RP:Take Me With You

From HollowWiki

Part of the Surface Tension Arc



Synopisis: Emilia sneaks through the Underdark on a mission to rescue Krice from incarceration in Trist'oth. [need rp to link] In the city, she meets Nymh, a bard and D'Artes slave suffering at the hands of Rauva's cruel training. Nymh reveals himself as sympathetic to the surfacers, fearful of the drow, and longing to escape slavery. Emilia explains her mission and Nymh agrees to aid her. Moved by the bard, Emilia declares she will take Nymh to the surface with her.


Trist'oth City Main Entrance

Emilia was breaking every word she’d given to people on the surface the moment that her feet first descended down from the land above to below ground where the drow lived. Not only that she was putting herself into danger, again. The small woman had taken those crazed white curls and braided them back against her head to keep them from being exposed, as well as to keep the black hood pulled down over her head without being knocked off by the mess of hair. The black hood was attached to the long flowing black cloak that concealed the snow white woman’s flesh from sight and kept her from nearly glowing from her paleness in the darkness of the tunnels that lead down to the city of the dark skinned. The Genasi wore a pair of leather boots to protect her feet as she traveled the damp grounds of the tunnel that lead way to the main entrance to the city. She couldn’t leave behind frosted prints if her feet were covered. Emi didn’t exit the shadows of the tunnel into the dim light of the entrance, not yet. She shouldn’t be here, this was dangerous. This could get her or him, if she found him, killed. A panic as her heart was racing in her chest while Emi debated her next move. Without thinking the ghostly white woman let her hand slip from the darkness of the cloak to rest on the wall of the tunnel. The light against her flesh made it an eerie glowing looking thing, perhaps a strange glowing slug.


Nymh took to his seclusion beyond the walls of his home, only able to accomplish such a feat through his mastery of musical magic. He couldn't run, he couldn't be gone for long... the assassin squads would catch him. House D'Artes wasn't to be easily given the slip. But he could find quiet moments to escape, to let his tears fall. His hands held his face, and came away moist, shaking as he took his ocarina in hand. The pain in him had to be hidden from all others, at all times. In these quiet, private moments, he took the chance to indulge in the sorrow and pain he could never quite quell. He knew not what God to beg to for mercy, and had often thought of taking his own life with the cursed dagger at his side, that had only today taken the life of another to preserve his own. He'd made no friends among the other slaves, thanks to the cruel mistress Rauva. Blood marred the black of his tunic, a stain to remind him of just how much blood was on his hands. Survival. It was all for survival. Why did it make him feel so sick inside? Why did he feel his head spin, his heart pound, his tears fall? Why did he want to throw up? Shaky hands set the ocarina to his lips, and delicate, tapered fingers pressed to the holes as he breathed life into the instrument, such as he knew it. It was a mournful melody, filled with sorrow and hopelessness. It was a haunting melody, a hymn to the horrific world in which such cruelties as the drow knew were inflicted and endured, in an endless cycle of suffering. It was a symphony of blood spilt cheaply, and lives ended, always before their time. His music mesmerized, drew others to him. Even drow... if there was a patrol this far out, he'd be relying on his music to daze them long enough to aid in his escape. He was too caught up in trying to cope with his deep grief to notice the faint light reflecting from Emilia's hand, just outside the entrance to the underdark.


Emilia was in panic mode only her feet were rooted to the ground where she stood unable to make a choice of running back to the surface where she belonged or going forth into the city ahead of her. The tunnel with the creatures that made home within it versus the city full of drow. Which one was more deadly than the other? She’d survived the tunnel on this morning or was it evening now? The woman couldn’t tell what time it was with the darkness all around her. It could have been hours or days that had kept her within the darkness. Something about the darkness with her lack of sight in it made time drag on, leave her lost within it. Going back would mean facing a possible attack of monsters again and going forth would mean facing a slaughter of drow to skin her alive or something worse. Her mind was racing with choices of pros and cons of either choice she had. Then something, a sound, distance at first interrupted her thoughts. The sound was sad and hopeless which almost seemed fitting to the location where she had found herself. Listening to the music being played by the unknown source had a small calming effect on the Genasi. Calming to the point that it was almost like a lullaby that was beckoning her to its source. Those feet frozen to the ground where she stood thawed and lifted up one foot at a time in small steps. From the darkness of the tunnel the cloaked figure emerged, drawn to the music of Nymh’s sorrow and sadness. The way in which the cloak figured moved was in light steps, almost gliding steps that dragged with the weight of the boots on her feet. She didn’t move or react like a drow would to his playing, more like a lost dog being called out from under the table.


Nymh noticed Emilia, just before she emerged into his sight. His ears were sharper than even those of most drow. She didn't step like a drow, and when she came, and his ocarina fell from his lips, he knew she wasn't. No, she was... from the surface. In the infrared spectrum she looked like a shambling corpse, frozen, but in the dim light that his eyes pierced with ease, she looked like a pale, but beautiful, and undeniably lost woman. He rose, wiped away his tears, and steeled himself. He spoke quietly, with a voice that almost quivered. Few had heard such music as had drawn her to him. "Hello. My name is Nymh. You are safe with me. Do you know where you are?" In her reverie, induced by the music, it might take a moment for her wits to come back to her.


Emilia was almost in a trance like state even as the music stopped, it was still repeating in fading waves in her head. She could hear the words that left his lips announcing who he was by his name so easily, like a child at the playground with a new kid arriving. Yet it took her moments afterwards before she could even find enough mental function to draw her own words from her mouth. “I’m Emi.” The words were whispered on a breeze of chilled air that made its way over to the ears of the drow. A few slow blinks as the music finally left her mind and her thoughts were back in reality. Cloaked from the world, yet standing in the dim light of the entrance with a small drow male standing there talking to her. Her heart started to race again as she realized she’d been found out. “I shouldn’t…be here.” The words that left her were shaking. For Nymh he could probably tell she was glancing around looking for a place to run should he attack.


Nymh watched the trance leave her, and watched as panic began to take over anew. He thought about playing anew, to help calm her nerves. Panic was the enemy of reason. "You are right, Emi. It is dangerous, here. Why have you come to such a place? As I have said, you are safe with me. I will bring no harm. But I am but a slave, a half breed, away from my leash, and unable to tarry overylong. Other drow will not be so indulgent of your presence. Can you return, the way you came? Safely?" He'd offer to escort her, but hadn't the time. It would surely cost him his life to do so.


Emilia could feel the rush of fear swarming into her, all the courage that she built up to get herself down here had been washed away with the luring calming music of his tune moments ago. Lifting those pale white hands from the darkness of the cloak she pressed them to her face, trying to think and focus her thoughts while still standing there in the dim light of the entrance. The movement of her hands knocked the hood from her head to reveal that beneath it the woman was just as white as a carved and polished ivory piece. Cheeks dusted with silver specks and blues just as blue as those eyes that peered out from between parted fingers. “I don’t know the time. The creatures will be out before too long and I must find him.” The words were half panic’d and half calm.


Nymh narrowed his gaze. She was right, not knowing the movements of predators here in the underdark was detrimental, not to mention she likely couldn't see her way around as easily as he. Damnit... he couldn't just leave her to die. "Who is this person you must find? I hope he's worth losing your life for... it's a huge risk you've taken coming here." He stood, looking toward the city of the drow. Where would she be safe? In the underdark, there were precious few places. He'd found a place, outside his house, where a wizard once worked in secret. Having been murdered centuries ago, it was a dusty little laboratory that hadn't seen use in all that time. Nymh had found it by using sound, searching for a hollow beneath the ground based off of a rumor of the place. "Come with me. I can hide you for a time, while you get your bearings. Perhaps you can figure out where this person you're searching for is."


Emilia was not sure she could trust this drow slave that he claimed to be, but if he was what he said he was and didn’t react to her name then he didn’t know who she was. Seems too many of the powerful ones knew who she was if not by anything other than the name of her husband, of whom many didn’t like especially the drow here. The hood that feel was righted back onto her head as she’d chosen her path. She would trust this fellow, hoping with all she had his words were true and that he’d not just be turning her over to the Master he served. “Thank you, Sir.” She said in a whisper while pulling her cloak tighter around herself as she kept her fingers hidden from view.


Nymh knew it would be difficult for her to trust him, and it should be. She'd be better off paranoid than not, here. "If you are going to trust me, do so implicitly. Follow me lead, and don't say a word. Not until I tell you we're safe." Or at least, safe enough. He'd raise his ocarina to his lips, and begin to play a song, focusing on her. It would allow her to see more easily in the dim lighting, and wrap her in the illusion of a drow, though it wouldn't hold up to close scrutiny. As a bonus effect, the song would wind its way into her mind, and sedate her, somewhat, calming her nerves. Perhaps the most important part, truly, in seeing to it that they made it to where they were going without her panicking and ruining the plan. The magic would work better the more she gave herself to it, and to him, in trust. "Just follow me, keep your head down, and hear my music in your mind. It will protect you." It was a repeating melody, a soothing tone of secrets and the safety of darkness, hidden where none could see you. It was almost a blanket, falling over her to obscure her from danger. He'd lead her into and through the drow city, beguiling guardsmen to get in and keeping to slums and back alleys to avoid attention. It would be a bit of walking, but eventually they'd make it to his secret hideaway, which he treasured dearly, and he'd secret her away into it. It was a small space, once home to an ambitious but not overly talented wizard, and there were many far more impressive such places all throughout the underdark... this one just had the very desirable trait of being forgotten. "Please, make yourself comfortable. We shouldn't be heard in here."


Emilia was playing over the reactions of the drow where they to spot her in her head causing her heart to race more as she stood there. It wasn’t until he started playing that music of his again that she found some peace in this crazed situation. A situation that she had put herself into without so much of a thought against not walking down into one of the most dangerous places for surface people and underground folk. Inhaling slowly the little woman let the music dance in circles in her mind until it was all that she could hear and focus on. Head down, eyes on the ground she found that she could see more than before in the darkness. It was almost fearful to think what he had just done to her with that music of his, but she couldn’t let those dark thoughts in, not yet, not now. She had to hold onto that sliver of hope in humanity that not all people where bad, some were good and could be trusted. That saying of judging one based on all reactions of their kind was to be put aside in this moment as she trailed him in silence through the city of the drow this safe place. At least, she hoped it was a safe place and not into the hands of a bigger more deadly and powerful dark skin. It was as the door to the little hide-away fell shut behind them that the woman let out the breath she’d been holding without even realizing she’d been holding it. The door was shut and she could see the dust that clung to the walls inside the small space of the little building. She could see more clearly now the drow slave that had chosen to hide her away like a little secret over turning her in to save his own skin. What would happen to him if the drow later found out that he’d helped her? If they got caught? Shaking her head and pushing the hood back off her head again the Genasi stood there letting the music slowly fall out of her mind once more. She wouldn’t speak until the music was gone, even if she wanted to keep that music forever. It was a talent she only dreamed of having. “Why?” She asked of him, confused to why he just did what he choose to do.


Nymh would shut the door behind them, listening out as the sounds of the drow and their slaves above faded away. He breathed a sigh he didn't know he was holding in. He looked back at her, as the music started to fade, and she asked that question. Why was he doing this? "I'm not... like my kind. I'm only half drow, but I don't think that's the entirety of it. I... I hate my people. The drow. They are beautiful, but so terribly cruel. I've spent my entire life as a slave, dreaming of seeing the world above, of seeing something different. I found I'd been lied to, when I finally saw the stars, and met others from the surface. They treated me so kindly, complete strangers leaping to my defense. When I was last auctioned, they even came to try and save me." There was a tear, unbidden, in his eye. "I think you are here with noble intentions, trying to save someone dear to you. I'd do what I can to help you, if only so that my life can have had accomplished some good. I'm tired of the blood, the deceit, the horrible things I have to do to survive. If I can help you save whoever you are here for... then, perhaps that small penance can save my soul. At the very least, if I can get you out of here alive, then I'll have saved one life. I wish... I could play my music for others. Others that don't only take pleasure in cruelty and domination. Your world above, it is... so wonderful."


Emilia was patient to listen to the words of the half-drow, trying to understand His why. It was an interesting learning moment for the small woman to hear such things from the mouth of someone that on the outside looked very much like a drow through and through. Her faith in this drow was changing compared to her views on those others that she had met in her time. “I am listening to you and for you the surface might be a wonderful world because you have no lived in it. It is nothing compared to this world here where all things are dangerous, chaos, and life or death moments. Don’t get me wrong to live a life outside of that, would be most wonderful and better than having to live down here where each moment can be one feared to know if you will be alive the next. The upper world is not all that it is chalked up to be though. It too has its dangers and it too has its downfalls.” The small woman removed her cloak and spread it out on the dusty floor before sitting down upon it. “Some of the people there are just as cruel and deadly and uncaring as those here.” Twisting in her seat the little Genasi turned so her back was to him, lifting her shirt up to reveal to him her back. Even in the dim light of the shack the mass amounts of scars that coated her back was visible from old lashings, burns, and blade injuries to the point no smooth unaltered flesh was left. “Not all people are good on the surface.” The last bit was whispered as the clothing was set to fall back into place.


Nymh listened to her words, and saw her back, nodding. He didn't care to compare scars, but his looked much the same. He was also missing an eye, which was readily apparent. But the deeper scars... "Have you ever known love?" It was a deep, and loaded question. There was want in his voice, a burning desire that would never, never be fulfilled down here. It was the ultimate difference between this world and that, the reason he wanted to be free of the Drow, no matter the cost.


Emilia looked to him as he gave his next question, “I have and am. I am married to the love of my life and we have three small children together.” The small some shifted where she sat with her knees coming up to her chest, holding them there as she rested her chin on them lightly. “But before him there was others that I thought I might of loved, but it was fake, not real and came with more pain.” A small pause as she ran her fingers over her braid locks of white, “I just want you to know that not everyone on the surface can be trusted and that when we get you up there and free that you should take caution with the world. It isn’t as dangerous as here, but still dangerous.”


Nymh smiled, small and sad, listening to her recounting of her love, and her children. "I would... enjoy meeting them, one day." She spoke of getting him free and away from here with such surety, it made him smile further, though he had his many doubts. "Right. Well, tell me. Who is it you are looking for? What can you tell of this person and their circumstances? I might have to gather what information I can, and see if there is hope for their rescue." It might take time, as well, which would mean she'd have to stay hidden.


Emilia tilted her head to the side for a moment then shook her head, whatever she was thinking would be put on hold for later. “He is like me, a surface person. He is tall with dark silver hair and red eyes. I have sources that say he was down here by a drow. I am not even fully sure he is down here, but I can’t find him anywhere else so he has to be somewhere down here. I am worried for him, so worried for him.” She sighed letting out a sigh of sadness. “He is my best friend. Not my husband best friend, but that best friend one has that isn’t their spouse.”


Nymh was good at information gathering. He nodded. "I'll check with my contacts, and see if I can't come by anyone by that description. For now, you should just stay here. There are dry rations, water and wine down here, in boxes. I've been saving them, in case I had to go into hiding. Help yourself." He'd turn to leave, and begin his mission. "Also, it's hard for me to get away. I am a slave, after all. So it might be a while before I come to you. Do not leave this room. If I'm gone long enough that you run out of rations, then do your best to escape." Not likely, There was a months worth of rations, but if he wound up dead, she would simply starve.


Emilia had broken enough words to people on the surface by coming down here, “I will do my best to stay put here.” Perhaps he had some book or something here to occupy her time in the little shack. She was going to be spending a good amount of time alone with herself it seems. “Please, be careful. I can’t take you to the surface with me if you are dead. Okay?”


Nymh would turn to her, and nod. "I'll do my best." And his best had kept him alive this long... quite a feat. He turned, and was a silhouette in the doorway, then it closed, leaving Emilia in the dark as Nymh took off to resume his position as a slave, and begin gathering information, through song, bribery, intimidation, and whatever other resources were at hand. Emilia is alone in the dark.