To say Kreet was troubled as the small band continued towards the stairway would be an understatement. She considered telling Sigmundurr that they were walking into a trap, but that would certainly set him off into berserker mode. But to not warn him... wasn't that tantamount to being an accomplice? To top it off, she was none too sure how much power she had remaining. Probably enough for another bolt, but more than that was unlikely.

During another break, she sat next to Sigmundurr.

"Sig..." she started hesitantly.

"Yeah?"

"Sig... be watchful, okay? I don't know what's waiting for us at the stairway, but I don't feel good about it."

"I know what you mean. Those two have been too accommodating. They've got something up their sleeves."

"I think you're right. But I've no idea what."

"Me neither. Well, I've still got this sword, and you've got your god-stuff. Plus they're blinded. I can't see how they can do much."

Kreet put her hand on the big man's knee. "Sig. What I said back there..."

Sigmundurr looked at the little scrawny, scaly hand and smiled. "You don't have to like me, Kreet. I like you. And your runt boyfriend."

"Hey. I can hear you, you know!" Kallid said, sitting on the other side of the human.

"Well. Anyway, you're okay... when you're being reasonable. But whatever we're in for, it might be that there's a time for unreasonableness. Chaos too has a place in the order of things."

Sigmundurr rubbed her head with his huge hands. "That it does, lizard. Come on. I expect we're getting close now. Let's get this over with, whatever 'it' is. But Kreet..."

"Hmm?"

"If things go bad, I'm taking that damn Urmelena's head off first thing."

Kreet looked over to where the two drow were.

"I'll be sure to stay out of the way."

With that, they resumed their trek. Hours had passed before finally they saw light ahead. It wasn't the steady shine of daylight - but the flickering light of torches. Still, after all the time they had spent under the feeble light of the staff, it seemed unusually bright. The path had grown wide as they approached a large space ahead.

"The stairway?" Kreet asked Urmelena.

"Yes, kobold of Pelor. Ahead is the Stairway of Eilistraee."

The name rang a bell. Some goddess of the drow if she remembered right from her training at the monastery. She couldn't remember anything more though.

They rounded the corner and looked up. Indeed it was a stairway, perhaps a hundred steps and at least as many feet across. At the top of the stairs were two huge gates, bolted shut by a similarly-sized bolt of iron which was fitted to an intricate network of ropes and pulleys. The carvings in the walls and on the doorway depicted a throng of dark elves, climbing a stairway - presumably this very one - out of the Underdark and into lands above. And, over all, was a figure all in ebony, naked but wreathed in silver hair, guiding the drow forth.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

It filled Kreet with awe, and obviously did so for Kallid and even Sigmundurr.

"Wow," he said. But what he lacked in eloquence, he made up for in sincerity.

"Yeah," Kreet had to agree. "Wow."

"They're gone!" Kallid said suddenly, looking away from the scene.

"What? Who?"

"Urmelena and Houndril!"

Kreet looked around suddenly, not understanding. They were just here a second ago. Weren't they?

And then the drow patrol entered from behind them. Urmelena and Houndril were with them.

The three ran towards the other side of the stairway, where another contingent of guards emerged. Presumably guards stationed to protect the stairway. Kreet noticed they were dressed somewhat differently than those in the patrol with Urmelena and Houndril, the two obviously not blind. They had probably been faking it for hours.

"Kreet," Urmelena said. "You said you didn't want to fight me. You don't have to. You only have to die. I've given you my word as to the other two.

Kreet looked desperately at Sigmundurr whose face already bore the grimace she had seen before just before he'd gone full berserker. He was impressive in battle, but he couldn't defeat all these. Would life as a eunuch slave be worse than death for him?

She looked to the obvious exit above them, but Urmelena anticipated that.

"You can try, kobold of Pelor. Good luck with that. You don't even have to open the big gate - there's an entry door on the right hand gate. But it's locked, and you won't be able to open it.

Kreet looked at Sigmundurr, who shrugged. "Worth a shot!"

Suddenly they began racing up the stairs. The drow did not give chase, exactly. They just formed ranks and began climbing the stairs to follow. They obviously had no worries about their quarry escaping.

At the top of the stairs, the doorway through the gate was obvious, but it was firmly locked. Sigmundurr bashed it with his sword, both the large iron lock and the door itself, but other than some scratching, it was no use. The armored drow were nearing the top of the stairs.

"Got any cleric magic for this situation?" Sigmundurr asked her, his eyes betraying desperation.

She shook her head. "Sorry Sig. I don't have any ideas."

"Well I've got one anyway!"

He turned to face the drow. At least twelve, Kreet thought. No way. He'd kill some. Urmelena certainly. But he would succumb at last. Then she looked at Kallid. His eyes had gone blood-red and he was salivating. He would do no good at all. He would be killed as an afterthought. She saw no solution. She pulled something small and black from her inventory.

"Do you promise?" she said loudly.

Sigmundurr turned to her, but she wasn't looking at him. Nor was she looking at Kallid. She was looking at Urmelena.

"I promise to you, kobold of Pelor. It will be as I have said."

Kreet turned to Sigmundurr. "I'm sorry Sig. I don't see any better way."

"Kreet!" he screamed as she raised her hands to him. "No!"

The sleep spell wasn't guaranteed to work. She'd not cast it in years. But it came back to her when she needed it, and luck was with her. Sigmundurr crumbled to the ground at her feet.

Kreet took Kallid's hand. The blood rage in his eyes burned even hotter. He would not allow this either. She cast the spell again, and he fell as well.

"You are wise, kobold of Pelor. In different circumstances..." Urmelena said as she stepped up to Kreet.

Kreet's eyes burned. She had betrayed her friends. Sigmundurr would curse her all the days of his life as a slave. Kallid... oh, he would probably still worship her memory. As for her - she might or might not have been pregnant. The signs wouldn't show yet. But that wasn't going to happen now anyway.

"Just do it," Kreet said, and she knelt at Urmelena's feet, her head extended and neck exposed.

She looked at the jewel in her palm. A jewel invisible to anyone but her apparently. She didn't know what it was or how it worked, but it had whisked her away in a previous life. Maybe it would do so now? Hope was something kobolds should not have, but she couldn't help it.