Private Tales Breaking And Entering

[Vyx'aria]

Normally Vyx never ventured anywhere without her troops. However, she needed to get within the walls of the human city before striking. As a result, she operated alone after scoping out the grand fortress for a few days. For three days she and her commanders observed the operations of the city to find weaknesses. Vel Anir was virtually impenetrable, and she knew there needed to be some internal leverage to pull off any kind of hit.

A fortress like that promised endless treasures and riches, and she intended to strike small and make off with enough loot to outfit more of her forces. Vyx had been gaining a reputation in the Underrealm for her exploits above ground, and she intended to use that influence to expand drow interests in both worlds.

It was the middle of the night when a trade wagon made its way into the city. The streets were empty, the man driving the cart having no idea that he carried more than his usual cargo. Vyx hopped on next to many sacks of potatoes, her weight adding to the cart but not enough to rouse suspicion.

After the man entered the city, Vyx slinked out of the wagon with unmatched grace, silently stepping away. She stayed within the shadows, moving like a cat towards a treasury. Vyx expected it to be guarded, but she wasn’t sure to what extent, and she counted on the cover of night to aid in her ventures.

 

[Vale]

With the reportings of contraband being used by the man-made waterways throughout the city, it gave Vale an excuse to be out at night even though he didn't really need one. With his position, he could really do anything he wanted as long as it didn't infringe on his house or another. The Dreadlord usually preferred to work at night anyway, not for any specific reason except that's when his powers were suited best for him. Tonight, he was crouched on the edge of a multistory building, his silver gaze mainly on the water but eventually drifting to the streets.

Citizens were still out about as it hadn't reached the dead of night yet and there was still a quiet buzz to the city. Vale exhaled quietly, twirling a strand of shadows between his fingers as he continued his overwatch. There wasn't anything he was searching for specifically, just something out of the ordinary and practically every boat looked the same. He was about to make his way to another district of the city but then he started to hear faint whispers from the shadows.

They told him something wasn't supposed to be here. It was from below. The description confused him for a second until he glanced down to the street and realized they meant actually below him. At least that's what he believed. From his angle, he could see the woman exit from the potato sacks of the wagon no matter how silent she was. Vale's silver eyes glinted in the light like a predator, "And who are you?" He whispered rhetorically to himself before standing up. Obviously she was an outsider but he wanted to see what her destination was before he concluded what she actually was. The Dreadlord submerged himself in the shadows and followed her through them as he moved along the roofs. His curiosity was peaked, to say the least.

 

[Vyx'aria]

Vyx was focused on her destination, but she wasn’t oblivious to her surroundings. The surface world was still foreign to her, and she was extra cautious with every step. She stuck to the alleys and slinked into the shadows whenever she saw anyone approaching. Vyx made it to half a block away from treasury before she began to notice something.

It was the same, familiar human scent she had smelled for a while and her ears picked up the soft footsteps. It was almost too faint to hear, but her elven ears combined with a lifetime underground meant her hearing was impeccable. Vyx paused where she was, sliding back into an alley and waiting to see if the person would pass.

When they hadn’t passed, Vyx knew she was being followed. She whispered a curse in drow under her breath, knowing that her plan was potentially blown. Thinking quickly, she changed direction and began to walk with a more casual stride, attempting to appear as if she were simply another citizen out on a stroll.

She could only hope he wouldn’t question why a drow was strolling about in the city. Vel’Anir was supposed to be welcome to everyone, right?

 

[Vale]

Vale followed silently above, his silver orbs tracking her every agile movement. She knew what she was doing. The woman moved around the shadows expertly and if it weren't for the fact that the Dreadlord could see clear through them like it was daytime, she would have lost him once. The woman continued with her pace and he scraped his brain to what was in the area that she was possibly heading to. He assumed that he would find out whenever she reached her destination.

But randomly and suddenly, she changed her whole demeanor and relaxed her very posture to blend in with passing citizens. The intruder knew what she was doing and that also meant that she somehow knew he was already there. No guards had approached her, no civilian had spoken out to her and that didn't leave a lot of options for the sudden switch. Vale would have chosen to remain hidden but he suspected the more he continued to just follow after her, she would lead him farther and farther from where she was actually trying to go.

The Dreadlord didn't hesitate to jump down from the ledge he had been on as he swallowed from the darkness below and took a path to cut her off. When Vyx would slip into another alley, she would feel a change in the wind that somehow didn't feel natural. A moment later she would see a figure step out from the shadows in front of her with his arms interlocked behind his back, the Dreadlord's silver eyes nearly glimmering from the rays of moonlight that could pierce into the alley. "We both knew of each other's presence. The act of innocence or shock can be skipped over." There was a pause before he spoke again, "What are you doing in my city?" His voice remained calm and betrayed little but it was obvious suspicion was laced within his words.

 

[Vyx'aria]

Vyx didn’t immediately turn around when she heard his voice. She came to a pause, the only inclination she heard him at all. Her gaze trained forward as she rapidly assessed the situation. Her knee jerk reaction was to backhand him for being a man that spoke out of turn, but she knew that practices were different in the surface world. The men here were much bolder and treated as equals for some reason she would never understand.

After a moment, she slowly turned to regard him, her red eyes gleaming in the darkness of their own accord. Her gaze trailed over his features, noting the shock of white hair that was not so different than her own. She had never seen such a feature on a human, and her gaze lingered there for a moment before dropping down to his eyes.

“Your city?” Despite the thick accent, the sarcasm and mockery was there. She was far different than the smaller framed human women he saw, and certainly much more hulking than elves. Vyx crossed her arms over her chest, “Are you the ruler of this city?”

 

[Vale]

Vale waited patiently until the woman turned, his eyes fixed on her but still aware of his surroundings in case she tried anything sudden against him. Without even needing to speak to her he could tell that she was different. After a few seconds, she eventually did turn around and revealed exactly why she seemed different. Her dark crimson eyes were complete from his pure silver ones. Even though his face didn't show it, his eyes flashed interest and his voice held a trace of curiosity, "You're a drow."

This was the first time he had met one of their kind but he had studied them at the academy. It was part of the regular curriculum that up and coming Dreadlords learned the basic details of each known race, even if some were considered nearly extinct. The drow wasn't a popular subject but to Vale, it was quite the opposite because of his power. In the writings that were even available about the drow, it showed that they were quite adept at the use of Shadowmancy and some may even say have perfected it. So far, he himself was the only human he knew that had his abilities of Shadowmancy and he wondered if the elf had answers that he had been searching for all his life.

She asked if it was his city before then specifically asking if he was the ruler. Vale just simply chuckled with a stand of humor in it at such a question. "If I was the ruler, I would most likely be piss drunk in my bed with a woman right now." That was his own sarcastic response that didn't clarify anything except that he wasn't the ruler and this wouldn't be worth his time. "This is my home, however. Again, what are you doing here?"

If Vyx glanced behind her, she would see the end of the alley was covered in a thick and swallowing darkness that nearly stretched nearly all the way up to the roof. Even she wouldn't be able to see through it with her dark vision and it was almost like it blocked out the sound of the city as well, leaving the two of them in their own world. Another black wall formed behind the Dreadlord at the end of the alley on his side but he still stood there calmly like nothing was happening and waited for her answer.

 

[Vyx'aria]

“And the sun is hot,” Her tone dripped with ice as she jabbed back with a quip, having recently learned the name of that infernal ball in the sky. The fact that he knew about her kind was more impressive than she would ever let on - most humans referred to her as ‘dark elf’. Her eyes often threw them off, however. That, and the fact that she towered over most male elves.

Vyx was in no mood to engage in conversation with anyone, let alone a lowly man. Not only was he a man, but he was someone of virtually no importance. The drow spun on her heel and began to walk, not dignifying him with a response.

A few steps and she realized he was conjuring magic around her. Her eyes widened at the display, having seen it mostly from other drow. In fact, it was considered their specialty. To see a human practicing it made her uneasy.

“Are you trying to impress me?” She didn’t turn to look at him again, trying to see through the darkness. It was a thick, black wall and it reminded her of the dark magics she had seen some of the priestesses use.

She didn’t bother waiting for a response before she stepped forward, intending to walk directly through the shadow. He had already wasted enough of her time. She would have to choose another day to infiltrate the city - a day many days from now to throw him off her tail. She could only hope he would lose interest and not pursue her.

 

[Vale]

The drow turned around to walk away from him but the Dreadlord didn't move an inch. The walls were already up and there wouldn't be a reason for him too. When she turned around to see the wall, he couldn't see the shock in her eyes but he figured the momentary pause was because of it. When she asked if he was trying to impress her, Vale simply just shook his head, "No." It was the only word he gave as a response but the drow stepped toward the wall anyway with the resolve to pass through.

The wall wasn't just shadow and darkness. When she pressed into it, she would feel that it was thick like a heavy smog and almost cold to the touch and took some effort to actually push through. By the time she got her hands through it, she would notice it was starting to pull her in like it was inviting her to come in. The last thing she would hear would be the Dreadlord speaking calmy still, "I wouldn't recommend that." But it would be too late to give a response if she wanted to and her vision would be swallowed until she saw only black.

The only thing she would feel is coldness, it seeping into her bones until she would completely walk out of the other side of the wall. When she was out from it, she would be standing onto the street that she turned from to get into the alley but it was completely different. The world was in black and white practically, only like that because of her vision as a normal person wouldn't be able to see a thing. The sound of the real world was muted to almost nothing as the only thing she would hear consistently would be decaying gusts of wind that rumbled through the city. It was completely dead. The shadows in the world slithered and moved to their own accord and seem to be sentient on their own and to be the only thing alive.

If she took another step forward, she would feel an unnatural sense of uneasiness take over as it seemed like the world and the shadows realized that she was not from this world and did not approve of her. A few moments later, she would see movement along the roofs until they finally revealed themselves.

They were of somewhat humanoid shape but moved mostly on all fours and completely made of shadows. Black and wispy trails rose from all across their body and gave the appearance of a wraith effect the way wisps trailed after them.

The creatures stopped at the edge of the roof, their heads snapping in unison toward her. One stepped forward to the edge of the roof, it's claws scraping the stone as it opened its mouth and screamed, a combination of an animal and a human that made a terribly ugly sound. A group of them descended from the roof afterward, landing on the ground with barely a sound before they immediately bolted straight toward Vyx on all fours.

Vale remained outside of the wall and had his arms interlocked behind his back. She had already lasted longer than those before. Some humans barely made it through the wall before they were severely scarred or just died. He wondered how long before she would come back out if she did.

 

[Vyx'aria]

The drow had no idea what she was up against as she stepped into the black wall. For a moment the alley felt the same, but something was horribly off. She couldn’t smell, she couldn’t hear, but there was a sense of dread all the same. It crept up her spine, tapping each vertebra on the way up like icy fingers playing the keys of a piano. She was too proud to let fear creep into her, and she tried to keep pushing forth.

Darkness was something the drow embraced, and she kept telling herself this was merely an obstacle to pass. Vyx kept taking steps forth, wanting to walk out of this reality and back into the warmth of the streets she felt seconds prior. Chill hung around her that was cooler than even the darkest tunnels in the Underrealm.

“Not real…” She whispered to herself, seeing a wisp of chilled breath escape between her lips. Vyx clenched her fists, resisting the urge to draw her weapons. She knew this was magic - the priests of Zar’Ahal flaunted like this often around those that weren’t born with the gift.

When the shadows began to appear, she trained her gaze forth, but her steps took her nowhere. She was caught in an endless path no matter how much she ran and picked up her pace. Vyx saw the creature rushing at her and her hand went to her blade, only to find it missing.

Eyes widened as the creature set upon her, and all she could do was cry out in surprise. The creature dove into her, and she felt visceral agony as it dug its claws. She conjured the pain on her own, wrought with her own fears and deeply hidden doubts.

Her scream echoed within her mind, her mouth opening but no sound coming out. Eyes were wide as she felt the claws digging into her chest and tearing through the flesh. The shadows were burrowing into her as if rats forced to dig while set ablaze. It was agony, and she wanted the torment to end.

The Dreadlord would see something he wouldn’t expect then. From deep within her chest and the very core of her being rose another shadow. It was something that resided deep within her and had laid dormant for decades. It began to take shape without her realizing it, and it was an imprint of her, but one he would be able to see through the window into the black wall.

It was a fleeting glimpse before she was expelled from it without his doing. Vyx was bodily sent flying back, hard enough to collide against him. She was too shaken to react right then, shooting back like a rag doll.

 

[Vale]

Vale was able to see through the wall perfectly and could witness everything that transpired. She started to run but she would find that it would be utterly fruitless. Unless someone has been touched by the shadows, they would never be able to navigate through the shadow plain. Vyx could have been running for hours and would still arrive nowhere if the shadow creatures didn't kill her first. They hunted anything that was not supposed to be in the plain naturally and their bloodlust had no limits.

The drow found no weapon in her belt and the pack of creatures jumped onto her, the first one that screamed at her sank it claws into her chest while the others went for her limbs. Vale just exhaled softly as he was about to turn away and leave but something caught his eye. When he turned back to gaze what he thought would be a shredded corpse of the drow, it was her body surrounded by the creatures but just hovering over here. Black wisps rose from her body and the Dreadlord almost couldn't believe what he was seeing. She was one to have been touched by the shadows too.

The wall of black spat her out as if she was vile. Vale simply tilted his body at an angle and the woman went past him before colliding onto the ground and rolling to a stop. His gaze drifted to her and was held there for a moment before brought to the darkness that she had exited from. "You should consider yourself very lucky. They normally like to play with their food and are not quite so forgiving." If Vyx was able to open her eyes, she would find that the Dreadlord's appearance resembled that of the shadow creature but obviously completely humanoid and perfectly fitted to him. The effect would only last a couple of seconds before he would return back to his normal appearance like she first saw him. It was a lingering effect from exiting the shadow plain.

The Dreadlord didn't know if the drow could see it but she was completely covered in the black trails and wispy air, the effect trailing her every movement. The shadows around her also coiled and slithered whenever she drew closer or distanced herself but eventually that effect on her eventually disappeared as well and returned to normal after a few moments. "Now, I would really like to know you are and what you are doing in my city."

 

[Vyx'aria]

Vyx flew into the wall of the alleyway, her muscular form colliding with a heavy thud. Even then, she recovered rapidly, quickly back on her feet with cat-like reflexes. She could see the tendrils of shadows still clinging to her, but she was more concerned by the fact that some aspect of it extended from within her. Vyx had always believed that she wasn’t born with the gift - did this mean she could potentially wield it after all?

The fact that she was shaken didn’t appear externally, and she quickly withdrew into her mind. Having been around magic wielding drow her whole life, she had been taught how to properly guard her mind against most attacks. The human would be hard pressed to catch her off guard again.

Vyx didn’t answer immediately, her expression blank as she drew up to her full height, “You are bothering me based purely on my race,”She said flatly, “I have committed no crime. I entered the city discreetly because of those like you,”She pointed a finger at him, Those that are prejudiced.”

Force wasn’t going to work on her. She kept her temper under control, knowing that it wasn’t going to work in her favor to lash out. She was out of her element here, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t make him look like the criminal. By now, other citizens began to walk by the alley, and it put both of them in the spotlight.

 

[Vale]

The drow recovered well from the way she was thrown out and Vale just watched as he waited for her to collect herself. When she stared back at him and claimed that it was because of her race that he was bothering her, the Dreadlord simply arched his eyebrow in a response back. He didn't know what she was until he pointed out when they were face to face that she was a drow.

She tried to push her angle but Vale was curious about who she was, what she was doing and he just conceded to her. "Of course, my manners weren't appropriate." With a wave of his hand, the wall of shadows that had been behind Vyx would slowly shrink until there was nothing left and the real street was revealed to her. "I'd hate for you to have such a bad impression of our city."

With his hand, Vale held it out and gestured to the path behind her, "Since you were so determined to get in here, please. You are free to go and do whatever it is you came in here for." There were no tricks hidden at the end of the alley, it was free and she would be able to hear the normal bustle of the city, unlike the shadow plain where she got spat out from. "I assume it's important." Vale still remained there and waited for her to leave, his silver eyes transfixed on Vyx as he watched her every move.

 

[Vyx'aria]

Vyx was more than a little surprised when he conceded, her fingers having flirted with the hilt of her blade in anticipation. She withdrew from her weapon, scowling at him as she began to walk the opposite direction from where he gestured.

“I’ve seen enough,” She said quietly, making her way back to exit the city. Vyx intended to slink out as silently as she entered and try this all over again another day. She knew the dreadlord wouldn’t do anything to stop her, but he was likely to follow her for as long as possible.

However, she came to a pause after the walked past him. Vyx tilted her head slightly, but didn’t turn to face him, “What came out of me?” She asked quietly. She was surprised by herself, the bigger half of her screaming to turn and leave the city at once. She had been told she had no gift of magic for her entire life, and what happened tonight shattered that entirely.

“It was from me. Not you.”

 

[Vale]

Vale knew that she knew what he planned to do. He had been planning on following her once more and he would have even proceeded more carefully to not get caught a second time. Instead of going through the path he opened, she went the opposite way and he just exhaled softly before lowering the wall on his side as well to spare the same incident from happening. If he couldn't find out where she was going, then at least he prevented it from happening without a clue of what it was.

What surprised was that when the drow was about to pass him, she actually stopped and asked him what happened to her. Vale was quiet for a moment before he was the one to turn towards her. "Oh, nothing came from me. The plain was just the catalyst for your latent magic." Vale then fully turned toward her with interest in his eyes, "It was your own shadow. An imprint of you in most laymen way to explain it. It protected you in there." It was the only reason those shadow creatures didn't tear her apart.

"When you're proficient enough, you could possibly control it." He waited a moment before continuing, "In fact, I believe we could both help each other. I could answer the questions you have and you... possibly answer mine in the future. But first, I'd like to know why you're here again before I answer more questions. You'd find I'm much more open then my associates." Then Vale shrugged casually, "Unless of course my blatant prejudice is seeping through and refuse."

 

[Vyx'aria]

Vyx had to take a moment to mentally translate everything he had said. She had learned the common tongue, but she was still not entirely fluent in it. After she picked up the gist of what he said, she found herself surprised and suspicious. Drow did not trust easily, and Vyx was especially wary of others, more so surface dwellers.

“Not here,” She said quietly, leaving the option open for him to follow her outside of the city walls. He had to understand that she was alone inside a fortress - she had much more to lose than he did. Meeting directly outside of the city gates allowed him to easily recede back in or for her to make a hasty escape.

Granted that he followed, she would step outside and turn back to face him. She was in her element under the cover of night and away from the torches and lights inside Vel Anir.

“I want jewels from the surface,” Vyx said bluntly. She surprised herself with the truth, but her desire to learn more about her skills were higher, “They have much value in my home,” She explained quietly, “Can...can what happened earlier be taught?” Vyx knew none of the priestesses in the Undererrealm would ever bother, but perhaps there was hope up here.

 

[Vale]

The drow thought on it for a moment and he didn't blame her. No one survived in this city or outside its walls without having a healthy dose of skepticism. She didn't want to explain further in the alley and Vale shrugged silently, his answer of telling her to lead the way. Nowhere was really a burden to him. Most of the inhabitants wouldn't have the authority to question him about it either.

After a while, they finally founded a secluded area that was close enough to the outside for the drow to feel comfortable. Both of them didn't need light to see and they talked in practically complete darkness. When she finally told him what he wanted, he couldn't help but keep the surprise out of his eyes. That's what he wasn't expecting at all for her answer to be. The Dreadlord suspected she wasn't being completely truthful but he was finally getting answers.

He combed over the section of the city that she had snuck into and it was a few seconds later he realized what her target was supposed to be. "The treasury." It was... a bold choice to attempt to steal from one of the city's treasures. When asked if what transpired earlier could be taught, Vale took a moment before eventually giving her a nod, "Yes. It depends on how fluent you are and how much you are willing to give. Shadowmancy is a very lethal weapon but it comes with a cost." It was like that for all magics but it was one of the few that actually seemed to enjoy that fact.

Vale asked his question then, "Value in what way? I assume it's more than just getting rich." It was a very big risk for the drow with it being a one-person operation.

 

[Vyx'aria]

Shadowmancy.

Her people knew about it, but they wouldn’t bother teaching her. She knew all magic had a cost, but she hadn’t known that she had a price to give. This realization shook her to her core, and she could only imagine the countless doors it opened. Vyx chewed on the inside of her lip for a moment, thinking of how much she wanted to divulge just yet.

“Getting rich is a lot of it,” She said flatly, “My people have lost their strength and I intend to get it back. For that, we need trade,” There were no lies in her words, and that much was apparent to the dreadlord already. Vyx wasn’t familiar with what he was, just that he appeared to have a measure of authority.

“What...is your role, exactly?” She gestured back towards the city behind him. He was clearly a mage, but was he a guard? Or more? There was also the fact that he smelled human, but looked more like an elf. This curiosity was something Vyx decided to keep to herself, though it did mean her gaze lingered on him a bit longer than necessary.

 

[Vale]

Vale's gaze remained locked with her's as she gave her reasoning for why she intended on sneaking herself in. She may have not been lying but it appeared to be the most basic explanation of the truth. He didn't say anything for a moment but when she asked what he was, he arched his eyebrow in reaction before actually responding, "I am a Dreadlord, a sort of... protector of Vel-Anir and her interests." It was a basic way he could put it.

Even then as they stood outside the walls, Vale's stance would be relaxed and focused on Vyx and clearly not bothered about the idea of a patrol bothering them. Even when they were in the city and he displayed his powers freely in the open. They weren't a cause of concern to him. "We serve the noble houses that take residence here but the king as well." That's when he gave a casual shrug, "But we are known to bend the rules to our liking from time to time." Both of them gave answers that were just enough to sate each other's curiosity.

Vale's gaze drew to her as well and continued there for a second until he glanced around her. He had half expected by then to be surrounded by a small group of drow. "This would be a lot of gold and 'trade' you would have to carry back by yourself if I didn't interrupt you." He just suspected then that she was scouting the treasury but then again there was clearly more to her then he knew.

 

[Vyx'aria]

Vyx listened to his explanation, pondering on the structure of the houses and the king. It was not so different from her own people, though the ultimate loyalty was to their goddess Maelzafen. There were legends that pleasing the Goddess granted powers worthy of the gods themselves.

“Not a lot of things, I suppose,” She said quietly, thinking about exactly how much she wanted to reveal. She doubted he would have come out here if he weren’t curious about things beyond just her sneaking about, “One item in particular. It looks small and insignificant, but it has value to me.”

She didn’t miss that his gaze traveled around her, and it brought a rare grin to her face, “I don’t have scouts with arrows trained on you,” Vyx said flatly.

She slowly turned to look back at the city, “And do you like this? Being a dreadlord?”

 

[Vale]

When she mentioned one item in particular and that it was small, he arched his eyebrow as he wondered what she referred to. He didn't know what was small that they would be holding that would be of interest to her beside a single gold coin. It was obviously something specific and it seemed the real answer would have to be dug out a little bit more.

When she mentioned she didn't have scouts on him with arrows, Vale couldn't help but smirk back at her in response. "You never know during these times. Always best to be cautious." It was certainly a weird night but he was fine with letting it progress however it did as he was curious about the drow and her goal. However, her next question surprised him as he never simply been asked about it before.

There was a pause from him before he eventually answered, "It's a life. I was born into it and know nothing else. As far as I'm concerned, I got off quite well." It's just how he plainly viewed the situation. Most Dreadlords forgot about their past once they graduated from the academy as it simply wasn't worth remembering. But Vale tried to keep track of his previous life as best he could for reasons unknown to him.

"And what about you? Do you like what you are now?" Even though he didn't know really what she was, he took a simple fact she said scouts as a hint but he was really referring to her magic. Dreadlord had an inkling about what this could possibly lead to but he was actually curious about her answer if she didn't try to continue to hide it unlike him.

 

[Vyx'aria]

Vyx should have expected to have the question turned on her again, but she was nevertheless less than pleased about it. She wasn’t used to being asked personal questions, especially from a man. She sat on the response for a moment, wondering if she would bother even dignifying him with one.

“There’s always room to grow into more,” She said after a moment. Her plans with the city were foiled for now, and she couldn’t continue on her path just yet. Vyx grinned after a moment, “You’ve never ventured far from this city, have you?” The thought entertained her, even though she was even more sheltered.

She spun on her heel and began to walk away, “Night is best time to explore this world,” Vyx called out as she walked towards the forest lazily. Thoughts about breaking into the city were pushed from her mind.

“Have a nice night,” She said to him without looking, “You and your ‘quite well off’ life.”

 

[Vale]

She asked a question that he hadn't been expecting and it was whether he had journeyed far out from the city. "I have left on official business but nothing extreme, no." That fact never really bothered him. He didn't have an innate desire to go out and explore the world and peek at everything. Vale wondered if the same was true for her. Before they could continue the conversation any further, the drow turned on her heel and made her way to the treeline. When she commented that night was the best time to explore the world, he couldn't but smirk, "For some of us, yes."

"And you too." When she entered the tree and disappeared, the Dreadlord would enter the shadows behind him and disappear into them. He returned to the city, the conversation playing through his mind. Vale was intrigued but he returned to his watchful post amongst the shadows

---​

For the next couple of days, Vale had situated himself near the treasury as he would switch between patrolling around that and the gate the drow had come through. During his time doing that, there had been no activity and he shouldn't have been surprised as she was most likely smarter than that. Coming to the conclusion that the woman had given up her attempt on breaking in, Vale delved back into his own personal needs.

An item he had been tracking for quite a while had made a rumored appearance at a nearby entrance to a mountain and Vale had every intention to see if it was true. Taking it as his free day, the Dreadlord excited the city on top of his horse and cantered down the dirt road toward the horizon.

A few hours later, Vale finally dismounted and lead his horse to a nearby tree as he tied the reins securely to one of the thick limbs. He patted the horse on the neck softly before turning his attention forward as he could hear the sound of clanging and the general actions of a camp.

 

[Vyx'aria]

Vyx and a group of Drow were spying on the encampment ahead. The group was comprised of bandits and a rogue male Drow. This drow happened to steal a very important artifact from the Underrealm, and he most likely intended to sell it in the surface. The man had surrounded himself with protection, fearing exactly what was about to happen.

The military commander was normally above petty retrieval missions, but this artifact was rather important to her people. It helped channel, temper and unleash shadowmancy. It could grant the gift of magic to even someone like her and allow her to wield devastating powers with it. In the hands of a mage it only enhanced their abilities.

“Do you see the Drow?”

“I smell him, but I don’t see him,” The female soldier replied. They shuffled in closer as a group.

As Vale drew closer to the camp, he would hear some rustling up ahead. Vyx was about to move in when she paused in her tracks. The scent was familiar, and she stopped instantly, bidding her soldiers to go ahead. Her posture stiffened as she rose to her full height. She kept her gaze trained ahead.

“Surely I am out of your jurisdiction right now,” Vyx said curtly without looking at him.

 

[Vale]

To Vale's honest surprise, he heard a familiar voice and turned his head to look upon the drow as a smirk touched his lips, "Does this mean I'm in your jurisdiction now?" The horse neighed softly at her appearance but the Dreadlord placed a hand on the animal's neck before muttering words that weren't common tongue. Not a lot of people could sneak up on him but she was also a shadowmancer and they didn't help him spot her.

"You're not the only one, are you?" Vale waited a moment after he asked his question before he simply walked past her and towards the camp as he didn't expect them to come to blows and wanted to walk with her. But as he stepped further into the trees, the shadows whispered to him softly and he stopped before turning slightly towards her, "There are more of you." She may be able to walk the shadows but the others couldn't.

The Dreadlords gaze burned into the direction of the camp for a moment before being brought back toward Vyx'aria, "It's here, isn't it?" It was obvious the reason he was here was the same as her and the presence of her and others confirmed it for him at least until proven otherwise.

 

[Vyx'aria]

Vyx continued walking with him, not answering at first when he asked if there were more. She knew he would know the answer soon if he didn’t already. His comments drew a smirk from her, and still she remained silent, gazing up ahead.

From far away, one of the drow commanders signed that they had spotted the traitor. Vyx didn’t act just yet, turning to look at the human dreadlord.

“It is here,” She said flatly, “But you would be wise to stay out of our way. It rightfully belongs to my people.”

She wasn’t afraid to take him on - she wouldn’t be caught off guard this time. Vyx had no intention of letting him take their prize, not when they worked this hard to finally track the insolent fool that took it. Of course, she had no idea that he had other ideas of his own.