"Do you see? He is a clumsy monster. Erratic. Emotional."

The woman sitting on my chest has her back to me. She slowly turns. Her white eyes lock onto me. They do not blink. She slams her palms into my shoulders. She's inches from my face with a wide grin.

"Useless."

My eyes snap open, and I can't move. She's gone, but my body hasn't come back to me. Fear rushes through me. Then something shifts. My body slowly comes free, and I roll out of bed, slamming into the ground of my office.

I grunt and lie still, catching my breath. The sound of Ava and Arthur's morning sex hums through the wall. I run a palm over my face. At least they'll be focused today.

...I miss Astarion and Rooster. Sleeping alone has left me feeling cold. My body aches for them.

It's been a few days, and I've opted to sleep in my office to keep the peace at camp. I must also, apparently, remain outside a healthy twelve-foot radius of Danis at all times.

"Can we please let bygones be bygones?" I call to him.

"No."

"At least allow me to be a part of this moment."

"You are. From over there," Danis says firmly.

I drop my hands, and Danis turns to Doni. "Are you ready?"

He's bouncing with his hands over his face. "Yes!"

Danis holds up the wooden mask he's carved. "Okay! Here it is!"

Doni removes his hands and begins screaming the moment he sees it. He takes it and lays it flat over his face. "It's perfect, Uncle Danis!"

I feel a bit left out, but at least he's happy.

Then the fire comes.

A ring of flames opens on the ground in front of Doni. The scent of sulfur is in the air. I bolt over and grab him, holding him tight while Mizora rises from her wretched hole.

Everyone huddles around me and Doni.

"Fuck off, Mizora!" Karlach barks.

Mizora's jaw drops, and she looks at me before her face settles into an easy smile. "Language, Karlach. That's the rule."

"You had no right to trick him like that!" Karlach says. "For gods' sake. He's twelve! Though, you're no stranger to recruiting child soldiers after what you did to Wyll."

Doni shifts in my arms. "It wasn't a trick!"

"Doni, please," I murmur. "Now's not the time."

Mizora steps out of the circle and stretches her wings. "Unfortunately, you get better soldiers when you train them from an early age. Isn't that right, Shepherd?"

My shoulders tense.

"To that point, I've come to collect Doni for his first day of training."

I turn him away from her before addressing him. "This means she'll be taking you back to Avernus."

"I know, Father. She explained everything to me."

"And you agreed to go?"

"Yes!"

"...I thought what we were doing was enough."

"It is, but Madam Mizora says the training I'll get in Avernus would be special. Master Blades is going to teach me."

Master Blades. What a profoundly reassuring name. Some infernal cocksucker with a penchant for training child soldiers. I cling to Doni a little tighter and try to steady my voice. "What is he training you for?"

"She says I'm going to be a hero, like you."

"Doni." I hug him. "Gods..." I look at Danis over Doni's shoulder.

He quickly backs away. "No need to look at me like that, Varrick."

Mizora has one arm folded, fingers to her lips. "Fascinating. It seems our hero is having trouble taking responsibility for himself. Anyway. Doni, it's time." She holds out a hand.

"Madam Mizora. May I stay a little longer to see father's sword ceremony?"

"His sword ceremony?" she says cheerfully.

"Yes, he got his hilt back, thanks to me!"

"Of course he did! By all means. Lead the way."

I glare at her. "Go back to the pit you came from, Mizora."

"You do talk! I was worried your god might have finally scrambled your brain."

I step toward her, and she slightly shifts back but keeps her easy smile. "You promised the boy."

I falter, then stop.

She grins wide and pats my cheek. "Good pet."

I lean my face away from her and adjust Doni in my arms. "Come on, Doni."

A healthy crowd has gathered at the forge. People press against the wooden dais as I step onto the platform, still holding Doni. Mizora stands in the back, looking at the assembly. She purses her lips, tucking her wings. I set Doni down, and Bex comes up on the platform next to me, taking Doni by the shoulders.

Dammon stands between Arthur and Ava. The blade lies across his open palms, wrapped in a black velvet cloth.

I hold up my hand. The crowd grows quiet.

"We have heard the rumors of a siege. The duergar aim to take our home for themselves. The very home we've worked so hard to make our own. We must do everything within our power to ensure that does not happen."

I nod to Dammon, who steps forward and kneels down, holding up the sword, bowing his head.

"The blade is adamantine. Ava provided Sussur bark from the concord to give it silencing properties when it strikes a foe."

I look to Ava. "A generous contribution, thank you."

She gives me a thumbs up with a grin, and Arthur is bouncing slightly, all hands clasped in front of him.

I take it and carefully pull the velvet from the blade. A soft ringing sound echoes over the silence of the people. I hold it over my head. The adamantine glows blue. The light reflects against my polished horns.

The crowd murmurs and shifts as my gaze drifts across them.

"The Shepherd watches over his flock. May no wolf threaten that which I cherish most."

Dark banners fall from the rafters of the forge. Each emblazoned with my heraldry. A ram's face, encircled by golden leaves.

"I swear to give my-"

I am battered by several magic missiles. They break against my warding spell, but the last one cracks me in the chest and I am blown back.

Several shouts rise throughout the crowd.

Mizora flies over the people, landing next to me.

"Get Doni out of here!" I bark.

Mizora picks him up and casts the circle, vanishing in a plume of flames.

I climb to my feet and cast another warding spell, stepping in front of Bex. A commotion comes from a maintenance bridge above us. Several wardens drag a duergar woman down to the dais. They force her to her knees in front of me. I straighten my hair and look down at her. She isn't wearing vestments. She doesn't appear to be from the cult. I don't recognize her from Clan Flameshade. She must be from one of the other duergar clans.

"Are there more of you?"

She spits at me.

I nod to the wardens. "Pin her down."

The crowd murmurs and Bex lifts her chin.

I face the people once more and plant the tip of my blade on the back of her neck. "If we show a wolf mercy, will it cease to be a wolf?" I glance across the many faces. "She attacked me in front of my son. She chose, and look at where her choices have gotten her."

There is a beat of silence and I slowly remove my blade. "A trial. Her guilt is clear. Her future is not. Detain her."

The wardens grab her arms and drag her off.

Maylee swiftly approaches, leaning into me. She keeps her voice low. "We found no other conspirators. I'll have the wardens start the process of extracting information from her."

"Do you still have Argram's body?"

"We do."

"Make sure she understands the consequences of not talking."

Maylee gives a stiff nod. "By His will." She follows the wardens through the crowd toward the prison block.

I rest the tip of my sword on the ground in front of me, leaning on the hilt. I address the crowd once more and raise a hand. "I swear to give myself to the protection and sovereignty of Forgetown." I glance at Bex. "By His will. By my hand."

I sit at my desk, a banner hanging prominently behind me. Pip stands on the desk in front of me.

"I was able to fly past the Mausoleum! There were a few camps of duergar stationed outside. Pretty big ones!"

"Can you render a guess as to how many soldiers there were?"

"Uh..." She shifts slightly, her ears turning back. "Wait..."

"What is it?"

She blinks. "Someone is coming."

I carefully take her in hand and tuck her into the hood of my coat.

The door opens, then closes, then a man fades into focus. Lurgan. He looks at his hands before glancing around. "How in the hells did you remove my invisibility?"

I gesture to the ceiling. A Sussur blossom is fastened to a wooden beam.

"Yeah. Should'a guessed."

"Shouldn't you be with the other duergar? Or are you going to try to kill me, too?"

He grunts. "You think I'm that stupid?" He sits in the chair across from me. "Naw. I see the writing on the wall. My kin might have a good chance at defeating you, but I'm a realist. I've learned not to trust you, which is why I'm here to offer my services."

I lean back, resting my hand on my desk. "In what way?"

"Information. I'm taking a gamble on you, but I think it's a winning bet. Besides..." He takes a moment and gets comfortable in the chair. "Your wardens took my ferry. It wasn't even a struggle. Garmor and Holvik were outnumbered. I decided it wasn't worth the fight." He leans forward and presses his finger into my desk. "I want my ferry back. I ain't here to demand nothin'. I ain't in a position to make demands, but I'd like to make a deal. I'll help you with whatever you need from me. I ain't going on no suicide missions, but if you need information? You got it." He leans back. "I just want my ferry back, and I don't want no trouble."

"Seems fairly straightforward. What aren't you telling me?"

"You got the truth of it, I swear. That ferry has been in my family for generations. It's all I know. I ain't interested in getting pushed out. I ain't asking for much because what I want ain't worth much to anyone else but me."

I tap my claw on my desk. "You will not be given a second chance if I find out you've been acting as a double agent, and I will find out."

He waves his hand. "Ma' always said the best way to play a liar's game is to be as straight as possible. I'm not lying about what I want." He points at the eye at the top of my banner. "Watch me all you like, Shepherd. You won't catch me slip."

"Can you speak with animals?"

"Yeah. Helps with navigatin' the waters."

"I'll assign one of my privates to serve as a communication channel between us." I reach into my hood, and Pip crawls into my hand. I hold her out.

Lurgan squints. "A bat?"

"Her name is Pip. She can navigate the Shadow-Cursed Lands. You and I can't be seen together. It was wise of you to use invisibility. Just know there are some pockets of anti-magic scattered throughout Forgetown. I'll let my First Warden, Maylee, and my Lieutenant, Bex, know that you are working with us. You can reach out to them if need be."

"Right."

"I will also offer my protection, as an ally. If you need anything from us, just let us know."

"Right. Yeah, that's good."

"Until the war is over and Forgetown is safe from the duergar forces, we will retain custody of the ferry. We can't risk handing it over until we can guarantee the duergar have surrendered."

His jaw locks, but he gives a curt nod.

"How many soldiers are expected for the first assault?"

"Somewhere around two hundred."

"Two hundred? Why not more?"

"The other clans didn't seem interested in a random forge village. Seems Brithvar wasn't doin' too good of a job selling the plan to his kin. He was also feeling reluctant to share. They didn't like that."

My lips press thin. "Well... that makes it seem like it might be a fairly expeditious siege."

He chuffs. "You sound disappointed. I wouldn't get too excited. They got something big."

"What is it?"

"Don't know. Some bottle Brithvar seems extremely excited about. No clue what it could be."

"See if you can find out what it is."

"Can't promise nothin'... but I'll try."

"Good man."

I arrive back to camp for supper. Doni is still gone. My shoulders haven't been able to relax since he was taken... it's ironic that sending him to the Hells felt like a safer option than staying in the pandemonium.

Gale is blessedly making dinner. He actually hands me a plate. "Don't get used to it," he says with a half-smile, though I can see what seems to be pity in his eyes.

I take it and eat, quietly.

The Hells portal opens behind me and I immediately drop my plate, getting to my feet.

Mizora emerges with a hand on Doni's shoulder.

Doni has a wide grin on his face. I kneel down and he dashes up to me, giving me the biggest hug. He smells like Avernus. I pull back and grab his shoulders, looking him over.

"Were you hurt? Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine, Father. Master Blades was amazing! First, he got angry with Mizora because he didn't realize I was twelve. I let him know that I'll be thirteen soon, to make him feel better. Then he sat me down and we talked for a while. I told him all about Uncle Danis's mask, and my other mask. He wants to see it, so I'll bring it to him next time. I told him about my time in Avernus when Elturel got sunk. I told him about my... my real father." He fidgets with his fingers. "And I told him about you! And how you're my father now. And all the good things you've done! He says his father was the same way. He also said his father sent him away after he pacted with Mizora. He was worried that you might... you might do the same. And that scared me. But I said you would never do that."

My heart wrenches slightly. "No, Doni. I will never do that." My face grows tight. I try to calm myself.

"Then he asked me what kind of soldier I wanted to be! I told him I didn't know. Then he showed me the powers Mizora gave me! Father, I can blast things! It was so much fun!"

"It sounds like you had a good time. I'm very glad."

He bounces. "I can't wait to see him next! He's going to teach me all sorts of things!"

"That's wonderful, Doni, truly. Are you hungry? Would you like some dinner?"

"Yeah! Do you think Mr. Gale has made something I like?"

Gale lifts his head and smiles. "I've got something prepared special for you, Doni." He holds up a plate of potato wedges.

"Thank you!" He dashes up, and almost snatches the plate but hesitates, then holds out his hands.

"There you go." Gale places the plate in his hands.

Doni laughs and gives a little bow before sitting and eating, knocking his boots together.

Shovel runs up to him and leans against him, sniffing his face. Doni leans away and laughs with a potato wedge in his mouth.

"You smell like hell soot! Where you been?" she asks.

"Avernus," he says with his mouth full.

"Oooh. Once had a boyfriend from Avernus. He was smoking hot." Shovel throws herself onto the ground, laughing far too hard.

I climb to my feet. My tail twitches. "Mizora. May I speak with you privately?"

She raises a brow. "It's about time." She follows me through the temple.

We step into my office and she drapes herself across one of the chairs, leaning on an elbow. "So?" she says with a fucking smirk.

I settle myself in my seat. My nostrils flare. "As much as I hate to say it... I would like to thank you for being so swift in getting Doni to safety."

She flicks her hair. "The last thing I need is another random wretch killing off one of my warlocks." She crosses her legs. "He saw your absurd pageantry. It was time to go either way."

"I'm concerned with the fate of my son's mortal soul," I say a little too tersely.

"Oh pish. It will be in good hands as long as he obeys."

"Forgive me for not believing a fucking word you say."

"It's not like you're any better. You have your pact written all over your skin."

"My... what?"

"Ope! Did I say too much?" She slaps her own wrist. "I'm such a bad girl."

I glance at the back of my hand before returning my attention to her. I narrow my eyes.

She leans forward. "How do you think you received the hilt from Mephistopheles? Do you think you asked nicely?"

My lip twitches and my fingers flex. I tuck my hand into the front of my coat.

She leans back, looking very pleased with herself.

"I would like to see the contract you had him sign."

"That's a non-starter, I'm afraid. And don't try to ask him. You'll find he'll be quite incapable of speaking a word of it."

My fist tightens. "Very well. What are your expectations of him?"

"Nothing complicated. He's a good boy. Good boys make for efficient soldiers. They're usually not fond of killing, so if they have to, they get it done quickly."

"I wasn't trying to raise him to be a killer. It was supposed to be his decision."

"And it was! All I did was offer him exactly what he asked for. He took the deal."

"He's twelve..."

"Ah! He's almost thirteen. He's practically a man."

"For fuck's sake, Mizora."

"And he chose to sell his soul to ensure he had a place by your side." She puts a hand on her hip. "Now where do you think he got that idea from? Was it Danis? Really?"

My jaw grows tight.

"Or... did he watch his beloved father treat people like assets. Time. And time. Again."

"Mizora."

"Yes?" she says in a soft voice. Her gaze trails up me. "I hope you can see now what a lucrative partnership this will be. I can easily make up for your shortcomings."

"Is that why you did this? To get closer to me?" My nose curls. "I assume this has to do with my past. I'm only just putting my life back together."

"I'm not allowed to share any of those details, pet. My hands are tied. Though... not in the way you want them to be."

I don't realize how tightly I'm gripping my armrest until my hand starts aching.

She uncrosses her legs. She's not wearing any fucking underwear.

"You seem tense." She rises and drifts over to me. "Why is that?" She drags her hand across my chest and steps behind me, massaging my shoulders.

I palm my forehead.

She leans down. "No need to be sour." She moves around me and straddles my waist, resting her arms around my neck. "You're practically seething."

"I'm just trying to have a conversation."

"We have all the time in the world for that."

"How often do you plan to take him to Avernus to see this... Master Blades?"

She pokes my nose. "As often as he needs to become a good little warlock."

My fingers tremble with anger. I rest them against her hips to steady them.

She smiles wide. "Any more questions for me?"

I stare at her flatly.

She curls her hand around the back of my neck and kisses me firmly. Her tongue slides into my mouth. She begins to grind against me.

I snatch her hair back, and she inhales sharply, losing her grip on me.

"I fucking despise you," I say through gritted teeth.

"Do you? Let's check." Her fingers trail down the front of my trousers.

I am, unfortunately, very hard.

"Well! That's settled," she titters while undoing my belt.

"No speaking," I murmur, pulling back the front of her dress. I cup her breast and give it a firm bite before rolling my tongue over her nipple. She presses into me and moans dramatically.

She pulls me free and strokes a few times before shifting forward and sliding me into her. She continues to make loud noises.

I grip her wing tightly and wrap my hand around her throat. Her moans become stifled as I squeeze. She digs her claws into my back, drawing blood. Pleasure rushes through me. The ice-hot flames of Cania burn between us.

I treat her with the utmost disrespect.