Huk smiled as always; and smelled. The filthy human was his best ticket out of Ta-Naudin, however, so no matter how much he despised that man, he had to accept his current company. Apart from Huk, the company consisted of a halfling, a grey dwarf, four goblin fighters and two human merchants. Ellotho was the young halfling's name, probably a thief, and the one closest to Huk. The duergar was called Gurn, a fighter with axe and shield that seldom opened his mouth. The merchants carried crossbows, but didn't look like much of a threat to anyone. The goblins carried bows and short swords. They kept to themselves and never seemed comfortable this close to a drow.
"The best goblin is a dead goblin," Zarolas snorted, using the drow tongue.
Zarolas had traveled a lot in the Underdak. He was one of the few drow from Ta-Naudin that had visited the neighbouring drow city of Olath-ilhar, but he was never allowed to travel far to the east, towards the surface. But now, along with Huk's company, that was exactly where he was heading. And with a sigh of relief he spurred his lizard mount onwards.
"Travel not far away from the carriage. Dangers lurks around corners," Huk yelled after him in a halting drow dialect. Zarolas cackled. Like he didn't know. Like he cared.
"Dangers to some," he muttered. He was still in well-known territory and had never met anything capable of giving him a real fight so close to the city. He figured he had a better chance of meeting a worthy foe on his own, but he didn't have much luck. Not even an escaped goblin in sight. He imagined how it would agitate the goblins in his current company if he dragged back a dead one or two.
The mighty drow wizard still considered the drow a superior race. They ruled the Underdark and enslaved whatever creatures they wanted. Even demons and the dead could be summoned as servants of the drow. Zarolas was actually quite familiar with the latter. He had his own favourite among the dead. Her name was Luenyonilar Lilshaliir, and Matron Berelene was quite right about her ramblings about his revenge. But she meant the death of Luenyonilar. That was just the beginning. To see her tormented soul rise and obey his every command was his final revenge.
"Rest while you can, Luenyonilar," he said, as his thoughts went back to last time he had summoned her. "I gladly leave the Underdark for a while. Pray that I won't be back!" At first, he laughed at his own words. But then he considered the thought. If he hated the drow society so, why should he return? Would Luenyonilar actually get her rest? He had left his study pretty intact. All the magical runes and wards against demons and undead still decorated the floor, but his books, scrolls and magical items and potions rested in his pack. He could probably recall the runes from memory anyway. But what awaited him on the surface? What about the terrible surface elves? He cursed at the thought, and suddenly fell silent. He reined his mount and listened. He could hear silent movement somewhere around the closest stalagmites. He could even make out some muffled voices.
Zarolas directed his lizard mount to the cave wall silently. He tightened his grip on the saddle as the lizard leaped up the wall. It avoided the loose rocks and continued silently up the vertical wall with the drow still on its back. Zarolas guided his mount onto the ceiling above the tall stalagmites. He had secured his backpack and equipment well, so nothing was lost while he hung upside down. His dark cloak fluttered under him and his hair flowed freely. He soon discovered the creatures from his high vantage point in the ceiling. Lizard-men! The tall creatures looked nervous, and with their spears held up in front of them they slunk away. They could probably smell Zarolas, as he could smell them. But they looked confused when they couldn't locate the drow. Unlike the lizard-mounts these lizards couldn't walk on walls or ceilings, so they didn't consider to look up. Not that it mattered. It wasn't like they had a chance even if they had discovered Zarolas first anyway.
Light as a feather Zarolas released himself from the saddle and floated down, aided by his spells. The small troupe didn't hear him when he landed behind them. Not until his long whip lashed out and snapped around the neck of the rear lizard-man, and then pulled it to the ground. Zarolas was far from as strong as the reptile, and far from as big and heavy, but the element of surprise was his. As by his command, the whip released its now dead victim. A quick magical command and a jerk with his hand slammed the whip into a nearby stalagmite. This seemed to activate a spell that transformed the mundane whip into a chain of sparkling lightning bolts. The dazzling whip moved just as easily in his hands, and the electricity didn't seem to affect the drow at all. But when he sent the tip of the whip flying into the group of nervous lizards with a loud crack, the energy was released with a flash of blue light. Two of the creatures were sent flying, while a third couldn't move and inch. Its trembling body was incapable of moving for a long moment. Zarolas curled up his whip again and placed it in his belt. He moved swiftly as he drew his blade. He stabbed the unmoving lizard is its chest as he passed by, and continued after the remaining reptile.
When he returned he noticed, to his surprise, that one of the lizards hit by his enchanted whip was still alive, although barely. He ended its misery with his blade and stripped it, too, from its valuables. Then he called for his lizard mount and hurried away from the sickening stench of burning lizard flesh emanating from a side corridor.
* * * *
"Ah! Our dark friend returns," Huk hooted when Zarolas caught up with the carriage. "I was beginning to worry you would not find us again." His amputated dialect sounded ridiculous to Zarolas.
"I could smell you from miles away," Zarolas added dryly. Even though it took him several hours to find them, he had never been lost. Huk had changed from the natural path, but his drow senses didn't fail him. "And why this change in course? And, please, stick to the common tongue. You insult the language of the ilythiiri with your stuttering speech." He continued in the drow tongue himself, but understood common well enough.
"As you wish, dark one. It's not like I prefer your tongue after all," he chuckled with his hoarse voice. "You haven't been this far east before, am I right? This is a place the drow fear. We are approaching the Qu'elaeruk complex. This area is protected by magic. Once a great sorcerer used this place as his sanctuary. And with the help from other humans, clerics, he warded the complex from drow armies. Don't ask me how they did it, or how the magic works, but I know it's there." Zarolas could feel the strange magic radiating from the cavern walls. His white hair was especially sensible to magic, and as they traveled deeper into the complex, his locks curled out from his shoulders.
"Are you to test the protective magic against me, then?" Zarolas wondered. He didn't fear the human sorcerer as much as he should, and smiled at the challenge.
"Fear not, friend. The sorcerer doesn't consider you a drow army, even though you do," Huk taunted. "A single drow can pass without problems."
"And you expect me to trust your words? If I can pass unhindered, then why am I assaulted by this unseen power already? I feel it trying to get into my mind," Zarolas protested. He managed to shield his thoughts easily, but a tingling sensation of more mind attacks worried him.
"I've seen single drow pass through before. I'm willing to let you test me if you still think I'm lying," Huk said with one of his customary wide grins. But Zarolas was caught up in his own thoughts about the sensation. He hardly noticed Huk and the others anymore. Gurn the duergar was silent as always.
"We're approaching the chamber soon," Ellotho reminded Huk. Zarolas had moved up in front of the party and stopped suddenly as the cave they had entered ended in a steep wall. He dismounted and walked over to the impossibly smooth wall.
"You'll better open the gate, then," Huk said to the halfling. Ellotho jumped from the wagon and ran over to the wall. He rushed by Zarolas and produced a strange wand from under his cloak. He uttered a word of command and touched the wall with his wand. First nothing seemed to happen, then the solid wall shifted slightly. And without further delay the halfling disappeared into the wall, sending ripples up and the down the now liquid barrier. The drow wizard hardly shrugged before he, too, stepped through the portal.
With the small company well inside, they could hear a load shattering sound as the wall changed back to its solid form. Zarolas amused himself with thoughts about how it would feel to be trapped inside the barrier during the change. What a fitting fate for a goblin, he thought. And with a smiling visage he spurred his mounts onward. But then Huk held up his hand as a warning.
"The merchants of the Qu'elaeruk complex have traded with the drow for many years now. But still few of our tradesmen dare to enter the drow city and still fear the drow," Huk explained.
"And so they should," Zarolas added. He didn't gloat; it was a well-known fact.
"So to avoid unnecessarily agitation," Huk continued, "you should try to appear... less drow." His strange smile appeared to be one of regret. Zarolas hesitated, but finally decided to heed the advice. But when he reached for one of his many belt pouches, Huk scratched his forehead and cleared his throat.
"What?" Zarolas asked with a sharp tone.
"No magical disguise. That way you will be detected as an intruder eventually. Just appear less obvious," Huk said and shrugged. Zarolas eyed him suspiciously as he pulled his cowl over his head.
The Qu'elaeruk, the sorcerer, had to be a powerful one, Zarolas decided. Big statues along the walls lined the long cave hall. Some made of stone, some made of iron, and even some made of adamantite. Adamantite was the strongest metal in the Underdark - maybe even the strongest metal in all the Realms as well. They had to be the sorcerer's golems, he thought. But at the same time he found it strange that a sorcerer could make such golems. He decided to continue to heed Huk's advises though, and suddenly felt a lot more comfortable as he passed the last golem, of maybe 20 in total.
"Welcome to my world," Huk yelled when they arrived at a small platform in front of a steep flight of stairs. Human guards eyed them suspiciously, but gave an approving nod at the smelly merchant. Huk just smiled at the drow as he dismounted. It was impossible for the guards to guess his identity in the shadows of the cowl, but it was pretty obvious that he was a dark elf. The halfling and the goblins led the carriage and the mounts along a path to a side corridor, while Zarolas, Huk and Gurn continued down the stairs to a larger platform further down. Zarolas was preoccupied with the many smells and excited voices from below. And when he reached the end of the stairs, he couldn't hide his astonishment. The main cellar of the complex was a large room like nothing he had ever seen before. The air was thick with smoke and - to the drow - exotic smells. Candlelit tables were placed all about the room and the bar was crowded with humanoids of all sorts, mostly rough-looking humans. Serving wenches moved from table to table with stacks of foaming mugs. In a corner some patrons were singing and drinking. Then Gurn noticed a party of grey dwarves among them, and scurried over to them. It soon became obvious to Zarolas that Gurn was slightly more talkative among his own kin. He let out a loud bellow before he downed a mug, and joined the others in the singing.
Huk still stood at the entrance with Zarolas to make sure the scene would be fully absorbed by the drow. And he was obviously satisfied that the wizard looked totally perplexed. He tightened the grip on his eagle-headed cane when he noticed one of the drunken patrons got up and started dancing with one of the serving wenches. She was obviously uncomfortable, but had not the strength to push the big man away. But he soon toppled over by himself, and the girl used the opportunity to crawl away. And the only reaction by the onlookers was laughter! Then, to make his confusion complete, Zarolas noticed another woman moving across the room. She was dressed for the road, but still revealed more of her pale skin than any of the serving wenches. She wore tight trousers, and one of the male patrons couldn't help but giving the beautiful woman a quick rap over her rump. In contrast to the other girl, this one sent the man flying from his chair with a sudden powerful blow. At the same instant several men from the same table drew their weapons, but the woman proved the faster. One sword was sent flying and she kicked the unfortunate man and sent him sprawling over the table and into his friends. Then she spun a complete circle with her sword poised for action. The room fell silent for a long moment; all eyes were on the woman. She slowly sheathed her sword before she started walking again. Her eyes darted from side to side as she passed more patrons, but no one made a move. When she approached the exit, Huk gave her a courteous bow. She returned his greeting with a nod. Then her gaze met two pale, silvery orbs. She looked surprised when she recognised the short man as drow, and Zarolas could hardly hide his respect for the tall woman. But he didn't move an inch when she came dangerously close to him, as she went for the door. And the drow had to look down to avoid staring right at her cleavage, which was at his eye-level.
His confusion and lack of understanding agitated Zarolas. How could one man get away with what he did, while another was punished? And how could anyone draw weapons against a female, and get away with it? When he, as a young elf, killed a female drow, he was almost killed himself, even though the act was one of self-defence. If it weren't for Bajunfein he would have been sacrificed to Lolth, and Bajunfein was probably the only male in all of Ta-Naudin who could oppose a female. No female was killed here, not today anyway, but the casual attitude towards the abuse of females disturbed him. The human women were different from drow females, and he had always hated to be labelled as the weaker sex, but was this any better? he wondered.
"Come. I have something to show you," Huk said suddenly, interrupting his thoughts. A few of the patrons suddenly appeared less drunk as Huk and Zarolas walked passed them. The newcomers had got some attention as the tall woman passed them, and the word drow could be heard from some tables. Huk was obviously a respected man, Zarolas noticed, so no one said anything out loud.
"Vel'uss zhahus nindel j'nesst?" Zarolas asked in his native tongue. Huk turned suddenly and stopped the drow with an outstretched hand. He glanced about, before he moved closer to Zarolas.
"Speak common when you are among humans! That is the only way they will accept you. They can't get the impression that you are a spy of Lolth." The smelly breath almost overwhelmed his sensitive senses, but Zarolas understood the significance of Huk's words.
"Who was that woman?" he repeated in common. His common was far from perfect, but he knew most words. Huk smiled slightly, before he started to move again.
"Her name is Pheilinnil," Huk answered over his shoulder. "She's pretty new here, but I know her fairly well. I can introduce you to her later." He turned his head to flash Zarolas a wide grin and a wink.
* * * *
The familiar blue lizard-mounts of House Silsiloth sped through the many caves of the Underdark with great alacrity. The foremost rider was a high priestess of Lolth, the next one in line a female fighter, and the last one a male lance-wielder. They knew their way well among the labyrinths of stalagmites and stalactites. And before long, a few hours later than Huk's company, they approached the solid wall that separated the Underdark from the Qu'elaeruk complex.
Ardelis Silsiloth dismounted, and approached the wall. She ran her slender fingers gently over the impossibly smooth surface and could feel its powerful magic. Then she pulled a symbol from a pocket under her robe and held it up in front of her. She started a long incantation as she moved the symbol closer to the wall. The very fabric of the wall protested as she pressed the strange emblem up against it. And when she released her grip, the metallic symbol looked like it was carved into the massive stone. Ardelis, the very daughter of the Matron Mother of House Silsiloth, continued her incantation. Her companions looked at the spectacle from several feet behind, still on their blue mounts. And with a strange sound the solid wall melted into liquid form, ripples running up and down erasing the symbol, but without pouring onto the floor.
Suddenly a globe of darkness engulfed the riders. Without further warnings a shadow slipped into the globe from behind, and two quick chops could be heard. Seconds later two bodies dropped to the ground, and the frightened lizards escaped the conjured darkness and fled. Ardelis quickly dispelled the darkness and a grim expression crossed her beautiful face. Her two subordinates lay dead, their heads decapitated. In front of the slaughtered bodies stood a hooded figure. The assassin removed her hood slowly and revealed her face to Ardelis.
"You!" the cleric screamed in anger. The killer was no drow; she was a freak, in Ardelis' eyes. The half-drow's skin was almost as dark as that of a drow, but her features reminded her more of a human. Her yellow hair wasn't as pale as usual among the dark elves, and she was taller than any normal elf. Her intense green eyes were almost aglow in the dark caves of the Underdark. Her bare arms were muscular, and she wielded a wicked two-bladed sword dripping with blood.
"Minzantria Xaenar! Return to your wicked matron and tell her to keep out of this!" Ardelis screamed again. "I know what you want with him!" Then she grabbed a necklace hanging around her neck with one hand, and started to gesticulate with her other. At the same time she uttered a number of magical commands to complete the spell.
"Light Upon You!" Minzantria cursed at her. Then she leaped forward with her deadly weapon ready to strike. But Ardelis had confidence in her spell, and at first it appeared like she succeeded. The stone beneath the charging half-drow's feet started to rise, to grow. Jagged peaks rose in front of her. Sharp edges pierced out from the stalagmites, as the wall of stone grew taller. The wall soon reached from one end of the cave to the other, and was still rising towards the ceiling. Ardelis smiled at her obvious success. But then her smile suddenly faded as a form appeared atop the wall of stone. With impossible speed Minzantria had levitated to the roofing faster than any normal levitation spell could have accomplished. She escaped through the narrow crevice a moment before the conjured wall connected with the ceiling.
"No!" Ardelis screamed in denial as Minzantria floated down towards her. Again the apparent levitation spell acted unpredictably. The body was falling freely until it suddenly slowed down a few feet from the floor. In a wild rage Ardelis attacked with her snake-headed whip. The half-drow moved to a defensive stance. She moved her two-bladed sword in a defensive spin that deflected all the venomous snake heads. The raging priestess attacked again and again, but the only thing she achieved was to decapitate the snake heads. Soon her whip was no more than a normal weapon, and Minzantria estimated the risk as minor. With lightning fast movements she reverted the spin and advanced. Ardelis was a skilled fighter, and quickly exploited the holes in the defence. The whip connected to Minzantria's upper left arm, and she grunted in pain. But even though the pain was severe, the damage was insignificant. And she completed the attack with the left blade. The enchanted edge penetrated Ardelis in the chest. Her beautiful features twisted in a terrible grimace.
The wound was fatal, and Minzantria didn't waste any more time. She sprinted through the liquid wall seconds before it solidified with a loud crack that resounded down the long halls to the Qu'elaeruk complex.
,,..-**-..,,_,,..-**-..,,_,,..-**-..,,_,,..-**-..,,_,,..-**-..,,_,,..-**-..,,_,,..-**-..,,_,,..-**-..,,_,,..-**-..,,