I've barely caught my breath and yet I find myself sprinting down the Risen Road. Gale keeps pace as we race toward the carnage of the ambush. We skid to a stop and take stock of the field.
The gnoll Lae'zel gutted sits cooling on the very edge of the road. "Gale!"
He comes quickly and I crouch down. "This was the last place I saw her. She ran this wretch through. What do you think?"
His eyes flick to me, exasperated. "For the love of Mystra, I'm not a bloodhound! Stop playing games and just look, damn it!"
That tone was unnecessary.
He turns his gaze to the tree line and darts into the forest, only seeing the bodies of the gnoll archers that Karlach butchered.
I track the footprints in the dusty road, but I lose them among the forest leaves. She ran off toward something deeper into the forest. She's wearing armor, nothing that could snag. There's not much to go off.
My frustration rises as I stand helpless. This should be instinct. It's in the very name of being a Deathstalker. But my abilities to hunt prey are lost to me now.
Another blank slate.
The convoy approaches and Shadowheart hops out. "Lae'zel!"
I skulk over to them, trying to hide my self-pity. "Can anyone feel her tadpole?"
Astarion's nose curls. "You've been using it more than any of us. You do it."
Gale walks up behind me. "There's no need. I already have. I don't feel her." His face is stoic, but I see the fear in him.
I instinctively put my hand on his shoulder. "We'll find her. She won't get far without the prism. She'll come back or be lost to the Absolute."
He pushes my hand off. "And what if she's injured, or worse?"
"Be practical, Gale. She isn't foolhardy enough to run off injured and without aid. If she were dead, she wouldn't be missing."
A chill runs through him, and he mutters under his breath. "I truly hate your logic, sometimes."
There is a beat, and Danis grips his knees as he sits on the ox cart. "Now what? We can't just leave her."
He's right, as much as it pains me to admit. "Let's hold here for now. If we move without her, we may lose track of one another. Let's just... rest." I do not hide the resentment in my tone.
Karlach shares a glance with Shadowheart before murmuring. "Might as well grab a bite..."
Shadowheart gives her a subtle grin, barely enough to register.
I glance at Scratch, and nod to him. "Do you know how to track?"
Scratch wags his tail and enthusiastically barks. "No!"
The only honest person in camp.
I think a moment, then snap Shovel into service. She lands on her feet and stretches. "Is Master Neely done fighting with the green one?"
"Fighting... Yes." My eyes flick to Gale who is profoundly discontented. I clear my throat. "But now we have a new problem. She's missing."
Shovel gasps. "How are we going to bury her body if we can't find it!?"
Karlach steps subtly behind the ox cart, looking down at Shovel.
I notice her hesitation, but my attention remains focused on my little factotum. "I need you to scout the surrounding area. Find the green one for me, or any sign of her. I expect she should still be alive, clad in silver armor. Once you've seen anything, let me know immediately. Understood?"
Shovel waves her claws at me dismissively. "Right, right. Silver armor, green lady, alive."
I point to the gnoll corpse that Lae'zel slew. "This is where she was last seen. Can you glean anything from it?"
Shovel sniffs, walking around it. She places her hands on the gnoll's belly, then begins to tear at the flesh with her teeth.
I push her over with my foot. "Stay focused! What do you smell?"
Shovel knocks over into the dirt, finishing her bite. "Oh! Right. This was strong magic! Not like yours, the green one has control." She hops to her feet and sniffs at the corpse again. "The blood smells like she loved killing this morsel. It died startled and gasping for air. And now Shovel can eat it?" She looks at me wide eyed and hopeful.
"When you've returned, you can feed. It will be better seasoned."
"YAAAH! I want to wear its face!"
"Will the remnants she left behind on this body help you track her?"
"Where there is a trail of bodies, Shovel will know if it's the green one."
"Good. If you don't return by nightfall, I will summon you again for a report, regardless. If you come back with information, you can feed, and I will allow you to stay on this plane for three days. If you bring Lae'zel back, alive, I will have a very special surprise for you. But only if you succeed."
Shovel's eyes go wide. "UGNNN!!! Shovel must know what the special prize is!!!"
"It will be well worth it for you."
Shovel hops and squeals, turning to dart off.
I stop her. "Shovel."
She looks back.
"If you do find her, tell her I am not pleased."
Astarion presses his fingers to his lips, failing to hold back an amused smile.
Shovel pushes her palms toward me. "Don't go anywhere, Master Neely, Shovel will get her!"
We watch her tail vanish into the forest.
Karlach looks at me, stunned. "That's your familiar?"
"Yes."
Karlach nods. "Right. Okay."
I raise a brow to her, before Gale chimes in. "Wait if you have to, but I can't sit still while she's out there with only a quasit looking for her." He turns and begins walking down the road.
I watch him leave and Astarion calls after him. "Good luck on your noble adventure, Gale! Hope you find her! Don't blow up!" He's waving his handkerchief as if Gale were a passing ship.
We find a spot high on the Risen Road that gives us a vantage point across the main artery of the trail. A faint smell of fire lingers in the air, and a haze envelopes us. This must have been where the gnolls set up for their ambushes.
Bones and stinking pieces of meat litter the ground. We clear the area and settle in, with Scratch's dutiful help, of course. He's found a choice bone for himself and is parading it around camp.
We get our fire pit started and I plant myself on a log near the flames. I'm turning a stone in my hand. The eye from the man that I buried earlier, Wyll. I've been looking at it for some time. It feels like a relic, something incomplete. Dormant, perhaps. It may be a sending stone, but who holds the other has yet to reveal themselves.
I pocket the stone and fold my hands in front of me. My leg shakes. We're making slow progress, and now Lae'zel has run off. Our key to gaining access to the Zaith'isk is gone. The thought of charming my way into a creche seems farfetched. Killing them all seems even less plausible.
Astarion is sitting next to me, book in his lap. Quiet.
Shadowheart has perched herself on a rocky outcropping, having the best view of the road below. She's taken up the first watch.
Bex, Danis, and Karlach sit across from me, deep in conversation.
Karlach is sitting cross legged, tail curled behind her. "I remember when the city fell. The factions were ready, but when I saw it being pulled down and the terror of the people being harvested in Zariel's name... it was just awful."
Bex's lips are turned inward, her shoulders rolled forward as Karlach recalls the fall.
Danis rubs her back but is engaged with Karlach. "It was indescribable. The way the Companion shifted into a beaming red beacon. We were robbed of color and could only see red and black. I can still hear the sounds of the chains pulling the city down." His face falls and his brow tenses, struggling with the memories.
Karlach's tail begins to flick pensively. "Ah well. Thank the gods you're back now."
Danis holds his hands up, studying his claws. "Yes. Thank the gods."
Bex pushes his hands into his lap and gives him a comforting smile. Her gaze shifts to Karlach. "But you were there for ten years. I can't imagine what that must have been like."
Karlach waves her off. "Ach. What's done is done. On the bright side, I got great training as a soldier." She flexes her arms playfully. "I was good, too. Unstoppable, if you don't mind me tooting my own horn." She lowers her arms and nods bashfully. "I'm just glad I have the opportunity to put my strength to good use! Finally."
Bex shakes her head. "Don't you get tired? You've been fighting for so long."
"Tired? Me? Hah! Hells no. I could do this forever." She turns her chin up at Bex and Danis. "But what about you two? Were you one of the Elturians that changed? I can tell by the way you hold yourselves. You weren't born tiefling, were you?"
The air grows quiet, and I subtly watch Bex as a faint dread crosses her face. The quivering pulse in her neck begins to flutter a bit faster.
Astarion feels the shift and immediately folds his hands over his book, giving a vague glance across the group.
Danis looks forlorn but tries to maintain his composure. "Yes. It... it's not that it's bad being a tiefling, of course." He gestures toward Karlach and me. "It's just... different!" He punctuates the word with an optimistic tone.
Bex bristles and Karlach leans forward. "You're allowed to feel bad, Danis. We can all agree that what happened to you wasn't fair. With Zariel, nothing ever is."
Danis smiles softly, looking at his hands folded in his lap. "We used to have a bakery in the city. People loved the pastries Bex would make. People who were our neighbors, our... friends." He swallows and his tail drags against the log he's resting on. "To have those same people turn on us after our change was—"
He stops, and his face tightens. "Sorry, I hate the feeling of my tail. I'll get used to it, of course. It'll just take time."
"Awww. I wish I could hug you both. Just, pretend I am." Karlach reaches out and mimes a hug.
Danis snorts but her words seem to calm him. "Thank you, Karlach."
"Bex."
She jumps and looks at me.
Astarion glances at me as I stand, his lips pursed.
My tail twitches. "I need to speak to you, privately."
She gives a modest nod and stands to follow me.
Danis takes a breath in, as if to protest, but stops himself.
Astarion turns back to his book with a subtle shake of his head.
I hear Karlach addressing Danis. "Did I say something wrong?"
"No. I don't think so…"
We enter my tent. I give her time to settle, taking my place at the table. She sits across from me, threading her tail through the gap in the back rest. The proper way.
When she's settled, I break the silence. "How long were you going to keep the truth from me?"
"I-" She speaks haltingly, her heart racing. "I didn't think you would agree to take me if you knew the truth. I didn't mean any harm."
"You were a baker, Bex. That's more than a white lie."
"...I know. But my experience on the River Road was true, and you've seen how effective I can be!"
I nod slowly. "Yes." Briefly touching my fingers to my shoulder.
She winces and lowers her head, becoming small in her chair. "What are you going to do now that you know?"
My hand twitches and I blink.
I'm going to bend you over my knee and spank you.
I'm going to strip you down and tie you up.
I'm going to drag my dagger over your skin to feel your blood on my tongue.
I'm going to have you sit on my face so I can consume you.
I'm going to bite you.
An exhausted exhale escapes my nose.
"What do you think would be the appropriate thing for me to do? In the very least I know you're willing to lie to get your way."
"Vash." Her voice is pleading.
I lean my elbows on my armrests, steepling my fingers in front of me, waiting.
Her voice gains a welcome confidence. "I understand what I did was deceptive, but I couldn't continue rotting in the Hollow waiting for something to happen. You know this."
A smile creeps across my face. "I do."
"My only regret is that I had to resort to deception just to be given a chance. I'm sorry for that, though I won't pretend I'm not resentful. Still, I am grateful to have traveled with you."
I tip my head to her. "The path you've forged for yourself is far better suited for a tiefling than a half-elf."
"How did you—?"
"I didn't go digging. It was a slip, from Zevlor."
She studies me briefly. "So, you knew this whole time and never approached me?"
"It is not my duty to chase down your lies and confront you with them. We have more important things to deal with. This is why I rely on you to be honest with me."
She grows still, before resting her hand on the table. She gives her claws a passing glance. "The turn cost me everything." She clenches her fist and taps it on the tabletop. "I'm a tiefling now, despite how I may feel about it." Her voice drops low, her words barely audible. "I don't want to be ashamed of my body."
There is a measured stillness in the air. Something that is only meant to be fleeting. I stand and hold my hand out to her. She takes it and carefully gets to her feet.
"May I?" I hold her fingers lightly.
Her tail sways nervously, her voice remains a whisper. "Yes."
With trepidation, I trace her horns, feeling the smooth ridges of cold keratin. I pull up her sleeve, drawing my hand over her infernal skin. I turn her palm up and gently kiss her wrist, my lips catching the rhythm of her pulse. "How does it feel to you? Being tiefling."
She loses her breath. "I-" She becomes lost in the moment but is able to pull herself back. "I don't know if I can describe it." She laughs lightly. "I often forget I have a tail. I wake up with an aching neck because my horns don't let my head sit right on my pillow anymore." She looks up at me, curiously. "Have you always been tiefling? Do you even remember?"
"I don't. But I am proud to be what I am."
Another soft laugh. "You certainly carry yourself like you are. Watching you has given me the strength to accept my new normal."
A gentle smile falls across my face. "I'm glad I can offer you that small comfort. There's nothing you should be ashamed of despite what you've experienced in Elturel. That world is behind you now."
"You're right." Her body relaxes, as if unburdening herself of a heavy yoke.
"Still, I miss my bakery. People would line up every morning to buy fresh pastries, straight from the oven."
She looks at her hand in mine. "Sometimes, I wake to the smell of cinnamon rolls and cookies, only to open my eyes to see whatever godsforsaken trail we're on and realize it's all gone."
Her face tightens, pained by the memories.
"Every tap of my tail, every time my horns catch, every time I brush my hand over the knobs in my skin, it reminds me of what I lost."
The weight of the air holds us to the moment.
"I wish you could have been there." Her eyes become black wells that refuse to fall. "I just want my perfect world back."
"Bex." I shake my head. "Men like me do not exist in perfect worlds."
She brushes her sleeve over her eyes, watching me.
I allow my hands to drift to her sides. "This is not a perfect world."
She hesitates but gently grasps my arms. "It never was, was it?"
"The world is unbalanced," I murmur. "But it gives us a perspective that perfection lacks. We can see what is truly dear to us."
Bex meets my eye. My thumb chases away a drifting tear. My hand trembles despite myself. I finally brush my fingers through her soft curls and her head dips with a reticent smile. I pull her into me and lean down, brushing my lips against her cheek. Her pulse quickens and I feel her sigh. I cradle her head, and with a heavy inhale, I firmly kiss the curve of her neck, as if to drink the air around her. I'm hungry. My tail lashes. Her body falls loose in my hands, and she breathes the softest moan. My fingers grow hot as our infernal nature thrums with longing.
I try to savor her, saturated with her sweet chamomile scent, but the wrenching fear from that night at the willow crashes into my desire like a storm.
Everything slips through my fingers in an instant.
Four days since Alfira's murder. Six days before I kill again.
I pull back.
She holds me, wanting to be in my arms.
Euphoria.
Dread.
I need to make a sacrifice.
She squeezes my arms, lightly. "Vash, are you alright?"
My face has fallen. I'm only just noticing. I take her hand and kiss her fingers. "It's nothing."
Her smile is compassionate, something I don't deserve. "Sometimes I wish I could read your mind." She lingers, before giving my hand a squeeze. "We should go."
My stomach turns and I nod, silently. She leaves. I allow myself a moment, then follow.
Bex has taken her place next to Danis, but glances at me as I emerge.
Astarion raises his eyebrows, still locked onto his book.
"Karlach." I say, seating myself next to him. "I wanted to ask you about Shovel. You seemed troubled."
"Well, it's just..." She gives me a guilty grin. "Quasits don't bond unless you're... y'know." She gestures toward me. "A certain kind of person."
I lift my brows, blankly tracking her.
She sits with my silence before letting out a heavy breath. "Look, Spooks. My time in Avernus gave me front row seats to the quasit experience. They're sneaky, mean, and bloodthirsty." She gesticulates, showing as much as she’s telling about quasit nature. "I won't judge you for having her as a familiar, but I suggest you be careful."
"Careful? Why?"
Karlach's face contorts as she struggles to find the words. "Quasits ally themselves with anyone who can feed them, keep them busy..." Her lips straighten. "...and anyone mean enough to keep'em in line. The second she smells someone bigger and meaner than you, she's gone." She stammers. "Not to say you're mean or anything!"
I wonder what made Ilyn Toth so powerful that it kept Shovel loyal? Have I already crossed that threshold...
I glance back to Karlach. "Thank you for the warning. I'll be sure to keep an eye on her going forward."
She nods. "I'd hate to see something bad happen to you. We gotta look out for each other."
"Naturally," I say with gratitude.
Shadowheart calls to me from the outlook. "Vash! Something's coming!"
Bex and I give each other a brief glance before making our way to Shadowheart. We spot a group chattering in the distance.
Goblins.
I feel the heat of Karlach come up behind us.
Before I get a chance to stop her, her engine begins to roar. "Time to clean up the filth!"
"Karlach, wait!" I reach out to her, not considering her heat, but my hand misses her regardless.
She charges down the hill, fully engrossed in her berserker mania.
"Shit." I take off after her.
Bex follows, swift and sure footed. "Karlach, stop!" Her voice cracks in desperation.
"Karlach!" It's like I'm screaming at a wall. She's not fucking listening.
Agitated sparks snap harshly at my fingertips as I bark. "Grovel!"
The spell seizes her, and Karlach drops to her knees, pinned to the dirt. Her axe skids out of her hand, getting caught in gnarled roots edging the trail.
The goblin band is far down the road, but they've stopped, hearing the commotion.
I catch up to her and skid into a kneeling position in front of her. "Karlach!"
Her engine reels, and she's forced to catch her breath. She glares at me, embarrassed. "What the hells, Spooks! What are you doing?"
"Karlach. This isn't how we do things. You need to listen." My tone is biting, but I quickly try to calm myself.
She shifts her shoulders, trying to fight the spell. "Why not? This is what I do best! I can clear these guys out easily. Just give me a chance!"
Bex kneels with us. She looks frightened and speaks quickly. "We trust that you can do it! But we're all counting on each other to work as a team. One wrong move could get someone hurt." She's resting her palms against her thighs, and I notice she's flexing her hands as she speaks.
Her nervous glance shifts to me briefly. "I learned the hard way, too."
Karlach's face twists into confusion. "But, if you trust me—"
I lean forward and speak firmly. "You're not in Avernus anymore."
She finally goes still.
"You're not under the boot of Zariel. This is not the Blood War."
Shadowheart catches up and joins us, placing herself next to Karlach. "As exciting as it is to tear apart one's foes," she says gently, "you need to realize that you don't have to carry each fight alone any more."
Her engine begins to slow, calmed by Shadowheart's presence.
I press my fingers on the ground in front of her. "Breathe with me."
Karlach matches my breath, and she finally speaks in a thin voice. "But..." The spell fades; she is released. "...this is all I have." She settles on her calves as she tries to process what's going on.
"Karlach, look around you." I regard her for a moment before pulling off my cloak and carefully throwing it over her shoulders.
She looks at it, confused, pinching the hem between her fingers.
I place my hand against its wool, pressing gently into her arm.
She instinctively pulls away with a sharp inhale, before hesitating. I give her a moment before reaching out again.
She looks at my hand resting against her before feeling Shadowheart and Bex wrap their arms around her.
Her chin begins to quiver.
Her eyes close tight.
There is a soft sizzle of tears.
She clings desperately to them, and for the first time in ten years, she lets go.