No Longer a Game

Chapter 29 -- Back again and Eilistraee

Christie was on her hands and knees gasping for breath; the severe pain of her body reforming to her game character lasted only a few seconds and now she felt a tingling sensation on her skin. She turned her head and looked around and saw Natalie, once again in her moon elf form and wearing her white mage robes, laying on the leaf covered ground and looking as if she was sleeping peacefully. Christie held out her arm and saw it was black and knew she was once again a drow. When she stood up she reached for her song sword to ready herself for a fight in case Habersham did deceive her and her friends; but instead of the hilt of her sword her hand found the handle of a mace, a mace she had sold. She suddenly realized that on her game character sheet Vierna in the game did not have a song sword. Christie felt regret as she pulled her mace from her belt and looked around.

She saw Jason and Lou and Rain get to their feet, also once again in the form of their game characters, and Rain drew her knives and after Jason helped Lou to his feet drew his two handed sword. At Jason's feet was a blanket that contained Michael's bones; the blanket was not the same one they had stolen from the gift shop back in their world but a simple grey wool blanket. Lou reached into a pocket on his red wizard robe and tossed some diamond dust in the air over his head and whispered some words and his body glowed sparkling white and then the aurora faded as he cast some defensive spells on himself. Apparently Christie was not the only one who did not trust the professor.

"I'll scout around and see where we are. According to Habersham we should be close to the shrine." Rain said as she removed her back pack.

"Be careful." Jason told her.

Rain grinned, "Always." She said and touched a silver brooch that was on her leather vest and turned invisible. She then walked into the woods making no sound due to her enchanted boots.

The friends were in a small clearing in a wooded area. The trees were thick with various color shades of leaves. Based on the color of the leaves and the leaves on the ground they assumed it was close to fall.

"How long have we been gone?" Christie asked as she knelt down next to Natalie.

"I don't know. It was close to fall when we went into the Underdark and based on the difference of time...." Lou answered and paused for a moment, "I would assume it's been at least thirty days since we left the shrine."

"It also seems Habersham gave us all our magic items were had as well." Christie said. "Rain has her trinkets, Lou his spell components; I have my belt of Frost Giant strength and some other items."

"Yeah it seems whatever our character's had on them in the game came over as well." Jason answered as he took off his adventurers back pack that was full. "Least he was honest about that. Let's do a quick inventory while we wait for Rain." Jason looked up at the sun. "It appears it's about noon."

Lou and Christie nodded and took off their packs as well. Their packs held various items their characters used for their adventures; dried food stuff, flints for making fires, Lou had some spell scrolls, Christie had a few scrolls of her own that were clerical, and other various items. Christie noticed that dangling from the belt of Lou's robe was a round case and she knew it held various wands he had collected in their game adventures. They were all well-equipped.

As she was putting her items back in her pack she flinched at a sound coming from the woods and turned her head to see Rain walking back into the clearing.

"We are only about a mile from the road that leads to the settlement." She informed her friends.

"Ok let's get moving before it gets dark." Jason said.

The party gathered up their belongings, Christie woke Natalie and helped her to her feet, and Jason picked up the blanket that contained Michael's bones and they made their way to the settlement and the shrine dedicated to Eilistraee. They talked very little and their mood was somber; and each one lost in their thoughts and while they did not speak them aloud the friends knew each of them thought the same things.

Did they make a mistake in coming back? Would they ever find another way back to their world? What if they could not have Michael resurrected and Natalie healed; it would all be for naught. They arrived at the settlement with no incident and were greeted at the open gate by the half elf mayor Aravilar, the human girl Cefrey, and the High Priestess of the shrine Aklice.

"One of our scouting parties saw you all and sent word. Come you must be tired form your journey and I want to hear of your travels. I assume you did not find the portal you were looking for? Where is Nalfal?" Aklice spoke.

"We found the portal." Jason answered for the group. "Nalfal...he...we encountered a drow party in the Underdark." Aklice then understood Nalfal's fate.

"If you found the portal why are you back? You have been gone for a little over a month." Aravilar asked.

Some of the other members of the settlement stopped their chores and started to gather around including the dwarf female Dorna and her father. Rain looked at Dorna and could see the dwarf looking around as if searching for something or someone. Rain knew she was looking for Michael.

"We had to come back." Christie replied. "We need your help...we need Eilistraee's help. Mich...Ahira was killed after he battled a red dragon and we need to ask the goddess to bring him back...and...and," Christie choked back her tears, "Natalie...something is wrong with her mind. The drow tortured her and she seems to be in shock but I can't heal her."

Everyone suddenly turned to Dorna and her father when they heard the two dwarves start singing in a low, deep mournful song in a harsh language. They were singing a prayer of honor to Moradin, the chief deity in the Dwarven Pantheon. They were singing an honor for Ahira for Moradin to claim his soul and give him a place of honor in the halls of Erackinor. Dying battling a red dragon was no small feat and would grant Ahira's soul honor and peace in the great feasting hall of Erackinor, the great mansion of the dwarven god Moradin on the plane of Dwarfhome. Apparently Ahira had made an impression on Dorna and her father. Maybe more than an impression on Doran by the tears in her eyes; even dwarven females rarely cried.

Aklice turned her attention back to the companions and motioned for Cefrey to step forward. The young human girl knew the priestess wanted her to use her psionic ability on Natalie. She walked to the moon elf and gently placed her hands on Natalie's head and closed her eyes. Natalie stood motionless and oblivious to the girl's touch. Cefrey held her grip on Natalie's mind for several minutes and frowned and looked at the elf with pity and turned to Aklice.

"Nothing." She said sadly.

"Nothing? What the fuck does that mean?" Rain blurted out.

"It means she is not here. What stands before us is just her body. Something or someone took her life essence, her soul." The human girl answered back.

Christie, Lou, Jason, and Rain all started talking at once; asking Cefrey what she meant. Aklice raised her hand to silence them.

"Come. We will talk and I will have food prepared for you." She turned to Doran. "Come, child, you and your father are welcome to join and listen to their tale."

The friends, Aklice, Cefrey, Doran and her father sat at the table in a smaller dining hall as servants served the companions food and drink. They did not realize how hungry they were as the dived into the food with gusto. As they ate Jason, interrupted on occasion by the others, told the tale of their adventure in the Underdark and going back home and coming back.

Aklice and the others listened to the tale and when Jason was done the priestess sighed, "Maybe this accursed priestess of Lolth did something to Natalie. A spell to separate her from her body." She turned to Christie, "And you are sure you sensed the presence of a demon?"

Christie shrugged, "I am not sure about anything...but...yes I think so."

Aklice frowned, "That does not bode well." She said sadly. "Rest and tonight under the moon we will dance to the Dark Maiden and ask for her help. Help for both your friends."

After they finished their meal the friends bathed and rested, when they awoke Aklice provided clean clothing for them, white robes. It was a little before midnight when the group awoke and they were led to the grove where the shrine to the goddess was located. The sky was clear and bright from the stars and half-moon that shined down upon the Ladystone of Eilistraee, a piece of the moon that had fallen to Toril ages ago.

All the priestess and novices of Eilistraee at the shrine had gathered for the nights dance; Christies was surprised there were so many, about thirty in all. They all surrounded the Ladystone, naked and laying prostrate on the ground and each had a long bastard sword (a hand and a half sword that was the weapon of choice for the warrior priestesses of Eilistraee) lying on the ground in front of them with the tips pointing at the stone. A few muttered when the friends entered the grove, the presence of Jason, Lou, and Rain caused a minor stir of emotions. The Scared Dance to the Dark Maiden was reserved only for her priestesses and outsiders were not welcome. Aklice held her hand up and the priestess fell silent. The friends noticed the majority of the ladies were drow but there were some females of other races among the group. Cefrey was there, a few surface elves, and even a Halfling female; all had died their skins black as a drow.

Aklice removed her robe and turned to Christie as her three other friends sat on the grassy ground. "Come, sister, and dance with us." She told her and Cefrey handed her a sword.

Christie removed her robe and joined the other priestesses and prostrated herself on the ground in front of the LadyStone. Music started to play and Jason looked to his right and saw two naked drow females and a naked sun elf female, with her golden hair flowing over her body dyed black, playing flute like instruments and the dance to the Dark Maiden began.

Aklice began the dance, moving slowly in time with the music, holding her sword above her head with one hand, and her voluptuous body swaying seductively and soon the other priestess too up their blades and joined her in the dance. The dance started slow and enticing and soon the music played faster and the priestess of Eilistraee moved and swung their swords about them with such grace and beauty as if they had practiced the dance for hours a day. They were perfectly choreographed as they danced around the Ladystone, around each other, their swords swinging around them as if in combat. Lou, Jason, and Rain drew sharp breaths as the swords flashed under the light of the moon and stars and came close to cutting off limbs of the dancers but the graceful movements never drew blood with their swords. They could hear the music of the few enchanted song swords some of the priestess held; the members of the Order of the Darksong Knights.

What surprised them the most was Christie; she moved with the same grace as the other priestess as if she had danced this dance hundreds of times in the past. She moved about the other priestesses also swinging her sword in mock combat. Christie let her body take control of her and her drow character's personality took over as she danced, leaping in the air as graceful as any prima ballerina. She closed her eyes and let the power of the dance, a dance to her goddess, take her body. She suddenly felt happy and joy in her heart as she moved and dance with her sisters.

Christie did not know how long she danced but could feel her body was slick with sweat, her white hair matted to her head by the dampness of her sweat, but she felt no weariness just happiness. Suddenly she could not hear the music of feel the presence of her sisters of the dance. The drow opened her eyes and she was no longer in the grove. Christie was in a clearing surrounded by lush woods, the sky above her was perpetual night but the bright full moon illuminated her surroundings as if it was day. She could hear wonderful singing of birds, see great mountains in the distance, and she was surrounded by natural beauty that she knew she was no longer on Faerûn. Somehow Christie knew she was in Arvandor, the plane where Eilistraee made her home and where the souls of her followers lived and danced after their death.

"Welcome, daughter." A voice told her, a voice full of music and power.

Christie turned her head toward the voice and suddenly dropped her sword on the lush green grass and fell to her knees and started sobbing as she looked at the figure behind the voice. In front of her stood a tall drow female, her long white hair flowed over her body to cover her naked breasts and private area as it flowed to her ankles. The drow's dark skin glowed with a silvery light; the light of the moon. Christie cried out, not in fear but in joy. She looked up at her goddess and wept, no she sobbed at the sheer beauty that was Eilistraee. Christie sobbed in pure joy and happiness in the presence of the Dark Maiden. She never felt such exuberance, such joy, such happiness as she did at this moment. All doubts she may have ever had about the existence of the goddess washed way from her as she was baptized in the moonlight that was Eilistraee.

"Forgive me!" Christie shouted out as she sobbed. "Forgive me for ever doubting you."

Eilistraee gave her a kind smile, a smile a mother would affectionately give one of her children. "There is no need for forgiveness, my daughter." The goddess walked to Christie and ran her hands gently through her priestess's hair. "No, my child, you have nothing that needs forgiveness. You need a favor from me is it not so?"

Christie wept even deeper at such pure joy at the touch of her goddess. She had actually momentarily forgotten what she needed to ask Eilistraee. She looked up through her teary eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself.

"My friends. Michael and Natalie need your help. They do not serve you but...but please help them."

Eilistraee smiled, "Yes I know of your favor. Your dwarf friend died on this side and not in the world you come from and his soul was claimed by Moradin. He can come back to you only if he wants. Now go back to your sisters and I will appear shortly and we will have our answer in bringing your friend back to you."

"What...what of Natalie?" Christie asked.

"Of her I cannot help. I am sorry, daughter, she is beyond my help and my reach at this time but I know someone who may. Go back now, child, and I shall show myself soon."

Christie reached out and grabbed Eilistraee's ankles and started crying again. "I...I don't want to go back. Please let me stay."

The Lady of the Dance gently touched Christie's chin and raised the drow's head and looked her in the eyes and smiled, "No, my daughter, you are needed there. Today is not the day you join me here. One day you will join me and dance and sing in eternal happiness and joy, but today is not the day. I need you, child. I will need you and your friends. War is brewing. A war between my mother and I that has been fought for thousands of years is coming to an end and it will determine the fate of the drow and the death of one of us."

Christie wiped the tears from her face and nodded and Eilistraee caressed her cheek and closed her priestess's eyes. "Go, my faithful daughter. Go to your friends who also need you."

Christie found herself back in the grove where the shrine was located. She was on her hands and knees sobbing with mixed emotions. She felt the joy of being in the presence of her goddess and the sadness of leaving it. Her sisters continued to dance around her. She looked over and saw Rain had started to stand and run to her to see if she was well; Christie shook her head and Rain looking confused, sat back down and took Jason's hand in hers.

"Dance, sisters! Dance! She comes to us! Eilistraee be praised, she comes!" Aklice shouted out in joy as tears flowed down her cheeks and a loud cry of happiness rose up as the dancing ladies shouted in unison.

Christie got back to her feet, picked up her sword and started to dance again. The music of the flutes played faster and faster as the priestesses started dancing with more ferocity and all had tears of happiness running down their cheeks. They again cried out in both joy and amazement as a bright ray of silvery moonlight streaked down from the sky and struck the Ladystone. The sacred stone burst into a bright, pure, light that temporally blinded all in the grove. When they could see again they saw a swirling silver mist about the stone and when it faded there stood a beautiful naked drow female with long white hair that flowed to her ankles. As one the priestess cried out and fell to the ground and prostrated themselves in the presence of their goddess, weeping blissfully at beauty before them.

"Go, my daughters!" Eilistraee cried out. "Go and know that your dancing was joyful and gave me great pleasure to witness. Go my faithful servants. I have matters to discuss with your high priestess and the companions from the other world."

The sobbing priestess reluctantly obeyed their goddess; they so desired to stay in her presence. They took up their swords, gathered their clothes, and silently walked away from the grove with tears of happiness filling their eyes.

"Come. Do not be afraid. Gather by my stone." Eilistraee told the others who remained. The companions all stared at the goddess with awe and disbelief.

Rain pulled Natalie to her feet, Jason stood and picked up the rolled blanket that held his friend's remains, and Lou also stood and they walked to the Ladystone to join Christie and Aklice.

"Lay your friend's bones before me." Eilistraee said kindly. Jason did as he was told and unrolled the blanket to set Michael's bones free.

"I have gone to Dwarfhome and the halls of Moradin and spoken to the Dwarf God and your friend's soul. Moradin has agreed to let him go if he so desired." She paused and gave a very mortal sigh and half smile. "Bargaining with a Dwarf, even a Dwarf god, I such tedious work. Ahira has agreed to come back. He was happy feasting, drinking, cursing, and sparring in the halls of Erackinor but he has agreed to come back and help his friends."

"So you will bring him back?" Rain asked.

The goddess smiled at her, "Yes I will. A bargain was struck and I owe Moradin a favor. In return I must ask a boon from you in return."

Eilistraee turned to Jason and waved her hand in the air. His paladin holy sword appeared in the goddess right hand. "You will become my paladin, Jason. A Paladin of Eilistraee and my faith and serve me."

Jason looked shocked, "I...you don't have a paladin order?" He said without thinking.

Eilistraee laughed in amusement. "So true, but I am a goddess and if I want one I will have one." She told him and her voice was full of girlish amusement. She then winked at Jason, "Besides think of how special you will be. A one and only paladin of Eilistraee."

Jason could not help but smile, "Of course I agree."

Eilistraee raised Jason's sword above her head and silvery moonlight flashed down from the sky and struck his sword, bathing it in slivery light. The sword was transformed from a great two handed sword into a large bastard sword. She handed it hilt first to the paladin, who knelt and took the sword. Besides the length and shape the sword changed in other ways also. It no longer glowed with a light blue aurora but glowed with a silvery light. The hilt and cross guard of the sword was now made up of silver mithril wrapped in a fine white leather. The pommel that extended from the hilt was in the shape of a full moon with a bright diamond sparling in the center. On the silvery blade at the bottom above the cross guard was an engraved symbol of a naked, female drow holding a sword and dancing under a full moon. A holy symbol of Eilistraee.