Zaelynir broke off to the sky once more, trying to gain elevation in order to secure their path forward. Right now, Lolth's residents here were the least of their problems...Empyria had launched an ambush that nearly managed to kill four-fifths of the Syndicate in the blink of an eye. Had Maul not been quick to react...the incubus stopped that train of thought. When did he start...caring?
The epiphany hit him, though still not stopping him from launching himself higher into the air. When they'd started this journey, he'd felt...disconnected from his allies. He knew that he had a way out, that he could escape back here should things fail with Empyria. It'd initially made him care less about the plight that his allies were going through...knowing that they didn't have such luxuries. And yet, after all this time, after the many months together that they'd spent...it was hard not to care about them. They'd struggled, they'd survived, they'd persevered through it all...and now, on the cusp of their final hours, the incubus wasn't about to let anything happen to the allies that had become his companions.
The Syndicate rushed on behind him, stuck to the ground as they were. For the moment, it seemed like they'd escaped Empyria, though it was doubtful that that would continue. The spiderwebs quickly proved to be troublesome, and so Zaelynir began lobbing fireballs at them from above, scorching the path ahead of his allies in order to expedite their retreat. As he did, he could see movement coming from the Arachnophage that Empyria had been hiding in before. He wasn't sure what was coming...but given what had already happened, it wasn't good.
Zaelynir swooped back to the group, clearly exasperated. "Dearies we can run all day long, but I fear it might not do us much good. They knew we'd be here...and I dare to believe they know where we're going."
Lance looked up, leaping over burnt cobwebs along the way. "Are there any detours that we can make? Any way to get to The Court of the Spider Queen that they wouldn't expect?"
Zaelynir shook his head. "None that I could navigate us through from memory. We need to be extremely careful. The ambush they set may have taken days to set up, which means that they're positioned exactly where they need to be, and ready to do exactly what they need to do. Be watchful, be wary...I know the Abyss and it's denizens, but I can't foresee what's ahead of us.
Phyrra nodded, looking around for something...anything. "Stay close to the walls, stay low, and out of sight. We may not be able to avoid everything, but we're in a massive, massive cavern. Empyrians are prone to the same struggles we are...if they can't spot us amongst the spiderwebs, they can't launch their ambush. Zaelynir, if you stick to the ground do you think you'll be able to navigate?"
The incubus looked around, the group still on the run. They were exiting the initial cavernous space they'd teleported into, nearing one of the still-massive tunnels that would take them to Lolth's court. "I can get us most of the way...but I will either need to scout ahead on foot or take to the skies to get us all the way there. I've only traversed the Demonweb Pits a handful of times - my memory of it is still spotty.
Shavvir's tone was actually one of encouragement when she responded. "That's fine, Zaelynir. It would be wrong of us to ask you to do everything. We're in this together, as a team...and we'll make it through as a team as well. Let us know how, and if, we can support you...anything to mitigate the risks of our detection needs to be taken."
At this point, they'd made it out of the cavernous entrance to the Pits, skulking along one of the walls. As they went, they began to see the husks and remains of other creatures - much smaller than the Arachnophages, but still large in their own right. Zaelynir described one as a chwidencha - large, arachnid-like creatures that were little more than a mass of legs with no other distinguishable features. At the end of each of its dozen-plus legs was a long, crimson spike, long and sharp enough to pierce even the toughest armors. In its current, burnt state it was little more than a curled mass of legs on a shriveled body, creating an absolutely horrifying sight.
Another appeared more humanoid in shape - Phyrra actually seemed to recognize it for a moment before frowning, shaking her head. Despite seeing it in its charred state, she could make out the humanoid arms, torso, and head, followed by the telltale eight arachnid legs of a drider...but after a moment's glance, she could see humanoid legs as well, along with a notable absence of a drider's second abdomen. The arachnid legs simply sprouted from its sides rather in a sort of skirt-like fashion.
"Abyssal widows, dearie...your beloved Lolth makes creatures that even you've never heard of before."
Phyrra kept her voice low, eyes transfixed on the burnt creature. "The driders mix spider and human as a sign of their failure...why would Lolth keep creatures so similar so close to her?"
Zaelynir smiled. "Darling, you're in the abyss...it doesn't always make sense, sometimes it just is."
"I suppose I can't argue with that. What was their purpose here?"
The incubus shrugged. "Didn't spend enough time here to figure that much out. They became less frequent as we moved further in - if that means anything to youuu-" Zaelynir was cut off by a low rumbling in the cavern, shaking the ground beneath them. Instinctively he took to the air, but remained close - the last thing he wanted was to alert Empyria over an ultimately false alarm.
The rumbling continued to swell louder and more violent, the very ground beneath vibrating harder and harder - until in a split second, it went quiet. Silence hung in the air as nobody dared to move, Zaelynir's wingbeats slowing as much as he could manage to and still remain airborne.
Seconds passed, one after another...nobody dared to move. Eventually, Lance spoke out in barely a whisper. "Is it safe yet?"
Zaelynir shook his head. "We gave up safety the moment Charon took us here."
Again, they heard rumbling in the distance...this time, it was much more faint, but growing louder and more powerful by the second.
"Are they just tremors?"
The incubus shook his head. "Dear I wish I knew what they were. I fear it may be a poor choice, but we need to move."
Phyrra nodded, taking the first step. She didn't even get to put her foot down...all it took was a shift in weight, one foot raising up...and the creature that lurked below sensed their presence.
It erupted from the ground in an explosion of webbing and dirt, sending the Syndicate scattering in all directions as it unburrowed, one leg clawing its way out of the ground, then two, three, four...Zaelynir lost count from his aerial position. The chwidencha exploded from underneath them, promptly lunging at Phyrra, the source of its disturbance. A crimson-tipped talon bore into her chest, the drow rolling to the side as quickly as she could but only serving to deflect the strike. Still, the leg lifted her up and off the ground, the arachnid creature quickly raising several more of its legs in an offensive posture as everyone around it began to ready their response.
Zaelynir acted first, the only one not needing time to recover. He swooped down, grabbing Phyrra by the shoulders and pulling her back, relieving her from the goring leg as he landed, setting her to the ground. He'd never had to fight one of these before...he'd seen plenty, but always from the safety of an Arachnophage's back. He launched a bolt of fire at it, the creature letting out a screech in pain as it lashed back, its legs lancing forward to strike at the incubus.
The others stood up in near-unison, Lance and Maul responding in tandem. Lance ran forward, striking at a leg with his dagger before backing off, taking a short hop as Maul ducked low, placing his shield under the rogue's legs and launching him into the air, Lance spiraling overhead as Maul came forward, crashing his weapon down onto another one of the legs. It was practically impossible to reach its actual body given the thick web of legs that barred the way, but after a solid hit with his maul the appendage actually crumpled under its weight, segmenting off and falling to the ground. There was a small window of time when it was vulnerable, and Lance came screaming down from above at the exact time, dagger held out as the short blade raked through the exposed core before he tossed Blink to the side, reappearing a few paces back and out of harm's way.
Shavvir rushed into the cavity that Lance left, two swift slashes cutting aside more legs as she tried to carve a path to the core. She attempted a disengaging strike, swinging out in front of her to draw cover as she backed up, but the chwidencha's unusual anatomy fully ignored it. A leg struck her from the side, and then another, two crimson tips jabbing into her ribcage as she let out a howl of pain.
Immediately Zaelynir held his hands together, arcane mutterings flying from his lips as a bolt of lightning arced from his hands. It lanced into the creature, jumping from leg to leg as it convulsed for a brief second, its hold on Shavvir lessening just enough that the shadar-kai slipped free of its hold, slashing at it on her way out. Phyrra rushed over, her wounds recovering promptly from the magic the drow pumped into her as both women readied their counterattack.
As they did, rumbling grew louder once more beneath them...it was impossible to tell just how many were coming, or what direction, but they could tell that the chwidencha assailing them hadn't come alone.
"Kill it quickly!" Recovered from her blow, Shavvir lunged back in, this time ducking under the arachnid's strike as she sliced at the leg, lopping it cleanly off with her blade as the gap towards its core continued to widen. She sliced at it only once before respecting its threat and retreating, only for Maul to follow up behind her and slam his weapon into another leg, fracturing it. A bolt of fire from Zaelynir and a blast of divine power from Phyrra struck the chwidencha's core directly, eliciting a horrifying screech from the arachnid.
As soon as the screech faded, the ground erupted. Three more emerged from the surrounding grounds as they answered their brethren's call, promptly storming towards the Syndicate, still struggling to take down the first.
"Faster!" Shavvir picked up the pace, slashing at another leg as Everlife sapped the creature's vitality and tending to her own wounds in the process. Lance warped in beside her, appearing for just a split second on top of the beast as he ripped his weapon from its core, tossing the dagger away as he retreated back to safety. Maul caved in another leg as well, several of the mangled appendages now littering the unearthed ground.
The other chwidenchas closed in fast, legs lancing out at nearly every member of the Syndicate in turn. Maul deflected the attack with his shield while Shavvir simply parried it with her sword, but Lance, Zaelynir, and Phyrra all felt the cold sting as the sharp talon-like claws dug into their chests, another leg sliding out to strike them, pinning them in place.
Phyrra struggled against the vice-like bonds, letting out a wheeze as a third leg struck her from the back, her vision going blurry as her head slumped over. Subconsciously, she spoke out in her native tongue of the Underdark what she could only assume were her last words.
"Greatest Lolth...don't let this be how it ends."
She felt the blood gushing from her body now, though one couldn't tell from the already-crimson claws assailing her. She forced open her eyes as she tried to cast a spell, the light fading from her hands as her body and mind were thrashed about from the chwidencha's assault.
In her brief glimpse of the horror around her, Zaelynir had fared almost no better than she had, the incubus launching a bolt of fire at the creature that it simply ignored, continuing to mangle her. Lance had escaped via Blink, landing on the opposite side of the abominations, though one hand on the ground as he tried to stabilize himself. The only good news was that it appeared that the first that had assailed them had finally been put to rest, Shavvir and Maul landing the final blows, only to be quickly surrounded by the still-more entities pouring from the ground. There were a half-dozen at this point, maybe more...with another twist of the legs that controller her, her attempts to keep her eyes open became futile as her head was thrown backwards.
What she didn't expect, however...was to feel herself thrown to the ground. She knew it would come, of course...just not while she was alive. Furthermore, the grips on her innards had receded, leaving her free to move about, if she had the energy to even lift a finger. She tried to move her hands, wincing from the effort even that simple act took...and then she felt a familiar voice creeping into the edge of her mind.
"My High Priestess, bested by my own castaway abominations? I know you better to know that my trust is not misplaced, but when I tasked your companion to investigate my personal matters I did not expect your advance to be stopped so soon."
Phyrra remained motionless on the ground, both trying to play dead, as well as respond to Lolth. "We...we weren't prepared to enter your lair, my Queen. You are right to be disappointed in my performance...I should have known better than to expect that You would have suitable defenses for Your Court."
"I might find your plight understandable had my greatest creations not been desecrated by your adversaries before your arrival, but I have seen your work Phyrra, and I know that my chwidenchas are the least of your worries. However, I cannot have you falling here."
Phyrra had a momentary state of confusion at the words she'd heard resonate in her head, only a halfhearted response escaping her. "You cannot?"
"No. The task I gave your companion was as much a test as it is a necessity given my absence. I will give you one, and only one, chance at redemption, and it is only because of its importance that I am giving you this. It will not happen, no matter how valuable you may be nor how important your task is. These beasts have yielded to you. They understand our tongue, and will listen to your directions. They cannot follow you to my Court, but they can lead you there. This is all I grant you - your current state must be remedied by your own prowess."
"Thank you, greatest Lolth...I will not forget nor squander the blessing that you have given us."
"No, you shall not. Now rise, advance, and do not make me regret showing mercy."
With that, Phyrra opened her eyes...and to her surprise, the chwidenchas that surrounded them were still and unmoving. She rose up from the ground, brushing herself off. The only others on their feet were Shavvir and Maul, though both of them were still extremely on guard, their weapons held and ready to strike back at the slightest provocation.
"You can relax, at least for now. They're on our side for the time being. Lolth has...exerted her control over them."
Shavvir's resolved expression immediately softened at Phyrra's words. "She can reach us here?"
"Yes, but it would be unwise to request any more of Her. I am surprised She even gave us this reprieve...it is through Her grace that we have not been slain. Best not to test it any further."
"That makes sense...how do we command these creatures?"
That...was a question Phyrra hadn't quite had time to grapple with. She turned to the nearest one, the mass of legs far less terrifying now that it wasn't trying to rip her insides in half. When she spoke, it was in her native tongue once more...the tongue of Lolth. "Yield."
Immediately, its legs bent further, dropping it lower to the ground. Phyrra raised an eyebrow inquisitively, continuing. "Advance" caused it to move closer to her, its front-most legs brushing up beside her.
Shavvir chuckled. "For such terrifying beasts, they're well trained. Do you think they'll let us ride them?"
"Only one way to find out." Phyrra turned to the creature once more, commanding it to drop down. She stepped forward cautiously, still wary that the chwidencha could easily overpower her, especially now that she'd let her guard down. She placed one hand on the creature, its carapace covered in a fur-like coat that was slightly rough to the touch. Gingerly she climbed on top of it, careful not to do anything that might anger it too much. She knew Lolth's control over the creature was absolute...but that didn't quell the fight-or-flight reactions rushing through her system as she clambered atop the creature. However, she eventually found herself situated atop it, appendages slightly sprawled out so as to hold onto it a bit better.
"What are you…" Phyrra turned around to see Lance dusting himself off, looking at the cluster of chwidenchas that had become practically motionless around them as she clambered atop one. Beside the rogue was Zaelynir, taking the hits a bit worse but still managing to recover nonetheless.
"What's important is that they've yielded for the time being thanks to Lolth's benevolence, and we'd be wise to use them to our advantage. They can take us to the portal to Lolth's Court, but no further. I suggest everyone choose their...steed."
Shavvir was the first to do so, gingerly approaching a chwidencha with the same trepidation that Phyrra did. It did not respond to her requests, the fiendish creature only understanding the tongue of the drow, but after some verbal commands by Phyrra it yielded itself to her. The shadar-kai climbed atop it, sprawling out as Phyrra did in preparation for whatever might be next.
One at a time, the other three mounted up as well. Lance and Zaelynir did so effortlessly, either flying atop their steed or warping to a well-thrown Blink. Maul, however, struggled to find purchase atop it, his larger form too bulky to easily fit within the core surrounded by so many legs. He managed, but curled up as opposed to sprawled out...it would have to do.
"Alright everyone...be ready. We're going underground."
She then turned her attention to the five chwidenchas that carried them, speaking in her native tongue. "Take us to Lolth's Court underground. Avoid travelling under any main thoroughfares. Stay as quiet as you can without sacrificing speed."
Immediately, the burrowing commenced...and it was a sight to watch. With so many legs, it could walk forward while still leaving six-to-eight legs devoted solely to clearing a space in front of where it needed to go. Once they were underground it was impossible to see more than the tunnel that was being burrowed, but the flurry of legs carved through the thick dirt at remarkable efficiency. It was impossible to tell whether they were actually being quiet or not...to Phyrra, the sound was thunderously loud given their close proximity, but any sense of direction was quickly lost after only a few seconds of being pushed and pulled through the dirt. She held on for dear life, no small amount of soil getting thrown into her face by the flurry of appendages scuttling them forward.
What felt like a few minutes passed as Phyrra felt herself pulled forward by her arachnid steed, the world around her nothing but a blur as they continued to traverse. Eventually, she could tell that they were ascending, climbing back towards the surface...it wouldn't be long now.
They burst out of the ground with the same thunderous force as when the chwidenchas had surrounded them, a gout of earth erupting alongside them. As it settled, Phyrra looked around, brushing the layer of filth off of her as she regained her bearings. Immediately, she could tell that the portal before them was to Lolth's Court. She didn't know why - there were no discernable features on it compared to the other portals she'd come across - but something about it just felt right. Beyond that, the terrain seemed no different - they were near the end of a tunnel, but still in an extremely spacious area.
Within a few seconds, the others emerged from the ground, going through the same recoil that Phyrra had just recovered from. They dismounted quickly, joining the drow safely on the ground. Phyrra turned to the five beasts, giving an appreciative nod. "You are dismissed. Lolth's blessings upon you." They didn't nod - they couldn't nod - but Phyrra sensed a sort of recognition as they resumed their burrowing, leaving the Syndicate to their business.
"Well, we're here, and we avoided most of whatever Empyria had planned for us. Still, I don't think it stops here...in fact, I think their main defenses will be whatever's behind this portal."
Shavvir nodded. "But that doesn't change our mission. Exterminate anything and everything that doesn't belong. I don't know how large the plane is...but we're here to liberate it."
"About that." Zaelynir cut in, pausing for a few seconds before continuing. "Most planes are presumed infinite...I don't know what exactly it is your spider queen told you to do, but exterminating an entire plane? Not only is it not realistic, you'll get yourself killed long before you finish."
"Alright...so we take care of the Empyreans. If they're only here for us...presumably they are, then likely we just need to make our way through them. Can we agree to that plan?" Nods went around the group as Shavvir set her eyes on the portal. "Okay. Then let's do it."
Maul stepped forward, approaching the portal. "Requesting permission for first entry. Ambush likelihood high, defensive capabilities prioritized."
Shavvir nodded. "I'll follow in after you...so long as there are foes near our entry point, I should be able to hold my own. Lance, Phyrra, Zaelynir...don't wait too long before entering, I have a feeling we'll need the backup.
Lance gave a thumb's up. "Don't worry about us. We'll give you time to draw their attention, then take them by storm. Now go."
Shavvir turned to Maul, the two nodding in unison as they stepped through the portal. Darkness consumed them for a brief moment, taking their body and throwing it through the layers of the Abyss. A split-second later, and Shavvir found herself on the other side...in the Court of the Spider Queen.
To call it "grand" or "lavish" would have been a mis-step. The palace-like structure that they found themselves danced on the line between opulent and horrific. Shavvir wasn't surprised to see spider-influenced motifs decorating the entrance hall that they found themselves in, but it went much, much further than decorations. Spiderwebs accented every bend, every corner, every strut along the walls, torches and chandeliers made entirely from spider's silk hung from the ceiling, holding dancing blue flames with no sign of fuel.
However, it grew more grotesque from there. The walls were partially made from...people. Shavvir could see the shapes of Duergar and other Underdark denizens within the walls, petrified by powerful magic. Spiders of all shapes and sizes scurried along the walls, filling in holes with small pockets of webbing or repairing some of the structures in the court. There were enough that the entire palace seemed to be alive and moving, the walls a shifting blur of motion from its tireless workers.
Of course, Shavvir couldn't help but notice Empyrean's presence here - the slain bodies in the middle of the floor, the walls littered with scorches, one wall so badly damaged that it had caved in on itself. They were the same signs they'd seen before they'd entered the Demonweb Pits...whatever they were doing, it was working.
Immediately, Maul held up his shield, walking forward down the hallway. There were several branches that they could see - they were likely in the palace foyer, which meant that Lolth's seat of power was going to be directly ahead...along with whatever waited there for us. The only sounds the duo could hear were those of the hundreds of arachnids scurrying about, repairing or building the walls.
And then, a flash of light. Blinding white light filled Shavvir's vision as something unbeknownst to her detonated deep within the floor of the Court. She was sent flying back, the breath knocked from her lungs as she slammed into the webbed wall, a headache instantly wracking her mind. Her vision was blurry and spinning as she struggled to even get to her feet. One, and then the next, each one sluggish and unresponsive as she failed to do even the simplest of actions...but soon, she was up.
When she glanced back up the hallway, she could make out the faint form of bodies...they were hiding in the branches of the courts, now primed and ready to attack. She noticed an odd lavender light accompanying each of them...perhaps a dozen in total, though with her impaired vision it could have been as many as fifty.
And then, more pain...searing, indescribable pain. It felt like her flesh was being burnt off of her very body. When she looked down, pocks the size of coins littered her armor and burrowed into her flesh. Another one hit her as she glanced down - a flash of lavender light turning into searing pain. It wasn't like the...the odd firearms that Empyria had had back in Dis, those launched solid objects. These...they dissolved instantly. Perhaps they were fueled by magic, but the analysis didn't matter if she didn't live long enough to fetch their weapons.
Her gaze glanced down at Everlife as she began moving forward. Her footfalls were sluggish at first as her mind tried to push through the pain, the dizziness, the fatigue, everything that tried to stop her...but it wasn't enough. She was here, on the cusp of delivering her promise to Lolth...she would not let even death stop her now.
"Everlife...do you hear me?"
To her surprise, she actually received a response. It wasn't Lolth's voice, but it was distinctly feminine. The low, alto voice practically growled its response. "Yes, my master."
"Do you wish to feed?"
More zealously this time. "Yes, my master."
"Then gorge, consume, and leave nothing but ruin."
"Yes, my master!"
Shavvir's eyes were flitting back between her blade and the blurry adversaries in front of her. The red gems on Everlife's length thrummed with a familiar power...she knew what might come, what she'd experienced back in the Shadowfell, but back then it was Lolth's grace that kept her alive, and let her blade reach new heights. Lolth's grace had already reached its limit here...and now, it was up to just her.
She drew closer to the Empyreans that so cowardly hid behind her master's walls, her entire body numb from the wounds that she'd sustained thus far. That didn't stop her though...to her right, she saw Maul right by her side, his shield held aloft in front of him as he charged with her...it was time to mount their resistance.
Her blade lunged out, her hands, though lethargic and numb, still moved with practiced motions, even when she couldn't fully make out her targets. Her weapon found flesh as an audible sigh let out in her mind, that alto voice crying out once more. "I feed!"
Shavvir's lips curled as she dragged the blade further across the helpless victim, travelling fully across before bringing it back through, cutting a second, deeper gouge into his flesh. She spoke audibly, knowing that all could hear her. "No. Do not simply feed. Hunger, crave, consume, and ravish these wretched creatures that desecrate your true master's most sacred throne!"
"I do!"
Shavvir lunged forward, her vision suddenly clearer - still lacking, but she could make out the horrified expression of the soldier's face that she darted towards. Her senses were returning, the pulse in her weapon growing brighter. "Devour them and leave not even scraps, so that all that see you may know the true terrible power of Lolth!"
"I will!"
The sword pulsed in her hand, practically alive. With one practiced swing she lopped the soldier's head off, blood soaking the once-white blade. As she charged towards her third victim, she could see now what they'd attacked her with. They were indeed firearms, but far more advanced than what they'd encountered previously. Perhaps it was the work of magic...but they fired beams of energy, not metal spheres. They burned far more than the spheres ever had, but she did not care. Everlife's blade licked and cleansed her wounds, restoring her burnt flesh just as fast as the remaining soldiers could make new ones. "Coat your length in their blood and bath in their fear and terror, until these sacred halls become a testament to Lolth's might and glory!"
"We will!" The zealous words were punctuated by a familiar twinge of pain. She looked down to see Everlife's spider biting her arm, a flood of energy rushing through her veins. Her vision wasn't just clear now, it was better. The reflexes, the agility, the strength, the speed...all of it flooded her system.
The next victim didn't stand a chance. She reached him in milliseconds and slashed his throat, his chest, his legs...in the blink of an eye, he was slain. The spider dug deeper, its thorax growing larger with each successive kill and each drop of blood that touched the blade.
She heard shouting...it was in the distance, but her enhanced senses picked it up all the same. "Bring out the artillery!"
A wicked smile crossed her face as she darted back into the main corridor. She looked behind her to see Phyrra and Zaelynir at the entrance, spells flying forward. When she turned her attention back to the fore she saw Lance in the air, Blink in hand as he thrust it into an Empyrean's skull.
Shavvir continued forward. Whatever this "artillery" was, she'd kill it before it had a chance to fight back. She carved a path, her blade a blur as she chewed through foes left and right, ignoring those that remained behind her as she pushed forward. There was a staircase at the end of the long hall, and something was coming...something large. No matter, she just had to make it in time.
As she carved forward, it became more obvious. It was like the firearms the Empyreans used, but much, much larger. It rolled in wheels, four of them, with a barrel the size of a person. Like the other firearms a lavender light flickered along its length. It was angled straight at Shavvir as she pushed forward...she wasn't going to make it.
The barrel of the cannon lit up, a dull purple glow growing brighter and brighter. She grabbed the corpse of her most recent victim, using it as Maul would a shield as she charged forward. She broke free of the crowd...hundreds of people were behind her...but the one she wanted was still in her sights.
The cannon fired, a lavender ball of pure energy colliding with Shavvir's haphazard shield. The corpse was incinerated in an instant, absorbing only some of the blow as the rest barrelled into her. She was sent flying back, the force of ten battering rams hitting her all at once as she was flung through the halls, soaring over the fight and towards Phyrra at the entrance. She collided with the ground, skidding quite a distance until she eventually came to a complete stop.
She was...lethargic. Drained. When she tried to look up, her vision was blurry again...but unmistakably, the spider on her arm was gone. A surge of panic rushed through her as she tried to look for it...had it been blown off in the explosion? Was it back on the sword? She couldn't see well enough to determine either. The shadar-kai could barely even move her arms, let alone try to get up...the wounds that she'd sustained during her rampage burned more now than ever before as her life danced on a threat.
"Come...back."
It was all she could do to stay conscious, struggling to even lift her arm. Within seconds, even breathing was being difficult as she gulped for air in short, ragged spurts. Right as she felt the last gasp of air escaping her lungs, a familiar drow voice spoke out, accompanied by footsteps of a familiar figure walking towards her.
"Not yet, Shavvir...you're in Lolth's Court. Stand up, fight, and serve Her."
Air filled her lungs once more as she gasped and coughed for air, immense amounts of magic pulsing through her from Phyrra's channeled magic, followed by that yet-familiar twinge of pain. She looked over to see dark fingers holding the bloated spider, placing it on her arm as it latched on once again, tighter than before.
"Feed!"
The heightened strength and senses immediately rushed through her once more as Shavvir leaped to her feet. "I will, Phyrra...I will."
Again, she rushed forwards, hacking through an Empyrean as Everlife worked to claim their essence for herself, her near-fatal wounds resuming their recovery once again. New, fresh wounds came of course, the ambush, at least the parts of it that they could see, were not even half-quelled. Still, Shavvir raced forwards, two more foes falling to her blade in quick succession. She charged through back to where she'd tried to reach, to the "artillery"...anything with that much power needed to be dismantled at once.
Blood flew from her blade as her charge continued, Everlife claiming more and more victims in its master's halls. The spider continued to feed more and more of that energy into Shavvir, the shadar-kai moving swiftly through the opposition's ranks once more as she broke free, charging at the cannoneers. She took them by surprise, one falling as Everlife plunged into his gut, the other shortly thereafter as Shavvir lopped off her head. She turned around, seeing the rest of the ambush behind her, and then glanced at the cannon...its design was foreign, and she hadn't had a good chance to study its workings when it launched her across the room. As fulfilling as it would be to slay Empyreans with their own weapons of war, it would have to wait.
She charged at them from the back as Maul, Lance and the others pincered the from the front. With their combined efforts, taking them down became a far easier matter - they conserved most of their resources, Maul and Lance simply taking them down the same way Shavvir did - steel. As Shavvir cut down the last Empyrean, she looked around, her senses still highly acute.
"Feed."
She looked around...everything was dead. Pride welled within her even as the voice in her mind continued to ask her to keep going - so many dead, and so many at her hand. She turned back to the Syndicate.
"Feed."
Shavvir unconsciously shook her head. Not these...these were her allies. The spider's venom pumping through her veins didn't see it that way, however, as her instincts continued to crave violence. She held steadfast, her willpower straining as she reached towards her sheath to stow Everlife.
"Feed."
"No." Shavvir muttered it under her breath as she turned her entire body away from the others, her senses starting to fade. The voice nagged at her one more time as she held fast, and then promptly fell to her knees. The aches and pains of being shot dozens of times returned as the raw power coursing through her faded. The dizziness returned, then a wave of nausea that pushed her to the floor. She held there for quite some time, able to focus on little beyond the ground beneath her. She watched as Everlife's spider crawled down her arm and returned to the blade in her hand. As it nestled in it seemed to lose life as the blade returned to normal, the red gems set within it losing their previous lustre.
"Shavvir?"
The voice was faint, but unmistakably Phyrra's. All she could do to respond was nod, her arms like bricks as she futilely tried prying herself off the ground.
"One second...let me help you up." Vigor flowed through the shadar-kai...it was different from before. This wasn't restorative, or mending her wounds...it was as if her burdens were being lifted, a weight released from her shoulders as she let out a groan of appreciation.
"There...now, do you feel any better?"
Shavvir nodded - though the exhaustion had faded, her wounds were still very much prevalent, and her groan turned to one of discomfort as she tensed the open wounds on her way back to being upright. "Better...but I can't quite say good. What happened?"
"You were...a zealot. Ferocious. It was like in the Shadowfell, though it lasted for far longer. I think you should avoid tapping into whatever power Everlife feeds you unless the circumstances are truly dire...it irrefutably took its toll on you."
She nodded once again, leaning against a wall as she caught her breath. "I agree. I felt alive...I felt powerful. But now, I just feel drained. Let's not dwell on that, though...we broke through Empyria's ambush. Let's proceed to the throne and ensure that we've cleared out any remaining infiltrators." Shavvir pushed herself from the wall, righting herself after a wave of dizziness almost sent her toppling over again, and then looked at the others. "Let's go."
They began following, Shavvir steadily making her way down the corridor, past the dozens upon dozens of bodies that she'd largely exterminated. She knelt down, picking up one of the firearms that they'd used. "They've gotten far more advanced. I don't think some of the forces we've contracted with understand just who and what we're dealing with. These are far deadlier than what they had even in the Nine Hells."
"Agreed. Tactical decision making becomes more limited in order to ensure success. Some forces more resilient to firearms than others will need to compromise our front lines." Shavvir turned to Maul as he continued. "Warforged army highly resilient to ranged attacks, and shields create extra defensive layers. Drow and driders may require more stealthy approach."
"That's to say we even have them. Remember, we entrusted Molag to the task of alerting the others that we'd connected with. I don't know how reliable that will be."
"Molag will pull through." Lance's voice was hardened, but confident. "Honor among thieves."
"Okay Lance...we trust you." Phyrra's tone was far more gentle, almost motherly. It was impossible to ignore the changes to Lance since they'd lost Wake...he'd closed himself off, and become far more stern. "Still, Maul's right. We're dealing with weaponry that is more advanced than I think any of us have seen, and we don't know how long they've been here in waiting, while back at Empyria they continue to improve. We can't underestimate our opposition, which is why we need to handle this, and then make our way to Orcus immediately. Empyria made a mistake in showing their hand, hoping that it would kill us. It gives us knowledge that they don't want us to have, and we can -"
"Does it?"
The voice came from beyond the steps that they were climbing, ascending to the main chambers. Instinctively Lance's brow furrowed, and he rushed forward ahead of the others. They watched as he reached its peak and froze, knuckles going white around Blink.
"Sariel."
Upon hearing that name the others quickly caught up, joining Lance at the top of the stairs. What they saw was...perplexing, to say the least. Not one, but five Sariels, all gathered upon Lolth's throne. The throne itself was massive, sized for an entity that dwarfed even the great Storm Giants, making the five elven women at the top seem comically small upon it, but their sight only served to infuriate Phyrra and Shavvir.
"You think we played our hand? Oh my son, you're delusional. We knew you'd make it through that, to us. What you saw was but a fraction of what we have in store for you."
"So then why bother?"
Five cackles filled the room, the Sariels not even deigning the answer with a response at first. "Oh Lance, so childish...so naive. Why? Because now, you've shown your hand. We know what you're capable of and what we must do to crush you beneath our heels."
Shavvir brandished her weapon in a flash. "Not if we kill you right here."
"Oh, it would make no difference. Do you think we'd be so foolish as to assume you'd let us walk away? Every corner of this complex is being scryed. Every action you took since you entered the Pits has been closely monitored. Every flex of strength you've gained on your aimless adventure through the Planes has now been laid bare for all of Empyria to see. You can't win. And besides that, you can't even kill me if you wanted to."
"Want to bet?"
"Oh, of course I do...because the last time you tried to kill me, it nearly cost you one of your own...and I can't help but notice that you seem to be missing a different one of your clan as well." Her faces showed sadness, but quickly contorted into a maniacal smile as Lance couldn't help himself from taking a half-step forward, only stopped by a quick grab from Maul. "And as your wretched winged whore over there can tell you, there's nowhere you can escape this time that would save you. You may know where your portal out is, but you can't get there in time."
Zaelynir muttered under his breath, only audible to the syndicate. "She is, unfortunately, not wrong."
Lance took a step forward, more intentional this time, Blink still bared in his hands. "If you think that you can mock my brother like that and walk away, I don't care if I die murdering you. At least I get to see my brother again, and then the two of us can torment you in the afterlife."
"Oh, so daring, my how you've grown up. Well, come on then. Your mother's waiting." One of the Sariels stepped forward off of the throne, hands outstretched.
"Lance." he turned around to Phyrra, his eyes bloodshot in anger. "I'm not going to stop you. I know how much Wake means to you, and I know how much you hate this woman. But this is very clearly a trap...there's no denying that. Something will happen if you kill her, and we don't know what."
"I don't care, Phyrra. She has to die. She can't get away with this...she can't say that about Wake."
"I know, Lance...I know. Like I said, your actions are your own. But you know - we know, that she wants you to do that. And we don't know what that might cause."
Lance nodded. Slow, deliberate...and looked at Phyrra solemnly. "I know. I don't care. She can't get away with that. Not after how Wake sacrificed himself. Go. I'll catch up. Zaelynir, where do I need to go to find you all?"
"We're headed back to Pazunia. There's a secret corridor behind the throne, follow it for several miles, and you'll eventually come to five portals placed by Lolth herself for escape. Take the first one on the left. And Lance?"
"Yes?"
"Do be a darling and come back, yes. You're much too sweet to lose over a squabble like this. Save the real fight for the one that counts, yes?"
Lance let out a sigh, shaking his head. "Fine. Now go."
Phyrra gave him an imploring look once more only to see his hardened gaze once again, glumly turning around as Zaelynir moved towards the passage. It was well hidden, several pressure points along the wall being pressed in tandem until it revealed itself. Once they were gone, Lance turned his gaze to Sariel once more, his hands finally loosening their grip on Blink as he let it hang in his hand, his practiced hands dancing across the smooth blade.
"Oh darling, you've grown so strong taking your mother on all by - "
She was cut off as Lance hurled the blade at her, strength over accuracy as it whirled past her head. He reappeared just behind her, spinning around and slashing at one of the Sariels with his dagger.
As soon as it hit her, he knew something was wrong. It passed through too smoothly, too effortlessly...he knew this couldn't be the real one, but it wasn't an illusion either, the material he was cutting into was real. He retracted the blade quizzically for but a second, his anger overtaking him as he thrust forward with it once more. As he did, the figure let out a shriek of pain, instantly fading away...into a pile of snow.
The other four turned around, eyes maniacal. "What's wrong, son...are you not satisfied? You've killed us, you've gotten what you so desperately wanted. Here...there's more of us. Go right ahead."
"I hate you!" Lance lunged forwards to the next one as all four rushed at him, not casting spells from what he could tell...simply running. He cut through the first one in a single strike, it too fading into snow. The others all crashing into him and he swung Blink in a wide arc, cutting two of them down and leaving the other with a gash. The gash looked...real. Blood came from it, just as it would any other wound...but he could feel the difference. She was snow, like all the other four around him.
"Why won't you show yourself. Why hide behind these fakes?"
"Oh Lance...because that way I get to see you again. To never lose you. You could always come back, right? You know that I'm going to kill you. Join me...take down those failures you've sided yourself with, and live happily in Empyria."
"I could never live knowing that I abandoned my friends and allies only to serve a witch like you."
"You'll come around...I'll make sure that my legions of soldiers spare you. You're always welcome back home, you know that? A mother could never - "
"You. Are not. My mother." Lance slashed again at her arm, lopping it off. Blood poured from it, but as it hit the ground it faded into snow. "Tell me, does this form of yours bleed out? Do you feel its pain? Does it feel pain? Or is this just here to taunt me into coming after the real you?"
"I feel pain Lance...from your words. I just wanted to see you, but it seems you've been deceived. We'll meet again. I know it."
Lance slashed again, now the other arm falling as well as a leg. As he cut out the other one the stump fell to the ground, wading in a pool of blood that revealed its true form around her. Despite the obviously grievous injuries it showed no signs of death, Sariel's smile still sickeningly jovial across her face as she maniacally glared at her son. "Come on then, finish me. Just think about how great it'll feel the fifth time!"
Lance shook his head, a look of peace coming across him. "No. Real or not, I'd rather think that this body suffers all the same. I'll leave it here as a reminder that we're coming for you. And we won't kill you...you will suffer one-hundred fold what this false copy does."
He stormed off, Sariel still speaking behind him. "I'll find you, Lance. Wherever you go, I'll find you...and I'll save you." The half-elf didn't respond, moving down the passage that the others had opened.
The several-mile walk wracked his mind. He replayed the scenario dozens of times in his head...what did she do? He knew Phyrra was right, that Sariel had to have gotten something out of it. He'd come out alive, unharmed. It had to be something that she'd done to him, but he had no idea what. Admittedly, he wasn't well-versed in Sariel's capabilities. Despite being related by blood, he'd distanced himself from her as much as he could...there were any number of things she could have done to him in such a short amount of time, and he had no idea of knowing what.
Eventually, he reached the end of the passage, finding the five portals waiting for him, all indistinguishable from one another. He took the one Zaelynir had told him to, vision going dark for a split second until he was back on Pazunia. The others were standing around him, all immediately turning to him once he appeared.
"Are you okay, Lance?"
The rogue simply nodded. "Good enough to do my job. Now let's go find Orcus."