Timeless Part 02 Generations Book 1 Legend of Drizzt Book 34 By R A Salvatore

[Music] chapter 12 weirdly drunk regis struggled and arrived and almost broke free pulling himself nearly out of the fountain but the water weird caught him and shoved him down again harder this time and he cracked his head on the bottom of the basin he flailed and tried to splash but the world was going darker darker until his consciousness left him he woke up sometime later still pressed the floor of the watery basin surprised to be alive the halfling tried to make sense of it and it took him many moments of near panic before he recalled once more his ganassi heritage he would have drowned long ago were it not for that fortunate bloodline he wasn't sure just how long he'd been down or how much time he might have left plane touched ganassi or no he didn't thrash now the weird had nearly split his skull the last time he had fought against it instead he quietly eased his hand to his hip and slid forth his three-bladed dirk the outer two shaped like curving serpents then he moved quickly twisting and stabbing at the thing once twice thrice the water splashed the monster pressed him down and slapped at the halfling's stabbing arm with its tendrils out of the corner of his eye regis could see the dagger scoring its hits but could see too that those hits were doing little if anything to the malleable weird a few droplets splashed aside though whether those were just water or pieces of the monster he could not know what he did know was that he couldn't win this fight soon the tendril caught his arm worse the weird now pressed down on his head with tremendous force crushing him against the base and bottom he flailed once more screaming useless bubbles when his dirk was slapped from his hand he tried to punch claw anything his other hand went to his belt pouch grasping around blindly and when his fingers finally grabbed something he smashed it into the water three silver coins floated down beside his bulging eyes then came a potion flask overturned and half floating its cork bumping against his face he tried to blow it aside but alas he was finally out of breath he was drowning he tried to scream tried to turn tried to rise he punched grasped slapped clawed and he did manage to catch the bottom of the bobbing flask as his vision started to blur strange thoughts flitted through his mind one crazy idea hit him with desperate strength perhaps the flask was unused and full of air had his head been on straight he would have known it to be wishful thinking but he bit at the cork anyway twisted and gnashed and when it pulled free he tried to gulp at the stem but no it was not empty and instead of sweet air filling his lungs a dark liquid poured forth coloring the water and now he couldn't even see darkness closed in once more not unconsciousness this time but the deeper sleep of death at least he had relayed the important information to iberdell he had not let his friends down not in this lifetime as so often in the previous he tried to focus on that certain he was doomed but then so suddenly the basin shuttered and the water heaved as if a tsunami had struck before he could register what was happening regis was flying through the air and back into the room he landed hard on the floor sitting on his butt gulping air for all his life and trying to back away from that watery monster watching the basin closely with every movement the weird rose up menacingly like a liquid club higher and higher than it swirled left then around to the right swaying in a mesmerizing dance very much like a serpent oh no regis cursed expecting it to lash out at him hoping he was far enough away and knowing he was almost certainly not but the weird dove back under the basin edge water splashing all about then it rose up again suddenly but just a bit before flattening and again and a third time almost as if bubbles within it were compelling it we just shook his head confused was this some sort of spell casting it didn't seem so but looked more like some internal distress hiccups he looked the potion flask still in his hand gut chaser the halfling's eyes popped open wide and he stared incredulously at the bubbling hiccuping basin he crawled aside putting more distance between himself and the monster but circling to retrieve his valuable dirk he found it sticking into the floor the flying magical blade cutting easily and deeply into a seam in the wood he struggled to tug it free finally taking a chunk of the wooden flooring with it and he turned quickly to be out of this cursed room the glint of gold stopped him short though and the halfling's eyes widened indeed when he looked at that chip in the floor when he realized that the sub flooring of this particular room was golden he just dug at the wood with his dagger tearing strips and throwing them aside no hungry dog ever went for a bone more determinedly he lifted gold coins into his hand in gold bars and platinum and gems and jewels all sorts of expensive bits now suddenly just lying here for him to take he began to stuff his pouch giggling for he knew that he could probably empty this entire room into that magical extra dimensional space and his mood was suddenly improved as thoughts of near death vanished with a shining treasure before him he fell to work practically humming until he heard behind him well now a little pack rat is he you would be wise to summon matron shakti hunsarin to your home escovidney told matron jindiya milan back in menzo on matron jindiya looked curiously at the two yakults shakti had been there only two days before and was often a visitor to house milan particularly now when jindiya was helping her with her newest and most valuable trade pieces fine jewelry that was much more than it seemed what do you know shindia asked suspiciously it is quite likely that matron shakti can supply you with unexpected support your hunt for this reborn doerden creature escovidney explained she has installed on the surface powerful allies matron jindia shook her head and her round this scenario had already played out once on the surface after all and not at all to her advantage you will see eskivitney promised she glanced at her yawkel counterpart and nodded and the two disappeared in a flash leaping through the plains to the ante chamber of lady loft's throne room it will be an enjoyable spectacle eskevitney promised upon their return yikardaria who had been less convinced of their course though she dearly wanted to pay back evanel and the others for their treachery added hopefully it will prove at least informative sister for that alone will properly amuse the spider queen escovidney let out a giggle which turned into a gurgle which turned into popping bubbles of sludge as she reverted to her natural form two men stood by the door one holding a mace the other a sword they looked like mar gasters that same pale skin and pitch black hair and both were large and strong obviously made of that uthguard stock regis made a quick assessment of the room silently calculating steps in various directions the mark asters approached and uphopped the halfling tossing his magical torch into the weird fountain where it was immediately swallowed by the strange monster greatly diminishing the light in the room we just ran left but just a stride then cut back to the right then left again as he charged at the duo he fainted left once more then fast back to the right only to cut between the two running past them and the excitement was tempered by the fact that they were right behind he could barely see but he had to chance it and upon reaching the door he leaped high catching the pendulum just above the blade and riding it out into the hallway there he raised his legs to set his feet against the wall and shoved off throwing the pendulum back behind him he let go fell to the floor and rolled aside immediately coming to his feet and drawing his weapons a torch flared to life inside the room as the pendulum came swinging back at him then back into the room as soon as it disappeared out leaped the first of the margasters coming fast at the halfling he held his dirk at the ready but didn't intend to use it up close if he could help it with a quick motion one of the side blades came off in his hand and with a flick of his wrist he launched it at the charging man that snake-shaped weapon catcher then became a real serpent and it rushed up the man's chest to loop about his neck a living garage choking him at the same time a leering specter appeared over his shoulder a manifestation of the wicked weapon and it tugged mightily easily yanking the powerful man to his back on the floor before he even landed the halfling had the second missile away at the remaining opponent that margaster flew into the air as well his torch sailing from his hand and bouncing off the returning pendulum when the heavy blade hit the poor fellow across the legs as he tumbled backward regis winced seeing the gash in the poor man's legs and grimaced even more as he watched the strangling specters do their work he hadn't come in here to kill anyone and again he hadn't come here to die either he started back into the room jarred by the impact the pendulum wasn't swinging anymore but stopped short he glanced farther along the tunnel and decided no on that route as well the problem was he had to get out of there but didn't want to face the prospect of the freezing canal again while being pursued other than that however he didn't have the slightest idea where to go he started past the first man who was flailing helplessly turning blue we just stopped and waited watching closely the man struggling decreased with each passing second he issued a little gurgling sound but regis waited a bit longer he had to make sure the man was down for a while at least beyond the pendulum the other margaster lay very still perhaps already dead damn damn damn the halfling cursed moving his rapier closer almost stabbing the specter but waiting he had to wait finally the man subsided falling limp and regis poked the specter with his rapier destroying it he started a bend for the man unsure if the fellow was dead or alive but he shook his head in frustration for he had not the time he rushed past the pendulum scooped up the margaster's dropped torch and poked the second specter freeing the second man he heard a cough behind him which made him feel somewhat better as he raced back down the hallway he neared the entry cavern hoping the poisoned chamberman was still resting comfortably he grinned as he neared hearing snores and so he went in feeling confident that feeling quickly dissipated though because what awaited was the frozen canal it probably wouldn't kill him but it certainly wasn't warm he found the man where he had left him snoring loudly wasting no time he just began to strip stuffing his cloak his boots and his shirt into his magical pouch he had just pulled the hand crossbow from around his neck when he heard sounds from down the hallway inside thinking one of the guards had recovered from the choking and was stubbornly pursuing alas and how well he whispered setting a bolt and cocking the hand crossbow the door opened and yet it was not one of the guards who walked in but a woman tall and raven-haired and quite pretty in kerry margaster the one who had been standing beside lord neverember when the dwarves had come with a payment walked in calmly what mischief is this little one she said reach aside not wanting to shoot a lady but he did anyway the quarrel flew across the room to catch her right in the chest she gave hardly a yip then looked down at it curiously then back up at regis well now she said pulling out the bolt and tossing it aside we just stared at her from across the way looking for some sign that the poison was taking effect but no she rubbed her hands together and moved closer as she did a gemstone pendant hanging about her neck flickered with an inner light and in kerry began to expand at first regis thought it a simple wizard spell but then her face reshaped suddenly growing a snout and two more arms sprouted up above the normal ones and these ended not in hands but in huge pincers and even then his eyes were drawn away to the tail now growing behind her he didn't think she looked so pretty anymore and more certainly she was nothing regis wanted to battle he hadn't even fully finished his turn when he dove for the water his bad angle causing him to scrape painfully on the edge of the stone floor as he went in he ignored the pain and didn't dare turn back to try to swim against the current to the spot where he had first entered now he just swam for all his life deeper under the castle he heard the commotion behind him when the monster jumped in and so he swam faster frantically in complete darkness fully submerged he paddled and kicked wildly he tried to come up for air but could not instead bang his head hard on the ceiling of the tight tunnel again he resisted the urge to look back he couldn't see anything anyway and just swam blindly as fast as he could hoping against hope that he'd find a way out and that the monster chasing him would not catch him on and on he went and his lungs began to ache he stopped and called to his pouch bringing a small ceramic ball to his hand he knew he'd be marking himself clearly but he could only hope the fiend wasn't nearby he broke the ball freeing the stone inside one coated with dayglo oil he saw the floor he saw the walls he saw the ceiling up he went carefully clearing the water just enough to suck in another breath he dropped the light source then and swam on for some distance this time looking back to the lighted area just as he was growing somewhat confident a large form crossed into the light we just couldn't make it out fully but he really didn't need to there was only one thing it could be on he swam back into complete darkness sometimes crashing into a wall once scraping painfully on a shelf in the floor more than once banging his head as he went up to try to draw in a breath and while he was at least getting air into his lungs his muscles were starting to ache from the exertion and cold then he crashed into something a pole he thought he tried to go around it but no it was not a pole it was a great he fished another day glow ball from his pouch and lit the area to find himself trapped at a portcullis he looked all about but no there were no levers to be found he grabbed at the bars and tried to lift to no avail panic began to set in he was trapped after a moment of futile tugging and searching and even trying to squeeze through the bars the halfling turned back terry hoped the fiend had broken off pursuit and he might slip by the thought lasted only a moment because a dark form appeared at the edge of his light he went for his rapier but knew that he had no chance fighting such a monster still he reached for his dirk too single-bladed now he paused his mind whirling seeking some answer none came other than the shorty that he was about to die he had his hand by his magical pouch though he didn't know why perhaps to grab more light sources to try to drive the monster away to grab a gut chaser or two to numb himself on the pain in the horror of certain death he saw the monster clearly now eyes drawn to its pincers either of which could easily sniff him in half they were already eagerly snapping in the water he saw the dog-like face leering seeming like it was smiling we just wanted to cry he didn't want to die like this half naked in the cold water in a place where his friends were his beloved denala would likely never find him he resolved to fight ferociously and nearly laughed at himself for the absurd thought even if he could defeat this thing surely he would do so only to drown before he could find air and only then in that moment of complete resignation and hopelessness did the halfling remember and in doing so he cursed his own foolishness for regis had not come down here expecting to swim back out he would find his way to the back stair or he pulled a small vial from his pouch his most expensive and impressive potion a pincer came out at him as he quaffed it and he felt the sharp edges cutting along his sides his mouth opened as he started to scream but then his mouth was gone and then his body was gone in substantial a gaseous form and the pincer closed harmlessly through where he should have been regis no more substantial than a cloud slipped through the portcullis and drifted along no longer feeling the cold no longer feeling any compulsion to draw a breath he did note the fiend tearing at the poor colors bending the bars and so he willed himself to go as fast as he could which really wasn't very fast he couldn't swim after all having nothing with which to push against the water he was moving though and faster than the current at least still it seemed like forever before he at last crossed out from under the castle from under the main boulevard of neverwinter from under another cluster of houses and from under neverwinter's city wall he came up out of the water scrambling to the muddy land and barely had he emerged when his potion wore off and he became a sputtering freezing half-naked halfling sitting beside an icy canal in a snow-filled forest he went for his pouch immediately and brought forth his cloak scrambling all the while trying to put some distance between himself and the water he ran stumbling repeatedly but stubbornly pulling himself back up every time ever onward ever away he didn't know how far he had gone when he heard a shriek from far behind and otherworldly hideous bone chilling shriek and we just knew that he had not evaded the pursuit so he somehow got his boots out finally and put them on and he ran even harder because what else could he do the night was not dark and with the reflections off the snow clinging stubbornly to the shadier areas in the forest the halfling could make out his way fairly easily he also saw the shadows though moving shadows flitting from tree to tree in the distance to his right then more to the left regis put his head down and ran fast around for all his life which he was pretty sure was no exaggeration fearing that he was being flanked on both sides by some hellish demons behind him he heard a shriek and a guttural roar not nearly far enough away for his liking somehow he knew these monsters would never tire and he would never make it out the other side of neverwinter would he needed another plan he needed a place to hide before he had even truly considered it he skidded to a stop and crouched letting the shadows pass him by then ran behind them to the east toward he believed iberdell stable only a short while later he broke out of the underbrush and onto the muddy road right back toward never enter would take him to the stable and so he started to turn that way but no he realized how could he bring such a horde of fiends upon the poor elven woman he sprinted to the left north he shook his head with almost every step however knowing that he'd never get ahead of the pursuit his lungs burned his legs ached he was cold and the scrape from diving into the waterway was bothering him more than he wanted to admit down one straight away he happened to glance back in time to see our hulking forearmed fiend crash out onto the road along the sides hidden in the brush and tangle he heard hissing now and the occasional grunt and cracking branches and twigs he focused forward even though there was no point it would be over soon he felt as if he were rushing toward his end a thought amplified when he heard footsteps ahead on the road he was out of places to run he had to go left or right and quickly so he tried to discern which side likely had the fewest monsters left he decided and he turned only for the footsteps on the road to become louder no he skidded to a stop it wasn't footsteps he'd been hearing but hoof beats a rider the way he ran again toward the sound thinking at his only chance he slipped on some ice and crashed down hard but came up immediately scrambling trying to get his feet under him and he let out a yell when just around the bend before him came a large dark form he dove back to the ground and covered up cowering he felt the splash of mud over him and heard the screech of scraping iron shoes over cobblestones spider surprised halfling looked up to see iberdell staring down at him he leaped to his feet and leaped again at her to her reaching hand and as soon as he caught it he cried out ride ride ride for all our lives ride the horse winnied and reared and regis nearly fell from her grasp desperately trying to set himself as the skilled elf horse woman turned her mount about then kicked the steed away furiously never once asking a question it wasn't until regis got into a seat behind her and glanced back that he understood her quick actions it was less to do with his urgent words and more to do with the forearmed dog-faced demon running behind them almost keeping stride from the bushes on the side the shattered monsters found form and leaped as well all manner of misshapen fiend some know more than zombie-like humans others black-skinned and frog-like but running upright with clawed hands and rows of formidable teeth through the grotesque menagerie went the galloping horse demons leaping and clawing the air biting hard with click clicking sounds all about the fleeing duo we just tried to block his ears and scream it all away but it mattered little the cacophony of hellish hunger did fade though as the strong horse outran them its nostrils flaring puffing steam into the night with every long stride it was going hard and needed to rest but iberdell didn't dare let up not that she needed to encourage their mount all that much the road bent to the right for a long way then straightened back to the north but just as i burdell eased the mount to the left a creature leaped out of the brush to block the path and the elf pulled up hard on the rain skidding the horse to a stop apparently the forearmed demon in carrie margasser or another fiend just like her had taken a shortcut straight through the brush clearing it away with great pincers hardly slowing it all to cross out ahead of them on the circuitous road just as apparently the elf and halfling were in a great deal of trouble we fight it iberdell said for what else was there to do regis gasping and huffing too much to verbally respond nodded and grabbed for his rapier thinking to slide off the horse i'll take it aside he said when he at last found his breath his boots splashing down in the mud get to bleeding vines and tell them no she started to argue but she stopped short and so did regis in his demand for a flash of fire erupted in the road right in front of the fiend more chaos and an already chaotic night with the fire another form dropped down from on high falling right behind the monster swords in hand and slashing at the fiend's back before it could even register what was happening ride you fools the newcomer called diving aside as the fiends spun about battling with all four arms reaches thought he recognized the voice in the live form not to mention the graceful movements as the newcomer rolled aside came back to his feet and dove in at the fiend his blades spinning in a deadly dance even as the halfling tried to speak out his name though he felt a hand grabbed his cloak at the scruff of his neck and he was jerked from his feet so forcefully that he nearly lost a boot right by the battle went ivordale's mount and regis got a look at their rescuer and realized it to be a drow he certainly knew chapter 13 tendrils of lothian chaos the halfling wiggle fingers found the man in an alley beside a tavern one of five predetermined meeting spots for this most particular spy my payment wizard the man said upon his approach he was not tall for a human but towered over the halfling spellcaster wiggle fingers sighed and tried to hide his disgust do you not even care about the consequences of this most urgent information the man artemis and seemed genuinely amused by that i thought you cared for jarl axel for tristarton even the exasperated halfling added how he wanted to create some great magical cataclysm and wash this fool away the man shrugged and gave a little nod yet you asked for payment straight away of course said in tray dalia and i have decided that we should find a better housing arrangement for that i need the payment and if i didn't have it you wouldn't be here no no no put that aside said wiggle fingers suppose i found you here this day desperate for the news but unprepared to pay you would you tell me the information that i could relate it to jarlaxel and lady danala or would you sit quiet and let others suffer perhaps someday you will find out i grow tired of your games then take a nap in the meantime remember this isn't a game i do a job i get paid the halfling could only sigh and even chuckle a bit he didn't believe that this one was as irratible as he pretended and he had fully soured on the man's dangerous reputation there were plenty of capable halfling scouts working water deep streets and yet lady danala had specifically instructed the wizard to visit this human which bothered him even more because entreri was jar laxal's man and not denalis that knowledge didn't help wigglefinger's mood very much either anything that he garnered from this rogue would almost certainly be given to jarl axel long before danala heard it and cleared by jar lacks all the halfling wizard assumed he couldn't deny andrea's reputation as a spy as jarl axel considered the man one of his very top lieutenants and surely the human knew his way was sword and dagger but this was the northern sword coast of faerun a region called the savage frontier and swordsmen were a crowd of copper the notion that this one above all the others could get the job done deeply insulted the fiercely proud halfling who had after all personally trained most of denali's younger scouts yet here he stood disgusted by how much he needed what intreri had for him wiggle fingers reminded himself that it was not his place to question not then he produced a small pouch of gems and handed them over surprisingly and tray didn't even look inside only then did it dawn on wiggle fingers the man figures he doesn't have to because he assumes no one would dare short him on such a payment such hubris was almost enough to make the wizard laugh or cry in frustration especially when entrery said nothing the stone shaft clan bought thornholt from lord neverember wiggle fingers prompted and lord neverember had previously purchased the castle from house margaster we believe just last year contrary confirmed for forty thousand pieces of gold forty thousand that is a paltry sum it makes no sense and trury shrugged and only last year last summer and tree answered but why the wizard muttered more to himself than to contrary cupping his chin in his hand and staring at the floor he looked back up at intraerie a moment later we need you to look more deeply how long did the marc astor's own thornhold before the transaction with lord neverember and why would they sell to him at so lower price do they not know of the dwarves interest should i deliver the lord of house margaster to lady danale in chains so that she can spend a decade interrogating him came the predictably sarcastic response just those three simple questions wiggle fingers replied oh and a fourth are the mark asters not angered at lord neverember's apparent windfall forty thousand gold you say we believe that neverember garnered 25 times that value and trury didn't even blink and you asked me to care about these games as if the lives of my friends depend upon them he said after a long pause for never ember and all the others this is more about stature than value a million gold what will never remember do with that sum that he could not already do bury it under a castle while people around him starve or freeze in the dark of winter and you asked me to care but you care about your payment the halfling pointed out i like to eat and prefer to respectably buy my food instead of hurting people to get it that silence the halfling four questions and trey agreed but it may take some time a lot of good men could die giving this information wiggle fingers nodded but then scrunched up his face as he considered the odd phrasing you mean getting and then wiggle fingers saw it that particularly cold look and so the assassins eyes told the wizard that he had not misspoken in that terrible moment wigglefingers feared that he might someday be one of the necessary victims to whom artemis and trary had just referred the halfling left the meeting almost immediately taking with him valuable information about the margasters and lord neverend before danala and perhaps even more information for himself about the true danger of this strange human indeed the assassin's stare would linger with the wizard for a long time after he discharged his newly bought intelligence a single candle burned on the table between dinola topolino wigglefingers and jarlaxel a fittingly quiet light for a discussion that had to be whispered regis thinks the price near to a million pieces of gold denali confirmed a treasure king bruner would be hard pressed to muster said a curious charlaxal yet this stone shaft clan hardly known i told you it was intriguing denali replied with a soft laugh you said a bit intriguing if i recall it is more than that it would seem more still said dinola she looked to wiggle fingers their agent in waterdeep told me that lord neferember purchased the stronghold only a short while before from house margaster for a fraction of the price to the dwarves but of course i expect you already know this if charlaxal took umbridge at wigglefinger's accusation he didn't show it instead he just sat back in his chair tap tapping his long slender fingers together digesting it all assembling the pieces of the puzzle the wizard continued many of margaster's nobles were there in neverwinter in neverember's own court when the dwarves arrived with their payment and we've reason to believe that another of the mogasters may well have ridden north to meet the dwarven caravan on their way to neverwinter their roundabout way jarl axel said and the other two perked up for jarlaxel typically accepted more information than he ever offered the dwarfs sailed around neverwinter to the north to port last as you suspected the drow mercenary confirmed there they disembarked and the ships sailed away in the night and the dwarves marched south straight from the docks with no announcement and little fanfare it could not have been easy to arrange that wiggle fingers reasoned even less than you would believe said charlaxal the folk of poor at last are often besieged to bring a heavily armed dwarven force of that magnitude through the city in the dark of night surely meant more than a few bags of gold sliding into the right pockets we know they had the gold dinola said dryly it would take more than just gold though wouldn't it ask the halfling wizard jalaxel offered a slight nod but no words as he sat back in contemplation tapping his fingertips why weren't the margasters upset about neverember's apparently huge windfall on a property they had only recently sold to him they were there in the court regis had seen them and they're in great numbers in the inn according to denala this was no happy face they were painting on for optics charlaxal believed they were truly glad for the sale the term money washing ran through his mind just as it surely did through the minds of his rather worldly associates at this table certainly tanala and the wizard had seen their share of this back in aglarond it was a favored game to secretly tip the scales of power until unwitting rivals could do nothing to preserve the current order lord neverember had bought low from the margasters who probably didn't even actually hold the deed to the place house margaster then funneled a vast treasure to the little known little cared about clan stone shaft who delivered it to lord neverember under the guise of repatriating themselves to a fortress they once considered their home to great fanfare and celebration as sure as an annoying elf launching into inane song everyone knew that dwarves would always go to great lengths to regain lost homelands and of course clan stone shaft had likely been in possession of probably even living under this place called thornhold the whole time the entire purpose of the transaction then was simply to wash ill-gotten gold and get it out of water deep and now the newest twist dinola said after all three had mold in silence for a long while house mogaster is perhaps much more than it appears much more sinister the door cracked open and a halfling attendant poked his head in my lady he said your husband the attendant pulled the door wide and a shaky regis entered you should be in bed denali said standing and starting for him but regis held her back with an outstretched arm we'll all rest when this is done he said taking a seat at the table he gave a great exhale as he sat clearly exhausted and overwhelmed trust me that i am glad i am alive to sit here and join this meeting all because of good fortune and good friends he added looking to joel axel you dismiss your own cleverness in getting out of those tunnels dinola asked i already said good fortune said regis i am luckily more at home in the water may under the water than a halfling ought to be whatever the reason said jarlaxel lifting a goblet of wine we are glad of the outcome and doubting my story i expect said regis as am i iber dells was identical though said wiggle fingers we just gave the wizard an appreciative nod and was glad that the information had come from him whom regis thought the least supportive of the three now we must discern what lives under lord neverember's castle and in neverwinter what it would seem dana said that forest is no stranger to creatures of the lower plains jarl axel told them the ashmedai danala asked i thought they were gone such cults are rarely ever gone the drow replied dark dandelions one and all and my sources whisper that asmodeus has gained a fair number of followers in waterdeep asmodeus is an archdevil regis interrupted these were demons not devils how do you know jarl axel asked we just stepped this dance in the bloodstone lands regis reminded trust me i watched the lady in kerry transform before my eyes into a glabra glabrazoo a demon i have known before i do not doubt you my friend jarl axel said as the same intended to denala poked his head into the room again but a devil could do the same and many resemble no devil said another drow pushing into the room walking with a limp his left arm held tight to his side glad brazil charlaxa leaped from his seat and rushed to help his wounded soldier denala called to the attendant to fetch a proper priest i will survive braylon john k assured them nevertheless taking jarl axel's offered seat glabrazoo dralaxel asked him braelyn nodded and casmays and others demons all a remarkable collection thick about neverwinter wood but coming from the city itself in pursuit of regis i would guess it turned and winked at regis this is twice now that you owe me your life halfling perhaps jar laxal would be wise in extracting my pay from your pocket twice the woman with a bow on the lake bank and i swindale braelyn explained did you think your own shot so lucky regis lips moved too fast for any actual words to spill out for a short while before finally managing to blurt that was you braylin managed a little laugh followed by a blood-filled cough is there anything in the north that jarl axel does not watch regis asked his voice heavy with sarcasm not if i can help it jarlaxo replied rubbing braylon's back and trying to ease the wounded soldiers obvious discomfort fortunately a pair of clerics halfling and dwarf bumbled into the room then holy symbols in hand charlaxal stepped back as they went to work on braylon confident that the drow's wounds were not mortal he let his mind go to the matters at hand he didn't doubt the veracity of the reports from regis and braelyn the rise of supporters for asmodeus and waterdeep after all had come about because so many more demons had been showing up all across faerun of late some foolish humans desperate and afraid had come to believe that allying with the lawful devils was somehow better than risking the dangers of the unpredictable demons there was some truth to that charlaxal had to admit but only in certain circumstances devils were more predictable than demons which generally were little more than vile killing machines with less subtlety than a trebuchet throwing baskets of fire into a village the catch was that getting a devil out of your midst especially one to which you owed a favor was never an easy or inexpensive task but water deep was a worry for another day the more immediate challenge involved the lord protector of neverwinter and his strange partners in crime demons he whispered under his breath to focus his thinking and he suspected then that the source of these unwelcome visitors along the sword coast might well be the same as the ones who brought malcontet the queen of the succubus to the bloodstone lands not so long ago he needed some information and fast and he had an idea of who might be best able to get it for him so good to be back in lands i've never seen amber grissilo maul remarked skipping down the road her huge two-handed mace skull crusher resting on her shoulder if you ain't been in him there then how are you backing them eh teased her companion her lover her best friend atherogate the thick limbed fellow had found some fresh cow pies that morning to better braid and tip his huge black beard and amber found the aroma intoxicating i know someplace you're not soon getting back into me clever hubby atherogate gave a great rump at that though he was hardly unaccustomed to that line from amber and knew that his amorous companion never meant it or couldn't hold to it if she did your legs getting tired yet atherogate asked i can bring out me pig he grabbed at his belt pouch in which sat the figurine he used to summon a magical hell bore i can always bring up the pig and ye amber remarked unable to resist but know me love let's walk and skip and dance in the day oh but a beautiful one she is amber looked all about of the sky bright blue and dotted with puffy white clouds but atherogate just stared admiringly at her as he replied ah but sure and she is they walked for the rest of the morning talking lightly enjoying the day anticipating that they'd be back in bleeding vines soon enough for they had left the place far behind the day was warm for the season but winter held and so the caravans had not yet begun their spring travels giving the dwarven pair the road to themselves better still they were moving back near the coastline now as they had nearly circumvented the mirror of dead men and so the smell of bog was being quickly replaced by the refreshing aroma of salt and brine when looking for a place to break for some lunch they happened upon a road turning west off the trade way and following it to the next rise they soon came inside of the ocean and more importantly a plain grey fortress with a squat central keep flanked by two towers amber took out the rough drawing jar laxal had made for her and nodded to atherogate for and hold she said a million pieces of gold ain't buying what it used to atherogate lamented for indeed before it was not overly impressive nor strategically located well good enough for them stone shafts then let's go see what we can see i'm thinking they got the money for a proper feast they clambered down over the broken rocks to what seemed to be an entry road though one long reduced to tangled vines and rubble before them loomed the fortress's main gate a pair of gigantic iron banded wooden doors that looked as if they could once have held back a horde of giants once but not now for they hung a kilter one missing its top hinges which left it angled creating an opening wide enough for a dwarf to walk through without bending as was proven even as athrogate noted it when a yellow-haired dwarf walked out and stepped to the side he crossed his burly arms over his chest shield presented in the top one mace held high in the other up above more dwarves peered over the wall clan stone shaft i'm guessing afrogate told his love ah an ugly looking bunch what ambergris replied a second dwarf came out then a third and fourth forming a line and stepping forward toward the oncoming pair is more filtered out behind them well met afrogate called to them waving and scrambling over the last rock before the entry path which leveled out somewhat he reached back to help amber over the stone but she just hopped it and rolled planting her huge two-handed mace as she went to prop her right to her feet i well matt and we're looking for some food she called moving right past atherogate and glad to see dwarfs here in this unknown place i well would you expect then asked one from behind the line of four dwarfs stepping up between them it was a strong one certainly with yellow hair tightened into cornrows and a great beard that rivaled afrogate's own from the description charlaxal had offered athrogate figured this one to be bronken the commander of the force that had gone to lord neverember's castle weren't known atherogate said before amber could respond been walking a long way and not knowing what to expect too far south for that new del sun home eye and not north enough yet for ice wind dale new del zone home the yellow-haired dwarf asked coming forward along with a dozen of his compatriots all moving out and around to fully flank the incoming couple you're meaning gontogram then or this home you're now seeing gonto graham i athrogate answered not knowing this when you're speaking uh but hey are you del zoom dwarf now or ain't you and if not think to all dwarfs in the north where that blood is all said atherogate might we are might we ain't atherogate shrugged as if it didn't matter though the line of answer surely seemed inappropriate and surprising to him the del zone heritage had represented the great north kingdom of the dwarves for centuries and almost all dwarves in the north of faerun now identified with the name or at least showed some measure of reverence for it mikey r mighty ain't then said amber but sure in that we're glad to see what hair for i have a mighty thirst and a grumbling tummy and a dwarf's a dwarf if he's not a gray one eh hey answer the stone shaft leader though he didn't sound convinced so what are we eating then amber pressed nothing's on the spit the flatness of his tone spoke of a threat so put something on atherogate said you're not turning kin aside are you what kin another stone shaft said can a bruner not for dalton added a third and she spat on the ground he got a problem with king bruner do ye amber asked and what might that be then he's got gonto grim back from the ruins and running strong i if there's a problem with that then might that you'll be telling us eh arthrogate added we be looking for him in the place and hoping it's worth the journey what ain't we knowing bruner got no friends here the one athlegate believed to be bronk and flatly stated friends of bruner got no friends here who he be then asked amber and what's this place a better stop for weary dwarfs ain't that one of the stone shafts muttered both amber and ather gate looked in the direction of the mutterer then back at the leader who merely shrugged not disagreeing with the assessment you're telling us to be leaving then arthrogate said said no such thing answered the leader he'll be running right to bruner said another who would be back with an army as all must kneel or die said yet another i but he's the king of all don't you know said another and while they were talking they fanned out even more nearly closing the circle around the couple you're not showing much kinship mate amber told the leader you didn't even ask our names or offer your own her name's amber and his is arthur gate a dwarf on the wall called brunner spies worse said a dwarf to the side of the couple pulling a battle axe from his back and resting it on one shoulder these two are spies for the dern drow elves arthrogate tried hard to keep his jaw from dropping open how could they know any of that how could they know more about jarl axel than charlaxal knew of them it never worked that way but now he and amber had no choice and while she brought skull crusher out before her athergate pulled his flails from over his shoulders setting the balls to spinning immediately we didn't come looking for trouble he told the leader funny what you find just wonder another new unannounced neighbors amber added any dwarfit understand that the ring began to close around them stone shaft weapons at the ready you're making a mistake boys ather gate warned even as he finished a dwarf wielding a shield and mace leaped at him pulling in or trying to for atherogate called to his flail whacker summoning a coating of special oil that exploded when he brought the ball swinging against that shield splintering the buckler into a dozen flying shards and launching the dwarf back a dozen strides he feared he had killed the poor fellow but what else could he do the other stone shafts came in a fast couple of strides but fell back in unison short of the swipe of amber's murderous two-handed mace yourself and myself africa challenged the leader or be broken stone shaft a coward the others laughed at that but those laughs sounded strange somehow bronken just smiled and nodded i'll be liking that but he didn't come on he nodded left and right and the ten remaining stone shafts on the perimeter all through their weapons to the ground at first it seemed as if they were giving up but then they leaped as one high into the air toward the couple not leaping actually but diving as if into a pool of water and they hit the ground and sank into it disappearing like otters into a lake the nine house afrogates stammered and the ground all about him and amber began to bubble and ooze with some black tar-like liquid from that liquid the stone shaft dwarves returned but not as dwarfs ten black tendrils rose up around atherogate and ambergris their tips ending in claws their sides lined with suckers like the arms of an octopus atherogate went into a wild spin batting at the nearby tendrils ambergris too tried to fight them off though less successfully with her single heavy weapon she did bat one sending it rolling out the other way but a second whipped her from behind cracking her along the back and sending her sprawling or she would have been sprawling except that the hook and top suckers caught her and brought her right back to her feet then up into the air swirling her all about before bringing her down again with tremendous force atherogate heard her heavy grunt amid the slaps of his spinning flails as she kissed the stone furiously he pressed toward her whacking with abandon up went amber again her face all bloody but this time she spun around and grabbed at the tendril with her arms and with her teeth and to great effect it seemed from the way the arm began thrashing about athergate rolled under the crack of a snapping claw and came to his feet to see the leader laughing and pointing he glanced at his love and knew he had to trust in her out he charged smacking aside the grabbing arms one caught him wrapping around his waist but the tough dwarf turned with it rolling to loop the thing tighter like a rabbit rolling into the python except that this rabbit possessed the strength of a storm giant and he clapped his arms about the tendril rolled in even more than tugged with all his strength a piercing shriek erupted from somewhere as the tendril began to tear from the ground other tendrils snapped at the dwarf but he roared and ignored them and drove on ripping out the grasping arm the tendril went limp its coils falling off him and as soon as it hit the ground twitching in death rows it reverted and became again a dwarf albeit a broken and dying one spitting black blood afrogate's eyes widened in horror what was this madness he spied the dwarf leader staring back at him hatefully now he was no longer laughing bronk in motion to a dwarf beside him who tapped a pendant hanging around his neck it flared with an inner black glow and the dwarf flared too growing suddenly sprouting extra arms his hair becoming fur his dwarven face becoming that of a dog demon mystery solved afrogate roared and he charged at the glabber zoo shouldering aside another writhing tentacle whacking yet another come on amber agreement girl athlegate almost got to the waiting forearm demon but with surprising coordination and apparently at a command from the watching bronkin two tentacles reached out at him coming in low wrapping his ankles and dropping him hard to his face the dwarf's first instinct was to grab it a stone but his rage got the better of him and he turned to the tentacles instead thinking to splatter them for whacker had another coating of oil of impact ready before he could begin his swing though athergate rose up suddenly into the air circling right over as the tentacles moved in unison to bring him crashing down into the black goo and hard stones beneath he bounced once felt his flails go flying and then he was flying hoisted straight back up only this time the tentacles let him go high into the air afrogate's sword spinning willy-nilly he called for his love then saw her suspended in the air spread armed and spread legged held at each wrist and ankle by a tugging tendril and there beside us to the glabrous zoo looking back at atherogate and smiling wickedly so wickedly its pincer clamped about poor helpless amber's waist cutting so slowly he had to get to her that was his only thought his last thought as he slammed into the ground once again and knew no more sacnifene was glad for the work glad to be back on the road of adventure once more especially an adventure that might offer him the chance to kill a drow priestess which had always been a pleasure for him and glad most of all to be away from a situation he could not comprehend or properly digest he had listened to the tales of the human woman and his son and he could not deny that within them he had found some comfort and hope but he could not bring himself to accept a human as his daughter-in-law and her child a half-breed he took the notion away and focused on his mission he was grateful to jarl axel for trusting him with this he looked back at the two dark elves trailing him braylon john kaye and jarrell fay one of the few women in breaking the earth and a priestess of some goddess who was remarkably not love zachnophane had asked the beautiful amber eyed drow for some details regarding her deity but she had just scowled at him and told him to take the point position as jar laxal had instructed that had only made zachnovane more attracted to her but that wasn't really all that surprising as a drow woman with the courage to take her clerical skills to a goddess other than the spider queen was about as attractive as anything to zach nevane he was at the point now 20 strides ahead of his companions walking the tunnels of the upper underdark and so he reminded himself that he should be concentrating on the winding passage before him and not the companions behind question how does one find a drow he asked under his breath and he smiled at the long ago conversation he had exchanged with charlaxal in tunnels much deeper than these zachnovan considered the answer he had found those centuries before in men's oberon's on but he didn't have any halfling captives with him this time and was glad of that jarl axel had assured him that things would be taken care of how indeed he whispered and on he went part three lessons of the past age breeds wisdom because age brings experience thus we learn and if we are not frozen in our ways or wedded to a manner of looking at the world that defies experiential evidence we learn the rhyme of history is in the end the greatest teacher the question however is whether the students are sufficient yes menzo berenson would look very different to me now with my wealth of experience accompany me back to that dark place and yes an individual may learn should learn must learn through his or her journey but that doesn't happen to all individuals i have seen and is it true at all on a societal level or a generational level i would expect the elves including the drow to be the learned guides of this turning cycle having seen the birth and death of centuries the memories of the long living races should cry as warnings to another fool king or queen or council of lords to change course when they are walking the road to catastrophe for we have witnessed this marionette show before and the puppets all died and the principles who lived did so with great regret and even horror their own actions a dark path is walked in tiny steps so the elves should be the clarion call of warning but sadly it is the shorter life span of the humans that seems to most dictate the cycles of destruction as if the passing of a generation that knew great strife or war or insurgents erases to the societal memory of a road's tragic destination in the monastery of the yellow rose they have a great library and in that historical repository is a timeline of devastating world shattering events the occurrences appear with alarming regularity every 70 to 100 years there comes a time of great strife oh there are other events often tragic from time to time but these are often anomalies it seems the rogue acts of foolish kings the events of which i speak appear more to be a maturation of devastation a perilous journey of thousands of tiny steps that culminates when the last of those humans who remember have died away then again darkness falls it is more than coincidence i think this back step this backward down slope of the rolling wheel of the centuries and so i have come to believe that enlightenment may occur in a straight line for individuals but only within that slowly turning wheeled for the world at large there have been lord never embers before with different names but similar short-sightedness thereafter perhaps i shall refer to the lord protector of neverwinter lord never remember his attitude toward king bruner raises great alarms his clamor for supremacy knows no common sense his selfishness leads to hoarding that is greatly detrimental even fatal to those he calls his subjects everything is faster for the humans their compressed lives lead to compressed kingdoms into repeated wars perhaps it is the urgency of trying to achieve too high pedestals too quickly before the unbeatable death closes in or perhaps because they are shorter lived it is simply that they have less to lose a king who has passed his 50th year might lose 20 years of life if he dies in battle or the guillotine finds his neck after a failed grab for even more power while an elven king could lose centuries or a dwarven king might lose many decades as old age sets in and the joys of life are compromised perhaps this human king must grab for something glorious to replace the excitement of his rise to power or the distant pleasures of the flesh or the simple absence of pain when he crawled out of bed each morning for all this potential tragedy and darkness though i must remind myself that the wheel does inevitably move forward the world was a darker harsher crueler place a hundred years ago and much more so a thousand years ago and this gives me hope for my own people is our wheels similarly turning though at a vastly slower pace is menzo bearings on truly evolving toward a lighter and more generous existence with the passing of each drow generation that is my hope but it is tempered with very real fears that the wheel turns so slowly that its momentum may not be enough the defense and unscrupulous matrons could not just stop it but push it in the other direction and that's to say nothing of the vile demon goddess who holds those matrons enthrall drow heroes are needed fortunately menzo berenson has produced a surprising number of those usually hidden in the shadows of which there are many it is my desperate hope that one of them one i dearly loved has returned to the world dressed to written chapter 14 the year of the dracorage dale reckoning 10 18 city of shimmering webs for 5-10 days a dozen small wagons and carts bounced along the lightless tunnels of the underdark pulled by large lizards in the middle of the line goblin drivers managed to group of the common cattle rafae while the cows stood and load on a floating floor hemmed in by fences of lightning energy the magical designs of that cattle cart were quite interesting and powerful and surely such an item would have been coveted by many in the underdark including the mining dwarves and even the mushroom mike connets for their great stark harvests few though would dare to try to take it where veteran drow scouts flanked the caravan and trailed it outfitted with fabulous armor and weapons word went out before the caravan that it had been sanctioned by a great house of men zoberans on but the full protection of the city's ruling council to attack this train was to go to war with menzo barons on the three dark elves in the party who were most capable of such scouting and guarding the three who would be avoided by anyone thinking them enemies did not participate in the mundane duties of the caravan however instead jar lacks all zach nefane doe urden and arathis hewn kept to themselves usually in the covered cargo hold of the one cart driven and guarded by breaking the earth operatives the last cart in the caravan line matron shiva zavir charlaxle revealed at one quiet meeting of the three he produced a drawing of the woman a strong and sturdy priestess with her wavy hair dyed blue except for a tight bun on one side of her head that was left the more natural white her red eyes shone all the more because of the glowing ruby she had pierced into the side of her nose quite attractive arithus remarked clearly impressed and easy to find sachnafene added in very different tones ones that did not hint at carnal desire for zach nephine charlaxall knew felt that drow loafy and priestesses were most visually pleasing when they were dead wait arith is added seeming suddenly perplexed so veer the trading family black claw mercantile charlaxal confirmed they are friends of house bayenri arithes hewn replied seeming alarmed or at least surprised they will be again jarl axel assured him when the error is corrected and that error is this matron shiva creature zach nefane asked she bent to ambition and overplayed her position the mercenary band's leader replied she spoke ill of matron mother bayenry to a handmaiden of loft a dutiful creature who of course was quick to report the transgression back to matron mother bayenry matron shiva is trying to find a bit of independence perhaps her reasons do not matter and are not our concern all we need know is the task before us put to us by the matron mother of men's oberon's on she is the head we are just her hands albeit ones holding weapons it is just business one here believe that such a dispassionate and logical view of murder infects all three of us maratha soon remarked dryly jar laxal smirked and looked to zach neffen allow me my delusions zach nevane scolded arathis the rogue laughed at the new break in the earth warrior you would choose to believe that this is an edict for murder from lady lol herself i have never known of you to be so sacrosanct warrior sacrosanct charlaxxel asked with a snicker dude tell us your delusion good zachnafane but the word and weapon master shrugged that i may find peaceful reverie i convince myself that there are a finite number of them and that another one killed brings me closer them arathis asked matrons and priestesses charlaxal answered before zach neffen could and when he says closer the ultimate zack nefane fantasy jarlax replied that he would kill them all right to and right through matron mother baenri aratha soon chortled and turned to zachnophane everyone needs a hobby the weapon master said with a shrug the cart hit a bump in the rocky corridor as he spoke and all three heads involuntarily bobbed as if in agreement backed by the reputation of the dark elves and the obvious power guarding the caravan they encountered little trouble even in the open underdog one scout did get injured by an umber hulk but the monster was quickly dispatched and displacer beasts were run off on two separate occasions by underdark standards all of that counted as uneventful so as they neared the middle of the seventh ten day out from menzo berenson the caravan came to smoother tunnels well worked and swept of loose stones with several intersections clearly marked by ferry fire signposts pointing the way for those who knew how to read the draw codes and separate the truth from the diversions you have never been out of men's oberon's on then jar laxal asked zack nefane the two sitting up beside the cart driver many times truly not far zaknoffen explained you joining tunnels only how simfrey was ambitious and wanted to explore the possibilities of becoming an extra manzo baron's on and trading party is always the way isn't it charlaxam used with a chuckle when the path to any real ascension is blocked the ambitious look beyond the immediate walls like charlaxal the mercenary leader brought two fingers to his forehead and saluted the observation someday i will look outside the city of spiders even more than this likely charlaxle confirmed for now however there is plenty of room for breaking the earth to grow within the cavern of menzo barons on i see great strife among the noble families in the near future with many lesser houses trying to capitalize on the confusion and from great strife jarl axel finds gain as do we all but someday perhaps he will move beyond the cavern beyond the immediate reach of the matron mother and her ruling council zach nefan reasoned perhaps but it is nothing i care to even discuss charlaxa replied i'm quite content right now my friend that i see a path of tremendous luxury we are safe in our caverns beneath the claw rift and protected by the most powerful house in the city one more powerful than any other two houses perhaps even any other three houses combined so i am more than glad to serve matron mother bae henry but not love jalaxl's fingers flashed his response trying to silence his brash companion matron mother bey henry surely knew the truth of jarl axel that he was not a loyal follower of the spider queen or of anyone for that matter but to have such information out in the open would not serve him well in his dealings with the merciless even el bayenri let me prepare you for chad assad charlaxal said aloud changing the subject it is quite unlike men's oberon's on and spectacularly so zack nefane stared at him hard not here jarlaxel's hands signed to the weapon master i have heard that the design and construction of the city of webs are truly inspired zach nevane said rather loudly perhaps too loudly jar lacks a thought as was typical of people not used to weaving such deflections or lies words can do it no justice jar laxal pointed far up ahead to a shimmering wave of fairy fire set on the corridor wall indicating a sharp turn you will see in a moment the caravan paused when the first cart rounded that bend then paused again with each subsequent cart the drivers and riders taking a moment to soak in the grand scope of the city before them sagnaphane watched it curiously quickly coming to realize from the expressions of those turning the bend that charlaxal had not been exaggerating for all of that though the house toward weapon master was still not prepared for the vision when at last his cart turned the corner to show chad assad spread before him it was built in a grotto a vast v-shaped cavern with steep walls climbing thousands of feet called the city of webs or more formally and regally the city of shimmering webs jedn assad certainly lived up to that moniker in menzo baron's on most of the draw houses were built within gigantic stalagmites and stalactites with a few like house do urton set into caves in the wall but in this city almost all of the houses were a combination of cave and petrified webbing some of the chambers were formed of multi-channel giant web cocoons those webs endless webs lined the whole of the place climbing the walls with web bridges spanning the various cavern levels and not just thick gray webs but webs glowing and fairy fire purple and blue amber and green even yellow and ever changing ever shifting climbing and descending a cascade of colors that seemed almost alive the sound of rushing water created a background hum that only added to the strangeness of the place and so attuned with a magical lighting and strange construction that it took zach neffen a long while to even notice the sound at all we'll be climbing quite high charlaxal explained chad nassaud's kellar is up away from the stink of the refuse and the goblin slaves who tend the roth they heard and farm the fungi and lichen on the cavern floor the noble houses charlaxal nodded her mark is a noble matron zach nefan's fingers asked and jarl axel couldn't tell if his companion was hoping for that or not no he said zach nevane's crestfallen look became obvious but not far removed matron mother bayenry demanded that i inform one ally of our coming just one you keep calling her by her title and with apparent reverence i'm not used to that from you sachnafein felt the flick of a finger against his back and he turned halfway around in his seat you were surrounded by house by and reagents arithes hewn's fingers flashed from behind jarl axel in the back of the cart and down low sacnifain's expression soured at that but he nodded his understanding secure our lodging jarl axel told arthas yoon under what name house hunsren of course jarl axel explained we have brought a handful of bull roth a's to improve the health of the chedna assad herd and will take some of their bulls back to men's oberon's on so that our herd becomes less an orgy of brothers and sisters i wondered why we brought the smelly things along arithus hewn said with a chuckle i had hoped we might slaughter them for stakes along the way that would not have been wise still i cannot believe that the hundreds let their most valuable floating barge depart men's o'barrens on for half a year i could say the same for matron deurden and her preferred bull charlaxal teased but as with matron malice the hunzarins were not given much of a choice in the matter matron mother bae henry really wants this particular creature dead arithes yoon said the matron mother does not take insult lightly and really arranging for such things gives her something to do to pass the hours and at no great cost by bayenri measures the caravan rolled up to a huge side cavern that served as a grand stable for the city and while the drivers and scouts went about the task of securing their wares charlaxal and his companions moved out for their respective tasks as beautiful as the shimmering webs were zach defane found them even more amazing when he and jarl axel began their climb for the web ramps grabbed at his feet securing his every step even up nearly vertical walls but magically let go their grasp at just the right moment as he lifted his foot affording amazing traction without any hindrance whatsoever feel like a spider zachnoffen remarked to draw lack so as they scurried up higher on the side wall of the cavern you please loathe with such words say that again and i'll please her by throwing you from this perch geralaxa looked back at him and grinned can you believe that i do not have a contingency plan for such an unexpected flight zach defane could only sigh return the grin and shake his head this was the fellow after all who kept a portable hole in his pouch there was nothing unexpected in charlottesville's life as far as zach nevane had seen he didn't know this strangest of dark elves very well but the mere fact that jar laxa was surviving and apparently thriving in the brutally matriarchal drow city told him all he needed to know about the mercenaries preparedness and cleverness they walked and climbed for a long while moving near to the noble city houses that were scattered along the highest where balconies of the city the open routes before them quickly became very limited and scowling guards eyed them from every cocoon like structure and from the cave openings at the back of the terraces why are we up here zach nefan's fingers flashed didn't you say that zavir was not a ruling house it's not charles axel signed back he held up a small parchment glanced at it then looked all around getting his bearings he motioned toward a wide crack in the wall farther along and across the way and led zachnovane to the nearest web bridge that they could cross house nasadra jalaxel explained as they approached the house that flanked the natural looking tunnel in the cavern wall they went behind some web walls then through a maze of the opaque things finally coming to an exit inside the wall crack they had seen from across the way quite a far way in too for the lights of the city were distant and cast little illumination into this natural alley taking great care with every step the duo moved along the uneven and descending narrow gorge down and around several boulders and into a deeper gloom even with their exceptional drow dark vision they had to feel their way as much as see it carefully placing one foot in front of the other as they crept along they came to a fork in the narrow trail and were greeted by some light as they neared from glow worms crawling across the ceiling casting a bluish glow jar laxal pointed to the left fork then motioned for zachnophane to lead the glow intensified after a short distance and the tunnel became an open room before they even saw the two dark silhouettes ahead of them charlottesville and zach nevane realized they were not alone that is far enough came the voice of a woman matron nasadra charlaxal asked when the woman along with another came somewhat into view along the far wall which was natural and uneven the woman laughed you think yourself important enough to warrant an audience with the greatness oddra she replied this is not men's oberon's on mercenary i was told to announce my arrival to matron nasadra and you have come to the appointed place the woman answered and found the emissary of matron nasadra i am a priestess of house nasadra perhaps out of favor with my matron for some reason of which i am not aware for she sent me here to meet you perhaps with some jar laxal started to say and zach defane was caught off guard by the shakiness in the rogue's voice your arrival is announced the woman harshly interrupted be on your way matron nasadra is in agreement with my be on your way the woman repeated and she turned and melted into the shadows her companion another priest is moving behind her they were quickly out of sight but jarl axel offered a parting bow anyway before turning and going back the way he had come he said not a word nor signed to zac nephine until they were out of the side tunnel and far down the cavern's walls once more that was the first priestess of nasadra i am fairly certain he explained to zach nefan andre quite a beautiful thing and a dance worth taking sachnafein looked at him skeptically she didn't seem much taken with jarl axel of course not if i am correct the woman beside her was seprina zavir youngest daughter of the woman we were sent to teach he glanced around to make sure no others were nearby or paying them much heed how severe knows we are here just the little one i hope sacnafane stopped abruptly at that revelation and let jarl axel walk ahead he stared at the mercenary curiously feeling suddenly vulnerable and out of sorts the shake in your voice he said intentional jarl axel replied without looking back house nasadra is grooming sabrina to eventually ascend it is good for her to have some hope that her mother may overcome the likes of us particularly if she siprena does not understand the truth of the darkness that has come for matron shiva perhaps ziprina believes even dares hope that matron shiva will win out when she does not sabrina will think less of her older siblings who could not prevent disaster from the likes of two shaky voiced males he kept walking until he realized that zach nevane wasn't following anymore then he turned on his heel to see his companions confused expression i suppose you believe that unrey nasadra was truly scowling at me at us charlaxa flashed that grin and shook his head my dear zacnafane you were going to have to better learn to see through such obvious ruses if you were ever to be of substantial value to me zachofan continued to stare for a while obviously replaying the events that had just occurred is nothing what it seems in the world of dralaxel if i am doing it right the mercenary answered and started away even our friendship the most unexpected question came from behind and charlaxal spun about again i do not deceive arith assumed jarlaxel said i do not deceive those i pull closest to my side and break into the earth and what does that mean for me you will learn soon enough i expect sacnafane didn't blink but his hands went to his weapon hilts reflexively charlaxl just smirked and turned away once more leading zach nophane across the middle levels of chednosad to the end where arathus hewn waited i'm not fond of your choice arathis hewn said when jarlaxel and zach nathan joined him in the suite he had rented under the name of house hunzren the room was well furnished with three comfortable beds but the webbed ceiling hung very low barely above the head of jarl axel who was the tallest of the three it was the best choice jarl axel replied the innkeeper is a friend you mean the dead guy out of the desk brid zachnefen who was standing at the door holding it slightly ajar and looking out at the main area of the establishment revere barkle charlaxal started to reply until the weight of zaknafeen's words hit him the weapon master swung wide the door and leaped out dodging a flare of fire as he did down zactofane yelled to his companion still in the room and he dove too flying to the side of the open door even as a magical fireball exploded within the apartment zachnovane rolled right back to his feet weapons in hands as the drow wizard his invisibility spell ended by the attack came into view sachnithane was no veteran of battling wizards but he had certainly killed more than a few priestesses in his years and so he figured the tactics were much the same get in close that would not prove easy though as a pair of swordsmen leap from concealment one from behind the desk the other from behind a web screen over by the room's far corner both rushing to block his way to the spell caster which meant he wasn't going to get to the wizard in time and the drow was already casting another spell zach nevane cut left to intercept the man from the corner but stopped short and snapped his right arm around throwing his sword like a spear at the warrior coming the other way that drow got his swords up together to deflect the missile but it still clipped his shoulder drawing a painful gash and putting him back on his heels the other warrior came in hard both swords stabbing but with his left hand alone the skilled weapon master blocked and parried even reposted with a sharp and true counter to defeat the attackers forward push and even drive him back a step zach nevane used the moment to tug the whip from his belt he brought it spinning up above his head dropping back on his right foot to turn to face the newcomer the mere action of the whip had that drow slowing which was exactly what zach methane had counted on as he half turned back and snapped the whip into the face of the spell caster instead the wizard's magical ward stopped the weapon from connecting but the snap so near his eyes distracted him and interrupted his spell and all the while zach defane worked his left hand blade keeping the warrior drow at bay the other was coming back again though and zach neffen knew he had to retreat he started back a step but heard a heavy grunt and watched the incoming warrior lurch and staggered to the side most dark elves carried small hand crossbows arithus yoon though kept a sizable one on his back one that threw bolts that needed no poison to drop a foe and he knew how to use it the wounded drow staggered a quarrel deep in his thigh he grimaced and tried to straighten but then began howling because the large bolt was poisoned anyways acne realized why not he cracked the whip again at the wizard though that one had already fallen back out of range unphased sagnaphane came around still working the whip and short snapped to the side of his closer opponent's swords once and then again get the wizard he yelled to arathis yoon but even as he cried out a line of fire raced behind him not from the wizard but at the wizard a lightning bolt followed then a flying blob of viscous goo that slammed the surprised wizard and drove him up against the wall sticking him there and another lightning bolt roared into the poor fellow and zach nefan understood then that jarl axel was outraged he had never seen such a barrage from the mercenary he figured that the innkeeper must have been a good friend perhaps even a break in the earth agent but when he glanced at jarl axel he saw another possible reason the mercenary's hair what was left of it was still smoking back beyond charlaxal arithus yoon had reloaded and was aiming but toward the inn's door where more assassins were coming on fast no time now for games or subtlety zachnovane snapped the whip in the air above his foes head but only for effect and to put it in line for his real attack with great skill and dexterity zach nevane reached far forward with his right hand and swept the whip out to the left deftly shortening the stroke to send it swinging over the twin swords he continued to parry his opponent saw the trick and tried to retract but zachnovane was quicker with his tug he couldn't keep the swords engaged of course nor did he pull either from the drow warrior's grasp but he tangled them just enough to pull them to his right while he slid past to the left he could have killed that drow were at a priestess of love he surely would have but instead he punched out with a sweeping left hook slamming the fellow across the jaw with the ball pommel of his sword the warrior staggered and went to one knee and zacnafain kept spinning and leaping easily clearing the last cut of his opponent's freed blades down came zachnovane from on high the momentum of his drop in his spin adding power as he brought his hard boot into the warrior's face laying him flat out on the floor he kicked one of the swords away and stomped down hard on the drow's other wrist then threw aside his cut whip damaged by the blades it had entangled and scooped up the freed weapon as his own he saw the other warrior as he came around the man leaning heavily against the wall screaming in agony clutching at his leg and zach nevane could tell at his very consciousness behind the warrior the wizard hung on the wall looking more like a hunting trophy than a threat the battle was far from one though for over at the entryway of the tavern another pair of drow warriors appeared and as soon as zach nephene and arathus hewn coming from the opposite wall started for them they parted and sent a line of powerful bug bears streaming into the fight left flank zack nevine called to jar laxall zachnovain and arithus hewn met the bug bear charge side by side holding a line but not near enough to the door and so more of the brutes were pouring in sweeping about to zachniffen's left threatening to flank the pair and where was charlaxal something flittered past zachnophane as he was forced to drop his left foot back to intercept a bug bear trying to rush past he had no idea what jarl axel might be up to if it was even jar laxal who had sent the strange missile whoever it was it made no sense to him because it wasn't some caltrop or magical burst no it was a feather a huge strange feather until it touched the ground and then so suddenly it became a gigantic flightless thick-bodied thick-legged huge clawed monstrosity zachnovane shied reflexively as did the bug bear or at least the bug bear tried but the giant bird was quicker and it pecked the goblin oil to top the head with its massive beak a punishing blow that sent the bug bear straight to the floor its eyes rolling its skull shattered the left flank secured the giant bird leaped ahead fearlessly hopping raking with its murderous claws batting its short thick wings and driving back the press of bug bears a twist of faint a step back as if in retreat and a sudden reversal led by a thrust dispatched the bug bear standing before zach nevane and a second surprising stab with his right hand blade went immediately over the falling monster and straight into the face of the one thinking to take its place besides acne are this young dispatched his immediate opponent but found himself facing a pair of replacements jar laxal's acne called again for he was suddenly too engaged to help his flank companion even as he called for the help though it seemed a moot point for another p of flames soared in through the door break and fled jarlaxel shouted from somewhere behind and with a fireball about to explode neither zach nevane or arathis yoon was about to argue as one they turned to retreat only to wonder where they could retreat to the answer became apparent when they spied the magical hole thrown against the back wall by their companion was already diving out of the establishment so went arathis yoon and so went zachnophane and so went a pursuing bug bear but that one came through a flame as the fireball exploded within the inn filling the common room with fire and the cries of bug bears and the shrieks of a flaming giant bird a burst of flames came roaring out as well but it was abruptly extinguished as jarl axel tugged his portable hole away from the wall returning it to normal and an instant later there came a heavy thud as another bug bear tried to charge out of the conflagration through the hole that was no longer there do not let them escape charlaxo said with a hiss and that sound was telling to zach nefane who was already up and running around the side of the inn he had never heard the mercenary leader so obviously upset no time to consider that now though for on the other side of the small inn stood a drow wizard in her two guards at ease and staring at the burning inn clearly believing that their targets remained inside the killing flames the looks on their faces when zach nevane leaped around the edge of the structure into their midst brought a smile to the deadly weapon masters lips the looks on their faces as his strike gracefully took the throat from the wizard and his second sword swept past the nearest warrior to cut him across both wrists as he turned to react were even more delightful sachnafein turned two facing him and his left hook took the man in the cheek while he flipped his right hand sword over and stabbed it straight behind him catching the other leaping warrior by surprise right in the chest charlaxal and arithus yoon came running around the building at just that moment to find all three of the remaining drow defeated the wizard rolling on the ground grabbing tightly at her bleeding neck the impaled warrior lying quite still and the other holding his cut wrists as he knelt there unsteadily on one knee his nose dripping blood go get my feather charlaxal told zachnophane moving past toward the fallen sorceress at that same moment arathis hewn's swordtips settled against the back of the wounded warrior's neck zachnovane stepped back and stood up straight with a glance around he sheaved his swords and turned back for the burning structure though it was more smolder than conflagration at that point since much of the inn was constructed with thick but easily melted webbing he moved to the door and kicked it expecting it to fall in but it caught on some strands of gooey webbing and toppled back outside instead hitting the ground with a whoosh of sparks in the main room zach nevane found some bug bears writhing but posing no threat a quick scan and he saw the smoldering carcass of the giant bird jar laxal had summoned the only unburned feather that he found seemed hardly worth retrieving looking more like a twig than a bird's plumage he shrugged and picked it up pocketing it then moving to the wizard hanging on the wall that drow was alive most of the goo burned away though enough remained to keep him aloft and his feet were still off the floor the warrior shot by arith's unit expired though whether from the fireball or the poison zachnovane couldn't tell and didn't care but the drow he had knocked out was still alive and just starting to stir darlaxel walked into the room i count two dead drow seven dead bug bears and four prisoners including a wizard he said and we are unscathed zach nefane replied an easy remark for you to make charles axel said and patted his once again singed head where most of his hair had burned away and much of his skin looked as though it had been caramelized his subsequent growl made it clear that he was not amused with the shrugs acne handed him the feather your bird was that a bird two he explained might be good eating though gelaxel took the feather stub and put on his rye grin once more it will grow back he said zach nevane looked at the mercenary leader's pate and tried to appear encouraging not the hair charlaxal explained though i will see to that with a priestess when we return to men's oh barons on perhaps the gods are trying to tell you something zach defene quipped every time i see you your head is on fire not the hair jarl axel said again in even in grim tones the feather the bird the feather will grow back and so return to me my useful pet when i need it somehow zachtophane wasn't surprised the man carried holes grew giant birds from feathers and acted as if the matron mothers worked for him and perhaps in jarl axel's mind they did it occurred to zach nefan do worden then that it probably wasn't a good life decision to remain near this dangerous character but he shook the notion away more than willing to take the risks because it was so much fun chapter 15 self-starter where are they zach nevane said from the scorch door which he had propped back up against the shell of the inn behind him jarl axel and arathis hewn sat with the four drow prisoners all bound with a magical cord that was jarl axel's belt they were gagged too except for one the man's acne had laid low with the butt of his sword that fireball had to have been seen by everyone in the region this level and those above and below zach ain't pressed sure said arath assume so where are they who onlookers hiding and wisely so from the city guard oh they are coming arithus hewn assured him from above no doubt and shortly and in overwhelming numbers nothing like a fireball to rouse the defenders of a city built with webbing and we are leaving charlaxal said standing up he looked to that one drow who seemed conscious enough to comprehend we're not going to kill you he said eliciting a surprise and doubting expression from the man well i'm not certain that two of your friends will survive anyway from the doors acne looked on curiously darlaxa was leaving witnesses true these drow had initiated the fight but that was certainly not the story they would tell to chad assad's matron mother and ruling council i wish you well joel axel went on and if house of vir falls and you become houseless rogues as seems likely remember the name of breaking the earth and if my house survives should i remember that name rogue the prisoner asked rather impudently oh do said charles axel and remember that three of us defeated six of you and a host of bug bears besides and that on an occasion when you attacked us unprovoked and with a favor of surprise so please do forever remember how badly you were beaten by less than half of your number and remember too that breaking the earth outnumbers house over as surely as menzo barons on outnumbers chad nassad with that and with arathis hewn in tow the mercenary leader moved to the door pushing it down and walking out of the burned-out inn if they survive that will be more for us to fight in how severe sacnifene signaled to the pair we will be long gone from this city before they are returned to their house charlottesville replied where now are the soon asked how sovereign of course before the city guard descends upon the place and before matron shiva realizes that we did not simply flee and were not wounded or killed in the assault he pointed down three levels and across the chasm to the right of a small waterfall are you ready for another fight he asked quietly we had better be arthaseun answered suddenly following his gaze the other two saw why as armored drow soldiers some carrying the snake-headed whips of lothian priestesses swarmed down at them riding magical war spiders the arachnids scrambled across a higher level producing drag lines from their spinnerets to lower down to the next level no fight darlaxel assured them and leading by example he ran away his two companions in close pursuit they encountered few other drow and it seemed clear that arithesium had been correct and those nearby were in hiding the trio crossed the marketplace situated at a wider alcove in the chasm wall but it too was nearly deserted with one or two merchants peering out nervously from behind their carts we need to split up jarl axel said there's only one way arthasyun protested and only one ramp near to the next level and one going up from here where would you like us to go zachnoffein though moved to the lip of the ledge as if he meant to leap away he ran along it instead dragging his sword heavily just a fingers breath in from the drop as if cutting into the webbing slowed by the drag he was out distanced by the other two who turned back curiously go he called to them and pulling up abruptly he brought his blade up high only to slam it down hard against the edge of the web ramp what is he doing aretha soon asked but before jarl axel could answer zach nathane reached down and grabbed the webbing he had cut with his sword then leaped over holding fast his makeshift cord that line he had cut into the webbing tore under his weight like a piece of cloth ripping carrying him from sight what a shocked arith assumed stuttered he i told you as much about that one the proud jar lacks a replied and on they ran zack nothing it estimated his cut very well and he was quite relieved that his guess about the strength and integrity level of the webbing had proved accurate he swung down from the ledge in a controlled manner the webbing tearing evenly as he moved lower going right past the level below and he hoped to the floor of the one below that he came up a bit short and so twisted to angle his drop to the roof of a building made of mushroom stalks and web cocoon a large establishment that seemed to be another tavern or common room of some sort many eyes were upon him down here though drow looking up curiously as he let go of the web and fell free he summoned a globe of darkness ahead of him at his estimated landing place he entered the darkness and hit the roof hard fighting to maintain his balance he had no room for error here and held tight to the image of the landing area and so moved within the darkness globe to the back edge of the roof then flipped right over it dropping between the structure and the chasm wall there he found some good luck in the form of a back door and he went in without hesitation correctly guessing that those inside were quickly exiting to see what the fuss was about calmly moving through the small rooms and narrow corridors zachnovane exited right behind many other dark elves seeming to all who took notice to be just as surprised by the unexpected crash on the roof as the rest of the patrons he melted away quickly among the crowd of drow milling about then slipped through the marketplaces and around the buildings moving fast to the nearest bridge that would bring him across the chasm he looked back several times hoping to catch sight of jarl axel but saw nothing he remembered the mercenary's words though and so he knew where to go how sovereign would never be more vulnerable than it was at that very moment go down a level and i'll get across the chasm charlaxa called to arathis yoon as the pair approached a ramp the rogue nodded or tried to for at that same moment four stone sheets appeared in the air above him hanging horizontally and moving with him for just a moment before swinging down as if on an invisible hinge thumping together around the surprise drow forming a sarcophagus around him magically closing the top and bottom it stood only briefly then fell over with a dull thud and the muted groan of the surprised and suddenly battered rogue caught inside charlottesville knew the spell only a very skilled high priestess could create such a prison in the air they were in trouble he saw soldiers coming up the ramp before him and knew he was out of options he ran to the ledge and leaped away planning to fall almost to the floor before breaking the plummet with the driamer of levitation but he hadn't even passed the ledge when he knew he was caught for their sat riders upon spiders spiders turned away to face the chasm wall at the back of the ledge spiders spitting web lines all around jarl axel the mercenary grasped a wand reflexively to dispel the magical webs he considered his portable hole wondering how he might climb in and disappear so many different options world in his thoughts about how he might find a new avenue of retreat but in the end he didn't bother he was caught just as arith assune was he could only hope zach nephine was still free many eyes turned across the chasm to the smoldering ruins and the activity along the upper ledges sacnifene was glad of that better to have weary drow looking there than noticing him as he hustled across the level moving determinedly toward the house jar laxal had pointed out as zovir using the waterfall as a guide he ran true coming before house over in short order he feared it wasn't short enough though because when he came inside of the place he found house guards arguing with a contingent of armored soldiers wizards and many priestesses who had assembled out front sachnafein heard one invoke the ruling council a couple of times and recognized that this gathering had come about in response to the assassination attempt as in men's oberen's on it was acceptable to murder someone in chad assad but it was not okay to be caught trying to murder someone saknifine slipped down an alley at the side of the house the confrontation in front was right in the open a negotiation more than a fight as it would have to be since the force assembled to confront the relatively weak house over appeared to be a massive alliance of the city's greatest houses confronted with such a challenge the xavier guards weren't watching for quiet infiltrations at that time so over the wall went the weapon master confident that he had correctly identified the guard post in that area and had found a suitable spot equidistant to both he slipped between hanging webs around walls and through shadows finding a surprisingly easy route to a side wall of the house within the gate in he went moving silently along a tunnel going into the stone of the chasm wall when he came to the end to a door opening to his right into the house proper he drew his weapons expecting a fight he tried to lay out a logical floor plan in his thoughts how he wished that jarl axel had supplied one earlier hoping that the houses in chet nassad were of similar interior design to those in men's oberenson he considered his steps to try to approximate his depth within the wall then decided that the matrons throne room would likely be deeper still through the door he went into a large empty sitting room not pausing to consider his good fortune he was away immediately moving deeper along the passageways he passed a couple of occupied rooms but again didn't pause as he heard conversations within that did not seem like the chatter of a matron around one bend and down a low tight side tunnel he found a wider area one that ended with ornate double doors sculpted with images of the spider queen and knew at once that he had found the throne room the door was likely warded and heavily so he had no way to defeat any such protections so he chose speed as his ally he burst through diving into a row once and then again as if flames and lightning were chasing him he came to his feet unscathed noting surprised guards at either side of the room and a pair of young women barely more than girls despite their priestly garb gasping and falling back to either side of the raised deus in the center kneeling before an altar there was an adult priestess her head bowed her silver hair shining in the shimmering magical lights that danced in the webbing flanking the altar he noted a pair of magical guardians too in the form of small jade spiders and it surprised him that they had not animated against the threat with the matron so readily exposed and so soon to be dispatched she is not here the woman kneeling at the altar said without turning was she talking to him the guards hadn't moved the spiders hadn't rushed at him the whole thing seemed somehow out of place he stalked slowly to the kneeling woman weapons drawn and amazingly she waved aside the younger girls and made no move to stop him matron xavier is gone she said when zach defenes sword settled on the back of her neck she'll not be back and who are you then he asked where is she be gone the priest has snapped but not to him and the younger women in the guards hustled out of the room slowly the woman stood and turned to face the assassin i know why you are here and do not disagree with your intended course she said even if that course is to kill you you have no reason she said with confidence i will ascend here in the absence of matron shiva and on terms friendly to your employer it has all been arranged and i do not think your matron mother baenri will be pleased if you put that blade to use i am to trust the word of a high priestess i am seprina daughter of shiva who will be matrons of here soon enough assassin i know who you are zach nfane replied recognizing her from a meeting with andre nasadra you will be matron for that alone i should kill you should you the cost will be enormous to your mercenary companions i assure you and perhaps as well you should consider that such an act will not be as easy as you seem to believe he had of course considered the second part no powerful priestess would be such an easy kill as this now appeared in fact it was that very apparent vulnerability that had given zaknafine pause in the first place yes he believed this was the priestess who had squealed on matron shiva's mealy-mouthing about bayenri to a yorklo handmaiden the conniving witch had condemned her own mother in her lust for power hardly a new story among the drow but still reprehensible in his mind how zach nevane hated her hated them all and he certainly still wanted to kill this one he wanted to kill any priestess serving lolf but he understood his responsibility to draw axel and so he sheathed his weapons a wise choice she said baratheon leaned against the wall of the natural cave his arms up above his head shackled to the stone shackled magically with no locks to pick and no way to get out short of cutting off his own hands oh and no knife to be found even if he somehow managed to wriggle free where was he to go in the stone sarcophagus that had captured him he had been carried to this dark place somewhere within the chasm walls surrounding chad assad he supposed but could not know and then unceremoniously dumped into a pit there he had been tormented with stinging needles shot from hand crossbows until he had stripped naked and handed all his gear up to his captors they had dragged him to this place and left him here and chained and with just enough magical light to keep him looking at the many dancing shadows to keep him on edge better to have complete darkness than this he thought still it could have been much worse he had not felt the burning bite of any snake-headed whips nor had any priestesses left magical symbols of pain or despair hanging in the air to devastate him in his solitude he didn't dare hope that the matrons of chad assad were less skilled in torture than those of men's oberyn's on though and he had heard the word dryder uttered more than a few times as his captors had departed was that his fate to become an eight-legged abomination half drow half spider and forever tormented arithesium had to hope that time was on his side yet even as he considered that he shook his head if word got back to men's oberen's on and matron mother bayenry would she protect him the rogue side of the thought for he doubted that the mighty bayenry would spend an ounce of treasure or political capital on the likes of him charlaxal maybe he would probably walk free of course coming out of this somehow in a better situation than he had entered it but not arathis hewn the rogue tried to swallow his bitterness darlaxel had saved him he reminded himself many times his minor house had been all but obliterated decades before with only arathis and a few others managing to escape but surviving was not thriving and the few remaining humans had then faced a miserable existence of bare sustenance along the ever dangerous stench streets where disease would find one if murder did not a reprieve seemed at hand when the remnants of house hewn had joined with another minor house ozil but there was no place in house ozil hewn for arithus who had assassinated one of house ozil's nobles years ago which left him on the stench streets and that's where jarl axel had found him two decades earlier found him and befriended him and brought him and three others from his fallen house into this band of brothers he was somehow creating remarkably with the quiet blessing of the great matron mother by henry their friendship had survived the decades that in itself was a remarkable thing in men's oberon's on arith is hugh knew and the trust between the two had grown to the point that they had become like brothers and none of the typical drow meaning of the relationship with competition and jealousy and gain found at the end of a bloody dagger but now the inevitable politics of spider queen treachery had wedged between them and in this dark place shackled helplessly to a wall arathisune had to work very hard to hold hope that jarl axel's loyalty to him would climb some very tall barriers if charlaxa was even still alive let alone in any manner of control of this situation the rogue side again then rolled up acrobatically turning his shoulders and bringing his feet right up over to plant against the wall there he stood straight out as far as the shackles would allow then pressed off the wall with all his might but to no avail his wrists ached the bottoms of his bare feet bled but there was no yield in the magical bonds that held him he rolled back down and rested falling within himself trying to find a place of emptiness where his fears and bitterness would not consume him became unaware of his surroundings of the physical world around him and so he didn't know how much time had passed was it one day or three when some stirring off in the darkness brought him from his forced reverie he strained his eyes catching movement hoping for jarl axel then recoiled physically and emotionally when he noted the approach of a trio of drow two male guards and a priestess of some rank judging from the ostentatious collar of the ornate robe climbing up behind her head she walked right up to him and stared hard then lifted her hand and waggled her fingers chanting softly while one of the guards moved up beside her and dropped a wrapped pack to the ground before him arithes yoon braced himself expecting some horrid magical pain to strike him but instead suddenly his arms fell free the magical shackles simply letting go the priestess motioned to the bundle on the ground before him arthas unite her suspiciously glancing down at the pack and back to meet her gaze we are leaving she stated sternly motioning her chin toward the pack as she did and making it clear from her tone that when she said we she was including arthashune figuring he had nothing to lose the rogue bent and pulled back the blankets wrapped about the items his eyes widening as he realized that this was his gear all of it including his weapons including his vials of poison even by order of house nasadre you are no prisoner of chad assad the priestess explained dress quickly and come along trial axel arith assumed muttered appreciatively pulling on his clothes they left the tunnels soon after coming out onto one of the middle levels of chedna saad they didn't ascend though to where arithesium knew the great house nasadra to be but rather went down level by level until they were on the floor of the chasm near the exit from the city were they going to set him free out into the open underdark but no they let him instead to the wall just beyond the v-shaped chasm and there one of the guards opened a secret door cleverly designed to look like part of the natural stone through the narrow door and down an equally narrow tunnel the priestess led arathisune while two male guards remained outside guided by glowing purple orbs they reached a chamber comfortably appointed with large pillows thrown all about the floor and a rack holding many fancy bottles above a shelf of crystal goblets on one wall arithesium was taking it all in when the priestess grabbed him by the wrist and pulled his arm out wide he watched her in disbelief as she cast a spell of healing flooding him with warmth and removing all the pain inflicted by his shackling i accept your apology he said slyly the priest is chortled a mixture of disgust and amusement and walked away to pour herself a drink are we to make this our home are the sun teased the pillows seem quite soft i will take you at my pleasure or i will not as i choose said the priestess you have no say here a foolish outsider and no power do not mistake my actions for anything more than my obedience to matron mother nasadra and to lady loth of course aretha soon said with the bow before he came up from that bow he heard the scraping of stone on stone at the back of the chamber and looked over to see a portion of the wall sliding aside and walked another priestess magnificently adorned and of regal bearing arithesium glanced over at his rescuer to see her bowing her head eyes lowered deferentially and he followed her lead from that bowed position he did dare to peek over at the new priestess to notice a second and more familiar person entering the room arathis yoon stood up straight to greet jarl axel but was caught off guard by the sight of the man the little hair he had left had been greased and straightened upright like a trio of small spikes protruding from the top of his head arithus had seen a similar fuller set of hair spikes on uther gentle armgo he recalled and while jar laxals were framed by skin reddened by fire it was still a quite striking and quite handsome look for the mercenary always did jarl axel come out better off even regarding his hair i give you first priestess andre nasadra charlaxal said named for the matron mother andre the second i believe third she corrected even more impressive jarl axel said with the bow i knew you'd come for me arithus remarked i would take the credit if i could of course charlaxa replied but alas i expect that i was quite recently in the same situation as you house nasa was not aware of your arrests andre explained you and the house over assailants who attacked you were taken by the red guard who answer only to the ruling council and that's only when they deem it necessary we would have been executed i am told said jarl axel killed in dark holes and left for the rats i'm glad that you discovered us then arthas hewn said to andre not by accident jarl axel remarked drawing a curious look from his associate zachnothane the mercenary leader explained he went straight to house over to finish our task but he could not because matron shiva had fled the house and the city shiva is no longer to be titled as a matron andre corrected she is afflicted and beyond redemption afflicted arath assumed echoed pays easy coffee nars deceased said the priestess who had brought arath assumed to this place the affliction of mirrors jarl axel agreed with a nod but arithus ewan wore a confused look she fell in love with the image in the mirror jarlaxel explained all the world came to her through that narrow prism that is why she thought she could challenge bayenri arathi soon reasoned matron mother by henry the priestess beside him corrected with a backhanded slap for his insolence charlaxal just shrugged and nodded then almost as an afterthought added the affliction of mirrors is key to the power of matron mother by henry a great advantage you think her afflicted arathisone asked stuttering through the words and wisely ducking aside when he realized that he had spoken them aloud quite the opposite charlaxal replied never is this insanity found in the first matron in the founding of a house which even l the eternal is and rarely in the second generation of matrons for you see it is not usually an affliction that attacks those who have earned their power only those who have such power given to them and even then it is somewhat rare and is quickly corrected corrected the mirrors will shatter said jarl axel pride will take the afflicted too high and so to a great fall you're quite fond of your reflection arathis soon pointed out who could blame me and now shiva has climbed too high andre said to peaks where she can only fall but for the work of your companion she might have survived longer but now now she will be removed zach nefan jarl axel said impressive for a new recruit arithes hewn admitted not unexpected jarl axel replied with a grin but please do not tell him that when he joins us i would not have him thinking too highly of himself when we have such a dangerous hunt ahead of us shiva you have unfinished business andre confirmed but first i think we have earned a bit of respite and a celebration jarl axel said rubbing his hands together briskly and motioning at the bottles of fine liquor across the room i've earned it at least for saving your pitiful self andre agreed then we will celebrate together and i will try to serve you well my lady jarl axel promised and bowed hours later charlottesville and arathis hewn were relaxing in the secret chamber when the door to the chasm floor opened and zach nevane doerden walked in looking quite refreshed and relaxed he kept us waiting long enough jarl axel greeted him sarcastically i was considering retiring to house zavir the weapon master replied the new matron is quite endearing she is still a priestess of loth jar laxal reminded him i didn't say i wouldn't kill her eventually jarl axel started to reply but held his tongue amazingly and just nodded the new look zachnovane asked staring at charlaxal's spiked hair dashing don't you think i am rather fond of it by your own edicts is it not in the best interest of an underground band to be inconspicuous and not stand out it is better for me that breaking df soldiers do not stand out indeed jarl axel replied but i have come now to learn something about my reputation preceding me a reputation that will only grow when we bring back the head of matron excuse me of the former matron zavir it is better for you i expect that i am recognized that our targets take note and so lose heart sacnifene and arithus yoon exchanged doubting looks at that proclamation but they just shrugged neither really surprised by anything jar laxal might say or do east and south beyond the giant mushroom grove is where we should begin our search i am told zach nevane said you have narrowed it down to half a world marathon remarked zachaine shrugged she is out of the city into the open underdark by all accounts is there a better plan to be executed jarl axel moved over and handed zach neffen a glass of brandy question he said how do you find a drow taking the glass and a long swallow zach defene considered the puzzle for just a moment answer he replied you don't you let the drow find you chapter 16. the temptation of revival what are they zach nevane asked for he had never seen such creatures they looked rather human but stood barely half the height of a surface human and appeared soft and a bit round even after being held in near starvation as prisoners in a drow city halflings are the shoon explained beardless dwarfs nothing like the dwarves except in stature jarl axel's lieutenant answered these little ones prefer the sunlight and the soft luxuries of the surface world not the caves of the upper underdark or the tunnels of the lower how are they here then we told andre nasadra that we needed bait she gave us bait sachnafein stared at the living lures five pathetic looking creatures shackled together and milling about nervously they looked like children to him except that he noted facial hair on two of the group and the fifth clearly had the figure of a woman grown just not the height the weapon master winced not quite liking this arrangement he held no affinity for halflings of course seeing how he had just learned of their existence but it was clear that this was no band of rogues or warriors imprisoned for transgressions just unfortunate victims this group of poor folks would be put out in the open pray for shiva and her entourage he looked at their faces at their eyes and saw the fear the helplessness and for a moment he shared a piece of it with them he wanted to say something but jarl axel walked over then carrying something underneath a plain white sheet a magical disc floating behind him shiva has not abandoned her desire to hold on to her house the mercenary leader explained she seeks some way to regain the favor of chad nassad to be protected from bayenri and from those in the city of shimmering webs who now see her as a danger to the integrity of their order he reached over and pulled back the sheet revealing a magnificent gem studded spider statue it is a mark of the one that graces the table of the chad and assad ruling council he explained whispers have slipped from the city but a band of diminutive thieves from the surface world stole away with it you think this will lure shiva zaknaphane asked his tone revealing his skepticism the temptation of revival jarl axel replied there is nothing a former matron desires more than to return to her throne after she is deposed rescuing this from these fearsome halfling highwaymen will be shiva's invitation back to the ruling council except of course it will not it seems a lot of trouble can't we simply hunt her down and be done with it how do you find a drow jarl axel reminded him zachnophane had no response he looked at the prisoners and heaved a sigh already trying to envision how he might properly protect them if shiva came hunting highway halflings he muttered with a helpless chuckle at the back of a giant mushroom grove in a small alcove sheltered from the light of the glowworms on the main cavern ceiling the five halflings sat around a small low burning recessed fire eating a meal jar laxal had provided quite a fine meal indeed and one that the famished prisoners did not try to refuse behind them in the shallow the spider statue rested on a natural shelf in clear view to anyone who happened upon the band to the side of that alcove a dark crack in the wall revealed the almost closed mouth of the extra dimensional chamber jar laxal had created with his portable hole from inside the three drought took turns watching their bait arithes hewn who had once fished the waters of lake donegarton in menzoberenson had nicknamed the leader of the halfling troop bobber and had teased all the prisoners about how they'd soon be gobbled up aside from the cruelty of the assassin's taunts which bothered him more than a little zachnovane didn't think the strategy effective you taunt them with certain death so what have they to lose he had asked when they had entered the extra dimensional chamber this day their tenth out of chad assad i don't give much thought to their loss but it is a way to pass the time marathis replied they're more likely to attempt to flee or to fight if you keep provoking them zach nephine argued thinking practicality would have a better chance here than simple decency but arathis hewn just shrugged as if neither thought bothered him and crawled into the hole sachnafein looked at jarl axel for support but the mercenary leader was having no part of their growing argument they had one mission here one alone and they would be wise to complete it successfully jarl axel had reminded him like arathis hewn he didn't seem to care about anything else but zach nevane did he thought about that as he took his turn at the exit peering through to see the gathered halflings in their makeshift camp how simfrey had been but a minor house with few in bondage other than a handful of goblins and so zach nevane had not been exposed to many slaves and certainly none like these goblins were thoroughly wretched creatures with no redeeming value that zach nothing had ever noted their entire existence it seemed to be one of plotting misery and destruction even to each other still seeing them as slaves had never sat well with the weapon master and this sacnifene knew in watching the halflings with their frightened glances but also their occasional laughs and many seemingly comforting exchanges with one another that these creatures were not like goblins not at all yet here they were bait dangled before terrible enemies with terrible designs would quite possibly murder them before the three onlookers could stop it and his two companions didn't give a damn one of the halflings rose and walked about stretching his arms as he went he yawned and sat back down but off to the side and against the alcove wall zachnovane looked back the other way to see the halfling woman also stretching out upon the ground apparently already asleep and when he looked back to the wanderer that one too was quietly curled in slumber darlaxel had told him that this race was very good at two things eating and sleeping and it was a hard observation to dispute in that moment in a matter of just a few heartbeats two were seemingly deep in sleep and the other three just sat there apparently absorbed in their food the thing was they were sitting too still but zach nefane didn't immediately realize that not until it occurred to him that he couldn't hear the crackle of the small fire any longer the fire was still there he just couldn't hear it the weapon master sucked in his breath and turned back to wave to his companions his fingers signaling they have come zachnophane rolled his fingers eager to leap out but jarl axel grabbed him by the shoulder and signed patience patience zachnovane returned almost loud in his disgust their patience would likely result in five slit throats seven charlax's fingers reminded him for as far as they could tell from the witnesses at house savir shiva had fled the city with a half dozen loyal followers onto the scene before them came a pair of drow warriors the two men with swords drawn moving cautiously into the fire light the sitting halflings didn't move the sleeping halflings didn't wake the first drow moving among them punched a halfling in the side of the head this fella went further stabbing a seated halfling in the shoulder not deeply but enough so that the fellow couldn't fake his immobility certainly sacnifene knew this insidious priestess spell the halflings were very much aware of their surroundings and very much aware of the pain being inflicted but unable to even call out in protest or agony it was all he could do not to rush through the portal and take his chances another drow pair came into view a man and a woman both finally dressed shiva zavir had fled with a daughter and son they had been told and zach nefan figured these two to be that noble's progeny the woman was signing in the silent hand code but from this distance zack nefane couldn't make out every word he glanced at jar laxal though and saw that the mercenary leader had taken out a curious item an eyepiece he was looking through it at the scene before them and basically repeating the signs from the priestess how could they have escaped and with this the daughter of house savior was saying adding that her troop should take all precautions all precautions will not include the possibility of us zach nevane quickly signed to his companions eager to be on with this fight of course you are eager jarl axel signed zachnophane could only grin at his friend's sarcasm there was a priestess of wolf out there and jarl axel knew well that having her in zach nevane's sight was like putting a wounded roth a calf in the path of a displacer beast charlaxal shifted away from the crease put away his eyepiece and signaled one word to his team furiously zach nevane crashed out of the extra dimensional pocket predictably running right for the priestess the warrior they thought the noble son of shiva intercepted stabbing a sword at the charging weapon master but zach nevane sidestepped outside the thrust right sword down facing and backhanding the enemy's sword away the drown noble tried to counter by cleverly bringing his left hand blade under and stabbing out but zach nevane had seen this rather mundane routine many times before and was ready for it executing an upward parry with his own left hand sword lifting his opponent's sword up even before he had cleared the extended arm yelping at the cut of his own sword the xavier warrior tried to dodge aside but zach nephain went with him stabbing once and then again into the drow's thigh down the son of shiva went summoning a globe of darkness in a desperate move to prevent the kill sacrifine was done with him anyway though already moving on to the daughter of shiva a priestess of the vile spider queen his coveted prey arith assumed out right behind zach nevane feared for the halflings and the drow pair milling about the frozen creatures the assassin came in with two swords spinning and three blades and a hand crossbow rose against him he threw one sword straight up into the air except at the sting of the crossbow bolt having long ago trained his body to resist drow sleeping poison and drew forth his own crossbow one considerably larger than the diminutive weapon that shot at him there was no poison on arathis hewn's set quarrel this time there didn't need to be now there was one blade and one empty hand crossbow facing arith hewn as he caught his falling sword he went in with a flourish furiously as darlaxl had ordered his blades cutting all about the warrior overwhelming him keeping him on his heels the zavir drow moving and turning so crazily to avoid sudden death he had no time to even think of drawing his second sword it seemed a fitting irony when that warrior stumbled over a felled halfling tumbling down he executed a backward roll and even managed to draw out that second blade as he went but arith's hewn was faster waiting at a spot the warrior couldn't begin to defend as the drow started to stand so the zavir warrior had to roll again and again after that and on and on arith assumed determined to wear him out without ever landing a blow despite his instruction to his fellows charlaxal didn't come out of the extra dimensional pocket with flair and energy he slipped out instead quietly taking down the hole behind him and slithered off through the shadows for the greater and more dangerous prey he knew to be near he called upon his magical boots willing them to absolute silence and also called from them the essence of the spider granting him the ability to walk along the wall as easily as an arachnid the shadows were better there he thought he saw another trio of drow warriors charging in heading straight for zach nefane who was engaged then with a daughter of matron shiva more than seven he whispered under his breath and he feared then that a horde of drow might soon overwhelm his companions he had to trust in his weapon master friend he reminded himself and so he backtracked the way those soldiers had come creeping around a bend in the high corridor nearer the ceiling than the floor and there she was shiva zavir holding a snakeheaded whip and tapping a wand against her leg no doubt ready to launch a catastrophe surprised at finding her there alone jarl axel became even more cautious he used his monocle again turning its outer sliding rim ever so slightly to see into a different spectrum that of magic sure enough the floor and walls all around shiva glowed with runes and glyphs as did the woman herself simply because she was out of favor with the other matrons of the cities didn't mean that she was out of favor with the spider queen in fact given loft's desire for chaos it was probably quite the opposite she was still a high priestess charlaxal reminded himself and he had dealt with rewards and protections of powerful matrons before he had little desire to try to deal with them again he crept up higher on the wall finding a shallow alcove allowing shiva to come to him she did move eventually pausing with every step to listen to the sounds smiling particularly when one group of her minions the last three into the fight charlaxal presumed began claiming that their opponent was surrounded and so should surrender trust him charlaxal silently told himself once more reminding himself of zach nevane's prowess and trying to keep his focus here shiva was a former matron but that was a political distinction and had little to do with the power she could wield his plan could wash away on the strength of a single spell shiva kept moving cautiously reaching the bend and peeking around charlaxal took some pleasure in her angry hiss she immediately started chanting in a low and gravelly voice one filled with mounting rage charlaxle had to move quickly but he still wasn't sure how he might intervene she was fully warded in no weapon or spell he could throw would get through her magical defenses quickly enough the mercenary shrugged and thought maybe he should be the thing moving quickly and as far away as possible she had a whip not a snakeheaded monstrosity like those carried by most high priestesses but a bullwhip black and braided swaying swerving and dancing like a serpent anyway and the priestess is obviously expert grasp sacnafene admired her clear proficiency with the weapon and wished he could respond in kind but alas his own whip had been ruined at the inn still he was quite glad of his understanding of that unusual weapon now for he knew the many possible angles and tactics his opponent could employ he measured the cant of her arm when she moved to strike at him and instantly knew the range so he skidded to a stop and fell backward bending at the knees allowing the whip to crack above him as he lay out face up he meant to touch down lightly with his shoulder blades then lift right back up to close the gap before the priestess could bring the whip to bear again but this was no ordinary whip it cracked in the air as expected the lash drawing a sudden and sharp line right above him as he descended but the snapping tip did more than that and cut a line into the air itself as if tearing the very fabric of the prime material plane to zach nefane it seemed as if the weapon had struck not the time space around him but a painting of the area with him in the painting and had gashed that painting to reveal an inferno beyond for now there was a line of flames right above him so hot that it burned his eyes and eyebrows even and dripping molten fire down at him as if it was bleeding lava zachnophane threw his arms across his face and rolled out of the way of that descending hell trying to settle his sensibilities after the shock trying to make sure he was not on fire he moved to regain his footing fast and faster still when he heard the priestess ordering new arrivals to slay him up leap the weapon master his back to the priestess and the newcomers and on instinct he sent his sword spinning up and back over his shoulders one angle down the other with the blade toward the high ceiling he spun to his right pivoting about leaving that right hand blade behind to pick off yet another cut of a drow sword he saw three enemies one flanking on each side one coming right in at him in fierce pursuit saknifine didn't hesitate not even an eye blink to find a solution to the encirclement there was no solution the weapon master knew other than to grab the initiative and hold it so he did just that instead of backpedaling to prevent the full flanking he welcomed it and moved the opposite way boldly at the drow before him his blades worked left and right spinning down and leaping up the sheer suddenness of a dozen attacks driving his opponent backward he put his immediate opponent even more off balance with another surprise stabbing straight out with his right hand then retracting fast then throwing the sword spear like the drow dodged easily renewed confidence displayed upon his face thinking himself the target thinking he had dodged the anticipated killing blow his smirk disappeared when he heard the priestess behind him yelp in surprise and in that moment of surprise zach nefan leaped forward just ahead of the swords coming in at him from behind sachnafein's left hand sword swept a wide horizontal backhand arc parrying both of his opponent's blades he cut that sweep short though and reversed the sword down into the right under his opponent's left blade immediately lifting it and stepping forward under the rising arm in that same movement in an incredible act of inspiration zach nevane's free right hand cupped the fingers of his opponent's left hand and bent the drow's wrist sharply breaking his hold on the sword which zach nevane caught and carried as he backed up right beside that poor fellow shoulder both his arms did not remain extended though zach nephain jerked back his right hand driving the pommel of his opponent's own sword into the drow's face while he turned in and brought his left sword snapping across to defeat the meager counter the now falling drow was attempting saknofane broke free of the falling warrior his blades immediately working opposing sweeps before him always in balance always in line yet always ready to veer metal screeched then as two swords parried for over and over with seemingly minimal effort zach nevane kept the barrage at bay and sought a path for gaining advantage the idea of an advantage quickly faded when he heard an ominous sound behind him apparently he hadn't quite finished the priestess with his throne sword he wondered why he hadn't moved a high priestess a former matron of a drow house was about to call down some eldritch destruction and yet he hadn't moved it was a strange feeling that came over john axel then one with which he was not overly familiar he wasn't fleeing to save his own skin if you can't hit your target hit her associates charlaxal silently mouthed recalling the first rule of ambush the problem with that rule though was that he couldn't see any of the other house over here traitors so that wouldn't work if you can't hit her associates attack the battlefield he said quietly and this time he could follow the rules he cast a globe of darkness at shiva not to fully encompass her but specifically to clip her from behind just enough to prod her forward for at the same time he summoned the darkness charlaxal threw out his portable hole spinning it so that it widened with every rotation down to the floor right before the priestess who hopefully wouldn't notice it until it was too late the darkness nudged her and giving an irritated look behind she didn't look where she was going as she unconsciously stepped forward into the hole charlaxa leaped down from the wall and ran across the hallway scooping up his toy and securing it his ten foot deep pit was once again an extra dimensional pocket this time with a drow he might consider even more dangerous than zach nevane had been all those months ago with the weapon master in mind he hurried around the bend to see zach nefan in the middle of a wild brawl with three zavir foot soldiers and to see more ominously a priest is turning with a mace hanging from the side of her robe but a whip in hand and rolling above her shoulder cracking right for him he ducked the blow but learned of that whips plane cutting properties the hard way for unlike zachnovane jarlaxel didn't see the lava he felt it on his head with a howl the mercenary leader rushed back around the bend slapping at the fiery sting upon his scalp zachnovane winced when he heard the crack of the whip and more so when he heard the yelp from jarl axel he stayed focused though too engaged to go to his friend this time his familiarity with the priestess's weapon saved zach nefane not just because he recognized the sound behind him as the telltale whoosh of the whip rising and rolling but because he knew what it was fully capable of with his back to the priestess and two warriors before him he had a decision to make and fast he didn't hesitate had no time to even consider consciously that which is exhaustive training had ingrained in his muscles he leaped backwards spinning and landing in a run he didn't try to deflect the whip as it rolled out in his direction this time from the side and not above instead he rushed inside its reach as he had intended to do the first time before he'd been surprised by the weapons talents and as he did the two warriors pursuing him ran right into the whip strike zone the priestesses tear into the plane of fire caught right in the faces of her minions and both fell aside howling giving zach nothing the time he needed he dove and rolled coming up with his two swords and working furiously stabbing the priestess's gut slashing at the side of one leg at the other hip slicing up under her chin each strike brought forth a burst of magical light a repelling spark as her wards held up but each burst was a bit dimmer than the previous for clearly she wasn't powerful enough to keep up perpetual wards he hit her five times ten times too close for her whip to be of use his assault too furious for her to even attempt to spell the priestess brought up one of her other weapons trying to slows acnephane's momentum with a powerfully magic mace she was very skilled with it and could likely defeat most drow males in simple combat but zachnophane wasn't most drow let alone most males to her credit she almost blocked one of zach nefan's next dozen or so attacks her wards were gone halfway through that barrage and so she was too wounded too shocked and pained too gash to even attempt to block his subsequent flurry sachnafein worked his way around her as he cut her to pieces concerned only with the act of destruction he was performing on the priestess he had no reason to worry anyway for the warrior he had slugged with a sword palmer was still on the ground writhing a second of the trio was down too on his face with wisps of smoke rising from his clothing trembling fingers trying to reach behind his back at a crossbow quarrel stuck there the third had turned about weapons dropped hands held high and surrendered to a rather tunes leveled crossbow those three mattered little to the weapon master the only thing that held his attention was the vile servant of loft before him the priest has finally crumpled to the ground gasping in the last breaths of her life her eyes opening wide at the reality that she was passing into the nether realm saknifine could have stabbed her and ended her horror instead he spat upon her then wiped his blades on her robes enjoy the embrace of your goddess chapter 17 the power of conscience by the time jarl axel came walking around the corridor's bend the fight was over with his associates the only ones left upright at least upright and still moving for a couple of the halflings remained as they had been perfectly still in the continuing thrall of the priestesses debilitating spell with a thought charlaxa willed his magical boots to click against the floor and he sauntered over casually nice of you to join us zach nevane greeted him though he didn't turn to regard his friend carefully he stood flexing the fingers of his hand which he had bruised against the face of an enemy well there was a matron to be dealt with the mercenary replied and where is zach neffen asked but bit the question short seeing the wide-eyed expression of arathis hewn as the rogue looked past him toward the mercenary leader far away in another dimension yet very near jarl axel said and held forth a small circle of black cloth zachnovane turned and sputtered snorting even your hair again and despite the carnage about him despite his uneasiness with the halfling slaves despite the blood on his hands and blades he had to work hard to bite back a laugh for indeed jarl axel looked ridiculous with the little spikes of hair now blackened no doubt from the grease he had used for the sake of vanity and wafting lines of smoke it might have been steam from his ears for all the joy jarlaxel was displaying though it was clear that the burns on his head were more than a bit uncomfortable shut up he said perhaps the gods are telling you that they don't like your hair zach nevane said anyway shut up i think you look rather dashing or at least useful like a wind-blown torch waiting to be re-lit tarlaxel scowled and zacnafene laughed all the harder behind him though arethus hewn was not amused your silly toy won't hold her he warned she will dispel the magic long enough to make her escape charlaxa looked at him then at the cloth then back at hewn with a shrug he sent the cloth spinning high into the air behind him up and up until it slapped against the ceiling and there stuck opened matron shiva came tumbling out head first she flailed and predictably went for her house emblem to activate a levitation spell but jarl axel had already acted drawing a wand and spitting forth a glob of goo perfectly aimed that caught the priestess's torso locking her hands in place and she fell head down nearly thirty feet to smash against the stone floor she had protected herself against evocation magic against fire and cold and lightning against arrows and bolts against weapons edged and blunt but not against falling yes her protection spells absorbed the initial impact and so her skull didn't shatter but they were of little use as her neck was bent too quickly to the side the bone protesting with a sharp echoing retort charlaxal arithus hewn and the xavier warrior who was not writhing on the floor all winced to the sickening sound of shiva's neck snapping not sagnifain though for this was a high priestess of the spider queen killing her daughter had been satisfying but this felt even better he casually walked over to cut shiva's throat for good measure though his blade did not sink in priestesses and their wards collect the trophy jarl axel told zachmathane as he walked past to look at the wounded and captured xavier warriors with a shrug zachnovane moved over the fallen matron and sent his blade into a circular motion winding up for the next blow he stopped however and kicked her first to see if she would stir she did though with only a gurgle good he thought he wanted her to know around came his blade again slashing down hard at the dying shiva and again her magical defenses flashed and deflected it harmlessly how many do you have foul priestess zach nefane muttered his sword coming around again and again drawing forth and expending more of the wards with the force swing he drew blood across her throat and so he pressed faster each revolution cutting a bit deeper she forgurgled again more than once and zach nefan knew that she was feeling the pain and was realizing the horror that her life was at its end that made him happy some thought zach nevane to be a draw of conscience and generosity and indeed for most he was but not two never two matrons of the spider queen put down your hands he heard arathis hewn say and when his next cut took shiva's head from her neck he turned about to regard his break in the earth companion one of the warriors on the floor had stopped squirming but seemed to be alive the other the ones acne had punched in the face had rolled to his belly and set his hands as if trying to get up the third the one to whom arith assumed was speaking was on his knees hands presented in the air we're not going to kill you atheism went on not now at least in fact there may be an opportunity for you here you're a houseless rogue now and a fugitive from assad and from the new hierarchy of your own house it would seem like you two or three if that one lives have few options however i tell you now that charlottesville is one of a generous nature to join with him the xavier drow asked skeptically he would trust us to not trust you would imply that he fears you might do him harm zach nefane interceded more than a little mockingly you cannot go and tend to your companions arathis yoon told the zovier soldier the rogue spun about and sheathed one of his blades but kept the other in hand as he turned to the halflings several of whom were now beginning to stir as the spells wore off they saw the murderous rogue coming for them they had nowhere to run so they cowered expecting to die they cowered tighter when zach nephene came sprinting toward them but he turned short of the group spinning back on arathis hewn what are you about he demanded what do you mean the rogue answered zach nefane drew his blades seriously what are you about tell me your plan my plan an incredulous arith assumed echoed i'll tell you what isn't my plan i do not plan to go back to chad assad the trophy is for matron mother bae henry and it is her place not ours to inform the ched assad ruling council of shiva's fate i agree and i do not plan to spend seven ten days wandering the corridors of the underdark with these wretches along so let them go zack nevane posited to kill us while we sleep you do not believe that arathis young snorted derisively and you can't believe that letting them walk from this place into the open underdark would be merciful he said with a laugh i will make their deaths easy at least he drew his second blade and came forward no sachnafein demanded stepping between arathis hewn and the cowering halflings don't be a fool the assassin chided if you allow them to walk from this place they will wander the dark tunnels helplessly until an almost certainly more horrible death befalls them you think that preferable you are not murdering them said zach nephine who's talking about murder they are ibleth nothing more sachnithane just shook his head and held his ground get out of my way zach defender sachnafein shook his head you serve breaking the earth arith assumed demanded i hunt with jarloxel zachnophane corrected you are not killing these halflings unless i kill you first arith assumed finished the thought that is usually how this plays out yes then i shall arathi soon promised and dipped a bow of challenge and as he lowered zach nevane realized that hewn had rearranged his crossbow on his back and had reloaded it and now cleverly sprang his trap pulling a secret cord attached to the trigger of the secured weapon to let fly as if he practiced this very movement a million times before zach methane dropped to his knees and lifted his sword held horizontally before him straight up the quarrel clipped the blade and flew harmlessly high you can try zach nuffain said leaping immediately back to his feet and just in time for arathis hewn had come out of his phony bow with a charge as if in anticipation that his crossbow trick wouldn't finish off this skilled weapon master zach knew from the drow's expression as they engaged though that arathis yoon had expected some level of wound or at least to have caught zach nephine off balance but no such luck for the assassin zack nefane was up to meet the charge if a bit on his heels his swords out before him in complete balance turning one strike after another with a blinding roll and thrust of his blades zack nefane worked himself forward to the balls of his feet stealing arathis humans momentum driving the road back to even ground arthur's unit never held the title of weapon master but he could fight like one surely and he quickly accepted encountered zach nevane's turning of the tables with equal ferocity and speed their swords becoming a blur of ringing metal between them the rogue began working his right hand blade in short circles parrying inward he favored his left hand zach nefan realized immediately and he let the first few parry succeed moving his own left blade across his body slightly zach devane knew the break point here knew when his opponent would get both of his swords over to that side far enough to execute a double thrust or a left thrust right slash or whatever other combination arathis hewn had perfected as the clanging swords neared that point zach defene thought to parry the parry to throw all his weight behind a counter strike to drive his opponent all the way back to the right something stopped him some subtle shift in arathis hewn's feet perhaps or the look on the rogue's face or the way his knuckles shifted on his circling sword instead of going left now thinking that to be exactly what are this young wanted zach defane stepped back and spun down to his knees coming fully around with his left blade diving low across to the right his right blade lifting fast and just in time and correctly angled he knew with relief when that lifting sword caught not the left-hand blade of arathis yoon but his right sword coming across suddenly clearly in anticipation of zach nevane's turn and now because of the reversal duck and spin hitting nothing but air then being hit and carried high by the weapon masters upward block arithes hewn had another counter a clever re-angling of his circling left-hand blade that had it diving under his other extended weapon and also under zach nefan's block but that was foreseen by zacnafene as well and while his opponent executed it precisely and with blinding speed and while it certainly would have finished a lesser fighter it got nowhere near to hitting xacthane indeed instead the speeding weapon got hit and forcefully by zach nefan's rising left hand blade the block caught the down angled and thrusting sword slapping it up against the underside of zach nefan's blocking right hand blade as if that beautiful block weren't enough zach nevane went a bit further with stunning balance and practiced strength the weapon master locked the top blade firmly in place while he jumped from knees to feet driving upward with everything but his locked right arm the suddenness and ferocity of the movement turned the angle of that thrusting sword sharply and too swiftly for arafus yoon to adjust and so zach nevane's powerful move took the sword right from the rogue's hand he could have released it sent it flying and spinning into the air and such a movement would have freed that rising lower blade for a sudden outward spin and slash at arathis yoon's vulnerable right side the rogue sawed and had already begun a half turn to defend but sachnafane didn't release that blade and instead slid his sword up to the hilt caught it and brought it rolling down and out with his own blade to become a guided spear flying fast for the rogue's face up and across came arathis hewn's remaining sword knocking it aside but in behind it came the fury of zach nephine two swords charging ahead arithesium parried once twice thrice backpedaling with each deflection and seemingly on the edge of disaster too easy zach nevane silently mouthed warning himself and instead of taking the obvious route forward the weapon master instinctively leaped off to the side when he landed and turned he nearly laughed aloud seeing that the clever rogue had dropped caltrops in his expected path undaunted arathis hewn went for his fallen blade retrieving it just as zach nevane arrived how many more tricks have you to play as actofane asked his swords working a brilliant routine of stabs from multiple angles putting arathis hewn on the defensive yet again his question sounded clearly as a taunt for by now it was obvious to both that arathis hewn could not match zach nefan's sword against sword i fight with the tools provided arathis unanswered falling into a rhythm of parries to keep zach nevane's stings aside you disappoint the assassins started to add but stopped gulping and leaping desperately as zach nevane suddenly fell to one knee lowering his slashing right hand weapon arithes yoon tucked his legs and cleared the cut and got his own right hand sword down in time to intercept the backhand return slash then up and across to turn aside zach nevane's second sword stabbing for his chest but now zach methane had arithesium blocking twice with that one blade and so necessarily dropping his left foot back a bit to keep that blade presented it was an advantage zach nefane was determined not to relinquish bearing in working always to his opponent's right forcing arith assumed to keep that one foot forward to keep that one blade doing all the defensive work knowing his off hand was being pressed the rogue responded with a drop turn like zach nevane had earlier performed summoning a globe of darkness over himself and zachnophane as he went sachnofane seeing the first turn of the maneuver right before the light disappeared didn't hesitate diving high and forward pitching a somersault right over the dropping rogue twisting as he landed to come right in at the kneeling rogue's back halfway through that turn zach nothing knew he had the kill he had guessed right arithus yoon had dropped and since the rogue had not gotten any blades up to hinder his dive the drow was surely helpless however just as he landed the darkness unexpectedly went away he thought that arith assunes doing but it didn't matter because darkness or no there knelt the rogue facing the wrong way working his blades up and behind desperately futilely but the rogue hadn't dispelled his darkness globe jar spotted the mercenary leader back at the bend in the tunnel two wands leveled then the mere lack of magical darkness became magical light brilliant and stinging zack nefane growled and pressed on against the painful shine determined to be done with this he did notice shimmer in the air ahead of him just before his stabbing sword hit a barrier invisible but as solid as a stone wall and he frowned he looped his second sword out wider thinking to come around the magical defense but there too he hit the same barrier a wall of nothingness arithesium his expression revealing that he believed jarl axel had come to his rescue leaped up and spun about stabbing hard for zach nefan's face but his sword too hit the invisible wall jar laxal had placed between them you are both stealing from me jarl axel scolded that is something i'll not accept stealing zach nefane and arith assune answered together then both looked at each other through the invisible wall and scowled you're each trying to rob me of something valuable by killing the other said charlaxil you don't own zach defane started to protest out here i do charlaxla was quick to interrupt i grant you freedom from your wretched existence in exchange for your loyalty it is a business arrangement nothing more never forget that zach defane had never heard jarl axel speak to him quite like that before and he didn't like it not at all he glared at the mercenary leader measuring the distance to jarl axel and wondering if he could cover it before the two clever drow played another of his many tricks i see no priestess or wizard casting spells to control your minds so at either of you have any explanation for why my two valued companions are trying hard to become my one valued companion i broke no murder zack nefane said this one is less valuable than you believe arith assumed said at the same time he is a fool of the highest order and will bring you will bring us great trouble it was zach nefane who went to house zavir when we too were caught charlaxall reminded him and zach defane who would let these slave halflings walk free arathis hewn protested to stab us in our sleep or to flee to gather allies charlaxal stared hard at arath assumed for a few moments digesting the words then turned a suspicious stare upon zachnophane is this true i broke no murder zach nevane said again murder parathis you and scoffed they are slaves iblith surface filth they condemn themselves by coming to the underdark we do them a favor by killing them quickly i broke no slavery said zach nevane menzo barons on his full of slaves arath assumed protested but jarlaxel cut him short with an upraised hand you would murder priestesses jarl axel said not quite a question the lothian priestesses are damned by their choice and the consequences of that damnable choice the weapon master growled yet you bed one every night arathis hewn quipped and again jarlaxel stopped him with an upraised hand adding a stirring gaze for good measure the slight didn't bring a winds to zachnophane of course he wasn't sleeping with any lothian priestesses out of choice after all did not these halflings determine their own fates when they came to the underdark dar laxal asked you do not know how they came to this place said zach nefane what's more likely they came to a place they almost certainly knew they couldn't survive or that a slave trader captured them from their village above and dragged them here they look like no adventuring band that could have traversed so far in so deep whatever the case what would you have me do jarl axel asked zach to feign then he added and you turning to face arathis yoon free them zach nefan said kill them arathis yoon said at the same time free them to do what charlottesville asked or at least take them to men's oberon's on and sell them arathis uninsisted they'll not survive these tunnels joel axel continued talking to zach nevane alone then we take them back to their surface world and their release them tarlaxel snorted and arith assumed choked then laughed outright at the seemingly absurd suggestion we have no time for such a detour charlaxal said we have a trophy to deliver to matron mother bayenry we would not be pleased to learn that we freed valuable slaves marathis hewn added slaves jarl axel could sell for a tidy profit then i will buy them said zach nevane this drew a smile from jarl axel you are an idiot arith assumed shouted at him but zach nevane didn't even bother to look at the assassin the drow was talking only because charlaxal had prevented zachmathane from killing him so his were the words of a ghost at this point for my share of this adventures profits zachnovane told jarl axel give them to me and show me the way to the surface arithesium started to say something but jarlaxel walked over apparently his invisible magical barrier had dissipated to stand right before zachmathane you know not even what your share might be he said to the weapon master enough to pay for a few scrawny halflings zach nevane said he settled and locked stairs with his friend then very quietly added i played my role and did as demanded more than that i would admit then give me this my share for the halflings and show me the way that i could properly set them free and then then i returned to men's oberon's on as pleased with the results of this expedition as his charlaxal charlaxa looked from zach to fame to arathis hewn we split his share the rogue laughed and nodded i will have from you both then a promise that you will not try to steal from me again you understand my meaning neither did more than grunt and certainly it was no solid commitment but it was as good as could be expected in the underdark and thus enough for jarl axel soon after charlaxal arithus yoon and three former xavier warriors marched again for menzo berenson the mercenary leader carrying the head of matron shivazovir in a sack charlottesville caught arathis hewn staring at him more than once and he recognized the swirl of emotions in his lieutenant's glare arithesium had until this day but the unquestioned second in command of the small break in the earth band but now he was afraid that zach nephene might be threatening that position charlaxal smiled marathus hume was right he realized not only because of zach nevane's prowess with the blade and his willingness to finish the mission even when it looked like jar laxal and arithus hewn had been taken off the field many in breaking the earth would perform similarly though of course none was as good with the blade as acnephane but no that was not why charlaxal now believed that zachnovane would rise to his side it was because zach nevane wouldn't kill the halflings it was because zach nevane was possessed of mercy would charlaxia himself have been brave enough to champion the cause of the helpless little folk inwardly he smiled all the wider he smiled wider still when zach nephene walked into the oozing mike connid less than a ten day after jar laxal had delivered the head to matron mother bayenri and shown the three new break in the earth soldiers to their quarters the mercenary leader had been in the tavern every day since his return waiting and watching he didn't even try to contain his smile when zach defene walked over to join him sacrifine grabbed the back of a chair to pull it out from the table but paused staring it took jarl axel a few moments to understand the man's confusion but then he ran his hand over his completely healed and completely bald pate not a scar showed and not a bump as if the perfectly shaped head had been sculpted by the finest of menzo baronzon's artists it is becoming is it not charlaxal asked sacnafane snorted side and shook his head helplessly but conceded better than that stupid hair as he took his seat i can join you he added as an afterthought for he was already sitting i saved that very chair for you charlaxa replied with great enthusiasm and his dashing smile sacnifene sighed again though i was not sure you would ever return jarl axel went on you delivered the halflings into an upper tunnel that led to sunlight yes daryl axel looked at him curiously a rye grin spreading why did you come back the question clearly caught zach nephine off guard and he sputtered a bit before replying where else might i go jarl axel just nodded and let it go at that he was glad the weapon master had returned he was also a bit disappointed charlottesville's question stayed with zach nevane all the way back to house dowarden and indeed for many days afterward he had seen the sunlight of the surface and though it was unpleasant to his eyes which knew only the dim glows of the underdark he could not deny the allure he had thought of going forward into the open surface world of leaving menzo barons on far and forever behind but how might he be received up there where the elves were plentiful and no race held affinity to the drow and malice would come for him he knew likely with the support of the ruling council for such heresy could not stand sachthane had come back to menzo berenson unsure of his choice particularly since he suspected that one excursion to be the best chance of escaping drow society he would ever know he feared he would regret his decision for the rest of his life it would prove a valid fear part 4 selflessness where does the self end and the other the community begin it seems a simple even self-evident question but i have come to believe that it is perhaps the most complicated investigation of all and the most pressing one if i am to find any true meaning in my life even more on a wider level this is the question that will determine the heart of a society and possibly even its very lifespan one way or the other if i were walking down the road and saw a person drowning in a pond and i had a rope that would reach of course i would throw it to the troubled fellow and pull him to safety but that is not a selfless act i might be called a hero for saving the person but that is not a heroic act no that is merely the expected behavior of one worthy to live in a civilized society and any who would not stop to help the drowning person in such a situation deserve to be shunned at the very least if i were walking down a road and saw a person drowning in a pond but i had no rope i would dive in and swim out to try to pull the person to safety this is more selfless and involves a small measure of danger would i be a hero then some would call me that but the word would ring hollow in my ears for i would have done only what i would have expected from my neighbor were i that drowning man this is what makes the community greater than the individual suppose the drowning man was in a lake known to be inhabited by a killer gar suppose he was even then being attacked by such a creature suppose the lake was full of them swarming hungry at what point would my act of attempting to rescue him become heroic at what point would my actions rightly earn the title of hero at what point would i not want my neighbors to jump into that garfield death trap to try to save me there is a point surely there is a place where responsibility to self outweighs must outweigh responsibility to the community but where likely few have considered the above dilemma specifically but the question posed is one that every person faces in his or her life all the time where does one's responsibility to oneself end and a wider responsibility to the community begin if i am a successful hunter and fill my winter stores is it right and just for me to let my neighbor go hungry if feeding my neighbor would mean rationing for me a winter of privation but not death is it still my duty to save the unsuccessful hunter i'm surprised by how many people i have met who would say that it is not that their growling belly is not worth a neighbor's life and who justify their claim by blaming their neighbor for being less successful in the hunt again the example is extreme but moving now toward the commonplace toward the daily choices we all face in our lives the choices are no less crucial what is your responsibility beyond the self to your partner your children your brothers your parents your cousins your neighbors a stranger these are the questions that will define you as a person i think more than anything else you might do the laws of a kingdom try to define these lines of responsibility in the daily lives of citizens in the village of lonelywood in ten towns for example a successful hunter is bound to share all bounty beyond one full meal a day with any excess to be divided equally among all lonely wood residents but in dugan's hole another of the ten towns of ice wind dale those who cannot hunt their winter food will very possibly starve and successful hunters can defend their bounty to the death even if that bounty is so great that much will rot when the spring melt falls across the tundra no one in dugan's hole tries to change these laws or the common behavior that gives them credence certainly though there are folks in bryn shander the hub of ten towns who would like to see such changes since the starving people of the redwater's towns inevitably try to make it to bring sanders gates i prefer lonely wood as would my companions for i have come to see philanthropy as ultimately self-satisfying if not selfish there is in brindshander an old woman who takes in the stray cats and dogs of the place she works tirelessly feeding grooming hugging and training the animals and tries ceaselessly to find for them homes among the citizens of the town so dedicated is she that she eats little and sleeps less i once asked her about it about why she would give up that extra hour of sleep to hunt down a reported stray every hour i'm not at me work a precious little one might die she told me the people of bryn chandler think her quite mad and to be honest i questioned her grasp on reality and priority myself until i spoke with her and then i found in her one of the most sane and satisfied humans i have ever had the pleasure of meeting the warmth of her heart touched me and made me know the sincerity in her smile this was to her a calling a way that she a feeble old woman of little means could make the world a better place i have met few nobles whose smiles can rival hers in sincerity for i see myself somewhat akin to this old woman and more so now after my training in the monastery the greatest lesson in that place of profound teaching was the constant reminder of how little i truly need and the mindset to avoid the traps of acquisition the rich man is often owned by that which he thinks he owns the rich woman might elicit jealousy and while satisfying to her her provocation will harden the visages of those around her long before she has died some people measure wealth and gold others measure it in tears of those who mourn them when they have passed on i recognize and admit with contempt that my own preferences are not universal not nearly among the people i have met dugan's hole is in no need of new residents and any houses emptied by the harsh terms of that community will soon enough be full again mostly with people grumbling about tithing or taxation and ready to go to war with any who would demand one copper piece from them if you cannot catch your food you've no right to live as a common credo spoken sternly about that town and indeed recited about all the reaches of the lake called red waters this is the ethical spectrum of reasoning beings moving that slide between self and community my friend bruner is one of the richest kings in the region the linked dwarven communities from ice windale to the silver marches to gauntlet grim and the crags have come out of their wars brimming with wealth and power and bruner himself already possesses a treasury that would make most water deviant lords envious is bruner bound then to open his gates wide to all who would come begging how far range is the responsibility of one who has gained so much farther from that of the farmer or the cobbler if a farmer has saved a dozen silver coins and gives one to a poor man he meets at the market should bruner who has a thousand thousand times that wealth dole out of silver to a thousand thousand needy others or should he dole out even more than that because his coins become less important to his own security and health once he has surpassed a certain point of wealth like dragons the great lords of the north possess hordes of treasure beyond anything they might hope to spend in their lifetimes or that their children could spend or even the familial generation beyond that taking a silver piece from a man who has 10 silvers hurts him and his family less than taking a copper piece from a family that has only 10 coppers and taking a gold piece from a woman who has 10 gold means less to her family's well-being than the tithe imposed upon the man with the ten silvers and the rule holds true so on up the line of wealth the more you have the less you need and once all the basic needs are met the luxuries become redundant and indeed flatten the joy of purchase men's oberenson is not unlike dugan's hole there is never enough gold and gems and jewels to satisfy the insatiable greed of the matrons in men's barons on wealth is power and power is all and wealth is stationed which implies more than power for station breeds envy and to the drow of my homeland the envy of others is among life's greatest joys this philosophy of life seems foolhardy to me a beggar at the gates of house bayenri will be killed or enslaved a beggar at the gates of gontelgrim will find a hot meal and a bed this is why king bruner is my friend drizzed 18 the year of dwarven kind reborn dale reckoning 1488 the reality of perception are you matt comorial replied to joel axel after the mercenary leader's latest seemingly preposterous request charlaxal moved as if to respond but commorial held up his hand and shook his head father not with the words the psionist said i already know that answer truly you wound me my friend i wound you but you're to get me killed beyond doubt said commorial krompf is not going to kill you charlaxal assured him after feeling the power of the illiterate hive flowing through him to destroy demogorgon he is more likely to cast enchantments of love upon you than to lob fireballs your way thrilling kimura dryly replied he would give you a room at the host tower to be surrounded by insipid wizards and their limitations charlaxal sighed in surrender my comment is not about growth in any case said kimura this game you ask me to play now i fear is with a creature more dangerous than the former archmage and one with less to gain by keeping me alive perhaps but it is critical or i would not ask evanel is much more than she appears and her hand in all of this is larger than we understand my instincts screamed this to me and i have learned to listen to them you think her a handmaiden in disguise kimura asked charlaxo arched his eyebrows more it took a moment for that to sink into the psionicist bloth he cried you think even a manifestation of lady love herself you would have me spy upon love are you mad to answer your last question i will be honest possibly as for the first i simply do not know darlaxel admitted but as pertains to the second i think we must try to know don't you commorial replied i think we should move to the far ends of faerun but it is just an illusion drist said even now smiled coily i thought you would enjoy them to accentuate she batted them her eyes which were now violent in you much like dressed zone an aberration incredibly rare among the drow they are beautiful dressed admitted everything about you is beautiful to anyone who looks upon you that is your game is it not you maintain a magical illusion to let the viewer see what most pleases him or her when looking upon you no she said no more at one time i played that game as i willingly admitted to you it was indeed a conscious manipulation those looking upon me couldn't help but treat me a bit better than they would another more mundane and to them less attractive person i played on perception for advantage that is dishonest is it do you not play upon your reputation for advantage does it not aid you when your opponents know that they are in battle with a legendary swordsman or even just being a drow certainly it holds great disadvantages in some areas but do you not think that many of jarl axel's business partners take greater care because of his skin and because of their fear of what retribution might mean dressed fumbled for a response then blurted this is different no it's not even l insisted are there not nights when catty bree puts on special clothes or wears her hair just so do you not do the same this is simply how i choose to appear and to appear to all no more is there a malleable illusion from viewer to viewer but is it your natural appearance does that matter there is started to answer but he knew he was caught here and so he just shrugged people sculpt their bodies style their hair choose their clothes paint their faces everything to shape their appearance i have done nothing different she flashed that koi smile again i just have better tools drizz laughed despite himself he wanted to find some pedestal upon which to make a stand but there was none he thought of his own vanity of how he worked his muscles so tirelessly each and every morning yes most of that was practical and came from a drive to be the perfect swordsman so that he could use his skills to the greater good all of that was true yet so was his personal pleasure in sculpting those lean muscles how many times that he caught catty brees spying on him during his morning routines and how hard it had been to keep the grin off his face when he knew that she was there watching from behind a shrub i struggled with this greatly in the recent past drizz reminded her referring to the affliction he had suffered that had blurred the line between reality and illusion an illness of the mind wrought by the thinning of the phariserus in the underdark this was your madness even l agreed where did perception end in reality begin you could not tell and so you could not trust that anything around you even those you loved was real and yet even if they were not real the illusion the perception that i had that these were indeed my friends made them real to me i lay with catty bree in my mind in my heart perception is reality dressed doerden even l stated there is no objective truth of course there is but until a falsehood is uncovered the reality is what you perceive it to be you cannot separate the two without a reveal that you tried to do so was your madness dressed considered that for a few heartbeats then laughed are you warning me lady no evan elle said andres could detect no insincerity there and now i tell you that zach nevane is real he is the same man who sacrificed himself so that you could walk from manzo'barrenzon then again when he was sent as an undead monster to kill you the conscious being inhabiting that drow coil is zacnafain your father drizzed and nodded for a long while replaying all of ivanel's contributions to this unexpected conversation in bleeding vines he stopped finally and stared at the woman i like your eyes he admitted and evanel smiled can you tell camoriel asked charlaxal who peered through his magical eye patch to gain a true vision of the woman in the scionisis scrying mirror the two were in a private room in 12 hands a tavern in and stable in the halfling town of bleeding vines no magic he said shaking his head and seeming quite confused by that this is how even el now appears her true image but one altered by magic as she admitted regarding her eyes said kimura this elicited another shrug from his companion she chose her appearance and made it so but at least the continual illusion showing different things to different onlookers is no more you think that important paused but then nodded i do not know why he admitted but now she seems to me more true more real more more mortal yes perhaps that is the best word for it and it makes sense given her decision to leave men's o barons on and come to this place in menzo baron's on she could have become the matron mother after she saved the city from demogorgon none certainly not that pathetic quentin would have dared stand against her she could have lived as a goddess yet here she stands with us gamoreal didn't argue the point he glanced back over his shoulder then nodded his chin to draw jarl axel's attention to the image she leaves him the psionist said jarlaxel tipped his cap in appreciation of comorial's extraordinary powers we would do well to learn the maneuvers of the drow houses regarding all of this joel axel stated isn't that why you sent zachnovane to better learn of house hunsron's dealings in waterdeep yes but i wonder now if this is more than coincidence that brings them to our particular region at this particular time the great powers of manzo berenson would not come back at this time not after the confrontation between dresden the avatar of love in the tunnels of the bloodstone lands and surely not after the destruction of demogorgon through the instrument of drizzed in full view of the entire city they just let drizz go they're not going to come after him now and if they were wouldn't they just use this even l creature to get what they want it's more complicated than that isn't it always commorial asked dryly just the way loth likes it jarl axel said and yes you're correct that the city would not come forth at this time but there are opportunistic matrons looking for advantage always with all that has happened with dressed with zachnovane with our own growing alliances here some might see a chance for advancement not by henry said comorial not now in the way you fear at least even l is bayenri as is groff and he visits you know of whom i speak ger laxal interrupted and so you know your next task task you dress me as if i am in your throat not thrall but we can agree that you have a meeting yes ashala milan kimura conceded she has to convene with matron zerath to earth and soon i am told to determine if the former relationship between house milan and house zore lauren which is now housed o urton is beyond repair i will find her in a quiet corridor after she sits with matron zerith in a space where she cannot be detected jarl axel corrected in a dimension of your own making where no others can possibly hear it is that important commorial nodded i will inquire of ashala in extreme privacy jarl axel tipped his cap again and rushed out of the tavern he caught up to evanel outside drizzed small house in the courtyard of regis and denali's villa how went your seduction he asked approaching evanel tilted her head and stared at him curiously that is what all of this is about is it not he pressed falling into step beside the undeniably beautiful young drow woman all of what well now your appearance those eyes i'll not deny the symbolism of my choice all that they would please drizzed jarlaxo slyly remarked evanel chuckled and offered a koi shrug and the return of zach nephine charlaxo asked his voice suddenly low and serious what have it even l replied seeming genuinely surprised but of course she was very good at that kind of misdirection so much like her namesake charlaxal's mother did that not please drizzed don't dance uncle said the daughter of grump and jarl axel stiffened at the open acknowledgement of their familial connection very well then you brought him back to life even else scoffed i know not how you did it but you did and this all seems a winding game to seduce dress he accused you heard drizz tell lolth that if she was worth his worship she would have returned zachnovane without being asked he stared at her hard and reminded her you weren't asked you think i want drizz to worship me to love you then even el shrugged but didn't shake her head to deny it a dark elf lives a long life a human not so long last long if she is killed by an enemy even else stopped and turned to face jarl axel directly and when he turned to square up she slapped him across the face i am not cathy bree's enemy and she is not mine she said through gritted teeth i would not take the wife the love from dress even if she were but you won't deny that he intrigues you i won't it was so simply admitted without the slightest hesitation or shame and so zach nevane's return gerald axel reasoned you keep saying that but i know that you have no evidence because none exists she shrugged again sac novane has returned through divine intervention it would seem and i am no deity look to me a leaky who returned to dressed his companions of the hall that was planned by mia leakey from the beginning then look to loth evanel said though mia leaky could still be the catalyst why jarl axel asked truly at a loss do you believe that nonsense that dressed will change her that's what you told me when you announce the return of zach nevane yes the dress thinks he can change love is that perhaps the gods are gods because they can better see into the future to understand the ramifications of the actions of the present even el interrupted and thus they do not air for short-sightedness i thought much on this i am uniquely equipped for this particular question i believe and it seems reasonable to me that loth understands the inevitability of our revolution jarl axel and understands that she cannot stop it inevitability jarl axel said with a snort i wish i shared your confidence the changes in men's oberyn's on have begun they will be there ever whether they move forward now or not loft knows this and knows too that your role in it has been enormous please don't say that to anyone charlaxal said and he was only partially joking the last thing he wanted was to see his own reflection in the spider eyes of lady love your city of luskin is a grave threat to the old order even l said the most powerful word in the drow language is iblith denigration of races who are different of the other is central to drow arrogance and drow arrogance is rooted in the power and cruelty of the spider queen but consider what you have accomplished in the city of sales darlaxel i control it from the shadows through a captain who masquerades as a human charlaxal protested that is no new trick for emissaries from menzo baron's on even our laughed at him you are speaking of the past in luskin the drow mingle openly with the surface dwellers even powerful ones in the new host tower of the arcane grump bannery the former archmage of menzo barons on studies beside penelope harpel and netery is lords and wizards and sorcerers of great power from other races the only one who thinks beniaga's disguise as high captain kurth remains intact as you apparently all of king bruner's court and most of his city know the true power of luskin as to the halflings of this fine village and so what grave threat because loth knows as do you that familiarity does not breed contempt among the reasoning races nay it erases prejudice drift though erdogan's greatest heresy was not that he walked out of men's oberenson but rather that he made himself welcome in silvery moon and water deep that is the threat to her how does she keep her minions of the underdark satisfied if there is a world accessible to them that isn't darkness and hatred and bloodshed she didn't kill drizzed jarl axel reminded an easy fix not so easy no because she knew what that would bring the symbol of dresdo erden would become more powerful than martyrdom she didn't kill drizz because she feared the consequences so she returned zachnovain evanel shrugged again wearing an expression of helpless bewilderment and jarl axel could only nod and try to sort it out if indeed it was lol who had returned zach nevane to drizzt was this the goddess's way of admitting the inevitable of trying to hold on to her supporters for what is a god without worshippers in a preemptive strike of kindness and contrition it cannot be he blurted his mind unable to make that leap but it surely seems to be said ivanel especially to me and i think i am a better judge of this particular situation than you are that set jarlaxel back on his heels for he prided himself on his ability to evaluate and understand the rhythms of the world around him even hell just shrugged yet again against that look of astonishment i have come to see time itself in a different manner she explained and she offered a self-deprecating chuckle my memories are older than my body and my consciousness by millennia you cannot understand what that means my uncle i am not unversed in the past and not so young he replied remember i knew the person those memories came from i share some of them it is not the same not remotely these are not simple tales told to me in the songs of a bard even if those words all rang true hey these are not just memories of a distant past either they are the experiences of a distant past that have become new memories to me as if the events of a thousand years ago are only a few years removed from now i can look back to matron mother bey henry's earliest fights and feel the wounds and smell the blood she continued and suddenly even l seemed to be talking as much to herself as to jarl axel as if her epiphany was finally playing out before her they're not merely memories i can look back at bainry's lovemaking and live it in my mind as vividly as if it had been me writing a partner and not my namesake vividly i know i experienced every feeling even the great release that they henry found in those encounters and not as if i am a voyeur to the scene do you understand i'm not sure i want to i know more than what she saw or what she felt even now tried to explain i know too every conjured image every exciting thought in bayenri's mind when she drove herself to sexual ecstasy i wish i did not but gerald axel was almost at a loss for words did the illithid put more into your mind than just the memories of matron mother by henry are you possessed do you fear perhaps commorial no it is not a possession and not a haunting even el calmly replied in the end and despite the insult to certain sensibilities it is a gift with thousands of years of experiences to draw upon experiences that seem so fresh to me i feel that i will be granted from this a measure of foresight beyond anyone older people are considered wiser because they have seen the outcomes in similar situations and so the intimacy of even l the eternals imparted memories feelings revelations and experience have given to me her wisdom is that why you can so patiently wait to see if drist becomes available to you even evanelle laughed and jarlaxel joined her it seemed such a trite example of the horizon she might know if charlaxal joined her in that laughter because he recognized the sincerity behind it he understood that ivanelle was formidable and more than magic in diplomacy and in deception this was a dangerous woman and yet this explanation this line of reasoning resonated is very convincing to draw axel it all fit somehow it all seemed to click into charlaxal's wider understanding of the world there was indeed a consistency in this incredibly unusual circumstance of evanel he wasn't sure whether he believed her stated ignorance about zach nevane's return wasn't even certain that she had not facilitated that event but somehow it didn't matter to him chapter 19 weapon master with braylon and jrel fay close behind and another half dozen break in the earth warriors following in the shadows zach nefan led his team through the tunnels of the upper underdark using every skill he had worked so hard to perfect it had been nearly two centuries since he had done this but by zach nevane's internal clock only a very short time had elapsed these were not distant memories to him he felt more as if he had been transported forward in time than that he had been absent from this place for decades he moved to one corner three passages looming ahead and closed his eyes visualizing the model jarl axel had constructed back in luskin before sending him forth he reflexively put his hand on the folded map he now carried in his pocket only to pull it away he had done his preparations and knew the way he didn't need the map he signaled to his team to follow at length then slipped across the entrances of the two nearest tunnels to the third which would take him to the south along the coast not far from the sewers of water deep he sensed movement up ahead and fell into a crouch along the side of the natural tunnel blending in seamlessly with the jags in the stone up ahead he saw a lifted arm just that fingers waggling in the silent draw code zach nevane stood up and brushed himself off and the newcomer approached valasium i presume the weapon master stated he lifted his hand to signal his band to remain back in the shadows well met sacnafane the rogue replied jarl axel informed you that we would meet at this place somewhere around here though i am not familiar with these tunnels zachnovane replied not want to tip his hand here particularly given the last name of this drow you're on the correct path and before the day is through you will come to a region where the natural corridors intersect with worked stone vallasson explained these are the water deep sewers and in this area you will find the hundred merchants one does not find a drow zach nevane said remembering another place and another time and an answer to a question posed he spent a moment thinking of that adventure then looked back to see vallassoon eyeing him curiously it does not matter zach nevane said just an old joke the rogue didn't blink do you have something for me zachnafane asked valassun nodded and slit a pack from his shoulder from inside he produced a small crystalline globe one that fit neatly into the palm of his hand zach nefane peered closer at the object noting what looked like tiny stars floating and darting within the globe vallasoon handed it to him the command is rumble belly for some reason the rogue explained as soon as he was no longer holding the item but do not invoke the magic until you are ready to fully use it the item is charged and each recharge is quite expensive is that not the nickname of my son's halfling friend zach nefane asked is it well then perhaps the word is appropriate recalling again that long ago incident zach nefane smiled i'm told by jarl axel that you knew my grandfather alice yoon said zach nevane stared at him hard i did then perhaps one day soon we will share drinks and one-eyed jacks and you could tell me all about him better to not have that conversation over potent drinks now it was valessune's turn to stare but you knew arathus yoon i knew him better than he knew i knew him zachofane replied evenly his face and voice stayed in serious and so he was surprised that i was not surprised when he crept up behind me with a bare dagger valasium fell back a step his hand reflexively going to his belt he was of breaking the earth the rogue said so are you zack nefane said a warning since he was then staring at valasewn's sword hand i would still have you tell me about him alisoon said relaxing i didn't much like him so i gather still perhaps your tales will allow me to walk better around zachnophane one that does not approach from behind is always preferred the two locked stairs for a long intense while then vallasoon took another step away and dropped a bow until we meet in luskin then he said you are not joining my adventure zach defane asked i will be about ah jalaxul has told you to hold back and watch to report back to him in case i and my party are destroyed palace you and shrugged the hundreds are formidable and know the region very well i doubt you'll even find them i won't zach nevane replied after all how does one find a drow once again the reference was lost on valasiun and he just shrugged took one last look at zachnovane and in the blink of an eye was gone zachnovain measured the skill of the retreat of how easily and completely perhaps even magically valiseone had disappeared from sight it seemed so very familiar to him he had seen such skill before he hoped that this particular point of history wouldn't repeat you are certain of this escovidney asked for the third time she was in the summoning chamber of house milan alone with matron jindia and in her draw form i have prayed matron jindiya calmly replied you ask for much the price will be high the reward will be the outcome matron india said more than worth the effort to you the goddess will know of your contribution you assume that such a reward is desired i am devoted to lady loft and only to lady loth i have prayed i have not told you the spider queen's desires escavidney reminded her then you would not like a bit of the credit matring india asked slyly that is not for you to know the handmaiden replied with equal apom lady loth will know of my actions should i grant you that which you now beg of course she will one cannot move such powerful toys about without notice you will ask her permission i do not need her permission eskavitny said nor do you nor would it be denied or granted if you asked the webs of chaos are not to be sorted for you by the spider queen they are for you to decipher rightly or wrongly and take the blessing if rightly and the consequence if wrongly it wouldn't be any fun otherwise would it matron jindia closed her eyes and folded her arms comfortably over her chest confident and at ease the webs of drizz doerden she said the war of the silver marches the demons in the streets of menzel baranson the destruction of demogorgon at the gates of men's oberon's on the fall of queues or lauren to the dwarven friends of drizz and with the help of drist of course always drizzed so many webs and i have now found a strand to weave one of my own and it is a good one handmaiden one that will at last finish the tale of the heretic so you hope escovidney said with a koi chuckle matron shindia cast a stirring look at the yoklo hope implies doubt i do not doubt i have prayed i have learned i believe eskividney nodded and so you assume all the responsibility matring india smiled i will grant your request matron the handmaiden said i will deliver thee diabolical toys to you and forth with i hope that they will serve you well and if they do not if your web is not one of lost desires i will enjoy watching these gifts turn upon you do not doubt i have prayed matring india replied smiling you don't valasyn you don't find a drow zachnovain whispered under his breath soon after he had parted ways with the rogue he set the magical globe down on the floor he feared it would roll away for the natural stone surface was not level but as he let go of it the item didn't shift at all it took zack nevane a long while to trust in that stability but eventually he moved his hands back knelt before the globe and commanded it rumble belly the floating bits of light in the globe began to swirl and spin and coalesce emanating an outward glow fearful of being revealed out in the open sacnophane moved away scrambling over a couple of stones to exit the shallow alcove he had chosen for his trap when he looked back his jaw slid open for the magical globe was projecting images now the item itself appeared to be gone buried under a small cooking fire and around that fire said a handful of halflings looking very much like the band charlaxxel zachnovain and erathus hewn had used to lure shiva's of ear you let the drow find you zach nevane motioned to his two nearest companions braylon john k and a galivin zavir that ladder of which had been on the other end of this trap those centuries before and had since served well in the ranks of breaking the earth the three moved off into the shadows and waited and zachnafine wished that he also had jarl axel's portable hole along he had chosen this place carefully every tunnel every possible approach was now being watched by a pair of break into air scouts and the whole spider web of tunnels within those scouting positions was interconnected thus word could be relayed to all of the party in short order now they just had to wait not always the easiest of tasks the day passed and another and a third after that they had visitors a mischief of giant rats a cloud of bats three different carrion crawlers even a displacer beast but none took interest in the scene of encamped halflings and they were easily turned aside by the skilled drow zachnovane had no idea how long the magic of the globe would last but it hadn't dimmed and thus they went into the fourth day sitting and waiting and watching that day they were at last rewarded as signals passed along the line that a drought troop including at least three priestesses was approaching from the south sacnafan nearest the illusion crouched with braelyn and egalivin behind him none with weapons in hand though all had hands near those blades and crossbows and such sacnofane even gripped the handle of the whip on his right hip more than once while his free left hand signaled a reminder to his two companions that this was a mission of parley still one could never be too careful when dealing with priestesses particularly high priestesses no drow woman ever gained such a title because she was honest and kind with startling ferocity the area before the three exploded in movement as a band of a half dozen net carrying bug bears appeared as if out of nowhere and charged the halfling camp so great was the illusion that the tall and hairy beasts didn't detect it as they came right upon the camp throwing their nets wide and leaping at the halfling images with clubs in hand halt sacnifene commanded leaping from concealment right hand pulling forth the whip left grabbing the hilt of his sword sheathed diagonally down his back from behind his left shoulder he didn't draw the sword as he approached though not yet the bug bears swung about roaring in protest halt zach nevane ordered again aiming the command particularly at the closest one but the fool charged at him hoisting a huge club over its head in both hands a weapon with such long reach that it could crush him before he was close enough for a sword strike zachnovane however had a longer weapon still he cracked the whip with blinding speed and accuracy bringing it above the seven foot tall creature's head to wrap about and entangle the lifted arms with the tip coming back around to snap right in the bug bear's face zachnovane didn't call upon the plane ripping power of the item not against a mere bug bear but it wasn't necessary anyway the creature stumbled and tugged and stumbled off balance when the whip fell slack one long stride let it set its feet firmly though and it brought its tangled arms down and pulled them wide looking up only then to see if it could rip apart the ambusher but the ambusher wasn't there no zach nevane had moved simultaneously with that awkward bug bear stride out of the creature's field of vision and at the same instant the bug bear began to turn feeling the whip tugging it from behind zach nefan's fine sword slit into its back severing its spine with ease and zach nefane completely balanced yanked the whip hard as the bug bear started to fall forward and with just the right angle and leverage to send the monster spinning freeing his whip which then went out immediately behind him cracking once and again he caught two other bug bears in the face with just the barest adjustment of his wrist stopping them both in their tracks what is the meaning of this a female voice yelled and into the chamber came a host of hunsren drow a high priestess flanked by two other clerics and a handful of drow men behind them but from every tunnel approach came more drow zach nefan's band hand crossbows leveled and behind zach neffen came more braelyn a galavan and a third vallasium who appeared as if out of nowhere jerry hunter and valasiun yelled over zach nefan's attempted response the high priestess held back her charges and stared at the rogue who stood with no weapons in hand a disarming smile on his face we are not here to do battle of alice yoon assured her you know me high priestess and know who i represent sachna fang glanced back at the rogue only briefly his expression conveying that he was less than amused he knew he should have been glad for the intervention but before him stood three priestesses couldn't he dispatch them and get the needed information from the remaining men yet battle was done i see cherry huntsman replied motioning to the downed bug bear goblin kin zach nefan said and spat on the corpse silence houseless wretch jerry hunsran scolded turning back to vallasoon she said explain and quickly else i will punish this one severely instead of taking coin to pay for the dead slave coin zachnovain echoed with a snort from her hip the high priest has produced a whip of her own one with three living serpents writhing and coiling eager to strike don't kill him i beg said vallasoon he is inexperienced and a bit of a fool but he shows promise back to fame sighed and glanced back at the rogue once more he could use a lesson though if you feel it necessary palace yoon then added to the shock of everyone listening jerry hunsrin howled and lifted her deadly scourge but zach nephine had caught on to valasyun's plan more important he was quicker than the priestess so much quicker than she could have ever anticipated and his whip shot across suddenly cracking right across the writhing serpents of cherry scourge and this time the weapon master did cut a line through the fabric of the multiverse to set loose the elemental plane of fire a sizzling and angry white hot rift that conflagrated the serpents immediately giving chari a writhing three-headed torch everyone in the room gasped except for zach nefane and valasyun and while zach defene used the distraction to leap forward into a role vallis hewn merely laughed the high priestess tried to respond with their scourge but the serpents were quite dead already just three flaking smoking limp cords that offered no bite at all out of the roll zach nevane came up with a sword tip planted firmly against cherry hunsron's neck he stared at her with eyes that promised murder how many wards have you enacted priestess he asked and his red eyes sparkled charlaxal gave me the sword and promised me that no magical barriers would stop its bite would you like to learn the truth of his post sacnaphane kept his expression quite steady here with just a hint of eagerness evident to strengthen his bluff for jarl axel had told him no such thing and while this sword was indeed quite fine there was no such enchantment upon it enough enough fallacy demanded coming forward and waving his arms at all of the potential combatants we have come only for information and we'll pay for it jarry huntsman dared to snap back at him i can make a better deal with the women flanking you zacnafene warned call off your dog cherry said to valasium you haven't figured it out yet the rug replied the priest decided valasium curiously for just a moment then turned back and the blood drained from cherry hunsron's face when she truly noted zachnovane when she looked at him as not just another male when she at last came to understand the true identity of the murderer crouched before her she swallowed hard zachnovane felt his sword tip shift with the movement of her throat and that brought him great satisfaction i am no enemy to jarl axel and break in the earth she said it occurred to zach nevane that this was the first time in his life that he had a drawn blade in range of a priestess of love other than matron simfray and matron malice though erden and had not struck his grin reflected that as he withdrew the blade just a bit what do you want high priestess chary huntsman asked aiming her stare in words at vallasoon information that is all the rogue answered you will pay for it chari demanded again apparently recovering her nerve and pay for my scourge sachnoffene lifted an eyebrow and with that little gesture conveyed quite clearly that he would happily spring upon the impertinent witch and murder her most horribly just for continually bringing up payment when she had no leverage of course we will said valessoon from behind him and when the jingle of coins sounded zachneffane rolled his eyes at how quickly the other drow gave in alisson came forward with a heavy sack when he let it fall to the ground some of the contents gold coins spilled out gerald axel is always fair high priestess valaseon said with the bow ever has he valued the friendship of house hunsron above almost every other house then tipping his hand regarding the information he added i would have brought gems and jewels but it seems that house huntsman is flush with those at this time not so much jarry huntsran replied she glared at zachnophane put that blade away he did but made a show of it just so it was clear how close to death she was at his hands as he stepped back he couldn't help but feel quite unsatisfied but this was business charlaxal's business and zach nefan knew his place you are disappointed because you did not get to murder a priestess charlaxal observed when zach nevane walked into his room at twelve hands the weapon master snorted but didn't otherwise answer recognizing that this was jarl axel's roundabout way of letting him know that he had already heard some reports of the meeting though his party had come straight back here with all speed the hunsren's no house margaster he explained to the mercenary leader they have bought many gemstones from high priestess jari and her agents dozens including at least one major gemstone perhaps more phylacteries you mean in major demons zach nevane shrugged conceding that charlaxal knew much more about this than he did when matron mother beyenri invited demons into menzo baranson when the affairs rest barrier between the underdark and the lower planes have thinned the streets of the city teamed with those foul denizens why would she do that sacnifine asked quento believed that it hearkened back to a glorious time of menzo baranzon's past charlaxal explained and also it allowed her to strengthen her grip upon the city the constant threat of uncontrolled demons brought several houses closer to her side it was a brilliant plan to hold power tighter even if many of our kin suffered for it nothing strengthens a queen more than an outside threat even if she's the one who introduced it i guess zach nevane said shaking his head preservation of the tribe trumps all charlaxal agreed there is also the not so little matter that many of the matrons and their high priestesses figured out that there was value in capturing those demons to put them into phylacteries that the hundreds could sell on the surface world to unsuspecting iblis zach nefane reasoned he shook his head at the diabolical planning it was indeed so very draw zach nefan's face went very serious then however and he stared hard at charlottesville and breaking the earth what about us have you have we engaged in such trait no charlax will answer without the slightest hesitation no never these phylacteries are poison they will entrap the innocent and spread death perhaps uncontrollably but the prophet sachnafane said teasingly geral axel wouldn't take the bait and shook his head resolutely zach defene nodded glad of that because there were more lines he would not cross an axe that he knew his son simply would not tolerate even from someone drizzed called a friend he started to explain his relief but didn't get the first word out of his mouth before he realized the look of horror on jarl axel's face what is it zach nfane asked dwarves charlaxall replied looking past zachnophane off into the distance as if he was sorting through something this clan stone shaft no said jarl axel in the bloodstone lands the hunzrens sold gems to dwarves except there weren't dwarves at all but strange creatures posing as dwarves were not in their usual giant form spriggans zach fane said and jarl axel nodded do you think clan's stone shaft to be spriggans jarl axel shook his head it doesn't matter i was just reminded that charlie hunsrin had dealt with dwarves before she's been selling her wares to this house mark astor so she admitted zach nefane replied she knows their nobles and has dealt with them directly if discreetly but house margaster is intimately tied to clan stone shaft how do you know because they used those dwarfs to wash their platinum and gold from the eyes of the other water deviant noble families it was mar gaster gold that bought thornhold from lord neverember and those dwarves clan stone shaft who appeared at neverember's court with the ill-gotten coin were well adorned with shiny baubles according to regis your agents sacnifine murmured the mercenaries concerned finally dawning on him atherogate and ambergris said charlaxal into what hell did i send them he rushed out the doors acnephane closed behind and didn't stop running until he arrived at the house of denala and regis where they found the governing couple enjoying their dinner i have little time to explain jarl axel replied to their questioning stares and danala's actual question the dwarves you saw and never winter city he said to regis who nodded jewelry baubles charlaxal asked an abundance regis confirmed quite gaudy i thought like the queen of damara we just dropped a food-laden fork something that never happened because he had been there he had watched the whole thing he had been lucky to get out of the bloodstone lands alive when queen concertina del casio frost mantle had been possessed by the succubus gods what does this mean denali demanded it means that for your sake for my sake for the sake of king bruner and everything we care about you and your network now work for me denali's expression grew suspicious at that but regis stood up looked to his wife and nodded his agreement chapter 20 to the heart of the matter a strident nightmare summoned through an obsidian figurine charlaxal pulled up on a high rocky bluff looking down at the decrepit keep known as thornhold a few moments later zach nephine came bouncing up beside him riding a summoned hellboar identical to the one that belonged to the very dwarf they were trying to find you could not do better than this for an old friend an obviously rattled zach nevane asked trying to catch his breath after the bouncing journey i probably could jarl axel conceded but these items come at great expense and time was a factor if it makes you feel better gromp himself crafted the one you ride you paid him to make this for me no no it was to be a gift to ambergris ather gates bride upon their return zach nodded then looked past his friend that is the place charlaxal staring down at the old keep gave a little nod a million pieces of gold for that zach nefane scoffed i am not versed in the prices on the surface world but i could find a better use for such a grand sum in men's oberenson i expect and that is the heart of the problem jarl laxal said he dismounted and spoke a command word reverting his pawing fire snorting steed to a tiny obsidian figurine once more zachnovan was all too happy to hop off the uncomfortable hellboar and jarlaxel dismissed it too but wait for nightfall charlaxal explained and he led the way down into a small dell among the stones out of sight of the keep but with a grand view of the rolling waters of the stormy sword coast you seem especially dollar this day charlaxal mentioned as they shared an afternoon meal although i must admit it is difficult to tell with you since that does seem to be your humor or lack of sacnophane replied but he growled at his own pun before jarl axel could possibly take that as a sign of any positive mood change what is it you have met your son once more i would think such an event zachnovane didn't look up and his bride and most wonderful woman jarl axel continued measuring his words as carefully as he was studying zach nefan he caught a hint of a grimace there and so pressed on his wife who was with the grandchild of zack nefane then zach nephene did look up unblinking they were not happy to see you charlaxal asked sachnafane shrugged pleased enough i expect but you were not so happy to see the changes charlaxal reasoned i didn't say any such thing your son married a human you are ever a font of information your grandson will be of half human blood sacrifice slammed his bowl down and glared at the mercenary so said jarlaxel that's all you have to say about it any of it or am i to be blessed with a soliloquy of sorrow by jar axel for my failing failing charlaxal echoed you float about these other creatures as if you were born to their mothers said zach nephine i was not the one who escorted a band of bedraggled halflings out of the underdark at great personal risk charlaxa reminded him i was not the one who almost killed drizzed when i thought he had murdered an elven child in a surface raid zachnovane shook his head muttered something unintelligible he scooped up his fallen bowl and went back to his meal you accused me of judging you charlaxal quipped someone at this meal is certainly doing so just shut up and do keep in mind that i'd rather be riding your nightmare than this stupid pig i'm not trading then shut up charlaxal said no more and went back to his own meal he understood zach nefan's trepidation here of course it was one thing to free pathetic halflings and quite another to have his grandson be of mixed blood he glanced up from his bowl to consider his old friend he could see the pain there the confusion the anger and knew that there was nothing he could say to make anything better zach nevane's feelings was acne fans to own and thus only one person could resolve them or not the afternoon passed quietly until the sun dipped low in the western sky its last rays shining across the water bright and drow eyes how can you even look at it remarked zachnovane discomfort under the daytime glow etched across his squinting face it was very difficult at first because it offended my drow senses charlaxa replied he paused a moment and indeed zach defane snapped a glare his way catching the inference but i grew used to it and so it did not hurt for long charlaxa went on then to my surprise i grew quite fond of it to the point where i actually prefer its warmth and shine to the cold darkness of the underdog though i suppose as i ponder that i quite like both which gives me the best of both worlds to enjoy you're not half as clever as you think you are zach nevane remarked or twice as clever as i ought to be jar axel added with a grin i have been told that my wit will be my end at least you'll die smiling for no one finds jarl axel as amusing as charlaxal finds himself because no one is quite as smart as he is to truly understand him they let it go at that for the western sun began to sink below the watery horizon as the shadows lengthened they crept out of the dell and made their careful way toward the place called thornhold both studied the ground around them with every step inching forward and looking for clues of well anything the main entrance of the place was apparent and there seemed only one logical approach so if atherogate and ambergris had made it to thornhold charlaxa was confident that he was now retracing the exact last steps of their journey as they neared the gates they came upon a scene of great interest even in the dimness of twilight they could see dark stains on the broken stones including some that looked almost like bubbled black goo blood saknifine signed bending low to sniff one dark stain and not so old i know this stain darlaxel's hands responded looking at a puddle of the black ooze demon remains the hundreds had admitted to zack nefane that they had been selling gemstones in the region and that house margaster had become a favored client of cherry hunzren the dots were all aligning here and given the absence of atherogate and amber connecting to jarlaxel's dismay the two drows stayed low and moved for the cover of a pair of tilted stones and not a heartbeat too soon for even as they arrived they heard a telltale clicking sound only their natural abilities coupled with their vast experience and warrior training sent both into diving rolls for the nearest cover as a crossbow quarrel sparked skipping off the stone between them they look to the wall and gates a torch appeared above them then a second and a few moments later a fiery missile soared out landing on the stone and they are somehow still burning moore followed landing in a strategic pattern to light up the entire area near where the two drow crouched here ye skulkin dogs came the call from the wall show yourselves show your faces and be counted or show your arses and be shot running away counted by dwarves or by demons signed to jarl axel yes came the answer we are emissaries from luskin jarl axel called out come to speak with the new owners of thornhold who were the old owners of thornhold what business has the city of sales so far down the coast not so far for a ship charlaxa replied we ain't seeing your sails a different dwarf from the wall yelled back if you truly understand luskin when you see us you will understand charlaxal said cryptically there are the open powers of the city and then he let it hang and look to zach nevane signing they've surely heard whispers of charlaxal in jarl axel's mind everyone speaks of him constantly zach nevane signed back that brought a wide smile to tarlaxel's face despite their precarious position here for the relentless acne would not surrender his sarcastic wit even when speaking with his fingers it occurred to joel axel then that this irreverent grousing draw was quite similar to another of his closest friends he couldn't believe that he hadn't made that connection before but the two spoke with the same voice and they both so virulently hated the world in which they were trapped that it pleased them to stain their blades with the blood of those whom they believe oppressed them or did great wrongs to innocence jalaxel's other friend was human which was probably why jarl axel hadn't seen them in similar light until now because superficially at least it was hard to equate the world of men to that of drow jarl axel should have known better though human kings or lords or landowners or well just humans were quite capable of being every bit as vicious as the worst of lost priestesses still he was glad to have at least one of them by his side right now for both the steadfast companionship and the ability to take care of the business at hand and show yourselves the dwarf yelled interrupting this revelation trial motioned for zachnophane to stay low then brought forth his newest acquisition a small circular wooden base with a group of feathers pinned flat atop it charlaxle pulled them out and set them upright in four holes cut precisely for the feathers shafts equidistant around the circle's perimeter he whispered akati the name of the supreme aerial being of toril a goddess controlling air elementals immediately the feathers began to wave then to spin and the inner disc of the wooden base similarly spun the motion in the magic created a vortex above the wooden base climbing up into the air holding the item before him charlaxal stood up from behind the stone myself you mean he called the dwarf a crossbow clicked and a quarrel sped from the wall dralaxel didn't flinch he couldn't see the quarrel though he had heard the release he did catch sight of it at the very last instant as it bore down upon him nicking off the angled stone right before him and skipping up at his face the vortex caught it though as designed and flung it harmlessly aside your next lie i'll get a better shot elf the dwarf on the wall called we're knowing how to counter two you were sail friends of house hunzarin jarlaxel dared call out with that please lord neverember do you believe a long silence slipped by with no response from the wall joel axel had taken a great risk here he knew and had tipped a big part of his hand he didn't know where else to take this conversation however and figured that the chance of getting to atherogate in ambergris was worth the cost of a bit of his leverage yourself and your friend come in the dwarf called jar laxa looked to zach nefane who emphatically shook his head echoing charlaxal's feelings on the matter after that warm greeting perhaps it would be best if you came out to us initially at least he called back he came to see us so come in and see us the dwarf bellowed better out here jarl jarlaxel steadfastly replied i'm fast to grow tired of askin then don't weary yourself good dwarf charlaxa called back come out here that we might speak of glorious things to come another long silence followed and all the torches along the wall went dark darlaxa looked to zachnovain and shrugged and both watched the door here we come elf came a shout a short while later and so they did but not through the door with a great buzzing sound a horde of man-sized insect-like creatures resembling some grotesque cross between a house fly and a human swarmed over the wall the buzzing became a purposeful drone and though they were elven and so immune both drow recognized the magical lullaby qualities of the wing song zachnafin however slumped down to the ground charlaxa glanced at him only once not sure if he was afflicted or faking but having no time to consider the implications he gripped the wooden base of his item tighter and sent his will into it demanding more from the magic he counted a dozen of the demons and knew them as casmays too many he knew for two warriors don't get stabbed he warned zack nefane who lay unmoving for jarl axel knew that a wound from a casmas needle-like proboscis would keep bleeding for a long long time jarl axel fell back he wanted to reach for his nightmare to bring it forth and right away but he discovered then that he couldn't let go of his new toy with either hand for it was spinning furiously now and any tilt or wobble would send it flying from his hands of course he also had no idea what it was doing or why it was spinning so furiously a globe of magical darkness fell over him and not one of his or zach nephine's doing he wasn't surprised though and he didn't flee fully committed now he just threw all his will into the magical item in his hands he couldn't see it but he could definitely feel it and hear it a great groaning whirlwind of power the buzzing grew much louder as a demon suddenly dove for him than another he instinctively fell back and tried to angle his toy to intercept the buzzing became a swapping sound accompanied by human-like screeches then groans as the pair caught in jar laxal's tornado began tumbling and spinning and crashing together needing to see it charlaxal backed out of the darkness fully and there they were two then three demon creatures caught in the vortex and it was indeed a tornado a mighty cyclone but controlled spinning tightly battering the demons as it held them in its rotational grip the immediate threat to himself over he looked at zack nefane only to see a pair of casimis dive in for the kill but no way to get near his friend jarl axel summoned a globe of darkness over zach nephine and hoped for the best zach fane had never battled this type of demon before but he had surely fought enough drow in his years to feel no surprise when magical darkness engulfed him it might have even been jar laxal throwing the spell he figured in some attempt to shield him no matter he heard the demons coming well enough judging their distance from the sound of their buzzing insect wings and trusted that they thought him an easy kill he pulled his whip from his hip as he rolled and snapped it up into the air calling upon its powers to cut a line in the multiverse a fiery tear now hidden in the magical darkness rolling quickly he went back over gathered his feet under him and dove away taking some grim satisfaction when he heard a shrieking demon smash into the ground behind him a second turned with remarkable speed just above the darkness globe however and sped right for him he didn't bother with the planar rift power this time just snapped his whip cord tightly around the giant mosquito-like proboscis and yanked it down into the left across his body the casmay's head jerked down giving zach to fame a great view of its shocked insectoid eyes just as the weapon master's left cross brought his sword slicing across them sachnafein slit aside while the casmay crashed down and tumbled over and over and over bouncing and breaking what in the nine house he muttered in disbelief watching jarl axel rushing his way bearing a tornado whatever it was it was highly effective the mercenary caught a fourth demon in the swirl then a fifth and the rest flew in every direction some caught in the effects of the vortex others clearly trying to swing wide of the powerful magic howling from the wall caught the attention of the two drow and the distant gate burst open and a pack of canines hellhounds of course leaped forth the mounts the mounts charlaxa cried but he needn't have was acne already had his hellbore statuette on the ground calling to it and recognizing jarl axel's predicament the weapon master grabbed the pouch from his companion's belt and dumped the other obsidian steed to the ground for the great roar jarlaxel swung his arms left then jerked them back to the right and the five spinning demons went flying from the cyclone thrown like tumbleweeds with their gossamer fly wings torn off in the cyclone they couldn't recover and so they tumbled long and high crashing down to smash against the stones either drow saw it for they were well on their way driving nightmare in hellbore with all speed hooves clicking against the stone lighting fires and trailing black smoke but they heard the sickening sound and that was enough to make jar laxal shudder long and hard they rode hellhounds wouldn't tire but neither would the magical mounts which were faster and the pursuit eventually faded good to be home elf king bruner said to drist when the drow ranger unexpectedly appeared at bruno's court in gontilgrim my home is wherever i would find catty bree dressed corrected today i am visiting the house of my brother haha good enough then and glad to have you so much afoot i'm betting that stupid neverember is up to little good and no good and might not be in that order do tell the drow prompted not much to tell yet bruno replied seems that neverember sold a tower to some dwarfs stone shaft clan down the coast rumble belly seen it smelling like neverembers burying ill-gotten gold and i'd be happy as a gnome with a widget or a halfling with a pie to be the one catching him at it i presume that relations between gontogrim and neverwinter city have not improved ha the man's a fool dressed nodded and let it go he had come here in the hopes of using bruner's newly activated teleportation gates to get to mithril hall in the silver marches he wanted to buy something from silvery moon for catty bree to commemorate the birth of their first child he had a particular piece in mind one that he had seen at lady illustrious palace the last thing he needed now was to get enmeshed in some nonsense between lord neverember and bruner two of the most stubborn and headstrong people he had ever known at that moment however he happened to glance to the side at evanelle it was also at court that day and her fingers fast flashed him the message there is much more do i still have my room or did you sell it to some traveling merchant dressed asked and bruner howled two if you're wanting them nine hell's ten and more above in bleeding vines bruner roared regis is in town not for no one he's been out in about many the ten days drist bowed to take his leave were sharon mutton and ale tonight eh bruner asked and drizzed readily agreed he left the court and meandered in the nearby halls for a bit until evanel joined him and the two went together to the entry cavern of gontelgrim to the tram that would take them up to bleeding vines they couldn't have a private conversation in gontogrim after all where every ear was bruner's here drist had ridden this tram many times and was never left less than amazed by the journey back to the surface coming down into the mountain was normal enough a train of cars rolling down the tracks to the entry cavern of the dwarven complex where a series of breaks and rises stop the momentum and place the train at the station on a high platform just before the underground pond and the gates of gontogrim beyond the ride back to the surface however was a feat of engineering and magic as grand as anything drizz had ever known including the web balconies of chad assad the tram rolled down from the platform it across the cavern propelled again by simple gravity but when it got to the steep incline it rolled over with the tracks upside down to the ceiling except that wasn't upside down at that point because grump by henry and some other powerful wizards had reversed the gravity all the way back up the mountain the tram would then fall up the mountain rolling back to the floor before exiting at the bleeding vine station ivanel was clearly not as entranced by such a feat though because barely off the tram she took drizzed by the arm and pulled him aside and there away from any eavesdroppers she informed him that regis had left town once more moving back to infiltrate neverember's court in neverwinter city he was the one who witnessed the sail to clan stone shaft she explained in that very chamber and regis was the one who made the connection to house margaster of water deep though there are more connections he could not know drizzed cocked an eyebrow at that to house hansren even elle explained she told him then of the money washing of atherogate and ambergris who had gone off to thornhold and of jarl axel's fears that there might be even more nefarious characters afoot i would expect this to come from trilaxal not you dressed admitted making it clear that he still wasn't quite sure of the strange woman before him he isn't here evan l answered he and zach nephine went to find the missing dwarves missing they've been gone a long while even elle perhaps they are drunk at the table of clan stone shaft celebrating a new dwarf kingdom in the region they went there to look for crimes and they have not returned with everything else we've been able to put together it's hard not to think something untoward has befallen them how long two ten days and joel axel he left only a couple of days ago but he is writing his nightmare and a hell bore for zach nefan i expect they are even now at thornhold or already on their way back drizzed reflexively look to the south and west there's only one road evanel said and it sounded very much like a suggestion dressed walked around the far side of the tram station behind a mountain spur and out of sight of bleeding vines he had meant to go to silvery moon as he had told bruner but now that seemed ill-advised he thought to go back to the tram down to the dwarven portal where he could be teleported back to the ivy mansion in catty bree would have liked to have her insight into these alarming developments he could go speak with her and be back here in a matter of hours but then he looked to the south and scolded himself for his previous thoughts they were just delays he knew that in his heart his road lay before him a road where three of his friends had gone likely into danger along with a fourth his father his father trist wasn't sure what that meant his confidence regarding zach nevane's character thoroughly shaken by the man's prejudices on a rational level he told himself that he shouldn't be surprised this was also new and shocking to zach nefane after all whose life had been lived holy within the bounds of men's oberenson yet he looked back to the east where far beyond sight lay the ivy mansion and his beloved and the excuses he wanted to make for zach nefan fell away this was his wife his partner in everything and this was his child yet he reminded himself that this drow and willingly laying upon matron malice's sacrificial altar for the sake of drizzed dressed nodded he didn't need to go to catty bree he knew where his road lay despite his misgivings he lifted a unicorn shaped whistle hanging on a chain about his neck to his lips and blew it care to join me he asked his companion even elle's eyes widened she looked past dressed and he knew that andahar his magical unicorn steed was on the way sure enough he turned to see the shining white creature its ivory horn gleaming in the morning light as it took its last few strides toward him each magical step amplifying its size beyond the mere closure of distance now i will stay here but take great care even el warned stepping away you have walked this road before and you may be dealing with demonic forces drizzed climbed up on andahar and nodded i will await your return even el promised and drizz turned the steed and leaped away down the south road at a full gallop behind him evanel sat down and began to memorize a spell of wind walking for despite what she'd said she did intend to go with drizz but he didn't need to know that he sat in his own filth back against a rough natural wall hands extended up above his head and chained to the stone they fed him only once stuffing moldy bread into his mouth and nearly drowning him with buckets of water that meal was on the first day of his captivity apparently the demons had come to believe that he wasn't worth much to them after all and now we're letting him starve he should have withered and died he figured or maybe they were counting on him to stay near death perhaps his story of a wizard cursing him with long life because of those long ago events in citadel fell bar was truer than he actually believed it didn't matter curse or not one thing sustained atherogate at that time he had to find his beloved a flicker of distant light stung his eyes and it took him a long while to open them by that time the torch was clear to see as was the sturdy dwarf with yellow hair all braided into cornrows who was carrying it so dwarf have you had enough asked his jailer who appeared to be a dwarf woman with rather thin arms but very wide shoulders but the accent and sophistication of her speech sounded very undwarfish enough the belly's growling so likely not very good the jailer replied i do admire your courage in this hopeless time although perhaps not so hopeless for you if you tell me what brought you here or rather who sent you here i know enough to know if you're lying be warned afrogate roared you think i'd be telling yourself the color of the dern sky or the makins of a halfling pie or a joke to make a baby cry or an answer to who what when or why clever truthy dog you let me out of these chains get yourself the best weapons you can find and come at me self and me bare hands will show you more truth eh i could hurt you better in yourself avert me oh no ugly creature i could hurt you in ways you cannot imagine got myself a wild way of thinking of things affricate assured her the jailer stepped back then conceded it all with a shrug here then let us see she said she reached behind her back and tossed an object into atherogate's lap atherogate's eyes widened and he let out a whale of the deepest agony he had ever known the pain has only begun the jailer promised she walked away but atherogate staring at the object wanting to throw it far aside and keep it in his view all at once couldn't hear the dwarf woman over his own screaming screaming at the severed head of amber grissilo mall of the ad bar o malls chapter 21 the widening web zach nevane is working with charlaxo matron jindi and milan asked shaking her head at the news matron shakti hunsren had just delivered it was only for effect though as xindi had already come to understand that jarlax's alliances on the surface were as much a part of the problem as the heretic dressed and his resurrected father even if tristan's acne were delivered to her as she intended that would not stop her from pursuing the wider web of jar laxal's blasphemous enterprise shakti looked to her eldest daughter it was acne doerden representing charlottesville most forcefully chary hunsren assured the milani contingent which included matron jindiya first priestess kirnal house wizard iltsran and ardul remillarn who is currently serving the city as the matron of scriptures at araktinolith and perhaps most notable here shaktihan's renew was the youngest member of the group ashala the young daughter of first priest is kirnal ashala had once served house milan as the ambassador to their loose alliance with house or lauren and break into the earth indeed all eyes fell over her then but the young woman simply shrugged i have not had any contact with breaking the air since the fall of queues or lauren she explained even referencing that fledgling drow city which had been overrun by king bruner's forces and was now known as gontogrim brought a tightness to arshala's chest for that had marked a clear drop in her station in house milan perhaps you now should speak with charlaxal matron shakti hunsrin offered now came the sharp and unexpected reply from matron jindiya shaking her head resolutely if they ally was acnephane and the heretic they are enemies of loth she spat by their own actions are they doomed if you speak of break in the earth you speak of house bayenri ashara said and then gasped for she apparently hadn't meant to blurt out such dangerous thoughts we shall see a surprisingly calm matron jindia answered charlaxa will learn the truth before him will he side with the glorious spider queen or will he side with his friends if he is worthy of our concern the answer should be simple side with them in what matron shocked he asked her voice thick with weariness your recent mercantile adventures have brought chaos to the surface matron india explained and that is good now jar laxal with sacnophane and no doubt that heretic dressed as discovered the danger in the region almost certainly and so the lines will be drawn india tried not to laugh and tip her hand with her eagerness here she couldn't believe how beautifully this had all come together which of course only made her even more certain that her prayers had led her correctly not only had circumstances and lady love presented the opportunity for some ambitious matron to claim both the heretic and his father who had been stolen from eternity not only had the foolishness of jar laxal and matron mother by henry and allowing his alliances created a wonderful opportunity for a devout follower to correct an ongoing heresy but now so perfectly an army of demons had been inserted into the very region ready for that ambitious matron to take control had jindia ever seen a more obvious sign a demon army delivered to her clandestinely by an unwitting ally and ready to sweep her to glorious victory those lines do not include loth jindiya conceded to the others not wanting anyone to usurp her initiative in this increasingly obvious endeavor she then quickly added yet thus claiming ownership something she meant to drive home post haste she flashed her always awful smile around the gathering and bad them follow down the corridors of house milan matron jindia led her guests to a large circular chamber ringed by a walkway high above the floor the other milani knew what to expect and so they all watched the predictable gasps of matron shakti and her daughter when they peered over the railing for in the pit loomed a pair of spider-like creatures each with a body as large as an ox supported by eight long legs that in and of itself was not so spectacular in a city that sported even larger jade spiders but the size alone wasn't the full story of these monstrous constructs jagged metal plates had been set along their backs and the hair on their legs actually consisted of a multitude of metal blades matrinchindia called across the way to a pair of male guards who immediately began turning cranks that opened a pair of large doors in the pit out of one came an umber hulk huge and powerful and fearless with skin thicker than the heaviest armor a mountain giant might wear and mandibles and claws strong enough to bore through solid stone never afraid the beast charged at the nearest spider construct in full rage out of the other opening came a band of ten minotaurs the formidable and cunning creatures falling into a defensive array immediately lifting heavy axes instead of charging though they followed the lead of the drow above them and watched the bull rush of the umber hulk the spider reared before the approaching monster four of its eight eyes began to sparkle and glow the umber hulk didn't slow determined to fight but then it was flying backward blasted by a lightning strike from one of the eyes before the hulking monster even got off the floor a cone of skin cracking frost fell over it stinging it so badly that it let out a howl that echoed definitely about the chamber then stubbornly the umbra hulk was back up and it stumbled forward still ready to wage battle except it wasn't actually a battle or rather it was a battle in the same way a butcher might battle with a hog during slaughter with little effort the spider monster's four front legs whipped and battered the umber hulk throwing it this way and that like a toy disorienting it and putting it off balance the constructs giant mandibles cut it in half on the other side of the pit the minotaurs shrank back tightening their formation and that played right into the designs of the second construct as a dark beam flashed from one of its eyes splashing through more than half its adversaries five of those six beam-washed minotaurs turned to stone i never promised that they would retrieve saknifine and trista live matron jindia said with the shrug retrieve matron shakti echoed these are retrievers they are demon creatures abyssal creatures made transgender corrected golems single-minded and made to retrieve a single creature or person but yes most often employed by the great lords of the abyss how did you do this this is the glory of love matron jindiya interrupted keeping her business with escovidney to herself why do you doubt me matrin shakti have you a crisis of faith shakti hunsman shrank back from those words the milani were zealots in the cause of love so much so that their adherence to their principles above practicality had often hurt the standing of their house and had created great reservations about them from all the other ruling houses of manzo barons on before them right now was reason enough to distrust their fervor you really hate them don't you chari hunsren dared to remark matrin india turned a wicked smile upon her charlax dressed jerry explained they greatly wounded your family and their run through men's oberenson your daughter speak not of her matringe india demanded for her only daughter had indeed been taken from her and murdered in a manner such that she could not be resurrected i am surprised that you have but two monsters cherry went on ivan el may be up there with jarl axel matringe india milan looked back to the pit where the retrievers were tearing apart the remaining minotaurs except for two who were shot with and fully engulfed by reams of webbing each spider-like construct then went to one of the captured targets gathering its respective prey up to its belly as instructed the retrievers will not go alone i promise matring india said with a sneer house milan will go to war an army of drivers before us we will bring ruin to the heretics friends and will retrieve drizzt and his father stolen from lol's grasp in her eternal domain more than one of the gathered drow arched eyebrows at that proclamation how many have said that before you jarry hunsren asked what many were thinking how many have committed the resources i have came the rejoinder there is an army of demons already in place awaiting us all they need is direction i am that direction more than one of the drow shuffled nervously at that remark particularly as they looked down into the pit at the rare and horrible monsters at the perfect killing machines the constructs without weakness go with all speed doing carry margaster matron shakti hunsron told her daughter chari as soon as they were out of house milan discern her designs regarding the dwarf king and other friends of trist and regarding charlottesville's band do not yet prod her so but yes discern her designs most especially regarding jar laxal's band shakti agreed she looked back at the now distant structure of the zealot filled house milan to battle jar laxalis to battle house by henry and that is something we do not yet desire matron jindia is convinced that loft stands with her chari pointed out and we know that in this endeavor should she go against breaking the earth matron bayenry will stand against her shakti was quick to reply we do not know the truth of lolf's will in this matter nor her level of interest nor even any recompense she might deliver she sighed and looked across the cavern to the quell arts oral where sat house bayenry after the defeat of demogorgon matron mother quenthil had truly solidified her alliances with most of the noble houses rarely in history had menzo barons on been so united behind the first house and that first house shocking new well was so powerful that it didn't even need any allies but we do know she continued what matron mother bayenry will do if she comes to believe that we are trying to be rid of breaking the earth she sighed again and looked to her daughter do you understand chary huntsman nodded solemnly go to the mar gaster with all speed shakti reiterated but with all caution and if we learn that matring india is correct jari had to ask close no options of course shakti instructed her we can always return we are on neither side and on both of course chari huntsren bowed and ran off to find a wizard who could deliver her quickly to water deep i hate them as much as you do first priestess milan assured her matron theirs was not a typical drow familial relationship kiernel had herself once been a matron the ruler of house kenophin at that time jindiya had been matron of house holbar circumstances had forced the two houses to merge for their relevance if not their very survival and in that agreement kernel had ceded the position of matron to jindiya of course at that time kernel had expected that india would soon enough be murdered the fact that she had escaped that web of intrigued intact had begun the rise of jindia hobart to a stature far beyond her position as matron of house milan because her simple survival against all odds had marked her as lol blessed and it was difficult to go against one so favored by the spider queen indeed shindia had gained much in the decades since the merger most of all with her cruelty and viciousness invoking loth to dispense horrific punishments she had inculcated fear into many within men's oberon's on kendall could not lie to herself and say she didn't secretly hold such a fear or pretend that she wouldn't want such respect as that for now though she played her subservient role looking to convince the matron of her allegiance which matringe india did not seem to appreciate that is not true she quietly answered i was in the room with you keirnel reminded her she had been present during the attack on house milan by jarl axel dreist and their human associate artemis and tray six priestesses of house milan had been slain in that attack though five were soon after resurrected through the power of love my escape and your own are the only reason that the damage to house milan was not lasting and mortal india fixed her with a sober and stone-cold stare the favor of loaf allowed us to reconstruct the house and bring back those murdered she said her voice flat and even and very near to sounding like a growl all but one from jindiya's tone kirnel understood that this conversation could quickly degenerate if she was not careful you do not agree with my decision to join in the coming conflict on the surface matring india stated you are the matron of house milan it is not my place to agree or disagree it is my place to obey grudgingly not so kernel was quick to reply i have served you loyally for more than a century my matringe india we are not peers nor rivals you are my matron i am your faithful servant truly the wage india asked had the hares standing on the back of kyrnel's neck jindiya was a fanatic had always been a true zealot in the service of love or rather in the service of whatever it was that she came to believe was lost will the problem with such fanatics kiernel knew was that the longer they survived the more they became entrenched in their surety whether it be about the fervor of their followers or the saltiness of their beef each surety often brought the same level of consequence to the mundane and profound alike so while eventually the overly zealous fanatics would fail and fall kirnel understood that the longer it took in jindiya's case more than a century and counting the greater the fall and the more people they would take down with them in the meantime kernel would continue to express her devotion in both word and act and hope only that matron jindia saw enough to not turn the zealotry on her chapter 22 the strength of rage he came over the rock to a six foot drop and didn't hesitate leaping onto the back of the creature below a large and vicious hellhound the canine beast howled as its back bent low onto the weight a force that would have broken the spine of a large dog or a wolf it did a little damage to a beast as powerful as a hellhound it spun its head immediately lightning fast to expel its unwelcome rider but zach nevane's sword was already moving and he had no intention of trying to make a mount of the demonic canine now the hellhound yelp more loudly as the fine drow blade gashed into the side of its neck the hound whipped its head to the other side but again zach defane stayed ahead of the game flipping his sword back up and over catching it in both hands and plunging it down with all his strength into the back of the beast's neck driving down cracking bone the front paws splayed wide as the hellhound went down to the stone up leaped zachnophane already spinning and drawing his whip and in the same fluid motion snapped into the face of the next nearest hound as it began to spring his way he scored a brutal hit taking an eye from the beast which stumbled aside and blew its fiery breath at the weapon master though it was too far away then for the flames to hurt its target a second crack of the whip drove it back farther right into a barrage of expertly thrown daggers jarring the hound stabbing the hound sachnafein brought his whip back in winding it with easy expertise to replace it on his belt he grasped the sword standing straight up from the dead hell hound and tore it free as he walked toward the second beast which was squirming and spinning in pain he finished it with a perfect stab through the empty socket that used to contain its left eye two last charlaxal said hopefully coming around a nearby rock he was adjusting his sleeve moving it back down to cover a most interesting bracer he wore wherever did you find so many daggers zach fane asked shaking his head to show that he was hardly surprised so many charlaxa replied with the grin my friend just a few just a few enough for a thousand more of these devil dogs jarl axel shrugged two less he said again until one of the demons within the keep decides to bring two more in zaknafine replied we are up against an infinite army here my friend not so their gating powers are limited except that they can gate in creatures who can gate in creatures lesser demons cannot do that and greater demons are fortunately rare we're not going to fight them all now in any case then why did we come back because i am almost certain that my associates are in there i'll not leave them these are demons jarl axel sachnafein looked down at the dead hounds they don't make a habit of taking prisoners there are more than demons at play here jarlaxel replied and started back toward the coast with zachnophane in tow lord neverember is connected to this and he is no demon an evil fool perhaps but most certainly human a noble house of water deep is part of this too and i doubt that all the dwarves of this clan stone shaft have been possessed by the creatures within chari hunzarin's vile phylacteries those that weren't are likely dead too darlaxel paused and cocked his head to cast a side long glance back at his companion i had forgotten these fits of zach nephew and the tower he said and started to laugh but he stopped himself at his own reminder in all the years since zach nevane's death had charlax remembered only the easy parts of the weapon masters personality the fine blades and loyalty the quick wit as sharp as those blades the unrivaled courage it was easy to think kindly of one who was gone but small memories started bubbling up little moments when perhaps zach nevane hadn't been the easiest companion to get along with and once again he was reminded of artemis and prairie and realized that was what made both men such important allies they were complex beings who excelled at many things but ultimately thought on their own reassured by having zach the fame at his side he pressed on have your mount ready in case we need a fast escape jar laxal instructed though he was certain that the ever vigilant zach nephine wouldn't need to be reminded as expected zach nevane didn't even respond but jarl axel smiled a little when he saw some subtle movement near his friend's pouches they came back inside of thornhold keep soon after looking down from a different angle now from a rocky bluff south of the dwarven stronghold that put them up high enough to see the top parapets of the place even the dwarves walking the walls torches in hand learn their patterns charlaxxl instructed they are on their guard now zach nefane replied pointing to a dwarf walking south on the front wall turning the corner at precisely the same time as the dwarf walking west along the south wall turned right around the corner to the north not sloppy they'll grow bored soon enough guards always do we've another four hours before daylight zach nefane sighed you would have me leave my associates in there darlaxel asked would you have me leave if you were in there sacrificing cocked an eyebrow if there was even a chance that you were alive charlaxo clarified and zachnafane chuckled or is this simply your way of telling me that you warned me if we are again chased away or it is a warning of my curses if we can't get away i would be disappointed were it not so zach the fans sighed again but he didn't leave and that's what jarl axel cared about right now so they crouched and they watched and they waited and an hour passed and then another the eastern sky began to lighten ever so slightly but to draw eyes it burned like a warning beacon still the dwarves on the wall marched with great precision keeping watch at all points had these been mere dwarves and not at least some demons jarl axel might have long ago made the attempt to get over the wall but he was beginning to believe that they might have to wait until the next night for this clan to let down their guard enough for him and his partner to slip through he was counting the steps of the dwarf marching the southern expanse when zach nephea nudged him then directed his attention to the northeast at first he saw nothing but then he noted the approaching form one he knew would soon enough be shining white under the morning sun your son he murmured his acne despite their secrecy zach nefan stood up and that action that simple movement that could have given their position away revealed to jarl axel just how much this formidable weapon master this supreme often cold-blooded warrior cared for drizzed with their superb dark vision the drow pair could now make out the rider on the thundering unicorn charlaxal's eyes widened and zach nevane gasped when drizz leaned low to the right-hand side of his mouth then shockingly dropped free tumbling to the stone he landed in a row and kept rolling so beautifully until it brought him back to his feet running full out behind the unicorn every great stride of that magical steed took it farther and farther from dresd but more importantly every stride made the unicorn seem weirdly smaller shrinking until in no time at all there was nothing left of the magical mount nothing except for drist who continued his rush to the wall darting about from stone to stone they watched him reach the eastern wall about 20 paces to the right of the main door and both blinked as if unable to comprehend the sight as the skilled ranger now trained in the way of the monastery of the yellow rose went up that wall at full speed hands and legs moving like the legs of a scrabbling spider he gained the parapet in short order and rolled right over then disappeared from sight as if he had just jumped down the back side of the 30-foot wall into the courtyard which both could easily believe the case from somewhere beyond a dwarf howled in protest other guards took up the call and all along the wall the torches began to bob as the sentries ran to find the intruder charlottesville started to yell to zach nefan that they should be quick to the wall but before the first word had left his mouth zach defene ran past him already on his way what no them dark elves return bronk and stoneshaft asked the pair of agitated centuries when he saw them scrambling down from the walls into the keep courtyard the clan leader was not in a good mood half his boys were possessed by demons after all and he was having a hard time trusting them and while that should have bothered him more than it did he had made a deal with some monsters after all it was bringing him great wealth and potentially unimaginable power so he was willing to live with it might be answered one a young woman named argument who was wearing a glabra zoo pendant around her neck quirkin seen a shadow come over the wall added franken bronkin's favorite nephew and one by his demand untouched by the possession necklaces work is alas with a lot of imagination argument noted i and we just seen two drow outside bronken reminded her fire and hopped the girls imagining said argument with a cruel laugh but bronken wasn't convinced and let her know it with a forceful shake of his yellow-haired head bronken was about to argue with a yell from inside the keep followed by a roar like that of a hunting cat filled the walls that was soon followed by a demonic shriek and any thoughts of further conversation were stolen from them the three dwarfs became two as argument transformed into a hulking glabra zoo the other two were already in the keep when arguments settled into her new form but with her great strides she caught up to them in the first room past the foyer all three watched in surprise as a feline a huge black panther sped past in the hallway beyond that foyer argument leaped out of the room into the corridor and crashed into another demon a huge fiend with a boar-like face and murderous tusks a fat body half giant and half warthog with ridiculously small black feathered wings flapping behind as large as the glabber zoo was 12 feet tall this demon an alpheshni was more than half again taller still even with the two entangled and thrashing bronken and franken managed to rush out to take up the pursuit through the maze of corridors and rooms they ran always one step behind the elusive cat other dwarves joined in other demons joined in and that whole side of the keep shook under the thunderous pursuit with doors being torn from their hinges and hurled aside sometimes into the face of a fellow pursuer lesser demons the desiccated humanoid mains ran into major demons to be torn apart for getting in the way or simply because the vicious beast needed to destroy something anything and all the while the panther moved just out of reach until it seemed the dwarves had at last cornered it however without stopping through a window went the fleeing cat and the pursuit rolled out into the courtyard and shouts came down from all the walls and back in the corridor outside the small room argument the glabrazoo and the giant now feshni continued their battle caring not at all for the events beyond their mortal clash we are found zach nevane's fingers waggled up to charles axel the two of them halfway up the keep's outer wall wedged into a corner and pressing in more tightly because of all the commotion just on the other side of the stone barrier dressed jar laxal corrected then moves acne demanded trust in him they are chasing not fighting jarl axel he did begin to move but slowly and carefully weightless from his levitation spell the mercenary leader inched his way up the wall pausing every few feet to listen carefully to the continuing commotion within damned big cat he heard at one point a dwarven voice and he nodded and smiled from the shadows down the wide corridor beyond the foyer dressed watched the demonic battle glabrazoo against now feshni a pair of major fiends locked in vicious combat the larger now feshni carried lines of scars from the other monsters great pincers but the resilient greater fiend was far from finished indeed even then the pig-faced behemoth waggled its arms accepting yet another clawing strike from the glabrous zoo in order to cast a magical spell that filled the air with waves of unholy magic slamming the glabber zoo and stunning it but now feshni lowered its massive shoulders and charged right into its opponent bowling the glabrizu to the ground then it bent low and jumped flapping its two small wings furiously to bring its back all the way up to the 30-foot ceiling where it stopped the flapping and dropped from above smashing against the prone demon up it went again to fall into another crushing blow then a third time the glad brazil arrived and tried to stand and when its crushed hips failed it tried to roll out of the way instead lifting its pincer arms to fend off the next attack but the now fashion he had obviously battled such fiends as this before and coughed an evil laugh as it plummeted once again accepting the sting of the pincers in exchange for the meteoric blow it landed on the chest of the glabrazool even for a seasoned veteran like dresd the sheer brutality of the giant demon proved jarring he didn't look away though for he wanted to better understand the unbridled power of this monstrous beast one he might soon be battling himself the glamour zoo lay still after the next crash and after inspecting the damage for a moment the now fashion he just leaped up and began stomping on the helpless fiend's head again and again black smoke began to rise from the prone demon telling drizzle that it was destroyed and its essence already flying back to its lower planar home but no where the demon had been now lay a dwarf woman groaning the now fashiony laughed again and kicked her aside into the wall then stormed away toward where the others had gone traced watched the black smoke swirling all about the area but not immediately dissipating instead it wound tightened and dove into the throat of the dwarf but no not the throat rather into a necklace set with large gems a phylactery much more became clear to drizz then he nodded as he thought of the bloodstone lands the caves in damara and the succubus named malconfette he went to the fallen dwarf she was alive and didn't seem too badly injured more stunned than anything she flinched at the drow before her looming as if he was going to finish the job instead he took her necklace and rushed back the other way drizzed had been in this place before twice once to shelter from the rain and the other time simply to scout the abandoned keep he didn't remember the layout well but enough to know where lay the dungeons and so he presumed where he would find afrogate in amber if they had survived or likely even if they had not he found the trap door to the lower level a ladder lying beside it first he quietly dismissed gwenever sending her home to the astral plane knowing he might soon enough be recalling her and needing to be conscious of how much time she spent here then slowly and carefully he lifted the edge of the door just a bit to peek below he saw no one in the room immediately beneath but he heard dwarf voices not far away eschewing the ladder he opened the trapdoor enough to slip through caught a handhold to suspend him above the floor below and after a cursory glance at the nearby wall to ensure that he could get back up and open the trap door he eased the wooden seal down once more some ten feet off the ground dressed swung toward the nearby wall and simply let go safely and silently dropping to the floor he got his bearings two natural limestone corridors ran off this chamber left and right with the voices coming from the right the west he chose that path figuring it would be easier to find any prisoners once he had caught the jailers he crept along the natural corridors using the shadows of their uneven walls to his advantage soon the light of a fire spilled into the hallway and the voices grew louder coming from a small chamber just ahead to the floor went drizzed crawling silently the rest of the way three dwarves sat around a cooking fire the good news was that only one wore the baubles expected of a demonic phylactery driest hardly looked at that one however his eyes and his heart caught by the other two for one wore a garment that he knew well atherogate's girdle which granted him the strength of a mountain giant the third of the group carried a mace and not just any mace a two-handed monster weapon with the name skull crusher the mace of amber grissilo maul of the advarro malls dressed swallowed hard did the fact that the jailers carried these items mean that his friends were alive and imprisoned here what did it mean the worst as his eyes adjusted to the harsh light of the fire he noted that the passage continued directly across the small chamber climbed just a bit and seemed to widen and turn all about dress thought that he recognized that area and if he remembered correctly there were indeed cells in there even if that just meant natural cubbies with shackles coming from the walls he took a better look at the jailers noting a huge stone immediately beside the one wearing atherogate's girdle that didn't bode well nor could drizz have any idea of what type of demon he might find himself facing from the one with the phylactery and that particular dwarf had a huge two-headed war axe leaning against the wall behind her one too large for her to wield properly in her natural form surely yet none of it mattered not really with even the chance that his friends might be beyond needing his help his safety was the last thing on his mind but he did need to consider a different tactic than headlong attack he backed down the corridor looking for a place where he might conceal himself climbing up onto a natural shelf along one wall he called out elves darn dark elves ready your arms stop him at the trapdoor in the best dwarven accent tone and dialect he could muster it didn't sound very convincing to him and he winced more than once at his poor bruner impersonation nevertheless he did hear a commotion from back down the corridor went left the wrong way he called trap him trap him get a demon he ducked in tight against the stone and sure enough two of the jailers came rushing up the one with amber's mace and the demon but as that monstrosity passed below trist was glad of his choice to use deception instead of weapons he wasn't well versed in whatever in the nine hells this thing was but it certainly looked formidable a hugely muscled green skinned monster with goblin-like ears great bat wings and goat horns wielding the massive axe with practice ease it ran hunched over but still passed only just below drizzt's position its horns close enough for him to grab went left they held the dwarf said when they passed drizzed and neared the trapdoor the demon never slowed rushing down the other tunnel eager for a kill yeah yourself goes said the dwarf shaking his head myself will just be waiting here eh drizz tapped him on the shoulder and he spun about eyes bulging when he saw the drow the dwarf swept skull crusher across to swap the unexpected visitor aside but drizz fell flat to his belly the mace sweeping overhead then popped back up before the dwarf could reverse the stroke he caught the dwarf's extended arm by the wrist and drove his other hand brutally hard against the elbow pulling the wrist toward him as he struck he heard the crack of bone and the dwarf groaned drizz lifted the arm and spun beneath it coming around to drive his elbow right into the dwarf's face continuing his spin he lifted his knee hard at just the right moment to drive it up between the dwarf's legs lifting the fellow from the ground the dwarf landed and lurched weapon dropped one hand going to his crotch the other rising in defense but too late as drizz had already pulled one of his scimitars and executed the fourth move of the routine a downward right hand cross palma leading that caught the bending dwarf on the side of the jaw and sent him flying to the floor a quick look assured drizz that this one wouldn't be back in the fight anytime soon so he grabbed up amber's mace and rushed back the other way he slowed as he neared the room with the fire peeking in from far enough to see the dwarf with afrogate's girdle standing ready huge rock in hand drizzed crept up beside the door here now stinky the jailer said thought yourself what drizz summoned a globe of magical darkness just outside the door so that it's visually impenetrable veil bled into the room nearly to the dwarf drizz didn't hesitate slipping in on his belly moving to the side of the chamber what hey the dwarf said and drizz peeked out of the globe down low into the side and saw the diminutive fellow hoist the boulder high overhead he was still staring ahead nervously into the darkness globe when a drow hand slipped around his waist and deftly and quickly unlatched the girdle what the dwarf managed to say as his belt was yanked away but only that before the boulder he held above his head collapsed his arms and cracked him in the head bearing him to the ground beneath it once again though drist was already gone out the other side of the chamber moving fast through the myriad of alcoves and chambers beyond he soon enough heard the sound of someone softly crying and following that came inside of a bedraggled beaten prisoner a dwarf he knew well in the corridors he had left behind though drizzed heard stirring the return of the demon probably and by the sound of it some of its friends he rushed to his own friend who was sitting against the wall arms shackled up high over his head dress started for the shackles but stopped in horror when he glanced to the side there lay the severed head of another old companion a dwarf who had accompanied him on his adventures for years oh africa he whispered his voice full of sympathy this dwarf had finally found peace and finally found love and now a afrogate replied barely opening his eyes if he even could with all the caked blood knowing the time was running out drizz knelt at the dwarf side and put a waterskin to atherogate's mouth and splashed water all over the dwarf's face trying to wipe away the blood atherogate coughed and shook his head looking at drizzed confusedly with one hand drizz gave him more water with the other he looped atherogate's belt about the dwarf's waist listen friend with not much time he explained pulling the girdle tight and buckling it immediately atheragate began to growl and moved as if to pull the chains hold dressed at him not yet my friend they are coming the ones who killed amber are coming wait for them until they are vulnerable atherogate continued to stare at him blankly but drist was out of time he knew and so had to trust that the dwarf understood he put a finger over his lips to call for silence adjusted atherogate's ragged shirt to mostly cover the girdle then slunk off into the shadows from a perch not far away drizz watch the approach of the captors he recognized the dwarf in front the one who had become the demon but was once again without its monstrous form behind her came a trio of other dwarves two holding the poor fella who had dropped a boulder on his own head who was still lawling about in a daze behind them came a trio of hulking vulture-like demons drizz knew to be rocks formidable and vicious with great clawed hands that could rake the skin off an umber hulk and powerful beaks that could split stone you got a friend do you the lead dwarf asked atherogate walking right up and kicking the poor captive on the bottoms of his bare whip-torn feet atherogate opened one eye enough to glare at his torture got lots he managed to say laboring with every word i you got one who's come in said the stone shaft dwarf might that i'll be putting his head on your lady friend's body and hers on his now you tell me where your friend might be and i'll kill him quick eh atherogate half coughed half snorted but from the side drizz nodded noting the dwarf's fingers wrapping around the shackle chains hey but his face has been wiped another of the dwarves then noted ha up leaped after gate arms wide hands gripping those chains knuckles whitening oh but you're tap the lead dwarf said or started to say until afrogate gave a gigantic tug on the chains his belt supplying the necessary power they were tightly bolted but the stones of the wall proved less secure the whole of it buckling behind him instinctively and defensively not even realizing the scope of what he had done athergate brought his right arm swinging across at the dwarf standing before him started to draw a sword a huge block of stone fastened to the end of the shackle chain like the head of a mountain giant's flail whacked the dwarf in the side and launched him flying into the wall now full of bloodlust beyond pain beyond hunger beyond anything but hatred in the sight of his beloved amber's head lying in the filth atherogate kept that arm up above his head swinging the impromptu flail he found a similar bludgeoning block attached to the left shackle and wasted no time in putting that one into a complementary spin for a hundred years atherogate had wielded cracker and whacker these impromptu flails were much larger and heavier but the game was the same and the dwarf went forward behind a maniacal laugh swatting aside the two healthy dwarves next in line and running over the third as he fell to the ground slowing only enough to stomp his bare foot on the fool's face in among the three demons he waited fearlessly swinging wildly and scoring stunning hits but these were five hundred pound monsters and for every hit atherogate gave he took two claws raking digging the skin from his bones sometimes so deeply as to scratch the bones as well atherogate didn't seem to feel any of it one frock drove its beak at him from above his swing the furious dwarf caught it in his other hand clamping it tight yanking it back and forth with such power that the demon had to open wide its vulture wings to maintain any semblance of balance no matter though for atherogate's other hand came up and clamped about its bird neck he tugged it in close and drove its head up the other way and bit out the creature's throat he flung the dying thing before him driving the others away enough for him to get his flails spinning once more he heard the dwarves stirring behind him soon to surround him but he didn't care all he wanted was to inflict pain to crush those who had done this to amber the two dwarfs stumbled together directly behind the rampaging atherogate they took up their weapons unsteady and unsure both grabbed their hamstrings at the same time as a fine scimitar cut through each then there was suddenly another person between them a drow elf and even as they realized it drizz snapped his hands out wide to either side with a stunning quickness the pommels of his blades crashing into dwarven faces off to the side of atherogate went drizzed drawing one drock with him the furious creature clawed left long arms sweeping down but drizz hopped over the strike across came the right claw for the drow shoulder but a mighty weapon a blade of two magics that of twinkle in that evidra nath was up to block and at just the right angle so that the rock's own swing brought its arm hard against the fine edge dress other blade his oldest weapon stabbed hard into the monster's chest the wound would not have proven mortal surely to this other worldly being and drizz thought it likely that such knowledge was why the stupid rock had allowed the strike thinking to counter by pecking tristan ahead however icing death was no normal blade but a frost brand a weapon imbued with a magical hatred of fire and of creatures birthed in fire like demons the rock's head came forward anyway as icing death began to extinguish its life force but that strike too was cleanly intercepted by the flat of vigranath the weapon turning the beak aside just enough so that it skimmed past drizz's face that near-miss didn't shake drizzed he could have further deflected the beak if necessary but he wanted his weapon in close too close and too quick for the rock to get its clawing hands back up a subtle sudden shift sent vidranaph slicing across the creature's neck and drizzed twisted icing death eating the creature's fiery heart the cavern shook then violently and a lump of blood and guts and feathers washed over drizzed in his opponent he turned as he skipped aside and saw atherogate extracting one of his stone block flails from the flattened form of of rock growling afrogate started for the dwarves drizzed had dropped for they weren't yet dead no time drizz yelled and he grabbed the dwarf by the arm he knew that it wouldn't have taken atherogate more than a heartbeat for each kill but he didn't want these dwarfs dead there were sinister forces at play here he knew and perhaps the taint on these fellows made them victims more than perpetrators as it was they had pretty grievous injuries but they were no longer a threat so if drizz could keep a little blood off his friend's hands he had to try atherogate seemed to hear his urgency at least and grabbing the rusty chains in bloody hands he roared yet again then ran out of the chamber and down the hall toward the distant fire with drizzed right behind him the dwarf crashed right through the fire kicking the logs aside growling and snarling and roaring with every step so wounded to his rage that drizzed was shocked he had managed to turn the fellow from the living dwarfs down to the trapdoor they went and the poor dwarf drizzled initially dropped was just rising shakily back to his feet he stumbled away down the far side of the corridor at their approach but this time trist couldn't stop his companion fast enough on the stone shaft fellow and a few leaping strides atherogate grabbed him in both hands and flung him into the wall where he crumpled again to the floor aphrogate lifted his foot to stomp the life out of the fellow and drizzed leaped at his friend trying to body block him aside he might as well have tried to move a mountain down came atherogate's boot and the poor stone shaft fellow jerked and bounced under the violent impact atherogate lifted his foot again but this time drizz took a different approach and kicked atherogate's straightened leg in the back of the knee the leg buckled atherogate stumbled and drizzed leaped upon him bearing him down but atherogate clamped his hands on the sides of drizzt's head and pressed and with such awful strength that drist feared that his skull would implode you shackle your we have to get out of here the drow stammered atherogate roared and flung drizzed backward then hopped to his feet i'll be killing them all and don't you stop me the dwarf hollered and moved to stomp the fallen stone shaft dwarf with this then drizzed yelled and pulled skull crusher off his back atherogate's eyes widened and his knees went visibly weak drist ran back the other way back to the trap door figuring he had to get athrogate out of sight of the fallen fellow to his relief athogate came around the bend in pursuit almost immediately that door drist said pointing up many beyond it including those responsible for you being down here he dropped the two-handed mace to the floor and went to atherogate pulling a lockpick another gift from his time at the monastery of the yellow rose from the cuff of his sleeve he got to work on the rudimentary lock of the dwarf shackle the chain fell free and drizzed move for the other one but atherogate jerked that arm away oh no you don't he said taking up amber's large mace in just his right hand and moving it about as if it weighed no more than a feather ye get me through that door elf atherogate said as much a warning as a request and in such a tone that drizz believed that if he didn't comply the dwarf would heave him up into the air to splinter that door scrambling deftly drizzed went up on the wall to the ledge just below the portal hearing noise beyond he cautiously pressed up on the trapdoor cracking it open then closing it immediately he turned down to atherogate who was hopping about anxiously and put a finger to his pursed lips then mouthed many aphrogate poked his finger emphatically at the door then took up amber's mace in the same hand as the improvised flail and hopped up grabbing for the ledge dressed knelt upon but falling just short he jumped again this time swinging the heavy wall block up over the ledge unable to prevent this action drizz caught the dwarfs free hand to help him up but then signaled for him to stay quiet no such luck no sooner had atherogate gotten his feet under him on the ledge then he sprang once more for the door bursting through it and grabbing the floor above then tugging himself up to his waist dressed heard the reaction above and went to shove the dwarf for there was no turning back then but even as he grabbed atherogate's feet he was yanked off his balance and had to drop all the way back down to the floor he managed to glance up just in time to see atherogate caught in a great pincer and being hauled through a moment of indecision struck the drow afrogate was surely doomed so was he to scramble up there and dive into the melee and probable death as well a momentary thought told him to flee down the tunnels hide and sneak out later but no that he could not do so he went quickly to the ledge again wincing at every roaring growl whimper and crash above he started through the open trap door but fell low as something rushed over his head again it flew past andres struggled to make sense of it on the third pass he realized he was looking at the thick legs of a glabrazood demon being whirled around like a living uthguard throwing hammer the fourth rotation was different though with the whole demon passing overhead flying back past the open trap door to crash into the wall behind with nothing spinning overhead anymore drizzled leaped through to the floor above the demon was no threat he realized immediately for black smoke was already forming around the dead thing and back the other way dwarves and demons flew as atherogate plowed through them skull crusher in his flail blasting a trail like science through tall dead grass little elation accompanied that sight for drizzed however for atherogate poured blood out of both sides from the deep gashes of the demon pincer from farther down the hall crossbows clicked and atherogate jerked but then yelled and charged on no no no drist said drawing tomorrow the heart seeker from his magical belt buckle and setting an arrow to the longbow in the same movement unfortunately the archers in the corridor beyond atherogate fled before drizz could get a clear shot slamming a heavy door trace heard them drop a bar down behind the door too and for a moment he feared that the one exit route had been sealed but atherogate shouldered through it anyway splintering the wood and launching the bent metal bar into the room beyond traced rushed to keep up with the rampaging dwarf all through the keep they scrambled and never once did drizz get shot probably because all the bolts were slamming into atherogate as they neared the outer doors drizz skidded to a stop abruptly seeing one fallen dwarf and recognizing her as the victim of the brutal null feschni she had played dead as atherogate rushed past and now was trying to lift herself to her hands and knees drizzed replaced his bow in the belt buckle and ran to her he caught her under one arm and hoisted her upright one sound one bad move and i'll kill you he warned drawing icing death i have freed you of the cursed necklace he said to her when you are well come to the east to bleeding vines and perhaps we will find a way to save your kin she just stared at him as if in a daze and he eased her back to the floor andres went trying to catch back up to atherogate coming inside of him just as he burst through the outer door and into the open courtyard where a host of enemies waited chapter 23 diabolical news it would be discovered in kerry margaster warned chary huntsman when the drow traitor suggested a demonic phylactery for lord neverember he is no minor player in this and is being watched closely by many rivals without that control how will he be chari asked compliant and carrie assured her tackled neverember cares only for daggled never emperor he will see the gain to himself in his precious neverwinter city and so he will remain silent on the matter he wishes nothing more than to have king bruner and his dwarves expelled from the land he was called by many the protector chary reminded her how does one gain such a title if he is as you say oh daggle did battle to save others his title is well earned altruistic yes yes in kerry said and no for he cares only for the glory that such actions give to him not all acts of charity are done to serve others and not all acts of heroism are done for the benefit of others sure they are grand words charity heroism altruism but the benefits of having these descriptions attached to oneself cannot be underestimated and that's all he cares about for dear daggled such glory is his greatest motivation jarry hunsron spent a few moments digesting that the words and kerry was describing were anathema to draw society they didn't even have such words in their language other than somewhat synonymous insults offered to fools who hurt themselves for the sake of others still she argued surely lord neverember will fear that the noose will turn to him after it has so tightened about the realms of king bruner and carrie margaster laughed at that you give lord neverember too much credit i fear or perhaps not enough dear daggle trusts my loyalty and perhaps that is not displaced he is a valuable ally and knows where the gold is buried so much gold you trust that he will not hinder you she laughed again he will cover our movements as we tighten the noose about gontelgrim and render king bruner into the irrelevance he so richly deserves by the time the other lords of water deep even know of trouble in the cracks the halfling town will be a flame and the dwarves will be caught in their filthy hole and the water deep lords will not understand what has caused it all and almost assuredly won't care for more beyond their own bottom lines anyway and in the ensuing chaos there king bruner will be pressed from below charlie huntsman said voicing the rest of the plan his friends have made great enemies in men's are barons on and they will arrive soon enough to bolster your efforts promises so many promises in kerry margaster said with a chuckle you asked me to take a great risk and when all is going so well yet you get to wait before taking action tighten the noose charrie huntsman said and we will do our part and then your hund's warriors and priestesses will march beside us all for the glory of love jari hesitated and incari laughed at her so anxious to throw others into battle in kerry remarked i had thought demons anxious for such chaos chari returned do you not share your form with barlgora barlgora who serves demogorgon in kerry confirmed tapping her precious necklace perhaps the most powerful of the phylacteries the hundreds had brought to the surface and thus is not particularly fond of the draw at this time as he awaits his master's reconstitution in the swirl of the abyssal sludge he is angry with some drow chari quickly corrected draw the lines accordingly in your calculations my friend i am not your friend my client then have i not served you well have i not brought unimagined power to house margaster at what price i wonder in kerry mused besides chari said rushing the conversation back to the topic at hand king bruner's closest ally is the heretical instrument who destroyed the material form of demogorgon along with those who facilitated that catastrophe my allies are no friends of that group and carrie margaster assumed a koi pose tap tapping her long and delicate finger against her sharp chin and saying hmm as if she was intrigued but not convinced do you think you will find a better opportunity chari asked ever a measured strike in kerry agreed we will wound the halflings perhaps mortally and seal the tunnel connecting their village to king bruno's realm and you will be better situated for it chari promised and carry laughed again then conceded the point with a nod and turned away moving back along the tunnel to the secret entrance that would take her to the wine cellars of house mark astor chari moved off the other way to the small secret chamber where a house hund's run wizard waited to magically teleport her back to menzo baranson she nearly fell back out of the room as she stepped over the threshold of the concealed door though to find that the wizard was not alone he stood with ildstron milan and worse matron jindiya sat on a magical disk of energy off to the side you did well priestess but your hesitation was as transparent as your matrons cowardice matron jindia said getting it right out in the open that she had magically eavesdropped on chari's meeting within kerry chary thought herself incredibly stupid at that moment why hadn't she erected defenses against such clear audience i don't blame matron shakti nor will i punish her matron jindiya went on and chari fell back a step surprised that the matron of house milan would even suggest such a thing that will be for loth to determine matring india explained as chari continued to stare incredulously the other woman began to laugh it is such a beautiful thing don't you see matron jindia explained her nostrils flaring her eyes widening with excitement look past simple events and view the longer perspective what do you mean chari dared to ask can you not understand this is why i was not allowed to die at the hands of the heretics this is the long play of love jari stumbled over a few words not quite sure where to even begin matron jindiya was not allowed to die what did that even mean i should have been killed in the assassinations rendered upon my house matron india explained seeing the unasked question on chari's face they had me dead and yet i live they murdered a number of my priestesses and yet all but one are alive once again by the grace of love yes my daughter is no more but that too do not see is the glorious spider queen's way of testing my devotion and now she understands the truth of that and questions not my actions and i have come to see the long play she has put in place i do not understand charlie hunsren admitted that does not surprise me so listen well because of her inaction on the matter the return of zach defene the heretic's father will bring down matron mother bayenri matron india was happy to explain with my abyssal retrievers also gifts of lady loaf i will bring the stolen soul zachnophane to menzo berenson to face his judgment i indeed i will bring him to the city of spiders dead or in chains and will gather his worthless son with him that vendetta has been declared ended by matron mother pay henry chary offered and she is wrong woefully wrong law faced even alice another test of our devotion and nothing more matron jindia snapped coming forward and in doing so driving chari backward when the truth is laid bare when zach defenders are captured and executed or returned after final judgment house by henry's folly will become apparent such an obvious blunder will reveal the displeasure of love against that fool matron mother quentin and that will inspire our allies to rise against bayenri and finally be rid of that scourge house charlie was too stunned and too intimidated to respond her fingers moved reflexively and she had to interrupt the signing before she impulsively and unwittingly replied her belief that matron jindiya was surely mad you do not believe me matron jindia reasoned and chari began to consider defensive spells she might then enact to save herself but india milan remained quite composed and even relaxed back on her magical floating disk i do not blame you she said calmly but you will see you will understand the benefit of boldness when i deliver the stolen prize of zach nevane and his son and bring ruin to all the drizzt has built on the surface all that jar laxal has built on the surface yes matron mother quenthal will howl at that will she not matron jindia continued but for matron shakti hanzarin the fall of break in the earth will prove a boon yes and you you would like this of course you would like little more than to be rid of break in the earth so that house hundsran becomes once more the undeniable leader of all trade beyond this cavern we call home it is ambitious jury stammered as all things should be yet not so ambitious i think rather it is within our grasp easily so how you have so much to learn weren't you just talking with that filthy human how you ask why with a noble water deviant house and a demon-poisoned clan of warrior dwarfs point them at those who did such harm loose their demons upon our enemies and i will send my retrievers and drivers among them i just told you need to make the point more directly matringe india demanded house margaster should move all resources against them and now not against just the foolish halflings and not even just the halflings and bruner's kingdom against who jarl axel yes it is time to destroy his abominable city to destroy the infernal halfling town and to let the demons trap king bruner in his hole when he is imprisoned with no friends we can then let our monsters multiply with their abyssal gates to bring ever more catastrophe to their sides eventually filling the halls of gontelgrim thick with demon allies matron these are demons we discuss not devils when their rage is let free they will not be corralled shindi is shrugged then let them run free and lay waste what do we care they will eventually be defeated the humans alone have too much power in this region but by the time they turn the tide the beasts given me by a handmaiden yes by escovidney herself will have our prey and matron mother henry will answer for her heresy i will speak with matron charis started to say you will return to and carry margaster at once matring india demanded or you will never return to men's oberenson to face your matron again cherry's eyes widened i am a high priestess you will be a dead high priestess matron india promised beside her ildstrom milan glared at his counterpart who held up his hands in surrender wanting no part of the malarny house wizard view it this way my dear chary huntsman matron jindiya explained your matron would have house hunzer and watch from afar not wanting to invoke the wrath of lolf or of matron mother baenri this is understandable is not self-preservation the first tenet of the spider queen charity just stared self-preservation matron india repeated keeping yourself alive for how might you serve the spider queen if you forfeit your life over a foolish choice and is not defying one who has promised your death if you do so an ultimately foolish choice chari managed to nod her head just a bit then go now child growled matring india who in truth was not much older than chary ansarin the trebuchets are thick with fiery abyssal shot just tell them where to aim and make sure they pull the trigger charlie hunsron didn't look back nor did she hold any doubt whatsoever that her every word to and carry margaster would again be heard quite clearly by the vicious india milan chapter 24 desperate flight they can't get through that jar lacks a lamented looking down at the courtyard which teamed with demons of all shapes and sizes and with dozens of dwarves all bunched together likely more in fear of their own allies than of whatever was causing such a stir immediately within the keep but still standing between drizzed in freedom zach nevane started forward over the parapet but jarlaxel caught him by the arm you can't get through that either i'll not watch my son die zach nevane said to him and yanked his arm away half the damned abyss is here jarlaxel whispered harshly i'll not watch my son die. jarlaxel studied his companions face those eyes that did not blink and the mercenary leader didn't even try to grab zach nevane's arm again this was the man who had willingly placed himself upon matron malice's sacrificial altar and accepted the thrust of her dagger into his heart for drizz's sake this was the man who had in on death resisted zincarla perhaps the only one to ever resist the servitude of that spell and had leaped into acid rather than strike out at drizz get your tornado toy out sachdefane said jalaxel shook his head he had overtaxed the magical item and it had little if anything left to offer but of course he was jar axel he had other toys we need a plan jar axel's fingers signed i have one what kill things zach nevane signaled back and he moved along the wall toward the distant door to the keep itself he paused and gasped as did charlaxil when that keep door blew open exploded by a flying pig-like demon creature that flopped and squealed as it bounced through the waiting monsters more than one of which kicked bit stabbed or punched the battered thing out behind the flying pig came a dwarf wild looking snarling and screaming swatting away everything nearby with a huge mace and spinning an even larger block of stone at the end of a rusty chain fearlessly the fellow bore into the diabolical gathering a gigantic now fashion he swatted the dwarf off his feet but he scrambled back up before the beast could stomp him leaping up he ran through the demon's legs biting the monster's thigh for good measure as he passed out the other side a glab brazil snapped its claws upon him and he took the brutal hits willingly in exchange for planting that mace squarely into the demon skull crushing it to the ground extracting swinging wildly kicking and spinning he got free of the tangle and rushed to an open spot and there found three dwarves with leveled crossbows waiting for him drizz tried to keep up with the roaring atherogate but the dwarf was simply knocking monsters aside without regard for the fact that they would recover and retake the chase drist was more deliberate in his follow-ups stabbing and crippling fiend and dwarf alike then leaping past to pursue his friend by the time he got near to the courtyard door it was open and hanging and he visually followed the path of carnage to spot atherogate who even then launched a dwarf through the air at the end of his makeshift flail atherogate stomped on a second dwarf lying prone before him then charged ahead but skidded to a stop to swing out to his right both hands on skull crusher planting the weapon across the shoulders of a hellhound splaying the beast's paws wide and flattening it to the ground a friend drizzed muttered at the sight of atherogate who had a crossbow bolt hanging from one cheek and two others sticking from his chest blood flowed freely down the dwarf's body and although drizz knew it was the girdle that provided the strength he was pretty sure atherogate would be moving on rage alone should he lose that magical belt he didn't have much time to contemplate it though as a second hellhound breathed a cone of fire at the dwarf unsurprisingly atherogate kept running and kept roaring now with flames dancing on his clothing guinevar i need you again drizz called and he paused just long enough for the grey mist to begin to coalesce before charging out the door and into the fray enemies came at the drow immediately and from all angles swords hammers claws beaks even tail whips from a lizard-like demon rained down on drizz before he had gone three strides from the door the path closing fast between him and athro gate he couldn't think of that however with the barrage upon him he jumped ducked skipped and worked his blades in a dizzying series of blocks in paris fending but ultimately retreating step by step back toward the door he noted one large demon beginning to cast a magical spell lightning crackling between its long clawed fingers with no other options before him drist went back into the keep and dove aside just before a tremendous bolt knocked the door from its hinges launching it across the room and taking half the jam with it enemies poured in and drizzed assailed them from the side always attacking the leading dwarf or demon so they couldn't encircle him he didn't need to hold them long though for as a pair of dwarves entered and faded off to the right away from drizzed an uncoiled panther buried them beneath it springing from them to leap into the chest of the rock immediately trailing the duo trist sent his blades into a spin and slid them away pulling tall maril from his magical buckle with gwynefer holding the line in him shooting over her he could get to atherogate he dared to believe but then he was scrambling again falling away suddenly for the wall beside him the wall to the right of the door was simply gone vanished in that single tumble the agile drow had his bow away and his scimitars back in his hands turning as he went over to face up to the large new opening expecting a wave of enemies to simply bury him where he stood only two came in at him but it might as well have been a dozen for these demons drizz knew well indeed he had defeated their namesake in the fight for gontelgrim nine feet tall the naga-like creatures seemed half beautiful human woman half serpent with a tail that could deliver a poison sting and six arms each wielding a weapon of great magical power a dozen baubles and necklaces jingled on each as they advanced side by side their expressions hateful clearly they knew their prey as well as he did them they knew he was the drow who had defeated marilyn the greatest of their kind hold the door drizz told guinevar and the drow ranger went to secure the breached wall breached by a password we armor that wouldn't last for long he hoped if he could just keep the demons in the line of that missing wall when the spell expired and the stone returned he knew immediately that his efforts would fall short he fell into his deepest warrior trance giving himself over fully to his instincts feeling hearing smelling the flow of battle and just letting his primal self this purest warrior he called the hunter take over and now with the added benefit of the balance and techniques he had learned from grand master kane he felt more capable and confident as a warrior than he had in his entire life but the marrowless could each strike seven ways and these major demons knew each other well and worked brilliantly in tandem for all the speed and beauty of his dance drizz simply could not keep up he got hit he got hit again a tail stabbed him in the thigh just before he could drop that leg back and he felt the burn of poison immediately you will pay for the banishment of marileth drizzed stoh erden one of the six armed demons said with a hiss on the pair came furiously twelve weapons stabbing and slashing driving the now limping drizzed backward out of the corner of his eye he noticed another section of the wall go away another hole appearing and the thought to run out before it could crowd with enemies occurred to him but only briefly before a massive fireball erupted over him and the maryland's he had lost wide puddles of blood his skin was torn in a dozen places and more and he could feel the metallic tips of two crossbow quarrels tearing at his insides and scraping against his ribs with every gasping breath but atherogate wouldn't slow and he barrelled on sweeping with his makeshift flail crushing skulls with a mace named for exactly that leaving a wake of shattered enemies he heard the buzzing around him as he closed on yet another rock and so was not caught completely off his guard when he swept the wall stone flail up high and found it caught by one of those horrid casmay demons he tried to hoist him and almost did but the dwarf gave a mighty yank with a shackled arm tugging the demon down to his level there it turned to face him prodding with its long proboscis atherogate prodded too but with a powerful mace skull crusher knocked that insect appendage aside and splattered the bulbous face of the half-house fly half-human abomination the flail fell free of the casmai's grasp as the demon flew back from atherogate and bounced upon the ground any relief or satisfaction the dwarf might have felt however lasted only an instant before the powerful beak of the rock cracked him on the forehead and sent him flying backward into his backside a gang of dwarves and demons leaped upon him to finish him to crush him into the stone and he had maybe seconds before he met his end amber but that mighty howl afrogate got his feet under him and stood once more shrugging and swatting aside the attackers he couldn't see a thing for the blood that gushed down from his new wound in his forehead but he didn't care amber he roared relentlessly and he swung and darted this way in that sometimes hitting more often missing and staggering with every off-balance step he felt the cool floor beneath him and surrendered to the stone his body relaxing so completely that he felt as if he were sinking into the earth below he sent his consciousness there as well instantly knowing that any sudden jerks or twists against the biting flames of the fireball would lift him and make him more vulnerable yet another of grand master kane's instructions saved drizzed from serious injury as the fireball barely touched him his frost brand scimitar would have minimized the flame certainly but this was a mighty blast and still didn't even cinch his clothing though he was pleased with himself for that one instant he grimaced as he bounced right back up hearing a howl of pain from poor guinevar off to his left a cursory glanced that way as he again engaged the marilyn's made him wince all the more whenever scrambled and thrashed wildly driving a pair of demons back through the doorway but the valiant panther engulfed in flames couldn't even see them likely and was contorting against the biting fires as much as at her foes tris knew he had to send her home to the astral plane even in this desperate situation for the marrowless came on unbothered they were creatures spawned in fire creatures of fire and they bathed in the fireball without the slightest bother drizz parried a flurry of blows from the creature on his left then swung to the right to deflect a vicious stab from a short spear and on that turn he managed to glance thinking to escape through the new hole but that hole was gone go home gwen he whispered fully aware that he would soon be overrun from that direction even if he somehow managed to hold off the fury of the two marylands it was a finality in drist's voice thinking he'd never see his beloved panther friend again he thought of his other friends too of bruner and regis and wolfgar and of jarl axel and mostly of catty bree and zachnovane wondering if his father would even bother to know dry's son or daughter yes he thought of the child his child whom he'd never see no drizz growled he couldn't let that happen he had to find a way past this even with the hunter even with his training at the monastery of the yellow rose even with all the tricks and magic his new sword of mighty combined enchantments his deadly bow even with all that priest had no chance of winning here but neither would he lose he decided he could not lose the tunnels he had to escape into the tunnels behind him down into the winding ways of the dungeons he thought of poor atherogate but he couldn't see the black bearded dwarf anymore couldn't hear him yelling for amber praised recognized that his friend was almost certainly already dead and even if not there was no way he could hope to get to atherogate's side i rescued you only to lead you to your death he thought in a silent benediction and then he fought to make sure he didn't also die his blades worked in a blur fending off the demons and at the same time dressed flexed the muscles of his leg seeking the poison feeling it and rejecting it pushing it back out through the wound denying it deeper access he had to go had to turn and flee at once but how he swept vader natha across left to right fully extended to buy him a bit of space from the marilyn's he meant to turn and run right behind that slash but was startled as the blade came across one way and a dark somersaulting form came back the other way just over it before he could even register that almost simultaneously another form came from that same direction an avian form that had drizzed first thinking that another rock demon had come in through that second hole but the creature ran behind him not near him and did not strike in its past it all came together and drizzed sensibilities and eye blink later when he came to understand that the first tumbling dark form was zach nefane his father was now standing beside him sword thrusting and whipped snapping at the marilyn from the left he was bolstered by the fact that now they were two but no not two three he realized when a line of magical daggers flew past him to strike at the sister demons and even three was wrong because that blur of feathers belonged to a giant bird not a rock demon but a huge diatrima summoned from the feather on jar laxal's hat the magical pet met the charge of of rock through the door where guenevar had been their powerful beak smashing together with a resounding crack it all happened so fast in a mere instant but that distraction might have been the end of drizzle that not zach nephine worked his blade and whip so marvelously before his son driving back the nearest marilyn and had not charlaxell sent those daggers flying from his magical bracer which never seemed to run out of the missiles working to recall the discipline of the hunter drizz tried to find a rhythm with zach nevane feeling the movements of the weapon master beside him seeking a complimentary style sure enough they were soon fighting almost as one it all seemed so natural to him to them both he knew as the harmony grew so quickly between their movements as if the last two hundred years had not even passed as if they were training side by side back in house to urden in men's oberenson a lightning bolt shot through the door and both levrock and jar laxal's pet bird shrieked but the rock unlike the bird was not stunned or surprised and used the distraction to drive its beak into the diatroma's skull killing it instantly trilaxal the door drizz yelled still working his blades defensively fending off the press of the maryland barrage he parried with short up angled movements his swords tapping tapping tapping until he saw an opening then brought icing death suddenly down and around then up and over from the outside then down again over the marrowless arms forcing her to drop her upper limbs lower and fade back with a slither not fast enough though as zach nevane's whip snapped over drizz descending arm slashing across the demon's eyes and forcing her back still more a pass wall drizzed explained quietly drive them into it he glanced to the left expecting a rush of monsters from that open door but he shouldn't have doubted jarl axel the mercenary leader's response came in the form of a flying glob of sticky green goo that slammed the rock and threw it back to the threshold catching the demon on the door jamb a second glob followed further sealing the door though it surely wouldn't hold for long drive them zach nevane said to drizzed pressing forward suddenly an obvious move as other monsters were trying to get in through the opening behind the twin mirrorless he cracked his whip three times in rapid succession to get both maryland's leaning back over their snake-like tails then brought the whip expertly into a roll setting it on his belt and drawing his second sword too quickly for the demon in front of him to take advantage of the exchange now two swords and two scimitars rang out against the fury of a dozen demonic weapons drizzed and zacnafene working as if they were one being dressed stabbed vidranath out at the demon in front of his father and when that maryland sent two blades out to parry zach nephthane brought his right-hand sword across inside the demon's opening arms she got one of those arms out too wide for him to score a hit but the weapon masters blade dug hard at the other forearm the maryland howled in pain and her weapon dropped to the stone hardly slowing zack nefane brought both his blades down and under the predictable forward slash of the demon's two good weapon arms on that side her left and then came back across the other way forcing backhand parries turning her just a bit away from her partner at that same moment drizz brought vigranath across with a mighty slash not to score a hit but simply to force the marilyn before him to follow the blade the full spin with one step to the left as he came around had drizzed right besides acne and had drizz's opponent similarly turned out and away from her partner now the two drow warriors drove hard side by side forcing a retreat it's a pass walter we armored dressed yelled to darlaxel well why didn't you tell me that earlier came the mercenary leader's response from behind just a pair of heartbeats later came a better response a wave of rippling magical energy that reminded drizz of the feeling he would experience on a beach when the tide rushed back out the maryland clearly recognized it too as they hissed and screeched and fell all over each other trying to get back out through the open wall one even threw aside some weapons and grabbed a pair of lesser demons yanking them back over her as if trying to block falling stones but these returning stones weren't falling they simply were for where those stones had once been the magical pass wall had simply vanished them where those stones were missing jar laxals to armor of dispelling magic had simply put them back and anything caught in that area of rematerializing stone was simply crushed to nothingness a pair of weapons clanged to the floor in front of the two warrior drow one of those weapons still in the grasp of the hand of a now severed arm the end of a mirrorless snake-like tail lay there as well no longer attached but still dripping that nasty venom and thereto lay the severed upper halves of the lesser beings tossed back by one of the marrowless quite destroyed drizzed and zachnovane fell back panting atherogatus was out there drizz yelled ambergris are laxal asked drizz shook his head then out there we must go jalax axel decided summon your mounts both of you will not get through that door drist observed and indeed the goo was giving way and it looked like a horde of monsters was about to burst into the room we'll make our own door jar axel insisted with a tight smile and he launched yet another glob of goo with the keeps portal to hold it just a bit longer they summoned their mounts and before drizz could question further jarlaxel walked his nightmare over to the other side of the room near to where he and zach nevane had entered the keep in one hand he held that strange black cloth which both drizzed and zachnafen knew well and in the other a new toy it seemed to be a short club receptor or perhaps a pennant made of some black metal but covered in a cloth striped red and white be quick he told his allies a straight run across the courtyard for atherogate and with him to the front door he threw that strange cloth-like disc at the wall and it elongated and widened as it went landing against the stone surface and creating an opening zachnovate on his hellboar was first through drizzed close behind on andahar leaping out into the courtyard into the swarm of surprise demons and dwarves mostly the latter over at this side zach nevane seemed more intent on running them all down than on escaping his wild mount jumping and throwing small fireballs spitting out in all directions from its pounding hooves holy without fear the magical mountain its rider charged ahead scattering enemies dress spotted atherogate off to the left near the center of the courtyard he started to yell to his friend planning to alert his other two companions while putting up his bow at the same time to aid the dwarf from afar but the words stuck in his throat and his bow lowered for atherogate went up into the air thrashing and screaming spraying fountains of blood caught in the grasp of a casmay demon and so quick was it ascent that even if drizz had somehow managed to shoot the wretched demon off the dwarf from this distance the fall would have likely doomed the already mortally wounded atherogate right on right on he heard jarl axel implore from behind and he glanced back to see the mercenary pulling the hole from the wall and tucking it away as he galloped his nightmare to catch up charlaxa lifted that other item tilted it away from his body and did something gave a command word or pressed a hidden button perhaps and the flag unfurled except it wasn't a flag but a circular shield of cloth held wide and supported by a series of thin metal spokes it wasn't fully flattened perpendicularly to the staff holding it but still very round and quite wide with a broad white stripe at its perimeter a red stripe beside that then a second white stripe bordering a circle of red in the middle charlaxal brought it back over him holding it in his right hand but angling it out to the left toward the mass of enemies including a contingent of dwarves leveling crossbows at the intruders they fired as one twenty quarrels speeding at jarlaxel and a couple it drizzed and more from up ahead flying in at zachnophane trist felt the sting of one across his chest and expected more and expected too that jarlaxil and his nightmare would be struck a dozen times but charlaxal came galloping past barely harmed and drist saw more than a dozen of the bolts stuck into his cloth shield even as drizz gaped at that strange sight another quarrel flew ahead aimed for zachnophane but it veered in the air turned as if guided and it too struck jarl axel's cloth barrier what drizz gasped running and her to pace the nightmare missile attractor jar laxa replied useful in the rain too the absurdity of that statement was lost on drizz though as he looked ahead to his father charging full speed for the closed outer gate a hulking glabrazood demon blocking the way as he neared it zach nevane rolled off the back of his hellboar hitting the ground but coming right back to his feet swords in hand the boar ran right between the glabrazoo's long legs smashing headlong into the door splintering wood and knocking the thing from its hinges and the distraction was just enough for zach nefane who leaped into the forearm demon's reach inside the bite of its pincer arms his sword stabbing and slashing with brilliant accuracy aside drizz yelled and zachnafane dropped low under a clawing swipe then leaped out to the left just avoiding a snapping pincer the glad brazil started to turn to follow and only then realized its doom as anderhar's long horn speared into its chest driving it backward and out the door as the unicorn galloped along drizzed reached his hand out to the side to zack nuffine who sheathed the sword caught his son's hand and swung up behind him with easy grace out they went andahar snorting and flailing its head throwing the murdered demon aside charlaxa was then beside them the hell bore up in front snorting crazily and leading the way across the stones a fireball engulfed the trio and a lightning bolt cut between them stinging them all but they held on and kept running and heard the buzzing behind them switch drizz said and he lifted his right leg over and riding side saddle a couple of strides then taking zach nefan's left hand with his right across his body drizz tucked tomorrow in tight then dropped to the ground turning as he went zachneffane tugging to help the spin drizz hit the ground and leaped right back up throwing his left leg around and over and aha's haunches now sitting backward behind his father one of zach nevane's hands grabbing the back of his belt to help hold him in place drizz lifted his bow out over the wall and down by the coast he spotted the casmay holding atherogate the dwarf's makeshift flail swung up and then over the fly-like demon and seemed to catch its wings for the thing faltered its flight suddenly erratic then non-existent drizzed winced as his friend and the demon fell from the sky out of sight to the rocks along the water's edge the ranger shook it off the time to grieve would come later he said an arrow and let fly then another and another many more in rapid succession streaks of silvery lightning reaching out and high at the pursuing flight of casmay's most of his shots missed bouncing as he was on the speeding unicorn but those that struck home took down the targeted demons and the flight inevitably began to thin and even with their aerial speed the casmay gained little ground on the thundering magical mounts driest wanted to yell to his companions to turn about that they might try to find the fallen atherogate but as the surge of battle eased from his limbs and veins the ranger realized he was hurt a lot worse than he had believed with a crossbow quarrel stuck into his chest several deep cuts along his sides from the marilyn's and a large lump of swelling in his leg from the sting of the poison tail worse he felt zach nevane's hold slacking until his father slumped behind him and only his quick reaction caught the weapon master before he simply tumbled from the unicorn why zandahar began to slow charlaxal rushed back beside them keep going he implored and while they cantered on drizz spun back around and jarl axel helped him set the unconscious zachnophane across andahar's strong shoulders drizz grabbed the unicorn's thick mane and kicked andahar's flanks indeed they couldn't stop for the casmays were still there though hanging back and now a great pack of hellhounds was coming in pursuit so on they galloped three drow on two magical mounts led by a riderless hellboar they made the trade way and thundered along to the north and the pursuit stayed hot long into the night the trio didn't stop until the following morning when they came to the light forest around the halfling town of bleeding vines epilogue show with altar diddy and dorogardo exchanged grim looks after regis finished talking so how are they asked dorigardo the leader of the grinning ponies halfling protectors of the trade way catty bree thinks drizz should have died regis said she couldn't believe that he had somehow defeated the demon poison and hadn't bled to death the tail spike got him inside the thigh right in the bloody area the other two halflings nodded solemnly he learned some tricks and damar it would seem said regis our knee breaker friends have told many stories of the monks of the monastery of the yellow rose joadal explained his voice rising in reverence when he spoke of the halfling legion that had come down from tamara to join the grinning ponies as defenders of bleeding vines i've heard such things as you described zachnophane is worse regis went on he took many serious wounds oh but if drizzed is to lose his father again dorigardo started a reply but regis shook his head catty brie has him on the mend and what if the fancy one asked show with all with a sigh of relief jar axel regis replied chuckling not a scratch never a scratch he's not natural that one even for a drow said de regardo a dangerous enemy but a fine friend regis assured them and the two soldiers nodded have you been to king bruner asked dorigardo both he and jarlaxel have taken the loss of atherogate and amber grissolo mall terribly drizz too there's a lot of history between them and they'll not soon be forgotten nor will the demons and dwarves that killed them here here to that said dorrigard i would all raise their glasses and quiet salute fine then what's our move show with alter did he asked to water deep into all the farms around regis explained warned the folk and the lords of water deep just south then luskin knows regis explained what about port last and the farms north dorogardo asked charlaxa will warn the areas north regis told him you've only 20 riders and getting word to water deep is most important as well as most delicate avoid passing through the region around neverwinter city at all costs lord never remember is not to be trusted nor are any working for him i will go so far as to say that he is the biggest problem here where to tell that to the lords of waterdeep dorigardo asked no regis replied immediately that's why this is so delicate and why would entrust it only to you and yours we can't accuse a noted and powerful water deviant lord like daggled never ember on just the evidence we found so far and how would we know the full extent of his alliances in any case he has allied with house mark astor that much we know but beyond that it is wise to assume he has other powerful friends in waterdeep no he went on we'll keep the conversation to the demons that have taken root in thornhold and rally the legions of water deep to help us destroy that threat you've told us of demons in neverwinter city and never winter would as well show with all reminded him you would have us make no mention of that in time regis advised we start with thornhold then circle out to neverwinter city when we have the full confidence of the lords of waterdeep and have ascertained the whole conspiracy we will speak to them of house margaster and in time of lord neverember in his money washing the two riders looked at each other again and nodded as you wish spider paraffin deregardo said we set out for water deep with the morning's first light regis nodded his appreciation he knew that his friends had a long and difficult road ahead of them he knew that all the folk of the north had a long and difficult road ahead of them brethington margaster stood at the prowl of the carrick white seal the lead ship in the pirate flotilla sailing north on the southern winds as spring took hold along the sword coast a hundred ships followed sloops and caravals carracks and even a pair of long boats including one ored by giant refugee fur bogs from the moon shea isles more than two thousand men women giant kind goblin kin even a crew of knolls rode these winds right behind him eager for plunder the young nobleman grinned this great armada had been hired for a fraction of the vast mark aster fortune and less than the price of any mercenaries brevenden had ever heard of so eager were they for new plunder in the north above water deep and so eager to reclaim luskin from the secret powers behind the rise of high captain kirth i told you said the voice in brevenden's head the voice of the demon residing in the phylactery he wore about his neck you did the man admitted know that house mar gaster and lord neverember will not forget it you know what i want yes as bill have they fashioned my our sword brevindon glanced back to starboard far aft to a heavy carrick and the smoke that poured from her raised bridge they work on it he told the demon large and twisted and jagged and the gem i gave you the adamantine too yes of course he assured his visitor all is being done in accordance with the guide you help me pin too large for you my host but when i am free you will learn the power of that blade the campion promised we have a bigger problem than lord neverember i fear jarlaxel told king bruner in the dwarf's private quarters deep within gontelgrim beside the dwarf his two queens fist and fury grumbled about revenge for the death of amber grissilo maul who had become a dear friend to them may help but i've been wanting that one's head for a long time bruno replied not see me to hear jarl axel demons the rogue tried fought him a iv indeed but in such numbers ask the drow i have not seen so many demons in one place outside of the underdark or the abyss itself and among them are major fiends who can open gates to the lower planes and bring forth more minions still bruner cocked his head and looked at the drow side long guess i'm not surprised he muttered surprised that he'd been to the abyss searching for a vacation home were ye that brought a smile to jarl axel's face but it didn't last you must act quickly for their numbers will multiply the drought warned i have gates of my own bruner replied and i fear you will need them good dwarf jarl axel said all of them water deep won't sit back said bruner the whole of the north's in danger and last i looked demons ain't much caring what or who they're murdering and eating we know not who in the city is allied with us and who would lord never ember jarl axel admitted offering a shrug almost an apology bruner surely understood yes the lords of water deep might now tolerate demons in the lands about their grand city but they weren't overly fond of drow elves controlling luskin either nor of the magical host tower being raised from the rubble led by a former arch mage of menzo baronson bruner's known friendship with jarl axel had not helped him enlist many allies in his running feud with lord daggle neverember who was after all a lord of waterdeep himself indeed in the months of gontelgrim's renewal bruner had been quite surprised to discover how isolated he and his clan had become from the area's powers he figured relations would improve now that the magical teleportation gates were working and goods from mithral hall citadel adbar and citadel felbar would soon be flowing through gontelgrim to say nothing of the weapons being fashioned by expert blacksmiths at bruner's primordial fired forge but that was still in the future and the demons were in the present and the past well the past always lingered and old habits and prejudices died hard i want to kill them as much as you do charlaxal offered then atherogate was not only your friend i bruner admitted nor amber i know to be certain i'm still not knowing how much i should trust the elf on the little matters particularly when coin or magic's in the party but when the fight started i'm glad you're on me side trial axel bowed and tipped his hat and what help from the host tower bruner asked them wizards shouldn't much like demons that ain't their own to play with those wizards who are about will aid us i am sure and we will need them i am just as sure bruno wanted to counter that with some words about jarl axel never really seeing the wrath of clan battle hammer unleashed he held the thought private though fearing that his voice wouldn't be so convincing atherogate was gone amber grissilo mall of the advarro malls was gone and his friends had just limped home with severe wounds to tell him that news he expected the clan battle hammer was about to find the fight of their lives probably even beyond the catastrophe of the war of the silver marches he would soon enough learn that he was underestimating his enemies it will get worse ashala milan said to kimura loblodra her parting words as the psyonisis became insubstantial and drifted through the wall of the underdark corridor where they had secretly met a large part of ashala wanted to go with him her prospects in menzo baron's on were not good she had been the ambassador of her house to both break in the earth and house or lauren but now house or lauren was no more or would soon be again but in the place of fallen house to urton and the suffrance of and alliance with house bayenry house milan which had openly attacked house the worden was no more in the favor of the tsar lawrence and particularly not with the bayenri's and the bayenris were also the great protectors of bregandy earth where did that leave ashala she was the third daughter of the first priestess kiernail once her prospects were grand for kearnell was then matron kearnel kenneth and virginia hallbar was now their matron her grip had never been tighter and kearnell's place had never been less important or less stable if kirino fell her daughters would find themselves at jindiya's mercy and jindiya ashala understood was not possessed of that particular quality she almost called back to the departing psionicist to beg him to take her with him to join with jarl axel she did not though mostly because she knew that comorial would not do it she was more important to bring in the earth where she was seated beside the powers of house milan then she could be as just another member of the mercenary band so she sighed instead and made her way back to the city in house milan she was barely through the front gates when a sentry informed her that the matron was looking for her regarding an urgent matter she rushed through the house a bit concerned and found matron jindia in her private quarters sitting in a comfortable chair beside first priestess kirino i was told you would see me she said bowing respectfully i have gained a bit more information about the plans of matron zerus or have you matron jindia interrupted seeming quite amused which of course had the hairs on the back of ishala's neck standing up her fears became a horrible reality a moment later when a quartet of guards including the house wizard came through a side door with a floating disc upon which lay commorial oblodra shackled to the disc by strands of energy across the wrists ankles waist and neck one more shackle a living shackle by far the most horrific and gruesome held the psionist captive for coming in behind the disc was an illiterate two of its octopus-like tentacles up comorial's nose my matron ashala began do not even bother to speak made transgender interrupted we know it all and if there is more to be learned my mind flayer friend there will simply take it from you she motioned to the open door and more drow entered the room ashala's fellow priestesses of house millard they surrounded her and led her into a different room and the young woman's knees went weak indeed when she came to that destination it was a small chamber with only a single item within a large metal tub filled with water an armrest extended from each side of the basin complete with straps and culminating in pilliwinks no no no ashala begged and the strength left her legs her sisters caught her before she hit the ground though and stripped her naked as they held her up then they dragged her into the tub and strapped her arms down to either side matron jindia and ashala's mother had entered the room by this point and jindia looked to keernil in motion saying you should apply the thumb screws first priestess to show your devotion to loaf above your family ashala could see the pain on her mother's face as she screwed down the poor girl's fingers but with that pain came to a measure of outrage that stupid ashala had ever put her in this position thus when kiernald tightened down the vice she offered no mercy crushing ashala's fingers under its brutal press while that was transpiring others began to paint the shallows face and neck with raw face milk and honey a sweet and gooey mixture they all stepped back leaving a shallow sobbing when matron jindia leaned over to stare into her face fear not child for you'll be fed well she said and i will bring the flies to you personally ashala began to beg and to wail to thrash and tug against the straps holding her arms fast but india just laughed and twisted down one of the pilly winks to elicit a scream of absolute agony fetch the illiterate that it can extract all we need from this one's mind matron india ordered one of the others and she quickly turned back to ashala and gave the thumbscrews another agonizing turn payne tells you that you were alive child she purred in sobbing ashala's ear that is a good thing you see i want you to enjoy the many meals we will feed to you i want you alive when the flies are feasting on the milk and honey i want you alive when you are lying in this tub of your own excrement i want you alive when the maggots hatch in the filthy tub all about you that you can feel every bite and every squirm over the days as they devour you he couldn't open his eyes but he heard a sound distantly and soon understood it to be a voice he knew the language but not well you grant me spells of healing why the speaker said in a melodic voice a beautiful voice he thought these are your enemies is your highest quality that of unpredictability he didn't understand the next words they were in the same language he guessed from the inflections and consonant sounds but seemed more ancient somehow then he felt the warmth as a wave of healing washed through him aimed at his lower arm and only then did the broken fellow realize the acute pain in that area i betrayed you the voice said ending in a laugh that seemed helpless he managed to crack open one eye hardly focusing and saw a beautiful draw woman standing over him he tried to speak her name or who he thought her to be but could find no breath behind the word to speak it audibly i stole zach nevane from eternity to deliver him to the heretic who denied you and yet you grant me spells she said shaking her head her thick white hair flying about and you grant me spells of healing for these your enemies what are you about atherogate managed to ask she looked down at him with purple eyes rest easy you should be dead you were on the edge of the grave he couldn't have resisted that suggestion if he wanted to for despite the healing she had given to him from whatever god he couldn't deny a great weariness one bordering on death indeed [Music] this is victor bevin we hope you have enjoyed this unabridged production of timeless addressed novel by r.a salvatore presented by william morrow and harper audio this program was produced by john marshall media executive producer iris mcelroy text copyright 2018 by wizard of the coast llc production copyright 2018 by harper collins publishers all rights reserved thank you for listening you

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Length: 376min 41sec (22601 seconds)

Published: Sun Apr 04 2021