"Come on, give it to us! Serith'll be mad if'n Ah come 'ome with no coin and no package. One er the other, Tymora bless me wi' both!"

The dice rolled from the tumbler onto the velvety table. One landed with a three face up, the other spun on a corner. The halfling tensed, unconsciously blowing towards the spinning cube. It came up a four. Half the patrons at the table yelled in glee, while other shoulders slumped. The hin's face fell and she rocked back on her heels.

Serith wasn't going to be happy about this. Of all the rotten luck. What was this about anyway? She always left her portion with the Smiling Lady. Had Lady Luck forsaken her?

Kailyn slowly walked out of the Golden Horn, eyes cast to the ground. Her aunt has given her the crowns to take over to Filiare. Payment for finding adventurers to find some odd or end for the meddling hin. Filiare and Serith had a good relationship, and if she ever needed to hire out anyone, Filiare was just the man to find the ones willing to do her work.

Kailyn often wondered exactly what work her Aunt was hiring people out for. Serith always promised to tell her inquisitive niece, but the time had yet to arrive, and Kailyn was beginning to think it never would.

So, Kailyn had no crowns for Filiare, no way to pay him back for the sum he handed out to the adventurers he had hired. Well, she had better come up with a story quick, the Dripping Dagger was only a few short blocks away and if she showed up at her Aunt's with no package, she could imagine what her next few weeks would be like. Boring and full of 'drills'.

Ach! Drills! Why Serith insisted on having Kailyn put together and take apart clockworks and work with doorlocks was beyond the young hin. Did she expect the girl to become a Gond kissing locksmith? Things were always more fun with Regina, who worked Kailyn with the blade from time to time or Opal, the elven bard who taught her how to sneak amongst a heavy crowd and belt out tavern tales.

But after today, no Regina, no Opal. Just drills. Of all the rotten luck. The shamrocks were fast fading with the coming of winter and Kailyn's luck was riding out with them.

Kailyn looked up. She sighed. The door to the Inn of the Dripping Dagger loomed before her. She swallowed hard, put on a cheery smile and opened the door.

The common room was packed. A gathering place for adventurers, there were heavily armored men and women milling about the room, dour-faced wizards and robed sorcerers, clerics arguing the finer points of religion... the Dripping Dagger always made Kailyn smile. Filiare was a good friend indeed. The thought of lying to him--

It wasn't lying though. It was stretching the truth. Molding it to suit her needs. She moseyed up to the bar and sat on a stool, her legs swinging freely.

"Filiare!" she called out, her smile reaching her voice. The gruff old man behind the bar turned to face her.

"Kailyn Featherlight, the devil 'erself come ta rock the foundations o' mah establishment!" he called out, polishing a tumbler with a relatively clean rag. "Ah daresay ye come bearin' a load o' coin ta line mah bountiful coffers?"

She rolled her eyes and beckoned him over. He set the tumbler down and ambled over.

"Not today, Filiare. Serith says she's got some bi'ness ta tidy up afore she kin send the coin. But she says the package is necessary and wants ta know if'n Ah can get it right now, on 'er word that ye'll get yer coin."

"Izzat so?" Filaire's eyebrows raised as he regarded the diminutive girl sitting on the stool in front of him. "Yer 'air's twinklin' overmuch, Ah say. Lookit them silver strands. Ah'd 'ave ta say it sounds more like ye took the gold over ta the Golden 'orn, wot?"

Of all the rotten luck.

" 'ow'd ye guess?" Kailyn responded, her smile falling flat.

"Ain't 'ard ta tell wot's wot when it come ta dealin with the likes o' ye, Kailyn Featherlight. Ye think Tymora owes ye a special favor and ye take every opportunity ta collect."

"Well," Kailyn said, dejectedly, "I din't collect on it today. The dice rolled fer someone, but it sure wan't me."

"Awww," Filiare mocked, as he poured her a glass of cider, "ye poor child. An now Ah'm bettin' yer in a bind. Ye ain't got the gold ta pay me fer wot Ah got fer yer Aunt, an' ye can't be gettin' back ta yer Aunt without the package ye came down ta git."

Kailyn nodded her thanks as she accepted the mug. "That's about the right o' it, Filiare. So, wot's it then? Ye givin' me the package an' Ah'll make it up ta ye?"

Filiare looked at her a moment. "Tell ye wot. I got somethin' I need run over ta The Curious Past, over on the Street o' Silks. Ye know the place?" Kailyn noded. "Good. Yer Aunt goes there from time ta time. Give this ta Bronwyn Carradoon, eh? An then get yer arse back 'ere an we'll fergit the coin an' Ah'll give ye the package fer yer Aunt."

He handed her a small envelope. Kailyn could tell by the feel that there was an amulet inside, on a chain. She smiled at Filiare. "No problem, Filiare, yer a life saver. Ah'll get this over ta the Curious Past and be back quicker than ye get a chance ta wonder if ye made out on the deal." She scooted off the stool before Filiare could say another word and dashed out the door.

She ran several blocks across the 'Deep, jumping between wagons, ducking into alleys and out the other side, sliding between pedestrians, and bowling through crowds. The city was an exciting place. Kailyn mused on her life ever since her Aunt had taken her in. Oh, the city, with its people, its smells, its sights, its--

Oops, there was a rock there.

Kailyn flew through the air, her arms flying out wide and outstretched, the package flying from her hands. She tucked herself into a ball and landed on the ground rolling, minimizing the impact. She rolled sideways and sprang onto her feet. A couple of bruises likely, but nothing hurt too badly.

The package! She cast about quickly for the package and found it. She sprange forward, snatched it, and then realized that it was resting on a foot. Still crouched low to the ground, her eyes followed the foot up to where it became a leg and still further. It soon turned into a torso with a pair of arms, as most torsos came with. Of course, on top of this particular torso was a head. A head Kailyn recognized.

She rolled her eyes and muttered a curse, "Of all the rotten luck!"

Quickly, she rolled to the right, but a booted foot slammed on the ground, blocking her off in that direction. She looked up and groaned. This was not happening. Not today.

But of course today. Why not, it's how the whole day had been going. It was like Tymora's attentions were elsewhere. It was just like her to turn a blind eye when Kailyn might need it the most.

"What've we 'eer?" sneered the man on whose foot the envelope rested. Several other men who had gathered in just a few short moments laughed.

Kailyn swallowed hard, swiped the envelope and stood up, dusting herself off. "Nuh--" She quickly regained her composure and smiled up at him. "Nothing, Beris. Just out fer a stroll s'all." She shrugged and started to walk past him.

Beris put his hand in front of her, lightly smacking her face and pushing her back into the center of the group. "I don't tink is no-ting. I tink yuh's findin' yurself in a bit'a troble, eh?"

Kailyn frowned and looked up at the man. " 'Ey, now. Ah won them crowns fair 'n square! Yer just a poor loser wot 'ates ta look bad in front o' yer pack o' dogs! Ain't my fault the dice din't roll yer way."

Beris furrowed his brows and leaned forward, his eyes glittering with menace. "I don' tink yuh reelahz jus'ow bad'a troble yur in, Pret-ty. Er yuh wunt be talk'een like yur ready ta dance wit me."

The hin took a quick look around her, counting the odds. Six of them, all part of Beris's crew. Not affiliated with any guilds she knew of, but they somehow enjoyed freedom on the streets. They were trouble, alright. Of all the people who held a grudge against her, this was the most dangerous. She'd taken him for quite a bit at tables throughout the city. Unspoken rules in gambling dens kept her safe directly after walking out with her winnings, but out on the street in a poor part of the city it was a different tale.

"Sah, wot ye got dere, Pret-ty?" Beris's eyes darted to the envelope. "I tink I'll be takin dat from yuh." Quickly he snatched the paper and its contents from Kailyn's hands. She let him keep his attention on it while her hand went to her back.

Beris opened the envelope and pulled out the amulet. It glittered in the light, a large red gemstone in a gold setting. "Dis 'eer be quite a lucky find fer me, Pret-ty. A start on wot yuh owe me den."

"Ah don't owe ye nothin' ye cheat!" She fished out her dagger and leapt up and forward, slashing quickly at the man's face.

"Oh ho!!!" Beris quickly dodged back and kicked Kailyn hard in the stomach. The hin collapsed onto the ground, the breath and the fight knocked right out of her. "Yuh seen dat, boys? She done wen try murder me right 'eer 'n deh street. I tink is justice we gone take 'er ta, den!" He laughed loudly, joined by his comrades.

As Kailyn heaved on the ground a couple of hefty men lifted her up and dumped her in a large burlap sack. When she could, she tried to yell out. Once. The response was a heavy blow to the bag that left her in tears. There was nothing she could do as they carried her away, to whatever ill fate the Gods had in store.

How long they walked, she couldn't be quite sure. Sometime in the journey she realized they must have delved into the sewers. Even without being able to see anything, her nose told her immediately that she had left the streets of Waterdeep and entered the waterways below the city.

The thought bothered her. Why would Beris take her into the sewers? After several minutes, they tossed her unceremoniously into a boat. She landed with a grunt and felt the boat rock as some of her captors climbed in. There was the splashing of oars and she knew they were underway. Beris was rowing her someplace.

The diluted light of the setting sun filtered through the burlap sack as they entered into the harbor. Kailyn had no idea where they might be taking her, but she didn't have long to wait.

The rowing stopped and the boat bumped against something. Kailyn felt herself lifted. By the way she spun freely, first in one direction, then rotating in the other, she surmised she was on a hook being hauled onto a bigger boat.

She was right. As soon as she was set down, she could feel the bag loosen up. She flailed about, trying to extricate herself from the sack. It took her several moments to do so, but soon she was free.

But only of the sack. Looking around she saw that she was in the cargo hold of a ship. Above, several rough looking men looked down at her, armed and unsavory. Neither was she alone in the hold. Looking around she saw the scared faces of children, young men and women. Realization slammed into her like a brick wall.

Slavers! These men were slavers, undoubtedly off to the Port of Shadows to make a quick sale.

"Damn ye, Beris," she whispered harshly under her breath. She looked around and chose a comfortable spot against a crate.

"Course, " she mused, "Ah ain't ne'er been ta Skullport 'afore. Could be fun." She closed her eyes and tried to make herself comfortable.

"E'en if'n it is, Ah'm still gonna kill Beris when Ah get back."

Then her eyes popped open and she sat up. "Damn. 'E's got Filiare's amulet. 'E ain't gonna be too 'appy when 'e learns Bronwyn ain't get 'is charm. Lost 'is money an' 'is necklace. Of all the rotten luck."

-------------------------------------------------

Filiare watched the lithe halfling slip through the crowd towards the special dining room he reserved for his more affluent guests. He motioned for Doris to watch the bar and he slipped in quietlyt behind the hin.

She sat in one of the high backed chairs and looked over at him, her eyes sad.

"Tis done," she said, flatly.

"Aye, Serith, but ta wot end?" Filiare asked.

She looked up at him. "If'n she's ta take over me work when Ah get too old ta handle it meself, she's gotta be able to handle a slight mess like findin' 'erself in a slaver's pit."

Filiare nodded, "A 'arsh lesson, ta be sure, lass."

"Don' ye 'lass' me, Fil. We traipsed the same roads, ye an' I. Delved the same dungeons an' skewered the same beasties."

Filiare nodded, "An' we each do well enough in our 'retirement'."

Serith smiled wanly, "Aye, but Ah'm gettin ta be too old fer my line o' work. Ah'm needin a replacement. Regina only knows ta protect me, an Opal'd be too quick ta return ta some of 'er own ways. Both love Kailyn and, provided she knew how ta 'andle 'erself, they'd both follow 'er the same as they've followed me."

"But ta send the girl into the 'ands o' 'er enemies, knowin where she'd end up--"

Serith held up a hand. "She's safe enough. Shaviis is keepin an eye on 'er."

Filiare shivered involuntarily at the name. He never felt quite right around Shaviis.

"Well, that's that, 'en. When she gets back ta the 'Deep, ye'll tell 'er yer story entire and train 'er ta fully take yer place?"

Serith nodded, "Aye, Fil. That's wot Ah plan ta do. Tymora will smile on 'er....

"She always did."

Kailyn sat on the floor of the cell, waiting for whatever it was that came next in these sorts of exchanges. She assumed someone would take a liking to her for one reason or the other, gold, at the least, but maybe some expensive jewelry or magical items? Who knew the worth of a Hin kissed by the Smiling Lady?

Kailyn frowned. That is, if Tymora still smiled upon the halfling's sweet head. It was odd, after all, the string of events leading to her present quandary. Running out of crowns at the Horn wasn't the first of it. No, it'd been going south for a few weeks before. She couldn't think what started the whole mess. Was it when she tripped and scraped her knee outside the Jade Dancer?

Perhaps when she burned her tongue on the soup in the Safehaven Inn?

Her face screwed up as she pondered the variables. There was the... no, but how about when... hmmm, could it be--

The crashing of a bucket down the steps jolted Kailyn out of her thoughts. It also served to wake the other wretches who shared the dank cellar with her, if not the same cell.

"Roise 'n shine, yoo durty meatbags! Eet's time to tha skwar wit yoo lot. We gots some pockets laden fleshgroober's what lookin too find fer themsales what they's can find. So get up off'a yoor filthy azzes and start LININ'EMUP!!!"

Kailyn sneered at the ugly turnkey as she slowly took to her feet. The manacles around her wrists were heavy, and she didn't feel too keen abut the choppy steps the bonds about her ankles forced her to take. Still, she thought, better 'n 'is lot, wot wit all them boils about 'is face, 'en?

She shuffled to the swinging links that made up the door to her cell and waited to be let out. It wasn't long before the gaoler has all the inhabitants in a line out on the square. A few suitably dark and shadowed figures menaced about. Kailyn cast her eyes to the group to seek who might be her new owner.

He was probably going to be pretty disappointed if he paid a lot for her, because she didn't really plan to do much for him. In freedom she excelled at being a nuisance. In bonds she would craft at her art with a renewed imagination and creativity that only the wits of mischief could achieve.

So she stood, in line, dirty and disheveled, bereft of any belongings but the rags the had tossed at her before. Nothing seemed to faze her until she noticed a tall individual walk up to her. She slowly looked up and swallowed a knot of fear that sank deep into her gut and sat there like a stone.

Pupiless eyes regarded her from a tentacled face. She started to shrink away, but something stabbed into her mind and she found she could not back away as the soft hands reached up and grabbed her chin. It turned her head to one side, then the other, looking at her closely.

A moment passed and the illithid moved away. She felt control return to her limbs. It was all she could do to keep her feet; her knees wobbled. It stopped at the 'goods' next in line. Kailyn heard a stange rending noise, then a pop. She slowly turned towards the mind flayer and shrieked in horror as she watched the tentacles probing into the head of her neighbor.

"Oy! Yoo breaks it, yoo buys it, 'ey?" The turnkey started forward but another mind flayer stopped him, dropping a hefty looking pouch into his hand. The brute stood there a moment, a dumb look on his face as though he were focusing on the greater mysteries of the ever blooming rat population and why meat never tasted good after it'd been left to sit for a few days.

"Roight! Tha 'ole lot of 'em, then. Thas good!" The ugly sod unhooked the lead ring from the stake pounded into the ground and handed it to the illithid who had given him the pouch.

Kailyn barely even registered any of that. Her eyes were locked on the grotesque scene unfolding before her very eyes. The tentacles bulged as the mind flayer sucked the brain right out of the man who stood next to her. Her vocalizations turned to somewhat pathetic whimpers as the man dropped to the ground, his vacant eyes staring into the dirt.

The gaoler laughed and strode forward, unlocking the manacles that chained the dead man to the rest of the train. "Get moovin then! Yoor new life, below the ground. Brain food to feed the squidfazes. I'd hope yoo din't suffer too long doon there."

Kailyn wasn't sure she could find the will to move when the will found her, forcefully taking over her limbs again and getting her started in what was the most wrong direction the hin had ever gone towards in her entire life.

This is na' right! her mind screamed out, protesting everything around her. This is na' the life Ah was lookin' ta 'ave, in the 'deep where the sun shines bright o'er the 'arbor and the sights and sounds promised new adventures ev'ry day.

But she walked on, step by step, through the streets of Skullport and beyond. Through caverns and deep into the bowels of the world. The mind flayers marched their ill-bought goods deep below losing only a few to hunger.

As the lights vanished and the sounds of the underdark pierced her awareness she screamed silently. The screams drowned out any hope of hearing the laughter of a Lady who had favored the hin. Laughter that sought to sooth and comfort. Laughter that was quickly blocked out.

It was ye, it was ye!!! Everything 'as come ta this cause o' ye!

Fear drove horror drove anger drove hatred. The twinkle left the halfling's eye as she lost sight of the smile that had inspired her all of her years.

-------------------------------------------------

In the darkness behind, a shadow detached itself from the walls and followed the train into the depths.

Things had been pleasant. The hin gathered several bottles and brought them to the table. To never miss an ingrediant when they were put into her head, this pleased the master. What pleased the master pleased her. If the master was upset, she was upset.

She didn't like it when the master was upset.

Today he was pleased. The halfling girl smiled and set the bottles in their proper place. The exact use of their contents eluded her, but it didn't matter. The strange razors and knives lined up at the edge of the table were probably related, but she didn't know for certain. Neither did she really care.

After she was finished with the table setting, she walked slowly out of the room. There was still more to do. Her master did not live in the illithid city of Ch'Chitl. That was where he had first taken her, but quickly they moved on to Mantol-Derith, where he worked to make items for the half-orc Laral.

The others who worked with her were of little concern. They all lived to please the master and there was no enmity between them, nor any competition. Each had their place and did as the master bid. They purchased goods from other merchants if he needed them, met with customers and led them to the buying spaces set aside for special goods, even travelled into the underdark from time to time, wearing a special helmet that would protect them on their journeys and guide them back to the trading post.

How much time had passed since her former life was unknown to the halfling. Maybe she had been here days. Maybe weeks. Could be years. She didn't know and it really didn't matter. Serving the master mattered. Ensuring all went well with his dealings. Keeping him happy.

So she walked, around Mantol-Derith, the symbol of Laral Kroul sewn prominently on her sparse clothing combining with her vacant stare to tell others she was no threat and not worth the trouble of bothering.

Only one thing ever bothered the halfling. A faint memory that stirred with every clink of every coin passing hands. What was it? Something that had pleased her? Something that had made her angry? Something forgotten. Unknown in her new life, it persisted, tugging at her brain, until the call to work forced her to move on.

For the pleasure of her master.

The shadow watched from a distance, as it had watched for weeks, waiting in the darkness.

Something had happened to the gloaming. The masters favored slave was no more. The hin was unhappy, because the master was unhappy. The gloaming stood beside the master when he made his sales, a pretty face to distract customers from the fact thatthey were dealing with an illithid.

But she was gone now. What had happened was unknown. The gloaming was going about the master's business in Mantol-Derith and then she was lost. Less important was the loss of two more of the halfling's comrades, immediately following the loss of the gloaming. Their lacerated remains lay on the floor, unmoving, the result of their master's rage at the loss of his favorite. The rest of the household stood quietly, waiting for instruction.

After a while, the mind flayer looked to the others and bade them to remove the corpses. They moved methodically, no sign of fear or disgust. It was the master's will that they live and with the passing of his anger there was no more emotion tied to his decision from his end; there never had been from theirs. The only thing was their master's pleasure.

The halfling moved forward to aid when the master commanded her to stop. She stood still as he stood before her, kneeling down to inspect her closely with his pupiless eyes. After a few moments, everyone in the room felt the return of pleasure and the hin moved back to where the gloaming's things were kept. When she returned, she was dressed in better than rags. It took just a few cuts to the clothing to make them fit her better and she was ready to stand at the master's side in his dealings.

Final commands were given and all was made ready for the activities to follow. Others were coming and business must be conducted. The halfling gathered together the merchandise to be sold for the day, a pouch containing several vials of potions, poisons, and exotic beverages.

The small hin beamed at her master as he led the way to the market where he would set up his wares. How fortunate for her that her station had been elevated. How fortunate for her that she would be the favorite. How fortunate...

How fortunate...

She paused for a moment to reflect on that, treading slowly. The master looked back and saw that she was lagging behind. Urgency flooded the hin's minded and she shook out of her thoughts and hurried after the mind flayer. No time for thinking, she had too much to do.

The drow leaned back in his chair as he considered the strange illithid and his halfling companion. He was here to make a purchase, an initial buy of strange 'implants' that the illithid was making. These implants could supposedly trigger the body into producing adrenaline, stimulate the mind, increase blood flow to portions of the body, and other similar things. The result was the ability to think clearer, act faster, and work harder for a short time.

It was amazing what the body was capable of.

This purchase would be tested on some slaves to see what the results were. If they were positive, the illithid would have a regular customer. The drow had uses for something that could improve one's prowess. Who didn't?

The fact that wholesale of these implants wasn't in the best interests of the illithid commuity as a whole did not interest the mind flayer in the least. Out here in the wilds, away from the city, he operated as an individual. Ties to the city were maintained, but who was to truly say what he could and could not do.

The drow held up a small vial. "You say this... thing... in here will increase the stength of my slaves, make them able to do heavier work?"

Inside the vial was a small wriggling creature submerged in a clear fluid. It seemed able to sense the presence of the drow holding it and favored that side of the vial.

"Indeed," the illithid responded. "The implant will secrete chemicals into the brain causing your slave's body to respond with increased physical strength."

The drow considered this and then smiled. "And you say that you have implants that will increase agility? Fortitude?"

"There are many implants with different purposes. See how those work on your subjects, then return to me and we will deal in earnest."

"Right," the drow said. "I'll take this back and return within a week to tell you what has become of our slaves and whether we will continue to deal with you on these matters."

The mind flayer steepled his fingers and regarded the drow. "Very well. Take those and return quickly. I will know if you attempt to cheat me or otherwise deceive me."

Eyebrows raised, the drow asked calmly, with a smile, "Your mind-reading is not permitted in trading matters here in Mantol- Derith. Do you propose to break those rules and bring about the consequences?"

There was silence in the room for several moments before the dark elf was answered. "There are many ways to discern the your intents. More than one way to gather information. The powers of my kind are an asset. We do not make those assets a liability by relying solely on them."

"I see, a wise manner of thinking."

"Indeed, our kind are known for thinking," the mind flayer was smug.

The drow kicked up his feet and stood quickly. "Very well. I have no plan to deceive you. I will return quickly with my answer."

He fished into a pouch and pulled out a shining gold coin and flipped it towards the illithid. "With any luck," the drow said, "this will be the start of something wonderful..."

The illithid reached out and snatched the coin from the air and inclined his head respectfully at the dark-elf. Both parties left the room on either side.

As she returned to the house with her master, those words repeated in the halfling's thoughts, "With any luck..."

She couldn't help but wonder, had the coin landed heads or tails.

For some reason, it really mattered.

The illithid was becoming more and more concerned over the behavior of this 'favored slave'. The slave dawdled at times, seemed lost in a day dream, and sometimes... alarmingly... the illithid felt that his connection to her was broken.

That sometimes happened and the illithid realized that it was time for something to be done. That something was to elevate a new slave to 'favored' status and make a meal of the current one.

It was always good when the best thing was the most enjoyable as well.

So, he called the slave into his quarters and had her sit in a chair. He circled her, sending calming thought into her mind, to create passivity and relax the mind. Mind in various states tasted different, of course, and today he felt like a smooth meal.

The mind flayer slowly walked up in front of her and bent at his knees, nearly kneeling. His tentacles wriggled and wavered, slowly touching her face and probing for the right spot to penetrate.

The halfling sat calmly for a moment, relaxing visions entering her mind. A shadow played at the corners of the room, fleeting and then disappearing. The hin felt something in her hand that was round and solid. It brought to her mind the vision of a coin falling through the air. A voice played back in her mind, "With a little luck..."

She spoke the words out loud.

The mind flayer, surprised, backed up a little to regard the hin. She continued to stare ahead. Satisfied that nothing more was forthcoming, he returned to his business.

A coin tumbled through the air. "With a little luck... luck... lucky..." the words flowed through her head and suddenly, her eyes came into focus.

Kailyn Featherlight awoke to find herself face to face with a mind flayer, tentacles just digging into her face. Suddenly, she screamed and wrenched herself backwards, kicking out and knocking the brain sucker back. She jumped out of the chair and tumbled onto the ground in a heap. Her left hand clenched tightly, she cast about for something, anything, a weapon she could use.

The table!

On the table were several vials and instruments. The mind flayer was regaining its feet. Kailyn bolted for the table. Confused, the illithid saw her movement and sent a blast of mental energy streaming towards her. She barely dodged out of the way, grabbing at the table and knocking it over, finding cover and a scattering of liquids and sharp tools.

She could hear the mind flayer moving closer. It called to her head. She blocked it out, the vision of the tumbling coin fixed steady. She looked at the vials on the ground and gabbed one, a glass bottle holding a viscuous green liquid. She closed her eyes, stood up and hurled it at the ground where she heard the mind flayer.

"Tymora, HELP ME!"

The glass broke with a loud grass. Hissing erupted and Kailyn opened her eyes. In front of her, the mind flayer was hurriedly pulling at its robes, acid eating away at the floor and the cloth where it had splashed on him.

She smiled, luck was with her on her choice. She could have easily tossed a healing brew at him, for all she knew. She looked down and saw a long spiked rod. Grabbing it, she jumped over the table and ran at the mind flayer, full force. She leapt over the steaming puddle, rod extended before her.

The mind flayer looked up and saw the hin in the air. He let loose a full mind blast, too late. The hin's face sagged as the brunt of his psionic power crashed into her mind, but her momentum was in full and the rod stabbed into the illithids chest, puncturing deep. He crashed to the ground and she tumbled over him like a rag doll. As her hand released the rod, her finger caught on a trigger.

There was a muffled slicing sound as the rod opened up within the mind flayer's chest cavity, snuffing any remaining life out of him and then all was silent, save the sizzling of stone, cloth, and flesh.

When she opened her eyes, it was dark and very quiet. There was no movement at all in the house. Her eyes were adjusted to the darkness. Soft green glowing emanated from various items, providing enough light for her to see, but not enough to see very well.

She slowly stood up and rubbed her throbbing head. Looking down, she saw the body of the illithid, a steel spike sticking up from its chest. She vaguely remembered grabbing the spike and rushing him. She looked down at her hands. Her left was still closed around something. She opened it and looked in wonder at the right silver coin she had been holding.

On the one side there was a footprint, when she flipped it over, a woman's face surrounded by shamrocks. She stared in wonder at the coin.

"Where did ye come from, 'en?" she wondered aloud. Brandobaris and Tymora, she thought. She looked up at the ceiling.

"Ah'm sorry Ah ever doubted ye, m'Lady, an Ah'm glad ye brought a friend fer me." She looked around the room. "This far in the underdark, Ah'm gonna need all the 'elp Ah kin get."

She looked around the room and grabbed a bottle that contained a glowing liquid. Opening it, she poured just a little on the floor. There was no reaction. The liquid just lay there, glowing. Hesitantly, she stuck the tip of a finger in it. Nothing.

Looking at the glowing stuff on her finger, she nodded and tucked the bottle away. "Ah need a bag..."

She cast about and found a small pouch the she slung over her shoulder. She put the bottle in it. She also grabbed a stick and wrapped cloth around it.

"This'll make a strange torch, but Ah'm gonna need ta be able ta see..."

She rooted around the rest of the house and found some food from the stores. She noted that the other slaves were gone. Probably freed from their enthrallment when the master had died. Most had probably been killed or retaken by other masters.

Not her problem right now, she thought.

After she had grabbed everything she needed, she took to the entrance and opened the door. Peeking out, she saw that there was not much activity. Mostly, Mantol-Derith was quiet. Perhaps it was the underdark's equivalent of night time, she thought.

Did they match up with night time above? She shrugged. No matter. Tymora had blessed her with some much needed fortune, it would be easier to slip away if most folks were resting.

She stole into the darkness, relying on ambient lighting from various sourcs withn the trading post. Navigating through the place was not difficult, but trying to find an exit from the cavern was not as easy as she imagined. Most of them were well guarded.

She picked one and stood close to it, wondering how she would go about leaving. In moments, an idea came to her. She stood up straight, let her expression go slack, and strode towards the exit in full view. The half-orc guards noted her and stood in her way.

She didn't look up, she just stopped.

The guards noted her expression and her lack of reaction to their presence. They quickly determined she must be on an errand for the mind flayer, they often went back and forth from the cavern doing various strange things.

They stood aside and Kailyn walked slowly out of the cavern. As she turned the corner, she slid up against the wall and breathed out heavily.

Lookng back and forth, she wondered how long her luck would hold. She was not yet safe. Leaving Mantol-Derith was a step away from one danger into the jaws of another. The underdark loomed menacingly beyond.

She shook her head. Of course her luck would hold.

She stood up from the wall and moved quickly and quietly away. When she was far enough, she would put some of the green goo on her makeshift torch. Then she would wander until she found something that would help her get back to where she was going. She would not be afraid.

The Lady favored the bold. Kailyn was as bold as they came.