Author's Note: Dear Readers, I hope you don't hate me because Valen doesn't really shine in this story like he should. There are so many fantastic Valen tales out there that I guess I feel intimidated...
16...Shattered
"Incredible," Haer'Dalis said as the elven couple haltingly approached. "There truly are avariel here in the Underdark. And they're walking, not flying."
Valen's voice was equally low. "At first I thought they were celestials but I can see I was wrong."
"Avariel are winged elves," Haer'Dalis said. "They live in hidden and practically inaccessible mountain fastnesses on the surface. They are rare, I am told. I have only met one. She had been torn from her people and sold into slavery."
He stopped as the two avariel approached. In unison, they smiled. "Welcome to our sanctuary," said the male. "I am Skaa and this is Nairow. We wanted to be the first to greet you." Most elves were slender but these were gaunt. They both had long dark hair and rather ragged white wings.
Haer'Dalis introduced Valen and Deekin. The kobold stared up at the avariel in frank curiosity. He sidled closer to Nairow and reached out with a tentative hand. With a vague smile, she extended her wing so he could touch the feathers.
"Deekin would like to fly," he said. "Deekin seeing birds fly. Seeing dragons fly. Never seeing elves fly."
Nairow bent down her head to reply. "Ah, little friend, it is a glorious sensation to swoop through the cool mist of a cloud and suddenly feel the sun bright upon your wings." Her smile brightened for a moment and then faded. "But here, in the soft darkness, how much better it is. We can...walk upon the chilly ground and feel the harsh stones beneath our feet. Surely this is life as we are meant to live it."
"Surely so," said Skaa gravely. "Surely so."
The kobold cocked his head. "This is a good place," he said. "Deekin be smelling fresh water nearby."
"Yes. Our queen, Shaori, lives in a cave over there, where the water drips along the walls. Dripping, always dripping so you can scarce hear yourself think. That is why Shaori has taken that wondrous place for her own. There are strange misshapen fish in the pond by the waterfall. They are white, and eyeless. They swim in circles and have teeth strong enough to snap off your finger." She gave a slight shudder. "Along the walls, there grows a kind of moss that emits a wan green light. It has...an overpoweringly pungent odor. She is fortunate to have found such a...snug retreat."
"Be sounding nice," Deekin said wistfully. "Like Deekin's old home. Maybe better. Not so cold here."
"Yes, we are all fortunate to be here," Skaa said. "And we are fortunate to have such kind visitors. Have you met our other guests?"
"Other guests?" Valen asked.
"The kind and benevolent drow, of course, who arrived a day ago. I believe it was a day ago. So difficult to keep track of time here." Skaa exchanged a look with Nairow. "Has it been more than a day? How long have we..." His smile faded.
"If you wish to know how long they've been here, you can ask them," Nairow said. "After the drow visited our queen, I believe they set up camp in the old palace. Such a dismal uncomfortable place but they didn't seem to mind." She took Skaa's arm. He continued to frown. Her fingers closed on his arm in a firm pinch. "Please come see us if there is anything we can do to make your stay here more pleasant." She shook her friend's arm and the confusion slid off his face. He gave them a vacant smile and the two limped away.
Valen looked at Haer'Dalis. "Did that seem strange to you?"
"More than a little strange," Haer'Dalis said. "The avariel and the drow are mortal enemies. The avariel I met in Athkatla was so terrified of drow that even speaking of them made her tremble." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I think we should meet this Queen Shaori and see what we can learn of these kind and benevolent drow."
He watched the two avariel follow the curve of the large cavern ahead. They joined a third avariel and squatted on the ground before him. Their wingtips dragged through the dirt. "I did not think any avariel would willingly walk if flight was possible," he added.
Valen and Haer'Dalis had to duck to pass through the narrow opening into the queen's cave. The cave itself was quite damp. It was much as Nairow had described, with a small waterfall feeding a dark pool and sheets of luminous moss creeping up the rough walls. Haer'Dalis wrinkled his nose. 'Pungent' was not the word he would have chosen to describe the foul miasma that rose from the moss.
"This be really nice cave," Deekin said. "Deekin be wanting a cave just like this someday." An avariel squatted near the pool. She drew something in a patch of wet sand using one of her own feathers as a pen. Her head came up at the sound of Deekin's voice. She scowled and used her hand to wipe out whatever she had written.
"Visitors again?" she growled. "What in the Nine Hells do you want? Can't you see I'm busy here?"
"Queen Shaori?" Haer'Dalis asked.
"You may call me Shaori, since you seem to know my name. Some reason you can't answer my question?"
"My apologies, Shaori." Haer'Dalis exchanged a look with Valen, whose shrug clearly said he was leaving the diplomacy to the bard. "We heard rumors that avariel had settled this island and we were curious how that came to be." Shaori's scowl deepened but Haer'Dalis continued. "We were unaware that there was an entrance to the surface here and..."
"There is no way out from here," she said. "That's the beauty of it, see? Was that all you wanted?"
"How, then, did you come to be here?" Haer'Dalis asked.
"Why is that any business of yours?"
"We seek allies and..."
"Allies in this war of yours?" She pointed the feather in her hand at Haer'Dalis. "Yes, I've heard of your war. You are not my only visitor, curse you all. We'll not fight for you or with you or even against you. Clear enough?"
"Aye, but..."
"Don't interrupt. The others came here snooping for magic to use in your precious war. Yes, magic brought us here but the magic is shattered and scattered. It wouldn't do you any good anyway. Didn't do us any good despite what..."
Her expression clouded. She turned a shoulder to Haer'Dalis. "Now are you done?" she asked. "I've told you everything I feel like saying. The magic was shattered and I threw it away, all but the last piece. I gave that to black-faced, black-hearted Sabal. Now the fool searches for the rest. If she is your enemy, you should hope she finds all the shards. Let the magic serve her as it served us."
"What magic is this?"
"I've got nothing for you, so leave me. The sound of your yammering makes me weary. I had enough of that in the palace. Go away."
"How many drow are here?" Valen asked.
"I said go away." She waved her feather in curt dismissal.
"Deekin been smelling magic in this place," he said when the three left Shaori's cave.
"I feel something also," Haer'Dalis said. "And clearly these avariel are under some fell enchantment. I wonder what it is that she gave to this Sabal. She must be the drow commander. Have you heard that name?" he asked Valen. Valen shook his head. "But," Haer'Dalis continued. "If there are drow here, we must take care."
Valen tightened his hand on the hilt of his flail. "So, too, must they take care."
"Do the drow know we're here?"
Valen shrugged. "Probably. We know they're here."
"Deekin not wanting drow sneaking up on us." He scratched his head. "Thinking we should do the sneaking."
"Why?" Valen asked.
"Er, there's three of us," Deekin said. "Might be lots of them."
"And what do you suggest, kobold?" Valen asked.
"Deekin cast invisibility sphere. We stay close to each other, no one sees us."
"And what's the point of that?" Valen asked. "We won't defeat these drow by hiding from them."
Deekin cocked his head at Valen. "Drow already ahead of us. Drow already looking for magic things. Drow might be setting traps? Ambush?"
"I think it's a fine idea," Haer'Dalis said. "What's the harm in trying it?"
"We have to stay close to each other?" Valen asked. "How close? How is that going to work? Will we be able to see each other?"
"Yup," Deekin said. "But we can hold hands if you want."
Valen looked at Haer'Dalis. "Is he making a joke? Tell me he's making a joke."
"Deekin funny guy," the kobold said.
"Well, there's twenty drow we won't have to worry about ever again," Valen said.
Haer'Dalis shot him a sour look. "I thought the idea was to avoid the ambush, not to trigger it."
"Not my fault if your pet's invisibility spell didn't work."
Deekin also shot Valen a sour look. "Spell worked fine. Drow not see us. Not have to see us. Drow not deaf." He pointed to Haer'Dalis. "He walks too loud." Then he pointed at Valen. "You walk way too loud. Flail rattles too. Stomp, stomp, clang, clang. You sound like one man army."
"Maybe I am one," Valen smirked. "It worked out fine.".
"Did it?" Haer'Dalis asked. "I used up almost all my spells, I'm running low on healing potions and we haven't even got inside the palace yet. And I think it would be too much to hope that the drow camped inside haven't heard us out here."
"They be setting traps," Deekin said. "Another ambush too. We be doomed."
"I suppose your Solaufein could have done better?" Valen said.
"Solaufein be silent," Deekin said. "You never silent."
Valen looked at Haer'Dalis. "Did he just tell me to shut up?"
Haer'Dalis gave a graceful shrug. Then he winked at Deekin. "Before we noisily charge into the next ambush, I'm going to check the bodies. Maybe some of these drow have healing potions left. That would be lovely."
The palace was built of white stone, airy and light, with large areas open to what should have been the sky. It sat in the Underdark like an elaborate cake plopped down in the mud. Massive steel gates stood open to a plaza, now dark and gloomy, leading to a pair of large doors. The palace should have perched on a mountain peak, where the sun could catch the spires and illuminate the delicate stonework. Banners hung limp and pathetic in the stillness of the cavern.
Haer'Dalis barely had time to renew his last Stoneskin spell before the next fight was upon them. Valen opened one of the double doors and then jumped back when the other was flung open. A drider charged straight at Haer'Dalis. He had heard of these drow-spider hybrids created by the now silent Lolth but he had not seen any in Ust Natha. This was his first and it was even more repellent than he had imagined.
Valen swung his flail and mangled one of its huge spider legs as it passed. The drider wielded a sword. Haer'Dalis parried his stroke with one blade and struck with the other as Valen distracted the creature with a flurry of blows. He was not surprised to see his blade Entropy's poison had no effect. The poison did not work on spiders either. Deekin summoned a mastiff from the shadow plane. They were able to lure several more driders out into the open where they were easier to dispatch. When the hunt moved inside the fight got trickier.
Driders with crossbows attacked from perches near the ceiling. The floor was a sticky hazard of webbing. Haer'Dalis eyed the high ceilings and called forth his wyvern. Deekin summoned several large spiders, which swarmed up the walls after the driders that lurked there. When the wyvern managed to tear a drider from its web, it flung it to the ground for Valen to crush. Eventually they cleared the great hall.
"That must be the throne room," Haer'Dalis said, pointing to another set of doors. "Think there's any more of them?"
Valen finished his healing potion and tossed the empty vial. "Let's find out."
Once the entire room would have been open to the sky and the weather but some giant's hand had placed it so that the cave closed in to make a dark roof. At first they thought the huge room empty. Massive pillars, now truncated into the roof of the cave, marched in a sad line to an icy white throne. Magelights spotted the distant walls and were imbedded in the marble tile of the floor. They walked forward. The kobold's head turned from side to side, searching the dark shadows for drow.
"Someone sitting in the big fancy chair," Deekin said but the others had also seen the small winged figure. The avariel watched as they approached, his eyes like dark pools in a serious face. There's something strange about that face, Haer'Dalis thought. He could be the first elf I've seen who was less than beautiful.
"You have come," the avariel said. "The drider let you pass?"
"We didn't ask their permission," Valen said.
"Ah." His eyes moved to Haer'Dalis and then to Deekin. "Neither they nor their drow masters can harm me here but their purpose, as you no doubt are aware, is less than benevolent."
"Why are they here?" Haer'Dalis asked.
"The drow are here for the same purpose you are. They seek power and they hope to find it through an understanding of the magic that brought us here." He folded his hands. "My name is Elicid although I am more commonly known as the Fool. I see you have questions. Ask them."
Per the Fool's advice, they sought the shards in the avariel town. "That Halaster bad news," Deekin said. "You think he put some kind of curse on these elves? That why they act so weird? How big you think this mirror is, anyway?"
Haer'Dalis looked at the mirror shard the avariel merchant had just given them. The merchant had been quite helpful after Valen's utterly convincing threat to tear off his wings. "Small," he said. "About the size of a book."
"Hard to imagine a whole town passing through a book," Deekin said.
"Even broken, the magic is very powerful." Haer'Dalis wrapped the glass in a scrap of cloth from his pack. "It burns my hand to hold it."
"Give it here," Deekin said. Deekin unwrapped the shard and stared down at his shattered reflection. He rocked back on his heels. He began to hum. "Finding song," he explained when he noticed Valen's frown. "Song will lead me to the other pieces."
"That's good," Haer'Dalis said. "Let's be quick about it. The drow have had longer to look and I don't think they'll be as willing to hand their findings over as this poor fellow was." He glanced at the merchant who shivered behind a rock.
"We'll see." Valen smiled to himself.
Deekin's song led them to the library. They climbed the wide marble steps and saw the stone figure of an avariel crouched at the landing. He had drawn one wing across his terror-filled face. Deekin squeaked in alarm.
"That no statue. That be work of medusa. Poor fellow turned to stone." He shuddered. "Bad, bad feeling to be turned to stone. Deekin thinking we should go now. Let the drow get this shard."
"I have heard tell of these creatures although what a medusa is doing here, I do not know," Haer'Dalis said. "I do, however, have a scroll that protects against petrification."
"Why you have scroll if you never see medusa?" Deekin asked.
"Beholders can also petrify," he said.
"Oh. Okey dokey."
"You two wait here and keep an eye out for the drow." Haer'Dalis took a breath and then cast his spell.
The wait seemed very long before Haer'Dalis finally returned. He carried a small bundle.
"You gots the shard?" Deekin asked. "Face not looking happy."
"I have it."
"Kill the medusa?" Deekin asked hopefully.
"No. She gave it to me." His fingers trailed over the avariel's stone form. "I found her half-mad with grief. She was an avariel until Halaster's magic transformed her. This poor fellow was her husband." Haer'Dalis sighed. "'Tis a sad tale. She did not know what happened when she passed through the mirror. Only when she petrified him did she know what she had become. Now no one dares approach so she cannot ask for help for him or for herself. She has looked at this bit of glass over and over, hoping her reflection would turn her to stone too. But of course, it did not. Here, take it."
He handed Deekin a tiny parcel wrapped in bright cloth. "I left her burning the books. Take a look at this." He gave the kobold the other thing he carried, a singed book. Deekin opened it at random and then flipped through a few more pages.
"Deekin confused. Book not making sense."
"Look closer," Haer'Dalis said. "The writing is reversed. Everything is backwards here, not just the books."
Deekin looked at the book a moment longer and then let it fall to the ground.
"The librarian says there is a powerful spellcaster here, an archmage named Petyr Trenkhold," Haer'Dalis said. "He may have some insight into the magic that has twisted this town. It may be possible he knows a spell that can restore her husband."
The helpful avariels, Nairow and Skaa, said they'd likely find the archmage at the tavern. Once it had no doubt been a pleasant open-air tavern with a lovely view but now it was as dismal as the rest of the town. Nairow pointed the archmage out but at the sound of angry voices, she ducked her head and backed away.
"I liked you better when you still had a shred or two of hospitality," the archmage shouted at the barkeep.
"And I liked you better when you still had a shred or two of sense. The Fool told us our supplies must last us. What will we find to eat in these caverns when our storehouse is empty? Moss and stones? I'm not squandering what food we have left on a party, Petyr."
"A party is just what we need to lift everyone's spirits. Never saw such a motley collection of long faces in all my days." He turned and saw their approach. "See what I mean? Here are three strangers and their faces are as grim as yours." He looked up at Valen and blinked. "Nice horns. I've always been fond of you planar fellows. Come, friends. Let old Petyr stand you a drink."
It took an effort to steer the archmage off the subject of spirits and parties.
"Ah, yes, Queen Shaori's mirror. Told her not to spy on that madman Halaster. Jealous fellow. Doesn't like being peeped at. I warned her." Petyr took a long pull at his mug. "Or did I warn her? Should have done, anyway. She gave me a piece of the damned mirror, once it was too late to do any good. It gave me a nasty cut, too."
"We're collecting the shards," Haer'Dalis said. "May we have yours?"
"Certainly. What's mine is yours." He took another drink. "I'll do anything for a friend. Thing is, don't have it anymore. Gave it to my apprentice. He seemed keen on the idea of studying the blasted thing. Not sure why."
"Where is he?"
"Holed up in my tower, I suppose. Boy's turning into a real stick, you know? Pity, that. Maybe you can go talk some sense into him. Get him to be a tad more sociable."
"Maybe we can," Valen said grimly.
"Gotta watch yourself in the tower, though. All kinds of traps and guardians and nonsense like that. Safest thing is to just fly up to the top. Go in through the trap door. It's not trapped. Heh heh. That's a joke, see? Trap door?"
"Deekin can't fly."
"None of us can fly," Haer'Dalis said.
Valen dropped a heavy hand on Petyr's stooped shoulder. "But you can. Friend."
