Episode 1: Atrophy.

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Araia reacted as Valerna had expected, engaging her in a pointless game of cat and mouse, each female fatale sizing each other in a ballet of suspicion. If the surface elf knew anything of Drow elves, she would have noted how unique this one was, especially for a powerful female. In Drow society they are taught that surface elves are the enemy, swine only worth the point of their blades. Yet no thirst for blood lingered within those potent crimson pools of her, in this regard she was progressive.
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Narrowing his eyes Saito noted the tension building between the two, being ignorant of their history he thought little of it, surmising it all as nothing more than a heighten sense of caution. Mitsusawa on the other hand was not blessed with ignorance; she had encountered these dark skinned elves before, thus respecting their power. For they were both skilled in the way of the blade and the arcane arts; perhaps more so than their surface cousins, though she would refrain from stating such idle thoughts, less she cause unnecessary offense. <o:p></o:p>
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The oafish man sighed, wrapping his hairy forearms across his partially exposed chiseled chest; he grew tired of the silence and much like Araia, longed to leave this world of darkness behind him. But before he could speak, Valerna acted first, thus dismantling the silence. "Our tunnels?" She purred, finding the surface elf's words to be amusing. "I am not as arrogant as you may think, nor am I as foolish as my kin to assume dominance over this world. We do not own these tunnels, no more than your kind owns the woods." She replied, a sense of genuine tact reverberated from off her tongue. <o:p></o:p>
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Her words instantly struck Mitsusawa as strange for a Drow, most of her kind were arrogant and evil beast. This one at least seemed more tamed, though she wouldn't overrule the generalization of all Drow being inherently evil by nature. "We care little of your world of light and sky, and prefer the chaotic world of heartless stone. We know of your war with the humans, or soon to be war. To be honest I understand your concerns during such trying times, but fret not fair skinned elf. Your onyx skinned cousins have no interest in meddling, we have our own enemies…I assume they be the same as the beast that captured your male friend."<o:p></o:p>
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Valerna closed her eyes, sighing heavily as her thumb and index finger pinched her forehead. She found the notion of having a male as a friend to be frustrating, she preferred being reclusive, and men, even Drow were a bit too egotistical for her liking. Saito noted her frustration, arching a brow curiously, for this frigid elf didn't seem the type to advertise her feelings so lightly. In an attempt to get back on track, the male stepped forward between the two.<o:p></o:p>
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"You can guide and aid us then?" The male viper dared to question, his words wounding Valerna deeper than he could imagine. Mitsusawa casted her brother a cold stare, as if trying to warn him of the folly of his ways. But the damage had been done, and nothing he could say could undo this fact. "Do you not trust me then viper? Fret not, I am a woman of my word, I assure you no ill will do I harbor toward any of you." Her words seemed sincere enough, yet prejudice prevented Mitsusawa for accepting them as anything else than a flaccid façade. <o:p></o:p>
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Saito found himself at a lost, not fully trusting her nor did he desire to refute her words. For he had no basis to assume ill of this woman, for unlike his sister he was not blinded by prejudice. The Drowess luscious lips morphed, gracing them with a wide grin. "I assume this silence means I have earned some level of trust? Good…" But before she could finish the thought Mitsusawa had intervened, wishing to make something perfectly clear. "We do not trust you; trust is never given, only earned." The Drowess found herself at a loss for words, for as much as she wanted to, Valerna couldn't refute the soundness of her logic.<o:p></o:p>
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"So be it." Valerna replied, turning her back toward this odd group of wanderers. "Shall we be off?" Mitsusawa empty jaded eyes drifted away from the Drowess and into the vast opening that stretched before them. She could still sense the hive, as well as the presence of other signatures…<o:p></o:p>
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"Good news, your friend is alive. At least I think so, for many life signatures inhabit their nest." She'd offer Araia this comforting notion, as she pressed down a slope, making her way northward as the others followed.<o:p></o:p>
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Araia listened carefully to the conversation between the group, remaining quiet herself. Mitsusawa made a good point in her statement about trust and seemed to leave Valerna at a loss for words, which amused Araia for some reason. Nonetheless the negotiation had come to its conclusion and it seemed Valerna would be their guide for the time being. She could respect that the woman was going to be their guide, as the woman had been respectful for the most part to her so far, but she still did not trust the woman. As they walked Valerna offered what Araia assumed were meant to be kind words about Warren, however it did little to ease her concern of him. Warren was a very cleaver and smart individual, but what he had in knowledge he certainly didn't match in strength. He could do well on his own against a weaker creature, but what had attacked them--surely the end results would not fare in her companion's favors. Scholars were not meant to be warriors, as he would sometimes tell her. Araia lanced her way a moment but did not respond to her statement.

Though she might not be able to 'sense' the presence of the creatures in the hive, the overall atmosphere of the place was heavy and dark. The earth around her seemed to year for freedom of whatever dark creature tainted its soil. Her eyes scanned around the dimly light caverns as they walked single file through the thinning passageways. Araia was starting to wonder where these creatures were hiding and what their purpose was. Surely by now they would have sent out some form of scouts to keep an eye on the group who was infiltrating their new HQ. However, she saw, felt, nor heard any sign of other creatures aside from the small group. The only thing present was the ever looming heaviness and slight headache she was getting from the dark stench of this place. Soon the narrow passageway opened up into a larger cavern of sorts. The same strange mushroom that her and Saito had fallen onto was present here illuminating the thick darkness.

Her eyes quickly darted around, her hand ever poised and ready for an attack, but none came. Her eyes moved once more to the Drow woman. Her lips never moved but she spoke to the woman in other ways Do you know what purpose these creatures have to inhabit your place of dwelling? it had been a question she'd been pondering a while now.
 



Mitsusawa found it equally strange that none of these so called beasts met them in combat. This left two possibilities, that either they were fools, or consider the party so weak that studying them wasn't worth their time. For the experienced viper knew for a fact that such monstrosities knew no fear. While Saito was relieved, for though he was a great swordsman and fighter, he was far too lazy, only fighting when he was left with no alternative. But it was this care free attitude that made him hard to read in combat and thus invaluable assets.
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Valerna on the other hand managed to mask her own feelings quite well, no doubt a result of her cultural upbringing. The vast emptiness of the cavern seemed unnatural, as if every other being knew better than to wander into these wide walls. The silence proved unnerving as only the sound of a drop of water echoed throughout the stone belly. The mental message Araia sent toward Valerna served as a welcome distraction, though no response greeted her. It wasn't that the Drowess didn't have an answer, she just had a hard time trusting a surface elf with such information.
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Which was to be expected considering their violent history with one another, Mitsusawa caught that something was puzzling their elven comrade. Her cold emerald eyes narrowing as she seemed to stare through the woman. "You seem to have little faith in your friend's strength. Where I come from we live by a simple rule, only the strong survive. If we run into this man friend of yours, and he proves a liability…I won't hesitate to cut him down myself." Saito coughed at his sister's strange comment, she had always been a cold one but this was a bit over the top even for her.
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"Sister please control your tongue!" Saito barked, quickly feeling quite small as Mitsusawa offered him a fearsome glare. The Drow chuckled at her bluntness, finding it oddly admirable but leaving it at that. "Brother it is your compassion, your heart that has kept you from advancing…." She replied before drawling her sword, the hoarse whisper of steel friction against steel disturbed the void. "You think often, when you should just act!" The woman bellowed whilst swinging her saber horizontally toward a nearby wall.
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Blood spewed forth from the darkness, as some sort of snake like creature with decaying flesh dropped to the ground. "They are here…"Mitsusawa whispered under her breath as the once solid blacken ground had begun to squirm as an ocean of snakes now appeared before them. Sparks of electricity danced across the stone earth from these serpents as they were awoken. "It seems we now have a face for our enemies…The Necrophage!" Saito spoke more to himself than the others.
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"Be careful of these sly small fries! They drill into your flesh and assume control of their host living or dead!" Like all vipers Mitsusawa had a deep understanding of their targets physiology and habits.

 
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