Of Fates Bound and Unraveled

Well, I almost cannot believe that I am writing this after everything that has happened… I must admit that I’m a little drunk. Not so drunk I can’t write, but definitely a bit inebriated. We did it! We defeated the Devil once and for all. It came at a terrible price, so terrible a price. But it is done. At last. The impossible has been accomplished. And, if we can defeat Strahd von Zarovich, then what else can possibly be worse? I know, even as I write these words, it is probably a bad idea, I likely just placed a curse or something upon myself, but I have been drinking… what can I say?
 
There aren’t many of us left… in fact, our little retinue is down to myself, Trevor (thank the gods he actually showed up!), Ezmerelda and Eerika. It pains me to think that we will never see the others again… but, before I fall asleep, I need to write this down. I do not want my friends to be forgotten… and I want nothing more than to drink wine until I pass out and forget everything for a little while as we ride out to wherever Ezmerelda is taking us…
 
I know I ended my last entry on a rather abrupt note, but it is a good thing that I ended it when I did. For, not five minutes later, we came to where Strahd was waiting for us. The devil sat on the steps leading up to his balcony. Tears of blood were running down his face, and he clutched something in one hand (I assume it was one of his mother’s belongings), and his other hand was clenched so tightly, it was dripping with blood. I’ve never seen, nor even heard of, the devil being so distraught and out of control…
 
He was flanked by his flaming demon horse (the one that Trevor tried to trap in the catacombs a couple days ago), and Ismark Kolyanovich. I still can’t believe Ismark’s betrayal… how could he have allowed himself to be turned into a vampire after what Strahd had done to his sister? Unless, perhaps he didn’t have a choice…
 
Strahd looked at all of us as we approached. I sorely missed Trevor at that moment. I know I was angry with him, but I would have given almost anything to have seen him come running up to join us. His whips were a heavy weight on my hips, and my heart felt just as heavy. I tried to be nonchalant as I set his bundle of clothes and gear down by the doorway, hoping against hope that he might appear and need them…
 
It was then that Strahd began to speak… his voice was filled with barely concealed rage, as though he was the air right before a storm. Lightning split the sky, and his voice blended with the rolling thunder, as rain continued to pour down, darkening the night even further.
 
I will do my best to recall exactly what was said, although I cannot promise that I will get every word… for the thunder was loud, he spoke quietly, and frankly, I was fucking terrified.
 
"You. I should have known that this would be the location, despite all my efforts. It appears that you were guided here by fate.
For time eternal, I believed myself to be the master of everything in my life. Before and after my ascension into the night. Outsiders have come and died and my beloved has come again, and died for the last time. None of that matters now.
 
Satisfaction was supposed to be mine, for I control everything in this valley. But you!”
 
He stood up, shaking with rage, and I fought the urge to shrink back.
 
“You wrenched my beloved from me and showed me something that the dark powers had been whispering for so long and I could not hear it. My efforts were misdirected.
I am meant to conquer. I am meant to rule. Joy is gone from my life. It was never meant to be.
 
So hear me now, vampyr! Either I die here, or I pledge myself to bring about a curse of neverending night and terror.”
He pointed at us. “Starting with these pathetic souls, I will sacrifice every living creature in this valley, so that I may be granted freedom to conquer the land that they once came from.
 
So come, my dears. Let us dance for the last time and see what fate brings…”
 
He held out his hand and his black sword materialized as he angrily advanced on us. His gaze slashed over to me, and he shot a spell that barely missed my head and completely disintegrated the rock behind me.
 
“Just so you know what you’re dealing with.” He snarled, and the fight began in earnest. I channeled my fear into anger instead of panic, and lifted my middle finger at him – a gesture that I picked up from Trevor… it is apparently like telling someone to fuck off in Faerun.
 
It was all a blur for the most part. I was trying desperately to stay away from Strahd, and keep everyone else alive. He raised his fist in the air, and a massive swarm of bats slammed down from the roof and slammed into us. That hurt, and then the whole place was full of fucking bats flying around. Did I mention that I don’t like bats?
 
Strahd’s demon horse grabbed Elaine’s hair at one point, and she threw up a dome of force to separate them and to try to contain the horse.
 
I pulled out the Holy Symbol of the Ravenkind, and blasted the area with sunlight. It paralyzed the vampire that had been fighting Oren and Ezmerelda. Everything was going to shit. We were all separated and there was still no sign of Trevor. I forced myself not to think about him, although it was very hard to accept that he would just leave us hanging like this… leave me to face Strahd without him…
 
Strahd charmed Oren again… I pulled out the piece of Mordenkainen’s staff that I had taken from Trevor’s belongings and managed to block him in with a wall of force, much like Elaine had done to Strahd’s horse.
 
A few minutes of desperation later, I heard the scraping of claws on stone. Rocks broke and a huge hybrid werewolf tore through the rocks. For a split second, I panicked, but then I recognized something familiar about the way he stood, the way he moved, and the massive scar running down his face. Trevor had come back! He was a monstrous werewolf who might try to eat me later, but at least he was here. He immediately leapt at Strahd.
 
Strahd raised his hand and hellfire began gathering in his hand. Everything turned into an inferno, and as the heat seared over me, I braced myself for the pain… but it never came. I heard Oswald roar in pain.
 
As the blinding light of the hellball cleared, I could see Oswald down on one knee. Everyone was severely burned, Elaine was laying on the ground, severely injured but still alive. Trevor was hurt, but that is not where my eyes were drawn. Bile rose in my throat as I looked over at the smoking emptiness of Rahadin’s armor. Kasimir was gone. Incinerated. I just shook my head, trying to disbelieve it, but I couldn’t. He was dead.
 
Oren charged toward us. For a split second, I feared that he was going to finish off Ezmerelda or Elaine, but he didn’t. He attacked Strahd instead.
 
Trevor leapt upon the demon horse, now freed from Elaine’s prison. He grabbed it and ripped its head in two. Then, he leapt upon its body, just as a massive fireball erupted from its corpse. I don’t know what powers being a werewolf granted him, but even that didn’t knock him unconscious… it almost makes me wish I hadn’t asked him to not take a dark gift in the Amber Temple… almost, but not really.
 
Strahd put his sword away and bit my neck. It was horrible… even worse than the last time, for this time I wasn’t charmed – it hurt so bad and I felt my vision darken around the edges as I slumped down to my knees.
 
Oswald stood up again, and chanted something. I felt a bit better, so he must have done something. I could at least see clearly now. Clearly enough to see Strahd try to charm Trevor… fuck no! Fortunately, Trevor just snarled in his face and it struck me again, I fucking love that man… well… whatever he is now…
 
Strahd separated Trevor, Oren, and myself from the others by putting a wall of force across the balcony. Eerika collapsed.
 
Trevor climbed up onto the roof and leapt at Strahd. Strahd caught him in midair and walked over to the rail and tossed Trevor over the edge! I think I might have screamed, as I cast featherfall to keep him from dying on the rocks below.
 
A huge cloud of poisonous gas was summoned on the rest of the party, and they started choking. I couldn’t get to them, and I felt the drain on my body from using too much magic.
 
Strahd sent his sword flying at Oswald. I saw Oswald’s body slump. I thought he was dead but I didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t have time to worry about it though, because a split second later, Strahd appeared right in front of me. I didn’t know what else to do, so I cast dimension door and landed on Trevor’s back. I wrapped my arms around him and held on for dear life.
 
Trevor asked me what he wanted me to do. His voice was super bestial and growly, but I could understand him well enough. I looked out over the valley and could see fissures opening up across the valley. People were screaming in the distance.
 
I told him that I thought Oswald had just died. The others were all downed, possibly unconscious or dead. The Belmonts are monster hunters, right? That’s what he has been saying ever since I met him… so I told him that this needs to end here and now, and that it is time for the Belmonts to kill the monster.
 
With that, Trevor grabbed onto the wall and pulled us up. I asked him to stay with me and help pass out healing potions to the party.
 
I knew then that this wasn’t going to work… we were going to die… all of us, and then all of Barovia, and then… likely, many more people in Faerun. All because we were unable to defeat Strahd this night.
 
Suddenly, the darkness and mist parted above the tower parapet. Bright, pure sunlight shone down from the sky – it was unlike anything I’d seen in my entire life. Then, a spear came hurling down and impaled Strahd. Sergei’s spear.
 
I looked beside me, and found Trevor was back to normal – well almost… he was butt naked, and covered in blood and bruises.
 
A holy light emanated from the spear, and I could see everyone’s wounds beginning to close… well… everyone except Oswald. His body was decapitated on the ground, his head a short distance from his armored body. Oswald faded away, disappearing into the golden light. In his place, the light coalesced into Sergei, in physical form.
 
Strahd snarled and pulled the spear out of himself, but he was obviously severely injured, even looking to be near death at this point. Sergei stabbed him again, and Strahd collapsed onto him, his head on Sergei’s shoulder. They sunk to the ground, and I could hear Sergei whisper something to him. He told Strahd that his time had come, but he couldn’t be the one to end his life… that right belonged to the people of Barovia.
 
Sergei motioned for Ezmerelda and I to come over to him. He placed both of our hands on the shaft of his spear, and said quietly, “Finish it.”
I looked to Sergei and said “I’m sorry.” Then, I drove the spear fully into Strahd’s heart.
 
Ezmerelda poured a vial of holy water into Strahd’s mouth and then decapitated him with Van Richten’s axe.
 
Strahd’s body faded away into nothingness, and his red armor lay there, empty. As empty as Rahadin’s armor had been without Kasimir.
 
Sergei looked at all of us and said “thank you.” Then, he disappeared into the golden light.
 
A moment later, a silhouette of an orc appeared in the same golden light. It looked around, and Oswald’s voice emanated from it. “I’m glad I knew all of you. I think that it’s finally time that I’ll get a bit of good rest. You all did good. For the most part, I’m proud of this place, as shitty as it is. But you made the most of it.” Oswald’s form looked over to me and Trevor. “Trevor, Marushka… for Ilmater’s sake, just be fuckin’ happy.” He turned to Elaine. “Elaine? We’re both beholden to gods, maybe one day we’ll see each other again, just not as we are.” Finally, his gaze sought out Oren. “So are we friends?” Oren nodded, and Oswald continued speaking. “I must be going now. If mouse is still here, because I don’t know how the fuck she survived this whole time, take care of her. And if not, bury her somewhere pretty. Alright. Bye.”
 
And with that, he faded away. We found ourselves standing in the empty ruins. The mists began to part and recede.
 
Elaine walked toward the edge of the balcony. A great shroud of blackness enveloped her, and coalesced into the form of what I can only assume is the Ravenqueen that she worships. They spoke low, too low for me to hear, and then the Ravenqueen and Elaine both disappeared into feathers.
 
At some point during that, Oren slipped away. I assume that he must have gone back into the castle, probably to seek out the riches in the accountant’s chamber, but I don’t know. I haven’t found out.
 
The castle was beginning to crumble.
 
Ezmerelda said that the valley was going to be transported back to where Trevor and Eerika are from. From our vantage point on the balcony, we could see the caravans of the Vistani all leaving. They were leaving through the mist.
 
We picked up Kasimir’s effects.
 
Trevor put his arm around me and pointed… through the mist, I could see the faint outline of a boat. “There’s where we fucking came in from.”
 
We clasped hands and leapt off the balcony, floating gently down to the ground. Ezmerelda loaded up her wagon, and we all set out. We arrived in Tser Pools, to find that we arrived in time for Madam Eva’s funeral. I just sat down and wept. Ezmerelda said that we needed to hurry, and we travelled through the mist.
 
As we drove, I turned to Trevor, and slapped him in the face.
He admitted that he deserved that. I demanded to know what happened. Ezmerelda and Eerika joined in and berated him for being foolish and stupidly thinking that he could control it on his own. I told him what it was like for me to wake up and find him gone, and Ezmerelda asked him if this was normal behavior for husbands in Faerun, because it would never have happened (or been acceptable) among the Vistani.
 
Trevor finally said that he woke up next to a rock, covered in blood and everything. That’s all he would say, but I knew that he was hiding something from me.
 
A couple hours later, the mists parted and we found ourselves in the middle of the docks of a massive city. There were more people in this one place than I had ever seen in my entire life! This was far bigger and more crowded that Vallaki, even at the height of a festival.
 
Trevor said that we were in a place called Waterdeep. Apparently, we arrived in the same docks that they had caught the ship that brought them to Barovia.
 
Ezmerelda was on edge, I think there were too many people for her. Me, on the other hand? I was so excited! With this amount of people in one place, imagine the stories that must circulate in the taverns! Imagine the opportunities for music and dancing that are beyond what a girl can find in random taverns and camps across Barovia.
 
Trevor brought us to a tavern called the Yawning Portal, and between him and Eerika, they filled our table with food and drinks, the likes of which neither Ezmerelda nor I had ever tasted. Thus, I am a bit drunk.
 
Before I retire for the night though, I would like to say that Trevor did tell me what happened, finally… Apparently, he woke up covered in blood, and chained to a rock. Szoldazar Szoldarovich was there, and they had a brief conversation… apparently the hunter had chained Trevor to the rock to prevent him from going on a complete rampage. That was very nice of him. I find that I wish I would have had an opportunity to thank him. For, without his help, I might never have lived to see Trevor again… he likely wouldn’t have made it to Castle Ravenloft in time, and he wouldn’t have been there when we faced Strahd… And for that, I will be forever thankful. Szoldazar sent Trevor back to me.
 
I wish I could have thanked him. It would have probably pissed Trevor off, I know, but he needs to get over himself. I slept with (well… who said anything about sleeping???) Szoldazar the one night in the Blue Water Inn, it’s not like we had a relationship or anything. I guess the hunter knows how to push Trevor’s buttons, because when I asked Trevor (in a zone of truth), what was said, he said that Szoldazar told him to “give your wife a kiss for me.” I don’t know how he knows that we are married, unless he was following us as we entered Ravenloft – which begs the question as to why. But, I think Trevor will eventually get over it… and if he doesn’t, well… then he should learn how to be nicer to other hunters as we travel this land…
 
Oh, the stories that I will write… I know, I will write a book… The Tales of Marushka Dragomir. And the first of those, will be the true story of Sir Oswald, half orc knight and the greatest, truest paladin who ever lived… I shall also write the saga of the dwarves in Barovia and how they built a boat that sailed on the land. The tragedy of the Chandler siblings… and the love story of Sergei von Zarovich and Tatyana, how their true love transcended death itself.
 
And a ballad… a beautiful, tearful ballad of Kasimir Velikov and the fate of the dusk elves…
 
These, and more, are the songs and tales that I shall write… but for now, I will sleep and for the first time in my life, may my dreams not haunt me…