Survival: Visage of Shadow, #1

By David L. Papp

Kyr'sta is a new born dark elf, the newest daughter of the matron mother of the third ranked house in the underground city of Ia'Ktanthul.  The infant's physical appearance is such that it sparks the rebirth of an ancient and nearly forgotten legend that a female dark elf might someday be blessed with the visage of the Shadow Goddess.  Taken to the extreme, that blessing would hold that the family house had been given the favor of the goddess and might rise to elite status under the deity's protection.  Kyr'sta embodies those attributes; hair of shining white brilliance with perfect skin of the deepest ebony that in contrast makes her seem a shadow.  Now, the decisions the matron and those around her make could initiate a ripple of untold magnitude through the entire society.  The arrival of the Visage of the Shadow Goddess may throw the politics of the dark elves into a spiral of corruption, deceit, and deception as those of rank make claims to their self-proclaimed rightful places.  It may open a deadly rift that devours those involved and throws them into a desperate bid for survival.  You can never assume the will of a goddess and certainly never underestimate dark elves when position, status, and their own ambitions are on the line.  The fate of many just may hang in the balance and rest on the shoulders of one innocent girl.

• Language: English
• Publisher: David L. Papp
• Release date: Sep 28, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393124757

Book preview

Visage of Shadow

A Dark Elf Saga

Volume 1: Survival

By David L. Papp

Other works by David L. Papp:

Here Lie Dragons:

A Collection of Fantasy Short Stories

ISBN: 9781386675594

UBL: https://books2read.com/u/bOA9gQ

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Text copyright © 2019 David L. Papp

All Rights Reserved

Contents:

Prologue

Chapter 1: The Start of Something

A note on The Visage

Chapter 2: The Guardian

A note on Collected Knowledge

Chapter 3: Tag-along

A note concerning those Magnificent Beasts

Chapter 4: Expectations

A note on Extradimensional Spaces

Chapter 5: This is a Test

A note on Ruling Matrons

Chapter 6: Two Please, To Please

A note on races of the deep

Chapter 7: Of Might and Magic

A note on Professions

Chapter 8: Decisions Made

A note on Tests and Trials

Chapter 9: Falling Down

A note on The War

Chapter 10: Keeping It Pristine

A note on The Visage

Chapter 11: Testing the Limits

A note on Attire

Chapter 12: A Torturous Existence

A note on the Routine Magic

Chapter 13: Uncovering More

A note on Torture

Chapter 14: The Matron’s Meeting

A note on Matron Power

Chapter 15: Before the Hunt

A note on the Hunt

Chapter 16: Cavernous Beginnings

A note on The Great Cavern

Chapter 17: The Route Less Taken

A note on The Grotto

Chapter 18: Into the City

A note on the City Guard

Chapter 19: Mercenary Types

A note on Mercenaries

Chapter 20: Mercs. Hunters, & Handmaidens, Oh My

A note on the Tunnels

Chapter 21: Finding the Path

A note on Thief Holes

Chapter 22: The Mage Hunt

A note on Magic Users

Chapter 23: Mercenaries and the Search

A note on Dwarves

Chapter 24: Mercenary Service

A note on Libraries

Chapter 25: It’s A-Mazing

A note on Mazes

Chapter 26: Hunting for Information

A note on Disabilities

Chapter 27: When a Body Meets a Body

A note on Gnomeopathic Tendencies

Chapter 28: From One Point to Another

A note on the Emotion of Fear

Chapter 29: Meeting on The Mountain

A note on the Unknown

Epilogue?

Prologue

In a time when the world yearned for a hero...a child was born.

THE HISTORY LESSON from a time before the present:

They turned from the light.

That was the explanation passed down through the five millennia since the Great Sundering.  There was once a time when all the elves of the world were united as one.  They were simply called elves and existed as one people.  Then factions of differing opinions began to stir.  Those opinions on belief and priorities one should take in life were fostered by ever encroaching deities.  Those gods had discovered new minds to mold and found they grew stronger with worship.  As the deities’ influences grew, the divide between factions increased.

There had already been different professions among the elves as with other societies in other races of the world.  There were nobles who ruled, soldiers who kept the peace, priests who maintained the health of the populace, and magic users who provided support to the others beyond physical processes.  Each profession also had sub professions and specialties.  Soldiers had scouts, archers, duelists, cavalry and such.  Magic users had specialists in the different schools of magic such as divination or illusion.  Then there were common trade folk who provided necessary resources for the good of the entire society.

As the deities took interest and became well known, each profession began to choose one to follow as it pertained to their life work.  Scouts would lean toward a shadow deity for silence and stealth.  Priestesses would favor a benevolent deity to increase healing.  But there were also factions among the deities whose intentions leaned toward good, evil, or somewhere in between, depending on your point of view.  There were no definite lines and the notion of whether someone or something was good or evil was relative.

The faction that became known as dark elves began to break away first.  Calling themselves Dulonar, their interests were shadow, stealth, and the darker arts that raised their sense of superiority over all others.  In the beginning they were ignored as simply misguided.  Their interests and beliefs were in opposition to the society, yet mirrored their structure.  The elves began to treat them as outcasts and that only increased their distain and ever-growing hatred for others and provided motivation to become independent and self-serving.

The major faction that stayed in the light were known as Elondar, the fae elves.  As with the Dulonar there were other factions that broke away from the more populace Elondar to follow their own beliefs and way of life.  While the Elondar lived in cities within the vast forests, there were elves that wished to follow a path even closer to nature.  These were the wild elves, also known as Kelonai, more barbaric and savage than all others.  They rejected any modern civilization or conveniences.

Other factions of lesser renown that broke from the major Elondar were the sky elves who prefer the higher elevations near tops of mountains, the frost elves who migrated to the cold tundra regions, and the sun elves who roam the deserts and hotter regions.  All these factions maintained a relatively civil relationship with the Elondar and each other through diplomacy and trade.  The Dulonar took a different path as their narcissism grew and their deities influenced their decisions toward greed and power.  They retreated to the dark places in tunnels and caverns where they could strengthen their beliefs and gather their power within their own separate society.

Contact between the elves and other races of the world had been scarce.  They were wary of each other as societies with differences would be.  Trails, then roads, made by human travelers and merchants would skirt around the forests inhabited by the elves.  There weren't conflicts, but tales of terrifying devilish creatures spread among humans from those who got a glimpse of the elves and their sharp features and pointed ears.  The elves in turn mistrusted the humans, as they were viewed as destructive to nature, greedy, selfish, and prone to anger and fighting, before diplomacy.

The opinion of humans carried over to the Dulonar who viewed humans as lesser than other races, perhaps save the dwarves.  They began to plot ambushes against those humans who traveled too close to elven lands.  They started small raids on nearby human settlements, first to steal, then eventually to destroy.  The humans fought back and the Dulonar invited the challenge, finding easy prey and an innate blood lust that would fuel their hatred even further toward the lesser races.

The Elondar were angered by the attacks and breach of unspoken agreement of sovereign territories.  The cause was obvious and undeniable; their own misguided faction of elves.  They tried to send envoys to the humans to explain, but were rebuffed with suspicion and mistrust.  The Elondar took to watching the trails and protecting any travelers that came near their forest lands.  Eventually travelers took notice, first that they were being watched, then that they were being protected, after a few skirmishes.  Word got out that there were separate clans of elves, most friendly, but some hostile.  Though humans remained suspicious and wary of all.

As fighting between the Elondar and Dulonar escalated from simple protection and deflecting the attacks on humans to Dulonar attacks on Elondar patrols, all out fighting and killing between the two elven factions became a war.  The Great Sundering was complete as the Dulonar retreated farther underground with each battle until they were secure from any Elondar intervention in their affairs.  The fighting and escalation of forces, and security among the Elondar changed the way they interacted with others.  The change in philosophy pushed the other factions out to form their own clans.

Over the succeeding millennia, the Dulonar searched the underground, formed their own society, split apart to form different cities within the giant caverns, fought amongst themselves as greed and power overtook them, and settled into a culture of their own.  They still raided the surface world through tunnels and caves, fought their hated rivals from above, and took slaves to serve their basest needs.  The deities they worshiped took their souls further into corruption and darkness, turning their skin just as dark in reflection.  From that point on they were known as dark elves, with piercing red eyes and pale white hair from ages evolving underground.

THE CITY OF IA'KTANTHUL, typical of dark elf cities sprawling through an immense underground cavern, grew from families in the matriarchal society, coordinating to build a stronghold.  Eventually, power struggles caused infighting and each family competed for rule.  As a formality, there was a counsel of matrons from each family house to run the city, but the strongest house or houses ruled with might and sheer strength of force.  Minor houses sprang up, but the ruling houses were those that could crush their opponents with force or magic.  Others survived through tributes or services.  As with all dark elven cities, corruption and dirty dealings were rampant.  Trust was nearly non-existent.  Rank and prestige were everything.

The one shining star was the Dulonar Academy.  The only place among the entire race that held anything near neutrality.  In a cavern separate from the city stood the Academy, a school for the young dark elves to learn of their heritage and plan their individual futures.  Away from the politics of the city, the young would spend decades in study, learning about their race and their place within.  Training and tests based on interest and aptitude placed each elf upon their life path, one they would follow, whether it be magic, faith, swordsmanship, or any subclasses within each sphere.  The students would return to their families upon their fiftieth birthdays to take their place in society.  Most would apprentice and further hone their skills while others such as those born to royalty within the higher-ranking houses would serve in lower leadership roles.  Those especially gifted would specialize in their art to place in unique positions.

THE LIVES OF THE DARK elves offered no real respite from their self-imposed seclusion.  Some raiding parties were occasionally sent out from the city, to either scout and pillage settlements on the surface or harass their underground enemies, the deep dwarves.  Other Dulonar cities survived, but were at great distances, and only those with a death wish, or the hardiest of merchants with hired mercenaries took on those treks between cities.  The underground was sometimes hazardous and most unforgiving.  Few maps exist to show all of the myriad tunnels and passages through the deep. 

Aside from the creatures living within the tunnels and caverns, and other deadly humanoid races, the dark elves survived, and even prospered.  Nobles busied themselves with their own individual pursuits.  Those of lower ranks attempted to climb the social and political ladders to gain rank and prominence.  Many outside the higher ranks made life a game of survival as best they could.  The world was a harsh and dangerous place where it was everyone for themselves and few alliances lasted very long.  The political interweaving of deceit and deception was ingrained within all, even in the simplest relationships.  Survival meant gain, which meant putting oneself first above all. 

Religion.  Faith in the goddess.  That was a slippery slope to traverse when dealing with dark elves.  Other cities worshiped the Goddess of Spiders, or even the High Goddess representing power.  Most houses in Ia’Ktanthul worshiped the Goddess of Shadow, especially the ranking houses.  The goddess was aloof as one who guides and directs those existing within the embrace of shadow would.  She very rarely, if ever, appeared in the flesh or even as an apparition or vision.  One of beauty, with skin of the blackest black and long, brilliant white hair, the contrast making her form nearly imperceptible to the eye.  She doled out her blessings and punishments from the corner of one’s eye, in the fleeting moments between notice and not.

Many decades ago the shadow goddess made her presence known after an altercation with one of the ranking houses who decided to shun her in favor of the spider goddess.  All bioluminescence in the city was extinguished suddenly.  Members of that house were stricken night blind as their natural dark vision was taken.  Manual light sources had to be used until the matron appeased the goddess, recanting her subservience to the opposing deity.  Natural light restored in the city, but that house was besieged with an arachnid outbreak as the newly offended goddess took revenge. 

History shows that house fell from favor and also in rank.  It exists still, as a lower tier house. A threat to no one, and only an oddity to any wishing to view the apparent flux between shadow and arachnid influences.  Researchers use it as a testing ground for attaining knowledge into the religions and how deities interact, both amongst themselves and with the Dulonar.  Little progress has been made in determining the whims of any goddess, except they are vain and require worship.  Dulonar may admit that, as the females of the race are the same, but only in worthy comparison to a goddess.

WHO CAN COMPARE TO a goddess?  In appearance, none has come close.  If one should be naturally born with the gift, surely blessed by the goddess herself, they would hold a prominent position.  There is no doubt there would be jealousy and hatred from those not in possession of the gift.  Wars have been fought over less. 

There have certainly been beautiful dark elves.  Darkness holds its own beauty.  Contrast shows it fully.  To compare oneself to a goddess might be heresy if not deemed perfection.  The power to be gained by just the insinuation of the gift is enough for some to try with illusion.  Of course, magic can be countered.  It may be why the females of some higher-ranking houses take on many suiters of acceptable value to attempt a natural formation of the gift.  To be blessed in such a way meant power and survival.

A female blessed with the visage of the Shadow Goddess to appear in the flesh may send shockwaves through the dark elven society.  If handled correctly, that visage might hold absolute power. 

Absolutely.

Chapter 1:

The Start of Something

Within the castle molded from the very earth, shaped out of the rock and stone, bells chimed once again on the hour.  It was the third and final day of the chimes that heralded the birth of a daughter and newest member of House Aandears, the third ranking house in the dark elf city of Ia’Ktanthul.  With this, the matron mother added another to her line of succession.  As was custom among the dark elves, the chimes were more elaborate and melodious for female births than for males.  Females being of higher rank and importance, especially a blood heir to the house, it should be time for celebration. 

Another daughter of the house stood in a small cluster of rooms.  Dexivex put on a set of armor she'd procured the day before.  The young dark elf’s rooms were filled with odds and ends that she'd picked up simply because they weren't nailed down.  Not a thief, she was in her own words, a collector.  As she saw it, that thing just sitting there has some value to somebody, somewhere, and might be useful for something, sometime.  It didn't hurt to be prepared, or supplied.  Dexi was also the very curious type.  It was that trait that brought her to this moment.

Something was odd about this birth.  It was heralded, but information was scarce, except that the infant was a girl.  That was it.  Dexi's own birth, seventy-two years earlier, was heralded though not celebrated since she was a half breed and not full-blooded dark elf.  But she was a daughter of the house and still an heir, if only lower down the list...much lower.  Even though she wasn't on the best terms with her siblings, she was still part of the inner circle, and information even from within was scarce.  Maybe it was another half breed birth, but at any rate her mind was on investigation.

The set of armor she was putting on belonged to a guard assigned to the matron's suite.  The unfortunate male had accidentally taken a tumble down a spiral stairwell right in front of Dexi just when nobody happened to be looking.  He had some serious injuries, and luckily, she was on hand to assist in his transport to the healers.  Then she managed to end up with his credentials and armor.  Now, she squeezed into the chest plate, all the while wondering how in the world anyone, especially a house guard, could be smaller than she.  Due to her slight lack of height, she picked him because he was shorter than the rest, but now as the fasteners for the chest plate threatened to squeeze the life out of her, she thought he should have had the courtesy to have been bulkier, at least in the pectoral area. 

Pulling the helm over her head, she fastened the face mask that protected and hid her lower face from below the eyes.  It would keep her features hidden unless anyone cared to look closer.  One last glance in the mirror and a tuck of her long pony tail up under the helm and she was ready.  A smile played along her lips as she thought about how seriously crazy this plan was.  What was the worst that could happen?  She could get caught and punished.  Sneaking into the matron's chambers to find out about the newest heir, a secret kept by the matron herself, was nearly unthinkable.  The punishment might be harsh, even death.  Her position might help slightly, not that she really wanted to get caught, but it was the challenge that was the adventure.

Taking a relatively constricted deep breath and she was off.  With a short sword sheathed on her belt, she quietly exited her rooms.  Checking the corridor, she made her way in the direction of the matron's chambers. There would be guards posted along the route as she got closer, but the insignia on her armor should get her past their posts.  She knew of some females that served, but they were in ranking positions, not common guards.  If they recognized her gender then the plan might end right then, and if caught, an investigation into her intentions.  But no need to dwell on the what ifs now.  Still, she tried to walk like a male, deliberate steps and arm motions.

Passing some other dark elves of the house, she held her breath and hoped not to be approached or intercepted for some other detail or duty the guards might be required, or even requested, to perform.  Feeling like all eyes were on her, she had to just act like she belonged doing what she was doing.  The guards at the entrance to the matron's suite delayed her only long enough for a cursory glance at her credentials and an examination of her weapons.  Luckily, she'd only brought along the guard’s borrowed short sword and happened to remember to fasten the securing cord across the cross guard that showed she wasn't an immediate threat.  She was waved past without issue.

Down the first corridor she passed another set of guards.  She even stopped and stood at attention as the high priestess walked by, but luckily the eldest daughter of the house couldn't be bothered to even acknowledge a lowly guard.  Being the first heir, the high priestess was well aware of the line of succession for any threats from those ranks, and knew her half breed younger sister, if not intimately then at least by sight and reputation.  But luckily the high priestess ignored her and went along her way.

A little further along Dexi found a small alcove.  She stood there a while as if she were posted in that spot.  Finally, a group of guards came by on their way to relieve others further in.  Dexi stepped in right behind them until they reached the matron's personal quarters.  The first set of guards were relieved, then the next.  The last stopped at a secluded archway with two guards at the door.  Those last two guards were relieved, which left Dexi standing there facing the two new replacements.

I'm to be posted within, she said, trying to make her voice deeper like a male's, then went inside before they could think about it and stop her.  She had no idea what was on the other side of the door, but hoped guards were either allowed or those two weren't experienced enough to know that.  They wouldn’t dare enter the matron’s personal space and would assume nobody else would unless ordered to.  Again, act like you belong, she told herself.

Inside was actually a set of rooms and Dexi realized it was the matron's birthing chamber.  This was what she was looking for, but didn't think she would just stumble upon it and make the search so easy.  It was a bit of a letdown, cutting her adventure so short, although she was excited to have found it.  The rooms were dark, cut or molded from the very stone like the rest of the castle.  The first, larger room held a big bath, and beyond that a second, smaller room looked like a nursery where a minor priestess who served as the matron’s handmaiden fussed over something in an oversized bassinet.  That must be the newborn.  Dexi stepped in a few feet behind the priestess.  This was it.

In a room adjacent reclined the matron of House Aandears recovering from the ordeal of labor.  Dexi only noticed her at the last moment because she was so focused on the infant.  In a natural movement she let her hand rest on the handle of the short sword with her fingertips touching the security cord attached even though she had no intent to fight.  Moving slowly toward the bassinet, she stopped for an instant when the matron looked up, obviously interested in the guard.  The priestess turned and jumped, startled, not expecting a fully armored soldier right there.  Before Dexi could react, the matron was right at her side holding up a hand to the priestess.

You will remain silent, the matron said, with a finger out to the priestess who glanced between her and the newcomer, and now unable to make a sound.

Dexi was unsure what to do next.  She hadn't thought this far and didn't expect to come face to face with the matron of the house.  Her knees felt unstable, but she refused to show that weakness.

That armor looks uncomfortable, the matron said, coolly, giving her a glance up and down.  That set is made for a male, you know.

Dexi pulled the face plate away, then unhooked the chest plate with a relieved sigh, letting it fall to the floor.  She rubbed her linen shirt covered chest where the tight armor had crushed her breasts.  How did you know it was me?

I know my daughters, the matron said, simply.

Dexi looked over to the bassinette as the priestess took a step back, now knowing this was a daughter of the house.  Dexi indicated the baby.  Is that IT?

That is your sister.  I call her, Kyr’sta.

Sorry, mother, she said, stepping closer and lowering her head to get a better look at the infant.  She's...strange.

How so? the matron asked, ignoring the pronoun and knowing full well the answer, but wanting to see how observant this one was.

The color, Dexi said, turning back to the woman.  So dark.  A black like nothing I've ever seen.  It's hard to focus on.

And?  The matron waited for realization.

Dexi looked again.  Hair is very white, like it's shimmering.

The matron held a pause as her daughter, a half breed from a rendezvous with a captured fae elf noble, took in the information.  When the young elf wasn't picking up any clues, the matron touched the necklace she wore bearing the symbol of the shadow goddess.

Dexi noticed the gesture.  Her eyes grew wide.  The description of the Goddess!  Tresses of brilliant white against skin of infinite darkness!

The older woman smiled.  She is not the goddess in the flesh, but a visage of her divine presence.  We are uniquely blessed.

Dexi turned, excited.  Why does nobody know?  This changes everything for us?

It shows our favor with the goddess.  Not so with the other houses or nobles.  The woman stepped closer to the infant and gazed down at her.  I must keep her close to me in all ways...protected.  Very few know of this and that is how it will remain until the time is right.

There was always tension between the ranking houses of Ia'Ktanthul.  The time may never be right for such a revelation unless a political card needed to be played.  It wasn't common for newborns to be paraded out for all to see, so keeping the infant in seclusion, especially in the matron's quarters, would raise no real suspicions.

Dexivex took a nervous step back toward the door.  Now she knew she'd intruded on something that was to be kept highly secret.  The disappearance of a half breed like herself even as a daughter of the matron could be overlooked.  There were plenty of full-blooded daughters, so she was nowhere near the top of the hierarchy.  The matron made a gesture with her hand, and the handmaiden priestess could make sounds again. 

The matron looked from Dexi to the priestess.  We have an intruder.  Call the guards.

Yes, ma'am, the priestess said, and hurried to the door.  Even though she’d heard the conversation and knew of the relationship, she still did the matron’s bidding without question.

The matron pointed to the breastplate on the floor and motioned for Dexi to take it and leave.  This was going to be her punishment for being where she shouldn't be.  The matron was famous for dealing out lessons rather than straight punishment.  It was also a test to see how well her daughter could use her wits and training.  Although if she were caught and brought before the matron again, the punishment would serve as an example to all and would probably be severe and none too private.

Dexi scooped up the armor and quickly went for the exit.  On the other side of the door she heard the priestess frantically telling the guard about an intruder.  The guards posted there turned for the door, expecting to find their counterpart that passed them earlier, the obvious intruder.  What they found emerging from the darkness was another female.  Dexi gave them an ashamed grin and held the breastplate up to her chest as she tried to pull closed the face guard.  The two guards grabbed her to take her to the unit leader for an explanation for being in the matron's restricted rooms, then to be held for punishment. 

The capture was far too easy.

Dexi's fight or flight instinct kicked in.  As the two guards held her, one on each side, she leapt up.  Since they had her in their grasp she kicked simultaneously into the sides of their knees.  Dropping her as they felt the jarring pain, she hit one in the face with the breastplate and kicked back, catching the other square in the throat as he went down.

I'm awfully sorry guys, but you really shouldn't grab a girl like that, she commented, as she took a moment to fasten the armor onto her body.  The priestess had run down the corridor and would probably alert more guards along the way.  Dexi wanted to at least look like a guard again to hopefully give an instant or two of initiative.

Two more well placed kicks to ensure the guards stayed down and she made her way back out of the matron's area.  An alarm was raised by the time she got to the guard post, but she acted as if she knew the intruder was still back in that area and directed them that way.  Again, acting as if she belonged, she directed more guards as they came running.  Finally, she was past all the guard posts.  Ducking into an alcove, she removed all the armor and let out a sigh as she could breathe again, free from the chest compressing metal.  It was one of the few times she cursed having larger than normal measurements in that area compared to regular dark elf females.

Darting down the corridor in just her linen shirt and breaches, she headed for a stairwell to the kitchens where she could blend in better until the search was called off.  As she mingled among the slaves and servants, more than once she was yelled at, being mistaken for one.  Her light ebony complexion with a faint bluish tint showed she wasn’t full dark elf, helping her pass.  Just wanting to blend in, she took up whatever task they wanted, for a minute, then move along to the next room.  Enjoying the adventure, she made a game of it, blending in, hiding, and sneaking from place to place until she was past all the hazards in the way. 

The guards were still on alert to someone who fit her description.  The alert was serious as they tied together the assault of the first guard the previous day, finding his stolen equipment, the break-in of the matron's chambers and assault of the two guards there.  The matron gave no feedback and offered no identification of the culprit, and the guards didn’t press her, leaving the details of the encounter to the handmaiden priestess.  The matron also offered no protection to her daughter, as the girl could deal with the consequences of her own actions.  Dexi knew that and didn't rely on help from her mother.  It was now between her and the guards, and being a half breed, lower ranking daughter of the house wouldn't help much if she tried to use rank and position as leverage.

Making her way back to her quarters, she found the going suspiciously easy.  Cautiously entering, she stood silently for a moment after letting the door slowly click shut.  Expecting to be pounced upon, she let out a held breath, realizing there was nobody there to haul her away - yet.  An uneasy feeling crept along her spine.  She quickly changed into her soft leathers, grabbed a couple daggers and headed out, bound for a safer haven for the time being.  Not far down the corridor from her rooms she ducked down a stairwell as a group of guards appeared in the hall and seemed to be headed for her quarters.

That was fast, she thought, even though she expected them to be on her heels from the start.  Homing in on exactly who she was so fast led her to believe they were tipped off to her exact identity, she assumed eventually by the handmaiden priestess since she’d heard the entire conversation with the matron.  But still, it took the guards some time to narrow down exactly which daughter they needed to detain.  Accusing the wrong one could cause them far too much trouble.  Now Dexi took to the stairs again, knowing they led down to the cellars.  From there she could take a number of routes to get around the castle.  What she wanted to do was hide, but it would probably be easier outside the confines of the house where she wouldn’t be easily recognized and caught.  As she descended the stairs, her mind raced with plans.  Each ended with an escape into the city.

Nearing what she thought was the bottom of the stairwell, she heard boots on stone and guessed the guards were on their way up to cut off all routes.  She turned and headed back up.  Into the corridor, she quickly turned away from her rooms to get away from the guards already at her door.  One saw her as a few emerged from the stairwell she'd just come from.  They noticed her and gave chase.  She casually turned as if to act innocent, but they weren't going to fall for it, not when the matron was involved.  They'd hold anyone until they were cleared.  As she realized that, the three guards slowed to warily approach.

Beyond the three, Dexi could see the others at her door begin to head her way to assist.  Come on guys, let's not get carried away, she said sweetly, turning her head to make eye contact with each.  Her long ponytail brushed across her back as she did so.

I suppose you won't consider a trade? she asked, but got no reaction.  No?  Then how about a show of skill?

The quick glance the guards gave each other was the slight pause she needed as she launched herself to the nearest wall, stepped up a few feet, then used the leverage to spring backward and bowl into two of the three.  When they all tumbled to the floor, she rolled and leapt up again against the opposite wall, but twisted to kick out against the third guard.  He got close and reached out as her heel connected with his head.  His fingers wrapped themselves in the long strands of her ponytail.  Dexi was abruptly wrenched back by the head.  Quickly, her dagger was out and freed the precious tail with a slash to his wrist and yanked away.  As the remaining guards ran forward, she found her feet and bolted down the corridor while she still had a lead.  She found another stairwell and darted down, taking multiple stairs at a time.

At the next landing she found another corridor, sprinted down it to find the next stairwell to try to lose her pursuers.  At one more landing she found there was no doorway, but stopped to catch her breath.  She put her back to the wall and listened for anyone, but only heard shouts farther off.  Continuing to heading down those stairs she found that luck was on her side as they did indeed lead to where she wanted to be.

The cellars were damp and used for transit of supplies and other items from storage rooms to different areas of the castle.  Corridors led off in an array of confusing directions.  She had spent a lot of time moving about the back passages of the house in the years since graduating from the Academy