Aftermath

Davian, The Blue Mage

The pain was intense.  I was on the verge of passing out.  In an instant, my vision went black, my ears were filled with a mix of sounds like that of a thousand voices screaming in terror during a windstorm, and a jolt of pain in the center of my forehead.  I gripped the opened lid of the chest I had been rifling through, gasping for air through gritted teeth.

After a moment, these sensations subsided and I felt myself again.  Once my heart rate slowed a bit, I started searching for answers.  Maybe I strained myself a bit fighting the Lady Castlelaterns bodyguard?  When I bent over to look through the chest, did I strain a muscle?  Then I found that secret compartment, with the robes, and that holy symbo - Ahhhhh!

Why does that symbol - Ahhh!

Okay, don't think about it, don't think about - Ahhh!

The others didn't seem to notice.  Okay.  Hmm, they're looking through the chest, why don't they respond the same way?

Wait, where's Keilier?  Why isn't he prattling on?  Is he doing this to me?

"Calm down son, just breathe.  While I'm with you, he can't hurt you." My father's voice returned for the first time in quite a while.  His sudden reappearance was a bit jarring, though it would have been worse if his presence weren't so calming.

That calming sensation lasted but a moment, until I started thinking of my father, and how direct the message seemed to be.  "While I'M with you" "HE can't hurt you".  It wasn't just a calming sensation anymore, it seemed to be more direct, more

Ahhhhh!  My head split open once again, and I had to stop for a moment.  WHY?!?  WHY WAS THIS HAPPENING?!?!

Silence, merciful yet concerning silence.  I looked to the others, they were speaking but I couldn't hear.  It was then I realized pressure had built in my ears, and as the pain went away, so did the pressure, and my hearing slowly returned.  I didn't so much care what they were saying, just that I could hear again.

I tried to push aside all thoughts of what just happened.  It could only lead to pain, and I wasn't sure how much more I could take at the moment.

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"Wow, you took down Xanathar the beholder, now that's impressive."

I think Keilier could sense my skepticism, as he quickly followed with "Honestly, I'm as surprised as I am impressed.  Well done!"

"...Thank...you...?" I waited for the other shoe to drop, it didn't take long.

"You earned it.  With all the newfound fame that is sure to come your way, you have an even larger stage on which to make a fool of yourself.  Well done!"

Grumble

"Just when I think things have changed, you manage to surprise even me with new depths of intellectual laziness.  'Davian, be prepared because Xanathar has an anti-magic field he can deploy.' Davian: 'Hmm, I'll cast fireball at those barrels.  While obviously in the presence of Xanathar.  Instead of using a very short fuse on the barrels of powder.  Which he couldn't stop in time.'"

Grumble

After a moment, he continued.

"Though I guess I will admit that I'm genuinely impressed to some degree.  You bumbled your way through it, but you did what few with your lowly abilities could do."

I waited for him to say something else, but only stony silence filled my head.  This was a first.  I started to reply but was cut short. "You'll have a target on your head now.  Others don't know how narrow your victory was." That was it.  He wasn't his jovial, snide self, he actually sounded concerned.  

The silence was a chasm, I could hear the dinn of the tavern above as I lay in the basement, but I was trapped in my own head, with too many questions filling my mind.  Why has Keilier changed?  Did I underestimate the mortal peril I was in?  Keilier seemed to hate my kind, does he feel differently now? On and on the questions flashed before me, until a familiar voice returned.  Or, at least, it sounded that way, but so quiet.  I strained to hear, but the words were unintelligible.  It was my father, and though I was unable to make out specific words, his emotions did get through.  Peace, then concern, then a flash of anger, back to concern, and finally unease.  Yet more questions, stacking up, I could no longer concentrate on any one before the next was taking its place.  Finally, Keilier spoke up "Stop it boy, you're hurting my head.  Just stop, breathe, and sleep.  Stop...breathe...sleep."  With each word, I followed his command.  I didn't think about why, given my history with Keilier, I just did.  I pushed the questions from my mind, I took a deep breathe, and upon his utterance of "Sleep" I immediately fell into a deep sleep.  Or, at least, I apparently did, as it was the next morning when I opened by eyes.  The first word upon waking up was Keilier muttering "idiot".

Ah, back to normal.  Wait, should I be happy about this?

"Idiot"