They run

Teysa came to her decision in a heartbeat. There were simply too many guards to fight. To be honest, she wasn't sure if she would have been able to go toe-to-toe with them even with numbers in their favor-- these were the Empress's elite. She turned and ran, throwing down her borrowed polearm in an attempt to trip up any pursuers. Behind her, Teysa heard angry shouts and the clattering of armor as the foremost guards took off after her.

Aliara could not match her pace. The half-elf was clearly exhausted, clutching her side. Teysa was torn. She knew that if she matched Aliara's pace, they would certainly be caught, but she couldn't leave her partner behind.

"Tey, run!" Aliara cried in a choked voice. She knew she wasn't going to make it. Teysa turned and reached out, as if to pull her along, but Aliara was already several feet behind her. With a sob, Teysa turned and ran. Behind her she heard the half-elf cry out and the drow shout angrily. She couldn't spare the energy to turn around-- instead, she put it into her stride, pushing herself harder than she ever had before, willing herself to be faster. If I am caught, Aliara fell for nothing. Behind her, the shouts of the drow and their pounding footsteps did not appear to be drawing closer. Teysa hooked right at an intersection, then left, then left again, taking turns at random. Even if she could retrace her steps, she had no intention of braving the subterranean tunnels-- not alone.

Already a plan was forming: the drow loved taking prisoners, so probably Li was alive. She would steal an acolyte's robe, infiltrate the Basilica again with Mish'li's help...

Something struck her from behind. Pain erupted along her limbs and her flight turned into a stumbling collapse. A strange, dark lightning crackled across her skin, and she felt it seize control of her muscles. Her limbs thrashed madly as she fell and she bit her tongue hard enough to draw blood. Collapsing to the floor, she rolled onto her back as a red-robed priestess loomed over her.

"Spy," the drow spat. "Infiltrator. Sneak-thief. You thought you could escape the justice of the drow, here in the heart of our power? Foolish." She raised a bone wand in one hand, its tip coruscating with power. "So perish all enemies of the Drow."

A bolt of darkness shot from the tip of the wand, and Teysa knew no more.