The hag’s twisted form shimmered, like the ripple of heat over barren stone, and then splintered into six identical copies, each spreading out across the chamber. The shadows twisted and writhed in response, as if they were part of her unholy game.
“Haha,” the six figures laughed in perfect unison, their voices overlapping in a nauseating symphony of malice. “Let’s see how you fare against this, little petals.”
One of the illusions raised her gnarled hand, her long, claw-like fingers weaving intricate patterns in the air. Before her, a dark, writhing mass began to materialize—thousands of locusts, their wings buzzing like a discordant choir, swarmed into existence and surged toward Halsin and Lump with murderous intent.
“Scatter!” Halsin shouted, leaping to the side with the grace of a seasoned warrior. He rolled forward, narrowly avoiding a ray of sickly green energy that seared the air above his head. The beam struck the stone wall behind him, leaving a molten scar where it hit.
Lump wasn’t as lucky. A blood-curdling scream ripped from his throat as claws raked across his back. Halsin’s head snapped toward him, his heart sinking at the sight. Deep, jagged wounds ran down Lump’s spine, blood dripping onto the stone floor in heavy splashes. Lump staggered forward, his face contorted in pain as his strength began to waver.
“Lump!” Halsin shouted, but his voice was drowned out by the deafening hum of the locust swarm.
Lump growled low, his voice a guttural snarl that reverberated through the chamber. His body began to glow, bathed in a violet purple aura so intense it illuminated the dark corners of the room. His human form shifted and stretched, his bones cracking as his flesh contorted. In a burst of raw energy, the frail human frame gave way to his true form—an ogre, towering and ferocious. His transformation shook the very ground beneath them, the roots lining the chamber trembling in response.
At the same moment, Halsin darted toward one of the hag’s copies. With a sharp swing of his staff, he struck it hard across the chest. The illusion stumbled back, and for a fleeting second, Halsin’s eyes widened with hope. 'I’ve got the real one!' he thought, surging forward to press the attack.
But the hag’s smirk never wavered.
Halsin barely had time to register the flash of movement behind him before searing pain erupted across his back. He let out a strangled cry as long claws raked through his skin, tearing through muscle and sinew. The venom in the wounds burned like fire, and his legs buckled under him.
The illusion he’d struck before now stood tall, her sickly grin spreading wider as she raised a clawed hand. Halsin couldn’t dodge in time. A ray of emerald energy shot from her palm and slammed into his chest, sending him sprawling backward.
He hit the ground hard, gasping as the poison coursed through his veins. Summoning every ounce of his dwindling strength, he pressed a glowing hand to his chest. Green energy spread from his palm, chasing the venom from his body before it could take hold. He staggered back to his feet, sweat pouring down his face.
“You can try all you like,” the illusion taunted, her voice laced with mocking glee. “But right now, you’re just my playthings.”
Across the chamber, Lump let out another agonized roar as the swarm of locusts engulfed him. Despite his larger form and enhanced strength, his size worked against him, leaving more of his body exposed to the biting insects. He swung his massive arms in desperation, trying to dispel the cloud, but the swarm closed in tighter, relentless and unyielding.
Halsin’s staff flared with green light as he slammed it into the ground. “Lump! To me!” he shouted.
Lump, barely able to see through the writhing mass of locusts, flailed his arms wildly to clear a path. His lumbering steps shook the ground as he rushed toward Halsin. The moment he was close enough, Halsin raised his staff high and drove it into the ground once more. Thorny vines erupted from the earth, forming a protective barrier around them. The locusts hissed and recoiled, unable to penetrate the wall of thorns.
The hag’s laughter echoed through the chamber, surrounding them like a mocking symphony. “Do you want a little break, petals ?” she cooed, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. “Fine. I’ll wait. Take all the time you need.”
Inside the barrier, the two allies panted, their breaths ragged and labored. Blood dripped from Lump’s wounds, and Halsin’s back burned with every movement. The chamber was silent except for their heavy breathing and the faint, taunting hum of the locust swarm beyond the thorny wall.
“This isn’t working,” Halsin admitted, his voice tight with frustration. He leaned on his staff for support, his hands trembling from the strain of casting the barrier.
Lump growled, flexing his massive hands. “I think the problem is we’re not using enough strength.” He glanced around the chamber, his gaze landing on a thick, jagged root protruding from the ground. “If I had a club or something to extend my reach, I could crush those illusions faster.”
Halsin’s eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope. “We can make that work,” he said, nodding toward the root. “Hold on. I have an idea.”
Beyond the barrier, the hag’s laughter rang out once more. Time was running out, and they both knew it. The thorny vines retracted back in to the ground .
Halsin’s staff glowed with a brilliant, pulsing green light, casting the chamber in an otherworldly hue. With a forceful slam, he drove it into the ground, the sound echoing like a thunderclap. Thorny vines erupted from the earth, snaking in every direction to blanket the floor in an impenetrable lattice of razor-sharp brambles. The jagged thorns shimmered faintly, radiating raw druidic energy. There was no space left untouched—no refuge for their foe.
A sharp yelp pierced the tension. “Ouch!” a voice hissed to the right. Halsin turned, his piercing gaze landing on one of the hag’s grinning copies. The illusion tilted its head, smirking in defiance, but its expression faltered for a brief moment. That wasn’t the voice of confidence. The noise had come from elsewhere.
Halsin’s eyes narrowed as realization struck him like a bolt of lightning. “The copies—they’re not her,” he said, his voice steady but laced with urgency. “She’s here, lurking, invisible.”
Lump growled in agreement. Without hesitation, the ogre stomped forward through the sea of thorns, each step causing the cruel spikes to dig into his flesh. Blood dripped from his feet, staining the brambles red, but he pushed through the pain with a grim determination. His massive hands found a battered wooden table, and he hoisted it high, swinging it in wide arcs like a makeshift club. The air around him whistled with the force of each swing.
And then he hit something—something solid.
A furious screech tore through the room as the hag’s invisibility shattered, her twisted form materializing amidst the thorns. Her yellow, jagged teeth were bared in a feral snarl, her eyes blazing with hatred as she staggered back, clutching her side where Lump’s blow had landed. She raised a clawed hand, her lips curling to speak the incantation of a spell, but her words were cut short.
A massive cave bear charged from the side with terrifying speed, its roar shaking the walls of the chamber. The hag barely had time to react before the bear’s immense weight slammed into her, sending her sprawling to the ground. Her arms flailed, but the bear’s powerful limbs pinned her down, its claws pressing into her shoulders with unyielding force.
The bear’s maw opened wide, revealing rows of sharp teeth, and with one savage bite, it sank its jaws into the hag’s neck. Blood spurted in crimson arcs, staining the bear’s fur as the hag let out a blood-curdling scream. Her legs thrashed wildly, her clawed feet scrabbling against the ground in a desperate attempt to push the bear off, but her struggles weakened with each passing moment. The scream turned to a gurgle as her lifeblood spilled onto the cold stone floor. Finally, her body went limp, her lifeless eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.
The bear’s form shimmered and shifted, shrinking back into the shape of Halsin. His chest heaved as he spat to the side, disgust twisting his features. The coppery tang of the hag’s blood lingered on his lips, and he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
Kneeling beside the hag’s corpse, Halsin reached into his cloak and pulled out a small, ornate dagger. He worked carefully, slicing into the hag’s bloated belly. The flesh parted with a sickening squelch, releasing a rush of foul-smelling air. Inside, amidst the gore and muck, lay Vanra, her small body curled up as if in sleep.
Halsin’s hands moved with tender precision as he lifted the girl from the hag’s insides. Her skin was pale, and her face was smeared with filth. He wiped her face clean, his fingers trembling slightly as he worked. For a moment, she was still, her small frame limp in his arms. Then, her blue eyes fluttered open, locking onto Halsin’s face with a mixture of confusion and fear.
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“Mommy!” she screamed, her voice piercing and desperate. She struggled weakly before her body went limp again.
Halsin pressed his ear to her chest, relief flooding him as he heard the faint but steady rhythm of her heartbeat. “She’s fine,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “She’s just fainted.”
The moment of peace was shattered as green fumes began to rise from the hag’s body. Halsin stood quickly, clutching Vanra protectively. “Back!” he barked, retreating as Lump, still in his ogre form, grabbed a thick root and swung it toward the body with all his might.
Before the blow could land, the hag’s body dissolved into nothingness, leaving behind only a foul stench and the echo of mocking laughter.
“You insufferable pests!” the hag’s voice echoed through the chamber, filled with venomous rage. “I’ll cut your testicles off and shove them up your arses next time we meet! You’ll regret the day you crossed Auntie Ethel!”
Halsin and Lump exchanged a weary glance, their exhaustion etched deeply into their faces. Without a word, they began to make their way out of the room, Vanra cradled safely in Halsin’s arms.
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Deep in the shadows of a hidden passage, Auntie Ethel staggered forward, clutching her abdomen where Halsin’s dagger had torn through her flesh. Each step was a labor, her gnarled hands slick with blood as she pressed them to her wound. “Damn them,” she spat, her voice a hoarse whisper. “Those meddling fools will pay. I’ll drain the life from every last—”
Her words faltered as the shadows behind her began to shift unnaturally. The dim green glow of her mushrooms flickered and dimmed, leaving the passage drenched in a suffocating darkness. A pair of glowing green eyes emerged from the black void, their gaze fixed on her trembling form.
“What—?” she began, but before she could finish, the looming figure struck. A maw of shadow and fangs clamped down on her head with terrifying speed. Her body jerked violently as the creature’s jaws snapped shut, and then she was still. Her headless corpse stood for a moment, swaying as if unsure whether to fall, before collapsing in a heap.
The shadows lingered, coiling around the lifeless body like a predator savoring its kill. After a moment, they receded into the darkness, retreating silently. Shadow’s task was done, and it moved swiftly to report back to Alex: Halsin and Lump had succeeded in their mission.
After healing their wounds and Lump reverting to his human form, the pair made their way out of the hag’s lair. The air outside the basement felt lighter, though the heavy tension from the ordeal still lingered. As they climbed the stairs back into the Blushing Mermaid, a sea of faces turned toward them. Customers and crew members, hardened pirates and weathered sailors, had gathered around the door to the basement. Among them stood Captain Grisly, her presence commanding attention despite her disheveled appearance.
The room fell silent as Halsin and Lump stepped inside, Vanra clutched protectively in Halsin’s arms. Grisly motioned for them to come forward, helping them to a sturdy table. All eyes fell on the little girl, her small form covered in muck and blood. Grisly's face hardened as she barked an order to a nearby deckhand.
“Oi, you there—fetch some warm water and clean rags, sharp-like! Move it!”
As the man scrambled to obey, Grisly’s storm-gray eyes softened, her gaze lingering on Vanra before shifting to Halsin and Lump.
“I’ve raided warships,” she began, her voice low and gravelly, “fought every beastie the sea’s ever thrown at me, and I ain’t flinched—not once. But Ethel…” She shook her head, her fingers gripping the edge of the table until her knuckles whitened. “Umberlee’s salty tits, she snapped her fingers, and I was hers. I’d have died for her—wanted to.” She paused, her voice cracking ever so slightly. “Then you showed up.”
She straightened, regaining her composure, and fixed Halsin with a resolute stare. “You could’ve gutted me like a fish—and you’d’ve been right to. But you didn’t. You’ve got an old captain’s thanks.”
Halsin offered her a small, warm smile. “I’m glad you’re all right.”
Grisly reached out, her calloused hand resting firmly on Halsin’s shoulder. “Aye, and you listen close. The ‘Maid’s as much your home now as she’s mine. Any swab says otherwise gets gutted. Understand?”
Lump, who had been standing quietly, cleared his throat loudly. “Uh, not to ruin the moment, but can I get something to eat? I’m starving.”
Grisly let out a sharp laugh and turned to a crew member. “You heard the man! Bring the lad a feast fit for a kraken—now, hop to it!”
The tension in the room eased as the air filled with the clatter of plates and the murmur of voices. A few curious patrons gathered around Halsin and Lump, eager to hear their tale. Lump, grinning broadly, launched into an exaggerated recounting of their adventure, claiming he was a forest-bred warrior who had recently met Halsin, the noble druid.
Meanwhile, a gentle woman approached to take Vanra from Halsin’s arms. She carried the little girl to an adjacent room, carefully wiping away the grime and blood and replacing her soiled clothes. The crowd slowly began to relax as trays of food and barrels of ale were brought out. Lump, on Halsin’s subtle nod, wasted no time digging in. He devoured everything in sight, from steaming meats to crunchy bones, leaving the onlookers wide-eyed and gaping at his seemingly endless appetite.
Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the tavern. A woman burst into the room, her breath ragged, her face pale with desperation. It was Lora, Vanra’s mother.
“Where’s my daughter?” she cried, her eyes darting around frantically.
From the adjacent room, the woman who had cleaned Vanra stepped forward, leading the little girl by the hand. Vanra was now spotless, her hair brushed back, her small form wrapped in clean clothes. The moment Lora saw her, she broke into sobs, rushing forward to envelop her daughter in a fierce embrace.
“My sweet girl!” Lora wept, holding Vanra tightly as tears streamed down her weathered cheeks. The crowd looked on, smiles breaking through their hardened faces as they witnessed the reunion.
Lora pulled back, brushing tears from her eyes, and approached Halsin and Lump. “You brought her back—you brought my sweet, sweet girl back.”
Halsin nodded humbly, his voice soft. “Thankfully, everything ended well.”
But Lora’s expression darkened as she clutched the elegant rapier at her side. The weapon gleamed under the tavern’s flickering lantern light, its crimson gem glowing faintly. “I doubt I’ll ever sleep again, for fear she’ll be taken from me once more,” she admitted, her voice trembling.
She reached into her pocket and retrieved a gleaming amulet with a rectangular gold centerpiece adorned with an azure gem. She handed it to Halsin with trembling hands. “Here—a token from the pirate life I’ve left behind. Thank you—for being braver than the whole lot of this city put together.”
Halsin accepted the gift with a solemn nod. Lump and Halsin began to rise, ready to leave for the Elfsong Tavern, but Captain Grisly’s booming voice stopped them in their tracks.
“Oi, where d’ye think yer goin’, eh?” she called out, her tone sharp yet playful. Before Halsin could answer, Grisly continued, a devilish grin spreading across her face. “Barem! Crack open the finest barrels o’ ale we’ve got! Ye know the ones I’m talkin’ about—the stash I keep fer special occasions. Tonight, we drink till the we see the gods !”
A resounding cheer erupted through the tavern. Mugs were raised high, laughter filled the room, and the scent of roasted meats and spiced ales thickened the air. The Blushing Mermaid came alive that night, a beacon of joy amidst the shadows of Baldur’s Gate.
Alex leaned against the table, the faint flicker of torchlight casting angular shadows across his face as he laid out the final steps of their infiltration into the Counting House. His voice was steady, deliberate, each word calculated to ensure there were no gaps in the plan. But then, he stopped mid-sentence. His eyes flickered to the corner of the room, narrowing slightly as if sensing something the others couldn't see.
Before anyone could react, a small, ghostly-white figure shot from the shadows—a crow, its feathers gleaming like fresh snow under the faint light. The creature moved with eerie grace, its beady black eyes locked on Alex. In a single fluid motion, it perched on his shoulder, tilting its head as if to study him.
The room went utterly silent as the white crow leaned in close to Alex’s ear, its tiny beak moving in quick, deliberate motions. Though the bird made no audible sound, Alex’s expression shifted—his brow furrowing slightly, then relaxing as if receiving clear instructions. When the crow finished, it didn’t linger. Without hesitation, it darted back to the shadows, its form dissolving into the dark like a wisp of smoke.
Karlach broke the silence first, her deep voice tinged with confusion. “Did that crow just... whisper in your ear?” she asked, her brow furrowed as she gestured vaguely toward the now-empty corner.
Alex nodded, his face unreadable. “Change of plans,” he said simply, straightening his posture. “I can’t go with you.”
The room erupted in questions, but Jaheira’s firm voice cut through the noise. “Why not?” she demanded, her tone sharp and unyielding.
Alex met her gaze, his eyes calm but resolute. “Because I need to repay a favor.”
Jaheira’s expression tightened, her lips pressing into a thin line. “Is it really necessary to do this now?” she asked, her tone edged with irritation, though a hint of concern softened her words.
“It is,” Alex replied, nodding slowly. He knew she wouldn’t like this, especially given the weight of their mission. But his next words were measured, chosen specifically to alleviate her doubt. “You’ll have Karlach and Astarion with you. They’re more than enough to get the job done.”
His statement drew a smirk from Astarion, who lounged against a pillar with his characteristic flair. “Am I really that indispensable?” he quipped, his fanged grin glinting in the dim light.
Jaheira didn’t smile. Her attention was still fixed on Alex, her mind undoubtedly racing with contingencies. “What if Orin shows up?” Gale asked from the corner, his tone cautious but pressing.
“She won’t,” Alex replied firmly, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. “Orin knows I’m lurking, and Gortash wouldn’t let her risk doing anything that jeopardizes his plans. Besides, even if she does show up...” He paused, his gaze hardening. “I’ll be there before she could lift her dagger.”
Jaheira sighed, her shoulders sagging slightly. The weight of their shared burden was etched in her expression. She trusted him, but this divergence unsettled her. “Fine,” she relented, though her tone carried the reluctance of someone yielding against her better judgment.
“I’ll handle my task, but I’ll get you into the vaults before I leave for my mission.” Alex said, his voice soft but resolute.
Jaheira gave a slow nod, though her eyes lingered on him for a moment longer, as if silently warning him not to falter.
From across the room, Amanita stepped forward, her boots echoing softly against the stone floor. Her vibrant robes seemed to shimmer faintly in the light, her expression calm but determined. “I’m coming with you,” she declared, her voice steady.
Before Alex could respond, Shadowheart’s hand shot out, gripping his arm tightly. Her knuckles whitened with the force of her hold as her dark eyes darted between Alex and Amanita. “I’m coming with you too,” she said, her tone leaving no room for argument.
For a moment, the room felt charged with unspoken tension. Alex glanced down at Shadowheart’s hand, then at her face, where determination warred with something softer—something she wouldn’t dare express openly. His gaze then flicked to Amanita, who raised an eyebrow in challenge, a slight smirk playing at her lips.
A subtle, amused smile tugged at Alex’s lips, the faintest crack in his usual composed demeanor. 'This,' he thought, 'is going to be interesting.'