A great parting.

A short story based on the adventures of my Bhaalspawn Paladin.

-------------------------------------------------------

Yotama knelt upon the ground yet again, supported by his heavy two handed sword. He was bloody, bruised, wounded and over all in slightly better shape then he usually was. He panted slightly and drew himself up with some effort. He had taken another beating, as was normal by now, and survived where most other men would have been ripped apart given even half the terrible cuts and bruises he endured.

Usually such things were easily remedied, but with eyes narrowed in slight annoyance a priestess of Shar let out a heavy sigh "I am out of spells to make up for your bruises and wounds. We will have to rest for the night and heal you once the day has come."

A tall and muscled woman in heavy armor grunted in annoyance "Every damn time. You'd think you'd learn to dodge by now. How useless can you be?"

Yotama said nothing. He had no words to give, or perhaps no words he wished too. Either way, he did not seem about to rise to the insult. However this did not mean her words would go unanswered "You're just grumpy cause he can take a bigger poundin' then you and even dodges better. We know its true, after all he did beat you." The young woman in purple and pink, Imoen, spoke her words with a little playful smile. "Besides, we're doing the good work."

The warrior woman, known as Shar-Teel simply grunted and rolled her eyes "Yes, saving a dead cat from a waterfall is such a worthy cause. Stopping to help every simpering mother who can't keep her own brat out of a dangerous light house is so much fun, and what was our payment for that? A thankful handshake and a pat on the back? Don't even get me started on the indecent with the lost boy in the woods and that dog." Shar-Teel's eyes turned towards a young lady in a flowing robe with short white hair who held her hands up defensively, Neera was her name, "Hey, don't look at me. I had nothing to do with that kid turning into a demon this time."

Yotama spoke up, not yet ready to let this turn into a fight "We need to rest for now. Here will do. Baeloth and Neera have some spells left, and will take first watch. Then Shar-teel and Imoen I want you both to keep on guard for a bit. By the time you're done Viconia should have some spells renewed, me and her will take the last watch and she can aid my healing."

Thankfully, there was no argument, though anyone could feel the simmering hate coming off of Shar-teel as she began to set up camp. She had a temper, and the fact Yotama bested her, yet had all the signs of weakness she'd come to loath, had not helped her mood at all.

Still, for now, there was peace...and a camp to set up.



Though Yotama had explained that two people at watch should stay on opposite ends of the camp and patrol periodically even he had to admit this was an unrealistic goal. When the night is upon you and only one other person is about to keep you company, its natural to drift towards them.

And this is how Baeloth, the misplaced drow, and Neera, of magic uncontrolled, came to talk. "So! Imoen thinks you, Shar-Teel and Viconia will probably just leave soon, or kill us in our sleep. I just thought I'd ask that you not do that, at least not the killing us in our sleep part. Being alive is kind of the thing I do best, ya know?"

Baeloth turned to the chattering Neera, he had little love or even like for the wild mage, but what he did love is his own voice, and now seemed a good time to use it "Don't worry my wondrously wild wanderer. Your precociously powerful paladin has proven to be just what I need to survive in this obviously obnoxious overworld. His ability to take beatings that would make lesser men distraught, destroyed and devoid of existence has proven more then enough for me to stand by him, besides, I could never leave you my precocious petite pixie." He favored her with a charming little smile that suggest much, and admitted little.

Neera had not survived this long by being fooled with simple smiles like that, but for now she relaxed. What he said would have to do, and truth be told she liked Baeloth. She had yet to meet someone able to speak with such complex alliteration and also he knew fireball, so now he could take the blame when one went and hit half the party. "Sounds good to me, I should go watch the other side of camp, before our preoccupied power house paladin wakes up and gives us a learnious lectu-Oh damn it. Before he wakes up and yells at us."

With that, Neera wandered over to the other side of camp, to be bored for a few more hours and do her best not to cast any spells that might result in random falling cows, or worse, sudden gender shifts. Especially after Shar-teel described in great detail what would happen if a spell like that fell on her. Neera *liked* having both her eyes in working order.



The second watch began and Shar-teel sat silently near the sleeping party, idly sharping her sword and glaring out onto the landscape, as if daring it to attack her. Much to her annoyance her watch partner, wich always seemed to be Imoen, had no such patience and quickly sat next to her. Shar-teel idly wondered if she could strike Imoen with a dagger before she could yell. She had no intention too, but the fantasy of doing so helped keep her sane.

"So. When ya headin' off?" Imoen sat next to her, knees against her chest and arms wrapped around them, looking up with eyes that spoke of a child like innocence Shar-teel never had the opportunity to have. One more reason to dislike the girl.

"Who said anything about me leaving?" She would do her best not to mix word with this girl. Simply tolerate her for now. Eventually she'd die in combat, all she needed was a well place kobold arrow.

"You did, every time you talk about our leadership. You act like Yotama is flailing about like an idiot tryin' to do his best to make sure we don't succeed at nothing."

"Hes a fool. All he does is everything everyone asks of him. If a lady came to him and asked him to sweep her floor he'd probably do that."

"Nah, he'd probably get me to do it." Imoen proceeded to make a face that said quite well what she thought of doing chores. Stuff like that was one reason she left Candlekeep. That, and her friend needed her. "He don't do bad things though. Remember those guys asking to chop down the dryad's tree? Hes got priorities, he just wants to help everyone, ya know?"

"People should help themselves and if that dryad didn't want her tree chopped down she shouldn't have let those men get so close to it. We hardly got anything for *that* either. I swear, hes like an over eager dog and all the world's his master" Shar-Teel put her sword aside, deciding it was sharp enough for now. Truthfully she didn't need to sharpen it, it being magic, but the action calmed her, and right now she needed calm.

"Well, not right away no, but people are hearin', shops are being nicer and we're bein' welcomed more places now. Some people even know we're travelin' with a couple dark elves and don't even care cause we're so nice. See? Theres benefits, and we still got plenty of money. Not like we're hurtin' for it."

Shar-Teel grunted, taking out her dagger next. She needed calm. Lots more calm "I don't need people liking me. I don't need shops treating me nice. If we took what we wanted instead of ambling around like a group of drunken fools we'd be feared, not tolerated. Shops would give us items to make us go away, we'd be mercenaries of the highest order. Well paid and respected."

"He don't want none of that. He just wants to spread all the good feelin's ya know? Besides, you're just grumpy cause you know he can beat you up even when badly wounded like he is now."

Shar-Teel stopped her sharpening right then and there and simply glared. "Go. Away....Now."

Imoen shrugged and walked away. She quite liked talking to Shar-teel in the same way a child would enjoy poking a especially ill tempered bear who would, under other circumstances, chase them down and rip them apart. Still, she dared not push it, but someone had to defend Yotama and stick up for him against Shar-Teel, the old fuddy duddy never did it himself, simply letting her insult him and belittle him. Luckily, half the time he proceeded to kick enough butt that they soon realized the reason he took such insults was simple. He had nothing to prove or fear from her. The thought made her smile as she idly took out Neera's spell book and began to study it. She would definitely have to learn how to cast some of these spells some day. Who doesn't want to drop a cow on your enemies?



The dawn would come soon as Yotama sat on the ground, Viconia next to him weaving her magics into him and healing his wounds one after the other. When he was healed, or at least healthy enough, she sat next to him quietly at first. The paladin simply starring off into nothing, as he often did.

"I don't understand why you do it." she said, her mind finally voicing the thoughts shes been keeping within.

Yotama turned to her, as if waking up from a daze "I told you, its simply how I am. I protect people, I aid them, I cannot do otherwise. It is simply not within me to leave others to sorrow or death."

Viconia shook her head, a hand moving over her eyes to shadow them as the burning daystar began to rise "No, I meant travel with those you do. Your Imoen is a foolish welp, that wild mage will eventually get us all killed, or worse and even then you travel with two drow and a woman who would kill you if she had it in her to slit your throat as you slept. Surely you know this alliance can't last. I have heard some rumors about your ilk, I know you know me and the jaluk are not pure. I have murdered, as I told you, and he is obviously planning something, and then you have a woman who would spit on your corpse if given half the chance. Why do you travel with those who would wish you dead?"

Yotama was quiet for a time, perhaps lost in thought, or perhaps he had no answer to give. Eventually, he looked back to the rising sun "Viconia, do you remember the last time I attacked someone?"

Viconia looked up at him "Yes. Those hobgoblins a bit ago. The reason we are even resting right now."

Yotama shook his head "No, the last time I attacked someone first. Not out of defense, but out of desire to kill. The last time a foe surrendered and I slit their throats regardless. The last time I saw someone and decided they needed to die."

Viconia looked back on their adventures, she was sure that at some point he had pointed his sword first, but for the life of her she could not remember when. Reluctantly, she eventually conceded she could not "I remember no such thing ever happening, wael."

Yotama idly wondered, not for the first time, what wael ment exactly. Viconia had seemed to think he had earned such a nickname for himself. He also wondered at the word jaluk and secretly thought he was being insulted more often then not. "Exactly. I am no murderer, Viconia. I do not strike first. I do not strike those whom surrender. I protect those in need. Look at you and Baeloth, you are drow, you are...wicked, yes, but the world would kill you if given half the chance. Shar-teel surrendered to me and serves me, and as long as you three follow me I can keep an eye on you and keep you safe from those who would do you harm."

Viconia's eyes narrowed, possibly from annoyance, or the rising sun, but either way they narrowed as she looked at the paladin next to her "You expect me to believe you keep us around out of some desire to protect us?"

"And protect others from you. Admittingly, I am quite glad you are around. You are good allies and strong. I am very thankful to you, Viconia, no matter what happens."

"Your words are empty, wael. I know full well should I ever leave you would hunt me down. We are not your allies, it seems, but your prisoners."

Again, a quiet moment as Yotama's mind thought over her words but eventually he found words of his own "I would not stop you if you left, though I would be most sad if you did, and I would not hunt you down. I may some day come to blows with you, but only if you gave me sufficient reason."

"Oh?" Viconia's tone was almost mocking, and with the slightest drip of poison "And if I did give you sufficient reason? If I had killed some rivval whom had displeased me?"

"I would kill you with more sorrow then I care to express in words."

Viconia looked towards the nearby woods, words failing her for the moment. She had expected no more, but the idea he would be sad at her death did take her by some surprise. She decided, in the end, he was truly the sentimental fool she always thought he was. She stood up "I will wake the others, try not to get yourself badly injured before I return, as hard as that is for someone who see's a giant spider made of swords and armor and eagerly lunges to them as a dog would lunge at a fresh piece of raw meat."

Yotama nodded and even smiled slightly at that. He could not deny the truth of her words and had long ago decided who he was, and would not let others words make him feel ashamed for it. He was Yotama, foolish and heroic doer of good, and he was very content to be such.





He was wounded again, but not for long. Still, there were other problems arising.

"Thats it. I can't take this any more. I'm leaving. Its bad enough you don't take the money offered to kill these guards and take over this excavation site, I can almost tolerate that. I rather like how we had to kill the guards anyways, I enjoy a good fight, but you want to take that idol of destruction *out of here*?" Shar-Teel spoke with obvious rage in her voice, finally her temper, weak as it was, had broken.

"We cannot let it sit here where anyone can find it. We cannot block the cave, we have no means of doing so. I have no choice, I must find a way to destroy it." Yotama said simply as he held the idol in his hands.

"Don't be foolish, jaluk. Whats to keep it from taking over your mind as well?" Viconia stood near Shar-teel, and oddly so did Baeloth. Far away from the other three.

"I know not, but I feel we are stronger then its power. We can do this thing. I know we can." beside him stood Imoen and Neera. Both of them looking tense and ready, they knew what might happen here at any moment.

Shar-Teel glared at him, long and hard and then finally she growled and turned away "I'm leaving. I'm done with this. I'm done with this petty idea of 'good'. I'm done with these silly antics. I'm done with you and Viconia and Baeloth are coming with me. We're tired of you, Yotama. Feel lucky I don't kill you, consider that my way of saying we're finally even."

Neera managed to look slightly hurt, but mostly confused "What? Baeloth? You said you weren't leaving!"

"And you were foolish enough to believe me." Baeloth said with a smile that spoke of a relish of such betrayal "This is exactly why I need to leave you gullible goodie goods and side with the two luscious and lovely ladies over here. I had need of you, but now I see no reason to keep up this charade! Huzza and freedom for the dour and daring drow and their strong and stupendous sword maiden! Much better then that wearisome warrior you call a paladin."

Shar-Teel glanced over at Baleoth "I am no maiden, call me that again and I'll break your jaw."

Baeloth sighed a dramatic sigh "Oh, this will be fun."

"See! This is why I have trust issues!" Neera declared in a voice thick with annoyance more then anger.

Viconia took one last look at Yotama as they began to leave "Know this, wael. When next we meet you may have need of better words to express your sorrow, though I doubt it will come to that. I have no intention of dying by your blade." with that, she left, leaving the three of them behind.

They stood there for some time as Yotama drank a few healing potions from an overstuffed potion bag they carried with them. For some reason he never used any potions but the healing potions, but certainly had grown fond of collecting all the others he had found over time. He treated the others with his accustomed silence before finally grabbing his sword and looking towards them "Are we ready to go?"

Imoen shrugged halfheartedly "Sure, why not?" as Neera idly checked the dead guards for any goods she might use "Oh, hey. 3 gold. I can finally retire."

As Yotama headed for the exit there was a piece of paper near the floor. He picked it up and read it "There is a being outside with sword aflame speaking in some ancient tongue. I think it looks for the statue you carry with you, if you intend to continue being an idiot be warned it will likely try to kill you. Consider us even, and do not expect any sort of comradery next time we meet." Yotama read it quickly, and looked at it even longer. He folded it up and tucked the paper away as he looked behind him towards Neera "Neera? You know that potion case full of potions we never use? I think the time has come."