The point grated against something-fine-woven mail, by the feel of it-turning what should have been a fatal thrust into a bruising punch.
To Karas's surprise, Valdar moved. Before Karas could react, Valdar grasped his arm and "spoke" a command with his fingers: Come. Karas suddenly felt an urge to follow the other male wherever he might lead. Before he could shake off the magical compulsion, his target moved his fingers in a silent prayer.
The arena disappeared.
Off-balance from the sudden absence of the bench, Karas nearly fell. Rather than leaping away-a move the other male would have anticipated-Karas hurled himself forward, knocking the other male off-balance. Then he sprang back, nearly twisting a foot on the uneven floor in the process. He glanced around, saw that they had teleported to a crystal-lined cavern. As the other male sprang to his feet, Karas shifted his dagger. Valdar refused to be distracted by it. His arm flew up and his wristbow twanged. The bolt tore past Karas's head and cracked against the wall behind him. Karas answered it with a thrown dagger. It should have spitted Valdar in the throat, but Valdar dodged it easily.
Karas drew his second dagger. Valdar likewise drew steel. Karas leaped forward. Thrust.
His target dodged aside. Valdar slashed, but Karas barked out a one-word prayer. A shield of magical energy caught the blade and turned it aside.
The two males circled each other warily, each realizing he was evenly matched.
"Kill me and you'll be trapped here," Valdar said. His free hand flicked to the side. "Like them."
Karas didn't need to look. He'd already noted the two drow corpses that lay nearby: one bled out from slit wrists, the other bone-thin from starvation. Each wore a black mask.
He continued to circle Valdar-a motion that allowed him to take in all of the cavern without shifting his attention from his opponent. Valdar just might be telling the truth: the cavern had no visible exits. And Karas couldn't teleport.
"You're a Nightshadow," Valdar said. A statement, rather than a question. He'd obviously recognized Karas's prayer.
Karas watched his opponent closely. When Valdar lunged, he twisted aside. Karas slashed, but the other male also danced nimbly away.
"Do you know who I am?" Valdar asked.
"I was told you must die. Who you are is not my concern."
"I'm a Nightshadow, like yourself. But not just any cleric. I'm the one who opened the gate between Vhaeraun's and Eilistraee's domains." Valdar gestured at the darkstones that lined the cavern. "This is where it was done."
Karas couldn't help but reply. "If that's true, you're a traitor," he spat.
"Not at all. I merely did as Vhaeraun commanded." He nodded at the dagger in Karas's fist and made a tsk noise. "And this is the reward I get."
"You did as Eilistraee commanded," Karas corrected. "But that doesn't matter any more. I serve her, now."
"It was a priestess who ordered my assassination?" Valdar asked. His surprise seemed genuine. "But I thought…"
Karas lunged. His target parried. The daggers clashed, and both males sprang away. Karas circled, watching for another opening.
Valdar gave Karas a scornful look. "You allow females to order you about? What kind of Nightshadow are you?"
Karas felt his jaw muscles tighten. "One who now pays homage to the Masked Lady."
"The Masked Lord, you mean. It was Vhaeraun who killed Eilistraee. The priestesses are lying when they say it was the other way around."
Karas couldn't let that pass without comment. "Then why is it you're not attacking me with your prayers? I'll tell you why; because Eilistraee won't grant you the spells to harm me." He nodded at the other male's dagger. "You're left with only one weapon: steel."
Valdar smiled. "In that regard, I'd say we're evenly matched. But now that we've taken each other's measure, I'd rather speak to you than stab you. And why?" He lowered his dagger slightly. "Because Vhaeraun still has need of you."
Karas refused to be taken in by so obvious a feint.
"I assure you," Valdar continued, his dagger still lowered. "I'm telling the truth. Eilistraee is dead. Vhaeraun lives."
Bitterness welled in Karas. "Then why have our most potent spells been stripped from us? Why is it that Eilistraee's priestesses have all the power, while we've lost ours?" He could hear the ache in his own voice. He was giving too much away, but he didn't care. "Why must I dance and sing instead of meditating in shadow and silence?"
Valdar nodded, as if in sympathy. "I know exactly how you feel. That first month, after I opened the gate, guilt nearly consumed me. Then I saw the shadows behind the light."
Both still held their weapons, but for the moment, they exchanged only stares. Valdar spoke first. "The priestesses are teaching that it was Eilistraee who entered Vhaeraun's domain, aren't they?"
Karas said nothing.
"They lie. I was here. I. saw what happened. Vhaeraun leaped through the gate to attack Eilistraee."
"Suppose you're right. What does it matter? He was still slain."
Valdar shook his head. "Tell me this. Have you attempted an augury these past four months?"
Karas gave a terse nod.
"Was it answered?"
Karas spoke guardedly. "Yes."
"Did the one who answered wear a mask?"
"Of course. A trophy of her victory."
"And the face-what you could see of it? Female or male?"
"Neither. And both. Just like the voice. But the priestesses have an answer for that, too. It is part of the balance. Vhaeraun allowed himself to be killed so the two deities could merge."
Valdar raised an eyebrow. "And you believe that?"
"Not… entirely."
"Look closely, next time you attempt an augury. Look into the eyes of this 'Eilistraee.' See if they are entirely moonstone blue-or if they contain a flash of some other color."
Karas lowered his dagger slightly. "You've seen this?"
"Yes."
Karas thought about that. He shook his head. "That proves nothing. Eilistraee took on aspects of Vhaeraun when she killed him."
"Did she? Or did Vhaeraun take on aspects of Eilistraee?"
Karas waved his dagger. "We're arguing in circles. And none of it matters. It's Eilistraee's priestesses who are in charge now, not us."
"Are they? Or is it Vhaeraun who's the true power behind the throne?" Valdar held his free hand across his mouth. "What better mask to hide behind, than the illusion of defeat?" He lowered his hand again. "I've thought long on this-asked myself the very questions you're asking now. Then I realized that feigning his own death and giving the priestesses the illusion of control was all part of the Masked Lord's plan. Just as we infiltrate the settlements of the Night Above in the guise of surface elves, Vhaeraun has infiltrated Eilistraee's realm. Our clerics are within her shrines, constantly testing the limits of her priestess's control with scores of tiny acts of defiance. Soon, we'll be inside the Promenade itself. When the time comes, Vhaeraun will throw off his disguise, and those who have maintained his faith will take her strongholds from within."
It sounded good-too good. Karas couldn't allow himself to be seduced by it. "And what if you're wrong?" he countered. "What if it's Eilistraee's priestesses who are eroding our faith from within?" He gave a bitter laugh. "We're already nine-tenths defeated. Better to claim what power you can within the new order than to cling to false hope."
"It is not a false hope!" Valdar snapped, his pink eyes blazing. "Nobody saw Vhaeraun die. Not even me-and I was here, staring through the gate as it opened. Think about it. Vhaeraun has tricked Eilistraee's faithful into joining our fight. He's using her shrines as a stepping stone. A staging ground for the eventual overthrow of Lolth and her matriarchies. Then the natural order will be restored. We Nightshadows will return to the Underdark, and males will rule." He paused to catch his breath. "Vhaeraun's plan is a brilliant one, in every detail. What more perfect treachery can there be than to feign one's own death and infiltrate the very body of one's enemy? It's the perfect disguise."