Desperate times and measures
Feb 27, 2020 14:31:30 GMT
Grimes, Varis/G'Lorth/Sundilar, and 6 more like this
Post by Ser Baine Cinderwood 🔥🌼 on Feb 27, 2020 14:31:30 GMT
He settles Varis body on his bed, the blindfold from the spell Pieni had cast still firmly in place. Exhausted, weary to the bone, desperate and aching, Baine slumps down on the floor next to the bed, beside Varis head. He leans his own back against the wall and closes his eyes, lips moving continuously, silently. "I want to make a deal. I want to make a deal. I want to make a deal. I want..."
He finally falls asleep, but it's not a restful sleep.
He finds himself in an empty, dark room. Before he can look around properly he loses his vision and he is paralysed, frozen in place.
A familiar voice enters his head.
"Well, well. So nice of you to think of me in your sleep. I'm almost moved." Te'Zeer's dulcet tones wrap around his mind like silk, clinging to every surface.
Baine tries to respond, but his jaw won't open.
"Not so fast, half-orc. I want you to consider your words carefully, this time. You speak of a deal and I'll hear you out, but consider your life the price for wasting my time once more."
Baine finds his jaw slowly unclench.
“Understood. Things have changed, as you probably know. So the question is, can you help me?” He pauses for a second as his voice wavers.
“Can you get him back?”
"All the weeping, all the tears, for him. I am almost jealous." Te'Zeer chuckles, and the sound sends a chill down Baine's spine.
"So this is about the soul that just crossed into Avernus, of course."
“Yeah, that’ll be the one.”
"Zariel and her minions, always busy with their war, no doubt they value your valiant paladin."
“Zar- who? The sanguine rose?”
"Oh, it's her you dealt with?"
“.... yes?”
There's a brief pause in the blind silence.
"Tell me Baine, what would you like of me?"
“I want him back. I need more time. Bring him back from hell, put him back in his body. Give him the time back that he had before he needs to fulfil the contract. Not as undead, not as a fucking ghost or whatever, free his soul from Avernus so we can bring him back - or just beam him back in there yourself - and I’ll extend my stay. Like you said before.”
"That was a good deal, Baine."
“Yeah, it was. I didn’t need it as much then as I do now.”
"I won't toy with you, Baine, there is something fierce in you that I like, no matter how hard you try to hide it. To tame it. To taint it"
Baine clenches his teeth so hard he thinks they might crack.
“So take me instead. Extended my stay. Shorten the other two. What do you want them for anyway, they’re boring aren’t they?”
Te'Zeer ignores his question.
"The creature hunting your small friend. I want them. For myself. Bring them to me, and we will make a deal then for your paladin's life."
Baine blinks in the darkness.
“You want the big cat with the weird hands?”
Te'Zeer's voice changes for a moment. Almost cheerfully he says,
"Yes, the big cat, Baine. Alive, in chains. Do this and I will talk about a deal. I want this as proof of your goodwill."
“That’s not-“
He struggles with his words for a moment.
“I’m gonna need Varis to go get Khingo. I need his help. And if you keep Khingo alive, won’t they be coming after Taff? I can’t speak for her.”
"Taffeta, on her high, high horse..."
Baine can almost feel the smile on his invisible face.
“This isn’t about her, Tez. This is between you and me.”
"Trust me, Baine. If I get my way with Khingo, there will be no revenge they will be able to take. Will you do this, Baine?"
The voice lowers to a whisper, far too close for comfort.
"Will you trust me?"
“Okay. Okay, that’s- that’s fine. I need Varis back though. I need him back now. Bring him back, we make a deal that includes me delivering Khingo to you. Add a- a penalty to it if I fail, whatever. But it’ll be twice as hard for me to do it without him.”
"I won't agree to that. I know you have the strength to bring him to me. Besides. You made a deal with a devil. They are taking what's rightfully theirs. Do you understand what you are asking of me? The time this would take to make happen anyway?"
“Tez. Please.”
The desperation claws at Baine's insides, his grief smothering him like a wet blanket.
Completely resigned, he asks,
“What would it take.”
"Now you are really making me jealous... Poor Baine. Don't be resigned with me. I hate it. Stoke the fire I feel burning inside of you instead."
In the dark, in front of his eyes, a contract materializes, words appearing on the page as Te'Zeer speaks them.
"This is the only deal you will get from me:
"Bring Khingo to me, and only me, alive and in chains. In exchange for your service I will guarantee that Kingo won't purse their revenge anymore. I shall force them into obedience and bend their will in front of you. Your friend and her family will be rid of this hunter. Also in exchange for your service I will offer you in good faith a deal - to be discussed then - by which I will buy the contract you and your friends now have with the Sanguine Rose and free you of it. The soul of Varis free to go back to his beautiful body."
“What if I fail to bring Khingo to you?”
"If you fail, you will likely be dead, Baine. And maybe I shall visit you as you reach Avernus. Who knows? Anyway, if you fail to bring my Khingo...
"Well, if you simply ignore my wish and kill them or let them be killed, I shall never deal with you again. I might buy your soul, but you will never get to make a deal with me again. If somehow you fail to bring Khingo to me despite your best efforts, but still retrieve an item I know they must have somewhere near them, I will consider it as a token of good faith from a weaker mortal and perhaps still reach a deal with you."
“Okay. Yeah, okay. That’s. Fine. I guess. I’ll do it.”
At the bottom of the contract, his name appears.
"Very well, very well, Baine. I need two things to seal this deal. The first is your signature, in blood of course, and the second-"
Te'Zeer appears in front of him. He takes out a tiny piece of black coal and kisses it, muttering words Baine doesn't understand.
"Keep this on you during your mission; hidden, secret, safe. As specified in the contract before you, you can see that no harm will come of it to you or any other mortal. I shall take it back once you bring me Khingo."
“What does it do? You eavesdropping on me, Tez?”
Te'Zeer smiles, a slow, creeping thing.
"I want to keep you close, Baine. Do not speak of it or your deal is off."
“Understood.”
With a jolt, Baine's body is freed.
“Alright," he says, "See you soon. Get a contract ready.”
A feather quill pen with a sharp razor edge appears in his hand before he's even done speaking. Te'Zeer raises a delicate eyebrow.
"Ahem, not so fast, Baine."
“Fucking hell I said I’d do it, so much bloody paper work...”
Muttering to himself, He takes the quill and slices open the palm on his hand before dipping the quill in the blood and signing the contract.
When he wakes up, a copy of the contract is lying on the floor next to him, with the small piece of coal next to it.
The cut on his hand has healed into a harsh, black line. He swallows, his dry throat clicking loudly in the silence of the Grandmaster's quarters.
He picks up the parchment and the piece of coal, pocketing both, before pulling out a small vial.
Leaning over the bed, he presses the healing potion into Varis' cold hand and leans in close.
"I'm sorry. It was my fault. But I'm gonna fix it. Hang in there."
He finally falls asleep, but it's not a restful sleep.
He finds himself in an empty, dark room. Before he can look around properly he loses his vision and he is paralysed, frozen in place.
A familiar voice enters his head.
"Well, well. So nice of you to think of me in your sleep. I'm almost moved." Te'Zeer's dulcet tones wrap around his mind like silk, clinging to every surface.
Baine tries to respond, but his jaw won't open.
"Not so fast, half-orc. I want you to consider your words carefully, this time. You speak of a deal and I'll hear you out, but consider your life the price for wasting my time once more."
Baine finds his jaw slowly unclench.
“Understood. Things have changed, as you probably know. So the question is, can you help me?” He pauses for a second as his voice wavers.
“Can you get him back?”
"All the weeping, all the tears, for him. I am almost jealous." Te'Zeer chuckles, and the sound sends a chill down Baine's spine.
"So this is about the soul that just crossed into Avernus, of course."
“Yeah, that’ll be the one.”
"Zariel and her minions, always busy with their war, no doubt they value your valiant paladin."
“Zar- who? The sanguine rose?”
"Oh, it's her you dealt with?"
“.... yes?”
There's a brief pause in the blind silence.
"Tell me Baine, what would you like of me?"
“I want him back. I need more time. Bring him back from hell, put him back in his body. Give him the time back that he had before he needs to fulfil the contract. Not as undead, not as a fucking ghost or whatever, free his soul from Avernus so we can bring him back - or just beam him back in there yourself - and I’ll extend my stay. Like you said before.”
"That was a good deal, Baine."
“Yeah, it was. I didn’t need it as much then as I do now.”
"I won't toy with you, Baine, there is something fierce in you that I like, no matter how hard you try to hide it. To tame it. To taint it"
Baine clenches his teeth so hard he thinks they might crack.
“So take me instead. Extended my stay. Shorten the other two. What do you want them for anyway, they’re boring aren’t they?”
Te'Zeer ignores his question.
"The creature hunting your small friend. I want them. For myself. Bring them to me, and we will make a deal then for your paladin's life."
Baine blinks in the darkness.
“You want the big cat with the weird hands?”
Te'Zeer's voice changes for a moment. Almost cheerfully he says,
"Yes, the big cat, Baine. Alive, in chains. Do this and I will talk about a deal. I want this as proof of your goodwill."
“That’s not-“
He struggles with his words for a moment.
“I’m gonna need Varis to go get Khingo. I need his help. And if you keep Khingo alive, won’t they be coming after Taff? I can’t speak for her.”
"Taffeta, on her high, high horse..."
Baine can almost feel the smile on his invisible face.
“This isn’t about her, Tez. This is between you and me.”
"Trust me, Baine. If I get my way with Khingo, there will be no revenge they will be able to take. Will you do this, Baine?"
The voice lowers to a whisper, far too close for comfort.
"Will you trust me?"
“Okay. Okay, that’s- that’s fine. I need Varis back though. I need him back now. Bring him back, we make a deal that includes me delivering Khingo to you. Add a- a penalty to it if I fail, whatever. But it’ll be twice as hard for me to do it without him.”
"I won't agree to that. I know you have the strength to bring him to me. Besides. You made a deal with a devil. They are taking what's rightfully theirs. Do you understand what you are asking of me? The time this would take to make happen anyway?"
“Tez. Please.”
The desperation claws at Baine's insides, his grief smothering him like a wet blanket.
Completely resigned, he asks,
“What would it take.”
"Now you are really making me jealous... Poor Baine. Don't be resigned with me. I hate it. Stoke the fire I feel burning inside of you instead."
In the dark, in front of his eyes, a contract materializes, words appearing on the page as Te'Zeer speaks them.
"This is the only deal you will get from me:
"Bring Khingo to me, and only me, alive and in chains. In exchange for your service I will guarantee that Kingo won't purse their revenge anymore. I shall force them into obedience and bend their will in front of you. Your friend and her family will be rid of this hunter. Also in exchange for your service I will offer you in good faith a deal - to be discussed then - by which I will buy the contract you and your friends now have with the Sanguine Rose and free you of it. The soul of Varis free to go back to his beautiful body."
“What if I fail to bring Khingo to you?”
"If you fail, you will likely be dead, Baine. And maybe I shall visit you as you reach Avernus. Who knows? Anyway, if you fail to bring my Khingo...
"Well, if you simply ignore my wish and kill them or let them be killed, I shall never deal with you again. I might buy your soul, but you will never get to make a deal with me again. If somehow you fail to bring Khingo to me despite your best efforts, but still retrieve an item I know they must have somewhere near them, I will consider it as a token of good faith from a weaker mortal and perhaps still reach a deal with you."
“Okay. Yeah, okay. That’s. Fine. I guess. I’ll do it.”
At the bottom of the contract, his name appears.
"Very well, very well, Baine. I need two things to seal this deal. The first is your signature, in blood of course, and the second-"
Te'Zeer appears in front of him. He takes out a tiny piece of black coal and kisses it, muttering words Baine doesn't understand.
"Keep this on you during your mission; hidden, secret, safe. As specified in the contract before you, you can see that no harm will come of it to you or any other mortal. I shall take it back once you bring me Khingo."
“What does it do? You eavesdropping on me, Tez?”
Te'Zeer smiles, a slow, creeping thing.
"I want to keep you close, Baine. Do not speak of it or your deal is off."
“Understood.”
With a jolt, Baine's body is freed.
“Alright," he says, "See you soon. Get a contract ready.”
A feather quill pen with a sharp razor edge appears in his hand before he's even done speaking. Te'Zeer raises a delicate eyebrow.
"Ahem, not so fast, Baine."
“Fucking hell I said I’d do it, so much bloody paper work...”
Muttering to himself, He takes the quill and slices open the palm on his hand before dipping the quill in the blood and signing the contract.
When he wakes up, a copy of the contract is lying on the floor next to him, with the small piece of coal next to it.
The cut on his hand has healed into a harsh, black line. He swallows, his dry throat clicking loudly in the silence of the Grandmaster's quarters.
He picks up the parchment and the piece of coal, pocketing both, before pulling out a small vial.
Leaning over the bed, he presses the healing potion into Varis' cold hand and leans in close.
"I'm sorry. It was my fault. But I'm gonna fix it. Hang in there."