A Drow's Dilemma Ep. 46: Treasure

There was a slight smoulder in Caleldra's eyes. "Why indeed." She said ominously, then relaxed, sighing. "Because I have decided that I would rather keep living, and you are less likely to kill me out of nervousness if I am rendered less dangerous."

"Makes sense." Althaia said. "Well, we already have one Lawful Evil woman in the group, and she refrains from randomly backstabbing us as long as we are useful, I suppose we can assume the same for you."

"I'm not insane. Nor am I stupid." Selene responded in a haughty tone.

"I never said that you were either of those things, Selene." Althaia cheerfully replied.

The nymph gave the rest of the party a look. "Any objections to collaring the not-ghost?"

"Kinky." Slasjowskew said, deadpan.

Althaia stuck out her tongue at him, flirtatiously or not was hard to tell. Most things that the nymph did at least had the veneer of flirtation though, so probably the former. "Well then, unless we have objections, here goes..."

There was a light in Selene's eyes. Predictably, she actually did find that situation delightfully kinky. That, and very necessary. Selene did not want a stray sword in her back when she wasn't looking, and she'd seen enough proof that Caleldra could pierce her quite suddenly and silently. "Go on, then. She would have claimed and collared us if she got her way." It was a little suspicious that their captor would make that suggestion, but Selene trusted Althaia's judgement for some reason.

"Do it." Ashyr agreed with the rest of the party in a flat tone. She stayed well away from the woman with her lover's face. It was clear that Caleldra made Ashyr vastly uncomfortable. Never did she let that woman out of her sight, either.

"Your mental aura is unusually strong." Caleldra said dreamily to Selene as Althaia put the collar around the fetch's neck. "But not as strong as mine, and nowhere near Caleldir's." It was an open question as to whether she was lying or not, but the half-ghost certainly did not act all that smart. Probably because of the chronic insanity. As the party looted the area as much as they could, she just smiled at them, staring into the distance. "All here is cursed." She sang quietly to herself.

When they had looted to their hearts content - or, at least, filled their bags as much as they could - the group began making their way up the spiral column to head back into the sewers to recharge. Somehow, they had been in the monastery barely eight hours, and already they were completely drained. Except Slasjowskew. He was pretty much walking on air. Both drow walked behind Caleldra wherever she stayed in relation to the party. They walked to the edge of 'The Animatra's,' as Caleldra called it, influence. Neither drow were tempted to escape the realm of the Monastery completely. There were things to do, and fair lords to rescue.

On the way back out of the Monastery's influence, she also seemed to take every available opportunity to stare at Ashyr, in an expression just different enough from Caleldir's to be slightly creepy. She also tended to edge towards Ashyr, though it was Althaia that kept her on the figurative leash.

Ashyr felt a little anxious that they would not be trying as hard as they could as quickly as they could to reclaim Caleldir, but she understood that they would need to be at full strength to even hope to succeed. So she pulled out the little R.I.S.A. figurine and activated it once Caleldra confirmed that they were far enough away. The older drow sighed as she did so. Oh yeah. They would have to explain to Cieraela why Caleldir wasn't with them, but Caleldra was. Oh, and she would have to discover from her cousin what the not-ghost had done and said. Damn. It would have been nice to find some stress relief before all that had to be said. At least she wouldn't have to be separated from Bard anymore. That had felt...weird.