No Good Deed

Duo dropped the empty vial thoughtlessly to the ground, its contents already fast at work as Gramlek’s eyes fluttered to life.
 
“Where is she!?” the warforged cried out as he scanned the sanctum for Lady Chamylla. He staggered toward the inky bubble in which he assumed Sylvie still hid.
 
“Intactum Reject!” Sylvie recited in response. An arcane crack roared out from the darkness, immediately followed by a frustrated grunt and another loud cracking sound. In an instant, the black sphere vanished, revealing the straining and blood smattered combatants within. Lady Chaylla stood thrusting her rose rapier toward the half-drow, held back by a faint ripple in the air just beyond Sylvie’s outstretched arms.
 
Darnath was the first to react, his bow already half drawn with its next arrow. He hastily drew a bead on the fey and loosed the boney missile, wide of his target. It was enough to draw Chamylla’s attention, though, and she glared daggers at her assailant through the disheveled locks of her fair red matted over her brow. Rather than duck back into hiding once again, Darnath leveled his gaze back on his enemy. He steadied his stance and let the sound of his pounding heart beating in his ears set a rhythm to his movement.
 
Chamylla started another angry threat, “I will NOT tol-” but was cut short as a second arrow from Darnath’s bow found its mark and buried itself into her abdomen. The moment seemed frozen in time: Chamylla’s stance faltering as her eyes fell down in disbelief to the mortal wound. Time snapped back into meaning when the boney missile shattered into fragments, further tearing apart Chamylla’s stomach and gown.
 
The would-be fey queen collapsed, lifeless to the ground. Her fair form and bright red hair splayed across the ground, like a flower blooming at its peak, only to be plucked and trodden by uncaring soles.
 
The quiet and serenity of the sanctum became a sharp contrast to the bloody conflict that finally finished. Nearby, tongues of flame still flickered from the charred limbs of Chamylla’s treant protectors. The grandeur of the place had been broken. The previously vibrant and colorful flora surrounding the glade seemed to droop and dim.
 
Anxious, Duo and each of his companions approached the defeated usurper, unsure if their victory was complete. Duo looked down at the Chamylla’s lifeless body and felt… petty.
 
This was neither a grand quest nor triumph of a greater cause; at least, not one to which Duo was committed. Rather, he felt once again like a pawn, used and abused at the leisure and whim of a being willfully imposing their authority on a lesser creature. Would Chamylla have made similar demands if she ascended to her mother’s throne? Or would Chamylla have had respect for those beneath her station instead of treating them like tools and disposable resources? “Unlikely,” he thought. “Dusksprout made it pretty clear that Chamylla and members of her court harbored little respect for mortals.” For that, despite feeling used, Duo felt no remorse for this errand.
 
This debt he’d owed linked all the way back to Edwyrd. He was the one truly at fault in all of this. Duo kept his promises. He fulfilled his end of the bargain made with Lady Timber, unlike Edwyrd who put his own selfish wants ahead of his commitments. Duo bound himself to that debt when he and the others intervened where they weren’t involved. Hopefully, with this act of violence, that debt will finally be closed.
 
As for his side of the bargain, Duo felt a little uncertain about the deal they made. Chamylla was powerful - not just in her physical and magical talents, but in the authority she held over her followers. Lady Timber had agreed to transfer some aspect of that power to his companions, but the form or function was yet to be determined. Lady Chamylla shared the same bloodline and thus a similar connection to Edwyrd’s curse. So, it may prove to be the case that accepting this boon could further tie Duo to Lady Timber’s employ, with or without his consent. However, the opportunity is one that cannot be passed. For the first time, Duo will have access to (or at least witness the transference of) some of the innate power of a higher being. Seeing it in its raw form, observing how it can be molded… there are secrets hidden within that Duo trembled with anticipation to discover. Even understanding the transference of the power would be a crucial first step, and unlock that first step for his own ascension. Then, perhaps, he could gather more samples and condense them into something useful, something powerful. Best not to get too far ahead of himself.
 
One thing was for certain, though, as Duo looked once more at his haggard and exhausted companions and the foe they had felled: the gap in power wasn’t as vast as it once had been.