Chapter 105: Rule Supreme
There was surprisingly little distance between Adalon's home and the entrance to Ust Natha, and it was a little disconcerting to see how easily they could have wandered to the wrong place – they may have had a better map from the Duergar, but a slightly wrong navigation and they'd have found themselves faced with the guards at the gate.
Said guards seemed a little surprised to see a group of their size approaching Ust Natha, having probably only anticipated a party of, perhaps, five at the most. So to see eight well-armed and armoured drow approaching as if they knew exactly what they were doing had to be a little… disconcerting.
One of the three drow standing at the gate, who stood with a bearing which seemed to suggest that he was in charge, straightened up and reached for the hilt of his sword guardedly. "You, hold! What is your purpose here? There are no scheduled patrols on this day! Identify yourselves?"
Imoen, Aerie and Haer'Dalis seemed to falter a little at this, but the party carried on as Harrian strode forwards confidently, almost oozing of an arrogance, and approached the guard on duty.
It was odd, the swashbuckler reflected, to be in this body. Harrian himself wasn't a particularly large man, but in height he would usually stand a good few inches above any elf, and was more solidly built, even though in frame he was more wiry than muscular – human frame, at least. Now, however, he was just at eye-level with the drow, and a little slimmer, removing him of a good bit of his confidence in this encounter. However, he was quite used to confronting those bigger than himself, and just because this man was a drow didn't mean he had to be too taken aback by this…
He straightened up and gave the guard at the door a haughty glance, managing to look down his nose at the drow. "I am Veldrin, of Ched Nasad, and I do not appreciate being questioned by a mere… guard." Harrian shrugged, brushing a hand against the drow's house insignia a little disparagingly. "You should have been expecting us, if you knew how to perform your duties."
"My apologies; I was merely doing my duty in questioning." The drow at the doors didn't sound all that apologetic at all, and there was a tone lurking there which was actually insubordinate, but as the eyes of the two men met, he evidently decided that friction would be best avoided. The guard stepped back and gestured to the doors, which his two companions moved to open. "The city of Ust Natha welcomes you, Veldrin of Ched Nasad. There would normally be an extensive questioning, but we were expecting your party… yet your late arrival has disrupted the plans of Solaufein." This last sentence was spoken with a nearly-hidden smirk, as if the guard knew something Harrian didn't and was delighted by this fact.
"Enter quickly, and seek out Solaufein for his counsel, in the Male Fighters' Society – it should be easy enough to find, past the tavern and the Female Fighters' Society, and before the Spider Pit. He will instruct you on your conduct and activities within the city of Ust Natha. Be aware that your welcome is conditional, and that if you fail to meet with him or fail him in any other way, you will be hunted for sport by all that care to join in," the guard continued, seeming positively delighted by this prospect.
Harrian raised an eyebrow, one corner of his mouth lifting in something of a sneer. "Thank you," he murmured derisively, before nodding curtly at the open doors to gesture to the rest of the party to follow him as he turned and swept inside, glad that he still had his cloak and could thus sweep with a suitable amount of panache.
As they stepped inside the great city, the doors slamming shut beside them, Harrian quietly let out a sigh of relief. The party huddled slightly, shifting around to discuss, whilst trying not to look too suspicious to the city dwellers, most of whom only gave them brief, cursory glances of only the slightest curiosity.
"That went well," Harrian murmured. "Now, to find this Solaufein. The Male Fighters' Society… before the Spider pit." He suppressed a shudder. "Gods… I hate spiders," he mumbled, in only the slightest of whispers which wouldn't be overheard unless someone was standing literally next to their shoulders.
"That could be a problem here," Anomen pointed out dryly. "I'd suggest that most of us keep quiet unless we know how to act correctly… we do not wish to draw undue suspicion to ourselves."
Jaheira nodded. "Indeed… remember that, of course, we are drow, and should act as such," she declared, straightening up, her voice lifting a little as the party, in one motion, turned to carry on further into the city.
Harrian had to admit that it was a very impressive sight. So few surfacers got the opportunity to see something like this, something like the Underdark, and even fewer gained access to a drow city and emerged to tell the tale – as they hoped they would. He fell in line beside Edwin, who was doing his best not to stare, and merely seemed to be peering around with a vaguely analytical look.
"Is this enough payment for you, Edwin?" Harrian murmured out of the corner of his mouth, not looking at the Thayvian as he joined him in staring in wonder at the drow city. "A sight such as this?"
"It… helps," the Red Wizard replied dryly. "But remember, I am not here for the simple pleasure of it. I have aims and aspirations, and one of them is due payment. My spirits are lifted a little, as this place seems far more promising than the caves of before…"
Harrian rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, you shall have your money. But remember that this is not our first priority. Our first priority is to find the eggs, and then to gather as much information on Irenicus as possible. Any gold… is a bonus." He stepped ahead, choosing to ignore Edwin's mumbled cursing at that, and moved up to the front of the group, next to Jaheira.
"Male Fighters' Society?" he asked lightly, hoping that the druid had been keeping a sharp enough eye to see these things.
Sure enough, Jaheira nodded curtly, gesturing to one of the buildings ahead of them on the walkways within the sprawling city. "We have passed the Female Fighters' Society, the Spider pits are ahead, so this must be it."
The party gathered around the door, trying to hide their slight nerves, and followed Harrian in as he stepped into the building with his usual aplomb, drawing his cloak a little tighter around his shoulders.
Inside, pacing a little impatiently, stood a tall, imperious-looking drow male, who walked with the manner of one with authority and who was not best pleased. He gave them a scathing look as they entered. "You are the newcomers that have been sent my way, I see. As if I do not have enough to accomplish in a day without suffering for the welfare of the weak," he murmured dryly, shaking his head. "There is no 'refuge' to be had in Ust Natha, fools. We pay for our existence here with blood and you shall do the same."
His pacing came to a halt, and he straightened up before Harrian, who had managed to assume enough of an air to be recognised as leader as he stood at the head of the company. "My name is Solaufein, and for now you shall do as I say to prove your worth to the Matron Mothers." Solaufein paused ominously. "Failure is death."
There was silence for a beat, then the drow began to pace again, this time with more of a predatory than impatient air. "And just because there are females with you, do not think to challenge me. You are foreigners… no better than slaves until the Matron Mothers say otherwise." He paused, and rolled his eyes. "Let us get your shepherding underway. Do you have a name, vagrant, or should I just refer to you as 'the one I trample underfoot'?"
Again, Harrian assumed a sneer, and had a distinct feeling that he was going to be going through a lot of déjà vu with these introductions in the drow city. "My name is Veldrin, and I will be given the respect I deserve," he said quietly, keeping a note of menace in his voice.
Solaufein let out a short, amused bark of laughter. "You shall get none from me, whatever your achievements elsewhere may have won you. But you have fire, and spirit, and this should serve you well in Ust Natha, if you are able to prove yourself." He shrugged, and waved a hand dismissively. "No matter. Anyhow, the Matron Mother has shown an interest in you and your party, and wishes to avail herself of your skills. This is something of an honour and a privilege one of your limited status would do well to take advantage of."
"I am here to serve the Matron Mother, however I can do so," Harrian replied, trying to keep a note of dryness out of his voice.
Solaufein seemed to hear it, regardless, but his grim smile suggested amusement more than anything else. "Rest tonight. Tomorrow, a Handmaiden shall meet you at the entrance platform to the city, and tell you what needs to be done." He shrugged. "Doubtless I will have to be there, to herd you on your mission like a nursing mother. If you are at all intelligent, I would not be late," the drow male declared, straightening up again and striding out the door of the Male Fighters' Society.
Silence fell upon the party as they all breathed sighs, partly of relief, partly of just relieved tension. Anomen turned to Harrian, frowning deeply. "This is an evil place you have brought us, Harrian. But I suspect that we must act the eager supplicants if we are to pass inspection, for I feel eyes upon us as we speak," the cleric declared darkly, a frown on his face. "We should step quickly to comply. The suspicion of the drow is almost palpable, and any wrong move will surely bring their foul magics down upon us."
Harrian nodded slowly, looking thoughtful. He raised a hand to scratch his chin, and seemed slightly surprised at the fact that it met nothing but smooth skin. "Hmph. Bloody beardless drow." There was a pause as he glanced up at the others, nodding again to Anomen. "Agreed. But tonight, we shall rest well, and prepare for… whatever in the Hells is in store for us on the morrow."