From Staterias eyes

After spending some time in Na’al, Stateira felt as if time was standing still. She wanted to leave. She felt as if she had already spent too much time here and she was feeling anxious. She had conducted her business and she felt empowered by the reception she had gotten. She was able to get everything she wanted. She had a couple of new magical items which made her feel great, but now it was time to leave.

After what seemed an eternity the group had finally left town and finally reached the node. But, alas Stateira had to wait. The node took hours to work. After diligently waiting those gruelingly boring hours, they finally reached the drow’s lair. Underground, Stateira felt her senses heighten. Everything she left behind faded away. Her mind was clear. Her heart raced.

The first thing that she noticed was smooth cave walls. This was no natural cavern. Her ears and eyes were buzzing. She looked at the others and she knew her role. She took point, walking ahead of the others she started down one of the caves. The others were lugging around a torch, which made her glad that she could see far into the darkness. They were also making quite a racket, even though she could tell that they were trying to stay quite. Stateira on the other hand was creeping slowly through the dimly lit caverns. She was looking and listening for anything and she eventually saw light ahead. It was coming from around a corner. She stopped immediately and moved back to the others. Warning the others of the light ahead, her thoughts went to her gear.

Kneeling down, she swung her backpack to the ground in front of her. She reached in and paused a second before deciding on which scrolls to pull out. With lightning quickness, she rifled through her bag. Having the scrolls she wanted in hand, she looked to Romulus. Catching his eye, she motioned him over. Looking up at him, she gave him a look of sweet innocence, smiled with a slight sense of helplessness, and asked, “Can you cast this on me”?

Romulus smiled back and reveled in the sight of Stateira kneeling before him. He kept his eyes on her face and opened his hand. After receiving the scroll he paused for a moment and then unrolled it, blocking his view of Stateira’s face. “Ha” he thought, “simple, I made this myself.” Looking back down to Stateira, he was surprised to see that her attention was on another scroll. Her focus was intense. He watched as she completed the spell. There was a flicker of blue light that crackled around her head as she cast. The blue light also appeared on her hands. It looked as if her hands and forearms were made of glass and the blue light illuminated each crack as her hands slowly shattered. Reverting his attention to the scroll in his hands, he completed the spell and looked back to Stateira. She had finished casting her spell and her attention had returned to him. She smiled and rose from her kneeling position. Romulus reached out to touch her. His hand and finger throbbed with the spell and as it got closer to Stateira, she offered up her chest. He touched her in the center of her chest and could feel the power leave his finger.

Jameyes was watching the two of them and was surprised to see his sister’s lean muscle mass swell. She turned to him and while moving very quickly in his direction, pulled an arrow from her quiver, drew bow and stood right in his face. The arrow pointed directly at his face. He could see a wild look in her eyes, but he didn’t move other than to swipe at the arrow in his face with his open hand. As his hand was about to push the arrow aside, Stateira moved it down, dodging his hand. In the same move she stepped around Jameyes and placed the bow to the back of his head.

Waiting for him to turn around she declared, “If I wasn’t me, I’d be jealous.” After pausing she motioned to the light and said “Now go get them.”

Jameyes’ chains had been lifted and he ran into the room. He swung hard as he reached the first of the two drow. His sword hit the drow’s shoulder and the power of his swing pushed it deeply into the drow’s chest. The moment his sword stopped he felt the wind of Stateira’s arrow pass close to his head. He looked to the second drow. Before his eyes could get there the arrow had found its destination. The arrow had pierced through the drow’s mouth. It had also gone through the back of his neck and lodged itself into the wall. Both of them dropped instantly.

Looking back to Nifen and Romulus’ surprised faces, Stateira said, “Let’s go, quickly. These spells don’t last long and we can clean this up later.” With that she turned and moved deeper into the drow’s lair.