I cross the crumbling bridge into the courtyard. The camp is silent. Smoke drifts from the extinguished firepit. Litter everywhere. The only sound is that of a chain dragging across the cobbled ground. I cross the vestibule into the main hall. A few goblins sit at the branding station chattering. The sound of a raucous gathering echoes from the throne room. One sees me and jumps to her feet.

"Boss?" She grunts. Her tin armor clattering as she stands.

"No. True Soul Neel." I plant the butt of Sorrow in front of them. "Touch the hilt of my glaive."

The armored goblin blinks. She and the booyahg reach out, fingers brushing it. The armored goblin drops while the booyahg begins to scream. I snatch him and twist his neck before driving the blade of Sorrow into the armored goblin. I watch the halls for movement. No one comes forward.

I walk down to the gates of the spider pit. Two large spiders nestled in the back.

"You two. Are you servants of Lolth?"

The smaller of the two rises and pads over to me. "Lolth? No. We serve the Absolute. She feeds us. She cares for us."

"And what of Minthara?"

The smaller spider is silent, while the larger one approaches from behind. "She is the hand of the Absolute. She understands us. We are precious to her."

"Praise be. Does Ragzlin serve you as well as she?"

"Who are you to be asking such things?" She hisses.

"True Soul Neel. Servant of the Absolute."

Her knees bend as she studies me, rubbing her pedipalps together. She answers slowly. "Ragzlin does not treat with us. Only throws the bodies in. Nothing more. Dead. Sometimes rotted. Festering."

"He is not dear to you."

She wavers. "No."

Bones are piled along the walls, but I see no obvious opening that could lead out. "Are there tunnels to the Underdark here?"

She turns and points a paw toward a small crevice in the wall. "Yes."

"Is that the only one?"

"There are five."

I search the wall for the remaining cracks. They seem to be spread out.

"I bring word from the Absolute. Ragzlin is to step down."

The spiders glance at each other.

"There will be a faction of goblins that will need to close off the tunnels from dissenters. Will you fight with them?"

They tap their feet against the ground, disturbing bones that roll and clatter. "If we don't?"

"The Absolute has made it clear. Loyalty to Ragzlin will not be tolerated."

The larger one pads closer, almost touching the bars with her feet. "Haughty words. Empty, True Soul Neel."

I kneel down, facing her. "They will be here soon. Led by an infernal lieutenant. She is a True Soul who, through Her grace, burns hotter than a furnace and has the might of ten men. You do not need to answer now. Wait, and see."

They pull back as I stand, slowly returning to their nest, glancing back.

I pull the sending stone and step away from the spider pit. "Hall cleared. Take position. Consulted the spiders. They are considering. Make it count."

I climb the stairs to the war room and find Ragzlin pacing. "We need Bishop! General Thorm hasn't been answering, and we're going to lose our position if the damn goblins aren't going to fall in line."

"Absolutely not!" Minthara snaps. "If Bishop hears we've lost control of something as meager as a feted goblin camp, we'll be executed on the spot. You will not go over General Thorms head on this."

The scrying eye hums as it trails Ragzlin around the war room. I throw my hood over my head, keeping my face down.

Ragzlin stops the moment he sees me, immediately getting in my face. "You fucking coward! You've been avoiding us, I just know it! What in the hells have you been doing?"

"My duty." I say, slowly pushing him back.

He presses against my hand. "My ass does its duty better than you do."

A smile creeps across my face and I look toward Minthara. "The grove is secured. It is a valuable outpost with enough food to feed an army. Something we could have easily lost if you two had followed through with your plans. Furthermore, there is no weapon." I walk past Ragzlin and stand opposite her at the war table. "How far have you gotten in locating it?"

Minthara glances at me and grunts. "The last lead we had was a disaster. The creche on the mountain pass has been destroyed. By the time our forces got there it was nothing but rubble. We couldn't determine what happened, and excavation gave us nothing."

"A shame." I say through pursed lips.

"Shut up, Neel. I don't need your tongue right now."

"Perhaps later, then."

She glares at me. "On top of that, we have an infiltrator who has poisoned half the camp against us. Someone they call 'Boss'. I can't determine who they are. None of the goblins are making sense. They say he's a large demon with blood red eyes who ate someone alive in the middle of camp." She waves her hand dismissively. "Utter nonsense."

I snort. "He seems formidable."

"He sounds like a phindar." She leans forward on the table. "Someone is trying to subvert the Absolute. Given our mission, this Boss must have the weapon and is trying to tear us apart before we find it."

Ragzlin's fist slams into the table. "We're chasing a damned ghost! How in the Hells are we supposed to find this bastard before the whole camp goes up in smoke?"

I shift my feet. "He's no ghost. A phantom couldn't have caused all this. Goblins are chaotic. They gather around strength. Someone is pulling strings."

Ragzlin grunts and drags his hand through his greasy hair. "I'd've said it was a follower of Maglubiyet. He's jealous of the Absolute's might. I wouldn't put it past him to send a snake."

"Is there anyone in your faction that might still have ties to Maglubiyet?"

"Gut would know, but she's gone missing." He taps his knuckle on the tabletop. "Maybe... one of my booyahgs?" Ragzlin storms out and begins screaming. "Culk! Where the fuck is Culk!?"

I purse my lips and glance at Minthara. She sighs and looks down at the stained map. "It's something. It's not enough."

The sending stone pulses in my pocket. I hold it up and a whisper carries forth. "We're in position, Boss."

Minthara's eyes lock onto me.

I raise my hand and snap. Thunder detonates next to the scrying eye. It shatters. "It's time to go, Minthara."

"You... Iblith!"

Cries and ululations rise from the throne room as the attack begins. She shifts her focus to the door, arming herself with her mace. With a flick of her hand she casts grovel. My knees buckle and batter the ground, hands pinned. She charges me, and swings. I drop, and the mace passes over my head. The spell fades and I pull the glaive, tripping her.

"Extend your protection to her!" I bark.

"No." The prism hums in my pocket.

I batter Minthara in the cheek with the butt of the glaive. She growls and grabs the hilt. "I should have killed you the moment I saw you!" She pulls herself into me, kicking me in the face with a sabaton.

The glaive has no effect. She's a thrall... gods, she doesn't have grief, only the will of the Absolute.

I snatch the prism from my pocket and scream into it. "Clear her mind you fucking bastard!"

Minthara grabs my cloak. I pull it off and roll to my feet.

She gets up and tosses it aside, advancing on me once again.

"No! We've been over this!"

I retreat from the blow. "Yes, we have, and your logic isn't sound."

Minthara swings and I jump back, feeling the rush of air that follows a weapon coming too close to skin.

"Either you're stupid, or you're lying to me! Which is it?"

Minthara snarls through her teeth. "You're a madman!" She staggers to a halt and stares at the prism in my hand. "The weapon!"

I grab Minthara by the back of the neck and press the prism to her forehead, gritting my teeth. "Gods damn it! Just do it!"

"You see into her mind! She will undermine our entire operation!"

"If she does, we'll just kill her. How is that a problem?"

Minthara shoves me back and swings the mace. It catches me in the ribs. Spikes bite into me and I lose my breath.

"Gods damn it!"

I snap my fingers and another pocket of thunder detonates next to her head. She's thrown to the ground, blood dripping from her ear and nose. I lift her by the collar. "You're lucky I like you." My fist collides with her face and she falls limp.

I stand over her, holding my side, catching my breath. After a moment I get down and begin unbuckling her armor.

Sazza staggers in. "Boss! Boss! Ragzlin is finished! We got'em! An arrow came out of nowhere and stuck him through the eye! It was bloody glorious."

Bex. My unstoppable phantom.

"Well done, Sazza. Now head to Moonrise. Bind this one before she comes too. Take her with you. I'll meet you there within a tenday. I still have business here." I grab the cuffs of Minthara's pants, pulling them off.

The Weave begins to shift around me, and the scent of bark and soil filles the air. A cascade of light flashes to my left. I glance over and see Halsin.

"There you are."

"I knew I should have never trusted you!" He surges toward me.

I drop Minthara's legs and stagger back. "Halsin, you don't want to do this!"

"No, I think I very much do, True Soul!" He grabs me by the tunic and his fist slams into my jaw.

There is a blink of light behind my eyes from the strike and pain shoots down my neck. He motions to strike again, but I catch Sorrow's pole underfoot and kick it into my hands. I batter him in the chest, pushing him back, before rapping the pole across his knuckles.

He snatches his hand back, wincing. "No." He falters as a tear falls from his eye. He curls his nose, looking at the glaive. "Sorrow... I should have known. Someone like you doesn't have heart enough to grieve. I've lived with my grief for over a century. It will not stop me from protecting my people."

I take a step back and adjust my jaw. It pops in several places before I refocus. "Your people are safe."

"Lies! All of it just honeyed words!" He hunches and his body begins to change.

I throw my cloak on and strap Sorrow to my back, grabbing Minthara's mace.

The bear charges, and swipes. I crack him across the face with the mace and he roars, standing on his hind legs. He towers over me; claws hurled in my direction. I dodge the first strike, but the second catches my horns. I hit the ground and roll onto my back. He lands on top of me and begins to maul me.

"Didn't we already do this?!" I grunt, wrestling with his jaws as he tries to snap and tear at me. Arcs of red static begin to surge through me. I swing the mace and it collides with his shoulder, followed by Bhaal's smite. He's blown off me, hitting the ground.

A strained breath escape me as I climb to my feet. I approach, wiping blood off my nose. The mace batters his face once more. In a flash he's elf again. Blood drips from his mouth, his eye swollen.

"Halsin." I say breathlessly. "The grove will be safe as long as it's under my authority." I put a hand over my heart. "I promise."

He grunts, shifting to his elbows. "They are slaves to a tyrant..."

"Slaves? Slaves with safer roads? Open trade negotiations? A properly fortified redoubt?" I point the mace. "Harmony with the refugees after you abandoned them and left Kagha in charge?"

"Kagha? Of course I left her in charge. She-"

"She's a shadow druid."

He falls still. "How dare you. Her parents were veterans of the Emerald Enclave."

"She was a plant. After you left, the shadow druids moved in and began the Rite of Thorns."

"The Rite of... How can that be?"

"You didn’t see what was right in front of you."

He snaps his eyes to mine, his face sunken. "And you smelled the blood in the water. So, did you kill Kagha? Get her out of the way?"

"Of course not, I have mercy. She's carrying the head of Olodon back to Cloakwood as we speak."

His arms drop. "Olodon. I haven't heard that name in years."

"In light of your absence, I became what they needed. They chose this." I smile. "And they are grateful."

He grits his teeth as he stands. "They don't know what you are. But I see the whole of you. I cannot let you exploit my people to feed the army of the Absolute."

Shovel comes charging into the war room, arms high, screaming. "Master Neely! I found it! The hole! The big hole! Through the stinky bedroom! The ladder goes all the way down!"

"Thank you, Shovel. Ragzlin's body is in the throne room."

"YEEEAAAHHH!!!!!" She scampers off.

I glance at Halsin.

"Fiend keeper." he breathes.

"It's Peace Bringer."

Snaps of light emanate from Halsin as the Weave shifts.

Vines erupt from the stone floor, locking my feet into place. I pull to no avail. Then a searing moonbeam crashes down on me. My face and hands grow hot and begin to blister. I throw my hood over my head in desperation, smelling that familiar miasma of my own burning flesh.

I reach down and flames drip from my fingertips, igniting the vines. I tear my feet free and I stagger out of the light.

Halsin shifts the beam, as more vines break through the stone. I dance, trying to avoid their hold, but my boot catches once more. I snap, and thunder detonates next to his head. He clutches his face, and the light flickers out.

A breath escapes me as I look at my trembling hands. My face aching and growing tight.

I glance up and he is charging me again. Relentless bastard. I shift out of the way. He trips, staggering forward. His foot hits the edge of the crumbling floor, and I grab his wrist. He hangs over a crevasse, heels hinged, holding tight to my arm.

"By Silvanus's Mercy." His voice quakes.

My gaze travels across him.

His foot slips and he begins to pull against me, trying to regain his footing.

My grip comes loose, but his hold remains firm. I draw my dagger. He reaches out his hand. "Bex!"

My blade breaks through his wrist and he vanishes into the dark.

I turn. Bex is standing at the doorway.

Her knees hit the ground.