...they arrive at the City

Teysa awoke alone the next morning. She could hear muted voices outside the tent, and a low sizzling. The smell of bacon wafted through the tent flap, and she smiled. She hadn't packed anything but travel bread and smoked fish, so this would have to be Aliara's doing. The half-elf had proven a resourceful forager, for which Teysa was grateful; the driders were welcoming hosts, but their imaginations did not stretch far when it came to cooking.

As she pulled on a cotton shift and sandals, Teysa reflected on her return to the City. She hadn't wanted to worry Aliara, but she was nervous. The drow trainees in the warren had brought stories of a society in upheaval. With the Empress still missing, power had devolved to the Quorum of noble houses, with the Church of Lolth in an advisory role. The priestesses had not wanted to rule, but they were still overseeing the nobility, their presence an implicit threat: obey Lolth's will, or be replaced by someone who will. The nobles jockeyed for power, each trying to take advantage of the chaos to unseat the rest, each afraid of pushing too far and falling from grace. There were still voices that spoke against the new order, but they were subdued now. One of the oldest noble houses, the House of Venik, had been excommunicated and expelled from the Quorum for refusing to accept Lolth's decrees. Chief among them was manumission. The **** trade that had long sustained the drow was ending, and nobody seemed to be sure what would replace it.

Teysa finished dressing and took a moment to stretch. Her limbs were still sore from her exertion the other day, and her bandaged cut ached. She inspected it and sniffed the dressing. It seemed to be healing cleanly, which was a blessing. She shook off the last vestiges of sleep and left the tent.

"Morning, sleepy!" Aliara called out. She was sitting on a rock by the firepit, flipping bacon in a small iron skillet. The fire had been built with dried mushrooms, Teysa noted; all manner of fungus flourished down here, and the denizens of the Underneath used it for everything from foodstock to firewood.

El'keth stood next to Aliara with a plate of bacon in her hands. She was tearing into it, her jaws whirring. Watching her eat was slightly frightening; her mouth was a nightmare of needle-sharp fangs, and her jaws seemed to unhinge wider than should be possible. The contrast with her delicate, girlish features was jarring. For a moment, Teysa remembered the dead black stare of the Matron as she held her down and filled her with eggs. The memory was overwhelming. She could almost feel the sharp stones of the cave floor grinding into her bare back as she struggled. Then it passed, and El'keth was looking at her with wide, inquisitive eyes.

"Teysa? Did you sleep well?"

"What? Oh, yes, El'keth, thank you. Yourself?"
El'keth looked sheepish. "Mostly, yes. I woke up... I was... the cave is so big, so open. This is my first time leaving the warren. It feels... strange, to know that my home is so far away."

"Not scared of the dark, are you?" Aliara teased. "A big girl like you?"

Teysa clucked her tongue. "Come on, Li, be nice. El'keth, I remember when I left home. I went from a small cabin to a huge abbey. The ceiling was so high, it felt like open sky overhead. It was strange, but I adjusted to it. It's easier when you're with friends."

Aliara raised an eyebrow at that, but said nothing. "Friends?" El'keth asked, slowly, as though tasting the word. "Is that what we are? My mother says that she doesn't have friends, only subjects."

"She does, does she?" said Aliara. "Well, that's her opinion. As for you, though, what do you want? Friends? Subjects? Enemies?" Her tone turned menacing, and El'keth flinched away from her. "No! No. I want to be your friend, Aliara. I imagine your friendship is a source of great solace."

"Among other things." Aliara tipped Teysa a bawdy wink and turned her attention to her frying pan. "Bacon included. Want more?"

Once they had finished breakfast, Teysa changed into her armor and packed up the tent. She had assumed that they were still about a half day's travel from the City, but within a few hours she began to hear the clamor of people and see faint flickers of torchlight ahead. They began to pass other travelers: merchants with carts, packs of armored drow, and more and more often poor and bedraggled looking humanoids of a variety of races. These wore tattered rags and most of them bore visible **** brands on their necks or arms. They stared wide-eyed at El'keth and gave the party a wide berth.

Soon they saw the first encampment-- a stretch of canvas anchored against an old spear to make a crude lean-to. A ragged and filthy man with a long, unkempt beard hunched inside and scowled at the women as they passed. He clutched a leather pack in his arms as though it were a child. The next leanto was larger and contained two hollow-eyed children and a woman who was surely too young to be their mother. She was stirring a pot of soup over the embers of a fire.

After that they came thick and fast. A whole shantytown had sprung up outside of the City. The stench was appalling, a mixture of burnt food, sour sweat and waste. Drow guards kept the main roadway clear, but beyond that they seemed to ignore the shanties. Some were tents, some simply hovels made of rusted iron and piled stone. A small crowd clustered around a borehole someone had drilled into the rock. As Teysa watched, a withered old man with a long metal ladle spooned out water into whatever containers people brought before him: bowls, cups, helmets. Fires burned everywhere, and almost all of them bore cookpots bubbling with an unidentifiable brown slurry.

"What is... this is all..." El'keth's voice trailed off. She stared in undisguised dismay at the crowd. "Is this the City? This is where the Drow live?"

"No. Look at that woman's shoulder, El'keth." Aliara's voice was as hard and brittle as stone. "That mark. It's a **** brand. They all have one."

"All those people..." Teysa breathed. "What will become of them?"

Aliara shrugged. "They're free, at least. Some of them will die, but they'll die free."

El'keth pointed. "Look! There's a drow!"

Teysa followed her finger. Indeed, she could see a tall drow woman wearing the robes of a priestess. She was escorted by six guards in black iron armor, each of whom carried a crate. A crowd was already forming around the priestess. She held up her hands, palms out. "My children!" she cried, and the crowd quieted. "Lolth, in Her infinite mercy, sees your suffering. We bring food, medicine, and clothing. Your mother Lolth blesses you!"

Immediately, the crowd began to swarm around her, pushing and shoving. The guards tried to maintain order, but any line they assembled immediately fell apart. The priestess retreated behind her guards, who held up their spears in a defensive formation. The crates were torn to pieces and ransacked in seconds. Teysa saw a grown man shove a boy to the ground and tear a loaf of bread out of his hands. She shuddered. "That's not even close to enough. We need to-"

"We need to what, Tey?" Aliara spoke gently but firmly. "We need to talk to Mish'li. Once we get into the City, we can bring this up. There's nothing you can do for these people right now. Later, I promise you. Later."

Teysa nodded begrudgingly. She started towards the City again. Soon, the crowd grew thick enough that she had to press her way through. The familiar walls loomed up ahead; the ring of fire in the sky overhead brought back memories of her first visit. Well, it probably can't go worse this time, she reassured herself.

The gate was still guarded, though the drow were not checking papers. The guard's gaze fell on Teysa, but if he recognized her, he gave no sign. His eyes widened behind his mask when he saw El'keth, though, and he gestured for his captain.

"Is there a problem?" Teysa asked sweetly as the two of them conferred. "N-no, ma'am," stammered the guard. "It's just... her. We don't get many of... them here. I know the rules have changed, it's just--"

"It's just what?" Aliara asked. "Special drider tax? What does the Church say?"

The captain shot her an angry look, then nodded at the guard. He gave off an air of practically palpable relief as he waved them in. "Welcome to the City! Enjoy your stay. Uh, Lolth loves all of her children. May she bless you and keep you." He recited this last by rote, then stood stiffly to attention.

Teysa strode off into the city and Aliara followed after sketching a mocking salute. Last to enter was El'keth, who stared all around her as she passed beneath the gate. Before them lay the City, the vast black Basilica at its heart towering over all.