A Drow's Dilemma Ep. 43: Massage

"Front door, eh? Well I guess that makes sense. Newcomers are supposed to enter from there and all. But won't everything with a good vantage point be able to see us enter?" Ashyr asked softly. She was definitely a side-door kind of drow. Or perhaps she would just scale the wall and rain death from above - in the form of her actual self flying through the air with brandished blades, of course. But if front door was the right path by Caleldir's estimation, then it was the front door she would enter from.

"People will see us regardless of where we enter." Caleldir said gravely. "But they are less likely to move on us if we are between territories. I think. I have no memories of this place now, only my gut feeling. And my gut says that the front entrance is in a neutral zone."

The main entrance in question was an appropriately massive affair, a set of double-doors twenty feet wide and fifty feet tall, made of a heavy, dark wood that almost felt like stone, engraved with understated abstract designs and religious imagery. Above the entrance there was carved some words in the lost language of this land. Caleldir helpfully translated: "'Eternal I Sleep; Forever Awake.'" He read. "'Hope once Undying is now Undead.'" He grimaced. "Lovely. It did not say that before." Letting Selene's hand go, he walked up to the door. Putting one hand on each one, he forced the two massive portals apart. Unnervingly, they opened nearly soundlessly. Inside could be seen an arched hallway of terrific size, as if made for giants.

Or a truly ancient dragon.

Caleldir peered into the dim hall. "If we have anything to do before we step in, now is the time." He said.

Althaia elbowed Ashyr. "Cieraela! We have something that we need to show you..."

Ashyr shot a grin over to the nymph when she was elbowed. Time to introduce another person to the virtual succubus. This should be interesting. "Yeah, come here. I promise you'll like it. You, too Bard." Ashyr shot a couple subtle signals over to Selene, who by that time was giving her older cousin a strange look. Then she pulled the human over to where they would be hidden. Ashyr wasn't quite ready to show Slas her pocket dimension.

When they were more or less alone, she dropped the portal and casually stepped inside like it was the most natural thing in the world. Bard followed quickly after her, a little unsure but completely trusting of his mistress. "R.I.S.A., you might have already heard that we have another friend for you to meet?"

Cieraela followed Ashyr with interest, slipping inside the portal. "This is pretty neat." She said happily. "What type of artifact is this?"

[It is just me.] R.I.S.A. said, appearing in midair. Cieraela squeaked a little and hopped back, but the projection stopped her from leaving. [I will keep the human and the wolf safe, Lady Ashyr.] R.I.S.A. assured the drow. [I will be going rather dormant in the monastery so my sister does not try to destroy me. Call me only if you really need to.] With that, R.I.S.A. pushed Ashyr out of the portal and closed it down.

Selene watched her cousin until she was out of sight. Then she got on her tip-toes to whisper in Caleldir's ear, "They're putting her in R.I.S.A. so she doesn't die on us." And it was a good idea, too, as far as Selene was concerned. She didn't want to have to deal with the annoying human while trying to protect her own ass - and those of Ashyr and Caleldir. It would already be annoying enough to have to keep an eye on the Yuan-ti to make sure he didn't betray them.

Caleldir smiled slightly at Selene's words. "I had assumed that that would be the plan." He said gravely. "She will be safer in there. Perhaps if she had shown up a bit earlier I could have put the Death Ward on her too, but as things are I would prefer not to have her dying on us." He was then silent, staring into the doorway with a distant look on his face until everyone (sans the human) returned.

By the entrance to the monastery, Slasjowskew was impatiently tapping his foot. "Sso, you ssee fit to sspirit my apprentisse away? I ssusspected asss much. Assk me next time you pull a sstunt like that." He sighed, and said nothing more.

"Well perhaps next time we can have a conversation about whether we let you tag along instead you simply ambushing us." Selene snapped back at the yuan-ti with her ever-present haughty expression. By her estimation, she never got a choice about whether or not to bring the guy along. In fact, there were a whole lot of choices recently that other people had made for her. Selene was getting very tired of it all. So it was no wonder that his response to Ashyr and Althaia's decision made her snappy.

Ignoring the annoyed members of his party, Caleldir stepped into the monastery. Slasjowskew followed him in, while Althaia brought up the rear, waiting until the two drow had entered before following them. But no sooner were all five inside than the huge doors behind them slammed shut.