The rapier slashed, grazing the guard's shoulder, and as the soldier turned to protect himself from this new threat, Pharaun fired his crossbow, striking true. The soldier grunted in surprise and pain as the bolt took him in the shoulder of his weapon arm. He dropped his long sword and staggered backward, eyeing the rapier as it flitted about in front of him. Pharaun reloaded the crossbow and was taking aim when Valas stepped from a shadow and finished the guard from behind. Eyes wide, the drow gasped and tried to say something, seemed confused that his words wouldn't form, then died, sliding to the floor as the scout freed his kukri from its victim.

«I assume that's you, wizard? What's the point of being invisible if you're going to glow all purple like that?»

«I'm glad to see you wound up on the right side of things,» Pharaun said, then staggered as another rumble shook the building. «By the Dark Mother, what is going on out there?» he said, steadying himself from the aftershocks.

«Whatever it is, I don't know if it's better to be out there or in here,» Valas replied, wiping his curved dagger clean on the dead draw's piwafwi. «We've got to get out of here.»

Pharaun nodded, forgetting that the scout couldn't see him, then he said, «I agree» before turning to see how Ryld had fared.

The warrior was facing only a single opponent, stepping warily around the slick pools of blood as he feinted a few times. His ploys weren't terribly effective, and he was gasping for breath. His close-cropped white hair was matted red with blood.

Valas crept forward, ready to get in another attack from behind the moment an opportunity presented itself, so the mage turned his attention back to his magical wall, confident his two companions had the situation well in hand.

On the other side of the barrier, several of the drow wizards were levitating, testing to see if Pharaun had left any gaps along the ceiling. Another wizard was obviously casting, trying to find something that would dispel the effect. Soldiers stood at the ready, fingering their weapons and eyeing Pharaun and his two companions balefully. Pharaun knew by sense that the magical partition still held, but it would only be a matter of time before their enemies would find the right combination of magic to bring it down.

At that moment, Pharaun noted the smoke on the far side of the room. It was where the matron mothers had been, but they were no longer there.

Of course not, the mage thought sardonically. They're not going to come out until they know we're in custody again.

The smoke, however, was thick and black and seemed to be pouring into the room through a hole in the wall. He could see flames licking the stone, and he realized what was going on.

«We've definitely got to get out of here,» the mage said to Valas.

«That's what I said,» Valas replied, «but you seem to have sealed us in here.»

Ryld had dispatched his final adversary and sank down to one knee, trying to regain his breath.

«Hello, Pharaun. It's good to 'see' you. You two aren't going to walk through walls again, are you?» Ryld asked, heaving himself to his feet again.

On the other side of the barrier, some of the House Melarn delegation had lost interest in them, turning and pointing back at the smoke or running toward it. «Whatever was happening in the obscured side of the audience chamber, they were very agitated.

«Alas,» Pharaun answered the warrior, «I have exhausted my quota of wall-walking for the day. I'll have to rely on more conventional means of egress, I'm afraid. Still, we shouldn't tarry. That smoke is from the same stuff we had to deal with during the insurrection back in Menzoberranzan.»

«The fire bombs that burned the very stone?» Valas asked.

«Then that means. .» Ryld added.

«Precisely. We may be contending with associates of Syrzan, or others, who are inciting the populace to riot and arming them with the same tools of destruction.»

«I thought you said the alhoon was operating alone, an outcast from its own kind,» Ryld said, turning in circles and analyzing every nook and cranny of the corner of the room.

«I did,» Pharaun admitted. «In my conversation with the thing during our captivity, it claimed that very thing. Perhaps whoever supplied it or its minions with the alchemical incendiary jugs is serving multiple fronts.»

«Regardless of who's doing it, we know how grave the situation is,» Valas said. «We need to get out of the city.»

«Again, I agree,» Pharaun said. «I suggest we make a run for it once I lower the barrier.»

«Into that mob?» Ryld countered. «We should try to find another way out.»

«But that's the quickest way to the streets. We don't know our way around in here, and House Melarn could be an inferno before long.»

«Look,» Ryld argued, «you may be feeling fine, but I can't take another stand-up fight right now.» He gestured at his own bloody form. «There's got to be other ways out of this House. Let's go find one.» The warrior gestured toward a door in the corner and added, «Leave your barrier up and let's go.»

Valas nodded and said, «Ryld is right. We can't fight through all of them. Let's try another route.»

«Very well,» Pharaun sighed, «but if the House falls down around our ears, I will personally blame both of you.»

He gestured toward the door, inviting Valas to lead the way.

For the first few minutes, the halls of House Melarn were remarkably empty as Ryld, Pharaun, and Valas limped their way through them. Occasionally, the trio heard running footsteps in the twisting, winding passages that threaded their way through the massive structure, but they were able to avoid confrontations by cither taking a detour or momentarily hiding. It appeared to the Master of Melee-Magthere that most of the inhabitants were focusing their attention outside, where the bulk of the fighting was taking place.

As they reached an intersection, Valas held up his hand for a halt, and the scout slunk off in one direction, investigating the route ahead. Ryld and Pharaun pressed themselves against the wall, trying to remain out of sight. The wizard was no longer invisible, nor was he glowing with that annoying, flickering purple hue. Ryld had taken care of that with a pass of his enchanted blade. The warrior could see that his companion's skin was blistered, and he imagined that Pharaun was in considerable pain. His own wounds troubled him only when he thought about them.

Don't you have some son of magic that can help us locate an exit? Ryld flashed to the wizard as they waited.

Pharaun shook his head.

Such spells exist, but I don't know them, he silently replied. Without knowing the way, we could be down here forever. This is a fool's errand, Ryld.

Then perhaps we should just follow the soldiers. They can unwittingly lead us out of here.

Pharaun waved away the warrior's suggestion, though whether it was in exasperation or acceptance, Ryld wasn't sure.

The risk of discovery or disaster is greater if we do that.

Ryld shrugged but gave no other reply. Instead, he turned to Watch for Valas's return.

Why do I bother arguing? the weapons master thought as his listened for telltale sounds. He's already made up his mind.

Valas returned at that moment, gesturing for them to follow him. Together, they crept forward into a new corridor, and Valas pointed to a doorway on the opposite side.

That's a kitchen, he signaled, and beyond it is a pantry. On the other side, here — the scout pointed to a door near the trio—is a mess hall. I think we're in the barracks section.

Well, that's not a good place to be, Pharaun gestured. We want to avoid the guards, not come bunk with them.

Valas gave Pharaun a baleful look and motioned for the other two to follow him. Ithink there's a stairwell leading up just past this area, he flashed as he led the way through the passage.

Ryld thought they might actually get lucky and get through the guards' quarters unnoticed, but as they neared the opposite end of the passageway that bisected the barracks and the mess, they heard the approach of a large contingent from ahead of them. As one, the three drow turned to scamper back in the other direction, but at that moment several House Zauvirr soldiers appeared at the other end. They were pinned between the two forces.

«Damn!» Pharaun growled as he reached inside his piwafwi. «Hold them off while I see what I can do.»

Nodding, Ryld slipped Splitter free and approached the group coming from where Valas had indicated stairs.

If we can cut through them, the warrior reasoned, at least we can continue the way we want to go.

The soldiers, numbering four, gave a shout of warning and unsheathed their weapons.

«Come on, you son of a drider,» one of them snarled, stepping in with a long sword and a short sword together, one in each hand.

The other three fanned out, looking for a chance to flank the burly intruder. Ryld kept his blade level and loose, waiting and watching, shifting from foot to foot in hopes of preventing any of his foes from getting past him and to his back, or reaching Pharaun. He worried that his hands, still covered with drying blood, would be too slick to wield his blade properly.

The first opponent stepped in, slashing with his short sword up high, then bringing his long sword through in a sweep across Ryld's midsection. The weapons master ducked below the first slice and parried the lower blow with Splitter.

Try that again, and I'll have you down to two short swords, Ryld thought, watching to see if the other drow would fall into a pattern.

To his left, another of the soldiers was trying to scoot along the wall, obviously hoping he could squeeze past Ryld, but the Master of Melee-Magthere was keeping them all in his line of sight. He made a quick slash to the side, causing the soldier to flinch back. Ryld bounced back to the middle of the corridor, still watching the drow with two blades. The other two drow, both on Ryld's right, were waiting and watching.

Fine with me, Ryld thought, keeping his main attention on the one in front of him.

The drow changed tactics this time, stepping in with the long sword leading, and proceeded through a flurry of blows with only that weapon, watching how Ryld blocked them. When Ryld swung through a parry and counterattacked, the other warrior was ready, deflecting the stroke with the short sword. Unfortunately, the engagement allowed the drow on Ryld's left to finally shoot past him.

«Pharaun!» Ryld called, «watch out!»

He stepped away from the center of the hallway, angling backward to keep his opponents in his sight, and the weapons master could hear cries of pain and terror behind him. He hoped it was the other group of drow, and not his two companions. The male with two swords pressed in again, and this time Ryld was ready for him. When the first swipe from the short sword passed high, Ryld knew that the long sword would follow low. This time when the stroke approached Ryld cut sharply with his own blade, neatly slicing the long sword in half. The broken end skittered away with a clatter.