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"Lost?" asked a voice who had a soft silk like quality. It was a man, a drow that was eye level with her. His face was gentle, red eyes were knowing and understanding with a hint of mischief in their glittering depths. He was easily identified as one of Vhaeruan's specialty unit by his clothing. The black billowy shirt with black pants and boots and a half mask around his neck. She was now face to face with a Darkmask.

"It's not often we get women visitor's here," he commented, giving her the chance to recover. He smiled and winked at her. "My name is Rizzen and I'll be your tour guide if you like." He flourished a graceful and elegant bow. His demeanor was sincere and his greeting warm and welcoming. Even though he seemingly came from nowhere his actions had no hostilities or motives that she could sense.

Rizzen never missed a thing. Part of his job is to have an eye for detail. She recovered quickly and had the courage to look him in the eye, and what strange eyes they were too. "Well met Alya with the pretty eyes. The offering room is downstairs, you are venturing toward the wizardly quarters." He led her back the way she came and then turned to the right a moment later that looked to be a dead end. But in the corner looked to be a hole and when Rizzen went to it, the closer they were the more she could see the whole looked like stone steps leading down. This is an emergency route. I'll show the regular way later. I believe it's better to know the secret places first, he signed to her. Then he began the downward walk into the darkness. His pace was slow so she may look around if she wished. He started with easy talk. "Must be a transition to switch from one place to the other. I'm sure you'll do fine here. Do expect stares though, women are rare, and with your eyes I'm sure you'll get attention. Beauty always does." He gave a disarming grin and shrugged without a care in the world.

"I'm just more fun than most. The superiors want to make you comfortable, plus I volunteerd." Rizzen replied to her with a chuckle. After a few moments the descended another stairway. From Alya could see, this place was small and just served as nothing more than a passageway. It was more a tunnel than anything.

Rizzen stopped at a small square door at the bottom. "Watch your step." He lifted the latch and moved aside so she could take a look. What she saw was a large chamber with a big black bowl shaped Alter directly underneath her. They were in a room above the offering room, but there was no way down but to jump.

Rizzen winked at her and gave her a salute and lept out of the opening, to land on his feet neatly beside the alter, narrowly missing the bowl by an inch. He looked up at her giving her a ressuring smile to go ahead and jump. She had a feeling he'd catch her if she miscalculated the jump.

She was put down with a smile and a shrug that said it was no big deal, yet oh so fun to oblige. Rizzen wasn't one to verbalize courtesy. Actions in his mind spoke louder than words in his world. He waited by the Alya's side, standing vigilant like a protective guard a few feet a way. His face was carefree and patient. His eyes watched her carefully as she offered the small gift. Offering no sign, physical or verbal of approval.

Alya was left with serene silence as she said her prayer. Her offering sunk into a thick dark liquid and it actually began to melt down as she was praying.

When she was done and rose, her offering had melted away and was being absorbed into the liquidy nexus; when above on a marble pillar a large black sapphire began humming and then slowly pulsated a dark blue nimbus of muted light. Apparently Vhaeraun was amused, even pleased.

When Alya stated she was ready, Rizzen's eyes watched the gem above for a few a few seconds. He looked at her and smiled. "Where would you like to go, do, or may I answer any questions you may have? I am yours until I'm called onto the field." Which could be at any time, but he neglected to say that. A darkmasks life was always on call, so it was unnecessary to say so. But he would assist her as he was able when time permitted it, in that, he was sincere.

Rizzen nodded as she asked each of her questions, a smile on his lips on how she worded herself. He knew she was young but compared to Xull'rae Alya seemed younger though by technical standards she wasn't. There were similarities between the two. Their curiousity made them brazen, but there was an innocense about Alya that he could sense in the short time spent with her. It struck him as odd that he didn't feel the primal urge to protect this more innocent girl compared to what he felt in the moment he met Xull'rae. With that one realization came another; he was missing her and was already setting up Alya as a replacement.

He stopped walking, a brooding expression invaded his smile and killed it. He wasn't going to trap and fool himself into thinking any young thing could replace Red. It was one thing to be helpful and polite but quite a different matter to be caring. He steeled himself and switched directive. Alya was a young woman, new to her surroundngs, and he was her guide by choice that was all.

A silent prayer went out for Xull'rae's well being and safe return.

All this took not even a minute to contemplate before his warm smile returned and her answered Alya. "Sparring can be done anytime. Either here at the Tower's...basement or the city's slave block. There is an arena close by there..I believe you'll need to transport by portal to get there. I'll go find out if you are interested. I recommend that arena because this tower's arena is underground and more brutal. All that go down there, never come back. The basement is technically off limits anway, and the wise fear its name and avoid it."

He began walking again and spoke a command word. The grand double doors opened and the entered a long corridor that went in both directions. (I need to talk to Mike about the layout of the tower, so I may need to edit this at a later date if it proves to be incorrect.) He chose left and continuted to answer her. "I'm taking you to see the Shadow Sorceror. He handles all donations as he runs this church, you'll need to speak with him personally on that subject." The corridor opened up into a wider area. "This is the priests dormintory and lounge." Rizzen stopped so she can look at an area that could pass for an inn's layout with its wide halls and a set of stairs leading up. Along the walls were benches and couches for sitting. There were a few tables and chairs on the central floor to sit larger groups. Only one table was occupied. This was a lounge. There was one door in this whole area, it was closed. The four men that occupied the table all went quiet and stared at Alya. When she was ready, Rizzen continued the straight path forward with a nod to the males. One waved the other three nodded back. "Up those stairs were the dorms and from there more stairs to the higher ranks quarters. That room in the lounge is an office where Alcolytes and messenger's go to recieve help, and other orders of business. "We do have servants quarters further down if you wish to stay here but there is a monthly boarding fee. Otherwise try the Tower's Inn. The Vengeful Weave. It's about a mile from here, almost right outside the darkwoods. It's in the Foreign Quarter, but still in the city proper."

The hallway narrowed again, and after a few minutes Rizzen disappeared as he turned and walked though the wall. Though Alya could clearly hear him as he talked some more. "I recommend the inn because those from the tower are housed at the same rate as here, which means half priced at the inn with MUCH better rooms and baths. It is co owned by a human mage from the surface called Cogliostro and a private investor from our tower, who of course wishes to remain secret until the person returns from their travels." He didn't say anymore about it as she would would figure who it was soon enough, and from there the final test of Loyalty would begin. He beckoned her come in. They were now in a hidden closet. He moved on through the small freight shaft, located within it. Alya knew this was at the far end of the dormitory hall, where the bulk of the living chambers were located. The trip downward brought them almost within direct view of a vast hallway, no apparent doors or chambers near them.

"There is a council room somewhere in this corridor can you find it?" Gentle he was but apparantly as trusting of her as she was of him. His expression matched her own. She was here to learn and her first lesson started now. He could not hold her hand, he was nice enough to do it so far but now it was time to let go.

He was aware of her sheltered life, he too had a moderate lifestyle but they were lucky. Alya would soon find out how lonely and desolate a drow's life could be, but first she had to realize that down here, starting right now, she had only one friend, and that is who she arrived with. She was lucky for that as well, hopefully her surface upbring would let her cherish how precious and fragile relationships were, that it wasn't like her parents. Faith brought her here and would help but it would not be a complete solution to everything.

Alya was embarking on a lonely and hard trail that could break her spirit or make it stronger. Rizzen offered prayer that it would be the latter. He had seen too many die for something so innocent as loving another soul and seen spirits shatter under the harsh realities of society that offers nothing but a bleak and cold exsistence. A person needed guile and wits to live down here. He hoped she would return to the surface if she survived her training here. Her place was there not here.

He already liked her and knew she had promise. His expectation was high and his presence waited. He would not leave her just yet, he wanted to see if she passed first.

All along the walls were irregularties. Each segment of wall she passed had things to press, push, and pull. All were traps except one..this one, was somewhere among the false leads and would lead her to the chamber she sought, but which one was it? There were so many to choose.

From the look inside, there was a massive stand built into the wall in front of her vision, it having two openings. Her step forward, made a clicking noise.

Nothing happened. Apparently it was to activate something from the stand facing the entrance, but somebody disabled it. Inside the room otherwise appeared normal. It looked like an office. It had a large desk and a chair for it. There were also three chairs in the corner, next to a book shelf. Across from that was another door. This was perhaps Pharaun's office she was in.

She took a few more moments to study the room for obvious traps, when she heared chanting coming from outside the room from where she had come. She listened for a few seconds, it sounded like Rizzen's voice. But since he was out there and she was in here it was unlikely he meant her harm.

She took a step forward and her foot sunk down as a piece of the floor slid under the pressure of her weight. It was normal looking but Alya knew instantly it was a trap. From the side wall arrows shot out from a painting and headed directly for her. It was too small of a room to duck and dive. There was no space for such and there were too many arrows, even if she rolled away she still be hit. The only direction was back. Doing that she bumped hard into Rizzen. There was no why out, the arrows would hit. She braced for impact, and watched incrediously as the arows bounced off nothing. She looked at Rizzen wide eyed. He chuckled and motioned his head for her to look around them.

Doing so revealed they were in a globe or aura of soft silver light. This saved them from the arrows somehow.
(I suck at spells actually, so if this is wrong I'll edit it later.)

The spell faded a few seconds later and Rizzen winked at her and said, "Not bad for not being a thief. You passed. The council room is beyond that door. They are waiting for you. Just let me go ahead and disable the rest of the traps." He knelt down and began to do a search. "Stay close, and keep behind me.

It took a good 15 minutes for Rizzen to go through the entire small room and disable everything. When he was done, he moved to the door, spoke one word and pushed it open. "Your company awaits my lady, I must leave you now, but we will meet again. Be on your guard and you will do fine." He bowed, turned, opened a portal a foot away and stepped through it. It closed immediately and he was gone.

All that was left now was Alya and her next decision.....