Chapter 10
In the morning, I walked up to Astarion who was wearing his purple tunic and had his weapons ready for an outing. He smiled another Cheshire cat smile and greeted me, "Good morning my dear. How was your sleep."
"Uneventful, once that mosquito stopped trying to sting me," I responded more annoyed than angry.
"Very funny Dresden. So, we're square on the subject of my… situation?"
"Depends. You clear on my terms?" I asked sharply.
"No innocents, you have my word. Only villains who we're going to kill anyway." Astarion said in clear delight.
"Good. Now what kind of vampire are you?" I asked, resulting in a confused look from Astarion.
"What kind? I'm not quite sure what you mean. I'm a spawn, not a full vampire, if that was what you meant. But considering the light show last night you should already know those are the only kinds of vampires."
Interesting. Only one flavour of vampire in this world, or Astarion isn't as knowledgeable on the subject of vampires as his current predicament would suggest.
"There are different types of beings in my land that are categorised as vampires. I want to know your strengths and weaknesses."
"Strengths: The usual extra strength and speed, hard biting and seeing in the dark. The really good powers are only attainable to a full vampire. As for weaknesses, that's where things get interesting because right now I have almost none?" Astarion said, with a giddiness in his tone that was more genuine than his usual flamboyance.
"What do you mean 'right now' you have no weaknesses?"
"Since the tadpole. All of my usual weaknesses are gone. I can walk in the sun, wade through a river, enter homes without invitation. And from the looks of it, my aversion to religious symbols has been reduced to a merely uncomfortable rather than searing agony."
"That's… interesting. This parasite has got to have some magical qualities to it. A purely biological conversion wouldn't stop vampiric weaknesses. At least, not until you were changed into another being." I said mind racing trying to think of a magic that could achieve so much and came up empty.
"Our tadpole is certainly special. All the more reason to keep adding to its power." Astarion said with a hungry moan.
"No, we shouldn't add to its influence over us."
"You are no fun, Dresden. Where's your ambition?"
"Sat somewhere safety behind my common sense and desire to stay tentacle-free, a sentiment you should share pretty boy."
Astarion flinched at the thought in a highly satisfying manner before he continued, "Right… Anyway, I'm just glad you were sensible about this whole revelation. And here I thought it would be all pitchforks and stakes." Astarion looked over my shoulder and sighed, "Though there is still time."
I looked behind me and saw that everyone was standing behind us, having heard the bulk of the conversation.
"A vampire living among us. That should make things more interesting at least." Gale said casually.
"He can stay. But if I find him trying to have a nibble in the night. I'll blast him to pretty cinders." Shadowheart warned
"He'll turn into cinders if he bites me anyway so he's alright with me. If he can keep his fangs off my other friends." Karlach added.
"I second that. Harm anyone in this group Astarion and by the blade I will end you." Wyll declared smiling up at Karlach afterwards in support.
"You even look at my neck blood drinker and I will tear your intestines out through your gaping jaws!" Lae'zel spat in her lovely and not-at-all-scary fashion.
"Enough. We need him if we're going to survive this, and we've already agreed he's only to feed off of our enemies." I said firmly.
"There now were all friends again," Astarion said
I grunted at him and directed him, Karlach, Shadowheart and Gale to follow me to go and get Karlach's heart fixed.
We went back to Dammon where he greeted us with a smile, "How fares the search?"
"We found the infernal iron," I said as Karlach pulled it out of the pack.
"Please let this work," Karlach said with quiet desperation.
"Mm. The weight of it. And the blaze of chaos. Can't imagine this where my heart should be. Must be quite the experience." Dammon said with a craftsmen's curious hum in his tone, he turned around and banged the metal into a different shape. He handed the warped metal to Karlach and said, "There. You'll have to install it, I'm afraid. I don't think there are thick enough gloves in all the realms to protect from that kind of heat."
Karlach took metal and slid it neatly into her chest. The sound of a socket being put into place could be heard over the usual sound of low flame in her abdomen. "That feels… good. I'm still burning hot as Hell's hole, but I feel less… changeable. Cheers, mate." Karlach said with emphatic gratitude.
"Pleasure. And as for the heat, I haven't got any solutions yet, but I'm not giving up. Could be if the combustion chamber had its own insulation, or if we had a kind of enchanted coolant… Find me again in Baldurs Gate. If I'm worth my salt, I'll have figured something out by then." Dammon said with enthusiasm.
Dammon turned to Karlach and continued, "Take care, Karlach. And hopefully, the next time I see you, I'll have something promising to report. Pocket any infernal iron you find along the way."
We nodded our thanks to Dammon and moved away from the forge. I turned to Karlach who said, "Dammon's upgrade didn't cool me down, but it did juice me up. I don't think I've ever felt more powerful."
"Then let's get to that goblin camp, rescue the druid and find you some evil to kick in the ass," I said smiling and nearly lifting my hand for a fist bump before deciding against it.
"Hell yes! But we should also catch up with Dammon when we can. Would really like to cool myself down enough to touch people."
"We'll get on it as soon as possible fire girl."
"Thanks, soldier."
We then teleported back to the blighted village and went forward through the old and moss-covered buildings until I saw a group of goblins standing around a windmill. As the windmill turned, I saw a small man with pointed ears and deep grey skin tied to one of its blades, "Stop this thing!" the small man cried.
We went up the short set of stairs to the windmill, when the goblins finally noticed us, a yellow-skinned goblin with an axe strapped to his back came to greet us, "Look at this, lads. More birdies wanting to fly." The yellow goblin said with an aggressive chuckle in his voice.
"What the hell are you doing?" I asked, focusing my will on my staff in case things got messy.
"What's it bloody look like? We're teaching the pipsqueak here to fly."
"Fine, why? He doesn't look especially aerodynamic."
"Aerody…what?" The goblin said, confusion interrupting his cruel merriment.
"Aerodynamic. Like bird wings, and I can't see any on your friend over there. I would suggest getting him down. Before I give you a lesson on flying, right over the windmill." I said cheerfully, putting a slight growl into the last sentence.
The goblin's confusion kept him from registering the threat at first, but after mouthing the words he snapped back to attention and barked, "Hey! Get 'em boys. These birdies are gettin' plucked."
At his word, all the goblins pulled out their weapons. There were about three goblins and two of those bear-dog things, which Gale informed me are called Worgs, on the ground with us, and at least two on each upraised hill connected to the stairs up to the windmill. The yellowed goblin struck at me first with his axe, but I had been waiting for it and blocked it with my armoured duster. As he pulled back to swing again, I pointed my staff at him and yelled "Fozare!" The little yellow goblin catapulted through the air and hit the stone wall of the windmill. Not quite over the mill but I never was good at aerodynamics. "Class is now in session!" I bellowed as one of the worgs came charging at me. I dodged out of the way, just barely missing the creatures' jaws. Thankfully Karlach was just behind me and after letting out a fiery and berserk howl of rage she ran at the worg and smashed its side with her axe, the creature yelped with pain and bit into Karlach's leg. She grunted with pain, but the worg was worse off as its mouth came away scorched. The other worg came in to defend its companion when Astarion came flipping over the both of us and onto the uninjured worg's back. Astarion buried his short sword and dagger into the animal's back and clamped his mouth onto its neck. The worg tried to buck the vampire off, but it was no use, two arrows pierced Astarion's back, but it did not stop him from riding the worg down to the ground draining it of blood. The other worg was quick work to Karlach, who after kicking the creature in its burnt mouth to stun it, buried her great axe into its head. Karlach and Astarion faced the two goblins holding bows in their hands, Astarion finally noticing the arrows in his back hissed at the goblins. My two companions charged at the goblins, Astarion slashing the throat of the left goblin and Karlach chopping the right one with her axe.
I was unable to help with the worgs as I was shielding Gale and Shadowheart from arrows and fire being thrown at us by the four goblins on the upraised hills. Gale pointed his staff at the goblins on the left hill and shot out a blast of purple energy. It hit the goblins with a clap of thunder, and they went flying off the hill and fell down to the ground unmoving. One of the goblins on the right waved his hand with green energy pulsing from it, and suddenly my knowledge of how to use my magic was clouded. My shield disappeared and the other goblin threw a bolt of fire at Gale hitting him in the shoulder, Gale went down on one knee clutching his burnt shoulder. In response to this, Shadowheart waved her hands down in a smiting motion and a bolt of light from the sky hit the goblin. It didn't die but the hex it placed on me faulted, and my mind cleared up again. I pulled out my blasting rod and hit the goblin with a lace of fire that went straight through it. The other goblin tried to fire at me in kind but found itself on the end of a lightning bolt and globe of light courtesy of an injured wizard and irritated cleric.
After the battle was over Shadowheart healed up Gale's burnt shoulder. I looked over to Astarion, the two arrows still sticking out of his back. He looked to Karlach, "Mind pulling these out, I won't need healing. The blood I drank will fix me up." Karlach nodded and pulled the arrows out of his back, resulting in a muffled scream of pain from Astarion. As Karlach got healed, I heard a yell "Get me down from here!" Oh right, the person I was going to save.
"Coming!" I said moving to go into the windmill. The door was jammed but I noticed the structure was smashed from the back and moved to see if I could access it. As I did, I noticed Shadowheart getting distracted by a statue that was just behind the windmill. The statue was broken in half and the top end stared at Shadowheart, a golden pendant draped on its neck in the shape of a moon. Shadowheart's mark glowed again, and she winced in pain. I walked in front of her trying to get her attention with a concerned look, "We should get moving." Shadowheart said trying to shrug me off.
"What just happened?" I asked not letting her drop it.
"Shar protect me, I don't quite know," Shadowheart said with a confused look replacing her pained one.
"What did you feel?"
"I felt an odd familiarity, I don't know why. I saw something that reminded me of my faith… my mission. I felt it rise within me like my blood was on fire. Then it passed. That's all I know. It's stopped now whatever it is. Let's carry on."
"No, we agreed you'd be more honest with me. I want to know why the mark hurts you, did Shar give it to you? You can tell me Shadowheart, please." I said trying to not sound overbearing.
Shadowheart let out a breath, "Very well. Yes, Lady Shar gave me the wound as my burden. It never quite heals, and it rips into me with terrible pain at times, but it is an extension of Lady Shar's will… her influence."
"Why would Lady Shar do that to you?"
"I cannot say-not with what I can recall. But even then, it would not be for me to question her will. Lady Shar has her reasons."
"Yeah, I've known gods like that. Usually, their reason is base cruelty." I spat in barely suppressed rage. Yeah. Yeah, I know. I've been working on the whole chauvinist thing, especially since signing up with Mab, but it still pisses me off to see a woman in pain.
"That comment only shows how little you know of Shar's teachings. Pain is sacred to her followers. Pain gives way to loss, and then to the peace of her eternal darkness. You can tolerate a great deal of suffering if it's for a purpose." Shadowheart said annoyed.
"Alright then, what purpose do you think Shar has in torturing you?"
"I… I don't know" Shadowheart said her annoyance giving way to worried contemplation, "Perhaps it's to guide me or punish me for failing her. I'd like to believe there's more to it like Lady Shar is going to reveal something to me when the time is right."
I moved closer to Shadowheart placing my hand on her arms lightly she looked up to me when I said with less heat this time, "Or maybe it's just random. Maybe she is a cruel goddess who likes pain. It wouldn't be the first time a figure of authority took advantage of a person. In my experience, it's the most efficient way to be cruel."
Shadowheart looked at me for another moment before shaking her head and pushing my hands away, "Lady Shar has a reason she has to, and that's the end of it."
I was about to argue again when I heard another yell from the man on the windmill, I let out a breath and said, "Fine agree to disagree, but think about what I said alright."
Shadowheart nodded and we moved to the back of the windmill, which was caved in and exposed two levers. I pulled the one that was labelled break and the windmill slowed to a stop. We moved back to the front of the windmill, thankfully the small man was tied to one of the blades closer to the ground.
"Aww, I was hoping to watch him spin for a bit longer," Astarion said childishly.
Karlach responded to this by smacking him upside the head. I gave an approving smile.
"Cut me loose!" The small grey man demanded. He was about 3ft tall, grey-skinned, bald and had ears similar to Astarion's. Following the chain of logic and Lord of the Rings parallels, this was probably some kind of dwarf or hobbit. I cut him down and he fell to his feet. He wobbled around for a bit before saying, "Urrgh… magga cammara- those pustulant thugs! Well, get on with it. Whoever you are."
"Get on with what?" I asked confused
"You saved me. Now you'll extort me. That's how this works." The grey-skinned man said apathetically.
I went to object to the claim when Astarion stopped me and said, "Well if you insist, we could use some more coin." This time I smacked him upside the head and turned back to the annoyed man-
"We aren't going to ask you for anything… except maybe how you ended up on that windmill."
"My own fault really I should have dropped my pack and outrun the bastards but alas."
"But what are you doing around these parts, no offence but this doesn't seem to be your element," I said as gently as I could… while also trying to urge the man to turn back home.
"I see ignorance is still alive and well. I'll have you know deep gnomes are just as capable as any other adventurer!" The deep gnome said haughtily. He looked back at the windmill and sighed, "I'm in search of a friend. I fear he's in trouble." The deep gnome pulled out an amulet speckled with blood, "See this? I gave it to him years ago before I left home. I found it around the neck of a lower-city thug. It's spectacled with blood and my friend is nowhere to be found. But I still have hope. I have reason to believe he's in the Underdark. Hopefully, I can pick up his trail from there. I always help my friends." The deep gnome said with a serious note to his voice. "On that note, I should introduce myself. I am Barcus Wroot, pleasure to meet you, Thank you for the rescue but I really must be off." With that, Barcus ran off and out of sight before I could dissuade him further.
As I was processing that, Gale suddenly looked lightheaded and he fell to one knee, "You alright?" I asked helping him back to his feet.
"Fine. A bit wossy. I need another artifact, the fight took more out of me because my demon's hungry." Like before Gale pulled out a magical object, this time the skull necklace from Withers' tomb, and turned it into purple energy which he thrust into his glowing tattoo.
"It is a strange experience each time anew-like a lost soul spelunking through the darkness that is me, only to be sacrificed on the dread alter of the heart. The second item hasn't had the same effect as the first. It's somewhat relieved the discomfort, but I fear my hunger hasn't quite…" Gale grunts a cry of pain before taking a step back.
"Gale! What's happening?" I asked getting ready to grab him if he started to fall.
"The magic isn't having the effect it should have. It's not like last time, like a rainstorm that quells a forest fire. It merely drizzles. The embers still sizzle. The fire remains undefeated. I'm not sure what's going on, but it's nothing good."
"Ok, you need to tell me about your condition. It's starting to hurt you more; I'm not having that. And you gave your word you'd explain if it got worse." I said steadying my wizard companion by holding his shoulders.
"Your outrage warms my heart, Harry. But I'm not currently a danger to the group. Give me a night to think, to gather my power and if I can't put a bam on this new malady- I'll explain every gruesome and embarrassing detail." Gale said gently moving my arms, apparently able to stand upright properly now and gave me his hand.
I shook it because this was probably the only way I'll ever get the truth out of him. He nodded in appreciation, and we continued forward towards the goblin camp. On the way down towards what looked like two cliffs with a makeshift bridge connecting it, where a group of goblins stood presumably on guard, I heard a slight noise to my left. I listened in further.
For as long as I can remember, I've had the ability to listen better when I concentrate. I don't know if this skill is magical or just something I picked up as I started my PI work but it's an invaluable tool. I listened to what sounded like Aunty Ethel's voice cry out "Get away from me you hooligans!"
Without hesitation I ran left, my party sprinting to catch up with me. In no time at all I was at the scene, two men were yelling at Ethel. They had similar builds, that of a farmer, similar old and dirty clothes and almost the same face shape. The only thing that distinguished one man from the other was that one had a man-bun and a short goatee, and the other had long hair and a full beard.
"Where is our sister hag!" The goatee man said shaking his pitchfork at Ethel.
"Tell us now or things'll get ugly." The long-haired man said brandishing a knife.
"What the hell is going on here!" I barked pointing my staff at the two assailants.
"What's happening is that this hag stole our sister!" The long-haired man said not letting his eyes off the old woman.
"Oh, darling. Thank the gods you're here. Please these boys are confused. I have no earthly idea where their sister is." Ethel said desperately.
"Lier! Our sister lost her husband, and you used that to get a deal off her! It says so in this note." The goatee man yelled as he threw me the note. The writer of the letter, presumably the sister, said that she was seeking out a way to bring her husband back and not to follow her. It was signed Mayrina.
I took another look at the apparently scared and clueless Aunty Ethel. Once again, she was just a bit… off. Her desperation wasn't one hundred per cent believable, she didn't look locked with fear or on the way to run at any moment. She was just standing there, pretending. Waiting to see what happened.
I pointed my staff at the old woman, "Where's Mayrina Ethel? Tell us now." I said in a quiet and firm voice not quite ready for violence yet.
"Well, that's just rude. You were supposed to come to my rescue pet." Ethel snapped, all hints of depression falling from her face, as she turned to talk with the brothers, "Your sister made a deal and she's still to honour, so piss off back to your mudhole." Ethel turned back to me, "And you… you'd better have an apology waiting for me if you ever darken my door." With that, Ethel vanished in a puff of green smoke.
"What the hell" I spluttered out.
"Shit! She's gone off to her lair, we need to follow her." The long-haired brother said to the other.
"Wait. If Ethel is some magical creature that's made a pact with your sister, you're going to need help. Me and my group here have at least three high-level casters that could be the edge you need to beat her." I said pleadingly.
"No! We don't need your help. We'll get Mayrina out ourselves." The goatee brother spat as they both ran off further into the woods.
I tried to follow but they suddenly vanished in a ripple of energy. I stared at the empty space. I looked around the area, a pristine forest with a river running next to it. I reached out my magical senses and felt a large illusion coating the area. I raised my hand and cast a dispersing charm. The image and more notably the smell of a forest in bloom was replaced with the rank and rotting image of a swamp that connected to a riverbed. I heaved slightly at the change in scenery and turned to Gale.
"What sort of creature could cast an illusion this powerful and has a pension for deals? My votes on a demon." I said getting my staff ready.
"Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you look at it. It's more likely the brothers were right. We're dealing with a hag." Gale said.
"And what's she when she's home," I asked wittily.
"A hag is a fae creature, powerful magicians. They delight in pain and suffering, some strike deals with mortals which have ironic and tragic consequences to them."
Great. The one thing I hoped to escape when coming to this dimension was fairy crap. But here we are again. At least I could probably just kill this one. "Fucking fairies" I sighed before walking further down into the swamp.
The swamp was immense, with dead trees and puddles as deep as my legs around every corner. We ended up jumping over two little masses of land in the river before hitting an island the size of a small yard. It had a large stone hill up the back of it, which spread around a large tree in the middle, that seemed to be dying instead of long dead. How the hell did we end up here? The path seemed clear enough when I first saw the swamp. I hit myself on the head. Since when has any fairy stuck with one single trick? The hag probably put some sort of scrambling hex on the swamp itself to ward off more experienced intruders. I raised my hand to dispel the working when I saw why Ethel had directed us to this island.
Two figures emerged from behind the big tree, or more accurately they came out of the tree. The creatures were nine-foot walking trees, with large bark arms holding wooden clubs and vine shields. Before I could process these new players, smaller creatures burst out of the mud in front of us. They looked strangely like those imps from the hells, but they were made of mud and had pointed heads.
I pointed my staff at the group of monsters, "Stay back, you forest critters don't have the numbers to face us." I said far too confidently.
In response, the two mud imps waved their hands in a spell-like motion and two smaller and lighter-coloured imps appeared on either side of both creatures. You'd think I'd learn to avoid certain sentences by now.
The tree and mud creatures charged forward. We all dodged out of the way and tried to separate the monsters to fight one of us in smaller groups. I got one of the tree creatures and a larger mud imp. The imp threw a glob of boiling mud at me. I blocked it with my shield but that only gave the tree thing a chance to whack me with his club. The shield held but I was pushed back a step, and my wrist burnt with the hit. I couldn't fight both of these guys together, so I focused on the imp. I dropped my shield, dodged another swing from the tree and when the imp threw another glob at me, I cast "Vento Riflittum!" The mud projectile bounced off my spell and hit the imp with even greater force than it used to cast it. The imps earthy skin began to boil and suddenly it exploded all over me, covering my eyes and mouth with mud. I couldn't speak the next spell I had planned, and I couldn't see the next blow the tree creature had planned. The creature's wooden club hit me in the chest throwing me back several paces. I felt a wintery pang rush through my body as the breath was taken from me and I heard a sickening crack. Broken rib. I managed to cough up the mud along with the blood when the tree thing grabbed me and threw me the rest of the way to the water. Which incidentally washed the mud from my eyes.
I looked up blearily, I saw through my now slightly functioning eyes how the rest of my group was holding up. Karlach and Gale were fighting the other tree thing, but they were covered in mud as well. Also, by my count only two of the four smaller imps that the big imps summoned were present. I guess they die when their creator does, oops. Astarion and Shadowheart weren't doing much better. They were able to kill the imps with ease. But that just opened them up to attacks by the tree monsters. The one that bushwhacked me slammed Astarion into the big tree with its hand pinning him there, and the one attacking Karlach bashed her forward and into Gale. However, neither of these creatures was watching Shadowheart, who coughed out the mud from her mouth and screamed a desperate word as golden light exploded out of her. The light touched each of us in its path and wiped away the mud, dirt and grime from our clothes and skin, making us smell like a newly washed and pressed dress shirt.
Karlach now getting up off of Gale, who was now unconscious against the big tree, roared definitely at the bark-skinned monster flame bursting off her and onto the creature. The creature made its first real sound, that of pain as the fire licked its wooden form. With that, I got an idea.
I grabbed my staff from the water and slammed it down on the muddy ground as I cast, "Flammamurus!" The ground began to heat up to unnatural levels, magma started bursting out of the ground and hitting the tree creatures. They writhed in agony, the one holding Astarion down dropped him as Shadowheart used a spell to yank Astarion to the relative safety of the stone surrounding the tree. Karlach had no reaction to the new terrane. She lunged forward towards the stunned trees and cut them down to size with her axe. Bellowing a roar of rage each swing as she cut them down like simple oak they crawled out of.
Once the monsters were dead, I quickly cast a cooling spell to make the ground habitable to mere mortals. I limped over to Shadowheart who was healing Gale. "He gonna be alright?" I asked looking at the blood pouring from my friend's skull.
Shadowheart shushed me silent as she let out a tired breath and the wound on Gale's head closed. Gale opened his eyes and said drunkenly, "If Mother finds out I've gotten mud on my best wizard robes she'll tan my hide." He looked down at his pristine robes as a result of Shadowheart's spell, "Oh, no mud… could've sworn..."
"Stop talking, magic addict. Give yourself a minute to get over the concussion." Shadowheart snapped weakly.
"Smashing idea," Gale said closing his eyes again.
"You alright?" I said softly, trying to check for injuries.
"I'm fine, the bastards ignored me whilst they went for the meatier targets, just a bit tired from the excess magic use. Give me a minute and I'll fix you up, I can practically feel those broken ribs from here." She said with a weak smile.
As I let Shadowheart catch her breath I noticed a strange divot in the bark of the tree. I grab the bark and pulled it back, inside was a letter. Judging by the fact it hasn't dissolved in this swampy tree it must've been recently made, it read:
Kagha:
Oloden has sent word of your progress; I am pleased that the Rite of Thorns has begun. I depart soon from Cloakwood to Baldurs Gate. Should you need further aid from my circle, now is the time to ask.
Once cloistered, the Emerald Grove will be Shadow Druid domain, and you it's First Druid.
In Faldorn's memory,
Archdruid Aelis
So, Kagha wasn't acting with the interest or blessings of the Grove or Halsin. She was playing her own game to sieve power through these 'Shadow Druids', and she nearly murdered a child to do it.
I turned to see Shadowheart's concerned face staring at me, "Are you alright Harry? What's going on?"
I spoke back in a voice I barely recognised as mine; a harsh growl that sounded almost mad "Once we're done with the hag. I'm going back to the Grove and finishing what I started with Kagha."