Chapter 10 - Devils and Dragons and Gnolls, Oh My

The next morning, Del felt restless. Her party was missing a member and she needed to rectify that, but she also didn't want Wyll around when she went looking for them. Now seemed like such a terrible time to head off course, as well. She was sure nobody would approve of a detour before heading back to the grove, so she would probably be on her own for this venture.

As they finished packing up their tents, Del told them to head back without her. Halsin had already left, shifting into a wolf to head back to the grove to check in on things. Everyone was confused and questioned her. Why wasn't she coming with them?

"I just want to scout the Risen Road," she lied. "Figured I could do it ahead of the tieflings leaving to make sure the way is clear and safe. I don't want them to have to deal with any more surprises."

"You shouldn't go alone," Shadowheart said. "I'll come with you in case it isn't safe."

"I will join you," Lae-zel demanded. "The area beyond here is where the tiefling said he saw the other githyanki. There might be signs that will lead us to the crèche."

Shadowheart folded her arms and rolled her eyes. "Of course, we mustn't forget that."

Del ran her hands over her face and sighed. "Fine. That works for me. But the rest of you, please go ahead and head back to the grove. You might as well set up camp. Take the time to rest. Sound good?"

She paused and reached into her bags, pulling out the letter that proved Kagha was working with the Shadow Druids. "Astarion, could you give this to Halsin when you see him? It's important."

The vampire tilted his head and asked. "What is that?"

"Drama," she said, handing it to him. "And maybe some bloodshed."

With his eyebrows raised he took the letter from her. "Sounds intriguing."

"I'm sure it will be," she said, waving him off.

With everything set, they split up. Del and her group headed north, following the road from the blighted village.

Since it was just her, Lae'zel, and Shadowheart, the chatter was minimal. The two women still didn't get along and Del knew it would be a while still before they would. It was kind of funny, considering they were the first two people she met. They would be the last two people to find common ground. They approached a stone bridge together that crossed a small stream. It was broken apart in the middle and they would need to jump across. Del moved closer to the edge to get a better look.

"My, my, what manner of place is this?" An unfamiliar voice came from behind her.

Del twisted quickly around, her hands going to her daggers, but paused when she realized who it was. She had forgotten about the devil. She sighed and lowered her hands back down to her sides. This was literally the last thing she wanted to deal with. Lae'zel had also gone for her weapon, but after deeming the normal looking man a non-threat she merely folded her arms. Shadowheart was looking at Del, but she didn't know why.

"A path to redemption?" The man continued as he walked closer, clearly unconcerned, "Or a road to damnation? Hard to say. For your journey is just beginning. What would suit the occasion? Hmm? The words to a lullaby perhaps? The mouse smiled brightly; it outfoxed the cat! Then down came the claw, and that, love, was that." He laughs. "They do know how to write them in Cormyr, don't they? Well met, I am Raphael. Very much at your service." He gave a slight bow.

"What do you want," Del asked him, knowing the answer.

"We should have a chat, you and I," he answered. "But not here. This quaint little scene is decidedly too middle-of-nowhere for my tastes. Come." A wave of black smoke surrounded Del and her two companions. She could hear Shadowheart call out in alarm, but the smoke receded almost immediately. They were now in a grand room next to a giant fireplace. It was full of push furniture, paintings, and a large table heaped with delicious looking food. "There. Middle-of-somewhere."

"Where have you taken us," Lae'zel growled, moving forward, her sword out.

"The House of Hope. Where the tired come to rest, and the famished come to feed - lavishly. Go on. Partake. Enjoy your supper. After all… it might just be your last."

"No thanks. Just tell us what you want," Del said, trying not to lose her patience.

"Are you not entertained," Raphael asked them, seemingly put out. "Well - far be it from me to disappoint. What's better than a devil you don't know?" His visage transformed from that of a man to that of a cambion. Horns jutted from his head and his skin was now red. Wings sprouted from his back and he had gained a good foot or two to his height. He stood before them, still all charm. "The devil you do."

Del had to hold back her need to roll her eyes. She liked theatrics - in a theater. Not in the middle of a strenuous and long adventure.

"Am I a friend," he pontificated. "Potentially. An adversary? Conceivably. But a savior? That's for certain."

"What makes you think I need saving," Del asked him.

"Come now. Why play hard to get when you're in deep over your tadpoled head. One skull, two tenants, and no solution in sight. I could fix it all like that," he said with a snap of his fingers.

"We don't need your help," Del insisted.

"Perhaps you haven't yet realized how desperate these times are. You will. Try to cure yourself. Shop around - beg, borrow, and steal. Exhaust every possibility until none are left. And when hope has been whittled down to the very marrow of despair - that's when you'll come knocking on my door. Hope," he paused to laugh. "Such a tease."

Del crossed her arms and waited.

Raphael narrowed his eyes at her. "All those pretty little symptoms - sundering skin, dissolving guts - they haven't manifested yet, have they? One might say you're a paragon of luck." He waved his hands and the black smoke returned, obscuring their vision. "I'll be there when it runs out."

When the smoke parted once more they were back on the broken bridge, the smell of sulfur still permeating the air around them. Del sniffed her shirt and wrinkled her nose. Hopefully the smell would fade with time.

"What was that," Shadowheart asked her.

Del looked at her quizzically. "You were there. You know as much as I do."

"Not that! I saw the way you looked when he appeared. You recognized him."

"I've never met him before," Del maintained, as this was true. "Besides, he clearly was meeting all of us for the first time."

Shadowheart thought about it for a moment, realizing Del had a point. "How did he know about us, then?"

Del shrugged. "He's a devil. It's his business to know things. It's how he finds mortals willing to give him their souls in exchange for whatever they desire." She started checking out the distance to the other side of the bridge. It was close enough that jumping wouldn't be too hard.

"Hopefully, it won't come to that," Shadowheart mumbled.

"Don't worry," Lae'zel said, almost sweetly. "I will gladly cut off your head before allowing you to transform. Death is more honorable than making a deal with a devil."

Del was already on the other side of the bridge and she waited impatiently for the other two to catch up. Shadowheart decided it was better to not respond to Lae'zel's comment about killing her and was next to jump over, Lae'zel following behind. Del started to turn right at the road, but caught a whiff of something rotten. A putrid scent of death, blood, and a sharp sting of the vilest magics. She couldn't practice spellweaving of any kind, but she could smell and taste it. A helpful skill that had saved her life multiple times. And this time it screamed at her: gnolls.

She hated gnolls. If one were to rank the world's worst abominations, she would put gnolls near the top. Gnolls could literally be birthed from death. She had no wish to face any gnolls just yet.

Lae'zel was watching her. "Why have you stopped?"

"There are gnolls ahead," she grimaced. "I can't tell how many. I'm not in the mood to fight after yesterday." She looked around. "I think we can avoid them if we walk along the stream." She walked around the bridge until she found a well worn path that made its way down into the small ravine below. "Here. The sound of the water should make it so they won't hear us passing, either."

"We will follow you," Lae'zel said.

Del nodded and made her way down. The trail led under the bridge and towards the direction Del wanted to go. It was perfect. They were all silent as they walked. They had to stay in a line since the embankment they were on was fairly thin. One wrong step and they would end up in the stream. As they continued on it began to widen, as did the stream. Birds were singing overhead and the light played on the water. It was almost peaceful. As long as you didn't think about the massacre that had happened all along the road above them. Of course, Lae'zel and Shadowheart weren't aware of it, yet. Maybe they guessed after Del had told them she smelled gnolls.

Up ahead where the stream began to curve, Del spotted movement on the other side of the embankment. A tall, red-skinned woman was huddled there. Though maybe the most fascinating thing about her were the waves of fire that seemed to erupt from her body. She knew when the other two saw her, because they both seemed to gasp in surprise. Well, maybe Lae'zel's was more of a grunt. She wasn't sure githyanki could gasp. Gasping was probably a sign of weakness.

Del jogged ahead, stopping half way along the log that acted as a bridge between the two sides of the stream. It was a little too hot to get closer than that.

"Hello," she called out to the tiefling.

The woman grunted as she straightened to look up at Del. As she stood to her full height, the flames lowered. She was likely at least a full head taller than Del.

"Well, fuck me. It's you," she said, surprised. "From the nautiloid. Please tell me I found you before those so-called Paladins of Tyr did."

Again, how could anyone have seen her, when she actively had looked for other people while she was walking through that ship? Everyone she had found had been dead already.

"Uh, yes, you did. I haven't run into any paladins. Of Tyr or otherwise."

"Good. Great. Glad I don't have to kill you."

Their tadpoles interrupted as they made a connection. Del winced as she felt the heat of the Hells envelope her body. A now familiar sensation thanks to her mind flayer abductors. Flashes of a red tiefling fighting off armies of demons swept through her mind.

"What was that," the woman exclaimed, as the tadpoles finally released their minds.

"It's the tadpoles," Del told her. "They can connect our minds."

"Fuck's sake," she cursed. "Mountains as far as the eye can see. Guess that explains the voices. From that peak I got into your head, you've made some inroads trying to get the thing sorted. But, alas, no joy. I'm Karlach. And you are?"

"I'm Del. This is Lae'zel and Shadowheart." She motioned to her other two companions, respectively.

"Well met, soldier. Now that we're old pals, how would you feel about helping me kill some evil bastards," Karlach paused. "A little background, if your moral compass needs something to point at… You already know I fought in the Blood War. I was good at killing demons. Really good. So good Zariel, the arch devil herself, made me her personal attack dog. I played along until I could get the fuck out of there. Took me ten years to properly escape, but now I'm free. Zariel's sent goon after goon to hunt me down, but believe me when I tell you I'm not going. The latest yappy little dogs she's sicced on me are nearby. A group of dopes posing as Paladins of Tyr. Want to help me take 'em down?"

Del hesitated, wondering if she could find a way to avoid this fight, as well.

"Don't worry, I'll lead the charge," Karlach rushed to say. "But I could use your help. There's a lot of them and only one of me. After that we can team up. Take Faerun by the short hairs. Sound good?"

"I like her," Shadowheart murmured to Del, in an almost wistful way. "She looks like she could throw me over her shoulder and carry me to safety." She shook her head, realizing what she was saying. "Should the need arise," she tried to correct.

Uh-huh, sure.

Even Karlach was smirking.

"Let's do it," Del said to the tiefling.

"Fuck yes," Karlach approved. She pointed behind Del. "They cornered me outside the toll house, just up the hill. Doubt they've gone far after the scorching I gave them."

"Perfect. This shouldn't take too long, then."

It didn't.

Karlach had needed a moment alone afterwards, so Del, Lae'zel, and Shadowheart waited patiently outside the toll house. Lae'zel maybe less patiently. She wasn't a fidgety woman, but she nearly vibrated with the need to move. Del knew she wanted to search for signs of her people, but she was obviously trying to be respectful of Karlach, as well. It was clear Lae'zel thought highly of the tiefling already.

Del was cleaning blood off one of her daggers when she saw Lae'zel tense up even more. The githyanki woman shifted, her head turned up to the sky. Del turned her head to see what she was looking at, but whatever it was had disappeared over the trees already. She turned back to Lae'zel to ask what it was, but she was already moving.

"A red dragon," she yelled, running down the road. "We must follow it!"

Karlach finally re-emerged from the building, stretching out her arms. "I'm all good now. Uh, where is the green one going?"

Del had been a little shocked to see her companion run off, but then she remembered what Lae'zel was running towards. The damn gnolls were somewhere on or near that road. "Shit! We gotta follow her."

She sprinted away from the toll house, hoping Karlach and Shadowheart wouldn't be too far behind. She could barely see Lae'zel ahead of her. At one point, she turned a bend in the road and Del lost sight of her. From this distance she could just hear the whooping and cackling of hyenas. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," she whispered to herself, trying to speed up.

She made it around the bend herself, and she almost stopped at the sight in front of her. Two gnolls had been cleanly cut in half and lay in the road. Del had to jump over their bodies. Maybe she had misjudged how hard they were to kill. But up ahead at least three hyenas were in pursuit of Lae'zel. Del grabbed her crossbow and tried to aim while running, but her arms were too jittery and she would risk hitting Lae'zel, so she slid to a halt. Aiming a little high, she shot one and then another hyena. They fell to the ground. The third one was now too far for her so she continued to run after them.

The damn hyena was gaining on Lae'zel now. Del wasn't going to be able to shoot it down in time, so she called out, "Lae'zel! Behind you!"

She watched as the githyanki swiftly turned mid-stride, her sword coming out to swipe at the hyena, before she fell back into a swift run. She didn't even check to see if the hyena had stopped pursuing her. Del wasn't even sure it had, until she saw its head finally fall to the side, bouncing down the road behind its body as it slid to a slow stop. She passed the head just as it finally rolled to a stop, and then the body. Was she allowed to be impressed at this moment?

Lae'zel had disappeared from view again and Del cursed, trying to push her body to run faster, but it was impossible. She was only human, and her training was nothing like the training Lae'zel would have received. At this point, she didn't know why she was worried over the strange woman. She took out the gnolls with no problem - she hadn't even paused. All that remained were her own people, right?

Del slid around another bend in the road and came into view of the bridge. It was completely destroyed. So much for a safe journey for the tieflings.

And there, sitting in front of it all was a giant red dragon. Several githyanki stood around as well, and she could see Lae'zel approaching them. Del ran as far as the gate before stopping. She put her hand on the gray stone and bent over, trying to catch her breath. Lae'zel looked at her over her shoulder and seemed to sniff in disdain before talking to one of the male githyanki. The conversation didn't quite go the way Lae'zel expected if Del was reading her posture correctly. She was put in her place, and she soon realized who she was speaking with and uttered his name and title with due deference.

"I am who you say," Kith'rak Voss responded. "A ghaik vessel has fallen from the sky, Lae'zel. Thieves aboard have taken a weapon most precious. It is polyhedric in shape, and inscribed with the sacred runes of our people."

A strange feeling filled Del's head. It took her a moment to realize the feeling was coming from the astral prism. It, or more precisely the being inside of it, was afraid. It did not want to end up in the hands of the githyanki. Of course not. If they knew what was inside it right now, it would definitely be killed. Karlach and Shadowheart appeared by her side. They looked curiously at the githyanki, the dragon, and Lae'zel before looking to Del. She shook her head at them to keep them quiet.

"Take word to your crèche. You are to join our search," Kith'rak was telling Lae'zel.

Lae'zel hesitated, unsure how to respond. She peered at Del from the corner of her eyes.

"Speak up, child. Affirm your mandate."

Del shook her head minutely and mouthed to her to play along. They were dead if they knew they all had tadpoles in their heads.

"You honor me with this duty, Kith'rak," Lae'zel said. "I shall alert my caretaker with haste."

"You serve your queen well, child," he nods with approval. "Take your slaves, and hunt those who escaped the ghaik ship. They must carry the weapon. I fly now to Vlaakith, our Undying Queen. She will see your faith rewarded in this plane and ours." He called out to the other githyanki to disperse and set off on his dragon.

They stood there watching the great winged reptile fly away. It was impressive. Del was still pissed that one had tried to burn her alive on the nautiloid, though, so she didn't allow herself to be too impressed. She walked over to the destroyed bridge and looked down into the ravine. It made sense, in a fucked up kind of way. How else would the tieflings end up in the Shadowlands if the bridge that led directly to Baldur's Gate wasn't taken out. Del couldn't help but wonder what the point of saving them from the goblins had been if they were just going to end up killed by Absolutists and cursed Shadows.

Lae'zel made sure the other githyanki were finally out of earshot before approaching Del.

"Dammit all," she seethed. "You did well to intervene, vexed as I am to admit it. The Jhe'stil Kith'rak would have flayed our skin and left our carcasses to burn in the sun - all for the sake of the artefact that we carry." She took a breath and said more calmly, "The crèche is near, this much we know. We follow the path forward and into the valley. No one, not even the ignoble Jhe'stil Kith'rak, will keep me from my purification."

Del knew it was a waste of time, but Lae'zel wasn't going to be dissuaded from her path. And the path would lead to revelations she wouldn't believe unless she saw them herself. But they weren't quite ready to head there yet. "Alright, now that we have a direction to go in, we will head to this crèche. But," she rushed before Lae'zel could march into action, "we need to head back to the grove first. The guys are expecting us and I want to make sure Halsin doesn't have any more issues. We need to grab more supplies, anyway."

Lae'zel huffed, but nodded her agreement. It's not like they had to go too far.

Del checked the position of the sun. It was past noon already. Her simple plan of grabbing Karlach had failed spectacularly. Between the damn devil and the githyanki patrol, they were behind schedule. This is why she had wanted to go alone. She wanted to avoid "triggering" anymore events. Was it selfish? Maybe. But she hadn't exactly asked for any of this. Retracing her steps in a video game was not how she thought this week was going to go. And if it went exactly like the video game, a lot of stuff was going to get thrown at them. She felt drained already.

As they hustled back towards the Druids' grove, Del remembered she would have to deal with Wyll. She walked next to the large tiefling woman, who was humming happily by her side. She was taking everything in, like someone who hadn't seen trees in over a decade, which she probably hadn't. "Hey, Karlach."

"Yes, soldier?"

"I thought I should let you know that one of the men in our party is searching for you - the Blade of Frontiers."

Karlach stopped short. "Aw, come on," Karlach whined. "I thought I lost the bastard on the nautiloid."

"I mean, you did. I've unfortunately managed to find both of you and conscripted you into my party." Del managed to chuckle, though it was a bit strained. "Look, I know you're not the crazy, demonic killer he thinks you are, but I also know that he is going off of information given to him by someone else. Once he meets you, he'll be able to see for himself who you are. I won't let him do anything to harm you. I just wanted to give you a heads up so that you aren't surprised."

"I appreciate that," Karlach said, moving again. "And thank you, for not assuming the worst before getting to know me. And helping me kill those psychos back at the toll house."

"Trust me, after the last few days we've had, killing normal people was kind of a nice change of pace."

"Oh? What else have you killed? Besides mind flayers?"

Del decided now was as good a time as any to get Karlach up to speed, so she spent the walk filling her in on the events that hadn't been fully covered during their mind meld. Shadowheart and Lae'zel jumped in where her memory was a little hazy.

The conversation eventually evolved into them talking about what the other members of their growing team were like.

"Wyll is sweet, once you get to know him. And fair. It's why I know he will change his mind about hunting you once he meets you."

Karlach merely nodded. "What about the other two - or is it three now?"

"With Halsin it's three."

"The Druid can turn himself into a bear," Lae'zel supplied. "Del told me he is an elf, but he is extremely large. Larger than you, Karlach."

"Oh, I'm sure I could still take him," Karlach laughed. "I do like a challenge."

Del chuckled.

"Gale is… well, Gale," Shadowheart said, perplexed. "I'm not sure he has a personality outside of being a wizard, if I am being honest."

"He's full of himself, like most wizards are," Del explained. "But he is a fantastic cook. He's probably the most learned out of all of us. I like him, even if we don't always see eye to eye."

"And what about this Astarion," Karlach asked.

Del watched as Lae'zel rolled her eyes. The elf hadn't exactly endeared himself to anyone.

"He's alright," Shadowheart said. "A bit on the dramatic side. He mostly keeps to himself, so I don't know him too well. Del's spent the most time with him."

Karlach nudged Del in the ribs. "Oh, you do, do you? Go on, spill the beans."

Del pushed Karlach away with a laugh. "It's not like that."

"What is it like, then?"

Del grinned at Karlach before shrugging. "He's complicated. I mean, who isn't." She waved her hands in the air as if trying to illustrate a point. "He's just been through some stuff. Hm, I guess we've all been through stuff. Uh, I don't know." She dropped her hands back down to her sides. "He's charming, I suppose. In the way a cat is charming, until you upset it and it claws you. But you don't know what you did to upset it. So you're not really sure how to not do it again. And you happen to be a cat person, so you keep going back for more. That's the best way I can describe it."

Karlach lets out a hearty laugh. "This totally sounds like you have a thing for him."

"I really don't," Del affirmed. "I'm just trying to be friendly. We're a team. I want everyone on my team to get along and feel like they matter."

"Coddling him is not the answer," Lae'zel said to her. "You do well with the rest of us. Obviously, the fault is with him. He will either come around or not. You have plenty of worries that you do not need to add his to yours. Besides the one you share with all of us."

That was probably the most insightful thing Lae'zel has ever said to her. Del tried not to look shocked. "I appreciate that, Lae'zel. You might be right."

Unfortunately, it was a bit more complicated than that. Hers and Astarion's lives were now intertwined in a way she had never predicted. As soon as she had made a decision to tell him who she was and to warn him away, she had unforeseeably set things into motion. Getting picked up by the nautiloid had been the final hammer on the nail.

Now, she was stuck here, in a position that allowed her to lead all her companions towards a so-called 'good' ending. She was inextricably tied to making sure he not only freed himself from Cazador's clutches, but he doesn't then ascend and become the thing he hated Cazador for. Assuming she had any sway in the decisions he made. And if he did Ascend, she would probably have to find a way to kill him. She had tried to distance herself from him with her choices, but had failed, and now she had to deal with the consequences..

They continued to chatter as they made their way back to the grove. It helped to pass the time. When they arrived, the gate was opened for them immediately, and they walked into the grove to see it bustling with movement as tieflings readied themselves to leave. Del was shocked at the sight. With Halsin back, she knew they would have halted closing the grove off, so she hadn't expected the tieflings to want to leave so soon. They had already been packing and getting ready to leave before, though, so maybe they were already anxious to leave now that the way was safe.

Well, safer than before.

Del looked around, but couldn't find any of the guys. She walked to the cave they had stayed in last time they camped here, but it was empty. She frowned, wondering where they set up the camp if not in the grove. Deciding she would figure it out later, she headed down to the inner sanctum to look for Halsin. She needed to see if he had received the letter she had given to Astarion.

She found him just outside the secluded cove where the Druid's slept. He was talking to another of his people when she approached. She stayed back to give them enough space to finish their conversation. When he was done he turned to her, first appraising her newest addition to the team.

"Found yourself another lost lamb, I see," he said with a smile.

She introduced the two of them. Karlach was looking at him appreciatively. It was probably rare for her to run into someone who could dwarf her. Not that she blamed her, as even she thought the Druid was quite handsome, as well. "Anyways," she moved on. "Did Astarion give you the letter?"

Halsin nodded, his face turning down in displeasure. "Yes. I can't believe the Shadow Druids had infiltrated our ranks. I did not think Kagha would be so weak of mind to fall for their lies. I've had her banished from the grove."

"That's it," Del asked in surprise.

He nodded. "It is the worst punishment I could give her. She will forever mourn the loss of her home."

Del thought about it a moment and realized he was right. Kagha had made a lot of bad choices, but she had made them all for the sake of the grove. Banishment was something she probably hadn't even considered could happen to her. She wished she had been there to see Kagha's face when Halsin arrived safe and sound.

"Just so you know," Halsin told her, "The rest of your party have set up camp a little ways outside the grove. The tieflings were so happy to hear the goblin's had been taken care of that they wanted to celebrate tonight. And to thank you they decided a party at your camp would be for the best."

"A party?" Del thought for a moment. She had forgotten about that. Everyone would be drinking and laughing and… she stiffened.

Fuck.

No, literally everyone (or almost everyone) would attempt to sleep with her tonight. If the damn game was to be believed anyway. This was going to be so awkward.

"Um, isn't it a little too early to be celebrating," Del asked. "I mean, they still have quite a journey ahead of them and it doesn't help that I might have some bad news that's going to make it even more difficult."

Halsin frowned. "What have you found out?"

She glanced towards Lae'zel. "A… red dragon might have taken out the bridge to Baldur's Gate."

Halsin seemed to think about what she said before sighing. "Which means they have no choice but to go through the mountain pass and through the Shadow Cursed Lands."

"Looks that way."

"I will look for Zevlor and advise him, then." He put a large, warm hand on Del's shoulder. "I think a party will do everyone a world of good. Give you all a moment to appreciate the accomplishments you've had so far. Sometimes you need to celebrate the victories you have had, in order to have the strength to continue on to the next battle."

Worry for the tieflings whirled in her gut, but he was right. They've been through a lot so far. Might as well enjoy everyone's company while they still had it. It would be nice to let go and celebrate for a night. For everyone else, at least. When she nodded at him, he patted her shoulder before striding off. "I will see you back at your camp."