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[DalreïDal]

Hi everyone!

I know I said work had slowed down and all, but now I?ve done another foolishness? I?ve decided to move. Yep, right at the beginning of September (here in Québec, people almost all move the 1st of July). I moved in with my boyfriend and setting up our apartment has been quite an adventure? We?ve determined we must have earned around 20 000xp in Québec City?s geography, another 20 000xp in driving a car with the back window obscured by too many boxes, and a gigantic 75 000xp in industrial painting/cleaning techniques. (The lessee before us smoke like a chimney and had a dog. AND hadn?t painted in 10 years.)

So now that I?ve got blinds in my windows so I can change in peace with the lights on, and now that there?s a shower curtain so I can wash without drowning my too curious cat, I?ve got back to fan fiction!

Here?s this week?s contribution!

Chapter XX. Nightmare

After a day of rest, Valen had completely recovered, thanks to the amazing healing skills of the Seer. So the team journeyed back in the Underdark and stopped to rest in a new spot, a little closer to Drearing?s Deep.

They left Deekin with his new kobold friends to train and his tales to sing in the public house at night. The morale in Lith My?athar rose each day, and a few soldiers could be heard humming the Doom Song to themselves as they practiced their marksmanship and swordsmanship. Valen categorically refused to recognize any influence of the bard?s talents behind the rising morale and soldiering skills of his army.

Chama and her companions set up their camp in an open region where they could see anything approaching them, carefully avoiding the small hollow that had been so unlucky to Valen. Chama took the first watch to study her spells, reciting the words of power for an Isaac?s Greater Missile Storm until she committed them to memory. It was a spell she used often, although she dedicated considerably more power to it than Isaac himself had prescribed in his original formulation. Chama used her metamagic knowledge to squeeze all the power there was in those magical words of power. Because of the familiarity of the spell, she could study a little distractedly and scan the surroundings.

Suddenly Valen moaned. The agonizing pain he expressed in this inarticulate sound made her jump up to her feet, the books and parchments in her lap falling disorderly on the ground. Her heart racing, she turned to look at the tiefling, and he started tossing from side to side.

She ran to his side and gripped his shoulder hard, just before he succeeded in thrusting himself out of his bedroll.

?Valen!?, she called out.

His eyes shot open, as red as the fire of the Abyss, and his face contorted in a mask of rage and fury. He seemed to look through Chama to his nightmare?s demons, and he gripped her neck in his gauntleted hand. He effortlessly tossed her backward and she landed hard on her back, the wind nearly knocked out of her. He leaped and landed with a knee on her stomach, his face still distorted.

Incoherent rage, she remembered his words. A star of pain exploded in her abdomen. She shot her hand up flat on his breastplate, and screamed his name.

?Valen Shadowbreath!?

The cyan blinked back the raging red in his eyes, but his full weight rested on her chest a complete second, while his eyes filled with confusion and horror.

The first thing he realized when he came to his senses was that he had been staring at the blood at the corner of her mouth and the grey tinge of her skin. He looked to her eyes, wild and startled, but surprisingly not fearful. Her neck was bruised in the shape of his fingers. He had no idea what had happened.

He jumped off her and through the shock noticed Nathyrra standing close by, her dagger drawn and a dark light in her eyes. He blushed and stormed off in sickening shame. He heard Chama turn on her side and retch. He broke into a run.

Nathyrra helped a potion to Chama?s lips.

?By Mystra, he?s heavy,? the elf panted. ?Give me another one, I think he exploded my spleen.?

Nathyrra wordlessly handed another vial to her companion. Chama sat still for a few seconds, letting the potion kick in and gathering her thoughts. She marvelled at how calm she was. I have just been physically manhandled, she acknowledged. Strangely enough, no trace of fear contracted her gut painfully, even though she had been expecting it. There was only worry twitching in her stomach at the memory of the horror in his eyes when he woke up from his nightmare to understand what he had done. The pain in his first cry, and the torment of guilt in his eyes when he had stormed off.

?In what direction did he go??, Chama inquired.

?I? think you should let him come back by himself? The demon was??

?I?ll be fine,? Chama cut determinedly.

Nathyrra, with hesitation obviously sparked by worry, pointed to the north and east around a boulder of rock. Chama left and pocketed a healing kit on her way. She shortly found Valen nearby, pounding his fists into a rock, swearing in a demonic tongue she was grateful to be unfamiliar with.

?I?m glad you haven?t managed to kill yourself before I arrived,? she said softly.

His eyes were cyan, but his face still haunted.

?Don?t come nearer. You don?t want to come nearer,? he declared with some despair.

She smiled gently and he was turned upside down by that smile. No one could smile like that to the beast he tried to hold in check within.

?You fool, I came here exactly for that. Now remove your gloves and let me see your hands, because I will need my warrior in top shape tomorrow. We have vampires and an army of undead to vanquish, do not forget.?

There was no way to escape her placating advance. She sat him down on a rock, removed his gloves, and then used the healing kit to bandage his hands.

?They?ll be alright tomorrow,? she declared assuredly. She paused, let go of his bandaged hand, and looked at him with attentive dark eyes for a while. Her gentle lightness made way to a more serious expression. ?I?m sorry I woke you in the middle of a nightmare.?

?The apologies are mine to make,? he declared darkly. ?I am terribly sorry that I? that I hurt you. I? was not in control of myself.? He abruptly stopped, ashamed. This was no excuse.

?What were you dreaming of??, she asked, looking at him intently.

?I? would rather not say.?

?Valen, I consider you a friend. That is why I risked waking you from a dream that distressed you. Don?t you think I can help you still??

Valen smiled thinly in spite of himself. He could almost hear the Seer. ?I was back in the Abyss,? he began, his voice thick and forced, ?revelling in the destruction and in my demon blood. The? the Seer, I was? she was there, and I was tearing her to pieces, and with each drop of her blood I was more savage, more infernal. I? came back to myself just before killing her? killing you.? He looked away. I am still a snarling beast, it seems. The thought hung in the air, unspoken.

?I don?t think so,? she said softly.

This gentleness she displayed when facing his demonic half almost scared him. The more savage he acted, the softer she treated him, and one day that could get her killed, because he could not be treated gently when in rage. Even though he knew this, the kindness in her voice compelled him to look up in her smooth black eyes and forced hope into him.

?Dreams are but symbols,? she added gently. ?This dream may only show that you are afraid of losing your humanity, not that you have. It might even be that you have pushed your infernal half far away from your thoughts that it can only fight you in the world of dreams now.?

?But what I did to you??

She put a hand on his shoulder, which halted him instantly. She was the second person he could recall in all of his life that had put a hand on his shoulder in this way. He had been seized violently as a child, invited lustfully by demonesses in the Abyss, or punched to get his attention while in the armies of the Blood Wars, but only two people had put a reassuring hand on his shoulder to still his disturbing thoughts: the Seer, and now Chamaedaphne Indiwasi.

?You were still in your dreams,? she reminded him firmly, ?and as soon as the human in you awoke, he looked at me and was horrified by what he did unknowingly.?

?You should be afraid of me,? he whispered roughly.

She smiled kindly, if a bit shakily, and shook her head. ?I cannot fear you, because I trust you, Valen Shadowbreath. Now, stop brooding and come back to camp. It?s your turn of guard anyway.?

Valen followed her back to the camp, still under the shock of the nightmare and her kindness. Nathyrra waited for them, pacing restlessly.

?You can sleep, Nat, it?s Valen?s turn of guard,? Chama announced nonchalantly.

Nathyrra nodded, but managed to ?pass by? Valen?s side on her way to her bedroll. She gripped his arm.

?If you let your demon half kill her,? she whispered in drow, ?you?ll betray the Seer. And I won?t let you betray the Seer, Valen. Remember that.?

?I don?t forget,? he answered.

But while he searched for a spot where to sit to keep watch, the demon came up dangerously close to the surface. There was an insidious voice at the back of his thoughts. It sounded awfully smug when it reminded him of what he had done to Chama ? the blood, the pain, the greyness of her skin, the fear in her eyes?

She is not afraid of me, Valen protested vehemently.

Maybe not, the demon replied unfazed. She was too much in shock with the realization that her nice little pet had turned and bitten her to be afraid.

I am not a beast!, Valen retorted.

No, I am the beast, the demon conceded carelessly, and for now you hide me under the pretence of civility and good-heartedness.

I do not hide you! I deny you!

In his head the demon laughed, and the sound reminded him unpleasantly of Grimash?t laughter.

Do you really?, it asked. Tell me, or rather, to be exact, tell yourself, did you not enjoy the imaginary death of your precious Seer?

Enough, Valen said forcefully.

Did you not feel compelled to spill more of the surfacer?s blood? Will you deny that it intrigued you because you had never tasted the blood of her race before?

Enough!, Valen exclaimed with a measure of despair.

Why do you rage, my good Valen? Is it that my words carry some truth? Is it that you are capable of such rage, that you are the beast you attempt to deny being?

Valen strangled on a curse he refused to voice out loud. He turned, ready to pounce his fists into a rock again, but then he saw Chama?s bandages around his knuckles. Rage fled when he remembered her smile, kind despite his demon blood and how he had injured her in mindless rage. He stood there, puzzled, the demon and his anger forgotten for the moment, contemplating what strange effect she was having on him.

You almost did it this time, Valen acknowledged to the demon now neatly cornered and held in a dark recess of his mind. But she reminded me earlier that I am not at your mercy, and I should have paid more attention, because she was right.

You merely resist me, and you only make yourself miserable.

I want to be a good man.

You will never be free of me.

Valen turned his mental back on the demon. He briefly looked Chama?s way. The seasoned adventurer faced a moody and dangerous tiefling with curious gentleness, even though she knew him for barely a tenday and had been forced into his company by a mad mage?s geas. Valen watched her a while, wondering what it showed about her character; simple madness, or admirable generosity of the soul?

***

?Chama? Chama, wake up.?

When her eyelids finally complied and parted to reveal her sleepy eyes, Valen?s face leaned over her. Nathyrra crouched a little further to the right, ordering the contents of her pack. Chama sat up with a wistful sigh, rubbing her eyes, and Valen extended her a piece of millet cake, their usual breakfast.

?That?s nice of you to prepare my breakfast and bring it to my bed,? she teased with a wink.

He smiled ruefully, blushing slightly. ?I know it?s not quite the luxury you must be used to, but I wanted to thank you.?

She took the piece of cake and bit into it. ?I?m not used to too much luxury, don?t you worry. That?s nice of you.?

?I wanted to thank you for last night,? Valen said with some difficulty. ?For waking me, but also for forgiving me when I hurt you.?

?It?s alright, Granduc. I already told you; think nothing of it.?

He smiled timidly, and sat there with her for a while. There was something else, unspoken, that hung in the silence between them ? something had changed.

[DalreïDal]

Okay *breathes heavily* this was the last chapter of my pre-boat marathon. I think I finish on a nice note, and it?s a natural place where to take a break.

Thursday, Spetember 27th, I?ll be taking a plane headed for Resolute, Canada. There I?ll board the Amundsen ice-breaker, and I?ll stay onboard for 6 weeks. After that, I might want to sleep a few weeks on end, so it?s possible I won?t update or comment on anything for 2 months or so.

So, please, everyone, read and review. I?d like to have a ton of reviews to answer to when I get back

Chapter XXI. The nearing end

Drearing Deep, for all its claims as a sanctuary of freedom for escaped slaves, exuded fear and oppression. Conversation with the depressed inhabitants of the town quickly revealed that the only way Chama and her companions had to attract the temple?s attention was to offer themselves as sacrifices in a ritual. After the adventurers carefully checked their gear and discussed strategy, Chama rang the gong standing in front of the temple?s imposing doors to summon the ritual in question.

The high construction?s doors opened with a theatrical squeak, pushed by two creatures of magic which, even though they possessed only fleshless skulls instead of heads, were very muscular. Between them, what seemed a man of high stature in midnight blue robes moved forward. The staff of office high in his right hand, the high priest bore the hallmarks of the undead: black, fine veins coursing on his chalk-white skin.

Chama, Valen and Nathyrra let the guards guide them inside the sinister temple and placidly waited until the high priest Soldaris departed for his chambers, climbing the stone stairway with unnatural vivacity. Once the undead creature had closed the door to the upper floor behind itself, taking it out of view and hearing range of the entrance hall, Valen, Nathyrra and Chama launched their attack against their jailers. Bloody battle ensued and they of course emerged victorious.

Chama?s simple plan consisted of climbing up in the cult temple until they found Soldaris, who no doubt held the key to the lower crypts, where the source of the Valsharess? undead armies dwelled. So the team climbed the first stairway they encountered and destroyed all the undead denizens of the temple unlucky enough to cross their path.

Soldaris, however, did not let itself be vanquished so easily. It determinedly avoided destruction by fleeing by magical means after his first encounter with Valen?s heavy flail, Nathyrra?s hidden rapier, and Chama?s destructive spells.

After the skirmish with the vampire, the companions sat for a while in the stairs, catching their breath.

?I?m kind of afraid to draw conclusions,? Chama admitted.

?Why is that so??, Nathyrra inquired.

?Because this temple is in all likelihood the source of the undead allies of the Valsharess ? besides, Soldaris is a powerful vampire, that much is obvious. On the other hand, we have been seeing dragon statues everywhere. And the only solution I can see to the equation ?undead + dragon? is ?= draco-lich?. And I?m not too happy at the idea of battling a draco-lich. Are you??

Valen frowned doubtfully. ?A draco-lich??

?Do you have a better suggestion??

Nathyrra and Valen shook their heads. ?My spells won?t fit,? Chama observed. ?That sort of creature no doubt can resist magic pretty well, so I must cast a Greater Breach before anything, and Valen will need to be boosted, and Nathyrra doesn?t have much offensive spells powerful enough to pierce his? his bones.?

Valen considered the wizard?s concerns, but finally shrugged it off in a squeak of armour. ?Well, my flail will hurt it just like anything else.?

Chama smiled, reassured by his confidence. Nevertheless, she had to protest. ?Yes, but its breath will consume you, even if you?re under an elemental resistance spell. I know you?re tough, but I?d rather not test your limits if I have a choice.?

?No argument there. What do you propose??

She sighed and stood up, brushing the dust off her pants. ?Let?s concentrate on getting to the lower floors first. Surely a few minions guarding it will need slaughtering before we get to its chambers, right??

***

Valen looked down at himself. A thin but flexible layer of stone covered him, some magical shimmer making his armour harder to penetrate imbued his chainmail, a cloud of glittering yellow flickers making him resistant to the elements surrounded him, a white halo making him more resistant to spell effects affected him, a chainmail making him move almost twice faster encased him, and a potion of clarity rendered his mind utterly clear.

If anything can get through all of this, he thought, I?m a devil of Baator.

He stepped into the chamber before his companions, and instantly he noticed the many corpses of dead dragons lying around. Something huge came down from the ceiling flying heavily, invisible higher up in the darkness. It had to be Vix?thra, the dracolich. Two golems standing on the far side of the cavern slowly changed their stance from stiff attention to a battle-ready crouch.

The drums of the Blood War beat louder in Valen?s veins suddenly. He rushed forward. As agreed, Nathyrra and Chama ran away on each side of him to go around the dracolich. Nathyrra cast the Greater Breach from a parchment while Chama disabled the golems with the physical damage dealt by the gigantic boulders of ice of an Ice Storm.

?Look at this!?, Nathyrra exclaimed, pointing. ?There?s a hidden door!?

There was an immeasurable pause, and then Chama ran for it. ?Through it! Vix?thra?s got to have a phylactery somewhere! It has to be there! Help me!?

Nathyrra ran after Chama. Valen followed a bit more slowly, keeping the dracolich busy and doing his best to avoid its claws and teeth. The electrical breath of the dragon could get through the elemental shield, he had quickly experienced.

The dragon obviously did not fit in the hidden tunnel, so the team had a second to analyse their surroundings when they burst from the fault in the rock. The stony cavity, much smaller than the other cavern, held a phylactery mounted on a graceful altar and guarded by two golems. Nathyrra and Valen each ran for a golem while Chama busied herself with an incantation. A new fall of massive boulders of ice crushed the phylactery and the two golems? heads.

A very unhappy Vix?thra suddenly flew in and breathed electricity at them until it completely filled the small cavity of rock. Chama and Nathyrra doubled over in convulsions, but Valen just grunted in pain and charged. Soon enough roiling waves of arcane power washed over him, renewing his protections. Other volleys of magic, destructive and potent, flew over his head towards the dragon.

A fire arrow from a Firebrand ? the fourth or fifth Chama had cast ? struck through the dracolich?s dead orbit and finally brought him down, dead.

Nathyrra, Chama and Valen paused in disbelief for a moment, watching warily the twitching limbs of the draconic creature, until the gigantic bones stilled for eternity. Then Nathyrra howled with joy, was joined by Valen and Chama, and the three of them hugged and patted each other on the back exuberantly.

?How did you know for the phylactery??, Nathyrra asked, busily filling her pack with gold. Gold pieces of many ages and nations littered the floor, too much to fit in simple pouches and pockets. Nathyrra had proceeded to fill a whole pack with it, laughing a bit at the extravagance of the situation. Chama and Valen examined and collected magical items instead.

?I didn?t!?, Chama exclaimed. ?It just occurred to me when you showed the hidden door.? Chama paused to squeeze the drow?s shoulder. ?Without you, Nat, I would never have thought about it, and I?m sure Vix?thra could have refocused itself into one of the other dragon corpses. Thank you, Nat.?

The drow smirked prettily, and then resumed her hoarding.

***

Their exuberant enthusiasm born of victory and the real freedom of the slaves of Drearing?s Deep quickly dimmed when they arrived in Lith My?athar. Sergeant Osyyr waited for them, and quickly directed them over to the Seer. A war meeting took place, with the Seer, Imloth, Argosus, Deekin, Lavoera, a golem emissary, Rizolvir, Gulhrys, the lieutenant from House Mae?viir and the army?s captains. Imloth quickly briefed Chama and her companions on what was going on: the Valsharess? army moved to lay siege on them, and would reach them no later than the next morning.

Valen locked eyes with the Seer.

?It is a great luck that we were not caught behind the lines.?

She nodded. ?I am glad that all of you are back, and with news of another one of the Valsharess? allies defeated.?

?At least we could accomplish this much before we were shut in Lith My?athar,? Chama commented dryly. ?Gulhrys??

?Yes, my lady??

?Is the device finished??

?Only the final testing remains to be done, but the preliminary tests on separate parts have all worked perfectly. I am confident.?

She thought wryly that he would never admit to the contrary. ?Very well. Nat and I could help you tonight; we still have some power left to counterspell if anything goes wrong.?

The High Wizard nodded.

?We should probably be doing it right now if we wish to get a few hours of sleep before tomorrow,? the elf went on. ?I have a feeling we?re going to need it.?

?We will take care of everything, Chamaedaphne,? the Seer assured. ?Take care of this device, and then rest quietly, knowing that we are doing everything that can be done.?

Chama nodded and left with Nathyrra and Gulhrys to see to the final testing of the obelisk. Valen watched them go uneasily. As usual, the Seer could seemingly read his thoughts.

?Valen, maybe you should accompany them,? she proposed. ?We do not know what can be summoned forth from the device if it fails.?

He nodded and stalked off after the three spellcasters. He found them on the docks, the device lashed out to the ground by heavy ropes tied to hooks driven in the earth. Nathyrra and Chama merely glanced at him when he arrived before turning back to their work, and the High Wizard could not help but be annoyed by the natural acceptance of the warrior?s presence the two women seemed to share.

?Excuse me, Valen, is there something I can do for you?? Gulhrys asked tartly.

?You can test that device,? the tiefling answered flatly. ?The Seer wanted to make sure I?m here in case something ? anything ? goes wrong.?

The High Wizard huffed; what was this warrior imagining? He would not have built something that would not work.

Once they all declared themselves ready, Gulhrys activated the different components of the obelisk one after the other by switching runes in a well-planned and definite order. Finally he activated the last component; the obelisk started to hum and vibrate slowly, shaking the very ground under it. The hum progressively grew higher-pitched and the vibration accelerated.

Gulhrys took a hasty step back. Nathyrra observed warily, uncertain about what she could do. Chama did not pause to explain her actions, but started casting a haste spell. Gulhrys stared at her in confusion. The obelisk badly rocked its anchors now, its hum reaching uncomfortably high frequencies.

Chama completed her spell. The obelisk steadied, the humming rose in pitch until it could not be heard anymore, even by elven keen ears, and Chama?s pack suddenly weighed three hundred pounds.

Cavallas over on the River screamed insults at them for sapping the magic out of his beloved Dark River, keeping his boat well out of the zone of effect; he had been warned earlier.

?It works,? Nathyrra marvelled.

?Why the haste spell??, Gulhrys asked, not taking his suspicious eyes off the spinning core yet.

?It vibrated because it had trouble starting,? Chama exposed. ?The core must rotate quickly, and it can be jerky before it gets its regular speed. The same thing happens with gate restriction mechanisms.?

Three startled pairs of eyes settled on her.

?You?ve worked with gates?? Gulhrys exclaimed.

?Fiddled would be more appropriate,? she countered humbly. ?I never managed to make one work long enough to go through, but it taught me a thing or two. Now, if you?ll excuse me, Gulhrys? this should work fine now, and I?m tired.?

?Chamaedaphne? please wait for a second.?

She paused curiously to look at Gulhrys. ?Yes??

The High Wizard slowly removed his hat to reveal neck-length, abundant white hair. He combed it through with his hands, so it fell on each side of his face, contrasting starkly with his black eyes. He knew this was how he looked at his best, but he wore the hat most of the time to remind people that they spoke with the High Wizard, not just any male.

Chama looked at him slightly suspiciously, and he found it amusing. What a challenging female, this one. Challenging, but not forceful as a drow would have been. He removed the pin that adorned his cloak clasp on his right shoulder. It was an intricate design picturing the Weave, made exclusively from spell components; it was something he had made before he climbed as high as the High Wizard in the drow hierarchy.

?Please accept this gift from your humble servant, my lady??

She blinked incredulously at him. He noticed that Nathyrra was not snorting like she had until then, and something very threatening crept into Valen?s countenance behind Chamaedaphne.

?I? am sorry Gulhrys, I cannot accept this. Please accept my apologies.?

?You do not have to apologize, honoured female, if I have displeased you??

?No, Gulhrys. I am not a drow. I do not have to be displeased with you to refuse your gift? I am sorry if you do not understand me.?

And she turned away from him slowly, looking at him straight in the eye. She headed back to the temple. Gulhrys did not move while Valen and Nathyrra exchanged a look heavy with unspoken communication. Finally the tiefling left, walking quickly to catch up with Chama, and the drow wizard was left with Nathyrra.

The assassin turned to look at him.

?Well, well, Gulhrys, aren?t we an ambitious one,? she started in a very cold voice.

?You can?t blame me for trying,? he shrugged with a sly smile. ?I have yet to find a drow of her strength and daring.?

?I am drow and I can be displeased with you,? Nathyrra observed in her coldest voice, ?so please remember your manners and do not highlight who are my betters in my presence, male worm.?

Gulhrys blinked, the smile gone from his lips. He bowed carefully. ?My apologies, honoured female.?

?I am delivering a warning to you now. If you dare bothering her again, either me or Valen will take care of you. She is not drow and does not understand how our kind thinks and what you might try to do. She acted as though she spoke to another surface elf; I am here to make sure you will react like one. I hope I am making myself clear??

?Very clear, honoured female,? Gulhrys answered subserviently. What did she take him for? Did she know how old he was? He had not survived this long by making stupid mistakes like annoying Valen when he had those eyes, or displeasing Nathyrra the assassin, or even causing Chama?s stormy temper to rise.

He would miss challenging Chama though. He would miss seeing that annoyance in her eyes when he called her ?my lady? and she decided to ignore it, as though daring him to use that name for her again. And he would miss her perfect intelligence and spellcraft.

Nothing transpired in his expression when he straightened, pinned his cloak clasp back on, and put his hat back on. He stared blandly at Nathyrra.

?Does the test of the obelisk satisfy you, honoured female??

She glanced carelessly at the magical contraption. ?It does, so far. Make sure it does not blow off before tomorrow.?

?Very well, honoured female.?

***

Valen had yellow eyes when he caught up with Chama. She could recognize the heavy footsteps and the brusque clinking of is armour as he walked; she knew from those sounds that he was angry. She looked up at him and saw his yellow eyes.

?Valen, are you angry with me??

?No,? he answered with a calm belied by his eyes. ?Why do you ask??

?Because I can see your neck muscles bulging from here and your eyes are yellow.?

He blinked a couple of times and the yellow disappeared, but his countenance stayed the same. Suddenly, she was not sure that she wanted to know why he was angry.

?I am not angry,? he denied then. ?I am just concerned about what Gulhrys might try to do now, and the demon tries to push me into action foolishly.?

?What could Gulhrys try now? I refused. That?s all there is to it.?

?That?s not how it works in drow culture. A male has to get the moon to be accepted by a female of your status??

She made a face. ?Valen, I?m sure I don?t need to hear you judge my status or tell me what males do with females here or wherever in the Abysmal planes or whatever. I assure you I can handle Gulhrys if he comes back.?

?But??

?Stop it. It was important for me to treat him well ? at least this time. I?ll treat him more badly if he doesn?t get the message. I know very well how drow treat each other. I?ve seen enough of it with House Mae?viir.?

At that Valen shut his mouth. There was such bitterness in her voice when she spoke the name Mae?viir that he preferred not to push any further. Besides, he realized now that it was true; she had seen the manner of thinking of the drow.

He walked faster to catch up with her. ?That is true, my lady. Please forgive me, I did not mean to be pushy.?

She nodded silently in acknowledgement and they reached the temple in relaxed silence.

***

That night, lying awake in his bed, Valen felt like he lived some kind of surreal dream. They had killed a dracolich today. They had seized its hoard and now all the captains and a few of the more experienced fighters were equipped with magical items, ranging from rings to armour, coming from the undead dragon?s hoard.

Vix?thra was the most powerful enemy he had ever faced ? that was not true; he had faced Aurachor, but he had been in an army then. The dracolich was the most powerful creature he had ever fought without an army at his back. Three ? merely three ? adventurers had defeated him almost easily; Chama?s and Nathyrra?s spells had poured power and resistance into him. Nathyrra had noticed the hidden door. Chama had understood what would lie beyond it. He had kept them safe by interposing his body and weapon. He squirmed at the memory of the agonizing pain of the electricity arching through his body.

And tomorrow, they would face the Valsharess and her bound archdevil. They had not the slightest idea how the priestess had bound him, or how they could defeat him ? if he could be defeated at all.

But Valen smiled up to his room?s roof. It was a foolish smile, completely removed from the grim reality. Somehow, if Chama was there, he believed that whatever they faced, they would overcome. He almost laughed. What would the Seer say if she knew he thought like this now? Such foolish hope? such blind faith.

No, not blind. He knew Chama now, and he had seen her, so small and frail, be so strong and overcome so many overpowering opponents. Surely they could beat another one.

He smiled and fell asleep.

Tomorrow he would fight for her.

[DalreïDal]

Finally, after a good two months, here is a new update for Out of the Dark and the Mist. Rest assured, I haven?t forgotten this story, and I?ll keep updating it as regularly as possible.

Thanks for keeping up with the story even though it?s been paused for a while, and please keep reading and reviewing!

Chapter XXII. The final stand

His foolish hope proved justified, even though the grim battle before the gates of Lith My?athar made him forget his amusement of the previous night. Once they had organized the recovery of the wounded and the dead, the rebels took the battle from a siege of their stronghold to an assault of their enemy?s. The march to the tower of the Valsharess gave Valen time to think; he walked with his heart pounding and his hands shaking. He could barely believe that they were through the siege. Alive. And the rebels owned so much of the victory to Chama: to the useful items she had brought back from their adventures, to her strategy to weaken the Valsharess, to her careful battle plan for the siege, to her single-handed magical power.

He had stood by her side in the battle, and so had Nathyrra, the guardian golem she had built on the Isle of the Maker, the golems of Ferron?s faction, Lavoera, the beholders? kobold slaves with Deekin at their head, and the drow allies of the Seer.

Valen was a proud man, even though his pride never became arrogance, and he could recognize the merits of battle for what they were. So he acknowledged the golems? essential role of blocking and guarding the inner doors. The deva had healed and blessed the younger soldiers, transforming them from frightened recruits into efficient soldiers. The kobolds had been the marksmen covering their backs. Nathyrra had boosted the elite soldiers with spells and backstabbed the isolated marksmen or mages.

But Valen himself had withstood the brunt of the enemy?s assault single-handedly, and his resistance to their advance had kept them tightly together, so Chama had been able to use her destructive spells to wreak havoc in the middle of their ranks.

The battle had been won by the two of them.

He had fought well and bravely, holding his ground despite the rain of fire, lightning, acid and ice that fell all around him, brushing but never hurting him. He had fought with her constantly in mind, knowing he must hold his ground for her.

Not for the Seer in the safety of Lith My?athar?s temple. For her. Only for her.

And he had not been overthrown by the demon within, even though he had raged and roared, craving for blood to be spilled in unstoppable fury. But Valen had held his ground against his enemies, both from within and from without.

And it was all because of her. Because, when he thought of her, the demon?s taunts and temptations lost meaning. Because she was more important than the tanar?ri in his veins.

Valen shook from the intensity of these emotions he was unaccustomed to. He did not let it show, because the most important engagement against the Valsharess was yet to come. The adrenaline of battle rose as they neared the tower; in minutes they would assault the Valsharess and her bound devil, and the war would be over, one way or the other. But he did not shake because of the battle. He trembled because he was alive, Chama was alive, and for the first time in years he thought he could imagine a future for himself where he could be happy, and he needed only survive and defend her a while longer. Then, he could open his heart to her, and maybe he would have his future.

But he could not stand the thought of fighting the coming battle without a measure of reassurance. He turned to Chama, too many words battling in his throat, so that none passed his lips. Her black eyes were like velvet while she looked at him. Even though he could say nothing at all, he could move; he extended his hand to lightly touch her forearm.

?One last battle, Granduc,? she whispered, her voice heavy with unsaid.

?This last battle, my lady,? he answered. ?I will??

...stand by your side, he was about to say. But then, under his eyes, she started to fade away. Her eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed in anger and she turned the other way to look at the one summoning her.

?Chama! Chama, no!?, Valen yelled, trying to grip her arm, but his clawing hand flew without any resistance through the image of her still hanging in the air. ?Seer! Seer!?, he called.

The Seer had been walking behind them, and she immediately chanted something, but Chama was gone before the incantation was done. Everyone had stopped and Imloth had drawn his mace, Nathyrra her dagger.

Valen stiffened; Chama gone, taken away right under his nose. Anger flared within and his eyes flashed a dangerous red in an instant. The demon screamed for destruction and the human craved for vengeance. He warred and wrestled with himself for a second. Some remote corner of his mind reminded him calmly that he mistook worry for anger, and that the demon should not take over, no matter the circumstances.

He had been glaring at the Seer with the demon?s eyes, and grateful relief flooded her when he blinked and his eyes turned back to their cerulean blue.

?Where is she gone??, Nathyrra asked warily.

The Seer?s lack of answer made it clear that she had not foreseen this particular turn of events

?Summoned by the arch-devil,? Valen stated darkly.

He stared up at the tower, then back down at the Seer. Pain and worry clouded his eyes, a faint white veil masking their usually bright blue.

?Can her magical power anything against the arch-devil??, the Seer whispered, waving the soldiers off to confer with Valen, Nathyrra and Imloth alone.

?She will need her warrior,? Valen answered in a soft voice.

?Then go to her, Valen,? the Seer ordered.

The tiefling?s eyes cleared somewhat, before clouding again. ?I have a duty to protect you, Seer.?

She set her shoulders. ?If her magic combined with your might can do nothing against the Valsharess, Valen, then there would be very little left to do but flee and you could protect me no better than by fleeing with us. And if it is only fleeing that needs to be done, then Imloth is more than up to the task of protecting us.? She looked at him attentively. You know your heart?s desire, Valen. Do not make me state it, she challenged him silently.

Valen closed his eyes. Suddenly, his hands were steady again, and he felt a cold stone of determination and resignation towards impeding death settle in the pit of his stomach. He turned to Imloth and clasped the drow commander?s hand.

?Keep them alive. Hold them together and run.?

Imloth snapped a formal military salute.

?Nathyrra,? Valen said as he turned to the assassin, ?they will need you to scout ahead and clear the way sometimes. And you have waited long enough to see the moon of your goddess. Go, and keep them alive.?

Nathyrra bowed slightly. With heavy heart, Valen turned to Deekin and crouched to face the creature. Chama would want him to say something to Deekin. He raked his brains to try and figure what.

?Deekin? oh, just go along and take care of your kobolds. They will need someone to speak for them and defend them.?

The kobold nodded briefly, holding up his crossbow in a military salute and, thankfully, did not say a word.

Finally, Valen turned to the Seer. ?I cannot thank you enough, Seer, for everything.?

He kissed the drow?s hand, and then ran off towards the tower. Imloth turned around and led the army away, bringing the pace up. Nathyrra shot a last look at Valen; he stared up at the tower an instant before he bashed the doors open with a massive shoulder and charged inside. Sounds of battle soon ensued. At that moment, the drow assassin almost turned around and ran to assist him, but she renounced the idea after a look at the Seer, wisely waiting for her.

?He has walked off to meet his destiny, Nathyrra,? the Seer pronounced when the assassin caught up with her. ?Yours does not lie with theirs.?

Nathyrra gaped at the Seer, stopping a moment before resuming walking. ?They?re my friends, Seer! How can you tell me so coldly that they will die??

?Death is not always the end of the journey, Nathyrra,? the Seer countered calmly, with a wise smile.

It perplexed Nathyrra for a second before she rushed to follow Imloth?s lead. He moved the army toward the beholder territory, where the spies had learned an exit to the surface was located.

***

Many times Nathyrra thought she would die. Valen had indeed been right in saying that Imloth would need someone to scout ahead, and no one was quite as competent as she was when it came to dealing with the shadows. So she walked ahead of the army, spotting hostile sentries, dangerous paths and favourable places where to set camp.

Many times she thought she made a sound that would make her close target notice her approach and turn her to stone or kill her. Many times she feared she would get lost in the labyrinth of the beholder tunnels.

Many times she thought she would die.

But the Seer and Imloth counted on her. Valen had entrusted her with this responsibility. All the followers of Eilistraee were depending on her.

She would make Valen and Chama proud, wherever they were.

She lost track of time as she guided the army for days, maybe weeks, through the Underdark caves and the beholders? tunnels. She always worked alone, coming back once every four days to make a report to Imloth.

They finally reached a close proximity to the surface and the army camped nearby while Nathyrra scouted. When she saw the light, she ducked behind a rock in a rush, thinking she had been located and a beholder blasted something nasty her way. But when the light kept coming, unwavering, she understood it was not a beholder?s magic.

She got up from behind her rock, too entranced at the sight of the light to remember to keep to the shadows. The light, soft and silvery, glowed steadily like a Candle cantrip, only much more softly.

The assassin remembered herself ? there could be anything guarding this entrance, on this side or the other! ? and hid into the shadows, edging carefully forwards in the tunnel, which slanted upwards.

Her ascension did not take long. She soon felt a current of air on her skin; she had trouble maintaining silence because of her rushing breathing. She got down on her hands and knees to keep advancing when the tunnel narrowed. She passed a curve in the passageway, and suddenly she saw the surface.

Only a small patch of it was visible from where Nathyrra crouched. Something waved across the opening; probably some sort of plant, from what she had heard of the surface. Some kind of vine. On the waxen leaves fell a silvery light that Nathyrra could only hope was Eilistraee?s blessed light.

It?s not the time to get yourself or the whole army killed, Nat, she admonished herself. Check to make sure you can take an army through that hole.

She inched forwards on her hands and knees, listening and looking carefully, straining her keen eyes in the silvery light. She stopped with her face against the vine and looked through the leaves to her right and left, but saw no one. She looked ahead, as far as she could see, and it seemed like a forest. There were what could only be trees ahead of her, and their dried leaves covered the ground.

There could still be someone on top of you, Nat. Don?t forget something as elementary as that.

She closed her eyes to listen better, and when she was satisfied that she heard nothing, she carefully parted the vine to take a look over her head.

Immediately over the ?door??s threshold towered a wall of rock overgrown by the same vine. Far higher, however, sailing amongst small dots of light that were stars, stood the full moon of Eilistraee, perfectly framed between the top of the nearby trees and the wall of rock from which Nathyrra observed the sky.

Nathyrra looked in awe.

I have seen you, my goddess. Let me look at you a moment. Then I will bring the others to see you.

And suddenly something brushed Nathyrra?s conscience, like a feather caressing her hair. She turned sharply around, afraid she had been sneaked upon while in her moment of rapture, but she was alone.

Shaking, she made her way back to the army and the Seer. A great silence fell over everyone when she came into view, grave and trembling. She went straight to the Seer.

?Is it a sign, Mother Seer??, she asked in an awed whisper.

The Seer gave Nathyrra a kind smile. ?I am certain it is, Nathyrra.?

The assassin closed her eyes, savouring the sign of her goddess for a while, and finally she explained to Imloth and to the Seer how to find the exit to the surface.

***

Valen bashed the doors open with a thought that Chama could have made faster and cleaner work of the lock with those nimble fingers of hers. He rushed up the first flight of stairs after dispatching a pair of guards effortlessly.

He rushed up and up the tower, killing only a few guards on his way up, and everywhere he saw the females with the Red Sister uniform lying in a lake of their own blood, killed by mysterious means.

The drums of the Blood Wars beat dangerously loud, but for now he tolerated the demon at the surface, because his fury agreed well with the tanar?ri rage he hosted in his veins. He stayed vigilant, however, that the demon would not take him over.

That would never happen again. He had made a promise to himself, and he held it for his own sake, as much as for the Seer?s, and now Chama?s. He knew who he wanted to be.

He knew who he wanted Chama to see when she looked at him.

The stairs seemed to wind up endlessly. The chainmail of speed hung heavy on his shoulders, as did his old armour crafted by Rizolvir he still carried, and he was out of breath by the time he reached half the tower?s height.

But he did not slow down. Chama would need her warrior. He knew she could keep anyone talking for a while with that silvery tongue of hers, but even her skill with words had limits.

So he rushed on, swinging his flail to bash drows out of his way rather than to kill them. No one fought him very determinedly anyway, and he thought this must have something to do with the Red Sisters? deaths. The guards must be afraid and unsure with the Valsharess not sending any orders and her assassins dead.

Unlike the preceding floors, guards really defended the last level of the tower, and Valen tried to listen through his groans of pain and those of his opponents if he heard anything at all coming from the chamber beyond the doors.

Valen shot a look at his pack discarded on the ground at the entrance of the landing. He stepped forward warily, and he checked the door. It was not trapped, but an ominous silent reigned behind it. And suddenly, Valen heard Chama?s voice, cold and controlled, yet proud and valliant. Oh, my love, he thought, how foolishly strong you are.

?I promise you, Mephistopheles.?

Valen closed his eyes and bashed the door, his eyes taking the black colour of utmost determination. The Valsharess? corpse lay at the feet of her now unbound devil. At that precise moment, Mephistopheles finished his gesture, his glowing red eyes fixed on Chama standing proudly before him, and Valen had seen this stance before. It was the stance she had assumed while facing him the first day in Lith My?athar: awaiting death nobly and defiantly.

Chama did not even hear or see him come in. She died, the spell released by Mephistopheles? hand ramming into her chest and sending her flying backwards, her blood spraying in the air all around her as she flew back.

Valen grit his teeth and each and every muscle in his body contracted violently and painfully. His blood boiled with rage and the demon within exploded with fury and desire for destruction. He unhooked his flail. He snarled and started forward, but then Chama hit the ground. She was limp like a rag doll, and she bounced off before she finally settled down in a disarticulate heap of flesh.

Valen cried out in pain and stopped. The demon had fled and he was now a simple man standing helplessly before Mephistopheles, ruler of the Eighth.

Had I known he would be such entertainment, I might have considered killing her more slowly, Mephistopheles mused. Valen stood before Chama?s body, his head lowered and his eyes taking a grey colour. Ah, but I might have a way to make him grovel yet, he?s already so broken.

Mephistopheles lifted his hand again, and Chama?s body levitated from the ground. Her flesh burned until only her skeleton floated in the air, and finally even her skeleton disappeared, leaving only a pool of her blood and a scorched mark on the floor.

Valen cried out again, and finally he brought his flail up, facing Mephistopheles. For you, my love, I will die proudly. The demon will not have me. I will die a man.

?She has promised you something,? the tiefling declared aloud. ?I will promise something else: I will take revenge for her.?

Mephistopheles toyed with the idea of banning the tiefling to the Hells also, but he mused that, with the troubles the strong-willed ladies in his realm were likely to stir up in the next weeks, it was probably wiser not to let this tanar?ri rejoin his companion.

The devil looked the demon up and down, seizing him up. A veteran of the Blood Wars, but still no match for him. Mephistopheles let out a terrifying grin. ?Really,? he purred. ?Let us see that.?

They circled each other, and finally Valen lunged forward, his flail hitting the leg of the devil towering above him. He dodged the gigantic trident just in time, and as he spun around to the battle once more, he saw that his hit, which would have crushed a man?s skull, had not made much of a difference on Mephistopheles? skin.

?A mere planar has hit you,? Valen smirked, ?oh dread Mephistopheles. I am a realistic man. I set objectives I can accomplish. I have already begun my revenge.?

The devil roared in fury and rushed forward, and Valen was hard pressed to escape the attacks, much less attack of his own.

They were not an even match. Valen hit a few times, his flail striking hard against Mephistopheles? flesh, but the devil hit often, fast and hard. It was not long before Valen was brought to the ground, his shoulder pinned to the floor by Mephistopheles?s trident.

The tiefling controlled his body and stopped squirming, even if pain burned every part of his being. He looked up to Mephistopheles with his cerulean eyes. I die a man.

?I have delayed you of a few minutes, dread Mephistopheles,? he panted breathlessly. ?I think that?s not bad for a mere half-demon.?

Mephistopheles sneered and Valen closed his eyes against the sight of the devil?s face. He tried to conjure an image of his beloved behind his closed eyelids, but in a flash he saw the Seer, and then the drow smiled and said, ?Death is not always the end of the journey, Valen.?

Valen would have opened up his eyes in surprise, but then Mephistopheles?s weapon struck him in the chest and twisted, and he was dead.

[DalreïDal]

Sorry for the delay, folks, I?ve been busy with Holiday visits (damned, my new in-laws are so MANY!!! I must have met like a hundred of them in three days!). I?ve also come up with an acute case of sore throat (I swear, my throat hurt so much that sometimes I think it will bloat until I suffocate) and a minor cold. But thanks to that incredibly efficient but disgusting medicine that is methylene blue, I can now breathe easily and without panic. So I posted this chapter

Due to the feeling of rather abrupt beginning, I have reposted a few lines from the last chapter. I try not to resort to that tactic usually, but I hope you can either forgive me or offer constructive criticism (Btw, thanks to Shadowhawke for reminding me of the difference between ?refuge? and ?refugee?? I had them mixed up again in this chapter, but thanks to her warning I corrected my mistake)

I hope you enjoy your read and then review

Chapter XXIII. The City of Lost Souls

?I have delayed you of a few minutes, dread Mephistopheles,? Valen panted breathlessly. ?I think that?s not bad for a mere half-demon.?

Mephistopheles sneered and Valen closed his eyes against the sight of the devil?s face. He tried to conjure an image of his beloved behind his closed eyelids, but in a flash he saw the Seer, and then the drow smiled and said, ?Death is not always the end of the journey, Valen.?

Valen would have opened up his eyes in surprise, but then Mephistopheles?s weapon struck him in the chest and twisted, and he was dead.

***

Valen?s surprise gained in degree when he felt a call and was suddenly brought back to what certainly felt like life, in a strange place that tugged at his planar senses. He could have identified this place if he had paid attention, but right now he was too absorbed by the sight of Chama, standing before him in a rapidly dissipating mist.

And when the last mist cleared between them, she jumped his way and clutched at his hand and lower arm. He was still taken up by the fight with Mephistopheles, the Seer?s vision and his shocking return to life, so he remained motionless for a moment.

But then realization hit him, and he stepped forward and hugged her tightly. He closed his eyes, shaking with the marvellous and incredible reality that they were not apart.

She had died, he had died, and yet they were not apart.

Finally he let go of her, and he was so confused to see her again that he cupped her cheek in his hand before he even realized he had moved. He blushed and reflexively took his hand off. She had not moved away from his touch, but she stepped back uneasily now. She spoke before the silence became embarrassing.

?I thank you for accepting to come here.?

?My? my lady, do not? do not thank me. I will be forever at your side if you will have me.?

?Then we will forever travel together, my warrior,? she promised solemnly, and Valen?s heart jumped at the hidden significance of her words. Then she sighed and looked around, breaking the enchantment of the moment. She embraced their situation with a move of her arm. ?That is, if we travel anywhere.?

Then Valen looked around. He took in the kind of demi-plane they were in, the Reaper standing behind him, the small planar doors barred to them, and the large portal now open on something unpleasant.

?The Reaper?s Realm,? he recognized.

?Yes, although it?s not such a great nexus anymore. Right now, this place is merely an antechamber for Hell.?

Valen looked at her, startled. ?Hell??

Chama turned her head away. ?It? is strangely fitting somehow. I always wondered if I had managed to redeem my soul; I guess I have my answer now.?

Valen shook his head and spoke with great vehemence.

?No, my lady! It is Mephistopheles who has damned your soul, and he could only do so because he was free on the Prime. There is nothing in your heart condemning you to this place.?

Her voice was a low whisper. ?You do not know what is in my heart, Valen, but I thank you for the vote of confidence.?

Valen stepped forward in a metallic clink of armour and put his hand on her shoulder gently.

?Chamaedaphne, look at me.?

She blinked a few times and finally looked up to him.

?I do not know your past, my lady. That is true, and I will not pry. I want you to know, however, that if you ever need a friend to talk to, I will be listening. But maybe I know your heart better than you know yourself because I am unaware of your past. I have been travelling with you for many weeks now. I have seen you act with kindness, compassion and consideration for the consequences of your actions. The Chama I know would not be damned to the Hells, and that means that you have atoned for your actions.?

She took a breath in a clear attempt to relax. ?I could almost hear the Seer,? she said lightly. ?Did she give you lessons??

Valen smiled slyly. ?She did not have to. I merely tell the truth.?

Chama set her shoulders. ?Thank you. But now that my fit of self-doubt is over,? she jested in an attempt to break the tension, ?I think it would be wise not to waste time and go explore a bit of this Hell awaiting us, if we are ever to make our way out of it.?

?I couldn?t agree more. Do you know how we can escape??

?Oh, it?s a very simple matter. If we manage to discover the Reaper?s True Name, we could then order him to open a gate to Toril for us. And once there, we will give Mephistopheles the beating he deserves.?

Valen lifted a sceptical eyebrow. ?Finding the Reaper?s True Name? Nothing more? How are we supposed to accomplish this??

She sighed. ?I know. Still, we have to keep in mind that it has to be possible, since Mephistopheles learned the Reaper?s True Name in Cania, before he escaped to the Prime.?

Valen shrugged, agreeing with her logic, and yet knowing that it was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

?So we will attempt it, my lady.?

They made their way to the portal leading to Cania.

?I?m sure you know of the customs, ladies first and all,? Chama commented with her usual sly humour, ?but since you are a warrior armed to the teeth and I am only a frail thief and mage, maybe we could amend the customs??

Valen bowed, rather graciously for a man of his size and wearing heavy armour.

?Of course, my lady. If you will, consider me your guardian.?

A strange expression crossed her face. ?I am grateful that you are willing to take that role up. And you can consider me as your? your High Wizard.?

He smiled. ?I already do.? He turned and crossed the portal.

***

The cold was biting and striking. Chama?s pointy ears touched the sides of her helmet and froze almost instantly, sending flashes of pain down her cheeks and jaws. Her eyes watered from the cold and she blinked to clear her vision.

Cania?s landscape was a blinding expanse of infinite white. The Reaper?s gate had deposited them in a quiet zone without devils, and damned souls wandered about, taking refuge near fires which use Chama understood only too well. She tried repressing her shivers while she observed the surroundings, but Valen noticed her struggling against the cold. He could only imagine what the weather would be like for a mortal without a portion of demon blood.

?Come, my lady, we will warm by the fire for a while, and maybe the souls will have something to say of this? place.?

He spat the last word with a displeased grimace. Chama hurriedly made her way to the fire. He stood next to her and glared menacingly at anyone looking their way. With his shoulders squared and his hand on his flail?s hilt, he looked threatening enough that no one approached them.

?Lovely. We are in the Hells,? he muttered.

?Seems a bit? cold to be the Hells, doesn?t it??, Chama objected as she blew on her fingers through her gloves.

?Not all the hellish planes are places of smoke and fire,? he replied calmly. ?Some are icy, as this one is? some are dark and murky underwater graves, while still others are civilized with cities of their own. This is no worse than any other.?

?Maybe not for a mixed breed tanar?ri with boiling blood,? she observed carelessly. She always stated these things very matter-of-factly and never seemed to notice that it pained him to be reminded of his heritage, but the very fact that she gave it no heed smoothed the cruelty of reality. ?Cool-blooded me would have preferred a place of smoke and fire, I think,? Chama sighed. ?But never mind my complaints. You must know something about this place??

?Indeed. This is Baator, also known as the Nine Hells. More specifically it is one of the nine planes that make up Baator, the icy graveyard known as Cania. Home to Mephistopheles? until recently, it seems.?

He quit his surveying of the surrounding lands to bring back his attention on Chama, a half-displeased, half-sad expression on his face.

?I should warn you now that my presence may cause? problems,? he finally stated. ?I am tanar?ri, a half-demon from the Abyss, and the devils of Baator are my natural opponents thanks to the Blood Wars.?

While a lone demon in a homeplane of devils might make a tempting target, Chama had confidence in Valen?s intimidating presence and great skill, and she knew he would neither look nor be easy pickings. With the odds not so clearly in their favour, the devils might be circumspect in their actions.

?If you don?t attack, maybe they won?t,? she finally said with a kind smile.

?That is just the thing? my own blood will make me want to attack them, and vice versa.? He frowned deeply. ?I will? try to control myself. We should find a way out of here soon, however.?

?No argument there! I think I?m warm enough to go explore a bit now. Let?s begin this search for True Names.?

Valen nodded, and they started their exploration.

[DalreïDal]

As promised, new chapter in time. For those of you who aren?t familiar with the original campaign of NWN, I think I must warn you this is HIGHLY SPOILERISH.

With the warning out of the way, here goes! Please read and review!

Chapter XXIV. A Former Ally

Three hours later, they had walked around the city and guided the Scrivener, the strange creature responsible for writing the name of the souls damned to Cania, to each of the columns it wanted to see. Chama had immediately understood the twist to the Scrivener?s visual charades, and had guided him to each pillar easily. Chama and Valen had then visited the ice quarry, met its very pleasant boss Gru?ul, Chama had repaired his precious grinder and they had made some trade with him. They had visited the temple of the Sleeping Man and spoken to the gith sensai who had refused them entry unless they discovered the five mysteries of the Sleeping Man. Then, they had gone in the icy cave before which they had first found the Scrivener crying.

Chama stood frozen before the incorporeal body of an elf half buried under ice.

?Aribeth.?

Chama had read the paladin?s name engraved in the ice by the Scrivener, and she knew she would be here, but facing her brought back many memories. Valen stood respectfully to the side, waiting for Chama to reach a decision. When she did, the mage turned shakily to him.

?I cannot leave her here. She? she was abandoned by everyone, even by her god, even by her lord? even by me. I cannot abandon her again.?

Valen nodded, even if he did not understand ? Chama had always been carefully silent about Neverwinter. She assembled kindling wood and crushed velox berries until a hot fire blazed in the frozen cave. For a while she thought it would not work, but then ice began melting over Aribeth?s face. Water poured down her cheeks like tears, until she was free of the ice and sprung to her feet. She still wore the dark armour acquired in Morag?s service and sprung to the attack.

Chama did not move. The jagged black sword went through her lower abdomen and she groaned. Valen did not wait for an order and gave no warning. He struck silently; his flail hit Aribeth on the left of her chest and knocked her off to the side. He stepped forward quickly to stand between Aribeth and Chama, a snarl rolling low in his throat.

?I am Lady Aribeth de Tylmarande,? the spirit said as she rose to her feet to face Valen defiantly, ?betrayer of the city of Neverwinter. What is it that you want of me??

?You were cold, Aribeth, so I warmed you,? Chama answered, clutching her bleeding side.

?I?m a traitor, will you trust me? I?m dead, will you return me to life? I?m hated, will you love me? I?ve lost my innocence, will you help me find it? ?Save your breath. There are some things you can?t get back.?

?Don?t you recognize me, Aribeth? You, of all people, should understand that I know you can?t get innocence back.?

The blackguard stared at the mage for a while. ?I guess I did not want to know I recognized you. That?s funny. I don?t think I know myself anymore. I know my name, I know the facts and details of my life, I know the story of my fall. All of it seems like some twisted fairy tale, like a story about someone else from long ago. Why did you light that fire??

Chama sighed. ?I am fighting to keep what I have left of innocence, Aribeth. Meeting in Hell someone I feel I have wronged in life, I felt I should do something for you.?

The paladin smiled with wicked amusement. ?So you feel you wronged me? How interesting a way to put the fact that you killed me.?

Chama?s temper rose. ?I killed you because there was no choice when the moment came, Aribeth. I think I wronged you when I cared nothing about the dreams that drove you insane.?

Aribeth laughed harshly. ?And who is speaking now? Neverwinter?s most famous and most honoured dirty back-alley cutthroat! The Many-starred Cloak?s shame!?

?You don?t need to throw names at me; I know who I was and who I am now. Maybe you revel in the name ?Betrayer of Neverwinter?, but I am not a spirit whose name is all she has left.?

Aribeth?s eyes narrowed. ?Why did you wake me only to insult and torment me, if you truly changed so much, my good Chamaedaphne??

?I did not wake you to insult and torment you! I woke you because? because I thought I owed you something. Because I thought I had to take you out of the Hell I didn?t try to keep you from falling in.?

Aribeth glared distrustfully at Chama.

?I understand you challenged Mephistopheles?? Chama said to break the silence.

?Yes, if you are the one spirit he spoke of,? Valen muttered.

?He was devouring us, eating our very souls to build his army? I?ll serve no army! Never again! I served Tyr, I served Lord Nasher, I served Morag and her Old Ones! All my life I?ve worn their colours, waved their flags??

Despite how much of Chama?s blood slowly dripped down in the white snow, Valen found that he could feel sympathy for this spirit.

?I, too,? he said, ?marched behind the standards of a distant war. It changes you, that much is sure.?

Aribeth resumed her explanation of her meeting with Mephistopheles, how he had listened to her until she had nothing more to say.

?There, in the silence, he gave voice to the one secret I have harboured within me for so long? Fenthick Moss, cleric of Tyr, hung as a traitor, the man I was about to marry, the man I?ve always said I loved? I never loved him? I never loved him and somehow Mephistopheles knew the truth.?

Chama observed quietly Aribeth for a long moment. She was not an expert about failed love stories, having been solitary all her long life. She had known Fenthick Moss however, and he had been a gentle, kind, sickly sweet young elf. He had seemed a match for Aribeth at the time ? even if Chama had given preciously little thought to either of them while in Neverwinter during the time of the Plague. She could imagine a young elf fooling herself that she loved such a man because she needed love and it was a simple story.

?Everyone makes mistakes, Aribeth. Besides, sometimes love comes in time.? Valen felt his heart skip a beat at those words, especially because she was blushing, but he did not move and Chama went on. ?Why is whether or not you loved him so important??

Anger and pain raged in Aribeth?s eyes.

?Don?t you see? When they hung him, I abandoned my church, my faith, my god. I led an army of evil against Neverwinter, my own city. I wrought destruction on the world and damned my soul to the Hells.?

?Yet you didn?t love him??, Valen asked.

?And to have not done that out of love, out of grief, out of righteous anger? My entire life has been a lie. A paladin of vanity, a blackguard of denial, they were equal poisons coursing through my veins.?

?Aribeth, stop,? Chama pleaded. ?You were grieving and angry, and you have done what you have done. Not everything is a lie. Some things are mistakes, not lies. You must realize it?s only Mephistopheles playing with your soul because you are in his realm, and it amuses him to make you feel that way. He is toying with you. You refused to serve him, but don?t let him toy with you either. You would please him and that would be far worse than serving him.?

Again, the paladin laughed harshly.

?Then he has succeeded, for here I am in the middle of things, neither good nor evil, neither paladin nor blackguard, wanting nothing but to become nothing and meld my soul into the essence of Cania.?

?Didn?t Tyr choose you as his paladin? Do you doubt his wisdom?? My skill at convincing isn?t getting better if I have to resort to speaking of Tyr with a blackguard, Chama thought to herself.

?Yes, I do. I doubt everything, even myself. Gods can make mistakes, as can devils, as can ghosts, as can mortals. How could Tyr still want me after all I?ve done??

?Tyr knows your heart, Aribeth. He knew it when He chose you. I think He was pushed away by Morag. Let Him decide if He will take you.?

The paladin turned the idea in her head a few times. ?Let Tyr decide? You present an argument I can?t refute, Chamaedaphne. Perhaps my faith has been refined by your fire and strengthened by this ice. Very well, I shall do as you say?? Aribeth knelt on the frozen ice, putting the tip of her sword on the ground and taking the hilt in both hands. ?On this blade, on my names, both true and given, and on all the good and evil I have done in life, I commit all the days that remain to me, for better or for worse, to Tyr and his justice. Let it be so!?

A white light flashed and cleansed Aribeth?s armour. She remained on her knees for a while, blinking in disbelief, and finally Chama shook her shoulder with a smile.

?There, see? I told you He knew you could make mistakes. He knew you were not perfect, and He accepted you even if you were not.?

Aribeth got up on her feet and looked from Valen to Chama as though she truly saw them for the first time.

?I am sorry I hurt you.?

?I know, it was only the confusion of the moment. It?s not a problem.?

?Have you need of company?? Aribeth asked.

?Well? why not,? Chama answered with a smile. ?Three redeemed souls together in Hell, what a lovely portrait. Welcome aboard, Aribeth.?

Valen looked at Chama with his eyes heavily clouded in grey.

?My lady, your wound looks serious. We should find a warmer place and tend to this as soon as possible.?

?I was thinking of going to the tavern and see if we can find a corner where to rest anyway. There must be a place where the pilgrims and other planars stay when they are in Baator, and somehow I don?t think it?s the ice quarry. So I would try the Hellbreath tavern.?

Valen nodded his agreement, and they were off.

[DalreïDal]

Chapter XXV. Chama?s first confidences

As it turned out, the tavern did offer accommodations for planar pilgrims. Even though Valen did not like the idea of a wounded Chama left alone with a former blackguard, he did not protest openly when the paladin offered to tend to the mage?s wound. He merely went straight into his room and stood silently by the adjoining wall, listening to the two women?s voices. They spoke quietly, their tone heavy with sadness, and even though he did not try to hear their words, at least he could make sure that Aribeth was not attempting anything against Chama.

After a while the voices fell silent and Valen heard the door opening and closing. The tiefling closed his eyes for a while, set his shoulders and gathered his resolve, and he went to knock on Chama?s door.

?Come in,? came Chama?s tired voice.

He opened and entered her room. The apartments at the tavern were far from luxury, but at least there was a real bed and many braziers that kept the biting cold at bay along the outer walls. There was no working table in the room, so Chama sat on her bed with her spellbook in her lap, and she held up a Candle cantrip in her left hand.

When he saw the black dots on her fingers, the skin peeling off her cold-burned ears, and her dark-circled eyes, he realized this was far from the right time to speak of what concerned him.

?My lady,? he suggested worriedly, ?you should drink a potion. I can see the cold has frozen your fingers and they start to gangrene.?

She looked at her hand, then shrugged and started to put her book aside to reach for the potions in her pack.

?If you will allow me??, he asked as he lifted her pack from the ground and set it on the bed next to her. She gestured him ahead with a smile and he handed her a healing potion which potency agreed with the gravity of her wounds. He observed worriedly as she drank it down, and thankfully the dots disappeared from her skin.

He really looks concerned, Chama thought with uneasy perplexity. His eyes were highly disturbing clouded in grey like that.

?Did you come just to make sure I would drink a potion, Valen? You know I would, if only to avoid your reprimands in the morning.?

He smiled. ?No, my lady. I am also concerned with your safety. Being a mage, I thought it safer if you did not sleep alone in this place; the innkeeper seems less than honourable. I would not dare, however, to advise you to share a room with the lady paladin. I am? not sure of her intentions, and I would not be at ease to know that you are at her mercy.?

Chama smiled. ?That?s certainly sweet to worry for me like that, but I?ll be fine. I?ll lock the door and leave a nasty surprise or two for anyone trying to force it.?

Valen sighed. ?As you wish, Chama.?

?About? about Aribeth? I would tell you what happened to her? and a bit of my past? Maybe you will not be so suspicious of her, if you understand her.?

?I would like to, my lady. Even as an angry ghost, she was obviously in pain.?

Chama sighed. ?With good reason. Even I cannot help but think that Tyr abandoned her somewhere along the way. When I arrived in Neverwinter? I was? I was very angry with the world. I tended to control it badly and to take it out on anyone weaker than me. I was? I was just what Aribeth called me: a dirty back-alley cutthroat, complete with the grime, the ragged dagger, the sticky fingers and the dark soul. One day I killed two men in a brawl in a? less commendable tavern, and I was thrown into the palace?s prison for disorder and murder. But Aribeth thought I would serve a better use if I was sent to the academy. She probably hoped that I could be ?redeemed? by faith in her god if I was educated properly. So I trained with the other recruits. They didn?t really like me much. I was older, worldlier, I had already been into more than one real fight, and I was not very nice to them.

?The Academy was attacked just as I was about to be ?set free? of its stupid rules, as I thought of it, which meant I was about to graduate. I couldn?t have cared less about the attack. I was just impatient to try all those new tricks of mine on those that dared to assault me. What happened then, what I did? at the time I told myself I had done what I had to in order to survive, but the right way to say things is that I made a bloody and unnecessary carnage of all those who came to face me.?

At that she stopped and closed her eyes briefly, before she looked back at Valen with a sheepish look. He had not moved, his eyes a calm cyan blue, while he listened.

?This earned me a reputation and, later, when the cure?s reagents were lost, Aribeth asked me to retrieve them. As a paladin of Tyr, Lord Nasher had charged her with recovering the cure. I remember wondering if Aribeth herself could be that traitor who had sold out the cure?s location, but then again, I was of a suspicious nature ? worse than a drow, I tell you ? and I didn?t trust Fenthick either, nor the invisible Lord Nasher, nor Desther.

?It was Fenthick who was in charge of discovering the traitor. The byplay between these two? between Aribeth and Fenthick? the teeth and claws of Tyr, they were called. They were just perfect for each other. But they were also very young, at least by elven standards. No matter what Mephistopheles did to Aribeth?s mind while she was here, it is possible that she only believed she was in love, because she was too young to know the difference. Elves? it takes us a lot of time to get some sense knocked into our heads.? She grimaced. ?I wish I had the excuse of naïve youth to explain my behaviour of the time.

?Anyway, it turned out that the traitor was Desther. He stole the cure for himself during the ritual leading to its completion.? And to think I had been thinking of the gold of my reward at that moment, Chama remembered with a familiar stab of shame and revulsion for herself. ?Fenthick followed Desther through the portal he had used to flee. Fenthick was, as Aribeth told me later, a well-intentioned fool, but a fool nevertheless. He desperately wanted to believe it was all a misunderstanding and that Desther needed help to accomplish something else, something better? He needed to see Helm?s Keep devastated to be convinced of Desther?s treachery, and it broke him.

?I brought Desther to his knees in battle and took him prisoner. I went back to Neverwinter with the traitor, the cure, and Fenthick too. Once the plague had been cured, Lord Nasher had Desther burned at the pyre? and Fenthick hung.?

Valen let out a surprised gasp. ?The city?s Lord ordered Fenthick hung? When he was no traitor??

Chama nodded grimly. ?He did. The city demanded blood, and Lord Nasher gave it to them. Aribeth, Nasher?s right arm, was forced to watch while her lover was hung. She stood by her Lord?s side loyally even as people turned away from her, and Nasher himself ordered Fenthick?s death.?

Chama closed her eyes. When she spoke, her voice was hoarse. ?I stood there, and all I thought was, the fool had it coming to him. I watched Fenthick die thinking he had been stupid to follow Desther, when in fact I was the one being stupid. I had not tried to protect him when I brought him back. I was a heartless harpy not giving an ounce of thought for Aribeth. But I would not listen to this so very small voice at the back of my head. Rage speaks much louder than reason.?

?That is true,? Valen assented in a murmur.

?After that, I was sent with Nasher?s forces to search for Desther?s accomplices to the North. Aribeth was there, under Lord Nasher?s orders, to ?take revenge? for Neverwinter and for Fenthick. There? she started to have dreams, dreadful dreams, of Tyr abandoning her, of her being left alone in the darkness and of Fenthick going away from her. It turned out it was visions sent by Morag, an imprisoned queen of an ancient race, who sought to free herself. I don?t understand how Tyr can have let Morag seep into the dreams of one of his followers like that. It is as though he abandoned her? or maybe she renounced him when Fenthick was hung.

?And so, rather than do nothing to hold justice for Fenthick, Aribeth in her rage decided to take action against Neverwinter. She accepted command of the invader?s army. She knew the city well, so it suffered from her attacks. When I came back to Neverwinter? after many adventures of my own? I met her again. She? she was so torn. She said she was no fool like Maugrim, that she knew that Morag would only use her and then sacrifice her. She said that she expected to die at my hands, that it was her punishment for her actions.

?She was so full of rage and anger against Neverwinter, yet she bore guilt for her actions. She could not completely turn evil. She could not be simply evil; she was evil because she was in pain.? Chama closed her eyes and was silent a long time.

?Chama, my lady? please look at me.?

She opened her eyes again, blinking back shining tears.

?My lady, why can?t you look at me when you? when you tell me???

She visibly forced her eyes up to meet his, and spoke in a voice half-choked with tears. ?What Aribeth did? an evil, exaggerated vengeance for pain inflicted to her? I have done it too. That is why I could not condemn her and leave her to rot in Hell. Because what I have done in my life may be worse than even what she did, and you? you have told me that I do not deserve to be damned to Hell. Then how could I let Aribeth be lost?? Chama closed her eyes again, heavy tears rolling down her cheeks. ?When I look at people and tell them these things, their eyes become some kind of mirror. Their grimacing faces reflect the utter horror of the fact that I continue to exist.?

Valen put his hand lightly on Chama?s arm.

?Look at your mirror, my lady. It will tell you what you need to know.?

She looked up to him through her tears, and he wanted to take her in his arms and hug her until she was not crying anymore. However, this was hardly practical at the moment. For one thing, he wore his complete suit of armour and could hardly sit next to her, much less hug her. For another part, he had a feeling he must be asking her permission before he touched her with any familiarity at all; there was a strange, almost palpable distance she kept between herself and the others.

He cautiously schooled his features and kept his eyes the clearest cyan he could conjure as he looked at her velvety black eyes. He held her arm a little tighter. The pits of pain in her eyes seem to recede somewhat and her tears gradually dried. Finally, breaking eye contact, she rubbed her face. She looked at him again sheepishly, one last look at his clear blue eyes.

He smiled gently. ?Remember, my lady, that if you ever need a mirror? I am here.?

She nodded wordlessly, and he could almost see the words stuck in her throat. Suddenly embarrassed, he blushed.

?I? Forgive me for disturbing you for so long. I am but a door away if you have need of me.?

She nodded again, catching his hand just as he let go of her arm. She gave it a brief squeeze, and his blush crept higher on his neck and ears. He bowed his head and got out.

He scowled his best at the devils looking his way while he swiftly crossed the few meters separating him from his room?s door. As soon as the door closed, however, he leaned back on it thoughtfully.

Chama had never revealed anything about her past. He wondered how he could love her when a whole part of her history was a complete mystery to him. And to think that the secret spread over four centuries was another thing to take into account. However, it did not change his conviction that he had been right to tell her to look to him as a mirror, because he did love her. He loved who she was, and if it meant loving who she had been to make her evolve into this marvellous and strong woman, then he would.

He also realized how difficult it was for her to confide in anyone. He considered himself her close friend, and judging by her partial description of her past, she probably had few. She had told him that she had been evil because she had been in pain, like Aribeth, but she had not told him the cause of her distress. He could not inquire about it without risking rushing her, and he would not chance that. Still, he was curious and worried about what had been done to her.

You have to be patient, Valen, he reminded himself firmly. She will come to you in time. Do not ruin her trust in you ? because she does trust you, to have told you of her past. You just have to wait for her.

He sighed and began removing his armour for the night, and it reminded him that, if he had not worn it, he would have sat next to her. His eyes darkened a shade or two while he wondered if she would have accepted his arm around her shoulders. Both his arms around her. If she would have abandoned her head on his shoulder. If she would have nestled against his chest.

He stopped short. You fool, don?t think about that, you won?t sleep. And you?re tired. He sighed, leaned back in his bed, and closed his eyes. Sleep did elude him for a while.

[DalreïDal]

New chapter! On schedule!!!

Chapter XXVI. The Search for True Names

After walking around the City of Lost Souls and seeing nothing beyond its last buildings but an infinite expanse of cruel cold ice, it quickly became obvious that Aribeth, Valen and Chama needed some sort of plan to acquire Mephistopheles? True Name. One of their most promising leads currently lay in one of the buildings: the angelic Sleeping Man who, as the story went, had descended to Hell in search of his one true love?s name. Chama reasoned that, if the celestial had attempted to discover the True Name of his would-be lover, then retracing his steps would be a good start. Unfortunately, the gith sensei refused to let them see him, much less explore his dreams, before they had learned the five mysteries of the Sleeping Man.

So Aribeth, Valen and Chama searched for those five mysteries. Having no idea where to look, they lost a whole day questioning everyone, mostly in vain, though they did eventually manage to uncover all the mysteries. Chama had not thought that night would fall in Hell, but dusk darkened the sky when the gith sensei gave them access to the chamber where lay the Sleeping Man.

The long cold corridor made the warm, hushed and holy atmosphere of the chamber more striking when they crossed the threshold.

?Do you feel it?? Aribeth exclaimed. ?The Sleeping Man, he exudes goodness? It?s like being young again, like being back in the temple in Neverwinter, like being alive! You can feel it, can?t you??

Chama nodded. ?Yes. I can feel it. I understand why the gith consider it a pilgrimage to come here. There is a happiness here.?

?And a sadness, too. Happiness because his love is coming to him, sadness because she is not yet here. That?s how hope works, I think? The two mingle.?

?That?s how you feel too, isn?t it?? Chama inquired quietly.

?Some ghosts haunt and some are haunted. I guess I?m one of the latter. But yes, thanks to you, Chamaedaphne, I guess I?m hopeful? Now let?s do what we came here to do.?

Neither of them was gifted with the necessary focus to use the sensei?s amulet, so they backtracked to the shops of Gru?ul and Rizolvir. After downing the potion of owl?s wisdom purchased from Gru?ul, Aribeth could catch glimpses of the Sleeping Man?s dreams. Looking around the room, she quickly spotted the secret door she had seen in the angel?s reverie. She led her companions over and Chama quickly found the trigger mechanism. When she pushed on a stone separated from its mortar by a hairline, the door slowly turned on its hinges and revealed a dark passageway.

?Here we really begin our search for the True Names,? Chama declared, and she plunged down into the secret corridor, Valen and Aribeth close behind her.

***

In the depths of the secret caves below the haven of the Sleeping Man, they found three pieces of a ring, fiercely guarded by skeletons. Valen and Aribeth dispatched the skeletons and Chama assembled the ring pieces, following the instructions of a prayer the Sleeping Man had scribed long ago. When Chama tried the ring on, she saw a very different vision of the world. She even discovered, in the Sleeping Man?s chambers, a chest that could not be seen otherwise.

Exiting the Temple of the Sleeping Man, the team walked around a bit so Chama could test the ring. Warily, Chama followed the conspicuous red arrows that appeared, floating in the air, when she slipped the ring on her finger. She could only hope they would lead her to the Knower of Places, who could reveal the location of the Knower of Names.

The arrows eventually guided them outside of the City of Lost Souls, to a cliff pierced, to Chama?s amazement, by a planar door. She opened the door, but could see nothing beyond the threshold but a shimmering surface, as though of a portal. Taking Valen?s and Aribeth?s hands in her own, she crossed the door. The three comrades ended up on a wind-beaten and frozen plain populated by ice trolls. Quickly making their way to the nearest ravine, they set up camp around a large fire started with velox berries. Chama released a spell which afforded them a magical shelter, so they did not lose all of their fire?s heat to the relentless wind.

Valen removed his armour and busied himself polishing a part of it, Chama studied her spells and Aribeth prayed and cleaned her sword and shield. After taking care of his chain mail, Valen stood up and announced he would take a turn of guard. He asked Aribeth to join him once she was done with her prayers.

She emerged from the shelter shortly, pulling her hood down on her slender ears to ward off the cold.

?Aribeth,? Valen began, ?I? I need to speak with Chama. Would you mind scouting around a bit? for an hour maybe??

Aribeth arched an eyebrow and smiled slyly. ?Of course, Valen. Make this two hours.?

?Thank you. Don?t let yourself freeze in the cold though.?

?I will not try that again, trust me. Now go talk to her.?

Aribeth set off into the night. Valen watched her until she passed out of earshot and went back in with Chama. The mage lifted her eyes from her spellbook.

?Where?s Aribeth??

Valen cleared his throat. ?She went scouting around a bit.?

The elf nodded and immediately put her nose back in her magical formulas. Sitting next to her, Valen waited a few minutes while she finished her studies. Finally she put her book down, sighed deeply and stretched.

?Might we speak??

?Yes, Valen??

Suddenly his rehearsed speech seemed harder to deliver. He rubbed his chin, unsure how to continue.

?We might meet our end at any time now, and there is something I would like to get off my chest first.?

?Keep morale for the troops? sake, my warrior. We will get out of here. But I?d like to hear what you want to say.?

He took a breath and set his shoulders. ?We have not known each other for long. I wanted you to know, however, that in the brief time we?ve spent together I?ve? come to feel quite close to you.?

There was a silence. The hue of Valen?s blue eyes was a shade darker than usually. Chama blinked owlishly several times. I am not prepared for this. I am not ready for this. A great swirl of confusion, memory and hope rose in her. Buy time. She asked, her voice low and unsure, ?Close in what way??

?I? I think I?ve come to know you quite well. I believe we have a companionship, perhaps even something more than that. Do you? not feel the same??

His face glowed with hopefulness and open sincerity. His formal approach, intense stare and nervous countenance made it plain that there was more to his words than this. A great battle raged within her, confusing her even more. I don?t know what to do. Valen kept looking at her hopefully. I don?t know what I want.

Valen?s eyes no longer seemed harsh to her. Their surreal colour, clear and intense, merely spoke of hesitant hopefulness. Valen very patiently awaited her answer, respecting her need for time despite his own discomfort. That?s not true, Chama realized. I know what I want. I?m just too cowardly to admit it to myself. And to him.

?I? I feel close to you too, Valen.?

He smiled shyly and looked away briefly. When he turned to her again, his eyes, always so expressive, were bright and filled with emotion.

?I am most glad to hear it, my lady. My life has been one of nothing but rage and despair. Even after I came to the Seer, I still believed that gaining my humanity was the most I could aspire to. I do not feel that way anymore. I believe there is something greater I could aspire to.?

Staring into Chama?s eyes, he tentatively reached out and took one of her hands.

?I? I love you, my lady. With all my heart.?

He looked at her anxiously as the silence stretched. Her face was pale, her black eyes unreadable. Her lower lip started to quiver. Valen sat there, petrified, waiting. You know what you want now, she reminded herself. How hard can it be to say it? Come on, say it! Her lips worked as though she was trying to say something, and finally she closed her eyes a moment. Alright, you fool, calm down. It?s not so hard. I know you can. It won?t change anything in him. He?ll still be the same and you?ll just feel better when he?s around. Now don?t keep him waiting any longer. He doesn?t deserve that. She opened her eyes again and, with great effort, lifted them until she stared into his cyan eyes.

?I love you too, Valen.?

She wondered how she finally managed to say the words. He doesn?t know what he?s getting into. I?m tremendously bad at all this stuff. There were things she would have to explain to him. But not right now. One of these emotional declarations was more than enough for the night.

Her voice and her hands shook. Valen smiled, one of his rare unchecked smiles that discovered his teeth and lighted his eyes, finding it touching that a forty-three decades-old elf blushed like a girl. Putting a hand on her slim and delicate shoulder, he leaned forward slowly, and he felt her tense as he inched nearer. She did not pull away, and when his lips brushed hers, she relaxed somewhat. He kissed her slowly, but with a hint of promise.

?It is more than I could have hoped for that you might return my feelings, my lady. Nothing could make me happier.?

Her hand, icy despite the fire and the shelter, tightened hesitantly over his. Squeezing it between his, he gently rubbed warmth into her fingers. He looked at her adoringly, content with the silence and her hand in his.

Finally, she broke the silence. ?What do you see happening between us, Valen??

He grinned. ?I do not know, truly. All I know is that you are the most amazing woman I have ever encountered.? He gently caressed her cheek. ?Any future we have is enough for me.?

She slid closer to sit next to him, while he held her hand in both of his. She looked up to him, looking uncertain and disbelieving.

?It?s good that you hold my hand.?

She stated it as an unexpected surprise and he grinned.

?Has no one ever held your hand before,? he asked in jest, ?in those forty-three decades of your life??

A weird look crossed her face. For a moment Valen?s smile faded, something unpleasant gripping at his heart in response to a flicker in her eyes.

?My mother and father have held my hand, and others of my family, but no one in this way. Only you.?

?Then I am honoured, my lady, that you trust me to be the first one to.?

She cast her eyes down and visibly debated something with herself, and finally she slid closer until her shoulder leaned against his.

?Would you like to be the first one to hold me close in this way??

He had been refraining from intruding into her personal space, but if she asked? Snaking an arm around her waist and the other around her shoulders, he pulled her onto his lap. He slid his hand up in her silky hair, and he pressed her against his chest.

?I thought you?d never ask,? he breathed, taking in her perfume. Under the smell of magical soot and reagents, it was sweet and flowery, but subtle and he could not quite identify it. She shivered slightly, either from the cold or from nervousness. Valen happily remained motionless for a long time.

Suddenly she shook and buried her head into his shoulder, sliding her arms around his neck. With a start, he realized she was sobbing.

?My love! What?s wrong??

He tried to pull back to see her face, but she clung to him with the desperate strength of a shipwreck. Between sobs she choked out, ?Nothing?s wrong, Valen! Nothing?s wrong!?

He patted her shoulder, uncertain what else he could do. When her sobs refused to recede after a few minutes, he asked her, ?If nothing is wrong, why do you cry??

?Because it feels so good! And I never thought I?d? I?d? be loved and held like this.? I never thought I could like it. ?And I was so tired of never having been loved. I? am so tired of this former life I carry around everywhere with me.?

Sighing, he kissed the top her head. ?We all have a past, my love.? She smiled timidly at this new way of naming her. ?Just don?t let it rule you. I love you. From now on someone will always love you.?

She did not say anything to that. Tentatively, she lowered her head and settled in the hollow of his shoulder. He had been craving for such close contact for weeks. After a timeless moment, she lifted and tilted her head, her keen elven ears picking up a distant sound. Valen held his breath so she could listen better.

?I think Ari?s coming back,? she declared.

She slid out of his lap and, when she stole a look at his face, the deep cobalt of his eyes startled her.

?Your eyes are a colour I?ve never seen before.?

Valen cleared his throat and concentrated for a second, until his eyes shifted back to their usual cyan. ?It? was good to hold you,? he explained.

She blushed and turned away. At that moment, Aribeth stumbled in, her bleeding leg not holding any weight.

?Met a troll,? Aribeth explained succinctly. ?And his three friends.?

?Don?t worry, I?ll fix that,? Chama replied, already looking at the wound. ?Valen, if you would please wait outside while I tend to Ari??

Valen bowed and went out, while Chama started loosening the ties of Aribeth?s lower armour. The biting cold and the infernal taint of the Hells greeted the tiefling when he step foot outside the magical shelter. ?Lovely,? he muttered to himself. His heart, which had beaten with euphoria just a moment ago, hardened cruelly from the reminder of where he was and what fights still awaited him. ?We have to get out of here soon.?

***

The next planar door they had to cross led to a mimic?s lair. Chama stepped in first, dragging Aribeth and Valen behind by holding their hands. As soon as the black flash of the planar door dissipated, a fiendish hand flew to them and gripped the front of Chama?s robe.

Valen struck as fast as a viper and gripped the hand. He wrestled against it, but the hand kept pulling on Chama?s clothes and Valen would strangle Chama if he did not let go. So he did.

Pulling it over the elf?s head, the hand took off with Chama?s robe. Valen caught a brief glimpse of her lithe, athletic body, all in slender and supple muscles and round curves, with scars on her abdomen, before he turned his head away and cleared his throat. Behind them, Aribeth tried to hide her giggles, but failed utterly when Chama sat on the cold ground in her silk underwear. Hugging her knees to her chest, Chama tried concealing herself, while she clumsily searched through her pack with only one hand.

Valen unclasped his cloak and, politely looking over Chama?s shoulder, he draped it over her shoulders. Once she had wrapped it around herself, he looked down at her and smiled.

?Do you keep a spare robe somewhere? It must be cold, and I hardly imagine you casting while clutching my cape around yourself.?

She blushed. ?In my pack, in the third bag of holding from the right, there?s my old Battlerobe.?

Valen looked through her pack and handed her the dress. He turned his back on her while she slipped it on, and they set off after the mimic.

The mimic died a death of terrible fire, though it did not quite seem to satisfy Chama, since she felt the need to scorch the carcass further with a few maximized fireballs of her own. Once back in her robe, she seemed able to forget the incident.

Valen, however, experienced a few pleasant but uncomfortable dreams that would have embarrassed him greatly had he attracted the attention of either one of the two ladies standing guard?

[DalreïDal]

New chapter! Nearly on schedule!

Chapter XXVII. A Rest

Valen lost all notion of time while journeying through Hell. They were now across the River Styx, thanks to Gargamesh?s grappling hand. They had taken the devil?s severed hand from the mimic and now, instead of taking off with people?s clothes, it allowed them to manipulate distant objects or move across obstacles such as the Styx.

They had fought many trolls on the way, and the knee-deep snow slowed their progress considerably. However, many underground mazes dotted their route, where the local populations of tieflings and devils took over the role of the snow and trolls in hampering their advance. Valen was beginning to feel the exhaustion of extended battle wear him down.

He stole a look at Chama walking behind him, checking for traps and stranger contraptions visible through her displacing ring. Her helmet obscured her face, and it occurred to him that he had not seen it in days. It meant she had worn her circlet, and her ring of clear thought over it, for days on end. Moreover, her constant displacement from the tapestry of existence afforded by her ring started to give off an unwholesome feeling.

Valen stopped abruptly and Chama belatedly lifted her head to look at him.

?It?s time we take a break,? he declared.

Aribeth also looked drawn, her silhouette becoming more ethereal with each passing hour. Valen led them to a corner where they could hold a defence up front. Chama, Valen and Aribeth set up the bedrolls and the tent, more for privacy than for protection against the weather. The thin cloth offered meagre shelter against the brittle cold.

Surprising a look of utter worry and tenderness on Valen?s face while he looked at Chama, Aribeth decided the two lovebirds deserved a moment alone.

?I?ll scout around a bit,? she announced. ?I?ll try not to meet a troll and his friends this time.?

Valen nodded distractedly. Searching near their camp, he gathered wood and debris to build up a fire. He had just put down the last twig when the wood ignited itself. After turning around to smile gratefully at Chama, he put water in a pan over the fire.

?My love, you need to remove this ring,? he said, his voice rough. ?You start to blend out of existence. It worries me.?

With an effort, Chama lifted her hand and removed the Sleeping Man?s ring. Immediately she was completely back into this world.

?I think it would be time to remove your circlet too for a while.?

She removed the helmet slowly. It had plastered her hair on her head, and her face was pale and drawn. Valen sighed.

?My love, you are driving yourself too hard.?

Groaning from the accumulated pain of a long series of almost uninterrupted battles, he crouched next to her and took her hand.

?We need to get out of here, Granduc,? she countered with a helpless shrug.

?Yes, but we need to be alive in order to do so. Rest, I?ll take care of the tea and rations.?

Disappearing inside the tent, she slipped in her bedroll and dozed off lightly while Valen moved about, heating the rations and preparing the tea. Their simple meal did not take long to prepare, and soon he entered the tent, a teapot and a pan of Hell road rations in his hands. They ate, sitting side by side on Chama?s bedroll. Her stomach full with food and hot tea, Chama felt a quiet and warm sensation overcome her.

?I really must have been exhausted. I?m feeling much better now that I?ve eaten something.?

Valen smiled at her and devoured his third helping of rations. When he finished, he gave no inclination to move out of the tent or away from her. She lifted a hand and tentatively ran it over one of his horns, before threading through his red hair. He closed his eyes and smiled slowly.

?Thank you, Granduc. You were right to call a rest, and it was really nice of you to take care of the dinner.?

Sensing her weariness, Valen moved off her bedroll and tucked her in.

?Sleep now, my love. I will watch over you.?

Chama gave him a strange look and he waited, curious as to its meaning.

?Would you? would you lie with me for a while?? she asked at length.

His throat constricted and he did not trust himself to speak. He slid down on the hard cold floor next to her, and she rolled aside to invite him on her bedroll. Instead, he pulled his own makeshift bed next to hers, leaving the spot closest to the fire to her in a thoughtful attention that made her smile.

With his full armour on, he could hardly hug her, so he just lay next to her, propped on an elbow, with his free hand gently playing through her hair.

?What do you plan to do once this is all over??, she asked, looking dreamily at the roof of the tent.

He pondered her question a moment. Between the night before facing the Valsharess, when he had felt for the first time that he had a future of his own, and now, embroiled to the neck in the snow and ice of Cania, he had not elaborated many long term plans.

?I?m not certain,? he confessed. ?There was a time that I believed I would return to the surface and continue to serve at the Seer?s temple. Now? perhaps not.?

?What else would you do??, she asked quietly.

?Part of me wants to explore this world of yours,? he explained. She smiled happily and hopefully at this statement, and it warmed his heart. ?I have stayed too long in one place, and there is still much to see. Perhaps I will start with Waterdeep, itself. Eventually I would like to return to Sigil. I have not seen it since I was very young? I miss my glorious City of Doors. I miss the planar folk, the Sensatoriums and even the creatures that wander the streets.?

He smiled warmly at Chama, one of his rare smiles that reached his eyes and made the harshness disappear.

?But, of course, all these thoughts are for naught if my lady wishes me to stay with her.?

She squirmed, uncomfortable. ?I don?t want you to give up on your dreams and everything because of me.?

He chuckled. ?And I am not, my lady. I am gaining everything because I am with you.? He caressed her cheek slowly. ?That is all that matters to me, truly, nothing else. I am curious of one thing, however, my lady? what future do you envision for us? Do you foresee marriage? Children??

He had taken her by surprise. She blushed and blinked a few times.

?I confess I haven?t given it much thought. It hasn?t been long since? well, since I?ve made my peace with what I feel for you.?

?Your peace? What do you mean??, he asked a bit worriedly.

?Well, I?ve never been in love before, as I?m sure you?ve guessed from my skill at declaring my feelings to you. So at first? I was afraid.?

?I hope I haven?t acted in a way to intimidate you,? he said, a worried frown on his forehead.

She laughed. ?No. I could scare myself away without you having to do anything. So? it left me little time to elaborate plans. Moreover, we?re in hell and my mind is pretty busy with figuring a way out of here, and we?ve only just met. So I just don?t know? But what do you think about this??

For a moment, he tried to picture himself, without his armour or Devil?s Bane, showing a child how to ride a horse, or changing a baby?s swaddling clothes, or holding Chama?s hand while her body was torn asunder so she could give birth to tiefling creatures?

?I have never given such a question much thought either,? he admitted at last. And suddenly he grinned. ?I would love a child, your child, that is? but perhaps it is too soon for such thoughts??

His smile disappeared at the sudden pain in Chama?s eyes.

?Chama? I?m sorry. Whatever I said, I didn?t mean to hurt you??

?It?s not you, Valen? I just don?t know if I can ever have children. It never preoccupied me before, but now it? it saddens me.?

?Why is it uncertain??, he asked gently.

Her eyes took a distant cast, the memories heavy with sadness. ?When I was four, just before I left the lands of the elves, I was very sick. I had to keep the bed for months. I eventually healed, but I was weaker than before the illness. The priestesses said that I would always remain fragile, and that I might never bear children to term. I?m certain you have noticed that I can?t withstand poison. That?s one of the side effects of that distant sickness.?

?I?m sorry.?

She shrugged. ?Thank you, but there?s hardly anything at all to do now. There was hardly anything at all to do back then either.?

?Would it be dangerous for you to? to try to carry children??, he asked again.

?I cannot know before I try.?

There was a silence.

?I would understand if you did not wish to risk your life in this way,? Valen declared.

She reached for his hand and squeezed it. ?That means a lot to hear, Valen, but I think it?s too soon to take such a decision? with all there is still awaiting us in terms of battle and all??

He smiled, lifting her hand to kiss it. ?It is good to know that the possibility is there. I am satisfied. Whatever else comes? let it come. I know there?s much yet to do. And I, for one, can?t wait for this to be over and the rest of our life to get started. But tonight, all we can accomplish is take a little rest. So sleep now, my love. I will watch over you.?

She smiled, rolling up in her covers, and he kissed her cheek. She quickly fell asleep. He still lay there, caressing her hair gently, when he heard Aribeth coming back. He sat up in his bedroll, a little embarrassed. The half-elf slid silently into the tent, knowing in advance that Chama would be asleep already.

?I?ll take the middle watch, Aribeth, if you prefer,? Valen whispered.

The paladin hesitated, but finally she nodded her agreement and went back out of the tent. Valen lay down next to his beloved, who slept like a stone. His heart ached to see her tired and under so much pressure. He would watch her carefully in the next few days to make sure she did not exhaust herself too much.

He looked at her while she slept for a few minutes. It was a stolen moment of tranquility within the chaos they sowed on their way through Hell. He closed his eyes, putting his hand over Chama?s, and fell asleep.

[DalreïDal]

I'm on schedule! Ooooooh I'm so proud of myself, lol

Chapter XXVIII. Valen gets fried

When they resumed their march the next day, the red arrows guided them to a planar door located at the bottom of a hollow. Standing in deep shadow, it gave off a feeling of danger and foreboding. Chama, Aribeth and Valen caught their breath for a moment, before they passed the doors.

The planar interface led them inside a natural cave. Chama was instantly aware of the nature of the danger she had felt outside. Before them stood Grimgnaw, whose terrible power as a monk she remembered well from their adventures back in Neverwinter. He was flanked by the lich Balpheron, wearing a disturbingly powerful cloak ? even from a distance, Chama could tell that half her spells would fail to seep through it ? as well as the assassin Crimsom, the minotaur Koth and Maugrim himself.

Of course, Grimgnaw perceived her as a threat, and he explained that he planned to take over the ruler-ship of the Eighth Hell. He has not changed, Chama thought while she listened. Not surprisingly, even though she assured him she merely wanted out of Cania, and that she eagerly let him rule it for all eternity, he sprung to the attack.

Valen and Aribeth moved in with perfect coordination, forming an impenetrable wall of blade, swinging flail, buckler and armour. Chama stayed behind them and cast every protection she could on Valen; he had taken the front assault and Grimgnaw concentrated on hitting him.

Despite Chama?s spells, Grimgnaw?s fists and the minotaur?s axe punched and chopped at Valen?s armour. Chama had never seen him bleed out of so many wounds in so short a time. It felt as though someone had taken her heart in a fist and squeezed.

She cast her most powerful spell, an Isaac?s Greater Missile Storm squeezed dry, knowing full well that only Grimgnaw and the minotaur would be hit ? Balpheron stayed too far behind and invisibility protected Crimson and Maugrim. However, the concentration of the missiles on only the two most physical fighters suited her. She moved quickly to another missile storm, hoping to buy Valen time to drink a few potions.

Three missile storms in close succession left her panting heavily, her mind painful from her repeated attempts at casting faster. But it was not enough. Valen swayed dangerously on his feet, the weight of his flail dragging him out of balance each time he swung. He had already downed all his potions. Aribeth was trying to lay hands on him, but Maugrim hacked at her. Valen screamed a challenge in a desperate voice.

?You cannot win this fight!?

Pivoting his torso far to the right, he took a long run-up with his flail and swung hard to the left. His flail mercilessly crushed Grimgnaw?s skull. Unfortunately, the move had dragged him too far and left him wide open on his right side. The minotaur?s axe completed its downward move and struck down hard into Valen?s exposed side. In a devastating backhand blow, the tiefling swung back the head of his flail to smash into the minotaur?s face, who was still struggling to free his axe from Valen?s chopped armour.

Valen collapsed in a heap, entangled with the agonizing minotaur.

Chama saw red. She screamed, lifted her hands and rammed a fireball at the minotaur?s body. The monster burned down to a disgusting mass of fuming fur and scorched flesh.

But then Chama heard Aribeth?s grunts of pain and snapped out of it. She turned to see the paladin hard-pressed by Maugrim and by Balpheron.

Chama?s spellcraft did not only allow her to win contests in pre-cantrip casting against a drow High Wizard; she identified Maugrim?s protective spells at first glance. She snorted derisively. She had battled him before, and he had not innovated in the field of tactics. She dispelled his protections with two well-chosen spells, then scorched him with a fireball, and he went down when Aribeth?s sword ran him through the heart.

?Take down the lich!? Chama ordered. ?He?s resistant to magic! I?ll take care of the assassin!?

Aribeth did not hesitate and ran to battle Balpheron, assisted by one of Chama?s spells that abjured the magical protection of the undead creature. Aribeth hit hard and long against the magically-strengthened bones, until finally she sent the head flying. Meanwhile, Chama dispelled the assassin?s invisibility and summoned a greater elemental to distract her. Aribeth beheaded her adversary and turned just in time to see boulders of ice falling heavily on Crimson and breaking her neck.

Chama remained still a second, checking that all their enemies were defeated, and she turned to Aribeth.

?Please, stand guard for a while.?

And she collapsed by Valen?s side. Feverishly pulling the minotaur away from her beloved, she carefully felt his neck for a pulse. She found none. With shaking hands and tears blurring her vision, Chama precipitously went through her pack. It took her a while to find the Rod of Resurrection, a long forgotten item that gathered dust in her pack since the middle level of Undermountain. Gingerly, she pointed the wand?s end at Valen and uttered its activating word of power.

Valen?s armour creaked as he took a breath. Letting out a wordless gasp, Chama threw herself atop him to hug him. As quickly as she had latched unto him, she jumped off and looked down at him.

?Oh, I?m so glad these things exist! I thought I had lost you!?

Valen shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. ?I feel like a fool for having died,? he said.

?A fool??, she exclaimed. ?Valen, you?re not a fool! How many men would have run away before the final hit, leaving me to be cleft in half by that minotaur?s axe? How many men would have given their life for me, like you have? You?re not a fool! You?re a courageous man who will sacrifice himself for his companions. If not for you, I would have died here today! I know I would. No offence, Ari, but you can?t take as many hits as he can.?

?And I don?t swing as hard, I know,? the paladin answered, amused at Chama?s sudden passion.

Valen smiled. Being showered in gratefulness and compliments always felt good. ?I am grateful you saw fit to give me another chance,? he added.

Suddenly she became shy. ?I would hope you?d do the same for me.?

Valen looked up at her, his clear blue eyes intense and his face grim. Reaching out with a rough hand, his callused warrior hand, he brushed her cheek tenderly.

She so liked his contrasts.

?I would storm the Nine Hells themselves to bring you back to me, I swear it,? he declared.

Chama smiled at him shyly, and he dragged himself to his feet, despite the gaping wound in his side and the hundred of other cuts and punches puncturing his whole body.

?Then it begins again.? He turned to give Chama another intense look. ?I swear to stand at your side, my love, and guard you unto my last breath? and beyond.?

?You?re quickly drifting to ?beyond? again,? she remarked. ?We don?t have healing potions strong enough to set you back on your feet. I?ll do what I can with a healing kit, but then we?ll have to rest so you can recuperate. Stay here for a while; Ari and I will look around to make sure there?s no threat.?

He nodded and waited while she circled the cavern with the paladin, checking for traps or secret passages. Once secure in the knowledge that nothing would come upon them unexpectedly, they set camp in an adjacent chamber. Valen collapsed in a corner with a grunt and Aribeth and Chama pitched the tent and prepared the rations.

?Granduc, remove your armour,? Chama ordered as soon as the camp was set, ?so I can get a look at your wounds.?

Aribeth watched a worried Chama hovering above an exhausted Valen, who pulled at his armour?s buckles with trembling hands. The paladin rolled her eyes and decided, again, to leave them alone for a while. Feeling jealous, she thought forlornly it was becoming a habit.

?I?ll stand guard outside,? she announced. ?I?ll give a turn of guard to one of you in a few hours.?

Chama nodded distractedly and helped Valen out of his chainmail. Her hands trembled when she cleaned Valen?s wounds, used magical herbs to cleanse the poison from his blood, and bandaged him to stop the bleeding.

When she was done, Valen slumped in relaxation, exhausted and blessedly free of pain and illness. He was about to blissfully blank out when a small hand slid lightly on his shoulder and chest, carefully avoiding his wounds. His fatigue instantly disappeared and he opened cobalt blue eyes to look at Chama.

?Valen.?

?Yes,? he answered, his eyes darkening further at the invitation in her gaze.

?You said yourself that we could meet our end at any time now. I do feel better knowing we love each other, but I would like to? to be held by you, not by your armour, for once in my life if I am to cease to exist soon.?

Sliding lower, Valen laid his back on the cold floor and extended his hand. Chama took it and hesitantly got down next to him, lying close. He slowly drew her against him and she shifted closer, until she cuddled against his side, her head on his shoulder. He rounded her shoulders with his right arm, and rested his left hand on her hip.

Both breathed fast as the silence stretched.

?I love you,? they said at exactly the same time.

Valen smiled and closed his eyes. Chama, less experienced with embraces, searched for a place where to put down her arm, but fresh bandages occupied every seemingly comfortable spot. Suddenly she realized her whole weight rested on his side, which was hurt. She turned to lift her weight off him.

?I?m sorry. I must be hurting you??

?No, you?re not,? he replied, tightening his arms around her. Slowly she relaxed and her weight settled against his ribs again.

?It?s good to be held by you,? she whispered.

Valen silently tightened his grip on her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. He was not aware of it, but she was still surveying the extent of his wounds, and the guilt in her voice was unexpected when she spoke up again.

?I?m sorry I brought you here, Valen.?

Even though she resisted for a while, he managed to make her lift her eyes up to his.

?Don?t be sorry,? he pleaded. ?I was dead, and now I am given a second chance to live. And moreover, a chance with you. Aribeth is away? Chama, my lady? can I be so bold as to request a kiss??

An amused smile rewarded him for his formal request. Turning slightly, she rested more squarely on his chest, and kissed him lightly on the lips. A small dreamy smile floated on her lips when she pulled away. Briefly Valen wondered if he was allowed to kiss her more intensely, but decided he had received her silent permission when she had kissed him. She shivered and her eyes widened when he sensually ran his hand up her back and buried his fingers in her hair. Her black tresses were wet because of the snow and cold, but silky and delicious to the touch for his rough hands. He gently pressed the middle of her back with his free hand. Her eyes were open wide as though from surprise, but she yielded without resistance when he gently pulled her head down. She closed her eyes a second before their lips touched. Valen kissed her, slowly at first, then more and more passionately as her body relaxed and melted against him.

Not too much too fast, he reminded himself forcefully. Gradually he slowed down and pulled away. It took her a long while before she opened stunned eyes to look up at him. He smiled tenderly, but he felt shaken to the core by the tenderness and passion a single embrace had fired within him.

?I?ve never been kissed like this before,? she admitted quietly, blushing.

Valen caressed her silky hair and kissed her forehead. ?I?ve never kissed anyone the way I just kissed you. It must have something to do with being in love.?

She gazed at him curiously, and hesitated a while before she spoke. ?You have never been in love before??

He blushed and looked away. ?Yes, once.? He paused and explained reluctantly, ?But we could never be close. She died.?

?I?m sorry.?

?She was a mortal servant of Grimash?t. When I was being tortured, my master brought her before me and? and he killed her. It was meant to cause me pain and it did.?

?I can imagine. I?m really sorry.?

Valen closed his eyes a brief moment. ?Thank you, my lady. It is? not easy to discuss her, even now. But that was a long time ago. Now, if we could change the subject, my lady??

?Why do your eyes change colour??, she asked then, snuggling closer into his side. ?I think the red means anger, and I can imagine what the darker, silvery blue means.?

He chuckled. ?It means that I find you very attractive and would like to see more of you? when the time is right, of course.?

?You really think I?m beautiful??, she asked in a small voice.

He chuckled again. ?Not only do I think you?re beautiful, you are beautiful.?

She blushed prettily. ?I can almost believe you.? She stared at him timidly and suddenly laughed. ?Especially since your eyes are turning silvery again.?

He smiled mischievously. ?I would look at you with those eyes for as long as necessary to convince you, but I would rather not be seen by Aribeth like this. Those eyes are only for you.?

He sat up and started pulling his clothes back on. She wondered aloud, ?Can?t you control the colour of your eyes??

?More or less. The easiest way to control the colour is to change my state of mind and think of something else. As long as I am in a particular state of mind, it?s hard to keep my eyes from shifting in that direction.?

She nodded and helped him to pull his tunic on when his wounds made him stiff.

?No middle watch for you tonight, Granduc,? she declared. ?You?ll get the last watch.?

?But your spells??, he started.

?Let me worry about them.?

With gentle authority, she pushed him down on his bedroll and tucked him in. He smiled, amused. ?You would make a good nurse, my love. You have the pragmatic sense to use a healing kit to its full potential and you possess the unyielding command to tame rebellious patients.?

She shook her head and looked at him with great pain in her eyes.

?I really was afraid for a moment. If you had not been a planar, I don?t think I could have raised you on this plane??

She trailed off, her eyes taking a haunted cast. To think I would ever worry so for a male.

?I am fine, my love.?

?Valen, I wanted to tell you? Even if I?m no battle strategist, I think you knew the minotaur would get a chance to hit at you like that when you struck at Grim.?

Immediately Valen noted the shortened nickname. Unpleasant realization twisted his stomach into knots.

?You had adventured with Grimgnaw in Neverwinter.?

?Yes,? she confirmed.

Valen looked away and squirmed uncomfortably. ?I?m sorry you had to battle an old friend and see him die. If I had known, I might have tried to make his death less? less aesthetically disturbing.?

?We were not friends,? she declared darkly. ?We fought together because neither of us could survive without the other?s skills. He fell when we faced Morag and he could not be raised, because he had died in the Source Stone, which was an outside domain. I did not think of him again until I met Daelan and friends at the Yawning Portal in Waterdeep, and realized Grim wasn?t there. But, in all honesty, I was not really sad not to see him. We would not have had anything to say to each other.?

?I understand.?

She did not allow his question to distract her from her previous inquiry. ?Did you know the minotaur would slash at you like that if you hit Grim??

Valen nodded silently.

?You knew you would die??

Valen hesitated. ?It was not certain.?

?You must have evaluated your chances.?

Her unwavering gaze eventually forced the answer out of him. ?Slim,? he admitted at length. ?But your chances and Aribeth?s were higher in this way.?

She slid next to him on the floor to hug him again, circling her arms over the sheets of his bedroll.

?Valen Shadowbreath, listen to me. In that cold calculation of yours, when you chose to throw your life away, you forgot one thing. I love you. And even though I am ashamed to admit it, I need you. There is a part of my past you are unaware of, and I?d prefer if you knew, but tonight?s not the time. You need to rest. Suffice it to say that, because of my past, I am unsure how to react regarding my own feelings. When you died, Valen, the only one I could ever love, in all my life, was gone. It drove me back to evil and vengeance, which governed me until not so long ago. The temptation to embrace it and let it drive me insane was strong? My chances would not have been good without you.?

Valen squirmed until he freed a hand from his bedroll, and slowly and gently he dried the tears on her face with his rough fingers.

?I?m? I?m grateful that you have the honour and courage to die for us in battle. But please, Valen, don?t die again.?

He chuckled and drew her against his chest. ?I have no intention to, my love.?

She wiped her nose and straightened, hastily drying her face. ?You need to rest now, Granduc. The adventure isn?t over yet. We still need to get out of Hell.?

He grinned mischievously. ?I?m certain I would rest better if you would offer me comfort until I sleep, to reassure me from my most disturbing passing from this world.?

Lightly she sat next to him and took his hand in hers. ?You had better fall asleep quickly, because I have to discuss guards with Aribeth. Off to sleep with you now.?

Chuckling, he obediently relaxed and waited for sleep. In his state of bodily weakness, exhaustion consumed him in less than a minute.

***

He awoke to the sound of Chama moaning. He jerked in his bedroll, causing the wound on his side to reopen painfully, and a dozen other scratches to suddenly wake up and make him suffer. Aribeth had turned from where she stood guard but, seeing that nothing graver than a bad dream was happening, she turned back to watch out for any threat.

Valen dragged himself and his dozen pains to Chama?s side and reached out a hand to keep her from tossing.

?No, not Gaulthery!? she screamed out.

At Valen?s touch, she awoke immediately, her face covered in sweat and her eyes wild.

?Easy, Chama, it was only a nightmare.?

She collapsed back down on her bedroll and brought her hands up to cover her eyes. Below her hands, Valen could see her mouth twisting while she cried. Valen?s body hurt too much to lift her up to hug her, so he just sat next to her. For a few minutes she cried silently and he rubbed her shoulder gently. Finally, she took a shaking breath and uncovered her face. She slowly wiped her eyes.

?Who?s Gaulthery??, he asked gently, still rubbing her shoulder.

She hesitated. ?The first male I killed.?

Valen was taken aback for a second. He berated himself when she turned away, hurt and rejection obvious on her face; she had seen it in his eyes. Her mirror had betrayed her this time.

?You still regret his death, I see,? he said, trying to mend the widening gap between them. ?Do you? do you wish to speak about it??

?No,? she breathed.

Valen hesitated a while, and finally began, ?Chama??

?I know, Granduc.?

The tiefling swirled in confusion for a moment. ?Know what??

?I know that I should trust you and that we should tell each other everything if this love story is ever to work out.?

Her coldness distressed him. ?But that?s not??, he tried, but was cut again.

?Valen, please. It?s a painful story, and a long one. I don?t want to speak about this now. Not here in a cold bedroll, with you white as a ghost because of the blood loss, with Aribeth just over there, and trolls that can ambush us at any time. I? I will tell you, but not now. Please don?t push me.?

?Chama, I assure you I don?t wish to pry. I just wanted to remind you that I?m here.?

She nodded, and then sat up in her bedroll. After such a troubling dream, she did not really feel like going to sleep again.

?It must be around time for me to take a watch anyway? You should go back to sleep if you?re ever to recover from your wounds.?

She went to replace Aribeth and Valen settled back in his blankets. His wounds dragged him down into sleep like a thousand stones tied to his feet. He did not remember his dreams.

[DalreïDal]

The long awaited revelation! (On schedule, too!) And sorry about the strange place to end the chapter, it was the best I could do.

DISCLAIMER: I think a rating of T (maybe R? but nothing graphic, just themes, so I maintain T) is necessary for this chapter.

Chapter XXIX. The secret unravelled

Following the red arrows of the Sleeping Man?s ring, they crossed an underground complex inhabited by winged tieflings, where they encountered Mephistopheles? next guardian. The massive balor had been charged by the Lord of the Eighth to guard against those who sought the Knower of Names.

Despite its ancient power, the devil fell to Chama?s spells, Aribeth?s sword and Valen?s flail, and his death opened a portal to the hidden retreat of the Knower of Places. Chama, Aribeth and Valen stepped on the glowing ring on the floor, and the runes? magic transported them to a strange room filled with flying objects of diverse natures.

It reminded Valen of the nexus of the Reaper?s Realm, and his planar senses picked up various intersections crisscrossing the room in a chaos of meeting places and fleeting presences. He turned to the Knower of Places; she had been settled in the middle of her realm, but took off as they came in. A truly strange creature, she combined butterfly wings and a coquettish, human head. A strange and elegant beauty was about her, but Valen turned to Chama then. Smiling gently, he forgot anything about the baatorian?s attractiveness.

Chama asked the Knower of Places where her sister was imprisoned, and the creature modified the Sleeping Man?s ring to guide her to the Knower of Names, now. Near the audience?s end, Chama made a request.

?We have been wandering the ice for many days. We require a rest. Since this place appears to be linked to many others, I would ask if you can take us back to the City of Lost Souls. Could we reach the Knower of Names from there, following the ring?s directions??

?Yes, it is possible. If you take this astral door to your left,? the Knower gestured and a door materialized, ?it will take you back to the Gates of Cania. You can then come back to my realm through it. This other door,? she pointed to a grand archway at the opposite end of the room, ?will lead you to the wasted lands where Mephistopheles imprisoned my sister.?

Chama bowed. ?Thank you, Knower.?

Through the Knower?s door, they stepped right up to the entrance of the Hellbreath tavern. With immense relief they went in, rent rooms, and ordered baths. Chama slid blissfully into the hot water ? of course, the tavern did not offer heated water as a basic service, but her minimized fireball had taken care of that slight problem. She washed, then did her laundry, then cleaned her weapons, and then paced restlessly in her room for long minutes, trying to work up some nerve.

She reminded herself how many times she had felt as though she betrayed Valen because she had not told him everything. Acknowledging her fear of rejection when he would learn the whole story, she tried to reassure herself by thinking about his own troubled past. Surely he could forgive past mistakes. Many days had already passed since he had first told her that he loved her; many days since she had told him there was a part of her past he needed to know. Being very understanding, he had not inquired, but she had felt his curious eyes on her sometimes.

At the mere idea of evoking those memories again, Chama?s hands shook and covered in cold sweat. But Valen deserved to know? she could not hide this from him any longer.

***

After his bath, a shirtless Valen examined what was left of his wounds, and made sure the healing was well underway. A timid knock sounded on his door.

?Just a moment!?, he requested, pulling his linen tunic back on and opening the door.

Chama stood there, blushing and looking uncertain. Seeing her surprised Valen; he had expected her to collapse from exhaustion as soon as she was done with her bath. Also, seeing her without her circlet provided a welcome change. Her hair, already dry by ways of some magical trick, fell lightly on each side of her face. Valen had seen her unequipped and with her hair down only once before: her first night in Lith My?athar. It felt like an eternity had passed since then. He stood there motionless for a second, drinking in the sight of her delicate cheekbones and pointed chin, her long chocolate hair, and the harmony of her elven traits. And then he remembered himself.

?Chama? come in!?

She stepped forward hesitantly and, while he closed the door, she walked to the middle of the room and stopped.

?My lady, are you all right??, he asked with concern.

?No,? she answered bluntly.

In two quick strides, Valen was besides her, a hand on her shoulder and another under her chin to force her eyes up to meet his.

?What is wrong, my lady? Please, tell me.?

She closed her eyes and paled quickly. Concerned that she might faint, he guided her towards the bed and sat her down. His heart wrenching from concern, he wanted to hug her but, before he could move, she suddenly spoke.

?I know your demon, Valen, and it?s unfair to let you believe you love me any longer if you don?t know mine. So I will tell you.?

?Wait, my love? I don?t merely believe that I love you, I do.?

?Maybe you should hold that thought until the end of my story,? she retorted bitterly.

Taking her hand up to his lips, Valen shook his head and sat besides her. He stared at her for a long moment, with an absolute confidence in his eyes that nothing she could say would alter his feelings for her.

?I am listening,? he declared quietly at last.

Freeing her hand slowly, she looked away. She cleared her throat and began her tale.

?It happened when I was very young. I was four decades-old ? forty-two years-old to be exact ? and I still lived with my parents. We inhabited a small village near the edge of the forest. Back then, I was training to become a hunter like my father, so I often wandered off into the woods on my own, to learn the paths, the plants and the animals.?

She took a breath.

?And then, that summer, one day like any other, it started raining. It was nothing more than a drizzle, so I kept running in the forest and played with the snails and frogs that showed themselves. Eventually I grew cold, but I was far from home, so I decided to take refuge in a small cave I knew. I was laughing when I reached it, because I had just seen a grumpy crow with its feathers all wet. He had reminded me of my own hair plastered to my head.

?The cave was not unoccupied.

?A group of men ? human men, I mean ? hid in the dark, and I had already passed their guard when I saw them. They were tall, big, heavy, dirty and they wore beards. It was the first time I had ever seen humans. For a moment, I was frozen in fascination of their shaggy and unfamiliar appearance, but then some sense returned to me. I realized I should have been afraid of their ugly smiles and the bloodied weapons they carried.

?I whirled around, ready to run, only to bump into the guard. He seized my arm and threw me into the cave. By then I was terrified. I told them to let me go. Actually, I rather begged than told them. But they just laughed, with their raucous voices and rotten teeth. Seizing my courage, I unsheathed my hunting knife and they all laughed again. I launched myself at the guard with all my determination. He blocked with his hand against the flat of my blade ? I barely scratched his skin ? and slapped me in the face so hard that I flew back and landed badly, spraining my right wrist; it was the side of my wielding hand. He called me a bitch and said he would have me first for drawing his blood.

?Then another man stepped out of the shadows. He was so ordinary. Medium height, brown hair, the same leather armour and short sword as the others. But there was something? something missing in his eyes. They were cold and remote, like the eyes of a dead creature. No humanity left in them. He said I was his, first, and the guard stepped down.

?He pulled me to my feet by my sprained wrist. I cried out and he said a bit of pain would show me how to behave. He backhanded me across the face, and I fell again. I remember being dizzy from fear and from the blow. He looked down at me as he would have some kind of experiment. He was testing my resistance.

?He beat me. He beat me until I cried and begged him to stop, and then he beat me again until I was almost unconscious. Then he threw cold water in my face to wake me up. I startled and tried to scramble to my feet, but he punched me back down. He tore my clothes off, hitting me when I tried to squirm, while the others laughed and screamed encouragements. One said I was scrawny. But the leader, he smirked and asked the others if they wanted to hold a bet about whether or not I could? accommodate him.?

She closed her eyes. Valen could see where this was going and he was seething inside, but he did not interrupt her. She went on after a painful pause.

?I was a bit naïve maybe, but I had never? so I didn?t understand right away what he meant. But it quickly became clear when he? when he? Oh, Valen, it felt like he was tearing me, all of me, apart. My body, certainly, but my heart and mind and sanity too. I screamed.?

Valen listened silently, all colour drained from his face and his fists clenched painfully. He wished, with a violence he had never experienced before, that he could return back in time to that fateful rainy day and slaughter all those pigs with his bare hands.

Chama, quite pale herself, did not pause to comment on his lack of colour. In the dim light of the room, the candles cast long shadows on her ashen face, accentuating the haunted and painful look on her face. Valen wondered if he could do anything at all to ease her pain at the moment; it seemed that such horrors did not bear the telling while he touched her in any way. So he merely sat next to her, his hands aching for the feel of a throat. He had no difficulty at all to keep his eyes clear and blue for her. The demon, faced with the horror and fury of the man, had no place at all in his heart now.

?I screamed and screamed until he gagged me with his hand and I could not breathe anymore. I think I lost consciousness or I fled into madness. When I came back to myself, he was getting off me, and I was so? so?? She shrugged and gave up trying to find a word to describe her state of mind. ??that I could not move. And then the guard took his turn.

?They all did. At some point it stopped to matter and I lay there, limp, blanking out, until the last one of them was done. Then the leader, he beat me again, with his booted feet smelling of cow and his bloodied knife, and they left, in the rain that had stopped.

?I think it took me an hour to gather the consciousness necessary to turn on the side and roll into a ball. I was still there when my father and another hunter found me. My proud father cried while he tried putting his cape around me and lifting me off the ground, but I only pushed him back weakly.?

She seemed to slip out of the memories back to the present then, her eyes focusing on Valen, full of pain.

?I don?t think you can understand what I felt. I had been training for two decades to become a hunter, but it was suddenly very clear that I was way too weak to ever be a good ranger. I had been beaten and pinned to the ground effortlessly by these men. I felt betrayed by my weak body. I so hated my body after that. It became like a second entity within me, one that I loathed and despised and was limited by, that was weak, unreliable, and ugly.?

Valen could not help it anymore. He spoke, letting out a bit of anger. ?Men like this make me yearn to visit the Abyss again just to make them pay as they deserve.?

She closed her eyes again. ?The tragedy is not over yet. I bore a child.?

That startled Valen.

?I was forced to keep the bed for most of the pregnancy. My mother ? she was a priestess of Corellon ? and her colleagues worked day and night for weeks to ensure I would survive. And even after the worst was over, my life was not safe yet. It took me months to heal enough to stand on my own? This is the sickness I spoke to you of the other night.

?But you have to understand something of my state of mind to realize why the process was so lengthy. I did not fight for my life. I would have been content to forget everything, drift away and just die. I barely remember anything of all this time. I remember my mother throwing fits, shaking her healing staff and yelling at me that staring at the ceiling with vacant eyes would not bring me back among the living. Many times.

?But my mind refused to face what had been done to me. I believe it is only by virtue of my mother?s force of will that I finally healed. She was so very strong. One day she dragged me out of bed to the other side of the room and let me there. She knew I wanted to lie down, so she forced me to make my way back to my bed. I did it, slowly, sluggishly and without will. Then my mother sat me up in my bed and looked me in the eye.

?I clearly remember that moment. She shook something inside of me with her intense stare. She almost woke me up from my apathy. Almost.

?That is when she told me I was pregnant. I shrugged. She said I would have to care for my child if I could not care for myself. I did not react. She stormed off.

?The months went by in this manner. I almost died a second time in childbirth, but my mother would not let me. She poured so much of herself in her healing magic that, once the child was born, she did not come to see me for a month. I had to keep the bed again. It is my father who took care of the child.

?When my mother came to see me again, she frightened me. She had lost weight and was pale and slim as a ghost. She could not call upon her healing magic anymore. That day I woke up, when I realized my mother was dying of grief like some elven princess of children?s fairy tales.

?When the apathy washed off, the first emotion I experienced was fear. I was terrified. I don?t know of what exactly; of the men in the cave, of my injuries, of time flying by, of the child I had given birth to, of what people must have thought of me and my half-breed offspring, of my mother who was slowly wasting away because she had taken my pain on her shoulders.

?She died that night. I realized she would never see me woken up from my apathy. Something snapped inside of me; something broke. I started to fight to heal. Angrily, furiously, ragingly. My father came to show me the child. I cared nothing for either of them.

?When I was healed, I went back to my father?s house. He showed me how to care for the child. I was not very good at it. When I looked at him, I could only think that he was from that bandit, and that my mother had killed herself so he could live. I hated myself, and I hated the child, even if he was only a baby, and nothing was his fault. I needed to hate; if I was not hateful and angry at something, pain and despair would have drowned me into oblivion and madness.?

?You were not insane, my love,? Valen protested gently, ?you were injured. You were hurt and afraid and you were lost because of your mother?s death. What? what was the child?s name??

She hesitated slightly. ?His name was Gaulthery Indiwasi, a half-elven son for the House of the Sun.?

This time, Valen remained carefully still, even if he remembered the name from the other night?s nightmare. A feeling of cold dread in the pit of his stomach, he waited for the rest of the story. She had killed her own child? For the first time, he doubted his love for her, but he held his doubts in check until he would hear the end of the story. He owed her that much.

Trying not to speculate about what he must be thinking at that moment, she resumed her tale.

?I would not care well for the child, so my father did. He kept his even demeanour, cared for the child and for me, without a word of complaint. I was angry, jumpy, snappy, grumpy, and yet my father cared for me. And this was a man whose daughter had almost been beaten to death and whose wife had just died. Seeing how my parents reacted to pain, I always wondered why I was too weak to cope sanely with what happened.

?Gaulthery?? She closed her eyes again. ?One day my father went out a few hours to fulfil his duty as a hunter and guard of the village. I was not watching Gaulthery very well. He? he fell from the table. He did not cry.?

Valen?s eyes widened against his will. This was how Gaulthery had died? This accident, this mere negligence caused by unfathomable pain, she interpreted it as a murder? He wanted to hug her then, to console her and dissuade her of that notion, but she was absorbed by her story and was going on feverishly.

?I almost snapped out of it then. I could not touch him. I could not come closer as he lay there on the floor, not moving. I went to the temple and a priestess came. She made me wait outside and my father arrived. Before he could ask, the priestess was back out, with Gaulthery under a white veil. Her face was so hard. She said bluntly that he was dead and could not be raised.

?I told my father that Gaulthery fell. My father stared at me with infinite sadness. No doubt, no anger, no pity, no disgust. Just love, pain and sadness. I could not bear this stare. I hated myself; I could not bear someone looking at me with love.

?I fled. He let me run away, probably thinking I needed to be alone but would soon come back. But I didn?t. Once out of the village, I realized I could not live there anymore.

?The downward spiral began. I had no dignity left, so there was little I was not ready to do, and after I killed my own child, there were preciously few things for which I would feel guilt. I had no equipment, no provisions, and no money when I left. I survived off the land while in the forest, but once in a human city, things were different. I started to steal. Food at first, then purses. I was always broke so I lived in the poorer inns and districts. Eventually I ended up seized by a local thief guild because I was operating on claimed territory. I enrolled. I began to steal from houses, wealthier and wealthier as I was proving successful. One day a guard caught me. I killed him with one sneak attack, ripping his throat open so he made no noise. I felt no guilt over this man?s death.

?On the contrary.

?Here begins the truly sinister part of my story. It was an awakening. My weak and despicable body did not keep me from doing this. For the first time in years, I did not feel dirty, worthless or sullied. I. Was. Powerful.

?I. Was. A force. To be. Reckoned with.

?Killing was my new ecstasy. Males especially. I enjoyed the fact that their greater strength achieved nothing against my invisible blade. The guild master was pleased with me and wanted me trained as an assassin. I asked to be trained a mage instead, because it was the weakest men, the wizards, that were harder to kill, with their contingencies and stoneskins.

?I was trained a mage. And one day, I saw him. The leader of that group of men in the cave. A member of my own guild for ten years, I learned. We were introduced when I was moved into his unit of house breakers, but he did not even recognize me.?

Valen listened silently, knowing what would come. After all, when Grimash?t had come after him, he had never hesitated about his course of action. He had killed his former master and, just like Chama had described, he had felt powerful when he had finally freed himself from Grimash?t?s prospect. He knew the man Chama spoke of had died.

?I tracked him and observed him for months. I mapped his usual moves. I visited the places he went to often. I tailed him as I would have a house patron I wanted to rob.

?When I was ready, I moved unto him when he was alone in one of his regular back alleys. I stunned him with a spell, gagged him, tied him and put him on my familiar?s back ? I travelled with a hell hound at the time. I moved him to his own house.?

An unpleasant silence followed. Chama looked up to Valen?s clear eyes for encouragement. He still listened calmly.

?What I did to him there? I will not tell you the details. It was necessary to keep him under a silence spell. I reminded him of what he had done to me. I emasculated him and I killed him. Slowly.

?I don?t think you can understand what I felt. When you lose control, the demon takes over and he revels in violence. It is only afterwards that you see what you have done and are ashamed.

?It was not like that for me. I was confused between my vengeful joy and my shame. He was paying for what he had done to me. That was vengeful joy. But for the horrors I visited on him, I was disgusted and ashamed and I hated myself for it, even as I did it.

?He died. I took over my familiar?s body to scorch and gnaw at his dead carcass, to ensure he would never be raised. I fled again, further north. Away from my past in an attempt to flee myself.

?The thirty next decades followed like that. I would hire as a mercenary or act as a freelancer thief in small cities. I never stayed in large cities for long, because I never enrolled in a thief guild again and it?s hard to stay unnoticed or to survive if you have angered them.

?I occasionally thought back on the elves or my family. But each time, his face returned to my mind. I kept my violent lifestyle to forget. To make the world pay.?

There was a slight drop in the tension in Chama?s shoulders, and Valen reached out and took her hand. She made no attempt to move into his embrace, so he caressed the back of her hand with his thumb for a while. She was panting as though she had just run across half of Cania, but slowly she calmed.

[DalreïDal]

Sorry if I?m late, I?ve been away last weekend for an owl inventory. It was nice, actually, even if a bit cold (it was 3C at midnight, out there?). Unfortunately I didn?t hear or see any owl, but I did hear and see plenty of American woodcocks, which I?d never seen or heard before. So it was nice. With the near full moon, it would have been the perfect movie-like night if we?d heard a great-horned owl?

And I?m going to see ducks Saturday morning, so my next Irony of Fate update could be a few days late too?

Chapter XXX. How to build an ordinary life

While Chama caught her breath, Valen took in everything she had said. Caressing the back of her hand gently, he attempted to steer her mind towards happier things.

?What made you change your way of life??, he asked gently.

?A good and a bad example. The good example was Aarin Gend, Neverwinter?s master of spies. I met him while searching for Morag?s cult north of Neverwinter. At that moment, I had nothing more lucrative to do than to lend my magic to that cause. Aarin, even though he has been a pirate, is now an honoured citizen of Neverwinter. Of course, I mocked him at first, but as time went by I came to admire and envy him a bit. But even his influence, alone, would not have been enough to change me.

?It is the bad example that set me back on track: Morag, Queen of the Old Ones. She sought to take control of all the lesser races. I found myself embroiled in the evil she wrought: the slaughter of the students of Neverwinter?s Academy, the countless losses to the Wailing Death?s, the consumption of souls by the thousands, Nasher ordering Fenthick?s execution and precipitating Aribeth?s betrayal, Morag?s willingness to destroy the whole North, the cloak of despair she wove over Neverwinter.

?When Morag died, I stood over her body, and something happened to me. The Source Stone ? her planar refuge where I faced her ? was beginning to collapse, without her power to sustain it. To me, it felt as though the world itself was coming down on my head. I remember thinking, I am powerful now; I could not merely be a cutthroat anymore. After I had saved Toril from the Old Ones, people would know my name. I would never be an anonymous thug roaming the streets again. I had the power to impose my will, but no grand goal to spurn me to do so.

?I did not have the world-dominating ambition of Morag, or Heurodis, or the Valsharess, or Mephistopheles. I was nothing more than a vulgar thug. I realized, then, that I was who I was to flee myself and my past. I faced myself then. Something had pushed me off-kilter. I was not in the same league as Morag. I was evil by cowardice, weakness and pettiness, not by madness, corruption, will or ambition.

?I felt lost. I did not know what to do once I was back in Neverwinter.

?Aarin? Aarin was an angel to me. He disregarded how I had toyed with him ? did I mention he was attracted to me at first? And I played with his feelings for a while; it was flattering and I rather liked the idea of a male being helpless before my charm. But it is not in Aarin?s nature to easily get down on his knees to beg for a woman?s affections, so I eventually tired of him. Now I?m glad he had his defences and didn?t let me hurt him too much.

?The night after I defeated Morag, when I came back onto the world of Toril, I was confused and alone. I was lost and afraid by my realization and the change I wanted to undergo. Most of all, I had no idea where to begin. All I knew how to do was steal, make my way in the seediest districts of a city, find people who would have contracts for one such as me, and kill. The world in which most of ordinary people live was totally alien to me, and I did not even know by which door enter it. I could not stand the idea of going back to the dirty inn I had a room at. I could not bear the thought of being left alone. And I had no friend to stay up with me and tell me I?d do fine.

?Aarin waited until Nasher was done with his uninspired discourse about me saving his precious city. He let the Neverwinter guard congratulate me with cautious words. He waited until we were almost alone, and then he asked me if I would like a cup of tea.

?I had no idea what else to do, so I clung to this one person who seemed to understand I needed company. He brought me to his house. When the door closed behind us, it was like everything I had held back for centuries was suddenly free, because the first door on my new path was closed behind me. I tried to control myself; I told myself I would not cry in front of Aarin. That I would show no weakness. But I was shaking, and after a few minutes Aarin stopped in the middle of the tour of his house and very gently asked me what was wrong. I burst into tears.

?I don?t know how he understood me, but he seemed to know on instinct that I couldn?t bear anyone?s touch. And staying there while I cried would have been awkward to say the least. He told me it was all right and he understood. He said I could sit in the living room while he prepared the tea.

?He sang as he moved about in the kitchen. He had a beautiful voice, and he sung something I did not understand in his native language of Chult. It was the nicest and most soothing thing anyone had ever done to me since? since my parents hugged me as a child.

?When he came back with the tea, I was feeling a thousand pounds less. He stayed up with me late in the night, showing me bits of his tongue and songs to keep my mind off everything. I slept on his couch.

?The next morning, he arranged for a caravan to take me up the road north of Neverwinter, and two tendays later, I was in Hilltop and meeting Drogan, an old friend of Aarin.?

Her sudden smile told how much she had loved her former master.

?Drogan turned out to be much like a second father to me. He took me in, not asking one question about the reason of my presence ? I was already advanced in the magical arts beyond the usual scope of his school. He took me shopping for ordinary clothes; he had me healed by the local temple; he forced me to make friends of his other apprentices; and day after day he won me over. I never told him everything, but he seemed to understand. One day, though, he inquired about my family, and I told him only my father survived ? last I had heard of him, thirty decades ago. Even though it took Drogan weeks, he convinced me to write to my father. I? have not received an answer.? It obviously saddened and disappointed her. ?I guess I should not have expected otherwise, after fleeing like that.?

?You have been travelling a lot during your adventures,? Valen pointed out. ?It is possible you have kept moving ahead of a letter sent to you.?

She smiled wanly. ?That?s nice of you to say, even if it seems improbable. I? I have never told this? the whole of it? to anyone, Valen.?

?I know. It is not an easy past to bear, and I understand that it can be even harder to share.?

Exhausted by her tale, she closed her eyes. She wanted him to hold her, but she had been withholding this story from him for so long that she expected him to either be disgusted by who she was or feel betrayed by her lack of trust. So she could not bring herself to ask him to hold her, because it would feel like forcing him to.

But someone with a past as heavy as hers understood only too well.

?I hope I never made you feel forced to do something you did not desire,? he said, frowning worriedly.

Her eyes snapped up to his and she shook her head. ?Never, Valen. You?re the only one I trusted to hold me or kiss me since. I didn?t think I could ever come to like it, but in fact it?s very good to have finally found someone I want to hold me.? She stopped speaking then, because speaking of him hugging her while she needed it so badly was very painful.

?I will try not to presume too much in the future,? he said lightly. ?So I will ask: can I hold you now, my love? It breaks my heart to see you apparently in need of comfort.?

The slightest flick of her hand was the only signal he was waiting for; he took her in his arms at her merest move in his direction. Sending propriety to the hells, he pulled her in his lap to be more comfortable. She nestled against his chest, her head on his shoulder, and he held her tightly. She trembled as if of cold, but he knew it was the shock of the memories and the worry about his reaction. He caressed her hair until she stopped shaking and relaxed.

?My love,? he murmured then.

Hearing those little two words, even after she had told him everything, made her sob a few times.

?Yes, Granduc??

?I am honoured by the trust you have shown me by telling me all this. I also wanted to tell you that it takes great courage to open your heart like that to someone else. I wish to reassure you that I love you all the same and even more, because I know you have had the strength to overcome what has been done to you.?

She stiffened. ?It took me rather too long.?

?No, my love,? he whispered, tightening his arms around her. ?Many would have kept to the path of evil all their lives. I see you carrying enough guilt as it is; you can be proud for straying from the destiny that seemed to lie all traced before you.?

She started crying then, a long litany of liberating sobs that allowed her to let go of part of her painful past.

A few moments later, Valen felt her sag against his chest, drifting off to sleep from exhaustion. He wanted nothing more than to lie down next to her for the night, but he hesitated; maybe she needed some time alone to make her own peace with the conjured memories. He knew he had often felt a need for solitude after the Seer had managed to make him spit out a big pain from his past. He was wondering what to do when suddenly Chama stirred, fighting off sleepiness.

He caressed her hair and kissed her forehead.

?My love, what do you wish now? I would be glad to sleep next to you and try to hold the nightmares at bay, but if you wish me to, I will take you back to your room.?

?Valen? please take me back to my room.?

?Don?t worry, I will, Chama. Sleep. Let me carry you.?

Trustfully she fell back against his shoulder and put her arms around his neck, and he gently lifted her to carry her back to her room. He opened his door after some struggle, but did not have the same trouble with Chama?s door, because a gith pilgrim opened it for him. Seeming not to wonder or even notice that Valen was carrying Chama to her room so late at night, the githzerai gave them a sympathetic smile. The story of Chama?s betrayal by Mephistopheles and her attempt at stopping him on the Prime had spread quickly in the City of Lost Souls. The devils reacted indifferently or with minor hostility, but the damned souls and the gith pilgrims generally approved of her. Hence the kind help from the gith to open the door.

Valen gently laid Chama down on her bed and tucked her in, and then he spread both their capes over her. Half-asleep already, she hungrily rolled into the covers and the capes up to the ears. Smiling amusedly, Valen caressed the hair at the top of her head ? the only spot left visible ? and bent to kiss her forehead.

?Sleep well, my love.?

?You too, Granduc,? she murmured. ?And? and thank you, for tonight.?

?It?s nothing, Chama. Now sleep.?

***

Once back in his room, Valen sat on his bed and distractedly began to disrobe for the night. So this is the dark past she has kept to herself for so long. What a terrible secret. His anger flared again at the memory of the one act that had set her on that long, tortuous and painful path.

Angrily he started pacing back and forth. He hoped those who had done this to her were in the Eight Hell and that their souls had been erased from existence by Mephistopheles. Better yet, he hoped they were in the Ninth, in a very safe place where their souls would be tortured forever. Or even better yet, in the Abyss where demons knew how to torture better than devils. Hell?s devils harassed; the Abyss? demons truly tortured.

Once his mind had satisfactorily exhausted all imaginable tortures that such men deserved, Valen could finally drive his demon half away. The strong call of the Blood Wars tugging at him constantly kept it close to the surface.

So he turned his thoughts back to Chama. He felt great sadness for all the trials she had been subjected too. He winced when he remembered how carelessly he had spoken about children with her; if he had known, he would have chosen his words much more carefully.

And suddenly he marvelled. Despite everything, she had found it in herself to love him. To kiss him. To let him hold her. More than that, to enjoy his presence and his touch. He had noticed her widened eyes and timid responses, but he had thought it nothing more than a first love?s timidity, however strange and unlikely that had seemed considering her age. He would not make that mistake again. However, he had to strike a delicate balance; if he proved too insistent, she would feel pressured, but if he acted too distant, she would imagine she was undesired. For a while, she had hated her body and thought it was ugly and weak; he would have to be careful not to fuel that faulty perception.

The responsibility fell on him now to ensure her first experience of love did not turn into another trauma to add to the already long list of the terrible hardships of her life.

I love you, Chama. I will keep you safe and cherish you, he vowed silently, and he fell asleep.

***

The next morning, Valen and Aribeth sat in a corner of the Hellbreath tavern, waiting for Chama who slept late. Aribeth carefully avoided any questions, because Valen looked unusually grave. When finally the elf emerged from her room, she hesitantly looked from one to the other.

?I slept without my circlet again,? she announced.

?It shouldn?t be a problem,? Aribeth shrugged. ?The way to the Knower of Names seems clear and straightforward.?

Foreseeing the possibility of some second-doubts, Valen took a step towards Chama and took her in his arms, making Aribeth turned away with an exasperated sigh. Despite how much Valen wanted to hold Chama tight, he tried not to crush her against the cold steel of his armour.

?Don?t worry,? he whispered. ?We?ll find a way out of here today.?

Sighing, Chama luxuriated in the tiefling?s strong embrace, even though it would have been better without the chainmail between them. And she fully appreciated that his acceptance of her past had not vanished like misty dreams in the light of morning.

[DalreïDal]

I put in some serious effort and managed to post another chapter before going off to Ontario for birding? *pats herself on the back* Unfortunately, that will be the last update in a while. Please leave me reviews for when I?ll be back

Chapter XXXI. Demon blood resurfaces

FIGHT!

Valen stopped dead in his tracks, taking in the sight of the familiar battlefield, demon pitched against devil in a battle to the death.

Defend your blood! Fight for your kin! Kill! Destroy! You are the strongest here! Bring CHAOS!

His demon half threw a fit inside of himself, writhing and kicking and clawing at his soul with red-hot rage and searing lust for blood. Valen reeled before the engagement happening before his eyes. He wished to fight. He wanted to destroy. He craved for chaos.

Yes! YES!, the demon rejoiced. The battle is begging for your presence! Can?t you hear its call in your very veins? Why are you not already pouncing down upon them? You can destroy them, you will destroy them all!

The drums of the Blood Wars filled his ears with their deafening and fascinating rhythm. Valen closed his eyes.

No, he stated, even as his feet tried to move of their own volition. His hand had already unhooked his flail.

What do you mean ?no??, the demon bellowed, the seething rage in his voice making Valen wince. You can?t refuse your own blood right now! Look around you! It?s the Blood Wars happening! You were born to fight this battle!

No, Valen repeated, more forcefully. I was born to do as I wish, and I will never be a battle slave again. I will not be a battle slave to Grimash?t, nor will I be a battle slave to myself.

And you will be a battle slave to that weakling, that disgusting excuse for a mageling, then?, the demon retorted with disgust.

?Granduc, please, don?t lose control now,? Valen heard Chama plead urgently. ?Stay here. You don?t have to fight now; Aribeth and I can manage. Keep your eyes closed and don?t listen.?

Valen sighed and felt his tense shoulders relax. See? I am not her slave. But I will fight for her nevertheless.

The demon, silenced and baffled, now sat neatly shackled and restrained in a far corner of Valen?s mind. The part of Valen that was the tanar?ri taint watched, utterly disappointed, this golden opportunity slipping out of his grasp because of an untimely intervention by the disgusting elf. And to think that half his heart melted to sentimental nonsense in her presence. The indignity!

Even though he held his demon half under control, Valen?s eyes glowed a dull red, so he did not turn to look at Chama. ?I will be fine, my love,? he said calmly, and he pounced upon the nearest demon.

He struck devil and demon equally, ignoring the screaming tanar?ri warlords who accused him of betraying his own kin.

?I am not of your kin,? he spat to one just before the final strike.

When the last of the fiends fell, Valen stopped long moments to tighten the holds on the other half of his person. He felt a delicate hand on his arm.

?Valen, what?s wrong?? Chama?s voice was soft and gentle.

?This? is not easy for me.? He opened his eyes, still glowing red. ?I feel my blood rebelling against me the longer we stay here.?

?You didn?t have to fight here, Granduc. Please? don?t risk yourself like this again. Aribeth is capable. I can cast spells. We?ll do fine if you need some distance from the fight.?

?Thank you, but? it is not this particular battle. It is this very place. My tanar?ri blood calls out for me to destroy everything baatezu.? He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of a shaky hand. ?I do not know why the devils here don?t descend upon me as it is.?

She captured his hand. Quickly removing his glove, she rubbed at his palm and thumb reassuringly.

?Are you going to be able to hold out??, she inquired, her brow creased in concern.

Just her voice and her touch helped a great deal. He took several breaths to calm down.

?I? believe so. It is not easy, but I think I can control myself.? He hesitated and scowled, looking over her shoulder at the fallen devils. ?Perhaps it would be better if you? left me behind. I cannot guarantee that I won?t cause more problems than I help with.?

She chuckled. ?Foolish man. I?m not leaving you behind, my love. Ever.?

A bit ashamed, he smiled at her. ?I am glad to hear it, my lady. I would not leave you willingly if I had the choice.?

He squeezed her hand and closed his eyes, drawing what strength he could from her contact. When he lifted his eyelids again, his irises were back to their surreal cyan. He kissed her hand, disregarding the magical soot on her fingers from the many spells she had cast during the battle.

?Thank you, my lady. Let us? move on and find the Knower of Names and a way out of here. I shall be fine.?

She nodded, and they marched forward to the prison of the Knower of Names.

***

The enigma uttered by the Knower of Places regarding her sister?s prison was much clearer once they stood over it. Chama counted the frozen holes in the ground according to the Knower of Places? riddle and found the one holding the Knower of Names. Using a catapult salvaged form the battlefield, she fired a bolt of magical fire at it.

The ice exploded under the force of the impact and out of the icy prison rose the Knower of Names. A tall and white creature, she spread her wings and flew to Chama. An aura both powerful and terrible, but neither benevolent nor hostile, surrounded her. Bending forward to hug Chama close, she whispered something in her ear. With the glacial wind scouring the battlefield, nobody else heard the Knower?s words. Chama closed her eyes, as though from relief and contentment, and Valen and Aribeth silently stood by and watched.

?Thank you for my True Name,? the elf said. ?However, there is one other name I seek: the Reaper?s.?

?The knowledge of the gods has its price,? the Knower of Names warned, ?and they demand a strange fee for the Reaper?s True Name? There are two items that have aided you in your quest: a ring and an amulet. You must surrender them.?

Chama removed the ring and fished the amulet out of her pack. The Knower of Names took them respectfully.

?A small price for our freedom, to be sure,? Valen declared, observing the transaction.

?The one you know as the Reaper of Cania is called Hecugoth the Abandoned in the gods? tongue? Is there another name you wish to learn??

Clearly, the question took Chama by surprise. Suddenly she remembered the Sleeping Man, who still waited by the gates of Cania because he had never learned the location of the Knower of Names?

?Who is the Sleeping Man?s One True Love?? Chama asked.

Once the Knower of Names had received the gods? payment, in gold this time, she bent to whisper in Chama?s ear, ?The Sleeping Man?s one true love is called Va?ardalia the Twinsouled in the gods? tongue.? Then she straightened and concluded in a normal tone of voice. ?You know her as the Lady Aribeth.?

Valen and Chama turned to Aribeth, who gasped in disbelief. After the initial shock, Chama chuckled. ?I guess I should have seen it coming. Who better than him to give you back your hope? He?ll make you young again, I?m sure.?

?Do not take it so lightly, Chama,? Aribeth protested. ?It is a grave matter? He has been waiting for so long??

Chama became serious in turn. ?I know, Ari, but I think it?s all right? you have found him by the gates of Cania? the rest will sort itself out in time. Haven?t the gods themselves written it upon the stars??

The paladin fell silent, contemplating the new twist to her destiny. Leaving Aribeth alone with her thoughts, Chama briefly turned to Valen, uncertainty and a certain amount of shame in her eyes. Frowning, Valen guessed she must hesitate to request his True Name.

?To know someone?s True Name is to take responsibility for their life and their death, their history and destiny, their wrath and their resting place. You are a great warrior and have earned the right to demand my True Name,? Valen declared.

Chama?s eyes filled with emotion, but she suddenly veered unto the Knower of Names.

?Who is my one true love??

Surprised, Valen realized he had misunderstood the cause of Chama?s hesitation, but he did not resent her question. Smiling gently, the Knower leaned forward to whisper in Chama?s ear alone. ?He is called Oeskathine the Demonwrestler in the gods? tongue.? Chama closed her eyes, relief washing through her. She certainly knew who ?Demonwrestler? stood for. The Knower straightened and completed in a louder voice, ?You know him as Valen Shadowbreath.?

Turning sheepishly to Valen, Chama saw him grinning at her; he did not seem to take offence that she needed the reassurance of his True Name to be certain of their love. She turned to the Knower.

?Thank you, Knower. His name is music to my ears.?

?As yours is to mine, my dear,? he answered, extending a hand to caress her shoulder briefly.

?I am glad the truth pleases you,? the ancient baatorian replied with a kind smile. ?Not all react so warmly? Now is there another name you wish to know??

?My kobold friend Deekin?s.?

Again, the Knower bent to whisper in Chama?s ear. ?He is called Ixthyria the Scalesinger in the gods? tongue? Is there another name you wish to learn??

?The Sleeping Man?s.?

The Knower spoke his name in secret again. ?He is called Celesfa?ar the Patient in the gods? tongue? Is there another name you wish to learn??

Eyes narrowed in shrewd thought, Chama considered her options for a moment.

?Yours.?

This time the Knower of Names spoke aloud. ?I am Phyresi the Knower.?

?And what is Mephistopheles? True Name??

Valen and Aribeth exchanged a quick glance, before turning back to Chama and the Knower facing each other. The ancient baatorian?s countenance hardened in evidence of her refusal to answer.

?The one thing that could have unravelled my love?s duplicity during the False Rebellion would have been the realization that he and Baron Molikroth were one and the same. He took steps to ensure that the truth would never come to light and he forbade me to ever speak his name. Forgive me and my heart that loved him but that is one name I cannot tell you? Perhaps there is another??

?I forgive you,? Chama pronounced. ?But I have to ask forgiveness of you, because he is destroying a world I love. Phyresi the Knower, speak Mephistopheles? True Name.?

The winged creature paled and bowed her head in defeat.

?Very well, though the gods must still have their price and for one such as him, it was always high? Are you willing to sacrifice five hundred thousand gold to learn Mephistopheles? True Name??

Without hesitation, Chama emptied nearly all her gold into the Knower?s bag of offerings.

?The one you know as the devil Mephistopheles, Lord of the Eighth Hell, is called Thra?axfyl the Ambitious in the gods? tongue? Damn you, Hellwalker, is there another name you wish to learn??

?No, there is no other,? Chama stated. ?We must return to the gates of Cania now? can you take us there, much like the Knower of Places did??

?I can,? the Knower declared tersely.

And without a last goodbye, she swept them through a portal that took them back to the City of Lost Souls. Chama?s mind resonated with the True Names she had learned, and she required time to reflect on their meaning and power.

She realized that Aribeth and Valen were watching her, awaiting her next order for a few seconds already. Valen?s drawn and exhausted look struck her; the fight against the demon within tired him. Going straight away to the Reaper and to Waterdeep did not seem like a good idea. Valen had fought enough devils for the time being.

?Let?s take a rest,? Chama decided. ?We deserve it after the battlefield we just scoured.?

Aribeth and Valen both nodded, and followed her to the Hellbreath tavern. Aribeth went straight to her room, but Chama held Valen back.

?I?d like to talk to you? just knock on my wall when you?re ready, all right??

Valen nodded, entered his room and closed the door against the sounds of the common room. After the battles of the day, the sudden silence permeating the cold air appeased him, but still the demon was close to the surface. He disrobed and took a bath, though he did not linger in the cold water. He cleaned his armour and weapons, and then knocked on the wall his room shared with Chama?s.

After a few seconds, she knocked at his door. He opened and they went to sit on the bed together.

?Valen,? Chama started right away, worry plain in her voice, ?are you angry because I asked the Knower who my one true love was??

He blinked. ?No. Why would I be??

?Well? it feels as though I should know without asking what the gods think of it.?

Despite the exhaustion and the demon close to the surface, Valen chuckled and put an arm around her shoulders. ?Chama. Being in love and finding your one true love are different things? there are countless people who fall in love and then discover a few years later that it doesn?t really work. You should know if you love me, but there is no way to know if I am your one true love but to ask the Knower of Names. If she had said that we are not meant to be together, then? then maybe it would have been better not to pursue our relationship. But to know that we can work it out? it feels good; it does not make me angry. But it doesn?t mean that everything will be easy anyway? just that it is possible.?

She hugged him. ?Thank you to reassure me all the time like this. I hope I don?t bother you too much with my doubts.?

?Not at all, my love,? he answered. I understand why you have doubts, he thought, but he did not say. She did not need to be reminded of her past again.

However good his embrace felt, Chama perceived some tension in Valen, so she freed herself from his arms.

?Lie down, Granduc,? she ordered quietly. ?Get under the covers.?

All the injuries he had sustained had seriously indented his stamina, and wrestling with the demon within on the very battlefield of the Blood Wars had mentally exhausted him. So he obeyed Chama?s gentle command without a fight and lay down on his back. He looked up from misty eyes shifting from cyan to red at Chama moving to kneel behind his head. Resting her fingers lighting on each side of his head, she started to slowly rub his temples. Eyelids fluttering, he sighed deeply.

?Relax. Breathe deeply, slowly.?

He could do no other than obey her. She traced delicate circles on his temples, trying to remember exactly how the priestesses had done with her. It had happened centuries ago; when she had been in too much pain and the spells did not help anymore, the priestesses had used the ages-old knowledge of massage to soothe her when magic could not.

Valen?s breathing gradually calmed, became regular, and then slowed to a drowsy sigh while her hands gently massaged his temples. The frown on his brow disappeared.

Threading her fingers through his hair, she put good pressure behind his ears and on the node at the base of his skull. She gently massaged his first vertebrae and his arms fell limply on each side of his body. His head grew progressively heavier in her hands.

His breathing became slower and shallower, hinting that he fell asleep. Gently she let his head down on his pillow, and then bent down to plant a butterfly kiss on his forehead. He stirred and drowsily rubbed his cheek when her hair tickled his face. With a fond smile at her sleeping beloved, she snuffed the candles and slid out of the room silently.

[DalreïDal]

Chapter XXXII. Patience

Concern for Valen chased sleep away, so Chama rolled in her cape and climbed the stairway out of the tavern, up to the chilling surface of Cania. To her surprise, she found Aribeth by one of the braziers near the door, staring absently into the flames. Obviously, Chama was not the only one who had things to ponder. The elf slowly walked up to the paladin.

?Are you alright, Ari??

Startled out of thoughts, Aribeth nodded. ?Yes, just a little unsettled.? Then she turned to stare attentively at Chama. ?But you? is there something wrong? Does Valen require healing??

Chama chuckled. ?You can read my concern for him so easily??

?With the Reaper?s True Name in our possession, I can hardly imagine anything else that would cause you such worry. Is he alright??

?Yes,? Chama sighed heavily. ?He? feels strongly the call of the Blood Wars. It is hard to refuse.?

?I see,? Aribeth murmured sorrowfully. Valen was a good man, and she felt sympathy that he had to resist such an evil temptation.

?Even when we were in the Underdark, I wondered how he could fight at all without the demon taking over. But he?s doing much better than that now. He?s in Baator facing devils and still he doesn?t give in. Oh, Aribeth? he?s so strong.?

Inwardly, however, Chama wished wistfully to possess such strength as his, because she succumbed much more easily to temptation than he did, yet it was no fault of some demon blood in her veins urging her to sow chaos and death in her wake.

Smiling gently, Aribeth put a half-corporeal hand on her friend?s shoulder.

?Yes, he is strong, Chama. But so are you. You both draw strength from the other. It gives me hope, to think that I might one day know such love.?

?I wish I hadn?t forced Valen to come here,? Chama added. But then she glanced around to ensure that no one could overhear her and bent to whisper in Aribeth?s ear. ?His name is Celesfa?ar the Patient.? Aribeth did not need to be told that her friend did not refer to Valen anymore. Then Chama straightened. ?And? and thank you, Ari.?

The paladin nodded and squeezed Chama?s shoulder before the elf slid back silently into the shelter of the Hellbreath tavern. Lifting her eyes from the flames, Aribeth stared up at the temple of the Sleeping Man: another ugly metal building littering the icy floor of the Eighth, yet hiding a celestial within its halls. She gathered her cape around her cold shoulders and started towards it.

As in a daze, she walked to the heavy steel doors of the temple. Some sense of reality and responsibility came back to her then. Her shaking hand paused on its way upwards to the door?s leaf.

Was she ready to claim to love another yet, so soon? Memories of Fenthick, of that old tree in Neverwinter, of her pain and the emptiness and coldness in her heart after his death swirled in her mind. Was she ready to love again? Indeed, could she love at all? And one she did not know; one whose destiny was to find love. Could she really be the one destined to teach love to a celestial? The twinsouled, the blackhearted, the betrayer?

Her hand still lifted, Aribeth closed her eyes. The paladin thought back on Chama?s words then ? the gods themselves had written their love upon the stars. He could give her hope; he could make her young again. Eons had passed since first the Sleeping Man had come here, in the hope of meeting his one true love ? her. He had waited all this time for her. Nervousness crept down into her stomach and churned there like a thousand butterflies. How could she be up to his expectations?

She sent a quick prayer to Tyr, but received only a cold answer. She reeled; she so needed her god?s guidance at that moment. Taking a breath and squaring her shoulders, she told herself maybe she needed to act alone for once. So she did.

Lifting her hand to the door?s leaves, she pushed them open and entered the temple. The sensei Dharvana nodded to her quietly. Aribeth silently crossed the library, then the long corridor leading to the Sleeping Man?s room. Slowly she made her way to the dais, and knelt besides the slumbering celestial. She remained one step lower than where he lay, his feathers ruffled and his skin covered in goose bumps because of the chilling drafts of wind. She knelt there a while, observing him as he slept. Even though he seemed peaceful, his circled eyes and shallow cheeks hinted to some exhaustion on his part.

Her voice quavering, she whispered, ?Celesfa?ar the Patient?? He stirred lightly, as if somehow knowing that someone commanded him, and Aribeth stopped. She did not know what she wished to command him; she had called his name while she had the courage to.

?I have learned the name of your one true love,? she went on. ?It is I, Va?ardalia the Twinsouled, the spirit known as Lady Aribeth.?

Still he did not move, his chest lifting regularly in his sleep. Aribeth watched him, holding her breath, wondering what more she need do. Suddenly opening his eyes, he turned on his side. Frozen in place, kneeling besides him, Aribeth did not move while he turned his head and noticed her presence by his side. When his eyes met Aribeth?s, his full mouth curved into a warm smile. Slowly, but without hesitation, he propped himself on an elbow and reached up to kiss her.

Closing her eyes, Aribeth tasted the flowers on his lips and the sweetness of his arms gently pulling her into his celestial embrace. Unbidden, the cruel thought rose in her mind that she had done nothing to deserve such a gentle embrace, and that she had never felt this way with Fenthick.

?My one true love??, the Sleeping Man whispered. He pulled himself on his knees and leaned back, holding her tenderly at arms? length to look at her. ?My Lady Aribeth? Long have I waited for you. Long have I dreamed that this day would come.?

Closing her eyes against the tears, she pulled back slowly. ?The journey that led me here has been long and tortuous. You have slept and cannot know what I have done, but my honour commands me to be honest with you.?

Smiling, he put his hand on her cheek in a gentle and reassuring gesture. ?Tell me what weighs so much in your heart.?

She flinched away from his touch. The serenity radiating from his hand scalded her; they made her feel even guiltier by comparison.

?In life, I brought great evil upon my homeworld.? She paused, wondering how she could explain everything she had done, and doom crashed down upon her. She did not even know where to begin; the list of her sins was too long.

?Perhaps you have,? the Sleeping Man admitted gently. ?But I believe that a spark of good lies even in the darkest of hearts. Perhaps you are to be redeemed. The gods would not pair us together without reason.?

Aribeth sighed, trying to let his quiet confidence reassure her. Slowly he pulled her in his arms again.

?I sense that your life has indeed been difficult before you found me here. But you can let it go, now; I am here, and you need not fear my judgement? Rest now, here with me.? Partly against herself, partly in utter relief, Aribeth leaned into his embrace, her head on his broad and strong chest.

A long moment passed. ?Would you make one last journey yet for me?? he asked. ?I have a home in Elysium?s blessed fields. I would like to take you there, that we might live out the remainder of our lives amidst its beauty.?

Sighing, a little disappointed at the return of reality, Aribeth straightened. ?There is nothing I would want more, my love, but I have duties I must tend to first. Mephistopheles lays siege to my homeworld, Toril, and I must first make the journey there to free it from his grasp.?

The celestial?s face hardened. ?Mephistopheles still rules the Eighth, then, does he? If you would risk your life to face him, my love, then I shall do the same. Let us put his evil to rest.? She gaped at him in complete surprise and he smiled amusedly.

?You would join us in this?? Aribeth marvelled. Then she remembered herself. ?Thank you, my love, and I pray we both survive the battle. To make my home with you in Elysium would be a dream come true.?

He caressed her cheek again, and this time his holy touch did not feel scalding; it felt soothing and calming. ?My love goes with you, Aribeth. I will find you there.?

Standing, he slowly stretched his wings, testing them after a long period of inactivity.

?Wait!? Aribeth pleaded, taking hold of his lower arm.

Instantly he stilled. His forehead creased in worry. ?Is something wrong, my love??

Hearing those words from his lips, melting warmth spread in her chest, but she managed to speak. ?You do not have to leave immediately? Tomorrow, I will cross the gates of Cania back to the Material Plane with my two companions. Our leader has learned the Reaper?s True Name. You could spend the night and cross tomorrow with us??

?Spending another night here??, he replied, obviously appalled. ?I have been sleeping in this cold room for millennia? another night here does not tempt me.?

Aribeth giggled. ?I did not mean here. My companions and I have rooms at the local tavern. Not the most comfortable or beautiful accommodations you have ever seen, but our leader is a capable mage? and strikes hard bargains? and she can make our life considerably more comfortable than it would be otherwise. Of course, I would understand if you wished to leave the taint of the Hells immediately??

Sensing the distress the idea caused her, he relented. ?I have been waiting for you here for millennia; another night will not change much. Come? show me this tavern of yours. I think I need a bath.?

Aribeth laughed. ?Chama will be happy to warm some water for you.?

?Chama? is she your leader??

The paladin nodded. ?Yes. Actually, her full name is Chamaedaphne Indiwasi. Our other companion is a tanar?ri tiefling that goes by the name of Valen Shadowbreath, a fierce and honourable warrior and weapon master.? Then Aribeth paused thoughtfully. ?I would not like to expose your True Name for all to hear, but I would not like to call you ?Sleeping Man? any longer. Have you a given name??

?I go by the name of Somnus in the Planes. Will this satisfy you??

Aribeth nodded, and he extended a hand to help her up to her feet. Casually, he wrapped her hand around his arm, and made his way to the door. Aribeth paused thoughtfully.

?Dharvana isn?t going to be pleased,? she realized.

?Dharvana??

?The sensei? she is in charge of the temple here.?

?Temple? Who is worshipped here??, Shewaine asked, looking around for any godly sign he would recognize.

?She worshipped you, actually. I?m afraid she?ll be angry at me for waking you.?

Somnus? anger flared. ?I am not an object of worship. She should keep her prayers for the gods.?

?She is githzerai,? Aribeth explained.

?Ah,? the planetar said. He knew well the gith and how they worshipped philosophies rather than godly entities. ?Then maybe if I am to speak with her, she will be less displeased.?

Prudently Aribeth let go of his arm when they entered the library. Agitated and aggressive, Dharvana immediately walked up to the two of them, but looked straight past Somnus to Aribeth.

?Why have you woken him??, she asked.

?She has not awoken me,? Somnus corrected in a warm tone of voice. ?I woke up on my own, because I have finally found what I was looking for.?

With obvious distress the gith looked from one to the other. Looking lovingly at Aribeth, Somnus added, ?My one true love??

He took the paladin?s hand and led her out of the temple. Still unsure what to do, the sensei followed their exit with yellow eyes, but did not move.

***

Back at the tavern, Chama was just completing her nightly spell studies when there was a knock on her door. Opening, she found Aribeth and a celestial standing there. The Sleeping Man was now wide awake and warily watched the devils glaring menacingly his way. Chama gestured them in.

?Chama,? Aribeth began, ?I?d like you to meet Somnus. Somnus, this is Chamaedaphne Indiwasi, our leader.?

They shook hands. ?I?m glad to make your acquaintance,? Chama said with a smile.

?And so am I. I have offered to help my Lady Aribeth in her coming battle against Mephistopheles. So I have lent my arm to your cause.?

?Thank you,? Chama answered warmly. ?Tomorrow, we will familiarize you with our battle strategies and equip you with the equipment you might need? A master smith resides here who can do anything on commission.?

?It will be an honour to fight besides you tomorrow,? Somnus declared, and bowed low.

Clearing her throat, Aribeth caught Chama?s attention. ?Since he will come with us tomorrow, I thought that maybe Somnus could spend the night with us here at the tavern. Maybe Valen could share his room??

?Not Valen,? Chama cut worriedly. ?He just fell asleep and I don?t wish to wake him so soon? he needs his rest. If it?s alright with both of you, I would surrender my room and share Aribeth?s??

Both nodded, and so the arrangements were made.

[DalreïDal]

OK, I?m a bad girl. No other excuse for the lateness of this chapter. I?ve been playing Mass Effect like a freakin addict for the past two weeks. Clocked 80h of gameplay. And counting. Damn is that game good or is it incredible! There definitely should be more RPGs with a shooter engine? As long as they keep it third-person - have pity on me.

Hm, so I?ll stop my ranting here. I hope I haven?t lost you all because of the delay?

Chapter XXXIII. Doubts

The next morning, Valen awoke with a groggy head and heavy limbs. He sat up in his bed sleepily, and realized contentedly that he had slept peacefully throughout the night. He remembered, then, the pleasant feel of Chama?s hands in his hair the previous night, soothing him and quietly sending him drifting off into serene sleep.

Smiling, he stepped out of bed, stretched, put his armour back on and strode out of his room purposefully, ready to take on the Reaper and his master Mephistopheles.

A surprise awaited him in the tavern, however. The Sleeping Man was no longer sleeping, but instead stood near Rizolvir?s forge, sternly watching the devils staring at him as they would have at a piece of meat. The drow smith knelt by the celestial?s right foot and took different measures on the armour?s leg, probably to complete its adjustments, amongst which slits in the back through which the Sleeping Man could fit his wings. The celestial also carried a greatsword belted in a simple scabbard at his right hip, and he held a shining helmet under his arm. Aribeth, standing besides him, observed him with a look of startled fondness.

Then Valen spotted Chama, leaning on a wall on their right and obviously checking the door to his room. Valen smiled at the sight and walked towards her. ?Good morning, my love.?

?Good morning. Slept well??

?Very peacefully,? he murmured with a smile. ?But I see we have a new companion.? Turning towards the celestial, he extended a hand. ?Valen Shadowbreath.?

?Somnus of Elysium.?

They shook hands and nodded to each other, their eyes level. Valen had not often met humanoids of his height and size, and he had great respect for the strength visible in Somnus? countenance, even after ages spent sleeping.

After the adjustments to Somnus? armour were done, Chama, Aribeth, Somnus and Valen went to train a while in the central square of the City of Lost Souls, and the damned souls cheered and rejoiced that such great heroes marched to war against Mephistopheles.

Chama and her team crossed the gates back to the Realm of the Reaper. But just before Chama reached for the door that would lead them back to the Prime and the awaiting devil, Valen spoke up.

?So it seems we are arriving at the end of our adventure. Soon we will be out of the Nine Hells? and not a moment too soon, in my opinion.?

?You seem almost sad,? Chama noted with a worried frown.

?I? I know. I have been fighting the urges of my blood ever since we arrived in Baator. The infernal taint on my soul ever pushes me to continue the Blood Wars, it seems. When I think of all the time I spent fighting here in the Outer Planes? when I think of my humanity being swallowed whole by my demonic half? I can?t help but feel there is little hope for me, Chama.? He shrugged helplessly.

?I thought the Seer had helped you overcome this,? she answered gently.

?She has tried,? Valen admitted. ?She brought me back from the brink, from the snarling beast I once was? but she can only do so much. In the end, I am on my own with this. My demon half will always be a part of me, something I cannot escape even if I return to your world. I will have to accept that.?

Seeing the concern written on Chama?s face, Valen grimaced and sighed. He should not have been so selfish and break that out to her just before an important battle. It was not her fault and she could not do much about it either.

?Doesn?t our love give you any hope at all??, she added still.

He gazed at her with all the sadness in the world. ?I do not know. I have felt cut off from other beings for so long, I? I?m not sure what hope is. Do you think there is hope for the two of us, my lady??

?Valen? the way you look at me now? can?t you see that?s all the proof you need to know there?s hope? There?s always hope.?

?Is there?? He looked at her and smiled ruefully. Somehow, even now, when she said those things, he couldn?t help but believe her. ?Then I shall have to rely on you to remind me of it, my lady. For when you tell me it is so I believe it.?

Taking a breath, he squared his shoulders and gestured to the door. ?Let?s find Mephistopheles and have this battle over with. I cannot wait for the future to come, now.?

She hesitated a while, but then turned to Aribeth and Somnus standing by her side. Walking to the paladin, Chama hugged her to whisper in her ear.

?Va?ardalia the Twinsouled??

Wincing as though she had been slapped, Aribeth pulled away rudely.

?Chama!?

?Forgive yourself for what happened in Neverwinter,? the elf finished, ignoring the ghost?s indignation.

?But what I did was wrong! Countless innocents died by my actions and countless friends as well. To feel no guilt, no remorse, is to become cold to the world. It would be inhuman. Is that what you ask of me??

?No, Aribeth? This is your atonement? how you finally escape the Hells??

Smiling gently, Somnus put a reassuring hand on Aribeth?s shoulder. She turned the words in her head for a while, then declared, ?I suppose the gods have their mysteries. But what is commanded in their tongue must have their sanction, for good or ill. By your command, I am atoned? Is there anything more??

?No, Aribeth, that is all.?

Then Chama turned and stared at Valen for a long time, her eyes deeply troubled. In the end Valen broke the silence before it became truly unbearable.

?Yes, my lady??

?Never mind. I?m not certain enough.?

She turned towards the gate, and crossed it, immediately followed by her companions. And then, at long last, they stood before Mephistopheles.

***

Valen seethed. A devil stood before him, and he knew he must fight it ? but not for demon blood; for the sake of the Prime itself. His eyes were red and he did not care. After his encounter with Mephistopheles in the Valsharess? tower, he knew he needed the help of the demon within him. He need only avoid being completely overrun. Destruction was called for, just not without control.

He took a step forward towards the devil, who had grown a few feet in height and draconian wings since their last meeting, to shield Chama from the baatezu?s hits. Aribeth stood by his right side, and Somnus a little further back.

Of course, the confrontation had to start with Mephistopheles? explanation of the reason of his attempted conquest of the Prime. A devil could not simply engage in a battle, he needed to expose his motives to gloat over the cleverness of his own schemes. Demons, for their part, always approached a confrontation directly, and Valen found wordy opponents boring and frustrating. He nevertheless listened silently and Chama chose to meet Mephistopheles? comments with a simple statement, which suited Valen just fine.

?We?ve come to stop you.?

?You and which army, foolish mortal??, Mephistopheles laughed. ?I dare say it seems they have run off and left you alone to face me. A pity.?

?They haven?t run off,? Chama corrected patiently. ?I told them that we?d handle you.?

Laughing, the archdevil turned to her companions. Firmly standing his ground, Valen met the devil?s gaze straight on when he turned to him.

?So,? Mephistopheles began, ?the young tiefling still deigns to travel with you? Valen Shadowbreath, is it not? I admit, I did not expect to meet you again, my young man. Of course your reputation as a fearsome veteran of the Blood Wars is slightly sullied by your death at my hands.?

?We?ve nothing to say to one another, devil,? Valen snarled. With the demon so close to the surface, the growl came easily out of his throat. ?You are baatezu and I am tanar?ri. There can be nothing but death between us.?

?Oh? But you are mostly human,? the devil went on with a slow, treacherous smile. ?What if I was to tell you that I could relieve you of that demonic taint forever? I could free you from the Blood Wars, young man. What would that be worth, I wonder??

Toying idly with the talons of his right hand, the devil looked at Valen out of the corner of his eye. Valen glared right back at him.

?It would not be worth betraying my love for Chama, that is sure,? he declared haughtily. ?If there is a taint to be removed today, it is yours, devil!?

Mephistopheles did not even spare a sneer in Valen?s direction, but blatantly ignored him to turn to Aribeth.

?But I do see you brought your pretty little paladin with you? It feels like such a long time since we last met, doesn?t it, my dear? If I recall, you fled in tears, quite confused about your place in the world??

Trying to hide her fear, Aribeth plunged ahead defiantly. ?That was then and this is now, Hell-fiend. Chama has led me back to Tyr?s blessing and it is Tyr whom I now serve. Even you, in all your might, dare not stand against his wrath.?

?Tyr, you say??, the devil chuckled malevolently. ?Then I presume it is Tyr?s spells you wield against me? Guess again, princess! They?re my spells! Mine! I played Chamaedaphne as a puppet with the Valsharess and I did the same in Cania. All this time, you thought you were traipsing through Cania in the name of Tyr? How quaint. Tyr abandoned you, Aribeth, and couldn?t care less about you now!?

?No, it?s not true! It? It can?t be! I believed again. I could have sworn I still saw beauty in the world??

?Blah, blah, blah. You?ve done quite a number on her, Chamaedaphne. If I wasn?t about to kill you, I might just congratulate you. You?ve got her twisted around your little finger. So what?s it gonna be, Princess: her or me??

Aribeth closed her eyes on stinging tears of shame. ?No matter what I do, it seems I am only capable of bringing evil into the world? I will side with you, Mephistopheles. There is no other choice.?

But then a hand landed lightly on her shoulder. It was warm and gentle, kind and loving, and there was no hint of doubt in the move.

?You have the choice, Aribeth,? Somnus said, his rich voice deep and gentle. ?I love you. That is not evil.?

And then, standing on the scorched square of Waterdeep littered with the corpses of Mephistopheles? victims, Aribeth realized that it was not her real faith that she had felt reborn when she had pledged her sword to Tyr in the frozen cave where she had tried to become one of the Lost. Because faith was flowing in her right now, like a warm, familiar and reassuring fire coursing through her veins, giving her the desire to live. She turned to the celestial awaiting her answer confidently and patiently.

?You have brought me back from an icy grave, Somnus. You are my rock, my touchstone? my love? If nothing else, I believe in you.?

The angel smiled warmly. Out of the corner of her eye, Aribeth could see Chama grinning like an idiot and even Valen, usually dour and harsh, seemed pleased with the turn of events.

Again ignoring his defeat, Mephistopheles turned to Somnus.

?So the riddle is solved, she has found you by the gates of Cania. I?ll say this much about the Knowers and their schemes: True Love is not everything it is made to be,? Mephistopheles declared with surprisingly heartfelt bitterness. ?Reflect on who the gods have decreed as your love: a paladin who can?t even tell her true faith from my lies, who betrayed her city and liege, and was ready to betray the Prime itself! Is this really the woman you want to die in battle for??

Somnus looked calmly up at Mephistopheles. ?I have had millennia of sleep to cultivate my determination, and my faith in the gods of the planes is not so easily shaken, devil.?

Snorting, Mephistopheles turned back to Chama and the reality of the battle at hand.

?Try what you might, you cannot stop me, mortal. I know you far too well.?

?Really,? Chama shot back slyly. ?Try what you might then.?

And on this signal, Aribeth raised her sword, Valen swung his flail, and Mephistopheles lifted his spear. And they clashed.

Edited by DalreïDal, 09 August 2008 - 01:15 PM.

[DalreïDal]

Sorry for the short chapter, but it was that or 7000 words? next one will be longer, I promise. I hope you?re still hanging in there despite the repeated delays?

Chapter XXXIV. The Battle of Waterdeep

Valen and Aribeth shared the first line as they had agreed, with Somnus and Chama protecting them with healing and defensive spells. Chama rained destruction on Mephistopheles in the form of incredibly powerful spells ? epic spells, Valen knew, which only grand wizards could ever hope to master. However, even they accomplished remarkably little against the devil?s skin, which was as hard as the strongest metal, and the warriors? enchanted weapons did not fare much better, even though they were wielded by three of the deadliest fighters of the planes.

The battle raged on for hours. The sun held on high in the sky for a time before inching downward to the west. Weariness settled in Valen?s limbs, but he relentlessly pressed his attacks, drawing from the ferocity of the demon within. Aribeth held her ground to his left, her incorporeal features blurred with exhaustion. Sometime in the middle of it, Somnus joined them on the first line, his spells exhausted. Only Chama still cast, interspersing her spells with quick forays into Mephistopheles? space to deliver sneak attacks at his back.

Gradually, exhaustion and injuries veiled Valen?s perspective with a surreal cast. Fighting on pure instinct, the tiefling stopped to monitor the devil?s agonizingly slow but steady weakening. He had been in this battle for the entirety of his life, and it encompassed the meaning and the very essence of his existence.

The fog only lifted when the devil collapsed on one knee. Suddenly Valen remembered his three battle companions, and the little detail of Mephistopheles? plans of invasion of the Prime. But it did not change the fact that it had been the fight of his life. Glancing back at Somnus, Aribeth and Chama, with immense relief he saw them all still standing, though they seemed as drawn as he.

Shuddering, the arch-devil bent forward to support himself on the ground with a hand, each downward inch conceded only grudgingly, even though blood mixed with fire sprouted from the thousand wounds on his body. Sputtering blood, he spoke to Chama with difficulty.

?It appears you have been my downfall, mortal? I underestimated you. Next time I won?t make the same mistake??

Quickly extending a hand to her arm, Valen stopped Chama who marched on the devil in defiance. Even though Mephistopheles appeared genuinely bested, devils could be deceitful, and Chama was not wary enough. They stood close enough to Mephistopheles? prostrate form.

?There will not be a next time. Thra?axfyl the Ambitious, I command you to stop the destruction you seek to bring to the Prime.?

?My? My True Name!?, Mephistopheles exclaimed, some life returning to his injured and battered body. Fire ran wilder out of his wounds. ?You?ve commanded me!? Where did you learn it?!? He grunted, fighting to the last of his strength against the command of his name in the gods? tongue. ?But I must obey! What? what is it you wish of me, mistress? How must I serve you??

?Thra?axfyl the Ambitious, I command you to return to Cania and remain there forever.?

He snorted. ?Banished to Cania, home and exile all at once? Thank you, mistress! Thank you for your mercy! May frozen Cania be my home forevermore??

Too weak to stand, the arch-devil performed his spell down on his knees. Under his lifted hand, a gate circle appeared on the ground, glowing in wicked red. Three pillars of stone erupted from the ground to encage the devil and he disappeared from the Prime material plane, a malevolent glint in his eyes still.

Valen took a few seconds to catch his breath, while the sound of the drums of the Blood Wars washed out from his ears and their beat faded from his veins. Slowly he sorted out his human and demon halves and reasserted himself above his tanar?ri half. His eyes reverted to their cyan colour.

Then he noted that Chama?s knees were shaking as she struggled to keep to her feet, and she was bleeding. She had been hit more than once when Mephistopheles had teleported her close enough to hit her with his trident, and also when she had rushed at his back to deliver sneak attacks. In an instant, Valen was by her side and had lifted her off in his arms.

?Why did you wait until now to use his True Name??, he asked.

?Because I thought we were strong enough to bring him down somewhat, and I felt it better to weaken him before returning him to Cania, lest he hatch another plan too soon.?

He shook his head at the risky scheme, and silently surveyed the extent of her wounds. His heart constricted in his chest.

?We need to bring you to a priest, my love,? he stated the obvious.

Aribeth and Somnus, also bloodied and battered, walked up to them, leaning on each other.

?You appear to know this city, Chama,? Aribeth remarked. ?Where would we find a temple? We are all in need of healing.?

At that point relative silence had reigned over the city, and Durnan chose that moment to timidly peer through a creak in a barricaded doorway. Seeing the four companions standing, alive, and no Mephistopheles anywhere, he pushed the door open completely and with a joyous cry rushed to them. All hell broke loose as everyone in Waterdeep let out their collectively held breath and burst in euphoric cheers.

?You beat him!?, Durnan exclaimed. ?By the bloody Hells, you beat him! You freed Waterdeep! You freed us all!?

?Yes, we did,? Chama agreed in a weary sigh. ?But please, Durnan, keep the celebrations for later. We?ve just been through the Eighth Hell and we need healing and a rest.?

?Of course! Come on over at the inn, it?s been repurposed to tend to the wounded because it was right by the battlefield. White Thesta?s there. But you?ll have to tell me your tale later, Chama.?

?Durnan, I promise I?ll tell you everything and I?ll even try to be as good as Deekin. But please? right now I want some rest.?

With that, she passed out, her head on Valen?s shoulder. The four comrades followed Durnan to what burning ruins were left of his inn, the Yawning Portal. Cots supporting wailing and wounded men littered the common room, with White Thesta and her acolytes patrolling the narrow aisles between them. Despite Chama?s injuries that worried Valen greatly, sudden fear coiled in the pit of his stomach. If this was what Mephistopheles had been capable of doing to Waterdeep, then what had he done to the Underdark? Had the Seer, Imloth, Deekin, Nathyrra and all the others managed to escape with their lives?

Distracting him from his worry, Durnan bellowed to White Thesta to ?come heal the heroes?. Leaving the wounded she was treating to one of her acolytes, the priestess walked up to Valen. Unlike the common soldiers she had merely saved with spells and patched up with bandages, she healed Chama, Valen, Somnus and Aribeth with spells all the way. Valen gave her an inquisitive look.

?It is the reward I can afford for those who sent Mephistopheles back to Hell. Now, I would suggest a bit of rest for the three of you,? she concluded with a pointed stare at Valen holding Chama in his arms. Despite the ludicrousness of the idea, considering how both of them were bruised and exhausted, the tall warrior blushed furiously. Trying to cover up his embarrassment, he turned to Durnan.

?I would gladly take White Thesta up on that offer. Is there some place we can lie down for a while??

?Here, follow me. There?s some private quarters left, something I arranged in nearby houses for the army commanders. We?ll accommodate you easily.?

Durnan guided the four adventurers to a neighbouring house. Halfway across the street, Chama regained consciousness.

?Granduc, you can set me back on my feet, I?m fine now.? Sudden cheer came over Valen at the sound of her voice and at her struggles to escape his arms. He set her down gently, supporting her when she swayed for a second. They made their way into a relatively intact house that seemed to have suffered nothing worse than soot on its stony façade and two broken windows. They crossed a living room transformed into a war council and climbed a set of stairs to find themselves in a quiet corridor. Durnan pointed out the four doors on the left side and designated them as their rooms.

?Durnan, I know these are no easy times, but I would so love a hot bath. Is it possible??

The old innkeeper smiled at her in a fatherly manner. ?Chama, after what you just did, anything is possible.?

?And it would also be possible for my companions, I hope??

?Of course. Make yourselves comfortable, someone will be up in a moment with the hot water.?

Durnan disappeared down the hall, leaving the four companions alone. Chama exchanged a long look with them.

?What you did? what we all did? it was extraordinary. I would never have survived this far without you. I want to say ?thank you?, but it doesn?t even start to cover it.?

?I share the feeling,? Aribeth said with a smile.

?It has been an honour to join you in the final battle,? Somnus declared. ?It was a worthy cause and I am proud to have been part of this victory.?

Everyone turned to Valen, awaiting his comment on the situation, but instead the tiefling glared pointedly at Somnus and Aribeth. Taking their cue, the ghost and celestial inclined their heads and entered the two rooms nearest the staircase. Once alone in the corridor with Chama, Valen removed his gauntlet and gently caressed her hair. She looked up at him with an utterly vulnerable look in her eyes.

?You know you don?t have to thank me, my love. I said I would storm the Nine Hells themselves for you. I meant it, and it has been worth it.?

Closing her eyes, she took his hand in hers. ?Oh, Valen. Thank you. I could never have done it without you.?

He chuckled. ?It is I who should thank you. But for now we should go into our rooms before Durnan comes back and finds us here.?

Smiling, she stepped towards her room, pausing briefly to squeeze his fingers a last moment before letting go and disappearing inside the furthest room. Entering his own room with a sigh, Valen started removing his armour. Just a few minutes later, a group of soldiers whose duties had been changed from the battle against Mephistopheles to a simple carrying of water entered and poured him a hot bath.

***

As soon as the soldiers had left, Chama locked the door behind them, disrobed and slid into the hot water. She had a particularly keen appreciation for the steamy water because she had suffered from the cold in Cania. However, the heat eroded her control and she had to fight not to lose consciousness as she washed herself, acutely aware of the weakness of her female body. She had always thought her weakness was something cursed upon her along with her sex; even though she had trained hard to become a hunter for two decades, she had never managed to pass the tests of endurance. She had eventually been forced to realize that she would never have the necessary constitution to be a ranger. She often wondered how Aribeth could be as tough and strong as many men. Not as much as Valen though. Not many men were as tough, quick and strong as Valen, and less women, Chama thought.

Pushing away the useless concerns, Chama finished cleaning herself and slid into a priestess robe that White Thesta had lent her. Looking over at Balpheron?s robe discarded next to the bath tub, all drenched by the snow, scorched by fire and splattered in blood and gore, Chama nearly fainted at the mere idea of washing it. The robe?s magic would have rewoven its scorched and torn places by itself tomorrow anyway. She left it to rot on the floor for the time being; surely there was still one chambermaid left in all of Waterdeep? Chama put some order in her pack and spell reagents. Then she silently slid out of her room and knocked on Valen?s door.

[DalreïDal]

Chapter XXXV. Celebrating Victory

Valen answered the knock almost immediately, opening the door with a faint flush to his cheeks.

?Might we speak??, Chama asked with a smile.

Recognizing his own phrase, he moved back from the entrance with a smile, gesturing her in. He had been cleaning his armour, she saw.

?What did you want to discuss, my love??, he asked, pulling her a chair in front of the small table where he settled to resume his work on his armour.

?Nothing really specific, Granduc. It?s just that? that it?s over. I?m tired, but I felt? felt like having some company. Your company, in fact.?

Smiling warmly, Valen bent over the table and armour to kiss her forehead.

?I?m glad you do. I was polishing my armour to distract myself from you; I thought you would be too tired to bear my presence tonight, but I very much wanted to spend the evening with you.?

She smiled and jutted her chin at the suit of mail lying on the table. ?How?s your armour? Not too badly damaged??

?Badly enough. I?d like Rizolvir to take a look at it, even though it is not possible at the moment. I do not think I would trust any other smith with such a suit of armour.?

?It?s too bad Rizolvir ended up in Cania. He didn?t deserve to spend eternity in Hell. I wish I could have taken him out of there.?

?I think he wasn?t unhappy about his new location, Chama. His only passion in life was the working of steel, and as long as he has that, I don?t think he?ll be unhappy in Hell.?

Chama sighed. ?I wish it were that easy. I?m pretty sure Mephistopheles will come by the knowledge that it?s Rizolvir?s supplies that made us survive until we found the Knower of Names. I hope Mephistopheles won?t make him pay for that.?

Closing her eyes, she sighed and tried to smooth the frown from her forehead. Valen?s silence, in front of her, marked his pause in polishing his armour.

?You take too much on your shoulders, my love,? the tiefling protested. ?Rizolvir supplied anyone willing to pay his fees with whatever they needed. I don?t think he?ll be deemed to have made such a difference for us during our stay in Cania. The dragon innkeeper was much more accommodating to us, thanks to your silver tongue and your supply of rogue stones.?

?Maybe I do take too much upon myself,? Chama sighed. ?Maybe that?s what it is to be a Hero. To carry the world on your shoulders.?

?You can?t, my love. We are just mortals. We will help wherever we can, but we can?t carry the world on our shoulders. The world has to care for itself for the most part.?

?You know, that?s why I sent Mephistopheles back.?

Valen looked up to her curiously. ?What do you mean??

?I never thought I?d understand all this druidic stuff about balance the elders spewed out to me when I was young, but unexpectedly I find that I do. When Mephistopheles finally stood before us on the Prime, I considered killing him outright ? either with sword and spell, or with his True Name. But I?m a spellcaster, and my spellcraft gives me a hunch that an arch-devil cannot be vanquished definitively. I have an intuition that, eventually, he would have managed to refocus his essence or something. That is why I did not order you, Aribeth and Somnus to finish him. I also thought of ordering the devil with the power of his True Name to pursue good instead of evil.?

Valen stared at her. ?That thought certainly wouldn?t have crossed my mind. A good arch-devil? What an alien concept.?

?Yes. I tried to evaluate the consequences ever since the Knower of Names told us his True Name. It would mean the eighth level of Hell would be turned into something else entirely, that its ruler would be utterly transformed, that the devils inhabiting it would suddenly find themselves in a place where they cannot torture souls any longer, that the Heavens would have an unexpected ally in the middle of their enemies? territory, and so on. I came to the conclusion that I could not evaluate the effects such a change would have on the global state of things. I had no idea if it would come to more good or bad in the end, and what unexpected consequences it could cause. So I thought it unwise to order such a thing. I do not have a god?s wisdom to ponder such great problems.?

?So you ordered him back to Cania, the most conservative order to give him with his True Name.?

?Yes. The Blood Wars are an ancient but efficient mechanism that controls the dynamics of the forces of Evil and holds a delicate but resilient balance between the Hells and the Abyss. Exiling Mephistopheles forever to Cania was the action most unlikely to bring a number of grave unexpected consequences. Besides, Ao himself ordered the demons and devils to inhabit the Hells and the Abyss, and to keep out of the Prime. I thought that, if I did not possess enough wisdom to take a decision alone, I could follow the guidance of the Overfather and act accordingly with his decrees.?

Valen nodded. ?I think the Seer was right, Chama. You possess more wisdom than you give yourself credit for.?

Chama shook her head. ?I only have enough wisdom to recognize my failings.?

Valen smiled. ?You are entitled to your opinion, my lady.?

She grinned at that and he resumed cleaning his armour. They sat together in companionable silence for a while, giving Chama ample occasion to observe him. His hands were tall and strong, yet delicate and assured in their moves as he polished the metal of his armour. He had lowered his head over his work, and his hair, damp from his bath and of a darker red than usual, was bound at the nape of his massive neck by a leather stripe. Peculiar horns she had nevertheless grown accustomed to protruded from his head. His strong neck and broad shoulders played under the linen clothes he wore, rolling as he flipped his armour over.

He was physically imposing. The very air around him seemed filled with his powerful and commanding presence. Still, all his physical strength and impressive self-mastery did not scare her anymore; if anything, he was stronger and more imposing now that his body had been hardened by their adventure through Hell. Sometimes she wondered how it could be that her fear had so utterly disappeared, but she did not question it overmuch. She was content with the fact that the contrast of his firm muscles and heart-breaking tenderness, put her mind and body at peace. She could relax and abandon herself in his embrace.

She felt safe in his arms.

He had held her amorously only twice. The Hells were not a place that was exactly inviting for loving embraces. But tonight, in this quiet inn after the storm had blown over, Chama wanted to celebrate their freedom from Hell in a way she had barely dared to dream of.

She wanted to be safe in his arms tonight.

?Valen,? she said quietly, a fierce blush heating her face, ears and neck.

?Yes, Chama?? He looked up at her, probably alarmed by the tone of her voice.

?Will you stay with me tonight??

Valen?s eyes flickered down to his armour, which he put down carefully before looking up again to scrutinize her face closely.

?I will, my love. If that is truly your wish.?

?It?s my wish, Valen. When we first met and began to travel together, you forced me to face you as I would have faced a human male ? taller, bigger, stronger, and physically over-powering. I was forced to face you, and soon enough my attraction to you, and you did not offer the comfortable safety of weakling?s subservience and infinite softness. You are a strong and proud man, and even if you always defended me in battle, I knew you had the potential for anger and violence.

?But it didn?t matter.

?I was enthralled. At first I thought it was fate?s punishment for my actions, to fall in love with a man who scared me because he could easily dominate me physically.

?But then one night you had a nightmare. I looked the demon in the eye, Valen. And I was not afraid. I knew that you would wake up and be horrified by what happened.

?You woke up and were horrified.

?That is when you forced me to face something else: my freedom from those men that still terrified me even though they are but dust in their graves for centuries now. My freedom was right before me. It was in you: a man I loved, who was strong but good, who forced me to face my fears even as he would protect me. And from that moment, I started to believe the Seer who said I could be redeemed. I could be redeemed. I could love. I could be free again.

?I will tell you what I wish tonight, Valen. I wish to let go of the past, what was done to me and what I did to others. I want to feel safe, to feel beautiful, to be loved. And I wish to be free from those demons from my past. Will you? will you show me? Will you set me free??

Valen, his throat tight from the emotion, stood and pulled her up in his arms.

?If you can come to me, my love, it is that you have already freed yourself,? he answered, gently caressing her back. ?I will only be with you when you cross the door.?

She clung to him tightly and he held her a long time before stepping back.

?I think it would be more? discreet if we stayed in your room, Chama. Aribeth and her elven ears will hear that you share my room.?

Chama blushed, but nodded. Valen quickly set his armour on its stand in the corner of the room, before he grabbed his half-unmade pack and slung it over his shoulder. Chama was still blushing when he took her hand and accompanied her to her own room.

***

Valen followed her inside and quietly closed and bolted the door shut behind them. Aside from her equipment neatly piled in a corner, the room was empty of any personal belongings. Chama yawned suddenly, making Valen smile. Taking her hand again, he thought that maybe now was a good time for a little exposure of his heart?

?My love, it is my turn to tell you something. When I met you, I was forced to face myself too. Chamaedaphne Indiwasi, you have forced me to be a man. The Seer forced me not to be a beast, but you forced me to be a man. When you trusted me to be more than I was, to have convictions, to yearn for an ideal, to? to love you, I found that I could not be less than what you expected me to be.

?The demon within was tempted by the elf?s blood. The man was confused and angry around you, because you always kept me off balance. But you were so really bright. Bright, proud, defiant, you stood up to me and held your ground no matter what. And you did not judge me. You inquired about my past, but you never looked down on me or let me intimidate you.

?You accepted me with my failings and my demon blood. You knew what I had been through. I was comfortable around you, I could relate to you. I loved you.

?And then it was time to face the Valsharess. For the first time in my life I was given a future that was mine to choose and that offered infinite possibilities. But the only choice I considered was the one which would lead me to be with you, and when you said there was only one more battle left, I thought you knew and accepted me by your side.

?I wanted to tell you that I loved you since then, but it was some time until we had some privacy. And now I would be free with you tonight. Free of the demon who keeps silent in your presence. I am at peace when you are here? and my life is complete when I hold you. Can I hold you now? Will you make me at peace??, he murmured.

Moving closer to him, she put her arms around his neck and pulled him down to hold her. He took her in his arms, and the blessed quiet of her embrace overcame him. But then she murmured something in his ear.

?Oeskathine the Demonwrestler.?

Valen startled as his True Name?s magic coursed through him. He felt tied to Chama?s voice in a weird way at that moment.

?My True Name. How do you? intend to command me??

He looked at her suspiciously. He was at her mercy and, even though he trusted her, it was not a position he relished finding himself in, no matter the circumstances.

?I hereby free you of the infernal taint.?

He tilted his head, not quite sure he had heard correctly, and wondering what kind of command that was. But suddenly he felt something deep within himself. His eyes went wide and an electrical current ran through him violently. Dimly he felt Chama?s hands slowing his fall and steadying him through a seizure. A black and oily sheen slithered through his body and over his skin, before finally hovering higher and away, leaving no trace of its presence.

Chama held a limp Valen on his knees, worried he would fall head first on the floor if she let go of his arms. But then he opened his eyes.

There was something different about him. His eyes were still the same colour, his features were still the same ? he still carried horns and a tail ? but there was something altered within. The fierce rage barely held in check and the otherworldly aura were gone.

?I? I can?t believe it!?, he exclaimed. He pulled back to his feet, looking down at himself with incredulity and bringing a hand up to check if he still had his horns. A smile flared on his face slowly, and it warmed Chama?s heart.

?The taint? it?s gone! I feel? I feel wonderful! I feel human!?

He laughed joyously and lifted her off to spin her up in the air. She yelped at first, but soon joined his happy laughter. It was good to hear Valen laugh so, without heaviness of heart or holding back.

?Thank you! Thank you for this wonderful gift!?

Setting her back down on the floor, he looked down at her.

?Does it really feel that different??, she asked curiously. ?I?d hate to lose my dark Valen. I like my men brooding after all.?

He chuckled with an easy smile; he marvelled at how naturally it had come to his lips. There was no raging demon holding him back from amusement or happiness.

?You have no idea, Chama. It? it is as if a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders.?

She grinned. ?So there?s hope for us after all??

He stopped and gazed into her eyes, his expression suddenly loving. He leaned in to kiss her softly.

?I suppose that there is.?

?You suppose??, she asked in mock outrage.

?Look into my eyes, my love. I have no words for my hope. You will have to read it in my eyes.?

Smiling gently, she pulled him down again. He held her tightly, and she turned her head to speak in his ear again.

?I know your True Name, Granduc, so I?ll tell you mine. It?s??

?No, my love! You shouldn?t tell your True Name to anyone.?

?You?re not ?anyone?. I trust you to keep it secret or use it when necessary. I?m Ebe?laar the Kind.?

Valen?s eyes closed of their own volition. The Kind. Even in the gods? tongue her name reflected the personality she had at present, and not her past actions. ?I will guard your secret, my love.?

?As I will keep yours.?

And then, Valen decided it was past time he took the initiative. Bending, he easily lifted her in his arms and carried her off to bed. Her nervous blush made him chuckle.

?I think I should have warned you in all honesty,? he said, ?before I accepted your invitation, that I have every intention of following White Thesta?s advice and taking some rest tonight. I make no promises about tomorrow morning, but tonight I will put you to bed and sleep quietly with you in my arms.?

She looked so disappointed that he burst out laughing and kissed her lightly on the lips.

?You?re too tired, my love. Hell isn?t a trek to be taken by mortals. You need a good night of sleep to recuperate.?

She scowled. ?I think I should have waited until tomorrow to free you from the demon. Maybe he made you a bit less sober and demure.?

Valen laughed again. ?He certainly made me more impatient, but that is just one more thing I would have fought against to do things right. Because I am determined to fight off anything. But exhausting you more than you already are would not be doing things right. Now, if you remove your weight from my sleeve so I can get up??

She rolled off his sleeve with an amused smile.

?I usually sleep without my shirt,? he said. ?Would it? bother you??

Lifting an eyebrow playfully, she lay back down on the bed and watched him appreciatively. ?I don?t think it will.?

Valen?s eyes darkened to a cobalt blue at her relaxed pose and suggestive tone. He slowly pulled his tunic off, tilting his head in an old habit so it would not catch on his horns. Chama?s eyes widened suddenly, and Valen looked down at himself curiously. Numerous bruises covered his chest, everywhere Mephistopheles? trident had skewered him.

All seduction gone from Chama?s stance, she sat up to review his bruises more closely. He stood motionless as she looked at him. It was the first time she stared at him unguardedly like this. Her eyes slowly slid over the marks of his magically healed wounds, then over his older scars.

?Such injuries you have survived. I don?t think I can ever send you on the first line again knowing you get these each time you get hit and healed.?

?It does not really hurt, my love, and it will be mostly gone by tomorrow morning. It is nothing to worry over.?

She looked at him straight in the eye. ?I?ve never? never noticed your scars before. I?m sorry if I shouldn?t have looked.?

He shrugged. ?They are nothing more than old wounds. They don?t bother me.?

He stilled when she lifted her right hand and lightly ran the tip of her fingers over the white marks on his skin. The story of his life of rage and pain was written down on his very flesh. She wondered where one should see the story of his life of goodness and generosity; his sacrifice of blood for his companions in arms was marked in his flesh too, she realized as she caressed the mark left by the minotaur?s axe. But where was he left to show his kindness? His gentleness? Nothing in his size or muscled countenance hinted to it; it was not obvious in his guarded eyes. It was a side of him that he hid well.

?It shows something of your life,? she declared at length, taking her hand away, ?but it does not tell everything that you are.?

She tried to find a better way to explain it, but she had no more words. She looked at him, hoping he would understand.

?That?s true. I consider the scars of battle to be a small part of my experience. The scars of Grimash?t?s torture are a bit more painful to look at, but I have survived them, and I like to think that what I have done since is what really matters.?

She looked at him with an unreadable look for a while. ?I have scars too.? She took a shaking breath. ?I was stabbed in the abdomen a few times, and they tried to write something in my skin with knives. The priestesses managed to erase most of it, and what is really amazing is that I carried my son to term.?

Valen was at a loss as to what to answer.

?It is strange,? she went on. ?A man with scars is said to have had a life of battles. A woman with scars is said to have marred skin.?

?Only those who have never known battle subscribe to this vision of things, my love. I would not think that you have marred skin. I would think that you bear the mark of your battles.?

She closed her eyes and sighed. ?Thank you,? she murmured.

He sat next to her on the bed and she let him draw her in for a hug. After a while she relaxed, and sat up so she could look at his back. Again she traced his old scars with feather-light touches of her fingertips. So many, and so deep; she knew how strong and determined he was, but seeing the marks of Grimash?t?s tortures, she had no trouble imagining that he had been in ?no state? fit to fight his way out of the Abyss.

?I?m sorry for everything that?s been done to you.?

He half-turned to catch her hand. ?It?s alright. It?s part of my past.?

She still seemed sad. ?Why must we live through all this pain to discover who we want to be??

?I?m hardly one to debate philosophical matters, my love. I can only say that all our experiences shape our identity. It seems there are some things we must learn in pain.?

She tilted her head. ?Yes. Wisdom is not an easy thing to acquire, is it.?

Right then Valen decided it was enough serious talk. The day had already been charged enough as it was. Brushing her hair back, he asked, ?Are you ready now to sleep, my love??

?We beat an arch-devil, and how are we going to celebrate? Sleeping!?, she groaned moodily, but she moved to the other side of the bed to give Valen some space where to lie down.

He looked at her incredulously. ?Is this what you are going to sleep in??, he asked, staring pointedly at the too-big priestess?s robe that probably entailed two or three layers of underwear.

Blushing, she briefly averted her eyes. ?I have a habit of sleeping with all my clothes on whenever I?m not alone. But I guess I can do an exception for you.?

Standing up besides the bed, she timidly shed the overall robe. She twisted her arms in her back to untie the lace of the corset. Valen grimaced against himself at the sight of her slim shoulders popping out because of the unnatural move of her arms.

?Let me help you,? he murmured. ?Seeing your arms twist like that makes me gnash my teeth and gives me shivers.?

She laughed. ?Of course it does. You?re so big you can?t touch your elbows in your back.?

?No I can?t, but since it?s not a move that will save me in battle, I?m not overly sad.?

She fell quiet then as he gently untied her corset. He pulled it over her head and she was left standing in the linen underwear coming with the priestess robe.

?You can really sleep in a corset??, he asked to break the silence, lying back down with his arm away from his body.

She shrugged. ?I suspect it must not be worse than armour.?

She lay down slowly in the space between his chest and arm, and put her head down on his elbow. Stretching to the nightstand, Valen snuffed out the candle. As he had suspected, it is only in the darkness that Chama finally moved, rolling to snuggle in his side. He was grateful for the darkness that hid the silvery of his eyes. He hugged her gently and, deciding that small talk was not necessary anymore to put her at ease, he murmured, ?Good night, my love.?

She moved her head in the hollow of his shoulder. ?Good night, Granduc.?

[DalreïDal]

Chapter XXXVI. The morning after

Chama awoke to the feeling of Valen burying his face against the nape of her neck. She knew, from the heavy way he moved, that he was still fast asleep. It did not surprise her; as an elf, she needed less sleep than humans, and after decades in their company, she had grown used to waking up first and getting to bed last. It seemed that tieflings approached their human ancestry on that point.

While she slowly emerged from the land of reverie, she kept still, savouring the feel of Valen?s massive bulk pressing against her back. With his forehead against her neck, his breath tickled down her neck. Now that his hot skin pressed against hers, she understood how his pointed ears could stand Cania?s cold without freezing. Somewhere in the course of the night she had pushed the covers away, but Valen?s proximity more than kept her warm.

It was tender to wake up in his arms, to be held, and to have slept so close to him. She wondered if he had calculated how the simple fact of sleeping peacefully, securely in his arms would put her at ease. Seeing how considerate he had always been with her ? even before he knew everything about her past, he had instinctively known exactly when to stop his attentions not to make her uncomfortable ? he probably had had an idea behind that red head of his.

The thought made her smile. Such a tall, big, inhumanely strong man, with a heart carved out of pure gold and a gentleness to put an elven bard to shame.

She so liked his contrasts.

And then she decided that she was done waiting for him to wake up and hold up his promises of the previous night. Turning in his arms, she giggled at the sight of his face ? he was pouting and looked very young all of a sudden. She wiggled her way up until she could kiss him. He let out a sleepy groan, blinked one eye open, and then stretched all his considerable length, yawning expansively, before curling up around her again.

??Morning,? he mumbled.

?Sleepy head,? she teased.

She waited while he rubbed his eyes and slowly slipped back to full wakefulness. Finally he looked at her again with a smile; the lightness in his gaze struck her. His clear eyes were now free of the constant torment of holding the demon back.

?You seem better this morning, my love,? he said, examining the healthy colour of her skin and the faded circles under her eyes.

?You too, but you still have a few bruises.? She lightly ran her hand over his chest. ?Does it still hurt??

He shrugged. ?Not really. We should have a few days to recuperate now. And for once I have no urge to kill anything around me. I think I might actually be able to rest.?

She grinned. ?Rest? I think I remember you making a promise, yesterday night.?

?On the contrary, my love. I made no promises to be sober and demure this morning.? For good measure, he ran his hand down her side.

?Exactly what I hoped for. If you will but excuse me a moment??

She slid out of his arms lithely, and her slim waist twisted out of his grasp in a delicate show of lean muscles. She disappeared behind the screen in a corner of the room and washed her hands and face. When she was done, he went to freshen up in his turn.

When he came back, she was sitting on the bed and brushing her hair absently.

?Let me help you,? he said, coming forward to take the brush from her hands.

?Oh, I?m done. But let me do something for your hair.?

He lifted a dubious eyebrow, but sat on the edge of the bed with his back to her. She knelt behind him and untied his hair. She fanned it out with her hands.

?Men never care for their hair. You tied it wet yesterday, didn?t you??

?What does it matter??

?It?s all matted now. Let me see if I can do anything at all with it.?

After that silence fell between them but for the sound of the strokes of the brush. She loosed the knots and smoothed the snarls, gently manoeuvring between his horns, observing curiously how the hair grew in circles around them.

Finally, she slid off the bed and stood before him to admire her work, artfully disposing his locks on each side of his face. Unexpectedly a sensuous sparkle lit in her eyes which shortened Valen?s breathing.

?You?re very attractive with your hair free like that.?

She moved closer, and closer, and the sway of her hips nearly hypnotized him. Then she was so close she was standing between his knees, and she buried her hands in his hair to pull him up to his feet to kiss him.

After what she had told him of her only experience of physical intimacy, he expected a bit of timidity, not this passionate assault. Her hands ran over his shoulders and naked back, lining every muscle and fraying every nerve; her breasts pressed against his chest through the thin fabric of her night gown.

After a while he pulled back. His silvery blue eyes roamed all over her while he slowly pulled the gown over her head. She blushed and murmured, ?I? but the scars??

?I remember,? he whispered. ?But it doesn?t matter. Remember how you once told me that people could be like a mirror to you? Let me look at you.?

With a little reluctance she lifted her arms and he could finally remove her garment. Even though he had caught a glimpse of her in the mimic?s maze, he had not expected the scars to be so bad ? the priestesses were supposed to have erased much of them. His eyes did not shift, however, and he looked at her with a tender smile.

?They are but a measure of your strength. You are beautiful, my love.?

She flung herself in his arms, and slowly he caressed her naked back. She smelled of that delicate perfume he could not quite place. She slowly relaxed, dissolving her perception of her body in his open appreciation of it. Her confidence grew with the feel of his skin against hers and his strong, callused hands so gentle against her skin.

He led her to the bed and pulled her down with him. He kissed and caressed her, his tail snaking up her thigh languidly. She started to timidly answer to his touch with caresses of her own that sent his blood coursing like wild fire in his veins? and suddenly there came a knock from the door.

She startled and he growled. ?Ignore it,? he grumbled. ?He?ll go away.?

Then he started nuzzling her neck, but the unbelievably insistent knocking proved too much of a distraction.

Getting up angrily, Valen threw his tunic over his head. He looked back at Chama, lying on her back with an amused air on her face. Watching her, sprawled on the bed with her bare breasts exposed shamelessly, he reflected there was no way he could ever control the colour of his eyes now.

?Just give me a second,? he ground out.

She stretched languidly and shrugged. Brusquely he turned to the door and opened with his worst-tempered look ? the look that made drow matron mothers flatten themselves against the wall and quelled the most vicious of abysmal troops.

?What do you want??, he snarled.

***

Halikouelle?s hand shook slightly when he lifted it to knock on the door. So much emotion constricted around his chest that he could barely breathe. But he had not come all this way only to stare at her door and leave out of? what? Fear? Uncertainty?

He knocked. There was no answer, and neither could he hear steps within. Nevertheless, he had been given precise directions to her room, and an elven hunter did not lose his way in a maze-like forest, much less in an inn. The loud-spoken human across the street had also informed him that she was supposed to be in her room at the moment. So Halikouelle knocked again; he had not come all this way only to knock at her door, receive no answer and go back the other way without even seeing her.

He knocked insistently for what felt like eternity, until at last he heard movement in the room. Maybe she had been sleeping. He stopped knocking.

When the door opened, he found himself staring straight at a very massive man?s chest. His eyes shot up quickly to a horned man?s face and furious glare.

Halikouelle gaped in surprise at the man towering above him, red hair falling on each side of his face like a river of abysmal fire. The elf could see himself, tiny and distorted, reflected in the tiefling?s impenetrable silver regard.

?What do you want??, the horned beast snarled, his voice deep and rough.

His hand on the side of the door was impressively massive, with strong square fingers. Halikouelle took a hasty step back, intimidated by the tiefling?s angry countenance.

?Forgive me, sir, I must be mistaken. I was told this was Chamaedaphne Indiwasi?s room.?

The tiefling surreptitiously scanned the corridor from left to right, obviously checking for signs of ambush. The elf had pronounced Chama?s name with the elven accent: it sounded like Shama-ey-dathney, and it was much softer than the ?Chama? Valen used.

?Again,? Halikouelle tried, ?forgive me for my mistake. Maybe you know in which room she resides??

Valen stared back at the elf standing before him then. He was old, but his hands were still steady and his eyes quick. He wore simple woodsman?s clothes, and a much-used but well-cared-for long bow was slung on his shoulder, with a quiver of arrows hung at his belt.

?Who are you??, Valen asked, less bad-tempered this time.

?My name is Halikouelle Roscoffense.?

Valen paused. ?Forgive me if I seem ill-mannered, but much has befallen us lately, and I am wary of strangers. What do you want with Chama??

?I am her father.?

At that the tiefling?s eyes flashed a very clear and cold blue, the colour of the ice-water melting out of the glaciers high up in the mountains. ?I will tell her of your presence. Please wait just an instant.?

The door shut right under Halikouelle?s nose before he even had the time to agree. His elven ears, though, heard something inside now. The heavy steps of the tiefling crossing the room. Then, a feminine voice he could not readily identify, muffled through the door, saying, ?I see you really were determined to fight off anything keeping you away from me??

Halikouelle blushed and stepped away from the door, pointedly listening to the sounds of the kitchen downstairs, and the merry soldiers drinking and singing to the end of Waterdeep?s isolation.

After a while, the door opened again, the tiefling filling the doorway. He bowed his head lightly to Halikouelle and stepped out of the room. Behind him, hidden by his bulk, Chamaedaphne appeared.

Halikouelle had not seen her for centuries. She had changed much. She had aged, metamorphosing from a scrawny child to a female elf in her strongest years. She had gained weight, both muscles and feminine curves. What was changed the most, however, was the look in her eyes; from the silly laughter of a child, he had seen them transform into amorphous pits of denial. Now, there was experience in those eyes, pain and sorrow, yes, but happiness too, and healthy pride.

Even though she wore a robe of great magical power and was an elf in the prime of life, Halikouelle could easily recognize his terrified child underneath. The first words were his to say, he realized. She stared at him, unsure, seemingly not daring to move.

?I? got your letter,? he began. His voice broke from the emotion and he paused to gather his composure. ?I didn?t know how to answer, and I thought it would be better if I came in person. I am old now, and the road to Hilltop has been long. You had gone, the mayor assistant informed me, to Waterdeep? I have been waiting at the closed gates for weeks now. I came in this morning as soon as the doors opened.?

?You? you came to see me??

Halikouelle could recognize the hesitant tone of his daughter from before she left. He smiled sadly.

?I searched for you for decades, Chamae. Of course I hit the road as soon as I got your letter.?

Seeing both elves staring at each other, unsure, Valen took Chama?s shoulder and gently pushed her. He grinned like an idiot when she stumbled a step forward and Halikouelle opened his arms. She took the remaining step on her own and hugged her father tight. She exclaimed in the elven tongue, ?Dad! I can?t believe you?re here!?

She began crying on her father?s shoulder, and Halikouelle hugged her hard. Valen chuckled, a quiet rumble low in his chest, and he headed down the corridor. They would be fine without him now.

?Chamae, when I received your letter? I had thought you dead for so long? I can barely believe I?ve been given to see you again!?

Chama pulled out of her father?s embrace.

?I?m sorry.? Just being able to tell him she regretted what she had done already made her feel better. ?I?m sorry I let you believe I was dead. Will you? will you come in? I?d like to know what?s been happening to you, and to Saarelmith??

?And I?d like to know what you?ve done during all this time!?

A shadow crossed Chama?s face. ?I owe you an explanation.?

The door closed on father and daughter, and Chama explained to her father everything she had done, much like she had explained it to Valen before. Her father?s eyes were not as imperturbable as those of Valen though, and sometimes she caught glimpses of pain, anger and even fear in his eyes. But it was never enough to smother the love underneath.

And eventually Chama concluded her story, telling the finding of the Reaper?s True Name, the escape from the Hells and the battle with Mephistopheles there in Waterdeep. She watched her father uncertainly, afraid of his reaction to what she had admitted of doing. But her most recent deed seemed to have compensated for the misguided faults of her past in Halikouelle?s opinion, and he gaped at her proudly and lovingly. Her father?s forgiveness lifted a few hundred tons from her shoulders. She had never realized how heavy the past had pressed on her.

But with a father?s characteristic tact, or lack thereof, Halikouelle cleared his throat and inquired nothing about the battle or the trip through Hell. What he inquired about was an entirely unrelated subject.

?This? man that answered me? is he this Valen you speak about??

A radiant smile flourished on her lips. ?Yes, that?s Valen. I?m sorry about not introducing the two of you earlier; I was too surprised by your presence, I forgot my manners. Valen and I have been travelling together for a while, as you know from my story. We?ve been comrades-in-arms since the Underdark.?

Halikouelle pointedly stared at his daughter. ?So he is your bodyguard??

?We?re adventuring together. He goes in first and I throw spells in when he requires assistance.?

Halikouelle cleared his throat again. ?Is this why he was in your room so early in the morning??

Chama blushed furiously but nevertheless glared at him. ?Why shouldn?t he be here in the morning? I?ve slept twelve hours in a row last night, so it didn?t feel all that early, and besides, we?re adventuring together, remember? We spend a lot of time in each other?s company.?

Halikouelle tried to school his features into a mask of scowling concern for his daughter?s safety, but faced with the familiar scene she made whenever someone told her what to do, he could not help but smile.

?You don?t have to be defensive, Chamae, you?re old enough to know. It?s just that, as your father, I cannot help but ask you these questions forever.?

She relented. ?All right then. Let?s introduce the two of you. Maybe you?ll even like him, who knows.?

[DalreïDal]

Look who's back from the dead! Sorry for taking so long. See, I worked like crazy because I was supposed to finish my M.Sc. on the 4th of January, but it turns out it won?t happen >.< So I can breathe (and write) again. Updates should be relatively more regular now. I hope.

Thanks for sticking around despite the delays! Leaving a review or two as encouragement would be much appreciated

Chapter XXXVII. Zealous chaperon

When father and daughter exited the room, Valen was standing guard in the corridor, fully armoured, and looked even more intimidating to Halikouelle?s eyes. With an apologetic look on his face, he extended a piece of parchment to Chama. Sadness covered Chamae?s face, as she obviously already knew what the message would be.

?Aribeth and Somnus left early this morning,? Valen announced. ?Aribeth felt she must return to Neverwinter; despite your command, she still desires to atone for her actions. Somnus follows her until she accompanies him to Elysium.?

Sighing, Chama took the parchment and read the short note. ?I guess all is as well as it could be? I just hope the people of Neverwinter will welcome Ari back, instead of executing her again? if it is at all possible to execute a spirit.?

?With a planetar by her side, I think she is relatively safe,? Valen remarked.

Chama nodded wearily. His eyes darting back and forth between the two, Halikouelle battled a strong sense of disbelief; even though Chamae had told him of her adventures, it still was a lot to take in at once. Neverwinter had named Chamae its Hero; she had been sent to Hell and fought her way out; she had found an angel frozen in the Eighth and brought him to the Prime along with the lost soul of Aribeth de Tylmarande.

Halikouelle was startled out of his thoughts by Valen clearing his throat. The tiefling briefly glanced his way before staring resolutely at his daughter. ?What do we do now, my lady??

Valen?s return to the use of ?my lady? over ?my love? did not escape Chama. It made her smile that the tiefling weapon master, who so efficiently terrified enemies on the battlefield, was still intimidated by his would-be father-in-law.

But her smile faded when Valen?s question registered in her mind, and she shrugged uneasily. ?What?s left to do? I didn?t hear about any widow and orphans needing rescuing. Any ideas??

Hesitantly she looked at her father. Cautiously, he suggested, ?Chamae? you have been away for so long? Wouldn?t you like to come back home? So you can live as an elf again.?

An intense look in her eyes, she stared at him. The moment was broken when she turned to Valen, standing silently by her side. ?What about you? What are your plans??

The tiefling rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. ?Well, my lady?? He paused to choose his words carefully. Halikouelle listened intently, unable to contain a suspicious glare. ?I would not part company with you if given the choice,? Valen began carefully. ?It has been good to adventure with you. However, I will understand if I am unwelcome in elven lands. Moreover, my duty to the Seer commands that I find out whether or not she really escaped Mephistopheles in the Underdark.?

?Not to mention Nathyrra, Imloth and, most importantly, Deekin.?

As expected, Valen?s face turned into a sour grimace. During their time in Hell, his mind had been focused solely on his own survival and on Chama?s safety. He had thought back about the Seer when her memory brought him strength in those circumstances that reminded him of the Abyss, but otherwise he had completely and happily forgotten about the kobold bard. ?I am not that curious about Deekin?s fate,? he growled ungracefully.

His beloved smiled impishly at him. ?Still not seduced by the Doom song??

He ground his teeth so hard that she could actually hear it. ?Most certainly not. I will never be seduced by a kobold?s songs. Whoever the kobold is and whatever the song says.?

Grinning, Chama turned to her father. ?I would love to go back? home? and see the forest again? I have missed the streams and the trees and the hills. But first I must get news of some friends. I want to check with Durnan about Daelan and his three companions, and then we have to find the Seer?s settlement on the surface. Hopefully everyone will be alive and well? If not, we?ll have to journey back to Hell to twist Mephistopheles? horns a bit more. I also need to make a quick visit to Neverwinter? Aarin Gend deserves my thanks.? Then she grimaced. ?And my apologies too, come to think of it. And after it is all taken care of, then I?d like to go home. Sleep for days on end. Not get any of my bones broken for a whole tenday. And not wear my ring nor my circlet for a full month. That would be nice. So, Father? do you prefer going back to Saarelmith to wait for me ? for us ? or do you wish to come along??

In that instant, Chamae broke Halikouelle?s impression of a frightened daughter, and he smiled slowly. His laughing child had turned into a very directive lady. Such will she showed? her mother would have been proud. He smiled, despite the sadness held within that memory.

?I will follow you, if you will accept my company,? he said.

She touched her father?s arm tentatively. ?I?d be glad to have you join us.?

He put his hand on hers. ?I will be honoured to travel in your company and meet those that have been a part of your life in the last years.?

Valen cleared his throat, and extended a hand to Halikouelle. The elf took it and they exchanged a handshake; the elf?s slim hand had a firm grip. ?We were not introduced formally, but I assume Chama told you something of me. Valen Shadowbreath.?

?You are quite confident of your own importance to my daughter, aren?t you??, Halikouelle snarled.

While Valen was merely stunned into unblinking surprise by this sudden animosity, Chama?s cheeks flushed with anger. This suddenly reminded Valen of reality and he laid a gentle but firmly restraining hand on Chama?s arm. She inspired sharply and Valen had to enforce his calming efforts with a stern gaze.

?I am quite sure that she would care to tell you my name, yes,? Valen answered flatly. ?I will be honoured also to travel in your company, sir.?

The perfectly civil answer of the tiefling flustered Halikouelle well, and it alleviated much of Chama?s bad mood. Muttering something about gathering his things, Halikouelle headed downstairs.

Valen watched him go with a sigh; he should have expected that, he supposed. What sane father would be happy to see a tiefling answer his daughter?s door so early in the morning? Nevertheless, he hoped that Halikouelle?s misgivings could be disarmed over time.

Intent on distracting Chama from her earlier anger, he took her hand and kissed it with a mischievous smile.

?Shall I ask your father?s permission to court you yet, my lady??

She grimaced. ?I think it would be best if we waited a little while.?

Valen nodded resignedly. No more kissing or holding his lady?s hand for a while, it seemed.

***

They learned from Durnan that Daelan had gone back to the Red Tiger tribe, intent on finally accepting his place as elder among them. Naturally Tomi had fled Waterdeep ? more specifically the very Yawning Portal ? in some fierce hurry, the city guard hot at his heels, mere hours ahead of talk of stolen cutlery. Linu had started her journey back to Evereska and Chama could not help but wince at the dozen scenarios of possible disasters her imagination readily came up with. Sharwyn had left Waterdeep just after Chama had left Halaster?s Undermountain for the Underdark, all excited over news that the king of Cormyr himself had heard her newest ballad and personally requested her presence at his court. After leaving letters for each of them with Durnan and telling him to send the correspondence over to her father?s home, Chama, Halikouelle and Valen departed for the Seer?s settlement on the surface, the very one Valen had discovered after long years of search when first out of the Abyss.

The journey announced to be uneventful. Twice they were ambushed by groups of vulgar highwaymen, who quickly backed down. There were the warning shots of stunning accuracy by Halikouelle, the way Chama?s hands worriedly lighted with fierce magical energy, and the very intimidating tiefling who surveyed them with blazing red eyes.

Despite his nearly constant watch, Halikouelle never surprised anything untoward between his daughter and the tiefling.

***

After a few days riding in the countryside, Valen allowed himself to get lost in his thoughts, implicitly trusting the elves to watch the path for him just like Nathyrra or Chama had always done for him. His thoughts contemplated exactly when he would have more than two seconds in private with Chama outside of Halikouelle?s keen hearing range, so he could ask her again if he should request her father?s permission to court her. Maybe he should plainly ignore Halikouelle and act with Chama as he had around Aribeth. It was torture to carefully avoid any gaze her way or any brush of fingers.

Truth be told, he had been daydreaming since the moment they passed Waterdeep?s gates. He was lost in the privacy of his mind, very grateful that no one could pierce it, hoping that once in Neverwinter they would take rooms at an inn, and that maybe he would be able to at least hold Chama close and steal a kiss without her father pointedly watching them. He carefully stopped his thoughts from progressing further along those lines, since such fantasies proved very uncomfortable while right under Halikouelle?s constant scrutiny.

And suddenly his daydreams came crashing down on his head.

An ambush. A stupid ambush. And he had failed to detect it and keep Chama safe. The attackers were a large band, more than twelve of them, and those thugs would not be scared away by a red glare. They wore dark leather and magically gleaming swords or crossbows; their ranks included a priest, a mage and a few thieves who vanished in the deep shadows of the underbrush.

Valen swung down from his horse with a curse.

?Show yourselves!?, he screamed, enraged, trying to attract their attention.

The ambushers, all neatly lined up on the road, bended their bow in unison. Valen danced aside and the arrows whizzed past him or glanced off his armour. Halikouelle set his horse in movement with his feet, rose in his stirrups and started shooting around. Chama began a premonition spell, and Valen felt incredibly grateful that at least he did not have to focus on himself the hits intended for her in addition to those for Halikouelle.

The first of the fighters sprang from the underbrush and launched himself at Valen. The tiefling swung him aside with a hit of his flail, the metal head of the weapon crushing the man?s skull. He collapsed on the ground in convulsions.

An arrow whistled just past the hindquarters of Halikouelle?s horse, and someone in the dense scrubs bellowed an order.

?Don?t kill the horses!?

The horses, especially Halikouelle?s elven steed, were worth too much to be slaughtered in an ambush.

While Valen bellowed challenges to distract the enemy and Halikouelle pinned them down with well-placed arrows, Chama unleashed a volley of magical globes of energy. All around through the bushes, the muffled sound of sickening impact could be heard, followed by dying gurgles or pained screams.

Valen stood in the middle of the path like death incarnate, fending off most of the bandits by himself, spinning and striking. Halikouelle took out thieves he guessed out of the shadows with his keen elven eyes while Chama rained destruction on their ambushers. The forest lit with fire all around as maximized fireballs splashed flames everywhere, only to be crushed down, trees, bandits, shrubs and fire altogether, by boulders of ice falling from the sky.

And suddenly, a thief managed to slip past Halikouelle?s vigilance and grabbed his ankle as he cantered past; Halikouelle was thrown off the horse, his leg throbbing painfully. His beloved elven bow broke when both crashed to the ground, and pain exploded in his hand as he twisted his fingers between the arrow he still held and the weight of his body. He screamed and rolled to the ground in pain for a brief moment. Fighting off the need to throw up, he straightened and brought his left hand to his long dagger. But the thief was already on him and, snatching the elf?s dagger, he put a knife to his throat. Halikouelle froze.

He could do no more than watch helplessly, a knife to his throat and a hand pulling roughly at his hair. His eyes darted between Valen and Chama, fighting together with deadly teamwork. Despite his dire predicament, Halikouelle felt his heart swell with pride at the impressive power of all the spells Chama cast. She did not waste a spell on a near-dead opponent, rather leaving them to be finished off by Valen. She obviously had the experience of countless skirmishes such as this one; she knew which spells use at what moment.

Valen was also a glory to look at, but in a different domain. Halikouelle had never seen someone so quick and brutally strong at the same time; he hit true every time, all the while dodging or parrying every hit directed his way, even though he faced ten men all by himself. Moreover, Halikouelle could see that he provided cover Chama, and he was much more successful at it than anyone had a right to ask a single man on foot trying to protect a lone rider sitting unmoving atop a frozen horse.

Chama cast frantically; she had started with spells affecting large areas of terrain to seriously impair the enemy until Valen could hold them off. Now, however, she started to cast a True Sight, to see if any hidden danger remained on the battlefield.

And just as she reached the precise middle of her incantation, someone grabbed her wrist and violently threw her off her horse. She broke her incantation off brusquely. She did not even cry out in pain when she hit the ground, the bitterness of defeat stuck sideways in her throat. Before she could get her bearings, ungentle hands grabbed her and hauled her up. She tried to squirm away, but was not strong enough. Her back was pressed against the hard leather of armour covering a body that reeked of sweat, oiled leather and unwashed male. One hand brought a short sword up to her neck, while the other grabbed her around the waist, pulling her rudely against the man?s chest.

Instantly the world stopped to exist for her. Panic flooded through her like the unstoppable force of a river that has broken its dam. She stopped breathing altogether, her heart hammering wildly inside her ribcage, her knees buckling in fear. Images in black and red of rain falling peacefully outside a foul cave and rough hands tearing her clothes apart rushed back in her mind. Every muscle in her being went painfully stiff.

Reality rushed back in when the chest behind her suddenly resonated with a deep and powerful voice, ?Stop it or the bitch dies!?

Dimly she realized that the man that had grabbed her must be the leader and that he was talking to Valen. A heap of bodies, only a few of them still stirring, lay at the tiefling?s feet. He stopped dead when he saw her.

?Let her go,? he demanded.

?I don?t think so,? the leader retorted viciously. ?Drop your weapon and I?ll consider it.?

Valen watched Chama, her skin ashen and her eyes wide with terror. He could only understand her fear because she had told him what had been done to her; she had faced Mephistopheles himself head-on and without an ounce of fear, but being held captive by an overpowering man was the one thing in the world that could make her lose control.

Stoneskin, my love, he thought desperately. Just stoneskin and burn him to ashes.

With Valen looking into her eyes, his clear blue eyes rooting her in reality, Chama found that she could breathe again. Air rushed into her lungs in a fiery flow that consumed every inch of her body.

?Let her go,? Valen repeated slowly. Just stoneskin, he prayed, just stoneskin.

She could swallow too, now.

?I said drop your weapons. Now,? the bandit repeated

Valen stared into her eyes with a fierce intensity that she had never seen before. His eyes turned to pitch black. And he said the only words that could break her from her trance-like state.

?Let her go. Take me instead of her.?

Chama closed her eyes, taking refuge in a sanctuary within herself. Thankfully she had spent enough time studying spellcraft that she could cast low-level spells instantly without need for preparation. Forcefully taking another breath, she suddenly uttered a single word of power. Fire blossomed in her chest and coursed down her arm. She pointed her hand to the ground at her feet and the fireball exploded violently almost as soon as it left her fingertips. Flames erupted from the ground to lick up her body and that of the one holding her. A shower of sparkles and embers quickly followed suit.

There was an agonizing cry of pain, and suddenly she was free. She was still very much shaken up by finding herself at the mercy of a man that had reminded her in so many ways of the thug in the cave. Moreover, even if she wore the ring of Elemental Defence, the fire had blistered her and burned a few of her hairs. So she did not immediately notice that her enemy was not dead yet.

?Die, bitch!?

When she turned in automatism, even before alarm or surprise could spring to her mind, she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. Looking down, she saw the sword that entered on one side of her body and had no doubt protruded on the other.

Very calmly and very slowly, as though she had all the time in the world, she unsheathed Enserric. In the same arc that cleared the sword from the scabbard, the sharp edge of the blade slit across the man?s throat. She looked at the thug?s eyes widening, and a sputter of blood spilled from his lips. Then an arrow hit him in the neck, and the head of a heavy flail collided with the perfect middle of his chest in an upward strike. Chama watched in morbid fascination while his body was lifted from the ground, and the arrow knocked his head to one side. The limp body flew very slowly before her very eyes, drops of blood spraying from his wound in the air as he sailed backwards in the air.

And then he hit the ground and reality resumed for the second time. Chama became aware of Valen, his armoured form close to her back. He spun around, his flail?s head swishing a hair breadth above her head, and she heard his weapon connect with another chest in a crunch of bones. The battle had moved closer to her. She looked over to see her father bleeding from a wound just under his jaw, but the dagger had missed his throat. The remaining men fought off Valen, but her mind felt empty of everything, including spells.

Reality fled away again, and she slowly fell backwards, her knees giving way, until she collapsed on her back on the scorched grass, still burning hot like embers from what was left of her fireball.

[DalreïDal]

Chapter XXXVIII. Identity Crisis

The wicked short sword sliced into Chama?s side. Valen saw red and the loud roar of the drums of the Blood Wars exploded in his ears. He did not know how he crossed the clearing to where Chama had been held by the bandits? leader, but there he was. Channelling all his strength in one mighty sweep of his flail, he sent him flying.

Becoming one with his flail, he broke into a whirlwind attack. Incredulity and shocking fear widened his assailants? eyes; they had never met such a storm of fury in any of their ambushes.

Valen spun, his arms and legs a perfect counterbalance to each other. In the mindless rage that had blossomed inside of him, he saw nothing but defences and openings; he heard nothing but the shuffling of feet, the grunts of effort or pain and the cracking of bones; he smelled nothing but warm blood and exposed sinew; he felt nothing but the rapture of incoherent fury.

He killed. With brutal hits to the skull and chest, after he had slowed them by breaking arms, shoulders and legs. Bone popped and blood spilled, saturating his senses.

Soon he was alone on his feet, covered in the familiar gore of battle, glaring down at the heap of bodies that had been his opponents. His jaw still clinched and his breath short, he brusquely whirled around. Chama lay on the ground, her eyes closed and her breathing shallow. Taking her by the arms, he roughly pulled her to a sitting position.

And then she opened her calm velvety black eyes and gently cupped his cheek in the palm of her delicate hand. He came back to his senses with a flinch, the euphoria and rage of battle vanished. His hold of her arms must be painful.

He let go of her abruptly, shutting his eyes and turning away. Was he not supposed to be free of the taint? How then could he turn to such a snarling demon without even being consciously aware of it? A huge lump rose in his throat and strangled him. The beast was not only in the taint; it was in his also. He really was the beast he had always denied being. Before he could scramble away to be sick and cry over his misery, Chama seized one of his horns gently and stopped him.

?Valen, wait,? she said kindly. ?Aren?t you going to check if I?m alright??

He whirled back around looking to the sword wound, then up at her arms, and his hands stopped of their own volition before he touched her.

?Did I? did I hurt you??, he asked. He hoped she couldn?t see him trembling.

?What do you think, you brute!?, Halikouelle suddenly spoke up. He had picked up one of their ambushers? short bows and steadily aimed an arrow at Valen?s neck, in spite of his twisted and bloodied fingers. ?Of course you hurt her, gripping her like that!?

?Father,? Chama warned, ?stay out of this.? Then she turned back to Valen. ?No, Granduc, you didn?t hurt me. You were just a bit rougher than usual.?

The tiefling blushed, embarrassed by her forgiveness he did not deserve and her father?s eyes on him. ?I?m sorry. I ? I didn?t mean ? I was caught by surprise ? I didn?t expect??

She hushed him. ?Because I removed your taint? You didn?t expect the demon to surface again??

He nodded wordlessly, avoiding her eyes. Her gentle fingers caressed his cheek, miraculously easing the torment of guilt in his heart. She rose on her knees to capture his gaze, and he closed his eyes against the tears.

?Granduc, listen to me. And look at your mirror, please. I love you, Valen, and I loved you before you were freed of the taint; I accept you as you are, demon half included. I would never use your True Name against you. Neither would I use it in a way that would alter your identity. Valen, your infernal part made you who you are. It forced you to define yourself in part in opposition to it. It ironed your will and your determination, because you fought against it constantly. It makes you loyal, because you don?t want to swear allegiance falsely as a devil would. The power of your True Name did not erase the demon from you, just his taint. He is still in you, but cannot oppose you for control anymore. I did not want to change you; I just tried to give you peace of mind. You deserve ? you earned it. I made you your own master, but without losing you ? without losing the man I love.?

The miracle of her touch calmed him further with each sentence, but the lump in his throat stubbornly refused to go away. He never had trouble not crying before. Maybe this was also a consequence of being free of the demon?

?I-I?m sorry I wasn?t vigilant,? he stammered, ?I didn?t??

?It?s all right,? she hushed him quietly. ?You?ll know to be on guard in delicate situations from now on. Can you assist me with my wound now??

?Chamae, why don?t you let me help you??, Halikouelle proposed forcefully as he stepped forward, but was halted by his daughter?s cold glare.

?I have already asked Valen, and he will do just fine. Now turn away, please, so I can disrobe.?

Halikouelle?s mouth worked soundlessly for a moment. ?Chamae??

?Turn away,? she repeated stonily.

With a look of protestation still on his face, he turned his back on them. Chama slipped the Robe of Balpheron off her shoulders down to her waist, and Valen pressed a hand to her side, covering the wound and trying to stop the blood. He remembered how he had done so for Nathyrra once. His heart had not wrenched at the sight of the pouring blood then. Oh, he had been worried and happy to see that Chama could save her, but his brow had not been knot in concern and his eyes had not been overcast with grey.

Chama was a competent healer however, and soon he was holding a pungent-smelling cloth to her side. Gradually, the blood stopped and the skin stitched itself together with magical speed. Heaving a sigh of relief, Valen slowly cleaned the blood off her stomach with a corner of his cape, allowing his hands to gently caress her bare skin. She blushed, shooting an uncomfortable look towards her father?s turned back. Understanding her silent plea, Valen smiled and gently pulled her robe back up, but nevertheless took his time to fasten the many buttons of the bodice.

Valen removed his cape and stretched it on the ground next to Chama. She looked at him questioningly when he briefly lifted her, but she let him put her down on the cape and roll it around her. Closing her eyes, she buried her head in the warm cape. The smell of metal, rust, leather and beeswax nearly swallowed Valen?s own smell. Feeling safe and suddenly warm, with the rush of adrenaline from the battle and the pain finally fading, she fell asleep the very moment she buried her head in Valen?s cape.

***

At the sound of Valen?s armour creaking, signifying the massive tiefling straightening up, Halikouelle swiftly turned to watch over his daughter. The tall warrior lifted her gently, and she leaned against his chest with complete trust. Watching the pair with a frown of concern, Halikouelle reflected that he would have to speak with her. Surely she should know a tiefling was not safe company?

?I think it would be best to find a place nearby where to set camp. She?s already asleep,? the tiefling whispered. His thoughtful attempt not to disturb Chama seemed quite out of place with his grim countenance.

With a curt nod, Halikouelle called the horses. Still skittish from the battle, they nevertheless obeyed the ranger?s command. He took a few seconds to stroke their coats soothingly before leading them onwards on the road. He threw a look over his shoulder at the bandits he left behind, but felt no guilt over it. Mother Nature would put them to good use, and he was inclined to think it would be more beneficial than the unsavoury accomplishments of these thugs? lifetimes.

A few hundred yards further, Halikouelle spotted a flat hilltop between the trees on their right. He led the horses down the road and up the hill, Valen carrying Chama in tow. At the top sat a circle of glass with a fire pit; a simple stop for weary travellers on the long road. Valen gently put Chama down on the grass and the two men silently busied themselves setting up camp. As soon as it was done, Valen went back to Chama?s side and lifted her in his arms again, forcibly beating Halikouelle to it.

She startled, but Valen hushed her. ?Do not worry, my lady. I am merely carrying you to safety.? Calmed by the sound of his voice, she relaxed against his chest and let him carry her to the tent. He tucked her in her bedroll with gentle attention, and then straightened to watch her for a moment, ignoring Halikouelle?s glare searing holes in the back of his skull.

Halikouelle and Valen were both experienced enough with travelling to know how to split the watch; one encompassing what was left of the afternoon and lasting into late evening, and the other one spanning the night. Then Chama would probably take up a short watch in early morning.

?I can take the first watch,? Valen proposed. His voice was calm but tired, Halikouelle reflected, as though he was the one recuperating from a trying ordeal.

?It?s all right,? Halikouelle countered. ?Elves do not require much sleep. I?ll take the two watches.?

Something flickered briefly in the tiefling?s harsh eyes; he knew he was not trusted. However, Halikouelle could not determine what he had seen in the other?s gaze: regret, hurt, anger? Eventually Valen shrugged and turned away, slipping inside Chamae?s tent.

Halikouelle belatedly realized that there was a tiefling alone in the tent with his daughter, because of his own actions. Grinding his teeth in frustration, he turned his back on the tent and surveyed the surroundings, carefully listening to the sounds coming from the tent. However, a nagging thought kept distracting him: the way Valen had very tenderly reassured his daughter when he had startled her. He had not expected a half-demon to show so much feeling. It must be one of the rare moments that his infernal half did not taint.

***

A few hours after sundown, Valen got up and offered to replace Halikouelle, but of course the elf refused. So despite his grievances, Valen went back to sleep; he might as well rest while he could. Halikouelle only consented to be relieved when Chama herself woke up, three hours before sunrise, and assured him she was fine to stand watch. They set off again early morning, and covered a good distance that day. While they set camp the next evening, Halikouelle seized an opportunity to send Valen away to gather and cut wood alone. Chama rolled her eyes at her father; she knew quite well why she was suddenly alone with him as though from coincidence. Her fists on her hips, she pointedly stared at her father while they both waited for Valen to get out of earshot.

?Chamae, I think I need to tell you a few things about tieflings.?

?Oh, really. And what would your enlightened teachings be??

He did not like her sarcastic tone. ?Don?t mock me, Chamae. I?ve seen you act around him yesterday. I?ve heard you say that you love him. Do you know what he is??

?No, I wouldn?t know what he is ? tieflings are out of my area of expertise after all. You see, I rather specialize in full-blooded tanar?ri. Although I was recently forced to take extra curriculum in devilkin.? She sighed loudly. ?Father, I?m a wizard. A summoning specialist. I know everything there is to know about tanar?ri. What I know even better, however, is who Valen is. And I would much prefer to answer that question.?

?Have you forgotten that he is part demon??

Steely determination suddenly appeared in Chamae?s eyes.

?No,? she stated with cold fury.

?I worry for you, my dear,? Halikouelle appealed. ?Do you know what a demon is capable of? How can you trust him to stand guard over you? How can you let him tend to your wounds and see your blood? He is a son of chaos! Maybe he fights against it, for which he is to be commended, but he still can turn on you at any moment. Chamae? after? after what happened to you? how can you let him? let him touch you? He could do worse to you. Even if it was not of his own free will, it could still happen.?

Chama closed her eyes for a moment.

?How dare you remind me of what happened??, she began. ?Do you hope that I will never enjoy a male?s touch??

?No, of course not! I simply meant that you could surely you find one who??

?There is hardly a moment when I don?t remember all of my past at once,? she interrupted him. ?Maybe I should try and explain to you what makes me peaceful enough to live with myself despite what has been done to me and what I have done myself. Valen is there in many ways, both in important events that help you change and define yourself, and in soothing little details of everyday life. But he deserves better than to be explained like this to you and exposed to your judgement. How dare you judge him so? Are you so perfect yourself? You don?t know him. You don?t know what his life has been like, what has been done to him, what he overcame, all the battles he fought, or what he has done for me. I shouldn?t need to name his sacrifices for you to accept him. Why do you choose to look at the demon part of him? Why can?t you see the human part, the part which fights and feels and loves and suffers??

?Is it the human part that bruised your arms yesterday?? Halikouelle countered gently. Would she ever see the danger she was putting herself in?

?No; but it is the human part who worried for me and let the demon back in. Besides, why do you only worry about me? Maybe he?s the one you should be concerned for ? after all, my presence is an occasion for the demon to resurface. Maybe I am the danger, not him. Maybe he should worry that I will never accept him and never truly love him, because of what males have done to me in the past. Maybe I am only pain and torment to him.?

?Well, it could be that you are not meant to be together??

She took a breath before she spoke. ?As a matter of fact, I?m rather convinced you did not give him any thought when you declared that. Look, I love him. Because he is a man of many commendable qualities that I won?t enumerate for your judgement. He deserves better than that. I know him; I know, even better than you think you do, what are tieflings. And still I love him.?

?Maybe with time you?ll realize??, Halikouelle tried again.

?That?s enough,? she declared flatly.

Halikouelle blinked, and then suddenly flushed in anger. ?You won?t talk to your father in that tone!?

?Won?t I??, she responded calmly. ?I am not a four decades-old child anymore. I am forty-three now. I am old enough to know what I?m doing and to choose my own path. I won?t stand for the way you treat and judge Valen. Has it occurred to you that he went to Hell and back for me? And all the while in Baator, he always resisted the call of the Blood Wars. A man of that strength of will earned your respect, Father.?

?It?s not a question of respect,? he shot back. ?He can?t help it! I don?t want to spend the rest of my days wondering if you?ll get torn apart in your sleep.?

?Valen would never do that.?

?But are you blind? Have you perchance missed the horns and tail? He is part demon, for Corellon?s sake!?

Chama?s features hardened. ?I am aware of that, and it changes nothing. I will stop talking to you now before either of us starts saying things we?ll regret.?

Halikouelle sighed and shook his head. ?All right, all right. We?ll talk again later when you?ve calmed down.?

Chama turned on her heel and disappeared in the bushes. Halikouelle shook his head again; he had not meant to push her into the tiefling?s waiting arms. He listened with ranger ears at her noisy advance through the underbrush until she stopped abruptly. Straining his keen ears, he could barely make out their words?

Edited by DalreïDal, 17 March 2009 - 06:29 AM.

[DalreïDal]

So? I?ve been gone a good long time and I know this looks like I abandoned this fic, but I swear I didn?t. Excuses, I know, but I just handed in my M.Sc.?s thesis, and I moved to a new apartment the day before I took a plane to France for three months, so I?ve been busy in addition to playing WAY too much World of Warcraft. Thankfully there is no WoW here in France, so I?m back to playing Icewind Dale and, old IE engines being in my hobbies, it helps bring back the feeling to similar fan fiction. So I should get back to the chapter-a-week rhythm for a while.

Hang on in there. This story will see its end; Chama deserves it!

Chapter XXXIX. Waiting arms

Chama found Valen nearby, bare-chested and sweating as he split firewood with their small camp axe. He stopped mid-swing when Chama came into view.

?Ah, my lady,? he started happily. Then he caught sight of the expression on her face and paused. Before he even had the time to ask what was wrong, she marched straight up to him.

?Can you just hold me now??

Without a thought, he let the axe fall down and gathered her in his arms. She went limp against him and, following her move, he sank to the forest floor with his back against the nearest fallen tree. As though utterly exhausted, Chama silently lay against him.

?What?s wrong??

She snorted. ?Father felt like he ought to have his fatherly speech with me just now.?

In spite of himself, Valen stiffened. Despite how complete his life felt since they had declared their feelings for each other, some small part of him still occasionally wondered if it would turn out well. After all, his only previous love story had been nothing less than a tragedy, and sometimes against all emotions and logic he found himself doubting. So his answer was an uncertain, ?I see.?

?He said? he said things that hurt. I had hoped he respected you more than that.?

Idly playing in her hair, Valen sighed. ?I don?t think he disrespects me, Chama. He is merely worried about you.?

?And how can he suspect you of being dangerous without lacking respect to you??

?He must think I?m not in perfect control of myself, that I can?t help it sometimes. Chama? he?s not entirely wrong, you know.?

Pushing off him angrily, she sprang to her feet and glared down at him with cold contempt. ?So we?re back to that, aren?t we. I thought that there was hope for us after all. If I was mistaken, you might as well tell me now. Strange how quickly you forgot your hope. I just hope not all your feelings are that fickle.?

Valen blinked in surprise. He had underestimated how hurt she was, because that was the only reason that could explain her uncharacteristic snapping at him. ?My feelings are not fickle, Chama. I?ve been? been battling and mistrusting myself for years. I?ve had to push everyone away for their own good. I?ve been constantly on guard against myself, and yet? yet I was not always successful. Can you blame me for fearing for the past to repeat itself? That doesn?t mean that I have lost hope. It means I am vigilant now after what happened yesterday. It means I worry for you, and that I don?t blame your father for sharing the same concern.?

Sighing, she sat back down in his lap and leaned against his shoulder. ?I?m sorry, Granduc. It?s just that? that it?s not easy for me? to love you. Sometimes? sometimes I?m still afraid. Sometimes I still feel like I?m not worthy of anyone?s love. Father said things? things that awoke those doubts. It would just feel good, once in a while, if someone else than me showed trust in our relationship.?

His throat tight, Valen pressed her harder against his chest and smoothed her hair. ?I do trust in our love, Chama. It?s myself that I doubt, sometimes? and maybe hearing of your father?s concern was harder today, because of yesterday?s events. My lady, when you appeared in my life I was merely struggling with the infernal part of me. All I was hoping for was humanity. And now, I have humanity and am free to strive for peace of mind, for freedom and for love. I don?t only hope. I have peace of mind, freedom and love, and I fight to keep it. My lady? please don?t be angry with me??

She pressed her face against his shoulder, her hair clinging to his slick skin. ?Maybe I should have told Father that the Knower of Names declared you were my one true love. Maybe I should have pointed out that you are willing to die for me and that indeed you have. Twice. Maybe I should have explained that you are free of the taint.?

?You didn?t tell him??, Valen exclaimed with surprise. ?I suppose you didn?t tell him either that you could command me would you wish it??

?Why should I have??, she snarled back. ?Why can?t he trust my word that I love you? What would he need to hear it from a Knower? And I don?t have to expose you for him to judge? I don?t have to tell him everything that you mean to me if he won?t even make the effort of getting to know you.?

Amused now, Valen smiled. ?Chama, what you expect from your father is an attitude that a friend full of willingness might adopt, but not a worried parent who hasn?t seen you in decades. You have to understand your father. He loves you, and he?s worried for you. The last time he?s seen you, you were four decades-old; it must be difficult to think of you differently than his little child. As for me, well? you can?t expect a father to be happy that his dear girl ended up with an unstable tiefling. He probably even had someone in mind for you,? Valen added wryly, deciding it was time to lighten her mood, ?a nice young, sweet elf, the son of one of his friends??

She groaned and chuckled in spite of herself. ?He doesn?t know me then. I would scare off all the sweet elves he can come up with before introductions were even complete.?

?That, or you?d accidentally kill them with a fireball in the middle of a skirmish.?

?Right. Unfortunately, with your resistances and all, I couldn?t mount an elaborate plot to simulate your accidental death.?

Sharing a smile now, they remained embraced for a while. Then Chama pulled back a little to look up to him sheepishly. ?I?m sorry I snapped at you. I needed your approval just now, but I forgot that you have a right to need encouragement too, sometimes.?

?It?s all right.? He kissed her lightly. ?I understand you? but you should make an effort to understand your father too.?

?I didn?t yell at him even if I really felt like it. Isn?t that comprehensive enough??, she asked in a perfect pretence of innocence, batting her eyelashes at him.

He laughed. ?No. You?ll have to make a bigger compromise than that,? he ordered sternly.

?Oh, all right. I just wish I could convince him as easily as you persuade me. But let?s not speak about Father anymore, for now??

She purred the last sentence in his ear and he chuckled, obeying her implicit invitation and letting his hands and mouth wander a bit. He was stealing more than a kiss and they were not even in Neverwinter yet; it seemed like a good omen.

It was not long before they were both breathless. For days, Valen had been daydreaming of what would have happened a certain morning at an inn in Waterdeep had her father not knocked so impatiently on her door, and so their embrace was quite a temptation. Cursing inwardly that it was always his turn to be reasonable, he reluctantly pulled his ear out of the reach of her lips, trying to ignore both the shivers running down his neck and his imperious desire to undress her at least as much as he was undressed. She surrendered to his retreat, though with a regretful sigh.

?Will you help me bring back the wood??, he asked, gently pushing her off his lap.

?Of course, but I think I?ll enjoy the show first. You still have a few logs to split.?

He laughed and flexed his biceps teasingly before he turned back to his task, which gave her a perfect opportunity to hungrily eye his wide and muscular back. It was strangely fascinating to watch every single muscle stand out sharply each time he bended his strength to bring down the axe. Admiring him like this, she wondered where her fear of the first days in his company had gone. She was not complaining, but it was a bit strange how it had vanished. She wondered idly when it had gone away, and thinking back on it, it seemed that it had all disappeared when he had stood with her under the Valsharess? tower. The look in his eyes had been so intense. He had seemed so vulnerable then, despite the imposing physique and attire. That moment stood out for her as a symbol of the mortal man underneath the monstrously strong warrior. Maybe with this realization she had stopped fearing him. She remembered feeling awfully nervous or troubled in his presence afterwards, but never afraid.

Smiling a secret kind of smile, she ogled him the rest of the time as he split the logs, thinking to herself that the wounds of the past were healed, if she could watch him with that kind of sensual longing.

***

With what he had overheard, Halikouelle embarrassedly avoided facing them when they came back from the bushes, each carrying an armful of split firewood. When night fell, he did not argue about the watch turns, and instead lay in his bedroll feigning sleep, thoughts swirling in his mind.

If he was completely honest, and his love for his daughter demanded him to be, he had to admit that Valen had been perfectly respectful of him despite the cold treatment he had been subjected to, and he had been particularly thoughtful of Chamae. Carrying the heaviest of her things, offering her a leg-up her horse, serving her both the first and last cups of tea? So Halikouelle was forced to admit that, aside from the tail and horns, Valen proved to be a good man... a man worthy of his daughter.

Besides, the sight of the man practicing with his flail each morning with mind-wreaking strength and speed lent weight to Chamae?s incredible tale of Valen?s battle prowess during their time in Hell. At first, it had seemed a little improbable that the warrior had been able to contribute much to his party?s survival in the face of Chamae?s amazing magic power. And a man that was willing to sacrifice himself to save another?s life deserved some respect and recognition.

With a heart-wrenching resignation that made a big lump rise in his throat, Halikouelle decided that he had no reason to and, more importantly, no right to try and keep Valen away from his daughter. She was old enough to make her own mistakes, although if the ancient Baatorian?s knowledge was any indication, having a relationship with Valen would not be one.

Suddenly, Halikouelle felt ashamed to have indeed needed to hear the words of the Knower of Names, and to have judged Valen on no other criteria than his infernal heritage. He wished he could have seen Valen?s courage and strength on his own.

Sighing deeply, he let reverie claim him then, aware of the tiefling?s ice-cold eyes watching over his sleep and Chamae?s.

***

Valen dreaded the inevitable moment when Haikouelle would take him aside to have a speech with him in his quality of Chama?s father, moment that came right the next day. When they stopped for the night, Chama expressed her intention of bathing in the nearby stream and Valen worriedly looked about.

?Chama, wait. Let me find a spot where I can watch out for you without intruding upon you. This place is close to a main road, we cannot know what hides in the bushes.?

?Don?t worry, I?ll Stoneskin if anything goes wrong and I?ll scream.?

?I?d prefer if you screamed first,? Valen reminded. ?I know you, once you start casting you won?t wait a second to scream for me and you?ll put yourself in foolish danger.?

Winking, she waved him off and walked off into darkness. Sighing resignedly, Valen made his way to the edge of the campfire?s light and turned his back to the stream, hoping to be close enough to hear any alarming sound.

And so Valen was left alone with Halikouelle.

When the aged elf cleared his throat, the universal signal of serious talk, Valen obediently, although with a heavy heart, lifted his head to look at him.

?My daughter never took gently to being told what to do,? Haikouelle began.

The tiefling smiled fondly at that statement. ?Yes, she is a strong-willed lady.?

It was highly disturbing how very much in love this man looked, Haikouelle reflected. It would be harder to play the stern father under those circumstances.

?So I have little hope of her listening to what I have to say,? the elf went on, ?and I am then forced to speak with you.?

Valen lifted an eyebrow.

?I wish the best for my daughter, you understand, and I would hate to see her coming to harm.?

?I understand,? the tiefling answered coolly. He deliberately let the silence stretch, refusing to repeat the mistake of guessing at what Halikouelle was about to say.

?I would like to know if she has any harm to fear coming from you.?

?You don?t have to worry. I would never hurt her,? Valen stated very quietly and confidently.

?Yet you nearly did.?

?But I did not, and I never will. Moreover, I will take great care never to repeat that particular mistake again.?

The two men engaged in a staring match for a few seconds, but Halikouelle finally broke eye contact.

?Strangely enough, despite the demon in you, I believe you when you say you would not hurt her. Willingly at least.? At Valen?s indignant glare, he waved his hand. ?I do not mean like during the attack. I meant? her feelings? her history. Did she tell you what happened to her to make her flee the elves??

?She did,? he replied evenly.

?And why do you think she told you??

?Because I am her friend, she trusted me, and she wished to unburned herself of the weight of secret. I am not certain of the type of answer you expect.?

?I expect to know that she was right to trust you with the knowledge. Do you love her??

Valen considered Halikouelle warily, put off-balance by the sudden change of attitude of his beloved?s father. He was not sure if it was a trap or an honest question, but decided that he would deal with any unpleasant comment Halikouelle could think of afterwards. ?From the bottom of my heart right to the core of my soul,? he answered honestly.

Haikouelle stared at him pointedly. ?If ever you break her heart, you will get an arrow through the eye. Now, since we will be getting to my house soon, I might as well know now if I should offer you separate rooms and fake that I assume that it?s only obvious and natural, or only one, and fake that I assume that it?s only obvious and natural.?

Valen cleared his throat. To his surprise, he was beginning to like this old man. ?I think two rooms will do.?

Haikouelle raised an eyebrow at Valen. ?So I see you really know what has been done to her.? His voice fell and was considerably sadder when he whispered, ?Three centuries can?t erase that, it seems.?

?That?s not true,? Valen started to protest. Then he flushed a deep red. ?Well? not exactly? that is??

Haikouelle had blushed too, and both men awkwardly let the matter drop and rushed off to carry out menial tasks around camp.

***

The truce between Halikouelle and Valen did not go unnoticed by Chama, and the rest of the way to the Seer?s settlement was considerably lighter-hearted.

Even though they received a warm welcome, Chama felt the restlessness of travel on her shoulders, now that she had set herself a destination. She did not rush Valen?s reunion with the Seer, but they remained only a few days. Long enough to bid farewell to the Seer, admire Imloth?s seamless execution of his duties as the newest general, promise to correspond regularly with Nathyrra, and learn that Deekin had left with the surviving kobolds to the Spine of the World, where they dreamed of founding a mixed settlement with humans.

Soon they left the Seer?s settlement and rode to Neverwinter. Chama wished to thank and apologize to Aarin Gend ? Valen was rather intrigued to meet the man of Chult and hear the voice that had so inspired Chama. Also, Valen and Chama both hoped to find Aribeth and Somnus well, and to see how the half-elf was reclaiming her soul after her escape from Hell.