Still bearing her previous injuries, Alana returned to Kalani bearing three small containers fashioned from mushroom leather. She ducked her head and retreated after handing them over. There was opportunity for more than just the new queen after all.

“Your majesssty, the potionsss asss you requesssted. May I be of any further ussse? Perhaps cull the hatchlingsss not to your liking?”

Kalani gave her first sister an appraising eye. She would need capable subordinates and Alana had survived to adulthood through strength of her magic, not physical prowess. She could be valuable.

“You will be of much ussse. For now, return to the lake and make ready for guessstsss. We have not had them in Sssenturiesss, but there will be many firsssstsss for the nessst in the daysss to come.”

Holding the potions before her, making it clear her hands were occupied, the naga queen made her way close to the party once Alana had left. Just outside of striking distance she went still. Finally close enough, she could tell that the injured member of Cire’s group was female and an elf. She wondered what their relationship was, they looked nothing alike.

“Sssire, I have had healing potionsss brought to me to aid your wounded.”

Cire looked up to Kalani as she approached and carefully moved away from Durg and Selene. Now that he had sent the two woodsmen for help they were at their most vulnerable. If the naga were going to strike, it would most likely be during this window.

“Thank you, your majesty. They are most appreciated. Once my friend is on her feet we can move on to more pleasant conversation.” Cire paused before continuing to a question. “It appears that your people were harmed during the blast as well. Is there any assistance that I might be able to provide?”

A languid smile spread across purple lips and a long serpentine tongue flicked out tasting the air several times before she responded.

“My lord, I look forward to it. Pleassse come and join me once you are ready. Do bring along any friendsss or Ssservantsss you would like, we Ssshall provide you all with Sssuitable accomodationsss.”

Cire nodded and returned to Durg with the potions. It didn’t escape his notice that she had skipped over his question entirely. He had a bit of a conundrum on his hands. The potions, if they weren’t just poison outright, could be laced. After scrutinizing the leathery bottles his lore skill didn’t provide much insight.

Mystery Potion

Rarity: Unknown (increase your arcana lore to identify item)

Uses:

1. ???

2. ???

He held a container out to Durg and shrugged. “Not sure if she is tricking us, can’t say I have ever tried to read the facial expression of a snake before, but she said these are healing potions.”

Taking the potion from Cire, Durg removed the stopper and took a swig in one clean motion. He burped and ran his hand down his beard.

“Tastes fine, but let’s give it a moment.”

They stood awkwardly next to Selene’s unconscious body casting quick glances into the darkness. Only Kalani seemed to remain in the giant cavern with them, the other naga apparently had left. Neither Durg, nor Cire trusted that they had, there were far too many shadows.

Durg took a knee and tipped the rest of the potion he was holding into Selene’s mouth. He cradled her head and fed her small sips of the elixir. Upon draining the potion, Durg took her arm and roughly reset the bone. She whimpered as she started to come around from the rude awakening. Then he gave her another one of the potions.

“I didn’t feel any ill effects. Seems like those good looks work on ‘snake ladies’ just as well as normal ones. I still cannae believe you opened a dialogue with a naga boyo. Selene won’t be pleased you’ve gone and outed yourself. At least you didn’t go and give everything away.”

Cire scowled and then shook his head to clear it. Durg was right and his forthright nature was one of the things that he liked about the dwarf. He turned his attention back to Selene. Cire leaned forward as the blue eyed elf groaned and rapidly blinked her eyes.

Once her vision cleared Selene was looking up at the too close faces of her friends. She shoved them away and propped herself up on her elbows.

“What are you two doing?”

Neither responded verbally, but both Durg and Cire grinned. They looked like they were sharing a private joke. When Selene pulled herself to sitting cross legged she forced a deep frown on her face.

“What?”

“Just happy you be alright lass. You took a pretty nasty hit there. Worse than the rest o’ us at least.” Durg yanked a thumb at Cire. “Ole spooky vampire Cire here healed up in no time. Nic was close though, his noggin’ got thumped pretty bad. Me and Andre were fine. We had to borrow a couple of potions to get you fixed up.”

“Borrow?” Selene asked.

Cire sighed and then nodded his head up and to Durg’s side towards Kalani. Sometimes ripping off the bandage was the best move, but that didn’t mean anticipating the discomfort was any better.

Selene actually hissed, not unlike the naga, but in a far more violent than communicative manner. She jumped to her feet in a crouch and had her daggers out of their sheaths before Cire could blink. Durg stood and stepped back in a singular motion, while Cire put his hands up in front of Selene.

“Whoa. Hold on. We aren’t fighting.”

The female elf didn’t look entirely convinced. However, she took note that the ashen colored naga hadn’t reacted to her movements. She had some experience with serpentfolk, but not their cousins, naga. The snakelike humanoids that lived close to her home were violent, murderous worshipers of Phobos. Hence, Selene’s first impressions of the thing were threat and danger. Then she put together what they had been talking about and her face screwed up into an expression of rage.

“You gave me a potion that you got from her! A potion that could have had the god’s of Olympus only knows what in it? What else did you do?”

Cringing, Cire gave her a disarming half smile. “Something as bad as you’re thinking. I only want to go over it once, so we need to wait for the others to get back.I’ll apologize plenty, later, after we are out of here. At least Durg tried the potion before we gave it to you.”

She narrowed her eyes and steamed. Selene stood up fully, gave their surroundings a once over, and then settled back onto her haunches in a half crouch. As she sat her daggers disappeared into their sheaths in a fluid motion. She bit off her next words, anger still prevalent within them.

“Where are Nic and Andre?”

Durg waved his hand towards the ceiling. “Sent em’ off to get Maisy. Couldn’t be riskin’ movin’ ya. They should be coming, but who knows how long til they get here.”

Still cooling off, Selene glared at them both and then nodded. Just because she understood their actions didn’t mean she was going to let them off the hook that easily.

“You think Maisy will be able to get down here? It isn’t exactly a simple walk,” she said.

“I think Maisy, and probably Stout for that matter, are far more capable than they tend to let on. I don’t doubt for a moment that there is far more to both of them than they have shown us. They tipped just enough of their hand to let us get interested, but I’m sure they kept plenty to themselves.” Cire responded.

“I just hope they get here before it gets late.”

Over the next couple of hours Selene fully recovered. Forgoing the remaining potion, she had eaten the rest of their healing herbs. She continually dosed herself each time the regeneration waned. Durg started telling bad jokes and was gnawing on one of the many pieces of singed mushroom he had picked up straight from the floor.

With the immediate stress of their previous ordeal bleeding off, Cire went to feel out Kalani. During their intense introduction he hadn’t gotten the best read. He had been focused on how he was carrying himself, not wanting to slip up and truly reveal the dire situation he was in.

Cire still felt that things were a bit off, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. With time to consider the situation he had started to put things together. He didn’t think that a group that lived down here, sentient or otherwise, that had them surrounded had good intentions from the outset. Kalani had to be benefiting in some way by giving up her advantages. If there was one thing he was sure about, it was that a keen intelligent mind lurked behind those penetrating lilac eyes.

“Greetings again, your majesty. I wanted to extend my thanks again for the potions you so kindly provided.” Cire slipped into ancient elvish speech as he addressed the naga.

Kalani had done nothing to change her appearance, dried blood marred an otherwise beautiful and dangerous alien visage. A new elegant trident of dark metal rested non-aggressively on her shoulder. She set the weapon down by her side with measured care.Her head tilted and she flicked her tongue before conversing with him.

“You are welcome, Sssire. I am pleasssed that your friend has recovered. Ssshall we prossseed to our negotiationsss? I would like to return home and see to my own people.”

Cire was surprised that she wanted to begin diplomacy with just the two of them. He had assumed she would have advisors. He thought at least part of the reason she had waited patiently for them was to allow them time to arrive. It struck him that she had been waiting alone, vulnerable, as they had been.

Kalani has gone through a great deal to make me feel at ease. I’m not exactly sure how I would approach someone down here without them freaking out. It doesn’t quite explain being surrounded, but maybe she was just being prepared? Why has she been waiting here instead of someone else? Because of me?

I might as well try to piece together whats motivating her through the negotiations. She is bound to give away some of what she wants. I am too, but all I really want right now is to get everyone out of here safe.

“I would like to wait for one of my advisors for any formal agreement, she is undoubtedly better at mediation than I am.” Cire said before adding, “But I wouldn’t mind starting the conversation and seeing where it takes us.”

In many ways Kalani was masquerading through this muddled act herself. Up until early that day she had been one of the least influential members of the nest. Her tribe had one singular goal, but she had invested in many. Her problem was that if she gave away her peoples principle desire, namely simple escape from the cavern and tunnels, she would drastically weaken her position.

“What an odd way to begin, Sssire. Perhapsss you can tell me your goals are for your domain. Which deity do your people worssship?”

Cire blinked and pondered her questions. It was the first one that took more time to formulate a response for the first one than the second. She was asking him questions that he didn’t really have an answer to. It forced him to some conclusions faster than he was ready. Once enough time had passed that it had become noticeable, Cire started rambling.

“No deity yet, undeclared? I am waiting until I get a chance to scout out some of the divine sites. I don’t want to step on any toes if a few of the gods already have interests in the area. I’d like to get more information as well. I know that there are various benefits depending on which god is venerated, so I would like to make that choice with as much context as possible.”

Cire’s stance relaxed and his hands gestured enthusiastically as continued talking. He was making plenty of assumptions based on what he knew of life outside the valley, but he had to answer this question for himself as much as Kalani. Perhaps it wasn’t too much of a guilty pleasure to project his personal desires into the idea.

“I want my domain to be a place a safety. There are plenty of dangers in the world and few places where regular folk can be comfortable. I want a territory where people can live peaceful lives if they want to and challenging lives if they don’t. A place where people are judged for who they are and what they have accomplished, not for how they look or what they are.”

He paused, caught up with himself and shook his head.

“Those are aspirations though. I don’t think any gathering of people from a single family to the largest city would be able to keep to that ideal. It’s about creating a system that works the best it can within the limitations constraining it.”

Cire stopped, realizing that he had monopolized the discussion and given away a fair amount of information while doing so. If Kalani’s ideals or intentions were at odds with his own she had the upper hand. He could have been lying of course, but he had let himself get carried away in his river of words and his veracity as he spoke was plain as day.

“How about you, your majesty? Can I address you as Kalani? I don’t mind being formal, but since we are having a conversation and not formally negotiating, it feels out of place. Please call me Cire.

The naga had expected him to describe ambitions, like taking over new territory or conquering settlements that refused to yield. What she got instead was as confusing at times as it was ridiculous. He described picking a god to worship like selecting an article of clothing. Then he spoke of ideals instead of plans, her mind worked best outside of the abstract. His open nature and the strange circumstances eroded her caution. Kalani still picked her words with care, but was less guarded than before.

“Yesss, you may call me Kalani. It isss the proper order of thingsss, Sssire. I am the leader of a Sssingle Sssettlement, but you are the leader of many.” Kalani answered.

“I will to lead my people to a better life, one with more opportunity than we have now. We live a Sssimple life. I will lead my people to one where we are no longer conssstricted by the Ssscarsssitiesss that plague usss. We have and alwaysss will venerate Hera, Goddessss of women, kingsss, and empiresss.”

The blind kept leading the blind. Each dodging around what they really wanted and pretending to act the way they thought they should. Kalani noticed the return of the two humans she had scented previously along with several more people. Cire was too caught up in his discussion with her to notice until the new arrivals had gathered with Durg and Selene.