Disclaimer: Thus far, I've done heavy research to try and make all locations as lore-accurate as I can, or at least not contradict lore. I have had a plan for what I want to do with this segment of the story, and it does not align with what is lore-accurate.
"Where are we?"
Wake looked around, his elven eyesight quickly adapting to the darkness that surrounded him. He could see both Zaelynir and Phyrra nearby, the three of them trapped in an otherwise featureless room. Smooth walls made of...stone or perhaps metal surrounded them, no hint of doorway or window in sight. Wake stood up, pulling out an arrow and running it along the wall, carefully feeling the pressure to test if there were any seams, however imperceptible, along its surface. After an entire lap, he found nothing...as far as they were concerned, they could be anywhere.
"Find anything?" Phyrra remained in the corner of the room, not taking any initiative as of yet.
Wake shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. I...have one more test. I'll be back in a second." Wake focused his mind, trying to center himself on the Ethereal plane. He could be there for short periods of time, perhaps enough to get out of this box. However, he couldn't find it within the Weave...which could only mean one thing.
"We're in an outer plane. Not Shadowfell, not the Material, not even an Elemental plane."
"Well darling, that narrows it down a bit, doesn't it? Think about it...what planes do you know of that would manifest like this?" Zaelynir strutted about the small chamber, eyes running along the walls.
"Unfortunately, none...though I suppose that narrows down the options even further. I'm going to take the liberty of assuming this isn't a good-aligned plane...I doubt Strahd would be able to send us there. Among the lower planes or neutral planes, this isn't Mechanus, Limbo, Acheron, Pandemonium, or the Nine Hells. I'm doubtful that it's Gehenna or Hades as well, though I'm not confident of that."
"Well, if it's one of the planes of the Abyss, it certainly hasn't been one that I've traveled to...though there are plenty that fit that description. If we assume we're right, which of course we are, that leaves - "
"Carceri...the prison. It makes sense, given what we're trapped in. However, it's especially problematic. I don't think there are any records of escaping Carceri, and I have no knowledge of what might be inside. In addition, the timescale is...far more than an inconvenience. We'd need to escape in only a few hours if we want to return before Empyria is fully constructed. We need to act quickly, and that starts with breaking free of this cell."
"And finding the others", Phyrra interjected. "We're not leaving the three of them in here if we can avoid it."
"Darling, now's not the time to start growing a heart...truly, it doesn't suit you. Let's worry about getting ourselves out of here first, and then deal with the others. Bluntly put, this is no place for me to die...but many others certainly have. Demons and devils alike fill this plane, prisoners from the War that outlived their use and were banished here. I'm not planning to join them for long."
Wake looked Phyrra in the eyes. "Let me try something...perhaps it might jumpstart this escape. Phyrra, do you know of any cases where a prisoner has escaped from Carceri. And if so, are there any records detailing how the escape was performed?"
"I don't - " Phyrra suddenly fell silent, a familiar bright light overtaking her, lifting her off the ground as her eyes shone brilliantly...she might not know, but this did. "There are no documented cases of individuals escaping from Carceri. The prison's defenses, consisting of magical dampening and numerous traps, prevent even the most skilled of wizards from breaking free of their cells." As soon as it came it had left, Phyrra collapsing to the ground, breathing heavily.
"Magical dampening...that certainly doesn't improve our odds, does it. I wonder just how strong it...is" While speaking, Zaelynir repeatedly performed arcane gestures, not even a spark appearing at the end of his fingertips. "Well, that certainly isn't promising. So...we're trapped in a room, no doors, no magic...I'm going to assume any magical equipment we have won't function either. We have no access to the Ethereal plane, no way to contact...anyone. Dearests, this doesn't seem too promising for us."
"Let me try...something." Phyrra closed her eyes, reaching out to Lolth once again. "My Queen, if you would listen to me...I need your aid. Would you put me in contact with my mentee...with Shavvir."
"Ah, how fascinating...how amusing." Lolth's voice almost chuckled through the prayer, though no laugh was actually heard. "You will be pleased to know she seeks her mentor as well...let it be known that I cannot see either of you. There is no help that I can provide beyond this. But this, through your collective devotion to me, I can do. Now, speak." There was a slight pause, the image in Phyrra's mind of her deity flickering slightly, as if a wave of static passed through.
"Phyrra?"
"Shavvir?" The drow called out through the connection, responding to her own name.
"Thank goodness...you're alive. What have you learned? Where are we? Are the others alive?"
"We're alive, Shavvir. We're in Carceri, or at least we think we are. Magic is suppressed here, even Lolth's gifts. We need to find a way out of these cells, and quickly. Remember, time passes quickly here...I wanted to get both groups in contact with one another." As soon as she was done speaking, she moved her lips, talking to the incubus and half-elf. "I am in contact with the others. Let us figure a way out of here."
Elsewhere in the plane, Shavvir's eyes were tightly shut, focusing all her will on maintaining contact with Phyrra...with the others. "Yes, our magic is weak here as well. We can't find an exit, we can't even find how somebody would put us in here without the use of magic. Is this...where it ends?"
"No. We will plan a way out. Lance knows someone here, doesn't he? What information does he have?"
"If I...if I speak, will this - "
"No...it is safe."
Shavvir nodded, keeping her eyes closed, but speaking to the others huddled next to her by the torch. "Lance, we're in Carceri. What do you know of here...if anything?"
"Carceri...no. No, no, no, this isn't good. This is where Molag's been since...well, for a century of our time, maybe longer."
"Anything else? We need to plan a way out of here."
"Uh, he, he…" Lance was frantic under the pressure, the walls seeming to collapse in on him. "He gave me this weapon. It's the only thing of his that I have." Lance held out Blink, the dagger twinkling in his hands. Lance had used it countless times since they'd been traveling together, but Shavvir'd never known that it had come from Mo -
Twinkling...that was odd. "Does the blade's magic still work?"
"I...haven't tried."
"Do it."
Lance silently nodded, taking the weapon in hand and moving back to one edge of the room. He threw the weapon slowly, the short blade rotating several times…and then Lance appeared on top of it, weapon in hand.
"Phyrra, Lance's dagger is immune to the magical void here. He can still use it. It was a gift from Molag, who's been here for ages."
"Find out more."
"When did he give it to you?"
"Blink?" Lance sat down in the far corner, dagger resting in both of his hands. "Well, not long after he got taken. We had two big heists planned, back-to-back. We made it through the first...during the second, we got caught. Sold out, even, by one of our crew. He gave me Blink after the first heist...it was one of the last times we interacted."
"Did he say anything to you when he gave it away?"
Lance shook his head. "No, not that I remember. Why do you ask?"
"Lance...I think that may be our key to getting us out of here. For all I know, it could be a literal key. There's no chance that it accidentally ignores the rules of this plane. I think Molag gave this to you knowing that he'd be taken here, hoping that one day, you'd be able to free him."
Shavvir paused, returning to her prayer, to Lolth and to Phyrra. "I think I need to dedicate my focus to the others here. Thank you for the guidance, Phyrra. And Lolth...thank you for the gift of a second chance."
The spider goddess' voice returned, booming loud in her mind. "Of course, my dear follower. You have used it well...which means you may yet earn another, should you need it. You know that they are limited, however...and that knowledge will serve you well. I await speaking with both of you once we see eye-to-eye once again."
"Stay safe, Shavvir. We'll meet up soon."
With that, Shavvir diverted her attention from her Queen, looking towards Lance. "See if it...see if it can get us out of here."
Lance nodded, looking around the small chamber, immediately finding something else unique about Blink...it seemed to ignore the very presence of the walls here, slipping through them as if they didn't exist.
"I'm...going to see if I can leave this place. If I can, I'll see if I can't free the two of you...somehow." Lance looked towards one of the walls...in truth, it was completely arbitrary. There was no 'front', no 'back'. All he knew to do was to throw Blink, and watch as it sailed through the wall. He paused for a half-second, unsure of how long to wait...and then he leaped to it. His form disappeared, momentarily sucked away as it reappeared next to Blink, the dagger in his hand.
He looked around, seeing the space around him. Grim didn't describe it...empty, distraught, lonely...they were all much better descriptors of the endless walls of smooth, featureless stone that he looked down. The only noteworthy objects were sconces on the wall, perfectly round orbs of blue flame clinging to them like a torch, illuminating the space around them. They were spaced out wide enough that they didn't illuminate everything, however, as patches of darkness lurked between them.
He turned around to where he'd come from, presumably the chamber they'd been trapped in. There was something else here...something he could barely read. It was the Infernal script, taught to him by Wake before they'd gone their separate ways. The words were...haunting, to say the least.
Lance Silvershadow
534 Counts Murder
194 Counts Burglary
12 Counts Arson
Shavvir Blackfire
1242 Counts Murder
18 Counts Burglary
Maul
5386 Counts Murder
2 Counts Assassination
The text wasn't so much carved into the wall as it was glowing above it, shimmering amidst the darkness around him. Even from this side, Lance couldn't even sense that there was any hint of door, lock, keyhole, anything...if the script wasn't there to taunt him, he wouldn't have even known to pay attention to this portion of the wall.
Lance looked around, taking a step back. The corridor seemingly went forever in both directions, fading into darkness. There had to be some way to get out...he could only assume there must be a way to put new prisoners in, and thus take old prisoners out. He just needed to see what that was...and how to obtain it for himself.
And thus, he set off, searching, for anything...anything of note. Time quickly lost all meaning in the featureless plane of Carceri, but the half-elf did try to hurry...he knew they didn't have time to waste. He walked quickly, seeing nothing but featureless walls ahead of him, not even the sight of silvered writing signifying additional crewmates. It was empty...perhaps, too empty. He turned around, starting back towards where he'd been before, only to once again find featureless walls. He kept going, hoping that perhaps he simply hadn't gone far enough...and yet, still nothing.
The very ground he stepped on was magic, twisting and turning as he traversed it. The realization was an easy one to come to, and yet a hard one to accept. If his very path was random, there was no way to know where to go...in fact, there was no way to do anything with certainty.
Lance set off again, hoping to at least find the others...if he could find Wake, they could figure this out together. His brother had helped him out through plenty before, and he was sure he'd be able to figure this out...it might take luck to find them, but luck was all he had at the moment.
As time went on, however, even that proved difficult. He started to see cells...at least, he could only presume they were cells. Floating text on the wall before them gave it away, names and deeds of presumably the planes' most wanted criminals. Many of the names were of devils and demons, likely prisoners from the war left here for eternity. There were a scarce few that didn't fit that format, with names that were almost familiar, and yet others from planes he couldn't even guess at. However, as he walked by the halls, none of them bore his brother's name on its door, nor any of his companions...Molag, too, was notably absent from the walls as he passed by them.
Lance wasn't quite sure how much time had passed...twenty minutes, maybe thirty? He wasn't making progress at a time when he desperately needed to...but at the same time, there was no way to know just what progress looked like. He could keep wandering the halls, hoping to find something...but it seemed like whatever he was looking for just couldn't be found.
As he continued walking, that final thought hung with him for a moment...whatever he was looking for. When he was searching for anything, he found nothing...when he was searching for Wake, he found other cells. It was like the plane itself was warping in such a way to keep him away from his objective...and there was nothing he knew to do about it. He took a seat along the walls, hoping that a moment of respite could clear the mounting dread in his mind.
What did he know...he knew he needed to find Wake. If that didn't work, he needed to at least find Maul and Shavvir...and if neither of those panned out, he could search for Molag. His master would know how to escape this place, that much he was certain...the fact that Blink got him out off his cell meant that Molag knew how the prison worked to some degree. However, all of those were lofty goals at the moment, seeing as he couldn't find anything that he wanted to find. He doubted he could 'trick' the plane, and search for something counter to his actual goal...such a simple trick wouldn't fool the plane.
However, he did have a plan...or at least, he hoped he did. He assumed that this prison, like any other, had wardens...and those wardens needed to be able to get around. How they did so, he could only hope to figure out along the way.
"I...I want to find a prison cell." He said the words out loud, hoping that that would help him stick to it. It was opposite of what he wanted, but in truth finding a cell was one of his goals...a scarce few, specific cells, but cells nonetheless. He had to focus on his alternate goal, not his real one...if he was lucky, it might be enough to fool Carceri.
And off he went...and just as he expected, all of the cells that he'd been passing by vanished, nothing but the barren halls and lit sconces on the walls guiding his way. All he heard were his own footfalls reverberating down the hallway...minutes passed by with this, as Lance began to wonder whether or not this strategy actually worked...whether he'd outsmarted Carceri.
Suddenly, his answer found him...though not in the way that he initially thought. From much further down the corridors he heard a struggle, a muffled voice making noises he couldn't quite make out. Alongside the struggle was something...mechanical. He couldn't see what at this moment, just that the noises were getting closer...and that he needed to be ready.
Lance skirted closer to the walls, hiding in the shadows between two of the lights, shadows surrounding his form. From here, he could be safe...at least, he hoped so.
From one of the side corridors, he saw it...or rather, them. Being dragged along was someone that looked very similar to Zaelynir...or rather, to Belgleth. Some incubus, probably dragged here from the war, was in the clutches of something that only looked like Maul, but worse. Whereas the metal and wood of Maul was clean, the plates fitting together nicely with minimal overlap, this was...the only word he could come up with was bestial. Cracked wood shot up around its shoulders and waist, rusted metal connecting the various pieces. It was roughly humanoid in shape, though it appeared more blockish, more monstrous than anything else.
Lance stayed in the shadows, waiting this out...this wasn't a situation he wanted to dive into unprepared. He watched as the robotic figure continued dragging the succubus towards the walls, holding up its arm. Lance watched as its hand morphed, turning from a rusted, mangled hand to a dagger of equal disrepair...but even that didn't remain long. The dagger modified even further, grooves forming along its blade, looking almost like...a key.
The figure's new key-hand seemed to trigger something within the wall, a small slot opening up in the featureless wall, perfectly molding to the size of its newly formed appendage. As soon as the two met, a door formed, slamming down to create an open room that looked very similar to the one Lance had found himself in upon arrival. The succubus was thrown inside without any hesitation, the figure wrenching the key out just as quickly. As soon as it did the door was raised, melding perfectly into the wall once more. The next thing that formed was the illusory script...but Lance didn't read it. Now was his time to strike, while it was vulnerable.
Blink flew across the room at lightning speed, Lance's elven eyes and elven dexterity hitting his mark perfectly. It landed directly on the figure's wrist, Lance reappearing just on top of it. He made a quick motion while he had the element of surprise, making a quick, deep cut at the figure's wrist. It wasn't quite enough to cut the blade off...but it was a start. As soon as Lance appeared he left, throwing Blink off to the side and distancing himself once more, building space between himself and this warden...or whatever it was.
As soon as he did, however, it let out a groan...no, a roar was more apt of a description. An unholy bellow echoed down the hallways as its eyes flared with some sort of infernal energy, the blue that matched the torches along the walls slipping into a deep, crimson red. The warden turned to face Lance, fully aware of the rogue's tricks...and this time, he didn't have his allies to distract it.
However, he needed that key...if that could unlock his brother's cell, then it could get him out of here. Lance stepped back, ducking into the darkness, watching the warden's move, trying to analyze its movements. However, it was unpredictable, its movements erratic and uncontrolled. It dashed towards him, its key-hand reforging itself into its dagger form promptly. Lance kept his distance as it dashed towards him, dodging out of the way just as the blade swung at him, a bolt of necrotic energy leaping from the device on his back in the process. He focused his mind...he hadn't had much experience yet guiding this in actual combat, almost all of his practice coming from his training with Maul. The first one veered wildly off his target, careening into the wall.
The warden was on top of him, and he needed a way out. He threw Blink, off down the hall, warping to it after a second, buying himself some much-needed space. The warden tracked his movements like a predator stalking prey, a compartment opening up on its other arm, a dart flying across the hallway, gouging into Lance's forearm. He clutched the appendage, his dagger now hanging limply in his hand.
The second time the warden lunged at him, he dove forward, arms and legs scraping across the ground as he skidded forward. Another blast of necrotic energy pulsed from his back, this time its target infinitely easier to hit as it careened into the warden's leg. Lance scrambled to his feet and spun around, watching as the black and green energy gnawed at the woods and metals of the construct like a plague, boring a small hole as large as his fist. The metal creaked, a rusted spike jutting out as the metal continued to warp. The warden retaliated, a metal spike launching from its shoulder, Lance narrowly ducking out of the way as it passed over his shoulder…
...and right into the second spike. This one caught him completely unawares, jabbing into his ribcage deep, the rusted iron making him grunt in pain. He took a step back, taking his good hand and wrenching the weapon out of him, a cry of anguish fleeing his lips as he did. Blood was flowing freely from the wound, a problem that he couldn't solve without Phyrra's help...but to get that, he needed to find his brother. And for that, well...the solution was staring right at him.
Lance stayed upright thus far, his vision slightly hazy as he tried to maintain balance despite his weakened system, limp arm loosely clutching Blink hanging beside him. The warden was more than satisfied with keeping its distance...it was smart, and it had quickly learned that engaging in melee with such slippery opposition only proved fruitless. It opened up another hidden compartment on its waist, three needles firing out in quick succession.
Lance saw them coming, dodging to the left, feeling it graze against the leather of his armor as he did so. Clumsily he threw Blink forward...at least, he planned to. In reality, the dagger was launched into the air, Lance teleporting to it without realizing just where he was going to end up. He found himself quickly plummeting downwards, the warden just below him.
Again, he threw the dagger, waiting for it to hit the ground before warping to it. From here, he made a quick slash, only to find the weapon bounce off of the warden's metallic plates. He scrambled backwards, the dagger plunging towards him as he struggled to break free of the predicament he'd thrown himself into. It cracked against the floor, gouging closer and closer to him as he tried to squirm out of the way. Lance grabbed onto the warden's wrist, using the momentum to pull him out from underneath it as well as get a grip on his target. He took his dagger, wrenching it into the blade. A spark popped from the assault, the warden's key-hand now limply hanging on...and yet still, it didn't fall off.
However, the rogue did. Lance was flung off as the Warden raised its arm and hurled him across the hallway, slamming him into the metallic walls as his body slid down to the ground. When he stood up it was not a simple matter, his body battered, bruised, and barely holding together. He didn't have much left in him, but that was okay...he didn't need to kill this warden, just get the key. If he got that, he could do his best to make an escape.
Another compartment opened from the warden's opposite shoulder, a spear flying out towards the Lance. He swerved out of the way, nearly falling over in the process as a stray bolt of necrotic energy erupted from him. He did his best to steer it, the pain fogging up his mental abilities, requiring even more of his focus in order to guide it effectively. He guided it straight for the warden, aiming at the hand...completely blind to the second spear that was flying directly at him. As soon as it hit him his concentration snapped, the bolt flying off erratically into the wall as he fell to one knee, the rusty weapon gouged deep into his thigh. He couldn't even stand anymore...he didn't know if he ever would again.
Lance clutched the weapon in his leg, grunting...this would hurt. He grasped the spear, putting Blink in his mouth as his teeth dug into the blade, a low, drawn-out grunt issuing from him as he wrenched the spear out of his leg, averting his eyes from the unsightly gore that remained in its place. Rather than cast it aside Lance held onto the spear, using it like a crutch as he stood up, throwing all of his weight onto his good leg, Blink loosely hanging from his good hand. He needed to end this...or else, it would end him.
The warden was more than content to keep its distance...this wretched escapee was curious, but none would escape...none ever did. The figure looked to be about ready to fall over, at which point it would be taken to maximum security to rot out the rest of its days. The warden grabbed a rusty iron spike from the lone wound the prisoner had made on it earlier, its leg buckling in the process. With pinpoint accuracy, it threw the spike forward.
Lance saw it coming, and he knew what he needed to do...there was no way to dodge out of the way in his current state. He threw Blink forward, waiting for the point where the two projectiles crossed each other...and then warped forward. In the split second of travel he felt himself pass directly through the spike, appearing on the other side as a blast of necrotic energy erupted from him. A pit formed in his stomach as he nearly vomited from the concentration needed to control it, creeping red filling the edges of his vision from the trauma he'd suffered. He fell to the floor after appearing, relying on his memory to guide the bolt towards his target while his eyes slammed into the ground.
A half-second later, and he heard the bolt collide with...something. He turned his head, watching as the warden's hand was finally severed...the dagger-key was sent flying, the warden's forcibly-neutral expression unable to produce the anger that it's core felt.
Lance needed to go...and now. He grabbed Blink once again, throwing it towards the key that he'd risked his life for. He appeared next to it, throwing the spear he'd been clutching at the warden as little more than a distraction, his free hand now grabbing the key. It was larger than his fist, the metallic and wooden excess coming from it due to the ugly severance making it awkward to hold...but he didn't care. He had it. He looked behind his back to see the warden preparing for another strike, clumsily throwing Blink further down the hall in an effort to escape.
"Have to...find...Wake." He continued throwing Blink, his leg too injured to actually walk on his own. The repeated teleportations were disorienting, the lifeless halls of Carceri jerking forward at uneven intervals, spots of blood trailing the space behind him from where he'd landed.
"Have to...find...Wake." He began to see cells showing up on the walls, as hee would have expected...but they weren't Wake's. As he went, however, one name continued to show up...Neraxis. At first it was only every so often, but as Lane continued on, the name began showing up on every other cell...until, finally, it was all that he saw. The rogue stopped, partially out of curiosity, partially out of exhausting.
Neraxis
127329 Counts Murder
754 Counts Assassination
45 Counts Arson
Phyrra Lockley
85 Counts Murder
7 Counts Burglary
Wake Silvershadow
Lance didn't even bother to continue reading...he was there. However, Neraxis...was that...Zaelynir? That didn't make sense though. The incubi had come clean, Lance thought...as Belgleth. Was there even a deeper layer to this? Or had Zaelynir been imprisoned elsewhere, and the two were trapped with a stranger. The rogue didn't know, but he needed to...if only he could lift himself up high enough to reach the center of the door. He clawed his way towards the wall, using the solid surface to push himself upwards, the entirety of his strength required to do such a simple action. Once upright he took the dagger, seeing that it was reconfiguring itself as the various metals rearranged themselves, a key forming in his hand. He turned his head, finding the keyhole right beside his shoulder as he plunged the dagger into it. With a click, the door opened, Lance falling backwards into the cell. The impact of his head onto the solid floor was the last thing he felt, immediately falling unconscious.
Phyrra sat nestled in the corner of the cell, silent, waiting. It had been quite a while since she'd spoken with Shavvir, silence filling the room between the three of them. As time dragged on, however, Wake started to be injured...at first, it wasn't much. Then, he clutched his shoulder, letting out a surprised grunt as he nearly doubled over. Whereas Zaelynir only watched with passive interest, Phyrra rushed over to him, instinctively setting to cure his wounds, completely forgetting that the spell failed. "What's happening?"
He grunted a single word. "Lance..."
It took Phyrra a minute to understand just what that meant, but quickly recalled the link the two brothers shared. If Wake was feeling this pain, it meant that Lance was suffering it...which meant that he'd managed to escape, and found himself in trouble. The drow didn't know what would happen if one of them died...and she didn't want to. However, she sat powerless, unable to channel Lolth's divine graces into Wake as she saw him wince once again, now clutching his leg. His breathing grew heavy and ragged, as if he was grasping for every morsel of air that he could.
"Stay with me Wake...stay with me."
He shook his head, closing his eyes as his breathing continued to grow more and more strained. She saw his muscles contract, fists clenching as another stab of pain rocked his system. He was on death's door...both of them were.
After that, his condition didn't seem to worsen...which was fortunate, as much worse likely meant he was deceased. His breathing, though ragged, began to slow, his eyes closed as he tried to conserve every morsel of energy that he could. Seconds passed, the only sounds echoing in the cell being the occasional grunt from Wake. If he was still with her, then so was Lance...and if they weren't getting worse, she could only hope that meant -
The wall of the room she was in cracked open, a door forming out of nowhere as it plummeted into the ground...and as soon as it did, Lance tumbled inside. Phyrra let out a shriek, seeing his brother as the bloody mess that he was, slamming into the ground with a thud. At the same moment, she saw Wake's bowstring illuminate with its usual glow as a strange, key-like object tumbled from Lance's hand.
Zaelynir held out his hand, attempting to ignite a spark once more, this time a puff of fire appearing at the end of his hand. "It seems we've been rescued, darling...best tend to our savior lest we lose him."
Phyrra nodded, immediately moving to Lance...she'd sworn to protect him. She pushed a blast of healing into him, Lolth's magic rushing through her as her arms visibly brightened from the powerful magic, but its effects were clear as day, even in the dark cell. The numerous wounds and scrapes on Lance's skin immediately recovered, blood caking to his flesh as the wounds sealed and the bleeding stopped. In mere seconds he was breathing again, opening his eyes in a panic.
"What...where...are you…"
"Shhhh." Phyrra placed a hand on Lance's shoulder, doing her best to calm him. "You're alive...barely. Give me a moment and then we can talk, your brother is injured...both of you were." Phyrra turned her attention to Wake, the strongest of her healing magics already dried up. It took her a while, repeatedly casting some of Lolth's simpler gifts in an attempt to restore Wake to health.
In the meantime, Lance's eyes glanced over to Zaelynir, if that was indeed his name. His eyes gave a knowing look, the incubus immediately picking up on it.
"Yes, dear...is something the matter?"
The words invaded Lance's mind just as before. He nodded, responding in turn. "Neraxis."
Zaelynir's brow furrowed in genuine curiosity. "Is that a name I should know?"
"The words on the door to your cell make it sound like it's you."
"I do not believe you. Show me." Zaelynir pushed himself from the wall, strutting outside and into the hallway. Lance pointed above the door, where the words still shimmered. The incubus read them, having no troubles understanding the script. "And I suppose you think I'm lying to you?"
"Our cell had Maul, Shavvir, and myself. Yours has three people, and none of the names you've told us about are one of them. You can't fault me for being skeptical."
Zaelynir shook his head, genuine worry starting to creep into him. "No, I cannot...but I assure you, this is not a name that I know. This plane knows something I don't, and that makes me uncomfortable."
"We could ask Phyrra."
"We've already used that trying to figure out a way out of here. We'd have to wait for tomorrow, though we certainly don't have that much time left on this plane. Once we're out of here though, yes...I think some knowledge is in order."
Lance paused for a second to look back at Wake...he was getting better. "You genuinely don't know, do you?"
Zaelynir let out an audible chuckle before responding telepathically. "Boy, I am many things, and a liar and actor are among them. I know you can't trust a single thing that I say...but no, I have never seen this name before."
"Okay." He was right...Lance didn't believe her. He couldn't, for the exact reasons he'd spelled out.
"Lance, are you...what happened?"
Lance turned around, Wake coming to as Phyrra helped him up. His brother looked around in a daze, seeing the open door in front of him. "Blink wasn't affected by the magic here...and for some reason, it could go through the walls. I fought a warden to get here...this key unlocks the cells." Lance pointed to the key in the wall, still keeping the door open. "This place is weird. It doesn't make sense. Whatever you're looking for...you'll never find it."
Phyrra was quick to respond. "What do you mean?"
"Well, first I just started to look for anything...and the walls were empty. Then, I started trying to find you...and I began to see cells for everyone that wasn't you. The place rearranges itself. If you walk fifty feet forward and fifty feet back, you'll be in a different place."
"So how'd you find us?"
"Well...I think this key negates all of that, as well as lets you all use your magic. I found the warden by trying to find any cell at all...turns out when you remove the cells from the equation, only the warden is left."
Wake gave an approving grin. "Clever. And it sounds like you defeated it?"
"No." Lance shook his head, the flashback wracking him with a shiver down his spine. "I managed to get its hand, but it's still very much alive. Based on the fact that it hasn't found us yet, I'm guessing the key itself contains the power, and not itself...that, or we're being hunted."
"Well then we best get out of here without delay. Every second we spend here is precious, and escape should be first on our priority."
"With the others...yes?" Lance narrowed his eyes at his brother.
Wake rolled his eyes, shaking his head in the process. "Lance, this isn't the time for heroics. You know how - "
His words were cut short by Lance taking a step back, removing the key from its lock in the process. The door slammed shut once more, utter darkness filling the cell that Wake and Phyrra were still trapped in. Zaelynir was still outside, letting out a chuckle. "Feisty today, aren't we?"
Lance didn't bother to respond, counting down in his head before jamming the key back inside, the door slamming into the floor once again. "No time for heroics? Wake, I almost died to get you out of here. Would you rather I didn't? Would you rather I just escape and leave you to rot in this cell for eternity?"
"If it meant knowing you were safe...I'd understand."
"I - " The words hung in Lance's throat...he hadn't expected that response. "Still, I risked my skin for you. With this key, things should be easier now. We can get where we need to. We can find Maul and Shavvir. We can find Molag."
Wake raised an eyebrow, quick to respond. "Lance, Molag is - "
"Our way out of here. He - "
"Lance we don't have the time for - "
"Shut up! Shut...shut the fuck up, Wake." Lance was seething with anger at this point, his fist clenched in frustration without even realizing it. "Molag knows about this plane. There's no chance he accidentally gave me an item that not only ignored the rules of this plane, but also helped me escape. He gave this to me so that I could rescue him. And unlike you, I'm not turning my back on my companions. I'm getting everyone out of here. If you don't want to, if any of you don't want to, then get out of my sight. Leave this place. Wander around for eternity, get captured by another damn warden, and get thrown back into a cell, because I'm taking this key with me and rescuing who I came to rescue. Is that understood Wake, because I get the sense it's not."
"No...I understand."
Wake nodded, looking at the others. "Good. Then let's go get our friends."
NaNoWriMo is back, and though I'm not starting something else, I'm going to spend the month doing as much as I can to close this out. Don't know if I'll get all the way there (the Syndicate still has a ways left in their grand journey), but hopefully I'll get far enough along that closing this tale out should be an easy matter.
