Chapter 42
Terenon bustled about the city of Silverymoon, procuring items and making the preliminary preparations for his plans. Night had fallen by the time he was finished, and his pack was full as he made his way through the streets to the home of Serrila Destare.
He knocked on the door and was surprised when someone besides Serrila answers it. Instead of the aasimar sorceress, the girl who opened the door was Lisa LaBurton. She was clad in a thin nightrobe, and her chestnut hair endearingly framed her face.
The girl's eyes widened when she saw Terenon and she began to blush a deep red. She scampered back a bit behind the door, covering herself with the wooden barrier and averting her eyes to hide her embarassment.
"Terenon? I--we didn't expect you tonight. What are you doing back? That is, um, I don't mean to me rude. Sorry--you caught me a bit off guard." She smiled sheepishly.
Terenon's eyebrow shot up as he watched the young girl scamper back into the room. It was the last sight he expected to see. What was she doing here in Serrila's room and why did she wear attire better suited for a marriage bed? Terenon felt the sinking feeling of betrayal.
No, he thought, there must be some sort of logical explaination. Terenon entered the room and shuts the door. He chose his next words carefully. "We had a bit of trouble and I needed to... Where is Serrila anyway? Is she here tonight?"
Lisa nodded, her eyes still focused on the ground. "Yeah, she's here. She's taking a bath getting ready for bed. Deirdriel went out of town yesterday, and she asked Serrila to take care of me until she gets back. I guess Deir didn't want me to be unsupervised in her tower. Excuse me a moment."
She ducked into a room and emerged a short time later with a heavy robe covering her better than the nightgown did. She gestured to the couch. "So, what happened? Are you alright?" She looked at Terenon, concern evident in her eyes.
Terenon began to visibly relax. He sat on the couch and looked up to meet Lisa's eyes. "We ran into a bit of trouble," the mage said. "An ambush; it was not good, but all is well now. My plans have changed focus and I need to tie up some loose ends. I thought I might visit with Serrila before I leave tomorrow."
Lisa smiled warmly. "I'm glad everybody is okay," she said, taking a seat in a chair across from Terenon. She drew her knees up onto the chair and wrapped her arms around them, looking at the mage thoughtfully. "My studies are going well. Deirdriel is a very good teacher, and we're finally getting to some real spells. I never thought I'd ever be able to master the arcane arts, but Deir says I'm a natural at magic. I'm going to be a powerful wizard some day. Like you. I'm going to make a name for myself in this world."
Terenon had the very same thoughts when he was a teenager. He had been obsessive on the subject of proving himself. Who was he kidding, he still was. He smiled wearly at Lisa and said, "Be careful what you wish for. Anonymity has its benefits as well."
Terenon knew too well. He had distanced himself from the legacy of his family and embraced a new persona all his own. He had pushed himself to become a more powerful spellcaster and his fame had begun to spread. What had it gotten him? Two gruesome deaths and powerful enemies. "Just remember that everything has its price."
Lisa continued to look at Terenon, considering his words. She looked as if she was about to say something else, but then Serrila entered the room, clad in a bathrobe and with a towel wrapped around her head. At the sight of Terenon, Serrila abruptly stopped and drew in a surprised breath. "Terenon? What are you doing back already?" She smiled then. "Missed me too much, did you?"
She moved over to the couch and gave Terenon a kiss, apparently more interested in seeing her lover returned than the explanation of why he had returned. Though distracted, the mage noticed Lisa looking distinctly uncomfortable in front of the act of love.
Terenon's mind was split between observing Lisa's reaction and the sweet taste of Serrila. He decided that his suspicions needed to be buried for now. He didn't have the energy for an investigation or a fight. All things could be sorted out in the morning...
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Blue-white sparks flew as the edge of the night-black blade clashed against the head of the enormous axe, turning the weapon aside. The half-dragon Samakel allowed himself a savage grin as he brought his sword back up before his foe, a doughty frost giant warrior nearly twice his size, could react. The blade tore open a wicked gouge from the giant’s knee nearly to his crotch. The enormous warrior bellowed in rage as his white-scaled opponent spun away from the counter assault. Samakel’s blade faintly throbbed in his hand as blood dripped off its tip, almost as if it relished the feel of the giant’s flesh giving way before it.
This, of course, was because it did.
“You toy with this one, my love,” the sibilant voice of Lifetaker purred even as the half-dragon parried another attack from the giant. He ducked beneath the giant’s reach opened another terrible wound, this time across his stomach. The giant stumbled back, waving his axe before him with one hand while trying to hold in his innards with the other.
Samakel nodded with satisfaction at his handiwork. “Patience,” he replied to the magical sword. “Let me have my fun before you slake your thirst.”
Lifetaker throbbed again in Samakel’s grasp, though this time it communicated consternation rather than pleasure. “Always you make me wait. Always my satisfaction is delayed for yours.”
Samakel growled in his throat as he launched a blinding of series of attacks against the giant, forcing him back against the wall and opening numerous minor wounds all along his body.”That is because I am your master,” the half-dragon said. “You serve me, not the other way around. You will drink when I decide you will drink!”
The frost giant raised his axe in a last-ditch attempt to try to save his own life, but Samakel had anticipated this movement, though, was almost disappointed by it. This giant was no better than the countless others he had slain over the years: so predictable, so easy to dispatch. Sighing, the half-dragon moved quicker than he yet had, thrusting Lifetaker point-first up and into the giant’s chest, burying it nearly to the hilt. The giant gasped and dropped his axe, nerveless fingers feebly scrabbling at the blade.
Lifetaker began to pulse now, and with each pulse, the giant’s skin began to wither and and wrinkle, taking on the consistency of worn leather. His screams of pain grew weaker as the sword drank from him, sucking at his very soul. “Aah! Aaaaah!” The blade nearly moaned with pleasure. Samakel watched with detached interest as the giant toppled over, nothing but a withered husk. He moved over and grabbed the blade, pulling it out of the giant’s chest.
Applause sounded from the end of the room, where Akasa the marilith had watched the battle. Her six hands clapped in unison as Samakel wiped the blood off his sword and returned it to its sheath.
“Well done!” the demon called, a hungry gleam in her eyes. “So much blood and violence! You certainly know how to get a girl worked up.”
Samakel chuckled as he strode over to the snake-woman. The demon’s form began to shift even as he did so, and by the time he reached her she had taken the appearance of a human woman of exquisite proportions, her fiery red hair framing a perfect face. Half-dragon and demoness embraced, and Akasa took up Samakel in a passionate kiss, her tongue slipping into his reptilian maw, his arms roaming her voluptuous body. The marilith’s passions were high after witnessing the battle, and it was with great effort that Samakel eventually extracted himself from the embrace.
“A moment,” the half-dragon said gruffly, unfazed by Akasa’s resulting pout. “Have you learned more about what Helios is about?”
Akasa shook her head, sighing. “That one is canny. He has thus far resisted my advances, and I have been unable to pry his plans from his mind. For the moment, at least, his motives coincide with your father’s, and he is legitimately trying to stop the adventurers.”
“Hmph,” said Samakel. “His plans of late have met with failure. You must convince my father to get the wizard to use his ace in the hole.”
Akasa seemed surprised, but she smiled nonetheless, a wolf’s grin. She was a creature of chaos, and that was what she thrived on. “The girl? It is early yet. He may very well bring the full force of the adventurers down on himself.”
Samakel returned her smile. “That is what I intend. The adventurers will come here and eliminate Helios, then we will destroy them and regain Acessiwal’s favor. Lifetaker will have quite the feast when that day comes.”
Akasa giggled, a sound tinged with malice. “Delightful. Shall we…retire your quarters?”
Samakel grinned toothily and took once last glance at the dead frost giant. “The ogres will take care of him. I’ll take care of you.”
Akasa pulled him close, and with a flash of light, they were gone.
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Helios swore softly to himself as he paced around the chamber. Even with their reduced numbers, the adventurers had still managed to fend off, even destroy, four of his creations. They had teleported away shortly thereafter, back to Silverymoon as his scrying had revealed. They were on the path now, though. Acessiwal’s wayward son Taigiel was leading them to Coldheart, and it would only be a few more days before they arrived.
Yarrick Zan had collected its payment and left, presumably to warmer and safer climes. The assassin had managed to take out two of his targets, but had only succeeded in setting the adventurers back in time and money. Acessiwal had not been willing to pay the exorbitant price to hire the assassin again, and now had ordered the wizard to play his trump card. It wasn’t the time! If he went through with it now, the whole plan might be thrown off! But there was nothing he could do: the dragon would have him slain if he defied its will. He had no choice.
The black-robed wizard waved his hand over the crystal ball in the purple worm-shaped pedestal, conjuring an image of his favored scrying subject of late. The image coalesced into a young girl with chestnut hair curled up on a plush chair: the former street urchin Lisa LaBurton. A few months ago, the wizard had cast several divinations, the results of which revealed that the girl’s path would soon intertwine with those who were fated to destroy the Firebringer. Thinking that it would be good to keep on eye on them, the mage had begun to formulate a plan.
Acessiwal had wanted to call the marilith Akasa to the Prime Material Plane so that he could enter negotiations to secure the aid of Graz’zt’s demonic army. The marilith was a favored servant of the Dark Lord, and her calling would definitely raise attention from both infernal and celestial powers. He had to find some way to distract these other forces. That involved sacrificing a powerful artifact he had had in his possession for some time, an artifact that he knew was valuable, but that he had no practical use for: the Eye of Night’s Embrace. Once it left his possession, Helios knew that the forces of Heaven and Hell would immediately strive to recover it, and in so doing blind themselves to the calling of Akasa.
Helios had traveled to Baldur’s Gate and placed the gem in his pouch, in easy reach of Lisa LaBurton’s pick-pocketing fingers. The contact with the urchin gave him what he needed to make the scrying process easy and reliable. Through her, he could keep tabs on the adventurers and track their progress.
But now, because of Acessiwal’s orders, all that was coming to an end. It was time to take action, and Helios knew the perfect minion through which to act…
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Lisa sighed tiredly as she pulled the sheets up to her chest, snuggling into a more comfortable position. The moon hung high in the sky, sending beams of light playing across the room and the girl’s delicate features. She brushed a wayward strand of chestnut hair from her face, her thoughts focused on her miraculous change of fortune, as they often were these days. Not two months ago Lisa had been eking out a meager existence in Baldur’s Gate, a street rat and pickpocket who had to steal to survive. All that changed the fateful day she had accidentally swiped the Eye of Night’s Embrace from that wizard. That act had set into motion the chain of events that had led to the arrival of her saviors, the ones who had taken her to a better life here in Silverymoon.
Brave men they were, and handsome to boot. Especially Terenon. The mage had been the one who had protected Lisa when the ice devil attacked, keeping her safe behind a wall of magical force while the others dealt with the infernal creature. Though Grundar’s outlook on things more closely matched her own, Lisa did not fancy the much-older elf as she did Terenon. Often she would watch him and Serrila flirt and cavort about, stealing a few jealous stares at the way the man obviously cared for the sorceress. Lisa knew her jealousy was irrational, that she would never be able to come between the two lovers, but that did not stop her from picturing Terenon’s face late at night, fantasizing about his arms wrapped around her and his lips on hers.
Lisa suddenly shivered beneath the sheets, feeling gooseflesh rising up beneath her thin bedclothes. The temperature in the room had suddenly dropped, and the girl was a bit surprised to see her breath coming out in misty bursts. A feeling of dread welled up within her heart, as if a malevolent presence had suddenly drawn near. She drew in a breath to call for Serrila, hoping the aasimar would know what to do, but the breath caught in her throat as the creature appeared at the foot of the bed.
It loomed over her, horribly familiar. It looked like a tall, bipedal insect with clawed hands and feet, powerful mandibles, and a long, thick tail covered in razor-sharp spikes. Lisa knew the truth though: it was an ice devil, in fact the very same ice devil that Terenon had saved her from months ago. Only this time, Terenon was not here. Lisa’s eyes widened and she willed her limbs to move, willed herself to flee from this horrid creature! But she could do nothing but cower before the devil’s might, paralyzed by the supernatural fear it exuded!
The ice devil’s features curled up in a wicked grin, reveling in the girl’s terror. Its mandibles clacked together in glee as it leveled its wicked spear at her chest. “You have caused me great irritation, Lisa LaBurton,” the creature intoned. “I will take great satisfaction from dragging your soul to Hell.”
Tears streaming down her face, Lisa let out a shrill scream as the spear plunged toward her heart.