Posted by: Perdita
« on: July 15, 2004, 10:03:41 PM »Epilogue—Several Tendays Later
Turned out that the way out of Saradush was through the sewers. Once we cleared out the vampires, it was no great matter to head upstairs to take out Gromnir.
Then we were able to get out of the city and handle Yaga Shura and the other fire giants, but the city itself was already lost. Korgan wanted to watch it burn, but I had no stomach for it. I thought of the friends I’d made, and hoped that somehow Bridget and the others got out. Anomen put an arm around me and pulled me away from the sight.
Anomen had been able to resurrect Imoen and restore her humanity. He was so powerful now that it scared me. After a period of recuperation, I hired a merchant we met in the Marching Mountains to escort Imoen back to Athkatla. I realized that I didn’t have to be jealous of Imoen anymore. Gorion wasn’t there for us to compete for his attention. Maybe it wasn’t too late for us, but I had some other things to take care of first.
Being a Bhaalspawn was like playing a game of King of the Hill. There could only be one on top. Whoever was left would inherit daddy’s seat among the gods. I was the most powerful of the Bhaalspawn. Eventually, I’d have to take down all the rest, that is, if I wanted to prevent the return of the rule of Murder. That didn’t sound like a good thing, so I guess I wanted to prevent it, but it was going to be a lot of work. I surely didn’t want to rule in Hell. It was ugly, hot, and not a hairdresser in sight.
For now I was content to stay in Amkethran. I liked the desert town, with its dry desert air, the spicy food, the cute little houses made of mud and little else. The food was so good I ate more than I usually did. In fact, one day Anomen teased me that I was putting on weight. He had a cold bed that night.
The guys were in no hurry to leave, either. Sarevok and Valygar practiced weaponry all day with the guards. Edwin and Korgan were convinced that they’d spotted the scoundrel Saemon Havarian, who had almost got us killed twice with his betrayals. They spent all their time hunting for signs of him, and plotting what they would do if they found him.
I wondered if I’d have problems keeping my diverse group together since my change. Edwin and Sarevok weren’t as reckless as Korgan, so I didn’t think they’d be a problem. I’d looked the other way over Korgan’s worst excesses before, but now I didn’t think I could.
Anomen had been super-attentive since his stint as a vampire. He assured me repeatedly that he wouldn’t allow it to happen again. Although he’d never admit it, I think that when he talked to Edwin, he was forced to face some of the worries that he kept buried. He was talking to the cleric of Waukeen, a great guy who seemed to care about people, and I think he was working things out. He seemed easier in his own skin.
I’d started to write songs again. That’s what I was doing one day when a knock sounded on the door. I turned my page face down and said, “Come in.”
Anomen entered and closed the door behind him. His face was pale, and I thought he must have had an intense session with the cleric. He cleared his throat and fidgeted, which was completely unlike him. “My dear, I have something of importance to impart to you.”
Oh my gods—he was going to break up with me. Everything was going too smoothly, I should have realized something would go wrong. That cleric, it was his doing. He’d made Anomen think we weren’t right for each other. I’d kill him.
I stood up and tried to strike my most seductive pose. I’d hold onto him any way I could. “Something you forgot to impart to me last night?”
He didn’t act as if he heard me. He talked about what we meant to each other, and our uncertain future. He was sweating. I couldn’t hear what he said over the roaring in my ears. I couldn’t stand it if he left me, after all we’d been through together. Eventually, he stopped talking, and fished in his belt pocket for a small box, then he took my hand and set the box on my palm. His hands were trembling.
I took it. “What is this?”
“Open it.”
Inside the carved wooden box was a ring. It was unassuming, not at all the sort of thing I liked. If he thought he could buy me off, he’d have to come up with a better kiss-off present than this.
“It is my sister’s ring. It is all I have left of her. I’d like you to wear it, as a token of my love, as my wife.”
“W-w-wife?”
He took the ring from my hands and slipped it on my finger before my nerveless fingers dropped it. “Will you say yes, my love?”
“Yes, yes, I’ll marry you over and over again.” I threw my arms around his neck and he kissed me until my toes vibrated. “It’s because I’m good now, isn’t it?” I looked up at him from under my lashes. “I was always good.”
“Mmm, yes, you were. But it is more than that. You have stood by me in dark times. You have been a rock upon which I found anchor. I want you beside me always.”
We hugged some more. I looked at the ring behind his back. I decided that it was not small but dainty. It looked well on my hand. Something more ostentatious would have been vulgar. It had been his sister’s and it was from Anomen, and I decided that it was perfect.
He tugged my hair. “I hope that you will not turn too good, my love.”
I turned the ring to catch the light. Very nice. I wondered what it was worth. I’d get it appraised right away. He’d said something. “What, honey?”
“I said, I hope that you will not turn too good.”
“No danger of that, sweetcheeks.” I let him fold me in his arms and tasted his special kisses. “Anyway, it’s about time you made an honest woman out of me. I’m pregnant.”
He put a hand on my stomach and said, “You’re—you’re going to have—” His eyes rolled back in his head and he fainted dead. I caught at him to break his fall so he wouldn’t knock his head on the hard floor. I knelt on the floor next to him and fanned his face.
“I’m sorry, honey, I was kidding! Bad joke! Wake up, honey.” I dampened my hanky with tepid water and patted his face.
At last he blinked and raised himself on his elbows. “So you aren’t going to have a baby.” Was that disappointment or relief in his voice?
“You had me worried there, honey. I guess I’d better never tell you that for real.” The thought that he might not want to be a father wrenched a maternal bone in my body that I’d never suspected was there.
“Oh, Perdita, it’s not that I don’t want children, just not yet. When your quest is over, we will have time to think about a family.”
That sounded like a very good idea. I smiled at him.
He pulled me down next to him, and we engaged in some heavy-duty kissing that was sure to lead to child-producing activities. Bad Kitty flew around us, and lifted my hat off. When I paid him no attention, he flew up in my face and made that meow-squawk that was all he make now. He persisted until I couldn’t ignore him. I moved Anomen’s head so he could kiss my now-bare shoulders.
“What is it? Your timing could be better, you know.”
Bad Kitty squawked again.
“What do you mean, I wasn’t kidding?”
Turned out that the way out of Saradush was through the sewers. Once we cleared out the vampires, it was no great matter to head upstairs to take out Gromnir.
Then we were able to get out of the city and handle Yaga Shura and the other fire giants, but the city itself was already lost. Korgan wanted to watch it burn, but I had no stomach for it. I thought of the friends I’d made, and hoped that somehow Bridget and the others got out. Anomen put an arm around me and pulled me away from the sight.
Anomen had been able to resurrect Imoen and restore her humanity. He was so powerful now that it scared me. After a period of recuperation, I hired a merchant we met in the Marching Mountains to escort Imoen back to Athkatla. I realized that I didn’t have to be jealous of Imoen anymore. Gorion wasn’t there for us to compete for his attention. Maybe it wasn’t too late for us, but I had some other things to take care of first.
Being a Bhaalspawn was like playing a game of King of the Hill. There could only be one on top. Whoever was left would inherit daddy’s seat among the gods. I was the most powerful of the Bhaalspawn. Eventually, I’d have to take down all the rest, that is, if I wanted to prevent the return of the rule of Murder. That didn’t sound like a good thing, so I guess I wanted to prevent it, but it was going to be a lot of work. I surely didn’t want to rule in Hell. It was ugly, hot, and not a hairdresser in sight.
For now I was content to stay in Amkethran. I liked the desert town, with its dry desert air, the spicy food, the cute little houses made of mud and little else. The food was so good I ate more than I usually did. In fact, one day Anomen teased me that I was putting on weight. He had a cold bed that night.
The guys were in no hurry to leave, either. Sarevok and Valygar practiced weaponry all day with the guards. Edwin and Korgan were convinced that they’d spotted the scoundrel Saemon Havarian, who had almost got us killed twice with his betrayals. They spent all their time hunting for signs of him, and plotting what they would do if they found him.
I wondered if I’d have problems keeping my diverse group together since my change. Edwin and Sarevok weren’t as reckless as Korgan, so I didn’t think they’d be a problem. I’d looked the other way over Korgan’s worst excesses before, but now I didn’t think I could.
Anomen had been super-attentive since his stint as a vampire. He assured me repeatedly that he wouldn’t allow it to happen again. Although he’d never admit it, I think that when he talked to Edwin, he was forced to face some of the worries that he kept buried. He was talking to the cleric of Waukeen, a great guy who seemed to care about people, and I think he was working things out. He seemed easier in his own skin.
I’d started to write songs again. That’s what I was doing one day when a knock sounded on the door. I turned my page face down and said, “Come in.”
Anomen entered and closed the door behind him. His face was pale, and I thought he must have had an intense session with the cleric. He cleared his throat and fidgeted, which was completely unlike him. “My dear, I have something of importance to impart to you.”
Oh my gods—he was going to break up with me. Everything was going too smoothly, I should have realized something would go wrong. That cleric, it was his doing. He’d made Anomen think we weren’t right for each other. I’d kill him.
I stood up and tried to strike my most seductive pose. I’d hold onto him any way I could. “Something you forgot to impart to me last night?”
He didn’t act as if he heard me. He talked about what we meant to each other, and our uncertain future. He was sweating. I couldn’t hear what he said over the roaring in my ears. I couldn’t stand it if he left me, after all we’d been through together. Eventually, he stopped talking, and fished in his belt pocket for a small box, then he took my hand and set the box on my palm. His hands were trembling.
I took it. “What is this?”
“Open it.”
Inside the carved wooden box was a ring. It was unassuming, not at all the sort of thing I liked. If he thought he could buy me off, he’d have to come up with a better kiss-off present than this.
“It is my sister’s ring. It is all I have left of her. I’d like you to wear it, as a token of my love, as my wife.”
“W-w-wife?”
He took the ring from my hands and slipped it on my finger before my nerveless fingers dropped it. “Will you say yes, my love?”
“Yes, yes, I’ll marry you over and over again.” I threw my arms around his neck and he kissed me until my toes vibrated. “It’s because I’m good now, isn’t it?” I looked up at him from under my lashes. “I was always good.”
“Mmm, yes, you were. But it is more than that. You have stood by me in dark times. You have been a rock upon which I found anchor. I want you beside me always.”
We hugged some more. I looked at the ring behind his back. I decided that it was not small but dainty. It looked well on my hand. Something more ostentatious would have been vulgar. It had been his sister’s and it was from Anomen, and I decided that it was perfect.
He tugged my hair. “I hope that you will not turn too good, my love.”
I turned the ring to catch the light. Very nice. I wondered what it was worth. I’d get it appraised right away. He’d said something. “What, honey?”
“I said, I hope that you will not turn too good.”
“No danger of that, sweetcheeks.” I let him fold me in his arms and tasted his special kisses. “Anyway, it’s about time you made an honest woman out of me. I’m pregnant.”
He put a hand on my stomach and said, “You’re—you’re going to have—” His eyes rolled back in his head and he fainted dead. I caught at him to break his fall so he wouldn’t knock his head on the hard floor. I knelt on the floor next to him and fanned his face.
“I’m sorry, honey, I was kidding! Bad joke! Wake up, honey.” I dampened my hanky with tepid water and patted his face.
At last he blinked and raised himself on his elbows. “So you aren’t going to have a baby.” Was that disappointment or relief in his voice?
“You had me worried there, honey. I guess I’d better never tell you that for real.” The thought that he might not want to be a father wrenched a maternal bone in my body that I’d never suspected was there.
“Oh, Perdita, it’s not that I don’t want children, just not yet. When your quest is over, we will have time to think about a family.”
That sounded like a very good idea. I smiled at him.
He pulled me down next to him, and we engaged in some heavy-duty kissing that was sure to lead to child-producing activities. Bad Kitty flew around us, and lifted my hat off. When I paid him no attention, he flew up in my face and made that meow-squawk that was all he make now. He persisted until I couldn’t ignore him. I moved Anomen’s head so he could kiss my now-bare shoulders.
“What is it? Your timing could be better, you know.”
Bad Kitty squawked again.
“What do you mean, I wasn’t kidding?”
The End