Viva kept falling behind, eyes unfocused, expression an unwavering contemplative frown. Every now and then she would startle, noticing a dead bird or rabbit she was about to step on. Animals littered the pathway. Fallen trees sported hollowed-out tumors. Even the air took on a dusky quality despite the mid-morning hour. All signs of proximity to Shar's power.

The animal corpses made Shadowheart uneasy as well. She could understand just a bit of her companions' gripes about coming back to this place.

A mish-mash of strewn boards and frayed rope passing as a bridge lay ahead. Shadowheart paused, letting the group move forward. Viva wasn't watching where she was going and it would be an even bigger mess if she tumbled into the Chionthar. And if, she allowed herself to acknowledge it, Viva's presence, her touch, took her mind off the rushing current below.

When Viva reached her, Shadowheart grabbed Viva's upper arm and pulled her close. The others were too far ahead to notice. "You seem worried," she observed.

"I'm dreading going back there. It feels like the life is being drained out of us and—" She paused. Her gaze sharpened and locked straight ahead.

The rest of the party had stopped. An elderly man in crimson robes spoke to Gale.

A squeeze to Shadowheart's arm and a whisper with more excitement than she had heard from Viva in days. "Are you seeing this? That's Elminster!"

"Is he related to you?"

"I wish! He's only the most famed and respected wizard in all the realms. He was Mystra's chosen two chosens before Gale. Now's it's Jalatheena, but she spends most of her time doing interplanar fetch quests, so I bet Elminster still does a good bit of Mystra's footwork on this plane, but that's just my theory."

As the group rejoined them, Elminster's complaints regarding Gale's lack of decorum and hospitality became fully intelligible. Shadowheart pulled Viva to one side and leaned in close to whisper. "For someone who claims to have no religious affiliations you seem to know a lot about Mystra."

Viva shrugged. "I took university courses in Waterdeep on and off in my 20s. Just whenever they had new lectures in things like theory or alchemy or scroll crafting." Her eyes shone like newly minted coppers. "I wasn't allowed to take the methods and casting classes, and no wizard in their right mind would take me as an apprentice, so I couldn't actually finish the degree."

There was nothing extraordinary in the events Viva recounted, but Shadowheart still felt herself hanging onto each word. "Maybe you could finish it after all this is over," she suggested. Unbidden, Shadowheart pictured Viva hunched over a desk overflowing with notes and beakers, trying to finish some assignment by candlelight. She saw her own hands placing a cup of hot tea on the desk and tucking Viva's hair back behind her ears. Just a kiss to her temple and—

Viva giggled. "Why would I do that? I'm no wizard. Besides, I can meet Elminster right now!" Slipping out of Shadowheart's grasp, she hurried to catch up with the others.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The mood had shifted considerably after Elminster asked to taste a third unopened wine. Not even Wyll could muster a grin for the continuous culinary puns.

"They do say to never meet your heroes," Viva whispered as Shadowheart glared at her.

"I could have told you that," Gale muttered. "In fact, I think I did, right before you offered him our best cheese."

"For gods' sakes, Gale, I will get you a new wheel of Old Elturian."

Elminster continued prattling to Wyll. "Words ladled with import should be savoured so as to better absorb their meaning, wouldn't you agree?"

"Elminster!" Gale snapped. "Get to the point!"

The elderly wizard's expression shifted. "Ahem. You see…I, er…ahem…That is to say…" He toyed nervously with his cup as he mumbled. "Gale, m'boy, I'll speak as plainly as I can. I'm here on behalf of Mystra. The message and the charge I bring you are hers. You're to be given a chance of redemption."

Every ounce of irritation dropped from Gale's voice. "Mystra would consider forgiveness?"

"Ahem…Mystra is aware of the misadventures that have befallen you and your companions and of your strife with the Absolute."

Viva rolled her eyes. "For all that is holy! If even the gods know about this, why are we facing these threats alone? I haven't encountered a single god on this journey who merits worship."

Shadowheart cringed at the words. In order to make it through the Shadow Curse, Viva would have to respect Shar at a minimum. They all would. The Dark Lady knew of her companions' contempt. That was why the curse latched onto them.

Elminster cleared his throat. "The gods choose the instruments of their will with great precision. Sometimes the single drops we think we are do not realize what waves we are building up to be."

"Sure, but aren't gods supposed to be able to be everywhere and smite people?"

To evade Viva's questions, Elminster turned to Gale. "The Absolute is more dangerous than we can possibly conceive. It threatens the gods, the Weave, the very fabric of the universe itself."

"The gods are not being very helpful for people who claim to be threatened," Viva interjected.

Elminster's volume rose. "That is why I have come here, Gale, to charge you with its destruction. It is Mystra's belief that only you can."

"Because Gale is more powerful than the gods, apparently."

Gale's voice fell low. "The orb."

The plan unfolded: find the Absolute, unleash the orb, blow both Gale and the Absolute to smithereens. Viva opened her mouth to speak again, but something stopped her. Her gaze jerked upward and she fell silent. Shadowheart suspected the Guardian had some opinion on the matter.

"Such is Mystra's will," Elminster concluded, "and with your sacrifice, you will be redeemed. Now I will bestow on you the power to detonate the orb at will and commit you back into the care of your companions here."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When the messenger was gone and the supplies had been repacked, Viva continued following Gale around camp. Her rants about the lack of justice in the situation and speculations on other ways they could handle the Absolute faded in and out of Shadowheart's earshot as she secured the supply packs to Karlach's back.

Wyll interfered, leading Viva away for a moment. Gale turned sharply, his speed increasing until he reached Shadowheart. "Will you please do something with her before I say something I regret?"

Shadowheart lifted an eyebrow.

"Don't give me that look. No one in this camp is blind or deaf. Apparently I'm the only one who can destroy the Absolute, and you're the only one who can get Little Miss Blessed by the Weave to listen to reason."

Receiving such a command from Mystra had to weigh on him, even if his love for the goddess was resolute. Shadowheart conceded and agreed to occupy Viva as they headed back out on the road. She sidled up, brushing her fingertips against Viva's palm. "I can't believe Mystra actually expects Gale to just sacrifice himself like that. Seems like a waste of a fine mind."

As suspected, Viva's fire sputtered with the acknowledgment. "Ye—yeah. No, it's…. I thought you would be on Mystra's side on this one. You…you're dedicated to the whole Sharran thing. I bet you'd blow yourself up if Shar asked you to."

"Lady Shar wouldn't do that. She'd find a cleverer way."

Viva shot her a look of skepticism. "You don't know that she wouldn't. We seem to be their favorite playthings. 'Good ones,' 'bad ones,' it doesn't seem to matter."

Shadowheart hummed softly. Her derailment wouldn't work if she insisted on pure piety, but she surprised even herself with how true her next words felt. "You're not wrong. It's strange. I've been dwelling on what I told you before—about wanting to become a Dark Justiciar. Perhaps I could be content with my lot. I'm already blessed to have you at my side, after all."

Viva's hand slipped away as she pivoted to the right. "No. You can't. That doesn't work."

This tension had been present in the Underdark, when she'd had that memory she refused to recount. Shadowheart closed the space between them again, trying to assess if Viva was at risk for another reaction from the Weave.

A chill bit at Shadowheart's cheeks. Viva's agitation increased with each step. "You can't—I'm not wor—Oh. I'm sorry." She paused every few words as her breathing grew shallow. "I've been talking Gale's ear off, haven't I? He sent you here to shut me up. And now I'm ruining everything."

The hairs on Shadowheart's arms prickled. Was it the curse or the Weave gathering itself? She placed a hand on Viva's shoulder, gently pulling her to a stop. "Look at me. Nothing is ruined."

Viva's voice grew tight, frantic. "Yes it is!" She stomped a foot and Shadowheart felt the wooden planks creak beneath her feet. "We're going to go in there, and you're going to change again. I wanted to enjoy my last few moments with you and—." She shivered, taking another step back toward the ropes suspending the rickety bridge.

The bridge. Fire, thunder, lightning, if Viva did any damage to this bridge they were both going down.

She recognized it, too. "Go with the others. Please. I don't want to hurt you, but I have to stop—I have to stop."

Shaking her head, Shadowheart held out her hand. "I'm not leaving you here. When we get to the other side of the bridge, we'll stop and you can get the space you need."

Viva nodded just before her eyes became glassy and unfocused. "GO!" she shouted through clenched teeth. The first hailstone plunked against the bridge.

Shit.

Shadowheart had never seen this spell before. She scurried around the accumulating ice to get behind Viva, start pushing her across the bridge. No time for softness now.

"MOVE!"

A larger chunk bounced off Shadowheart's armor with a healthy thud.

When the hail began to pummel them, Viva seemed to come to her senses and began moving her feet. But Shadowheart was mid-shove. The ice crunched and rolled under Viva's boot. The bridge retaliated against forces it couldn't handle as she fell.

Shadowheart couldn't tell which shriek was hers, didn't care as the ground swung out from beneath her. One hand grasped at a splintered board, somehow still attached to the rope, the other filled with the fabric of Viva's robe. By the blessing of her Dark Lady, they had both managed to obtain secure handholds.

"Hold on tight, we've got you!" Karlach called. In fits and starts, the cliff's face moved before them as their companions pulled, until they dangled only a foot or two below the edge. "Viv, Lae's going to grab you. Shads, keep hanging in there. She'll get you next."

Green hands appeared in Shadowheart's periphery and Viva was yanked up in a pale blue flash. The sudden shift in weight proved too much for the ladder. The rope's fibers began to snap.

"It's going to give!" Shadowheart shouted. Karlach gave a firm pull that only moved her up a few inches. Perhaps she could find another handhold. But the thought of letting go, even for a moment, made her stomach drop. Shadowheart's pulse pounded louder than the rushing river below. The rope's tension disappeared as the final fibers gave way.

Half a moment of sheer terror flashed before Shadowheart's eyes before something grasped her left forearm. Warm. No. Hot. Scorching. Searing. The world became a blur of brown and grey until she hit the ground. Only then did she recognize her own screams. Her eyes settled on the hand-shaped burn fusing her to her gambeson, the skin beneath mottled with blisters. The pain began to rival that of her divine wound.

Karlach poured apologies and a canteen of water over her arm as Halsin rushed to her. As skilled a healer as Halsin was, his spells weren't as powerful as her own. If she could pull her mind into one piece again she could make it better, but even her thoughts were fractured.

It happened in a moment when Halsin was between spells. Her arm prickled as the skin began to regenerate, the burned portion of her sleeve releasing completely from the now smooth-skin of her arm. Even some of the cuts and bumps from the hail disappeared. Her mind cleared. There was only one explanation. "Thank you, my Lady," Shadowheart sighed, slumping forward. She could close her eyes for just a moment, then see if—.

Footsteps and the clearing of a throat interrupted her thought. She fluttered her eyes open to Astarion hovering over her.

He turned his head back and shouted to someone out of Shadowheart's view. "¡Vaya! ¡Ella parece mucho mejor! Quizás mejor que antes."

"¡No te creo!" Viva's distant voice sounded strained.

Astarion rolled his eyes and tilted the potion bottle. "Someone refuses to let a drop of this pass her lips until you are healed from every sniffle and paper cut."

"Coming," Shadowheart grunted, lifting herself to her feet. "Thank you, Halsin."

Part of her wanted to chastise Viva for prolonging her own mess, but something in her folded. Viva sat huddled against a misshapen log. Bloodied cuts smeared every angle of her face while her robe was equally splotched in blood and dirt. She cradled her left arm gingerly. Perhaps Lae'zel had dislocated her shoulder. Halsin had needed to pop Shadowheart's own arm back into place.

"Just leave it here and I'll take care of it," Viva argued as Wyll tried to dab at her with a cloth soaked in some kind of alcohol. Her eyes widened like a startled deer when she spotted Shadowheart, and Wyll found his opening to wipe Viva's cheek clean. There were more bruises blossoming under the blood than Shadowheart had expected, but the spell had centered on her. It made sense that she'd taken the brunt of it.

Viva's shame was palpable as she spoke. "I hurt you. I'm so sorry." She buried her face in her hands as Wyll tried again to get her cleaned up.

Shadowheart inclined her head, gesturing for to Wyll to step away. Hovering would be too much. Shadowheart sat side-by-side with Viva. "I told you that you were going to need some kind of bridge spell."

"Mmm, a joke," Viva muttered. A few moments of silence passed between them before she spoke again. "I got too worked up."

"You care so much. It's not a bad thing, though I suppose it does prevent you from understanding Sharran philosophy. I don't think I was terribly good at it either, though. We can be remedial together."

Viva peeked one eye out from behind her hand, revealing the upturned corner of her lips.

"Oh, darkness save us, did I make a joke you actually laughed at?" Shadowheart reached out and moved Viva's right arm. "Now this I have to see."

Carefully, Viva lowered her left arm as well. The movement seemed fluid. Perhaps the arm was just strained. Still, there was the matter of everything else. "Here's the deal. If you're so sorry, you're going to let me patch you up and you aren't going to argue about it."

Shadowheart moved slowly, assuring each cut sealed itself and each bruise faded back into Viva's skin.

There. Perfect as the morning she'd studied Viva's sleeping face as the sun rose.

A new question formed in Shadowheart's mind. "You said I was going to change once we entered the curse. What did you mean?"

"What I said," Viva answered. "You acted differently in there. Distant and…erm…um…" her voice lowered to a whisper, "you were kind of a bitch to everyone. Part of the reason I wanted to leave was that I was afraid you'd abandon us entirely."

Upon reflection, Shadowheart couldn't deny it. Her thoughts had been so focused on her Lady. It was only natural when the Mistress of Night was so near. How to explain, especially to someone so unmoved by religion? "Lady Shar's influence is quite powerful here. Being attuned to it," she glanced down at her wounded hand, "I can't help but feel it. Still, I meant what I said, too. It's a blessing that we have each other. All of us, but…especially you."

She moved closer, taking Viva's hand in her own and leaning against her shoulder until the call came for them to move forward.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The party kept closer ranks as the darkness moved in around them. When the noon sun turned to twilight, Wyll and Halsin began distributing torches. Shadowheart leaned close to whisper in Viva's ear. "I'm not leaving you here either."

Wyll approached, offering Viva a torch.

She raised a finger in response. "One second. There's something I want to do while I have both hands free."

Before she could question, Shadowheart felt a hand pushing gently at the small of her back. Fingertips guided her face until her eyes met the warm honey of Viva's own.

Shadowheart's vision narrowed. Hot desire flushed across her cheeks. Nothing mattered in this moment except placing her hands on Viva's waist, pulling her closer, making sure she was real and not some artful dream. The woman who had so often hesitated to even think there might be a spark between them held her tight and kissed her with the same passion that fueled hailstorms and questioned gods.

Illusory flames floated around the goddess' near-skeletal frame as she spoke. Her deep voice reverberated through the chamber. "You are permitted to look upon me. You are invited to kneel."

Even as someone who had willingly inserted a mind flayer tadpole into her own head and eaten a flower that had almost killed her, Viva had enough self preservation to accept that invitation.

"These attendants you keep, you taught them well, my child. My Lae'zel."

"You know me!" Lae'zel gasped.

Vlaakith nodded, citing praise from Lae'zel's previous commanders before her towering form swooped down to Viva, mere inches from her face. "Istik. You bear that which is ours. But are you friend, or are you thief?"

"Neither. The artifact has chosen me for some reason. It's mine by rights."

Vlaakith's form flew back to its upright position. "No!" she shouted. Stones tumbled from above. "To own something is to know it. You do not even know its name. That 'artifact' you carry, the Astral Prism, is corrupted. There is someone inside."

Viva's attention sharpened. Vlaakith knew about the woman within the artifact? The raven-haired warrior managed to evade Viva's every line of inquiry about her identity.

"Their mind is warped, broken—a blight."

Viva could almost see the needle-like teeth of the tadpole dangling above her eye, hear the guardian encouraging her, instructing her on how to consume the tadpole step by painful step. If Shadowheart hadn't come for her….

The booming voice broke Viva's thought. "They are an agent of the Grand Design, sent to sabotage the Astral Prism—our last defense against the return of the Illithid Empire. Kill them. Do this, and I will cleanse you and your allies." The goddess' image wavered, as if a mirage fueled by the room's rising temperature, and turned to Lae'zel. "Do this and ascend."

Another gasp. "Ascension? My queen. I am not worthy of the honor, but I will bear this burden." The tip of Lae'zel's dagger poked through Viva's robe, her threat an equally pointed whisper. "Refuse and you will know my fury."

But what ascension would there be if they were all mind flayers?

"I can't. The person inside protects us from the Absolute." Viva's next idea was risky. She knew better than to question Queen Vlaakith outright, but she wanted to know. She bowed slightly deeper, casting her eyes to the floor. "Even if she's lying, even if you can assure that we will be cleansed, surely such a task is above the station of simple istiks. I would think that a goddess as powerful as yourself could quash the person inside the Astral Prism with a single breath."

Vlaaktih's magnanimous gaze sharpened like a spear and pierced Viva's soul as she lifted her head. "Perhaps I misheard you."

The dagger's tip sunk a millimeter into Viva's back. Two voices echoed, one from within and one from behind: Don't.

A shiver ran up Viva's spine. Too risky, indeed. "Forgive me. I was banned from our local temple as a child. Too...volatile. It seems I should have learned a bit more reverence. Who am I to question your command?" She lowered her head once more.

Vlaakith gave her instructions: enter the prism, kill the guardian, disregard every word, cut out her lying tongue if they must. As the goddess flamed hotter and hotter, the prism flew out from Viva's bag, hovering over the device installed over the mosaic on the floor. When Vlaakith had burned away her image, only the artifact remained. As the party approached, its sides unfolded, revealing only a ball of light at its center. Viva reached out her hand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Light as air, they tumbled against the rocky surface of an asteroid. Viva righted herself with surprising ease, dusting off her robe before raising her eyes to the surroundings.

If someone had told her this was the place where the Weave originated, Viva would have believed them. Multicolored stars and galactic clouds littered a violet sky. The skeleton of something gigantic floated a few hundred yards away.

"Home," Lae'zel breathed, gazing reverently at the sky above them.

So, the artifact was a pocket dimension linking to the astral plane. Fascinating. How did it work? Was it their guardian who possessed the power to control it, or some higher force? Viva had to write all this down when—if—they made it out of here.

The ground below them was a grimmer sight. Bodies of slain githyanki warriors littered the asteroid. Their armor differed significantly in style from any Viva had seen in creche Y'llek. Their wounds were open, but the blood was dry. How old were these bodies?

Beyond them lay a cave entrance, barricaded with a shimmering magic similar to that which had blocked off the inquisitor's chamber.

Viva turned to Lae'zel. "Please, let me talk to her first. Perhaps we can glean more information for your queen before we kill her." She hated to lie to her ally, but what she needed was time to find a way out of this. There had to be a way out of this.

Though her eyes narrowed with discontent, Lae'zel nodded her agreement.

The guardian's voice echoed through their heads. "So you came in spite of all my warnings. Disappointing. Come, Viva. We will talk in private, just the two of us."

"I'm not leaving my companions behind."

"Do you think me a fool? You are the one in charge, aren't you? I will not have anyone else."

In charge? Certainly not. The stakes were the same for each of them when it came down to it, and everyone played their part. Viva turned back to her companions.

Astarion rolled his eyes. "Don't look at me."

A deep frown etched against her face, Lae'zel lowered her head. "If you are not out within ten minutes, I will find a way to break this barrier and avenge you in Vlaakith's name."

Reassuring. Viva felt herself blanche a little; she hadn't considered that the guardian may try to kill her. If she screwed this up, the party may well have Vlaakith and the guardian after them. Her heart began to pound.

Shadowheart stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't look so worried. If anyone can charm their way out of this, it's you." Her lips pursed for a moment as a smirk played at her eyes. "We'll discuss the 'in charge' thing later. Can't let your ego get any more inflated than it already is."

Did they think she was trying to boss them around? Sure, she went out as often as she could and a lot of the time she did the talking. It was only because she wanted to be useful. Much of the time people found her non-threatening enough to say things they otherwise wouldn't. Maybe she'd missed something. Was it a class thing? Did they think she looked down on them? Did they—

Taking both of Viva's shoulders, Shadowheart gave her a squeeze. "Breathe. I'm just trying to make you laugh. It's going to be alright. We'll see you in just a moment."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Viva stepped through the barrier, trying to memorize the sensation of Shadowheart's hands grounding her. It would be alright. She walked through the cavern until it opened up again, purple skies and—trees? A recreation of their camp near Emerald Grove planted onto the surface of the asteroid.

"Perhaps I shouldn't have trusted you." The guardian's voice sounded smaller outside her head. She stood several yards away, back turned to Viva as she surveyed the sky before her. "Time and time again I told you to stay away from the githyanki, but you just couldn't help yourself, could you? And now you've come here to murder me."

She turned to face Viva.

Viva recognized the stern woman and her commanding presence, but not the scars that cracked her face and wrapped around her neck. Her hair was tied up in twin buns, unlike the last times, and now Viva saw the short tips of her ears. The guardian hadn't been lying when she said they were alike. Something itched in the back of her mind, but she couldn't place it.

No time for that. "I haven't come to murder you. I just want to talk, to help if I can."

The guardian shifted and smirked. "Very well, what would you like to know before you take my life?"

"Why does Vlaakith want you dead? Maybe we can figure out a way to evade her. She doesn't seem to be able to kill you herself, after all."

The guardian answered with a bitter laugh. "Vlaakith wants me dead because I know her secret. It is the same power I use to protect you and your companions from the Absolute. It cannot be ceded to her."

How could a single half-elf have stumbled upon the secret of a centuries old goddess?

"I can hear your thoughts," the guardian interrupted. "You think I'm lying. Vlaakith warned that I would try to deceive you. But what reason would I have to do that?"

Hear her thoughts? Bullshit.

"It's not 'bullshit,'" the guardian answered. "You want to know what happened to my face. As a token of good faith, I'll explain. I've had these scars since I was a girl. I don't care to…think on that time."

Something else shifted in Viva's thoughts. She noticed the glinting green of the guardian's eyes. Familiar.

"I feared I would frighten you more than you already were so I…altered my appearance a bit. But, if I must die, it would be most fitting to die as myself."

Viva stared at the woman. It couldn't be. It didn't make sense. But what had made sense about Jen's disappearance? Viva fought to keep her composure. "Who are you?"

The guardian furrowed her brow. "I've told you. I'm an adventurer from Baldur's Gate, just like you, infected, just like you. I'm on your side. I swear it." She paused, holding Viva's gaze. "I have been since the very beginning."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A lazy column of smoke rose from the upcoming hill. They were almost there.

Viva had spent much of the journey in the cart with her father's books and the camping supplies. For the final day of travel, she'd asked to ride with him on Sundrop, the chestnut mare they'd rented for the journey. She peeked around his shoulder and watched the stone cottage come into focus with each step. Cozy, like a storybook. As they approached, the family appeared, one by one.

All three had long, dark hair and kindly faces. All three wore symbols of Selune around their necks or stitched into their clothing. The little girl jumped and waved. She looked like a black and white bunny with her hair in twin knots atop her head.

"Welcome!" Mr. Hallowleaf called. He cast a spell and spoke to Sundrop in a language Viva didn't recognize before he began undoing her harness.

"So glad you made it safely! You must be exhausted," Mrs. Hallowleaf smiled. "Come, let's get you settled. Supper is almost ready." Her eyes locked on her daughter.

Jenevelle had sidled up to the horse, whispering about how strong and lovely she was and extending her hand toward the mare's nose.

"Ahem," Mrs. Hallowleaf coughed. Her daughter ignored her. "Ahem, Jen."

"Oh!" Jenevelle, or Jen, it seemed, glanced up to Viva and her father. "Hello." She turned back to her mother. "Why did you say I shouldn't say anything about her face? Her face is fine."

Heat crept up Viva's cheeks as she buried the left half of her face into her father's back. Now neither she nor her father could ever dismount from this horse. Was it too late for her to beg to go home?

Mrs. Hallowleaf's smile grew tight as she guided her daughter back to her side. She wore the same embarrassed expression that all grown-ups made before telling their kids not to stare. "I told you that if you want Viva to be your friend, you have to be kind and welcoming to her."

Jen turned back to Viva. "I would make friends with you even if you were ugly. But you're not. I don't know why my mum is being so weird. Do you want to see my insect collection? We can't go to the swamp until tomorrow because it's too close to dark now."

A snort of suppressed laughter sounded from in front of Viva, and she knew her chances of going home were none. "Would you really make friends with me even if I was ugly?"

"I guess. Do you like blackberry pie? Mum says it's too hot still, but if you ask, she'll probably let us have some now."

Her father shifted, trying to dismount. "You love blackberry pie, don't you?"

Turning her head fully, Viva nodded. At least if Jen was mean to her she'd get pie out of it.

Jen's sea-green eyes widened, her mouth shaped into a soft o as she took in the deep red birthmark that consumed the left half of Viva's face. "Woah."

Viva flinched.

"That's incredible! You're like one of those moths with an eye pattern on its wings to scare off predators! I have a bunch of those in my collection. Come on!"

As soon as Viva's feet touched the ground, Jen dragged her through the yard and into the house, coming to a sudden halt just short of her bedroom door. "Wait. Do people say you're ugly?"

"Sometimes."

"They're stupid. You should punch them." She grinned. "In the face."

A matching grin stretched across Viva's own lips as she imagined her mother's horror at the advice. She leaned in close and whispered into Jen's ear. "One time I slapped one of my brothers because he was being mean about my face and I electrocuted him with magic."

Pushing Viva into her bedroom, Jen shut the door behind them. "Will you teach me how to electrocute people?"

Viva shook her head. "It was an accident. It wasn't worth it either. Everyone is afraid of me now and I can't make any friends. And even though Félix is," Viva lowered her voice to a whisper again as she repeated the word her father had used to describe her half-brother, "an asshole, it hurt him a lot and he still has scars."

"Oh. Well, if someone else is an asshole to you, you can tell me, and I'll punch them in the face for you. Mum says you're my guest, but I'd rather that you were my friend."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The woman unsheathed her short sword and cradled it in both hands, kneeling in front of Viva.

Horror coursed through her. No. She couldn't. Not if there was any chance—

"Get up. You're not dying today. At least, not by my hand." She took a steadying breath. No outbursts. No distractions. Not here. She extended a hand to help the woman rise.

The corners of the guardian's lips lifted slightly. "Thank you. It seems I was right to put my faith in you after all." She sheathed her sword and accepted Viva's hand. "I…should have known I could trust you. But there is the matter of Vlaakith still, not to mention your githyanki companion. I'll do my best to help."

The guardian began to pace. Viva searched her stride, her posture, the concentrated furrow of her brow, for any other sign of familiarity.

"What is of benefit to us, is that Vlaakith's power is a sham. The knowledge I have will bring about the demise of her empire."

"How? She's literally a goddess. I saw her." Viva searched for traces the features of her old friend in the woman that looked at her now.

"You also saw what lay behind the ruse. Her godlike power comes from the souls of those she claims to ascend. That, and the power that I have stolen from her."

"And what is that power?" Viva still hadn't the faintest idea how anyone, much less…no, still best not to think it…how anyone could get their hands on something so coveted by a goddess.

"The power to resist illithid control. It's how I've been protecting you. I suppose she hoped to extract it from my corpse. Since you spared me that fate, she will come for you. Even if you manage to escape unseen, every githyanki will now stand ready to kill you on sight."

Viva frowned. "You said you were going to help." They were friends. Right?

The loudest explosion yet shook the ground beneath them.

The guardian turned away. "The next attack is long overdue. I can't risk keeping you here. It was your own curiosity got you this far into the mire. I'm sure you'll be able to get yourself back out." She glanced back and smirked. "Always have been, haven't you?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With her next blink, Viva found herself outside the cave again. Lae'zel grasping her shoulders to prevent her fall.

"Speak! Have you killed my queen's enemy?" she demanded.

Stumbling back, Viva shook her head, trying to reorient herself. "Hta'zith!" Lae'zel cried, unsheathing her sword. Viva opened her mouth, but there wasn't time. The tadpoles squirmed, sending chills down her spine as they reached out to Lae'zel's own. The memories replayed before her eyes, shaded with all of her newfound hope and trust.