"What would you have me say? I only know that which I feel."
"And you feel like killing me."
"More than you would understand."
"Because I force you to look at yourself and you do not like what you see. Is that a reason to kill me, because I am offering to you a chance to sort through your own emotions? That is all the magic of the flute did to you, I suspect. It offered you the opportunity to look past your own emotional barriers."
"Did I ask for your help?"
"Friends help when they are not asked."
Entreri sighed and shook his head, but he could not deny any of what the drow had said. His shoulders slumped a bit, and Jarlaxle let the dagger fall to the ground behind him, certain then that he would need no weapons.
A few moments passed between them until finally Entreri looked up at the drow, his face calm, and asked, "Who are you?"
Jarlaxle laughed again, and it was a sincere expression of joy, for that was where he had hoped it would all lead.
"Why, Artemis Entreri, do you not yet know? Have you not come to understand any of it?"
"I understand less each day."
"I am your muse," Jarlaxle announced.
"What?"
"I am he who will give meaning to your life, Artemis, my friend. You do not even begin to understand the breadth of your powers. You know how well you might skulk through the shadows, you know all too well your prowess with the blade, but you have never understood what those well-deserved, well-earned powers can bring you."
"You assume that I want anything."
"Oh, you do. If you can only dare to wish for it."
"What? Athrogate's Citadel of Assassins? Shall we move to dominate them?"
"Of course, to begin."
"Begin?"
"Think large, my friend. Make your goal expansive. Athrogate will give us the insight and bona fides we need to find a strong place within the Citadel's organization—we will quickly learn whether it is worth our time to overtly dominate the place or merely to covertly exert enough control to render them harmless to us."
"Couldn't we just kill the annoying little dwarf instead?"
Jarlaxle laughed. "There has been a void of power up here for many years."
"Since the fall of Zhengyi."
"Vaasa is ours for the taking."
"Vaasa?" Entreri could hardly repeat the word, and for one of the few times in all his life, he actually stuttered. "Y-you would go against King Gareth?"
Jarlaxle shrugged. "Perhaps. But there are other ways." He ended by holding up the dragon skull gemstone. "The sisters will learn of a new balance of power between us, to begin with. And within this stone lies control of the castle and a new ally."
"An ally that will bite us in half."
Jarlaxle shook his head. "Not while I am in possession of his phylactery. He and I are already in communication, I assure you. If I choose to let him out again, he will only do so with great trust in me, for if I destroy the phylactery, I destroy the dracolich's spirit. Utterly."
"Gareth will send soldiers to the castle."
"And I will let them stay for a while."
"Vaasa?"
"At least."
"You will go against a legendary paladin king?"
"Come now, can you not admit that it might be fun?"
Entreri started to speak several times, but nothing decipherable came forth. Finally he just shook his head, sighed, and turned away, moving back down toward the flat ground.
"Trust me," said Jarlaxle.
"My muse?"
"Your friend."
EPILOGUE
"Did the fool human pass your silly little test?" Kimmuriel Oblodra asked Jarlaxle a few days later, off in the shadows beneath the Vaasan Gate.
"Do not underestimate Artemis Entreri," Jarlaxle replied, "or the value he brings to me—to us."
"And you should not overestimate the power of the skull gems you have found," Kimmuriel warned, for he had just finished inspecting the pair at Jarlaxle's request. He had spoken with the dracolich, Urshula by name, and had confirmed Jarlaxle's suspicions that the beast would not dare to go against the possessor of the phylactery.
"They are but the beginning," Jarlaxle said with a grin. "Artemis Entreri and I have an audience with the paladin king in two days, just south of here in Bloodstone Village. We will be received as heroes for our efforts in Vaasa and as solemn witnesses to the end of Gareth's heroic niece."
He couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of that last statement. If King Gareth only knew!
Kimmuriel looked at Jarlaxle, wary, recognizing that look of confidence and grandiose schemes in his eyes, for he had seen that look from his former master dozens of times over the centuries. But they were not in the Underdark, in Menzoberranzan where Bregan D'aerthe and Jarlaxle had held many secret trumps.
"Have you found another Crenshinibon?" the psionicist asked with obvious disgust and concern.
"I have found opportunity," Jarlaxle corrected.
"Bregan D'aerthe will not come forward in force against the likes of King Gareth Dragonsbane."
Jarlaxle stared at him with appreciation and said, "Glad I am that I had the wisdom to put Kimmuriel in control of my band," he said. "Of course you are correct in resisting this bold move. You are a fine leader, and I urge you to continue with all caution, but too with an open mind. There are many events yet to play out up here in this untamed land, and I am in control of most of them." He brought forth the dragon statuette. "My relationship with a pair of living dragons just changed in ways they cannot understand."
"More allies for your battle?"
"Allies? We shall see."
Despite himself, Kimmuriel could not help but offer a wry grin.
"You might find a way to fit in as events play out," Jarlaxle said to him. "I pray that Kimmuriel remains an opportunistic leader. The point of Bregan D'aerthe is more than survival, is it not? It is to grow in power."
"You nearly destroyed us in Calimport."
"Nay," Jarlaxle corrected. "It was an inconvenience to you. It was myself that I nearly destroyed."
"You and Entreri will take down a paladin king?"
"If it comes to that."
Kimmuriel didn't reply, other than to dip a respectful bow.
Muddy Boots and Bloody Blades had long since emptied out for the night, but Entreri had tossed the innkeeper enough gold to get the key for the door. He sat alone with his thoughts and a beer, considering the emotions that had accompanied him all the way to Palishchuk and back. On the table beside his flagon lay Idalia's flute, and Entreri wasn't yet certain if he hated the item or prized it.
It was all so very new to him.
He was to leave in the morning with Jarlaxle for a meeting with the king, where they would receive a commendation and an offer to join the Army of Bloodstone, so Honorable General Dannaway had informed them. As intriguing as it all was, however, Entreri's thoughts were much smaller in scope. He thought of the women who had accompanied him to the north, of how that innocent looking flute had given him a different way of viewing them.
That new viewpoint hadn't stopped him from killing Ellery, at least, and he took some comfort in that.
A soft footstep behind him told him that he was not alone, and from the sound of it, the assassin understood much. She had been watching him from across the room for most of the night, after all.
"I did not kill your friend," he said, not turning around. "Not with intent, at least."
The footsteps halted, still half a dozen strides behind him. Finally he did turn, to see that his reasoning was correct. Calihye stood there, her face very tight. Entreri was relieved to see that she did not have any weapon in her hands.