They fight back

Running, Teysa realized immediately, would do them no good here. Not only was Aliara weighed down by armor, but they were deep in the labyrinthine Basilica. The tunnels weren't an option for escape; Teysa was sure that a second trip through would prove fatal. No, their only choice was to fight. If we can just get to the Empress... they'll never dare harm us as long as we hold her. Next to her, Aliara seemed to have come to the same conclusion. The half-elf hefted her weapon and spared Teysa a brief glance. Her eyes were invisible behind the visor, but her curt nod communicated clearly: we're getting out of this together.

Teysa readied her halberd and stepped back, unconsciously dropping into a defensive stance. Her weapon of choice was the mace, but in her youth she had trained in a number of others, including sword, axe and halberd. She dug deep into her memories and tried to remember her training. Remember you have an axehead, a spike, a hook, and a heavy staff. Don't treat it like a long axe. Take advantage of the versatility, because it's heavy and if you just chop like you're cutting wood you'll run out of breath.

The halberds were baroque examples of the Drow style; the hafts were wood, some of the only wood Teysa had seen down here, but perfectly trimmed and oiled so dark that they looked like stone. One end of the shaft carried a broad, anvil-shaped axe blade of black steel, tipped with a narrow smile of silver on the wicked cutting edge. Opposite the blade, a barbed spur curved inward, reminding Teysa of nothing so much as a fishhook. Between these two an iron spike topped the shaft, with a flared leaf-shaped blade like a spear. The craftsmanship was exquisite; faint spiderweb patterns etched the blades and the bands of iron that studded the shaft at regular intervals. A wider band around the middle of the shaft bore notches that fit snugly into the joints of Teysa's gauntlets, steadying the weapon in her hands. She knew from experience that the weight of a halberd could cause it to slide in a loose grip, which could be disastrous. This one moved like an extension of her arms. Despite its size it was surprisingly light and well-balanced, though she wouldn't have wanted to fence with it.

The guards advancing on them bore weapons that were, if anything, more ornate. They moved quickly, fluidly, with the grace of trained professionals. Teysa and Aliara stood back to back. The narrow corridor prevented the drow from bringing greater numbers to bear on them at once, which Teysa took as a chance at escape. They just had to get past these two...

The last of the novices scattered as the guards arrived. The first swing caught Teysa by surprise, though she had been tensed and waiting for it. Great Sun, they move so fast! She barely raised her own weapon in time to block, and the impact caused her arm to shiver. Thankfully, she did not drop her weapon. The other guard swung laterally at her with the hook, and Teysa was barely able to disengage in time to duck. Setting her feet, she swept her blade at the closest guard, who leaned away from the blow with contemptuous ease. Next to her, Aliara was spinning her halberd like a quarterstaff, desperately parrying a flurry of attacks from the other guard. She clearly wasn't used to fighting in armor. Her movements seemed less like her typical graceful pirouetting and more ****, headlong lunges from danger. She can't keep that up. She's going to overbalance. Teysa **** her opponent back with a diagonal hook into a thrust that the foe only avoided by stumbling back. She couldn't take advantage of the opening, though, without stepping away from Aliara and leaving her flank exposed. We can't keep this up. I'm sure they're calling in more guards.

Her next attack was caught and brutally riposted by the guard, who took advantage of the opening to aim a vicious cut at Teysa's arm. She was able to twist away from the blow, but it still caught her a glancing impact, and she hissed with pain. Flexing her arm, it didn't appear to be injured, but attempting to lift it shot a burst of pain up into her shoulder. Teysa swallowed hard. This wouldn't last too much longer.

As she stepped into a modified guard stance, an eerie peace descended on her. The ringing of steel seemed muffled as if she were underwater, and she found that she could not bring her arms up. It didn't matter; the guard seemed frozen in time, moving as if through treacle. Teysa blinked in surprise. Something was filling her, suffusing her: a familiar warmth, though one she hadn't felt in a while. She closed her eyes and saw an endless golden light behind her lids. The moment seemed to stretch on for several seconds, then popped like a soap bubble. Vigor flowed into her tired limbs, and she hefted the halberd with a renewed determination. The guard aimed a powerful downward blow at her head, and Teysa lifted her own halberd to block, almost lazily.

When the blades met, golden light erupted outward in a soundless explosion. Teysa's vision cleared instantly, but the effect on the drow was dramatic; they screeched in pain and stumbled backward, weapons forgotten, clawing at their visors. Teysa surged forward, knocking her reeling foe aside, and beside her Aliara matched her pace. The Empress's eyes widened, her prim little mouth forming an O as the two women closed the distance. Teysa thought she might try to bolt or raise a weapon, but instead she raised her hands to her temples. The crown, Teysa realized. She's touching the crown. Why-

Something hard hit Teysa in the calf and she stumbled. She had a moment to wonder what had happened before another impact jarred her from her feet. Looking down, she saw thick black cables strung across the corridor. As she watched, another one knitted itself out of thin air and draped over her arm. She tried to pull free, but the substance was adhesive and stuck to her armor. Another cord materialized, and another, like they were being woven by an invisible spider. Teysa cried out as she fell, wrapped up in a web of black strands. Next to her, Aliara was pinned against the corridor wall by a carpet of the stuff. Teysa's struggles weakened as the cords tightened. The empress stood over her, laughing in a high, shrill voice.

"Did you think me defenseless without my guards? Fools! Mother Lolth watches over me." The guards that Teysa and Aliara had been fighting had regained their footing and their weapons and strode angrily towards the prone women, but the Empress waved them off with a gesture.

"No, do not execute them. These two have amused me. Deliver them to my sanctum." She turned on her heel and strode away.

Teysa tried to thrash in the webbing, but her movement was so severely restricted that she could barely wiggle. Something else was wrong-- she found herself incredibly sleepy. She could barely keep her eyes open. She knew she should be doing more, trying to escape, but it seemed that the fight had drained her more than she thought. Just a little rest...