The last few days, we spent a lot of time discussing what that elf from the village might have meant with ›special staff‹. At Miara's suggestion, we went to Baldur's Gate to meet a scholar or two there who could know more about it. From there, we would be able to take a ship to Luskan.

It didn't take long to pass the gates of Baldur's Gate. It was a massive city. A metropolis where the streets were filled with activities of many cultures, and no one seemed to notice us except the city guards. Miara and I were able to move freely beneath the watchful eyes of the guards, and nobody bothered that we were Drow. I felt a bit free again for the first time in a long time.
»Why can't we just stay here?« I asked Ykril excitedly.
»Because we can't afford it. The costs here are beyond all our income.« he replied calmly.
»But we will come back, yes?« it came enthusiastically from me as I ran in front of him onto the marketplace.
»Wherever you want to go, I will follow you with most delight!« I heard him silently as I began to rummage through the first pile of delicate fabrics.

I abruptly stopped digging and remained stunned for a moment when I remembered that Ykril had not been well for some time. I wanted him to feel better again, not only at night, when I was able to cheer him up in another way.
Lately, I've been thinking a lot about why his silent and apathetic periods were getting longer and longer. Was it because of me? After all, he was torn out of his simple, well-known life as a farmer and caught up in an extraordinary journey with a lot of pain, all because of me. His whole life was turned upside down when he decided to save mine. I really loved him above all, but I also felt guilty.
Quickly I glanced around and discovered a shop with alchemical ingredients.
›That would be something for my sweetie‹ I thought to myself, ran happily towards him, grabbed him by his arm, and dragged him to the booth.
»Honey?« I began, foolishly stretching the word, »I'm sure you can make something out of this.«
We spent some hours at the booth, and it seemed to mean a lot to him that I stayed and gave him my opinion when he asked for it. Even though it wasn't visible in his facial expressions, I could hear in his voice that he seemed to be feeling better right now. Satisfied, I snuggled up to him and watched him choose his ingredients. He was even able to locate a mint concentrate that he was eager to have. I could sense that he had something in mind, but he refused to tell me why he wanted it so badly.

It had been wonderful hours that we both strolled together, hand in hand, across the city and could forget what had happened so far, at least for a few moments. We talked a lot about us, our pasts, who we were, who we are, about his illness, but most importantly, our future together. Talks that had been outstanding for a long time, and I was impressed by how many plans he already had. I rested my head against his chest to look with him over the railing to the open sea, enjoying each caress of his fingers as he slid them over my back.
»Thank you! For everything you're doing for me.« I whispered out to sea, although it was directed to Ykril, before Sanise snapped us out of our daydreaming with a shrill voice.
»Hey, lovebirds! Isn't it gorgeous here? Everybody is walking blindly through the streets and doesn't give a shit about anything or anyone unless it's for their benefit.« she continued in delight as she gently shook a money pouch that seemed to be richly filled.
We looked toward her with varied expressions. On the one hand, smiling with satisfaction because, despite the crowd, we finally had some time to ourselves, and on the other hand, because there were undoubtedly more thieves here than just Sanise, whom we didn't even think about.
»Have you already discovered your egghead?« she asked curiously and immediately brought us back to the bitter reality again.

Despite the size of Baldur's Gate, it didn't take long to stumble upon a small, inconspicuous vaulted shop next to a general store that seemed to be a library due to the number of books in the window. Where would a savant be if not with books?
As expected, we found a fragile old man, but it was enough for him to take a quick peek at my staff so that he could selectively pull out a book from the shelf. He flipped through it a bit and stopped at a page with a trivial drawing showing my staff. I could only read the title before the old man began to speak.
»How have you obtained ownership of this staff?« he inquired in a slightly shaky voice.
»It is my mother's staff and has been passed on for generations in our family. Why do you ask?« I promptly questioned back.
Ykril took me in his arms from behind and looked over my shoulder with interest. The old man cleared his throat briefly and began quietly.
»Well. The staff is also known as Storm's Bane. A Drow mage used it at the battle against Strohm III of Tethyr in the East Marching Mountains in 742 DR. The firestorm it unleashed killed more than ten thousand soldiers. While not enough to turn the battle in the Drow's favor, it was still a significant drawback. Assassins were only able to overwhelm the Drow with extreme luck but had to leave the staff behind because they were unable to touch the staff.«
He paused briefly and took a sip of wine.
»The staff was considered missing for a very long time. I need to analyze and catalog it and keep it here in Baldur's Gate.«
»No.« I immediately objected »It is my staff and the last remaining from my mother. Only my descendants will be allowed to carry the staff!«
Even if he was an old man, he seemed more agile than expected and already had a hand on the staff before I could even reach mine out. But the staff had its own mind, as usual, and gave him an electric shock.
»You're a storm mage?« he asked in surprise as he flinched.
I nodded curtly, watching his response some more and trying to ignore Sanise's chuckle but unable to suppress a grin.
»I've only heard rumors about the bond with the mage.« he muttered to himself, took an inkwell and a quill from beneath the table, and began modifying the entry in the book.
»This is amazing!« he continued whispering enthusiastically.
After a few more minutes of the old man's mumbling, our patience ran out. We packed up and left the building. It was already dusk, and my idea to finally visit a tavern with a bathroom received great approval.

We found a tavern within Stonyeyes in the outer city district that was cheap enough but not too shabby to have to share a bathroom with strangers.
Ykril seemed to have something prepared because after he had disappeared for more than an hour, he came into our room smirking, blindfolded me, and led me into another room. Judging by the humidity, it must have been the bathroom, but there was a pleasant scent of mint in the air. When he untied the blindfold, I saw what he had been doing for the last hour. He had filled the room with candles, just enough to light the room romantically with the flickering of the candlelight. The oval, wooden tub, large enough for both of us, was filled with a steaming liquid that looked like water at first glance but had a whitish haze to it, like milk mixed with water. The minty scent seemed to come from there as well, and I suddenly realized why he was so intent on obtaining the concentrate. I wonder if his mixture colorized the water.
»You worry too much.« he whispered into my ear as he began to undress me, and with each part of skin he revealed, he gave me a sweet kiss on that spot.
I did not speak a word but only gasped delightfully while he removed every piece of my clothing sensitively and rested his warm lips all over my skin. He led me, as if I were his queen, to the tub, into which I plunged, exhausted. As I leaned my head on the edge of the tub, he was already kneeling beside it and began to wash me with a soft sponge.
»What are you doing? You're my lover and not a slave or servant!« I complained but simultaneously enjoyed his agility with his fingers. He knew all too well how to use his hands and where to touch me, even with this sponge.
»But I want to! You are beauty beyond measure, and I feast on being permitted to discover every inch of your divine body.« he smiled, and suddenly it was no longer just the steaming bath that made the sweat run down my forehead.
»But you can't see what you lust for in this water.« I snickered and arose in front of him. As expected, he scrutinized my entire body with a lingering, desirous gaze, stroking my thighs affectionately, and began to kiss my belly lovingly. Quite unexpectedly, he grabbed my waist and put his head on my stomach as if he wanted to check it out.
»I love you!« he spoke in a quiet but determined voice.
A little surprised by his behavior, I needed a couple of seconds before I knelt down in the tub so that our faces were on the same level. I expected something completely different, but I wasn't disappointed at all. On the contrary, it made my heart race knowing that he seemed more interested in me than just my flesh.
»I love you too!« I whispered to him with a smile and kissed him.