Daggers and the Soul Ambry

19. The Abysmal Rescue

"Let's get to work."

Dayne and the others watched their commander exit the laundry. Unofficially, Dayne was considered the team leader at this point, and the others would heed his command. Often, drow males would form strong bonds with each other, especially soldiers. A male in a matriarchal society tended to do that, as men were considered an afterthought. Unless it was for breeding purposes. Added to that is that the three of them have fought together and this created an even stronger bond. He had the seniority of the unit and that was fine with the others. Maarko would often say, "I've got three years to retirement so please let me do my time." Thulaeth knew he was too green to take command and the Inspector wouldn't be happy if he were calling the shots.

Dayne grimaced at the pain in his chest, but pressed on. "Remember, the Inspector does not want anyone killed unless necessary. No need to raise any alarms to our presence. Once we find him, we will attempt to get back here and use the tunnel out."

"Where do we start?" Thulaeth said.

Dayne thought for a moment, then stated. "We'll stick to this level first, search every room. We are looking for any information that will lead us to that mage." They moved towards the door and he peeked out, the same as his Inspector did. "Thu, I'm going to need your abilities on point. Look for traps or sigils."

Thulaeth nodded. "I will."

"If it's worth trapping, it's worth hiding. Maarko you take up the rear, yeah?"

He smacked Dayne's arm. "Wait! You want me to what?"

"Not now, Maarko." He shook his head. "I said take up the rear, stay behind us!" Now was not the time for Maarko to joke.

"Oh, I thought you said something else." He laughed, but Dayne didn't find it amusing. "Yeah, let's go. I'm not getting any younger." The old drow commented.

The team moved into the dimly lit stone hall. Their shadows danced on the walls from the burning wall sconces. The bitter stench of soot and mold pinched their noses. Each footfall was deliberate and silent, as they had been trained while they crept their way down the corridor. The first room they came to had no light from under the door, so Dayne tested the knob. It opened, revealing a storage room filled with wooden crates stacked in the corner. The telltale sounds of mice skittering across the floor proved they were the only living soul there. "Nothing, let's keep moving."

Lucky for them, the hall was simple in design. Straight walls with no blind spots that a wayward guard could pop out at them. Thulaeth continued to scan the floor and walls for any signs of traps, but none were found. This was an access corridor for staff, so the likelihood of trouble was minimal. Each door they checked proved a vacant room behind it. Most contained straw mattresses, empty wine barrels, or crates labeled as food.

"You think they are hiding him a room upstairs?" Maarko asked Dayne who shook his head.

"No, I don't think they would want to risk him sneaking out again and causing a scene at the party." They rounded a corner and noticed a couple of wooden barrels blocking a stairwell that led down. A yellow sign was posted in both elvish and common tongue. "NO ADMITTANCE" in brilliant red lettering.

"Well, if I was going to hide something, it would be behind a sign that said that." Maarko's dry humor poked through the obvious.

"Thu, you picking anything up?" Dayne asked.

The young drow closed his eyes, attempting to sense any magic in the area. It would usually start with a tingle and grow to a crescendo if it were strong. "I'm getting nothing but silence."