Heart to Heart

Chapter 17

"Something the matter, Y/N?" Karlach asked as we were sitting on the edge of a cliff nearby, our legs dangling off the edge.

"I've been thinking."

"That's never a good thing," she chuckled.

"What was your life before Avernus?"

She turned and found my eyes, finding my genuine curiosity lingering behind my gaze. Nodding her head, she turned her head to face forward, to look out upon the woods that were below us. Finding the village we had left behind a few days ago in an attempt to reach Baldur's Gate.

"I lived here, believe it or not. I grew up here and lived my parents. I was named after my mother, Caerlack."

"What was your father's name?"

"Pluck. We were the Cliffgates."

"You have a last name?" I chuckled.

"What? Did you think I was just running around with no last name?"

"No. I just didn't think you had one."

"No I do. My parents and I lived a good life here in Faerun. I remember playing with other tieflings and just exploring the small village we lived in. As I got older, my parents found I had an interest in fighting, as I was one of the strongest in my village aside from my dad. So they sent me to get proper training and before I knew it, I met this guy named Enver Gortash. I was tasked with protecting him, basically being his body guard. I was young then. So naive to put my trust into someone of the likes of him."

"What did he do?"

"Gave me to Zariel. Sold me like a slave. Like his parents did. He was sold because his parents were in debt and so that was how they were going to pay it off. I trusted him. I respected him and I thought no way he'd ever hurt me when I was given to Zariel. But, turns out, the people you trust the most are going to hurt you the hardest. I tried to reason as to why he had given me to Zariel. But I'll never get the reason as to why he did that. But that was basically my life here before Avernus. Nothing really too note worthy. I missed being back here. Back in my home."

I nodded my head, "D-Did you ever think about getting revenge on Gortash?"

"He definitely deserves my boot in his face, but I feel like he deserves something worse than me killing him. I'd love to, but what good would that do? The damage has already been done. If he could give me a solution to fix my engine, then by all means let's track the fucker down and get that answer from him."

"I don't think he knows how to fix your engine, but I do know where he is."

"Where?"

"Wyrm's Rock. It's a bit ways away from here. I think it's past Baldur's Gate. So it'll be like a little stop before we reached where we need to go."

Karlach sat and pondered. I could see the thinking bubbles floating around her head as I chuckled. Slowly nodding her head, she turned towards me.

"I wouldn't mind paying that bastard a visit and let him see what I've become. Might as well get some pent up rage out of me."

"Understandable."

"Just one thing, Y/N."

"Yeah?"

"I want it to be just the two of us facing Gortash. I don't want to bring the others into my petty business."

"But you'll bring me into it?" I chuckled.

"Yeah," she said. "While the others are great and all, they don't understand me like you do. You were there to witness my rage, my hatred towards Zariel before and after she put the engine in my chest. Even if I did have a grudge towards you for not stopping Zariel, I finally understand why you didn't."

"I should have stepped in and said something. Ever since then, I had nightmares of your screams of pain, your pleas and how your eyes was filled with tears. It pained me that I didn't step in to get Zariel to stop. I will forever by haunted by that memory and the guilt I still hold."

"Even after all these years, you still hold onto that guilt?"

"And regret. I regret everything about that day. So much so that is why I pushed you away when you came here. And back in Avernus. If I would have stayed and fought against those demons, I'd see it as a way to atone for not helping you. For just standing there."

"Are you still troubled by it?"

"I always will be. Because if I would have known what that engine would do to you, I'd go back and stop Zariel."

"Things happen for a reason, Y/N. I know we're going to find a solution to this."

"I hope so."

"Y/N?"

"Yeah?"

"I want you to know this," she said.

The tip of her tail came over and rested on top of mine. My tail instinctively got entangled with hers. Reaching over, the tips of her fingers brushed up against mine. While they were hot, they weren't as hot as the palms of her hands. They were tolerable.

"Even though I was pissed that you didn't step in to stop Zariel, I finally came to peace on your decisions. You were nothing to Zariel. Your opinions, your morals and values, everything that made you meant nothing to her. So even if you voiced your opinions, she wouldn't take them into consideration. That was something I had to come to terms with. Along with the engine. But, in short, I forgive you."

A small smile formed as I turned to face her, her fire eyes illuminating our dark surroundings as the sun was starting to dip behind the horizon, even if we can't see it behind the gray clouds.

"And I hope you can forgive yourself, too."

"I don't think I can."

"Then let me help," she said. "It's what friends do."

"T-Thank you, Karlach."

"There's no reason for you to hold that guilt inside your heart any longer. I will help you forgive yourself, even if it means putting everything we're doing on hold."

"I think getting your engine tuned will be the big first step to me forgiving myself and the first step in helping you."

"You helping Wyll see reason about me was the first step of helping me. Truly it was. And now trusting me is another step. You're doing more than anyone has done in a long, long time, Y/N."

"Really?"

"Really. I mean it, too."

I smiled, nodding my head.

"And I was right."

"Right about what?"

"About how you have a lovely voice."

I couldn't deny it, she was quite the charmer and I couldn't help but feel my heart leap when I am near her.