Chapter 10: The City of Spiders

I can affect up to 5 people with my spell for an hour; hopefully we can accomplish what we need to within that time. Does anyone have anything they need to prepare before we go?

As the group prepares to leave, Elayna checks that she still has the glowing emerald. "Who has a torch? I can light it once we're in position, if someone also has some flint or a tinderbox."

Elayna stands from where she was seated. "That's us," she answers quietly. "We were told you can help get us to Gromph Baenre's chambers."

Seftan merely nods at the lackey question, grateful to Elayna's easy manner. Though seeing all things in all directions always, Seftan pays particular attention to this group of drow, scanning them in both etherial and invisible sight.

Ælfric merely nodded to the wizards. While he was a lackey, he didn't like to be reminded that he was a lackey.

"Too many of them or I'd try to take something off one," he thought.

A tall but wiry figure in finely polished halfplate armor steps forward. His hand rests on the hilt of an exquisitely crafted sword. A keen eye will see that the phases of the moon are etched into the handle. With his other hand he removes his helmet to reveal the features of a handsome half-elf. A scar on his chin and another under his left eye mar what would otherwise be a statuesque face. I am Calidaer, son of Calthendrel Il'el'thule. I am at your service. He gives an overly dramatic bow to punctuate his statement.

Boo. That was lame, Big Bro Cali!

A voice exclaims. It comes from a figure behing the half-elf, which is enveloped in a black cloak that completely hides any relevant features from view. She, because the voice is clearly female, is holding a strange book, which appears to be only nominally bound by the laws of physics: when her hands move, the book isn't carried by them as much as it just sorta floats after them. The most noticeable feature of the book is that it has a large mirror embedded in the middle of its front cover.

Lyra already told you, your intro should be flashier! If you don't make a big impact upon first being introduced, the readers won't remember you, you know.

Uh, Lyra, you do know real life is not like those silly novels you read all the time, right?

This second voice also sounds feminine, but it is raspy, metallic, distorted: it appears to be emanating from the center of the mirror.

It's fine, it's fine! Lyra will do things like she reharsed, and make lots of friends!

You Go Girl

And with a big, dramatic movement, the cloak is thrown away: underneath is a pretty, energetic girl with huge sparkly eyes and a big smile. She's mostly pink: her eyes are pink, her hair is pink, her frilly dress is pink, her hat and her boots are decorated with various shades of, you guessed it, pink. Come to think of it, even the mysterious book is decorated with some frills around the mirror, and those too are pink.

Lyra is the brave heroine of love and justice! With the magic of her smile, Lyra will help everyone, so that everyone can be happy: we'll beat the bad guys, and then we'll have a big party! Lyra will support you, and Misha will help too, right?

This enthusiastic declaration is punctuated by the girl happily twirling around, culminating in a cute pose with her hands striking a "heart shape" gesture.

Did you really need to play the cheesy song too? Wasn't the speech itself cheesy enough?

But Misha! Lyra learned the Prestidigitation cantrip specifically to have cool background music accompanying her big debut!

Sigh...

At this point, the mysterious voice appears to address the party directly.

I... Sincerely apologize. Lyra may be an idiot but believe me, her magic prowess is unmatched. She really can get the job done when the chips are down, and she does mean well, so please try and get along with her, ok?

Elayna's jaw is open before she realizes it. A moment of silence hangs, and she turns to the lead wizard and says, "Uh... thanks?"

Hmmm, stealth may just have gone out the window... Seftan thinks to himself as he views the spectacle before him.

A pleasure. If I may ask, how have you survived down here? As, uh, glamorous, as you are and all?

Seftan casts his eyes all around the area as though afraid that mere proximity to this much pink will draw down side terrible wrath.

"And where did you acquire them from, sir?" Ælfric asked the lead wizard.

"Half-humans," he thought. "You never know how they'll turn out."

"Hello, both of you."

Duh, it's because Lyra is strong! Why do people keep asking?

The pink girl replies to the "how did you survive" question, with an involuntarily adorable pout.

Lyra, the fact that you need to ask this question is precisely why I said you're an idiot...

Waaa, Misha is so mean!

Somehow, you get the feeling this is never going to stop, unless somebody stops it... But then, surprisingly, the girl stops herself.

Oh yeah, I forgot: what's everyone's name? Are you a team?

Lyra...

Do you have a team name? Do you strike cool team poses?

Lyra.

Because I really like coming up with cool poses myself, so I was thinking we could-

LYRA!

Ah right, sorry. Lyra just likes cool poses so she gets carried away! But really, what's everyone's name?

Elayna does not speak for a moment. "Can we walk and talk?" she finally asks. "And you, Lyra-Misha, put your cloak back on."

Turning to the drow wizard, Elayna says, "Let's go."

Seftan the mage answers in regard to his name,

And we are in a very inhospitable place so by all means, use stealth.

Seftan moves to follow Elayna and the drow.

"Which room is his?" asks Elayna.

"And should we expect guards?" Seftan hurriedly adds.

Fantastic the mage mutters,

Shall we then?