Phyrra stepped between the two of them, glaring at the half-elf. "Wake...nevermind. There's no sense arguing. The day is still early, I believe...let's get as far as we can before nightfall."
"Yes, let's. Shadowfell nights are bitter and scornful...it's dangerous to travel, so we best find shelter before it gets even darker."
Wake raised an eyebrow, eyeing Shavvir. "And I don't suppose that such shelter is conveniently out of the way?"
Shavvir suppressed her urge to roll her eyes. "It's more or less a direct route. If you'd like to lead the way, I'll tell you when and how long we need to deviate from whatever path you choose."
Wake eyed the shadar-kai suspiciously...it sounded almost too convincing...like she knew he was onto her, and wanted to throw a smokescreen. However, it got the task at hand accomplished...and that was all that was relevant for now. "Very well then. Let us go."
Shavvir watched as Wake veered north, towards the castle...but not directly towards it. She bit her tongue...he was testing her for some maniacal reason, seeing if she'd snap. The paradigm shift was almost unsettling, watching how the Shadowfell twisted and contorted his mind...she'd always seen Wake as the leader, the organizer, but now that slight pedestal she'd put him on made him suspicious, wary, and distrusting...it was something the rest of them would have to put up with it for now if they wanted to make it to Strahd with their wits intact.
After a few minutes, Wake felt that familiar probing in his mind, admitting the incubus in. "You bother me again here...why."
"Oh dearest...you always complain when I come to visit you, but you certainly don't seem shy about contacting me. Why don't we drop the pretense that you don't enjoy these little fireside chats and move on with each other, hmm?"
Wake snarled...not because Zaelynir was wrong, but because he was right. "Fine. What is it?"
"You certainly don't seem keen on laying low, do you? Getting bit aggressive about this whole 'traitor' business, if I do say so myself. Aggressiveness might fit some people's tastes...but I think you wear rationalism much better."
"Phyrra and Shavvir go running off into some room for fifteen minutes, and you don't question anything? You expect me to believe that 'religion' can handwave that behavior?"
Zaelynir kept a chuckle to himself. "No, I don't suppose I do...but what if it is the truth? Religion is a powerful thing my dear, and wedging yourself against it is a snappy way to make enemies. Your quarrel is with Shavvir, right? Keep this up and I think Phyrra might start getting a little testy too."
"Let her...let them both, for all I care."
The incubus paused...did he want to push this? It was a dangerous path he could see ahead of Wake...one he was all-too familiar with. Bailing had crossed his mind several times since entering the Shadowfell...the plane of apathy almost certainly had something to do with it, but watching the unfolding situation before him didn't do much to mitigate that. In his mind he heard the pulsing words of Lolth...of the glory and grandeur that could come from succeeding. At the moment, it was one of the things, if not the only thing, keeping him moving forward. He might not push too hard...but a gentle prod into the mind of Wake always proved amusing at a minimum. "And dear...just what do you mean by that? Fancying a fight?"
"If it comes to that."
"I'd hate to think you'd draw that pretty little bowstring on the one that gifted it to you. She - "
"She did that for a purpose, and that purpose has been sufficiently rejected. End of discussion."
Perhaps just a little further...Zaelynir didn't want to end up on the sharp end of Wake's newfound distrust, but...perhaps it was worth it. "Oh? I don't quite think it is, my dear. Why so short?"
"That is not your problem to address."
"Honey, I'm a creature of lust. I dare say it's not only my problem to address, but my area of exper - "
"You could not be further from the truth." Zaelynir felt the mental link snap in half on Wake's end. He tried prodding again, the once-pliable half-elf mind now promptly rejecting him at each attempt. Had he gone too far? Debatable...Wake certainly seemed to be succumbing to the Shadowfell far more than the others, so discerning whether it was true or manufactured distrust was difficult. He'd let it go for now...and perhaps later, resume that conversation.
Minutes turned into hours, the lifeless expanse of the Shadowfell passing by without event. The meek attempt at sunlight poking through the expansive clouds made it feel like time didn't even exist, the only sign nighttime was upon them being the soreness in their limbs. At Wake's allowance Shavvir directed the Syndicate towards a gash in the earth near a lone crop of long-dead trees, the only place that even resembled safety since they'd arrived.
"We can make camp here. We'll reach Castle Ravenloft midday tomorrow, so it's in our best interests to rest effectively. I will take the first watch with Phyrra. Lance, Maul, I presume you are good to follow up from there?" Shavvir wasn't having any of Wake's nonsense...it was clear there were differences that could not be reconciled at the moment, and those differences could fester for a bit longer...she had more important things on her mind.
Lance looked towards Maul, nodding. "That works for me. Now that I think about it, I think we can resume our training from when we were in the Underdark. I can finally use my own abilities now, but I'm still new to them. Sounds good?"
Maul nodded. "Training protocols initiation accepted."
"Then we'll let you know when you're ready to take over. Until then, get your rest."
The others made their way to their bedrolls, some far more begrudgingly than others...but quickly Phyrra and Shavvir were the only two awake. Shavvir eyed Maul to the side, the warforged stationary and upright, but not a single whirr or hum coming from his mechanical form. Was he asleep, resting, or simply immobile? She didn't know and never cared to ask, but due to the sensitivity of what was to come, it was a question she wished she had an answer to.
"So...how are we going to do this?"
Phyrra had to restrain herself from chuckling at Shavvir's sudden onset of timidness, especially after tasking the others so resoundingly. "Well first, I pray...and if Lolth wills it, you will hear her and understand her. I'm afraid there's not much more to it than that, at least for now. You've had half a day to rest on this idea...is it one you still wish to pursue?"
Shavvir nodded. "It is. I am shadar-kai, one that serves...I have disowned that whom I served previously, and the emptiness from before has continued to fester. It would be my honor to serve her in replacement."
Those final words sent a twinge of annoyance through the drow. "If you are entering this while viewing it as a 'replacement', that will not do. This is not a whim or fleeting bargain...this is true servitude. You don't get a third option should you find this one doesn't meet your standards, Shavvir."
"Yes, you're right, I...I didn't mean it like that. I can serve Lolth...no, I will serve Lolth, should she choose to admit me. I have spent my day thinking about this, Phyrra...I am mentally prepared for the ramifications."
"There shouldn't be 'ramifications', Shavvir...don't you see? You should look forward to this, see it as an opportunity...not as something with consequences. That's how it should be, at least."
"I...can you blame me even after what I've been through today? It is not that I distrust Lolth...it is that I distrust everything. I have spent a century dutifully loyal to a harsh mistress of a patron. Nothing make sense at the moment, no matter how hard I try to make it thus."
"And yet you still wish to serve a new patron, given this uncertainty? You confuse me, Shavvir...despite our past grievances, I consider you a friend, and I don't want that friend to get hurt due to a poor decision in a vulnerable moment. This will be the last time I ask you...are you sure that this is something you wish to pursue?"
"Yes." The answer came steadfast and confident...there was no doubting it.
"Okay. I will speak with Her...give me a few minutes."
Phyrra closed her eyes, praying just as she'd shown Shavvir last time. The tongue of the Underdark slipped from her once again, the tongue Lolth chose to communicate to her in...she was confident that She knew others,perhaps all languages, but the patron deity of the Drow likely had never before considered a non-drow follower.
"Lolth, I come to you once again, in awe of your glory, grandeur, and power. Do you answer me?"
A familiar rumbling filled her mind again, the all-encompassing response of Lolth consuming her being. "Always, dearest Phyrra."
"I come with a request. I have a companion that has been troubled by her past...and she seeks respite from those troubles through you, my Greatness. She wishes to serve you unconditionally, as I do. To become your servant, and you, her patron."
"And she understands what that entails?"
"I have asked her that question multiple times...I believe she does."
"It is rare that one comes to me seeking to serve, Phyrra...this is a most unusual arrangement you are proposing. I can sense that you are uncertain about this...you are to tell me why."
Phyrra let out a sigh, trying to play it off as anything but to the attentive shadar-kai next to her. "She is troubled and scarred...I do not think this is what is best for her. She is chasing this on a whim and I don't truly believe she knows the consequences, nor do I think she knows as much of you as she claims to. I worry that an arrangement like this will only hurt her further. You are not the deity she thinks you to be."
There was a hint of amusement in the words that followed. "Oh? And just what that might be?"
"The opposite of whom she previously served. Kind, benevolent, loving, respectful. It is not far from the truth...you are harsh but fair, and while that suits me I fear it does not suit her."
"Your words wound me, Phyrra...though I will recover. If she has served one such as I before, I have no doubt that she will be a good and loyal servant. I have no quarrel with admitting one such as that, but what I do have quarrel with is straining the relationship with my most devout. I will not admit her so long as you oppose it, and that will not change."
"Understood, my Queen. I may continue to contact you on this...but I will notify you when I deem her ready. She...she may wish to speak with you soon, but she does not know our tongue."
"I know many tongues, my dear Phyrra...but I prefer this one of all. I think we have discussed this topic enough for the day, have we not? Perhaps another time. I still have a great deal of business in the Underdark...we are almost ready to rise to the surface."
Phyrra had almost forgotten that...to her, it had been nearly a year since she'd last set foot in the Underdark. The visage of Lolth emerging from the portal was still emblazoned in her mind's eye...but the rest of the journey was but a fuzzy memory. "Thank you, my Queen...I will ensure your efforts are not wasted."
"Yes, indeed...until next time, my loyal Phyrra."
"Until next time."
Phyrra opened her eyes, looking towards a very expectant Shavvir. "Not tonight, I'm afraid...it seems she still has work in the Underdark to accomplish. I will contact her again tomorrow on your behalf."
"What was her initial impression?"
"She did not...oppose the idea." Phyrra threaded a thin line, trying to balance her view with Lolth's. "It is an unusual circumstance to her, both from your race and the nature of your arrival. Drow simply accept their servitude of Lolth...we do not seek it out as you do. Give her time to think about it."
"Okay...I will do that."
"Now...before tomorrow, one thing I think we should talk about…" Phyrra spent the next couple hours simply discussing the finer points of Lolth's ideology and belief structure with Shavvir, trying to give her as much information as possible...enough that, perhaps, she could make an informed decision tomorrow. The discussion lasted until it was time to change watch, Phyrra rousing Lance and Maul from their slumber.
The duo spent the idle time on their watch continuing their practice...now that Lance had full control over his necrotic bolts, it was time to hone the skills he'd been working on even further. The hours that followed were rigorous, Lance pushing himself to his limits as he tried to steer his bolts plast Maul's impenetrable defenses, learning to curve them sharper, control their movement, and rotate them to fit his needs. It was unique for him, combat now taking place in two dimensions - one physical, the other mental. His mind was working as hard as his body was to time his strikes, and many times he found himself face-first with Maul's namesake as he became too focused on guiding his strike, or found his bolt fly off into the sky as he lost focus trying to avoid a swing. By the end of the training he still hadn't quite gotten control over managing both aspects at once...but stopping now wasn't an option for him.
At the end of the watch he summoned Wake and Zaelynir, the final two taking over. Unlike the others, their watch was completely wordless, Wake staring off into the lifeless expanse. For once, Zaelynir didn't feel like messing with him...he'd pressed enough, and in Wake's fragile state, pushing even further might have more repercussions than he was willing to take on.
It was difficult to tell just when morning came. The cloud cover had never truly changed...at some point, a hint of light seemed to filter through them more than before, the best indication that the sun was somewhere above them. The others rose and packed their belongings, beginning another day of travel. Once again, Shavvir left the directions to Wake...he wouldn't have it any other way.
Once again minutes turned into hours, the only real sign of progress being the walls of Strahd's domain growing higher and higher until about midday, at least as best as anyone could tell, they were finally upon them. Towering walls that dwarfed Maul extended endlessly in both directions, seeming to have been hewn from the landscape itself. In fact, the rocky walls seemed magical in construction...perhaps a stone shaper had created them. In order for one mage, or even a hundred, to craft a wall of this scale and magnitude...it would take decades, and Shavvir knew that it wasn't the case. Shavvir knew Strahd was a spellcaster...if he had swelled with power in the same manner as his domain swelled with size, then he was no simple vampire anymore. He could potentially rival a deity in power, perhaps even exceed them...if such a feat was even possible.
Wake looked at the wall...as far as it stretched. He couldn't see any sort of entrance anywhere. It was easy enough to bypass it, of course...they had enough mobile persons in their group to even someone like Maul past the blockade. However, it didn't add up. "Is this a wall, or a gate? If this 'Strahd' has such a grand domain, why does he want to keep everything out of it?"
"I'm sure he doesn't. Think...if it wasn't here, every creature in the Shadowfell could enter. Put a three-story tall slab of stone in the way, and the only creatures that can enter - "
Wake cut Shavvir off, not giving her a chance to finish. "Are the ones that can get past it. You're saying it's a test? A rite of passage, that he only wants the worthy in his domain?"
"And does that mean there will be others?" Lance connected the dots, seeing just where this was going. "Is he making it difficult to even speak with him out of...narcissism?"
"It's Strahd von Zarovich. He was already a ruler, and now he's far, far more than that...here, he's whatever he wants to be. I don't know if he's much for pruning the weak, but if so I wouldn't be surprised if it was a trait that manifested. He likely thinks himself more important than the common riff raff...and if so, he's put this wall, and potentially others, in place so that those worthy of his time actually get a chance to access it."
"Then we shouldn't waste his time, should we? Most of us are worth his time...and we have the skills to prove that. I'll meet you on the other side." With that, Wake blinked out of existence.
Shavvir knew where he went...and now, she could follow him. She cast the same spell she'd used earlier, sending herself hurtling into the Ethereal plane...only to remember that she couldn't. She'd abandoned that ability, along with everything else...she was nothing more than a shadar-kai with a rusted sword now. She turned to Phyrra, a pleading look evident in her eyes. "Help."
She nodded. "It's okay. I've got you." The drow took her shoulder and sent them both hurtling through a Dimension Door, emerging near Wake on the other side. Zaelynir simply flew over it, Lance getting past the obstacle with a well-aimed throw of Blink. Phyrra returned to the other side, grabbing Maul and sending the last of them through another Dimension Door. With everyone past the wall, they could see well past it, the view of Castle Ravenloft even more unobstructed than before.
What they did, see, however...was a dome. It was nearly imperceptible from before, but the closer to the surface it went the more opaque it became. The ground even seemed to have curved up to meet it, the rocky surface warped from where the dome plunged into the earth. It couldn't have been more than a half-hour's travel in front of them, with Strahd's domain only a few more hours beyond that. If they acted quickly, they'd make it by nightfall.
Zaelynir muttered idly to himself. "That's an...interesting choice. So he only allows teleporters into his domain? Seems oddly specific...but I'm more than willing to show him what I've got."
"Are we sure these are actually tests? And not just barriers? Are we going to be attacked if we keep going? We've only lost 3 days at this point...it's not too late to turn back." Lance seemed genuinely honest...but he could tell by the looks the others gave him that it wasn't a question that should be asked."
Shavvir shook her head. "No...in fact, I think this only makes it more worthwhile. Say we make it to him...he might even show a shred of respect, something I think the man's never done in his life. Even if they are barriers, they're barriers we can overcome."
Wake didn't say it, but Shavvir could tell...he agreed. Nothing verbal was communicated, the archer simply pressing forward towards the transparent barrier. Shavvir shook her head, following after him. She was reaching a breaking point...the moodiness, the apathy, the general disdain for everything about her. She wanted to hurl a spell at Wake that would knock him off his feet...but she couldn't. She could swing meekly at him, and hope that it would catch him unawares...but the ensuing fight was not one that she would survive. She needed Lolth...not because she needed to serve, but because of the power that came from serving one as great as Her."
"And you're going to tolerate that?" Phyrra stood just behind the shadar-kai, speaking quietly.
"I don't have an option at the moment. Swipe at him? Hurl insults? I'm nothing, Phyrra...I'm dead weight in my own realm. I brought everyone here, and yet I can't lead them through it."
Phyrra continued pressing...she needed to understand Shavvir, and see how her instincts aligned with Lolth. The two were different, for sure...but perhaps the shadar-kai could change. "Suppose you could do something. Would you?"
"Most certainly."
"Even though there is nothing to gain?"
Again, a nod. "Self-gratification can be its own reward, and in this case there is plenty to be found." Shavvir turned, a skeptical look crossing her. "Why ask such pointed questions?"
"I was simply curious...nothing more. He's irritating me as well...I'd like to know if I'd have backup should I also choose to do something...reckless."
"You will...assuming I have the power to back up my anger."
"I understand...I am sure Lolth will find time to speak with you." She'd responded correctly...it was a small circumstance, but an encouraging one. She'd have to continue this gentle prodding, get into Shavvir's mind more than presently...see if perhaps there was compatibility. Unfortunately, Phyrra saw only one end to this...Shavvir was right, she was nigh-helpless here, little more than a guide for the others. She needed strength, and she knew Lolth could provide it. She'd have to wait until it seemed necessary...and then hope the two were compatible.
The Syndicate's journey continued, the journey to the dome not taking them long before they stood at its boundary. Wake was the first to make it, placing his open hand against the barrier. It was cool to the touch, but firm...like a slab of solid metal. He pulled out a dagger and struck it out of curiosity, the weapon simply bouncing off of it. "Impenetrable to conventional weaponry...should we see if we can pierce it by magical means?"
"Well...there's no reason we can't try, right?" Zaelynir's eyes flooded with energy as he held his hands to the ground, throwing them upwards as he ripped a chunk of the very earth out of the ground, levitating it in the air above him. He balled it up, compacting the earth and stone more and more until it was a mass of shards before slamming it into the barrier. He thought he heard a crack...couldn't see one, but the sound was definitely there. A second slam against the barrier, however, sent the earth flying out of the incubi's control, a spray of rock and stone erupting from the wall as it rained down around them.
Shavvir shook her head. "No use...Even if we did manage to crack it, we'd be too weak to get past whatever was next. Best just to blink past it, like last time."
"Except some of us can't do that here." Lance flipped Blink in his hands, tossing it at the barrier. It did seem to wedge in place, hanging invisibly in the air. "I've done the math. We can't get everyone across. Three, maybe four at most."
"Then those are the ones deserving of Strahd's presence, isn't it?" Wake drew his bow, notching an arrow before firing it directly at Shavvir. "Tell me why I shouldn't fire this arrow. I've learned to turn the energy from the shot into just enough to slip into the Ethereal plane...long enough to get past this barrier. Tell me why I shouldn't."
He didn't have the chance to receive his answer...at least, not a conventional one. Maul stood in the center of the group, slamming his shield into the ground...and then activating it. A bubble of energy erupted around him, fully encompassing the Syndicate, but slamming all the others against its outer wall. However, Maul could see the distortion in the dome of energy conflicting with the one Strahd had formed...as long as he could hold this, it was broken. "Barrier eradicated. Expedited travel advised."
Wake wasted no time, recovering from the knockback with elven agility as he scampered through the hole Maul had formed in the sphere, analyzing it once he was safely through. It was possible that the two barriers were hewn from the same magical properties...and somehow, those properties cancelled themselves out when overlapping. It was a level of arcane knowledge he knew almost nothing about, and likely never would for a very long time.
The others quickly scuttled through the hole, Maul being the final one as he ducked underneath it, dropping the forcefield as soon as everyone was safe. Before anything else could occur however a bolt of fire descended from the sky, lancing into Wake's shoulder.
"You've crossed the line. Threatening harm? You were our leader, Wake...I trusted you, believed in you. And yet here you are, threatening to harm one of us? The Shadowfell's warping and twisting you, Wake. You need to realize that and fight it, or else you aren't going to survive long enough to make it out."
"Is that a threat?"
Phyrra shook her head. "No...it's a promise. This group has had their differences and quarrels, but we've been working to overcome those. You're driving a wedge between yourself and everyone else here, Wake. I know you're smart, you know how this will end. You may think you're on top of everything at the moment, but somewhere in there is the rational man I know that realizes one versus five aren't odds worth taking."
For a brief moment, Wake felt a sense of reality coming back to him...he could feel the words Phyrra spoke ringing true, the reality of his current mental state blown wide open. Inside, he clutched at it, his inner consciousness screaming at what had happened to him over the past few days. Quickly, however, the blanket of mental fog fell upon him once again, the inner self silenced once again. "You're right, Phyrra, I - I'm well aware how it will end. Shall we test it now, or would you prefer if I gave you preparation?"
Shavvir drew close beside her friend. "Wake, stop this, you're - "
"Silence. The adults are talking. The important ones are talking. If your opinion meant anything, I'd have thought to ask for it."
Inside, Wake felt that familiar mental probing. "Dear, you might be getting a bit over your head at the moment...just what play do you have in mind, exactly? You are thinking ahead, aren't you?"
"Do not judge me, fiend." At that, Zaelynir felt the mental link snap once again, Wake pushing him away.
"Let us go." Shavvir turned away from Wake, calmly walking away. "If the petulant child does not wish to cooperate, then let him carve his own path forward...unless he does need us?" Shavvir looked over her shoulder as she continued walking away, waiting to see if there was a response.
"All I need is my bow...the rest of you are dead weight - " The archer was cut off by a smack across the face, Maul's shield slamming into him. He found himself pinned against the invisible barrier from the inside, suspended in the air.
"Leadership disappointing. Psychological readjustments necessary; commencing imminently."
"Even...you?" Those were the only words Wake was able to get out before Maul's namesake was slammed into his face, promptly knocking him unconscious.
Maul looked at the others, slinging the slumbering archer over his shoulder as he stowed his weapon. "Psychological readjustments...postponed." It was difficult for the warforged to do even this...Wake was the leader, as Phyrra had aptly mentioned...and Maul viewed him as such. Doing something like this in warforged culture was beyond taboo...his rank in the army would be revoked for assaulting a superior officer. However, Wake's mental change was undeniable, as was the potential time loss from having such a predicament continue to fester. Maul's sole concern was returning to the Material plane and finding his people...and that was more important than his personal code. "Obstruction eliminated. Resume operating procedures."
Shavvir nodded, still dumbfounded from seeing Maul attack one of their own...he was the last she would have thought stoop to that level. For a moment, she didn't know if this was what the Shadowfell had done to the warforged, if it even could have an effect on him at all...he was always silent, but rarely violent unless provoked. Still, she wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. "Alright. Let's keep going, unless anyone else would like to have a mental breakdown. Be cognizant that you're in the Shadowfell...it will do that to you if we remain here for too long. Time is of the essence."
Shavvir pressed on, Strahd's castle now looming menacingly over them. It was still a way's out, but they could certainly reach it by nightfall, assuming there weren't any more traps in the way...admittedly not the best of assumptions, given what they'd just gone through. She couldn't see anything ahead, which either meant they'd passed the last test...or the next one was just that much harder.
An hour passed, silence filling the space between the group. The tension with Wake had put all of them on edge...that, and nothing else was even in sight besides the castle. It was like everything had been cleared out, not even plant life worthy of being in Strahd's presence...and certainly no other creatures. If Strahd had erected those barriers with the intent of keeping out -
A pyre of flame erupted from underneath Shavvir's foot, sending her stumbling backwards as she was drawn from her internal thoughts. Quickly she looked at the ground, seeing an arcane sigil flare to life for only a few seconds, the purplish-black glow fading quickly. She looked around, the group immediately stopping their advance. "What was that?"
Zaelynir was quick to respond. "Likely a Glyph of Warding, my dear...and if I had to guess, far from the only one. Best be careful."
Phyrra shook her head. "No, these aren't ordinary Glyphs...you can see them, though you have to be paying close attention. Do you think...do you think Strahd turned them invisible, assuming this was his work?"
"Certainly a possibility. That makes things quite fascinating though, doesn't it darling?"
"Phyrra." Lance had remained in the back of the group, rather silent after the earlier scuffle with his brother. "That thing you did in the Underdark, where you rescued me...would that help?"
The drow nodded...True Seeing...it would eliminate half the puzzle. "It would help me see the glyphs, hopefully...dispelling them is likely beyond our capabilities." I'm willing to give it a shot, but everyone will have to follow directly after me. I'm willing to bet the triggered effects only get nastier the further in we go, so if we trigger even one, it could very well kill us all, or worse." Phyrra shuddered at the thought...spells could do far, far more than just kill you. "Alright...here we go."
Phyrra cast the spell, immediately letting out a gasp. The glyphs weren't just on the floor...they were in the air. Hundreds of them filler her vision, floating specs that formed a wall to the range of her newfound vision...and likely even higher. They weren't so densely packed that they couldn't get through them...but the mere thought that Strahd had the power, time, and resources to create such an elaborate and deadly barrier was...intimidating. "They're...they're in the sky. If I duck, you duck...if I jump, you jump...and don't jump any higher."
"Oh my...seems our lovely host has pulled out all the stops, hasn't he? Well...best not disappoint, yes?"
Phyrra nodded. "Yes, let's...I dare say disappointment will be amusement for him, and unending pain for us. Now everyone...after me." Phyrra stepped forward, analyzing the ground. As she moved, more glyphs appeared on the far range of her vision. There was no telling how many of these there were, nor how deep they ran...however, the castle wasn't far now. They could make it, they just had to be cautious. The drow took her first step into the deadly maze, digging her boot into the ground as she marked a glyph to their right.
The process was excruciatingly slow...it had to be, lest they risk setting off a deadly chain reaction. Phyrra did her best to mark everything she could, the path behind them filled with scuffs of various shapes that she'd invented as they went - lines meant "do not cross", triangles meant "step high" or "duck", squares meant "crawl along the ground", and so forth. The entire time, beads of sweat dripped from the drow's brow...one wrong move, one wrong direction, or even one misplaced marking could spell the end.
Eventually Phyrra looked forward once more, turning sideways, marking the appropriate circle as she narrowly slid between two glyphs. They'd only grown more packed the further that they'd advanced, nearly twice as densely packed now as compared to when they'd started. As the drow looked ahead, though...for once, she saw nothing new. The walls of the castle towered above them at this point, and that closeness marked the end of the neverending maze...the end was in sight. "We're almost there!" Phyrra called out behind her, taking care not to accidentally trigger a glyph as she did so.
"Well that's quite peachy...I'm actually getting a tad uncomfortable. Wings like these are meant to be spread free, after all." Zaelynir and Maul had had the toughest times getting through the maze, the former due to his unique physiology, and Maul due to his sheer bulk and the unconscious ranger on his shoulder. Lance took up the rear, making sure everyone was safely through before advancing, leaving him trailing behind the group a decent amount. Shavvir stayed close to Phyrra, the two only a few paces apart from the other.
The group pressed forward, progress drawing even slower as Phyrra drew even more cautious, trying to find a path through the chaos that Zaelynir and Maul could get through. It led them on a roundabout path, sometimes even going backwards in order to reach an emptier cluster elsewhere. They were almost there...Phyrra could see the -
Suddenly, an eruption happened behind her. Phyrra turned around in time to see the blast of fire behind Maul and Zaelynir. Instinctively she reached out for Shavvir, shunting the two of them through a Dimension Door, darkness grabbing hold of them momentarily until they emerged, pressed against the walls of the castle. A half-second later and Zaelynir emerged beside them, holding Maul by the shoulder as they appeared in a similar manner. Wake was thrown through as well, still slung over the warforged's shoulder.
However...Lance. The pyroclasm went off like a chain reaction, shards of ice joining the deadly mixture as well as bolts of lightning, clouds of gas, and orbs of inky darkness. Spells erupted in quick succession, each one easily strong enough to kill a person...and Lance was likely being thrown around in the middle of them all. When the dust finally settled, the half-elf was unconscious in a crater of magical annihilation, one arm nearly burned off whilst his legs were encased in ice...his various pieces spread out amongst the crater
"Lance!" Phyrra screamed out, instinctively running forward before she stopped at the wall of glyphs she'd teleported past. Quickly fear turned into anger and then sadness...there was no way he'd survived that...there was no way anybody could survive that.
"I'm getting him." Phyrra shook her head, stepping forward and dropping to the ground as she slithered back into the chaos.
"Phyrra, he's..." The drow looked back, seeing Shavvir call out to her. Fiery determination and anger filled her eyes, nearly shocking Shavvir whose attitude immediately changed. The shadar-kai's expression softened, a slight smile forming. "He's going to be safe, so bring him home."
"I will...I promised I'd protect him." Turning back, she hurried forward, going far faster than she'd been when she'd been guiding the others through. Gone were the markings and directions, all she cared about was getting to Lance...even if he was dead. That didn't matter...she'd bring him back if she had to. She wouldn't back down on that promise.
"Where...am I dead?"
Lance looked around, his word filled with inky black. When he looked down, he couldn't even see himself. It wasn't even like being in a cave...he could instantly tell that there was no body of his here...that he was alone.
A voice called out - deep, rumbling, and omnipresent. It didn't sound like one voice but millions, all speaking in tandem. "Yes."
It felt as if his heart rate spiked...even though Lance knew he had no heart. "Is my brother here?"
"Yes."
Panic rushed through him immediately. "Will he survive?"
"Unknown."
Lance stilled himself for a moment, trying not to be overtaken by the fear that was beginning to consume him. He didn't know these voices, who they were, or what they wanted..but they were answering questions...and he wanted to know just what they knew. "Is my mot - is Sariel Silvershadow here?"
Phyrra reached Lance, the crater thankfully void of threats due to the previous eruption. When she got there, she was shocked...he was still breathing, admittedly slowly. How? In order to survive an assault of this magnitude, he would have needed deific levels of durability...especially given that the rogue was currently in five pieces. That must have been what sent off the chain reaction, the various limbs of the rogue all near the edge of the crater.
Perhaps it was his soul...or rather, Wake's soul. She didn't know the details of what had happened to restore Lance to life, only that devilish pacts were involved...perhaps that had given the rogue some unique perks that they hadn't had a chance to realize until now.
Phyrra quickly pushed the speculation from her mind, focusing on her dying ally. She held both hands on him, divine power flowing rapidly through her and into Lance, suffusing him with radiant energy. Wounds closed, necrotic gashes purified, and scorch marks faded as she violently forced life back into him. Still, he was barely more than a torso...but even that, she could fix. Phyrra scurried around as the residual effects of her spell continued to take effect, constantly pushing more and more life into Lance. She grabbed the lower half of one of his arms, holding it to the stump as the spell fused them back together, the fingers going from limp to a clenched fist in a split second. She gathered his other limbs, putting them to the stumps that they attached to. It was a careful operation, but she had time...if it meant that Lance would open his eyes, she had all the time in the world.
She grabbed his final missing limb, moving his right foot back towards the rest of his body, attaching it. He was complete...the spell continued to regenerate him, spreading to the foot as it healed. Even after that, Lance remained unconscious...she slammed her fist into the ground...that was supposed to do it. That was supposed to bring him back. She looked over at the others, tears staining her cheeks. They were all huddled around Wake, the archer on the ground in the center of the rest. She'd forgotten about their connection...Wake had also probably died residually.
That didn't matter, though...she'd promised to protect Lance. She held her hands on either side of his head, even greater amounts of energy pouring into him. It continued going, mingling with what was already there as the rogue's body practically hummed and shined with the power she was forcing into it.
"Damnit!" She slammed her fist into the ground again...it wasn't supposed to end like this...she was supposed to look out for him, protect him...save him.
"What...did I do something wrong?" Phyrra looked back down, Lance looking blankly towards the sky. His breathing was slow and forced...but it was there, and that was what mattered.
"No...at least, I don't think so."
Lance smiled, still unable to move his head. "That's good...I thought I set off one of those glyphs accidentally."
"Well...perhaps, but you're alive...everyone's alive. Now, let's get out of here." Phyrra looked around, realizing that she couldn't see the glyphs anymore...perhaps the spell's effects had run out, or perhaps she'd lost concentration on it during her outburst. Either way, they needed to get out...and she'd expended the vast amount of power given to her by Lolth. She grabbed hold of the rogue and teleported them out, throwing them towards the rest of the group.
Shavvir instantly grabbed Phyrra's attention, pointing at Wake. "He...he needs Lolth's touch too. I...we all know he isn't his usual self right now. He doesn't deserve to die like this."
"Him?"
Shavvir nodded. "Even him."
Phyrra nodded. "You're right." She knelt down...she couldn't do much, but she could at least save him from death's door. A small portion of magic fled from the drow's fingertips, Wake's ragged breathing instantly leveling out, though he remained unconscious. "There...that should keep him steady until nightfall."
Shavvir looked around...they were at the very center of the castle now, not even a minute's walk from the front doors just around the corner. "Let's go, then. We've made it this far, and we'll keep going."
The shadar-kai began marching towards the towering double doors, the others quickly following in line behind her. She turned the corner and continued, stopping until she was directly behind the doors. She held her hand up, ready to knock, pausing a hair's breadth from the door...were they ready? Was she ready?
Yes...she had to be. They'd all considered retreating at some point in this journey, but every time they'd pressed on...all leading up to this moment. Standing down wasn't something she could entertain anymore, at least not for a while.
Shavvir got ready to knock again, this time her hand drawing equally as close before the door opened seemingly of its own volition, silently sliding open just wide enough to slip through.
"Enter...I insist."
As the word rung out, it send a shiver down Shavvir's spine...that suave, icy voice could belong to one creature, and one creature alone. Phyrra put her hand down, walking into the entryway of Castle Ravenloft. The inside was as pitch dark and lifeless as the outside, the skeleton of a dead dracolich lining the ceiling of the hall, hovering above an elaborately decorated dining table that, despite its grandeur, felt empty. At the far left end of it was none other than Strahd von Zarovich himself, the vampire sitting with his high-backed chair pushed back, hands held aloft and legs crossed impatiently. "Please...you should take a seat. "Visitors" don't come by very often anymore."
Shavvir knew better than to do anything but comply, the true power of the being before them immensely greater than even the powerful and commanding aura he gave off. She walked to the far end of the table, taking a seat at the very end. Phyrra, Maul, and the others came around beside her, taking seats clustered near her. Maul set Wake down, the still-unconscious archer now lying on the floor.
Strahd smiled, his vampiric fang slipping out and glistening brilliantly. "You've come here for a reason, no? I'm surprised you made it here, truly...that eruption outside certainly doesn't give much confidence. Tell me, to whom do I owe the pleasure of dining with tonight?" With a snap of his fingers plates began to move on their own, a flurry of unseen servants handing out meals to the Syndicate. Despite Strahd's lack of a need for food it looked and smelled wonderful...enough that Shavvir almost lost sight of their goal. Almost.
"I am Shavvir Blackfire, and I'm here on behalf of - " The words caught in her throat...she wasn't. This wasn't the Raven Queen's mission that she was carrying out anymore, it was her own. This was a path she'd chosen to continue following...nobody had pushed her to do this. "Sorry. On behalf of the Syndicate of the Material plane, seated next to me. We've come to request your aid. I'm certain someone of your magnificence knows of Empyria, yes?"
Strahd let out a hearty chuckle. "Empyria? Oh, but of course? They are my spawn, after all...our two empires are dutifully intertwined now. I made them what they are now...and their progress fuels my own territorial gains. Tell me, what proposition is it you wish to propose?"
"We seek to expunge them from this earth." Shavvir said it matter-of-factly, knowing full well how it would sound to her audience. It was the last thing she thought he'd expect, and hope that it would pack a punch.
"And my dear...why would I aid you in that?" Strahd crossed his arms, looking intently at the shadar-kai. It was clear he was curious, hungering for an answer...that Shavvir's ploy had worked. Shavvir'd planned and rehearsed this conversation many, many times...and very few of them ever ended getting to this point. She was on her own now, nothing but her wits and her tongue to steer the debate into calm seas.
"Shall we call it...mutually beneficial? What is territory without a populace to inhabit it? Empyria intends to commit genocide, to wipe out every sentient creature that doesn't adhere to their beliefs. I'm from here, Count...I've seen what that hatred does to our cities, our towns, our villages. The petty feuds of the Material plane are nothing compared to what is coming should Empyria be left unchecked."
Strahd actually raised an eyebrow, as if impressed. "All very good points, Madam Blackfire. However, I will turn your argument against you...what is a populace without a territory to pen them in? Empyria is the cornerstone of this empire I have built, and laying siege to it is in now way beneficial to my interests. I'm afraid you'll have to be far more convincing than that if you want your journey to be worth it."
Shavvir nodded, continuing to try to map out where the debate could go in real time...trying to figure out which words posed the best chance at success. "I think you've got my group mistaken, Count. I have no qualms with the good city of Empyria. My fight is only for the people at the top of the city, at the people pushing this xenophobic agenda. My vision doesn't involve topping Empyria, but reimagining it, reinvigorating it...turning it into what it should have been from the beginning." She paused for effect, letting those words hang in the air for a heavy few seconds before continuing. "Tell me, Count...do you believe people to be inherently good, or inherently evil?"
Strahd smiled, tapping his hands against the oaken table. "I believe that to be a drastic simplification of a very complicated problem, Madam Blackfire. I believe we become who we are based on who raised us...that our upbringing steers us towards our future self. For some, that may be a virtuous path, and for others...not so much."
Shavvir faltered...she hadn't expected that answer, but Strahd's words were airtight...he avoided the fallacy she'd presented him with, leaving her with a narrow path to tread. "I tend to agree with you, Count...it's never that simple. However, I believe that extreme circumstances also shape ones future self...and that Empyria's leadership is shaping an entire generation of people on an unimaginable scale, something that - "
Strahd cut her off, Shavvir's breath catching in the back of her throat. "My dear, you're pleading to my humanity. Alas...I have none." He bared his fangs for a scant moment in a wicked smile before composing himself. "My concern is not with the Material plane. The status quo there suits my agenda perfectly fine. Tell me why I should support you in changing it."
"Because I can keep the status quo...that I'm not looking to topple a city, just its leadership. A new Empyria that welcomes all promises to keep more individuals alive than the current trajectory, while maintaining the strength of its borders. Empyria is technologically advancing at an alarming rate...and if you allow for a peaceful transition, you can reap those benefits as well."
"Very well put, Madam Blackfire. There are certainly advantages to your proposition. However, what you're asking is for me to risk my current population on the promise that I will gain more in the future...that's a rather volatile investment, unfortunately. I'm willing to entertain the arrangement you've mentioned...if you first prove your dedication by doing something for me, first."
Shavvir went wide-eyed for a second, swiftly composing herself. "That certainly can be arranged, Count Zarovich. However, we have witnessed firsthand your incredible powers...what could we possibly do that you would not accomplish faster?"
"Oh, it's simple really...I need you to kill yourselves."
I've come to fully accept that this will be the first NaNoWriMo project I don't conclude within a year. I think that's for the better this time...I'd rather produce this correctly rather than quickly. There are weeks I can't think of anything to put down, and days when I'm behind my keyboard for hours. I will finish this, make no mistake...it'll just take some time.
