10Hi there, I'm back. So, it's been a while. Perhaps I can placate your anger with a much-awaited chapter.
By the way, more reviews make for faster updates. -hint hint, wink wink-
Chapter 11: Trial by Combat
Duskwood creeped Alea out way more than she thought it would. The sensation of her magic being drained was disconcerting and being surrounded by dire beasts didn't help her comfort level one bit. As she moved along the path, she decided to take care of the vampire gnomes first, quickly dispatching them and collecting their assortment of bugs. She remembered the giant spider, Kestrel, who was starving to death in the goblin's cave. The bugs would be a perfect meal for her. Once that was taken care of, she took a deep breath and prepared herself to speak with the dryad Lyssa.
The conversation was relatively short. Thanks to her high bluff skill – owed to her cheating, which once again paid off greatly – she was able to pretend to be Lorne and recover the powder, thus procuring her latest evidence. Sand was very proud of her lying capabilities. Bishop was even a tad impressed, which made Alea cringe a bit. Anything Bishop approved of couldn't be a good thing.
When they got to Ember, poor Marcus was soaked, freezing, and terrified. Alea knew there was more on the surface than in the well, but she didn't want that poor kid to have to stay in that dank hole for one more second. She gave him a blanket that she had brought specifically for him, knowing he'd be damp and cold. It gave Marcus a bit of comfort. He seemed immensely relieved when he walked away towards safety. Alea didn't blame him.
Kestrel too, seemed overjoyed to have something to eat. Elanee smiled as Alea fed the starving creature, accepting its friendship. The other spiders just tried to kill them, so they were quickly dispatched, convincing the goblin leader Glek to give Alea a ring. Her list of evidence grew larger with every step.
Climbing back up the rope to Ember, Alea pretended to look for clues, even though she knew exactly what was there. She waited about fifteen minutes before pretending to stumble on the body that had been poisoned, as well as the quartermasters log. A quick mental list confirmed that she had collected all the evidence and was ready to prove her innocence.
Alea sat in the quiet temple, more afraid than she had been throughout her entire adventure. She remembered quite vividly that this was the point in the game that got difficult enough for her to be in any real danger. Before she could simply rely on her boosted stats, trusting them to keep her safe. Now, she wondered whether or not she would even make it out of this alive.
The trial had of course gone off without a hitch, Lord Nasher easily determining Alea's innocence. Everyone had been in an uproar when Torio challenged Alea to a trial by combat. Nevertheless, here she was.
Khelgar burst into the room loudly, interrupting Alea's train of thought, "Hold a moment – this Rite of Tyr can wait. I haven't had my say yet."
Alea smiled to herself as her friend completed another part of his vision quest, even if he did so loudly. When he offered to fight for her, she was admittedly tempted, but she knew that she was still the most powerful fighter in the group. Alea didn't want to take any chances in her friends getting hurt. They had become much more than fictional characters to her.
She sat for a while longer, fear still gripping at her heart, when she heard a familiar voice call to her from the other end of the room, "So, quiet enough for you? I mean, now that Khelgar is done ranting – I heard it from several streets away. Actually helped me find this place. I hope you don't mind if I come in here and just start speaking my mind – otherwise this place would seem awfully dull."
Alea perked up as the sight of Sand, standing there with an uncharacteristically gentle smile on his face. For a moment she nearly forgot the terror looming over her. "Sand! It's so good to see you. Please, some in," she gestured for him to have a seat next to her. He complied, leaning back on the wooden bench.
"I must say, I didn't expect that we would be able to force Torio's hand like this – trial by combat is a rather desperate maneuver, quite unlike her." He grinned, turning to look at her, "It's really rather quite pleasing. And if you were to beat Lorne… well, that would make me simply ecstatic. I could help, you know."
Alea smiled at him, her heart twisting at the sight of his satisfied grin. He really was handsome, even by elven standards. "I would appreciate that greatly, Sand, thank you."
He fished something out of his robes and held out a few small vials, "Here, take this. It's a few special concoctions I whipped up to help you tomorrow should Lorne decide to poison, cheat, or simply give you several gaping chest wounds. And, uh, no need for thanks – it would just be embarrassing." he suddenly seemed quite awkward and self-conscious. Alea wondered what was happening in his head.
Alea stared at the swirling potions, and gently reached out to take them. Her fingers tingled where they brushed against his. They lingered there for a moment, staring at one another, before Sand finally broke the silence, "Ahem, well, I'll just leave you to it then…" He started to get up, "But, there is one last thing. Our friend Torio… I think she's rather close to breaking. It's what happens when one is tied to an ill-conceived plan… as I once felt. And I think Torio is one who prefers to be on the winning side. Worth thinking about, especially if she is at our mercy later. Good night," Sand bowed his head slightly in a farewell, his eyes lingering on hers a tad longer than normal. Then, he turned on his heel and hurried out the door.
Alea's mind was racing a million miles an hour. What just happened? She had never seen Sand act so intense. Her thoughts continued to linger on the sarcastic elf when Casavir strode into the room, a look of determination on his face. As he spoke to Alea, she only half listened. Her mind was stuck on Sand. She politely refused his offer to fight for her and thanked him as he gave her a vial of some sort of blessed potion. It was a thoughtful gift. He was a thoughtful person. Casavir was always the type of character that Alea – when she had still been Sophie – dreamed of falling in love with. She had been crushing on him since her first time playing the game. He was the perfect fairy tale knight in shining armor.
But this wasn't a game anymore. Casavir wasn't just a character, and neither were any of her other companions.
That included Sand.
The rest of the night passed by in a blur as Alea reevaluated her thoughts on the elf. How had it taken this long for her to realize? She scoffed at her own stupidity at having not recognized her own feelings. She wished she had figured it out sooner. Come tomorrow, she might never get the opportunity to tell him how she felt, and that was no one's fault but her own.
She knew Sand wouldn't feel the same way. Alea was just an intriguing project to him, and she knew that. Once they found her a way home, she'd be gone, and he'd go back to his little shop in Neverwinter until the next interesting person comes along. Still, she felt like she owed it to herself to tell him. After everything they'd been through together at least all her cards would be on the table.
A new determination woke in her. She was going to win the fight and defeat Lorne. Otherwise she would never get a chance to tell Sand the truth that she was just now discovering.
She had to let him know she loved him.
Lorne was massive. Alea could see no resemblance to the quiet, unassuming Bevil. His angry scowl mixed with his dark tattoos and scary sword made for a truly terrifying visage. The fact that he couldn't be defeated when in a rage no matter how battered he got was even more frightening. Still, Alea had a plan. It had worked time and again, and it would work again. She had everything she needed, all that was left was to do it.
"Is the accuser or her champion here?" Lord Nasher's voice boomed throughout the arena, an air of unquestionable authority to it.
"We are here," Lorne's menacing voice responded.
Lord Nasher continued, "Is the accused or her champion here?"
Alea looked up to where the king sat, raising her enchanted blade high over her head, "I am here, and I am ready to fight for justice for the people of Ember!"
Her remark prompted a loud cheer from the crowd. An announced waited for them to quiet before he spoke in a formal tone, "What takes place in the field today shall resolve the crime of the razing of the village of Ember and the death of its people. Torio Claven, ambassador of Luskan, has accused one in the service of Neverwinter, and has called for a trial by combat to resolve the matter. Acting on her behalf is her champion, Lorne, who will fight in her stead. We call upon Tyr to help us settle this matter. Tyr's judgement shall come forth – through blade and strength, through balance… and resolve."
Alea and Lorne both walked to opposite ends of the field, an odd excitement washing over Alea's heart. This was it. This was where she truly proved her worth. Once the two opponents were in their places, they turned to face one another, and the battle officially began.
The first thing Alea did was cast several protective spells. This took enough time that Lorne was already halfway across the arena by the time she was finished. Next, she used her cheat item, the Instrument of Death, to summon a high-powered elemental. A massive rock monster appeared, towering over the two champions. Lorne was nearly upon her. He shouted a primal battle cry, his sword raised high over his head. Alea took a deep breath, then as fast as her d20 reflexes would allow, she gulped down one of the potions that Sand had gifted her the previous night.
Lorne stopped dead in his tracks, staring at the spot where his prey had been. She had vanished into thin air. Instead, standing only a few feet from where the blasted she-elf had been was a massive earth elemental. The creature swung its enormous arms, catching him in the stomach, nearly knocking him to the ground. It was a formidable foe, but he paid it no heed. He had to find his victim and destroy her. He would not fail.
Swinging his sword in the spot where Alea had once stood, Lorne found nothing but air. The damn bitch had run off. There was no way of knowing where she was now. All he had to work with was the gigantic stone creature, which was actively trying to kill him. If it weren't for his barbarian rage, he'd already by dead by now. The elemental hit hard.
Alea watched from the other side of the stadium, carefully counting down the minutes until the spell wore off and her elemental would disappear. Lorne was somehow still on his feet, despite having received several lethal blows. She watched as the brutish man searched for her, even as the earth elemental followed and attacked him. He seemed furious, frantically waving his spiked sword seemingly at random. As Lorne moved about the arena, so did Alea, keeping herself as far from him as she could.
Suddenly Lorne's eyes met hers. Alea hadn't noticed the potion wearing off. She cursed her own stupidity. She could either drink another invisibility potion, or summon a new elemental by the time Lorne got to her. Whatever she chose she had to do so quick or she was likely to lose her head. Quite literally, in fact.
Alea made her choice. Lorne was on his last legs as it was. She drank a new potion and disappeared from sight, dodging to the side just before Lorne reached her. He howled in frustration, "Stand still!" He swung his sword about wildly, trying to find her, but she was already halfway across the field by then.
She could help but smile to herself as she watched the cruel barbarian run wildly about in search of her. His rage couldn't last forever. All she had to do was wait until he tired himself out, then he would be ready to go down.
After what felt like hours, but was really only minutes, Alea could see Lorne begin to slow. The wounds he'd received from her earth elemental – who had long since dissipated – were taking their toll. That could only mean that his barbarian rage was wearing off. She had mere seconds before he went into another one, so she chose that moment to strike.
Creeping up behind him, her d20 stealth skill coming in handy, Alea drew her heavily-enchanted sword. She knew that in the game there was a chance to take him prisoner, but even if she did he'd still end up dead. This was the least painful way for him to go, and she'd be lying if she didn't admit she took some pleasure in striking the finishing blow herself. Once again, she was struck by this thought, wondering what kind of person she was becoming.
This didn't shake her resolve, however. Waiting until she could see that Lorne was fully out of his rage, Alea took her sword and swung it wide, slicing Lorne's head clean off. Arterial blood gushed out as the body fell limp to the ground, twitching slightly. Her potion wore off with this action, revealing her to the audience. She looked up and saw them staring in stunned silence. This was not Alea's first time to kill a man since coming to this place, and she knew it would most certainly not be the last, but this one felt different. She had won. She breathed heavily as her triumph washed over her like a blanket, smothering her in glory and pride. She had done it.
Raising her sword above her head Alea shouted at the top of her lungs, "For the people of Ember!"
The crowd rose up in a deafening roar of approval, shouts, whistles, and hecklers praising her name. Lord Nasher stood from his seat, Sir Nevalle by his side and Torio standing nervously behind them. His voice once again boomed above them all. Alea wondered if his volume was boosted by magic. It probably was.
"Justice has been served," Lord Nasher announced, "My judgement passed at the trial shall now take effect, as was intended. The Arcane Brootherhood of Luskan is to leave the city of Neverwinter within three days time, and they are not to be permitted within our walls again, by royal decree. The possessions of the champion of the Luskan ambassador, Lorne, are to become the property of the accused. And ambassador…" he snarled at Torio, "you now have much to answer for." Nasher turned his attention back to Alea, "To the accused – I believe you are in need of a well-deserved rest. Please return to the Sunken Flagon – that is a command from your Lord, soldier of Neverwinter.
Alea was herded away and into a carriage that had been waiting for the victor. She had wanted to go find Sand immediately after the battle, but her ushers not have it. She sat in the carriage, her exhaustion suddenly washing over her. It didn't take long for her to fall into a deep sleep.
Alea woke up in her room in the Sunken Flagon. Sitting up, she realized how incredibly refreshed she felt. It was as if all the stress from the past few months merely melted away. She took a deep breath, savoring the moment of peace for a bit before standing up. She looked down and found that she was still wearing her battle robes. They were grimy and stank of gore, so she quickly shed them and tossed them into a basket. That cute kid Wolf had started coming by regularly to get her clothes cleaned for her.
Alea decided to clean herself up. She had something to do and she wanted to look presentable for it. She would have used Sand's shower again, but that would defeat the purpose. After all, he was the one she needed to speak to. So, Alea settled on using the washbasin in her room, bathing as best she could in the splintery old bucket. Once she no longer smelled like blood and sweat, she got up and dried off, pulling her hair up into a semi-elaborate bun adorned with braids and a silver hair pin. She searched her closet and picked out a simple, but flattering white dress and a pair of matching shoes. A quick glance in the mirror confirmed that she looked as lovely as she felt.
Smiling, she opened her door and glided down the stairs. Her companions mulled about the Flagon drinking, snacking, or doing whatever suited their fancy. Khelgar was having an arm-wrestling match with some random patron. He was a beefy fellow, but Alea's money was still on the dwarf. Looking around, she didn't see Sand anywhere. This didn't deter her. He was likely the same place he always was.
As she walked toward the door, she was stopped by Wolf. He had a message from Aldanon saying that the sage wanted to speak with her about another silver shard. The thanked the boy but tucked the message away in her mind for later. Aldanon could wait. She rushed out the door and walked quickly across the street, determination in her steps. Not bothering to knock, Alea opened the door and walked in.
Sand stood by the bookshelf, a tome in his hands. He looked up from it to see Alea dressed quite beautifully. "Ah, if it isn't the champion of Ember herself. Congratulations. It was such a pleasure to see Torio finally brought down from her-" he was cut off as Alea strode toward him, pressing her lips to his.
Sand froze, stunned. Was he still dreaming? This wasn't actually happening was it? Was Alea Stormrun, the one person he'd ever felt genuine love for, actually kissing him? His heart raced, and his brain stopped. He prayed to whatever gods were listening that this wasn't a dream.
Coming out of his shock, Sand suddenly realized that Alea was pulling away. Her ears were blushing bright red and she looked horribly embarrassed. She kept her eyes down, "I'm sorry, I just… I needed you to know that I-"
This time it was his turn to cut her off as he reached for her, pulling her towards him with a passion and desperation that Alea had never seen in him before. Sand heard the door begin to open. It was probably a customer. He would have none of that. Waving his hand, he shut the door in the intruder's face, locking it to avoid any more interruptions.
Alea pulled him closer, deepening the kiss, and Sand happily complied, pushing her against the bookshelf that only moments ago he had been so engrossed in. As far as he was concerned it no longer existed. There was only Alea. Perfect Alea. Powerful Alea. His Alea. He had been hers for months even if she hadn't known it. Now he knew that she was his too. They belonged to one another, no matter what some silly game plotline said.
Alea could feel her heartrate synchronizing with Sand's. Both were beating a million miles an hour, unable to keep up with the flood of emotions coursing through them. Never in her life at home had Alea felt anything like this. It was so intense, and yet so perfect that she never wanted it to end.
Alea took the lead this time, guiding Sand toward the stairs. To his dismay she broke away, only to grin at him gleefully and take his hand, guiding him up the stairs. She stopped at the door to the one part of Sand's house that she hadn't been in. Unable to bear being apart for another second, she once again pulled him towards her, locking their lips together with her back pressed to the bedroom door.
Sand fumbled for the doorknob. Alea was enough of a distraction that even the simple task of opening a door became difficult. Eventually, however, he managed to twist the knob and the door swung inward. He followed as Alea stepped back into the room, closing the door behind them.
Sand felt Alea's hands tugging on his robe. He happily assisted her in removing it, leaving him in a simple undershirt and pants. Those, however, didn't last long, and neither did Alea's dress. Moving over to the bed, they gave themselves to each other fully, not a moment of hesitation between them. Sand was Alea's first, and despite his hundreds of years of life, she was his. Moon elves after all were very selective in who they chose as mates, because once they had chosen there was no going back. And now that Sand had Alea, he would have no other for the rest of each of their long lives. He briefly wondered if Alea knew this bit of elven culture. She had once been human, after all, and they were known to have multiple partners throughout their lives.
The thought worried him, but it was soon snuffed out by Alea placing a gentle kiss on his shoulder, "I don't think I've ever been quite so happy," she cooed, nestling in closer to him.
He smiled at her, "Nor I, dear girl. Nor I."
