The Silver Sphinx

 

“The one who can humiliate you without beating you is stronger than anyone who wields a sword.”

Malcanthet, Queen of the Succubi

 

 

Third Void Day of Mortis, 126 HR

After the battle against the nagas, there had been no further incidents. They still had to travel for almost two hours through the dusty savanna, and Morânia was glad that they – all except Kiyoshi and Sekhemkare - were protected by a spell against the oppressive heat. Otherwise, they would have arrived at their destination completely exhausted. The battle against the dark nagas had been fatiguing enough. They spoke little during the rest of their journey, only the crunch of sand under their feet and the occasional cry of a bird breaking the silence. As they approached the Opal Tears Palace, they could see that it was surrounded by palm trees and lush grass. It lay at the center of an oasis that looked like a green jewel amidst the ubiquitous gold of the savanna. When they reached the first palm trees, a breath of cool, moist air greeted them, and the scent of flowering plants, ripe fruit and damp earth wafted towards them.

“What a blessing,” Sgillin said with a smile.

He and Ambar, the two most nature-loving members of the group, were naturally particularly happy about this place. But everyone else breathed a sigh of relief as well. Even though the spells had protected them from the exhausting effects of the heat, the warmth had still been noticeable, accompanied by the knowledge of how mercilessly the sun would burn down on them without the thin magical barrier. Incessantly, the desert wind had blown tiny grains of sand across their skin, and the air had been unpleasantly dusty and dry. But now a green carpet spread out before them, dotted with palm trees and flowering shrubs. A crystal-clear lake glistened in the middle of the oasis like liquid silver in the sunlight. Birds chirped in the trees, insects buzzed in the calyces, and the splashing of the water mingled with the gentle murmur of the wind. The contrast to the barren savanna was so extreme that it seemed almost unreal.

And yet they all knew that this was not a place of rest and joy - not for them, not at this moment. For as it were, the oasis also represented the destination of a journey into the jaws of a poisonous snake. So, despite the beauty of their surroundings, they remained alert, even ready for battle. Their eyes wandered to the abandoned palace that rose not far from the water, a testament to past splendor that was now fallen into ruin. The walls, once bright white and decorated with colorful mosaics, were marked by time and the savanna wind that reached even this place. The constant breeze, carrying fine-grained sand, had eaten into the stone and transformed the ornate reliefs into barely recognizable shapes. At the same time, however, the water from the oasis had caused twiners to embrace the walls and columns, creeping over the arches and windows and forming dense green curtains that concealed parts of the palace and veiled others into a mysterious twilight. Yet despite its decay, the place exuded an aura of dignity.

 

 

Sarin, walking side by side with Faith, let his gaze wander over the old walls. “An impressive structure,” he remarked. “Even now, in its state of ruin. If only there weren't tanar'ri lurking inside ...”

Mallin grumbled discontentedly. “Let's hope they don't want to play any more games with us. But we should still be careful.” As if to emphasize his words, he drew his sword and then walked towards the entrance.

Sarin followed him, also with his scimitars drawn, Faith on his right, Kiyoshi on his left. Terrance, walking behind them, studied the ancient walls of the Opal Tears Palace closely, with Jana at his side. Naghûl and Sekhemkare joined them, while Morânia, Ambar and Sgillin brought up the rear. The main entrance was guarded by two huge snake statues, whose eyes might once have been precious gems. But plunderers had apparently broken them out long ago. Carved wooden doors with golden fittings now hung on their hinges, splintered and askew, their surfaces covered with cracks. The gap between the two door leaves was so wide that even Mallin could pass through effortlessly without having to open the gate further.

Alert and cautious, they stepped through the once magnificent portal into the palace's entrance hall. Debris was scattered across the partially broken tiles - shattered glass vases, remnants of richly carved wooden furniture and tattered carpets. The colors of the wall frescoes had faded, the stories they once told now almost illegible. But four- and six-armed nagas could still be seen, fighting manticores or worshiping Shekinester. Here and there, a hint of past glory still shone through - an intact mosaic tile, a golden ornament glistening in the sunlight, an intricately carved capital that had defied the centuries. Near the entrance, grass and undergrowth grew rampant between the cracked tiles, and in the center of the hall was a fountain flanked by two naga statues. But the former splendor had faded. The statues were covered with moss and lichen, the fountain was dried up and filled with leaves and mud. Fascinated, Morânia looked around. Despite the dilapidation, there was a peculiar beauty about the place, a melancholic dignity that resulted from the interplay of nature and ruin. They had not only entered an abandoned palace, but a piece of history, a story of rise and fall, of splendor and decay, written in stone and living green.

When they approached the fountain, a creaking sound made them pause. At the other side of the great hall, a door opened, also carved from wood, but unlike the entrance portal, still intact. Several tanar'ri stepped through: two goat-like bulezau, two kelvezu with deep red skin, a cambion, an alu and a glabrezu. Morânia felt her hand involuntarily tighten a little around the hilt of her sword at the sight of the glabrezu. The four-armed demon with a horned dog's head was about twelve feet tall and barely fit through the door. The sturdier upper arms ended in pointed pincers, the lower ones in clawed hands. The presence of a glabrezu made it unmistakably clear that Red Shroud was not to be trifled with and that they should not try to do anything reckless. Morânia sensed how everyone else in the group tensed up too.

The seven tanar'ri were headed by a succubus. However, it was not the Mistress of Broken Reach herself, but apparently one of her servants. Raven-black hair flowed over her ivory skin, red wings spread behind her back and dark, gold-embroidered silk swirled around her curves. She was probably younger than Red Shroud and not as powerful, but she was still a succubus, and her beauty was both demonic and alluring. As always when she was in contact with the Abyss or with tanar'ri, Morânia felt her grandmother's heritage resonate with their presence. Her otherwise stable inner balance did not respond well to this; she felt more impulsive, more irritable. Naghûl, who knew this all too well, placed a reassuring hand on her arm. She nodded gratefully. She was glad that her husband understood how she felt without saying a word. The succubus now approached, swaying her hips, while the other demons stayed back. Morânia did not fail to notice that Kiyoshi and Sgillin were staring at her with fascination – no matter how great their hostility towards the tanar'ri, it was difficult to resist the charisma of these demonic seductresses.

The succubus, however, was clearly only interested in one of the men present. “Factol Sarin.” She gave him a coquettish smile. “It's so wonderful that you are here.”

“Yes,” the paladin replied dryly. “I can hardly believe my luck.” He managed to remain remarkably unmoved at the sight of the alluring demoness. The blessing of Iomedae and his experience in dealing with tanar'ri certainly helped him now. But this was not Red Shroud herself, only one of her servants ...

The succubus now eyed the two scimitars in Sarin's hands, then Mallin's drawn sword, Morânia's blade and Kiyoshi's naginata. “But what is this?” she said in a reproachful tone. “You are storming in here with your weapons drawn? That way our little exchange is not going to work, I fear.”

Mallin growled irritably. “The fact that we were attacked not far from these gates contributed to this appearance.”

“Attacked?” The succubus placed both hands on her heart in an exaggerated gesture. “Oh no, how terrible. I am so very sorry to hear that.”

“Yes, I'm sure,” Sarin replied grimly, but then sheathed his scimitars, and the others put away their weapons as well. “Do you feel better?”

“Significantly!” The demoness winked at him and then looked at Faith, who was standing at Sarin's side. She examined her in a way that could only be called suggestive.

Sarin's wife, for her part, maintained admirable composure. She returned the succubus' gaze firmly and smiled at her with such wintery politeness that her contempt was unmistakable.

Sarin's displeasure at the demoness eyeing Faith was clearly visible. “Well then, shall we?” he interrupted the spectacle brusquely. “I'd like to get this over with.”

“Tsk, tsk.” The succubus raised her index finger reproachfully. “With all due respect, Factol, but as dusty and sweaty as you are, I cannot let you see my mistress.”

“And what do you suggest?” the paladin asked sarcastically. “Should I take a bath first?”

An inscrutable smile appeared on the demoness’ lips. “You can read my mind, my lord! Yes, you will take a bath and change into fresh clothes before you enjoy my mistress' attention. Everything is already prepared.”

An incredulous silence fell over the room at this demand. Sarin's companions exchanged worried glances, and the factol of the Harmonium buried his face in his hands with a sigh.

“Enough!” Mallin replied gruffly. “We won’t let ourselves in for such a piece of folly.”

He was right, of course. Taking a bath in this environment was quite risky for Sarin; anything could happen. But Morânia was certain that the tanar'ri would not simply abandon their request.

The succubus sighed exaggeratedly. “Well, then I'll have to ask the guards to take one of the prisoners and cut off one or two of their fingers.” She looked at Sgillin and Ambar. “Perhaps Lereia’s, what do you think?”

Ambar instinctively took a step forward, and Sgillin reached for his bow. But Naghûl held his friend back, and Terrance gave the bard a warning look, shaking his head gently.

“No, no.” The succubus raised an admonitory finger. “Don't do anything stupid, hm?”

The two half-elves paused, but the tension in the room was palpable. Morânia had to suppress the urge to put her hand on the hilt of her sword, and she could see Kiyoshi's fists tightening around his naginata. Behind her, she heard Jana curse softly. One wrong move, even one wrong word, could tip the scales now ...

Sarin obviously sensed this too and raised both hands. “Enough. Please ... I'm taking a bath.”

Mallin frowned. “Sarin ...”

But the factol of the Harmonium interrupted him. “Are we going to have someone's fingers cut off because I don't want to change?”

“That's a bad joke,” the paladin of Hoar replied grimly.

Sarin sighed. “They're tanar'ri, what do you expect?”

“Now, now,” the succubus interjected, feigning reproach but clearly pleased that Sarin was complying with her mistress' wishes. She pointed to one of the smaller doors leading off the large entrance hall, indicating that the bathroom was prepared behind it.

Ambar and Sgillin gave the paladin a grateful look, but were also clearly concerned. Morânia silently agreed with them that Sarin was doing the right thing to protect the prisoners. But she also knew that Red Shroud had made a potentially dangerous move, creating a situation they could neither assess nor control.

Mallin shot the succubus a withering glance. “But he's not going alone. I will stand watch.”

“Um ...” Sarin frowned skeptically at this announcement.

“Good grief!” Mallin growled gruffly. “I'll wait outside, but you're not going alone!”

If the situation hadn't been so serious, Morânia would probably have smirked at this verbal exchange. A quick sideways glance at her husband revealed that Naghûl felt the same.

“Excuse me,” Kiyoshi said cautiously. “If I may make a suggestion?”

The succubus eyed the dragon-blooded soldier. “Is he allowed to?”

“He is.” Sarin nodded and looked at Kiyoshi. “Well?”

“Honorable Factol Sarin-gensui.” The young man stood at attention as he presented his thoughts. “What do you think of the idea of taking your honorable wife with you to the bathing room and having the honorable Factol Mallin-heika and my humble self stand guard in front of the door?”

Despite the precarious situation, Sarin had to smile briefly. ”The first proposal I like very much. And the latter is probably a necessity, I agree with.“ He glanced questioningly at Faith, and his wife nodded gently.

”I am relieved,” the succubus stated. “My mistress would never have forgiven me had I allowed you to see her like this.” She winked at Sarin. “Enjoy yourself, my lord.”

She beckoned the alu over, who was standing further back, and the half-demoness approached the group and bowed to the factol of the Harmonium. “Please follow me, my lord. I will guide you to your bath.”

It was clear that Sarin was less than enthusiastic about the situation, but he kept his countenance. Before following the alu, he turned to Mallin and Kiyoshi. “At the slightest sign of anything suspicious, raise the alarm.”

The young soldier nodded gravely. “As you command, honorable Factol Sarin-gensui.”

The paladin looked at Faith, and she stepped resolutely to his side. Then they followed the alu towards the door behind which the bath had apparently been prepared. Morânia noticed that Sarin exchanged a brief glance with Terrance and the Athar’s factol nodded gently. Kiyoshi and Mallin followed Sarin and Faith at a short distance, the young soldier with his usual stoic expression, the factol of the Mercykillers with unconcealed displeasure.

“What a buffoonery,” he growled grimly.

He wasn't wrong. Tanar'ri were not only evil, but also highly chaotic. Therefore, the request for the bath could just as easily be a trap or a cunning move as it could be simply Red Shroud's whims and caprices, letting Sarin dance to her tune as she pleased. Moreover, she certainly had her means of observing this bath even without being physically present. Perhaps she was only interested in her own personal satisfaction before the kiss. Sarin was certainly aware of all this, and Morânia admired his composure in the face of the situation. While the alu disappeared behind one of the doors on the left side of the hall with the two paladins, Faith and Kiyoshi, the succubus returned to the other tanar'ri.

Morânia's gaze wandered to the door behind which she had briefly glimpsed a long corridor. “It discomfits me that we don't know where they are now and what's going on in there,” she whispered. “I find it suspicious.”

Sgillin, on the other hand, looked over at the demons. “I'm more concerned about the two followers of Red Shroud who are not yet present.” Almost unconsciously, he stroked the feathers of the arrows in his quiver.

“I feel the same way,” Ambar said quietly. “But we won't intervene until it's obvious that we have to and it's safe for the prisoners - or until at least one of those prerequisites is given.” The succubus' threat to have Lereia's fingers cut off had visibly upset the half-elf, but he had since regained his composure. He seemed calm but alert, like a hunter tracking his prey - at that moment, clearly more ranger than bard.

Sekhemkare, who had remained in the background until now, stepped up beside Terrance and Jana. “Judging by the vibrations in the floor as they walked ... I think I have an idea where they went. If we could change rooms, to the area on the left of the entrance door ...”

Terrance followed the yuan-ti's gaze and seemed to understand. He nodded to Sekhemkare, then walked over to the tanar'ri. Jana flinched noticeably as her factol approached the demons alone. The glabrezu immediately drew back its flews, drooling, and clicked its pincers.

But Terrance was not impressed. He paid no attention to the enormous canine demon, the bulezau, the kelvezu or the cambion. Instead, he turned to the succubus. “We need a room for a moment,” he explained calmly. “Alone.”

A little taken aback, the demoness eyed him warily. “Um ... excuse me? And what for?”

“To pray, of course,” Terrance replied, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Morânia had to smile. It was indeed bizarre that the Athar's factol of all people would make such a request, and the succubus' confusion was therefore quite understandable. Clearly overwhelmed by the high priest's matter-of-fact demand, she exchanged a brief glance with the cambion. But he seemed just as perplexed and simply shrugged his shoulders. Good, Morânia thought to herself. Red Shroud had unsettled everyone with her demand for the bath. Time to return the favor.

“We will only pray, meditate and prepare ourselves,” Terrance explained calmly.

“Now really!” interjected Ambar, who had also approached the tanar'ri. “You are demanding that Sarin takes a bath. So let us pray at least.”

“You're a bunch of barmies,” replied the succubus, now more annoyed than confused. “Fine, whatever. But only until the bath is finished!”

“Thank you,” Terrance replied. “May we use the room over there?” He pointed to one of the doors on the left side of the hall, the one Sekhemkare had looked at earlier. Then he walked over without waiting for an answer.

The succubus was about to say something, but then waved it off. Apparently, she was satisfied that she had enforced Red Shroud's demand for the bath and did not want to seek further confrontation. Sekhemkare followed Terrance and Ambar, who walked over to the room in question, and Morânia, Naghûl, Sgillin and Jana quickly joined them. This door was also intact, but creaked loudly when Terrance pressed the handle and opened it. Behind it, a hallway led straight ahead, just as Morânia had seen behind the other door. After about twenty steps, it ended at another door that led into an almost square room, significantly smaller than the entrance hall. The parquet flooring was now dotted with holes and cracks, and apart from a few shattered clay jugs and a broken table, there was nothing remarkable or interesting to be seen. Jana, who had entered last, carefully closed the door behind her, while the Athar's factol walked to the middle of the room and looked around. Although Morânia followed the Morninglord and Terrance rejected the worship of the gods, the bal'aasi found his presence reassuring. He was like a bastion of calm, a symbol of the unshakeable power of the Great Unknown, certainly, but at the same time a reliable support for all those present, regardless of their beliefs.

Now he turned to the yuan-ti, at whose instigation they had sought out the room. “And now?”

“If I'm not mistaken ...” Sekhemkare stood completely still for a few seconds, as if frozen. Then he nodded. “Yes. I sense tremors in the ground behind this wall. I believe that's where they are.”

“That's fascinating, Sekhemkare,” Ambar said with a frown. “But ... how does it help us?”

The yuan-ti's forked tongue darted out between his lips. “You said you were concerned because we don't know what's happening with Sarin right now. We could take a look through the wall.”

“How?” Morânia asked in astonishment.

Sekhemkare pulled the corners of his mouth slightly back - it was the first time the bal'aasi had seen him smile. “With the help of a soul shred.”

Naghûl raised his eyebrows, clearly impressed, but Sgillin eyed the yuan-ti skeptically. “You realize that we might see Sarin's wife undressed in there?”

“I highly doubt that,” Ambar replied. “I don't think Faith would bathe here unless she is forced to.”

“I agree with you, Factol,” said Naghûl. “Besides, it's better to see Sarin's wife unclothed and be sure that everything is all right than to have them in danger without knowing it.”

“Well, I'm not looking in there,” Sgillin explained firmly.

Morânia smiled. The half-elf clearly had some respect for how Sarin might react if he found out that he had seen Faith bathing. But at the moment, the paladin certainly had other concerns. Moreover, the bal'aasi shared Ambar's assessment that Faith would not bathe here unless she was forced to.

Terrance seemed to agree. “Do it,” he said to Sekhemkare. “Should Faith be undressed, only Morânia and Jana will watch. If Sarin bathes alone, only the ladies will look away. And Ambar ...” He laughed a little. “Ambar will look away in any case.”

“You would like that, wouldn’t you?” the bard replied with a smirk.

Terrance's attempt to leaven the tense atmosphere with a little humor seemed to work. Sgillin and Jana laughed, and Naghûl nudged Morânia jokingly.

“I'm more attractive anyway,” he said with a wink.

The bal'aasi grinned. “Are you sure?”

Her husband grimaced, feigning annoyance, then they turned to Sekhemkare. The yuan-ti stared at the wall behind which he suspected Sarin and Faith, and his forked tongue darted out briefly. Morânia couldn't figure out what exactly he was doing to summon a soul shred, as he called it. He neither spoke nor made a gesture - it seemed to happen on a purely mental level. He stepped close to the wall and placed his hand on it. Then he suddenly froze, his eyes reflecting like glass. Fascinated, Morânia watched as the wall seemed to lose more and more substance until it finally became transparent. It now revealed a room with a stone basin embedded in the floor. It was filled with water, warm water judging by the rising steam. Sarin was already in the bath, and the basin was apparently deep enough that the water reached almost to his collarbones. Faith stood next to him, fully clothed, as Ambar had correctly guessed.

 

 

“Um ... can they see us?” Jana asked, alarmed.

“No,” Sekhemkare hissed. “The wall is only transparent in one direction.”

The sorceress nodded with relief and then watched the scene in the adjoining room. Since the factol was standing chest-deep in the water, she obviously saw no reason to turn around, just like Morânia herself. Looking at Sarin's shoulders and upper arms, the bal’aasi was sure that Red Shroud was also watching. She certainly hadn't forced this bath on him to then miss the view ... Sarin surely knew this too, and for a brief moment, Morânia wondered whether his wife's presence made things better or worse. Faith was apparently about to say something to her husband when one of the two doors to the room opened and the alu reentered. Morânia was surprised to hear the door creak. Apparently, the transparent wall was also permeable to sound.

Faith gave the alu a dismissive look. “Leave us alone, please.”

“That's not very nice,” the half-demoness replied with a grin, strolling closer to the basin. “I just want to make sure you have everything you need.”

When Sarin turned to the alu, Morânia could see the scars crisscrossing his shoulders and disappearing beneath the surface of the water, continuing further down his back. She swallowed a little. As a long-time resident of Sigil, she knew where those scars came from, of course. Most Cagers did.

The paladin approached the edge of the pool where the alu stood and rested both elbows on it. “Get out,” he said calmly, and the overly friendly tone of his voice should have been warning enough to the tanar’ri.

But apparently she couldn't resist her nature and instead stepped a little closer. “Come on.” She winked at him. “I might come in and help you ...”

Sarin sighed and reached for her ankle with a wet hand. She looked at him in surprise and smiled expectantly ... but then white flashes of positive energy flickered around the paladin's fingers.

“Ouch!” With an indignant cry, the alu jumped back from the edge of the pool.

Sarin pointed wordlessly to the door.

“Pff.” The half-demoness pouted. “Paladins ... killjoys.” But she quickly moved away from the basin and then disappeared through the door, which she closed noisily behind her.

Morânia heard Sgillin laughing quietly. Since Sarin's wife was not bathing, he was naturally watching the scene as well.

Faith also seemed amused. “If the situation weren't so serious, I would find this even more entertaining,” she explained when her husband turned back to her.

Sarin sighed once more. “Yes, I wish we could just laugh about it. ... Do you have it?”

She nodded, reached into a pocket of her robe and pulled out a vial of green liquid, which she handed to her husband in the basin. Morânia knew what it was. Sarin had informed Erin and Rhys of his and Terrance's plans before they had left, and her factol had told her about it, just as Erin had done with Naghûl. As unpleasant as the subject had been for Sarin, he had considered it reasonable and important that all participants in the mission knew exactly what was planned.

Now the paladin took the vial and opened it. He was about to drink the potion, but paused and looked up at his wife. “You agree to this, right?”

Faith smiled. “Don’t forget, we have the twins because you forgot to take your powder.”

Morânia bit her lip, part astonished, part embarrassed. Learning such personal details about the private life of the couple, especially without their knowledge, was as fascinating as it felt inappropriate. She saw Sgillin and Jana’s eyes widen too.

Sarin smiled apologetically at his wife's remark. “Yeah, just tell me,” he replied.

She splashed a little water at him with her foot, then became serious again. “Yes, it's alright, khaladi,” she assured him. “Drink it.”

Sarin nodded and then emptied the vial. Almost at the same moment, the wall became opaque again, blocking the view into the adjoining room.

“Unfortunately, I can’t uphold it for any longer,” Sekhemkare explained.

“I guess, it was very informative,” Sgillin said with satisfaction.

“I agree,” Naghûl concurred. “Forgot the powder ... well, well.”

Morânia nudged her husband reproachfully, with a look that made it clear he should refrain from such comments in the presence of other factols. Inside, however, she also had to smile a little.

Terrance remained calm and matter-of-fact as always. “I think we can rest assured, at least for now,” he stated. “Red Shroud apparently just wants Sarin to appear before her as she imagines it.”

Ambar nodded. “Then we'd better go back before the tanar’ri get nervous because we are … praying for so long.”

Terrance smiled at his longtime friend's comment and then opened the door to return to the entrance hall.

“That powder sounds very interesting ...” Sgillin muttered on the way out. “Where can I get that?”

Morânia was slightly amused that Sgillin was obviously unfamiliar with this substance that was popular and widely used in Sigil. “Well, at the market. Or in an apothecary’s shop.”

“Good to know,” said the half-elf.

“Sgillin only knows wineries,” Naghûl teased his friend. “And breweries.”

When they returned to the great hall, the eight tanar'ri were still standing close together near the fountain. The alu had rejoined them and was rubbing her left ankle from time to time, cursing.

The succubus turned to them when she heard the door creak. “Finished praying?” she asked mockingly.

“Halfway,” Terrance replied calmly.

The demoness shook her head dismissively. “Well, good for you. But no more strange special requests now. You will wait here until Factol Sarin is ready to let my mistress have her way with him.”

The succubus' choice of words enraged Morânia - all the more so because it was accurate, and they were all powerless to do anything about it. Red Shroud had their friends, and so Sarin seemed to have no choice but to comply with the wishes of the Mistress of Broken Reach. Everyone else felt the same way, and so no one responded to the demoness’ provocative words. Instead, they looked at the door, behind which Sarin did not only take the requested bath, but had also drunk the Moonweed elixir. Morânia sent a silent prayer to Lathander, asking that it might have its effect.

 

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played May 8, 2013

In the German version, the title of this chapter is “Vorspiel.” The German word “Vorspiel” can mean “prologue” or "prelude" as well as “foreplay.” Since I couldn't translate this double meaning into English, I decided to take a different approach with the English title. "... and Bring Him to Me" is an allusion to this trope: Bathe Her and Bring Her to Me
Because this is, gender-inverted, exactly what Red Shroud does to Sarin here.