“Grasp every experience – but know that some will grasp you too.
A kiss can be sweeter than immortality, and more bitter than damnation.”
wisdom of the Sensates
Third Void Day of Mortis, 126 HR
After drinking the Moonweed elixir, Sarin placed the empty vial on the edge of the basin. He had made this decision carefully, knowing and believing that it was one of the best ways to protect himself. And yet, now that he had emptied the vial, it felt strange for a moment. A decision he could never reverse – just like the one that had led Terrance to give him the potion in the first place. He ran both hands over his face once more to wash away the dust of the savanna. The water felt too warm on his skin, almost like a grip closing around him, and the whole room was filled with a heavy, sweet scent. He was no Sensate, and Lady Erin could certainly better judge it, but he would have bet that the water was laced with aphrodisiacs. However, the Moonweed elixir seemed to be having its effect in this regard: he felt no influence whatsoever.
Of course, Red Shroud must have seen him take it. And she certainly guessed what it was meant for. But if the forced bath had one advantage, it was that none of Red Shroud's followers had been able to observe – and possibly prevent – him drinking it. Sarin had wanted to take the elixir before entering the palace, but Terrance had advised against it. There was an ideal time span for the effect to set in and reach its peak – and that was now. Always in the hope and assumption that the kiss would actually happen anytime soon. As much as he had disliked the bath, he now hesitated to leave it. For that would bring him irrevocably closer to the Mistress of Broken Reach. A glance at Faith told him that she knew exactly what was crossing his mind. Of course, she always knew.
With a deep sigh, he pulled himself together and climbed out of the stone basin. His wife had meanwhile put the empty vial back into her pocket and handed him a towel. He went to one of the benches next to the basin, but not the one where his armor, his gambeson and his two scimitars lay. The alu had made it unmistakably clear that he should wear the clothes that Red Shroud had chosen for him. Just another move in the morbid game she was playing with him, he thought to himself. Not worth getting upset about. Not worth risking the prisoners' wellbeing for. But as his gaze fell on the robes that had been laid out for him, he paused ... When he had taken off his clothes to get into the bath, he had been more than aware that Red Shroud certainly had a way of watching. It had taken him some effort to overcome his reluctance, and it had been a well-placed stitch. A calculated humiliation ahead of the kiss, as subtle as it was obvious, a small, poisonous sting of abasement with which she demonstrated the power she currently had over him. It hurt, but it didn't surprise him.
What he hadn't expected was that it would take more effort to get dressed again than to undress ... But now he stood in front of the bench where the alu had placed the clothes intended for him, wearing only a towel around his hips – and somewhat speechless. A traditional wedding garment from his homeland of Iironda ... that was the attire Red Shroud wanted him to wear for the kiss. It lay on the stone bench, partly unfurled, and there was no doubt about it. The zardozi embroidery on the red sherwani and the golden braiding on the matching dupatta-scarf were unmistakable. The garments of an Iirondian groom, just as he had worn them at his and Faith's wedding ...
His wife noticed it too, of course. She stepped almost silently beside him and gently placed a hand on his arm. “It doesn't mean anything, khaladi,” she said softly, but there was an unmistakable tension in her voice.
He looked into her eyes and saw that she was hurt, even though she didn't want to show it. A hot wave of anger washed over him. “That ...” He swallowed the rest of his sentence. The words that were on the tip of his tongue were not worthy of a paladin or a factol, but they lingered in his mind for a while.
Faith had already regained her composure. “I mean it, khaladi,” she said calmly. “It doesn't mean anything. She just wants to torment us, that's all. Don't give her the satisfaction.”
Sarin took a deep breath. He knew his wife was right, and he admired her equanimity in the face of the situation. He briefly reached for her hand and squeezed it, assuring her of his support as much as seeking hers. Then he overcame his inner reluctance and put on the clothes that the alu had laid out ready for him. They fit like a glove, which only added to his discomfort. Red Shroud seemed to know more about him than he would have liked. He turned towards the door, but before opening it, he turned back to Faith once more, took her hand and gently pulled her into his arms. She kissed him, softly, lovingly, but still with a certain passion. Certainly in the hope that Red Shroud was indeed watching them, and Sarin returned her kiss with the same awareness. No matter what she forced him to do, she could never have what he had with Faith, and at that moment, this was the only thought that gave him strength. Then he let go of his wife, albeit hesitantly, and opened the door to the hallway. As they had announced and promised, Mallin and Kiyoshi were standing guard there. When they heard the handle, they both turned to him and looked him over, the factol of the Mercykillers more blatantly than the young soldier.
“Well, now she can't complain anymore,” Mallin said gruffly.
“I certainly hope so,” Sarin replied with a sigh. Then he signaled to Kiyoshi to take his armor and scimitars from the bathing room.
The young man quickly obeyed the order and then followed Sarin and Faith, who were walking down the hallway behind Mallin, back to the palace’s entrance hall. There, of course, all eyes immediately turned to Sarin, both those of his companions and those of the tanar'ri. As a factol, he had no problem with being stared at by many people, but in this particular situation, he felt that he was blushing.
The succubus looked him up and down and smiled contentedly. “Charming, my lord. Quite wonderful. My mistress will be pleased.”
Sarin snorted briefly and then turned his gaze to his companions. In their eyes, he found a mixture of tense caution, nervousness and sympathy.
Ambar eyed him a little more closely and then smiled faintly. “You look a little like those Tharpuresian kings from the old stories,” he remarked.
“I'm flattered,” Sarin replied with a sigh. “I'd rather look like the factol of the Harmonium in the Barracks in Sigil, though.”
“You just don't know how lucky you are,” said the succubus, shaking her head. “Well then, let's not keep my mistress waiting any longer. Please follow me.”
She led the way together with the cambion, the limping alu and the female kelvezu, while the two bulezau, the glabrezu and the male kelvezu stayed behind. They would apparently bring up the rear. Sarin didn't particularly like being surrounded by a group of tanar'ri. But all in all, this was far from the worst thing about their situation, so he decided not to argue about it. The door opposite the entrance led to a short corridor that ended at another, smaller room. From there, they climbed some stairs and crossed a medium-sized hall. The large wooden doors at the end of this room were almost intact, but stood wide open.
Behind them stretched a large, magnificent hall with a high ceiling supported by several columns. If there had been dust and debris here like in the rest of the palace, Red Shroud had obviously had her servants clear it away. The once-polished marble tiles were cracked in many places, but otherwise the floor was clean and free of rubble. Here, too, frescoes and mosaics on the walls depicted scenes from naga mythology, and many arched windows let light into the room. At the front side of the hall was a raised stone platform where once a throne might have stood. Now, however, only a wide column remained, perhaps meant for a royal banner. Even in its decay, the former splendor of this place was still palpable, a silent reminder of the reign of long-vanished naga queens. But more than to the platform at the other end of the hall, Sarin's gaze was drawn to a cell not far from the entrance door. It had probably been just a small side room originally, but sturdy iron bars had been installed in the door frame, so that it now resembled a jail. And there the paladin spotted Lereia and Yelmalis, both chained by their hands and feet.
Sarin also moved a little closer to get a better look at the prisoners - and paused.
Mallin noticed it immediately as well. “Wait!” he growled. “Where is Garush?”
“She is here,” the succubus replied. “But in another room of the palace. We will bring her here once the agreement has been fulfilled.”
Mallin’s hand moved to the hilt of his sword. “Are you trying to fool us?!”
“Not at all.” The demoness remained outwardly calm, but took a step back from the paladin of Hoar. “But Red Shroud knows your strength. When our scouts reported who Sarin has with him, we deemed it safer this way.”
Mallin's golden eyes blazed with anger. “We will ...”
Sarin raised his hand. “Please, my friend,” he said, politely but interrupting him nonetheless. He understood Mallin's displeasure all too well. And he shared his concern for Garush. But as long as Red Shroud held all the aces, there was little they could do. Then he looked at the succubus. “May I see if they are well?”
The demoness nodded, apparently relieved that the situation did not escalate. “See for yourself.”
Sarin stepped a little closer to the barred door and examined Yelmalis and Lereia with concern. “How are you? Are you hurt?”
Yelmalis shook his head. He looked pale and exhausted, but physically unscathed. Lereia was moist-eyed and she stared at him with an expression as if she knew what Red Shroud was about to do to him. Apparently, Tarik had been successful and had at least been able to warn the three prisoners.
“We are unharmed, my lord,” replied the young woman. “Garush was too before they separated us.”
Sarin looked at her seriously. “Did they do anything to you? Physically or mentally?”
“Considering the circumstances in the Abyss, they treated us well,” Lereia explained quietly. “There were no assaults of any kind.”
“You see?” The succubus stepped into his field of vision with a raised eyebrow. “Everything is fine.”
Sarin took a deep breath and then slowly nodded to the prisoners. “Stay strong. It will all be over soon.”
Lereia looked at him intently, almost pleadingly, and gently shook her head, as if to dissuade him from taking the next steps.
Yelmalis’ gaze was also filled with pain. “Don’t do it,” he whispered.
Sarin sighed. “There seems to be no other way.”
“That’s right,” said the succubus, now with a hint of impatience. “Come, Sarin. Give my mistress what she wants, and nothing will happen to them.”
The paladin glanced briefly at his companions. Ambar was visibly struggling to restrain himself from stepping closer to the cell. Terrance cautiously placed a hand on his arm. Sgillin seemed to be experiencing similar feelings, while Naghûl and Morânia watched him vigilantly. Kiyoshi stood close to Faith's side, as if to shield her from the tanar'ri, while Mallin was even more irritable than before due to Garush's absence. Jana and Sekhemkare kept in the background as much as possible, probably glad that no attention was being paid to them at the moment. Sarin pulled himself together and nodded to the succubus, who then led him to the center of the great hall. He heard a whispered “No ...” from Lereia's direction.
At the foot of the stairs leading up to the platform, they could now see the last two followers of Red Shroud: a tiefling woman ... and a marilith. The six-armed demoness with the serpentine lower body was reminiscent of the nagas who had once inhabited this palace – and she was a serious threat. Together with the glabrezu, her presence was a clear message that Red Shroud also relied on extremely powerful allies. The succubus now stepped up beside Sarin and gestured towards the platform, apparently inviting him to go up.
Once again, he felt that he was blushing. When the Chosen had told him about the demand for the kiss, Naghûl had used the word “trophy.” Looking at the dais where Red Shroud wanted to present him, he realized that he was indeed just that. Grimly he shook his head. “A lot of fuss, isn't it?”
The succubus gave him an obnoxiously sweet smile. “It's quite an event.”
“Sure,” the paladin replied bitterly.
He heard Mallin snort in disgust, but he knew it was pointless. Red Shroud wanted him on that podium, so he would stand there. Slowly, he climbed the steps until he stood on the platform, which rose about six feet above the floor of the hall. It was empty except for the column, in front of which a throne might once have stood. When he turned around to look for his companions below, he saw the cambion making a jovial gesture.
“Find yourselves a good spot, huh?” The half-demon was acting like an usher at a grand spectacle - and that's exactly what it was for the tanar'ri.
Terrance nudged Ambar lightly and pointed to one of the pillars to Sarin's left. The half-elf nodded and went there, the Athar's factol at his side. Jana stayed close to Terrance and stood a little behind him. While the two bulezau positioned themselves at the steps of the podium, the two kelvezu entered the cell of Lereia and Yelmalis, which they locked from the inside. Then they drew two long daggers and held them to the prisoners' throats. Morânia stood beside the pillar opposite Ambar and Terrance, Naghûl, Sgillin and Sekhemkare a little behind her. The glabrezu and the alu also stayed on this side of the room, beside another pillar. Mallin had taken up a position a little ahead of Morânia, not far from the first steps of the podium.
The succubus did not seem to like the spot chosen by the factol of the Mercykillers. “You can't stand here,” she said sharply.
“Enough!” Mallin snapped at her. “I stand where I want!”
“All right.” The demoness backed away a little. “It will be fine, I guess ...”
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Sarin couldn't help but smile briefly. Mallin's mere presence and gruff manner apparently made the tanar'ri nervous, despite the presence of a marilith and a glabrezu. His formidable reputation certainly worked to their advantage here. When the six-armed marilith saw where Mallin was standing, she moved further towards Terrance and Ambar. She also beckoned the tiefling woman.
“Idobis!” She waved her over. “Come here.”
The woman followed the instruction and stood next to the marilith. Something about this change of position unsettled Sarin, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. It was just a vague, uneasy feeling. But just like with Mallin, no one could tell a marilith where to stand. Faith didn't seem to like it either, because she signaled to Kiyoshi, who had been standing firmly beside her until then. The young soldier nodded briefly and then positioned himself at Terrance's side, so that he stood between him and the tiefling woman addressed as Idobis. Faith herself seemed torn between staying back and moving closer. But then she stepped decisively up to Mallin's side.
“Do you want to see it up close?” the succubus asked with a grin. “Cute.”
Faith responded to the provocative remark with only a frosty glance, and Sarin felt another wave of anger wash over him as the demoness spoke to his wife like this. Nothing in the world would have made him happier than to step down from that platform and stand between Faith and the tanar'ri ... But he couldn't. So he just sought her gaze, and when their eyes met, he saw in her expression the confidence and strength he had always known. He took a deep breath. At that moment, he was certain of at least one thing: the bond between them was stronger than any demon's spell, no matter how powerful. A muffled gong echoing through the vast hall snapped him out of his thoughts.
“My mistress will now make her appearance,” declared the succubus, turning her gaze to a door not far from Ambar and Terrance.
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When she stopped in front of him, she let her gaze wander down his body, blatantly and unashamed. “Sarin.” She smiled. “How long I have waited for such a moment.” Her voice, low and velvety, glided over him like a touch.
He took a deep breath, trying to remain calm and focused. “You will forgive me if I cannot say the same for myself,” he replied grimly.
She laughed and then tilted her head with a small sigh. “Oh, you may yet learn to appreciate me.”
Her charms were beguiling, and married or not, paladin or not, he couldn't help but notice - couldn't help how much he noticed. But the Moonweed seemed to help - he felt in control. At the same time, he briefly sensed something that was like a gentle touch, like a hand protecting him, pleasantly cool in contrast to the heat of the room. Terrance. He just seemed to have used his considerable power to shield him from Red Shroud's mental influence.
Encouraged, Sarin now looked the demon princess firmly in the eyes. “Who guarantees that you will bring Garush here if I kiss you?”
Red Shroud laughed again. “No one. Because you don't think much of my word, do you?”
Sarin's eyes narrowed slightly. “Honestly, no.”
“Even though the prisoners are unharmed, as I promised.” Reproachfully, the demon princess shook her head. “I am disappointed. You will get Garush after the kiss. Really.”
He decided to make one last attempt. “And if I don't agree?”
She looked at the cell. “That would be very unfortunate for the prisoners. I know you have two powerful priests with you. But don't be too sure that I don't have the means to kill them anyway.”
Sarin looked at the barred door and briefly closed his eyes. A trade, nothing more, he told himself. Kiss for life, will for will. She wasn't asking for coins or blood. She was asking for something he had never wanted to give, something that belonged only to Faith and him. But there was no other way.
“All right.” He opened his eyes again and looked at Red Shroud, unsure what to do next or whether she would do it.
She gently placed a hand on his chest to push him back against the column. A jolt ran through him at her touch, but he played along, taking a few steps back until his back was against the pillar. Then she spread her arms and made a quick gesture. At her signal, a metallic sound was to be heard ... Two chains, attached to the capital of the pillar, came loose and now dangled clanking beside him. He hadn't noticed them before. At another gesture from Red Shroud, the chains came alive ... they shot up like snakes. Sarin tried to dodge, but the chains not only twitched like snakes, they were just as fast ... They wrapped themselves around his wrists and tightened. At the same time, two more chains slithered across the floor and shackled his ankles.
Sarin immediately tugged at the chains, but they were very tight. “What are you doing?” he growled angrily. “What is this supposed to be?”
Red Shroud just smiled, took a step back and nodded contentedly as she examined him. The chains scraped across the marble, each link cold as betrayal on his skin. They held his wrists above his head, his feet forced against the base. He tugged at them once more, but he knew it was futile. He was firmly chained to the pillar and could hardly move.
“Oh, Sarin. Don't be so upset, hm?“ Red Shroud stepped closer and gently ran her fingers over his cheek. ”It's much nicer this way. I even had the chains made especially for you. It's just a small precaution. What if your holy paladin reflexes will cause a positive energy flash, hm?”
Sarin stopped tugging at the chains, his feelings a mixture of surrender and letting go. Why resist? Wasn't that why he had come here? He had known what he was getting himself into, and now the time had come. Her scent enveloped him as she drew closer, sweet as roses and yet sharp as ash and blood. It spoke of sin and promise. His mind screamed that it was poison, and yet he breathed it in deeply ... But he felt Terrance's protective presence, and the Moonweed suppressed his most intense desires. When Red Shroud raised both arms to place them on his shoulders, he felt the heat of her skin even before she touched him. It was as if the room had become smaller, more confined. Her gaze was like a current: he wanted to avoid it, but he plunged into it ...
“Yes, let it happen,” she whispered in a velvety voice. “Just let it happen. You might even enjoy it.” And her lips met his …
Morânia held her breath as the chains shackled Sarin's ankles and wrists. Mallin seemed to reach for his weapon at that moment ... but then didn't. The hall was silent, unnaturally silent, with only the jangling of the chains to be heard. Faith stood frozen at the foot of the podium, her hands clenched together, her lips pale. Morânia, however, forced herself not just to look up there. She glanced over at Terrance and realized that the Athar's factol had his gaze fixed on Sarin. He seemed oblivious to everything and everyone around him, focused solely on the events atop of the dais. The bal'aasi nodded gently. He had undoubtedly formed a mental shield around Sarin's mind to protect him from the demoness' influence. On the platform, Red Shroud now placed her hands on Sarin's shoulders, and Morânia felt her heart beat faster with tension as her lips found his. This is more than a kiss, whispered a voice inside her. This is a move of fate.
When Red Shroud's lips remained on his, when she did not break the kiss but deepened it, Sarin instinctively tried to turn away. He was still capable of that much; he was not yet completely under her spell. But she raised both hands to hold his head in place and did not let go of him. Her lips were poison. He knew it. He had to deny himself to her ... and yet every breath drew him closer. As her kiss became more intense, his jaw tensed - and yet he opened his lips as if he hadn't consciously decided to do so. He wanted to push her away and at the same time longed for her touch. While her lips were on his, the moment seemed like an eternity. His whole body tensed, trembled ... a hot, burning desire flowed through him. Although everything inside him screamed that it was wrong, he felt an almost painful longing to touch her - he knew he would if his hands weren't chained to the pillar. His breathing quickened and he hated himself for wanting her. Were Red Shroud's charms stronger than the effect of the Moonweed? It seemed so ... His resistance crumbled ... The only consolation was that he could still feel Terrance's protective presence at the edge of his consciousness.
Morânia could downright feel Sarin fighting against Red Shroud's influence. While a deep silence hung over the hall and everyone stared up at the dais, Terrance was focused solely on Sarin. A deep furrow had formed between his eyebrows from the tension. When Morânia glanced briefly at the Athar's factol, she saw the tiefling woman Idobis, who was standing not far from him, reach for a long object on her belt. Then she turned to Terrance and raised her left hand to her mouth. Morânia felt a chill run through her limbs and was about to shout a warning - but Kiyoshi, standing next to Terrance, had apparently seen it too. He spoke a word that echoed loudly throughout the hall. Morânia couldn't understand it, but she knew the sensation it triggered. It was as if something tugged at her insides for a moment. It must have been a word in the Old Tongue.
And as soon as Kiyoshi uttered this word, Idobis dropped something that sounded wooden as it hit the floor. Now Morânia could see what it was: a thin blowpipe ... Had the tiefling woman just tried to poison Terrance? It certainly seemed so. But now she looked down at the bamboo cane in confusion, apparently surprised that she had simply dropped it. Very good, Kiyoshi, Morânia thought to herself. Blessed be the Old Tongue. The bal'aasi couldn't tell whether Terrance had noticed the incident or not, but in any case, he remained focused on Sarin. Ambar also reacted quickly, apparently on instinct, taking his bow from his shoulder and nocking an arrow. When Idobis bent down to pick up the blowpipe, he shot. He hit the thin tube unerringly, causing it to slide from beneath her hands towards Morânia. As soon as the blowpipe was within reach, the bal'aasi grabbed it and broke it in two.
One of the bulezau now stomped from the foot of the platform towards Kiyoshi and Ambar. “Do that once more and the prisoners die!” he growled.
Red Shroud's kiss became more passionate, she moved even closer to Sarin and her left hand slowly slid from his neck over his sherwani towards his belt. He made another try to turn his head away, but this time it was only a weak attempt, and once again unsuccessful. He clutched the chains to steady himself as the touch of her lips threatened to make him lose the ground. Her kiss was a promise of pleasure and liberation, and part of him believed it, longed for it. For an endless moment, he was not a factol, not a paladin, not a husband. He was just a man, caught between guilt and desire - and he wanted her, as much as he cursed her. He felt a surge he was unable to resist. His blood vessels dilated, his breathing quickened, his heart raced ... As powerful as the elixir Terrance had brewed might be, it was no match for Red Shroud's power …
Perhaps some of Sarin's companions had assumed that the kiss would be a quick and brief matter. Lips pressed against lips for a few seconds, and it would be over. But since Morânia descended from a succubus, she had been sure that would not be the case. She was right. The kiss continued, and nothing that happened seemed to affect Red Shroud. She stood close to Sarin, her hand wandering towards his loins. Her kiss had become even more passionate during the incident with Idobis. When the tiefling woman dropped the blowpipe, Ambar shot it away from under her fingers and Morânia broke it, the marilith let out a contemptuous snort.
“Nothing can be left to this slave trader,” she hissed. “Scum.”
Then she drew two sabers and glided towards Terrance with lightning speed ... Morânia felt her heart skip a beat in fright. Her hand moved to the hilt of her sword, and she saw Mallin cursing as he drew his weapon. But she knew that none of the spellcasters would be able to cast a spell quickly enough, and no one, not even Ambar on the other side of the room, would be able to reach the marilith quickly enough in close combat. No one except Kiyoshi, who stood between the demoness and the Athar's factol ... Out of the corner of his eye, Terrance seemed to see that the marilith was approaching. He bit his lip, but did not take his eyes off Sarin, only moving a tiny bit further to the right. Kiyoshi prepared to draw Hope, but the marilith was incredibly fast. She brandished one of her sabers in a wide arc and struck the young soldier to the ground with the flat side of the weapon. This left him unharmed, but the force of the blow and the plunge left him too dazed to get up immediately or speak another word in the Old Tongue.
All this had taken only a few seconds, and now there was no one standing between Terrance and the marilith ... As she charged at him, weapons drawn, the Athar's factol hesitated briefly, looking up at Sarin and Red Shroud ... but he had no choice. He turned to the side and raised his right hand. With a brief gesture, he sent a shockwave towards the demoness, so intense that Morânia could feel it on the other side of the room. It was an impressive demonstration of Terrance's power that the high-ranking demoness was thrown quite a distance across the hall, knocking over the tiefling Idobis. The marilith hit the tiles hard, and Terrance stood free again. But Morânia was almost certain that this attack had disrupted his concentration on protecting Sarin …
By now, her kiss caused him almost physical pain, but she did not let go of him. He was at the mercy of his own inevitable craving, and somewhere, at the very edge of his clouded consciousness, he felt Terrance's presence fading, the protective shield between his and Red Shroud's mind collapsing ... He gave in. He wanted her. So much that the pain became sweet, the guilt bearable. At that moment, he wanted nothing else. His desire was like a geyser about to erupt, like a tidal wave that rose higher and higher until no dam could hold it back. And when it finally washed over him, he did not drown - he let himself be carried away. He closed his eyes, and sparks exploded brightly behind his eyelids. A white firework that blinded him and at the same time was an expression of bittersweet release. And when he no longer held the chains, but they held him, he knew: the fight was over. Not between her and him – between his conscience and his desire. And his conscience had lost …
Morânia watched in horror as Sarin's grip on the chains tightened, his hands cramping. Terrance, after pushing back the marilith, immediately looked up at the platform again. He seemed to be concentrating, but the paladin's body twitched and his grip became so strong that the chains creaked.
Terrance's gaze darkened. “No!” he shouted, unusually emotional. “Tarnation, no!”
Morânia's heart sank. The marilith's attack had not been successful, but it had obviously been enough to break Terrance's concentration on the protective spell. If the Moonweed failed too now ...
“All right, that's enough!” Mallin apparently decided that the time had come to intervene. He gave Morânia a quick signal and climbed the steps to the platform.
The bal'aasi nodded and drew her sword Heaven's Fire. Behind her, she heard Naghûl and Sekhemkare chanting a spell. Kiyoshi lay on the ground, still visibly shaken by the marilith's blow. But he managed to prop himself up on his elbows and to yell another word in the Old Tongue, this time in Sgillin's direction. The half-elf froze and stood completely still. Morânia nodded. The two carried out a maneuver they had discussed beforehand: Sgillin would now try to swap bodies with one of the kelvezu guards in the cell, and Kiyoshi had paralyzed his body so that the demon inside it couldn't act in any way. As Morânia prepared to protect Naghûl and Sekhemkare from the glabrezu with her shield raised, she saw Faith sending a beam of radiant light towards the marilith.
Her gaze was mocking, yet almost tender as she stroked his cheek with a sharp fingernail, a gesture partly caressing, partly possessive. “Shhh ... don't worry. You only did what was inevitable. Your craving was stronger. It is always stronger.”
Sarin felt that he was blushing deeply with shame. He wanted to protest, but no sound passed his lips. He felt strangely alien in his own body, as if another man had returned the kiss - and yet it had been only himself.
The moment Morânia blocked the glabrezu's first blow, a hail of magic missiles from Naghûl whizzed past her. They hit the nearby alu, the other succubus and the glabrezu. A curse from her husband suggested that these were not quite the targets he had had in mind. An eldritch blast from Sekhemkare also hit the glabrezu, this one probably as intended. Morânia risked a quick glance at the cell with the prisoners. The female kelvezu now took the dagger from Lereia's throat, jumped at the male kelvezu and rammed the blade into his neck. At that very moment, Yelmalis disappeared - probably by leaping through time to escape the immediate threat posed by the guard's dagger. So it had worked: Sgillin was now controlling the guard's body. The other demon was so surprised by the attack and Yelmalis vanishing that he couldn't react in time. Lifelessly he fell to the ground. On the other side of the hall, the marilith, who had been knocked down by Terrance's spell, was now getting back up. Ambar immediately shot an arrow at her to attract her attention.
Terrance looked up at Sarin and Red Shroud once more and shook his head in resignation. Then he turned to the cambion approaching him with a drawn shortsword and made a gesture with his hand. Screaming, the demon burned to death in holy fire, and Morânia caught herself thinking that perhaps it was absurd to protect Terrance. Maybe he was the one who should be protecting them. Idobis seemed to think so too, as she cursed in Infernal and retreated to the entrance door, probably with the intention of fleeing. At that moment, one of the bulezau who had made his way to the cell let out a loud cry. There had been no visible attack, but glowing ashes trickled from Lereia's hand …
When Red Shroud finally let go of him and took her hand from his cheek, the chains around his wrists and ankles came loose and fell down, clanking. Exhausted, Sarin leaned against the pillar. He still couldn't believe what had just happened to him against his will and in front of everyone. Then Mallin suddenly stepped into his field of vision, energetically reaching for Red Shroud. The demon princess spun around, but couldn't quite escape the factol of the Mercykillers and was grabbed by the arm.
“You've been up to something from the start,” he growled. “Well, small wonder with a tanar'ri. But that's the end of it.”
Almost at the same moment, Faith appeared next to Mallin, ran over to Sarin and embraced him.
The female kelvezu, or rather Sgillin in her body, was now unlocking Lereia's chains, as well as those of Yelmalis, who had reappeared in the meantime. At the same time, a hail of magic missiles from Naghûl and Jana, as well as an eldritch blast from Sekhemkare, struck down the bulezau, from whom Lereia had already torn a piece of his soul. Morânia was still facing the glabrezu, but suddenly an arrow whizzed by and hit the demon in the throat. She looked over to the other end of the hall. Ambar. He had apparently decided that his comrades on his side of the hall did not need any support. Kiyoshi had obviously turned a blind eye to the traditions and customs of Kamigawa, as he fought the second bulezau with Hope in his hand. Terrance, on the other hand, turned his attention to the marilith. The fact that he had just incinerated the cambion with a mere wave of his hand seemed to impress the demoness, but she charged at him nonetheless. As the Athar's factol raised his hand once more to say a prayer, Idobis disappeared from the hall and fled.
When Sarin embraced Faith at the top of the podium, he still felt dizzy and confused, as if none of it had really happened, as if it were just a bad dream.
Meanwhile, Mallin tightened his grip around Red Shroud's arm. “You're coming with us to Sigil,” he growled. “We'll soon find out what you did to Sarin.”
“What I did?” She laughed. “Well, just what my kind does, esteemed factol. And I would really like to come to Sigil. But not to the Prison, so ...” She turned to Sarin. “It was wonderful, my love. Thank you!” She blew him a kiss, then touched an amulet around her neck with her free hand - and was gone.
Mallin cursed as Red Shroud disappeared, but he didn't seem too surprised. She was a demon princess. Of course she had the means to leave this place quickly. Faith hugged Sarin with tears in her eyes, and he held her tight, his eyes fixed on the spot where Red Shroud had just been standing. Only now did the sound of fighting reach his ears from below …
Meanwhile, the glabrezu had fallen under Morânia's sword blows, Ambar's arrows, a lightning bolt from Jana and another hail of magic missiles from Naghûl. While Sekhemkare struck down the alu, the bal'aasi quickly moved to the other side of the hall to support Kiyoshi against the bulezau if necessary. As she did so, she saw Terrance raise his hand, and the air around the marilith began to vibrate as if invisible threads had been stretched around her body. An ominous cracking sound echoed through the hall, piercing marrow and bone. The six-armed demoness' eyes widened and her limbs jerked as if an invisible fist had grabbed her from within. Then her body twisted at grotesque angles, bones splintering like breaking wood, and with one last shrill scream, she collapsed as if her own body had crushed her. A dull thud could be heard as the corpse fell heavily to the ground. Only very powerful priests could cast an implosion. Morânia, although well-traveled, had not seen it often, and the sight made her throat go dry. Kiyoshi and the bulezau had also stopped fighting and stared at the twisted corpse of the marilith.
Ambar, who had just been aiming at the demoness, lowered his bow and looked at Terrance. “Sometimes you scare me a little,” he said.
“That's because I'm angry right now,” the high priest replied grimly. “Very angry.”
At that moment, there was a loud bang as the wooden entrance door was thrown open and Garush rushed in. The blood on her hands was a clear indication that she had apparently awakened the Huntress and thus escaped her guard in another room. It was probably the noise of the battle that had led her to do so. Kiyoshi and Ambar took advantage of the moment of confusion to finish off the bulezau with a sword stroke and an arrow. Meanwhile, Lereia and Yelmalis, freed from their chains, had left the cell and locked it again – with the remaining kelvezu inside. Only then did Sgillin swap back, and the confused demoness stared in disbelief at the empty cell, the locked door and the dead comrade at her feet.
It happened almost at the same moment that Red Shroud disappeared from the top of the dais. Seeing that all the other tanar'ri had fled, were dead or incapacitated, the remaining succubus followed her mistress' example and vanished, probably via plane shift. Then there was silence. No one spoke, only the heavy breathing after the chaotic battle could be heard in the hall. For a few moments, everyone seemed frozen. Then Ambar and Sgillin ran over to Lereia at the same time. The young woman hugged them both. But while the embrace with Sgillin seemed more like a hug between friends, it was different with Ambar. There was a hint of uncertainty in it, as well as a kind of relief that spoke of deep affection. Morânia did not get the impression that Sgillin was particularly bothered by the two of them hugging. A little further back, Sekhemkare ran over to Garush and Yelmalis. The amazon hugged both men briefly – an apparently rare gesture, as both the air genasi and the yuan-ti seemed surprised. But then they returned the hug. Morânia stepped next to Naghûl and slowly reached for her husband's hand. It was over. They had made it. But at what cost?
By the time he realized there was a fight going on, it was almost over. Sarin saw the marilith die in an implosion cast by Terrance, he saw Garush rush in and he saw Lereia and Yelmalis lock one of the kelvezu guards in the cell. Then there was silence. A deep silence fell over the hall and all eyes turned to him.
He held Faith's hand and looked down, searching for Terrance. “Did it work?” he said, his own voice sounding hoarse in his ears. He didn't know why he asked at all. He already knew the answer.
There was nothing but exhaustion and resignation in Terrance's gaze. “It ... happened just as the marilith ... I'm sorry. The Moonweed?”
Sarin felt the blood pounding in his temples. “Don't ...” he uttered. “Please, don't.”
He felt a burning shame at the fact that Red Shroud's charms had been stronger than the elixir, that she had been able to push him this far, and in front of everyone. He was almost grateful for the deep exhaustion that was now setting in, which at least partially masked this terrible feeling. As he slowly descended the steps, still holding Faith's hand, he saw Lereia, Yelmalis and Garush approaching the platform. They seemed hesitant, apparently unsure whether to come closer.
Lereia looked at him with concern and then lowered her head. “Factol Sarin, I don't know what to say ...”
Tired, the paladin sat down on the bottom step. “Neither do I.”
“We are so sorry, and at the same time, we can only express our deepest gratitude,” the young woman said quietly.
Yelmalis nodded and added cautiously: “Is there ... anything we can do?”
Sarin rubbed his temples and sighed deeply. “I don't think so. It was a risk. I gambled and lost. That's how it is.”
“We are forever deeply indebted to you,” Garush said seriously.
Lereia nodded and hung her head. “If there's any way I can make it up to you, please let me know.”
“I should have protected you better.” Terrance ran his hand wearily through his gray hair, his voice sounding older than usual. “Forgive me.”
“Someone tried to poison you,” Ambar came to his friend's aid. “And then a marilith tried to attack you. What were you supposed to do?”
Sarin shook his head. “I don't blame you. You really did everything in your power.” When he looked the Athar's factol into the eyes, he clearly saw the high priest's guilty conscience, but he meant what he said. Terrance was not to blame. There was only one culprit, and she had long since disappeared back into the Abyss.
“Do you feel ... different?” The question came from Mallin, and his voice sounded uncharacteristically gentle.
Sarin shook his head. “Not at the moment, no. But I don't yet know exactly what has happened. What she has done. The next few days and weeks will tell.”
He looked at his companions once more. While Terrance, Ambar and Mallin stood further ahead, to the right and left of Lereia, Yelmalis and Garush, Morânia, Naghûl, Jana, Sgillin, Kiyoshi and Sekhemkare had stayed back a little. Everyone looked serious and concerned, and everyone was very quiet. From the side, he felt Faith's worried gaze on him.
“I want to be alone now.” He stood up. “Alone with my wife.”
And he needed to wash and change. He felt dirty and defiled, both physically and emotionally. Without waiting for a response, he walked to the door, and Faith remained by his side. As she always had. He felt her hand in his, warm and familiar - and yet it was as if an invisible wall had suddenly risen between them. Every gaze in the hall had been on him, but none had weighed as heavily as hers. He was a paladin, a factol, a shield for his faction and family - or at least he was supposed to be. Instead, helpless and chained, he had succumbed to the charms of a demoness who had shown him up and off. He was sure Faith didn't blame him. But could he forgive himself? As he closed his fingers around hers, he wondered if he still had that right - or if she had slipped away from him the moment he had given in. One thing was certain: something broke in this hall - and they would hear the sound for a long time to come.
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played May 8, 2013
And here, finally, it is - the kiss between Sarin and Red Shroud, the chapter that so many of the previous chapters have been leading up to. Writing it was a a bit of a challenge. For one thing, because that gaming session was very chaotic at a certain point. I had to play a total of 21 NPCs, and so many things were happening at the same time. Structuring this in such a way that it fits narratively within the context of a story and makes sense was not that easy. The POV question was also interesting and not easy to decide.
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