Chapter 5: A Prison of Secrets

Valas sat on the edge of the apartment bed with his head in his hands. The psionic blast he absorbed from Kimmuriel left him  seeing flashes, dark spots, and not to mention a strange numbing sensation across his scalp and within his head. Kimmuriel's clerics were able to stop the hemorrhaging from his ears but weren't the bit interested in exhausting their abilities any further in completely remedying all his pain.


Such is the nature of the drow, Valas thought to himself. Had he been feeling better he would have noticed Kimmuriel making his entrance, uncharacteristically through the door of his apartment. The psion stopped for a moment, observing Valas with momentary satisfaction, always the suffering of others was of great intrigue to him.


His ebony fingers traced the hard edged line of the dresser at the front of the room as he made his way over to Valas. Kimmuriel was not trusting of his fellow Bregan D'aerthe scout, this child, Lanie, was not adding up in his mind, and there were many unanswered questions rumbling around in his own head that had him restless. Questions that even his psionic abilities couldn't answer for him. He was growing impatient with Jarlaxle; he wanted him to be done with the girl. Kimmuriel was desperate to get his hands on the young imuskari.


"I am ever curious to know how your connection with this girl came about," Kimmuriel spoke with his usual monotone expression. "But I must confess, I have already scoured your mind and found amongst the discrepancies there, enough pieces of a most interesting puzzle to figure it out."

He briefly paused and sighed lightly before dropping to one knee in front of Valas, tilting his head to the side in a bird like movement. Valas hated the wretched psion, and how uncomfortable he made him feel, with his odd mannerisms and the way he spoke with carefully nuanced words. Empty words, purposely chosen and crafted to give an illusion there were real emotions being expressed within them.

Kimmuriel's words were just as empty as he was and Valas found that to be very unsettling. The scout could not even bring himself to meet Kimmuriel's eyes. Valas felt completely naked in the psion’s presence and the vulnerability that came along with that feeling was equally as unnerving.


"She found you; she projected herself upon you, claiming she needed help to the surface. Valas, I have read her mind, the parts I have been able to. There are mental blocks woven in amongst her memories. I am trying to detect if these mental blocks are of her devising or implanted by someone else. I am inclined to go with the later." Kimmuriel explained, bringing his right hand to Valas's chin and directing Valas to look him in the eye as he spoke.


Kimmuriel used peculiar contact methods to further intensify the discomfort others felt when dealing with him. There was no one who would dare touch Kimmuriel-and anyone who did, wasn't alive to tell about it. The drow Psion tilted his head to the opposite side while a slight sinister smile danced across his lips. He stood up and walked over to the head of the bed throwing back a pillow to reveal a brown tanned leather satchel embroidered with cave creeper vines.


Valas's heart sank, knowing its contents could spell a certain disaster for Lanie. It was already clear to him that Kimmuriel was threatened by the child. This thought did deeply disturb Valas as Kimmuriel is considered by those who know of his existence to be one of the best psions in the realms. Even the powerful drow mage, Gromph admitted to that, and that is no small testament to Kimmuriel's skills. The fact that a child was causing him so much grief was more than a bit alarming to Valas.


Kimmuriel pulled loose the drawstrings on Lanie's bag and carefully inspected its contents; a look of great displeasure crossed his face. He tossed it on to the bed and turned rubbing his chin with his left hand all the while his eyes burning into Valas.


"I am interested in the contents of the bag Valas," he paused, "however they are shielded from me as are those memories in your mind. I know you know what she hides in there, I can feel it. I want those missing puzzle pieces Valas."

Kimmuriel brought his index finger to meet the center of Valas's forehead, "I know this is no work of your doing, so why don't you begin telling me what secrets your mind hides from me."


Slowly tapping his finger against Valas's skull with a tempo deliberarely exaggerated to further the discomfort of the interrogation. Valas was feeling quite uncomfortable and if that wasn't bad enough, Kimmuriel suddenly leaned forward to grab him by the sides if his head before continuing the conversation telepathically. The pain the scout was already suffering in his head didn't favored the telepathic conversation at all.

"Valas, you are going to tell me, you are going to fill in the gaps for me. You understand don’t you, how greatly disturbed I am at the thought of an eight years old child who has thoughts locked away in her head that even I cannot get to? The things that she is able to do are quite impressive for a child to be able to do. Someone had to train her, someone quite powerful.” A noticeable look of unease crossed the drow Psion’s face


Kimmuriel sat down on the bed with Lanie's satchel flipping it over and over again in his hands, all the while cocking his head right and left in that same disturbing bird like motion. He didn't look away, keeping an intensely focused gaze fixed on the satchel, and sinking deeper into his own thoughts.


Valas felt a fleeing sense of relief at the sight of Jarlaxle entering the apartment, dragging Lanie behind him, who was once again, lost in tears.


"I am not sure what in the nine Hells her problem is," Jarlaxle complained, "but she had a complete mental breakdown when I tried to get her cleaned up."

Valas looked at Lanie, who as usual, kept her head down and was gasping for air between sobs. She looked far worse than she did when they first arrived in Luskan. No doubt she was suffering a headache the size of a giant from her first encounter with the sun and additionally the backhand her face took from Kimmuriel. With that thought, Valas stole a sideways glance at the Psion who was studying the girl intently.

She went absolutely berserk when we tried to get her cleaned up and out of these dirty clothes of hers." Jarlaxle complained, with a sour expression upon his face as he looked her over

"We?" Valas questioned

"Yes,we! Lolth knows I don't know a damn thing about children, Valas

"You mean other than the act that goes into making them," Kimmuriel quipped back without taking his eyes off her, "let me guess, those human women at the local brothel couldn't help you clean her up?"

"Well yes that would be the case, as I am sure you already know, in fact I am pretty damn sure you were watching us the entire time! Maybe you'd care to let me in on why she got all frenzied like she did, or maybe you'd like me to take a wild guess then, Kimmuriel? “Jarlaxle scoffed.”I have a notion, but it’s nothing you would want me to share aloud."

Kimmuriel's stare met Jarlaxle's with an angry intensity yet, like always, the remainder of his face was blank. Valas knew nothing of the inference to which Jarlaxle was hinting and knew better than to inquire. There was a lot of history behind their relationship. Kimmuriel had revealed on a few occasions that Jarlaxle was his "friend".


He once referred to Rai-guy as his "friend" as well, but Valas knew that both Jarlaxle and Kimmuriel had cleverly played the wizard, with a plan that promised his demise. It was Crenshinibon that had nearly destroyed their initial plan, leaving the logical minded Kimmuriel to support Rai-guy instead of Jarlaxle.


It was known to Kimmuriel and Valas long before Crenshinibon had entered the picture that Jarlaxle wanted to take a sort of hiatus from running Bregan D'aerthe and had persuaded Kimmuriel to agree to taking over command with Rai-guy while he was away. There was a time when Valas had feared Jarlaxle would put him in command with Kimmuriel and he wanted none of that and openly admitted it and by the gods he was fortunate enough to have been able to escape that duty.


They all knew, Valas included, that Rai-guy would not be pleased with the decision of Kimmuriel being in co-charge. The wizard wanted control of the band for himself and would never share power, he wanted to turn Bregan' D'aerthe into the right hand of Lolth, serving the queen and Jarlaxle would not have that. Without a doubt chaos would ensue amongst the ranks of Bregan D'aerthe if the wizard were to have gotten his way. Jarlaxle worked too hard in creating the group and would never allow it to crumble.


Together they worked on a plan; Kimmuriel had cleverly placed a trinket on Rai-guy's robe so Jarlaxle could spy on him to determine just how much of a threat he would be. Obviously Rai-guy was power hungry and the shard’s interference didn’t help matters and Kimmuriel didn’t favor having to go against such a powerful mage in Jarlaxle's absence.


However, when Jarlaxle appeared to be completely taken by the shard, Kimmuriel used his logic absent of all emotion when deciding to align himself with Rai-guy. Knowing that the shard would most likely destroy both Jarlaxle and Rai-guy anyways. That left only Berg'inyon Baenre who was no match for the Psion and could easily be disposed of or utilized in a most terrible fashion.


Luckily for Jarlaxle all things worked out in the end and though he felt the sting of Kimmuriel's betrayal, ultimately however he knew Kimmuriel had made the correct decision and the most logical one that could have been made to keep Bregan D'earthe operating the way it was intended to. Still though, as punishment for his betrayal, Jarlaxle forced Kimmuriel into running Bregan D'earthe as its only leader instead of appointing two.


Jarlaxle knew he could count on and trust Kimmuriel's logic in all matters, hence the reason he put him in charge. Yes, Valas knew there was a deep understanding and some sort of twisted kinship between the two of them. The hatred Valas had towards Kimmuriel was misplaced, it was fear-based, this he understood, even though, he still disliked him immensely.

Suddenly Valas was startled from his dark thoughts as Lanie toppled over, the result of Kimmuriel throwing her satchel at her. The hit she took landed her flat on the floor face down but she was quick to get up and Jarlaxle was quicker yet at grabbing her arm, making sure she didn't take a mad dash for the door.


"Empty it child!" The Psion demanded, "Empty the contents of that bag now."


Lanie stood stunned, but refusing to look at Kimmuriel. She had her eyes squeezed shut and her lips strongly pursed together. Kimmuriel in a very rare display of enraged furry grabbed at her and shook her hard.

"Empty it child! Now!"

With a slight motion, Jarlaxle bade Kimmuriel to calm down and step back, while he lowered himself to Lanie's level.


"Child, you need to open that bag, you need to do as Kimmuriel asks, and your life depends on it. Don't you understand? Jarlaxle coaxed her to look up at him, cupping her chin in his left hand. He wiped a tear away from her cheek and offered her a warm smile. "Please child, do as he commands."


Lanie lifted her head to regard Jarlaxle; she could tell he was making a valid attempt at being genuine towards her. He continued to wipe the tears from her eyes with a piece of cloth he took from his vest pocket.


"You err in showing this child your sympathies and understanding dear friend." Kimmuriel scolded.


Jarlaxle didn't acknowledge the psion, instead he took Lanie's head in both his hands and kissed her forehead and spoke to her in Roushoum, "I can only help you if you listen to what I am saying, I can save you Lanie. You can trust me. You know that, I know you know!"


Lanie studied Jarlaxle's face, with a look of consternation plastered on her own. She knew what she had to do. Slowly she back away from Jarlaxle and picked up her satchel and walked over to the bed and carefully emptied its contents out. The bag was enchanted to somehow recognize her as its sole owner and to only obey her commands, whether spoken out loud or telepathically.


Valas drew a deep breath as the two illithid brains fell free, one rolling off the bed and onto the floor, only to be stopped by Jarlaxle's foot. He scooped it up and closely observed the strange bone spike stuck right up through the bottom of the brain. He started to pull on the strange spike only to have Kimmuriel push him back and grab the brain from him.


"Not a good idea." The psion cautioned.


Jarlaxled wanted for an explanation but Kimmuriel didn't offer any, instead his gaze was lost to the object he saw on the bed. If a drow could turn white then Kimmuriel would have been a ghost. It was a rare thing to see any form of emotion expressed from the psion and it was clear to everyone in the apartment, he was completely unnerved and acting uncharacteristically.


What is it?" Jarlaxle asked.


A long needle like instrument adorned with filigree metalwork at one end rested on the bed. Lanie maneuvered herself behind Jarlaxle and start to slowly walk backwards towards the door. She was nearly there when she felt Valas place his hands on her shoulders.


"You’re not thinking of running are you Lanie?" Valas whispered in ear, with a hint of an unspoken threat laced in.


Before she could even muster a reply, her body instantly went numb and she felt the psion's full strength fill her body. Like being crushed from the inside out, her lungs denied the air she tried to inhale, her eyes wouldn't focus, and her voice was stifled. He consumed with his sheer energy alone and there was nothing she could do to stop it.


He circled her slowly as his mind searched deep within hers, yet she had mental blocks that he could not unlock and he found it incredibly aggravating. Kimmuriel had never before met such difficulties in a "lesser" being and he knew she simply didn't have the training or strength to manage what she was hiding on her own. He quickly dispelled his connection and Lanie fell to her knees gasping for air.


"Who sent you here? Who is helping you?" his interrogation began.

"No one, I told you, I am only coming to the surface to find a new life."


Enraged Kimmuriel grabbed Lanie and pinned her down on the bed. He flipped her face up and squeezed her neck with his left hand as he drew the strange instrument up against her cheek with the other hand, and the very second it touched her flesh she felt it burn. Kimmuriel could feel it throbbing in his hand, eager with anticipation to draw her psionic energy from her like a mosquito draws blood from a host. All he had to do was press it into her and he could destroy the child.


His logical thinking won, it usually always did, and he steadied himself, gained his composure with a thought, and stopped. Jarlaxle was more than just relieved to see the psion settle himself. He hadn't seen Kimmuriel this undone since he found him wandering the Underdark bloodied and in a complete mad rage centuries ago. Jarlaxle understood the deep emotional scars that ran their course deep within Kimmuriel, they are the foundation of the cold unkind, uncaring creature he is now.


Tell me child, who is this Labrum needle intended for? Who sent you? He released his grip on the girl, stepping back and inhaling deeply.


He cocked his head slightly as she made eye contact with him, he could feel her open up to him mentally. He could sense her innocence in the situation. Kimmuriel then recognized his own disappointment, he had wanted her to be guilty of something, he wanted a reason to completely destroy her, or a reason enough to convince Jarlaxle, as the psion knew he didn't need a reason, he didn't need a justification to kill her at all.


I stole it." she admitted threaded with touch of remorse.


"Whatever for child?" Jarlaxle was quick with his inquisition.

"I wanted to get to the surface, I wanted a new life, and I wanted to get rid of it. All of it!"


"You stole it to get rid of it?" a confused Valas piped in


"No not to get rid of it, to get rid of what's in me. I was going to use it on myself. I don't want to be like this, I don't want to be different and so hideous. I don't want people to fear me anymore. I don't want to hear them in my head all the time, I don't want to feel them, and I want it all to stop." Lanie was growing more frantic as she continued.


"I can feel those monsters all the time and I hate it," she yelled in frustration as she grabbed a fistful of hair on either side of her head and started rocking back and forth while pulling hard at her hair. "Those constant gurgles and long hums, I want it gone."

Lanie got up and started pacing around the bed in a manic state of despair. She was talking but not making any sense.

"What's wrong with her? I have not ever seen her like this, not while we were together." Valas asked finding Lanie's sudden mania very disturbing.


"This is how it started when I tried to get her cleaned up and in new clothing. She simply freaked out like this, crying, hitting herself in the head, and not making any sense what-so-ever." Jarlaxle answered.


Valas started walking toward Lanie, but Jarlaxle grabbed his arm, offering him no explanation for the sudden restriction. Kimmuriel was sitting on the bed studying the girl carefully, very carefully. Her unusual display of manic behavior wasn't so unusual to him and he understood perfectly well that her mind was trapped inside a prison of secrets beyond her control.