The Beginning of the End (Drow)

[Regantor]

A bar was typically the first thing that they visited upon reaching the town once more, as natural as human retreating back into one of their little hovels. Neit wasn't acting quite normal, through, or at least what counted as normal for her; There was no cigar in her mouth, and the drink in her hand remained practically untouched. The expression on her face was serious, silent, reflective.

"...I don' thinke its'a good idea stayin' savvy with Aryyna... Bitch will murder 'us first instance we starte lookin' unprofitable..." She finally spoke up, albeit whilst looking into the table. "...Other ways of doin' this, there are... My daughter is a priestess, you see."

An incredibly spiteful look suddenly overcame her whilst she looked at Alsiif, then Ryyna in turn.

Murdering your own daughter. That was certainly a thought. Lolth would love it, too.

Neit had intentionally kept her distance from the girl for years, and had only thought about asking the sow for advice at first, but now the certain drowy allure of that particular option was more or less all she could think about. That, and exactly why it made her feel so sick.

Lolth couldn't have given her a more sadistic task if she tried.

[Evil_Cake]

Alsiif was resting her head on the tabletop in such a way that half her face was smooshed. From this awkward position, she glanced at Neitar and spoke. "Earlier you said it might be fun to kill someone." she did her best Neitar impression "'oo deserves ite'... Does your daughter?" Alsiif rolled her head on the table and switched face smooshing sides.

[Superdooperphailmachine]

"Oh come on, we don't fuck with her she won't fuck with us, that's how it would go even if we never met her. Anyway, where's this daughter and how are we dealing with her? I'm thinking of an elaborate trap, like..."
Ryyna grabbed a napkin and started scribbling something.

"This"

[Regantor]

"...Does my Hwesta diverse gettin' gutted by 'er own mother? Ofe course she fuckin' doesn'te!" Neitar scowled back at Alsiif, clenching onto her pint glass rather harder than she had to. "The questione is, is she worth ite?..."

You'd think two Drow lacking daughters would be able to see just how valuable one was. She thought to herself, spitefully. Whilst still reviewing the little napkin diagram, she opened up a bottle of something stronger and gulped down as much as she could take.

"...I'm... I'm gonna to ask 'er for advice... firste..." She tossed the thing back to Ryyna, disdainfully. "We'll see how useful she wants to be... and if she isn't all thate fond a' helpin', then, well..."

[Superdooperphailmachine]

"you have other daughters, but whatever, It's your trial" Ryyna shrugged and poured herself a drink.
"I think this trap is pretty amazing though, you should totally use it."

[Regantor]

"So, can I use ite on your first'borne girly? Tha' would be pretty sweete now, wouldn'te ite?" Neitar made an angry growl like a blind cave ogre, and gave Ryyna the most spiteful glance she could manage.

After that, she just shrugged heavily, ran her fingers through her hair, then simply gazed into the table for a minute. The pause was broken when she looked over her shoulder, seemingly through the wall behind them.

"I'm gonna send 'er a message personally." The bodakish wench spoke blankly, getting up to leave. Her pint was placed infront of Alsiif, but she didn't bother with goodbyes or anything. "Bes' gete oute there before the fuckers shute."

It was a lie.

She made her way back to Aryyna's tower alone, and requested with a guard to see her as soon as possible. It didn't make sense to come across as too pushy, so she made it seem more like a matter of the Ilharesses' personal interest instead.

[Kodos]

The guards and pretty much everyone else along the totem pole decided to fuck with Neitar, because Drow. About two hours later, someone finally bothered asking Aryyna and Neitar was granted her audience.

Well, she was quickly searched, then granted her audience. It was less thorough than Neit expected - Aryyna was either very sloppy, or very subtle. Given the fact she was over a thousand years old, probably the latter.

***

The Ilharess of Great House Faernsenger met with her guest in a chamber in one of the upper floors of Laelda'uren, in Edonilche'el. The gorgeous Wizard wearing only a short sarong-like skirt, and a large, white, fur boa. And gold jewelry, of course. She was semi-reclining on a divan with her back to a window overlooking the city, and a long pipe in her hand. There were no nearby buildings nearly as tall as Laelda'uren, so it was probably safe from snipers.

"Well, back so soon?" She breathed, exhaling a small cloud of smoke. Nothing mind-altering judging by the scent - or at least nothing mind-altering with which Neitar was familiar. "Completed your Test already, or is that why you're here?" She laughed softly and brushed aside some of her long purple hair. "It's okay, you can stare at them. I know they're perfect."

Off in the distance there was the sound of a small explosion. Aryyna didn't even seem to notice. Then again, Laelda'uren did teach young Wizards, so things - and people - exploding was probably more common than people and things not exploding.

Oh, Drow.

[Regantor]

"Perfect is not an adequate word." The hawkish woman added to Aryyna's comment, letting off a meager smile, but still lacking that certain smooth and venomous tone that made Neitar, well, Neitar. "I am moste pleased to be within the halls of such a glorious, radiante bein' once more. Furthermore, I am moste gratified you even find a repugnante sow such as me worthy... h-however..."

She looked around nervously, then found herself unable to look into the woman's eyes any longer. The question burning a hole in her mind was either too embarrassing or too deadly.

Reluctantly, she made her way to the opposite end of the divan, and eagerly began to caress the Illharress' feet. Despite the sharp-edged features of her face, the woman actually seemed quite practiced at it. "The trial is no' complete. No' nearly... Bute I needed to ask you..."

"I hav' to understand... your daugtare and you..."

"All this lack of security... all this boozin' and sleepin' around... You haven' slite her up for being a lay aboute, and she doesn' even give you thate eye like she wants to axe you for power... It's... It's insanity, Illharess..."

[Kodos]

Aryyna sighed happily as Neitar began caressing her bare feet. "You call it insanity because you're stupid." She laughed before taking a drag from her pipe. "I trust Draeva. Completely. She's my baby girl, and she always will be, no matter how old she gets." Aryyna sounded proud. "She's terrible taste in wine, and in who and what she shares her bed with, but I love her anyway."

Aryyna pulled away and stood up, pulling Neitar up by her hands and laying her down on the divan before laying on top of her, kissing her deeply and placing her hands around her waist before continuing, her own hand caressing Neit's face. "You're not too bad looking yourself," she breathed. "It's only insanity to you because you don't-" another kiss "-understand. Maybe someday-" and another "-you will. Or maybe you won't. I think you're clever" and another "though, so I'm hopeful you'll get it. I think you'll go far. I could find all sorts of -" and another still "-uses for a clever, pretty, driven girl like you, you know." She smiled.

[Regantor]

Neitar took time calculating her next words, soothed by Aryyna's body, but also still completely on edge. She ended up going out of her way to caress the woman just to buy time.

"I... I didn'te wante to deal with you... I'll be honeste... I'm no coward bute... you... you... terrify me." She chose to be frank in the end, kissing the woman's neck now in a bid to continue avoiding eye contact. "And from a business prospective, I could never 'ope to come oute on top..."

"Lolth wanted me to kill a priestess. I shouldn' tell you this, bute there it is... Hwesta is a priestess, so it's easy, and our god would love thate, bute... bute..."

"Hwesta is my daughtare." It was a small, hushed, pathetic whisper, like a guilty secret confessed. Her face slowly pulled back as a lump built in her throat, sharp eyes as evasive as ever. "You muste know... How do I... How do I stop this feelin'?... Will ite end after the... deal?... I'll perform another favor for you if you wante, just... she can'te juste stop me from killing her... that's... too... pathetic..."