Zarae sighed in slight frustration. She didn't know what was going on, but somehow Nilrae was getting to go out in the city. Maybe she should have paid attention during last evening's dinner. Oh well now. It was still early, very early. No one was out and about in the compound much, less inside. Perfect. Unable to go back to her rest she decided to see Averl. Heading upstairs to her room, she searched for something to use in payment for another lesson. Shuffling thru her trunk at the foot of her bed, Zarae had a collection of random things she'd taken over the years whenever she found something of interest- a couple of small gems, a few vials of poisons, and a strange flask of some liquid all hidden beneath spare linens.
"Guess this will have to do," she said to herself, pulling out the flask and holding it up to faerie fire that served as a light. She only hoped it wasn't something that would come backfire on her later. Still dressed in her night shirt she closed the trunk lid and hurried out and down twords the servant quarters.
xxxxxx
Nilrae watched the crew work the ship down the river. The drawbridge rising for them to pass and into the cavern they went. The boat fit nicely in the narrow river tunnel, magic guiding it keeping it from running into walls with the wild waters.
The high priestess stepped out of her quarters on the back side of the ship. Nilrae couldn't make out what was said as he was too much focused on all the activity going on around him. Though he managed to see her walk over to a powerfully robed male wizard. Rhylaun walked up to Nilrae, watching him with interest, before placing a hand on the boys shoulder. He was rather glad of the boy interested in the ship. He intended to train Nilrae to manage the small ship Kilanatlar had when he was of age. In turn, Nilrae would be apart the Masked Lord's plans. Oh what fun it would be to 'corrupt' Shyntyl's youngest son.
The priestess called out to Rhylaun to join her and the Mae'Vir wizard, the weapon-mater rolling his eyes but motioned to her he was on his way. "I suggest you get to work boy," he whispered before walking off.
All drowlings were assigned menial jobs slaves usually did. But the ship contained no slaves at the moment. And the ones they would pick up would be chained until delivered to Lith My'Athar.
Velnarin stood in the door way watching the drowlings scrubbing the floor. He hid the sadness he felt watching them, the reminder of his first 3 decades in House Omat. To be treated just barely better than a slave because he was male. In the corner an older boy watched as the smallest one finished his section quickly to be allowed to head up on the deck. The older drowling decided that the other boy had to go; he was threat to him. But he could not attack now. The key was as long as you were not caught. Velnarin, saw that look and knew instantly. He'd have to watch the two or someone would end up dead, himself included.
Nilrae walked up behind Velnarin at that moment, 'reporting for work'. Directed to the back, Nilrae was given the chore of helping prepare the first meal.
xxxxxx
The halls of the house were still quiet as the girl hurried swiftly down the corridor. The door quickly opening and nearly ran into her as she skidded to a stop in a matter of seconds. A male exited, surprised by the sudden appearance of the girl. His surprise was momentary as his attitude returned to his usual defeated manor.
"Watch it!" Zarae called out to the surface elf slave then ignored him to enter the room he left.
The room was rectangular long, and crowded with 50 bunk beds in shambles permeated with a smell of body sweat and unclean linens. The back held a tiny room that served as a washroom. Yellow and orange faerie fire was covering the ceiling, allowing those without the natural darkvision to see. Two or three trunks were piled in a corner, open with changes of clothing inside.
A cough from the smell was held back at the overwhelming stench that hit her nose. And this was the better off slaves and servants; she'd hate to go down to the basement with the goblins, kobolds, and similar slaves. Some slaves and servants were getting dressed to begin work for the day. At that time 5 of the night shift returned to the room. Zarae slipped among the people trying not to touch anything. A small scuffle over a clean shirt finished with one of the slaves hitting the floor. Several scowled as the noble moved among them, few trying to intimidate the girl or even threaten her. Moving on with no cares or fear, she found who she was looking for. A short pale woman of auburn hair and half elven descent.
Averl sat on her bed on the top bunk, one of the cleanest in the chamber, legs dangling over a bunk containing a sick male halfling. Bright emerald eyes looked up to see the girl heading twords her a flack in hand. She shook her head, knowing exactly why she was their but surprised the girl had returned so soon. Dexterous hands buttoned the jerkin and slipped on leather slippers. Feet hit softly on the stone, hands motioning the girl to follow even before Zarae could speak.
Averl led Zarae to a relatively empty storage room. The stone door creaking slightly both entered. The servant cleared her throat and Zarae cast white faerie fire above them.
"I suppose that is payment? Tho I didn't expect you to return so soon," Averl spoke first.
"I probably wont be able to get away as much for a while now and I was already up."
"Very well," her hand out to take her payment.
They spent half an hour practicing techniques and new tricks of moving silently and hiding among the shadows of the boxes and equipment. Zarae's skill was improving, her steps growing quieter every session, her being spotted by the skilled servant harder each time. Averl would correct her when needed with suggestions, moving her posture, smacking areas that where wrong.
"More toe. Use the light patterns to your advantage. Good. turn and change…now. Alright, do it again. Move from the door to a spot of your choosing without me knowing as I set up the next part."
While the girl continued to practice, Averl set up the dummy with an old robe. Small bells were attached to it in various places. Then she took an empty flask and set it inside one of the hidden pockets. Then also set a box down over in the middle of the room, fixing the locking mechanism and setting a tiny dart trap. She didn't hear Zarae moving, about to praise the girls work, when she turned to see Zarae still at the door.
"what are you waiting for?"
"you didn't hear me did you? There's more to it than just not being heard if I remember you telling me right," the girl smarted off crossing her arms with a fake smug look.
Averl rolled her eyes trying to hid the small smile on her face. The noble daughter at times was so comical in her actions. She had a hard time believing this girl would one day be a cold hearted walking instrument of death and betrayal, an embodiment of evil. How life here in this hell would change her. And it was these things she reminded herself not to let the girl get to her.
Zarae used the distraction she sensed in her teacher to moved around the room and begin working on the lock. It wasn't until the trap was sprung with an "ouch" when she realized Zarae had gotten so far. Zarae shook her hand from the pinhole wiping the blood on her night shirt, the tiny dart having stuck her hard in the finger.
"let's practice some some hand eye coordination. You have the ability to remove objects in stationary places with no one observing. but we will test others. I have hidden a few items somewhere on the dummy. Remove the items without the bells ringing."
"what?" confused at the lesson, but then welcoming the challenge.
After an hour and a half, it was decided that the day's lesson was done. Zarae had to get dressed, eat breakfast and be ready for another day in less than 30 minutes, meanwhile not getting caught that she had been with Averl. Bare feet made no sound as she traversed the corridors and stairs to the second floor. No one was in the halls she could see. Zarae hurried into her room, threw on a baggy shirt that could pass as a short dress, trousers and clipped the belt in place. Slippers on and grabbing the knife from her desk, she rushed out the door, down the stairs and to the dining hall. Neeryrd was the only one currently in there, the half orc standing between the two tables waiting to serve.
After breakfast, Zebeycyrl guided Zarae to the room for the day's lessons, the girl grudgingly following. Back to the desk, Zarae opened the tome, but waited for Zebeycyrl to leave so she could sneak out. But after a while, Zarae noticed that her sister had yet to leave. Looking up from the tome she peeked back to see the assassin looking over a pile of parchments.
Zebeycyrl decided to stay after yesterday's fiasco. She might would have preferred to catch the brat in the act, but she managed to slip by her many times without notice. So instead, she'd torture by not allowing her to break out at all. Plus it would allow some time to prepare for her mission to Charrvhel'raugaust, Lith My'athar's a rival city.
The day passed agonizingly slow, and for the first time she actually got some of her studies in. today's covered ancient history of the elves and the twisted version of the Crown Wars and Dark Descent. Some of it had been interesting at least. Zarae thought some of it was sketchy. But she didn't know better, so she had to believe it was true- the Ilythiiri Dark Elves only protecting their lands in answer to the aggressions of Ar-tel-quessir, Sun elves' and Sy-tel-quessir, Wild Elves' attacks. Lloth, the Spider Queen came to the Ilythiiri, gave them the power to defeat those trying to destroy them and avenge themselves from High Mages who attacked. The faerie elves and their gods betrayed the Ilythiiri and turned them into their current form and banish them from the light. The Spider Queen again took them under her claws, gave them the power to forge their kingdom in the Underdark and one day would conquer all.
It was the end of the day, Zarae yawned when Zebeycyrl finished the lesson for supper and finally dismissed her. The girl ate quietly, only the presence of Myrurra this time in the dining hall. Unlike Zebeycyrl or Xullafay, the adopted daughter didn't seam to look down on her as much. At least not so obviously and blatantly. And if Zarae had known better, she might would have caught on that her sister feared, as all older siblings did, being removed by a younger rival trying for a better position.
Zarae tried to start a conversation with her sister while eating, but the priestess seamed so focused on something, she didn't respond, move or even appear to blink when called. Instead, getting up, with Myrurra still deep in thought as she looked down to her rothe roast mumbling to herself, Zarae snuck over to her sister and went reaching for a pocket. Myrurra happen to notice something odd, reaching down to feel a hand. The young priestess quickly snapped out of her 'trance' to the girl she caught. Zarae gave her best innocent smile, pulling her hand back and both going behind her back.
"Imagine if I had been an enemy," Zarae bluffed, her eyes returning back to their normal maroon, "you could have been dead already. I…thought…"
"Next time it might be an enemy who slices that smile off that pretty little face," Myrurra spat pushing Zarae back to fall on her rump hard before getting up from the table to leave the room.
"what and roll over top me?" Zarae retorted bitterly as she stood beside the table, not thinking before speaking.
Myrurra stopped half way out the room and turned to her insolent sister, a look of hatred and threat together. The stalky girl was touchy about her size and any jabs about her weight. Her face was bright red in both their darkvision and normal vision. Myrurra's hand went to the platinum disk around her neck, and began the words of a spell.
Zarae knew she erred as magical energies started to gather. She might had been 'chosen' but Lloth was fickle and only the strongest, most resourceful, and skilled survived. Instinctively, she started to pulled the knife from her belt and prepared to throw it, Myrurra's spell nearly complete. grabbng a plate off the table Zarae flung it like a frizbee at her head. Myrurra not having any defensive spells up at the moment, flinched losing concentration, her spell fizzing out.
"You are dead!"
The blade slide from the belt and released from her hand, just missing the ticked-off priestess and clanking to the floor. Zarae scrambled to her feet quickly and took off running for the kitchen, the sounds of crashing plates followed by a rampaging Myrurra not nearly as quick. She looked around the room, the slaves frozen in fear, the one trying to clean up backing out of the way before... but the priestess grabbed him by the shirt, hauled him to his toes growling the question, "where is she?"
The slave shaking with fear could not manage a coherent statement and none of the others bothered to stand up for the male. Zarae, using the tricks from her lessons, slipped around the backside of the kitchen to get behind.
"you as slow as your brain," Zarae mocked then took off again.
Myrurra threw the slave into the stone counter and followed after the girl, preparing to release a spell. Believing Zarae had entered the dining hall, Myrurra spoke the words of a true seeing spell and searched the room in every dark corner and cubby. But Zarae had changed at the last minute, finding a small trap door the slaves had made and entered quietly, dropping 5 feet to the stone tunnel. Small rods of dull continual light lined the wall at 10 foot intervals. Zarae ran down it, not looking for traps or other possible dangers, turning around an L shaped corner and stopping to listen. It then hit the girl that the slaves had a secret tunnel to begin with. That would be punishable by death if anyone of her sisters or especially her mother found out.
She might use this to her advantage.
Still no sounds of anyone entering the tunnel. At least she hoped so. Following it, it lead to another a dead end. The slaves were obviously still working on it she noted annoyed now. So she could stay put and wait it out, go back and hope that Myrurra was searching else where in the house, or…then she spotted it. Still in progress and hidden by lack of light, a partial door. Intrigued, her eyes brilliant violet, she walked over to it. She didn't spot any traps, no hidden switches or anything out of the ordinary.
xxxxxx
Myrurra continued to search the room, her foot hitting the adamantine blade that was thrown at her. Reaching to pick it up, she decided she'd kill the girl with her own blade, if she could find her. Three others entered the dining hall to see the priestess bending to look under the male's tables.
"I believe Myrurra has lost her mind," Xullafay sneered to Alylin. Izzmurss wisely kept his mouth shut taking his seat.
"Matron's little pet will not live to her next birthday," Myrurra snapped.
"You keep your hands off her or I will personally remove you myself," the eldest daughter spoke, the snake heads of her whip becoming more active.
With a huff and a few mumbled choice words, Myrurra left, put in her place.
"I would not mind if that girl got thrown around a few times, but I will not have her acting as if she is one of us. She only bears the Kilanatlar name because Matron Shyntyl needed daughters," the eldest said offhandedly.
xxxxxx
"Ouch," shaking her finger after the sharp object imbedded in the door cut her. The excess material of her large shirt and gathered and bundled around her hands to attempt to push it open. With hard work the door budged open enough for her to slip in. the other side was a shaft going up straight beyond her vision. To her left, a tunnel she would need to crawl to enter. Activating her levitation, she rose in the air slowly up the shaft, counting the distance she traveled. A hollow thunk, her head hit something hard. "Stupid…thing, " she grunted rubbing the sore spot. She couldn't see even with her darkvision, which meant some darkness spell. Her hand reached up to feel that it was not stone, but a material similar to her sister's desk- tree if she remembered right; a material common on the surface. She pushed up on it as hard as she could, but the object didn't budge. Defeated, she levitated back down, hoping the spell wouldn't expire before she cleared the nearly 100 feet.
Shoes touched down quietly onto the stone, Zarae looking back up wondering which room she had been at. She knew she was either basement level or lower. Her guess, below the basement. That made her only more curious. Everyone knew the lowest level slaves and of course a room few spoke of without fearing. Kneeling down, she peered down the small tunnel. It occurred to her that it could be dangerous, but less so than returning and falling into her sister's hands. Zarae got down onto her knees then entered the tunnel.
The passage was long and the girl had been in it over several hours, yet it kept on going. Many times she wondered if she should turn back, but adventure and fear of her life kept her going. Another thunk into a hard object with her head, the sound echoing down the long tunnel she'd traversed. "if I run into another hard object…" rubbing the spot. She reached out believing it was a dead end, to brush against a small metal knob. "a door!" her voice echoing, then her hand slapping over her mouth.
Holding her breath she pulled on the knob, the door scraping hard on the stone but opened. Dull light flooded into the tunnel, indicating she was inside the house. Out of the tunnel she did not recognize where she was. The smell was worse than anything she'd ever smelt, not only was their body odors, waste, and foul moldy smells, there was the smell of fire, and burning of flesh. There was a door in front of her and a door down the hall. The sounds of small light feet, grunting and soft voices in a harsh guttural language.
"the basement? This is disgusting!"
xxxxxx
Nilrae had been assigned to serving dinner to the crew and cleaning the dishes with the other drowlings and now he finally had time to sit down and enjoy the left over scraps. At least the others around his age were also given the same treatment. Eating his smoked fish, he noticed the strange behavior of two of the guys- one scowling and giving another looks that if they could kill. Nilrae shuddered thankful they weren't directed at him. The other boys finished and left, leaving him alone. He sat there a while, the sounds of movement above and below quieting down and the boat sailing smoothly on the river. The door opened and in entered 4 younger males, house soldiers of Mae'Vir no doubt, a board in hand with a bag of stone pieces. The board unfolded, it was webbed shaped with marked circles of red and purple. The bag was emptied, marble and onyx pieces falling out, followed by 2 octahedral ivory dice with magically warmed images incised on the faces. The pieces included Warrior, Slave, Priestess, orc slave soldier and Mage. Two pieces were carnelian with a black or white piece embedded, larger than the others and carved with feminine features- the mother pieces. This was a game of strategy, the objective to capture the opponent's mother piece. Similar to chess like games on the surface. However, the chaotic nature of Drow society was manifested in the game with the Spider Dice. Rather than move a piece on their turn, a player could choose instead to roll. Rolling the rare double spiders, one could capture and move an opponent's piece as their own to move. The sava board set up, the older male moved the dice to the side and took his first move, the orc moving its allotted moves. Nilrae moved to watch the game before him rather intrigued by it. another male, seeing his interested explained the rules as the players alternatively moved.
xxxxxx
Velnarin sat on his cot in meditation. It had gotten late, the Siasta rather quiet except for the random groans of losing a round of dice and cards, small chatter on deck, or the sounds of resting bodies in his own cabin. He had done rather well, the high priestess never gave him a second thought much less noticed such a lowly male. He sat up and rolled out of his cot to head up on deck. Velnarin walked to the rail, leaning on it to peer down into the black waters.
Below deck, the older drowling looked over to see his rival in rest, eyes closed and back against the wall.
"He who watches his back meets death from the front," the drowling whispered the familiar proverb with a wicked smile standing over the younger drowling. A knife from the kitchen was in hand as he knelt down to plunge the blade in.
The other boy with an aptitude for magic, had sensed someone, instinctively releasing a spell of darkness over them, and rolling away from an attack. A small orb of acid few from his hands to strike his attacker in the darkness. Then he, grabbing a mop, swung the handle to strike in the lower back. The boy grunted in pain as it burned in his back, falling forward onto the cot. But he kicked out, foot connecting with stomach, the other boy nearly crumpling in half at the power. Knife still in hand, he pushed himself off the cot to attack, the stick coming in to hit in the shin.
Crashing of furniture and the sounds of struggle had not only woke up the other drowlings, but those above and beside heard it. The younger priestess slammed the door open, a magical web shot out at them capturing both boys. They struggled in the web, but it did no good, unable to get free. Both knew they were in trouble. The older boy more than upset over his failure.
Ilythiiri- drow. the name by which they call themselves and originally one of the larger tribes of the dark elves before the Dark Descent.
