Chapter 8

Subterranean lizards were normally viscous creatures, attacking any foolish enough to stumble upon them in the Underdark. However, for eons, drow had bred and domesticated the creatures, using them in place of horses and cattle as beasts of burden and mounts. The advantage of the lizards was their mobility in the often cramped caverns of the Underdark, their ability to see in the dark, and their extra nasty bite directed towards enemies in battle.

Much of their mobility in the underground world owed to their suction cup like talons, which allowed the lizards to easily scale walls and ceilings made of smooth and rugged rock. They ran as swiftly as any surface war horse, and were the favored mount choice for drow calvary.

Sab'vrae sat atop one such beast, strapped securely to its back so he could completely patrol the Aleanani complex, floors, walls, and ceilings in all. He ushered his lizard forward, scanning the streets outside the house's protective walls. Now adorned in elaborate drow armor, the dark elf was a fiercesome sight to behold, with or without his charger.

His chest plate actually left half of his right pectoral naked, partly for easier mobility, and partly for an appealing look to any potential mates. His right arm was also bare until his lower forearm, which was protected by a secure metal gauntlet. A spiked shoulder pad connected to his chest plate on his left side, scale mail running down his left arm. His other forearm, too, was covered in a spiked, intimidating gauntlet. A thick rothe leather belt secured his long swords at his sides, more than his flexible plate mail leggings. Inside its buckle, it bore the Aleanani's long legged spider symbol.

Atop his head he wore an open-faced helmet, adorned with a brush of dyed rothe hair at the peak. His entire metal ensemble shone slight hues of purple and blue, House Aleanani's colors. Over his shoulders, away from the pad's spikes, rested his dark piwafwi, fastened firmly in place by his personal house insignia, a brooch with secret enchantments. The magical abilities were minor, but could serve well in a sticky situation. Only members of the house knew the details of their own insignia's abilities.

Sab'vrae sighed, tugging on his steed's reigns. The subterranean lizard gave a grunt and continued on its way, scaling the crags of the cavern wall. The noble finished his patrol with his usual nonchalance and boredom. On a day to day basis, the time passed antagonizingly slow, but on a yearly scale, it seemed to dash by. Already, Sab'vrae approached his forty-seventh year, nearly three decades after his graduation from Barra Velve. Overall, his life remained uneventful. Ten years ago, a lesser house attempted to annihilate House Aleanani in an effort to move up the ranks of power. They failed miserably, outnumbered and outwitted. Both Dilaere and Sab'vrae led their soldiers tactfully, gaining their matron's staunch favor… for the time being.

Masantar still had a decade or so left in Orbb Magthere. Yet she visited often, a luxury available to older students and noble heirs, especially firstborn females. In Sab'vrae's opinion, his sister grew more wicked and twisted with each passing year, if such was possible. She gloated her station as a student of Lloth over the elderboy, knowing full well that she ranked higher as a pupil than he as a captain simply due to a fault of gender. Normally, Sab'vrae grimly accepted his subservient role in society, but Masantar always seemed to bring out his anger at their city's sexist culture.

And each time she managed to awaken this well deserved rage, Masantar gleefully punished her brother in beatings for his "insolence." Sab'vrae found himself secretly hoping a summoned balor would devour her one day. It came as no wonder why drow family ties ran quite thin.

Despite his desirable traits and skills, Sab'vrae kept to his vows and managed to remain chaste over the decades by keeping as low a profile as possible. He rarely left the complex outside of patrol unless under matron's orders. When venturing the streets, he kept his piwafwi's hood pulled far over his face. Ched Nasad was a center for secret plots and treachery, so most ignored his hidden features. Those who took notice also identified his house insignia on his brooch and wisely left him be.

Though his skills long ago surpassed Dilaere's, the elder drow remained patron and weapon master by careful motives. Sab'vrae also subtly hinted, quite often, to his mother of his desire to remain captain of the house guard. He may have made a better weapon master than Dilaere, but he could not replace the drow as a patron. Besides, the Aleanani matron showed no interest in any currently available males as patrons. Apparently, Dilaere kept Bhin'ree quite pleased in the bed chambers, a wise move on his behalf.

Finishing his patrol for the evening, Sab'vrae urged his lizard back down to the cavern floor, riding it into the stables, where he dismounted and handed the reigns over to a stable attendant. Removing his helmet and tossing his hair about to remove stray ones, the elderboy entered his family's decent sized mansion, carved out of the cavern stone.

Soon after entering, one of his guards dashed over to him, bowing quickly.

"Master, Matron Bhin'ree requests your presence in her throne chamber." He babbled, hand gripped tightly on his spear. Sab'vrae nodded his appreciativeness.

"Thank you. You can now take over my post, sergeant." The commoner nodded quickly, bustling out the doors. Sab'vrae continued on his way, soon walking under a small opening in the ceiling. He levitated up into the next floor; many noble complexes avoided stairs to the main rooms to thwart invading enemies. Drow armies often comprised of "fodder" (kobolds, goblins, and lesser races), and commoner drow incapable of innate spell abilities.

A few servants and soldiers nodded their heads in acknowledgement of the elderboy, ensuring they kept out of his way. Sab'vrae wasn't known for a violent temper, but most commoner drow didn't take their chances with any noble, when possible.

A guard announced Sab'vrae's arrival, opening the large door to allow the young adult inside. Bhin'ree waited as her son knelt in front of her before speaking.

"House Tor'ana has fallen out of favor with the Spider Queen," she stated with barely contained calm. House Tor'ana held twentieth rank in the city, one above House Aleanani. Losing favor of Lloth meant loss in power, an ample time to remove the line from Ched Nasad and acquire more power. "And recently, three of Matron Irr'bryn's children have been assassinated, two of them her only daughters. Currently, she has no female heirs, and many of her soldiers abandoned the house to serve those with a more certain future."

"I suppose you wish to…eliminate them, then?" Sab'vrae quipped.

"Soon, but not yet. Even with their power weakened and their forces lowered, currently we stand on too even a ground with them. I want you to recruit as many soldiers as possible, and see if there are any decent fighting able slaves on the market." Bhin'ree ordered. Sab'vrae nodded, his head dipping lower.

"Of course, dread mistress."

"If there are any mercenaries from other cities, take them into account as well. I've heard rumor of a notable female legionnaire that goes by Erel'kiira, and her fighting manservant, Rhyl'dorl, in Ched Nasad's merchant district, seeking work. Find and hire them, if possible. Upon returning, bring them to me, if you are successful in hiring them. I wish to assign them… special posts. The others can get their orders from a lower officer."

"Erel'kiira and Rhyl'dorl, bring them to you. I shall remember that on my task, mistress. Anything else you wish of me?" her son queried.

"Meet with Teb'gloth before you leave. I've ordered him to supply you with what should be enough of our funds to support this excursion. That is all. You may leave now."

Knowing well not to delay, Sab'vrae rose to his feet, bowing briefly once more, and turned on his heel, striding out the throne room's door.