The girl stopped outside the temple of Bhaal. The gigantic doors, skulls littered about the gate, lead into an even larger chamber. The temple stood in the very center of the Undercity. The place had been beneath even the sewers, and she even wondered if it was considered to be a part of the great Underdark. Their small group had fought through undead and living alike to reach this place, to confront the cornered beast. It's plans ruined it had retreated her with only it's loyal followers to guard it. She had felt pity for the monster before she saw its father lying on the ground slain, cast aside when he was no longer needed. Family, it seemed, did not matter to it, not like it did to her.
The closest thing she had to a brother stood by her, only a few feet away. His shaved head reached almost halfway up the entrance, easily seven feet. He was huge, only Minsc came near to rivaling his height, and he had a sword to match. She wondered for the thousandth time why they were both so tall; they made her out to be a Halfling. Of course they did it to everyone not just her. She looked around at the rest of the group. Jaheira, a Half-Elf with beautiful blond hair and brown eyes, had finished checking her weapons and was preparing to cast her spells, spells that would assist in the battle to come. The child began a spell of her own, Mirror Image. When it was finished she looked to the other Half-Elf, Khalid. His brown hair was currently hidden under his helm and the expression in his auburn eyes worried. He finished sharpening his blades and, after making sure there were no unwanted individuals near, walked over to Jaheira, spending a few moments together before what could well be their last fight. Minsc, the bald Rashemi ranger, stood by Dynaheir, a purple-haired and violet-robed Wycharlan, watching her protectively, while Boo scampered about his darkly tanned shoulders occasionally squeaking. Dynaheir cast a Stone skin spell, her skin changing from it?s regular brown to the gray of rock, and the younger girl instantly imitated. After a few more spells, and a short period after, everyone nodded silently. She scanned the door again for traps, before nodding herself.
Lightly stepping forward, she constantly searched for traps while doing her best to remain hidden. The doors opened silently at her brother's strong touch. She slipped in silently and glanced around the room.
It was massive. If it had looked big on the outside it was nothing compared to how enormous it appeared on the inside. She could see the beginnings of the symbol of Bhaal on the floor and quietly warned the others of it. She stepped forward slowly each step bringing more of the room into view. Apart from the symbol in the center of the floor there were statues along the walls. A few steps farther and the throne came into view.
As did the fiend sitting on it. While not very impressive in height, certainly nowhere near her brother or Minsc, the one had a commanding presence. To the sides stood Tazok, an ogre, which is more then enough description for anyone, and Angelo, former leader of the Flaming Fist (it hadn?t lasted long), as well as a mage she didn't know. Her gaze once again returned to the throne. There sat the one who had caused her all this trouble. There sat the monster that had not only killed Gorion but it's own foster-father as well.
There sat her, Imoen. The hair was a shade of pink, such an odd color considering the thing it belonged too, and kept almost to her shoulders. The eyes were cold, a blue-green, and there was a scar over the right one. Her face spoke volumes of the pleasure she took in death. Their antagonist stood.
"Congratulations sister. I truly did underestimate you. Who would have thought that you could make it so far? The child of Candlekeep. Or should I say children? That must be Sarevok. Hmm, large but not grand. He's of no concern to me. But that is not all of your little group is it. Lets see, Khalid and Jaheira, remind me to make them watch each other die very painfully.? She smiled relishing the thought. ?And the brute must be Minsc and his witch Dynaheir. Now I definitely have to kill Dynaheir and see the idiot's reaction. Though I wonder what her reaction would be to his death. Once I kill you we can see, eh Dyrana? Though I think I should kill Sarevok first. The look on your face should be absolutely priceless."
She smiled wickedly and instantly began casting a spell. It took only a moment for Dyrana to recognize it and sent a Magic Missile, confident that it would disrupt the spell. By this time the other mage had begun his spell and the two warriors were closing in. Minsc went charging forward, screaming a battle cry, and telling Boo to defend his witch. Khalid went after Angelo while Sarevok went to help Minsc with the Ogre. Jaheira began a spell to summon insects to disrupt the other mage while Dynaheir sent her own Magic Missile at him. His spell stopped but Imoen's hadn't. She resisted it as if it had never been cast. Dyrana grabbed the Eagle Bow and began firing arrows at the Thief/Mage hoping to stop one of her spells. Somehow they didn't even hit. Imoen finished the spell and a small stone went flying towards Sarevok. Dyrana prayed to every deity above and below that it wouldn't work and continued her firing grabbing arrows at random.
Finally an arrow made it through. It was poisoned. Imoen almost winced as the arrow hit her in the knee. Instead she reached down and pulled it out before throwing it at Sarevok as well. The spell hit Sarevok and he winced, his mouth going open in a silent scream. He managed to resist the spell, only to be kicked by Tazok and sent flying, with the arrow soaring over where he had been seconds ago. He landed hard only a few feet from the symbol of Bhaal. By this time Semaj had begun his spell, replicating Imoen's own, for the warrior still standing. Jaheira's insects were racing towards him but they could not possibly reach him in time. Dynaheir was busy casting a lightning bolt at the hulking warrior who now had Minsc hard pressed, and Khalid was trying to ward off Angelo himself. Dyrana began a Chromatic Orb but felt something bite into her side before she could finish it. The blade pulled out of her side and she turned to see Imoen holding a Short Sword dripping with blood. She had no doubt it would be powerful. She drew her own, the Short Sword of Backstabbing, and stabbed at the tormenter before her.
From that second she did not notice any more of the battle. She did not hear Dynaheir' cry of rage as her Lightning bolt tore through Tazok the same moment Minsc was turned to stone. She did not see Jaheira join her husband against Angelo who was beginning to gain the advantage. She did not witness the witch unsheathe her dagger and charge at the Ogre, her eyes blazing. She did not observe the Mage now slapping himself in an attempt to stop the terrible bites. She was entirely focused on the woman in front of her. They seemed almost equally matched, for while Imoen had ceased her studies of Thievery and such, to learn magic, Dyrana had taken the course of learning both at once. She was the better thief, but there was no doubt as to the more powerful mage. She just hoped that Imoen would be unable to use her spells. She swung and parried and jabbed, and feinted but never seemed to be able to do much to the girl in front of her. For all she knew they could have fought for days, or even months, there, blade against blade. Both were thoroughly exhausted. Imoen sent a swing lower then Dyrana expected and she fell to her knees as it slid across her right leg. Imoen looked down at her triumphantly. Dyrana managed to block twice but her sword was knocked from her hand. Imoen raised her blade in both hands and prepared to bring it down.
"Goodbye sister." The sword started its way down and Dyrana fell back as far as she could, closing her eyes as she did so. The blade never came though. After a few moments she looked up to see another blade through her sisters chest. She looked up to see her face. Imoen seemed not terrified, at the prospect of death, not angry at who had done it to her, nor furious that Godhood had been denied her. She looked startled. "Impossible." Escaped her lips before she fell off the blade, and spoke no more. Dyrana looked at the blade and slowly followed it up to see her brother. Sarevok let the blade clatter to the ground and knelt down to hug her. Dyrana let herself be embraced and stayed there in his arms for a time, silently sobbing.
She looked up to see Dynaheir searching through Jaheira's pack, while Jaheira fussed over Khalid's several minor cuts, and a few not so minor ones. Dynaheir found a scroll in the pack and rushed over to unpetrify Minsc. Once done they all turned to the two sitting on the floor. Dyrana stood slowly and said only two words. "Let's go."
Edited by Kael, 01 October 2005 - 10:19 AM.
