Thank you Nerdy Rahn for your review and to beta 657 who has me on alert, I do hope this is up to your exceptions. I do not own the forgotten realms characters or setting, enjoy.

Chapter 2: Rebirth

The waxing moon gave the bluish-black sky a settle smirk to the coming rays of light as if teasing the new day soon to begin. Slowly the sun's light rose higher and higher touching the buildings of black, tan, cream, and green granite. Each color representing the station of the women who call this place home. Black for soldiers, tan for civilians, cream for the merchants, and green for the priestesses. This is the city of Bubastis; home to the worshipers of Bast.

And at the heart of it all a an island; save for the entrance was separated by channels that approach it from the Nile. They run round it on opposite sides; each of them is an hundred feet wide, and overshadowed by trees. The temple in the midst of the city made of red granite and gold shimmered under the sun's touch. The whole circuit commanded all to view its beauty; for the temple's level had been raised, so that it can be seen into from the city.

A stone wall, carven with figures, of various women runs round it. Within is a grove of very tall trees growing round a great shrine, wherein is the image of the goddess; the temple is a square, each side measuring a furlong (1/8 th of a mile, 220 yards or 660 feet). A road, paved with stone, of about three furlongs length leads to the entrance, running eastward through the market place, towards the temple of Hermes; this road is about four hundred wide, and bordered by trees reaching to heaven.

Within it's walls a verdant and luxurious grove so spacious that the cats in it's walls roamed free and wild, yet each and everyone bejeweled and pampered so fittingly that they severed as a living embodiment of the Goddess. Laying upon her knees, she hummed a wordless tune as she stroked the snow white hair, unbound and free in her lap. Trailing a finger over ebony skin covered by a simple jade green silk dress.

Vierna came back to herself slowly, her head splitting, her mind befuddled. Beneath her head ache, memories flooded her thoughts. Ah, she changed he brother to help kill the other, only to instead die by his hands. It was strange to not find dying upsetting, but liberating; a sound pushed pass her foggy thoughts and feeling returned to her numbed body. Was she in the demon web pit? She jerked up—and fell back down. "Shh. Give yourself a few moments more.

The pain is soon to fade." A female, her voice unlike the cold and harsh ones of her race, but husky and warm, welcoming. Her hands moved back to Vierna's temples and eased away her pain. "Who…." Vierna started, but choked on her spit. Swallowing she took a breath. "Who are you? "she asked as she took in the black feline mask she wore over her head. A mischievous aura surrounded her form, "I go by many names: Ubastet, Pasht, Bastet, Bast….but you may call me Sharess."

"I do not understand; you are a servant of the Spider Queen? I failed to bring justice to House Do'urden will I not be punished?" Vierna removed herself slowly from the masked woman's lap and turned to face her. A mask of black jade covered her face, skin of golden honey brown, a dress of white transparent linen, and gold bracelets adored her arms. "Hmm...Lolth you need not concern yourself with. You strayed from her ways and in turn fell into my own.

You are the first in many of years to gain the favor of my messengers." Vierna frowned. "I don't understand." Sharess smiled, "No, from a world where you only learn treachery and deceit I would not expect you to understand that the world is not only black and white, good and evil. There is much of both in every world, but just as there are black and white, good and evil there are those that walk both. Those who learn to peer into clouds of gray and distinguished both light and dark.

Teaching, showing that even the purest of hearts contain malicious thoughts, yet from the darkness hope and faith give way to the rays of light. There is redemption for those who have fallen into hard time and strayed from their path. To give them strength to endure and serve as a guide to others as they have been show. My child there is new life in you; so long have you been contained by the rules of society. What will you do now that you are free to your own desires….

A blessing that many never allow themselves to taste and yet a curse for many will hate what is different. In so you will suffer alone and misunderstood. Be fierce, independent; accept it. By denying who you are, you cage yourself. They have caged you; molding you into their image. Look into yourself and accept who you are, all of who you are….you can be free. For freedom is power." Sharess caressed her face. "Go and experience life as you never have before…." Vierna jerked back as if pushed, she fell fast an uncontrolled.

And it brought a wild exhilaration through her soul, shooting up from the cold stone floor she gasped for air breaking the silence of Bregan D'aerthe headquarters. Looking around dead drow lay around her where her brother killed them. She didn't care, the call of Lolth no longer seized her every thought, jumping to her feet she ran. Racing through the halls as if none where there, soon she emerged at the deep chasm that housed the safe house of the rogue males, but she did not stop. No she fled past the busy sector of The Bazaar, beyond the Isle Of Rothe, and into The Dark Dominion, the wilds of the underdark.