When I arrived in ›Cesterfield‹, I booked a room at ›The Guardsman‹ and threw the bag I had wrapped this disgusting Minion in into a corner. The last days he hardly said a word. All attempts to get the location of Tarlyn out of him failed. This little beast is more challenging than it looks. The only thing I got out of him so far was immoral offers that were more than freezing cold.

(c) Art by Waltjan

I left him in the corner, went to the tavern, ordered a hot mint tea, and sat down at a free table in front of the fireplace. I was not given 5 minutes rest when 2 men joined me at the table. One man, about 1.80m tall, short, black hair and a slightly taller Tiefling, whose horns turned sweepingly around his ears with his dark blue hair and stood out from his purple-grey skin with a deep brown. Both seemed to be very proud of their well-toned bodies as they presented them. »What's a pretty one like you doing here all alone?« the Tiefling started with a deep voice, after which he only got a slight grumble from me. I tried to ignore them and concentrated on my tea.
»Hey sweetie, my buddy is talking to you!« the human hissed
»Go away, I'm not in the mood« I reminded both
»Oh, come on. I could make your night unforgettable« the Tiefling smiled
»Make it memorable for yourself« I replied, staring further into my tea when the human suddenly grabbed my arm
»What are you bitching about? You won't get anything better than us here« the human demanded, and I looked at him with a nasty sparkle, ignoring his flag of alcohol.

I felt the energy flowing through me again like it felt with that Tiefling in his cave. Also, my vision faded again, and her auras became visible to me. But their auras were different. The human being glowed slightly blue, but the Tiefling shone in a dangerous red. »Let off, and you might survive the night« I poisoned him, but he seemed to stare further at me and even strengthen his grip. Neither the sparks that jumped from my arm into his nor my gaze seemed to impress him, and just as I was about to storm over the table in anger, he received a blow from the side on his skull. »No means no, fools« a female voice shouted while the human fell to the ground and the Tiefling jumped up to a fighting position. The blow must have been right because the human keep lying on the floor, and I only saw the woman rushing towards the Tiefling. I could only stand there and watch them both being thrown out of the tavern.

When I calmed down and sat on a chair again, I could clearly see my surroundings again and saw a muscular Drow with a belly top and matching skirt that put them both outside. However, on closer inspection, it was clear that this was not a typical Drow.

»Miara?« it came astonished from me, whereupon it came with a pleased grin »Nali darling« before I felt her fist in my stomach
»It's nice to see you again, too« I just got out of me, gasping for breath, before she finally hugged me
»What are you doing here?« she asked, while she gave one of the servants a sign with one hand
»I ... I'm looking for someone« it came out of me only slowly, marveling at what had become of her. How hard must she have trained for such a muscular body? A little disappointed, I looked down at myself and was interrupted by a waitress who gave Miara a beer and tea for me. »Thanks Miara. These two have been making trouble here all the time, and so far nobody has dared to face them« she addressed to Miara.

(c) Art by Amionna

We talked the whole night. She told me that after she left the Underdark, she visited a swordmaster and started her training with sword and shield. She also told me that all the scars came from her training because her master was not very squeamish with her, which she enjoyed very much and was the reason for her deeper relationship with him.
This is no longer the Miara I knew. She used to be so gentle, and she would never have taken part in a brawl. Especially not starting it.

When I told her about Tarlyn and Ebrus, she switched between »Show me these idiots, I'll kill them« and »Oh, tell me more about the Aasimar« in seconds. When her aggression got the upper hand, I showed her Ebrus Minion. She roared at the cattle with a pitch of voice that would make any male Tiefling green with envy. Every time he wanted to say salacious jokes, stupid comments, or just nothing, Miara threw him in the sack against the next wall until the bag was soaked with his blood. Eventually, he started talking and told us where we could find Tarlyn.

»I have to deal with Tarlyn alone« I asked Miara, and she didn't argue for long but just nodded briefly.
»If you don't need him anymore, I'm sure I'll find a good cause for him« she asked me with a broad grin, holding up the blood-soaked sack
»Whatever. I can't listen to his immoral offers anymore« I waved off
»I'll make him stop that!«

Back at the tavern, I started thinking about what the Minion said. So ›Ramshorn‹ - Miara told me that it was a huge metropolis, and rumor has it that a human woman with pitch-black hair and several Drow Praetorian Guards are walking around there. If this is the ghoul, I've met before? Miara recommended that I only act there in secret and gave me some tips on better controlling my aggression.

»Oh, I have something for you. Wait here!« she suddenly called and ran out. A few minutes later, she came back with a big grin. »I think you want this one back, don't you?« and held my old spiderling stuffed toy Shrokka up to my nose. I could hardly hold back my tears and took him shakily.

»Where did you found him?« I asked, touched
»I was at home again. I thought I was ready. But I wasn't. I found him not far from our parents' graves.«

I hugged Miara crying, and the only thing I could get out of me was a silent »thank you«