Eilistraee [Forgotten Realms]

You walk back and gently lift the light and svelte beautiful Drow woman, Nathraena and carry her forward with her pressed against your back and legs wrapped around your waist.

Her **** body wanted to cling to the knife you gave her but you thought better of letting it flop around and potentially cutting you further.

This is about the time that you realize your skin color had shift paler and darker. Still more rosy and brighter than Nathraena but any change in this place sets you on your nerves. You wonder what kind of deal you made by using your arrows.

*“Nothing your wife will object to, little one…
Eventually anyhow… maybe.”*

There was the whisper again and this time, you hear amusement in the whispering voice.

*“Who are you?”* You thought for a moment before continuing with your verbal inquiry, *“One of the Mistresses?”*

You notice Djarrus leading you further. The tunnel expands into a cavern filled with uncharacteristic green plants. There was a river that ran the length of the large cavern and into a particularly bright white light. With the gloomy darkness everywhere you turn, you are surprised to find glowing water-filled cavern.

Cave Entrance by AllisonChinArt

As you approached the water, you notice a different colored light source. As if the water was a gem, a purple light glows from unseen depths within the liquid but fails to reach the surface. You wonder if this is the waters that Nathraena mentioned.

Noticing that you still had gashes and cuts along your limbs from fighting with the wolves, you pull out a water jug and gently set Nathraena down along the shore. She had mentioned the waters as having healing powers in general. That they would cure the madness illness that she mentioned, seemed like a note of effects.

Hoping that this worked, you dip the water jug into the water. Taken aback, the water almost swallows your jug. The surprise was the lack of encountering a bottom. There failed to be even a sharp decline from the shore into the water. Instead, it was an abrupt granite edge.

Quickly, the water poured into the jug and after a couple minutes, you pull it free. Seemingly agreeing with you, Djarrus pulls out his own large water skin to fill here.

The water seems to explode with pleasure as you brought the water to your lips. Looking down, you watch as your wounds seemingly heal and seal themselves right before your eyes.

*“My name is Eilistraee,
ask Nathraena if you wish to know
more about me… As for what I want.?. I want to help you. I
can assure you that with me, the likelihood of your wife
and you leaving this mountain alive increases dramatically.”*

Night Shadow Women by Sinto-Risky

Strangely the minotaur is silent and fails to question you about you talking to a voice in your head.

“So this is the water that Nathraena wants?” You ask the voice and are surprised by Eilistraee’s response being a vial appearing out of the aether next to Nathraena’s head.

*“Yes, fill that with the water please, and then
put it back”*

You follow instructions as Eilistraee gives them, even as you wonder at her declaration of humility. You’ve never talked with a goddess before, much less physically in the flesh. You never heard of one talking to any mortal in any way. Of course, there were the crazies who claimed they were sent by such-n-such but they always had a screw or two loose and short one for a baker’s dozen.

As you place the vial back into its holder. You notice a protection circle and runes around it. “If this is Nathraena’s quest, why are you doing it for her?”

The short giggle from the whisper was weird because it was so quiet but also given the source.

*“You truly are a treasure, I can see why the others are
so interested in you. It is refreshing for a mortal to
question any deity. Though please continue, I
have so few that I can hardly be picky.”*

“You failed to answer the question,” You mutter almost to yourself. Perhaps you shouldn’t be surprised that Eilistraee responds but she does.

*“So that Nathraena will feel indebted to you of course. I am far from one who dictates anything to my people. The other members of the Dark Seldarine are more...hands on. That makes it difficult at times to convince my faithful to do the right thing. Thus I must take further measures to insure my will is done. Your location is what gives me this opportunity btw, so when you continue on, I will be unable to verbally respond.”*

After a second of pausing, you remember a deity could only hear their faithful. “I am one of yours now?”

*“By agreeing to my offer in the tunnel, yes you are
an initiate now. So I suggest learning as much as
you can from Nathraena.”*

You remember Eilistraee’s comment about your wife, “Is that why I am a little more pale?”

Again with the giggle but Eilistraee explained further.

*“Yes, little one. You are mine now but to
calm your fears I am… the outcast among the
Dark Seldarine…” Apparently she senses you
wanted more. “That is...I am considered
rebellious but positive. The change will be
gradual depending upon whether you call upon
me for guidance... and use your bow. In order for
me to do what I did, there must be a balance.
...and it's not so bad is it?”*

Coincidentally, that does help you feel better about it. That is if you can trust a voice in your head. However, to judge Eilistraee by her acolyte Nathraena, you are **** to come to a similar conclusion.

In all your time together with your wife, Elayna, she was normally rather neutral about the subject of Drow. The subject failed to come up a lot given you normally stayed out of caves, but there were two or three times when you were getting to know each other more fully. You silently prayed that was a good sign.

*“It is a good sign, yes”*

“Shit!” you swear lightly, you will have to be more mindful in the future now that a particular deity was actually paying attention to you.

*“Was that not directed at me.?. The positive
ones normally do listen even if they are mute.
Again, your location and mostly your state of
mind depends a lot on what we can do. Before, you
just wanted to avoid dying, and I could assist with
that. Nathraena may need some help by the way.
She went beyond what I told her too. Apparently,
she is quite fond of you.”*