A/N: Warning -- be prepared to depart from normal drow storyline -- less in this chapter than the one that will follow, but still quite a bit different to the game.
General disclaimer: I own nothing, even Maiyn generally decides her own path.
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Dark Designs
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The tavern of Ust Natha was a dark and dangerous place. Maiyn stalked warily through its interior, her companions keeping close to her as she went, ignoring the stares of some of the other patrons as they passed. Phaere and Solaufein were already within, having taken seats by the bar. They seemed to be in deep conversation though their expressions suggested it was not a good natured discussion. Their talking ended abruptly when the male looked up to see the group's approach.
"Ahhh... you return," purred Phaere contentedly. Her eyes narrowed as she looked over them all. "Where is the tall one that accompanied you?"
Maiyn cleared her throat slightly and described the surfacers they'd come across. "We believed we had them firmly in our possession," she said, avoiding the strange look that Solaufein seemed to be giving her, "but one managed to slip from his grasp. In the surprise of the moment, the other got free too, and together they overpowered him. He fell into the chasm not far from the city gates."
Phaere placed her elbows on the surface before her, and brought her fingertips together. "And the surfacers?"
Maiyn's expression darkened with some effort. "They killed one of my males. They followed him to their death as payment."
There was a silence. "They would have been a valuable commodity, Veldrin. However... you have done well for yourself so far, so I shall not hold it against you. Perhaps you have learnt from your overconfidence." Something in her tone seemed to be threatening, and Maiyn quickly pulled free the helmet from her pack. The drow woman's mood seemed to change instantly. "A svirfneblin helmet, no less. Good. I am sure the gnomes are scrambling as we speak to provide a tribute to the Matron Mothers."
The man snorted. "Ah, yes, I am sure the gnomes were suitably impressed by the display of viciousness. No doubt they had no inkling we were capable of such a feat." The woman turned back to him, sneering clearly.
"What is this? Are you losing your stomach for blood, Solaufein? The Spider Queen would be displeased to hear such, I would think."
"I save my wrath for the drow's true enemies," he replied curtly, standing from his seat. "Lolth knows this, as does the Matron Mother of my own House." He began to move from the group, and Phaere's sneer was quickly replaced by a look of outrage.
"It is not for you to decide, male! I shall have your bloody heart ripped from your chest on the altar if you continue to speak!"
He stopped and turned around slowly. Maiyn felt uncomfortable when she noticed the flash of anger in his eyes, and fleeting glimpse of hatred and loathing. His words were quiet and careful, but they were also confident: "I call your bluff, arrogant one. Act and you risk war between your House and mine. How would Mother Ardulace see that, I wonder?"
Several long moments of silence passed before Phaere relaxed, her smirk returning. She waved a hand dismissively at him. "It is almost worth it to silence your impudent tongue! If a Handmaiden were to see you speak to me such, she would flay you open without a second thought..."
"You should be so lucky, Despana bitch." Solaufein left, striding to the tavern doors and slamming them behind him as he exited. Phaere's glowing red eyes followed his every step, her poisonous glare seeming to will his demise with every movement. A slight cough from Xan reminded her to the group's presence and she unleashed her fury on them in the absence of her male companion.
"Leave -- all of you, except Veldrin! You have a suite upstairs -- go and see the innkeeper and he will show you to it. Go... NOW!"
Maiyn exchanged a slightly panicked look with Jaheira, but the druid made no signal in return, only shepherding the others away as quickly as she could manage before the female drow was angered any further. When they had gone, Phaere instructed Maiyn to sit down, and leant over the counter towards her, speaking in a hushed tone.
"You have come to this city, proving yourself before you even entered the walls. You are more cunning that I would normally have given you credit for, and so I presume you are aware of my relationship with Solaufein, yes?"
Maiyn stared blankly for a few seconds, but then nodded, hoping to bluff her way through this. Phaere returned the nod, rather distractedly.
"His insolence is beyond all endurance. I cannot tolerate it further without risking my position in Lolth's hierarchy. But I also cannot take action that would be traced back to myself or my House without risking war. So you shall take action for me. You will kill Solaufein."
Maiyn drew her breath in sharply, then cursed her reactions as the drow woman gave her a curious look. Quickly, the ranger attempted to compose herself. "It... will be as you command," she replied carefully. "Do you have a proposal on how I can achieve this?"
Phaere smiled wickedly. "He has been given time off from his regular duties... you will find him in his quarters in the Male Fighter's Society, sulking as is his wont. Demand his attention, his affection -- you have proven yourself to Matron Mother Ardulace; and for mercenaries, you will be held in high regard. He cannot resist you, and you will get him vulnerable with relative ease. Please yourself with him first, if it is your desire... he was once a very capable lover."
Maiyn felt her throat getting dry. "Is it not risky to perform such an action there?"
Phaere shrugged. "Many of our males are away from the city, busy elsewhere. It is quieter in the Male Fighter's Society than it would be here, in the tavern. Those of my House would be the first questioned for his death... but you, newcomers to the town and as yet, publicly unallied to any house, can get away with his murder."
"But we are in the favour of House Despana?" asked Maiyn urgently -- she needed to make sure they were trusted, to get close enough to perform their task. She felt only the slightest relief when the drow nodded.
"Do not worry -- this action shall only increase the favour you receive from my house," smiled Phaere sinisterly. "Once you are done, take his... hmmm... take his piwafwi cloak and bring it to me. It shall make an excellent trophy. That is all -- do you understand what I ask of you, Veldrin? Telling anyone will bring death down upon yourself. I shall keep your secret if you keep mine."
Maiyn nodded slowly. "I understand. It will be done as swiftly as possible."
Phaere stood slowly. "You have one evening to perform the duty. Tomorrow, you will bring your companions to the Despana Estate to meet Matron Mother Ardulace -- she is eager to make acquaintance. There I will take his cloak from you as proof of your success -- do not fail me, Veldrin. I could be a more powerful ally for you to have than you could possibly imagine."
She walked away, leaving Maiyn to sit alone at the counter. When she had exited from the main door, the ranger sprang from her seat, sprinting to the stairs and dashing up to the upper level. She noticed Jaheira quickly, the druid ushering her into a large sitting room and closing the door behind them. The rest of the group were sitting around looking pensive, and their expressions only got more serious as Maiyn explained her task.
"You are to do this alone?" Jaheira frowned slightly.
"I am," replied Maiyn. "Though... perhaps there is a way..."
"These are drow," pointed out Kivan darkly. "There is no way other than death when dealing with them -- do not overly concern yourself about the life of one, mellonamin."
Jaheira held up a hand, shaking her head slightly. "No... Maiyn is right. Though he has been terse and blunt, Solaufein does not seem to feel an affinity with his fellow drow." The druid looked keenly at Maiyn. "You will have to do what you believe is right. We will stay here, and try to remain in our chambers if possible, to avoid any other possible problems. Return when you are done and we will attempt to get some rest. Tomorrow will be difficult, and we will make plans as best as we can when we rejoin."
Maiyn nodded then took a deep breath. Wordlessly she turned, quickly exiting the quarters and making her way downstairs, through the tavern and back out to the dark caverns of Ust Natha. She could remember her way to the Society, and she determinedly went on her course, drawing her hood up closely around her face. Her heart was racing, her hands shaking; never before could she remember being quite so frightened.
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"You just let her go... like that?" Xan failed to keep the mystification from his voice, staring at Jaheira as she returned his look coolly.
"We have little choice," she replied calmly. "We are caught up in things beyond our control, and possibly beyond our ability. We are trapped in an environment we neither understand nor welcome, and we ended up in this predicament due to our inability to remain more careful with how we presented ourselves."
"You were quite happy to let her shout our achievements out until now," said Xan curtly.
"I thought..." The druid paused, raising a hand to her forehead in tiredness and sighing. "I thought if we appeared powerful, then we would be safer, perhaps. I was wrong -- it has put us more at risk, it would see, but we do have a way into House Despana tomorrow. Maiyn is not stupid -- she can look after herself."
"Even in the bed of a drow?" A silence fell at the end of the question, and Xan was the first to break off the glare he was exchanging with Jaheira, turning around and stomping from the chambers.
"No, Xan...!" She cursed in frustration as he slammed the door behind him. "We must follow him -- we must stick together in the tavern. Oh, Silvanus, why did he not just retire to one of the rooms?!"
They followed the enchanter downstairs, quickly surrounding him and guiding him to a table in the corner, away from most of the probing glances. Xan's lips remained pursed with displeasure, but after Kivan quietly reminded him how much attention they were likely to get, the mage sighed, folding his arms on the table and letting his head slump onto them. Jaheira rolled her eyes and signalled for Kivan to fetch drinks and food from the innkeeper. He visibly clenched his teeth, but moved to obey while Sime tried unsuccessfully to make Xan sit up. Eventually, Jaheira resorted to kicking him under the table. He groaned heavily, lifting his head long enough to give her a reproachful look. Another voice interrupted them before the druid could speak.
"What an interesting looking male... and one of the mercenaries from Ched Nasad." The group looked up to see a tall and thin woman peering down at Xan; her robes declared her to be a priestess of some ranking, the insignia of a house they didn't recognise plainly adorning her clothing. Long white hair draped around her face, and her red eyes were narrowed as she assessed his potential. Xan's gulp could clearly be heard, even over the soft slithering noise coming from the snake heads on the whip at her belt.
"We have travelled far today," began Jaheira quietly, lowering her head respectfully. "Our party-"
"Silence!" snapped the woman. "I do not require anyone to speak on the male's behalf, and you are strangers to this city! You -- male! You will come with me; I know you would not refuse my command -- the eldest daughter of the First House of Ust Natha demands your attendance in the Lust Chambers. You feel privileged, of course, but I have no time for such idiocy. You will come with me. Now."
Sime glanced at Jaheira with a look of mild hysteria, but the druid's eyes quickly found Xan. He'd frozen in his place, his eyes staring up at the propositioning woman with no emotion behind them whatsoever. He looked like a man condemned to death, she reflected. Slowly, to her surprise, he stood up.
"As... as you command," he mumbled. The woman smiled broadly, though cruelly. She grabbed his arm with such force that Jaheira could notice him wincing, and he was dragged towards the stairs without another word. Kivan arrived back just in time to see him disappearing up the stairs and he shot the girls a look.
"Xan was requested to spend some... private time with a powerful priestess," said Jaheira quietly. Kivan looked horrified.
"This is getting worse and worse," whispered Sime quietly. "We are being separated, and danger surrounds us at every turn -- we can't-"
The girl broke off her words and jerked back in her seat, drawing her drink up to her lips and acting nonchalantly. Jaheira and Kivan instantly tensed, realising something had alerted her to its approach, and sure enough, a figure loomed at their table.
"The mercenaries of Ched Nasad," came a man's sneering voice. "We've heard the tales -- let's see how good you really are! Prepare the fighting pit!"
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Maiyn hesitantly stepped through the doorway of the Male Fighter's Society, warily looking out for any drow lurking in the halls. It was as empty as Phaere had suggested -- a quietness hung in the air, and even her light footsteps could be heard echoing softly as she padded down the marble floor, making her way to what she presumed were the dormitories. She had no idea where to start looking -- she had no wish to randomly search through the rooms until she found her quarry, but nor did she want to linger around in open sight of any other residents of the structure.
"Veldrin."
She jumped at the noise, spinning around to see Solaufein standing behind her, between her and the exit. He was glaring at her as she stood there, but there was a hint of confusion in his eyes -- she quickly composed herself, drawing up to her full height and jutting out her chin defiantly.
"I wish to talk to you, male," she said strongly. "Alone."
He raised an eyebrow at her, but failed to reply. Instead he wandered past; heading to a door on the far side of the corridor, and holding the door open for her.
"Shall in here do?" he asked.
She swallowed hard and nodded; forcing herself to stride confidently into his chamber. A large bed almost filled the room, other furnishings being sparse indeed. A single desk lay bare, though there was a drawer with a lock in it -- Maiyn wasn't surprised. In a society such as this, she could understand his precaution.
She heard the soft click of the door closing behind her but found herself unable to turn and face him. What am I doing here? she asked herself desperately; her mouth was dry, her hands trembling -- she'd forced them under her cloak, trying to conceal her nerves, and her eyes closed. Deep breaths, compose yourself before your actions give you away!
"So tell me... Veldrin." She stiffened as she realised he'd walked up to her, standing close behind her. She could feel his breath on her neck. "Why have you chosen to visit me here in my quarters?"
She moved away from him deftly, carefully manoeuvring herself around to face him. He was amused -- a small smile adorned his face, but not the typically cruel type she'd seen on so many of his kin. It had spread to his eyes, making them crinkle slightly in obvious delight at her discomfort.
"I have... er..." she stammered. Concentrate! You're a drow woman -- act like one! She cleared her throat. "I have come to see you, male," she said, nodding subconsciously, her brow furrowed in concentration. "I, er... I wished for company, and your skills as a fighter impressed me this day. I want to... Uh… I would like to... I demand you allow me to stay the night, and see to my needs as a woman," she finished triumphantly. She waited for him to respond.
Ha threw his head back and laughed heartily, then moved over to the bed and sat at the edge as he unfastened his cloak, throwing it down beside him. She frowned slightly -- this wasn't what was meant to happen, but for some reason she didn't feel threatened or in any danger. Perhaps she should try again.
"You dare laugh at me?" she snapped -- being quite annoyed at not being taken seriously helped to fuel her temper, and luckily, she was able to make the most of it. "I should have you brought to the Handmaidens for your insolence! You will serve me as I demand, and you will do exactly what I order!"
She stepped back involuntarily as he rose from the bed, walking over to her. Still the smile was on his face as he kept his eyes locked to hers. "Of course, powerful female," he replied quietly. "What is it you command?"
"Er..."
He laughed again. "Veldrin -- you are a curious one. Had you used that force from the beginning, I may have believed that you were truly here to satiate your lust. But it is clear you are not, yet you seem to be determined to make me believe otherwise. So tell me -- why are you here?"
Maiyn sighed. "Phaere sent me to kill you."
The male drow's smile faded, his face becoming solemn. She thought she could see a tiny amount of regret in his eyes. "I see. It was only a matter of time before she acted, I suppose. No alliance of mine to any house could prevent the unseen dagger from plunging into my back."
"I don't wish to do it," said Maiyn quickly. "I came here because... I wanted to warn you. I had no wish to carry out her request, but I..."
"But you had to look out for yourself?"
Maiyn nodded glumly. "It... is not very drow-like to show mercy," she muttered.
He shook his head. "It is not. But you have not appeared to be like most drow." Maiyn fidgeted slightly. "You have a secret," he said quietly. "But you do not wish to share it with me, because you do not trust me? Then... let us both take a chance. Listen to what I have to say... Phaere and I were... lovers once. Mother Ardulace felt Phaere cared for me in a most un-drow-like fashion and had her taken by the Handmaidens. They tortured her with tentacle rods... tortures I can only shudder at the thought of. When they were done all that remained of Phaere was her ambition."
The ranger shuddered visibly. "That is... awful," she whispered.
"And I... I remained only as a constant reminder of her weakness" he sighed. "I have been expecting this for a long time. But I know what she has planned -- what her mother has planned. The serum she collected from the illithid brain... it is for the ritual they have planned. A ritual to establish themselves as the prime house in Ust Natha." He paused, regarding her carefully. "I can tell you about it; warn you about it... if you share your own secret with me."
Maiyn bit her lip, then nodded slowly. "I... we... are not drow." Solaufein's eyes widened and he sat back down on his bed, watching her intently. "How we came to be here is unimportant, but we seek something special -- the eggs of the silver dragon whose lair is close to the city. We cannot leave without them -- only she can help us return to the surface."
"Surfacers?" His words were barely audible. "I should have realised it sooner... you are in great danger here -- the eyes of the Spider Queen may be on you now, and the whole city would be informed of your true identity."
Maiyn swallowed hard, and the drow reached out, pulling her over to sit beside him. He noticed her trembling hands, taking one gently in his own as he frowned in concern. "I owe my people no allegiance," he said gently, "so your secret is safe with me -- in return for my life."
She sighed with relief, nodding her acceptance to his terms. "I will need your cloak," she said weakly. "Phaere wishes it as proof of your death."
Solaufein reached over and pulled his cloak to him, rolling it into a ball and passing it to the ranger. She held it awkwardly as she remained perched on the side of his bed, wondering when she would find a chance to leave. The male seemed to be caught up in thought, and it was a while before he spoke.
"The ritual I mentioned," he said quietly. "If I was to say it involved the use of the eggs, you would seek to prevent it?"
Maiyn nodded. "We will do what we need to ensure their safety," she said grimly. "If they are destroyed in any way, we are effectively dead -- without Adalon's help, we cannot hope to escape the Underdark in time..."
"In time?" he asked gently.
She shook her head. "It is a long story -- there is no time to share it," she said apologetically. He nodded.
"Wait," he said, standing up and walking quickly to the desk. He brought out a small key from his pocket and used it on the drawer, murmuring a few words as he went over the rite to safely gain access to the contents within. When he turned around Maiyn gasped -- in his hands were a set of smooth, white, round eggs. He smiled wryly at her.
"Do not be overly surprised," he said. "These are not what you seek -- rather, they are imitations of the true eggs. I... I had them made a short while ago, when I intended to interrupt the ritual myself. Now... now that Phaere has acted against me so, I shall not have a chance -- but you will. And it will help you in your own task."
Maiyn stared at the object in his hands. "You'd give them to me?" she asked disbelievingly.
"I have no need of them, Veldrin," he remarked, somewhat sarcastically. "You will leave here with these, and my cloak. I will disappear today; away from this accursed city. I will have my life, thanks to you. You will have a greater chance at achieving your goal. We both carry each other's secret -- it is all fair and equal."
Maiyn nodded and rose to her feet, accepting the eggs. She carefully wrapped them in his cloak and looked back up to him once more. "Thank you," she said.
"Go," he urged, pushing her gently to the door. "The longer you linger, the more attention we are likely to receive from unwanted eyes. I will pray for your success -- may Eilistraee watch over you in this."
His door closed as soon as she was in the corridor. It took her several moments to realise what had happened and shake herself into acting. Quietly she set off to the main door of the Society, quickly heading back to the tavern and her companions.
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Jaheira glared at the men standing before her. To her side, Sime and Kivan were restlessly fidgeting; Sime due to nerves, and Kivan due to annoyance. They'd been dragged across the tavern to the fighting pit, drawing attention from everyone present, and as such, quite a crowd had gathered around, hoping to see the much talked about newcomers in action against the well respected fighters of the first house.
"We have nothing to prove to you, male," she hissed; she'd said it over and over again, and was perfectly willing to keep repeating it until the drow got the message and allowed them to return to their rooms.
He sneered at her again. "You have no pride," he baited. "You are new in this town, and think you can survive on extraordinary tales alone? You have no house to ally yourselves with, despite the rumours -- you're worth even less than the slaves in the market!" He spat at her, laughing cruelly at her disgusted impression.
"You will pay for that."
"Kivan, no!" The druid hissed a warning, wiping the man's spittle from her tunic with the hem of her cloak. The ranger ignored her, striding up to the man and glaring intently at him.
"I'll fight you."
"At last! Some backbone!" The drow man signalled for the pit-master to allow them to enter, and Kivan followed him into the arena, ignoring Jaheira's frustrated words. The ranger gripped his spear tightly in both hands as his foe pulled his sword from the strap on his back; a massive blade that he carried in both hands, his eyes glinting with malice and cruelty as he smirked. A shout signalled the beginning of the battle, and the drow fighter launched himself forward with a howl, driving his sword through the air with what seemed like apparent ease.
Jaheira and Sime winced visibly as Kivan dodged to the side, making no effort to strike back. Again, the drow lunged forward, and again Kivan concentrated on avoiding the blow -- over and over it went, the drow's taunting remarks being completely ignored by the stoic ranger.
"You call yourself mercenaries?" came the voice of the dark-skinned fighter. "You're a disgrace to our kind! You are weak and pathetic, and I will show your tales are nothing but fantasy this very night!"
This time Kivan didn't move as he moved forward, his sword swinging through the air in a wide arc that seemed destined to decapitate the elf. The ranger ducked at the last moment, bringing himself up quickly while the drow concentrated on his balance, and thrust his spear forward, straight through his foe's neck. With a strangled cry, the drow froze; his weapon fell from his hands and Kivan violently removed the obstruction from his opponent's throat. Then slowly he walked forward until he was close, never taking his eyes from his opponent.
"You should never treat a female like that," he said, dangerously and low. Then he drew his fist back and punched the fighter hard on the face, knocking him down to the ground. The pit-master declared him as the winner, and he was soon pushed out of the way by a female in long flowing robes, who quickly tended the wounds of the fallen fighter. She broke her healing only briefly to glare up to the ranger before he left.
"You have made a powerful enemy here, this day," she said darkly.
"As have you," he replied simply, before Jaheira dragged him away. She dragged him through the watching crowd, Sime close behind, briskly making their way up to their chambers, and closing the door firmly behind them when they got inside. When she felt they were safe, she closed her eyes and muttered at length about the lack of sense he'd displayed.
"Really, do you not think we are in enough danger as it is? Ma- Veldrin is off, Silvanus knows where, doing... doing... I can't even bear to think what she might be doing! Xan... Xan is probably in a worse position than she is, though that is another thing I don't want to think about! We have a whole tavern full of people who have heard rumours and tales about us, and we have not even been in the city one day! And tomorrow... tomorrow..." Her voice faltered and she slumped onto the nearest chair, her hand going up to her eyes. Kivan slowly walked over to her, kneeling before her sitting form.
"I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "I acted rashly and I didn't think."
She uncovered her eyes and smiled weakly to him. "You rarely think, ranger," she muttered, but her tone was softer. "It is of no consequence now -- what is done, is done. Now we must only hope that Veldrin and Xan return safely."
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Shortly after, the door to their chambers opened, and Maiyn slipped in. She looked relieved to be back with her companions, but tensed when she noticed Xan's absence. Jaheira quickly told her what had happened.
"Oh," she said. The druid squeezed her shoulder sympathetically, accepting the cloak held out to her. "Be careful," Maiyn said. "There's something wrapped in it."
Jaheira's mouth opened when she looked inside, but the ranger quickly shook her head, recounting her experience with Solaufein. Jaheira chided her for giving her trust so easily, and she nodded wearily.
"I didn't know what else to do," she admitted. "I'm not cut out for this -- our luck is growing thinner and thinner. We need to get a plan for tomorrow and it needs to be good."
"I've been thinking about it," said Sime suddenly. The others looked at her curiously. "We are going to meet the Matron Mother tomorrow, right?"
Jaheira nodded.
"This means that we'll be as close to the eggs as we can hope to be. Now we have these fake ones, we should be able to just switch them, rather than steal them as I was planning, but the actual plan remains more or less the same. If I can manage to slip away, I can try and find where the eggs are kept. You will have to make sure that there's some kind of disturbance, or something -- anything to keep everyone busy so I don't get caught. We've heard so many hints that there's a lot of drow away from here -- hopefully this means that the defences of the individual houses will be lessened too."
Jaheira raised an eyebrow doubtfully. "And if they're not?"
"Then it'll just be harder to get the eggs. But either way -- we can't leave without them, and we have no one to help us here. Stealing them is the only plausible solution at hand right now."
"She's right," agreed Maiyn. "We can't take on drow in their own city in force, and we have no idea how closely we are being watched -- trying anything risky will be suicide."
"And stealing them from the home of the Matron Mother won't be?" Jaheira shook her head slightly. "What happens when she discovers they are gone?"
"She won't now," pointed out Sime. "These fakes can go in their place -- we just need to get away from the city before she can tell the difference."
"And if she realises before we can get away from her compound?"
Sime smiled grimly. "I'm a Shadow Thief, Jaheira. I'll grant you that this is beyond most of my assignments to date, but I'm not averse to a challenge, and I gave my word I'd help you as much as I could. I believe I have the ability to pull off a robbery -- and a murder."
The other three stared at the young girl. Kivan began pacing.
"Kill a Matron Mother?" Maiyn spoke quietly, scratching her head in disbelief. "I don't..."
"If their guard is as weak as the rumours are suggesting," insisted Sime, "and you can find a way to make sure I'm not disturbed... if she's not expecting it, there's no reason to believe it can't be done."
"We're in the middle of Ust Natha," replied Maiyn dubiously. "I wouldn't be surprised it Lo-"
"No!" hissed Jaheira. "We do not even speak of that! We do not mention the name; we do not draw her attention. We stop discussing this now -- it is a plan, and the only one we have." The druid looked to Sime. "If you believe you can do this, then we have little choice but to do what we can to aid you, for all our sakes."
The thief nodded, and the companions fell into an uncomfortable silence. Kivan lit the fire in the room, throwing himself down into one of the closer seats -- his body language showed his resignation to their fate. Even Jaheira was sitting, hunched tightly, her chin resting in her hands, her eyes fixed to the ground. Sime idly sharpened her knife, her eyes narrowed as she mentally went through her task the next day, while Maiyn watched them all, scarcely able to believe the situation they found themselves in. They were doomed.
On cue, the door swung open one final time. Xan staggered in, his robes torn and bloodied, his hair matted and wet. He managed to close it behind him and turn to face his companions, sighing forlornly at their horrified expressions.
Then he passed out.