Ender Sai's parting words for us were, "Go step on some toes, all right? And you can tell them Ender Sai sent you."
There were a couple of chests I had not yet looted outside as the locks were too difficult for a skill of 60. I had prepared Potions of Perception for this purpose, but there was one in the camp I could use anyway.
---
Notable loot from looting the Bandit Camp included:
A War Hammer +1, two Medium Shields +1, Short Sword +1, Long Bow of Marksmanship +2 (woot), 10 Arrows of Ice,
A set of Full Plate Mail and a Mage Robe of Fire Resistance,
Mage scrolls of Color Spray, Blindness, Friends, Web, Stinking Cloud, Agannazar's Scorcher, Horror, Fireball, and Flame Arrow,
5 Potion of Healing ,3 Potion of Fortitude, Potion of Heroism, Oil of Fiery Burning, 2 Potion of Firebreath, Potion of Perception (used), Potion of Magic Blocking,
A cursed ring and two cursed potions,
a Wand of Fear,
and another Gauntlets of Weapon Expertise.
---
With the bandit camp routed and looted, it was time to head for some rest before we moved on to Cloakwood. Friendly Arm Inn was the closest.
I was pleasantly surprised to hear a familiar, "Ho there wanderer. Stay awhile and indulge an old man" when we neared the entrance to the main keep. Apparently I don't remember every meeting with the big E himself.
Elminster was positively beaming. "I trust that thou art well? I have heard many things about thee in the past few tendays and I am most impressed."
I glanced at Jaheira and Khalid who were also smiling. "I take it you approve of our actions so far. Any tips for our next move?"
He nodded, still smiling. "As thou hast no doubt determined, the clues seem to point towards the Cloakwood forest. 'Tis likely that the scoundrels behind the bandits have some sort of base within the wood. Of course, I am only telling thee things that thou dost already know."
I peered at him. "You know we already know that much, yet you came all this way to tell us anyway. Is that really all wisdom the Sage of Shadowdale has to impart on us?"
"It is," Elminster said, without a hint of apology in his face or body language.
"That's really, really all you have to tell us?"
"'Tis so."
I peered at the old sage some more. "I'm beginning to think E in your letters doesn't stand for Elminster, rather it stands for Exposition. Especially Exposition of things people already know."
Behind me, I heard Jaheira and Khalid try to resist the urge to laugh, which ended up doing a wheezing snort.
Elminster was still smiling. "Mayhaps E stands for Explosion, to describe what happened to halflings who annoy me."
I gulped. "Point taken! We shall endeavor to investigate Cloakwood, and to indulge old men at every opportunity! Yes indeed!"
Elminster nodded with a smug expression. He put up a hand and did a little wave. "Good luck on thy travels, young one. Be wary as well, for thou are making powerful enemies, both here… and within thyself."
My eyes narrowed. Did he say that for my benefit, or…
Jaheira rolled her eyes. "Can you be any more cryptic?" she said, "Enough riddles, ye old wizard. Speak plainly and tell us what on Toril you meant by that!"
He kept waving and smiling, even as he was stepping away. "I am sorry I cannot speak more plainly on this matter, but events must unfold as they will without any meddling from this old man."
Oh gods, he did practically nothing useful yet looks so self-satisfied. The old wizard must have the cushiest job in the whole of Faerun.
---
We celebrated a furious battle and a great victory over a hearty meal and drinks at the Friendly Arm before turning in to rest. I made sure to ask the kitchen to collect all the bones of our meal as well as from the meals of other tables.
"Not one but two mercenary groups behind the bandit raids put to the sword. Pretty good work, if I say so myself," I said, standing on the bench to address the whole team. "Considering all we have achieved, there are people we should update. Putting aside our 'possibly-Zhentarim' contacts, Officer Jai probably wants a report. And we're carrying around a LOT of bandit scalps for her."
Yes, we were. The scalps we had removed from bandits' heads stunk to high heavens inn spite of our best efforts to reduce the smell. I continued, "Question is, can we be bothered to travel back to Beregost? Or is ridding ourselves of these things a priority?"
"Eh? Beregost isn't that far," Neera said with a shrug.
I took out a map and pointed out Beregost and Cloakwood from our position.
Neera peered at the map. "Ohhhh, I see what you mean. Beregost is pretty out of the way to the south. Whereas Cloakwood isn't too far away from here, to the west."
Imoen made a face. "The scalps are pretty gross though. Like, ew."
Branwen sighed. She then put her hand out. "I'll carry the scalps in my pack. The 'gross'-ness you complain about does not bother me. I wager we'll gain more at the Cloakwood base."
I cringed. "Good point, ugh. I mean, good point, yes."
Neera raised an eyebrow at me. "Not much exposure to violence?" She paused, then added, "… in Candlekeep?"
Good save. I gave her a side-eye. "Don't you give me that look, we're talking literal bloody scalps!" I bemoaned. "I have doubts bandits take good care of their hair or bathe often. Who knows what their hair is carrying?"
Branwen closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose with her fingers. "I did NOT need to hear that. Enough! Any more talk of anything 'gross' and I'm passing the scalps right back to you."
I and Imoen shut up immediately, much to the laughter of the rest of the group.
---
Neera brought me aside during our celebration to a more quiet spot. Still in full view of the rest, so as not to give anyone the wrong idea, but far enough so that no one heard us. We both had drinks in our hands.
"Seriously though, the place you come from is like super peaceful compared to Faerun," Neera said to me between gulps, "Even in High Forest, where the most interesting thing that happens is a bird lays a few eggs, we're all taught to defend ourselves from the horrors out the in world or another."
"Your point being?"
"I saying I'm surprised you've held up so well with all the fighting til now. The violence. Disembowelment. Blood and bile, that sort of thing," she said. "You weren't a soldier in your past life, were you?"
Whooops. I never considered that. Yes indeed, it is pretty odd that I'm not the least bit squeamish about murdering another person. I'm pretty sure I wasn't a solider in my past life.
Oh dear. Thinking about it, there's probably another reason why murder doesn't phase me at all. If the reason is what I think it is, that's a very disturbing revelation, honestly. Anyway, I couldn't very well tell that to Neera.
"Hey, I'm not just someone from another world. I'm Sonny too!" I protested. "More Sonny than whoever I was previously in fact, since I have all his memories and but not all my memories from my past life."
Neera's eyebrow raised. She lowered her drink. "Is that how isekai normally goes? I thought you normally take over someone's body or something."
I lowered my drink as well and rubbed the back of my head. "Yeah, that's generally the convention. This way works out better though, I don't have the ethical dilemma attached to taking over someone else's life. I am Sonny, in every sense of the word. It's just that Sonny was once someone else."
"Mmm-hmph. How much do you remember of your past-life, really?"
"Obviously I remember playing this game," I replied. I gave it some more thought. "Urm. I remember a flight, that crashed. I think I even have the flight number, though I don't know what happened after the crash. The flight was MHXX."
Neera's eyes widened. "That crash was YEARS ago! It was a Malaysian flight over Eastern Ukraine. From Amsterdam to… somewhere in Malaysia. So you're probably either Dutch or Malaysian?"
Eh? I shook my head to gather a bit more sobriety. Too much information at once, too many questions! "What happened? There was a huge explosion! And why do you know so much?"
"Ukraine's big on the news cos Russia invaded. You were killed by Russian-backed forces in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine and Russia has been fighting for years."
"What? Why? …What?" I stepped back, sloshing my drink all over the floor. I put my drink down my nearly empty mug on the table nearby. I had even more questions now! "What the hell, Russia invaded Ukraine? How in the hell is Ukraine still standing? What the hell happened?"
Neera shook her head, and guided me to the bench to sit. The rest were probably looking at us with concern now. I didn't care.
I had to focus on the most important question. At least, the most important to me. "Why were we killed? We had nothing to do with the war!"
I tried to look at her but I could barely see past my tears.
"It was a mistake. Probably. The Russian Separatist Forces must have thought your commercial airliner was a Ukrainian military plane," Neera answered calmly.
I groaned, but wiped my tears. "Did… were there any consequences for our deaths? Enforced by the Netherlands government, or the Malaysian government?"
Neera shook her head. "I'm sorry."
Duh, of course not. Both Netherlands and Malaysia, especially Malaysia, are politically insignificant in the wider world. If we demanded reparations or justice from the Russian Separatist Forces, we would be running up against not a 'freedom force' but Russia itself.
I was desperate for anything now. "An apology? Acknowledgement of regret by the idiots who shot us down? Dismissal of the soldiers responsible? Any form of atonement for the hundreds of needless deaths?"
Neera was silent.
I put my head on the table a moment. "God damn them all to hell. Every last one."
I stayed that way for some time, cursing and banging the table with my fist.
Neera gave me time, and eventually I got up from the table, stood up from my seat. "I think I'll need to retire to my room. Thank you for the update, Neera. Please let the rest know I'll be fine tomorrow."
"Sure thing. Get some rest."
As I headed up to my room and hurled myself face first into the bed, I knew I had lied. I don't think I would ever be fine.
But perhaps Sonny could move on with his life. I can only hope.