(A/N: It was near impossible to get myself started, but once I did, it was all downhill from there. Lots of talking in this chapter... Thanks for all the reviews last chapter!
Disclaimer: Still don't own Neverwinter Nights.)
Chapter Six
Nathyrra balked before the second double door, then pressed her ear against it. Umbra stood back silently. Cautious, Deekin kept both his rapier and pen at the ready and pressed his ear against the double door as well. He could hear voices beyond it now.
"The Valsharess is tired of sending raiding parties through one at a time, old man," growled a fed-up female voice, most likely a drow. "Open the main portal to the Underdark!"
"If the portal is opened, more drow will come through," an old man-Halaster, obviously-responded defiantly, speaking in rhyme. "I don't want that; I can barely stand you."
"The Valsharess's army is ready to move against Waterdeep! Tell me how to open the main portal!" the drowess snapped.
"The last thing I need is another dark elf," Halaster denied. "I'll just keep my secret all to myself."
"No! No more rhymes, you senile old wael!" the drow barked, severely irritated by this point. "Time to teach you the penalty for defying the drow!" Nathyrra peeled her ear away from the door as Halaster cried out in pain.
"See?" she smirked at Umbra. "They are keeping Halaster hostage."
"You would do wise to stay alert," Umbra remarked unflinchingly. Nathyrra rolled her eyes and continued to listen. Pulling a splinter out of his ear disdainfully, Deekin did the same.
"This is a waste of time, mistress," insisted a male voice from beyond the door, another drow. "This human is too mad to reveal any useful information."
"We will break him in time," the first drow insisted. "Once we learn all the secrets of Undermountain, the Valsharess's army will march through its halls and descend upon Waterdeep like-"
"Mistress!" interrupted a third drow. "Forgive me, but I heard something near the doors." Deekin and Nathyrra froze.
"Then go over there and search the area, wael!" the commanding drowess snapped impatiently. "Do I need to tell you everything?"
"Yes, mistress," the drow said quickly. "Right away." Were Deekin not so concerned with their impending discovery, he would have laughed at the drow's accidental implication that he needed to be told everything.
"Step back quickly," Umbra ordered, coming forth. "Both of you." Obediently, Nathyrra and Deekin did as told, the former with some reluctance. Umbra stood against the wall beside the double door quietly, as the approaching drow's footsteps echoed through the stone halls, leaking muffled through the wooden door. The double door opened a slat, pried by slim drow fingers. The drow's head followed soon after, his eyes widening at the sight of Nathyrra and Deekin, Umbra still out of his view. Before he could open his mouth to make their intrusion known to his allies, Umbra's arm whisked out and snatched him tightly by the neck, so all he could utter was a gurgle. Umbra pulled him out into their area, closing the double door behind him. Not even bothering to draw a weapon, she simply snapped the drow's neck and lay his corpse down quietly.
"See how strong Boss be?" Deekin whispered, grinning up at Nathyrra.
"Yes... unsettlingly so," Nathyrra replied, surveying the bulging eyes of the swiftly silenced victim. "Are you sure she's hum-" Nathyrra broke off and shook her head, unsheathing a shortsword from a small scabbard on her belt, its dark blade alive with blue electricity. "Nevermind. Let's attack while we still have the element of surprise."
"Sounds good to Deekin," the kobold agreed, finishing up writing of the Boss's newest victory and drawing his rapier. Umbra, too, drew one of her swords, sensibly keeping Enserric in his sheath for the time being. It was a wonder someone without a mouth could be such a big mouth, Deekin thought.
"Wait." The other two looked at the previously silent Umbra, who muttered a spell. Instantly, the dark sphere of her invisibility magics swept up around them.
"Ooh, smart thinkings Boss!" Deekin complimented. Figuring he should help, he cast a spell of his own, summoning a sphere of shield beneath Umbra's sphere of invisibility. This done, they headed for the door. Stopping them again, Umbra cast a second spell. The shadows sprang to life and writhed from their corners yet again, pushing the double doors open and wriggling out ahead. The drow instantly began fighting the shadows, unaware that they were only ploys, their real foes entering the room unseen.
The setup of the room had two high banks of rock, each supporting about three drow archers. About a dozen melee fighters cavorted below them, while just ahead the commanding drowess threatened Halaster, who was bound by strings of magic emitted from three jagged stone slabs. The enlivened shadows flitted about harmlessly, teasingly leading the malevolent drow all over the room, unharmed by fell dagger swoops and hazardous magics. Taking advantage of the chaos inspired by the stratagems, the opposing trio arranged a coup d'etat: Umbra cast a fire spell, which came down and fried the archers where they stood; Nathyrra burst out of the protective bubble and lunged at a drow, slitting his throat open with an easy swing of her blade; and Deekin went through a rapid bout of casting buffing spells on his accomplices, ice spells on his enemies, and repeat, stopping occasionally to gouge a drow with his rapier.
Even with this preconceived plan working to their advantage, Deekin and the others were still outnumbered, and for all their skills the battle was nonetheless grueling. The drow had quickly caught on to Umbra's shadow trickery, and the puppets of darkness had since evaporated in wisps besides. There were some close calls-Nathyrra fell and narrowly avoided having her head smashed in by a heavy hammer, Deekin was very nearly stabbed to death on several occasions, and Umbra's robe was nearly set ablaze, had she not beat out the aspiring flames with the drow that lit them in the first place. Ironically, said drow was set afire in the process. It was a tough battle, to be sure, but Umbra, Deekin and their new accomplice won out in the end.
Nathyrra leaned against one of the rock elevations and rubbed a pasty salve into a nasty wound on her arm, which healed over swiftly.
"I'm glad it all turned out well. For a second there, I was afraid I wasn't going to come out of that battle alive," Nathyrra mused, echoing Deekin's thoughts exactly. Nathyrra gestured to Halaster. "We should free him now."
"Yes, free me right now! Shatter the tablets and undo the spell cast by those dreadful drow!" Halaster ordered, squirming and straining against the rivulets of magic streaming from the three stone tablets and twining around his being. Umbra stepped up to Halaster, examining him.
"This one has her doubts," Umbra decided.
"But-if we don't free Halaster, the drow will keep coming up!" Nathyrra reminded them.
"Yes, but this one served under a maniacal mage for countless years," Umbra returned. "And from her experience, they are less than grateful when helped."
"What you means, Boss?" Deekin wondered because Nathyrra could say anything.
"Deekin, suppose your old master were trapped in a cage," Umbra hypothesized. "Now suppose a wandering hero let him out. How do you suppose he would react?"
"Uhhh... Old Boss probably eats hero. He not be very grateful," Deekin replied, then blinked and grinned at his revelation. "Ooh, Deekin gets it! You thinks Halaster gonna eats us?"
"Something along those lines, yes," Umbra said.
"But so long as Halaster is bound, the drow are going to keep coming out of the Underdark!" Nathyrra reminded.
"That be true, Boss," Deekin nodded.
"I'm still here, you ill-tempered beasts!" Halaster snapped. "Now get over here and proceed with my release!" Umbra turned to him as though to speak-then instead snapped him in the eye.
"It is impolite to interrupt," she informed curtly. Seeing the confused, indignant expression on Halaster's face as he rapidly blinked the offended eye, Deekin barely stifled a chuckle and made a quick note of it in his book.
"Nathyrra, where is the entrance to the Underdark?" Umbra asked.
"Just over there." Nathyrra pointed to an area of the cave just beyond Halaster. There, several dark, glistening stalks with knobby ends rose up out of the ground and curled over a tall, vaguely rectangular chunk of stone, which towered over a pulsating blue portal.
"Yeah, Deekin was wonderings about that," Deekin remarked.
"You said that one called the Valsharess was behind these attacks, did you not, Nathyrra?" Umbra remembered.
"Well, yes," Nathyrra started.
"Then someone of her power would likely find another way into Waterdeep, even if Halaster closed up this one, would she not?"
"Well, yes..."
"Then we must take our battle to the Valsharess directly," Umbra resolved. Nathyrra was evidently surprised, but pleasantly so.
"That would be perfect! You could aid in the rebels' cause!" Nathyrra cried eagerly.
"So this one shall," Umbra decided, then turned to the busily writing kobold at her side. "Will you help as well, Deekin?"
"You gots it, Boss!" he beamed. "Deekin not misses a trip to the Underdark with you for anything!"
"I'm getting rather tired over here," Halaster sighed. "Would you let an old man free, be a dear?"
"We really should let him go," Nathyrra posed.
"In good time," Umbra replied, wandering over the portal to the Underdark. Nathyrra and Deekin followed. "You say this is the entrance to the Underdark?"
"Yes," Nathyrra nodded. "But it leads directly to the Valsharess's army. You would be overwhelmed. To reach Lith My'athar, where the rebels are staying, and prepare an attack, we need to use this." Nathyrra pulled a necklace out of her collar. The necklace was attached to a brilliant blue gem surrounded by four sharp metal points.
"Ooh, neat," Deekin commented. "What be it?"
"It was created by the Seer, our leader," Nathyrra informed. "If combined with this portal's magics, it will take us directly to Lith My'athar."
"Then let us set off immediately," Umbra suggested.
"But Halaster-" Nathyrra pressed.
"Fine," Umbra relented, muttering a spell. Three glowing missiles of magic soared out of nowhere, each striking and breaking one of the enchanted tablets binding Halaster. The spell unwove itself, but Halaster still wavered, dazed.
"Now, while he is confused!" Umbra demanded quickly. Obediently, Nathyrra held the necklace's gem in her hands, stepped into the portal and had the other two do the same. The blue magics washed over them; when the blue cleared, the heroes were nowhere to be seen. Halaster shook himself fully awake, grinned diabolically. Mage-fire sprung from each of his hands.
"A-HA! Your doom is nigh, you dreadful-oh, bugger, where did they hide?" Halaster grumbled crossly, looking around. Two drow burst into the room then. Halaster easily struck them dead in their tracks with twin balls of mage-fire.
"Good enough," he smiled, and vanished to the upper levels.
The blue light overwhelmed Deekin's senses, temporarily disorienting him. The first thing he was aware of were a succession of panicked voices, ordering themselves as much as each other to protect someone called "the Seer". When the light dulled and his vision cleared, he was able to discern his surroundings acutely. The boss, the strange drow and he all stood in a small room of dark palette, with very little lighting, save for arcane blue torches lining the walls. Neither sunlight, moonlight nor starlight streamed through the windows. They truly were in the aptly named Underdark.
The three were surrounded by drow, though none in the red-and-black stuff of the Valsharess, instead garbed a gaudy array of blue and violet shades. Except, of course, for the drow woman before them, who was draped in a silver dress and had eyes that twinkled with age and compassion. The others had their weapons drawn and were arranged around her, eager to sacrifice their own lives rather than let any harm come to this woman. Umbra rested her hands on the hilts of her own weaponry. But before blood could spatter the shadowed walls, the solemn drow woman spoke harshly to her comrades.
"Do you not recognize one of our own?" the woman chided, stepping toward the new arrivals as the others parted to make way. "Nathyrra, you have returned."
"Malla Faerz'un'arr, it is good to see you once more," Nathyrra greeted with a cordial bow.
"And you," the other returned, looking past Nathyrra. "But I see you have returned with another... someone very important, indeed." Around the room, all eyes set upon Umbra with a sudden appreciation. All, that is, but for a single figure with green armor, pale skin and red hair, who sulked alone in the room's darkest corner. Deekin peered curiously at odd person, wondering what one so obviously not a drow would be doing here, but looked back to the respected drow woman as she spoke to his hero.
"You are most welcome here, Umbra," she said warmly. "I am the Seer. I have awaited your arrival with great anticipation. Please, come... do not be alarmed."
"The Seer?" Deekin repeated. "So you gots gift of forecast, and you sees us coming?"
"Indeed I did," the Seer verified kindly. Deekin smiled and decided he liked her. She reminded him of Daschnaya, an old halfling woman with prophetic
abilities he had caravanned across the Anauroch with. The Seer's gaze switched back over to Umbra, who was dead silent.
"I am curious," the Seer announced, "as to how you came to appear before us." Seeing Umbra's reluctance to speak better than the Seer herself, Nathyrra cut in.
"I believe I can answer that, Seer," she explained. "Umbra Lumina managed to free Halaster from the Valsharess, ending her efforts to use Undermountain as a base to launch her attacks on the surface. Beforehand, however, she agreed to help us in her cause." The Seer flashed Umbra a smile at this.
"I am glad you have come willingly to join us," she said. "As Nathyrra may have told you, we require your assistance."
"So this one has been told," Umbra avered. "What would you have of this one, drow?"
"It is important you know something of the Valsharess, if you are to help us against her," the Seer replied, turning to Nathyrra. "Nathyrra, if you would be so kind...?"
"Of course, Seer." Nathyrra bowed her head in acceptance, then stepped forward and began to speak. "The drow have ever been ruled by the Matron Mothers who head the great houses. The Valsharess was once one of these: ruthless and powerful in her art, but no more so than any other Matron Mother."
"Oooh, Deekin knows abouts this!" Deekin grinned. "Deekin reads aaaaall about it in book once-"
"But then Lolth, the Queen of Spiders and goddess of the drow, disappeared," Nathyrra resumed, "and drow society was thrown into utter chaos. The Valsharess seized on this opportunity."
"She summoned a powerful Duke of the Nine Hells, an archdevil she bound to her service," the Seer embellished. "Drawing on this enslaved devil's power, she became a conqueror of the Underdark. Once the Underdark is hers, she will turn her attention once more to the surface. She believes herself a Queen... a Valsharess, by our tongue... and her ambition knows no end."
"How she binds archdevil to her service?" Deekin queried, suddenly recalling the dream he'd had his last night in Waterdeep.
"That we do not know," the Seer grimaced. "Perhaps through some artifact or some long forgotten ritual. But whatever her methods, the results cannot be denied."
"The priestesses of Lolth are powerless before her," Nathyrra continued, "and the great drow houses have bent knee, just as many of the other Underdark races have been intimidated into joining her cause."
"So what," Umbra inquired, "do you propose we do now?" The Seer nodded slowly, appearing hesitant yet determined to continue.
"Yes, that is a good question. What are we to do now?" she sighed wearily, eyes focused on Umbra. "There is only one thing that I can do. I must put my faith in the goddess... and that means putting our faith in you. Our fate lies in your hands." At this, the mysterious green-armored figure stood up out of his corner and stepped out in the open. Deekin got out his notebook and began describing said man, eyes wide in astonishment.
The green-armored man had, as he'd previously noticed, pale skin and long red hair pulled back by a leather strip. What Deekin hadn't noticed were the two piercing blue eyes set in the man's head-or, more importantly, the long brown horns jutting out his forehead, or the arrow-pointed tail twitching behind him. His face bore the deep lines of one accustomed to scowling, but currently wore an expression of alarm.
"Are you sure, Seer? What do we really know about this..." The odd man studied Umbra carefully before going on. "This woman? She could be the death of us all!"
"Boss not be death of nobody but monsters," Deekin muttered crossly to himself, eyeing the horned man spitefully. The Seer held up a delicate hand, gently forestalling the red-haired speaker.
"Our lives are irrelevant, good Valen," she told him. "The Valsharess must be stopped at all costs, and Umbra is the key to stopping her."
"You know I don't believe in your ways, Seer," the one called Valen frowned stubbornly. "I won't throw away my life by blindly following anyone, and I don't think anyone here should, either." He looked around the room hopefully, but all the drow seemed to agree with the Seer.
"You have saved us more times than I can count, Valen," she acknowledged. "But the army of the Valsharess will soon march against us, and even your great skill in battle will not be enough to save us." Valen scowled.
"I'm willing to defer to your judgment for now, Seer," he said. "But what makes you think this stranger can stop the army of the Valsharess?" The Seer turned to face Umbra.
"Umbra, I know you are a sorceress and fighter of great power," she noted. "But you are so much more than this. You alone can save us from the Valsharess."
"This one is not certain she understands," Umbra replied. "What is it you expect this one to do?"
"All the drow here in Lith My'athar will stand against the Valsharess," the Seer began. "She is the one enemy common to us all. But even our united strength will not be able to defeat her massive army. Our only hope is for you to find some way to strengthen our forces, or to weaken the Valsharess and her allies. Nathyrra can help you with this."
"I can give you information on the Valsharess's allies and where to find them," Nathyrra nodded. "Perhaps we might consider striking at her through her friends-"
"I can also help you, Umbra," Valen cut in hastily.
"This one was under the impression you did not trust her," Umbra replied.
"I haven't set aside my suspicions yet," Valen said pointedly. "But if you are truly the savior the Seer thinks you are, then I'm willing to give you a chance to prove it." Deekin's brow furrowed. He knew better; Valen just wanted to stay close and keep an eye on Umbra, to make sure she didn't do anything wretched.
"So it appears you are not alone in this, Umbra," the Seer smiled. "Nathyrra and Valen will help you. They know much about the Underdark and the Valsharess-do not be afraid to ask them for help. Hopefully, you can find a way to strengthen our own forces-or weaken the Valsharess-before her army descends upon us all."
"This one shall do as seems best," Umbra returned.
"I'm sure you will," the Seer nodded. "But for now, you should rest. In the back of the temple-" so this was a temple, Deekin thought "-we have some beds." She gestured to two short flights of stairs in the rear of the room, each leading up through a door into a room beyond.
"Oh, good," Deekin commented with a yawn. "Deekin be getting sleepy." Perhaps it was just the dark, but he was getting drowsy. It had been a long day-or perhaps two days, he hadn't kept track.
"Then we shall take you up on your offer and meet you in the morn," Umbra accepted, patting Deekin gently on the shoulder. "Go ahead, friend. This one shall join you soon."
"Okays, Boss," the kobold smiled loyally, starting up the steps to the door to his right. Valen strode over and stopped him.
"Other door, kobold," Valen said brusquely. "This would be the door to the ladies' room."
"Oh." Deekin quickly amended his mistake and took the left door. Beyond it, sure enough was a surprisingly long room built of the same dark materials as the previous, filled with rows of red-blanketed beds. Deekin made for the one nearest him, but was halted yet again by Valen, who had followed him in.
"This bed has been taken," Valen informed curtly, and pointed far across the room to another. "You can take that one." Deekin obediently ambled over to that bed.
"The one next to it," Valen called. Somewhat peeved, Deekin went over to the next.
"I meant the other one," Valen corrected again. Grumbling, Deekin went over to that one. "Perfect." With a relieved sigh, Deekin scrambled on top and removed his pack, setting it down by the bedside. Pulling back the covers revealed a sallow lump of a pillow, but considering most nights he went without a pillow at all, it looked heavenly to Deekin. Crawling under the blanket, he laid his head down on the pillow and closed his eyes. Despite his fatigue, however, he was unable to drift off. How could he? He was in the Underdark, for the love of Kurtulmak! The place of dark and mystery, of beasts unknown, of the infamous drow! They were going up a powerful queen and her diabolical thrall! It was as thrilling as it was terrifying, though the terror aspect was significantly lessened by the knowledge that his much-adored Boss.
Deekin found himself pulling his writing supplies out of his pack and writing obsessively about all of this, heart thudding excitedly in his chest. Nothing could dampen his spirits! Nothing-
The blue torch overhead that had been lighting the pages prior suddenly went out. Even a keen-eyed kobold needs some light to write by; looking up to see what had quelled it, he saw Valen standing over him.
"Uhh, you minds lighting torch back up?" Deekin implored.
"It's time for bed," Valen said firmly, sweeping an arm toward all the other beds, which were now occupied by sleeping drow. "No one can sleep with the light on."
"They looks pretty asleep to Deekin," Deekin replied, scrutinizing the room's other occupants. Valen only glared, his tail switching irritably, eyes red as rubies. Was it just Deekin, or had they been blue a moment ago?
"Or, uh, Deekin could just..." He slipped the notebook and quill back into his pack and smiled up at Valen compliantly. "Sleeps." Valen's eyes flickered back to a safe sapphire blue. Satisfied, he strode down the row and climbed into bed himself.
By a suspicious coincidence, it was the same bed Deekin had first chosen.
(Chapter Seven should be up fairly soon, now that Valen's been introduced.)