"It floors me," Zojikoe said sourly, glaring at Dil'andau out of the corner of his eye. "I can't believe you forgot you had a map After everything we went through . . . the panic, trying to hide it from the girls, getting captured by the Illithids . . ." Disappointing Rose, he added silently to himself. "And you had a map the whole damn time! You floor me, freak. Sometimes you really floor me." Dil glowered at him and shoved him violently, sending the mage stumbling to the side, tripping over his robes and landing flat on his face on the rocky ground. He whipped himself around and glared up at the fighter who grinned nastily down at him.
"Did I floor you?" He asked, then gave a short laugh and moved on, leaving Zoe to pick himself up on his own. He turned around and glared at Ka and she and Rose approached.
"I think it's your turn to deal with big-and-stupid," he said flatly.
"I think it's your turn to shut the hell up, Zojikoe," Ka replied just as flatly. "What makes you think you can just jam me with –"
"KA!" Shouted Dil from somewhere up ahead. "Get your scrawny ass up here! I don't feel like looking at your pansy-ass brother anymore." Rose raised a neutral eyebrow at the psion.
"It's amazing how little respect males give you, Ka," she said mildly, picking a piece of lint off of her sleeve. "It's as though you were no better than one of them . . ." Ka glared at her and then turned the glare on Dil, who was trekking back, looking irritated that their progress had stopped.
"What's the hold up?" He demanded. A mean grin lit up his face. "Kid freak out again?" Rose and Zoe simultaneously leveled dark frowns at their companion. So far Mezzen had managed to hyperventilate (whether out of excitement or fear was impossible to tell) three more times that morning (once at a bat that had swooped down at them, once at a spider that had fallen down Dil's back from the ceiling (though he may just have been laughing so hard at the dance the fighter had done to get rid of it that he stopped breathing), and once a patch of moss on the wall (none of them were quite sure why that mattered, but for Mezzen, it had). Dil's eyes had gotten progressively narrower each time). Zoe gestured impatiently to Slayer's back – upon which the small child was draped, his arms and legs dangling from either side as he slept. Slayer put up with this resignedly if nothing else.
"The kid's asleep, Dil'andau," he said flatly. "And if you don't mind I'd like to keep it that way, so why don't you do us all a favor and shut face?"
"How's about I shut your face?" Dil'andau demanded, frowning at the mage, then he grinned evilly and looked at Mezzen. "Maybe he's dead," he said brightly. Rose's eyes narrowed and she took a step towards him. Ka (who was fully aware of the fact that Rose had not (and she seriously doubted if she would ever) forgiven Dil for the map incident and was just looking for an excuse to gouge out more of his flesh) stepped forward and grabbed a handful of Dil's hair, dragging him after her.
"Let's go, Dil," she said flatly. He stumbled after her, whining at her grip on his hair.
"Lemme go!" He cried as they moved ahead of the others. Ka finally released his hair and shoved him roughly.
"What is your problem, Dil?" She demanded, then turned and continued to walk without waiting for his answer.
"What problem?" He demanded, hurrying to catch up to her. "You're the one with the problem." Ka ignored him.
"Why are you so flippy about the kid?" She demanded. "He's just a stupid kid, Dil. Why? Why?" Dil'andau frowned at her and crossed his arms sulkily.
"He's got an attitude problem," the big drow said petulantly, his tone suggesting a pout he was fighting with everything he had. Ka regarded him flatly.
"So do you."
"He's irritating, and annoying, and . . . and . . . and stupid."
"So are you."
"I . . . hey!" Now he did pout (the expression almost comical with all the half-moon shaped scabs on his face from Rose's unexpected beating the day before) and flatly refused to look at her, hunching his shoulders and glaring straight ahead.
"You still haven't given me an answer, Dil," Ka said, unimpressed with his display. "What's your problem with this kid?"
"What about the kid's problem with me?" Dil demanded, forgetting he didn't want to look at her. "He's a little jerk-ass just like your brother. With the smart-mouth, and the hoity-toity attitude, and the . . . the . . . he's ugly." Ka raised an eyebrow at this and turned her gaze ahead and away from him.
"Dil, you're being stupid," she said. "Besides, he's not ugly. Half the reason he gets away with his attitude is because he's severely cute, and –"
"Yeah?!" Dil'andau shouted suddenly. "Well if you like him so much, why don't you marry him?!" He hit her in the shoulder and sent her stumbling back until her back hit the tunnel's wall. She gaped at him for a moment as her brain processed what he had just done.
Rose is right, Rain chimed in mentally with the kind of wry amusement he seemed to reserve for her and her alone, (the illithid had an irritating habit of never speaking to her unless it was to gibe her about something, usually involving Dil). The males of your kind really don't respect you, do they?
Stay out of this, Rain, she snapped. He ignored her.
You two were so friendly with each other back here too . . . holding hands and everything.
Shut face! She cried mentally, and then propelled herself off the wall and at Dil'andau.
***
"Mezzen?" Zojikoe asked, staring down at the young drow who had pushed himself into a sitting position on Slayer and was staring around with the wide, bleary-eyed look of fear that one usually adopts upon waking up from a particularly bad nightmare. "Mezzen?" He asked again. "Are you all right? Mezzen?" Rose paused in her walking and turned around, looking at them questioningly.
The little boy sucked in two rapid-fire breaths, and for a half a second Zoe was afraid he was going to start hyperventilating over something again, but this was different.
"Where are we?" Mezzen asked in a tiny voice, his hands tightening convulsively on Slayer's fur. "Where . . . where did they go?" Zoe blinked at his questions.
"Who?" He asked. "Ka and Dil'andau? They're up ahead somewhere. And we're . . ." He pulled the map (confiscated violently from Dil'andau despite his arguments) out of his pouch and gave it a quick glance, "actually we're finally out of illithid territory. Would have been sooner if it weren't for that stupid son of a bitch, Di–" He cut himself off abruptly and looked at Mezzen, afraid that he'd added yet another word to the kid's growing list of swearwords, but Mezzen hadn't heard him. The boy was crying, tears streaming down his face and his shoulders trembling with sobs. He held his hands up to Rose and opened and closed his fingers in a pleading gesture. Rose blinked and complied, leaning down and picking him up off of Slayer. Mezzen immediately wrapped his arms around her neck and buried his face in the crook of her neck.
"Mezzen?" Rose asked softly. "What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare? Come on, stop crying. You're a drow, be strong. It was just a nightmare." Something told her it wasn't a nightmare however. She exchanged a perplexed glance with Zojikoe.
"Mezzen?" Zoe asked. "What's wrong?" The little boy tightened his grip on Rose and tried his best to quell his sobs.
"They're gone," he whimpered. "I-It's so quiet . . . they're not there anymore . . ."
Who? Zoe mouthed at Rose. It couldn't have been Ka and Dil. Rose shrugged in answer.
"Let's just keep going," she said, stroking Mezzen's hair as he trembled against her shoulder. "We've left Ka and Dil alone too long anyway. They're probably too far ahead and there's no telling what they'll get into on their own." Zoe pulled his confused gaze away from Mezzen and nodded. They started off again, the only sounds accompanying their walk Mezzen's muffled sobs, and Rose's soft singing. The singing stopped abruptly when they rounded a corner and stopped dead in their tracks, staring dumbfounded at the sight before them.
Ka was prostrated on the ground, Dil on top of her, one of her hands clawing frantically at Dil's shoulder, the other being held down by Dil'andau's free hand. His other hand was confined in Ka's mouth, caught firmly between her teeth, and between his furious swearing he was trying to keep her legs on the ground with his.
"Ka! Get off my sister you son of a –" Zoe managed to stop the swear just before it came out this time – for the little bit of good it did considering the worse ones coming out of Dil'andau's mouth.
"Slayer," Rose snapped, pointing. The panther leapt forward with a growl, knocking Dil'andau off of Ka and ripping his hand out of her mouth.
"I HATE THIS CAT!" Dil'andau cried frustratedly. He narrowed his eyes at Ka as she picked herself up off of the floor. "And I hate you!"
"Yeah?! Well why don't you marry me then?! Lloth!" She snarled, stumbling over to him and kicking him in the side underneath Slayer. The blow put her off balance and she fell over onto her ass, the fell the rest of the way down and panted. She looked up and saw Mezzen's tear-stained face staring at her with wide eyes and she scowled. "What?!" She demanded harshly. His face crumpled and he buried it in Rose's shoulder again, crying harder. Ka blinked in surprise at the unexpected reaction.
"Way to go, Ka," Zoe said, glaring at his panting sister. "Way. To. Go."
"Shut up, Zoe," she snapped, curling up into a ball and ignoring them all.
***
Ka frowned to herself as she was interrupted in her messing with Dil's dreams yet again by another muffled sniffle. She closed her eyes for a moment and waited for it to get quiet again before reaching out for Dil's mind with her own.
Yet again she was interrupted.
She turned around and glared toward Rose's blankets – more specifically at the small boy encircled by her arms. Mezzen had his own arms raised, pressing his hands against the side of his head and he had his eyes squeezed tightly shut. Every now and then a tear would trickle out between his eyelids and he still shook with the occasional hiccupped sob. He had cried himself to sleep shortly before Rose, Zoe and Dil had all fallen asleep as well (Dil complaining the whole time about how the kid was keeping him up and he'd like to point out that he's the only fighter and if he's not well rested then he wouldn't be able to protect the group as well as he should and they could all die and maybe they should just tie the kid up and leave him there), but had woken up again maybe a half-hour ago and started the failing attempts to keep himself from crying that he was still continuing now.
"Hey," she snapped, frowning at him, "what's wrong with you?" Mezzen's eyes snapped open and he suddenly shrank away from her glare, pressing himself further back against Rose who stirred lightly at the movement, but he didn't answer. Ka's frown darkened. "I asked you a question, kid," she snapped. "Answer it." Mezzen sniffled.
"It's quiet," he whispered. "I don't . . . I can't . . ." He took several quick breaths to keep himself from breaking down again. Ka frowned and cocked her head.
"Quiet?" She demanded. "It's not that quiet, kid." Behind her Dil'andau snored loudly as though to prove her point. "It could be a lot quieter if you'd stop crying." Mezzen sniffled again.
"Sorry," he whispered. "I'm trying . . ."
"Not hard enough," Ka grunted. Mezzen actually managed to glare at her before closing his eyes again and trying to keep himself from panicking. Ka continued to stare at him, then her eyes narrowed. Fine. Kid wanted to be stubborn, she'd get her own answers. She reached out and grasped his mind with her own, momentarily shocked at the loneliness and strangled fear she found there. Mezzen's eyes flew open again and he stared at her with wide eyes, somehow realizing what she was doing. The fear and loneliness were overwhelmed for a moment by surprise and she began to withdraw her mind, but Mezzen's eyes widened even more.
"No!" He gasped, wriggling out of Rose's grip and getting to his feet. "Please . . . you're like them . . . please!" Tears continued running down his cheeks as he climbed over Zojikoe and almost fell when he got to her. He all but threw himself in her lap, clutching at her. She blinked and scuttled backwards, taken aback. "Go back! Come back! Please! Stay in there . . . please . . . please Ka . . ."
"In where?" She demand. "In your head? What's wrong with you?!" She cast a glance over at her brother and Rose, debating waking them up and letting them deal with the psychotic little thing in her lap. Mezzen nodded miserably and his problem suddenly hit Ka. She blinked at the obviousness of it.
The kid had probably never been alone in his own mind before. Living with the Illithids he would have always had some kind of mental connection to someone. She cast a glance back towards the Illithids' city. When they'd left 'illithid territory', as Zoe had dubbed it, any connection the kid would have had to his previous home would have faded completely. She looked back down at the shaking Mezzen.
No wonder the kid was scared. She'd probably cry too in the same situation.
"Please . . ." Mezzen begged her. "I know you don't like me, but please . . . I'll be good, I promise! I'll do what you say, I promise! Please . . . go back . . ." He looked up at her with a tear-stained face. She raised an eyebrow at him.
"Will it make you shut up?" She demanded. His eyes widened with a glimmer of hope and he nodded frantically, clutching her tighter. "Fine," she said. "Just for tonight." Now let go of me, she added to him mentally. He let her go and wiped his face gratefully, turning away and climbing back over Zoe (who grunted but didn't wake when he stepped on his stomach) and squirmed his way back into Rose's arms. The priestess's arms tightened instinctively on the boy, who took one last shuddering breath and closed his eyes, nodding off almost immediately. Ka breathed a sigh of relief and turned back around to continue messing with Dil's head, but when she did so she found the fighter sitting up and glaring flatly at her.
"So," he said, just as flatly, "why don't you marry him?"
***
The group rose the next morning with a much happier Mezzen, and a much crankier Dil'andau. After breakfast they got to their feet, packed up their camp, and started to move again.
"All right, Mezzen," Rose said as they walked, glancing over at the boy who was once again perched on Zoe's back. "It's time for you to start your lessons." He blinked up at her.
"What lessons?" He asked.
"Drow lessons," she answered. "You are a drow, regardless of where you were born and who raised you, and it's time you learned how to act like one." Mezzen frowned dubiously and let his gaze wander over to Dil'andau uncertainly, debating whether or not he really wanted to act like a drow.
"The first step is to do the exact opposite of whatever Dil'andau does," Zoe added quickly after seeing where Mezzen was looking. "You'll meet a lot of freaks in this world, son, and Dil's only one of them."
"The first thing I'll do," Rose said, "is fill you in on our rules. It's very important that you follow them. The rules are strict and punishment for them is very severe." Mezzen (who had been punished once in his life only to be let off because his owner was too lazy to enforce it) blinked.
"Why?" He asked.
"Because they're the rules, and you can't break them," Rose answered. "It's as simple as that. After you learn some of the rules, Zoe can teach you to levitate."
"What's levitate?" Mezzen asked.
"It's where you float yourself up into the air. Kind of like flying," Rose answered. "Show him, Dil'andau." Dil'andau balked.
"Why should I show the kid anything?!" He demanded quickly, his eyes darting back and forth between Zoe and Rose. "Why doesn't the pansy show him?"
"What's a pansy?" Mezzen asked.
"Nothing," Zoe said quickly. "Ignore him. I'll show you levitating later." He offered the boy a weak smile. "I'm pretty sure you'll get over excited if I show you now."
"Maybe he'll actually pass out this time and hit his head," Dil'andau muttered bitterly. Ka frowned at him.
"The first rule," Rose said, cutting off the distraction, "is that females are better than males. You are a male. Zojikoe and Dil'andau are males. Ka and I are females." She looked at Mezzen suddenly uncertain. "You do know the difference between male and female, right?" Mezzen offered her a smile just as uncertain as hers.
"Yes?" He ventured.
"Okay," Rose said, shaking her head. "We'll deal with that one later. What matters is that you are a male and Ka and I are female."
"Which means you're better than me?" Mezzen asked.
"Yes," Rose answered.
"Why?" He asked.
"Because we are," Rose answered. "Females are smarter, more powerful, and favored above males in Lloth's sight."
"Why?" Mezzen asked again, trying to follow her. Dil'andau frowned at him.
"Because that's the way it works," Rose answered. "Just accept it Mezzen. Now, if a female tells you to do something, you do it. You just do."
"Why?" Mezzen asked. Dil'andau's frown darkened.
"Because that's the way it works," Rose answered. "You always do what a female tells you to do unless it goes against something I told you to do. Then you listen to me. If a male tells you to do something, then whether or not you have to listen depends on the rank of the man."
"Why?" Mezzen asked. Dil'andau's frown became a scowl.
"Because not all men are going to be above you," Rose answered. "If Zoe tells you to do something, you do it. If Dil tells you to do something, you don't."
"Why?" Mezzen asked again. Dil'andau's eyes narrowed and he tried to tone them out.
"Because Dil's a stupid moron who's more than likely to tell you to do things that will get you, or everyone else killed," Zoe answered for Rose.
"The God we worship is Lloth," Rose continued without missing a beat. "She's going to be your goddess too, Mezzen, so learn to love her."
"Why?" Mezzen asked. Dil'andau failed to tone them out.
"Because she's cool," Rose replied. "That's why. Stop asking me questions and just listen. Lloth is the spider goddess. You can't kill spiders, Mezzen. Never, ever kill a spider."
"Why?" Mezzen asked, unable to help himself.
"ARGH!" Dil'andau shouted suddenly, causing everyone to jump. He stopped in his tracks and pointed at Mezzen. "Say why again! I dare you, you stupid, stupid kid! Say why again!!" Mezzen looked up and blinked at him.
"Why?" He asked innocently. Dil'andau jumped forward before anyone could stop him and wrapped his hand in the back of the kid's shirt, ripping him off of Zojikoe's back and throwing him roughly onto the ground.
"I'll teach you to –" He lunged down at the now terrified little kid – ignoring the rest of the party's screams – intent on finally taking out his anger on him, when something was thrust between his legs and tripped him, sending him flying over Mezzen and onto the ground behind him. Zoe ran forward and snatched the wide-eyed and shaking Mezzen up and Dil'andau got to his feet and glared at Rose who had snatched his halberd from Ka. That was what she'd jammed between his legs. She threw the weapon at the ground furiously and clenched her fists.
"If you ever do that again," She cried, her voice high pitched. "I'll make sure you spend the rest of your life as a drider!" She glared at him then turned around to tend to Mezzen, who's eyes were no longer wide, but narrowed dangerously at Dil'andau, who had retrieved his halberd and was meticulously checking it for damage. Rose pulled his hands away from each other and looked at his scraped palms and elbows and immediately set to work healing them.
Mezzen was too busy glaring at Dil'andau to even hyperventilate.