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He had been woken by the voices of his friends.
Beau and Caleb had been calling his name. Molly didn't know how, but he had heard them, and he had answered their call, although he couldn't be sure if they had heard him.
Everything was strange and so very wrong. This was definitely a dream. It was the nightmare he had been repeatedly getting flashes from for as long as he could remember. That same void of nothing and the smell of death. And the presence of that person who wanted to take away his body.
He was definitely dreaming. But at the same time Molly was certain he had woken up.
But the nightmare this time was different. The presence, the Nonagon had found him and it wanted him gone. It was overwhelmingly powerful and Molly had been unable to do anything to it.
But something had changed abruptly.
Something he couldn't see had caught the Nonagon's attention. It was furious. That something had hurt it, Molly could feel the pain like it was on his own body. Every spot with an eye marking felt like it was burning. But pain didn't bother him much and now the Nonagon was distracted.
Mollymauk took the opportunity to strike the intruder that had been holding him hostage in his own mind.
He had seen the Nonagon will weapons into existence in this dream space many times now, but two could play that game. This was his mind as well. His dream.
Molly willed his scimitars into existence, feeling triumphant as they apparated in his hands.
He hesitated for only a fragment of a second before doing his Blood Maledict.
”This time would be different,” he told himself. And it was. The curse hit the Nonagon at a force he'd never seen before, and while the entity was still recoiling from it's effects, Molly had moved, instantly, right behind it, slashing through its form with both blades.
The entity was screaming, furious and in agony. Strangely Molly could feel the scream like it was coming out of his own mouth.
And then it ended. The entity, the Nonagon was gone. It just vanished, leaving Molly alone in that dark void. He couldn't be sure if it was dead, but it was definitely out of his head now.
Mollymauk blinked and for a moment he was able to see. It was still dark, but it wasn't his nightmare anymore and there were people around him.
Just as he recognised the people as his friends his vision started growing dark again.
He couldn't be sure if he was feeling it in his body or imagining it but somehow he knew his heart was not beating. He had only a moment to feel panic as the realisation hit him that he was dead. Again.
In the brief moment he had, he could see Fjord and Jester, that were the closest to him in that strange place, exchange confused looks, seemingly paused in the middle of a heated conversation to look at him.
Then his knees buckled and he collapsed on the ground.
The last thing Molly saw was someone's feet running fast towards him. Yasha's feet. Seeing them made him feel relief in knowing that those three had been saved. The Mighty Nein were all alive. Except for him. But that was a price he was willing to pay.
This time, in this terrifying place, as the darkness he had feared consumed Molly's mind once again, he closed his eyes.
*****
The Mighty Nein watched Lucien fall in shock. For a moment he had definitely been their friend again. Every one of them with the eye markings had heard his voice call back to them through their minds just as Lucien had been about to finish off Beau. He had stopped in the middle of his attack, allowing Beau to escape and Caleb to snap out of his mind control.
Now Caleb was standing with the cinders of what remained of Lucien's journal smoking in his hand. For once in his life he felt no remorse for the destruction of a book and the knowledge it contained.
The book hadn't been easy to destroy. The fact it had survived this long wasn't just luck, it had been heavily protected against all kinds of damage, but even that had its limits and now it had turned to ashes that were slowly scattering across the Astral Sea. And the same was happening to the eye markings on their bodies as they were rapidly fading away and falling off their skin like red glitter.
But the Mighty Nein barely paid any attention to that when Lucien started screaming loudly, the sound filling the empty streets of the city for a moment.
Then it ended just as abruptly as it had started and they watched as the Tiefling collapsed to the ground.
Yasha made her way to him first, rushing past the others as they were still standing in quiet shock at the strange turn of events.
She had hoped for her friend to return and just for a moment she had thought Molly was back. But now he was on the ground unmoving for seemingly no reason.
Yasha knelt down by his side in stunned silence, unsure what to do.
Caduceus had followed her. The Firbolg sat down on the ground and placed his hand gently on the man's neck and waited.
As Yasha looked at him, Caduceus shook his head sadly. Even when he hadn't known this man as their friend, he knew how much he meant to the others.
”He's dead,” he confirmed solemnly. ”He has probably been dead for a long time.”
”How?” Yasha asked in confusion. ”He was alive until just now, wasn't he?”
”This is the friend you buried, right? I don't think he came back to life.”
”That makes no sense,” Yasha protested while the others were finally gathering around them to see what had happened.
”I know,” Caduceus agreed. ”But he was a part of this.” He gestured vaguely at the city around them, now crumbling into pieces from under their feet. ”This has been dead for a long time with only the echoes of its memories remaining and something else keeping it in motion. I think that something was inside your friend.”
Yasha looked thoughtfully at the destruction around them for a moment.
”Tharizdun,” she whispered. She had no idea how she knew that.
”Maybe,” Caduceus shrugged, understanding all this was way beyond his knowledge.
Jester was on her knees now as well.
”Maybe that's who the Nonagon was,” she said quietly as she looked at the body on the ground.
”I hope it's really gone now,” Veth said with a shudder.
The city was falling apart rapidly now, the buildings and structures turning to dust or to sludge or drifting into the void around them. Even the ground under their feet was cracking.
”We need to get out of here,” Fjord said with urgency in his voice. ”Jester?”
”But what are we going to do with... him?” Jester pointed at Lucien's body.
”We can talk about that later,” Beau snapped.
Yasha had already picked up the body.
”I want to take him with us. Even if he's dead, this is no place for him,” she said quietly. ”Not for Molly.”
Beau nodded in understanding.
Caduceus touched the body gently and placed copper pieces over his eyes for Gentle Repose.
”Just in case,” he explained to Yasha.
As soon as everyone was gathered around Jester, she teleported the group to Nicodranas where they could finally get some much needed rest.
*****
The Mighty Nein had found a cheap room in an inn where people wouldn't know them.
Nicodranas had been a familiar place that was relatively safe for them to travel to. Except for Essek, but he had disguised himself as an elf and wasn't drawing any more attention to himself than the rest of the group. But in order to avoid causing unnecessary commotion they had chosen this small room.
The innkeeper had been a bit surprised and mildly disappointed when their group had only asked for one room, but they had tipped her generously so she wasn't complaining.
They had been worried that carrying Molly's dead body to the room would bring them unwanted attention, but the innkeeper merely glanced at him indifferently as they passed by.
The area was rowdy enough that seeing unconscious people carried by their friends probably wasn't uncommon, whether they had gotten in a fight or simply had too much to drink.
Even so, as soon as everyone was in the room and they had closed the door they all sighed in relief.
The room only had a single bed and Yasha laid Molly's body on it gently while the group sat down on the floor to discuss what to do.
”I would like to get our friend back,” Caleb said and looked at Yasha. ”But there is a problem. We don't really know who this person is going to be. Is he Mollymauk now? Or is he Lucien?”
”I think he's Molly,” Jester said optimistically.
”Ja, most of us heard his voice. But we don't know what really happened to him after that.”
Caduceus nodded. ”It's risky. And this is definitely not something I would recommend doing. Your friend died a long time ago, and then his body was used for an unnatural ritual. Bringing him back to life is as far from my usual principles as it can get.”
”But he's our friend,” Jester protested.
The Firbolg smiled gently. ”I know. And I know it's important to you. There is one way to find out who is in there,” he said thoughtfully.
”Speak with dead,” Jester concurred.
”That's right. Now, what would you like to ask him?”
It took them a moment to decide what to ask Molly to confirm it was him as everyone had a lot of ideas. Ultimately Caduceus picked a few of the suggestions that weren't too complicated.
Yasha and Beau propped up Molly's body with pillows and the like, just enough to have him in a position that seemed comfortable. And then Caduceus got to work.
Everyone was waiting anxiously when Molly took a wheezing breath and his eyes flashed open. For a moment no one spoke a word.
Finally Caduceus leaned closer to the man so he could see him clearly.
”Hello. What is your name?”
The answer wasn't instant and it almost seemed as if the man had been glancing around nervously before his eyes focused on the Firbolg and he appeared to register he'd been spoken to.
”Mollymauk Tealeaf.”
”That's a nice name. Your friends have spoken highly of you,” Caduceus said with a calm smile.
At this point the others were holding their breaths and watching with tears in their eyes.
Molly's gaze drifted towards them briefly, his fearful expression softening slightly.
”That's unusual,” Caduceus noted, speaking to no one in particular.
”What is?” Caleb asked.
”Dead shouldn't have much awareness beyond whatever they are asked. This should only be an echo, yet he seems almost... alive,” Caduceus said sounding pensive. This time even he was unsure if this truly was merely an echo of the person he'd once been or if it was something more. ”Either way he's bound by the limit of those five questions.”
”We have to make sure that's really him and we won't have to deal with that situation again,” Fjord said.
Caduceus nodded and turned his attention on the dead once more.
”Can you tell us what you did at the Harvest Close Festival?”
Once again it took a moment before Molly paid attention to the question, his features now in a concerned frown. But finally he looked at Caduceus.
”I won a strawberry by throwing a sandbag, bought a tapestry, and fought in the arena with the Mighty Nein.”
”Molly...” Jester whispered with tears streaming down her cheeks.
”That... That is all correct,” Fjord confirmed when Caduceus looked at them, seemingly remembering something embarrassing.
”Nice,” Caduceus said and nodded at Molly. ”You also visited Hupperdook. What did you do there?”
”We participated in a drinking contest and won, but our money got stolen. Then we destroyed an automaton in a prison and...”
At that point Molly took another wheezing breath and stopped talking. Caduceus turned to look at the others for confirmation.
Caleb nodded. ”It's as he says.”
”Okay. After Hupperdook something happened. What was supposed to be your destination in that final bit of your journey?”
”Shadycreek Run,” Molly nearly snarled the words, startling the others. ”To get back our friends,” he added more softly.
”Yeah,” Beau confirmed in a subdued voice. ”And we did it. We saved them,” she added, directing her words to Molly this time.
Before Caduceus got to ask his final question, Jester has stepped between him and Molly and the Firbolg paused to give them a moment.
Jester cupped Molly's face in her hands gently, tears streaming down her face.
”It's really you! We missed you so much!” She smiled through her tears. ”Don't worry. I promise we'll wake you up real soon,” she added in a quiet voice.
Mollymauk didn't answer, but for a moment his eyes seemed to focus right at her.
Caduceus sighed in resignation. Clearly the decision had already been made. But he was smiling. The idea of bringing back this person gave him a good feeling.
Instead of asking him the question he had originally chosen, he sat down on the bed and asked; ”When you wake up, would you like some tea?”
He could swear that there was surprise in the expression of Mollymauk as he looked at him for a moment.
”That would be nice,” he whispered before his body went limp and lifeless once more.
Caduceus turned to look at the others. They were still teary eyed and hugging each other, but there was definitely a palpable feeling of hope and excitement.
”Looks like everyone agrees on this,” he said calmly while casting another Gentle Repose on the body. ”But I can't bring him back today. I think we all need to get some rest first.”
After their adventure to the Astral Sea and back, the Mighty Nein easily agreed that some rest was much needed.
”I also need a diamond that's worth a thousand gold for this to work,” Caduceus added.
”That's a lot of money,” Veth said. ”But absolutely worth it!” she hurried to add when she saw the others glare at her.
”I think she means it might be hard to find such an expensive diamond here,” Caleb explained tiredly, and the others had to agree.
But they'd certainly try.
*****
It was still relatively early so most of the Mighty Nein decided to go searching for the diamond the same day, leaving Caleb and Essek in the inn with Molly's body.
The shopping trip went as expected. Most people they spoke to were shocked by their request or thought it was a joke. Such large diamonds were rare after all.
After hours of asking around they hadn't found one, so Jester decided to go shopping for clothes instead. She looked at some matching outfits that could look nice on her and Fjord but what she actually bought was for Molly. Just some simple shirts and pants for now, but definitely something that looked more like him than the clothes his body was currently wearing.
Yasha joined her and found him new boots.
After the unsuccessful search they gathered together and returned to the inn to eat dinner.
”I have one more idea,” Caleb said as they were eating. ”We could ask Yussa.”
”Yes!” Jester exclaimed. ”We should make sure he got home safely!”
Once they had finished their meal, Caleb set the Alarm in the room so he'd know if anyone moved through the door in their absence.
”We'll be back soon;” Jester told the lifeless body lying still in the bed as the entire group left the room in order to go visit Yussa.
They didn't have to wait long for the door to appear and Yussa himself greeted them and invited them in, which was highly unusual for him and clearly indicated the depths of his gratefulness for being rescued.
”What can I do for you?” He asked when everyone had stepped inside.
”We are actually looking for a diamond worth a thousand gold,” Caduceus explained.
”You must know how rare those are around here,” Yussa said and looked at the Firbolg with mild curiosity. ”This must be a matter of life and death.”
”Very much so,” Caduceus agreed.
”Very well. I owe you as much. To show my gratitude I will give you a diamond like that.”
”No no, we couldn't possibly take it for free!” Jester protested.
”Do as you wish,” Yussa said.
While the others were discussing how much each of them would pay, Essek in his elf disguise stepped forward.
”I will pay for the diamond.” He handed hundred platinum pieces to Yussa. ”This should cover it.”
Yussa gave him a curious look, and for a moment Essek could have sworn he was able to see through his disguise. But Yussa didn't say anything and simply accepted the money.
”Essek!” Jester protested. ”We were going to pay for that together!”
Essek raised his hand before the others could say anything.
”It's already done.”
For once he could do something good just because he wanted to. Not because it was necessary. Not because someone asked him to. Not because he owed it to someone. Although in Essek's mind no amount of good deeds would ever make up for all the bad he had done, so in that way he had an endless debt to pay and something like this did nothing to make it lighter.
But even so, he allowed himself a moment to feel happy for being able to help just because he wanted to.
Yussa brought them the diamond. He would have liked to express his gratitude properly but it was getting late so the Mighty Nein decided to return to the inn and promised to return another day.
Back in their room, Caleb set up the tower for them to spend the night comfortably.
Essek sighed in relief as he stepped inside and could finally drop his disguise safely. Having spent everything he had in the battle earlier, he wouldn't be able to teleport until he'd gotten some rest. Even with the war over it was still a dangerous place for a Drow, and Essek was a wanted criminal, rightfully so, for the things he had done. But in this place he could just be himself, even if only for a moment.
The others joined them in the tower, Yasha carrying Molly's body once again.
Caleb led her to the room he'd designed for Molly and Yasha placed him gently on his bed.
”He is going to love this place,” she said quietly.
The others followed them in the room.
Together they took off the bloodstained clothes of Lucien from Molly, folding them in a neat pile in the corner of the room. While they had the opportunity, they checked his body to make sure all of the red eye markings were truly gone.
There was nothing left of the nine eyes, but another detail caught their attention.
The wound that killed Molly is still on his chest.
There was a muffled gasp when Yasha, Jester and Fjord saw it for the first time.
Jester turned to look at Caduceus. ”You can heal that, right?”
”Of course.”
Even knowing that, the sad reminder of that unfortunate day filled the room with a heavy silence while the group dressed Molly in the clothes that Jester had bought for him.
His coat was placed next to the bed as well, but it would need some repairs.
Both the missing eyes and the wound also served to remind everyone that even if Molly came back to life, things would never be the same, and there was a nervous anticipation as a result of that great unknown. Few words were spoken that night as the group scattered to their own rooms.
Yasha decided to stay in Molly's room that night, watching over her lifeless friend. Beau stayed with her, leaning against her shoulder in wordless support.
Eventually they all fell into restless sleep.
*****
As the morning came, Caduceus was ready and making tea for everyone. Even in this place where they could request anything from the cats, he found familiar comfort in brewing tea from the plants he had brought from home.
One by one the others emerged from their rooms.
”Did you sleep well?” Caduceus asked as he handed them their teacups.
”Not really,” Fjord admitted, rubbing his eyes.
Caduceus could tell from Veth's appearance that she'd been drinking, which was a habit she had mostly left behind, but he didn't say anything about it. He knew this day was going to be emotionally taxing to everyone.
After everyone was awake, the Mighty Nein gathered in Molly's room.
”Again, this is something I wouldn't normally recommend,” Caduceus warned. ”Are you all sure?”
”I promised we'd wake him up,” Jester reminded him.
”Don't tell him I said this, but I really miss him,” Beau said.
”We all do,” Fjord agreed.
Caduceus nodded. ”This is a very unusual situation and normally I wouldn't even consider it, but I understand.”
”His whole life was very unusual,” Caleb pointed out.
”Ever since the beginning,” Yasha added.
”His body may have belonged to someone else at first, but he really liked it,” Veth noted thoughtfully. ”I'd feel bad if he didn't get another chance with it.”
After everyone agreed, Caduceus sat down on the bed next to Molly and took the large diamond they had obtained from Yussa, placing it gently on his chest over the wound that had taken his life.
”A resurrection can be... difficult. As some of you know,” Caduceus warned. ”His death was a traumatic experience, and sometimes returning to life can be equally frightening, so be prepared.”
The others nodded solemnly. Fjord was holding Jester's hand and Yasha was hugging Beau for support. Caleb, Veth, and Essek were standing together on the other side of the bed, watching in tense silence as Caduceus concentrated hard, muttering his plea for making an exception to the Wildmother. The effort was making him visibly exhausted.
After several minutes had passed, he bent over the body and breathed air into Molly's lungs.
At first the air escaped through the hole in his chest, but then the diamond shattered and turned to glittering dust and the wound started closing, leaving only a scar on his skin.
The first breath Mollymauk took on his own was a desperate gasp, like from someone who had been drowning, followed by intense coughing. Then his eyes flashed wide open and he started screaming.
At that point Caduceus nearly collapsed out of exhaustion and wobbled to sit down on the floor with his back leaning against a wall, catching his own breath. He had done what he could. Resurrections were draining as he knew to expect, but he knew he could count on the others to handle the rest.
Yasha was by Molly's side in an instant, cradling him in her arms and gently lifting his head to rest against her shoulder.
The scream faded into muffled sobs as Molly started trembling in her arms.
”You had a terrible nightmare, but it's over now,” she comforted him in her most soothing voice.
Still shaking, Molly looked up at her, then slowly turned his head around, taking in the faces of everyone gathered around him. He swallowed hard
”We missed you.” Jester wrapped her arms around Molly as well.
One by one everyone took their turns to hug him with tears streaming down their faces.
”Welcome back. There is so much to talk about,” Caleb said.
”And it's all true!” Veth added.
”But before that...” Caduceus had managed to pull himself back to his feet and was smiling at Molly. ”Would you like some tea?”
And at that they could all see Mollymauk return the smile. Not the arrogant grin they'd seen on Lucien or whoever had been in control of his body, but the warm smile of their friend Molly.
”Thank you. I think I'd like that.”
Caduceus nodded, already holding a cup of warm tea in his hand and offering it to Molly.
”I thought you would,” he said softly. ”My name is Caduceus. Caduceus Clay. It's a pleasure to finally meet you.”