Timeless Part 01 Generations Book 1 Legend of Drizzt Book 34 By R A Salvatore

[Music] william morrow and harper audio present timeless a drizzed novel by r.a salvatore performed by victor pavin prologue the year of dwarvenkind reborn dale reckoning 1488 my ladies india the demon said leaving a trail of bubbling sludge as she slid from the summoning pentagram of house milan the eighth house of the drow city of menzo baranson the handmaiden escavidney was in her natural form now a misshapen lump of sludge that looked somewhat like a half-burned candle but with waving tendrils sticking out like leafless branches dancing in a gale every word the grotesque creature spoke bubbled with muddy plopping sounds already battered by recent events matron jindiya milan could not hide her surprise and trepidation as a second handmaiden appeared within the summoning circle this one in the form of a beautiful draw woman scantily dressed and grinning wickedly they were always grinning wickedly jindia knew that was part of the reason she liked these yokelove demons yakirtaria india asked why are you here you summoned the demon in drow disguise replied i summoned escavidney matron jindiya insisted why would you you have no doubt heard of yikkadaria's misadventure escovidney answered for her sister yaklo these were two of the handmaidens of loth the demon queen of spiders the goddess of the drow jhindia nodded tentatively she had heard some rumors of yakardaria being defeated on the surface world but if that was true then how was she here and why had two answered her summons for just one jindiya had to wonder and worry particularly in light of her own misadventures matron india and her house had to be wary of everything they had lost standing and jindiya had become a bit of a mockery something that simmered within the prideful woman's entire body leading her to fits of rage-filled trembling she knew that she was clinging to a very slippery ledge here the matrons of the eight highest ranked houses and only eight sat on menzo berenson's ruling council and now because of our own disastrous miscalculations and failure against the sinister workings of a matron mother of the city her house had been demoted to the least of those ruling eight with other ambitious houses right behind and looking for ways they might usurp her in this time of malarny vulnerability for all the matrons of men's oberenzon's dozens of houses the goal was singular to sit on the ruling council it was a position matring india did not intend to relinquish and now not one but two powerful demons stood before her in her summoning chambers one of them unbidden and she had to wonder if she would have a choice in maintaining her position pray tell what have you heard matring india ikardaria asked as her sister spoke escavidney waved her tentacles black light of demonic magic flashing and changed into drow form sending abyssal mud flying about the chamber jindiya spun away thinking she had been attacked but then wiped the dots of mud from her face and regarded the mischievous yoko standing quite naked and unabashed with a hand on one hip what is this about jindia dared demand what have you heard of my sister's troubles escovidney asked again yes i am saddened that you did not summon me directly yakardaria said moving to stand beside the other and draping her hand on escavidney's wonderfully delicate shoulder i had heard that you were defeated and so banished to the abyss for a century india replied the gardarius sighed just a hint of that gurgling mud in her exhale escovidney giggled defeated she said pummeled pounded into a pile of excrement by the fists of a mere human yagardaria sighed again and slapped her sister demon on the shoulder no mere human she insisted a monk the celebrated grand master of flowers of the monastery of the yellow rose in a land called zamara mere human this man cain has transcended the mortal coil that marked him once as human he is now oh you know all about him now escovitne teased because i intend to pay him back with great care and patience this does not concern me matring india declared taking back control of the situation she reminded herself repeatedly that the key to dealing with demons even the very handmaidens of her goddess was to maintain confidence why are you here does not concern you yakardari replied with a huff the circumstances of drizzed zoe urton do not concern you the flash on matron jindia's eyes betrayed her calm visage at the mere mention of the heretic trial the same one who had led the attack on her house but it killed her daughter she india too had almost fallen to the blades of dresd only to have been humbled slapped and thrown about by one of his allies and this very same yakardaria had been there in her room when she had been humiliated watched and did nothing why are you here india asked for the third time her stare hateful and fixed on yikardaria as she recalled that terrible day because you summoned me escovidney explained the barrier between the underdark and the abyss has thinned and so our spider queen determined that my sister could subvert the century of banishment but only by first accompanying another handmaiden to this place in summoning escovitne you freed me yardaria added and she bowed gracefully and thus i am in your debt as you were in my debt when you allowed that abomination to beat me in my own chambers shindia said impulsively before she could think better of it she was referring after all to evanel a drow woman whom many believed to be the avatar of love herself on the world of toril your versed well enough in the ways of love to understand my place in that moment was all that yaykardaria bothered to say in reply i was merely observing as the goddess wished and protecting you you stood by even now shindia insisted i tempered her she is none of your concern eskavidny interjected ending the argument matron india licked her suddenly dry lips who was this creature even el bayenri after all she knew evanel was the daughter of gromf by henry the former arch mage of menzo baronson and a worthless fool named minol and fey and there had been great fanfare and wild rumors that lolf herself had gone to the pregnant menoland and blessed the child yet jindia didn't believe a word of it though she could not deny the unusualness of even el bayenri named after the greatest matron mother menzo berenson had ever known this child and she was just a child barely four years old had somehow grown into a full adult woman and with undeniable sophistication and magical powers certainly india's curiosity had been peaked no more so than her hatred for ivanelle but she didn't dare press the issue at that time i summoned you to speak with you about my daughter shindia told escavidney you are certain of this matron mother quentil bayenri asked for the third time her brother gromf didn't bother to answer this time and instead just huffed indignantly zach nevane dewerden the father of drist has been stolen from the grave and returned to life quenthil said her gaze down for she was speaking more to herself than to her brother if it was lolf who freed zach nothing to earn from death then why and if not loth then who she looked up at gromp and asked the false goddess mia leaky grump could barely contain his chuckle at the way his sister had felt the need to include the word false mieliki was no less a deity than lolf of course and these little bits of servile delusion always amused grump who considered himself above all the squabbling about which god was bigger than which i have found no indication either way he finally replied though i really didn't look very hard in the end it seems such a minor thing yet you felt the need to come to my throne room and inform me quentin replied her lips curling into a snarl you asked me about the goings-on on the surface that is a going on fourth in a list of four you will note behind the construction of the host tower the empowered teleportation gates of the dwarven cities and the progress of the halfling village and its connection to the dwarf fortress of gontelgrim i would not have placed the news of zach nevane's return last if i thought it of great importance yet of the four that piece of news is the one most important to loaf the matron mother scolded that is the one offering us clues as to love's will likely and to what she will expect of us in this matter gromp shrugged as if it hardly mattered because to him it did not on the surface he was witnessing a god-like creation in the rebirth of the host tower of the arcane but it didn't involve the demon queen of spiders or any other deity using the fire primordial trapped in the pit of gontelgrim gromp and others were growing a living tower a magical hollow stone tree of enormous dimensions and supernatural beauty that resonated with the eldritch powers of a beast that was as old as and in many ways as formidable as any god he would lead the research and study at the host tower expanding his mind and his power once he had believed that being the arch mage of men's oberenson would be the pinnacle of his achievements but now he had discovered farther horizons what did he care really for a mere swordsman named zach nefan de worden it is good that sabrax or lauren is archmage was saying as all that went through his mind apparently to sting him but gromp silently agreed with that assessment the less time he spent here the better for him in truth he wouldn't come here at all except that he knew if he didn't studiously report to matron mother quentin she'd likely cause trouble for him and his growing host tower the grand doors of the bayenry throne room swung open then and from the far side of the long and narrow chamber entered three drau women all fabulously attired in garb signaling their high stations within the city well an impatient quentin demanded as the trio approached the middle drow who looked very much like a taller version of a matron mother snorted and shook her head nothing she said there is no explanation for the return of zach nevane dewerden to be spoken by the handmaidens or any other demon we have contacted it simply is with no hint of why that might be matron mother quentil's arched eyebrow showed the perceptive gromp that she had not missed the slight in their sister so zomtu's chortle or the failure to properly address her by her title grump thought it's so very typical of the ever arrogant so some two never to show field to anyone who was not lost he hated her the most of all his siblings or of who did it the matron mother asked or that so some two replied the only emotion behind the answers i could garner from the many demons i interrogated was that of indifference even from the handmaidens which means the yokla either were instructed to not care or in truth simply don't so the resurrection of zach nevane was not lost doing quenthil mused that is not what she said grump felt obliged and quite pleased to point out the matron mother snapped a threatening glare over at him but twitched and backed off her stern gaze as she more fully digested so sumptuous exact wording and the implications of gromp's accurate response the spider queen ever gives us puzzles to solve quentil said or perhaps it truly does not matter matron mother said matron zerath the oldest of the trio who sat on a comfortable pillow atop a magical floating disc she fashioned a seated half bow when quentin regarded her with other matters requiring our more immediate attention xerath explained the name of drist will soon enough be forgotten or will be appropriately sullied by those of us who have witnessed him siding with dwarves and elves against his own people he is no hero to men's oberenson despite the best efforts of that strange young creature you named ivanelle quentin fashioned a resigned look then glanced from gromp to the third of the trio manola and fay as xerath finished these were the parents of even el though quenthil and most others gromf knew couldn't understand why a dullard like minol and faye had been granted so special a child gromp could only nod to his powerful sister in reply for in truth he couldn't understand it either minolen had been a play thing to him nothing more the idea that a being as extraordinary as even now had come from that play had him as flabbergasted as anyone else though of course he considered it proof of his own superiority dressed was a conduit to great power that of the hive mind of the alipids nothing more matron mother quentin finished in a tone that told all that she wanted the last word on this particularly troublesome subject a pity it did not consume him along with the other heretic who stood beside him and channeled the illiterate power grump nodded but privately disagreed with the assessment xerox or lauren was known as a great friend to the males of benzo berenson as she and her house were the most liberal of all with regard to the station of the drow men but even she did not fully appreciate the power of the idea of dressed or that his name was being whispered in the taverns of the stench streets and along the outer walls of the houses where drowned males paced in servitude to the female hierarchy or maybe she did know and understand gromp thought then when zira flashed him a little smirk and perhaps her claims of drizz being soon enough forgotten were just for show to quentil and particularly to sosumptu that zealot lothian nightmare of a sister to those other and more important matters then said old xerath house to earthen will be formally renamed to house or lauren at the next council it will matron zeraths or lauren matron mother quenthal agreed it is your house now soldiered by your family and so it should openly bear your name a name that strikes fear in the hearts of our common enemies and will you stay in the west wall or go back to your former compound both if it pleases you take the old compound as your home quenthal decided surprising all in attendance keep house towards yours for now but it will make a fine reward to a house i choose to elevate and regarding elevation said xerath matron burton fay will not challenge your ascent to a higher seat on the ruling council minol and faye interrupted speaking for her mother that drew a skull from xerath groff didn't miss that it was one mired in incredulity and disrespect the nolan had spoken as if there was a choice in the matter if house fey branch did refuse wholly removing the nobles of that house would prove no difficult task for house or lauren and so i will lead the fifth house of men's oberenson where before we of saw lauren were third in line zerath said before you stupidly tried to conquer gontelgrim and begin your own city gromf thought but wasn't quite arrogant enough to say aloud you will ascend i am sure said the matron mother but for now i need the stability and the alliance of the two houses above you yes you have the strength and alliance of five of the top six ruling houses said xerath but i beg you to take care for many others have turned to matron mess barris of the second house the city is split the matron mother agreed and ripe for civil war said xerath it will not be so some too interjected the many demons remain and serve loth above all else house bayenry remains strongly in the favor of love there will be no unity warn xerath i am possessed of the memories of the greatest matron mother bayenry even l the eternal quenthal reminded her coolly and it was no act gromf noted his sister was in control here and feeling quite confident in her decisions i remember the founding of this city quentin went on keenly so never has there been unity nor will there ever be and yes we need to be careful in our plotting here but so too does matron mess barris more so i say because those houses immediately behind her are not insignificant including my own said xerath and quenthal nodded and smiled and it seemed to grop almost an invitation for xerath to go to war almost then you have heard of the call for the restoration of house obladra zerath remarked somewhat offhandedly but she had clearly saved the biggest revelation for last and this one did make quenthal squirm after the salvation of the hive mind against demogorgon could you not anticipate such a thing xerath continued obviously savoring every word the great matron mother evan el bayenri my mother your ally dropped house obloter into the claw rift by the power of loth said gruff who most certainly didn't want house o bloodra restored he was learning the oblong magic from the one known surviving member of that house and he rather liked the advantage of having a skill so rare among his kin or have you forgotten surely i have not zerath exclaimed but there are many who either have forgotten or never knew or who hardly care now in this time of uncertainty and danger for all of their heresy house oblatera was possessed of a strange magical power that served men zoberans on well in the fight with demogorgon it is undeniable i have heard the whispers quentil said and in such a commanding tone that even gromf bit back his forthcoming retort to xerath and they are denied the illiterate hive aided us in our struggle against demogorgon indeed but there will be no invitation for remnants of house oblondra to return to a place of power in menzel baranson matron xerath turned her weary eye upon gromf and he understood her suspicions here he had been with the illithids in their action against demogorgon he had felt indeed had helped channel and add to the power of that psionic enchantment so hedjar laxal's powerful psionic lieutenant kimura loblodra of the aforementioned now destroyed men's o'barron's on house gromp was allied with house bayenry of course and so was charlaxil effectively giving matron mother quentil the most prominent and powerful access in all of menzo barons on to the strange magic of the mind called psionics quinto wasn't about to surrender that advantage xerath understood that gromp could see and despite his affinity for xerath the champion of mere males he couldn't help but be pleasantly surprised that his sister was handling this one so well that was the moment when gromf realized that he was still tied to his homeland two men's oberon's on and most importantly and intimately to house bayenri for all his protestations and complaints and near heretical histrionics deep in his heart gromp remained the elder boy of house bayenry it had not occurred to him in recent years not until this very moment that he cared whether house bayenry remained the first house of men's oberenson prego matron zereth matron mother quenthil said suddenly and unexpectedly let us each plot the best ways to move house or lauren back to its rightful place without invoking war or losing the alliance of the third or fourth houses and of this resurrected champion since the topic has come up xerath asked rather sharply nothing said quenthil lady loth has not demanded that we catch sacnife and so we will give him no more attention than a minor noble than a destroyed house deserves and the same for his son this heretic dressed when we were done with him here in the battle with demogorgon evanel decided to let him go so we too will let him go she is gone as well and likely near to him if she decides to kill him in the end so be it if not he is nothing to us he was a spear and that spear was hurled and made its kill matron zira sat there imperiously for a few heartbeats not blinking not letting her gaze stray at all from matron mother quentin she was clearly grump thought sizing up the unexpectedly formidable matron mother that quenthil had become i think you have chosen well matron mother zera said with another half bow your course cannot anger the spider queen if you change your mind or need anything from house or lauren know that we will be ready to heed that call i would expect no less nor would lady loft zerath bowed again and sent her magical disc into motion gliding for the exit grump suppressed his desire to clap for his sister and tried to hide as well his happiness that matron mother quentin had chosen not to go to war for the sake of drizzed or zachnophane gromf didn't want a messy conflict between gondolgrim and menzoberenson not then not when a host tower was growing grand and enchanting and there was so much for him to explore in the ways of magic and psionics across the city matron jindi mlarn stewed in helpless rage there is nothing explained escavidney your daughter is forever removed there is no soul to resurrect the matron winced she had recovered most of her priestesses but not her only daughter the heir to the malarny throne for yajn milan had been killed by the same weapon that had taken jerusalem jindiya's mother a cruel and vicious dagger wielded by the human friend of drysdale urden and escovidney merely confirmed what was already known a person killed by the blade of artemis and trary had no soul left to resurrect you are glad to hear this now doubt shindia said to the priests as she had called to her side the first priestess of house milan kiranil the accusation hung there for kearnel had once been the matron of house kenneth agreeing to serve shindia upon the merger of their houses but only both knew because she hadn't expected jindiya to survive for long why would you think such a thing matron kiernal said play no ignorance with me india retorted kirino looked to the two yokels who laughed and nodded very well kearnell said you intended to elevate yajin above me that she would soon become first priestess and so succeed you to the throne of house milan and did this trouble you escavidney asked kirnil the former matron laughed no in the end the choice wouldn't have been mine or matringe india's as loth wills so we follow that was a wise answer said the ever-burning zindia matron i have served you well kirino replied when our houses merged of course i wish to become matron milan but lolf chose otherwise and so i accept my place it is a place that brings great favor from the spider queen escovidney assured her for both of you such great favor that we were overrun by the heretic and his rivaled friends shindia groused such great favor that i am childless again and after all the effort i put into grooming yajn as a proper malarny matron everything for a reason eskavidny said a curious comment for a handmaiden of the lady of chaos shindia observed chaos is the reason the handmaiden replied immediately and now your house is weakened and you have lost ground while matron mother quentil tightens her grip on the city matron zeraths or lauren shindia spat of all the many drow she loathed xerath zorlaran was at the top of the list and now how sore lauren had returned or soon would replacing house the worden against whom jindiya had waged war and lost are you ready to surrender escovidney asked words that struck like lightning bolts against the two powerful priestesses standing before her both of whom looked at her with abject shock in this dark hour for house milan are you ready to abandon that which brought you greatness escavidney went on you are the purest of loft's followers upon toriel does that no longer matter to you what are you saying kearney asked what are you offering matring india properly rephrase the question some information has come to us igardaria explained the father of drizz has been stolen from his eternal rest and restored to his son's side he was once raised in the slavery of zincarla has somehow found great reward many claim that it is an affront to love and that blessed will be she who rectifies this abominable heresy india and kernel exchanged intrigued glances many claim shindi asked it is not our place to say more replied yukardaria the mysteries of the world are how the spider queen determines her most loyal and valuable followers lady lolth requires intelligence not mere obedience escovidney added some might look at this happening as a clear sign that they must intervene but others will perhaps accept that this is not a pressing matter does the matron mother know of this shindia asked of course said yikardaria as she knows that love herself confronted the heretic trees on the surface world and that loth did not destroy him why the deep surprise resonated in jindia's almost frantic question both handmaidens giggled fine then who returned to dressed his father mysteries a web of them eskividney added kearnel moved as if to speak but jindiya deep in thought waved her hand to silence the fool your web yes the matron of house muller said blessed are we because loth has given to us this great web of intrigue that we might unravel the divine mysteries and bring to her great pleasure her smile widened and she nodded the web of drizzed the heretic who brings chaos glorious chaos simply by being she continued and when that chaos subsided nature and mother quenthil took a strand of that web and weaved a war in the silver marches and sent house or lauren to conquer the ancient ruin of gontelgrim looked to the orclos but they remained impassive letting the matron unwind the story herself those failures threatened the order of men's oberenson she reasoned bastard matron mother quenthal take a strand of that second web and weave a third by filling the streets of men's oberenson with demons kirnal said and jindian nodded eagerly more glorious chaos yes but which led to the matron mother tightening her grasp on the city and brought the great demogorgon to the gates of menzel berenson ikardari reminded them and thus did ivanelle take a strand of matron mother quenthal's web and weave yet another said jindiya her eyes glowing with excitement to use drizz the heretic and the elephants the elites to strike down demogorgon which greatly pleased lolf his greatest rival of course oh but the spider queen must have enjoyed the spectacle of her people turning the great demogorgon into a pile of quivering sludge perhaps that is why she allowed drizz to live yagardaria remarked is this her word the handmaiden giggled again were at her word i'd not have qualified my statement was it a hint then asked kearnel no jindia answered and with resolve what joy would that have brought to love this heretic is not worth the breath of her single word to snuff out his life no she has given us a web one with strands to pull if only we are wise enough to see how that is always her way matring india said yakardaria that is their beauty added me so to be clear the spider queen has issued no edict regarding the heretic dressed or his resurrected father jindiya asked she offers no guidance on this what good is a web that is easy to navigate yakardaria purred shindia's chest rose with exultation and anticipation as far as she could understand it two handmaidens of lady love the closest and most trusted advisers of the spider queen the voice of love to her devout priestesses had just given her their permission to strike back at the very rogue drow who had so stabbed at the power of house milan and left jindia childless she would find this new web of intrigue and a strand to pull and then she'd weave one of her own part one echoes of the past you can't see the webs in the underdark you'll feel them too late tickling and teasing and perhaps you'll cry out in fear or disgust before you die but you won't see them not those of spiders or of other creatures laying traps for wayward fools who have ventured where they do not belong and few do few belong in the underdark and those who live there see the darkness as an ally in their own treachery here the duergar dwarves chop and gnash the stone swinging picks with a strength of hate ever growling ever cursing any spark from metal on stone revealing grizzled faces locked in a perpetual and threatening skull here the monstrous cave fishers lay their long lines ready to snatch an unwary visitor and drag him flailing helplessly and pitifully up the cliff to a waiting maw here the huge umber hulks burrow through stone through flesh it does not matter here the giant mushrooms gather and plot catastrophe here the living sentient shadows flitter and fly cold fingers ready to throttle anything possessed of the warmth of life here the lurkers pose as floors here the piercers hang among stalactites any who are found by either would think that the underdark itself had risen to devour them in so many ways they would not be wrong and then they like so many before would die would be eaten by the shadow for this is the underdark where shadows huddle too closely to be called shadows where light marks the bearer more than it marks the way before him where every hunting ground is boarded by another hunting ground where most are lucky to simply choose the manner of their own deaths to stick their own swords into their own hearts before the tentacles of the displacer beasts pull them from the ledge or before the spider is finished sucking out the life juices so slowly in an inescapable cocoon here the demons often roam insatiably angry masters of murder here the quiet odorless invisible gases of distant tumult make sleep eternal or make a flash of flint and steel into a fireball to humble the arch mage of menzoberenson here is the ominous heartbeat of distant dripping water a single sound dancing from stone to stone amplified by the profound stillness here are the rattles of the bones of unshrivened dead tickled to movement by the dark magic of the dark place raised in undeath to claw and chew i this is the underdark and here lies men's oh barons on the city of spiders the city of those who worship the demon goddess who calls herself the spider queen only a fool would come here unbidden only a fool would come here bidden for here are the drow the dark elves masters of magic divine and arcane masters of weapons edged in the cruel enchantments of the pharisers the magical boundary that gives life to the underdark and that connects it so fittingly to the lands of demons and devils yes here are the drow and they will stop killing one another just long enough to kill you what should i bring father ask the young man about to set off on an adventure into the underdark in a fable common throughout faerun two coins water dave and gold cormier silver it does not matter says the father how much food shall i pack it does not matter two coins water then surely father how much water shall i carry it does not matter two coins i will buy all i need with only two coins what weapon is best then a sword a bow two coins only two coins to buy all that i need the confused son asks no answers the father so cover your eyes when you are dead nothing else that you bring will stop that this is the underdark the land of murderers the land of the drow dressed doherton chapter one the year of the dracqueraj dale reckoning 10 18. the matrons web a hundred years patron risen said to matron malice though urden the two in the small chamber that served as a throne room in the minor house of deremon and a chesbernon more commonly known as house stewarten despite the limitations of the room such chambers in most men's barons on houses were far larger malice had done her typically brilliant job in designing and decorating the place to make it a true tribute to lolf the spider queen her throne upon a raised deus was upholstered in black silk emblazoned with red spiders behind it hung great draperies of heavy black material and they swayed constantly in a magical wind making them shimmer and seem alive attached to these were webs of course actual spider webs crawling with actual spiders most larger than a drow's closed fist all venomous and all trained through an assortment of magical spells to leave malice alone to the sides of the throne stood two jade statues the pride of house the worden many drow houses kept animated jade spiders but malice had taken that accepted practice one step further in a bold move that had risked angering the spider queen the jade statues of this lesser men's oberenson house animated as half drow half spider drivers it was a cosmetic difference from the normal golems of manzo barons on nothing more but the willingness of matron malice to do such a thing spoke of great audacity and the favor lol still showed her malice's small face tightened as she stared at risen her consort though it wasn't clear whether her disgust was aimed at his statement of fact or more particularly at him few matrons have served for a full century the often oblivious male added this is a great day a great day for you and a great day for house to warden house to erden malice echoed with a derisive snort she had taken control one hundred years before to the day the day her first child breeza was born the day her mother and matron vartha dewerden died malistawarden had imagined great things on that long ago day she knew that she had been flushed with a favor of love for she had given birth to a girl and the magic spell of poisoning she had enacted during the birth it worked beautifully never had she heard a suspicious word uttered about the death of matron vartha doerden so she had full control of her house and though it was but a minor house it was one with great potential and importantly a solid defensible compound in the west wall section of menzo barons on indeed hauster werden had been built right into the impregnable western wall of the great cavern reducing its critical defensive points considerably and malice had her daughter now a high priestess and one of formidable size and strength but the crawl from obscurity and men's oberen's on was not an easy one and matron malice was never one to be regarded as a particularly patient woman yes had climbed many places in the hierarchy of the city but that was mostly because of inter-house wars depleting the ranks above them or other houses disbanding for lack of nobles or being absorbed by the greater ruling houses indeed malice knew that house tiwarden's best weapon in its ascent had thus far been nothing more than its obscurity they hadn't been important enough for any greater houses to care now though as they neared the ranking of the top dozen houses that were surely changing obscurity could take the diwarden clan only so far they were dangerously thin of nobles for malice had lost two sisters and a brother in the last three decades they had no accomplished house wizard to boast of and their weapon master malice's oldest brother drevasir had not waged a decent fight in half a century the noble blood had not been replaced and now house the word and was close enough to mattering for other houses to take note just as she was least prepared to do much about it when i consider where we have come risen said dramatically heaving a great sigh and it is all because of matron malice's webs your quiet alliance with two of the great houses a bond built solely through your charismatic shut up matron malice told him and meant it not just because she was sick of his voice everything risen was saying was true enough for malice maintained relationships with two of the most powerful matrons in men's oberenson but those two matrons hated each other and so such webs were better kept unilluminated the room's door opened and malice's other child now thane entered it was a handsome drow small like malice and only a few years younger than brisa unlike his sister though now thane was mediocre in every way though undistinguished at melee mac faire the drow academy for warriors now feign should have demanded open combat so that he could claim his place as weapon master of house the word but he couldn't bring himself to do it likely fearing that he could not win and malice simply didn't want to give the important title to him fearing that any notoriety at all would put him in a position to defend himself against challengers and there just weren't many now fein would defeat she looked from the approaching man back to risen barely suppressing her scowl as his as well but only because he was told to for he knew the truth of her conception and it did not involve him he truly had given malice her mediocre son but no others just another in a long list of his disappointing traits as she looked upon risen now the thought occurred to her and not for the first time that perhaps she should have long ago sacrificed him to the spider queen but malice just sighed when she turned back to now feign risen was loyal enough never questioned her and always slobbered all over her every decision he was a satisfactory lover she supposed and it wasn't like she kept her amorous activities exclusive to him and while matron malice didn't want to admit it wanted to take the easy excuse and blame risen given the sheer number of lovers she had taken her lack of any more children in the last 95 years almost certainly had more to do with her than with him she has left the compound dolphin informed his matron she went alone on his or lauren disk she will not be bothered you told her the answer now fain nodded she inquired about the question that is none of her concern malice replied all she needed to know was the answer malice felt the curious looks of the two males upon her but she cared not at all how stewarden had been stagnant for far too long the days of hiding while the houses above them destroyed one another were over now it was time for matron malice to make a statement and to strengthen her house to make it worthy of its current station to make those ambitious houses behind dowerton no they could not fight her and to make those houses above know that attacking de worden would wound them too greatly to be worth the gain lolf had shown her an opportunity here she would not miss the chance high priestess breeze at the worden shifted uncomfortably on the floating disc as it glided through the twisting streets of menzoberenson every stalagmite mound in the great cavern had been worked and hollowed to serve as an anchoring tower for a drow house curving stairways and balconies swept the lengths of the natural structures highlighted with glowing harmless fairy fires of varying hues from purple to red in every shade in between moving near to the established houses didn't make brisa nervous she was on a magical disc that carried the identification of house or lauren and thus the imprimatur of matron zerath who led zorlaren the fourth ranked house in the city but in close alliance with house bayenri the unquestionable rulers of men's oberenson established houses of men's oil barons on would not trouble breeza when she was upon such a disc surely but the city was also full of unpredictable rogues and her path to the raised region of the cavern that housed the greatest houses would take her near to the brayron the stench streets were opportunists with little to lose huddled in gangs still she reminded herself that she was a high priestess of love no minor title and accomplishment and so instead of fretting she called upon her goddess and placed protections and wards upon herself they were not needed gliding up the ramp of quelar's all that raised area of the cavern breeza relaxed her fears of being assaulted but tightened in the face of certain judgment before her laid the great houses of the city including most of the eight whose matron sat on the ruling council they would all take note no doubt of her passing and so the tryst between house the word and house or lauren would be no secret if it ever had been that's why breeza had been surprised to learn that matron zeros or lauren had sent a disc to carry her to their meeting in the first place matron zerath was flaunting this not because house the urden was of any importance to the ruling houses but because of the rumors resurfacing again as malice celebrated her hundredth year as matron that house the worden had done some very dark dealings with house or lawrence principal adversary a lower ranking house but one with a formidable reputation house barristan del armago matron zerath surely wanted matron sula's arm go to see breeza float up the ramp to the quellar's oral which meant that breeza was a pawn in the great game between the houses that thought weighed heavily upon her strong shoulders as she passed the impressive compound of barris and alarmgo a compound too large and fortified for a house of its rank surely this family was far down the ladder of hierarchy far lower than house to werden even but brisa understood quite well that if house the word and went to war with house paris and alarmgo it would result in a swift and catastrophic defeat for her family within the latticework of the fencing of the del armago compound all designed as intricate spider webs the del arm goes soldiers marched in perfect cadence and tight formations they were always marching always drilling always training and no house no two houses together could boast a stronger contingent of male warriors to cap that off the barris and alarm go soldiers were led by a young weapon master named utha gentle was quickly becoming a legend in the draw city many eyes turned to regard brisa as she drifted past she stared straight ahead pretending not to notice or care and then very soon after she really didn't care for the disc climbed the ramp to the noble section and soon rounded a bend bringing her in view of the city's fourth house of all the drow families none was stronger in arcane magic than house or lauren unusually for their race matron zerath afforded her males great latitude and station and almost all of them even those whose claim to noble birth was thin at best attended sorcerer the drow academy for arts arcane and matron zerath had put those wizards to work decorating the curving walls of her compound which were painted in a permanent shifting wave of fairy fire colors a mesmerizing dance through the spectrum of normal visible light battlements floated above the wall tops and gracefully curving stairways wound about the stalagmites and stalactites within the compound often bridging great expanses of empty space to connect the many structures centering the whole of the place was a singular gigantic tower which somehow appeared taller than the ceiling of the great cavern similar magical tricks exaggerated length to the walls so that they seem to go on for hundreds and hundreds of yards it all gave off a sense of scale at odds with the houses station which was exactly the point breeza fought hard to calm herself as the disc floated right before the large central gates of house or lauren which swung open to admit her she jumped in surprise as she started to float between them realizing that each gate was anchored not by a carved metal post as she had believed but by a small iron golem priest a pause there basking in the view and noting the irony of the vicious rivalry between matron xerath and soules for among all the houses of men's oberenson these two were the ones most reliant on mere males xerath for wizards soules for warriors giving an exasperated sigh breeza willed the disc to move up to the sweeping stairway that led to the decorated front door of the grand central tower and there its back end lifted unceremoniously dropping her to a standing position before the entrance her biggest mistake was in keeping one hand on the disc for support as she tried to steady her balance for the disc then blinked out of existence and poor breezes stumbled and nearly fell to the ground she gathered herself and her dignity knowing that many eyes were upon her and knowing that in this particular house many of those daring to laugh at her were likely males angered at the thought she quickly composed both her posture and her expression she moved up to the door which opened before she arrived at it there stood a man in opulent purple robes splotched with designs of spiders and starbursts his unusual haircut long and hanging past his shoulders in the front but short to the base of his skull in the back marked him as urudisimoth the zorlar in house wizard and a master of sorcerer who had nearly upended the great grump bayenri himself in the contest to be named as the city's archmage well-met priest is still erden he greeted her giving a low bow do come along for you are expected of course of course she replied in a tone meant to remind the wizard that for all his accolades he was a mere male and she a high priestess of love he was two hundred years her senior at least but in men's oberon's on he had been right to bow before her the large doerden priestess squared her broad shoulders and tightened her chin as she made her way beside horudisimoth to the fancy throne room of house or lauren my great matron he said when they at last came to the walk before the throne which was another floating disc but one with ornate armrests and a high back covered in runes that magically scrolled spelling out prayers to lady love if she concentrated on them brisa thought she could hear the spelled words magically whispered great matrons or lauren breeza said and she gave a little bow i am reminded that today is your birthday priestess breezer matron zerath replied indeed i remember that day those hundred years ago when your grandmother so suddenly took ill and died there was more than a little sinister suspicion in her words brisa realized which caught her by surprise for what could anything that might have happened a hundred years before have to do with the deal that was being consummated this day with no further explanation though xerath continued you have brought the alteration of the jade spider dreamer she added sourly i expected your matron to personally deliver it i have breezes sputtered casting aside the disparagement and the savvy requested there is no better alchemist do not speak of your matrons skills in this place matron zerath cutter short we have house or lauren are not without the finest implements and practitioners of alchemy in all the city there are simply many potions and savs too mundane for us to bother with better to barter especially when the bartering is so one-sided that the other house remains in our debt proud and angry breeza did well to bite back her matron zerath wave to one of the priestesses at her side her daughter high priestess kiri frieza believed and the woman rushed forth to take the scroll tube in the savjar house trayrack will march soon brisa asked i know nothing of that which you speak frieza stared hard at matron's earth who glared back at her drow houses sometimes went to war with each other and sometimes other houses knew of the coming battle but they didn't speak of it ever sierra's look coldly reminded her when will house doerden be compensated for our efforts frieza tried instead when payment is secured zerath replied you would not do well to doubt house or lauren i do not good then finish the payment said xerath prisa looked at her curiously for kyrie had taken the two items what is my answer matron zerath clarified prisa thought back to her strange conversation with her brother right before she had climbed upon the zorlaran disc he had given her a word a single word for matron zerath though she had no idea what it might be all about child xerath prompted when she had hesitated too long yes said breesa the answer is yes xerath or lauren cackled and snorted ah it was ever so obvious she said your mother dear child she is such a lure a lure the label stung breezer mostly because she knew that it was true matron malice was indeed a lure to any who would be lured her sexual appetite and exploits had become quite the subject of gossip throughout men's oberenson to this day brisa hadn't decided whether malice used sex to gain confidence as an advantage or she was simply insatiable nobles commoners men women many even drivers claimed one set of rumors it did not matter many of those whispers were accompanied by titters of course and more than a few by scorn in judgment that malice was acting beneath the dignity of her station perhaps that was true breeza had often mused but what seemed truer to her was that her mother was continually advancing house to worden in the city of spiders in the religion of love little else mattered and certainly not anything as unimportant as carnal pleasures yes matron zero said mulling it over and laughing a bit more before fixing her stare upon breeza you do not even know what your answer means do you priest has spent a long while returning the stair before shaking her head the implications it carries for you i mean xerath clarified perhaps if you told me the question brisa replied but xerath was laughing wildly before she ever finished the request go child go matron zero said waving breeza away tell matron malice that house or lauren will deliver her prize when it is secured prisa continued to stare at the zorlaran leader as she backed away from the throne near the entrance of the room she was collected by a pair of young wizards and escorted out informed on the way that there would be no disc to carry her home when the gates of the zolarin compound closed behind her it occurred to breezer that perhaps she should not have come out here alone after all of course the answer was yes matron xerath told kiri and horodisimoth back in the throne room the resemblance is unmistakable as well as the size of that one i'm surprised that ogrish creature didn't split tiny malice in half when she was born urudisamoth who was also kyrie's father laughed heartily didn't you ever bet her matron zerath demanded suddenly stealing his mirth he cleared his throat a few times before stuttering no of course not no i would think you're curious xerath said seeming rather disappointed i know i am this malice has made quite a name for herself well urudismoth dared to say you did matron zeroth accused but she was laughing more than showing any jealousy or anger what is this about high priestess kiri interrupted in frustration when the two turned to her incredulously she sheepishly asked what are you talking about the answer was yes xerath explained to what patron risen doerden claims paternity of priestess briza but any who know the two and view tiny malice as well would doubt such a claim then what is the answer supposed to mean that breeze's father is the brutish warrior utha gentle of house barris and del armgo urudismoth answered after matron zerath nodded for him to proceed that had kerry's jaw hanging open although of a minor house uthagent alarmgo was considered by many to be the most formidable weapon master in all the city a giant of a drow he was known to fight with a terrible trident and scores of victims indeed had been hoisted into the air on its murdering times displayed like a trophy and it was no accident matron zero said her voice becoming suddenly serious it was done as half of a trade for dark magic the wizard said birthing magic which should not be kyrie stared at him blankly using the power of creation the act of giving birth as a means to greater destruction urudisimoth explained it is an old technique of potentially great power but one that has been shunned and is not sanctioned by the ruling council but would that power not be loth given the confused woman pressed it should not be was all that horudisimoth replied and coldly matron vartha doherton would agree with you said matron zerath but if we are correct in our suspicions then we must be extra vigilant whenever matron sula's arm go or any of her wretched daughters is fat with child particularly that loves a mesbarus creature you think they have unlocked the secret of birthing magic asked horudisimoth they gave malice something in return for allowing luther gentle to infiltrate their house as a sire the timely death of matron vartha is too perfect to be simple coincidence too perfect kyrie echoed trying to follow are you saying that matron malice allowed herself to be impregnated by uth again alarmgo in exchange for some dark magic that rid her of her mother so it would seem answered xerath i have never heard of this birthing magic said kiri to take the power of creation and reverse it to destruction or odisimoth explained it is demonic and dark so as loth kiri reminded them and the wizard could only shrug perhaps the birthing magic is lolf given perhaps not said matron zerath but it is a secret few have unlocked and one of great power it would seem matron vartha darwerden was no minor priestess she withered and died in a matter of hours and so house barris and alarmgo is no doubt thrilled by the ascent of house the worden they have a hold over matrimalis now and will likely absorb her house if ever it benefits them absorb kerry asked skeptically housed orton is the greater house why are we even discussing this barristan alarmgo family more than half the houses of men's oberenson are more highly considered and ranked both horudisimoth and matron zerath laughed at that remark unless you meet an untimely end you will come to see more clearly in time my child matron zerath predicted matron soules or her daughter will sit upon the ruling council soon enough would that matron mother be henry could see it and be rid of the troublesome arm goes now before they grow too strong for an easy eradication matron soulas has the great favor of love or odyss reminded and perhaps this birthing magic is not frowned upon by the spider queen kyrie suggested and her mother's face spoke volumes as she thought on it more herself the young high priestess started to see what her matron saw but the main reason so many matrons considered birthing magic profane was because they hadn't figured out how to do it themselves or even more likely because it was so powerful that it threatened the matrons as vartha dewerden had apparently learned and now matron malice comes to us for help in securing her desired treasure horudisimoth asked with a shake of his head and a disgusted look on his face appearing to very much want to change the subject because matron sula's armgo cannot yet project the power to help in malice's quest worse sula's armgo would keep the treasure for herself or feed him to uther gentle to keep that vain brute satisfied urudisima shrugged seeming unconvinced i hear that this one might defeat uther gentle both he and dantra bayenri have watched the progress of a young warrior from afar by all accounts he is extraordinary that will be matron malice's problem not mine but will we not be helping matron souls as we help matron malice but still confused kyrie interjected it is a good question xerath told her daughter but i think not malice's acquisition will anger uther gentle who cannot stand any to be compared to him that foolish half ogre but it will intrigue matron by henry's favorite son house bayenry's eyes will be squarely upon house toward and in short order and so whatever advantage matron soules might have over matron malice she will be unable to act without alerting house by henry house paris and alarmgo will not risk that we should take care to never underestimate matron malice though erden horudisamath remarked she knows she is vulnerable now with her weak house and her uninitiated climb to where she can hear the echoes of the ruling council in one move she will ward off those lesser houses who think to take her down the cost will be too high if this one is all that his reputation claims and she will also put off any plans of barris and alarmgo to absorb her and she gains a deal with matron souls's most hated rival kyrie added matron zerath nodded approvingly at her daughter's perceptiveness many matrons had rivals and enemies among their peers but no two hated each other more than xerath and soules few would have guessed such a thing for the two houses relative distance in their rankings made them such disparate enemies on the surface but xerath knew the truth and understood that sulez was gaining power exactly as she had by using drow males in more prominent roles yes house barris and alarmgo would climb fast and while others looked on in shock xerath would hardly be surprised when her earlier prediction to kyrie came true when matron sula's or more likely her daughter took her seat upon the ruling council it was not out of the question to xerath's thinking that mess barris armgo would one day become the matron mother of men's oberenson warning did not ring hollow for now matron malice to urden also of no house of significance had managed to weave impressive deals with both zor lauren and barris and alarmgo and this deal would include another shadowy force as well one growing stronger under the tutelage of house bayenry and one from which soon enough no house in menzoberenson would desire enmity take the gold and the bartered commoner warriors to charlaxxl xerath instructed haru disimoth the wizard crinkled his nose having little taste for the leader of that shadowy force must i he is insufferable which is why you must i want nothing to do with him matron zeroth said though it was a lie for she had already had much to do with the rake called charlaxal but her husband didn't need to know that chapter two the two quiet charge of house treyrock from the shadows of an alleyway beside the gates of house bayenry a dandy looking young drow watched breeza doerden run from house or lauren he lifted his eye patch a recent magical acquisition enchanted to show him things his eyes could not and to prevent him from being seen by things other than eyes to better survey the woman she wasn't much younger than he and he thought that yes he could indeed note the resemblance to her rumored father he smiled knowingly as the priestess from house to urden moved cautiously and kept glancing all around as if she expected a host of murderers to rush out and throttle her he was particularly curious and entertained as she hustled past the barristan del armgo compound charlaxal had heard those rumors from a very reliable source so of course he had searched for corroborating evidence he made it a point to try to know the truth about everything it was particularly important to him to be so informed because he had no house to protect him not formally anyway knowledge was how he stayed alive well that in his obvious charms or at least that was what he would insist to any who asked usually while running one hand through his short white hair which he had teased and styled with a goo of destroyed gelatinous cubes so that it stood straight up atop his beautifully curving skull like a crown of white fire he was of noble birth among the highest of noble births any male in menzo barons on could ever achieve but he was not wealthy yet he surely intended to be simply because he had not yet reached that lofty goal didn't mean he couldn't act as though he had substantial means he ran a fledgling organization mostly on promises and grand visions and spent more coin than he kept on the finest of clothes and a few other useful baubles he could not manage to steal like the eye patch and in the land of shadows jarl axel seemed a walking lamp his clothes were always brightly colored a fashionable combination of a bright blue shirt a tight-fitting and tailored red vest and a gaudy belt woven of giant feathers one of which was rumored to be quite magical he carried only one weapon a rapier openly but those who knew him knew that he could bring another to his hand in an eye blink whether a dagger for throwing a multi-time dirk for parrying or another rapier of course with this rogue the weapons whatever they might be were more distracting than lethal for the kill jarl axel usually found other more creative means he wasn't here to kill though not at this particular moment it is good that you have come he said still facing the now empty avenue though he knew his contact from house or lauren was standing behind him perhaps jarl axel is not as clever as he believes or rudisimoth remarked you only found me because i wanted you to find me charlaxa replied it was a lie mostly to cover up his obvious blunder of lifting that eye patch to view breeza doerden for that item would have stopped the zorlar and wizard from magically determining his location but he never conceded a truth that would diminish his mystique and so pressed on our time is short if matron xerath truly wants this done what do you know urudisimoth asked what news of houses sim frey and treyrock nothing definitive but the streets around them are unusually quiet this day you understand your task i understand my payment jar laxal answered turning to face the wizard it is a hefty sum as agreed the dandy held out his hand but the wizard did not produce the sack of coins and jewels he must be delivered and he must be alive john axel sighed impatiently and did not retract his hand matron zerath's contacts have spoken to me at length the deal was agreed i am simply and that deal included my payment up front jarl axel reminded him do you know who i am demanded the haughties or lauren wizard who was indeed among the greatest of mages in the city enough so the crossbows and spells and murderers trained upon you right now would be sufficient if needed joel axel answered and enough to wisely let you find me here in this place right beside the compound of matron bayenri dear friend to your matron xerath or odisimov straightened denied the mercenary slyly and dear friend to me charlaxal added half now the wizard offered and i will deliver you half of this warrior who has so caught your attention not mine your matrons then charlax or bluff feigning ignorance of the true transaction here matron doerden orudisimoth was compelled to correct oh of course when zerath is done with him this one is a fine prize by all accounts many noble women have watched him from afar the grace of his fighting movements is simply breathtaking i have been told you pretend that you do not know of him personally my dear horudissimo saw lauren i know of every drow and menzo barons on personally and this one he is magnificent he was too good at melee mac there you know the masters kept him muted in his practices in sparring they didn't want him to embarrass the sons of noble drow houses since his is a house so lowly that the coming battle between it and house trey rock would not even be discussed on the quill or sorrow except for the presence of this one it is not discussed anyway we are talking about it only because a bounty was paid for him for him alive trial axel shrugged it did not matter give me that bounty then and i will go about my work delay any longer and explain to matron xerath but the warrior in question might be dead or might be in the hands of jarl axel who has raised the price somewhere in the shadows behind him urudisimoth heard the cranks click on a dozen crossbows a whisper of an arcane word perhaps a trigger for a wand and the chant of a divine prayer and before him charlaxal stood calmly holding forth his hand urudismoth gave him the bag of treasure and do remind matron zerath that any other survivors i take from this fight belonged to me legally and with the blessings of her and her allies on the ruling council that was our deal and the treasure i most wanted in exchange for my services are you building an army jarl axel the wizard asked an army of houseless rogues that might get a male killed you know might get a lot of drow killed jarl axel answered more than you can imagine i expect the wizard snorted be quick charlaxal for treyrock marches this very night how do you know the wizard laughed and snapped his fingers disappearing in the blink of an eye jar laksa closed one eye and peered all about solely through the eye patch it's magic assuring him that yes urudisimoth was truly gone the young mercenary breathed a sigh of relief reached down and tapped his belt buckle which silenced the illusory sounds of his non-existent surrounding army he quietly tucked his bag of treasure into a belt pouch one that looked small but would hold a dragon's horde of pretty things now all he had to do was figure out how in the nine hells he was going to extract this reportedly magnificent young warrior from the upcoming inter-house war without losing half of his still meager mercenary band or his own head it is exaggerated devon trey rock assured his mother matron house i was with him in the academy he is a fine swordsman yes but to speak of this upstart in the same sentence as the greater weapon master is folly there are whispers that even uther gentilemgo which has nothing to do with his sim-fray creature said donjelina the eldest daughter and first priestess of the minor house she had just passed a century of life and so it had become clear that she would never become a high priestess but a matron duvonne scoffed more likely uther gentle would not waste his time with that one why would he what would be his gain reputation the greater the gentleness killed a dozen drow warriors in a single fight reputation he shook his head and disgusted what he considered an idiotic suggestion and even agreeing to fight this minor sim fray brat uther gentle would diminish his reputation be at ease my son matron house ordered this one's reputation is formidable whatever your impressions of him from your time together in melee mag there i wonder though how you can be so certain all these decades removed i wonder too why are you so eager for this fight the glory of house treyrock the young warrior said without the slightest hesitation and i can assure you matron that if uthagent alarmko or dan tragbayenri for that matter was now serving as weapon master of house sim frey i would beg you to forego this battle but for this pathetic imposter no i will kill him with my own blades take care little brother don jolina said with a derisive snort i have seen him i know how to beat him don jolina rolled her eyes but turned back to their mother for it was clear that none in the room wanted to pursue this argument further if duvan's high opinion of himself got him killed in the vanquishing of house sim frey it would be an annoyance nothing more matron house had grand plans indeed and alliances ready to enact as soon as house treyrock proved itself in this battle and her son's grandstanding didn't overly concern her a mere 50 years hence how strayrock would rank among the top 20 of menzo berenson's hierarchy she was confident and while matron house would almost certainly never sit on the ruling council she intended for don jolina to hold one of those seats the wizards are prepared matron house asked those we have hired to commence the barrage will be ready so alar and wizards come at a high price but they have ever proved worth the gold don jolina replied and it filled her with pride to even speak of the fact that she had made a deal with the powerful fourth house she mered angelina treyrock had stood before the throne of matron zerath and treated with a formidable matron as someone who commanded her attention and your priestesses we will throw fire down upon them d'angelina assured her mother we will freeze them in their boots leave them paralyzed and unable to defend when devon's murderers come upon them it must be done quickly matron house explained we must move without warning and with all speed only say when my matron said duvan she just did you fool dangelina answered and duvon glanced at her side long seeming quite confused the zorlar and wizards are in position the first priest is continued i was not told you are a male you are told now said angelina from the throne matron house laughed and waved them away to action out from the walls of house treyrock out into the darkness between the fairy fire glows of the minor houses in the lower section of men's oberenson went the soldiers and priestesses all about them remained quiet save the whispers of onlookers spreading the word that a drow house was on the march just the gates or odyss signed to his minion wizards in the intricate silent hand code of the drow the group of six was levitating across the avenue from house sim fray cloaked in a field of mass invisibility though each wizard had also been granted an enchantment to counter that three armor so that they could still see one another a tricky bit of magic but one that was no problem for the most powerful mage of house or lauren all lightning all fire on the gates only one lightning bolt will suffice one of the zorlar and wizards signed back all urudisimoth said aloud even though he had put a ban on all vocalizations other than the soft chanting needed for some spells he wanted to impart on those beneath him that he had a plan and that he did not like being questioned in rapid succession he added with his fingers we open the gates and our job is done here unless i instruct differently he closed his eyes briefly to recall the words for another spell then looked back down the avenue when his lieutenant tapped him on the shoulder not only was horudisimov's sight enhanced to counter the invisibility but other enchantments gave him sharper vision than any normal drow might know as soon as he turned he noted the front line advance of the tre rock warriors creeping along the compound wall of another minor house count 10 he signed to his wizards and he began his spell casting a dry armor that would take longer to enact than a simple fireball or a lightning bolt he closed his eyes and concentrated on his spell with such focus that he didn't even register the sudden and furious magical barrage that reached down from the floating group to rain destruction upon the gates of house simfray lightning rattled the bars fireballs melted the hinge pins other spells joined the barrage these designed to set off any glyphs or wards the sim phrase had put upon their entryway the flash of ice froze everything solid until the next fireball turned into steamy fog and more lightning rang out to slam the metal to bend and twist and ultimately open the gates with those attacks the zorlaran wizards became visible once more but only for an eye blink until horudisimoth recreated their camouflage now it was up to the tre rock warriors charging in hand crossbows clicking whenever a sim fray guard was spotted and pointed out flanking the running fighters came matron house's noble son duvan and his elite guard riding great lizards with sticky paws that allowed them to go right up a wall or over a fence with ease second servings or disimoth signed and his wizards began preparing their next round of magical fun this time involving spells for more specific and situational tasks like webbing to block an alleyway or enchantments to slow the movements of or steal the magic from an enemy on horudisimov signal the zorlaren all joined hands arranging themselves in a v-shaped formation as the house wizard at the point flew off dragging his weightless minions behind across the street they went up near the curving stairway of one of the two forward towers flanking the front walk and courtyard of house sim fray there they waited and watched as the combat began between simfrey and treyrock from back on the avenue charlaxal whose eye patch defeated invisibility watched the floating wizard formation with some mixture of trepidation he did not wish to tangle with zorlar and wizards hope had they been sent to help him nab the warrior and admiration for he suspected that this was nothing more than horudisimoth extracting coin from all sides of the conflict he will likely fight along the higher terraces he signed to his principal lieutenant erathis hewn charlaxil nodded then both pulled their magical powafu cloaks tight about them and jarl axel let the skilled assassin lead the way they moved from shadow to shadow across the street sliding just behind the line of tre rock warriors and just before the second attack group the one including the priestesses of matron houses court the pair came up quickly on the sim fray wall far to the right of the blasted gates arathis hewn slipped aside and jarl axel moved past him producing what seemed to be an oblong cloth of black velvet charlaxal flicked it out before him spinning it as it flew and in that rotation it elongated doubling in size then tripling beyond that new perimeter it hit the sim fray wall flat and there it stuck or rather melded for the cloth became a hole in the previously substantial wall and through that hole went jar laxal with arathus close behind inside the gate charlaxal pulled at the edge removing the hole reverting it once more to a simple oblong cloth and then looping it fast on his belt the pair surveyed the compound before them fighting had already begun along the lowest level of the right hand tower not far from them charlaxal pointed to the left tower and bad arith is to go and if i find him the assassin's fingers asked am i to reason with a deadly warrior in the heat of combat in response jarl axel produced a bolt for a hand crossbow one that seemed a bit larger than typical and thicker thick with poison this will stop him aretha signaled charlaxal shrugged arithus heaved a sigh one jar laxal had seen before he was more than aware that they were a new mercenary band taking great risks to try to solidify their numbers and power before some other gang or some drow house absorbed or slaughtered them but while both jarl axel and arithus understood that they would likely get in over their heads this was the kind of risk on which reputations and further business could be secured it didn't make the job any easier especially as the fighting intensified in both towers and the priestesses of both warring houses arrived on the scene lighting the darkness with flame strikes animating magical hammers that attacked on their own and holding opponents fast with mind-numbing paralysis this might well be one of those over their heads moments pray for me arath assigned but not to loaf despite the tense situation jarl axel managed to smile at that a saying that was becoming litany for his band of mercenaries all of them outcasts from the matriarchal society of men's oberenzon and the misandry of the spider queen off went arathis hewn to the left and off went jar laxl to the right tower and while the assassin simply used his practice skills to ascend jarl axel put on a pair of extraordinary gloves that allowed him the sticking properties of a spider leg and enacted one of several dewey armors on his fabulous boots to grant him levitation it's all about style he thought on he went hand over hand verily running up the sheer tower wall there is your friend one of the zorlaran signed to horudisimoth who nodded even though he hardly considered the rogue jar laxal a friend and there the prize signed another directing them all to a series of bridges between the towers where battle was only then being joined the advanced warriors of house treyrock a pair of lizard riders among them swept out from the right tower while a small contingent of defenders came forth from the left towers door sorely outnumbered the sim fray contingent slowed all but one that seemingly fearless warrior came out eagerly red eyes flashing a sword in each hand both spinning at his sides then one in front one over his head then across and back out again a volley of hand crossbow darts shot out from the tre rock group flying down the narrow bridge but that lead sim frey warrior spun and ducked his pawafwi flying wide collecting in its thick protective folds all the missiles that would have struck him he came out of that spin just as a lizard rider leaped upon him or tried to for one sword caught the creatures descending more the other slashed in at the side of the mount's left leg and under that leg went the warrior in a row just ahead of a stab by the skilled trey rock rider as he went under on his back in the same fluid movement the sim fray fighter tucked his legs and caught the descending lizard not fully but enough to redirect it out to the right where he kicked out with all his strength sending lizard and ryder over the low rail the lizard caught that rail and held fast the rider jerking back but holding his seat for the propensity of these mounts to run along the walls and ceilings required that he be tied into the saddle lizard and riders struggled to regain their footing on even ground but the sim frey warrior was already there one sword stabbing and slashing at the lizard's face bloodying its mall once more and retracting too fast for the beast to clamp its teeth upon the blade while the other sword performed a clever parry against a stab from the rider catching the blade along the side and sliding it down fast quite fast fast enough to cut through the saddle stirrup tie and the lizard's skin as well the mount lurched and snapped at its own rider reflexively and while the hanging drow was agile enough to avoid that the tangle gave the sim prey warrior all the opening he needed he jumped into the air flattened out straight and double kicked the lizard in the chin and throat driving it back expelling it from the bridge except for a single foot catching hold on the bottom rung of the rail the sim fray warrior had no time to finish the task he hit the bridge and bounced right to his feet charging ahead the whole exchange having taken no more than a few heartbeats kill it he called to his heart and comrades who were coming quick behind once more and on he leaped to meet the treyrock footman charging at him to abreast with the first pair lowering long multi-bladed pole arms left with the sim fray champion then back to the right just one step then back left to the bridge rail his cuts and dodges forced the trey rock footman to angle their unwieldy weapons but these were skilled drow fighters and they kept up with his movements offering no apparent opening they were surprised however when he suddenly darted straight at them more surprised when he threw his right hand sword straight up into the air and fully off guard when he pulled a long whip from his belt snapped it across right to left rolled his wrist to wrap it down around the pole arms and yanked it back the other way before they could extract their weapons one wisely just dropped his pole arm and tried to draw his sword the sim freight champion was upon them driving both enemies to his right with a series of stinging stabs a barrage that doubled when he clamped his whip back against its magical hold on his hip and regained his second sword plucking it from the air with practice perfection as a dropped from his throw and he was past them cutting back to the middle of the bridge spinning as he drove between the next two in line then the two after that his blades working in a magnificent blur each sword taking on two of the opponents to that side parrying reposting knocking the treyrock fighters off balance fatally so for behind the champion came his minions following his lead and every pair of trey rock fighters he passed was immediately too hard-pressed to consider going in pursuit the integrity of the tray rock formation on the bridge buckled it had barely had a chance to form in the first place still floating with his orlar and fellows up by the tower urudismoth glanced all about since he could see them anyway he had no idea which if any had cast another spell to become visible who cast the slow spell he asked for looking down at the bridge at the scrambled tree rock fighters their movement surely seemed magically slowed when compared with the dizzying blur that was the sim freight champion the wizard beside horudisimoth chuckled and shook his head matron zero should have extracted a larger payment from malice though erden he remarked urudisamoth stared at the magnificent warrior who had by now passed through the line leaving the invaders wounded tangled and disorganized as the sim fray house guards came upon them the champion didn't hesitate and didn't enter the other tower instead he leaped from the bridge to the rail of a stairway encircling the tower slid just a bit lower then leaped again out from the tower to catch the bridge support then back to the stair then back to the tower dropping 10 to 15 feet with each bounce back and forth until he sprang out on the ground angling his legs perfectly as he touched down to throw him into an absorbing role once twice and back to his feet in a dead run toward the main treyrock battle group which was mostly composed of some very surprised priestesses urudismoth was happy he wasn't standing there with them perched on the side of the tower charlottesville held his breath with both trepidation and awe as the sim fray champion came bounding down leaping from rail to bridge support to the tower side and back again with such ease and grace that it seemed as if he had been practicing this amazing and speedy descent every hour of every day hmm the clever mercenary said as his prey sprang past and far below just hmm because for one of the rare times in his eventful life charlaxal found himself without proper words across the way he saw a flash a signal from a rather soon and he gave a nod indicating that he would get the champion while hewn could attend to other matters as they had arranged although looking down charlaxal had no idea of how he might get anywhere near the dervish below there the intended prey was down in the field between the sim for a towers rushing and rolling past flame strikes javelins and flying poisonous darts he came upon a priestess waving a snakeheaded scourge but a minor one sporting only two venomous heads then sporting none as the champion sword slashed across and behind that cut his whip snapped right into the face of the tre rock female charlaxal expected the warrior to run past as he had up on the bridge but no he went in hard and finished the priestess with a great cut of his one drawn sword neck high she was enhanced with defensive enchantments charlaxal noted as he spotted the sparks and flashes of various colors from her magical protection barriers they didn't help her head fell free now a trey rock foot soldier came on fiercely his swords dancing and weaving as he quickly closed the gap but the sim frey champion drew his second blade and matched that flurry with brilliant ease every strike of the invaders neatly fended off and driven wide again and again until finally the tre rock warrior was forced off balance just a bit just a tiny bit but too much against this champion who pressed past and cut the invader in the back of the leg dropping him helpless to the ground i should have charged zerath more darlaxa lamented now almost to the ground he paused still on the side of the tower and noted that the champion did not finish this kill as he had done with the priestess the mercenary didn't have time to ponder it though and suddenly all his efforts to procure this living prize seemed for naught for the sim freight champion stopped suddenly so suddenly dead in his tracks moving not at all as if he had simply frozen in place and there beyond him on the field stood first priestess d'angelina treyrock grinning wickedly and waving a lizard rider her brother devon jarlaxell realized in for the kill on the clearly helpless champion held paralyzed by her powerful dwee armor charlaxa looked to the other tower hoping to see erathus hewn close enough to offer some help but his partner was nowhere to be found and he himself was nowhere close enough to help the soon-to-be dead champion your sister you take the fun out of it devon trey rock said pacing his lizard mound past angelina who stood staring at the sim fray champion grinning wickedly at the success of her spell of holding just claim the kill you fool she replied your reputation will gain greatly and we will tell them all that you defeated this sim fray coward so quickly that it appeared as if he was frozen in fear the best lies are truths told with double-sided meanings devon recited and though he might have a slight bit of regret for killing this defenseless male he kicked his lizard into a charge anyway chuckling as he did so of course first priestess angelina called after him your newfound reputation will put you in the notice of dantrag bayenry and uthagent alarmgo that one always desires a worthy challenge duvonne slowed his mount had looked back to glare at his sister who was grinning ever wider now but no he shook aside those warnings he wanted this kill whatever the risks and he set his mount into a charge once more left hand grasping the reins right taking his fine sword out wide neck height to the perfectly immobile victim trial priestesses endured years of rigorous training more than the minions of any other god on faerun from their earliest days almost all girls in men's oberenson particularly those of noble birth were taught the semantic somatic and material components for the divine magical cantrips and minor spells given by the grace of loth when they arrived at arectinolith the drow academy for priestesses they learned ever more intricate and powerful spells and trained their bodies to channel the magic without personal harm but all of that was only part of the training they also were immersed in studies of martial arts and recognition recognition of wounds needing to be healed of demonic powers that might be too great to control and the victims of their spells such as the champion caught on the field before the charging duvon d'angelina had not taken her eyes from him since casting the enchantment her skilled gaze looking for any movement an eye blink even that would reveal a weakness in her dreamer but no he was frozen fully frozen at least that's how he appeared to her for this champion too had trained from his earliest days and as he grew to know the world around him he had trained specifically to fool priestesses of love like this one who was so typically overconfident in her powers that she'd never believed someone could fight through one of her spells yet he had done just that resisting her spell and reversing her own training back having recognized it fully and so reacting with complete perfect control he didn't move but it had nothing to do with her spell so it was a shock to don jolina when as her brother neared in the split instant before his decapitating kill the sim freight champion exploded into motion diving to his knees and spinning forth his sword underhand like a spear to bore into duvon's lizard's face the lizard screeched and lurched duvan's blade cut high above the dropping warrior and even as duvan tried to hold his mount yanking the reins with both hands to begin its turn the sim freight champion's whip cracked in his face reflexively devon fell back over the outer shoulder of his turning mount his weight going far out and flipping the injured lizard right on top of him in a frenzy from the pain of the stock sword and the confusion of the fall the lizard flailed and clawed and poor dewvon could do no more than cover and cower and hope the mount didn't tear out any irreplaceable organs or even worse could do little to correct his helplessness against the deadly warrior that should have been felt by his sword just seconds ago but no he noted with some surprise and relief the champion was running on fearlessly recklessly charging for his sister and her guards charlaxa leaped down from the tower and fired his hand crossbow of the fallen treyrock noble sun thinking it would be good to salvage that one he hoped his sleeping poison would do the trick but as he did a pair of trey rock warriors came around the curve of the tower behind him rushing in pursuit of the sim-fray champion the lead fighter stopped and ducked and the second flipped right over his companion's back turning as he went so that both were quickly facing jarl axel and now charging his way that didn't work purely on reflex the mercenary tugged his rope belt through the loops on his pants his pouches magical and normal falling to the ground as the cord pulled free he flung the belt on the ground ahead of the charging enemies one of them smiled wickedly as if at the absurd notion such a mundane object could distract them let alone trip them up but then the rope became a living serpent long and thick and the smile quickly disappeared from the warriors face a two-headed constrictor which attacked immediately from either end wrapped the ankles of the tre rock warriors and tangled them together they did well to keep their feet and even managed to turn their blades toward the serpent until charlaxal quicker on the draw produced a wand from a loop in his powerful cloak and spoke a command launching a glob of syrupy goo that plowed into the pair and threw them over backward into the ground now they were truly entangled the snake tightening the goo holding them fast your house has failed he told them running off the other way but i have a place for you he hoped that would prove true of course but it seemed a minor thing as he turned his focus back to the sim frey champion and the treyrock nobles to see the area before his prize become a blur of translucent magically summoned spinning blades they are around the weapon master filled with floating sticking webs as well as another treyrock warrior leaping in at him from behind charlaxal's winds quickly became a look of sheer incredulity for the sim frey champion exploded into motion spinning all about and slashing with his one sword to fend the webs away across came his blade at the last moment and with such speed and power to take aside the treyrock warriors swords down went the champion into a role to trip up his pursuer and as the warrior tumbled over him he planted his whip hand on the ground and pressed upward inverted to double kick the tre rock warrior in the back sending him stumbling forward right into the blade barrier enacted by the first priestess the trey rock male screamed but only for half a heartbeat and then his body was cut apart his momentum and the movement of the blades creating a mist of red liquid and pieces of brain and bone and flesh and behind that gory confusion came the sim frey champion for now the blades were clearly marked with blood he called upon his innate draw abilities and created a globe of impenetrable darkness in the air before him covering the blade barrier then dotted into it as if to round the defensive shield the first priestess began another spell while her personal guards rushed for the spot expecting the champion to burst forth around the side but no the sim frey warrior had called upon another magic comment to draw nobles that of levitation and instead of crossing through the globe of darkness he leaped up out of it climbing high above the blade barrier just the right angle to bring him clear he dropped his levitation to the armor as he went over landing agilely on the ground right before the surprised angelina for all her guards and wards a host of magic granted by the spider queen to this devoted cleric the first priestess of house treyrock was dead just like that chapter 3 no winners charlaxal winced at the gruesome kill but still almost laughed out loud at the precision and efficiency the sim frey champion displayed in cutting the throat out of donjelina tre and the brutality which gave him pause for this one truly seemed to enjoy that kill charlaxal couldn't help but note the stark contrast to the way the champion had pulled his blows against the common warriors of the invading house or even against duvon treyrock yet utterly destroyed the priestess when the vicious sim frey warrior turned on don jolina's guards darlaxel almost yelled out for him to show mercy for every male drow saved might prove an addition to the mercenary's fledgling band after all but he was pretty sure the sim frayed champion didn't care about jarl axel's venture he needn't have worried though for the pair of guards apparently recognized that this single warrior had them sorely outmatched and so with their own champion down and the first priest is dead on the field they turned and fled gerald axel's relief over potential new recruits proved short-lived for the blade barrier died away and the sim frayed champion was looking back the way he had come toward duvon who was groaning and thrashing in his poisoned sleep under his flailing lizard and toward jarl axel someone the mighty swordsman knew did not belong to house sim fray on he came in a wild charge whip cracking sword spinning charlaxxel turned and fled for the tower he got to the wall but heard the weapon master closing fast behind so jarl axel leaped and called upon his own powers of levitation climbing up the wall as quickly as possible behind him leaped the warrior to the wall then up again reaching with his whip and just missing jarlax's foot at the same time deftly dodging a small and spinning black cloth charlaxxel threw down at him growling at his miss the warrior dropped to the ground then dropped ten feet farther than he had expected as that thrown cloth spun down and widened and became a gaping hole in the dirt below him charlaxxel floated down the tower quickly touching down just beside the magical pit he had created feeling altogether quite pleased with himself we must speak he called to the warrior in the darkness below hoping the brilliant sim-frayed champion hadn't been hurt too badly in the fall he got his answer to both his remark and his fears when a whip cracked up from the darkness of the hole catching him fast about the ankle and the surprise jarl axel was unceremoniously yanked from his feet and tugged into the blackness floating up above the battle urudismoths or lauren was thoroughly enjoying the play and laughed out loud when the always cocky charlaxal was taken down he saw the mercenary hit the ground hard and go sliding in clawing feudally at the dirt as he went instead of finding purchase though apparently charlaxal caught the edge of his own magical hole and pulled it in with him for the whole of the thing folded in on itself suddenly when jarl axel disappeared from view a heartbeat later where the hole had been there was only the unremarkable ground once more with no sign of the mercenary or the sim freight champion charlaxa was carrying a bag of holding another wizard remarked to her odysseum off that bell pouch of his held a pocket dimension zorlar and house wizard grimaced at that information bringing an extra dimensional item into the effects of another extra dimensional item could open rifts through the planes of existence and would most often send the bearer and anyone caught in his proximity untethered to the astral plane floating lost and helpless for eternity and that was the best possible outcome of such a deadly and devastating action one simply did not merge extra dimensional magic items urudisimoth felt a twinge of regret and even wondered if he might find some way to launch a rescue mission to try to retrieve jarl axel once he returned to house or lauren retrieved jarloxil and the sim frayed champion for one matron zerath had paid charlaxal to collect but more for charlaxal oru disimoth had to admit to himself even if he would never tell anyone else and certainly would never tell jarl axel he rather liked the strange mercenary and found him quite entertaining and sometimes even useful and yet that champion of course was a sight to behold such grace and cleverness yes it would be marvelous to rescue that one too oh well urudisimoth lamented to his fellow wizards they were merely fighters after all are we finished here another wizard asked urudisimoth looked to the bridge then to the field below the invading house was on the run one noble down and wounded the other dead on the field despite the efforts of the zorlorans intentionally meager as they were how simfrey had seemingly withstood the assault by matron zira's command that was not supposed to happen the ball champion couldn't be extricated in that outcome but now the champion was gone in any event and so the outcome no longer mattered yes he told his floating entourage and he heaved a great sigh it is time to go home another outsider creeping about the sim fray compound had no idea of the events that had transpired out on the field between the towers and this intruder too understood the necessities of a tre rock win or at least of a sim fray loss arathis hewn moved with the sound of a shadow nothing more flowing from room to room to hallway to stairway within the main tower of house sim fray most of the house guard were out on the bridge and fighting through the levels of the other tower for the structures defenses bolstered by the magic of the priestesses of house sim frey and that whirlwind who called himself weapon master had kept the tre rock invaders at bay thus far the main doors at ground level and those coming in from the bridge had not been breached and no tray rock invaders had entered the throne tower as far as arathis could tell but he had entered using a magical potion to turn his corporeal form into a gaseous cloud he had avoided any glyphs and wards set on the windows because he had gone through no window rather flowing in through a crack in the curving stone wall he wasn't sure how much longer his enchantment would hold potions were such unreliable things in that regard and so he was careful to keep close to nooks and alcoves and other areas or furniture that would offer him some concealment should the dewey armor dissipate he heard voices when he came into a curving hallway above the bridge level and near the tower's top he believed he floated up to the ceiling and stretched along the high corner and there held still as a trio of priestesses came rushing by talking excitedly about the victory on the bridge and the field below matron divine will organize a counter-attack and house treyrock will be fully destroyed one said with obviously but only if we can save enough of our warriors another pointed out and on they ran heading for the bridge no doubt because of the extensive study jarl axel had demanded of him before their little adventure here arathis unit recognized one of the priestesses as matron divine's daughter who no doubt had a seat at her war table which meant that the war table was no longer full though his target would certainly still be there arthas hewn knew he was close and now knew too that in their confidence of victory the sim frey priestesses had broken their defensive prayer formation the standard practice for drow houses that found themselves under attack the attack had failed and so they believed the coordinated prayers of power would no longer be needed and thus matron divine would not be well guarded but they are repelled the young priest has pleaded but at what cost matrice divine sim fray hissed back she had just been told of the loss of her weapon master in consort the young warrior she had intended as sire for a host of sim frey children we do not know the full the young priest has started to reply find him find out matron divine yelled in her face if he is dead you are dead she swept her glare off to the side to the third priestess remaining in the room who stood before her pushed back chair at the edge of the round table staring blankly divine's way both of you divine shouted at them the priestess didn't blink didn't react at all which made matron divine even more agitated did you hear me she shrieked find him i will know what happened to him he just disappeared they said the young priest is standing beside divine tried to explain but devine didn't even turn her way still staring at the third in the room at the young woman's inexplicable lack of reaction find a finger find a hair find anything of him that i can use to beg of lady law for resurrection matron divine said with a low growl and still she stared at the priestess across the room she did look back at the younger one then just for a moment just long enough to yell go before turning back to the other and repeating the command the young priestess broke into a run for the door the other one simply fell over unblinking even when her face slammed into the floor the young priest is skidded to a stop looking back in blank amazement which only deepened when she saw the killer crouched under the most sacred table and house sim fray a place where he could not be it wasn't possible her mind could not comprehend it because she had not seen the low cloud creeping under the door and across the stone floor like the fog on a surface lake in autumn she hesitated again shaking her head in helpless denial she should have kept running a spinning disc like a dinner plate she thought but sparkling with lightning energy reached out at her from under the table she got her arm up to block but the discs fine edge dug in deep and the crackling arcs of stinging lightning held it there stabbing at her flesh and demanding her attention and taking her attention too much of it when arathis hewn rushed in behind his throw normally he fought with a short sword and a dagger but now he held his sword in one hand and aspergillum in the other which he pumped back and forth as he approached except instead of spraying holy water arithesium's instrument sprayed oil of disenchantment which fell over the wounded young priestess and stole her personal spells of defense and even for a few heartbeats the defensive enchantments on her vestments this one was pretty aretha soon thought and surely it was a pity that he had met her in this particular situation but the orders were clear no priestesses of house sim frey were to survive this night arithes hewn's poison-coated short sword slipped into the woman's belly the assassin spun away immediately tearing his serrated edged sword roughly from his doomed victim without even considering the view before him he went right back under the table and wisely for matron divine had created a ball of flame in the air above him a loaf given fires roaring down from on high the table blocked them and arithus yoon came out the other side closing fast on the matron his aspergillum flashing once more horrified recognizing the disenchantment divine simfray fell back she lifted her snakeheaded scourge but that too failed her the magic refusing to come at her call to animate the three serpents my lady arthur soon said lifting his hands to a less threatening posture you need not die here matron divine glared at him i am assuming of breaking the earth then you are a houseless rogue for house eun was defeated many years ago she tried her scourge again just a bit and noticed that one of the snakes was beginning to stir no and yes for i am now with breaking the earth a house i do not know no house matron arithes hewn explained we are a band of mercenaries growing strong on the braerin stench streets she scoffed using the more common name for the lowliest section of men's oblarance on then you are nothing else bayenrinosa sent approves arathis you encountered and house or lauren paid us to be here on behalf of treyrock all three snakes on her scourge were writhing now she noted no no he paused and winced as the young priests across the room began to cry out in agony gurgling and spitting blood he knew without even looking no and it need not end badly for you we are men mostly but not exclusively i am granted permission by jarl axel who leads us to offer you a position of comfort and great power your house is lost matron she laughed you are wrong the treyrock nobles lie dead on the field we still control our house but you do so without your champion and your control is not quite as solid as you were led to believe your tower is breached you'll have one way out and that is to come with me else i'll leave now and let the treyrock horde take you and do with you what they will matron divine lifted her three-headed scourge a formidable weapon and even more so in her skilled hands she stared hard at this assassin but the male didn't even flinch we must go he said instead and then when she gave him a doubting look he added i could have struck immediately when your scourge was disenchanted this you know matron devine licked her lips and glassed about she was hoping one of her priestesses would return to her something arithus ewan feared himself but he kept his mean calm and that discomforted the matron the zorlar and wizards breached your gate he said surely you know this for house treyrock could never have mustered the magical power to execute such a grand entrance lady we must go at once matron divine looked around again knew no one was coming then nodded and lowered her scourge it was barely to her side when arathisune came ahead swifter than divine serpents his sudden practice thrust planting his sword in her belly she staggered back stumbling trying pitifully to lift her limp scourge against another attack but the assassin had already backed out of range as i said i could have struck when first i stood before you he said honestly but alas it took my blade a few moments to coat itself once more with that most exquisite poison matron divine stared at him hatefully but already she was coughing her lips reddening with her vomited blood she sank down to her knees then dropped her scourge and rolled face down to the floor arithesium wasn't about to let a treasure like this pass him by he pulled a sack from his belt and tossed it over the scourge then waited just a moment until the snakes now separated from their wilder settled some priestess of a lesser house would pay well for such an item he knew very well he gathered up his treasure sack and whispered charlax will need not know chapter four tying up the web charlaxxel understood what he had done by pulling the edges of the hole in on itself he had created an extra dimensional pocket a cube of extra space untethered to the material plane of existence untethered to anything but itself still he was more than a little disoriented for it wasn't so much that the pocket of extra space was turning as that its center of gravity kept shifting one instant he was standing on the floor the next on the wall he took solace in the belief that the dangerous man he had caged with him was likely fully off balance at least until he heard the cut of a sword not far from his face then caught the crack of a whip on his backside as he scrambled away in the absolute darkness and then it was light brilliant light by jarl axel's design as he threw a ceramic pellet against the wall or ceiling or whatever it was smashing it and releasing the blinding dewey armor he saw the sim freight champion diving aside rolling his powafew cloak up over his stung eyes i am not who you think i am charlaxal proclaimed i think you are nobody came the angry answer not so he said just a bit hurt he shook off his pride though and added i can help you if you let me treachery the sim frayed champion replied and rushed ahead suddenly sword leading whip up high to crack at his adversary's face good fortune was with charlaxal as was usually the case when the gravitational orientation of the room again shifted sending both him and his opponent flying down hard to the side the reprieve would last only a few heartbeats charlaxal knew as the champion began his correction such magnificent reflexes even before he landed i am not trey rock he said i came for you and so you shall have me said the champion coming forward with a thrust slash and cracking whip no novice to battle jarlaxel had his swords in hand to parry block and duck the attacks but being a skilled warrior and fighting this brilliant swordsman were two different things and it was taking much of his concentration to keep the swirling weapons at bay still he had enough presence of mind to attempt to clarify his position i only want to help you the champion came on again but with less enthusiasm and this time jarl axel easily avoided the attacks stepping a bit more out of reach he said a noble house paid well for my head gerald axel rolled his eyes only if still connected to your body listen to me i'm trying to help you no one is going to kill you i'm absolutely positive of that fine bravado yes you're an amazing warrior no one is disputing that but let me ask you something for all your skill with your weapons can you get us out of here the champion straightened and stared at him exactly nobody of any station cares about house sim fray or house trey rock charlotte so bluntly stated and neither will much exist after this day in any event idiot minor houses who can ill afford the loss of a single drow doing battle he shook his head in disgust and over what for what gain does matron house trey rock think she will one day sit upon the ruling council it is preposterous and you know it perhaps you should have told that to her enter your own matron divine the champion caught charlaxal by surprise when he spat on the floor your mother jar lacks last him and the warrior laughed you love her he laughed louder but you are simfray jar laxal reasoned only because they gave me that name he answered but then like all of this it hardly matters fortunately charlaxal properly read the inflections in the man's voice and so when the champion reached into his innate drow magic and produced a globe of absolute darkness jarl axel wasn't surprised and in that darkness jarl axel rightly surmised that the fighter would no longer count upon good fortune in the shifting room and so like the champion jarl axel called upon his own innate magical abilities and enacted another spell of levitation floating up from the floor which then became the wall he met the champion in the middle of the blackened cube of nowhere space and he matched him thrust for thrust and slash for slash through a sudden and violent melee trial axel couldn't believe how many cuts were coming in him in the darkness it was as if the champion were wielding two swords and not just the one and so he had to stay too close for the stinging whip to be effective working his own blades in a series of crosses and sweeps to cover as many defensive angles as he could manage who are you the sim frayed champion demanded jarlaxel almost smiled at the frustration in the warrior's voice a mere houseless rogue trained as a noble son self-taught liar on came a ferocious barrage and jarl axel had to spin away and throw another pellet of magical light which he did not want to do such enchanted globes didn't come cheap after all the champions shied for just a moment why do you persist charlaxal asked you attacked house sim fray there is no house sim for a fool the tre rock priestesses lie dead yes i know darlaxel interrupted i watched you kill them i have to say you seem to take a great deal of pleasure in the deed because they deserved it said the champion but the treyrock males did not that caught the champion off his guard just as he floated against the far wall and seemed prepared to shove off it to renew the melee but he didn't not immediately so jarl axel took advantage of this momentary respite and pressed further you could have killed a dozen including the noble son of matron house himself but you did not he said because they did not choose the fight correct the champion just stared at him how simfrey is dead jarlaxel reiterated you cannot know this i make it my duty to know such things but if that doesn't convince you know that the wizards who came against you were zorlorans so yes friend i can know it unless you believe that divine simfray could withstand the power of house or lauren it was a brief pause finally who sent you here so lawrence the champion growled not to fight jarl axel explained quickly simply to make sure that you were not killed a prisoner then no charlaxal cried immediately expecting the champion to fly out at him there is an opportunity open to you a great one one that will afford you comfort and status coin and enchanted gear beyond anything you now carry powerful matrons greatly desire the services of zach nefane simfray charlaxal paused and before the champion could respond added who desires only to kill them i am sure that gave the man pause once more trust me my friend i am not your friend but you should be to both our gain trust me anyway though if for no better reason than that you have no other options but i say that i above most understand you should believe me i am not a houseless rogue by choice or because of a draw war and how is too long a story for us here though one that i hope i can share with you over some lovely fey wine one day soon so now what would we do leave jar laxal answered the air in this place won't last forever and i have little desire to see which of us falls first and when we leave what does that even mean where will we appear right back where we entered i hope the longer we wait the less the chance of that right back into the fight zach nefan said the fight is over i expect that by now matron divine is dead and house trey rock has fled zach the fans stared at him hard seeming none too pleased your house is gone and that is a good thing charlaxal said for you at least maybe not so much for matron divine and her priestesses and it will be good for many of your associates and for many males of house treyrock as well charlaxa saw the flash of intrigue on the weapon master's face and knew that his instincts had led him well this one hated the lothian priestesses hated the whole matriarchy of men's oberenson and the wicked demon queen who granted to her worshipers the power to enforce it i have agents said all about house sim frey beyond the perimeter of the battle to collect surviving men from both sides to join my band if they desire jarl axel allowed and who are you i am jarlaxel who leads break into the earth the champion put on a curious expression assassins for hire he asked using one of the possible translations of the draw name much more than that information for payment mostly and a band of collectors useful for procuring valuable goods why like you never heard of you or your troop well now you've heard of both and remain unimpressed he said standing against the wall of a prison from which he cannot possibly escape he said wondering whether or not to kill the pretentious fool standing before him the pretentious fool who can leave jarl axel corrected and he pulled out a wand and pointed it at himself but zach nefane's whip took it from him an expert snap that sent the wand flying across the room to the waiting hand of zach nephine who caught it turned it upon himself and let the command word come to his thoughts you really should not charlax has started to say i will tell them of your unfortunate fate zach fane answered and he spoke the command word expecting to be teleported far from that extra dimensional prison instead he caught a glob of vicid goo in the face the force of it sending him spinning into the wall or floor or ceiling or whatever it was right behind him and was there stuck fast i tried to warn you was all the apology jar laxa would offer he shook his head ran his hand through his styled shock of white hair and got his bearings then stepped over and took the wand from the hand of a flailing captive we will speak again very soon jarl axel said helping the poor zach nevane get the glob away from his mouth enough that he could breathe the magical coup wouldn't last forever but more than long enough to suffocate a victim if left to its own devices with that done jar laxa located the seam in his portable hole and opened it wide enough to crawl back out onto the now quiet battlefield and he was relieved indeed to see that his extra dimensional space remained there portable holes were useful items indeed but they were tricky and often unpredictable closing one fully while inside as tarlaxel had done could lead to catastrophe back outside the risk was gone so jarl axel closed his toy once more then picked it up no more than an unremarkable piece of black cloth and tucked it and its contents into his pocket the bridge above him the field around him and the tower behind him were thick with the dead male and female trey rock and sim frey but many were gone including devon trey rocky noted and so he was confident that arathis yoon had completed his task and that his other minions had efficiently begun the extraction of potential recruits his confidence became shorty when he went to the spot where he had entangled and then entombed the two treyrock soldiers with his wand to find his belt set up on the ground in the shape of a letter j alongside his fallen pouches and one in particular which would have seemed along with its contents unremarkable to any who did not know the command words to open its deeper extra dimensional pockets charlaxal sighed in relief when he picked that up considering that he had incidentally dropped in the fight when he had pulled off his living rope belt it dawned on him that if he had taken that pouch into the extra-dimensional hole the conflicting magic would have torn rifts in the barriers between the planes even jarl axel who lived for adventure didn't think that would be a very good thing charlaxal has him arithesium reported to matron xeraths or lauren she seemed surprised the assassin noted though not as much so as her house wizard horudisimoth standing beside her and where is jarl axel matron xerath asked secure and awaiting your instructions in the claw rift she asked referring to the great and deep chasm that ran through the huge underdark cavern housing the city of menzoberenson the claw rift endlessly deep crawled with kobold slaves but was also rumored to be the base for jarl axel's secretive break in the earthband by those who had even noticed the mercenary group thus far he is secure is he even on the material plane or rudisimoth interjected drawing a scowl from matron xerath arathisune arched a white eyebrow at the wizard where else would he be does one ever know with joel axel matron zerath answered arathisune conceded that with a shrug wizard here was convinced that jarl axel had fatally aired taking an extra dimensional bag into an extra dimensional hole the assassin laughed aloud charlaxa would never be that careless i watched it or rudissimoff insisted again the assassin shrugged i know nothing of that i know that i just left jarl axel who has the sim freight champion at his side in a way now it was matron zeara's turn to arch her eyebrow we have him and he is unharmed arthur's hewn assured her and his loyalty to house simfre there is no house sim fray the assassin asserted xerath again seemed a bit confused the trey rock attackers were driven from the field with nobles killed through no small effort of zachnophane yes the assassin answered but matron divine is dead as are all of her children and relatives there is no house sim frey then house treyrock won marathon shrugged and laughed this time few of their force returned to the house many including all of the priestesses who went to house simfrey were killed others have turned to a different path a different matron zerath paused charlaxal took them or rather you took them for your little band of troublemakers i cannot speak to that you just did she knew of course aretha soon understood and she knew too that he had wanted her to know he hadn't agreed with charlottesville's decision to use this moment to raise the visibility of breaking the earth they had absorbed nearly two score warriors a pair of wizards and a priestess from the fallout of the traerack sim frey war an amazing hall depending on how many survived their wounds but still remained a fledgling band and obviously couldn't even be certain of the loyalties of the newcomers of course arathis yoon knew that he didn't know what jarl axel knew there were other influences behind the scenes most likely with first house bayenri guiding jarl axel's choices here and arithes hewn had been beside jar laxa long enough to trust the strange fellows judgment would you have us deliver the prize to you or to matron malice though urden the assassin asked changing the subject our part in this is never to be mentioned take him to matron malice arathis hewn bowed and turned to go but pause to ask one more question does how so lauren hold any bond with house treyrock beyond the hiring of your wizards to open the way to house sim frey what do you imply uru disa moth demanded he wants to know if we care whether or not matron house falls matron xerath answered the wizard and her tone told aaron assune that they did not he smiled and turned again to leave tell joel axel that i wish to speak with him when he disposes of his current affairs matron xerath ordered him as he went and he smiled at her appropriate choice of verb horudisimoth snorted derisively when the assassin was gone let go of your anger matron xerath told him there are houseless upstarts the wizard argued that is a dangerous combination and one that should not be tolerated in the order of men's oberenson order xerath echoed have you ever met a handmaiden of love there is necessary order within the chaos the wizard replied stubbornly and jarl axel's fledgling band is now part of that order urudismoth snorted again do you think they exist without the blessing of matron mother by henry matron zeera said chuckling at him urudismoth seemed as if he was about to respond but rocked back on his heels instead you are putting far too much thought into all of this matron zero scolded him it was a minor transaction made for our gain we learned an important secret about the potential relationship between uthagental armgo and matron malice matron mother by henry has asked of her allies that they keep a close watch on matron sulas armgo and her family she will reward me for this information and this day we have begun a relationship with a band of mercenaries who may prove valuable to us finally we now have good standing with house to worden why would we care for house do worden because i do not underestimate them particularly now that they will claim zach nefan simfray and their ranks and you would be wise not to either matron malice is cunning loyal enough and wise enough to allow her house to be easily manipulated by her betters she may one day sit on the ruling council but even if not it is quite possible that someday in the future she will prove a useful ally for house or lauren or foil which is not always a bad thing at the very least we have leveled the loyalty of malice between us and the ascendant house barris and alarmgo regardless it is done and requires no more thought and effort she told her wizard now it is time for us to consider our other duties we will watch from afar as the play continues urudisimoth bowed in acceptance and that was the last time anyone of note in house or lauren paid any heat at all to the goings on of the miner house called doe urden for decades to come hindsight would prove this unwise chapter five bartering with bartered goods the empty black chamber opened suddenly and a surprise zachnophane tumbled out falling a dozen feet to land upon a mound of piled blankets he was back on the prime material plane of existence at least but now in a pit lichen lit in a deep cave he rolled around to free himself of the blanket breakfall and looked up to see his captors staring down at him from above i apologize for the insult and dumping you so unceremoniously said charlaxal but you still have your weapons and i have seen you put them to use quite effectively you understand my caution i am sure didn't i earn your trust in your black hole zachnovane called up charlaxal grinned appreciating the sarcasm an art that seemed so often lost upon his otherwise intelligent race perhaps it was because everything involving lady loth was so serious he had often mused an uncareful word or a misread joke could get one killed or worse i trust that you got all of the goo out of your nose the mercenary said in reply that is all the trust i offer at this point in our inevitably long and friendly relationship your confidence is inspiring said the captured weapon master because it is always backed by cleverness down in the pit zachnovane chuckled and admitted well played rogue if you would care to put your weapons all of them in the basket to the side we will get you out of there charlaxal explained you are not a prisoner here but i'll not have you walking around with a whip and sword or those daggers you have hidden away i must protect my associates you see yourself you mean came the reply from the pit you and i have unresolved business balance the scales on our friendships acne understand that what i have done has saved your life whoever told you that i would wish that the simmering anger behind that response clearly not aimed at this particular incident but a more general sense of growling rage caught charlaxa off guard well in any case it was not your choice to make jarl axel answered not then and perhaps you will find a more palatable life now that you are free of how simfray and more importantly matron divine the warrior and the pit glared up at him to which charlaxal only shrugged and said your weapons and you walk free else remain there until hunger compels you the mercenary nodded to his henchmen then turned and walked away he gave a little smile just a couple of steps later when he heard the clang of a sword hitting the floor in the pit behind him a smooth cascade of water ran down the wall disappearing into a crack cut at the base glowed on the wall the size of the waterfall but not behind the strange lighting effectively turning the falling sheet of water into a mirror they were in a natural cave but the accoutrements made it appear to be anything but in addition to the strange waterfall the chambers sported magnificent bookshelves of carved giant mushroom stalks with every other shelf holding some marvelous figurine of various monsters while the shells between were thick with books more books than zach nevane had seen since his time at the academy when he had visited sorcerer the school of wizards white stone chairs set with thick purple cushions framed a decorated hearth lined with swords and other fabulous if inefficient ornamental weapons orange and red flames danced about a pile of crystals in that grand fireplace but this wasn't an actual fire for no heat spilled forth into the chamber and none was needed rather it was fairy fire like that liming the many structures of the city and created for atmosphere only and that effect zach nevane had to admit seemed to be incredibly sanguine and disarming too much so perhaps he made a mental note to remember that and his guard remained up to relax charlaxal said to him as if reading his every thought the mercenary motioned to a table at the side of the room heaped with good food and bottles of wine you must be famished so please eat to your fill zach nevane stared at him suspiciously but did not move to take a seat oh now you fear i will poison you jarl axel said feigning hurt feelings after all we have been through together the warrior never took his gaze off charlaxal as he did indeed make his way to the table he had only barely begun to eat when he heard the mercenary say something to another drow a wizard judging by his robes who immediately launched into spell casting sachnafein followed the caster's gaze to the waterfall which shimmered as if with inner light then formed within its smooth flow and image crystal clear of a female drow judging by her attire one of great stature a high priestess or perhaps even a matron she is alluring is she not jarl axel asked zachnovain shrugged non-committally alluring and clever and quite skilled in the art of love making jar laxal explained and you are her consort zach nevane surmised acting quite unimpressed jarl axel surprised him with a laugh i have never met her in any way perhaps i shall someday in her bed no doubt charlaxal sucked in his breath i do not know he said doubtfully i know her intended husband and he has a draw of formidable martial skills indeed formidable enough that i don't wish to fight him again is that why i am here sachdefane asked in all seriousness to kill him the wizard beside jarl axel burst out in laughter suicide is unbecoming charlaxal said and zacnafain's frown became an angry scowl as he sorted out the riddle matron malice though erdogan jarl axel explained indicating the woman shown in the waterfall by her cunning her house has steadily climbed i have heard of house though erden zachnovane admitted and they of you jarlaxel explained matron malice paid a powerful house well to make sure that you survived the war when house simfray did not she desires you openly as weapon master of house though urton and privately as consort zachnoffein knew that he looked very much like he wanted to murder charlaxal at the moment and he didn't try to hide it but the mercenary simply snorted at him as if his attitude was preposterous there are worse fates my friend i am not your friend we've been over this you will be jarl axel said and take heart we have just leaped to more power than even you could have imagined you will thrive in house the word and house the word and will thrive with you in ways in which i hardly care don't be so obtuse for one thing you care for adventure in battle that much i know some battles he conceded well house though erden will know many battles in the coming decades charles axel assured him the ambitions of matron malice and war are second only to her ambitions and love making you will get to experience both i am rarely jealous but shut up as you wish but you should understand you were still talking darlaxel paused and sat back in his chair giving zach nephine a long while to stare at the image in the waterfall and come to terms with a sudden change of events i must deliver you to her jarl axel explained after a long delay and if i refuse you cannot refuse it is that simple you will be given to matron malice and house to urden there to make a new life or i will kill every one of them in that you do have a choice though i see no gain for zachnovane in that event zach nevane glared at him matron malice played no part in the fall of house sim frey charlaxal assured him everyone knew that trey rock would march against you and she merely wanted to ensure that the most valuable asset of house sim frey was preserved and put to good use and now i am to be her plaything or she yours said charlaxal it is all in their perception yes you will get a warm bed quite often very warm if the rumors are remotely accurate finer food than you have ever known better weapons and armor than you have ever known and a cohort of powerful drow about you greater than you have ever known surely house to worden will prove a more worthy home for the great zachnophane that house simfray ever could take care with your words charlaxa laughed at him so do not even pretend that you gave a single curse of law for matron divine or the others you once called family haven't we already discussed this in our intimate time together do you think that you are the only refuge of house sim frey who i have taken into my home i have extracted a score of your colleague zack nefane and they now serve break in the earth and willingly i know all about you and how much you hated divine and the other priestesses of that miserable house now you are called to a greater station one that will give you opportunity more fitting for one of your extraordinary skill so please quit hiding behind your frown you need not thank me now but one day you will his blunt talk surprised sachna fein and put him back on his heels for so many years he had hidden successfully behind a dollar face but he suddenly thought a ridiculous facade against the truth of this strange mercenaries words if i agree you cannot disagree gerald axel reminded him zach nevane paused and considered the truth of that better for you if i agree he said it matters not at all to me jarl axel assured him the two stared at each other long and hard and zach nevane believed that jarl axel was lying about whether the outcome mattered to him yet it was just as clear that one way or another he was being delivered to house to urden my payment is secured gerald axel said all i need do is drop you alive at matron malice's door what happens after that is not my affair if i agree zach nevane stubbornly repeated anyway i would ask of you just one favor jarl axel's stern face softened as the moments passed i will grant it if i can but only in exchange for your assurance that you will not kill me if one day i bet your future wife sachnafane just sighed and helplessly shook his head i paid you well matron house yelled into her divining bowl at the smug face of horudisimoths or lauren it was on the other end of her magical communication and the sim fray gate was destroyed as we agreed the wizard replied you washed my forces slaughtered on the field you watched my daughter murdered on the field surely you did not expect house or lauren to engage in the actual fighting of a war that didn't happen strange wording served as a cold reminder to matron house that drow house wars were not to be discussed they never happened if no one talked about them but as soon as one did as soon as the truth of an attack became too wide spread and openly spoke enough for the ruling council to ignore the aggressor house would almost certainly be punished or put more precisely it would almost certainly be wiped out yes of course a shaken matron house replied gather yourself and your minions and take the time to reassess aurodissimoth advised matron simfrey and all of her priestesses are dead your losses were great but house treyrock may still recover and do so with your most hated rival gone my children she started to say you still have dabney who fares well at eric tinolith and take heart for duvonne is not dead what do you know he will return to you shortly or disa moth replied and he waved his hand and cut off the communication the water and matron houses scrying bowl going dark the drow matron put her hands on the edges of that bowl for support and heaved a great sigh she hadn't won that much was clear more than half of her fifty foot soldiers her three strongest priestesses including don jolina the only high priestess of the house besides house herself and the two feeble wizards who called trey rock home were all dead or missing how simfrey had been hurt even more yes but not so much as to consider this a victory it is true dabney said from behind her i do farewell at eric tinolith i will become a high priestess matron to properly serve house treyrock as first priestess the matron managed a half-hearted nod but didn't look back at her youngest child who was still a child indeed barely forty dabney had entered the academy quite young and had now spent more than five years at the school she had been so dedicated to her studies that matron house had not seen her much in that half decade and had therefore been surprised to find her return to the house this day now of course it seemed a fortunate coincidence i have heard the same whispers as horudissimos or lauren matron dabney went on my brother devon lives but the same cannot be said for any of the priestesses of house simfray and their much heralded weapon master is not to be found some say that he was sent flying through a rift to the astral plane untethered and if that is true well then he is no more small comfort muttered the miserable house not so my matron replied the grinning dabney if zach simfray is never to be found again then we will let it be known that duvonne killed him none can dispute it that is no minor gain to your reputation or to that of house treyrock perhaps it was so matron house dared muse perhaps house treyrock would recover soon enough if they could enhance duvon's reputation to great heights matron house could tempt soldiers to her side she did turn to regard her child then and nodded perhaps she whispered perhaps of course duvonne was alive and in fact was even then approaching the front door of house trey rock weapon master the two guards greeted him good news then we had feared shut up the young noble said his mood dour and defeated though his wounds had been fully mended by magical spells and sounds you would fear that house treyrock would not survive and rightly so that matron simphra is dead said one they all are devon shrugged as if it meant nothing gather all the forward guards he commanded i would speak with you all right now right here to offer you another course and one that you might find most profitable they both looked at him skeptically now he barked and they rushed off duvan signaled behind him back to the small entry corridor in the street beyond and two shadowy forms slipped into the tre rock compound moving to the side of the entry door a few moments later the guards returned along with several other sentries who had been posted in the forward guard you may go to the claw rift if you choose the young noble told them and beg of the drow who wait you there to join their ranks some will be accepted for the rest i can only wish you well wherever you go your matron awaits you one of the guards said sternly while others stared hard at the surprising young noble he had their attention that was his task he thought it unlikely that any would accept his offer but it didn't matter because they didn't notice when erathis hewn placed jarl axel's portable hole against the wall to the side of the door or when a second shadowy figure slipped into the structure silent as death matron house your son will see you he whispered into the ear of the tre rock century the woman stared at him hatefully for a few heartbeats but looked past him to her two dead companions both cut down so quickly that she hadn't even known the intruder was there until she was the last one standing and standing with a blade pressed against her neck matron house she called and knocked on the heavy door of the throne room your son will see you they heard a cry inside of glee it seemed and then heard locks being sprung and bars tossed aside along with some whispered chants to dispel the many guards and wards that had been placed upon this most important portal the intruder heard it all and shook his head amazed at how beautifully that strange charlaxal creature had arranged this normally no matron in the midst of a conflict would open her door without magically scrying the hallway but jarl axel had assured him that duvonne would be expected and so the entry would be expedited he is the third century now impaled upon his blade and quite dead down to the floor and set his feet to spring as soon as the great door budged he shouldered through throwing aside the young drow priestess who had turned the handle he fell over her at once hitting her with a barrage of slaps from his twin swords a flurry that appeared far more violent than it truly was though he surely wanted to inflict mortal wounds upon her simply because of her station down went the young priest is crumbling upon the floor who are you matron house demanded from across the room her snake-headed scourge in one hand a magical wand in the other you know he said stalking toward her she demanded i am zach nefane of course and you are dead she shot a lightning bolt from her wand but he was already out of the way she tried to strike with her scourge but his swords were too fast and a snakehead fell to the floor he struck and turned a complete circuit moving around her with blinding fury his blades slashing and stabbing in a continuous dance every strike hitting her personal wards and sending a shower of magical sparks into the air she thought him in a blind frenzy but it was not so for while his movement seemed too furious haphazard even they remained coordinated and he in perfect control soon the heads of her other two scourge snakes followed the first to the floor and in the intervening time none of her strikes had gotten near to hitting him she tried to retreat but he was too fast she tried to call upon her divine magics but his relentless assault had worn down her magical guards and her vestments for all their defensive powers could not save her he struck her once twice a dozen times red lines of blood pouring forth he was behind her somehow but she didn't know it except in the very last flicker of life the last image that came to her eyes and registered in her dying brain as her head spun down to the floor so be it said priestess dabney rising to her feet across the room she looked down at a large welt on her forearm did you have to hit me so hard word my choice you'd be dead zachnafane told her she leaned back cautiously charlaxxel gave me his word she reminded him zachdefane wiped his bloody swords on matron houses of estimates then slid them away return to eric tinnell if with all haste and gather your things he instructed then go to the claw rift across the way from the south tower of house oblondra the young priest who stared at him with her jaw hanging open who told you i should do this jar laxal zach nevane answered no it cannot be i am to remain here as matron dabney of house treyarch things have changed my lady zach nephine informed her there is no house treyrock and if i refuse zach nefane smiled wickedly looked down and kicked matron houses severed head across the floor toward her in that case he replied smiling even wider there is no shadow deep enough to conceal you he walked across the room moving very near to her and whispered but fear not but jarl axel thinks you impressive and breaking the earth is in need of priestesses her scowl did not diminish if you did not wish such a fate perhaps you should have convinced your foolish mother not to attack my family zach nefane answered that look and when he made it personal the blood drained from dabney treyrock's face he left her then and left the ruins of house treyrock charlaxal had granted him his wish that he be allowed to kill matron house and so dabney wasn't the only one who had to accept a new life this eventful day chapter six careful cultivation it is not a perfect technique charlaxal argued would matron zerath have me risk the masterpiece that is zach nevane you were supposed to deliver him to matron malice cleansed of his memories high priestess kiri replied of some memories jarl axel corrected would you have him forget his training you are a frustrating one joel axel is matron malice displeased no kiri admitted quite the opposite if the rumors of her nightly screams are to be believed jarlaxel chuckled at that shaking his head at the reputation of the insatiable malista urden another skill that was not erased by the oblodryn psyonicists he said to bolster his point and yet you were given extra coin to employ a psionist of that house kiri reminded him and thus i employed one to counsel me and in that council i reconsidered the wisdom of your choice jarl axel answered kyrie's expression was full of doubt it is not a perfect technique so i was told the mercenary reiterated all of this might have been to ruin if i had let the psionicist intrude upon the mind of this brilliant warrior was it worth that risk perhaps not kyrie said and held out her hand anyway i had to pay for the council she motioned with her fingers wanting the extra gold back with a grin and a chuckle charlaxle produced a small purse from his magical belt pouch and handed it over matron zerath fears that we might have dropped a wounded displacer beast into the home of matron malice kyrie admitted if the simfray champion is thick with angry memories he is not and any he might harbor would not be directed toward his new matron in any case jarl axel assured her kiri grinned knowingly you have heard that house treyrock has fallen but matron house was slain most brutally there are whispers yes was all the confirmation jar alexa would give along with a sly grin she knew he understood she knew that he had granted zach nefane revenge please assure matron xerath that zach nephine did not need to have his mind and memories wiped clean by a psionisist oblon or a mind flare he will behave who are you kyrie's or lauren asked unable to hold back a chuckle a houseless rogue the high priestess snorted and shook her head i trust that matron zerath was pleased with my performance he said with a bow kiri remained laudably impassive if we need you again we will call upon you she said and turned to leave jalaxa was glad that he had gotten through that encounter so easily and with the zorlorans apparently okay with his decision to not wipe zach nevane's memories on a strictly personal level jarl axel didn't want that in their short time together he had become intrigued by the sim frey or rather doe urton champion as he moved down to the braren though charlaxal more than once considered the possibility that allowing zach nevane to keep all of his memories had not been kind to zachnophane when he entered the oozing mic on it a tavern that prided itself on having the foulest beverages in the drow city and saw zach nevane sitting at their customary table head down shoulders slumped that unsettling notion was only reinforced the mercenary motion to the bar like the staff of every tavern in the city they knew him well and knew what to bring him and move to join the weapon master of house doerden exhausted again he asked pulling up a seat at the table before being asked matron malice is killing you my friend saknifine lifted his gaze upon the mercenary you are not my friend charlaxal motioned to the bar again why would you say such a thing he asked truly i am wounded you would be if i could get away with it zachnophane ended by lifting his drink to his lips and scowling at jarl axel but the mercenary caught something else in that skull something less threatening is it malaise or exhaustion then jar laxal asked with a sly grin you seem very interested zach neffen replied why not go and sample malice's wares yourself if you have not already would that not bother you zach nefane snort was sincere the mercenary knew is it not at least enjoyable jarl axel pressed zachnovane shrugged her skill is undeniable and few practice more diligently the warrior couldn't suppress a small smile a crack in his armor of dowerness and jarl axel laughed aloud then what is it my friend jarlaxel asked you were in a superior house to simfray by far and one that has the notice of the great houses yet enough alliances to assure that it isn't simply obliterated your own star will rise along with house dawardens matron malice is ambitious enough to ensure battles in the near future she brought you into her house for your sword and your dagger he said with a wiggle of his eyebrows causing zach nephene to roll his eyes to fight and to sire so why the malaise why is zachnophane out of house to worden this night and roaming the stench streets drinking ale and wine inferior to that in matron malice's cupboard you asked me to meet you here zach nothing dryly reminded as always true true but why do you come you owe me nothing and deny that we are friends you pay for the drinks ah but as we've already discussed you have finer drinks at house to urden and i am sure that matron malice provides all that you want as long as it does not render you unconscious and unable to please her and malice makes of me a banner for house de worden zach nefane blurted and jarlaxel then had his answers he noted that this was the second time zach nevane had referred to malice without using her title an offense that could be punished by death in men's oberen's own where matrons were supreme even sacrosanct zach nefane was bored notwithstanding the excitement he might be offered in matron malice's bed he was a banner indeed walking the outer balconies of house dewarden to show off matron malice's powerful new acquisition and to remind the other houses the ambitious lesser families the fearful equal families and the officially ruthless greater families but the cost of attacking house to worden could prove great but zach nevane had no interest in protecting house to worden jarl axel understood and he had understood the same thing with this one regarding how simfray other than self-preservation zach nevane held no allegiance to matron malice or to anyone else and the lack of purpose and lack of excitement were battering his sensibilities the fact that he had been taken to a more stable house where battles with other houses were not common as they were among the most minor houses like simfray was not to zach the fans thinking a good thing charlaxal smiled as he studied the warrior remembering the look on zach nevane's face in the battle for house simfre that version of zach nefane would never wear such a frown and scowl as were on display here this night the barman brought the drinks jarlaxel had called for and zachnovane reached for his but charlaxal grabbed the warrior by the forearm and held him back no more for now he said zachnovane stared at him curiously as soon as the barman had moved away jarlaxel explained i have found a weakness in the defenses of a noteworthy house paris and delamgo if we are clever we can get in and there are treasures to be had ones that a warrior such as yourself would greatly desire you want me to go on a burglary with you sachdefane incredulously replied there are potential rewards and potential costs you do not strike me as one filled with fear that gives acne pause but why he asked for the same reason you come here jarl axel answered to keep yourself on the edge of disaster to keep yourself alive barris and de lango zachnovain asked after a short pause i have heard of this house perhaps if we are fortunate we will find weapon master utha gentle when we are in there jarlaxel replied with a smile then i will get to learn if zachnophane is as mighty as the whispers hint derelaxel knew what he was doing and those words soon had the pair leaving me oozing my carnage side by side sachnafein's mood seemed much improved he walked with a purpose and an eagerness his hands going to the hilts of the fine swords sheathed on his hips he wouldn't need them though jar lacks all knew not tonight for darlaxel had paid handsomely for this excursion still zachnovane didn't grow disappointed when jarl axel's planning proved to be perfect perhaps too perfect and the pair slipped into the barristan del armago compound and across to a small stalagmite that held a side armory no alarms were raised no guards came against them in short order the pair were back out again without being noticed at all as far as acnephane could tell they weren't laden with loot and indeed had taken only two items swords and had left two behind whatever disappointment zach nevane might have felt in the lack of battle was surely mitigated by the fact that he now wore finer blades on his hips than those he had abandoned they will never even know charlaxal confidently assured his partner in crime when they crossed the city to the west wall sachnafein's previous blades were not much different in appearance than these and only a priestess or wizard bothering to try to detect magic on the weapons and only one very skilled in the divination would recognize that the enchantments on these two were much stronger than on the sword zach nephine had left behind in the barris and alarmgo armory that is the best kind of thievery you know charlaxal offered where the victim remains oblivious zach defane shrugged seems a great risk for so little reward charlaxal nodded his agreement but privately he most certainly did not agree with that assessment the reward for him was not the sword zach nefan now wore but the bond that he had strengthened between himself and this intriguing and superbly skilled warrior although the swords were pretty spectacular in their own right he left sacnifene before the wall beneath the balcony of house dowarden half attendee charlaxle asked setting their next meeting and the warrior nodded eagerly jarl axel thought the pair met a handful of times over the next month mostly drinking and playing bar games and finding enjoyable diversions with lovely companions in the oozing mike conade's many smaller bed chambers on one occasion zach nevane managed to join a brawl and another night charlaxal took him on a scouting expedition that very nearly got them caught within a private compound by the priestesses of a ruling house life had become a game for zach defene as it was for him charlaxal recognized and so he was happy the rogue eagerly anticipated each new encounter with a weapon master until the next scheduled meeting that is when the confident mercenary entered the oozing michonne to find zach nefan's chair empty the mood of the tavern seemed sober that night and when jarlaxel sidled up to the bar the barman silently handed him a rolled parchment i am not desiring such attention master charlottesville the proprietor of the oozing my colleague said none of us are charlaxal broke the seal the emblem of house to urden he noted and began to unroll the parchment but stopped quickly took out a wand and cast a disenchantment upon it then paused and called upon the dispelling powers of the wand again for good measure the side long glance to his barkeep friend charlaxal moved to the far corner of the room away from everyone and very slowly unrolled the parchment it had indeed been heavily trapped the script on the parchment penned in a devious wizards ink that would explode when red charlax's suspicious nature and an incredibly valuable wand had dispelled the glyph mostly a burst of fire jumped out at him and he tried to duck away he nearly got under it but his scalp and hair caught some of the flames his hair was still burning when he stood back up straight and then flamed higher when a nearby patron trying to help no doubt threw his drink upon the smoldering hair a drink perhaps a bit too strong for such heroics which instead simply puffed into a small fireball over jar laxal's head but then the barman was there with a pitcher of water and the crisis was averted except for his singed hair cheers and laughter rose up within the using my conned and jalaxel took a bow acting as if the whole thing had been staged for their pleasure and trying not to grimace the lines of pain shooting into his head he had to blink his eyes hard and repeatedly to focus his vision as he read the parchment and for all the drama and burning it simply said appear at the court of matrimon immediately not a good day for you rogue the barman noted reading over his shoulder it might be that some things are more trouble than they're worth john axel considered zach nefane then and shook his head and some things are not he replied he left the tavern and headed toward house to worden but veered for the claw rift he needed some time and as he considered his next move one thing seemed certain matron was not happy first and most important things first though jarl axel needed some healing salves and a good mirror he needed desperately to do something with his half-burned hair he went right to his private chambers in the maze beneath the claw rift he sifted through the ruins of his perfectly shaped white forest inside heavily when he recognized that it would take a long time to repair the damage and likely more than a little coin since the scar would be considerable and spell casters with such power didn't come cheaply then on instinct he took a different route for many years jarl axel had kept all but the top of his head shaved both to accentuate his spiked cloth and because he simply liked the shape of his head so be it he could like it more the twist of his wrist he produced a knife from a secret compartment on his belt and then delicately went about the task of sculpting the remaining white forest leaving him with an exquisite line of hair along the middle of his head from his forehead to the base of his skull a bit of dark makeup from his disguise kids to cover the still raw skin and the mercenary not only could look at himself in the mirror again without wincing but thought he appeared rather exotic and fine good enough then he congratulated then considered his options for only a brief moment before convincing himself of what he had to do he went to house dorden boldly you are or were of how sim frey then matron malice the word and asked when jar laxa was brought before her never a good lady he replied and he swept a low and graceful bow and how do you know my weapon master she demanded and around her several drow bristled including the huge priestess breeza even more formidable up close who looked like she could break jarl axel in half with her bare hands trilaxal offered that one a smirk and nodded knowingly and teasingly at her before answering it was i who took him from the field of battle and brought him to you on behalf of matron zerath of house or lauren i should say it amused him how much the bluster went out of the gathered doughertons with all in the room exchanging nervous glances no doubt wondering if their brash matron malice had at last put herself into a pit too deep to escape not malice herself though joel axel noted that one clearly quite unshakable just sat back in her throne comfortably and stared down at the mercenary fine you brought him to me but i did not pay for half of zach nevane she said yet you seem to think that we should share him she tapped her fingers together before her delicate and very pretty face my lady jarl axel started to respond i did not give you permission to speak she said i was but answering i asked you no question gerald axel held up his hands and for once kept his mouth shut who are you she asked he didn't answer that was a question she pointed out i am pondering how best to respond for the truthful answer is one more complicated than you would think you are so lauren jarlaxel laughed and shook his head i am of no house and at the same time of all houses who would desire my services i am joe a houseless mercenary trying to play with the matrons of menzo barons on disgusting breezes said break in the earth is my house darlaxel clarified and it is one that house though urton would do well what is that a seemingly unimpressed matron malice demanded and who are you particularly i am the one who delivered zach nefane to you in response to the request and recompense of matron zeraths or lauren charlaxo reiterated and quickly so that he could not be interrupted yet again and you are a mere male malice ward never forget that john charlaxo he replied with another sweeping bow a humble servant of chaos doing what i might to make the world a more exciting place you will not much like the excitement i will create about you the dangerous matron malice promised she nodded to the side where a curtain was then drawn revealing a very unhappy zacnophane how do you think you would fare against this marvelous warrior i have taken as a consort if i tell him to kill you he will troll axel shrugged so confident matron malice mused how will you fare against him when he is gigantic and has eight skittering legs this one charlottesville asked indicating zachnophane nay you would not do that and loth would not sanction it beware your words the large priestess beside the throne growled as malice's eyes went wide i don't fear my own words he said flippantly he pointed to his friend he is a magnificent warrior and thus he is lolth blessed i am sure charlottesville took note of zach nefan's failed attempts to hide his grimace at that remark but continued anyway he would not waste him so you would do well to realize that you know nothing of what i would or would not do malice warned and you and your band of houseless nothings should take note that i am watching now you will never see zach nefane doe urton again rogue unless it is in the last moments of your life yes matron malice jarl axel said with yet another respectful bow he thought it was time for him to take his leave and so he did why ask the diminutive matron of the strangest because they were in truth an enigma to the others curel odren ruled house oblodra whose strength rested on the little known magic of the mind the same powers practiced by the elephants if there was a dark elf in men's oberon's on who could employ that psionic magic who was not of house obladra jarlaxel didn't know her or him which was why he was before matron cured today he shrugged acting as if he didn't understand the question you are not one to spend favors on such trivial things the matron clarified and what happened to your hair jarl axel reflexively ran his hand over his mostly bold pate but only lightly not wanted to smudge the makeup covering his most recent scar you do not approve i very much approve curl replied the strange style fits the strange charlaxal many consider house oblondra to be the strangest of all and we count on that to keep them afraid curel said with the laugh to geralaxa laughed along but was too nervous to allow for the distractions have you found any success i have to be careful you understand she replied to invade the home of a drow family is an act of war that is why i asked you because your intrusions cannot be discovered anything can be discovered to a laxative and you would do very well to remember that but yes i have seen inside house toward and through the eyes of zack nefane and your suspicions of his melancholy were well founded gerald axel blew a heavy sigh even when she begs him his thoughts are on murder matron cure explained every thrust is reimagined as a dagger plunging into the witch he thought back to a comment he had made to zach nevane using the same analogy and inwardly winced he's trapped charlaxa whispered speaking more to himself and to cure he sees his life as tedious and without purpose he came out of his contemplation to regard the matron who was staring at him with an amused and knowing expression and you intend to do something about that cure remarked take care for matron malice is flush with fire and often acts before she properly understands the implications she paused and looked at him slyly ah but you have no intention of arguing with matron malice do you i know someone who can better make the case jarl axel admitted when you go to matron mother bayenry give her my best wishes the matron of house oblodra said insincerely jarlaxel nodded and matched curel's smirk with a wide grin he knew this one hated matron mother by henry profoundly but knew too that she would be glad to have jar laxal put in a kind word about her to the dangerous bayenri such were the webs of men's o'barrens on always shifting always shimmering always ready to catch one who did not step lightly i will he said and cure laughed and nodded the month rolled by jarl axel did not forget but neither would he move impetuously he wouldn't go to his benefactor with this unbidden for there was too much at stake here and he wasn't quite sure how to gauge the dangers of matron malice doe urden he couldn't just ask a favor for matron mother bay henry after all men's oberen's on didn't work like that he needed a reason to include his desire in her desire finally he found the opportunity when he was called upon by a representative of house bayenry instructing him to perform a service for the matron mother it seemed a fairly simple and straightforward task and one jar laxal and his rogues had performed on previous occasions he was to go to the drow city of chad assad an assassinated priestess who had whispered ill rumors of house by henry into the muddy ear of a handmaiden of loth his first instinct was to gather arith assune and a few others specializing in such wicked business for the assignment matron mother b henry had not called upon him in a long while after all and he would not do to keep her waiting the entire future of breaking the earth rested upon the strong shoulders of matron mother evanelle and she was not known for mercy but this was his chance to find that which he really wanted he told himself and so charlaxal instead rushed off to house bayenry he was known there and so given audience though with powerful guards supremely armored and armed all about him i received your instructions and am prepared for the journey he explained when he found himself before the throne of the great matron mother of menzo berenson then why are you here she asked coldly to beg of you a favor need i remind you that the favor i bestow upon you is in merely letting you live you swallowed hard and bowed as respectfully as he could manage as much swagger as he possessed he could not find his confidence here standing before evanel the eternal i lived to serve you he stammered you sir jar laxal and none other she replied but with a laugh which gave charlax a little bit of hope but you are sometimes useful which is why i let you play with your little band of criminals charlaxal shuffled from foot to foot i would ask for a private audience he said hardly expecting his request to be granted but matron mother bay henry surprised him and probably everyone else in the room when she clapped her hands together loudly dismissing her guards and those bayenri nobles in the audience room all of whom rushed away without hesitation or question jarl axel stood before the most powerful drow in the world and he felt far less at ease than when he had been surrounded by a host of powerful banery nobles priestesses wizards even the great weapon master dantrac and guards wielding cruel weapons he looked at her studying her smug expression and understood in that instant that she had well anticipated the effect of dismissing all her allies she was reminding jarl axel that she didn't need them and letting him know in no uncertain terms that she feared him not at all the mercenary lowered his gaze and quietly chuckled and indeed drew strength from the woman's confidence if she didn't fear him and she should not for he truly did mean to serve her then perhaps she would listen to him with an honest ear do tell me of this little favor i'm to do for you and do not bore me she said i need your assistance in procuring an associate for this task you have requested of me he said hatred mother bay henry scoffed rather loudly her volume and tone giving jarl axel the distinct impression that she suddenly believed that torturing him to death might be pleasurable he suspected that such dark thoughts had been magically suggested to him that wasn't supposed to be possible with his eye patch of course but this was the matron mother of men's oberons on here he could not help but feel naked and defenseless under her withering gaze still he had a reputation for brazenness to uphold and so he tried to recover with i only ask because it will allow me to serve you better there are only two people in here the great bay henry replied and neither of them believe what you just said well put matron mother you're very close to being a waste of my time jarl axel he swallowed there is a warrior a champion i wish to cultivate jarl axel said i would have him accompany me to chad assad and serve beside me when he can he is a brilliant fighter so much so that he is known to weapon master dan trag i am sure take a wizard i prefer a blade master matron mother scoffed at that there is a reason that dan trag holds little power in this house though he is the finest weapon master in enzo baron's on it occurred to joel axel that a certain hulking warrior of house barris and del armgo might have something to say about that recounting of hierarchy but he wisely kept the notion to himself zach nevane malista werden's new play thing an exasperated matron mother bae henry reason you are speaking of the former sim fray champion zack nefan you're as transparent as the protections of that ridiculous thing over your eye jarl axel swallowed hard what is it about that one for you jar laxel matron mother bay henry asked leaning forward in her throne and resting her elbow on her knee and her chin in that hand and seeming very much intrigued charlaxal quite flummoxed found himself without words and so he simply shrugged with a huff matron mother by henry waved her hand sending him away and on some magical cue no doubt the chamber began filling with bayenri nobles and guards once more jarl axel bowed with every step backward until he was out of the hall and he didn't linger for a heartbeat in the great compound of the city's first house he would go and prepare his hunting party suddenly keenly aware that he would do well to not fail in the task matron mother bayenry had put before him what bothers you matron mother bay henry said to her second son weapon master dan trag soon after jarlaxel had departed nothing matron mother of course dan trag dutifully answered bowing repeatedly in an obvious effort to eliminate any notion that he was complaining you do not particularly like joel axel she observed she looked around at her other children as she spoke and knew that she could have been addressing any of them with that remark and why should they like the houseless rogue of course house bayenry was supreme in their eyes rightly so the idea that such tasks were being contracted out to a mercenary ban was bad enough shouldn't they be the ones going to chad assad to kill the priestess who spoke ill of even l the eternal but a band composed of mostly males and led by males the good fortune of this band breaking the earth will serve us in ways that allow us to focus our efforts on those things that matter most she said to dan trag to all of them if he ever disappoints you i will gladly kill him dan drag replied with another bow that brought a smile to even elle's old face which dan trag clearly took as a compliment particularly when she added i am most confident of that but that wasn't why she was smiling none of her children not dan trag or the great grump nor high priestesses triel quenthal or so some to none of them knew jarl axel didn't know other than evanel herself there were perhaps two others in all the city who knew and if they spoke of it they would evoke the wrath of lady lol herself jarl axel was evan elle's son her third born son who had been as custom dictated sacrificed upon the moment of his birth the very next night right before finishing the preparations to depart manzo berenson charlaxa was summoned to house the word he didn't know what to expect of course and so he was quite relieved when he discovered that he would not be allowed entry into the house nor would he find himself before the wicked matron malice that day instead zach nephine was at the front balcony and floated down to the street below to meet the approaching mercenary my matron malice has discovered a newfound respect for breaking the earth it would seem the weapon master said with an appreciative grin ever since her ogrish daughter returned this day from eric tinoleth after a discussion with matron mistress yvonne bayenri i tried to tell her jarl axel said innocently and started away zachnophane beside him and who must i fight this night in exchange for my reprieve zach nophane asked whoever you choose i suppose charlaxal said with a snort for myself i am off to the stench streets to drink terrible wine and worse ale and to bed the ugliest woman i could find why the drink is only called terrible because it is not rare and therefore reserved for the haughty fools charlaxal explained and the women are only called ugly because they are common and that is precisely their charm because their passion is honest and honestly earned and for the sake of the passion alone zach the fan just shook his head and muttered his desire nay his need for such a drink part two for us it is interesting to me to look back upon my writings for many years ago i often cringe at my conclusions believing that i know better now and that i've come to a clearer view of whatever situation i must confront a clearer understanding of the best likely resolution oh i see the same intent the same hope for conclusion in those old writings but there are little mistakes scattered throughout and they are now obvious to me wisdom is a word often associated with experience perhaps it should also be spoken of in conjunction with the word humility because i now understand that if i look back upon this piece in a decade or a century i will likely once again find much to correct the other thing that strikes me about these glimpses into the past is the cyclical nature of life not just regarding birth and death but in the many joys and crises that find us year after year there is an old drow saying avatil nother poseison jacques poffinod history is a poem where all lines rhyme how to simply view the conflicts that my friends and i have faced is to see new threats that sound very much like the old even the great tragedies and joys of our companionship follow predictable patterns to one who has lived them again and again paradigms often seem broken but the nature of reasoning beings will someday reinstate them in this one manner perhaps loth is no fool or perhaps she is the greatest fool chaos brings excitement to her followers they feel alive but in the end they will go right back to where they were before the rank of a house might change a nearby foe might be vanquished a new spell created to darken the skies but a person traveling to menzo barons on today would see a place that rhymes quite closely with the city i first glimpsed from a cradle is it any different with water deep for yes some civilizations will be wiped away by conquerors some will be flattened by volcanoes great drought will displace entire cultures and massive ocean waves might sweep others to the silence of the sea floor but the circle of life continues the greed and the generosity remain the love and the hate remain the mercy and the vengeance remain all of these countervailing endlessly competing facets of humans and dwarves and elves and halflings and gnomes and every other reasoning race remain and battle and the winner is always in jeopardy and the result is so common either way that there is overall stasis within the swirl of chaos when i told this to bruner he replied that i was dark in more than skin reach behind his shield and handed me a drink but no it is not a dispiriting thought nor one that implies helplessness in the face of fate and predetermination because this too i know while we move in circles we still move forward like my own maturation in looking at my past writing the culture is mature to a visitor today men's oberon's on would look very much as it did to me when i first peeked out from house to worden but not exactly the same the times grow less dark for all the races because within the culture too is memory an understanding of what works and what does not when those lessons are forgotten the circle winds its way backward and when they are remembered society moves forward and with each cycle with each affirmation of that which is good and that which is evil the starting point of the next lesson is a bit closer to goodness it is a long roll this circle but it is rolling in the direction of justice and goodness for all of us it is not hard to look back on history and see atrocities committed on a grand scale that horrify the sensibilities of the folk of this day but were simply accepted or deemed necessary by folk in days more superstitious and unenlightened bruner wasn't impressed by this claim he just handed me another drink but it seems true to me now undeniably so that the life of an individual and the life of a society go in these circles of crisis and peace and from each we learn and we become stronger we become wiser it occurs to me that the beings we on faerun call gods might be no more than long-living creatures who have heard the rhyme of possession of yesteryear so many times that their simple experience allows them to know the future so ingrained is the inevitable result perhaps but they can now hear the echoes of the future instead of merely those of the past they have the foresight of consequence they have learned great powers as a swordsman learns a new attack routine my own journey nearly ended during this last crisis not merely because i might have died that seems a very common condition but because what i lost most of all was my grounding in reality the ground on which i stood became shifting sand and in that sand i nearly disappeared and would have except that now i have learned to tighten the circles of my life almost to where i have come to hope that my journey from here on out is a straighter road forward a path to better epiphany and clearer insight for the greatest teaching of the monks of the yellow rose is the ability to forgive wholly your own shortcomings to accept your physical being as a vessel to a spirit ever seeking perfection such true acceptance of one's self of limitations and weaknesses and failings allows one to proceed without becoming hindered by guilt and undue hesitance to hear the echoes of the past to anticipate the notes of the future to stride more boldly and so scimitar's high i go boldly and with a smile dressed though erden chapter 7 the year of dwarvenkind reborn dale reckoning 1488 peter freezing drizzle and snowflakes were in the air this lost in winter day but even so the open air above illusk proved too bright for the sensibilities of zach neffein de werden a drow who had seen the surface world on only one occasion hundreds of years before he huddled beneath the heavy cloak charlaxxel had given him as the trio of drow zachnoffein jarlaxel and an exceptional young woman named ivanelle the daughter of gromf the namesake of the great matron mother bayenry they moved over the bridge to close guard island and then the next bridge to a second island upon which sat the gigantic and wondrous structure known as the host tower of the arcane it stood like an ancient tree with huge branches running out from its tower trunk sweeping upward majestically each thick enough to hold the private chambers of the wizards within it was larger now than it had been before its destruction a century passed and it was still growing with the tip of the trunk and highest branches glowing orange against the gray sky as pulses of lava were fed in through the long underground tendrils that connected this magical structure to the under chambers of the dwarven city of gontelgrim far to the south and more particularly to the lava pit of the captured primordial that fueled the creation power at play here there was no visible door in the base of the host tower but jarl axel knew the location of the entrance and knew to the magic words to coerce its opening the trio passed through the portal and down a hallway to a circular center room lined with a curving staircase that rose up into the great structure and spiraled down below to the bowels the caves beneath the surface of luskin's bay as they moved to those stairs to ascend the drow could clearly hear the sounds below a great sighing almost as if the tower itself were inhaling and exhaling like a living being charlaxal knew just enough about this creation to believe that to be more than coincidence the second landing of the stairway offered a door that opened into the largest branch of the tree-like structure a narrow upsloping corridor lined with doors on both sides given the breadth of this branch those doors could have led to fair-sized chambers but this was a wizard's tower after all replete with extra dimensional creations conjured mansions that would seem to occupy a space no larger than a closet on the material plane but would satisfy a vain royal couple beyond the door the grandest of these jarl axel knew well belonged to his brother the former arch mage of menzo berenson grumped bayenri he didn't have to knock for gromp's door was magically monitored and so opened at the expected approach of the mercenary leader the trio entered the magical palace greeted by beautiful haunting music and a series of softly glowing lines of light moving through the visible spectrum seemingly in harmony with the sounds of the unseen instruments beautiful white columns lined the entry hall delicately carved with lovely sculptures of naked but armed drow women carriethed jarlaxl warned his two companions for these were more than room supports which were not even needed in the magical construct these were guards and formidable ones from an arched opening at the side of the room archmage gromp entered he seemed more than a little irritated by the intrusion but obviously he was not surprised and just as obviously he could have kept jar laxal and the others out of this place had he so desired i trust you enjoyed your journey to house bayenry charlaxil said gromp snorted and walked past the three motioning for them to follow him back to the entrance not a meal not even a drink to refresh us jarl axel said i'm sure king bruner will serve you well grump replied and jarl axel offered a heavy sigh gromf led them right back the way they had come but down the stairs past the entry foyer below ground and to another secret door one that looked very much like the curving wall of the volcanic tunnel they now traversed opening this one required more than uttering a series of magical words the others could feel how heavily guarded with spells and wards and glyphs this door was more than any other in the tower including gromp's own and it wasn't just the door that was magically warded beyond it lay a sizable room longer than it was wide and lined with stone statues that swift their heads to regard the intruders above them perched in small alcoves a host of gargoyles similarly watched ready to animate and attack but only watched well these were gromf's pets and gromp led this procession at the far end of the room stood a pair of stone obelisks they weren't straight nor uniform in thickness along their length nor carved with pretty designs and truly they seemed out of place in this grand structure of otherwise graceful asymmetry and creative designs across the top of these two columns lay a third chunk of gray stone which seemed as if it had just been dropped there and not carefully placed creating something resembling a haphazard door frame what is this place zach fane blurted clearly overwhelmed by the sun and the surface and the tower and now the many magical and monstrous eyes upon him not turning back to even acknowledge him gromf instead called to the threshold before him and from a crack in the floor between the jams there came a response a hissing sound have you ever dealt with dwarves jarl axel asked zack nefane durgar he answered for the evil grey dwarves that lived in the underdark were well known to the drow now flames shot up from the crack in the threshold climbing into the doorframe and growing hungrily as if they had found dry kindling to consume darrow the warrior asked indicating another subterranean race of magical dwarves zach nefane stared at the door now at the fires that roiled within that crude frame just dwarves jarlaxel clarified then no zachnafen said obvious disgust in his voice your son is a great affinity for them charlaxo replied zachnophane didn't respond didn't blink or move at all and on closer examination both charlaxal and evanel realized that he wasn't even breathing both turned to gromp who stood calmly a superior look on his angular face you see how easy it is for me to destroy a mere warrior he asked pointing the question at jarl how easy it is for you to defeat one by surprise you mean the mercenary replied when you can strike anywhere at any time surprise is the easy part so said the assassin holding the bloody dagger charlaxal quipped evanel's heavy sigh ended the exchange and she stared at the other two and shook her head in disgust with an expression that was more than a little familiar to both of these old drow who had known evan l the eternal ever have you two pretend rivals been dancing thus she said you speak like our mother jarl axel said with a laugh for that was exactly the point after all in the womb the daughter of grant this evanel had been invaded by the tentacles of a mind flare and that creature had given to her the memories of her namesake even l the eternal the great matron mother by henry the mind flare hadn't just recounted those memories to the fetus but had ingrained them into her as if they were her own pretend grab fast your dance is the puffery of a pair of peacocks though neither of you would soil your fine clothes with the blood of the other or with your own you need each other and that is what fouls the flavor just that sorry i beg you enough the brothers looked to each other and shrugged it is wise to remove zach nefan from the conversation before we enter king bruner's realm even elle told grump i would never have done it without your approval the dollar mage growled back at her we must know even else said letting the sarcasm pass what did you learn on your journey to house by henry is it truly zachnovain the handmaidens confirmed it gromf why even el asked at the same time those are the questions aren't they grump answered and who did it zach nothing is returned was it love me a leaky some other being of great power it would have to be for zach nefan threw himself into acid jar laxal reminded him there was no body to resurrect he was pulled back to life from another plane of existence wholly so the handmaidens did not say even elle asked i met with matron mother quenthal and high priestess sir sumptu i spoke with yakardaria and escovidney two of love's most favored handmaidens and they deny loft's involvement charlaxal asked gromp shrugged they neither confirm nor deny they say only that it is zach nevane doerden truly him returned from the nether plane and it seemed to me that they were as curious as you two regarding the who how and why of it i have no reason to doubt them and less reason to care perhaps it was love and who can know her designs but you don't believe that jarl axel prompted no grump replied but again i do not care enough to closely examine the arguments he turned to the fiery gate mithril hall has accepted our your call he said stepping aside and motioning to the flames charlaxa looked to evanel and nodded and the former archmage uttered a chat and dismissed the stasis spell he had placed on zachnovan how did he come to grow fond of smelly dwarves zach nefane asked picking up the previous conversation right where it had been cut short oblivious to the subsequent talk perhaps we will figure that out together charlaxal offered and stepped past taking zach nefan's arm as he headed for the roiling fires reflexively and predictably zachnovane resisted but evanel walked by them and stepped into the flames without slowing disappearing immediately it is merely a gate the flames benign charlaxal explained mithril hall has accepted our call and so the gate has been opened he led zach nevane to the threshold and went in immediately before the overwhelmed newcomer who did follow leaving gromp alone in the room gromp stayed there staring long after the fires had dissipated the indication the portal had closed there was so much going on around him now and the depth of it seemed to hold him enthrall the host tower and its plethora of strange and powerful inhabitants with more coming in each day it seemed the mystery of zach nevane's return which though he emphatically claimed not to care could signal something important angel axel his younger brother solidifying his hold on the city of luskin ever gaining acceptance so it seemed with some of the surrounding lords including some from mighty water deep to the south the latter was especially vexing and exciting drow elves secretly led a major surface city and were holding it with treaty instead of weapons the enormity of that was not lost on grump all he wanted was to continue his studies and growth in this most magnificent living stone tower at least that's what he had been telling himself just stay quiet charlaxal's fingers flashed as acnephane when they stepped out on the other side of the fire into a heavily guarded chamber off to the side of the main level of the dwarven complex at the recognition of evan ellen jarl axel to drow declared as friends of king bruner several grim-faced dwarves lowered their heavy crossbows to artillery teams safety latched the side slinger catapults mounted on the walls and sighted in on the magical gate we wish to speak with king bruner jar laxel told them probably in the mines one dwarf said to another was with cathy and wolfgard in the lava pit that second dwarf informed jarl axel still another dwarf a heavyset fellow with a long yellow beard walked to the wall lifted a hinged bit of stone and whistled through it a moment later the whole section of wall cranked upward like a solid port cullis of thick stone revealing a corridor beyond a pair of dwarves and fabulous full mithral armor moved in to greet the visitors we'll take ye one explained motioning for the trio of drow to follow more than two dozen dwarves accompanied the visitors with another half dozen following in close order charlaxa and ivanelle were considered friends of king bruner perhaps but there were clearly limitations to the trust the dwarves would put in such a title especially with an unknown third in the mix they wound down into the lower levels of gauntlet grim coming into the forge room where the furnaces were powered by the fires of a living primordial and thus superior to anything that could be created with mundane fuel down a short low tunnel from there they came to the magical chamber itself a large and mostly natural cavern it was steamy in here for water poured from root-like tendrils above a pit that dominated the room and from which came a bright orange glow the mist didn't obscure vision badly and from the door the three visitors to gontelgrim could see two human forms a robed woman her belly showing her to be in the middle months of pregnancy and a giant of a human man standing in the center of the landing overlooking the pit catty bree your son's wife charlaxal said to zach nephine and wolfgard of ice windale one of drizzt's dearest friends zachdefane's face screwed up in confusion at the two non-drow standing before him he started to respond but even else stopped him with an upraised hand and began casting a spell for it was obvious that zach nevane would not understand anything said here without some magical assistance and is that zach nevane asked a moment later barely able to get the words past his lips as he fully took in this woman this pregnant human jarl axel had just named as his daughter-in-law jarl axel nodded and smiled it was indeed zach nevane's grandchild in catty bree's womb charlaxal catty bree called and the mercenary leader tipped his great cap painted a wide and sincere smile on his face and moved over to join the two he noticed then that there had been some recent construction in the chamber as a tall and decorated metal railing now lined the pit for jar laxal who had once gone over the edge of that pit to rescue another dwarven friend and had only barely caught the dwarf before they both plummeted into the living lava far below the railing seemed a good addition what brings you here catty brie asked i trust all is well in luskin splendid the drow replied the host tower is more magnificent by the day too long has it been since you've seen it dear lady particularly given that you were the one who unwound the riddle in reconstructing it she smiled at the acknowledgment even as wolfgar asked you have come to see lady danala up above he had just taken the short tram ride from the halfling town of bleeding vines which was built in a stoney veil around the back door of gondelgrim to see bruner actually to request a portal to long saddle jalaxel replied lady de nala is returned from never winter wolfgart informed him anyway and an odd between the two confirmed their private dealings and collusion here you were coming to long saddle to visit me catty brie asked though of course she suspected differently alas no charlaxal answered turning as evanel on the third drow approached although it is grand to see you i trust you are well quite and your baby all is well she assured him then may she or he be born with your grand eyes dressed warrior brilliance your wisdom and the heart of you both john axel said with a bow what a grandchild that would be catty bree smiled again and nodded to acknowledge the compliment but grew a bit confused when jarl axel finished by looking to the third member of the group the unknown drow that man seemed less than excited at the news also had jarl axel played purposely with his choice of words though if such a child was graced with the color of drizz size i am sure you would not mind the rogue mercenary leader added with a wink turning his gaze back to catty bree but no dear lady though i am happy to see you and would surely have sought you out my journey through here to long saddle was to see drizzed i have someone he would wish to meet the two humans studied the third member of jarl axel's group a drow they did not know as he pulled back the hood of his magical powerful cloak i give you the former weapon master of house deluerten once considered the finest weapon master in all of menzel on jarl axel said who trained your husband in the arts marshall cathy bre's expression grew more curious trained dressed was trained by nefan the stranger replied i am zach neffen do worden come to see my son caddy bree gasped her blue eyes going so wide they seemed as if they might fall out of her face a grand child she whispered under her breath echoing jalaxl's words stranger still grows the world wolfgang remarked with a chuckle and he seemed far less surprised and more amused than anything else jarl axel too stared incredulously at zach nephine but for a different reason the weapon master had spoken perfectly the common tongue of faerun something he should not know he understands the language for now even l explained guessing the source of jarl axel's incredulous expression until my dream relapses sacrifice catty bree murmured shaking her head love wolfgart said drawing the attention of the other four she said she could restore him to drist's side in exchange for his fieldty though jarl axel reminded him and zach nefane gasped he didn't the weapon master asked we're not sure did your husband pledge fealty to the spider queen do you think evanelle asked catty bree to which she and zachneffane both replied no emphatically while wolfgard laughed at the absurdity of the suggestion but zachnovane is here charlaxall remarked but of course he also did not believe that drizz would ever pledge fealty to loth so you believe cattybree replied staring hard at the stranger she resisted the urge to put a hand to her belly but reminded herself of how much she and her husband had to lose here and not just them the events of the past year had seen a dramatic shift in the north for all of their friends and one favorable to a stable and prosperous environment a remaking of the lands often and rightly called the savage north how do you know wolfgar added also looking down at the drought they called zachnophane it is him jarl axel assured them because he knows things only zach defene would know cathy bree asked would not a god a goddess be able to discern such things and so imbue them upon a doppelganger you think us novices in the ways of magic and the gods our investigation was more thorough than that said even now yet she too stared at the reborn drow if he is not truly zach nevane doerden then some deity went to great trouble to accomplish that which could have been done in a more straightforward and easy manner returning of fake zachnophane would hurt drizz dearly catty bree said and she added to zach nevane simply because she could not help herself you look exactly like him it was true enough other than the red hue of his eyes and the fact that he wore his hair short this man introduced to zach nefane for an uncanny resemblance to dressed with the same facial features less angular than and the most drowsy it would hurt him no more than taking catty bree from drist's side even ill countered and that is something far more easily attained not as easily as some would believe however catty bree replied and her blue eyes narrowed as she met the gays of ivanel who she had learned had tried to do just that indeed had put a curse upon drizz to compel him to murder catty bree upon reuniting with her after his battle with demogorgon catty bree used her own reminder as a warning to herself she knew the webs of dark elves were deeply layered at some point she privately conceded she would be getting into unjustified suspicions but that point would run much deeper for drow particularly one as unusual as this even l creature than for other races even el merely shrugged though not denying or excusing anything she had made it clear that drizzed's inability to do the deed to strike cathy bree dead his strength and the purity of his heart that had allowed him to deny the compelling magic of her curse it sparked the epiphany that had turned even out to drizz's side ivanelle had given up great power she could have become the matron mother of men's oberenson to come to the surface and that price could yet prove steeper still as agents of loaf were rumored to now be hunting her whatever her past she was here now trusted by jarl axel and by drizzed catty bree knew and so she could not hold her stare for long or was that the plan all along catty bree had to wonder how patiently would they weave their webs to inflict maximum damage on dresd and perhaps the goddess loth truly heard the words of drizzed wolfgard reasoned breaking the tension in the tunnel you were there he said indicating ivanelle when lolth told tris that she could return his father to his side he made it clear to her that if she was worth following she would not have taken zack nefane or so many others in the first place yes those were his words even l agreed so perhaps lolf is preempting a play jar laxal offered looking to evanel who had long been postulating that the spider queen was sensing a change in the mores of her devoted drow children and wanted to stay ahead of that so as not to risk losing her flock i just want to see my son zach nevane said his tone making it quite clear that he had heard enough of these philosophical musings of course catty bree said but her stern expression one then matched by the drow claiming to be zach nevane showed all that she wasn't overly enthusiastic about such a reunion she turned a wolf car and bat him go get bruner the big man nodded and rushed off word of the visitors was already spreading fast through the compound though and so wolfgard didn't have far to go to find the dwarf king and returned with bruner along with an impressive group including the warrior atherogate and the unusual boulder shoulder brothers in short order catty bree nodded at her adopted dwarf father's entourage thinking it quite fitting given the potential regional implications of this new development afrogate had become one of bruner's most trusted advisors and a stone tough commander in the mold of the legendary fiber dwarf point but he was also a long time associate of jarl axel and a member of breaking the earth a familiarity and friendship that continued even though he had formally ended that relationship the boulder shoulders friends of the companions of the hall were new to gontelgrim and were more members of the halfling village up above the dwarven compound than of gauntlet grim itself pickle boulder's shoulder in particular with his druidic ways was serving lady dinola as the sommelier of bleeding vines his green touch was already producing promising rootstocks though the growing season of 1488 hadn't yet begun this far north wolfgard must have already informed bruner of jarl axel's startling companion because the red-bearded dwarf king hopped right up to examines acnephane shaking his head and barely containing his grin the two exchanged a greeting and then bruner said something along the lines of your sons to be dancing catty brie was hardly listening her attention following the green bearded pickle who hopped up before evanel and pointed his stump arm at her the strange and lovable dwarf mumbled some undecipherable words and waggled the fingers of his one hand all about that bobbed limb which had been lost years before in a battle with giants a moment later so befitting the charm of pickle a flower grew out of his stump which he plucked giggling wildly and handed to the beautiful drow woman such a charming little fellow she said taking the white rose and bringing it up to her nose to sniff and it was more than a charming gift catty bree realized it was a signal and she wasn't surprised to catch a glance between evanel and jarl axel pickle had just conveyed a message from denala topolino to joel axel through ivanelle there it was again she realized a reminder of the great changes in the western realms north of waterdeep and an even more poignant reminder of how delicate that situation truly was if some of the players evanel in particular were not as perceived such an interesting alliance had come together in the north including jarl axel the halfling the harpel family of long saddle and of course the heart of it all gauntlet grim in reclaiming the ancient homeland of all delzoon dwarves catty bree's father king bruner had created a new force in this region but he had done so by chasing out a noble drow house house or lauren which had been sent there by matron mother bae henry to claim it as a sister city to menzo barons on she looked more closely at ivanelle at ivanel bayenri with that notion and reminded herself too that gromf was also of that first family of men's oberyn's on whatever their current proclamations she glanced back to the drow claiming to be zachnovane and tried hard to hide her trepidation with the dwarf and gates that meeting will be easy enough to arrange i expect ivan l answered wolfgar catty bree winced both of the thought of how quickly drizz might find himself standing before this drow claiming to be his father and at ivanelle's interest in the dwarven gates for those portals bound the alliance charlaxal could come and go from luskin through the one beneath the host tower covering the hundred miles between the places in a matter of a few steps similarly catty brian trist and the wizard harpels could come and go from long saddle half again that distance in a mere heartbeat the key however was that those gates were controlled by gauntlet grim none could enter or leave without accepting the call by activating the primordial power on this end of the portal long saddle and luskin could not be reached directly but only by going through the dwarven city impregnable gontelgrim and that reputation was made even more possible because of the last of the four dwarven gates the one that led to the tunnels beneath the silver marches to the east from which bruner could bring three powerful dwarven armies of his delzoon to his aid all of that reality gave catty bree some measure of confidence here but also made her determined to verify everything and anything before accepting it as truth if the drow of menzo barons they would have to find some way to alter or those gates and she'd be damned if she let ivanelle or zacnafene too drought that she didn't quite trust help facilitate such sabotage rolled the ring on her left hand about her finger and was glad that she was standing in this chamber in this moment of doubt no mere bauble this was a ring of elemental control attuned to the plane of fire and with it catty bree could hear the whispers of the god-like creature the primordial of fire in the pit below those whispers had told her how to reconstruct the host tower of the arcane and how to rebuild and power the dwarven portals the conversation continued around her mostly with bruner talking to zach nefan so she tuned it out and fell into the magic of the ring just to confer with the primordial this was a being of power to rival love herself to outdo the spider queen even and so when she came out of that private communication the woman stood a bit more comfortably the gates could not be altered could not be perverted the primordial had assured her with its confidence and control over them and so gontelgrim could not be compromised in that manner not even by the powers of men's oberenzon not even by evanel if she was more than she appeared not even by the spider queen herself unless she wished to wage war with a godly creature of preater natural power could anyone truly threaten king bruner's gontelgrim or even bleeding vines with so many allies so close at hand she thought not but of course with such power and the disparate alliance also came much responsibility and much intrigue again she thought of the baby in her belly for in this regard it seemed a more personal version of the same thing like the alliance of the north her father had built her family too had much to lose she sighed which brought a stop to the conversations around her and all eyes fell upon her catty bree couldn't help but chuckle at that and helplessly for life it seemed much simpler to her when she and her four closest allies had simply been the companions of the whole a band of friends walking the road of adventure relying only on each other and accountable only to each other now with drizzed father if it truly was his father making an appearance life had suddenly gotten even more complicated in the past few moments catty breeze shook the dark thoughts away they were for another day today could only be about the momentous return of her husband's long dead father refocused she listened more closely to the conversation around her and realized that she had missed much of it during her contemplations he will know me zach nefan said and it sounded more like a hope than a certainty as i would know him he will doubt even el warned his encounter with the thinned planar barrier between the underdark and the lower planes hit him particularly hard and i'd be surprised if such delusions has befell him didn't yet linger drast walked in great confusion for many ten days and nothing seemed real to him his mind was too full of doubt he has passed that affliction catty bree said my husband's work with grandmaster kane has shown him inner peace and guidance she didn't miss the flash of a scowl on zach nefan's face when she referred to dressed as her husband just a flash he is she added quietly much stronger than even we give him credit for it may be as you say but still to ask this of him is beyond anything he might have expected said ivanelle too great a hope perhaps catty bree shrugged not ready to argue that point and added for just drizz do you suppose ivana locked stairs with the woman then glanced down a bit to her swollen belly catty bree realized and offered a conciliatory nod but will drizzed even recognize you jarl axel asked zack nefane it was a lifetime ago you recognized me at once zach nefane interrupted somewhat angrily i knew you was an adult and for centuries charlaxal reminded him dress saw you through the eyes of a child and saw you much less frequently than i and for a much shorter amount of time besides i am far more used to such anomalies as your return and still charlaxall investigated further to confirm his hopes said ivanelle and to zachnophane jarlaxel merely shrugged sheepishly does my son still practice zach nefane asked catty brie every day of course catty bree replied and then she began to nod catching on he will know you then beyond doubt wolfgart put in and all the others began to chuckle and nod as they came to understand the plan it was true enough caddybree understood in the arena doing battle drizz would recognize a long lost opponent as surely as he would recognize catty bree in their love making even if they had been separated by centuries i would speak with you privately jar axel she said she looked to king brooder and added and with you father just we three you'd be a fool not to jarlaxel replied and catty brie is no fool the circular chamber in the bowels of the ivy mansion in long saddle was hot very hot and steamy coaxing the knots out of strong muscles and the sweat from the practicing warrior his movements were slower than in years past but that was not due to age rather it was deliberate in his daily practice sessions now drizz doe urton maintained complete concentration on every bend every turn every extension forcing the most out of his muscles in both length and strength when his left arm swept forward drizz's mind turned inward so completely that he could feel the interactions of his muscles could feel the bend of tendons and could then angle both elbow and shoulder for perfect balance and speed or at least almost perfect drizz worked now to adapt the mind-body training he had received from grand master kane to the many hours of work he had put in melee mag there and in the years subsequently actually fighting while the techniques were not a perfect match the skilled veteran drow had found enough similarities to make the whole greater than the two parts it would be a long process an unending one he knew but one well worth pursuing he retracted the arm and kept pulling back that left shoulder turning about legs bending to corkscrew him down very low to dock the imagined attack from the rear and as he came around he brought his right hand scimitar icing death across and a wide hook again every muscle worked in harmony dressed keeping full balance all the way through the movement rolling on the balls of his feet at just the right moment to keep maximum strength in his countering slash even while his left hand blade maintained an absolutely perpendicular aspect before his torso lifting up to harmlessly raise the incoming spear or sword or to block with balance and strength any downward chop of an axe or hammer yes he knew this strike and turn routine would prove superior to anything he had ever before attempted all he had to do was create enough memory in his body to execute it effortlessly swiftly and always always that was where perfection lay it had to be always without error almost always would get him killed he heard the door open behind him and held the pose instead of continuing his movement not wanting the disruption to cause him to alter any angles or weight distribution he heard the footsteps of someone entering the room felt the disturbance caught a whiff of the scent and a hint of the breathing he knew immediately that it was catty bree he stood up straight and turned to face his wife his naked chest glistening with sweat in the low magical light you would fight me he asked but stopped noting that catty bree was hardly dressed for sparring though she was holding a pair of wooden practice scimitars do you think you still can safely this far along with child not i she replied seriously and threw the practice swords across the floor to her husband regarding her with good-natured suspicion what was she up to this fine morning drizz moved over and replaced his very real and very deadly scimitars on the room's weapon rack then retrieve the practice weapons he closed his eyes lifting them and feeling their balance which was nowhere near as precise as his own fabulous weapons of course this is real catty breeze said to him softly from across the room you are not being deceived drizzed opened his eyes to regard her curiously then opened them wider indeed when another entered the room a male drow carrying wooden swords of his own like trist he was dressed in loose-fitting pants and a shirt opened low on his dark-skinned chest at first through the haze trist didn't catch the significance but as his opponent approached drace's eyes went wider still what game is this he whispered breathlessly he tore his gaze away turning to catty bree but she was already gone the door closing behind her no game the newcomer replied dries shook his head dumbfounded and started to verbally deny the possibility but his opponent was not going to give him the chance lifting his wooden swords and leaping forward in attack nor was it a measured testing routine for the challenger came on in a furious rush blade spinning and stabbing up high and down low drist had no time for words his left arm went out to the side practice sword sliding vertically to pick off a powerful slash he hopped and drove his right hand down escaping the incoming sweep of the other blade he landed lightly and retreated straight back his breath taken away by the grace and beauty of the pincer-like attack few would even attempt such a strike for any error left the center wide open to a finishing counter but he had seen it before many times since the draw who had trained him could do it the drow who greatly resembled this fighter before him he recalled those centuries had passed drizz chased that thought from his mind as his challenger pursued spinning a full circuit to send both swords across then cutting short the double slash with a clever twist retracting them and thrusting both powerfully dressed pirouetted to his left his left hand blade smacking aside the double thrusting swords by the time he had turned back the challenger was there already stabbing and slashing up high and down low once more and drizz matched every movement his practice scimitars rolling and weaving always in position as he fell into the dance of his opponent his balance kept him in tune with the swords and he noted the movements of the man holding them looking for the time when they would come at him too near to each other from a purely defensive posture drizz shifted to one of anticipation and when the opening came when his opponent's striking blades moved to near each other and angled properly for dressed a right-hand undercut and backslash took them up aside into the gap weighted drizz left hand blade stabbing hard but the other drow moved beautifully with grace so unique that it sent tris thoughts back across the centuries yet again the drow accepted the success of the clever parry and went with it throwing himself out to his left with his deflected weapons and falling into a side long roll twisting as he did so that he came right back up to his feet facing the turning dress now drizzed had the initiative though and on he came with a blazing assault his mock scimitars going at his opponent so rapidly that an observer might have thought him a frenzied six-armed marilyn and yet the other drow matched his speed swords working beautifully to crack against slide against or block every strike on and on the fight went rolling back and forth in the circular chamber wooden swords banging and clacking so rapidly that someone hearing it from afar might have thought a flock of a thousand woodpeckers had taken up residence in the forest behind the ivy mansion but no it was just these two magnificent warriors fighting in such harmony that they seemed like one man battling himself there was a comfortableness to it fortress a fond sense of a long ago day in a far away place and for a few moments he lost himself in that memory of being in-house though earthen in men's oberon's on again only after he recognized that for the reverie it was did he instinctively rebel against it and not just because he had to focus to keep himself in the present battle and wild sword play but also because he knew vividly that falling into a false hope was a painful experience indeed with a snarl drizzed pressed on stepping forward putting more power behind every swing his opponent retreated with equal speed and balance finally shifting his back foot to the side and turning in suddenly looking to regain the offensive advantage and just barely ducking a stab for his face however drizz would not be deceived by so simple a shift and his turn had him even more aggressively pursuing his challenger the other drow spun farther and ran drizzed right behind into a roll went his enemy coming up right before the wall then stepping up the wall turning horizontally and flipping backwards spinning and striking as he went and drizzed parried once more running right past him running up the wall as well but halting his backwards somersault before it had begun springing instead straight back twisting and turning to land in a low crouch legs widespread he popped immediately upright stabbing his blades but his strike was too high and was easily docked and countered predictably with a double thrust low it was the correct countering move normally but one that made drizz grimace he had been entertaining some notion here of course how could he not be given the familiarity with his fighter the resemblance in his recent encounter with love but zach nefan knew the danger of that counter against this particular opponent he would not have made such a blunder still feigning desperation drizz did the only thing he could executing the proper cross down parry scimitars coming down in an x to trap the attacking swords down low and keep his challenger bent so it was time to end this charade and now that he had the cross down he kicked his foot between his weapon hilts expecting to break the nose of his enemy only as his leg lifted he realized that his opponent was no longer there and to make such a ghost step drizz knew that opponent had to have anticipated both the block and the counter purely on reflex drizz executed the same move he had been practicing before the interruption rolling on the balls of his feet fast and balanced spinning and stabbing into the area where he knew his opponent had to be the challenger picked off that thrusting blade just barely throwing his hips back and twisting as he did and that put him in line for the real attack as drist's right hand blade swept in from out wide slapping him hard on the hip with a grunt the challenger tried to retreat but drizz had come around in full balance and so pursued viciously ferociously scimitars stabbing left then right then back to the left where the challenger barely parried and did so only by turning that way dressed right leg came up in a snap kick hardened to the side of the drow's head staggering his opponent tried to backhand the raised leg so drizz released his blade to allow it but only so that he could follow the swing rolling under the lifting arm with a sudden dart and turn he grabbed as he went under and his opponent had no way to resist as drizz turned him under and about flipping him hard onto his back onto his back lying on the floor and with the tip of drizz's other practice blade pressing against his throat you have greatly improved my son the drow congratulated him don't call me that drist said pressing his blade did you think i would fall for your double cross down trick again the solution is well known now drist said likely it is taught at the academy the man on the ground dropped both his swords and eased one hand against the shaft of the pressing weapon trying to move it a bit to the side for he was having a hard time drawing breath who are you dressed demanded keeping the blade tight in place you know who i am i saw you fall into the acid there is no resurrection from that i did not fall i leaped he locked stairs with drizzed and added quietly and with a familiar inflection for us drizzed wavered his arms began to shake for us the exact word zachnophane had said to him right before he had defied the lothian cursives in carla a dreamer that had rendered zach neffena zombie slave an enchantment he should not have been able to deny or defy but he had because of his great love for his son drizzed blades fell to the floor on either side of the prone man he didn't consciously drop them he didn't consciously do anything he just stood there staring i told you to flee to the ends of the world zach nefane said he lifted his hand and drizzed clasped wrists with him and pulled him from the floor and then dries stumbled away out of the room so disoriented and confused that he didn't even retrieve his precious weapons zachnovan moved to follow but catty breeze stepped into the doorway through which drist had departed and blocked his way give him time she advised sachnafane stared at her hard and said nothing but neither did he try to push through chapter eight the eyes of toppolino the halfling went about his tasks with apparent diligence cleaning the great audience chamber of lord daggled neverember in the city of neverwinter his motions were skillfully practiced though and his attention was never on removing the cobwebs from a decorative suit of armor or killing the large roaches in the corner skittering through the dusty beams of sunlight streaming in from the room's large window he wore an odd-shaped bandage on his head sloping down from just above his right temple over his left eye to cover his left ear by that ear the bandage showed a blood stain from a bad fall he had explained a few days earlier when he had begun his third week of work for the man dakot who was both an open lord of water deep and the lord protector of new neverwinter like his cleaning skills things weren't what they seemed there either it wasn't a bandage but a magical beret giving the illusion of one blood included nor was his feather duster a cleaning implement but rather a beautiful rapier in his clothes not rags but finery any shoes not wrapped cloth but fine high black boots his mustache and small beard weren't scraggly nor his eyes sparkling and strikingly green in fact the only thing authentic about the halfling was the dirt he smeared on his face and hands each morning to add to the magical disguise the bandage on his head bulged over that left ear concealing a tiny ear trumpet cleverly built and magically enhanced to amplify sound he could hear a whisper from across the hall even with ambient noise so long as he turned his left ear toward the targeted speaker the target was usually lord daggled neverember of course whenever the man was in neverwinter although his visits were often mundane arguments over which parts of the city would be reclaimed from the volcanic rock or which defenses would be bolstered or whether this lord or that could lay claim to this house or that and in those times the halfling would often turn his ear to the other commoners working in the place to garner the more salacious and he had to admit fun rumors lord neverember was overseeing the rebuilding of the city but he clearly hoped to go even beyond that to make this coastal settlement a worthy sister city to great water deep the shining jewel of the sword coast a 10 days ride to the south along the trade way the ambitious man was also obviously trying to strengthen and expand his own position in the greater sword coast region which was something this spies friends would not much desire for lord neverember was no ally to king bruner battle hammer of gontilgrim and even less liked by jarl axel who secretly controlled the city of luskin farther up the coast neverember was dangerous too the halfling often prudently reminded himself the lord wore his pumpkin-colored hair pulled back from his angular face hanging long behind his shoulders giving him a severe look that seemed only more intense because of his dark eyes deep set so that they almost seemed to be peering out from within a separate bunker many of the water-daven lords living in luxury had long been fat and soft but that could not be said of this one with his broad shoulders and muscled arms you are a lion of a man was a compliment often paid to never ember by visiting nobles and one the lord protector of neverwinter most liked hearing this one knew how to use a sword or a fist and the halfling had often enough seen evidence that neverember's temper was quick and sharp the lord protector sat upon his neverwinter throne now chattering with a lady of some noble standing judging from her fine gown and jewels as the conversation between them continued the halfling spy wished he had been allowed into the chamber earlier to catch the lady's name and title the wise purchase lord dangled the woman said to turn such a handsome prophet in so short a time not even a year the place has strategic value and was built by the kind of skilled artisans rarely found in the world today he answered i was fortunate to have the gold on hand when the offer was made and did not hesitate other than to bargain down the price of course well bargained the woman said and levity is not one to be taken so easily they both laughed and the subject turned to whispers of an amorous affair between a lord and lady of waterdeep they engaged in that gossip only briefly though but then another visitor was escorted into the audience chamber a dwarf with tight cornrows of thick yellow hair and long braids hanging down all around his large head though he obviously paid great attention to his hair the same could not be said of his beard which was unkempt and wild enough that the halfling spy expected more than one bird to fly out with every heavy step the fellow took toward the throne behind that dwarf came several others burly fellows all pushing and pulling a thick planked cart creaking under the weight of chests and bags are broken good friend never amber greeted even as the court sergeant introduced the dwarf with lord protector commander bronken stone shaft despite himself the halfling spy turned to survey the scene and stopped his fake cleaning stone shaft he whispered for it was a name he thought he knew though one he had not heard in a long time since he was often in the court of king bruner the most renowned and powerful dwarf of the north if not the whole world there were few dwarves of any importance in the region this spy did not know if he couldn't quite place this one the halfling's gaze went to the wagon and he reached up and tweaked the ear trumpet just a bit he tried hard to keep his expression impassive then when he heard a sound very familiar to him rattling with every turn of the carts wheels realize that those chests and sacks were filled with coins thousands and thousands of coins i put a turned army on your doorstep getting this here lord protector bronkenstone shaft said bowing before neverember he might be wanting a good place for it neverember stood in motion to his sergeant who called immediately for guards the lord protector then shouted back to another man one the halfling knew to be the court's secretary the deed never amber called that word go far and wide that clan stone shaft once more claims thornhold as their home thornhold the halfling whispered for he had heard of the coastal fortress set almost halfway between water deep and neverwinter along the sword coast just south of the mir of dead men he had even seen it on occasion in his travels along the trade way though only from afar and had never bothered to investigate it more closely for thornhold was a name from another time before the sundering was it now anything more than a ruin if the coins in the card were to be believed the chamber began to fill with soldiers and while most went to the laden card others began hustling all the non-official people out of the room the cleaners and the cooks and a group of never winter citizens who had come in hopes of garnering a few words with lord neverember not wanting any hands touching his disguise the halfling was quickly out of the room and then the keep proper from there he slipped away down the side streets of neverwinter he used his magical beret repeatedly first becoming a dwarf then a human child then finally when he was far from the court a normal looking halfling peasant wearing ragged clothing and leaning on a cane his fabulous rapier in disguise looking all about glancing over his shoulder repeatedly to ensure that he was not being followed he went to his encounter point a location predetermined and always watched where he would soon be met by an associate this day it took almost no time at all a halfling coming out of the shadow so efficiently that she beat the spy to the low wall carved from lava stone that doubled as a bench she kept the cowl of her traveling cloak up over her head the two sat down side by side what's the word she asked the spy nearly fell off the wall when he recognized the voice and he leaned over and peered under the cowl staring at the eyes of the woman he loved what are you doing here he whispered in shock to the lady of bleeding vines the leader of house topolino and his own wife denala my spider did you think i would let you have all the fun for weeks on end denali answered with that grin that made regis tingle from head to toe impish and innocent and yet somehow incredibly sexy and teasing the smile of denala topolino always brought a great sigh to his lips if this infernal city weren't so full of spies i would surely kiss you regis said how i've missed you your disdain for spies has noted my spy regis laughed then looked around curiously how long have you been here how did you even know i would come to this place this day because i knew you would have something to tell us to nala answered we just looked at her curiously we watched the procession of dwarves along the trade way all the way to neverwinter dinola explained quite a force they placed about that small caravan if they had bypassed neverwinter i might have had to work hard to organize a ban to raid the thing where did they come from denali shrugged we noted them only a day before they crossed past bleeding vines on the trade way coming from the north luskin jarlaxel's contacts knew nothing of them and nothing moves from about or around that city without him knowing it somewhere between here in luskin i would expect for at last regis asked donald wore a blank expression she was new to the region after all and port last was a minor trading port built inside a quarry day's ride to the north regis explained it's possible regis shook his head for it didn't make sense drizz knew of port last certainly and was considered a hero of the town there were dwarves there it was a quarrying village after all but nothing this substantial as far as regis had ever heard and certainly the minimal business of the place would not have created such wealth as he had seen in neverember's chamber this day they came to purchase thornhold from lord neverember regis explained thornhold a fortress farther down the coast jarloxa will know more of the place denali nodded we should go to him then he is expected soon in gondolgrim to confer with king bruner and the others regarding the primordials harnessed power and rebuilding the host tower of the arcane and the magical portals my love they are coming active regis hardly heard her for his thoughts had gone back to neverember's chamber back to the noble woman standing beside the lord protector in particular he had seen her in the court of neverember several times before along with some other pale skinned water david nobility at least the halfling thought them to be from water deep given their familiarity with neverember only now had the halfling made the connection that one of the higher rent taverns near the castle had been exceptionally busy of late and with orders of fine food and wine flowing in from a line of carts each night spider danala asked her distracted lover you go to jarl axel regis replied tell him a thornhold and tell him that the dwarves were of clan's stone shaft with treasure to purchase the ruins from neverember a treasure worthy of a guarding army denali sat up straight at that all confirmed regis assured her so take it to charlottesville and just to him that way we may garner more information before we get bruner all riled and you there's something i want to see here before i return we just answered looking away down the street toward the tavern he intended to investigate he straightened and turned quickly and so did nala when they heard quite a motion coming their way and regis jaw fell open as the stone shaft contingent came marching into view along the street before them line after line the dwarves marched heavily armed and armored the ground shaking under the stamp of their thick boots and disciplined lockstep they crossed right before the non-descript halfling couple and paid them no heed marching eight across and forty ranks deep at the rear came bronken riding in the same cart that had delivered the coin to neverember and pulled by the same dwarf crew who had holed it into the lord protectors chamber so many regis murmured why so many to guard a dragon worthy treasure de nola said both halflings gave a bit of a smile at that and at the possibilities that might follow go to charlaxa with the names regis badger thornhold and clan stone shaft dinola recited once more i and word that the dwarves bought the place from neverember i wonder if king bruner knew it was for sale denali said or had any word that a large clan of dwarves was planning to set up their fortress so near to gontolgrim regis nodded agreeing with the direction of her thinking i will join you presently he promised he glanced all around then and finding them clear of prying eyes leaned in and gave his beloved a long overdue kiss you be careful she told him breathlessly i only let you come out here because you were bored i had no desire or intention to put you in harm's way we just snorted at that we would never send others to do things we would not he recited and denala could only sigh that is the credo of house topolino is it not house topolino is now but one piece of a larger village for which you and i are responsible bleeding vines would go on without us regis replied i'm not about to hide behind a throne he laughed and grabbed denali's ragged peasant smock nor are you then i shall go with you she announced but regis shook his head his face serious you go to jarlaxel i can send a courier you go he reiterated make sure that he learns nothing that you don't also learn i thought we could trust him that doesn't mean his purse won't get fatter than those of his trusted and trusting associates what are you on to my love danala asked regis shook his head and truly wasn't sure this whole thing just struck him as odd more than even the surprising events would indicate he had been in neverwinter often of late and had noted no postings of some great fortress for sale and had seen few dwarves at all within the city other than the long-standing citizens since it was well known that lord protector neverember and king bruner hated each other and as unusual as this morning's transaction had seemed regis got told him that it was even more so and he had an idea of where he might learn the deeper details freeze glanced around then rolled over the wall in a backwards somersault landing lightly behind it there he tapped his beret and was rid of his disguise in short order revealing his beautiful cloak and clothing magnificent rapier at one hip three bladed dagger on the other his blue flecked beret tilted fashionably to one side replaced the bloody bandage he hopped the wall to land back on the street so dashing dinala said putting her hand across her forehead as if she would swoon tell our agents that they will need to restock the caches regis told her house topolino had hidey holes scattered about neverwinter city in which they had placed bottles of wine they had brought from agleron toppolino agents knew where to find those bottles to use as barter or cover instantly becoming wine traders instead of spies it helped the wine was quite good and convincing the grapes brought from the east to seed the vineyards of bleeding vines denali intended to establish a legitimate business out here with the impressive wine but for now it served its more clandestine purpose you will try to open a trade partnership with dackled neferember danola asks skeptically he knows of our partnership nay our kinship with bruner and gontalgrim love no not with him regis replied absently shaking his head he hesitated with every word for he was improvising here formulating as he went staring down the avenue where the dwarves continued their march the same boulevard that held the inn housing the visiting water david nobility but there is someone he didn't go straight to the tavern instead regis went to a stable just outside of town run by a young elven woman named iber del ali a widow who lived alone in the adjoining house there wasn't much business for a stable outside the city walls and so iberdell's stalls were rarely anywhere near full but both the grinning ponies and the knee breakers halfling patrol bands who had taken up residence in bleeding vines had seen fit to sign a contract with iberdell that ensured her a decent living and more than a little protection should she need it although regis always got the feeling that she wouldn't ah spider paraffin she greeted regis when he arrived back on her doorstep what trouble have you gotten yourself into now never that lady regis replied with a bow sweeping off his fabulous beret back to bleeding vines are you just checking in on rumble belly he said and he couldn't help but smile at the name of the pinto pony he had recently been gifted by dorigardo who led the grinning ponies iberdell returned to sly grin she knew him too well he realized and he thought that a good thing truly iber de la lalli had become as much a part of the spying network denali had created as any halfling from bleeding vines back to neverwinter then she asked business to conclude i it is my duty to serve lady danala you could wash her pony in those of her attendants i burdell replied they are frolicking out in the corral with your own much like dana herself prances whenever her spider is about regis was certain that he was blushing fiercely but he giggled nevertheless his expression sobered quickly though did you happen to see the army of dwarves that marched into neverwinter this day i heard them and smelled them but they had no beasts to stable ibradel shook her head her long silver hair flying freely any others renting your stall since i went into neverwinter it is midwinter she reminded him not many on the road unfortunately other than yourself into knowledge group i have seen just one paying customer in two ten days but you keep me in suspense pretty lady little in the world gives me greater pleasure she flirted back at him if i beg are you here to brew she asked slyly for on more than one occasion aberdell had happened upon regis when he was hard at work with the portable alchemy lab he kept in his magical bag of holding daylight oil he countered referring to a concoction he had made for her several times dipping a small object into daylight oil made it glow like a bright lantern for quite some time depending on the quality of ingredients better still the object wouldn't begin to dim until it was used and could be covered and so held in reserve with a simple cloth well i do not much enjoy bringing torches or lanterns into the barn which is why i stable rumble belly here regis said well that and the beauty of the groom she winked at him daylight oil yes he agreed a grand batch i promise very well then one paying customer a large man seemed like a northerner with long golden hair at first i thought him an uthguard but he was no barbarian water david and quite cultured with fine clothes though he tried to hide them under a weather-beaten cloak a name yes i believe he had one of those please madame do tell bravinden of house margaster with business and never winter i do not believe he ever entered the city now he went north just a few days ago regis nodded then took iberodel's delicate hand and gently kissed it might i bother you for some dinner after i visit with rumble belly i mean and after you brew my daylight oil he nodded and washed the stink off she added drawing a wide grin unless you wish to eat your meal in the barn i mean i have eaten in worse places i assure you why do you assume i am surprised she asked and twirled away skipping back into her house we just took a few moments to ponder that he always had a smile on his face after meeting with iberdell what a valuable and charming addition to the network of house topolino he didn't go for his pony then but straight into the barn where he pulled from his magical pouch a sack filled with beakers coils a cleverly folded table scales calibrated spoons and a large box of herbs and powders it took him little time to erect his portable alchemy lab and he began his brewing almost immediately creating daylight oil on one end of the table and beginning to simmer up a far more complicated and time-consuming purple concoction on the other even while those were brewing the skilled halfling was hard at work on a potion of his own creation when he called the gut chaser which essentially elevated the punch of any drink to that of the fabled dwarven gut buster but without the foul taste of the latter using it in concert with the purple potion a magical delight that would allow him to scan the thoughts of someone with whom he was chatting had proven quite the effective combination all but the purple potion were completed by the time iberdell came into the barn with his dinner and surprisingly with hers the two shared a meal and a fine conversation one that feared to the alchemy setup when halfway through dinner regis got up to add a pinkish powder to the purple potion let me guess said the elf woman a love potion one that you will use to make me swoon whenever i see you that you might take advantage good lady richard said dramatically beautiful lady you must know that i am espoused to lady danala alas but had we met sooner i mean that you would use my tittering and eye batting to strike better deals for yourself ibradel said with a giggle one that regis joined he went back to sit on the hay bale beside her i would not take advantage of you my friend he said seriously i would not let you she replied with a wink but others what might regis do to those he did not find so charming oh i intend to get some unsuspecting fools to tell me things they should not of course i would be disappointed in you if you could not we just looked at her curiously i am part of your gang yes your success is my success and likely my safety she said the word struck regis profoundly creating a newfound respect for this elvin woman and reminding him that his actions had consequences that went far beyond his own flesh you are a truly valued member my lady he was pleased to see her flush at his words for a change it is not a love potion but rather allows me into the thoughts of another to see the truth behind their words often i have enough ingredients to make several doses i'll leave you some in case brethren margaster returns that and whenever you find need regis told and if you ever find need to use it on me you will find only friendship behind my smile why would i waste so valuable a potion on that which i already know she asked the common room of the driftwood tavern was busy that night full of finely dressed nobles of both neverwinter and water deep and with a fair contingent of boisterous dwarves as well led by bronken stone shaft who stood upon a table and sang of his clan's return to the great fortress of thornholt just outside the door of the collapsed tower that housed the establishment we just paused and listened for some hints in that song but alas it sounded like every other dwarven ballad full of dark cold halls and hard stone goblins to be vanquished in glittering gems for the taking when bronkin joined by others started a second performance the dapper halfling pushed through the door many eyes turned his way and why not with his fine beret and clothing and wearing such weapons and the place quieted for a few heartbeats but just a few regis heard his name whispered as he walked across the crowded floor toward the bar and heard two quiet voices full of suspicion some of the patrons knew very well who he was and so knew where he was from an unexpected guest said the tavern's owner a handsome middle-aged woman with silvery gray hair worn up to keep it out of the drinks and food of course is king bruner sending forth his emissaries to the lord protector then to settle this foolish squabble well met madame rosine regis replied taking her hand for a kiss i have no business but lord never amber no but you've come into his city then have ye asked one man leaning on the bar his tone and glare hardly welcoming i've heard no declarations of enmity between never winter and bleeding vines said regis then you've not been speaking to your dwarf friend bruner king bruner's business with lord neverember is between the two i represent a separate town of course and one that has an interest in bringing fine wine to neverwinter from the slump of your shoulders the gristle on your face the uncamped hair on your head and the smell of your breath i would think you one who would appreciate such an emissary it took the inebriated man a moment to digest all of that but then his eyes popped open wide and he came forward threateningly oh sit down madame rosine said to him holding out her arm to stop his approach i'll have you clean your own blood from the floor when the little one's done poking a dozen holes in your fat belly he just paid the drunk no heat at all outwardly though of course he was ready to stop the man at the point of his fine rapier if rosine's arm didn't prove enough the halfling surveyed the scene before him it wasn't hard to pick out more gasters among the crowd for they were all large and pale and there were more than a few in here indeed aberdel's description of them as uthgart seemed rather appropriate certainly this water dave and noble family could trace its roots in the not too distant past to some barbarian tribe of the north it occurred to regis that he might be able to use the name of wolfgard or even the man himself if any infiltration of this family became necessary he put that in his back pocket for later you've brought a sample i'm sure rosine said from his normal backpack not the magical pouch on his belt we just pulled forth a bottle of red wine complimentary he said handing it over i only ask that you make sure your more discerning guests get a chance to sample it adam rosine stared at his backpack and how much more have you brought enough to make acquaintances i hope regis replied with a grin i've heard that a noble family from waterdeep is visiting and that is a market i would truly like to explore oh and who's telling you that rosine said and her reversion to the brogue of her peasant roots warned regis that she wasn't pleased about that bit of information being public no one regis said i see a few flitting about your floor who would fit that background and you just confirmed it for me fine lady will you introduce me or should i do so on my own and do understand that i can discount the wine more generously to a friend of the family madame rosine gave a helpless little laugh come on little bug and i will give you a proper introduction just a few heartbeats later regis was sitting at a table across from two formidable looking black-haired light-eyed women uncorking a bottle of bright red shorts a most delightful blend alvilda and in kerry margaster watched his every move closely he poured a small amount sloshed about for a good inhale and offered it around and carry motion for him to be the taster so he did and then poured three glasses he had barely put them on the table when alvilda the smaller older and prettier of the two pulled a small vial of powder from a hidden compartment in her belt and poured a bit into the wine no regis protested ah but you will ruin the bouquet tasteless odorless and prudent in kerry explained as alvilda handed her the powder and took a sip of the disinfected wine i've already tasted it right in front of you regis reminded them but what spells are upon you halfling asked alvilda or what potions have you taken right before or what tolerance regis held up his hand to show that he understood are all water david nobles as careful as this all living ones in kerry replied uh perhaps i should begin making anti-venom instead of wine perhaps but i wouldn't give up on the wine just yet it is quite good alvilda said are you prepared to discuss a price i have only recently come to town said regis i had thought to spend the night in revelry and save business for another day yet you came to us with your wares and kerry remarked pretty lady perhaps the wares were the excuse i needed to meet such fine company this evening the two looked at each other with amusement but at least they didn't roll their eyes openly by the end of the second bottle the three were talking and laughing halfway through the third regis was dancing with alvilda while a chorus of dwarves bellowed body songs from atop a large table a pair of elven bards played a loot in a flute and another of the mar gasters regis believed swept a horsehair bow across a nine-stringed fiddle should i dance with your sister too regis asked after one pass through the lines of dancers that soon frame the floor my cousin alvilda corrected and she has already found her company this night she motioned to the side of the room where ink was leaning so far over a table to be near to a finely dressed human a neverwinter lord that she seemed as if she might smother the fellow with her uplifted bosom knowing in kerry her dancing will be prone and not in this room avilda said and laughed regis joined in alas and you are stuck dancing with one whose face barely reaches your waist which could be all the better all wilder replied and regis blushed though after his experiences with house toppolino and the noble courts of far away delphantel he was hardly surprised rarely did the nobility of faerun hold themselves to the so-called moral standards they demanded of the peasants as if these pleasures were meant to be theirs alone as a reward for their wealth the halfling paused in his dance and winked at his partner reaching his hand inside his vest to pull forth a pair of small vials filled with a liquid more brown than gold alvilda's expression surprised him for a moment until he realized that his movement had revealed to her the fabulous hand crossbow holstered under his vest one can never be too careful he explained to her covering the weapon once more so many will glance and think me an easy target sometimes i must dissuade them i prefer dangerous men she replied and at that regis motion to the vials then to their table an added kick not unlike that of a mule he explained and he brought forth another bottle of wine and filled all vilde's glass then appeared to fill his own with the vino though in truth he pulled a sleight of hand and replaced his own glass with one containing a similar looking purplish liquid into each emptied one of his vials mostly water for his own and a gut chaser to all vilde the woman produced her anti-venom and sprinkled it in but of course it would have no effect on the potent chaser regis had added as it was not poisoned but merely a blast of alcohol so potent that it could cross a dwarf's eyes had alvilda looked more closely during the toast regis then offered she might have noticed a pinkish ovoid floating within his pretend wine halfway through the drink alvilda's whispers became slurred your sister was in with neverember this day when clan stone shaft arrived with the payment reaches prompted cousin alvilda whispered but much too loudly and she added shh and slapped her hand over her mouth laughing a fine deal for the lord protector it seemed ovilda tittered and regis got the distinct impression that there was much more going on here than a simple sail and that led him to focus on the potion he had taken trying to glance into alvilda's thoughts this thornhold must be a beautiful castle he said an image of the place came to him from alvilda's mind and far from a magnificent kingly castle thornhold looked like the ruin he vaguely remembered more properly inhabited by wild birds and vermin than gold-wrenched kings and he saw dwarves there stone shaft dwarves the same bronken he had seen in neverembers chambers was she imagining the future he wondered more than that image though regis magical mind reading sent to him a flood of alvilda's disjointed thoughts a ship full of dwarves sailing north chests of coins and jewels platinum and gold being unloaded in the dark of night the name luvidi margaster signed on a deed right above that of lord tackled neverember sold by mark asters regis murmured under his breath how did that make sense why would they sell to neverember then watch as the lord protector turned a mighty profit to alvilda he said it looked like a dragon's horde on that creaking cart not gold surely platinum flashed and drunk alvilda's thoughts a long ton of platinum shh was all she said though we just did some quick calculations and tried not to gasp a long ton a ton of platinum would be more than a hundred thousand coins valued at ten gold pieces each no wonder clan stone shaft had come south with an army guarding their cards the only wonder was why a horde of dragons hadn't sniffed out such a treasure and descended upon them and where had a clan of dwarves regis had only barely heard of come up with that kind of a hall bruner the most powerful dwarf king in the north at least the north he acknowledged would have to empty the treasuries of both mithril hall and gontelgrim and likely call in a favor from citadel adbar to approach that fortune yet this obscure clan gave it away for ruins was seemingly no concern and that concerned regis the halfling's next thought went to jarlaxel for who else could manage such funds but he dismissed it the drow would never do such a deal with neverember without informing bruner he looked to alvilta who was staring off into nowhere her expression wistful and one last image came to him from her drunken thoughts a hazy vision of tunnels and vaults of gold and jewels and pieces of platinum piled in chests and of a secret door in neverember's throne room that opened to a descending stair regis left alvil de margaster passed out in her room some time later and was quickly out of the driftwood tavern heading back to the streets where he could dawn his peasant disguise and report for work in neverember's palace very early the next day first though he had to secure this information but how danella and her party were likely long gone from the city and he didn't have any readily available contacts that could move the information quickly to bleeding vines he thought of ibertel and nodded decisively he really did trust that one and hoped now as he started for her stables that his trust was not misplaced from his pouch he fished another potion his most valuable one of all and one that he had thought to keep for desperate measures only but this treasure he could not resist if he had truly known what was down that staircase though he might have tried harder chapter 9 a most angry stomp you do not understand drist said oh but i do my love catty bree replied drizz looked her in the eye of course you're nervous she said to him this is something you have wanted forever and now it is here you are afraid that it isn't real but it is i know it is and that's what i'm afraid of catty bree backed away a bit her face screwing up with confusion i don't know him drist explained you knew him did i though i knew a grown man through the lens of one inclined to worship such a figure originally yes but you were no child when you left menzo barons on many ways i was i didn't understand the world around me and had no experience beyond the city other than battles when i look at who i am now and where i've traveled and the horizons i've crossed i cannot deny that i have come slowly and sometimes painfully to see the world very differently than i did when i first walked out of men's oberenson do you remember i held a vow to never kill a drow above all else for all of my interactions with the other races for all of my friendship with montolio for all of my growing love of bruner and wolfgar of regis and especially of you i still held dark elves above your races such things do not easily resolve catty bree shrugged as if that didn't seem so important you are here now you are who you are now so what do you fear drist looked down the short hall and through the crack of the partly opened and distant dining area door to see the edge of zach nevane's shoulder as he waited for them at the dinner table i don't know him drizz said again i know what i hoped of him well i created of his memory but he was a friend to jarl axel said catty bree so darlaxel is no hero to me i call him friend yes and would help him as i believe he would help me would help any of us he's a trusted ally but he is not your father she said completing what he'd left unsaid no and any admiration i hold for him is based on his skills and bravery far more than on his morality he's a friend but not your hero cat he brief finished zach nefane is your hero the thought of him at least often have i asked myself what zachnophane would do a useful guidepost but one perhaps that was constructed in my fantasies about a drow who i didn't really know he was pleased that you did not kill that elven child catty bree reminded so maybe you don't actually know him but the fantasy and the reality are not so far apart nodded and catty bree gave him a hug he kept looking past her shoulder though to the stranger seated at their table and he couldn't help but be afraid the human woman was doing most of the talking and all of it about little things that interested him not at all after a while zach nevane didn't even keep up the pretense of listening to her chatter his gaze remained locked on his son and tellingly he thought drizzed wouldn't meet that stare he sat at the end of the table to zach the fans left and seemed to be staring off into nothingness contributing little to the conversation and nothing at all to the hospitality of this his home embarrassed zach nevane wondered and a big part of the drow hope that to be the truth do you zachnafane heard then directed at him he looked up to see catty bree hovering nearby he had not even noticed her eyes from the table she held a bottle in her hand of some wine fey wine she had called it yes yes he said motioning to his empty glass he looked over to the left to see dress draining his glass then motioning to his wife for a refill too caddy bree filled his glass and took her seat again at the end of the table opposite dressed zach methane gave her only a passing glance before turning back to stare at his son what do you remember catty brie asked then about what zach nevane replied a bit more harshly than he had intended does your life in menzel baron's on seem as if it was only yesterday the woman asked are the memories vivid yes and of your time and death dressed interjected what do you remember of that nothing he said not even nothing nest just nothing you were not with love dressed remarked if i was the pain was not lasting it would seem you were not dressed insisted with the help of some friends i was able to find you in the afterlife and you were at peace what friends zach fane interrupted and he looked to catty bree quite sternly not her said drizzed dwarves then zach fane asked his tone as sharp as his look elves dressed answered drow no the elves of the moonwood far to the east with their help i was able to you would allow elves to spy on me in my death sacnafain asked his eyes wide would it have been better were at me cat he reinterjected no zach nflane cried and slammed his fist on the table you are i mean you do not approve catty bree said zach nefan followed her gaze back the other way to drizzed it was sitting with his hands grasping the table his breathing labored as if he was fighting to steady himself perhaps even biting back words the room went quiet then for a short while so not embarrassed zach nefane thought angry do you drizzed finally asked do i what do you approve of you play coy said dressed your son is married to an iblis can you even admit that what is to admit she sits right here beside us and do you approve dressed asked more determinedly zachnovane leaned back in his seat he looked from drizz to catty bree and back to his son this is all very strange to me he admitted and to you i am sure but the idea that my son is he paused and shook his head say it dressed prompted and he stood up and walked down the side of the table to stand directly opposites acne just say it that my grandchild would be zach neffen said iblith dressed finished say it i did not say it zachnovane yelled at him and he too was then standing but it is in your mind it is in your tone and your stance in your face i would not use that word or that sentiment but yes he said they are not drow they are inferior drizzed yelled yes zach nevane admitted and weak weaker than drow right yet in my life among them i have grown i've learned from humans and dwarves and even halflings and put all that to use is that weak was it weak when i put you down to the floor and are sparring with toys said zach nephine and he regretted it the moment the words left his mouth dressed stepped back and pulled his scimitars off the mantle at the side of the room dress stop catty bri implored him these are not toys drizz said nor are the blades belted at your waist gifts from darlaxel i would presume so let us learn the truth to first blood traced zachnovane slowly stood and drew out his twin swords rolling them in his hands lead on to the training room he said dressed catty breeze said again louder and more forcefully why wait dressed asked and he stepped forward and lifted his leg bringing it up high above his head before slamming it down the table and drizzed in catty breeze dining hall was no delicate thing made of thick wood intricately carved and planed and sealed with a thick coating of clear varnish made from pine sap a score of fat dwarfs could dance upon it without causing so much as a creak from its heavy angled supports but drizzed had been trained by grand master kane of the monastery of the yellow rose a mere human in zach nefan's eyes and into this kick he threw all of his life energy every moat of his inner strength his foot descended and struck the wood and cracked it dropping the table into two halves all the silverware and goblets and napkins and the centerpiece tumbling into a heap at that center angle catty bree let out a shout of surprise and fell back nearly tumbling over sagnaphane was less startled and even as the pieces fell to the floor he was leaping across the gap as drizz sprang toward him the two passing in midair and stabbing thrusting parrying with what seemed a single ring of metal against metal they each landed in a turn facing each other from opposite sides drizz started as if to jump again and zach nevane mirrored him but drizz stopped short waiting on his side of the broken table so did xacthane something he found quite amusing and so he laughed aloud didn't laugh though and on he came no leap just a stalk and he set his scimitars to sudden and brutal use slashing and stabbing alternately then alternating the other way and then flipping the sequence hand to hand yet a third time to buy some rhythm sakna fain easily match that rhythm executing the parries perfectly angling his body to set up a repost that would gain him the initiative to lead the next exchanges finally he thought he had it so he called upon his innate drow magic to summon a globe of darkness then rolled his hand under in a backhand parry to move aside a thrusting scimitar and instead of lifting his second blade to block the coming slash he went low and forward thrusting his sword with the expectation of scoring first blood his son had been too eager too angry he believed and this would soon be over so his surprise was great when drizz blade the same one that had just executed the thrust came across in the correct angle to turn zach nevane's stab harmlessly aside and then it was zach nefane who scrambled falling to his left and crossing his left hand blade up and over to catch the downward slash of drist's other had to give ground and roll under the weight of that strike but he did so gracefully keeping away from any tangle with a broken table and coming right back to one knee just outside the globe of darkness the globe of darkness that then winked out of existence revealing a surprise dressed though no less surprised than zach nevane himself how dare you catty bree yelled from the back of the room from behind zach nefan both of you this is my home drizz stood straighter lowering his blades zach nephine leaped at him across came a scimitar picking off the thrust and downwind drizzed falling into a crouch so low that his butt scraped the ground as zach nevane's second sword swept above his head dress spun extending a leg which zach nathane hopped over ha he shouted as he jumped certain once more that victory was his but as drizz's leg crossed under the ranger reversed the sweep and angled his foot for a higher kick which zach nephene hardly noticed or cared about because acne didn't understand the power drizz could produce with such a short kick a kick that moved his foot no more than the breath of a delicate draw forearm but the impact was such that it jarred the weapon master and sent him backward stumbling as he landed from his jump his hip bruised and pained he tried not to favor it hadn't the time to favor it for drizz was there right before him bending him backward under a barrage of blows zach nothing growled against the pain and matched his son strike for strike rolling his swords horizontally one over the other in a defensive routine predicated on the need to keep his opponent back on his heels forcing drizz to engage the spinning blades or open up clear avenues for counter strikes drizz blades were always there scimitar clipping sword again and again a long and ringing meeting of fine metal expertly engaged zach nefane was standing steadier now the pain in his hip having subsided and sought the opportunity to reverse the flow and disengage that he could come right back in with a more dedicated offensive routine and so put drizzed back on his heels and finally he saw a break for his rolling sword clipped drizz scimitar and somehow took it from drizz's hand the blade spinning suddenly in response to the strike zachnovane brushed it aside and went forward for the win except drist wasn't there sagnaphane felt the flat of a scimitar against the side of his neck just under his ear his son standing behind him he hadn't even seen triss move a ghost step executed more beautifully and completely than anything he had ever witnessed or imagined in that split instant when he had turned his focus to the freed scimitar bouncing in the air before him drist had somehow impossibly moved behind him he gave a helpless chuckle and lowered his blades then winced the sting as drizz nicked his ear weak drizzed asked his voice dripping sarcasm other scimitar hit the floor besides acnephane and his son stalked out of the room zachnovane turned slowly to view catty brie who stood against the back wall arms crossed scowling good lady he said with the sheepish shrug i am sorry that you had to witness just learned from this she said coldly both of you summoned jarl axel zach nevane told her i will go no she replied without hesitation which caught zach nephine a bit by surprise now that is too easy and too cowardly cowardly he tried not to put too much anger in his words he and his son had just destroyed the woman's dining room after all drist would tell you to go as you would like to katy brie explained but that would resolve nothing and leave both of you with questions unanswered better than this zach nevane said with questions unanswered because you both fear the answers catty breeze said sharply cowardly this is all strange to me zach nefan said i know i don't know if i neither do i perry interrupted perhaps instead of searching for answers so she looked around at the ruined room forcefully you would both do well to sit back and allow the context of those answers to surround you but the answers themselves make sense and there can be no doubt it is not so easy no said catty bree not for a coward who must hide behind his swords with that she walked out of the room zactofane wasn't mad about that but neither did he agree it was more than strange to him that his son was cavorting with dwarves with elves even the it was offensive no matter how hard he tried to deny that there it was ever present the notion that his son his brilliant drow son had married a human woman and had mixed his seed with the blood of a human woman how would he ever look upon his grandson or granddaughter with anything but pity chapter 10 a chain of whispers they are still at the ivy mansion in long saddle charlaxal told denala and drizz's reaction the mercenary shrugged you will be greatly pleased in time i would imagine dinola considered that rather ambiguous answer for just a moment before replying it is nice when good people win the two went quiet as a trio of halflings rambled past laughing and conversing they were on their way to the vineyards it seemed for one carried a basket another a hoe and the third already had her shoes off for some grape stomping for though the harvest was months away pickle boulder shoulder had woven some druidic magic to coke samples from many vines what do we know charlaxal asked when the trio was safely beyond hearing not much but it is a bit of intrigue said denala it would seem that lord neverember has sold a most significant castle here in the north charlaxor furrowed his brow in water deep no not so far down the coast a place along the shore called thornhold bought from lord neverember by a clown of dwarves known as the stone shafts she looked as if she wanted to continue but charlaxal's doubting expression gave her pause not so magnificent he explained i know this place it is a ruin unused for decades every wall particularly that facing the sea is in dire need of extensive re-pointing at the very least and the grounds now are no more than brush and stones and not cobblestones but most of those were long ago stolen away those that were not buried under the lava flow and falling boulders from the volcanoes explosion those decades ago i'm surprised that eddie would pay a silver when simply inhabiting the place would likely suffice for claiming ownership definitely not a silver a rather handsome price i would expect since the wagons were escorted by a small army of stone shaft dwarves denali said wagons so curious and stone shaft i know this name as well jar lacks amused but after a moment he shook his head unable to recall the exact reference finally though he whispered stone shaft more to himself than to denala the name was associated with this thornhold i believe a clan returning to their ancestral home if it was theirs in the first place where did lord neverember score this deed denala asked a good point you have spies and water deep denali stared at him blankly not willing to surrender any particulars of her network beyond what charlaxal already knew good lady this may prove important that drow said indeed and that is why i will take what i know and all else i gather to king bruner and to me i pray i am happy to share with you jarl axel but only if it does not undermine king bruner happy pleased for the business she clarified ah just business and you should come to me first i pay better no doubt but my dear regis is loyal to the dwarf and you i love regis and prefer dwarves to drow jarl axel said and heaved a great sigh as if truly wounded i prefer neither or rather prefer you equally she grid i prefer your gold and their defenses it took jarl axel a moment for that to fully register and that cleverness alone charmed him for it was rare that one could give jarl axel pause and heightened his returned laughter for indeed he did love bantering with his most talented halfling how long will you need do you think he asked denala tapped her chin and looked past him saying hmm a few times and jarlaxel smiled all the wider for that of course was her way of telling him that speed was expensive if the information is readily available it could well be on its way to me from water deep as we speak she admitted if not well i will let you know and perhaps ask for some assistance my contacts in waterdeep are thin he said artemis central is there though and the woman named dahlia too and you have but one spy placed in the greatest city of the sword coast no doubt came the mercenary leaders sarcastic reply denali topolino merely shrugged and offered a sheepish grin i have business with amber and atherogate jarl axel said tipping his cap and starting for the tram that would descend to the gates of gontelgrim i should think your road south still walking away charlaxa looked back at her their road will indeed be in that direction who better to look in on a dwarven castle and who better to collect information that king bruner might well need other than lady denala topolino i mean of course of course she whispered she looked past the cottages and households of bleeding vines to the new road running south from the village she could see the small market plaza just outside of town where it forked southwest to neverwinter and due south to the trade way in waterdeep and to this place called thornhold her gaze went first to that more southern road but was inevitably drawn to the other searching for regis her beloved spider she trusted him and was glad that he had taken it upon himself to be an active member in the spying network of bleeding vines but still regis was getting himself entangled with some very dangerous people here she feared and with the lord protector himself a man quick to anger and slow to forgive and more than that he was far away and that was a condition of which she most certainly did not approve he had properly reported his findings to aberdell and carefully scouted the section of lord neverember's audience hall wherein lay the secret stairway getting to that door and through it however would prove to be a monumental task one that might force him to consume the very valuable potion he kept at the ready and without that potion could he hope to escape regis the castle servant made a point to linger near that door this day dusting and dusting some more and all the while noting the outlines of the portal and searching for traps that might be set against intruders it was a cursory inspection of course for the room around him was not empty of guards and even if he had been alone he couldn't rightly find any way to note traps of the magical type glyphs and wards and such but he had enough experience to notice anything obvious and in the meantime he looked too for a place where he might hide within the room stowing away until neverember and his host of handlers and guards had retired to other quarters his hopes diminished with every idea however for he could see no way he might easily do so he would have to leave with the rest of the servants and sneak back in perhaps and that seemed a daunting task lord neverember was well aware that he had many enemies and although he was a proven and formidable warrior he was not a man to take risks regarding subterfuge the halfling resigned himself to the idea of making another of his valuable potions but could he even procure the ingredients out here on the sword coast the ones he had garnered for the first dose had come from aglarond after all and at great cost be done with it full a gruff voice barked behind him and he nearly jumped out of his boots which were still boots although his magical beret made them look like rags wrapped around his hairy feet bree just held his breath half expecting a halberd to poke him in the back he'll rub the glass right off that pain doddler the guard grumbled the complaint made regis consider the present circumstances and get his mind off any future plans and in doing so he saw that he had indeed done a fine job cleaning this particular pain of the hundred pain great window behind the lord's seat although the rest of the window remained quite streaked and dirty he paused for just a moment to glance out at the late afternoon sky the sun nearly dipping below the cold waters of the sea his gaze moved down to the coast then inland across the city to the base of the lord's castle and to a canal mostly frozen but disappearing under the wall right below this window and very near the stairwell door was it possible a rider did come up that southern road before danella turned back to her house too tall for regis and on a horse not a pony she thought it curious at first but then as she realized the woman's identity it seemed downright alarming she stood there in the middle of the road and felt as if the world were bending around her her fears making all but that one approaching rider indistinct iberdela lolly who should not be here the elven woman galloped her horse up to denala skidding it to a stop and dismounted before the sweating creature it even fully halted the lady topolino she said with a quick curtsy we just spoke donald said fumbling for the words just yesterday at sunset it was true enough danola and her attendants had arrived for their ponies at iberdell's stable soon after regis had prepared his potions and departed on his return to events neverwinter quickly the elf replied i thought you should know news every of spider danola asked hardly able to get the question out fearing the answer aye lady he returned to me very late last night long after you had set out for home and he is safe back in neverwinter ibradel answered and she sucked in her breath and shrugged he was safe when he left me to be sure but he had that look in his eye that look adventure he often has that look and often finds excitement why would you i thought the information too important to wait for another of your associates to hire my services denali motion for to continue there is something great a foot lady dwarves sailing north and marching south laden with a dragon's horde worth of coin indeed i already and mar gasters of water deep all about twined with the dwarves i would guess mark asters how small gaster of water deep brevinden margaster stopped at my stables then went north just before the dwarves came south lady and carrie margaster stood with lord neverember when the dwarves purchased thornhold and the driftwood tavern is thick with more gasters is this unusual there's more iberdell promised lowering her voice regis crept around the back of the castle sliding from shadow to shadow he came up on the levee of the canal which directed it under the structure the current was not strong and small patches of ice were scattered here and there with the occasional flow moving past this was the sewer serving lord neverember's castle and only this castle at least upstream regis could only hope he'd find a way out of the flow before the waste channels found their way in he glanced around pulled off his heavy cloak and tossed it behind a bush near the castle wall he had already stripped off his vest shirt socks and boots wearing only britches his sword and dagger belt his beret and the hand crossbow hanging around his neck he closed his eyes and tried to summon his courage reminding himself that he had gone to the cold depths of the sea of fallen stars in search of oysters and their valuable pink pearls this water before him was colder than that surely but it was not deep and he would not be in it for long the kanasi protect me he whispered and he slipped down the side of the levee disappearing under the dark water without a sound even as his mind screamed and protested the frigid cold under the castle wall he went swimming with the current right up to a closed grate reaches stayed under the water the ganassi heritage granting him the ability to hold his breath for a long long time he could see nothing but his nimble fingers walked all about the great finally coming to the lock and he was relieved to discern that this was not a port colors but a simple swinging gate he brought his hand to his lips and spat forth a pair of lock picks then went to work trying to put aside the possibility that the thing could be devilishly trapped he simply hadn't the time for that in short order though it seemed an eternity to poor cold regis the gate popped open and he wasted no time and pushing through then gliding effortlessly along the canal when he rounded the bend he noted a light above shining through the pattern of small flows drifting about slowly the halfling's head emerged he was in an underground chamber a torch burning somewhere beyond his limited vision for he was facing a ledge of stone above and beyond it he heard talking a human voice speaking in the common tongue and with the strong accents of peasant folk but for all their gold they can't pee me more than a finger a copper the man grumbled regis heard some scraping like a metal rake on stone he sank back under the water then came out like a sleek fish contorting his body perfectly to climb free to his waist and beyond enough for him to grab the lip slowly he pulled himself up until he was peering over the edge relief flooded through him as he realized that the peasant was talking to himself the bent man shambled about the small dark room raking hay from the stone floor likely to spill over from some chamber buckets given the smell regis slipped back into the water treading easily one hand went to the chain around his neck pulling forth a small bolt taking extra care when he extracted the dart from the cork one scrape from the dart could have him floating back along the canal snorting and gurgling he set the door to his hand crossbow and very slowly and quietly drew it and locked the bent bowstring down he went under the water except for one hand holding the weapon then out he came again like a fish springing up and catching the top of the ledge once more with his free hand hey who's that splashing men he heard the man ask regis quickly tapped his beret thinking of a frog of a lizard man anything that would make him unrecognizable then he came up fast and just in time for the laborer was right there before him rake held high and ready to strike but regis kept his calm and shot first nailing the poor fellow in the chest right near his heart the quarrel barely penetrated and regis was glad of that for a heavier weapon would have killed the man on the spot he didn't need the dart to do much damage though that's what the drow sleeping poison was for the laborers staggered backward grabbing at the wound wailing i am killed to death regis almost rolled his eye at the melodramatics you're not dead he murmured just going to take a little nap the larger man tumbled over onto the floor upsetting several chamber buckets and was snoring before he hit the stone it wasn't until he extricated himself from the canal but regis realized how close to the edge of disaster he had been in the freezing water he found that he could barely stand on his feet and couldn't feel them at all he moved to the torch and began rubbing himself briskly with his hands at one point he even pulled the torch from its sconce and ran it all about his shivering form near enough that he occasionally felt the sting of a stray spark he dropped his weapon belt and stripped out of his britches pulling open his magical belt pouch to retrieve another pair and the rest of his clothing soon he was the dapper spider paraffin again and he could even feel his warming toes wiggling in his fabulous black boots he moved to a door at the back of the chamber listened carefully checked it for trip wires or pressure levers then cracked it open he knew at once that his guess had been correct fortunately and that he was within a larger complex of tunnels the ones outside the small hidden canal side chamber moved directly under the main castle as well if there was a staircase behind that secret door in lord neverenders audience hall it almost surely would intersect with the tunnels now before the halfling so he used some of his daylight oil to brighten a small board and out he went creeping along the floors were not smooth here as within the entry chamber and the walls not square and indeed more rounded these were lava tubes remnants of the volcano that had buried neverwinter city a few decades before the tunnel wound around a bend then straightened and reached his aside wondering if it would take him beyond the complex altogether if perhaps this was not the way in after all except he then noted this long straight stretch of lava tube had four distinct alcoves cut into it two on each side with a tight fitting door set in each tight fitting heavy and locked regis realized as he moved quickly from one to the next listening only briefly he figured that he wouldn't hear any sounds behind the heavy portals unless he happened upon a clan of ogres bowling with dwarves or some other such ruckus inky stinky get some gold he whispered with every uttered beat pointing emphatically at a different door in line first to last then back again one by one it seemed as good a way as any to determine which he would first enter never let an orc grow old give its scrawny neck a feel twist it tight and make it squeal and put it through this door when cold he moved to the second door the first on the right hand wall and again stopped to listen nothing how could there be with a signed a glance around the halfling put down his glowing board and went to work on the lock he set the tension bar in firmly telling himself there is no trap there is no trap repeatedly as he tried to build confidence for any doubt would slow him and he didn't want to be in this place any longer than necessary the pick went in easily but didn't move so readily once in the mechanism which was extraordinarily crowded again regis swallowed hard and recited his mantra about traps he worked and quieted his entire body every sense focusing on the task before him he had practiced these arts since his birth in this reincarnated existence determined not just to be good at his craft but to be the very best he found a reward for those many years of practice one pin two pins three four five we just fell back and stared at the lock in surprise in went the pic once more until three more pins had been thrown and finally the extraordinary lock clicked fully open eight pins regis whispered marveling at the magnificent contraption and at his own skill for he suspected that there weren't five burglars on the sword coast who could have picked this lock well not counting callum post of course where thievery was the city's celebrated pastime don't get sidetracked he told himself he stared at the lock a few moments longer thinking that if he came up empty and the rest of his searching maybe he'd just find a way to take that the door opened into the room or tunnel beyond so he eased it just a bit then check the threshold and jam for any pressure plates he eased it a tiny bit more and checked again and a good thing he did he pulled his full pack of thieves tools from his pouch and found a hair thin strip of metal and a small jar of glue treating one side of the metal strip he slipped it in between the door and the revealed pressure plate pressing the sticky side as tightly as he could to the jam he eased the door a bit more and checked again and indeed found yet another trap of some sort similarly designed once more he went to his pack and disarmed the mechanism with a second sticky plate finally the edge of the door moved past the jam altogether regis suspected there were more dangers in his path but any further traps were likely in the room just beyond the portal and so out of his ability to discern he stepped back looked left and right then kicked the door and leaped back into the side and just in time for as the door opened in right to left it released a heavy bladed pendulum swinging perpendicular to the threshold it swung right out into the hole with a blade so long that it would have creased regis from crotch to forehead back into the room it went then back across the threshold and a third time showing little indication of slowing his patience lost regis timed the next swing and as the pendulum went back into the room so did he tossing his magical torch ahead leaping across the threshold and diving into a roll off to the right side of the doorway both of his melee weapons rapier and three bladed dirk were in the halfling's hands when he came up from that role to find himself alone in a small square chamber with a raised wooden floor stacked with barrels and chests he glanced back toward the hallway and the still swinging pendulum he wanted to close the door of course but that would not be possible but there seemed no way to reset the trap and get the pendulum out of the way although now its swing was lessening noticeably with each reversal even when it stopped though regis figured he had little chance of closing the door for he could tell that the pendulum was simply too heavy for him to push it back enough to get the door shut in front of it he had to be quick because his entry would be noticed blades away he went for the stacked barrels and chests but his smile disappeared when he found them filled with mundane items to run a large household such as candles wine and water and foodstuffs after perusing only a few he snorted a loud and shook his head why would they go to such trouble to triple trap and hard lock such a door no it didn't make sense so he pressed on rolling some barrels out of the way and discovering at last something curious a decorated basin of white stone a singular carving of basin pedestal and base that brought its lip as high as regis hairline the halfling tested its weight then grabbed onto the side and slowly pulled himself up to his tiptoes trying to get a peek inside the bowl so heavy and balanced was the basin that it didn't even jiggle as he put more of his weight against it that gave him the courage to lift a bit higher when he noted that the bowl was full of crystal clear and odorless liquid like pure water holy water perhaps some other ceremonial liquid a magical potion he brought his arm to the edge of the bowl for leverage and pulled up higher trying to see what might be inside at the bottom of the bowl and he felt himself rewarded when he noted a glitter there like a diamond or a bubbling flow he thought when the water extended up into the air above the basin an enchanted fountain but no regis realized almost immediately the water did not splash apart and fall back in like a fountain for no it was not being propelled by any flow it was lifting itself up and with definitive form a living creature regis flung himself backward or tried to but the water monster proved faster and slapped a wet tendril around his head catching him and yanking him forward pulling his head over the side of the bowl and pressing it down into the water that this magical being considered its home and there it held him face pressed against the bottom of the bowl and all regis could do was take some minor solace in his ganasi heritage once more chapter 11 his father's father they weren't at the ivy mansion but out in the forest behind it drizzed led the way through the door of a small cottage set within a small lead bordered by pines everything about the cottage the construction the furniture the fire pit under a hole in the ceiling spoke of economy and utility which brought a curious look and a hmm from zach nevane when he entered this dress explained is where i do my work zach nevane looked to catty bree who merely naught it then turned back to dressed even as a howl drifted in from the open window your work he asked there are cursed beings in the forest drizz explained werewolves we call them bitter dues named after the unfortunate bitter do harpel a wizard who began this brood first with magic and then because once he had cursed himself poor fellow he wasn't able to control his appetite you kill wolves zach nevane asked his language a bit stilted and hesitating to this point cathy bree had been following up even l's work by casting we armors upon the resurrected drow to allow him to understand the common language repeated use of these three armors was known to have the side effect of actually teaching the language to the recipient however and so it was with zach nefane already werewolves dressed repeated but zach nevane shook his head in frustration and both of them looked to catty bree the woman waved her hands and issued a chant calling upon her divine mia leaky to grant zach nefan once more the gift of comprehending their language werewolves drizzed explained when she was done lycanthropes you kill zach lycanthropes asked his command of the language obvious once more he considered it a moment then added mercifully i expect i don't kill them trist replied i catch them and take them to the ivy mansion we've a dozen in cells beneath the mansion catty bree explained and some of our newer treatments into armors seem to be helping if just a bit helping you think to cure them there is no cure for lycanthropy and there never will be if no one tries catty bree retorted somewhat harshly sacrofane stared at her then long and hard and his facial features softened as he did just a bit as if he was trying to find a different way of looking at not the lycanthropy issue but his daughter-in-law and we hunt this night he asked drizzed though he kept staring at catty bree only if gwenever finds an opportunity drist replied and not we but i alone that surprising exclusion turned zachneffane away from catty bree to regard his son he started to respond to drizzt not happy about being left out but he stopped even as the first words left his mouth for the name had registered and instead he asked gwenevor your son's oldest friend who has been with him since he left manzo barons on said catty bree zachnovain held up his hand to silence her the cat he asked drizzed dressed took the onyx figurine out of his pouch and held it up before zach defane's staring eyes the hunnad wizards cat she has been with me through it all said trist through it all i should know some of this sacnifene shook his head frustrated his resurrection had been successful and most of his previous memories were as fresh as if he had not been gone for more than a century but there were parts of his previous existence that seemed as if in a distant fog to him he stepped back and drizzed call to the panther sachnafein remembered enough of the ways of magical figurines even this one in particular to remain at ease as the grey mist appeared in a small room took the shape of a huge panther and then became exactly that a giant black panther all muscle and claws and teeth but one controlled wholly by the possessor of the statue zach nephine remembered and a good thing too for in those small quarters neither zach nevane nor drizzed nor catty bree would have had a chance to fend off the powerful beast and they all knew it quinavar we have a new friend catibri said hopefully when gwen appeared gwenevart gave her an easy pat on the head but he was watching catty bree realizing that she was trying hard here with a feigned excitement in her words to the panther perhaps an old friend dressed at it from another time zach nevane didn't miss that either the particular emphasis drizz had placed upon the last two words indeed zach nevane felt as if he was from a time and place far far removed from this gwynevere nuzzle drizzed then moved over to sniff at catty bree in particular as had become the norm for the panther she gave a low growl more of a purr it seemed and licked the woman's bulging belly the moon is almost full this night drizz told gwen and when she looked his way he motioned his chin toward the door gwenevar understood and out into the night she went there will likely be none about drizz explained as the panther disappeared into the shadows and catty bree moved to shut the door the moon is not quite full then why bring her in zack nefane asked such items are limited in their use yes we are working on that drist replied throwing a wink at his wife zach nevane looked at her curiously the harpels of the ivy mansion on the hill and i are doing promising research into two armors that could safely extend gwenevar's time on this plane of existence each week each day even the woman explained and to show you perhaps tris then admitted i am well father my life has been one worth living in ways i never imagined like taking a human for a wife that is no longer up for discussion drist said coldly she is my world here and now and forever as will be our child our child zach methane noted no room for debate in drizz's voice so he bit back a stinging retort and heaved a great sigh i have much to learn he conceded i hope that i can he knew there wasn't much optimism in his voice but he saw no way to remedy that teddy bree he was also not smiling started to respond but drizz put his hand on her shoulder silently bidding her to let him take the lead here i have walked a wondrous road father he said quietly i have seen things i could never have imagined learned so much beyond the sphere of the spider queen and her matrons and found love true love he paused to share a look with catty bree a partner to walk with me throughout this amazing journey zachnafane was trying to find a way to respond when gwenevar issued a long low roar from out in the forest werewolf zachnovane asked hopefully thinking this might be just the thing to get him away from this unbearable tension and unanswerable dilemma so it would seem drizz replied he glassed at his wife who nodded then gave her a quick kiss and took his leave sagnaphane suddenly alone with his daughter-in-law then realized that perhaps the cat's interruption wouldn't be the reprieve he desired catty bree walked past him and closed the door behind her husband she moved the table and cast some spells conjuring a feast to fill the bowls and wine to fill the goblets sit she bad zacnafene trace will not be long he looked at her trying not to be suspicious sit she said again more commandingly it is past time that you and i had a talk a blunt one he said with a snort an honest one she answered dryly zach nefane walked over and took a seat then said not hiding his condescension i feel as if i am about to be scolded you are about to be informed if you'll listen not scolded they are often one and the same perhaps human women are not so different from the drow matrons after all he said it with a grin but catty bree was clearly not buying into such a comet as a good-natured jab i expect that you were about to learn the choices before you catty bree answered what you do with those choices will be up to you not me and not drizzed the choices from your perspective no the story of who drist has become from the day i first met him on the slopes of a mountain called kelvin's cairn to now his has been an incredible journey since his arrival on the surface of toril and i have been beside him for most of it so i will tell you and i'm sure drist will tell you when he returns with that knowledge your choices whatever they might be will be more informed my choices about what zachain asked sitting back and studying the surprising woman more carefully about everything everything to do with your son at least you fear my opinion she snorted and zach nefan was surprised at the sincerity of her retort this one was confident in her position here that gave him pause she began her tale zach fane ate and drank but he listened and quite intently another meeting of three was taking place to the west of long saddle in the grand chambers physical and extra dimensional of grump bayenri and luskin two female drows circled about the wizard staring at him unblinkingly measuring him trying to get into his thoughts and seeking any clue at all no drow other than the matron mother herself would ever attempt such a stare at grump but these two were not actually dark elves they only made themselves look that way to strong effect for their actual appearance the half-melted candle of mud form of a yokulu would keep any drow with whom they spoke far more on his guard not that grump had any illusions about the nature of his guests what have you learned of zach nevane's return ikardaria asked her voice husky and suggestive magically so gromp snorted at that effect as if such a minor dweemer could entrap him even if issued by one who often stood beside the spider queen nothing the wizard replied sacrifine has been reunited with his son though i don't know the outcome of that circumstance they accept the return of zach nephine asked escovidney what is to accept he is here and they are not curious as to why or how the handmaiden pressed of course they are jarl axel evanel yakardari interjected even l2 said grump they inquire wherever they may they asked me if i had learned anything upon my return from men's oberenzon and you told them igor daria asked rather sharply gromp shrugged as if it hardly mattered tell them what that all believed it to be truly zach nevane doerden resurrected yes but that is nothing they could not have easily discerned on their own perhaps they wish to learn of the news from enzo baronson to discern if suspicion of the resurrection was falling upon them igor daria reasoned but grump just snorted in response however it happened the former archmage said this is the new truth of the region but it is only one tell us others said escovitne the dwarven gate between gauntlet grim and this very tower and the one between gontilgram and the ivy mansion are operational and working even better than i would have thought possible king bruner will have a third portal in place within a ten day or three connecting gontelgrim to mithril hall when that is working it will allow him to bring in material and soldiers from the silver marches at a moment's notice putting bruner closer to becoming untouchable by the petty humans of the sword coast unless they desire a war with the entire race of delzoon dwarfs it is quite impressive and the host tower asked yakardaria apparently unconcerned by the goings-on of the dwarves so be it look around you have you seen anything on the material plane to rival this magical creation other than chad assad's web city perhaps the handmaidens looked at each other grim-faced but with clear intrigue i share your interest said grump this act of creation with the primordial i have learned its name to be megera holds wondrous promise for us all i am your eyes and ears here igor daria arched a delicate eyebrow at that indicating that her trust level regarding grump by henry was not as high as he was pretending with that statement but indeed what choice did she have should we fear to allow the dwarves this power escavini asked as clearly she didn't share yakardaria's indifference will they send the armies of the north crashing against charlaxa and luskin will king bruner bring in his kin from the silver marches to swarm the underdark all the way to the city of spiders even l holds within her the keen pain of king bruner's keener axe yakardaria reminded for it was the same bruner who had split the skull of evanel the eternal even if she didn't i do not foresee such adventurousness and bruno not for conquest at least gromp answered has your time hiding among these ib lifts softened you the former archmage cast an amused expression at yakardaria he understood her added cynicism and anger here the treachery of ivanel had defeated yakardaria and banished her to the lower plains only the great weakening of the fears risks and the intervention of loth herself had allowed this particular handmaiden to walk the lands of faerun once more and more than anything else the proud demon yorkleo's pride had been punched as she had been punched quite literally by the human grandmaster of flowers what other events will you report servant of love escovidney asked ignoring her fellow handmaidens question as gromf did he actually chuckled at that intrigue with the lord protector of neverwinter as usual he answered there are some strange stirrings but not worthy of your time at least not yet we would not have king bruner allied with him escovidney made clear you must not allow it hardly a worry charlaxa will monitor and we will know you can know already grant for shorter the dwarves of gontogrim hate daggled neverember and the feeling is quite deep and quite mutual the handmaidens again exchanged those interested glances do not think for a moment that enmity is an opening for any of men's oberon's on with the open lord grump insisted making certain his tone conveyed the depth of his urgency lord neverember is a bothersome idiot and would be more trouble than gain do not doubt he is an open lord of water deep is he not surely he has allies yekardaria said gromf conceded the point with the shrug we are watching those allies and they are the impatient handmaiden demanded a water deviant noble house mar gaster gromf admitted he was surprised at the twang of guilt that accompanied those words since when did it bother groff to think himself acting against the best interests of jarl axel and these strange companions with whom the self-serving fool had surrounded himself still he was walking the fine line and giving away information that could be had elsewhere anyway and that would not be too detrimental to his adventurous brother no matter he thought and he dismissed the whole notion out of hand these were emissaries of loth herself and as in men's oberen's on gromf would do what he needed to do to continue his work here and now work that had become so precious to him once more with the inclusion of his training in psionics primary among gromp's priorities was self-preservation something he thought more likely by staying on the good side of love hoofpeats outside the cottage alerted them with an approach and catty bree who had nearly finished her tales of dressed moved over and peeked out the small window it is dressed returned she told zachofane and then added with a smile i warn you now keep your sword sheathed both of you he drew first zach nefane replied as lightheartedly as he could manage i let you have your squabble last time though i'll be a ten day of ten days replacing the broken things but sometimes one must let children learn their own lessons i suppose children catty bree held up her hands and shrugged letting the comments stand zachnophane however couldn't ignore it good lady where i am from children who battled as we did in the house proper would have been disciplined at the end of a living serpent on a priestesses scourge where you are from cattybree asked with an arch smile you mean where the superior race lives sacnifine started to respond before he had fully digested that remark but just surrendered and even chuckled the cottage door opened and drizzed entered he unstrapped his weapon belt and hung it on a hook beside the door almost as if he had heard the previous conversation as he did so he looked curiously at his wife then to the chuckling xactophane things are well he asked werewolves zach nefane asked still not quite sure how to answer that seemingly simple question drizz shook his head we thought we had the trail of one but no catty bring motion to a chair at the table then took her own seat i was telling your father of your life since our days running the foothills of kelvin's cairn she explained from my perspective of course i am sure he would like to hear it from you zach nefane felt trist's questioning stare fall upon him i would he confirmed and he wasn't lying the human woman had surprisingly given him a lot to think about and perhaps hearing the same stories from his son's perspective would help him better appreciate her words and feelings the three remained at the cottage long into the night with drizz telling his story from kelvin's cairn to mithral hall of all the places in between and all the places beyond he paid particular attention to one tale that zach nefane couldn't help but appreciate i returned to menzo berenson dressed explained openly and in surrender i gave my life so that you would not have to do such a thing zach methane interjected and he didn't try to hide his anger about such a ridiculous choice i had to drist explained you thought you had to catty bree interjected to which drizz nodded they hunted me imperiling those i came to love drizzed said i could not allow that those who loved you would rather die beside you than have you give yourself to house by henry catty bree insisted that raised sacnafane's eyebrow to tell he said to drizz all of it this is a tale your wife seems to have forgotten drist laughed at that which surprised his father she alone came for me he said she was no great priestess at that time nor even a wizard though now she is proficient in both the arcane and the divine she was a fighter and not yet one of great experience even he cast a glance at his wife one full of love but she came alone she walked the ways of the underdark all the way to men's oberenson and there with the help of another human a man you will soon meet if you have not already she got me out of the dungeons of house bayenry zachnovane started to laugh but he bit it back as he realized that his son was not joking from bayenri he asked incredulously and drizz nodded a good bit of luck catty bree admitted i doubt it not when was this zach nefane asked six score years ago perhaps said trist not so long after king bruner retook mithril hall zach nefan nodded but then realized a great inconsistency here when he regarded catty bree you cannot be more than forty years of age catty breeze snorted at that i am not halfway through my twenties but thank you for that i think but you just said the flabbergasted zach nevane said looking back to drizzt that is another story one as remarkable as your own zach nevane caddy brie answered and one for another day it is late the moon has set let us return to the ivy mansion in warm beds she rose and began collecting her things and drizz did likewise zach nevane who was wearing everything he had brought out to the cottage remained seated and finished his drink watching the two moving about and watching most of all the way they looked at each other he tried to minimize his occasional winces and to keep the skull from his face but even with all he'd heard that night he didn't think he was very successful at either well that was much more pleasant catty breeze said when she and dressed were alone in their rooms of the ivy mansion and we don't need to build a new table drizz didn't share her mirth he hates you he said he doesn't hate me he hates that we are together he hates most of all that we are having a child a half breed that he will not accept fear can lead to hate but they are not the same catty breeze said your father has no experience in a multitude of friendly races and cultures and this world a world in time where such a thing as our baby could occur have been thrust upon him so jarringly zach fein is no child dressed replied nor is he the mana you keep calling him zach nephine katy perry interrupted not father but zach nephene why dressed it didn't answer but he considered the valid point zach nefan's not the only one who's afraid catty brie added she knew him so well drizz thought he was afraid indeed terrified thacknefane had been a symbol to him more than a real person over the last century and more he had idolized a memory because he never had to worry about the reality of whose acne removed from men's oberen's on might be it was so much easier to just project his own feelings and beliefs onto the ghost of the man people are complicated and people change catty bree said look at artemis and traeri drizzt's audible gasp at that gave his fears a way he knew when catty bree looked at him more intently have patience my love she said moving near to him and massaging his shoulder tree is nodded what choice did he have after all delicious things to eat the popcorn can't be beat the sparkling drinks suggest the chocolate bars and the candy so let's all go to the lobby to get ourselves a treat let's all go to the lobby to get ourselves a dream

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Length: 374min 12sec (22452 seconds)

Published: Sun Apr 04 2021