Once Again

Title: Once Again
Fandom: Baldur’s Gate 3
Characters: Syllana, Enver Gortash
Pairing: Enver/Syllana
Ratings:
Warnings:
Author Notes: N/A

There was a sharp pain with every intake of air she made. It ripped through her like a knife. Her chest hurt, her stomach hurt, everything hurt. The room was dark and she was still chained to whatever side of the wall she was closest to at the moment. There was a man in front of her yelling about something but she was in so much pain, she couldn’t hear them. There was a torch light on the wall behind him. Her green eyes flickered towards it as she lost herself in its flickering. She wondered how much time had passed since the man had last seen her. Not that it mattered too much. He was always yelling at her about something.

She saw something move from the corner of her eyes and looked over to see the man moving. His back was facing her, so she couldn’t tell what he was doing. Even from behind, his portly figure didn’t give any details. She sighed, feeling her insides crackling at the sensation. He closed her eyes and curled inward. Her boney knees reached her thin chest. She looked at her long fingers as they attempted to hold onto her legs. Much like the rest of her, she was amazed her skin was even clinging to her at this point.

There was something going on but she couldn’t spare the energy to move. Something was clattering and the portly man started swearing again. She couldn’t really brother looking at whatever he was getting worked up over. The overwhelming sensation of hunger was creeping over her again. Suddenly, there was a flash of light. She blinked as it washed over her, watching as it covered her arms. Was it day time? She’d been in the room for so long she forgot what the sun’s light looked like.

“Ah, there you are.” A voice cracked through the air.

She froze. Feeling a sudden coldness pierce through her spine. The coldness grew into anxiety and she couldn’t look over at the voice. She could hear his footsteps walking towards her. There was a slight squelch to his canter as he approached her. He killed the portly man again. He always killed him. She suddenly felt very small and his footsteps felt like he was growing in size somehow. The darkness he was walking from flooded towards her.

Before it could even claim her, she awoke with a jolt. She sat up and looked around her room. She recognized the familiar furnishings around her and calmed down a little. She was in Baldur’s Gate, in her own room, and had no terrifying nightmare to haunt her again.

Syllana laid back down against the plush mattress beneath her. That nightmare had been haunting her for a while now. She hadn’t thought about that moment in a while. It wasn’t a particularly scary moment but it was just the start of everything else really. She rubbed her face and sat up once more. She got up and got ready for the day. The windchimes in her room swung quietly against one another as a breeze blew into her room. Some of the charms hanging from her ceiling also moved with them as well. She made sure the sash around her shoulder was tucked within her belt before she left her room. She sneered at a pair of Gortash’s boots sitting next to her door. Not because they were his – simply because they were boots.

She walked through the halls for a bit before finding the stairwell. As she descended, she could hear Gortash talking to someone. His voice carried through the stairwell like a maddening laughter. Taunting and jeering at her as she took a step towards him. She wasn’t sure if today was going to be a good one or a bad one. She did get a sinking feeling in her stomach, however. It didn’t make any of it better either.

Once she reached the last step, she walked into an open room. Light flooded the room compared to the dimly lit stairwell. Windows were decorated with elaborate drapes and curtains. Guards walking past them rather dutifully and with a sense of purpose as maids, servants, and other people scurried around. Just a normal day at Gotash’s rather well to do manor. She wasn’t really looking forward to the next step of his “plan”. Wrym’s Rock wasn’t something she particularly liked being in. It was probably because of all the stone but she just didn’t like visiting that place in the least. It fit his grand plans though and it’s not like she could argue with him about it. If she had her preferences, she’d have run off years ago to live in the forests.

“Ah, Lana.” Gortash’s voice broke her from her thoughts. She looked to see him smiling at her so she mimicked the expression as best as she could. There was some warmth that came from his gesture but it was hiding his deviousness at the moment. Something that really never escaped her gaze fully. Although, compared to most people, she had more time to get to know him.

“My Lord.” She greeted as she walked up to him. There were people around so formalities and all.

“Sorry I missed out on dinner last night.” He said, almost looking apologetic. Or maybe he was. It has been getting harder and harder to read him lately. “Another meeting went later than usual.” He stopped for a moment before she could respond and stepped closer towards her. He lowered his voice in a hushed tone so any passersby wouldn’t hear what he had to say. “Did you have another nightmare about him again?”

She didn’t respond at first and just nodded. There was the genuine concern at least. She felt a hand on her arm. He was trying to reassure her that the portly man in that nightmare wasn’t going to hurt her anymore. She knew that. She saw him standing in his blood after all. That was one of the few mental images she couldn’t scrub away. Mostly because of how… sinister he looked in that moment. He had a few moments where that look reappeared but that first one just stuck with her more than others had. She felt her shoulders slump and realized she’d been tensed up again. Either from him or just instinct, it was another thing she had a hard time deciphering.

“I know he’s dead.” She told him. “Doesn’t make the memory any less better.”

“That means better memories to be made.” He replied. Now there was a coin toss. Would it be better for him or for her? He never really mistreated her anymore so maybe she should stop being so apprehensive… He stepped away from her, seeming pleased that she was a little better from his earlier observation.

“Speaking of meetings, I have more going on today.” He sighed. “Any idea on what you’re going to do today?”

“Probably lounge around again with my “weird druid shit”.” She replied with a shrug as she walked towards the windows behind him. She stared outside of the glass to see birds flying around and was a little envious of them.

She rarely ever left the manor. There wasn’t really a point in doing so considering he literally had a leash on her. It might be figurative but she really couldn’t wander around too far from him. She grimaced and sighed. She wished Karlach was around. She always knew how to cheer Syllana up whenever she needed it. Although, that’s probably why he got rid of her – because there was a smidge of happiness and hope and it wasn’t coming from him.

“Why don’t you go outside today? To wherever you please?” He offered as he leaned against the windowsill. She looked up at him with a slightly unamused look. “You’d rather be cooped up all day in this stuffy place? You’re always in a better mood whenever you do… well whatever druids do.”

She scoffed at his comment. Many of many talents yet “weird druid shit” just constantly eluded him. Though, he wasn’t wrong. She usually was in a better mood to put up with him or others after walking around outside of the manor. She shrugged in response as she thought about it. She only wondered which guard would be brave enough to accompany her this time.

“Sure then.” She relented. Despite the dryness in her voice suggesting otherwise, she was looking forward to this trip.

“Excellent.” He said, pushing himself upright and looking like he had a slight skip in his step. “My only condition is that you come back in the afternoon. There’s someone that wants to meet you.”

“Fine.” She said with a nod.

She continued to look outside as he spoke about whoever it was he was on about now. He didn’t like to be ignored but considering he just said she could walk around outside, she felt it was okay to do so. If he was going to be mad about it, he only had himself to blame. She saw him moving out of the corner of her eye and pushed herself off the windowsill and walked with him for a bit. After a while of him monologuing, he pulled her towards him. Wrapping his arm around her like a twisting vine to ensnare her. She didn’t fight it – there wasn’t a point.

“I’ll see you later, my dear.” Gortash said as he pecked her head affectionately. Moments like this made her trying to understand him a little difficult. Though she supposed it was the point. She watched as he sauntered off down the long hallway. After he entered one of the rooms, she just turned and walked away too.

She made her way towards the main hall. More guards, servants, and expensive decorations everywhere the eye could see. None of it meant anything. It was just to serve as a reminder to all who entered that Gortash was a very important person with lots of influence. There was a guard standing next to the door who straightened after Syllana appeared in his view.

“Ma’am, Lord Gortash asked me to be your escort?” He asked. His tone sounded shaky. She wondered if Gortash berated him. Wouldn’t have been the first time. In the few years Karlach’s been gone, he’s been this way to every guard that Syllana interacts with.

“Yes.” She said with a nod. “I’m not sure where we’re going though.”

“T-that’s fine.” He replied. “Lord Gortash said I was to follow you wherever you go. So whenever you’re ready, ma’am.”

She walked past him and towards the door. The guards next to the door opened it for her and she walked through. Outside there were some gardeners, more guards, and a stone wall about eye high to try and ward off outsiders. There was an iron gate in front of her too. She could hear the guard she talked to earlier following her. His metal boots clanged and shifted slightly against the cobblestone they were walking on.

“How can you walk around with no boots on?” He asked her as she leapt to her side to keep up with her stride.

“How can you wear them?” She replied. “Forcing your feet to be enclosed in leather like that.” She shook her head at the thought. She’d rather walk around barefoot and trudging through the sewers rather than wear any footwear. Not that a lot of people understood her reasonings for it or cared to try.

The conversation petered out after that and they both just walked through the city. For as early in the morning as it was, she wasn’t too surprised with the amount of people out. She could hear them from her window at any point in the day. Since she was allowed to go wherever, she let her feet guide her really. They walked past Sorcerous Sundries and heard all manners of spells, creatures, and explosions being casted. She wandered inside for a bit, seeing the children there looking excited about what was going on. There wasn’t anything that caught her attention as she perused through the books, tomes, and scrolls. At least nothing that would catch her eye for practical use.

“A scroll of banishment sounds useful.” The guard commented.

“Yes, until that person you banished reappears later.” She replied as she looked through some of the quarterstaves nearby.

“Still kinda useful.” She heard him mumble.

They finished looking around then left the shop. All the mirror images of the wizard who owned the tower made her head hurt. There was an apothecary nearby so she wandered towards it. The smell of herbs was more than pleasant compared to the sea smell from the harbor. She spent some time looking through the owner’s herb collection. Picking out a few here and there as she tried to figure out what kind of concoctions to make later. Never hurt to be prepared in her opinion – especially where Gortash’s guests were concerned.

“Can I help you, dear?” An old woman asked as she made her way to Syllana. She looked over at her with as warm a smile as she could conjure. Having only half your soul left much to be desired after all.

“I’m just looking for something for an ointment.” Syllana started to explain. She continued in detail for what she was looking for. The old woman nodded and helped Syllana find what she was looking for. Now if only she could get Gortash to care about using the ointments she made for whatever aches he complained about. She finished gathering what she wanted to grab and made her purchase.

“What’re those for?” The guard asked.

“Personal things.” She replied, her tone a little more dry than it usually was. The guard seemed to understand that he over-reached and decidedly stopped pursuing the conversation.

“Sorry.” He stammered and continued to follow after her.

They passed by a few more shops before coming across the Bloomridge Park. Without really thinking about it, Syllana’s feet led her inside. There were some people walking around or sitting at tables and chatting with one another. She wandered around for a moment before finding a comfortable spot under a tree. She sat down and felt something akin to contentment. Her feet touching the grass over the smooth cobblestone was more than amazing. Letting it thread through her fingers was also very relaxing too. She wished she could savor the moment more but this was more than enough. She wondered about using wild shape to wander around but wasn’t sure about doing so.

Either way, spending the next hour and a half just lounging around was a rewarding sensation. She could almost feel the Oak Father trying to reach out to her. She would’ve loved to reach back for whatever small comforts he could provide, but she was sure Gortash would hear about it. Better to not give into the temptation. Still, knowing he was there was also just as good too.

“So can all druids change their forms?” The guard asked out of the blue.

“It depends on what they want to change into.” She told him. “I know what a red dragon looks like but I’ve never seen one. So I couldn’t shape into one.”

“Because it’s a dragon?” He asked, sounding really confused.

“If you’ve never eaten an omelet, how would you know how it tasted?” She replied. “It’s like that. You know what it looks like, but you’ve never eaten one so you can’t say if you like it or not.”

“Kinda strange.” He commented.

“So is someone who jumps as much as you do whenever Lord Gortash’s name is mentioned.” She said, looking at him. It’s not that she didn’t trust him but he was just being very strange.

“That’s fair.” He said, trying to laugh off her comment. With the lack of response on Syllana’s part, he cleared his throat to try and alleviate the awkward silence. She just kept his eyes on him for a moment and got an idea.

“Name an animal.” She said. “Whatever comes to mind.” He was quiet for a moment.

“Uh… a dog?” He replied.

Syllana shrugged and acquiesced to the request. She took a moment to visualize a dog and then wild shaped into one. She looked at the guard’s surprised look but felt more happy to have shifted her form. It had been a long while since she had done so. Gortash didn’t mind her using wild shape but seeing as she was usually at the manor, she had to use smaller forms to get around. She hardly was anything bigger than a cat so being a dog felt like she was kind of stretching out her muscles a bit.

“Whoa!” The guard said, looking as startled as he sounded.

She shifted back into her regular form and stretched a bit. It felt good to be in wild shape. She did wish she could shape into a badger though. She missed being able to burrow and escape to somewhere hidden. People left the strangest things in the dirt too, finding all manner of treasures was also quite fun. The only thing that made her stick out in her wild shapes, however, was the fact that her white hair made her stand out so much.

“We should get going.” She said as she stood up. “As much as I would love to sit around and admire this park, Lord Gortash is expecting me back at home.”

“R-right.” The guard said as he stood up with her. He followed after her for a moment before stopping. She looked back at him to see he looked like he wanted to say something.

“Is something wrong?” She asked him.

“Can I ask you something?” He started. Although he looked more unsure about what it was he wanted to ask. Like someone had coerced him or something. He was sweating visibly through what she could see of his face. The metal slats from his helmet covered the sides of his face and his nose. Regardless, the sense of panic was still visible.

“What is it?” She asked as she looked at him. She was certain of her lack of compassion or inability to impart any concern towards him through both her words and body language. She’d be dissuaded from doing whatever was asked had she been on the receiving end.

He looked more uncertain as time passed. It was another few minutes before he worked up the courage to ask his question. He had stepped closer towards her, as if whatever he was going to ask was meant to be between them. She entertained the notion and also took a step towards him. Whatever was on his mind seemed pressing. She couldn’t imagine it was about anything related to using wild shape or being a druid.

“You and Lord Gortash are pretty close, right?” He asked in a hushed voice. She could hear the shakiness in his voice. Although, what took her attention was the strange look in his eyes as he asked her the question.

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.” She replied, raising her voice to indicate her disinterest in continuing the conversation. “Lord Gortash values his privacy over anything else and you’d do well to remember that.”

“I… Sorry, ma’am.” He stammered as he bowed his head. “There’s no need for his lordship to know about this, is there?”

“If he asks, I’m obliged to answer.” Syllana replied. “I have no reason to lie to him.”

“B-but…” He trailed off. “Ma’am, please, you can’t tell him. He’ll…” The panic rose even more although her stance was adamant.

“If he asks, I will answer.” She enunciated. “Now, let’s go home.”

Syllana turned to leave and started to walk away from the guard. She didn’t hear the clanging of his boots until she neared the entrance. She felt something pulling her backwards and smacked against the guard’s armor. He pulled her aside roughly towards an area that was out of the way. She was hardly intimidated by the guard’s actions but could once again feel his anxiety.

“Please, this was just a misunderstanding.” The guard tried to clarify. “If he hears that I asked something about him again… This is the only job I could get!”

“I understand, but acting in this manner will only make it worse.” She said coolly. “Let me go and let’s go home. He’s expecting me to be there soon. Drop whatever has you acting this way and just accept whatever’s going to happen. If you try to injure me, he will not be as forgiving.” Not that she was particularly forgiving at this point considering she was about done with this man.

Syllana pulled her arm away from him and walked back towards the entrance to the park. She felt the guard pull her towards him again and this time he was armed with a knife. He held it against her throat – trying to intimidate her. She would’ve been more intimidated – had she had the inclination to be – but she was annoyed. Never mind the fact that whatever he did to her would end in a fruitless attempt. She was scared of him in the least. He wasn’t terrifying or nearly as striking as Gortash could be. The guard was shaking just about and reeked of uncertainty.

“Be careful of your next action.” She warned. Her words were heavy with a promising intent. She was annoyed and wanted this to end. This guard was jumping on her last nerve. “Lord Gortash’s anger will be the least of your concerns if you do not let me go.”

“Lie to him.” He said.

“I told you, I cannot.” She said.

He didn’t seem to accept that as an answer and instead pressed the blade against her skin. It wasn’t enough pressure to break but enough to affect her breathing. The inhales were a little more troublesome because of this action. Whatever he was trying to do now, he was in a world of hurt. If not from Gortash than definitely from her.

“Why won’t you just work with me…” It was more of a helpless command than it was an actual question.

“Just let me go already.” She said, sounding bored. “You can’t kill me, there’s no point.” He didn’t seem willing to debate this anymore. He seemed to have made up his mind.

He brought the knife across her throat and she felt all the air just evaporate. She turned to look at him as he let her go. Her hands filled with blood and her vision blurry. She could’ve sworn she tried to say something, but whether it made sense or not she couldn’t tell. She smacked the ground before she knew it. A puddle of red and his metal boots were all she saw before passing out.

She awoke some time later with a jolt. She heard a startled noise behind her. She looked back to see the old woman from earlier along with a couple other people. They had red clothes in their hands and a basket filled with gauze, herbs, and other things for treating wounds. She supposed they had attempted to treat her wounds. Which healed automatically because of the soul trap binding spell Gortash used on her all those years ago.

She drew her hand across her neck. It was like nothing happened. She could breathe just fine. She looked down to see blood covering her clothes – which was inevitable honestly. One of the people behind the old lady left to go somewhere. Syllana couldn’t be sure where they had gone, her head was starting to hurt as she was recalling what happened to her.

“Are you alright, dear?” The old woman asked.

“I am.” Syllana nodded. “What happened to me?”

“I think you were mugged.” The man behind her said. “A guard ran away looking panicked about something. So me and my wife found you on the ground covered in blood. He must’ve tried to slash your throat or something.” She held back the scoff at the man’s use of the word “tried” and just shook her head in disbelief.

“We had been arguing about something and he just…” Syllana said.

“Don’t worry, dear.” The old woman said as the younger woman returned with some water.

“Just drink this and take your time.” The young woman said.

Syllana took the mug of water and took tentative sips from it. Her throat ached both from the healing magic’s effect and just from being dry, She felt sluggish too. She supposed she hadn’t been out for long either but it was hard to tell. She wasn’t sure where the sun had been in the sky when she was at the park. Compared to wherever it was now, it’d do little good to guess.

“Do you know how long I was out?” Syllana asked them.

“I’d say about an hour or so?” The man suggested. “My wife and I stumbled upon the blood but we can’t really be sure how long you were out.”

An hour or two… Gortash was definitely mad that she didn’t make home then. She felt that headache coming back and put a hand on her head to attempt to ward it off. That guard had it coming for what he did. She could feel her blood start to boil at the thought. She remained with the old lady and the couple for a while longer as she regained her senses. She humored whatever questions they had and didn’t really give a definitive answer for them either. She just wanted to go back home. The bane of her existence was the only shining light for her at the moment.

“Thank you for helping me out.” Syllana told them. “I should really go home. My um… partner is probably concerned for my whereabouts.”

“Do you need either of us to escort you there?” The man asked.

“No, I’ll be fine.” She said, shaking her head. “Giving me another basket of the herbs I picked up was more than enough. Truly. Thank you again.”

Before they could say anything, she used wild shape to change into an eagle. She grabbed the basket with her talons and flew out of the apothecary. Making her way towards Gortash’s manor. She was furious and filled with rage. The feeling was nearly alien had she not known it was only the remnant of what Gortash had taken from her.

She was at the manor in a matter of moments. She shifted back into her actual form once more as she landed on the ground. The guards were startled by her sudden appearance but she paid them no mind. She walked into the manor and looked around for any trace of Gortash. A servant ran by and she held out her arm to stop them.

“Where is Lord Gortash?” She asked them.

“I-in his study, ma’am.” They stammered out.

“Leave this in my room, please.” She said, handing them the basket.

Syllana made her way up the stairs and towards his room. Anger fueling her momentum. She could only imagine how he was feeling at the moment. He was probably livid that she missed their appointment. She stopped in front of his study door and hadn’t realized she had made her way to it already. She could hear him musing about something through the door. She raised her hand tentatively for a moment before knocking on the door.

“Lord Gortash?” She asked as the noises on the other side quieted. “May I come in?” There was a pause for what felt like eternity.

“Enter.” He said a moment later.

She took a deep breath and opened it to see him sitting behind his desk. If he looked peeved, she couldn’t tell. He looked annoyed about something however and she wasn’t sure about what. She closed the door behind her as she walked through. She continued until she stood in front of his desk. All her anger from before had dissipated completely.

“Sorry I was late.. Enver.” She started. “The guard had attempted to kill me.”

“Oh?” He asked, his annoyance shifting into amusement. He leaned back in his chair, letting go of his quill and laying it on the desk in the process. “Why’d he do such a thing?”

“He was curious about something that wasn’t any of his business.” She replied. “He was insistent on the fact that I shouldn’t tell you about it either. Something which I told him there wasn’t a point in but…” She pointed at her clothing, still covered in dried blood.

He was quiet for a moment as he looked at her. She supposed he was just looking at her clothes for one reason or another. Trying to read him was always difficult to begin with. His brows furrowed for a moment before relaxing. He leaned back towards his desk and grabbed his quill. Dipping it into the inkwell and going back to whatever he was writing.

“Go get cleaned up.” He said. “Find something to eat and then join me for dinner. I’ll arrange for the guard to reappear and explain himself.”

Explain himself. She understood what that meant. Her fists clenched at the thought of what would come from that. This wasn’t the first guard to be this foolish but she hoped he was the last. She turned and left the study. Closing the door and going back to her room. She found another servant and ordered something to eat. She then changed out of her clothes and into clean ones. The servant came back into her room with food and left with her clothes to wash them.

After a few hours, Syllana made her way towards the dining room. She lamented not bathing beforehand but supposed she could do it later. She’d have to anyway… Regardless, she saw Gortash sitting down and reading something. She sat next to him and looked around the empty room. Several servants were running around filling the table with food but it was just them. There were three plates on the long table but only her’s and Gortash’s were being filled with food. The third was presumably for the guard.

“All in good time, my dear.” He said to her as he closed his book rather loudly. He set it down next to him and started to eat. She mimicked him. Not really caring for the food. One downside to losing parts of your soul was that you weren’t able to feel that same passion for things you knew you used to like.

Some time later, the doors leading into the dining room had opened and revealed the guard from earlier. His appearance was disheveled. His helmet was gone and his uniform was a bloody mess. He hadn’t changed from his earlier encounter with Syllana. His face looked more tragic than his appearance. Sweat covered it as his hair stained his visage. His eyes were bloodshot from the anxiety and so on. An utter mess. Syllana looked over at him and felt a sense of pride in his appearance. Even if it was a fragment, the feeling was enough to make her feel what could pass for “pleased”. His eyes connected with hers and his face fell as he stopped dead in his tracks.

“You…!” Was all he could say. Her knee was starting to hurt from how hard she was gripping it. She jumped a little when she felt Gortash’s hand over it and relaxed.

“Yes.” She said in response. “I told you it was pointless.”

“Please join us.” Gortash interrupted, motioning towards the empty seat where the third plate sat unattended. The guard kept his eyes on Syllana, who did the same, as he slowly made his way towards the chair. He sat in it and looked like he was trying to merge with the chair itself. Anything to distance himself from Syllana’s gaze.

“So, Lana has told me that you tried to kill her.” Gortash continued, unaffected by the two staring at each other. “Seeing as she doesn’t lie, I can only presume you had a good reason for doing so.”

“I…” The guard stammered.

Syllana’s grip on her knee tightened again. She wanted to be rid of this man but Gortash was up to his usual games. Anything to remind the people around him just how much power he held against them. Gortash asked her to retell the story about what happened and she did so. Not missing a detail of what happened during her excursion to the park and the apothecary. The guard’s body language only informed both of them that what she was saying was true. He had attempted to interject but Gortash didn’t really allow it. He seemed to enjoy the fact that the guard was squirming and having a hard time dealing with the telling of the tale.

Syllana, however, was only getting more anxious as time passed. She moved from clenching her knee to drumming her fingers against it. Her impatience was only growing more and more. Once again, she felt his hand over hers. Like before, she tensed up then relaxed. She hated the effect he had on her but she couldn’t fight it. Not for a lack of trying, she just knew it was pointless.

“And that’s all that happened.” She said in her usual flat tone.

“So, anything to say in response?” Gortash asked, looking over at the guard. The man was dumbstruck and he looked defeated. Syllana supposed there was more to his “performance” but whatever it was, she wasn’t interested in knowing the reason. He might’ve been coerced by a third party but again, she didn’t care too much.

“Well, if you have nothing to add, then I fear dear Lana might have something else to say.” He continued. “I know it’s hard to tell but she is a little excited to try to… resolve the issue between you two.”

The guard looked confused and exchanged a worrisome expression between Syllana and Gortash. Syllana raised her hand and slammed it onto the table. Shaking the whole thing. She scraped her nails against the wooden surface. Her hand slowly turned into claws. She heard a mirthful chuckle from Gortash next to her and the guard whimpering in response, looking more terrified than he had before.

“If I were you, I’d start running and hope she doesn’t catch up.” Gortash warned darkly as he took a drink from his cup.

Syllana stood up. Her chair scraped against the floor as she pushed it away from her. The guard simply fell out of his chair and scrambled to his feet. Syllana tore after him but what she did specifically, she couldn’t recall. Everything turned into a red blur. She let that remnant of her anger take charge. She could only recall hearing the panicked screams of the guard but that was about it. When she “came to” she found herself sitting in front of the dead guard. He had slashes across his chest and the rest of his body. He wasn’t alive and was laying in a pool of his own blood.

She had blood all over her hands and feet. Her clothes too. She found some in her hair and used magic to “shake” it out onto the floor. She felt at ease again seeing the man’s lifeless body. The anger she held before was just gone and she was glad for it. As much as she could be anyways. She heard footsteps behind her and knew it was Gortash. His chuckle a moment later only confirmed it.

“He really bothered you.” He commented as he kneeled down towards her. “No matter, someone will clean this up.”

“He should’ve just stopped when he had the chance.” She replied. She looked over at him and saw a slightly unfamiliar expression on his face. It wasn’t something filled with malice or concern but something else she couldn’t recognize.

“How do you get blood out of your hair whenever you fight someone?” He asked as he took a few locks of her white hair between his fingers. She sighed, not because of the question but because of the audacity of willingly dipping her hair into the pool of blood. She held the part of it that was soaked in blood in her hand and then shook it. All of the blood fell back onto the floor.

“A friend taught me years ago.” She explained. “An easy way to get rid of blood and dirt as you’re fighting.” He just chuckled in response as he stood up. She mirrored him and looked at her hands. “However, using the same trick on my hands or clothes isn’t as simple…”

“It’s no matter.” He replied, taking her hand in his. Despite the blood on it, he kissed the back of her hand anyways. “It’s nothing I can’t handle or clean off later.” Regardless, she didn’t bother touching him with her other hand. If only because hearing him complain about bloodstained clothing on him was something she hated being a part of. Not that she had ever been inclined to do so, but she had been on the receiving end of it.

“Are you going to be home tonight?” She asked.

“Unfortunately, I have to work late again.” He replied, letting go of her hand and grabbing a cloth from one of his pockets to clean the blood from his hand and face.. “That person I wanted you to meet earlier wanted to go over something. You’ll meet her later, she’s… a little eccentric.”

“Enver, what person in Baldur’s Gate isn’t eccentric.” She said flatly. “Especially if they’re dealing with you in some manner. You hardly talk to normal people. I mean just look at where we’re standing.”

“Good point.” He mused and paused for a moment as he stashed the cloth away. “We could do something after I’m done with these meetings. I hear Waterdeep is an interesting place.”

“If you find stuffy wizards locked in their towers going on about feckless memoirs to be interesting.” She huffed. “Then sure.”

“Then we’ll find some place else to go to.” He chuckled. “The destination doesn’t matter much, you know.”

“When you get the time, we’ll talk about it then.” She replied. “I guess I’ll just loaf around the manor again until then.”

“Unlikely.” He guffawed. “You can venture out on your own and do whatever. I know you’ll make your way back to me anyways.”

He didn’t mean for it to sound like a stab but she felt it nevertheless. It wasn’t like she was tethered to him because she was. She felt reminded that no matter what she did, getting away from him was impossible. If only she knew what the item was that held the other half of her soul, then she could break from him. Without knowing what it looked like, however, she couldn’t really act against him. The last few times she did that resulted in her soul being trapped anyways. Even after that, he whittled her rebelliousness down to nothing.

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow morning for breakfast?” She asked him, trying to change the subject.

“Of course.” He said, smiling at her. She felt that conflict about his genuine affection rising to her mind again. A lot of what he did with her was just to keep her under his control but there were strange moments that left her with more questions. She would never ask them but it didn’t make their presence any less difficult to discern.

“Well I better get going.” He said as he started to walk away. “Enjoy the evening, dear. Be sure to wash up too. I’ll make sure someone cleans up this mess before I leave.”

With that he sauntered off. She looked at the guard and gave him a miffed look before turning to follow after Gortash. She watched as he was talking to one of the servants about something. She made her way towards the stairs nearby and walked up them towards the next floor. She turned to see what he was up to when she heard another voice. She saw the old woman from the apothecary talking to Gortash. She was confused for a moment and more so when she suddenly transformed into a pale woman with red armor that was just barely covering her skin. Syllana moved out of sight but wondered what that was about for the reminder of the night.