Azzeel smirked, loving that his ego was being stroked. He winked to her a little. "You know, you're probably a smart woman yourself. And I do enjoy a woman with brains." He flirted easily, leaning forward. "You should look me up sometime." He puffed out smoke and walked after Sabrae easily.

Jhael tossed a scrap of meat to Kasdeya, smiling slightly as the abyssal drake ate it. Cal played next to her with a baby drake, wrestling with his new pet. Sabrae would be here soon, she hoped. They had things to talk about.

Change was in the air. She knew it. It was hers.

Sabrae appeared with Azzeel and they were led to a Counsel chamber to wait for the audience. Azzeel took a seat, but Sabrae stayed standing, nervous and trembling slightly.
"She's probably going to make you a deal." He said slowly, smoking and enjoying it.
Sabrae didn't answer.

"Out here on the terrace, Sabrae Kilvir," Jhaelthrae called. She made no attempt to cease her family time for business.

Jhaelthrae had matured even more over the years, settling into the position of Matron and creating a power base to be feared. She was popular, strong, and well connected. The Eyes served her more than the Church, people whispered. But she was still young for a Matron, despite the thin streak of silver. She tossed another scrap to Kasdeya.

Cal leapt up and chased after his new friend, laughing.

Sabrae followed easily, trying to keep her composure. She kept her weapon close though and didn't step too close to Jhaelthrae.
Azzeel leaned back in his chair and Tarzt wandered in, following the tics on the wall. He didn't notice the dragonborn yet.

"Oh, there's no need for that, Sabrae," Jhaelthrae said with a smile, scratching Kasdeya's eyebrow ridge. "If I wanted you dead, well, we wouldn't be talking, now would we? Have a seat. Would either of you like anything? A cask of Rilauven's lichen wine was just opened. I highly recommend it. I won't have it said I am inhospitable."

Cal shot over with his little drake on his shoulder, throwing his arms around his father's leg in a cheerful hug.

Tarzt chuckled and scooped up his boy. He heard Sabrae and Jhael talking, unconcerned at the moment. He felt his son's face but frowned. He turned to face Azzeel as he smelt smoke. "Jhaelthrae!" He called, drawing his sword, while still holding his boy close.

Sabrae shook her head. "No drinks please." She said slowly. She looked back as a drow shouted. Azzeel didn't seem too alarmed, he just continued to smoke.
Tarzt could barely see, so he was nervous.

"Don't worry, Tarzt. It's just tobacco from the surface," Jhaelthrae said casually. She walked over to her patron and rubbed his shoulder reassuringly. "Would you take Cal inside? I don't want him to disturb Mistress Sabrae. She seems edgy enough already."

Jhael turned around and took a seat, motioning for them to do the same. Kasdeya settled down behind her, wings furled and red eyes half closed contently. "You come into my city to cause trouble, Sabrae. And my little spiders speak ill things to me. It amuses me, how they worry. Times are changing. But I wonder, what matters to you?"

Sabrae took a seat next to Azzeel. "Revenge. Revenge for what happened to House Kilvir centuries ago." She said lowly. "I'm going to make House Hum'tt pay tenfold for what they've done."

Tarzt moved out with his son, but came back to stalk behind Jhaelthrae. He wasn't about to let his matron handle this without him. He didn't like it.

"Are you now?" Jhaelthrae said pleasantly. "Do you think things like Houses will matter in a few weeks, Sabrae Kilvir? Do you think you will make the rules of Erelhei-Cinlu?" She laughed pleasantly. "You have seen my son, just now. Calzaer. And I am expecting a daughter now as well. This is my consort, Tarzt. I would do anything for my family, Sabrae. I will do for them what no other Matron has ever done."

She stood, looking out over the city and running her fingers thoughtfully over the low stone wall. "I wonder, in the days to come, where Sabrae Kilvir will be. Her daughter, who is close to my heart, is Shehirae's hand in these troubled times. Am I faced with a friend, or one who sees only their own motives?"

Sabrae narrowed her eyes. "You are faced with a Shadow Knight. Azzeel. Why don't you give a little demonstration?"
Azzeel grinned a little and stood, placing his cigar down and snorting the smoke out of his nose.

Tarzt curled his nostrils and glared Azzeel's way. He was on hyper-sensitive mode now. With his Matron with his daughter, he did not want anything to happen.

"On who?" Azzeel asked slowly.

"I need no demonstration. I know quite intimately of Azzeel Valirthe and his shadow," Jhaelthrae said with a laugh. "In fact, Sabrae Kilvir, I know more of him than you, I would wager. There are no places my spiders do not go. Even the surface. Like how he murdered his father over a girl--and the Shadow helped him then. He binds it to his knights."

She ran her hands over the railing again, then let one rest over the child sleeping under her heart. "That will not be necessary. You think Azzeel Valirthe will save you? We are not fighting a war, Sabrae. This is not a battlefield, and coin is coin. His blade is yours only so long as you make him the best offer. Do you plan to outmaneuver a Goddess? Resist the inertia of thousands of years? Can you kill a scream on the wind? The flickering of shadows in the corner of your eyes?"

Azzeel was flattered that even they knew of him down here. He did not feel threatened by it. Sabrae looked back to Azzeel and then back to Jhaelthrae. "Are you suggesting that he'd back out of our deal? Azzeel has more honor then that! I promised him glory if he were to aid me."

Azzeel crossed his arms and wanted to snort, but for now, he needed that illusion.

"Azzeel Valirthe is a soldier. A soldier knows when to serve the better hand," Jhael said pleasantly, turning to look at the dragon born. "I do not see a fool. I see a man who knows war well. Besides, Sabrae, we are in the Underdark. There is no glory, no honor. Only the living and the dead. Honor is no good to a corpse."

Jhaelthrae smiled as Kasdeya raised his head. "Will you fight the drow, Sabrae? Our destiny is more than you and your petty vengeance. More than I and my love for my family. I am not saying your Azzeel cannot destroy the city. I am saying he cannot hold it, any more than he could hold water in his hands. And he is wise enough to understand this, and the profit in working with rather than against."

Sabrae fumed and turned to Azzeel.
"Don't you dare." She glared.
Azzeel laughed coldly. "Sabrae. You might not care about your consort. And you might not care about your daughter, but I have a son. I have a wife." He smirked and looked to Jhaelthrae. "She's with child right now as well. I'm not going to fight odds that arn't on my side. You informed me that the city was ours for the taking and ours to hold."

Sabrae stared after him and froze.