[ WP ] Evil is its own kind of beautiful .

“ What do you mean, you found her attractive?! ” Borba demanded. 
 
 Killian flinched, and fiddled with the buttons of his mage robes. No matter how far their relationship had come, he still found the half-orc warrior to be quite intimidating when she was annoyed. He regretted having said anything, but there was no going back now. 
 
 “ Well, you know... ” he said, drawing out each word. “ She was graceful, and intelligent. She clearly had an eye for the finer things in life. Fine silks and wine. A library of books that she ’ d actually read. Some might even say she was quite... beautiful. ” 
 
 At that last word, Borba snapped her head around to shoot him a glare. “ Beautiful. Really? The fact that she ’ d murdered literally hundreds—thousands, even—of people to prolong her unnatural life doesn ’ t dampen that a bit? ” 
 
 Killian raised his hands, palms outward. “ I ’ m not denying any of the awful things she did. But that doesn ’ t take away from the fact that she was quite an... interesting character. ” 
 
 “ Ridiculous. ” Borba threw her hands into the air. “ That is just ridiculous! Kurdon, this is ridiculous, isn ’ t it? ” 
 
 The dwarven cleric kept his eyes resolutely fixed on the road in front of him. “ Sorry lass, but I ’ m not getting involved in this one, ” he said, with no room for negotiation. 
 
 Devlin, who had been grinning throughout the entire exchange, finally spoke up. “ Borba, Borba, Borba... ” He slid over to the half-orc and draped an arm around her shoulder. She was quite a bit taller than him, and combined with his exaggerated pose of nonchalance, meant her had to lean on her at an awkward angle. “ I ’ m surprised a girl as well-travelled as yourself doesn ’ t understand! ” 
 
 Borba glanced at the elven hand on her shoulder, her expression suggesting that she was seriously considering breaking it. 
 
 “ Let ’ s start with the basics, ” Devlin went on. “ The late Lady Andreista was an elf. Or at least, she started out as one. And my people— ” He put a hand on his chest. “ —Are known for their allure. Particularly by humans. ” He nodded in the direction of Killian, who stared back with mournful eyes. “ Pale, porcelain skin. Luxurious, flowing hair, black as night. Lips as red and inviting and as the most luscious apple. And of course, the low-cut, diaphanous gowns, an unspoken promise of exquisite pleasures. ” Ever so briefly, Devlin flicked his eyes down to Borba ’ s travelling tunic, which was bound with laces at the front in a rather immodest fashion. She snarled, and the elf skittered a short distance away, bumping into Kurdon as he did so. The dwarf resolutely ignored him. 
 
 But Devlin returned to tempt fate further. “ These traits were undeniable, irrespective of what she ’ s done. And she was articulate, aristocratic, and above all, had a well-stocked library! You can ’ t expect the poor boy to help himself, ” he said. 
 
 “ I seem to recall, ” Killian said through gritted teeth, “ that you were the one Andreista almost charmed into— ” 
 
 Devlin waved him off. “ And when they ’ re evil... it ’ s all magnified. ” His grin had turned a little more salacious. “ Be they pirate queens or insidious monarchs or the simple cat-burglar... or the lovely Lady Andreista. Honestly, it pained me to have to put a crossbow bolt through her heart. ” He paused. “ Well, not as much as it pained her, probably. ” 
 
 “ So what? ” Borba asked with a scoff. “ So if you know they ’ re a psychopathic monster, what, you look at them and think ‘ oh, I bet they ’ re great in the sack ’? ” 
 
 “ Well, yes. But also, it ’ s... it ’ s... ” Devlin was about to continue, but Killian suddenly spoke. 
 
 “ It ’ s a reflection of desire, ” Killian said. He was looking skyward, one arm folded across his chest and the other placed on a thoughtful chin. “ What makes someone evil anyway? It ’ s when they ’ ve given in to their own selfish desires. We all have these base desires, but our morality is the thing that keeps us from acting on them without concern for the welfare of others. If someone is a good person, they put their own needs before that of others. When we look at an evil person, we see someone whose desires are clear. And that reminds us of our own. So we may project our own desires on to said evil person. The ultimate temptation, to just give in to our desires... ” 
 
 The other two stared at him and blinked. “ Yes, exactly, ” Devlin said. Eager to get back on-track, he continued before Killian could. “ Besides, ” the elf said, “ there ’ s something else that ’ s peculiar to Killian over there, and those of his ilk. ” 
 
 Borba raised an eyebrow, as did Killian. Devlin paused for a bit of drama. “ Redemption! ” he said with a flourish. 
 
 “ Redemption? ” Borba echoed. 
 
 “ Redemption! ” Devlin said jovially, practically dancing around her. “ Our dear Killian, raised with exquisite manners and ethics before leaving his ivory tower, possesses a heart of gold that finds it absolutely irresistible to offer people second chances! ” 
 
 “ I... I... I most certainly— ” Killian tried to say something. 
 
 “ Don ’ t try to deny it! ” Devlin cried, enjoying himself more than he had in weeks. “ You try to *fix* everyone we encounter who ’ s even remotely unpleasant! Corrupt officials! Unscrupulous merchants! Pickpockets! Why, you even tried to get Andreista to give up eternal life as atonement for her actions! ” He had sauntered over to Kurdon. “ Good thing I had that crossbow, hm? ” Devlin said, elbowing the dwarf in the side. It elicited an annoyed sigh. 
 
 Borba regarded Devlin with a wry frown, and seemed about to say something, but the elf turned his attention back to her. “ Why Borba, I ’ m surprised that you ’ re surprised. After all, isn ’ t this the very reason our innocent little mage was fascinated by you in the first place? ” 
 
 The half-orc whipped her head around to regard Killian suspiciously. 
 
 “ Okay, I just want to make things clear, ” Killian said, with a slight squeak to his voice. “ I ’ m not trying to *fix*— ” 
 
 Borba turned back to Devlin, glaring now. “ I ’ m not evil, ” she said. 
 
 “ Of course not, ” Devlin replied. “ But let ’ s look at your sins, shall we? ” He started counting on his fingers. “ You ’ ve stolen. You ’ ve cheated and lied, or at least made some amateurish attempts to. You ’ ve most certainly killed—and you ’ ve very good at that, by the way. And thanks to the too-thin walls of a certain inn, I know you ’ ve fornicated. ” 
 
 Killian instantly turned beet-red, while Borba ’ s scowl deepened. 
 
 “ Borba, you ’ re not evil, ” Devlin said gleefully. “ But you ’ re definitely at least a little bit *bad*. ” 
 
 She gazed at the ground and pursed her lips, but didn ’ t have an answer to that. 
 
 “ So it ’ s a law of nature, ” Devlin said, as he dared to put an arm around her shoulder again. “ Bad girl. Nice guy. Inevitable. ” He leaned in a little closer, almost whispering into her ear. “ Careful, though. He might want you to be *badder*. Has he asked you to up things in the bedroom yet? Shackles, whips, maybe— ” 
 
 Borba swung a balled fist at him. The elf neatly ducked and spun away to hide behind Kurdon. He made a cross with his index fingers, and held them up as if to ward Borba away. 
 
 “ Eeeeeeevil, ” he said with a hiss and smirk. He turned and pranced away, up the road. 
 
 A moment later, Kurdon peered over his shoulder to look at Killian and Borba. They were engrossed in a conversation now, speaking softly and seriously, and oblivious to anything else. As the dwarf watched, Killian took Borba ’ s hand in his own and said something particularly earnest. 
 
 “ Was that really necessary, pushing their buttons like that? ” Kurdon asked Devlin, who was now at his side. 
 
 The elf snorted. “ It ’ s just a bit of fun, Kurdon. Besides, anything to get them talking about themselves a little. They don ’ t do that enough. ” 
 
 “ Hmph, ” Kurdon grunted, but didn ’ t disagree. 
 *** 
 *A few months later... * 
 
 The party stood in the throne room of Baron von Maldric. It was said that he had murdered two uncles to claim the title. He was taxing his subjects into poverty, beheadings were an almost-weekly event, and his guards regularly stole away children from their parents, never to be returned. 
 
 His long blond hair artfully tumbled around his head. His strong jaw displayed a rugged stubble that glowed in the light. His silk shirt was half-open, displaying a chiselled chest and torso. His legs were splayed apart, one slung over the armrest of his throne. 
 
 “ Why are you here? ” he intoned with bored arrogance. 
 
 Borba tore her gaze away from Maldric ’ s crotch. She leaned over to Killian. “ Okay, I think I see what you meant, ” she whispered.
