Out of the Shadows, Part 15

"Don't worry so much," you tell Relis with an encouraging smile. "You got us the information we needed. We're closer to saving the hostages because of you. And if you hadn't been there—if you hadn't been willing to push your limits, to become as skilled as you are—we'd be in a lot worse of a position right now."

Relis brightens a little, some of her self-recrimination lifting as you continue. "Of course, you don't want to be too reckless," you acknowledge. "But that's what the rest of us are here for. To have each others' backs, so we can let each other know when we're making a mistake. And so we can all keep trying to reach for greater heights."

Your words have the desired effect, lifting her spirits. She's still a little chastened, but her drive remains intact. She'll keep pushing forward with her earnest desire to make her mark, to escape from Verika's shadow. Even if it means putting herself at more risk.

Verika herself watches you as you speak, her expression conflicted, and you know a part of her would prefer that Relis play it more safe instead. But when she interjects, it's to agree with you. "He's right, Relis," she says softly. "I... count myself very lucky that you're here to help."

Relis looks away, staring at the ground for a few seconds. Then she nods once, gratefully. The silence almost stretches into awkwardness, neither of them quite sure what to say... until you break the tension by pulling out some of the dry, bland rations from the pack you raided from the drow camp and tossing them to the different members of your team. "Well, let's sample a bit more of this delectable feast!" you say cheerily. "We need to keep our strength up, after all."

The rest of them quickly comply, devouring the hardtack ravenously. You contrive to seat yourself next to Verika, on the same raised bit of stone that she's using for a seat. You regard her with a tiny, impish grin... which she does her best to ignore, focusing on tearing into her meal. Even as she eats, it's obvious that the memory of what she saw you and Khaytala doing is eating away at her.

Finally you break the silence, speaking in an undertone just barely loud enough for her to hear, a hint of amusement dancing in your tone. "So... did you enjoy spying on us?"

Verika shoots you an unamused glare. Your grin only widens. "You know... you could have just joined in. It would have been even more fun for everyone."

The ranger scoffs. "Not interested."

"Of course, of course..." you murmur understandingly. "Your complete lack of interest is why you kept hidden and watched us for as long as you did."

"I wasn't—!" The outburst is loud enough to cause Khaytala to glance up from her own meal, looking curiously across the small cave to where you're sitting. Verika clamps her mouth shut, then continues again in a hissing whisper. "I... I just... wanted to make sure that whatever secret you're hiding isn't a threat. That's all it was! And... and to make sure you weren't doing anything to hurt Khay. Or forcing her. Or tricking her, or... anything."

"If that's what you need to tell yourself..." you reply, with a teasingly-exaggerated kindness that clearly implies what you think of her claim. "Just know that, when you decide you want to experience for yourself what you saw... we'll both welcome you with open arms."

You lean even closer, looking deep into Verika's eyes, letting her catch a glimpse of the desire, the lust for her burning within you. "And I promise you this," you tell her softly. "When that happens... it will be infinitely better than the imagination that's burning through your mind even now."

It's obvious she can feel the allure. The temptation to let herself fall. To let herself feel the glories that she saw played out so vividly in that alley. But she doesn't flinch away from your gaze, doesn't back down. Instead, those coal-black eyes look right back into yours, searching for the answers to her own questions that plague her.

The supernatural powers you refuse to explain... the transformation of Khaytala's sexual outlook from inexperienced virgin to an unapologetic threesome-seeker... and the attraction she can feel twisting in her own chest. Her eyes narrow in suspicion, and she leans even closer, her voice a deadly quiet whisper. "Just what the hell are you, really?"

Your teasing grin widens into a toothy, full-fledged smile. Oh, now it's getting interesting. If she doesn't know the answer to her particularly emphasized question, she has to at least suspect. And yet—in exchange—you've lit the beginnings of a fire inside her, one that will not be easily quenched. She'll have to reckon with that fire, even as the two of you work alongside each other.

After all, whatever her suspicions... she still needs you.

That said, she deserves an answer to her question. "What am I?" you ask, leaning yet closer, your faces almost touching. Her hand reflexively shifts toward a knife at her belt, but her eyes are still locked with yours. You wonder if she would actually use the weapon if you tried anything. You wonder if she knows either.

But this isn't the right moment. Not yet. Instead you lean past, to whisper directly into her ear, your breath hot on her cheek, causing a slight shiver to run through her. "I am the person who is going to save your friends," you promise, your demonic charisma lending the weight of inevitability in your words. "I am the person who is going to bring everyone safe back to the surface. And I am the person who is going to teach you what true pleasure feels like."

Then you pull back, watching the conflicted look that crosses her elfin features. She clearly wants to say more. To accuse, to demand clearer answers, to really have it out. But she doesn't want to do it here, in front of everyone else. Instead she turns away, and with a few brusque bites she finishes off the last of her rations. Then speaks up in a louder voice that everyone can hear. "Well then," she says, her tone strained. And this time she's speaking loud enough for everyone to hear. "Let's discuss our plans for tomorrow."

You allow her that escape. For now. Instead, you comply with her request, outlining to the group everything that you learned during your excursion at the Fortress, concluding with a description of the speech that Lady Pheshera Cendiath gave. "She was doing her level best to whip them up for a war against anything that isn't drow," you conclude. "If she gets into power, you can count on some level of attack on the surface world."

On one hand, facing a battle on that front could certainly dampen the heroines' enthusiasm for a war against Kovora... at least until the situation is resolved. On the other hand, a threat like that could make some of the heroines much less inclined to leave themselves, in the face of a threat like that. It could also shift where—and under what circumstances—you encounter some of them, as they adjust to respond to the new danger.

And you doubt your mistress will enjoy the prospect of any war, even if it wasn't the precise war she was trying to avert.

Next, Relis describes what she found in the Thesolan Shrine, painting the picture of those worshipers of Melca. She flinches as she recalls the ceremonies of frenzied, ritual flagellation. Sometimes performed on the worshipers themselves, but more often on slaves. "There are... pens where they keep the captives they use," she explains with a shudder. "If they have one of the elves they took, that's probably where they're holding them."

Then she glances over at you. "I also noted when Lady Eshosi goes there for her own daily worship," she says. "From what I overheard, she's very obsessive about it. And apparently she consults the Oracle of that shrine about everything she does. Every venture she undertakes, no matter how small. If we could interrogate her, we might be able to learn what House Thesolan is planning."

Given the fact that she's looking at you, it's pretty clear what kind of "interrogation" Relis actually has in mind. Still, Khaytala and Verika can both be quite intimidating, and they might be able to extract the information as well. Either way, from the sound of it, these fanatics are more concerned with pleasing their goddess than any material concerns.

Since Kovora is—in theory—another Melca-worshipping nation, if Lady Eshosi comes to power they might be an actual ally in the short-term. Though if your mistress continues to test the goddess as she has been, it may come to the point where they could be every bit as fanatical a direct opponent to your aims, should they come to view Lily as a heretic.

Finally, Verika speaks up, detailing her infiltration of Eselvar Manor. "I was able to sneak into the study that Talavar told us about," she begins, as though piercing the security of a high-ranking noble was just a matter of course. "She's been collected intelligence on the other major players, and I was able to read through a great deal of it before I had to leave. According to her spies, the Matriarch has been planning this move for a long time. Spending huge amounts of money in preparation for it. When the time comes to go after her... she's going to have defenses unlike anything we've seen so far."

You frown, wondering at such an immense expenditure directed toward hunting someone long since fled. It doesn't seem political... or at least, not in any way that makes sense to you. Could it be some kind of grudge? A long-standing vendetta? Just what is the history between Verika and the Matriarch that could drive their conflict to such an extent?

But Verika is already continuing. "Her spies were also convinced that both House Thesolan and House Cendiath were going to make big moves of their own at the upcoming ceremony as well. In particular, I found a partly-completed letter in her study, addressed to Lady Pheshera Cendiath. It warned her to make sure that Lady Mykra was not caught up in any 'explosive events' that might happen on that day. The letter said that Lady Pheshera should remember just who Lady Mykra has in her dungeons, and what would happen if even a hair on Lady Mykra's head was harmed."

Now that is very interesting. So whoever is being held in Eselvar Manor, it apparently isn't one of the three captive elves. Rather, it's someone that Lady Mykra is using against Lady Pheshera. In addition, it sounds like whatever House Cendiath is planning for the ceremony, it's something very big and very dangerous, something that could potentially harm your own group as well.

Verika looks pensive after giving her report, glancing between you and Khaytala. You imagine she's feeling a bit trapped now, unsure of who she can really trust. Unsure if she can even trust her own feelings.

Finally, she speaks up. "More than anything else, I'm worried about what the Matriarch has in store. We still don't know anything about her defenses, and it sounds as though they're even more dangerous than I thought. I'd like to scout out the Imperial Palace next, to learn what I can about what she had prepared." Then she turns, fixing you with her gaze. "And I'd like Talavar to help me."

It's obvious that she doesn't trust you alone with any of the others anymore. In fact, it's more than likely that you'll face a significantly more... severe... interrogation once she's truly alone with you, if you do go that route. Though you might also be able to get a bit more information out of her as well in the bargain...

Then she turns to Khaytala. "And if Lady Pheshera is planning something dangerous of her own... it's better we just don't give her the chance. If you attack the fortress while she's there and kill her, it should nip that in the bud. And Relis and Belan can try to rescue the captive held there during the confusion."

Khaytala cracks her neck back and forth. "Been a while since I took on a whole fortress single-handed..." she muses. "Hope I haven't gotten rusty. Might end up taking a bit of damage, but I should be able to pull it off."

Belan frowns. "Are you... sure we want to make a big attack yet?" he asks, worriedly. "I mean... there's still a lot of information we could gather before we commit ourselves by killing anyone. Talavar could try to sneak into the shrine and, um, interrogate the Oracle. And Verika could investigate that war room in the fortress that Talavar found. If we know more about what all of them are planning, then we could make the best choices on how to respond."

"But we wouldn't have as much time to do it in," interjects Relis. "At the very least, Khaytala and I could attack Eselvar Manor while that's going on. If we could at least grab whoever they're holding prisoner there, that could give us even more information to work with."

Belan considers this, then nods. "You're right," he says. "And I could help too! Even if you won't be sneaking, being hard to see should still help in a fight."

"You're right about that much," Khaytala says. "And if all three of us are focused on the rescue alone, we should be able to pull it off without taking so much as a scratch."

Then she pauses. "We... could also just focus on rescuing as many people as we can, as quickly as we can," she says. "Verika could break out the one that's held in the manor, I could attack the shrine, and Talavar could free the one in the fortress, with the help of Relis and Belan."

That's also an idea worthy of consideration. It may not give you as much information on what is going on, but it will give you the most manpower going into both the third day and the final showdown at the festival, as well as getting most of the captive elves to safety in a single go.

You consider each of their suggestions, thinking carefully through which one you would prefer to lend your weight to... or whether you want to propose something else entirely. After today, you'll have one more day until the day of the festival itself, and the choices you make will affect the future of both the Underworld and the surface world.