Tiff - Chapter 3 - Part 6

Chapter 3 - Part 6

Lyanna was startled, it was too late to lock the door. She quickly got up and moved back as the door opened. The drow woman had come to hide away like a coward, her mouth gaped in shock when she saw Lyanna there in the room. Her expression changed from shock to rage, as she quickly started to gesture with her hands. Lyanna gripped her sword tightly as she began to move forward.

The drow suddenly threw a magical blast, Lyanna quickly dodged to the right as the bright red missile brushed past her chest. She continued he advance as the drow was hurriedly preparing to cast another. She suddenly lunged forward and brought her blade up into the drows' chest. She let out a gargled cry as the human drove the blade in further, until it burst out of her back.

Lyanna leaned forward and looked into the drow nobles' wide red eyes. She could see the shock, terror and disbelief. She knew what the black-hearted bitch was thinking in her last moments-she couldn't believe that she had been killed by a slave. The blade was pulled back, out from her foes' body, and she dropped to the ground. Lyanna never enjoyed killing, but she was thankful for the opportunity to finish this loathsome witch off.

The rogue slave wiped her blade on the drows' robes, and decided to quickly move on. She left the room and moved down the hallway, still unsure of where she was going. The fighting seemed to be driving her deeper into the compound.

She soon came to an area in the center of the compound, where there were two huge ornate doors, covered in intricate carvings, mostly depicting spiders, and spider web patterns. One of the doors was slightly ajar, and she could hear muttering within. She silently crept over to the gap and peered inside.

There were several figures inside the room. Lyanna took a moment to take in the scene. The large room seemed to be some kind of chapel, with statues and altars and many more ornate carvings. There was also a large, finely detailed mirror in the center. She saw her male drow master and the Matron of the house sitting rigidly in front of it. They appeared to be in some kind of trance. There were eight Noqut'Tar soldiers, brandishing swords and wearing black armor, they appeared to be standing around guarding them.

Lyanna slowly crept into the chapel, sticking close to the wall. The Noqut'Tar guards didn't notice her enter. In the mirror, beyond the reflections, she could see what appeared to be a chanting drow priestess. Somehow, the most powerful drow of the house had been rendered helpless by their strange magics.

She looked at the male drow, sitting there as though in deep meditation. What would happen to him in the hands of the enemy? He had freed her, now could she return the favor? The mirror was the source of the incapacitating spell, if only she could break it...

The group of Noqut'tar soldiers still had their back turned to her as she hid in the shadows. She looked around and saw an ornate silver chalice on the altar. She picked it up and felt the weight of it. Lyanna took a deep breath and got ready to fight, she was not confident she could take the eight drow on by herself, and she didn't know if any or all of them could cast magic. It was going to be a big risk, but she had already made up her mind.

The chalice flew across the room and hit the mirror. There was a loud crash as the surface shattered into a shower of thousands of jagged shards, sparkling as they fell to the ground. The drow guards gasped in surprise before quickly turning and jumping into action. Lyanna was surprised how quick it took for the first blade to swing at her. She swiftly raised her sword and blocked the attack.

She began dancing around, desperately dodging and parrying, as blades came at her from all directions. She blocked a low horizontal slash, as another attacker came at her with her sword raised. A blade suddenly ripped through the drows' chest. Her male drow master pulled the sword back and began furiously swinging it around, cutting down his Noqut'Tar enemies.

Lyanna knocked another blade aside and quickly swung it into her foes' neck. She then heard a loud drowish incantation. Bright lightening suddenly appeared, ripping through the remaining enemies, making them scream out in agony, before dropping to the ground. Lyanna cried out in shock and staggered, falling back onto the ground.

She looked up, and only the Matron and her son were left standing. The drowish Matron looked agitated as she scanned the room. She looked over the bodies of her fallen enemies, the shattered mirror, and the human slave sitting up on the ground. She said something in drowish, and the male responded. The two of them had a brief and tense exchange as Lyanna watched on.

The human picked herself up from the floor, she chose not to pick up her weapon, not wanting to appear a threat to the powerful Matron. The drow woman stepped forward, looking at Lyanna intensely with her copper eyes. Her lip curled into a snarl, she looked furious, which puzzled Lyanna, shouldn't she be grateful?

The male stepped forward and said something to her. She responded without turning, with what sounded like brisk orders. Then she quickly turned and strode out of the chapel. The male drow stayed behind. He looked into Lyannas' eyes for a moment, and the dropped his head, looking to the ground. He appeared very mournful.

"What is it?" asked Lyanna. "What did she say?"

"She told me to stay here and guard the chapel while she goes to dispatch the intruders. She told me not to allow you to leave."

"You were under some kind of trance, both of you. Do you remember?"

"No, but I figured that was the case. The Noqut'Tar priestesses were channeling their holding spell through the mirror. Before you smashed it... Why?"

Lyanna shrugged, "Why did you free me?"

"I didn't. I must have dropped my key during the fighting." He looked up, and his sad red eyes met hers again. "It doesn't matter now."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"When she returns, she will kill us both."

Lyannas' jaw dropped, "What?!... Why?... Doesn't she know that I saved her?"

"Yes, that's the problem. The Matron of House Do'Vrinn, relying on a lowly slave to save her life. She would never suffer anyone to find out about it. She will kill you, and she will kill me for having witnessed it."

"Oh Gods! You're jesting me. You're her son."

"That will not save me. My fate has been sealed."

"Let's not wait around here for her to return then. Let's get out of here."

"And go where?"

"Away from here. You can help me get to the surface. We can help each other."

"She will have us hunted down."

"At least we will have a chance. Do you really want to just wait around here to die?"

He lowered his head again, "I have always done as I am told. I have lived only to serve this house."

"Only to be murdered by your mother. Come on, you are a great fighter, you will be able to do well for yourself on the surface, start a new life. What do you have to lose?"

He stayed silent for a moment, and then let out a deep breath, "I have long wanted to see the great sky for myself."

"So you will help me to get out of here?" asked Lyanna hopefully.

"You will remain my slave, and do everything I say, without question. Agreed?"

Lyanna slowly nodded, "Agreed."

"Our chances of making it to the surface are not great, but as you said-what do I have to lose?" He cooly regarded the human for a moment longer, "What is your name, slave?"

She gave a slight smile, he finally asked, "Lyanna Stormborn."

"Greetings, Lyanna Stormborn. I am Rizzen, former First Son of house Do'Vrinn."

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A few days later, Lyanna and Rizzen emerged into the Great Northern Tunnel. They had managed to escape from the Do'Vrinn compound amid the fighting, and then flee the city. They had sneaked through the territory of a Shadow Dragon in an attempt to stop pursuers that Rizzen was sure the Matron would be sending after them. But the drow fighter knew that their enemies would continue to come after them, the Matron would do everything in her power to see them dead.

"We should be putting as much distance between us and Maeralssin as possible, if you value your life, Lyanna Stormborn."

"I told you, I am not going anywhere without my companions."

"Gaining numbers will help if we must fight, but strategically, it would be far wiser to evade our enemies."

"It's not about strategy. I care deeply about Pia, I simply can't leave her here. I don't expect you to understand, Drow."

He stopped and turned to her, looking at her with his fiery red eyes, "Perhaps I understand more than you realize, Human."

She nodded, "Good. We will go to Rugnars' Realm. In my experience, Inn-keepers are always up on gossip and rumors about the going-ons of the area around them. I'll wager the dwarf has heard where my companions were taken."

"And he will tell you, after you expose a spy that has been hiding under his nose," he said sadly. "I cannot go with you. She will be loyal to her house above all else, and I do not want to have to kill her."

"You mean that drow woman who captured me in is still there?"

"Yes, you have good reason to resent her for what she did to you and your party, but I would ask you to be merciful. She is also a slave seeking freedom."

"Okay, I will," said Lyanna, as they walked on down the tunnel.

Continued in Chapter 3 - Part 7

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