Chapter Text
The last time Lae’zel saw Avernus herself was aboard the Nautiloid with the winds rushing past and the deafening thrumming of the imps’ wings flapping in the air as they made their way towards the battered and beaten gh’ath. The combination of adrenaline, anger, and a little bit of sheer panic (that she hasn’t yet accepted), clouded the memory of such a landscape at the time, but seeing it first hand, on an account where she willingly stepped into Avernus herself, Lae’zel can only stand in awe of such a chaotic place. Avernus was everything the Astral Plane was not . Heat and the smell of sulfur enclosed every space of air that was around her, managing to make breathing just the more difficult. The world was mostly dark, save for the occasional spit of lava into the air from the pools, or the fires that cascaded down cliff faces and mountains, but she swore that she could make out a bit of light in the horizon amidst the dense, low-hanging clouds. Her githyanki trained eyes were not used to strain under harsh conditions.
Nine setting suns, she remembered Karlach mentioning one time about her temporary prison home. The reek of brimstone just invades your senses, it’s even hard to concentrate on your name sometimes. And it feels like time doesn’t exist here, I wouldn’t be surprised if it didn’t, but I made sure to remember. I had to.
The memory of Karlach’s voice was replaced by an escalating roar of buzzing a few feet behind her. Two gigantic wasps, wings longer than Lae’zel’s arms, were beating rapidly in the air, their carapace glowing a faint red on the underbelly. Through the faint glow from the lava, the githyanki warrior made out a stinger as long as a dagger protruding from the butt of the wasp.
Unsheathing her great sword, Lae’zel took her fighting stance and prepared to strike.
Coming to this hell hole had better be worth it.
After the heated fight with Bodhi and Jon Irenicus, the group managed to saunter back to camp, their muscles and bones heavy from the battle, and injuries screaming in pain for some healing. Lae’zel let out a crude snarl when Shadowheart placed her hands on top of the wound on her back, where Bodhi managed to thrust a knife in a moment of weakness. She let out another when she felt the cleric put a bit more pressure than she expected.
“Oh come off it, you never complained this much before.”
In between clenched teeth, Lae’zel managed, “You underestimate what a knife can damage when stabbed in the back. However, I don’t suppose you would know what marks of combat are like from all the way in the backlines.”
Shadowheart chose to ignore the last part, her brows furrowed and ears burning hot as she muttered, “Well you wouldn’t have been targeted had you not thrown Bing Bong at them like a daft orc with two feet as hands.”
“Ska’keth!” Lae’zel abruptly rose up but immediately regretted it when the piercing pain returned. Another wince of discomfort left her lips as Shadowheart less than gently pushed her back down.
“The annoying vampire spawn would have been dealt with swiftly had your useless subordinate not hit the ground.”
“You were the one that threw him!”
Lae’zel clicked her tongue and looked away. It was true that her strength and athleticism at the time were horrifyingly abysmal for some reason, but then again, her recent performances with enemies were probably the weakest she’s had since… well forever.
“I know you hated Bing Bong but that doesn’t mean that he deserved that fate.” Shadowheart said with a quiet but firm voice. Lae’zel’s eyes looked back at the cleric and a despondent, more than usually, sad expression crossed Shadowheart’s face. Lae’zel let out a long breath and let the cleric work her healing magic in silence. The pain was dissipating but left behind was a different, peculiar feeling.
Was this what guilt felt like?
Neither said anything as the glow of magic faded and Shadowheart stood back up, walking away to tend to the others who were gravely injured during the fight. Lae’zel sat up straight, watching Shadowheart tend to Karlach’s wounds and absent mindedly lifted a hand to where the knife might have stabbed through. Standing to her feet, Lae’zel walked towards her tent whilst simultaneously deep in thought.
Okay, perhaps the strategy of using the infernal imbecile as a small, flaming ball of flesh was a bit outlandish, and maybe a bit unnecessary… but how else would the imp be of use during that battle?
A memory of Bing Bong on Shadowheart’s shoulder pointing a bony finger amidst the spell of Guiding Bolt flashed across her mind and she cringed. Bing Bong did in fact aid Shadowheart in her spell casting. But his only purpose to them was a fleeting thought! Another flash of Bing Bong leading them down the secret passageway after licking the blood off the floor went through her consciousness but this time she growled reactively.
Lae’zel kicked a rock that was mildly inconveniently in her way and clenched her fists. But why should Shadowheart even miss such a weak and useless creature like Bing Bong? As if by divine punishment, snapshots of Bing Bong holding Shadowheart’s hand, Bing Bong raising his arms to her in a feeble attempt for a hug, and Bing Bong in his gods forsaken little hat and bowtie flipped through her mind’s eye.
“Kaincha! Kay’fil shtaaz htir’la !” she swore.
With clenched fists and a new spurt of energy, she looked back at the camp to spot the cleric. As soon as she saw Shadowheart finish healing Karlach and assume she was out of ear’s reach, Lae’zel walked with purpose and a little bit of annoyance.
“Karlach,” she hissed, “I must speak to you at once.” With a skip and a jump she was inside Karlach’s tent. Skilled, nibble hands untied the flap with efficiency and they were both soon alone and out of anyone's vision, much to the tiefling’s astonishment.
“Oh! Hey there soldier! Anything the matter?”
Lae’zel peeked her head through the tent flap, took note that Shadowheart was conversing with Gale, and leaned towards Karlach, her ears pinned against the side of her head.
“Has the Sharite revealed anything of the sort regarding the imp baby and his… demise?”
Karlach looked quizzically at the gith before a lightbulb pinged in her eyes. “Ah, you mean the lil ‘ole Bing Bing fella?”
“Bing Bong.”
“Yeah yeah, mmm nothing as of late, but she did seem kind of more quiet than usual when doing her healing. No gripe about charging into battle or grumbling like the usual. Why, what’s up?” Karlach motioned her companion to sit on a pile of fabrics on the floor, across from Karlach’s everyday throw on the carpet. Lae’zel took one look at the pile and sat next to it instead.
“It has come to my better judgment, that the Sharite has developed a brief companionship with the imp baby, even more so to mourn for it’s,” Lae’zel said the next portion with gritted teeth, “unfortunate end.”
“Oh yeah, she really loved that thing. Don’t know why but hey, can’t blame her. Anything red skinned, horned and hailing from Avernus kinda has its own charm, ya know what I’m saying?” Lae’zel never understood the meaning of when Karlach would wiggle her eyebrows like that but she supposed it was a tiefling custom.
“Yes, speaking of Avernus, with what little time I had to make a determination, I have come to seek your aid and ask for guidance on how to get there. In order to retrieve the imp.” And with a short pause, “For Shadowheart.”
Karlach gaped before shooting up in her seat and nearly toppling her tent over with her horn and sheer stature, “You WHAT?”
“Calm yourself istik! Should Shadowheart hear due to your uproar.”
At that, Karlach quickly sat back down and scooted closer to Lae’zel. “Sorry sorry, but really Lae?? AVERNUS?? You have got to be out of your hide and mind to even have an after thought on such a vile place!”
“I will be if Shadowheart continues this grief practice of hers. We cannot afford our only healer to be distracted by mere thoughts of loss on the battlefield. Though she spouts nonsense about loss as being a part of her mistress’ embrace, if her focus is elsewhere then we are at a disadvantage, and I favor not dying in our next battle.”
Karlach listened intently, hands slapping lightly on her lap as she scrunched up her face and was lost in thought for a moment. “So you’re saying… that you will literally go through Hell just to get her lil pet back… because you don’t want to see her sad-”
“Simply a strategic move.”
“HELL, Lae’zel. To get an imp-”
“Must I repeat myself?”
The two women stared at each other for what Karlach felt to be minutes upon minutes, Lae’zel sitting in military silence with her fists on her knees and eyes rivaling the literally fire in Karlach’s eyes. Finally she let out a breath.
“This is pleasantly surprising coming from you soldier but you’re right, I don’t want Shadowheart to be down in the dumps either,” she rolled on her legs to reach for a pack, “I’m coming with you.”
“No.” The hiss came harsher than Lae’zel intended but it was dutifully needed. “You are essential here. As we are both the only capable fighters in our cluster, your post is to remain here and stay with the group in case an assault were to happen. I do not trust the pale vampire nor the mage to fend off any lurking enemies in my stead. Wyll, however, I’m suffice to say he will probably die last out of the three”
“But I can-”
“And I will not take no for an answer. What I only require from you Karlach,” Lae’zel leaned forward, “Is information on Avernus and a promise to keep everyone away from danger while I am gone.”
A twisted smile spread across Karlach’s face and Lae’zel must have mistook it as a flicker from the lantern, but she swore she saw the fire in Karlach’s infernal engine grow brighter.
“Alright, but you’re in for one hell of a ride”