“You know nothing of my life, or my path, Dwarf.” Laele says defensively, “Nor what I have chosen, or what has been chosen for me. None of that matters now, however, whatever life I have led, and whatever path I had chosen… all are closed to me now. What path are you choosing by locking me up again? Giving me over to these truly heartless creatures at best, or leaving me to starve at worst.”
She chews on her lip. “You ask for the truth, it is true that KEY holds their secrets close, and the ends to which they will go to keep their secrets should terrify you if you know anything about them. It is true, I am duplicitous by nature, in the House of Misraria that is the way one survives. I do not know the ways of the light, but my heart tells me now that I must learn them…” She looks down at the floor before looking up again at Coleman, her eyes set hard.
“I have lied to you.” Her voice is defiant, “Since the first word I uttered, my lies were designed to secure my freedom, and not to harm. I told you what I thought you wanted to hear, but of course the best lies start with the truth. You want me to come clean? Very well then, you shall have the truth.”
“I am here because of my love for Drav X’ryc, that much is true.” She draws a deep breath, “But I am not a House Guard, I am Qu’el’velguk, what you would call an ‘assassin’. Drav was my lover, and that Magus you killed, she was his wife. She knew nothing of our affair, at least not when I came here disguised as a scout. She did not find out until I drew my blade at her back while she fed her pet spiders. To prove my love to Drav, he asked me to kill her. She was too fast for me, though, and she gained the upper hand. She did poison me, with a paralytic, and made me watch as she penned the letter that sealed his fate, and mine, should I chance to escape. Then she gave me over to the Constructs so that they would work me to death. I was not to be given the honor of a quick, clean death. Now that you know the truth, I suspect you will lock me back in this cage again, and there is naught I can do to stop you.”
“There is more I have lied about, though.” Laele looks at the ground again, “Nocticula guide me, I know little of this tower and it’s inhabitants, but I know they all fight for control of it. And the truth is that the fighting has gone on for centuries. Aside from the abominations I spoke of, these constructs, and a larger group of Drow currently led by a man named Mazrin T’Valvi. KEY has grown weary of the time it is taking for him to conclude his foray into the tower, and they suspect that he is responsible for the ever growing number of abominations here. I am only loosely affiliated with KEY, I have executed some contracts for them, but know little of why they are interested in this tower.”
“Now, how do you trust this honest Drow?” She looks around at everyone. “Now that you know what I am, will you honor our bargain and release me? Or will take a leaf from my tome, and break your given word?”