(c) Art by Akiuumi
I had been on the road for days, my eyes already adapted to the daylight, explored dozens of caves, but found none deep enough to reach the underworld. At dusk, I stood in front of a narrow cave entrance, hoping that this path would finally bring me back home. Should I go inside now and hope, or should I go hunting again before, as my supplies were running low? I took the risk. At some point I had to be lucky.
The cave went deep into what gave me hope. I climbed 5000 to 6000 feet deep into the tunnel and couldn't believe how lucky I seemed to be. From my position I could get an overview of Menzoberranzan. So it couldn't be far to go home. I climbed down and ran, no, I ran. When I saw the charred remains of our house, I stopped. "No, please don't" I said to myself, shaking my head, before I set myself in motion again. After I got around the ruin, I couldn't grasp the view. They had hung Mother from one of the remaining beams of the house. I ran to her and fell on my knees. "Mom" - That's all I could get over my lips while holding one of her charred feet and staring at the floor.
I was startled when a voice suddenly sounded behind me. It was Miara. "By Eilistraee, you're still alive" but she didn't look very good. Judging from her shredded clothes, she must have been through a lot. I ran to her and hugged her relieved. "Leave me alone with Eilistraee. I certainly don't owe it to her that I'm still alive" she said coldly. I let her go and looked at her in amazement. "I've never seen you like this. What happened?", "Not now. Let us bury mother".
We buried mother next to father and laid both fresh Night Orchid flowers on their graves. The rest of the day we spent recovering from the ruins of our house what might have survived and found father's second dagger. Apparently the sister piece to the dagger that Mother gave me. "I didn't even know that father had two daggers" I whispered to myself as I looked at him. "Mother and father would have wanted you to have him" I said when I handed him to Miara. As soon as Miara accepted him, a protective stone skin formed around her arm, but I didn't get more than a gentle nod from her.
"I will make this il'neathe regret what they did to us" came resolutely from Miara as we sat by the fire waiting for our food. "It will be the last time they act like they are the law!" I could hardly believe what I heard from Miara. So much hate and finality. "What happened to you" I asked her carefully. "I was thrown into a tree. On the surface. Can you grasp that? My eyes were burning, and I couldn't see anything. That I didn't fall from the tree and broke my neck is almost a miracle." - I listened to her silently - "It took me a few days to get used to this nasty light and I actually wanted to look up there for you, too, but I thought I'd have more chances if I came back here again. I didn't know we Drow were so hated up there." She gently shook her head "Again, and again I had to flee from a group of human, dwarves and Upperworldelves, because they are too cowardly to mess with one at a time. Vith rath'arg" she cursed "Just like the gang that attacked us here."
We exchanged our experiences from the Upperworld until late and decided that only one of us would sleep a few hours and the other guard. Because we had to be rested for Miaras plan to infiltrate the academy. She seemed wildly determined, and I was thirsting for revenge, too. Mother always preached to us that revenge was not the solution to the problems, but ... no matter.
