The Child Born of Women (A novel)

[Morgeruat]

finally started reading this, I see you took my suggestion from the same sex romance thread in the bg2 ToB forum and turned it into a great story.

[Calaethis Dragonsbane]

Thanks for posting Lady G... hmm, isnt Bane er... one of the FR dieties? Bane, Bhaal, Cyric, erm, and the rest. [img]tongue.gif[/img] hehe, and erm, isnt "bhaal" dead? *grin* stupid snurrl.

[Galadria]

Thanks, Morgeruat. Let me know if you want me to e=mail you the infamous first installment. CD, Bane is the Lord of Evil in the Forgotten Realms pantheon. Odo calling him the god of murder is metaphorical.

Galadria took the key out again, studying it. Finally, she said, "Lady Chorania raises a good point, Snurll. How did you discover the secret that this key unlocks? Do not try to tell me that the wizard...what was his name by the bye? ... told you for no reason."
" His name was Aconytus. I... I admit that I spied on him, Lady Galadria," replied Snurll, trying without success to writhe away from Noemi's knife tip. "As I am sure that you have surmised, I finally saw him go down to that casque on the bottom floor and unlock it. That was when I knew."
Looking up from the key, black eyes met Snurll's gray ones. "How on the world, Snurll," she asked doubtfully, " could a thief like you have known just from looking?"
"I am not just a thief, Lady Galadria," said Snurll with rueful pride. "I had dabbled in wizardry, and knew the vlammor by sight and sense. I am sure that when you unlocked it, you were able to control it more easily than I. I know that you did, for I no longer feel the power of the tower around me."
Galadria broke into a grin. She hopped up and pocketed the key. "No, I didn't, Snurll. You are still in control of the tower. Lady Cythera, behind me, has been constantly engaged in keeping the tower blocked from you and rescuing you. But, now I know the secret, and have no further use for you. You shall be imprisoned."
An expression of vexation passed over Snurll's face, to be followed by hope. "Where is the prison you will send me to, Lady Galadria?" asked Snurll, for he did not think that the prison existed that he could not escape from.
"You mistake me, Snurll," Galadria corrected. "You are going to have a prison all your own." She gestured and read from a scroll, casting a spell. The ropes of the chair collapsed, empty. Snurll awoke in a rocky cyst one hundred feet below the tower. He collapsed in despair. He knew that spell. He would be maintained magically without food or drink but no outside contact, nothing to see but the walls of his prison. There would be no escape for him but madness.

[Calaethis Dragonsbane]

YES! Imprisonment! hmm, sounds good, still woulda been "nicer" if Cho had tortured him for a bit.. *sigh, grin* I seem to have a vicous streak in me [img]tongue.gif[/img] heh, thanks for posting btw, he doesnt ever get out does he? Or is that a spoiler? (remembers BG2 "freedom" spell...) of course no one knows where he is... but..

[Morgeruat]

Definitely, I'd love to have all of them in a text format I can read at my leisure, or better yet print out, I haven't read all of this one yet, but I'm working on it, I just have way too much going on to sit down and read it all as it comes out, and then I feel overwhelmed by it all when I see the novels at 3 or more pages, and have to play catch up. Oh, could you have Att send me his story too, I started reading it, but once again, too many distractions.

from what I've read it's really impressive. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Galadria]

Will do, Morgie. [img]smile.gif[/img] Feel free to print it out, it's less intimidating that way.

Galadria hurried down the stairs of the tower, followed by her friends. She had expected some violent reaction on its part, but, from its point of view, she had merely moved Snurll around. Still, she had to hurry before it sensed his plight and released him. The casque that he had mentioned was on an ornate table in an otherwise sparsely furnished room. The key, which she had no idea that it had fit, worked easily.
The minute the lid opened, a pink amorphous mass was to be seen floating in the exact center of the room. Its shape shifted, become here a rose, here a coiled snake, here female anatomy. Finally, she addressed it, using Snurll's name for it. "Greetings, O Vlammor."
The mass became a face, shifting in its features, facing her. "Greetings to you, too, mage," it replied. "You are not Snurll, whose slave I was. Am I to be yours, now?"
"I do not keep slaves, O, Vlammor." Galadria replied. "I am here seeking rescue of my young apprentice, she who is peeking at you through the door, now, whom I assume that you know. Her name is Sefa."
The face assumed a semblance of a smile. "I do know her, and know that the Master ordered her held closely. Since she is here, and I cannot sense the Master, I would guess that you have done the Master some injury. This in itself is cause for joy, but I fear that I must be your slave, now, mage. I cannot exist in this world without a Master to give me tasks, thus a purpose and a form. I cannot believe that you would truly free me, for I have been a slave too long."
"I suppose," Galadria replied, "that if I sought power alone, I would keep you. But, what I seek is more elusive, knowledge. How can I free you?"
"But, that is the point," the creature said. "I do not wish to be free. There is no longer a place for me on the plane where I was born. If the word 'slave' offends you, cannot you consider me a servant? I shall promise to ask my freedom whenever I might desire it. But, at this point, freeing me would be tantamount to killing me. I will be most faithful, that I vow."
A little exasperated, Galadria shot back, "But, Vlammor, I do not want or need a tower by the seaside. My place is in the city, with many people of all races. I cannot just leave you, here, maintaining this tower for the next passer-by."
"That is simple." Vlammor answered. "I do not need to be confined to this tower. In fact, should you order me, I shall destroy it at once. All that I require is my casque. And a master. Or mistress, now I see that you are a female. It matters not. Your will is formidable, and should provide me with a firm haven on this plane. Take me to your house in the city, for I sense that you have one. I shall inhabit it and make both a place of power for you and a safe abode for me."
"But what are you, Vlammor?" objected the dark mage. "You are asking me to take you into my house, and on very little acquaintance. Tell me about yourself."
"Let me see," mused the creature. "How can I explain myself to you in terms that you would understand.? I was once a planar creature, what you would call a Baatezu, or a demon. I fought in the Blood War, as all must do. In a great battle with the Tanari'i, I was destroyed. But, instead of being reborn, I was transported to another place altogether. The Ones that dwell there had seen a small part of myself, unknown to me and unacknowledged, that was not evil but unhappy with my situation. They examined this strange part, and decided that this was more essential to my being than my Baatezu nature. They destroyed all that was evil in me, and kept the small good part. They nurtured me, but were unable to make a full creature of me. So, they gave me to a former master so that he might make more of me, let me grow. He was Aconytus, whom Snurll slew, to my sorrow.

[Galadria]

"But, now, Snurll is gone and I am no longer dependant upon him. I still wish to learn to be a whole creature, and feel that you could help me do this. Can you aid me?"
Chorania, who like them all had been following this conversation closely, laughed at this point. "So, Galadria's house will be your safe abode? So many have found it. Take it up on its offer, abbil, for I sense that there is indeed much power in the thing. Vlammor, I shall introduce my Mistress to you, since she has not. She is Galadria Godspawn, and I am Chorania LeMeaux, your fellow servant, perhaps."
Galadria had to laugh, also. "Well, Cho, you are right, Vlammor is quite powerful and seems docile. Since you spoke up, take up the casque and bear it away when we leave. We must return to Baldur's Gate, but not until tomorrow. We shall enjoy this tower for its last night of existence."
Sefa spoke up, then. "Please, mistress, do not destroy it until I can look upon its outside, for Snurll," she spat at the name, "vowed I would never see it again, and I want to prove him wrong."
Hugging her, Galadria laughed again. "That is about the least thing that he was wrong about, Sefa. Like deserting you and then trying to sacrifice you to some godlet. He was a thief who did not recognize the greatest treasure he ever would have."
Noemi smiled lopsidedly. "Not to mention underestimating us - you, in particular, Gal."
Attalus shook his head. "I really don't think that he considered us a part of the story. All he had to do was to get Sefa in this tower of his, and we were no longer a problem."
"Obsessed men do strange thngs," commented Odo. "From all I have heard of him he was very clever in his youth."
"I don't know," mused Cythera. "Remember the story of the jewel that he stole? And carried it around for ten years, though cursed by the thing? I think he was inclined to allow his obsessions to overreach his wits."
"In that case, Sefa," Noemi opined, "you were a treasure that he sought, like the jewel. Maybe he loved you in his way, after all."
"Lusted, you mean," Sefa retorted angrily. "I didn't hear about him wanting to sacrifice his bloody jewel."
"But, in the end, he returned it," Galadria said, as she soothingly stroked her hair. "He was a man undone by his lusts, and I am glad that you are no longer an object of them. Come on, everyone. Let us go find a kitchen and make supper. The rescue demands a celebration."
The party lasted far into the night. Vlammor mused to itself as it regarded them going to sleep. At least, it thought, I shall be serving people to whom laughter and love are as bread. New experinces are rare in a being as old as I am. I will look forward to serving Galadria Godspawn
*The End of Part II*

[Calaethis Dragonsbane]

awww, the last few lines were nice. Poor Sefa. Stupid Snurrl. heh, hmm, wonder what the snakes gonna be like... heh, thanks for posting, nice ending to part II... dare I ask when we'll see part III? *grins*

[Attalus]

She's hard at work on it, CD. About 1/3 through, I would hazard. But, she won't post anything until she's sure that she won't have to revise it.

[Calaethis Dragonsbane]

*smiles* I'm in no rush to read it. lol, at some point maybe I'll print out her other stories so I wont have to read it online. Heh, I copied "Pit Lord" into Word, and THAT was over 60 pages long! Even AFTER I'd tidied it up (not changed the contence, just the presentation, margins, font size, that kinda thing )