlach said. Tav glanced behind him at his companions. Astarion had shanghaied Lae'zel into an argument about who had actually landed the killing blow on the Flind. Tav chuckled at their debate, but his face sobered quickly.
"If the military taught me one thing, it was to take care of my unit." Tav said with surprising seriousness.
Karlach studied the elf as he continued to heal her wounds, occasionally humming a brief tune to perpetuate the magic. She had so many questions for him but she didn't want to rush into tragic backstories just yet. Instead, she asked "Why do you hum instead of whistling, like you have with the gnolls?"
Tav adjusted on the uncomfortable stone. "It's about focus. I use music to channel my magic, like any bard does." He gestured with his chin at the glow from his hands. "When I whistle, it's like a chisel. Precise, direct, and with forceful intent. I usually only need to whistle when using magic against an enemy." He had finished humming, her wounds more or less healed completely. "The humming is more like a brush, meant to cover someone or something. It's also less specific, usually just an idea, like healing a wound or giving courage to an ally." Karlach nodded. It made sense.
Tav stood up, and offered her a hand. She smiled slightly, grateful for his kindness at least. "Unless you want me to torch your arm, I probably should stand on my own. Thank you though." she said, getting to her feet as well. He blinked, then his expression cleared in understanding.
"Ah. Yes, thank you for, well, not doing that."
"Anytime, soldier." She hefted her sword, placing it back in its sheath. She tested her leg, ensuring it had healed properly.
"Anything feel strange?" Tav asked, nodding at her caution.
"Good as new." She said, "Thanks for the top up, doc." Tav quirked an eyebrow, but nodded, and turned to his other companions as they returned from the carnage.
"Anything interesting?" He asked, his gaze turning to the mace Lae'zel had claimed from the Flind. The gith held the weapon out to him, a look of faint disgust on her face.
"This…weapon, if you could call it that, has some enchantment, but it feels strange." she stated haughtily. "What do you make of it?" Tav tested its weight, examining the flail like a jeweler.
"It has some kind of healing magic." Karlach offered, remembering the strange orb of light that had traveled from the weapon to the beast. Tav nodded, as he looked along the length of the weapon with one eye.
"It seems to be a cruel joke. If I'm not mistaken, it has some kind of hex that forces the wielder to attack those nearby or be driven mad, but also keeps them alive long enough to do it." He held it at arm's length, scrutinizing the mace with a tilted head. "It sounds like pain and fury." He handed it back to Lae'zel. "I'd just sell it when we next find a merchant. The magic is powerful but fickle." The gith nodded, and put the weapon away in her pack, as well as the small, bloody pouch she carried that Karlach guessed was the bag of ears Lae'zel and Astarion had collected.
The party did one last check around the field, before they resumed their journey back to the camp Tav said they had made on the shore. As they walked, Karlach considered how much her life had changed in the last few days. Not even a week ago, she had been an unwilling pawn in a war in hell. Now, she strode under trees to the sounds of songbirds and the occasional conversation from her new companions. She had companions! Karlach hadn't had an ally in years, at least not one she thought she could trust. Even her "friend" Zoe wasn't someone she could rely on. As a cambion, Zoe was only concerned with her temporary enjoyment, and would as soon as help Karlach as push her off of a cliff if it amused her.
But these strangers, these fellow infected, seemed like the type Karlach could trust to help her, to fight with her, instead of just by her. She took a deep breath. Now or never Karlach.
"Hey, soldier." She started, uncertainly. Tav looked over at her. He and Karlach were a few yards behind Astarion and Lae'zel, who were discussing how much the mace might be worth and who should get the gold. Karlach hoped they weren't listening. "You know my engine?" Tav's eyebrow raised again, something he did frequently, Karlach noted.
"I do." he said bemused.
"Well, it's been giving me some trouble."
"What kind of trouble" he asked, concern furrowing his brow. She shrugged slightly.
"I'm not sure. Its been sounding wrong. Like something isn't turning right, or something's come loose." She pounded her chest slightly. "I doubt I'll be seeing my mechanic any time soon. So I was hoping…" she trailed off. She hadn't asked someone for help, real help, in years. Then she had done so twice with this man in less than a day. It bothered her to feel helpless. She shook her head. No use in crying over spilled oil. "When I first met those paladins, they mentioned a tiefling nearby who was an infernal blacksmith. I was hoping we could try and find that person, whoever they may be." She looked over, and saw that Tav looked thoughtful.
"There's a blacksmith, Damon, from Elturel. He's a tiefling. He might be the one you're looking for." He looked at her. "We can swing by the grove on our way back to camp. We have to pass by it anyways, and we can get some supplies while we're there."
For the second time in basically as many hours, Karlach felt a weight lift from her soul.
"You sure know how to show a girl a good time. You save her life, give her a fight to the death, then take her out for rations and a check up." Karlach grinned, her relief making her giddy. For a moment, she thought she saw a slight blush appear on Tav's face, but he laughed, and when he looked at her again, it had cleared.
"Yes, well, it's all part of a bard's training. Wooing and whatnot." He smiled, and then looked to the others, who appeared to have reached some arrangement, though from the victorious expression on Lae'zel's face, and Astarion's thunderous one, she could guess what the deal looked like. "Hey, we'll make a quick stop at the grove to restock and offload some of our loot. We need to visit Damon and ask him for a favor."
As the group resumed their path, Karlach listened to Astarion bemoaning the fact that he would only be getting 30 percent of the gold from the mace–I killed at least half of the monster–and smiled. Sure, she had a tadpole in her head and a faulty engine in her chest. But she also had a chance. A chance to live. And dammit if she wouldn't fight for that chance with everything she had.