Descent into the Depths

Alleania leads her group into the Underdark

34.

Descent into the Depths

 

As Amala and Carn rode with the Elves to the watch station, many miles away, Aurei stood beside her family and friends in a clearing several miles away from the border of the Sylvan Kingdom, cradling her baby daughter while she waited.

 

They had received word from Alleania  - who apparently was watching them by scrying device -that she would meet them at the rendezvous site at sunset.   After only a few minutes waiting, there was a flash of light and the vampire lady appeared, along with four other Drow.

“That was the last of my teleportation magic,” she told both her group and those standing by watching.    She handed a wand to one of the Drow, who placed it in a backpack that he wore.

“If you have teleportation devices, why don’t we just use them to get to Aeropolis?”  Aurei asked Alleania.

“Wands like this can only teleport five people at a time, and you have to know exactly where you are going.   I came here as soon as you left for the funeral, so I would be able to teleport here.   But the main reason we can’t use a teleportation wand is that the Gem of the Oscinate won’t let us get close to it, even if we did know of the location.    Those who try to teleport into the range of effect of the Gem just cease to exist when they cross the anti-magic barrier.”

“Then how will we manage to get close enough with the Drow teleportation devices that you told us about in the Underdark?”

“Child, the ground keeps the anti-magic from affecting things beneath the Gem.    The anti-magic area is like a dome, but it doesn’t extend below the ground, so we can use the teleportation rings relays to get underneath the area of effect of the Gem.”

 

Alleania smiled happily upon seeing her daughter holding her grandbaby and went over to her, “Hello, little dear!”

 

The baby, much to Aurei’s displeasure, cooed and held her hands out to Alleania and before Aurei could protest, she’d swooped up the child in her arms.

“Relax, my dear,” she said to her daughter with a laugh, “I have no plan to harm this precious child.    Just because I am a vampire does not mean that I have a diabolical desire to turn everyone into evil minions.”

“Sorry.” Aurei said, frustrated, “It is a bit odd, you have to admit.”

“Up here on the surface, indeed it is.   Down where we are going, it is not really that odd at all.   The Spider Queen’s powers have been fading and most of her priestesses seek either arcane magic or some supernatural power such as vampirism, to replace their lost clerical spells.”

“That isn’t helping comfort me.”

“I know child, it is odd.    But not what I feel for this lovely, lovely baby.    You know, when I was pregnant with you, I was so excited thinking about seeing you and raising you.   The mothering instinct does not go away upon becoming a vampire, Aurei.”

“I understand that instinct, Alleania.   Three of my children are off on the first half of this crazy quest, and I won’t be able to help them.”

 

To her surprise, Alleania leaned over and patted her on the shoulder, sympathetically, “Your God will watch over them, child.    He obviously has plans for your family.   I realize three of your daughters have died, but you know where they are now, don’t you?”

“What do you know about that?”

“I know they are in Flux, child.”

“You know about Flux?!”   Aurei asked, alarmed.

 

Alleania laughed, “Dear girl, every sorcerer or wizard has heard legends of the ‘unreachable city’.   Remember that I have been spying on you and your family for many years.   I’ve witnessed a few of the visits by Sophia and Khord.   I know you and Eleazar were selected to be Watchers some day, and that your children that have died will go on ahead of you.”

 

Aurei shuddered to think of Alleania watching her from afar.   The Vampire lady saw her reaction and just smiled, playing with baby Aidan for a moment.

Finally, Aurei spoke, “I have to find someone to watch Aidan while we are away.    So we’ll have to delay leaving until I can find someone I trust… perhaps one of Lady Mathlyn’s ladies.”

“There is no need, child, take Aidan with us.”

Aurei just looked at her as if she had said that the seas were filled with milk.

 

Alleania smiled, “Aurei, I am quite serious.”

“Then you are insane.    I will NOT take my baby into the Underdark, even for a brief time.   Besides, what do you think I would do with her while we tried to find the Gem of the Oscinate and maybe even encounter the Emperor or Torrin?   Strap her on my back, perhaps?”

“Actually, yes, that would be the easiest.”

“Alleania, you really can’t be serious!”

 

Alleania smiled, “Well, yes I am, but let me tell you how.   There is a spell that Drow Matrons use in the Underdark when they have young children - especially infants.    It is called ‘Cradle’ and it is actually one of the most powerful protection spells that there is.    It can only be cast upon a baby and her mother, but when it is cast, the baby is enveloped in a magical cradle that is invisible to anyone - even by magic scrying- except for the mother.    The baby is kept warm and safe and absolutely cannot be harmed by any weapon or spell or action.”

 

Aurei looked skeptical, “There is a spell that powerful?”

 

“Oh yes, but it is costly to cast.   It lasts for up to a week, or until the mother breaks the spell.   During that time the baby is magically fed and changed.   To everyone around, the baby is not there, but the mother can see the magic cradle and place it where she likes.   It will follow her and stay with her.”

“If she were to be killed, the magic cradle will survive unharmed until the spell wears off.   The mother can do whatever she pleases during the time of this spell, and her baby will be close to her - unseen- and perfectly safe.”

“Alleania, I’m skeptical.”

“Well, ask Zeatt about it - she will remember it.   I have learned the spell for this very reason and it was very expensive to get a scroll with that spell placed upon it.”

“So if I were to allow you to do this, Aidan would be perfectly happy to stay in this magic cradle the whole time?”

“Yes, she won’t have a care in the world.   She won’t hear anything or feel anything other than the cradle.   It is impervious to all forms of magic and weaponry.   I can honestly say that I have never heard of a Matron Mother that had a baby harmed in any way while protected by the spell.”

 

“You’ll pardon me if I go ahead and verify the spell’s effectiveness with Zeatt.”

“By all means!   I’ll play with my granddaughter while you do.”

 

Aurei reluctantly left her baby with Alleania and walked over to where Zeatt and Alvis stood.   They were chatting with the four Drow who had accompanied Alleania, and from the look on Zeatt’s face, she knew all four and was very thrilled to see them.

 

“Aurei!”  She called to her, “You’ll never guess who these four are!   They were my parishioners down in Aeropolis before they fled the emperor!   They went back to the Underdark and they are members of the Church of Yesh that Alleania has been sheltering!”

 

Zeatt introduced the four Drow, who were all members of the same family; Uyuit, the father, a Drow craftsman, his two daughters, Pennlys and Florvys and his son, Simbus.   Uyuit’s wife had died at the hands of some of Torrin’s mob as they hid from the Nunmonruites.

 

Aurei was very surprised to hear their story, especially how Alleania had taken them in and found a place for them in her house, though they were followers of Yesh.    She sensed no evil or enchantment upon them and they radiated their faith in Yesh as they happily were reunited with their Archbishop.

 

Aurei felt shamed to ask about the spell after seeing what her mother had done for this family, so after briefly informing Eleazar (who surprised her by agreeing with Alleania), she went back to her mother.

 

Alleania was seated on a log, playing peek-a-boo with Aidan, who was laughing and smiling.    Aurei looked at the two of them for a long moment and she found her heart softening toward the Vampire lady.   She knew the risks, but Alleania did seem to really love her family.

 

“Okay, “Aurei said to her when she rejoined them, “You’ve convinced me.   Go ahead and cast the spell on us… mother.”

 

Her choice of words was not lost on Alleania, who looked up with her red eyes glowing brightly, “Child, you don’t know how happy I am to hear you address me like that.”

 

Aurei nodded, “Alright, but just make sure that you don’t do something stupid and betray my trust, okay?    I was not raised by Drow, and so your ways are mysterious to me.    I will try to trust you, please honor my trust.”

 

Alleania handed Aidan back to her and touched Aurei’s cheek.   Her hand was cold, as she was undead, but her eyes still glowed brightly as she whispered, “I swear to you, Aurei, I will not betray that trust.”

 

“Good.   So let’s get that spell going, so we can get this quest underway.”

 

***

 

An hour later they were ready.   The spell had gone exactly as Alleania had told her it would, and a pink cocoon that only Aurei could see now held the baby, who fell asleep immediately upon entering it.   Aurei had the magic cradle attach itself to her back, but she felt no weight from it and had to check periodically to see if it was really there.

 

Alleania told them that one of the entrances to the Underdark was nearby, up a narrow footpath into a cave not far from Tarmard valley.

 

“If the Sylvan Elves had known how close they were to an entrance into the Underdark, they would have probably moved.”   Zeatt told her sister as they all carefully made their way up the winding path to the cave.

“Fortunately, it wasn’t known by many.”  Alleania replied, “They didn’t want it to be a main entrance into the Underdark, so it is hidden quite well behind very clever false walls that can only be lifted magically.”

“Why didn’t they ever use it to attack the Sylvan Elves?”   Aurei wondered.

“I don’t know, child.”  Alleania answered, “I imagine that was the plan at one point in time, but the waning power of the Spider Queen made them somewhat unsure about their armies - especially after they were defeated by the Faesidhe Elves while we gained access to the Great Tree.”

 

Zeatt frowned at the memory but said nothing to her sister and Alleania did not mention it further.    It was nearly dawn by the time they had all gathered outside of what looked like a very shallow cave, three fourth the way up the side of a very tall foothill at the very edge of the mountains.

“This is an entrance into the Underdark?”   Alis asked in disbelief as she and Aeric peered into the small cave.

“It is meant to look meager, so no one would expect it.”   Alleania replied to them as she went to the wall at the far end of the cave.   She turned to Eleazar, “I know you have lived in the Underdark, as has Zeatt.   So I don’t need to explain anything to you, except that we are going to be on the northern end of one of the major highways.”

“The relay rings run to the west side of the highway, slightly elevated, but separated from the road.   At each mile section, there are plates attached to the walls, inscribed with the specific distance from either the northernmost end of the highway, or the southernmost end.”

 

“I will trace my finger over the plate chanting the activation spell and listing how many miles we intend to go by relay.    There will be another metal plate, on the floor.   It will be large enough for all of us to stand on, and we all must be standing on this plate when I activate it.   It will take us the distance I selected, and when we arrive we will appear on that marker’s floor plate.”

 

“There will be much more activity in the southern part and several guard stations along the way.   We’ll have to appear as a group of Drow merchants and their human associates, on business for house Ar’Rilla.   Let me do the talking when we encounter any guard posts.”

 

“How long will this relay trip take?”   Eleazar asked her.

“Only a short while, perhaps half an hour, and you will feel as if you are travelling very fast by horse, though everything will be blurred around you and you won’t be able to speak or move until we arrive.   Just stay calm during the trip, for we all will arrive alright.”

“What if someone else is using the relays going the other way at the same time we use them?”   Zeatt asked her sister.

“If that happens, where we both meet, we will appear at that marker and will have to let one group go first.    There are very, very few Drow that know how to activate the relays, though, so that probably won’t happen, but if it does, remember that we all are merchants from house Ar’Rilla heading back to the city of Hor’olorbb.”

 

Aurei sighed nervously, “Let’s get this whole ordeal over with.”

The others agreed, so Alleania went to the very back of the cave, and stood in front of the solid rock of it, touched two seemingly random spots on the rock surface, while chanting three Drow words, and the wall began to glow pink and then seem to dissolve, revealing a long tunnel like passage.

“Behold, the Underdark!”   Alleania said to the group, but the words brought no comfort to most of those assembled.

 

 

Reviews

[Elina]

"The spell had went exactly as..." You could change this to either "The spell had gone..." or "The spell went..."
"...3/4ths the way up the side of..." You may want to spell out three fourths.
"...either the northern most end of the highway, or the southernmost end." You'll want to make "northern most" one word.

[Eddie Davis]

Thank you, Elina.