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There was a gentleness to the city at night. Though lurking beneath the lantern light was any number of shady dealings or cultish machinations, here, at least, held the rawest embodiment of life itself. Aside from those who had found a safe place to lay their heads, music and dancing had descended upon the Elfsong as soon as the sun set. There was joy. Revelry. A sort of ritual in its own right, imbibing intoxicants and performing for the mass to show your devotion to the simple act of being.
A woman laughing as she spilled out into the street, holding hands with a friend or lover, caught Veir's attention from the balcony that he'd found for himself. A smile touched his face and he was almost painfully aware of the lack within him. An emptiness that wanted to be peaceful, but the hollowness only reminded himself of the pressure that had been willingly put upon him to be better than the previous inhabitant of his body. It yearned to be filled. But no longer did he feel that urge, that horrendous compulsion that had guided his hand to countless more atrocities than he would ever remember. He was grateful, eternally, for the chance that had been given to him. Veir hardly felt as though he was worthy of it, but it wasn’t every day that one battled with the God of Murder for his own soul and won. The intrusive thoughts lingered, though with lessened intensity. He wondered if that was simply a result of being. His companions had shared with him their own internal struggles, and their empathy. They all recognized now the extent to which he’d been driven. But it did little to change their thoughts of him. He was still their leader, and he’d done an immeasurable amount of good with the little life that he’d been given.
The thoughts mattered far less than the actions, anyways.
With a deep, centering breath, Veir glanced around to assess his surroundings. At the insistence of his beloved, they were enjoying an evening of levity to celebrate his triumph before finally bunking down. It amounted to little more than sharing drinks amongst the companions in the bar proper, rather than the floor he'd rented out for them to use. Indulging in the song and merriment of the common folk. Karlach had taken to a conversation with Wyll, the details unknown to Veir but engrossing enough to give him this moment apart from his partner. With just enough stealth, he slipped back into their lodgings to retrieve something and return to the balcony. He closed the door, and the noise was muffled, save for that which leaked out of the windows. A moment alone was all that he really needed, if it worked.
Veir faced the city from the balcony and took a knee, holding the glaive he'd found some time ago by the shaft, blade positioned up towards the sky and hands gripping it so tight that his knuckles paled. Above was a waxing moon, not quite full but still close to blinding in a sky with far fewer stars than the countryside. He fumbled for the words he thought he should say, before settling for whatever felt right.
"I don’t expect anyone to listen,” he said softly, his eyes closing. “I think that I’ve had enough of gods meddling with my life. I’m not here to swear fealty or allegiance to someone that sees people as playthings. Shar, Selune, Mystra, Bhaal… you’re all just using us in your schemes. But I know myself better, now. I know that I can live apart from you, and that I can truly be a force for good in this world without your interference.
“Divinity doesn’t come from the gods. We can find it through them, but it’s us who have power. It’s us who can shape this world. We can break it or build it, but that’s a fate for us to decide. The divine right to choose is what makes us mortals, even in our small lives we can affect change in so many ways. And I suppose that’s what I’m here to claim. Not a birthright assigned to me but one that I have made for myself. I have stood against those who would ruin this world, and I have come out of each trial victorious. A victory only possible through the love and support of the people around me. And I want to protect them. I want to protect this city. Balduran, I swear to you, with everything that I am and ever will be, that I will be yours. Not for the gods and their ulterior motives, but for the people. Those housed within your walls and those who make this place their home. The way it is mine. I will secure their right to choose, and anyone who infringes upon that freedom will be dealt with appropriately. This is my promise, to Baldur’s Gate, myself, and those that I love most.”
For a long moment, he stayed there, knelt on the wooden deck, his grip on the glaive tight so as to not slip from the thin layer of sweat that was building on his palms. He was bitterly aware of every sensation in his body. The padded armor still snug to his frame, the bandages beneath binding his chest. The long ashen braid tied high on his head and draped across his right shoulder, swinging gently back and forth. The smell of salt spray kicked up from the shore and carried throughout the Lower City on a warm, gentle breeze. But he remained still. He refused to give up on the hope that had carried him so far for so long.
The sudden quiet was jostling, the air falling still. His heart skipped a beat and he swallowed the lump of nerves that had balled up in his throat. The warmth became a heat, and a bright golden light forced his eyes to open.
Beside him, standing at a great height and with such imposing will, was a Knight in gleaming armor. His face was obscured by the ornate helm upon his head, the platemail adorned with ribbons and runes in a language Veir didn’t recognize. He carried a greatsword that illuminated the entire deck, yet despite the brightness Veir could see through it with remarkable ease. Instead of blinding, it was… welcoming.
“Balduran has heard your pledge,” the Knight said, the rumbling voice echoing within Veir’s skull. “Tell me, hopeful Paladin: is your Devotion true?”
Veir stood and met where he thought eyes might be staring at him. “It is. I am. I am Devoted to protecting the people of Baldur’s Gate from that which means them harm.”
“Would you give your life to the people and to securing their freedom?”
“I will.”
“Veir, Once Son of Bhaal. Do you swear yourself to your Oath? Do you swear to act in service of your Devotion to Baldur’s Gate, to take your blade against those who would stand against Balduran and its people?”
“I swear.”
“Do you swear to uphold the Oath you have taken against any odds you may be faced with?”
“I swear.”
The Knight stood before him as though considering the unwritten pact signed with his pledge and his faith. Faith not in gods, but people. How fallible they were thought to be, and yet still endlessly worthy of acceptance and love and protection. The same love that Veir had been given throughout his journey to get here.
Then he lifted his blade. Veir nearly stumbled backwards avoiding the upswing, then recognized what was happening. He closed his eyes and bowed his head, accepting this new fate he had made for himself.
“I name you, Veir, Once Son, a Paladin sworn to his Oath.”
The blade gently tapped him on the left shoulder, then the right. A warmth filled in the gaps that had been carved into him. A radiance.
“You will use this blessing wisely. For if you do not, the consequences will find you.”
Veir opened his eyes and looked up at the Knight. Before he could say even a thank you, he was gone in a flash of brilliant gold. The noise of everything suddenly returned, and his head turned immediately to the sound of Karlach standing in the door, wearing a wide smile that closed her eyes and made her canines glimmer in the moonlight as she made an excited, pitchy noise.
“Look at you!” she exclaimed, putting down the drinks that she’d brought out to him and in a swift move lifting him off of his feet in a massive hug. She spun him around and kissed his cheek. “Darling, I’m so fucking proud of you!”
He couldn’t help but laugh at the enthusiasm. Veir let himself be suspended as he put his arms around her neck and kissed her smile. “How much of that did you catch?”
“I saw the light and had to make sure you were all right. Imagine my surprise when I find my husband pledging a Paladin Oath.”
“Heh, yeah. I didn’t think it would work. But after everything…”
Karlach set him down, still holding his hands as her expression became suddenly more serious. “You do not need to explain yourself, darling. I understand.”
He smiled at her, eyes running over her features before he stood on his toes to kiss her again. “I meant what I said, you know? About making sure everyone gets a choice?”
The flash of emotion on her face said everything. He’d been careful to not bring it up too often. She knew that. But all the same, it hurt. “Veir, I… I can’t-”
“I’m going to find a way to save you. Just like you saved me. Please, let me try. Wherever that might take us, I promise that I will be with you every step of the way. Even if we’re dragged to Avernus, I would fight the Archdevil herself if it meant you got to wake up to the sun rising over the coast with me every day.”
Karlach licked at her lips, trying not to show that her breath had hitched in her throat and her eyes had turned glossy. “Godsdammit, you know I want that more than anything else.”
“I know… Please, Karlach. When the time comes… can you put your trust in me?”
She scoffed. “Trust? Veir, I have more faith in you than any god in the pantheon. And I…” She paused, fighting against her fear, then said, “I’ll try. As long as you’re with me, I feel like I could take on anything.”
He smiled and put his arms around her middle, squeezing her tight with a strength that was still new to him. Karlach held him back, kissing the top of his head until he pulled back to catch her mouth with his. She smiled against his lips, nuzzling against his forehead with her nose.
“All right,” she said, shaking loose the lump in her throat. “Enough of this! I’m done thinking about sad things for tonight, and the band is about to start their next set. Take your drink, and come dance with me.”
Veir grinned and did so, lacing his fingers between hers as they stepped back inside, his glaive resting on the railing and faintly gleaming against the backdrop of his city. Tomorrow, they'll continue the fight. But tonight? Tonight is for joy.