Prologue

The floor of the Temple of Lolth in Lith My'athar was hard and cold, frigid beneath my feverish skin. The teleport from Undermountain to the Underdark had been rougher on me than other teleports, and I felt every wave of magic ebb and flow, passing both within and without me. I struggled to get to my hands and knees as the venerable-looking drow female and Nathyyra calmed the guards and began to speak. Barely managing the feat of reaching my hands and knees, I lost my lunch, fighting to keep from collapsing back onto the floor into the fetid, bilious puddle I had just created.

I barely managed to croak out Deekin's name and the word for vial in...Draconic? I couldn't tell, my mind sluggish and tumultuous from the recent dishevel. He ran over, digging through his bag for the antiemetic tonic, and, when finding none, cinched his bag shut, moving to dig through mine. He found a vial quickly, and handed it to me after he pulled the stopper. I downed the foul tasting concoction, feeling its effects within moments. It was only then that I noticed the spear inches from my face.

Deekin closed my bag after I had finished standing, then sniffed, wrinkling his snout. "Boss make sick on floor. Boss better now?"

I snapped my fingers, using a simple cantrip to whisk away the vomit, and moved Deekin further behind me. "Not now, Deeks."

The male wielding the spear was glorious-skin like carved marble, hair the colour of blood, and eyes the color of glacial ice flows. The scowl on his face was firm and well set, and his face took a viridian hue from the vibrant green breastplate that he sported. My face went blank, my eyes went wide. My muscles tensed as I prepared to take action.

His scowl deepened as he glared. "Erinyes-spawned whore. I smell you clearly." As he lunged, my hands went to the spear and, using his own momentum, I threw him across the room, the spear leaving his hands as he arced. He moved quickly into a crouching position, and I did the same, handing the spear to Deekin and moving him out of the way again.

The male charged, and I was ready, firmly gripping his horns and, using his own momentum against him yet again, kneed him square in the jaw, immediately thereafter wrapping the same leg around his neck and climbing on top of him, gripping with my thighs and my tail, my hands still firmly wrapped around his horns. I looked to the woman Nathyyra had called the Seer, and cried out a single phrase-"Calm Humanoid!"

She understood, and cast the spell, the male beneath me calming until he merely stood there. I gently and slowly uncurled myself from around him and climbed down. He wandered dejectedly to where he had stood before, in a darker region of the room, leaning against a pillar.

Deekin nudged me. "Boss...you gots wings again," he whispered behind his hand in an attempt at tact. I cringed at the realization, and closed my eyes, breathing deeply for a moment-long enough to calm down enough to let my wings dissipate.

The Seer looked at me once I opened my eyes, placing her hand on my shoulder, despite our height difference. "Not only are you fierce, jalil kivvil, but you are very important to us. I have seen you in my dreams. You are key to victory against the Valsharess. Can you hear us and our plight now, or are you still sick from your teleport?"

I grimaced. "I can hear you now. Deekin gave me my tonic."

The Seer smiled softly. "I'm glad that you can so easily rectify your teleportation sickness. Not all are so lucky."

I shrugged. "I'm lucky that I have Deekin. He came up with the formula for my tonic. If it weren't for him, I would still be on the floor fighting to keep from going face first into my vomit then passing out."

The Seer frowned. "Truly your tonic must be strong then. Would you like to sit while we discuss, perhaps have a cup of tea as we speak?"

I arched a brow. "Tea? Praise the gods, I've once again found civilization."

000

In under a half an hour, we were sitting and drinking a bold yet subtle tea, golden brown in colour and poignant in smell, so much so that you could taste the smell. We drank and asked of the Seer what we needed to know in order to help her, since we were under the effects of a geas to kill the Valsharess. Our personal vendetta did not help any, that is guaranteed.

"So, Seer….tell me what I need to know," softly intoned Amalia, "so that I may help both you and myself. Usstan orn katrill nindel cahlind. Il 'udtila naut tangis'rytho'le ulu tlu ul'kas jalil."

The Seer frowned. "It is sad that you feel as such. I was once much like her, though I did not share her ambition. Perhaps Nathyyra can fill you in on what we are dealing with?"

Nathyyra nodded and sat down her tea, and began to speak, relating the events prior to her rise, and what our task entailed. As Nathyyra spoke, however, our back slowly tensed as we could feel the sharp glares coming towards us from the surly, manly tiefling behind us. We drank our tea and listened to Nathyyra, but we stayed keenly aware of his rage and disapproval.

The Seer sat down her tea and moved to sit next to me, taking my hands with her own. "Please, Amalia...our salvation lies in you hands. Help us."

The tiefling interjected vehemently, approaching the couch where we sat. "Are you sure, Seer? We know nothing of this erinyes-spawned whore save for her questionable heritage and her-"

Nathyyra cut him off. "Her inane prowess at thwarting our general? Really, Valen, you are one to speak of heritage."

The Seer sighed and looked at Valen over the back of the couch. "Good Valen, I understand your concerns, but I have seen this woman. She is the key to winning this war."

We looked at Valen and sighed, and Amalia spoke for us. "There is erinyes in my blood, yes. There is also the blood of pit fiends and succubi. And that is merely the outsider component of my ancestry. I am also of the Drow and the Moon Elves, and of humans. No one race can claim me, and no race seems to want to. I'm certain that you have experienced some of that yourself. Do not claim to know me simply by a limited scenting, mdoolg ek Noolen."

We watched and smiled as Valen tensed in recognition of our superior scenting and our knowing of his lineage. "I do not trust you, kapoola."

We shrugged. "Eeeae ge teg dootsa ge, Valen. I won't ask you to."

Standing, we curtsied to the Seer, inclining our eyes. "I will do as you ask, though I wish a day to go to the shops in town and rest before we depart, Deekin and I."

The Seer smiled and nodded. "Of course."

I stood again and nodded in turn. "Thank you. Stylii, Mystechimychunrakihu. Zii chiefii.

We had barely exited the temple when Valen caught me by the arm. "Might we speak?"

We sighed and shrugged. "Certainly, Valen. What is it?"

He set his jaw. "You did not reach the Underdark by the normal method and, given the circumstances, I figured that it would only be fair to you to make sure that you knew of the Underdark."

We smiled instinctively. "I know of the Underdark, Valen. Although," mused Amalia, "I would hear what you think I should know. Bedtime stories and textbooks only teach so much."

He looked at us oddly. "Bedtime stories?" He visibly shook off the question. "You obviously speak Drow fluently or near enough-even I cannot speak it fluently. You know that the Underdark is an entire world within a world, with rivers, islands, oceans, forests-"

"I understand, Valen. It has all of the geographical variety of the surface."

He blinked. "Yes, though the environs are likely different from what you are used to. Many of the denizens of the Underdark hide in the environs with ease; if you do not know where you are going, you would easily be ambushed and, in all likelihood, overwhelmed. I would not recommend leaving without someone accompanying you and your...lizard?"

We glared. "Kobold."

He shrugged. "Yes, well...neither of you seem like you can take very many hits. He is blatantly a bard, and you are a spellcaster. I saw the spell you used to remove your-"

We cut him off there. "Oo aetganmgootg, Valen!"

He smirked. "Weak stomach?"

Amalia fought to not hit him, though I would have been more than happy to claw that smug look from his picturesque face. "Hardly. I just don't enjoy speaking of what happens when I get thrown through a strong teleport."

Then the idea occurred to us. "Valen?"

He looked at us. "I'm not sure I like that tone of voice. What is it?"

"Would you travel with us?"

He looked sideways in thought, bringing a gauntleted hand up to rub the back of his neck to rub as he thought. "Yes," he said finally, "I believe that would be to our advantage. After you, ussta jallil."

We smirked. "'My Lady', hm? I think that this journey will be interesting."

Translations:

jalil kivvil-Drow, "lady surfacer"

Usstan orn katrill nindel cahlind. Il 'udtila naut tangis'rytho'le ulu tlu ul'kas jalil.-Drow, "I will slaughter that snake. She does not even deserve to be called female."

mdoolg ek Noolen-Abyssal, "child of Balor"

kapoola-Abyssal, "female"

Eeeae ge teg dootsa ge-Abyssal, "You do not have to"

Stylii, Mystechimychunrakihu. Zii chiefii.-Draconic, "Come, Scaleslinger. We leave."

Oo aetganmgootg-Abyssal, "I understand"

ussta jallil-Drow, "my Lady"

Drow translations by Chosen of Eilistraee, others by Slynderdale on tilansia