Stories of my brain

They get to the ritual side and the shaman is already waiting for them. They quickly take their place and start the ritual. Adaly finds herself once more looking at her silhouette made off of white lines. Her vision turns darks before she finds herself standing on a small piece of land surrounded roiling ocean of pitch black water. She has been here before, when she went inside Ilhoketh’s mind, but there is something different now. She don’t see the odd yellow lighting coursing through the water, there is no oppressive hatred coming at her from all sides, just empty darkness all around.

The realization slowly dawns on her, They’ve won. Ilhoketh is dead and she is still alive. She is free. Instead of happiness, two words echo through her head. ‘Now what?’

Adaly kneels at the water’s edge and looks at her own reflection in the inky blackness. She sees her own face staring back at herself, but it’s different. Her eyes are the void, empty darkness filled only by tiny twinkling stars that slowly are consumed by the nothingness. It is the same visage she showed the guard she intimidated two days ago in Ingry, but this is no illusion. Adaly can see herself holding power, real power, the power of a devil. There is a vicious smile on her reflection, but it’s a joyless smile.

She blinks and the reflection changes, she is now wearing a suit of leather armor branded with the sigil of a paladin’s order. There is conviction in her eyes, purpose, but also sadness. She must have led people to their deaths, Jack the Wizard was not the last person that died counted on her to save them, not by a long shot.

Adaly blinks again and the reflection changes once more, she sees herself dressed in familiar green robes, with tree branches coiling around her head, standing over a cauldron inside a wooden hut. She is preparing a potion for a desperate woman who offered Adaly all her worldly possession in exchange for a solution to a problem. There are many like her out in the world and they all think they would do anything for Adaly’s help.

She blinks again and the vision changes again and again, a noblewoman in Ingry, a mercenary in the grey city, the leader of the ebony guard, an adventurer scholar exploring the wastes of Grishbalan with Heskeni, an apprentice to the orc shaman, different possibilities for the future she had never considered because she never considered that she might have a life to live.

She stops blinking and finds herself in front of handsome elf man with pitch black hair and yellow eyes. She holds her hands up in the final motion for the blight spell, but she finds herself hesitating. He looks up at her and smiles. “Well then, my daughter, what are you waiting for?” She takes a few breaths, steadying herself before finishing the incantation killing Ilhoketh, before she gets pulled back to the real world.

Adaly looks around, sees Amara shaking her head before hearing someone falling over. She rushes up and sees Sam having fainted. She rushes towards him “Sam… Sam can you hear me?” Adaly asks while pulling him up. She is not strong enough but Amara quickly starts helping.

They carry Sam back while Adaly asks “So how did it go this time?” Amara rubs her head with one hand while supporting Sam with the other. “Not yet succeeded but it already felt better than before. And you?” Adaly smiles kindly at her friend, but has concerns. If Amara didn’t succeed this time she might not succeed on time.

“It was a success for me… was a rough one though. I saw him in this one… my father. I assume Sam failed” Adaly admits. Livia audibly reacts, but doesn’t intervene in the conversation.

Livia opens the door for them and they put Sam in bed. Adaly tugs him in, looks concerned at him “You guys should go for diner. I will watch him.” Adaly says not paying mind to the others, aware that her worry is visible, but she doesn’t care.

“Adaly… You should also eat.” Livia states, and Amara cocks her head “You have not eaten in 2 days…” Adaly rolls her eyes, grabs some nuts and rations and starts eating them. She is not hungry, and actually it feels wrong to eat, but the rest of the party seems to insist “Happy” she says and they nod in agreement, before leaving her alone with Sam.

Adaly just looks at Sam, observing the sleeping paladin. He looks rough without actually having any visible injuries. The visions must do a number of him, she is concerned for his well being. It is a strange emotions for her to worry about others. She did always worry about Amara, and when she was younger Muddy, but now a third… it is a strange sensation.

Sam breaths calmly, it sooths her. She wanted physical connection before, but not with him, it would mean to much… She cares too much, she can’t… He is weaker than Amara, there is a big chance he won’t survive the mission. Not that she expected to survive herself, but him. No he… she shakes off the feelings and focusses on making an amulet.

Amara and Livia walk in, just when she frustratingly hits the ground after failing creating an amulet of soul protection. “Should we hire someone?” Amara jokes and Adaly gives her friend a hateful glare. “No I got this, we still have some time… For tonight I would like to do the other thing though.” Amara nods in understanding, but Livia looks surprised at them.

Adaly looks at the weird elf “I am going to do a small ritual to get some more information. Don’t be too worried about it, there is just a small chance things go wrong, and then Amara needs to knock me out. We have done this before, it is just in these small quarters I must trust you with this.” “What are you going to do?” Livia asks, confused. Adaly kindly smiles “Best description is it is sort of a scry, I rather not go into it”. Livia wants to object, but clearly stops herself, probably realizing that if she pushes Adaly will push her about her secrets.

Adaly prepares the ritual and reconnects with the dark ocean. It looks once more like a storm underwater, unlike her vision with the shaman. She jumps in and connects with her fathers essence. She asks her first question, “Do you know about a stolen emerald in the citadel?” almost instantly she hears back MANY. Adaly thinks for a second before she asks her second question “You have a prisoner named Ashe in the citadel, what is the race of this person?” she can sense confusion, but no answer.

The lack of answers annoy her but she continues, asking a question that he was vague about last time. “Do you want Adaly alive?” MAYBE she gets back in a wicked sounding voice. She swallows thinking about what Es-Grenalieth was telling her she asks “Do you want to use Adaly in a ritual?” a pause before the answer comes UNDECIDED.

Annoyed with all the vague answers she finally asks “Who is the biggest threat to your plans?” once more a sense of confusion but after a hot second he answers SHAI-ILAR.

Adaly comes too and looks at Amara “I am fine, but that was utterly useless. Let’s go sleep.” Amara nods in agreement, but Livia clearly wants to object, but once more chooses to not do it.