"Free from this cage and we will see if you still have your confidence, istik!" The frog-woman growled at Durge "Now."
"Let a rabid beast run free?" The angry lizard demanded, teeth grinding "Why should I?"
Ironic, considering how his very soul felt like it was out for blood.
"Because, istik*" Froggy snapped "I am the only one who knows how to remove the gaikh tadpole in your brain." She sneered "You have no choice but to serve ."
Durge began gathering magic in his hand but before he could really snap, I reached him and placed a hand on his shoulder "How about you leave this one to , hm?" I asked with patient smirk on my face.
He stared at for a mont, and I felt his rage be directed solely on .
But compared to others I've felt, his bloodlust was nothing, and was gone in a blink, the lizardman grunting his barely held anger and shaking off but still doing as he was asked.
With a nod of thanks, I turned back to the frog, and found her evaluating my every move, her shoulders tensing under so deeply ingrained instinct.
"I believe I've just heard you say the most curious thing." I spoke cheerily, though my eyes were utterly cold "You know how to remove the tadpoles properly then?"
"The Githyanki have been fighting the creatures you know as Mind Flayers for an eternity" Her earlier prideful sneer returned "We are the only ones who know."
Arms crossed, I just stared at her for a silent ten seconds.
"Did you not hear , istik?" She repeated.
'She did not just fucking-' Scorch very nearly summoned himself.
Tilting my head slightly as I ntally patted the angry bird, I asked "You have no gods damn idea how to, do you?"
Behind , Shadowheart huffed, as if to say 'What else did you expect?'
And of course, Durge's hateful aura redoubled.
"By covenant, I am allowed to share nothing." Froggy backpeddled, still keeping her prideful front "But if you take to the closest Creche my people will not deny you."
"She is lying." Shadowheart spoke up "The Gith will kill us as soon as they see us."
"I am inclined to agree." Gale piped in as well "Theirs is a kind with an... unfortunate reputation."
"We should get rid of her." Durge balled his fists.
Astarion just kept chewing on so beef jerky he found sowhere, looking despicably entertained by all this.
"Well, as much as I do not abide traitors" I spoke up after a mont, much to the Githyanki's anger "If there is a chance for us to learn sothing from the other, more worthy Gith" She was fucking shaking in indignation by now "I think we should have her along."
"You will regret your insults isti-"
"However" My voice rang out as I raised a finger "First things first."
Before anyone could react, the rope holding the hanging cage Lae'zel was imprisoned in snapped, and before the flimsy construction could even properly fall apart I was already in front of her, the fingers of my right hand snaking around her neck as I lifted her like she weighed nothing.
She tried kicking and flailing but all she did was choke herself out, her struggles growing weaker and weaker with each mont that passed.
"Listen carefully, worm" I said coldly, my voice carrying all the authority of an Emperor "The only reason you are still alive is my curiosity. Rember your place, and refer to your betters with their due respect."
"Or" I hardened my grip, making her face go slightly purple "This lesson will be repeated as many tis as it takes to make it stick." My face twisted back into its previous false cheer "Do nod if you understand."
Before my ntal countdown could end, she managed the slightest twitch of her neck.
"I suppose that will have to count" I drawled and dropped her like a sack "Soone fix this waste of bodily fluids. The sun is almost set and I'd rather not wait for it to crawl after us."
The damn half-elf practically skipped on her way to the Gith, 'generously' praying for her health all the while her eyes shone with satisfied glee.
Gale was looking at like he was just recalculating all our previous interactions while the vampire and the freaky lizard were both grinning for their own twisted reasons.
I just shook my head and made my way to the temple, leaving it to them to follow as they could.
---
(General POV)
Lae'zel of Creche K'liir, warrior of the Githyanki, and Queen Vlaakith's most loyal servant once more had to remind herself not to glare at the creature who had so humiliated her as she rubbed her neck.
The thing pretending to be an elf not of any kind she had ever read about seed to have eyes on the back of his skull and would look at her with challenge and mockery whenever she felt tempted to show any kind of resistance.
In the ways of her people she was the loser and should give deference to the strong, but to do so for an istik...
The mont she thought of the word, she felt another stare from the elf's direction, one far more hateful than even the thing hiding it, and one that made her feel as if a star was looking directly at her.
Lae'zel's entire body twitched as she looked away, an odd phantom pain stinging at her eyes even if no rays of light had reached them.
The silver sword seed so far away now, in her shaful state, but she would persevere.
As she always had.
-
Astarion Ancunin had to admit, he had never expected a kidnapping by Mind Flayers to be as... fun as this.
He should have gotten abducted sooner!
Oh sure, the impending death was quite bad but at least he got to see the sun after nearly two centuries!
And see a creature he was sure was only a Baldurian street legend be beaten down like a flailing child.
Now if only he had a proper al to go with that delectable treat...
He quickly shook those thoughts away as he followed the rest of the group into the ruins of so ancient temple.
His new 'leader' for no one else was quite arrogant enough to try and assu the position after that show of power, made perfectly sure that Astarion knew he knew what he was...
Except it looked like he did not care at all!
Now that he thought about it, the vampire spawn found it odd that falling into the hands of an ancient being of overwhelming power just when he finally managed to escape...
...or get escaped from he supposed, from the previous one did not make him hateful or furious.
The knowing amusent in the drow's? three quarter drow one quarter fire giant's...?
Oh, who cared!
Point is, his amusent was all the answer Astarion needed.
Because he realized his fellow elf was just like him.
Soone who just got their freedom back and was looking for any amusent he could find.
How incredibly lucky!
The vampire remained away from the rest of the group as they began discussing between simply making camp atop the temple or going deeper in for proper shelter, and stared at this odd elf with a newfound hunger.
A hunger caused by a single thought 'Wouldn't it be quite amusing to point him at my old master? Ruining dark, longstanding sches must be even more fun than ruining a Githyanki's pride. Right?'
(Reyvin's POV)
It took far too much effort not to just incinerate the bloodsucker out of hand as he stared at like I was so kind of long-lost lover of his, or a cut of particularly juicy at for that matter.
Instead of following the imdiate impulse, I focused on the half-rotten reinforced doorway barring our path into the temple.
It was easily agreed that we would descend into the ruins and clear them out before making camp.
Tamriel was not the only place where old buildings and abandoned settlents were filled to the brim with all manner of beasts or undead, and any adventurer from either world would tell you that sleeping atop a ravenous horde was a quick way to the afterlife.
Eg. It was completely retarded.
And I wasn't about to bother with guard duty so the exhausted mortals could sleep soundly of all things.
That was for nials, after all.
Unwilling to cause too much noise, I waved for the vampire to approach, an act that finally stopped his staring "Try unlocking this, you look like the type."
He covered his heart "You wound ."
I just tossed him a lockpick.
One that he caught with expert alacrity and a smirk on his face. My deadpan only seed to encourage him as he sauntered over to the door and got to work.
While he was doing that I pointed my hand at the frog, effortlessly healing the remaining bruises around her neck "Best we are all coherent if anything happens" I said "Do rember to control your tongue however."
The poor raging thing grit her teeth, and I could practically feel her getting strangled all over again by her pride as she forced her voice down.
'Good Froggy.' Scorch cooed in my mind.
The lock of the door clicked and Astarion quickly slid into the temple, the rest of us following closely behind.
The first room's walls were covered by shelves full of books.
A none too odd sight in a temple except this place was obviously thousands of years old and the books were intact.
My intuition was proven correct as a quick scan revealed a very light divine ward had been placed on the area many, many years ago, and preserved them.
Though oddly enough I found neither curse nor trap, which was just plain unusual.
But what drew my attention even more than the books and divine spellcraft were the still very fresh supplies laid out across a large dining table, silverware enough to feed half a dozen included.
"We are not alone here." Shadowheart said, readying her mace.
Exactly as the only other door in the room opened, revealing a drowsy young man "Huh?" He muttered, wiping his eyes "Who-"
That is as far as he got before a dagger buried itself into his neck, sending him falling backwards and gurgling in pain and panic.
All of us imdiately stared at Astarion who just shrugged "What?"
I sighed.
A re mont later, the rest of the... overenthusiastic archeologists burst through the door, their half-naked vanguard failing to throw his javelin despite his imnse fury as Durge buried a spike of ice in his chest.
The one after him used his shield to quickly deflect Gale's firebolt but was swiftly put down by the charging Lae'zel, the Gith looking like a wild dog who had just been let off the leash as she bifurcated the poor fucker.
Naturally, she was imdiately rewarded for her bravery by a distant incantation of "Torntum!" Coming from deeper in the temple, and smacking the Gith with three projectiles of pure reddish force, staggering her back and nearly knocking her out.
The rest of the group didn't waste anymore ti and charged through the gate, pulling an archer and crossbowman into lee and putting them down in quick succession.
I, on the other hand, once more stepped through a newly ford crack in space, appearing just next to their wizard and yoinking her grimoire directly from her hands.
"How nice of you to offer" I drawled as I crushed her arcane connection to the enchanted book and began flipping through it, the wizard falling on the ground with a freshly snapped neck, courtesy of a simple handwave.
My freshly collected following took a mont to calm themselves before regrouping around .
"I hope we haven't just slaughtered a group of innocents." Gale muttered while staring at Astarion.
"Oh don't be so naive" The vampire rolled his eyes "They were obviously bandits."
"Stealing from sacred ground is a cri anyways." Shadowheart piped in.
To which I gave her a pointed look.
"If... we were looking for excuses..." She looked away, ears reddening.
I snorted and pocketed the grimoire.
"Done sulking?" Durge asked the limping Gith as she caught up to us.
"Silence, istik." She snapped "I did not see you holding the line."
"You really love that word, don't you?" My drawl interrupted her "Does it help you distract yourself from the realization you are becoming what your people despise the most, I wonder?"
All her defiance died in that instant as she simply withered under her own weight.
"Do pick yourself up" I mocked and turned to the other yet unexplored chamber while rubbing my hands "There is more to this temple, my graverobber senses are tingling."
Ignoring the odd looks that got , I began exploring the rest of the place. Unfortunately finding no more bandits to see eviscerated but another library instead.
One I quickly realized was filled to the brim with nothing but what looked to be death confessions, completely and utterly useless except for their historical value.
"Shadowheart." I spoke up, drawing the half-elf from pilfering a stone altar and failing to find a thing "You seem to be at least sowhat learned in the local religions, yes?"
Her ensuing expression practically scread 'What gave you that idea?'
"Oh no need to get peppy with " I chuckled "Do you know of any kind of death god known to take longwinded confessions of the dying and have them all written down in exhaustive detail?" I asked.
She furrowed her brows at that, remaining silent for a good few monts "I think I've read sothing like that at one point but I just can't seem to put my finger on it."
"No matter" I shrugged and clicked the book shut "There is still more temple to explore. I am sure we will find our answers there" And without skipping a beat, I walked around the altar she was just near and pressed a hidden button, activating a chanism that opened a way forward in the previous room.
The poor cleric just sighed as I smirked at her.
We descended further into the temple, finding many well crafted ornants and reliefs on our way but none that even the locals recognized.
So more exploration and pilfering later, we found a large chamber holding a coffin of the temple's previous guardian that was trapped to hell and back, but Astarion managed to disarm them so I wasn't forced to literally pull everyone's ass out of the fire.
I absently tossed Shadowheart the fancy looking shortspear from within the coffin that felt like it increased accuracy and reached for the other thing that drew my attention.
The coin carved from iron cursed by so fiery demon and marked with words of binding in a language I could understand but not identify glinted in the light despite its inherent darkness, a series of wails and begging whimpers echoed just at the edges of my hearing as I quickly realized what it held.
"A soul coin!" Gale exclaid as he too noticed it, his excitent quickly giving way to a frown "Not what you'd expect to find in a temple to the dead."
"These things are common enough to be recognizable?" I asked.
"They are the currency of the Hells." Gale answered while the rest listened in "The devils trade in them all the ti but sotis a few drip down to the Material Plane. They are known to be useful power sources but most disdain them."
"And these... things" I worked my jaw "Are just allowed to exist?"
"The souls in them end up in the Hells naturally." Gale shrugged "Trading in them is illegal in most the kingdoms of Faerun but making all them disappear is just impossible since the devils prefer to draw mortals using them."
"And what about destroying them?" I asked "That seems like the logical next step."
"No one has managed or cared enough to try so far" The wizard answered, frown deepening "They are protected by the devils and none of the gods will destroy them as as I've said, anyone imprisoned inside is either deserving of the Hells in their eyes, or has made a deal with a Devil which counts as much the sa."
"Hmmm" I humd, staring at the glinting piece of tal between my fingers before coming to the only conclusion I could "I think not."
A flash of grey fla erupted from my hand, heating the tal until it glowed for a mont, and then making it burst into microscopic shards as the soul within was launched upwards and through the temple's ceiling, leaving only the echoes of the disbelieving laughter of a madman behind.
I frowned as I felt a wave of barely detectable divine power pass through the temple but to no visible effect.
The Mindword Multitude all looked at like I had just grown a second head but as always I simply pretended like I saw nothing and turned to Astarion "You found the key yet?"
He blinked himself awake from hist stupor and nodded "Got it."
"What are we waiting for then?" I asked a bit too loudly, waking the rest of them up and already moving.
I could practically taste the million questions they wanted to ask but to my surprise, and mild disappointnt I will admit, none of them were quite stupid enough to waste ti by actually asking them.
They knew I wouldn't answer shit.
So all they could do in the end was rush after as I descended into the temple's deepest recesses.
Whereupon entering I imdiately felt a gaze as ancient as that of a Daedra land squarely on top my shoulders, one that was distinctly neutral in nature yet also cautious and evaluating.
Beyond awaited a dozen robed skeletons with eerie blue fla alight in their eye sockets, their forms creating a semi-circle around the entrance.
To my surprise, they were not imdiately hostile.
'At least the host is polite.' I humd to myself, and walked straight in.
--------
*Istik= at, effectively the Gith equivalent to n'wah even if sowhat less insulting (relatively)
**Ghaik = Mind Flayer
-----
Gib.
The moste terrible locale of the Patreon is possessed of 16 chapters of Sorcerer's Tale and 12 chapters of Shiny and Chro should you decide to rise above the rabble and eat more than re soup (at patreon / Rastislav156)
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