Prototype's Gate

Deep in the Underdark, atop a ruined tower, a portal shimmered into existence. From its depths, eight figures emerged, their expressions a mixture of determination and trepidation.

"I'm a hshar'lak now! I will be hunted until the day I die, and that abomination, Zeus, is the reason for it," Lae'zel growled, baring her teeth at Glut, her anger palpable.

Glut shrugged nonchalantly, "I still don't see the reason why he keeps you around."

"Glut'cha tsk'in'va," Lae'zel spat back, her eyes blazing with contempt. (Glut, eat shit.)

"If he hadn't intervened, Vlaakith would have killed us," Gale interjected, his voice calm yet firm as he leaned on Wyll for support.

Lae'zel turned her fierce glare on Gale, but he met her gaze unflinchingly.

"Tsk," she hissed, turning her head away in irritation.

"What do we do now?" Shadowheart asked, her eyes scanning the area. The place was a scene of devastation, with parts of broken automatons strewn across the ground.

"Zeus told me to go to the beach and wait there for Bullet," Glut replied.

"Who is Bullet?" Shadowheart inquired, her curiosity piqued.

"The land shark," Glut responded matter-of-factly.

The group followed the plan, making their way to the beach in a tense silence.

"How are you feeling?" Karlach asked Gale, walking alongside him as Wyll continued to support his weight.

"I feel like a dragon stepped on me," Gale replied with a weary smile. "Though I can't help but notice your usual joyful smile is missing."

"Well, yeah. We just left Zeus behind, alone, to fight who knows how many githyanki," Karlach said, her voice tinged with worry.

"He'll handle it. Even hundreds of goblins barely did any damage to him. Such raw power," Astarion commented, overhearing their conversation.

"He would not have sex with you, so stop dreaming," Shadowheart said, rolling her eyes at Astarion's admiration.

"I was just saying that I admire his raw strength. He's like a living force of nature, destroying everything in his way. Besides, for all we know about him, it's possible he doesn't even have a penis," Astarion paused, then turned to Glut. "Does he have one?"

Glut simply stared at Astarion with his green eyes, his expression unreadable.

"Forget about it," Astarion said, waving his hand dismissively.

"I hope the ones at the grove are safe," Wyll said, his voice filled with concern.

"The druids didn't stop the ritual of thorns. If the githyanki attack, they'll seal the grove," Gale responded, his tone grave.

"You noticed?" Wyll asked, impressed.

"Of course, any wizard worth their name would notice," Gale replied.

When they reached the beach, everyone found a spot to rest. An hour later, the ground began to shake. Looking around, they saw a massive figure approaching from the decrepit village.

Glut walked ahead, standing waiting for the figure to arrive. As it got closer, they saw it was a blue land shark with a tiefling woman riding on its back.

Everyone recognized the tiefling woman more or less. She wore simple leather armor, her face and blonde hair caked with dried blood. One of her eyes was still a little swollen, and even her pink skin looked paler than they last remembered.

The land shark stopped before Glut and slowly laid down. The tiefling woman dismounted, using the land shark's large frame for support. She gently patted the land shark’s armored plate before turning to look at everyone, her gaze lingering on Lae'zel, her whole body tensing up.

Wyll quickly approached to help her stand, but she flinched away, refusing his support.

"Thanks. Don’t worry, it's just that the wounds haven't completely closed yet," the tiefling woman said, relaxing slightly.

"Shadowheart, please come and heal her," Wyll requested.

Shadowheart rolled her eyes but walked over, beginning to heal the woman. The tiefling flinched momentarily as healing energy washed over her, mending her wounds.

"This feels much better. Thanks," the tiefling woman said, stretching cautiously after Shadowheart finished.

"Don't overdo it. It’ll take a few days of good sleep for your wounds to completely heal," Shadowheart advised.

"If only I hadn't been captured by those flat-nosed bastards, I wouldn't be in this condition. I almost died, for the Nine Hells," the tiefling woman said, throwing a glare at Lae'zel.

Already irate from recent events, Lae'zel reached for her sword.

"Draw your sword, and you will become minced meat," Glut warned, his eyes locked on Lae'zel.

Lae'zel knew how deadly the short armored abomination was, so she reluctantly took her hand off the sword handle. Keeping her pride intact wasn’t worth dying for.

"What a shame. I was really hoping for a fight," Astarion said, a small smile playing on his lips.

"What's your name?" Karlach asked the tiefling woman.

"My name is Ellyka."

Karlach offered a charming smile. "Nice to meet you, Ellyka. I'm Karlach. I know you must not be in the best condition, but neither are we. We almost got killed by the githyanki queen. So please, keep the bickering for later."

Ellyka opened her mouth to retort but found no words. "Fine," she said, finally.

With Wyll's help, Ellyka sat down on a rock next to Gale.

"What happened to you?" Ellyka asked, seeing Gale's condition.

"I overstepped my boundaries by casting a spell," Gale replied.

"You look like you’re about to pass out."

"But I haven’t. Yet," Gale said, managing a small smile.

Ellyka chuckled softly. "What's your name?" she asked.

"Gale of Waterdeep. Nice to meet you," he responded.

"Aww, look how cute they are together," Astarion teased from the side.

"What do we do now?" Shadowheart asked, breaking the moment.

"We walk aboard that skiff and sail down the river to a forge," Glut said, pointing to the skiff.

"A forge? Why there?" Shadowheart continued.

Glut rolled his eyes, clearly getting tired of the endless questions. "There's a lift there that will take us to the shadow-cursed lands."

"I guess that’s the only place the githyanki will have a hard time getting to us," Astarion remarked.

"Who is that little guy?" Ellyka asked Gale, nodding toward Glut.

"That's Glut. He’s not the most friendly person, but if you don’t bother him, he's fine."

"Why did that flat-nose seem scared of him? She looks stronger than him," Ellyka wondered aloud.

Gale's eyes moved to Glut, who was patting Bullet, the land shark happily thumping its tail on the ground.

"Sometimes appearances can be deceiving," Gale responded.

Wyll came over to help them board the skiff. After Glut sent Bullet away, everyone settled on the vessel and sailed down the river. The ride was surprisingly smooth.

"Wyll, how are you feeling?" Karlach asked.

Wyll sighed. "I feel... so powerless. If only I were stronger..."

"Be quiet. What if Mizora hears you? She'll come with a new contract," Karlach joked.

Wyll chuckled a little, a small smile appearing on his face. "What happens, happens. Focus on the present."

Karlach’s words didn't seem to fully lift Wyll's spirits. "Sorry if I ask, but how are you so joyful? Every time I look at you, you’re always smiling."

"You like to look at me, eh?" Karlach teased, making Wyll's cheeks redden slightly. "If I learned anything from fighting in the Blood War, it’s that tomorrow is never guaranteed. Even if it's a shitty day, keep your head up and try to smile. Besides, this place is so much better than the Hells."

"I suppose it is," Wyll admitted.

"Mother of shadows," Shadowheart whispered, looking at the enormous statues of Shar.

Glut guided the ship to one of the decks. "There’s the lift to the shadow-cursed lands," he said, pointing to a metal grated door to the left. His words seemed to fall on deaf ears as everyone stared around, paying him no attention.

"If Zeus hadn’t ordered me not to harm them, I would have used their flesh to make myconids by now," Glut thought.

"A military fortress, perhaps. What an odd sight in these dim caverns," Lae'zel mused.

"Fascinating architecture. It doesn’t match the style of any Underdark civilization that I know of," Gale said in awe.

"This place is a Sharran fortress," Shadowheart stated.

"Sharran fortress?" everyone echoed.

"Those big statues are depictions of Shar," she explained.

"How do you know of this place?" Shadowheart quickly asked Glut.

"I don’t want to. I was ordered to bring you to the shadow-cursed lands, not to be your guide," Glut replied curtly.

Shadowheart scoffed, jumped off the skiff, landing on the stone floor, and began to explore the area.

Glut put his palm over his eyes and shook his head. As everyone stepped off the skiff, Glut waved for them to follow him as he started walking deeper into the fortress.

"Where are we going? Didn’t you say the lift is there?" Wyll asked.

"Zeus ordered me to get everyone to the shadow lands, including that annoying half-elf that just left," Glut grumbled.

They found Shadowheart east of the camp, staring at a massive temple made of dark marble on the other side of a chasm. Despite the distance and the darkness, the massive structure was clearly visible. "This place is magnificent," Shadowheart said, her voice tinged with reverence as if entranced by the temple.

"Shadowheart, we need to move," Wyll urged, but she didn’t respond. He walked over and gently placed his hand on her shoulder, causing her to flinch and turn to him.

"We need to move, Shadowheart," Wyll repeated, his voice firmer this time.

She took one last, lingering look at the temple before turning to the group, her eyes still filled with a mixture of awe and sorrow.

"This place really is a Sharran fortress," Gale said, his gaze landing on a skeleton adorned in silvery armor. "But what's with all these bodies? What killed them?"

Glut shrugged nonchalantly. "Don't know, don't care."

They entered the lift, and Glut grabbed the lever on the side. The lift started to ascend, stopping after a few minutes. The grates parted, revealing a ruined chamber made of the same black stone. The beautiful black and golden design was covered by dust, debris, and cobwebs. The chamber was dark and cold, barely visible a few steps ahead. Fortunately, burning braziers with torches lay near the gate.

To the left and right were sets of stairs leading to the upper level, though the right one was destroyed by fallen debris.

"We offer our prayers to the Dark Lady, whose comfort and graces heal us all," Shadowheart murmured, reading the round golden plaque at their feet. Up ahead, they found a wooden chest with more torches in it. Another plaque above it, this time of stone, read:

"We offer ourselves to the darkness, that blessed Shar may give her mercy."

They walked up the stairs towards the exit but stopped as they spotted an old man inspecting a statue of a dark justiciar. His figured clearly visible , illuminated by the braziers burning on the walls .

He wore a flowing orange-red robe with a matching hat, the drooped steeple hanging backward. Luscious silver locks of hair poured outward from the wide brim of his hat, blending into an equally long beard, framing a round, wizened face. A brilliant blue sash, decorated with jewels and signets, was draped between his left shoulder and right hip. Completing his finery was a necklace of gold and silver plates with a single blood-red jewel, and a matching belt. In stark contrast to this opulent getup, he wielded a single plain, unenchanted quarterstaff.

The old man turned to them, a small smile on his face.

"Ho there, wanderers. Stay thy course a moment to indulge an old man."

"Elminster?" Gale asked, stepping forward, wobbling a little but trying his best to look dignified.

The old man turned to Gale and regarded him thoughtfully. "The very same, Gale. And a fair bit miffed he is, too, finding himself forced to expose his best pair of boots to so many miles of country road on your behalf," Elminster said, clearly not pleased.

"I think some proper introductions are in order," Wyll said, walking to Gale's side.

"Meet Elminster Aumar. A good friend of mine, but rather more significantly, he's the most famed and respected wizard in the realms," Gale said, his voice full of admiration.

"Am I, indeed? Most famed and respected errand boy, more like. I was bid to spare neither time nor my own self to find you. She sent me, Gale. You know of whom I speak," Elminster proclaimed with a grave tone.

"But why? Out with it, Elminster. Please!" Gale responded with urgency.

"Young man, has your sojourn away from Waterdeep washed away your decorum as well as your patience? Nigh a tenday I've gone without honest fare worthy of the name - drank naught but what the sky provided. Why, some bread, cheese, and a cup of wine would appear unto me a feast!" Elminster said, displeased by Gale's impatience. He turned his gaze to Wyll. "Surely you won't begrudge me a mite of rest and repast before I 'out with it'?"

"I suppose we could part with a few of our rations," Wyll said, reaching for the pouch by his side and handing it to the old man.

Elminster did a small bow before Wyll. "And a great kindness that would be! See, Gale? Even in these barren parts, the art of hospitality begets inspired new works if one only keeps up the practice."

Gale rolled his eyes. "Oh for the love of..."

"This way, then, hmm? To your camp? Don't dawdle now, lad. You're the one who's in such a frightful hurry."

"Nigh on thirteen centuries old and he still thinks with his stomach. We'd best follow and see if he's more disposed to speak plainly once it's stopped its grumbling," Gale said to Wyll.

"I would like to invite you to our camp, but unfortunately, we don't have one. We just arrived here with only what we have on us," Wyll admitted.

"That's most unfortunate," Elminster said, looking a bit saddened. It was unclear if it was for them or because he wouldn't get a proper meal.

"Gale, my boy. I've come to address a most pressing matter. I'll speak as plainly as I can, forswearing the accustomed frills that usually decorate my speech." Elminster looked at Gale with a sad expression. He took a deep breath. "I'm here on behalf of Mystra. The message and the charge I bring you are hers."

Everyone's eyes widened at the mention of the goddess of magic.

"Wait! So you were sent here as an actual divine messenger?" Wyll asked, his eyes darting between Gale and Elminster.

"Mystra's delicate feet are ill-suited for the hardships of the road," Gale said, his voice tinged with sarcasm.

"You know where you went wrong, Gale. We needn't dwell on that here and now. But even so, you're to be given a chance at redemption."

"Mystra would consider... forgiveness?" Gale asked, scarcely believing his ears.

"She would consider what she considers to be forgiveness. Mystra is aware of the misadventures that have befallen you both. She knows of your strife with the Absolute, that most insidious of evils."

"If the goddess herself is aware, why are we facing these threats alone?" Astarion said from the side, baring his teeth. Something in Elminster's words had ignited a deep anger in him.

Elminster remained calm despite Astarion's display. "The very purpose for my presence - in a roundabout sort of way. You must know that the Absolute is more dangerous than you can possibly conceive. It threatens all who live - even those who are undying. It threatens the gods, the Weave, the very fabric of the universe itself."

"If your goddess knows so much, what does she think about Zeus? He seems strong enough to fight against the Absolute," Astarion said smugly.

Elminster's eyes briefly glanced at Alex, whose gaze seemed vacant. "I must agree with you that Zeus is a force to be reckoned with. He has already attracted the attention of several gods, but his origins are unknown. For all we know, he could be an abomination from the far realms that managed to enter our plane and fights against the Absolute because he sees it as a rival. And if he managed to kill the Absolute, who knows what he would do next?"

Astarion's smug expression faltered after hearing Elminster's words.

Glut grunted and rolled his eyes. "This old man has no idea." He thought .

"But that is why I have come here, to charge you, Gale, with the destruction of the Absolute. It is Mystra's belief that only you can."

"Gale alone? How so? He doesn’t seem that strong. He almost passed out after casting a couple of spells," Shadowheart said from the side.

Gale looked at her for a moment before turning his attention to Elminster. "The orb," he said with a grave tone.

"Precisely. Mystra has granted me the power to stop the clock, as it were, on the orb's rush to overpower you. Instead, you will be able to unleash its lethal combustion at will."

A feminine voice spoke in the minds of those carrying a tadpole. "Interesting. This could be a help or a hindrance - we shall have to see."

"You must find the Heart of the Absolute, whatever that may be, and use yourself as the catalyst that will burn it from this world," Elminster explained.

"Say what you will, but you can't force Gale to go through with this," Karlach said from the side, her arms folded defiantly.

"No indeed. But I think she trusts me to."

"It brings me no pleasure saying this, my friend, but such is Mystra's will. Yours must be the sacrifice that will undo the Absolute. And for your sacrifice, you will be redeemed - such is Mystra's promise. With that, I've said my sorry piece, and need only bestow unto thee the charm I was bid." Elminster raised his hand, gathering arcane energy as he began to recite a spell.

"My'Nahastra Mystra'Ryl. E'Deelion Thras'Anas'Tthra."

As he did, his staff started to glow and a symbol of a star formed between Elminster and Gale. Gale's chest began to glow. After reciting the last word, the arcane energy disappeared, the symbol fading moments later.

"It is done. Both charge and charm have been committed into your care," Elminster said, turning to Wyll. "To you, I commit the care of Gale himself. I count on you to shepherd him well on this strangest of journeys."

"There's still a long journey ahead. We'll find another way," Wyll said, placing his hand on Gale's shoulder.

"On my honor, I'm not sure yet I can say the same."

"Like moons make swell and wane the nescient seas, so too the sky-strewn gods ordain the tidal fates of mortal days. And yet - a notion born in lonely hours - come ebb, come all that is beloved across our dominion: be a moon unto yourself. Even the wave's fate can break upon the shores of will. Farewell... my friend."

"Farewell, Elminster. I'm glad she chose you," Gale responded, his voice tinged with emotion.

Elminster showed him a pained smile as he took a few steps back and disappeared in a curtain of smoke, leaving behind just a pair of worn-out boots.

"You have some explaining to do, little fella," Karlach said, looking at Gale intently.

Gale took a deep breath and began to recount his past, his voice wavering as he added more details, his emotions laid bare for all to see.