Baldur's Gate : The Sword Coast Chronicles : NWN2 Persistent World

Little bee...





A red one, blue one, many yellow ones, a big purple one… They were all so beautiful! So pretty! She could not help herself. She knew she wasn’t allowed to, but those colors…she wanted them! She hesitated and her hand lingered over those pretty colors basking in the sun. She would make them a gift. If she gave them, they would not be mad would they? No of course they wouldn’t. With her new found excuse she took the first one, a nice red one, almost as big as her hand. She continued with some yellow ones. Smaller but all the more prettier. That blue one needed to come too, she could not leave that one. Right as her hand pulled up the blue one she heard her mother’s voice.

‘Annu…you are not picking the flowers from the garden again are you?’

What? She had been so silent! Annunien slowly watched behind her and saw her mother sitting in the garden with her back towards her. Maybe she didn’t know after all.

‘No mommy! I am not!’

Her hand moved to the last one, but just as she wanted to take the nice purple flower a bee came buzzing towards it, making itself comfortable in between the petals. Puzzled Annunien watched the bee as it started to take up the nectar from the flower. No, that would not do! She tried to blow the bee away, but the bug was sturdy and held tight to its little purple island. She tried again but the fuzzy thing stood its ground. Determined to bring even the purple flower she tried to poke it away with her finger. It tickled her finger with its wings but it did not fly away. She poked harder, still nothing. She pouted and started to lose her patience.



‘Go away little bee!’

With a harder push she touched the bee again, but instead of flying away it stuck to her finger and she felt a pain she never felt before. It stung! She shook the little thing off but the pain stayed. She started to cry loud of shock and pain. Only moments passed before her mother picked her up from the grass, holding her in a comforting embrace.

‘I told you not to pick the flowers from the garden! Do you see now?’

Her mother’s voice sounded angry but it lost its edge even before she finished her sentence.
She took Annunien inside the house and put a bit of healing ointment on her finger where the bee had stung her.

‘Shhh now, shall mommy give a kiss on it?’

Still heavily sobbing Annunien held up her tiny finger and her mother kissed it.

‘All better now?’

The little girl shook her head, tears still dripping from her cheeks.

‘Shall I give a kiss on it too then?’

A male voice sounded and Annunien recognized it as her father’s. She turned around, and leapt in his arms.

‘Oh, what did you do this time silly girl!’

Her father gave a kiss on her finger as well and Annunien noticed the pain and throbbing in her finger were gone. As her father put her to the ground she saw he had brought her flowers inside.

‘You better put them in a vase and give them water now. They’ll die otherwise’ He said.

Her mother shook her head but filled up a vase with water.

‘You indulge her too much, you know.’

‘Oh I think she had her lesson today’

He laughed as he took the flowers out of Annunien’s hands and placed them in the water filled vase on the table.

‘Next time, leave the flowers outside. They survive longer and they are much more beautiful outside than inside when you pick them.’

He gave a pat on her head and went to embrace his wife.
Annunien watched the flowers in the vase. They were still beautiful. All those colors, red, yellow, blue, purple… Then a little black and yellow striped fuzzy thing fell out of the flowers on the table. It was the little bee that had stung her, but it didn’t move anymore. It had died. She stared at it with curiosity... Her mother called out from the other room then.

‘Annu! Beth has the pancakes ready!’

Pancakes? Without another thought she rushed to the other room leaving the flowers behind her. The bee already forgotten.

Pancakes! They were her favorite!

The start of a journey...




´Sit still Annu… I can’t finish if you keep on moving.‘

Her mother put her back on the chair with a light chuckle. No, she definitely didn’t have the patience for her mom to finish brushing her hair. The first light was breaking through the clouds and she knew the sun would be up soon. They were going on a trip! Her parents had told her they would visit family. It was supposed to be in a few days but her parents had decided to go now. This was so exciting! Dad said her uncle had a giant eagle he flew on through the sky. After that she could not stop running through the house with her arms spread as wings, pretending to soar through the sky on her own giant eagle. It was going to be a long travel and they would have to take a ship. She had never been on a ship and she looked forward to it. If only mommy could just hurry up with her hair! This was taking ages…

‘Are you ready my love? We should hurry, I know she has been a loyal servant to us but she is late and the carriage will not wait much longer.’

Her father stood in the door-opening, he wore travel-clothing but he had his bow on his back and sword at his side.

‘We move then.’ Her mother said as she slowly stood up, and took Annunien’s hand.

‘I will miss this place, it has been home for many years.’

‘Maybe this is all for the better my dear, Annunien will grow up among kin, among family. And you can visit your sis…’

Her father stopped mid-sentence as a scream could be heard from outside, followed by banging on the front door.

‘Stay here and be ready with Annu.’

She saw how her father drew his short sword and went down to the hall, leading towards the front door. Were they finally going on that trip now?

What came next all happened so very fast. She heard voices, her father’s among them. They were talking. Then the volume picked up as if they were having an argument, more screams, things cracking as if stuff was being thrown around in the house. Steel on steel clashing. Her mother was muttering to her.

‘It’s alright Annu. It’s going to be alright. But we are going to play a game now Annu, a game!’

‘A game?’ Annunien was puzzled.

‘Yes dear, a game! Remember when mommy counted to ten and you went out to hide so mommy would find you after? Go hide now Annu! Go hide! Mommy will find you!’

‘I don’t…’

‘Just do it!’

Then silence… deafening silence to the loud contrast of battlesounds before. This didn’t make sense. With hesitation Annunien looked around for a place to hide but it was not her favorite room to do so. The closet-door on her right jammed, so that would not work and the bed was too low to hide under, even for her. Besides, this hardly seemed the time for such a game. She heard slow footsteps. A smile appeared on her face as she saw her father back in the door-opening. Did he come to join the game? But there was something wrong. He glanced past them as if he didn’t see. He just stood there, sword in hand, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth then, as he slumped down to the ground without saying a word. She saw three small bolts sticking out of his back. She could not understand what was going on and she startled even more as her mother screamed while running to her father.

‘Aesar!’

As soon as her mother reached the motionless body of her father a man stood in the door-opening. He yanked her mother up at her hair. Annunien had never seen her in such terror.

‘Hide Annu! Hi…’

Her mother’s words were cut off as a blade was drawn over her throat. Blood flowing out on the floor almost the same way as the milk poured out of the bottle in a glass this morning at breakfast, she remembered. Hide…she should hide… but she couldn’t. Even if she wished it so hard right now she could not turn invisible. That was impossible. She wanted to cry but no tears came. There was no way to go so she sat down in one of the corners. Shocked and frozen of fear of what had just played out in front of her eyes.

‘Is the ambassador dead?’

Another man came in the room. They were both masked, dressed in dark clothing and leathers. She could not understand them. It was the human tongue, she only knew some of the words the maid Beth had taught her. The man, still holding the knife with which he had cut her mother’s throat nodded.

‘What of the rest?’

The new guy shook his head and replied: ‘We lost five men but the rest of the householdstaff is dead, Jake and Leo are taking the gold. They must think this was a robbery. Kill that little bitch in the corner too, I don’t need witnesses.’

‘But she is a child, what can she do?’

‘Kill her…then meet me in a tenday from now. Help Jake with the gold.’

The man left again and the one holding the knife walked up towards Annunien. She didn’t really notice how he took her hand and lifted her up from her corner. She just stared at the spot where her parents were on the floor in a puddle of red liquid.

‘If he wants me to kill a child he can do it himself. Besides, Pepe will give me a good price for you.’

The man chuckled low as he pulled Annunien out of the room. The carriage stood outside. Peter, the driver, lay face down in the mud and other men had taken control of it. The knifeman lifted her up and put her in the back of the carriage on one of the benches.

'Let's go boys!' One called, and Annunien felt how the wheels picked up speed.

Slowly the house she knew so well disappeared out of sight. She muttered:

‘Mommy? Daddy? I don’t want to play this game anymore… Can we go on our boat-trip now?’

Sold...



Annunien watched the man who opened her mouth to check her teeth defiantly.

´Seems healthy enough, feisty…How much do you want for her?‘

`Three gold pieces.’

`Are you serious? That scrawny little thing?’

The fat, balding man let go of her and laughed loud as he slapped the man in the dark leathers on the back. Annunien couldn`t help but notice the rings of fat around his waist and belly jiggling rhythmically with his laughter. His clothes were that of a noble. Well, used to be… A long time ago. The jacked and trousers had been remade and patched up plenty of times. The once bright colors of red and purple now looked dull and stained. His hair was greased as if he hadn’t seen a bath for at least a month. The what seemed to have been a white blouse now looked grey with brown stains in the collar.

`Hmm, I’ll give you two silver coins.’

Annunien watched between the two men as she tried to make up some of the words. She understood gold and girl. They must be talking about her. It had been a long travel and she felt tired. She missed her parents, she felt like sitting down and cry but it had annoyed the man who took her and he had made it abundantly clear to keep very quiet while at his side.

`Two gold pieces then. Don’t insult my intelligence. You know as well as I do that these little knife-ears do well on the streets. Especially with the higher class. Better than the other little snots you have working for you ’

The balding fat man walked a few paces, then shook his head.

`Fine… I’ll sell her to one of the pleasure-houses.`

The leathered dressed man took Annunien at her hand and started to drag her with him.

`Wait! That young? You have no heart.’

`And you do? Girls grow you know, and some like them young.’

`Fine, two gold pieces then. But she’d better be worth it!’

‘Absolutely!’ The man in the dark leathers held up a hand towards the fat man with a wide grin.
‘You just bought yourself a nice little knife-ear beggar girl, Pepe!’

The man pushed her into the arms of Fat Pepe, who lead her to a tiny place with some other little children. Most not older than ten, all human. Too tired to struggle much she just lay down watching the other children who on their turn watched her with curiosity.

The Box...






´Thank you, miss.‘

Annunien took the coin from the well-dressed lady in front of her and wandered over to the next in the busy street. This was one of the main shopping streets in the city and her favorite spot to beg. She knew exactly who to pick. Women mostly, especially those that had children themselves. Men in a good mood and well, if they didn’t give her any she knew where to search for their contribution. She got this part of the city together with Red and Amy today. Red had her same age but the boy was easily a head taller than she was. Amy was one of the older girls with her eleven years. She had to bring the baby. It would sleep all day in Amy’s arms as she sat at the crossing on a small blanket. Annunien always wondered why the baby never woke up and it slept on peacefully. Perhaps it had to do with the firewater Fat Pepe forced in its mouth before they left or the white paste. She didn’t know.



As twilight went over to darkness it was time to head back to the house, so Annunien walked towards Amy and the baby. She saw Red coming from around the corner as well. She was tired, her feet and legs hurt. How long had it been that she was on the streets now? Seasons had come and gone. She had grown a bit but the human children grew much faster and stronger than that she did. Competition was hard. This had been a bad day. She had gathered coin enough to prevent a beating but no-one had given her something to eat. A crust of bread or something, she didn’t need much. She had taken an apple from the stand the days before but the merchant was on to her now and chased her away the moment he had her in sight. Her stomach was making funny noises.

As they entered the old house she saw the other groups of children arrive as well. First stop was Pepe’s desk. Every child had their little pouch of coins ready in hand. Pepe would collect it all and write down everything in his big book. Those that didn’t gather enough would be punished. A good beating and a full night and day in the box. A slight shiver ran over her back as the memory of that box came back to her. A wooden box with big metal chains and a big metal lock. Once in, it was tight, she could move her hands and her feet to adjust but only because she was smaller than average. It stood outside so in summer it was hot, in winter it was cold and when it rained the moist would creep through the wood easily. It wasn’t too uncommon that children died in that box. Little Tony had died last winter. Frozen stiff when they had taken him out of the box. Annunien counted the coins again to make sure she had reached her quota. ‘5…6…9…12’

A big hand shot out and snatched some of her coins then, other coins rolled over the floor and the children around her dove on them as if their life depended on it. Well, in a way it did. Shocked, Annunien stared at the lousy 4 coins left in her hand and started looking frantically for some of the fallen ones. She found 3 more and a 4th was right in front of her but a shoe blocked her way as she was about to pick it up. It was Red… he had taken her coins.

‘Seems it’s boxtime for you, rat!’

`Let go! And give back my coins!’

The tall human boy towered over her as she was kneeled on the floor still.

‘Oh… and who is going to make me…you? Stupid knife-ears!’

He replied mockingly and pushed her away. He was much stronger than she was. She knew it would be useless but she jumped on him anyway. The other children made room for them and started to chant. ‘fight, fight, fight!’

‘STOP IT! BOTH OF YOU!’

It was Fat Pepe that had come from his desk and took Red and Annunien at the shoulders. Separating the fighting pair.

‘In line… wait your turn!’

All children formed back in line. To go against Fat Pepe would mean trouble. They all knew that. Red and Annunien shot each other some hateful glances, but this wasn’t over yet. Even more carefully she started to count the remainder of her coins. It would not be enough…

‘Hey! Girl! Hand over!’

She hadn’t noticed Pepe held his hand to collect her share. She gave it…but she knew what would come next…