Prototype's Gate

"Did they leave already?" Shadowheart asked, glancing around the beach.

When they looked around, they realized the answer was no; judging by the crates and chests scattered about, someone had been here recently. Gale approached a tieflings that was tying some creates tougheter and inquired, "What happened?"

"I was preparing those crates to load them inside the ship when suddenly it sank," the tiefling replied.

"Did you spot Zeus around?" Gale asked.

The tiefling shook his head. "No."

"Thanks," Gale said, turning back to the group.

"I need to speak with Dammon to see if he can fix my engine," Karlach announced.

"Did you find some infernal iron?" Alex asked.

"Yes, but unfortunately just a piece. I hope it's enough," Karlach replied.

"Can I come with you?" Alex asked.

"Of course," Karlach said with a nod.

"Do you guys still want to go to the Underdark?" Alex asked everyone.

"The day is still young. I say we should check it out if it's not too much of a detour," Gale suggested.

Everyone seemed to agree, except for Lae'zel.

"Fools. The creche could cure us all. All we do is waste time," Lae'zel said, clearly displeased.

"It's worth checking. Last time, Omeluum told me they were planning to leave at some point. Better check it out before it's too late," Alex argued.

Lae'zel just turned her gaze away with a disdainful "Tsk."

---

Alex followed Karlach at the grove to a tiefling blacksmith.

"Hey, Dammon," Karlach greeted.

"Hey, Karlach." Dammon turned to Alex and extended his hand. Alex grabbed it firmly.

"My name is Alex."

"Dammon. Do you need something from me?" Dammon asked.

"Yes, we found a piece of infernal iron," Karlach said, showing him the chunk of dark metal. Alex noticed it was radiating some kind of energy.

Dammon slowly reached for the infernal iron and took it. "Mm. The weight of it. And the blaze of chaos. I can't imagine this is where my heart should be. Must be quite the experience." Dammon then turned around and began hammering at it.

Alex remembered how Karlach fought against the Absolute's army, her flames burning so bright and hot, almost like his own.

"Give me a moment... and I think," Dammon said, hitting the metal one more time and showing them what he had made. It was a metal cage that looked like a ribcage.

"There, you have to install it. I don't think there are gloves thick enough in all realms for that kind of heat."

Karlach pressed something on her chest, followed by a click and a hiss. Her chest opened up, revealing the infernal engine. It looked like a combination between a heart, a mechanical clock, and an engine. The infernal engine was so hot that it glowed with a fiery red light. Karlach placed the cage over the engine, and it clicked into place. She closed her chest and took a few deep breaths.

"This feels... good. I'm still burning up like Hell's hole, but I feel less... changeable. Cheers, mate."

"Please. As for the heat, I don't have a solution for now, but I'm not giving up. Maybe if the combustion chamber had its own insulation or if we had some kind of enchanted coolant... When we reach Baldur's Gate, come to me again. I should have a solution by then."

"What would happen if Karlach replaced the engine with a normal heart?" Alex asked.

Dammon thought for a moment before responding, "It is not possible. Even a tiefling heart would burn to ash from the heat. And even if you found a way to replace her heart and succeeded, who knows how her body would react after beeing so hot for so long."

"I don't want to change my heart... yet," Karlach responded. "We need every advantage we can get against the Absolute's army, and Dammon said that he would come up with a solution. I can wait a bit."

Alex nodded.

"Then let's go meet the others," Karlach said.

---

Back at the church, Alex spotted Alfira playing with a white dog, a small smile on her face.

"Good, we are ready to move then," Karlach said.

Alex walked past them to Alfira. "Hi Alfira, how do you feel?"

"Better. My mind is still a little fuzzy, but I will be alright." The dog came to Alex and barked to get his attention.

"He is Scratch. He came here shortly after you left," Alfira informed him. Scratch was a medium-sized dog with beautiful white fur.

Alex put his hand forward and let the dog sniff it. The dog slowly put his head under Alex's hand. Alex scratched him behind the ears and on the back.

"He seems to like you," Alfira said.

Alex nodded with a small smile. "See you tonight then," he said as he walked back to the group who was ready to depart.

"Alfira, huh?" Karlach said.

Alex just shook his head.

Opening the door, they spotted a female tiefling with blue skin who seemed to have just arrived, catching her breath.

"Is Alfira with you?" she asked.

"Yes, she is inside. Who are you?" Karlach asked.

"My name is Lakrissa, and I'm her partner. Is she alright? I just arrived from patrol, and when I saw she wasn't back, I started to ask around. Someone told me she came here. Is she alright?"

Wyll and Gale grimaced.

"Is she alright?!" Lakrissa asked again, picking up on Gale and Wyll's expressions.

Alex opened the door and let her in, everyone following behind.

"Alfira!" Lakrissa shouted and ran to her as soon as she spotted her.

"Lakrissa!" Alfira exclaimed as they embraced each other.

"What happened to you? You seem a little bit paler," Lakrissa commented, throwing a stare at Alex's group.

Alfira seemed to blank for a moment before fainting. Lakrissa grabbed her before she could hit the floor.

"What did you do to her!?" she asked, unsheathing her dagger.

"Someone tried to kill her," Alex commented, breaking the ice.

"What!?"

"Someone in our camp tried to kill her, but after failing, he ran away."

Lakrissa looked at Alfira, who was breathing slowly in her arms. "I imagine the experience was quite traumatizing. She must have passed out from the shock of remembering," Alex said.

Lakrissa sheathed her dagger and walked away with Alfira in her arms, not before throwing a mean stare at everyone.

"That was awkward," Astarion commented.

---

When they reached the village, Alex got a message from Bullet.

(There is no one around, just a spectator sitting in a cave.)

(Are there signs of battle?)

(The dirt is soaked in blood,) Bullet responded.

(Good boy,) Alex praised Bullet, his happiness transmitted through their mental link.

Alex stopped everyone.

"What happened, soldier?" Karlach asked.

Alex explained how he found a Zhentarim hideout and the mission their boss gave them.

"I detest the idea of working for a group of thieves, but maybe we can get some equipment from them," Wyll said.

Alex looked at the group. The ones wearing armor were fine, but the ones in soft clothes looked like beggars. Even Gale's robes had a few holes in them.

"Then follow me. I know where the cargo is."

As they jumped over the bridge, a man appeared in a cloud of red smoke.

The man appeared to be middle-aged, exuding a dignified and composed demeanor. He had a medium to dark complexion and short, neatly combed black hair. His attire suggested a position of importance or nobility; he wore a high-collared, dark blue or black doublet with intricate gold embroidery and buttoning. The doublet was also adorned with a ruffled white collar, enhancing his elegant and refined appearance. His expression was calm and attentive, with a slight smile that conveyed confidence and approachability. The setting seemed to be an ornate, well-lit room, likely in a palace or grand hall, hinting at his high social standing or involvement in significant affairs.

Alex, using his true sight, revealed the illusion. The man was a devil. His skin was red, with two pairs of red-brown horns jutting upward like a crown, and he had a pair of bat-like wings on his back.

"My, my, what manner of place is this? A path to redemption or a road to damnation? Hard to say, for your journey is just the beginning. What would suit the occasion? The words to a lullaby, perhaps? The mouse smiled brightly: it outfoxed the cat! Then down came the claw, and that, love, was that." His little poem was followed by a small laugh. "They do know how to write them in Cormyr, don’t they? Well met. I am Raphael. Very much at your service," the devil said with a small bow.

Alex was the one to step forward. "My name is Alex."

"Pleasure to meet you. I have a proposition for all of you," Raphael said with a smile. "Of course, what I have to say merits some privacy—as well as some more... let’s call it refinement. This quaint little scene is decidedly too middle-of-nowhere for my taste. Come." As he finished the phrase, everything became white around them, and the next moment they found themselves in another place. Some kind of mansion. Everyone looked around, disoriented. A table sat in the middle of the room, laden with piles of food.

"There. Middle-of-somewhere," Raphael said, gathering everyone's attention.

"Can you be more specific than 'somewhere'?" Alex asked.

"The House of Hope. Where the tired come to rest and the famished come to feed—lavishly. Go on. Partake. Enjoy your supper. After all... it might be your last." At Raphael's words, Alex's insides shifted, ready for battle while maintaining a calm facade. If this devil wanted a fight, a fight he would get.

"What makes you say that?" Alex asked.

"Call it a hunch," Raphael said as he was engulfed in flames. When the flames subsided a moment later, his true form was revealed.

"What’s better than a devil you don't know?" Raphael said with a chuckle. "A devil you do. Am I a friend? Potentially. An adversary? Conceivably. But a savior? That’s for certain."

"Don't listen to him!" Karlach yelled from the back, munching on some food.

Alex's eyes didn't move from the devil. "What makes you think we need saving?" Alex asked.

"Come now. Why play hard to get when you are deep over your tadpoled head? One skull, two tenants, and no solution in sight. I could fix it all just like that." He snapped his fingers.

"I don't make deals with a devil," Alex stated firmly.

Alex glanced behind him and saw Karlach, Wyll, and Gale giving him a thumbs up.

"And what is madness but a denial of reality? Still, I have a feeling you'll change your mind. Before it’s changed yours. Try to cure yourself. Shop around—beg, borrow, and steal. Exhaust every possibility until none are left. And when hope has been whittled down to the very marrow, that's when you will come knocking on my door. Hope. Hahaha! Such a tease."

"Take us back," Alex commanded.

The devil chuckled. "I will be around. Watching you squirm like a tadpole through a nice juicy brain. All those pretty little symptoms—sundering skin, dissolving guts—they haven’t manifested yet, have they? One must say you are a paragon of luck. I’ll be there when it runs out."

Everything became white again, and the group found themselves back at the bridge.

"Great, now we have a devil stalking us around," Shadowheart said.

Walking to the north east they reach the place Bullet inform him the cargo should be. A lot of crates and chest laid scatered around . But nothing usefull inside except some healing potions.

The dirt was darkened by pools of blood around them. Alex 'accidentally' stepped in one and discovered it was from a gnoll. He wiped his boot and scanned the area.

"Everyone, quiet," Alex whispered, pointing toward a cave. Inside, a massive, round figure sat with its back turned, the sounds of its gnawing echoing eerily.

"Fuuuuck," Karlach whispered back, her eyes wide with alarm.

Everyone stepped quietly back, retreating from whatever the creature was.

"What the fuck is that?" Karlach asked, her voice barely a breath.

"A spectator," Alex responded grimly.

All eyes turned to him in confusion.

"I saw its eyestalks moving around, but luckily they didn't turn towards us," Alex explained.

"Do we need to fight it?" Shadowheart asked, her voice tense.

Alex shook his head. "Not necessarily. But if we want to get the cargo, we need to."

"Well, good luck with that," Astarion said, turning to leave. Wyll quickly stopped him with a firm hand on his shoulder.

"If we plan it right, we might have a chance," Wyll said, determination in his eyes.