Blood of Lathander

15: Annihilation

Astarion's POV:

Dezi's words would prove right as we stepped out of the astral plane only to be faced with the Inquisitors troop armed to the teeth. Our Aasimar didn't hold back as she flew from enemy to enemy and turned them to ash, her wrath an unstoppable, radiant flame. To say they were surprised by having a winged being set them ablaze was an understatement. Naturally we helped with what we could and together we bested the Inquisitor and his people.

"Part of me is a little disappointed that you didn't let them know why you were so angry", I sighed as I cleaned a wound on my arm, "Why not let them know that they are dying to quench your thirst for revenge?", I asked.

Dezi flew towards me from where she had helped to finish off one of the last enemies, taking a look at my wounds as she knelt down next to me, her wings perfectly folded on her back with the ends touching the ground in a gentle waterfall of feathers.

"As if they'd care why I'm killing them. The rest of the creche won't even get a warning before they are exploded. They'll just feel the heat and then... nothing", she said. Healing magic radiated off of her again, helping me heal my wounds more quickly and we stood up.

"So what next?", I asked her.

"Next I go and fetch the relic and then you leave this place", she answered. The cold in her voice made me shiver for a second. Her anger had returned and turned from a seething flame to an ice cold blade, ready to make a precise cut and annihilate the entire Creche, children and adults alike.

Normally Lae would've said something at the prospect of killing everyone in here, especially since they were her people but she was far too busy with her mind being occupied by the fact that she had been declared a traitor to her people.

Karlach however did speak up. "But Dezi, we saw kids in here, I mean yeah they're really mean kids but still... children. Innocent", she tried but Dezi just stared her down until she frowned.

"Leave if you don't like it", she said and moved into one of the side-chambers of the room we were in, moving around two statues of Lathander until a secret door opened and she entered without waiting for any of us.

Karlach and I looked at each other, we might not always see eye to eye on matters of how to proceed but we both were worried about Dezi in our own ways. There was the worry about what killing all those Gith would do to her soul but also about her lust for revenge consuming her to the point of splitting up our group. What hope did we have to finding a cure if each of us went their own way? We followed her slowly down the corridor, however I did stop her when she was about to step in range of a trap.

"It won't trigger. Not with me here", she said and walked ahead again. The rest of us followed her closely as to not be blasted off the side of the corridor at the end of which was a contraption that held a mace so radiant that it nearly blinded me. The light it emitted reminded me of that morning where I had let the sunlight warm my face after the cold and endless night of my existence. The morning where I had woken up at the beach after falling from the nautiloid.

Dezi approached the relic in silence, placing the key - which was a crest in reality - in its spot and gently taking the mace into her hands, she gave a deep sigh. "It is secured", she whispered and turned around to us, her wings aglow with the sheer power of her emotions. "Leave this place now. I am going to activate the lance."

By that point Lae'zel had also snapped out of her brooding and shook her head. "You cannot kill an entire creche! I will not allow it!"

"Fine. Stay then and be wiped off the face of this earth", Dezi growled and flew up to a platform above our heads.

"Dezarae!", I yelled after her, "What about you?!"

"GO!", she screamed at us and pointed her arm towards a hidden door that lead outside, "Run before you are caught up in the blast!"

It was clear to us that there was no stopping her, Karlach and Lae'zel ran ahead while I gave Dezi one last glance and then followed suit. Behind me I could hear the distinct sound of a weapon powering up.