As the Fire Rises

Chapter Four: Hello, Sister.

The flames turned to bone, the heat forming muscle, the redden dance of flames whipped into blood then flesh. Their screams of pain and agony echoed in the chamber, the cultists were silent a deep feeling of anticipation lingered in the air. The women's naked bodies replaced the flames. Orin was the first to react as she grabbed the dagger from Diana, Citrine looked around as she snatched the dagger from Aelius. 

"Hello, sister."  Orin's voice cracked gaining its footing on the material plane. She lunged at Citrine knocking the bowl down on its side. Citrine dodged her upper arm being the only part to meet the blade. 

Astarion had never seen Citrine like this pure rage in her now green eyes, he tried to get up to help her, and again the man held him down.  Diana and Aelius took to the sides of the circular platform. He watched as Citrine broke a femur off of the archway parts of it collapsing in on itself. She hurled it toward Orin, who easily dodged the flying bone. They circled, each jabbing and maneuvering around the other. Astarion watched as Citrine neared Diana, a flicker of trickery flashed in her eyes as she pulled her mother to the ground kicking her in the ribs. Orin took the opportunity and pounced atop Citrine. 

"Not my favorite blade but this will do nicely sister." Orin stabbed the blade into Citrine's gut, Citrine spat in Orin's face as she attempted to roll from her. Aelius ran pushing his aunt over the side of the platform her screams filled the chamber. The cultists erupted in anger, shouts of disapproval rang. Aelius looked to his father as the crowd began to make their way towards him, Astarion watched as a crack of mist surrounded his son he felt the man who had been holding him collapse, Aelius grabbed Astarion pulling him away from the crowd as they turned their focus to Citrine. 

"We have to leave now or there will be no other time." Astarion looked to his lover as she was hoisted into the air by the cultist. "Come on Papa, we must go!" 

"Your mother, your sister." 

"Lost to us Papa, I'll explain once we are out of here." The two made their way out of the temple they snuck skillfully passed all. 

Aelius in a hurry tried to drag his father out of the city, but Astarion refused to leave without an explanation of what all had happened. Aelius pulled his father into a darkened alleyway his eyes darted constantly as he spoke. "There is no hope for them, we must leave. Please, Papa." Aelius begged his father, anxiety poured out in his words. 

"What do you mean no hope, your mother is back we can help your sister." Astarion grabbed his son hugging him close. "You're alive." 

Aelius pushed his father off gently. "Diana has sworn herself fully Papa, and the woman in there as much as she may look like our mother she is not. That is the woman from before. Grandfather was very clear, 'She would be raised in her former glory.' that is not the woman you fell in love with Papa. Every moment we linger in Baldur's Gate is a moment closer to them finding us. We must leave, go somewhere they will never find us."