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His thoughts trailed as the pain clicked in and a gasp escaped him. One claw dug its way into his abdomen, the pain sharp and icy cold. He closed his eyes then, hoping that the last thing he would ever see was the evergreen forest of Azure Glade, his home and where one day word would reach his parents of all his bright... |
Sad it was that all he could see was the endless dark. |
Then, as one more spike of pain impaled him, a bright light ripped past his closed vision. He cracked open his eyes to see Isobel standing there, glaive in hand, surrounded by four spirits. They were knights clad in simple armor, wielding lances of brilliant silver, all mounted upon tall elks with horns curving towards... |
May Selune’s light purify you, |
" she said in a soft, reverent tone. Positive energy swelled through him at her call, strengthening his body and curing his wounds. He groaned and slowly stood. Then as the gravity of her presence hit him, his head spun towards the Last Light, fearing that without her the inn’s protective light was broken. To his surpr... |
"Isobel," he cried, "how were you able to leave?" |
Isobel had a small smile on her lips. "Shadowheart bears a great love for you, whether she knows it or not. Count yourself lucky that Shar has not yet destroyed what feelings she has. Come, before the temptation to shatter the work of Selune grows too great." With Isobel’s help he was able to limp back towards the Last... |
Karlach and Gale stood over Wyll, whose wounds were being tended to by Jaheira. From that distance all Tavrian could see were the shallow movements of his chest; he was alive, thank the gods, but just barely. The fact they were safe calmed his heart, though there was still one more who his heart granted greater importa... |
"You idiot! What do you think you’re doing, allowing them to catch you!" She ran up to him and grabbed the chainmail around his neck. There were tears in her eyes, brimming at the edge but not yet loose. "You can’t throw yourself into danger like that! Your foolish heroics will get you killed, and..." she choked on the... |
allow that to happen." Without another word she used the last of her magic to heal the wound at his side, then turned and stalked towards the inn where their rooms lay. Tavrian stepped forward to follow, only to be met by Karlach. |
"Let her go, soldier. She needs a second to herself." There was a stern tone in Karlach’s voice, her eyes piercing. |
Tavrian shook his head and tried to step around the tiefling. "I’m the reason she’s upset, I need to apologize." |
Karlach gently pressed her palm against his chest, fully stopping him from pursuing her. The heat raged at her touch, a warning flame that trickled with the power of Avernus."Oh there’s no doubt about that. That was a reckless thing you did, and very stupid if I say so myself. Give her some time to calm down and then a... |
Tavrian sighed and stepped back. "I couldn’t let anyone get hurt, and buying time was the only way you all would make it safely through the barrier." |
"Your belief that we can’t take care of ourselves will get |
hurt one of these days, or worse if you’re not careful." Karlach’s gaze softened and she pulled her hand away. "But, I get it. There’s nothing better than wading into the fighter, if you can handle it. I’m glad you aren’t hurt any further." |
A sheepish smile flickered on Tavrian’s face as the pain began to trickle back. He winced and glanced beyond her towards Gale and Wyll. Jaheira had disappeared, likely to speak to the harpers keeping the watch. "How’s Wyll doing?" |
"Jaheira managed to heal the worst of his wounds, but he’ll be tied to his bed for a while I imagine." Tavrian nodded and walked to where Wyll was sitting on the ground, his arm now fashioned into a sling. The Blade of Frontiers looked up at him, a cheerful, if pained, grin on his face. |
"How’re you doing Wyll," Tavrian asked as he knelt at his side. |
Wyll sucked in a deep breath and sat up, his other hand pressing a damp cloth to the wound. "Been better, in all truth. However, I’m amazed you can still walk." |
"Thank Shadowheart and Isobel for that, otherwise you’d need to find someone else who’s willing to throw themself into a pile of undead." He joked and placed his own hands on his arm. With the last strength he had, he channeled positive energy through himself and into the wound. He fell back to the dirt after he was do... |
"I think as effective as that stratagem was, it was unreasonably reckless. We have allies here, you know, and not everything has to be piled onto your massive shoulders." Gale interjected, somewhat solemn and still his voice held the hint of flirting within it. He helped both Tavrian and Wyll up before dusting his hand... |
"She’s fine," Karlach said with a glance towards Tavrian. "We should all get some rest. We need it." She began to help Wyll into the inn while Tavrian and Gale stood outside. The courtyard had calmed down since their rapid entrance, the guards returned to their posts and Isobel was nowhere to be seen. |
"Gale," Tavrian said as the wizard began to head away. "A moment." |
"As you command my friend, how may I be of service?" |
"Is it possible for a cleric to channel divine magic from a different source?" |
A light glinted in Gale’s eye. He knew what Tavrian hinted at, and what answer he so wanted. "A cleric’s magic is the gift of the deity themself. Usually no two gods lay claim to the same cleric, or if they do it is an odd situation indeed." He paused and rubbed his chin in thought. "It may be possible, but I have neve... |
Tavrian remembered the bright purple light that seemed a permanent companion to Shadowheart. The pain she felt was always something present, and while she tried to hide it, Tavrian knew it always bothered her. He suspected that her relationship with Shar was to blame, but could never fully understand it. "I suppose fav... |
Tavrian awoke to a soft knocking at his door. Immediately he rose and lumbered to the entrance of his sparse room. On the other side was Isobel, her arms crossed. "You need to go speak with Shadowheart." |
Tavrian scrunched his face up in confusion. "What?" |
"She’s outside of the protective light. It would not be wise for her to stay there so late at night, even if she is a Sharran...Besides, she did save your life. She deserves recognition for that fact alone." Isobel seemed annoyed that she was granting praise to a servant of Shar, but her voice held hints of sincerity. ... |
Tavrian felt heat rise to his cheeks at Isobel’s words. "I don’t know what you mean, but if Shadowheart is in danger I will go to her." The Selunite carefully measured his face for a long minute before she seemed satisfied, and promptly turned around to head to her own rooms. Tavrian retreated and quickly pulled on a s... |
She was dressed in a dark, thin robe that shimmered in the gathering darkness. The purple glow of the wound pulsated at even intervals, and while she had assumed her normal stance of prayer, her head was awfully bent towards the ground. He crept up the stones behind her, and when she did not stir at his approach, he sa... |
Five minutes passed after his arrival when the purple light flashed and disappeared, and he heard a deep gasp for air from Shadowheart. He reached forward and she straightened her back, her head turning once to regard him before she resumed staring out over the water. "What are you doing here?" Her voice trembled, thou... |
"I came to see why you’re out here in the dark." |
"That’s none of your business," she bristled. |
"Am I not allowed to be concerned about you?" |
She whirled around then, fury in her eyes. "Apparently you can’t even be concerned for yourself, so why should you be concerned about me? Do you know how devastated any of us would be if you died!? Yet, every time there is danger you feel the need to charge into it head on!" Her tone was sharp, the words a swift, angry... |
"Today, when our minds connected, I could |
you. You were so concerned about Wyll and I that you thought it better to give your body to the ghouls. Damn what everyone else thinks!" She paused and her voice came like a ghostly whisper. "I can’t bear the thought of losing you, yet you make it so easy for you to die. How do you think I feel knowing that at the firs... |
Tavrian was silent for a moment, watching as Shadowheart stared at the stone between them. It was true that he had hardly considered their opinions on his actions, or whether it was fair that he would so easily sacrifice his life for theirs. For Shadowheart especially, they had shared enough quiet moments where somethi... |
Her eyes were as hard as onyx in the murky shadows. Yet in them Tavrian saw an endless darkness, forever calling him to her. Tear streaks were left on her face, even as she shouted at him. "You could have kept running and gotten help, or retreated to the bridge so that the flaming fist could help us. You don’t throw yo... |
"Ok!" He held up his hands before her, eyes searching for hers. They made eye contact and the angry energy seemed to stall. "I won’t do something like that again, I promise." Shadowheart’s lips pulled into a frown as she held his gaze, but eventually she shook her head and stood up, as if to leave. He could tell someth... |
A long drawn-out silence filled the space between them. Eventually Shadowheart sighed and gave a shallow nod. "I won’t lie to you. Ever since we’ve entered this land I’ve felt something...drawing me. A purpose I |
fulfill, and I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s like...how a single thought can consume an entire person’s being." Her breath escaped her in a shudder, her hand tightening around his. "When we were in the entrance to the temple, I knew that my destiny lay underneath those dusty bones. We were |
. I wanted us to push forward, but..." her hand slipped from his and pressed against where she had been stabbed, then towards his own side where the ghouls’ claws had torn him. She looked down towards the ground. "In that moment I lost sight of everything. Everyone faded to the background and there was only me, and the... |
Tavrian took a half-step closer to her. He placed the tip of a finger beneath her chin and raised her face towards his. He smiled, not brightly, but with a solemness that befitted a tranquil, starlight night. "You carry a great burden, Shadowheart. I know that we may not share the same faith, but to me that does not ma... |
A soft laugh escaped her as his hand shifted from her chin to her cheek. She raised her own hand so that her fingers—delicate yet calloused by the handling of spear and shield—danced among his. "So serious, you say this like it would be another tenet of your oath." The sparkling laughter faded and she leaned into his t... |
"Good." Tavrian could tell that there was still something lurking behind those eyes, a distraught feeling that was not yet erased by the swearing of his oath. He glanced towards the water and a slyness overtook the solemnity of his grin. "Since we’re out here...want to learn how to swim?" |
Shadowheart’s eyebrows twitched into an arch. "Right now. Is it really the time? I doubt that water is exactly fine to swim around in." |
"It’ll be fine, the water’s not deep enough to do anything but float. I think we both deserve to relax a little bit. It’s been a long day after all." He led the way down the rock and towards the water. Without a care in the world he stripped and began to wade in. The water was cold and biting, yet he could detect that ... |
"Do you like what you see," she asked as she began to stalk towards him. |
The smile turned to a smirk as he took everything in. "It’s hard not to stare. You’re absolutely enchanting in the moonlight." |
"I know, darling." She reached him and with a grin she leaned up and gently planted a kiss upon his lips. "Now, you know I can’t swim." |
"I think we should begin with floating," he murmured. He took her hand and began to lead her into the water. She hesitated at first, but with a gentle tug she followed him until the water reached their chests. The stars wavered in the water around them, and a kind of silver light had fallen around the pair. It could ha... |
"I know, I’m here. Kick your legs up and just float on your back. I’m not going anywhere. " |
She looked down at the water, and for a moment he thought she would turn back. Instead, she leaned back in the water, her legs floating to the top. Before the instinct to kick and squirm emerged, Tavrian stepped close, one hand going to the space between her shoulder blades, the other to the small of her back. It felt ... |
He looked down and saw that her eyes were shut, brow furrowed in anxiety. "I’m not going to let you sink. Open your eyes, tell me what you see." |
Shadowheart’s eyes blinked open, and as the realization that she was truly floating in the water kicked in, a smile split her face. The stars were now fully reflected in her eyes, and she stared in wonder at the sky above. "I see the same starry sky we watched weeks ago, when we were first beginning to talk." She leane... |
A rueful smile appeared. "I believe I tripped over something." |
"It was a pebble, and you broke a nice bottle of wine we found in that dilapidated village. I remember wanting to try it and then this bumbling oaf happened to destroy it..." Her words turned to laughter as she recalled the memory. |
Tavrian rolled his eyes. "I’m glad you’re able to think well on the event. I was pretty embarrassed, Astarion still brings it up whenever I’m carrying something." |
"It was endearing, after I got over the waste of wine." As they stood there in the starlight a nightingale began to sing. It was a quiet song with a sweet melody of rushing wings, reminiscent of sharing tender moments in the dead of night. They were content to stay there awhile, Shadowheart floating, and Tavrian standi... |
"Now you’re doing it on your own, how do you feel?" |
In response she whirled around, arms shooting out to snake around his neck. Her legs locked around his waist like a vice, and as he stumbled her hands went to his cheeks. His own hands floundered until they met the soft skin of her ass. She kissed him, a deep kiss where their tongues met and danced, a kiss that sucked ... |
In his blissful state, he could not see that the purple wound grew bright. |
The next morning Tavrian stood outside the inn. The gray sky above was a shade lighter than normal, signaling that it was "daytime," if that even mattered. The shadowlands were a blight upon the world, and while Tavrian was not well-versed in the ways of druidic magic, he could tell by his oath that the land itself was... |
Gale was the first one out of the door. "Tavrian, did you sleep off your wounds?" |
"I’m feeling better than yesterday," he admitted, flexing his left arm where a ghoul had scratched him deep. "You?" |
"Your question kept me up last night, so I only caught a few hours of slumber before the dawn woke me." He produced a small scroll and handed it over. "Here’s what I found, you may be interested in its contents. For being a paladin, especially one so woodsy, you do keep your nose in books." |
"Knowledge is a valuable thing," he murmured as he unfurled the scroll. Gale’s script was neater than most, a small thing that managed to cramp letters and words together to make the most of the page. His research was mostly surface level, references to other texts they hauled across the land in their camp, but in one ... |
"Janus of Doorum believed that a cleric’s power was often ancestral. Over generations members of certain families would devote themselves to a certain god, sending at least one child to serve in the clergy. In this way would families come to be paragons of their deity’s service, devoted vassals of divine power. Does th... |
Tavrian stowed the scroll into his backpack and gave a swift nod to Gale. He would know not to speak of this to anyone else, for the time being. |
At that moment the doors swung open and Halsin came stomping out. He wore a large satchel over his shoulders and held a long, thick quarterstaff in hand. "Karlach mentioned that Wyll was out of commission for a few days, which means I can finally get a few steps out into this land." The wood elf grinned and planted him... |
"I’m happy you’re able to come along." Tavrian smiled as well and offered his hand. They shook, and then pulled each other into a tight embrace. "You can get a first look at what’s corrupting the land," he said as they slapped each other’s backs and pulled apart. |
"Indeed, I look forward to it. Karlach also mentioned that I should be able to keep you in line." Halsin chortled with a knowing look in his eye. |
"It seems everyone is worried about me." Tavrian chuckled and shook his head. "I have no intention of pulling a stunt like that again, don’t worry." |
Last to leave the building was Karlach and Shadowheart. They were engaged in conversation, Karlach bouncing with every step and word while Shadowheart glided along. Karlach stepped right up and slapped the backs of both Tavrian and Halsin. |
"Glad to see you made it Hal! Hells it’ll be nice to have another bruiser on the front lines." |
Halisn chuckled, a low rumbling laugh from the depths of his gut. "They’ll never expect the two of us to run through them." |
"Good morning to you too Karlach," Tavrian said before turning towards Shadowheart. Their gaze met for a moment and Tavrian smiled. "You alright?" |
"Perfect. Now let's get going, it’s a busy day ahead of us." Tavrian thought there was a slight shade of red on her cheeks, but wrote it off to the morning chill that had settled upon the air. |
"You’re right." Tavrian cleared his throat and looked around to all his friends. They watched him closely, and he thought that Gale winked at him while Karlach grinned like a schoolmate seeing their friend flirt with a crush. "We’re going back to the mausoleum, and we’re not stopping until we find whatever relic is so ... |
"Let’s kick some ass!" Karlach shouted and quickly led the way out of the Last Light Inn. Halsin met her in stride and right behind them was Gale. Shadowheart gave Tavrian one final glance, smirked, and began to walk away humming. Tavrian watched her for a moment before he shook his head, cleared his throat, and put of... |
After all, there will be plenty more nights ahead of them. |
It had been a very long and very strange day and this ending was not ideal. The looters had attacked first and now they were all dead. Tav was in a crypt sitting on a stolen bedroll that smelled like someone she had murdered. Better than a Mindflayer pod. Better than being the one whose blood had dried to a brownish st... |
Instead, she was surrounded by strangers, there was a worm in her brain and there was blood under her nails. |
They were an odd bunch and they didn’t exactly inspire comfort. At least they were good in a fight. Even the wizard was good in a fight which had surprised her because he talked like he hadn’t seen the outside of a library in a decade. The pale elf made Tav uncomfortable in a way the others didn’t. The Githyanki warrio... |
All that was fine. Secrets were fine. She had hers too. They weren’t friends, they were just people who had the same problem and nowhere else to go. |
It wasn’t the secrets that set her teeth on edge. |
It wasn’t even the lying. |
He was hard to read. |
Astarion flipped through roles like he was trying on dresses in a shop. The terrified city boy alone on the beach pointing out monsters in the bushes. A man with a knife and enough strength to pin her down. A flippant and sarcastic noble at a duke’s party. A blood-splattered maniac who had declared how much fun he was ... |
He was also an ass. |
Any one of those things would have been fine. Even assholes had their place. She’d grown up in Baldur’s Gate. Most of her childhood had been spent trailing older brothers in those streets. She had apprenticed to a weapons smith who was willing to work with anyone who could pay. She had opened her own workshop under a s... |
The important part was to figure out where other people’s lines were. She had faith that even if she hadn’t yet seen where the others had their lines, they were there. It was a puzzle to sort out. They weren’t so different from any criminal client coming through her door, she just needed to assess how dangerous they re... |
Astarion was a question mark. |
A whiny coward. A poncy rich guy. A stunningly vicious fighter. |
"You’re staring at me," he said from across the fire. Petulant. |
"Wondering if you’re going to try and cut my throat again when we go to sleep tonight," she said. |
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