Here we go! School's been piling up lately because finals are coming, so updates might be slower.
Obligatory Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Battle Over Knif'Taur
Tension crackled like lightning, and it felt as if there was a steam hammer in Yu's chest. He kept looking from one spider to the next, fearing their inevitable spring that could kill someone before he even had a chance to react. Their large, glassy eyes stared back, fangs clicking together in hungry anticipation. They were a bit smaller than the one that had chased them before, with more compact bodies and shorter legs, almost like a jumping spider. He knew full well that that did not diminish the danger by even a fraction.
And their riders presented a whole host of new and unknown problems. Each one wore a tight, form-fitting set of armor that shimmered like gossamer, intricate whorls that resembled spider webs creating unique patterns along the vest and thighs. Crossbows sat in one gloved hand, fingers a hairs breadth away from the trigger as they threateningly pointed them their way, while in the other lay a coiled whip that rested on their thigh, ready to flick open at a moment's notice. Faceless helmets sat upon their heads, the pointed cheek guards carved to resemble spider fangs that glinted menacingly in the glow of the forest. And in the shadows cast by the helmet, eyes the color of blood gleamed at them with malice.
"Al, al, vel'bol inbal udos ghil?"
The silken voice, feminine in tone, sounded just out of sight, cool and taunting. Then, from behind the spider blocking the path to the plateau, another shape emerged. A woman appeared before them, clearly in charge judging by the deferential nod the riders gave her. Unlike her companions, she was wearing a black vest with a red, spider-shaped insignia that covered most of the front. A long, rippling skirt of black flowed beneath that, a v-line cut running right down the center and revealing long, slender legs that lacked the armor of her companions save the heeled boots that rose to her knee. Spider's silk formed a silver covering over the cloth, a glimmering overskirt that cut off halfway down the main skirt to only wispy tendrils. Her face was the perfect definition of 'haughty', with high cheek-bones, a sharp chin, and a slender nose which was turned up just slightly, as if she'd just scented something nasty. A circlet of silver rested upon her brow, the curved ends cradling a onyx cabochon circled by miniature ruby studs. Her lips were tugged up into a small, yet malicious smirk, leering at them and making it quite clear that she was not their friend. That was where her human similarities ended. Her skin, instead of beige or pink or white or any other familiar color, was as pitch as the bottom of an inkwell, and her hooded eyes which stared at them so condescendingly was a bright wine red. Her carefully plaited and coiled hair was chalk white, utterly devoid of color and striking against her sable skin. But perhaps her most obvious and telling feature were her long, pointed ears, a trait which sent Yu reeling back to the days when he'd read fairytale stories alone in his room.
Was this woman . . . an elf?
"Holy shit . . ." he heard Yosuke breathe in quiet disbelief, seeing it himself.
The woman's red eyes snapped to him, lips curling in distaste as she snapped, "Venorsh!"
The sharp click of Yosuke's jaws slamming shut followed, and Yu forced himself to swallow as fear clawed at his insides.
But Tirin wasn't having any of it. Paying no heed to her command, he said through gritted teeth, "Vel'bol xun dos ssinssrin?"
The woman gazed at him, and something like recognition flashed through her crimson eyes. This time, with a notable more amount of interest, she tilted her head to one side and inquired, "Dos gaer. Dos ph'uss dl'Vidostha, ph'dos naut? Tirin, usstan z'reninth."
Yu's ears perked when she spoke Tirin's name. She . . . knew him?
"Vel'bol ka usstan telanthus siyo? Orn'la dos ori'gato udossa k'lararl?" Tirin questioned, not lowering his gaurd.
The woman smirked, "Xal'ka dos'balus tlus maglust. Usstan tlun nau wael. Jhal . . . dos phuul naut maglust, ph'dos?"
Her eyes flashed to Yu and his friends before traveling over them, where she then gave a very subtle nod. In an instant, there was the sound of feet thudding against the floor and frightened scream, and he spun around only to feel his heart quicken.
The first rider had leaped down from his mount and now held Yukiko captive, the whip he held wrapped around her throat, just tight enough where he could easily snap her neck if provoked.
"Yukiko!" Chie shouted in horror. Then she was lunging forward, spitting furiously, "Let her go, you bastard!"
The man's hands tightened, constricting, and Yukiko choked as her air supply was brutally cut back. His friends all gasped in horror, and on a jolt of pure instinct, Yu started towards Yukiko, a primal, desperate urge to rip the whip away himself temporarily overriding his other thoughts. But rationality caught up with him quick, and he ground his teeth and forced himself to still. It was a hostage tactic, a threat. If any of them tried getting close, he would kill her. Chie got the message as well, sliding to a stop and glaring daggers at her captor, furious at her own helplessness. When no one else made a move, the armored man finally loosened his hold, and Yu felt the tightness in his chest loosen slightly as Yukiko coughed, her breath returning.
He forced himself to look back to the woman, his glare as sharp and cold as icicles. Unperturbed, she continued speaking, "Val'kyroc. Xor dkinoss zah'har l'umbrenen."
Tirin growled, fingers tightening around the hilts of his daggers.
"What does she want?" Yu whispered to him, not taking his eyes off the woman.
"She wants us to surrender, or else suffer the consequences," he replied just as softly, an acidic tone lacing his words, "Damn spider-kisser . . ."
Yu didn't have to ask what those 'consequences' were.
"Huertar. F'sarn nuat natha zaale j'nesst," the woman said, looking impatient.
Tirin bristled, and for one moment, Yu was sure he would lunge at her regardless of her hostage. Then his shoulders slumped. Standing out of his stance, his fingers loosened and the daggers he was holding hit the ground with a dull thud, and he held them up, fingers spread in a display of surrender.
It was all they could do, Yu realized. With Tirin outnumbered and Yukiko trapped, they had no choice. So, closing his eyes, he did away with his pride and held up his own hands as well, hoping these 'elves', if that was what they were, would show some strain of mercy. Around him, he sensed his friends slowly following their lead, surrendering with gritted teeth and dark scowls but knowing they had no other option. Perhaps, if they were careful and played their cards right, they could find a way to escape later . . .
Then, just out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tirin smirk.
Fwip!
A dull thunk behind them followed only a second later, and the sound of someone gurgling broke the heavy silence. Startled, Yu's eyes flew to the rider holding Yukiko captive just in time to see him slump to the floor, where he then lay motionless, a golden bolt jutting out from his throat. Gasping, Yukiko stumbled away, Chie catching her just in time and holding her fiercely, as if daring anyone to try and touch her friend again.
Stunned silence reigned for only a moment, as right after that, a loud, bloodcurdling war cry sounded from the plateau, and he spun around again to see a rather big, heavily armored man charge out of one of the tunnels, a huge black warhammer clutched in his hands. With another fury-laden bellow, he ran head-on into the archers, who were shouting in panic and firing all their arrows at him at once. Most glanced off the man's armor, and the ones the did stick he completely ignored as if they were little more than beestings. The archer on the farthest right didn't stand a chance as the big man bowled into him, massive shoulder sending him hurtling over the edge with a scream.
Everything happened all at once after that. Sweeping down to the floor, Tirin grabbed his daggers and lunged for the woman, sharp points level with her chest. But she was ready. Mumbling something like an incantation under her breath, a veil of white covered her body that had Tirin's daggers glancing harmlessly to the side, as if they were repulsed by a semi-invisible shield. Then, faster than he could blink, she vanished from sight.
Another bolt came flying, a gold speck amidst a blue screen, striking the other rider in the shoulder. With a pained and furious cry, the rider snapped his whip open and lashed it against the ground, and the spider rose up, hissing. Behind him, the other spider did likewise, fangs clicking together voraciously.
"Xirskam, now!" Tirin shouted as darkness enveloped him, body dispersing with the shadows.
At his master's call, Xirskam materialized from the darkness, leaping on top of the riderless spider and sinking his long talons into it's thorax. The spider shrieked, bucking and spinning as it tried to throw its attacker off to no avail.
The second spider shrieked, and Yu backpedaled, trying to put himself between it and his friends as it crawled closer. The rider atop it's back spat at them, then lashed his whip out with a crack.
Pain lanced along his cheek, a fiery line of pain that momentarily made his mind go blank. Hot blood welled from the wound, and he tasted copper on his tongue as blood oozed down his cheek.
"Yu!" He heard Yosuke and several others shout, and he felt a hand grab him by the arm and pull him back.
Behind him, the crack of a gun firing roused him to his senses, Naoto having pulled out her weapon of choice and aiming it at their attackers. The spider hissed as a bullet lodged in it's leg, and the rider gnashed his teeth, red eyes burning. A second gunshot, but this one missed. Before she could fire another, the rider lashed his whip out once more, the tip striking Naoto in the back of her hand and sending her gun flying. They were defenseless!
He stumbled back to his feet again, ignoring the brutal sting of his wound, trying to think of a way to get his friends out of this. But the rider was already raising his arm again, the spider surging forward, black fangs gleaming-
That was when a shadow appeared behind the man, and suddenly their attacker was flying headfirst to the floor, having been kicked off by a rather smug-looking Tirin. The man hit the ground hard, the crossbow he had landing by Yu's feet. Reaching out, he quickly snapped it up.
The spider hissed and violently shook it's body from head to toe, and Tirin went flying as well. But he landed with a modicum more grace, rolling onto his feet with ease as the spider spat furiously at him. The rider stumbled back to his feet, whip dangling loosely from his hand, helmet askew yet still glaring daggers at the gloaming.
Before either of them could react, another rage-filled cry boomed from the other side of the bridge, and Yu could just see the large, stomping figure of the armored man from before rushing at them like an angry bull. The spider, sensing a new threat, whirled around to meet it's new opponent.
Yu had a very strong feeling that it regretted doing so when the big man dropped his hammer right on it's head. The chitinous shell shattered like brittle glass, ichor oozing through the cracks. The man wasn't done. Dropping his hammer completely this time, he grabbed hold of the spider's fang with one hand and began beating it in the face with the other, relentless, unending punches backed with a bloodlust and rage so potent Yu could feel it from where he sat. Behind him, an ear-piercing screech sounded, and Yu was able to tear his eyes away from the savagery long enough to see Xirskam hurl his opponent off the edge. The spider's lifeless body slammed against a mushroom cap before sliding into the forest below, leaving a black smear of blood behind as it vanished from sight.
The lone rider seemed to realize his luck was out, as he began to back away completely, but the fight wasn't over for him yet. Farther down the bridge, a small hooded figured stepped forward, the crossbow in their hand aimed right at him. With one squeeze of their finger, another bolt went flying, striking the man right in the chest with a powerful thunk. Several of his friends gasped at this, and he might have been one of them had he not been so wholly absorbed in what was going on.
The rider stumbled back, coughing, blood flecking his lips, hands going for the bolt lodged in his chest. Alas, he stumbled too far, his foot slipping over the edge, and for one painfully long moment, he teetered there. Then he vanished over the side.
At that moment, the last spider-who was still taking a beating-suddenly reared up and twisted away, pulling free at the cost of it's fang. Badly hurt and bleeding profusely by this point, it turned and bolted for the cavern wall.
And it was barreling straight towards them.
"Get out of the way!" Yu heard Tirin shout, and he scrambled for the side as fast as he was able. The others did likewise, pushing as close as they felt was safe to avoid the spider's legs as it shot passed.
The armored man was giving chase, roaring angrily, and he thought he heard the hooded figure shout something to him. Whatever they'd said, it went right over his head as he ran after it. Sensing it's pursuer, and spider lifted it's abdomen and shot a violent cone of webs to throw him off.
The sticky strands hit them all, a powerful blast that knocked them back.
Right over the edge.
The whole world seemed to sway, and a startled cry escaped him when he saw only open air between him and the very distant ground. The terrifying plunge abruptly ended, however, when the webs from the spider constricted around his chest and body like a sticky rope, cutting off his fall before it could truly begin. He swung there, feeling lightheaded as the realization of how close he'd just come to death hit him. But he forced himself to breathe evenly, forcing his eyes upward and looking for a way out.
He could see Yosuke, Teddie, and Rise on his side, dangling from webs just like he was, and he could only assume the same was true for the others on the opposite edge. And, amazingly enough, he also saw that the rider who had fallen earlier was still there too, clinging to the fibrous strands to keep from falling. He looked like he didn't care at all for their plight, slowly crawling back up and ignoring them completely.
"Is everyone okay?" he demanded, subconsciously gripping the strands.
"W-were alive. D-don't know about 'okay'," Yosuke replied, panting, every muscle in his body coiled tight like a spring.
"Oh my god . . ." Rise moaned, staring down at the long, long drop.
Teddie's eyes were squeezed shut, and he was shaking like a leaf, but thankfully he looked unhurt.
Looking up, Yu grit his teeth as he surveyed his options. The ledge was just out of his reach, and the webs, while helpful in stopping their fall, also limited his maneuverability. The sounds of a clash still echoed from the bridge proper, but it wasn't a priority. He had to focus on getting his friends out of this mess!
Just then, a shadow leaned over the side and peered down at them, and Yu recognized the bright white eyes of the Shade Xirskam. Without a word, the creature reached down with his long arms and wrapped his talons under Yu's armpits, and Yu tried not to struggle for fear of those sharp claws cutting into him. With one sharp pull, the webs tore and went slack, and the next thing he knew, he was being set down on the ground.
He barely paid heed to his trembling muscles, crawling back to the edge to ascertain his friend's safety. Xirskam was already freeing Yosuke, who looked all kinds of uncomfortable with the situation but not fighting the great shadow. Glancing behind him, he saw that the hooded figure from before was helping the others up, Chie and Yukiko already safely back on the bridge. The spider had scrambled to the edge, and he could see it was trying to climb to the underside and escape. It might have made it, too, if it's leg wasn't being grappled by an irate knight.
Xirskam placed Yosuke beside him, and Yu gripped his arm in relief, "You alright?"
Shaking but having enough nerve to let out a breathy laugh, he replied, "Not dangling over the edge anymore . . ."
As Xirskam bent back down to help Rise, Yu caught sight of a commotion a mere eight feet away. The rider had made it back to the top, hands scrambling to find a hold, but waiting for him there was Tirin. The gloaming had his hands clasped to his sides, glaring down at the man with a sneer of strong dislike. The rider glared back, spitting something at him, but it was garbled by the blood that filled his mouth.
"Hmph," Tirin sniffed, frowning, "Usstan'sargh ulu l'vaen."
Then he kicked the rider straight in the face, dislodging him from his perch and sending him plunging to the depths below.
Yu stared in stupefied shock. Yes, they were in a fight, but . . . that man had been injured, hardly a threat! Such an action hadn't been necessary at all! Yet Tirin didn't seem bothered by what he'd done. In fact, he almost looked . . . pleased?
But he couldn't contemplate the cold act any further, for someone was shouting at them, the sound tearing him from his thoughts. Looking, he saw that the spider had torn free again, now lacking a leg. But it was teetering along the side, clearly on the verge of death. It shambled awkwardly sideways, bumbling towards them like a drunk elephant. Tirin leapt out of the way, and by that point, it began to slip, the last light in it's multiple eyes fading as it breathed it's last. It fell, claws scraping against the stalk as it slipped over the edge.
But too Yu's horror, it's longest claw snagged at the webs that were holding Teddie, the black hook tearing through the silken strands like wet paper.
For a few agonizingly slow moments, Teddie dangled on mere threads as Xirskam reached down to grab him. But before the Shade could, the threads gave way and snapped.
With a terrified scream, he went tumbling over the side.
In the brief moment of breathless, horrified silence that followed, Tirin was suddenly blitzing forward and hurling himself over the edge as well, vanishing from sight.
Everything snapped back at once for Yu, and he screamed, "TEDDIE!"
Yu heard the others rushing to his side as he slid to his knees, hands braced against stalk and peering desperately over the side. The mushroom caps below them still glowed, the water running clear. But of Tirin and Teddie, there was no sign.
"Where are they? Where are they?!" Chie asked, looking panicked.
"Oh no, oh no, oh please no . . ." Rise mumbled, hands over her mouth and tears in her eyes.
"Damn it. Damn it!" he heard Yosuke hiss, voice strained and fingernails digging into his palms.
It felt as if the seconds after that lasted an unbearable eternity, and his heart grew heavier and heavier with every one that passed. They couldn't be gone. Teddie couldn't be gone! There had to be something, anything at all!
Anything . . .
Whoosh.
Wind brushed against back, and a voice too jovial for the current situation trilled, "Drop something?"
Everyone spun around, eyes shooting up to the sky where the voice had come from. With a bizarre mixture of shock and relief, Yu saw Tirin hovering there, lips curved up into a cattish smile as he stared down on them. Yes, hovering, because apparently Tirin had wings he had neglected to tell them about. Large black wings that, when looking closely, seemed to be comprised of semi-solid feathers made of opaque shadow, like bird wings sculpted out of pure darkness. Teddie dangled in his arms, clinging to the hands that were locked around his chest, shaking but thankfully alive.
Landing on the bridge with a graceful swoop, Tirin set Teddie down, stepping back as the blonde was swarmed.
"Teddie, are you okay?" Rise.
"Man, you almost gave me heart attack!" Yosuke.
"Hey, talk to us!" Kanji.
"Come on, say something!" Chie.
Reaching out, Yu clasped a hand against the boy's shoulder, "Teddie?"
At first, all he did was shiver, which Yu could not fault him for at all. But, at the urging voices of his friends and the fact that he was on solid ground again, the glassy expression faded and he let out a short, nervous chuckle as he ran a hand through his hair, "Heh . . . I messed up my bearutiful hair . . . silly me."
Everyone let out a unified sigh of relief, Yosuke reaching out and pressing a hand against the boy's head, "Damn, don't scare us like that again, dude . . . seriously."
"Sorry Yosuke," Teddie replied, this time looking a little remorseful.
"Hey, don't apologize. It's not like you meant to fall," Yukiko put in gently, "Is there anything we can get for you?"
"Well . . ." an impish gleam appeared in Teddie's eyes, "A smooch would be beary appreciated!"
"Yep, he's fine," Chie said with a smile.
"Indeed," Naoto agreed, a half-smile of her own gracing her face.
Yosuke sighed, but it wasn't as long-suffering as it usually was, "Dumb bear . . ."
As the others fussed, Yu turned to Tirin, nodding gratefully, "Thank you."
Tirin shrugged, but there was a smile on his lips as he said, "You're very welcome."
"Dude since when did you have wings?" Yosuke asked, staring at the feathery(?) appendages on the gloaming's back.
"I've always had them, you just don't see them," Tirin explained. As if to show what he meant, the wings behind him began to slowly fade away, the feathers appearing to merge with the darkness as all traces of their existence seemingly vanished like smoke, "See?"
"Whoa . . ." Kanji said.
"Well, we're in the clear now," Tirin said. His face sobered a little, "Sorry about this mess . . . leave it to drow to ruin even the good things . . ."
"Drow?" Yukiko inquired.
"The ones who attacked us," Naoto guessed.
Tirin nodded, a slight scowl coming over him, "Yes."
"What happened to the girl?" Chie asked, a hand still clutching Yukiko by the shoulder as if afraid someone else would try and grab her, "She just . . . disappeared."
"Ran as soon as we attacked," Tirin explained in a tone that could only be scorn, "She knew she couldn't win, so she cut her losses and left. Drow do that a lot."
He . . . really did not seem to like these 'drow', judging by his tone alone. Just where did this enmity come from?
An image of Tirin kicking the rider off the edge without a shred of remorse flashed through his mind, and Yu had to suppress a shudder.
"But!" Tirin said, clapping his hands together and looking considerably more cheerful, "Now that that's taken care of-"
He stepped aside and held up a hand, and all eyes fell on the duo who had come to their rescue.
"I'd like you to meet some friends of mine!"
The man was bigger up close, easily six and half feet high and looming over all of them. Black and gray plate mail covered him from head to toe, the chest piece bearing numerous spiked studs that ran in bands down the armor. Massive pauldrons were situated on his shoulders, spikes decorating the surface, the longest being almost a foot in length. With a shiver, Yu could see one of those pauldrons glimmer black in the light, knowing full well it was blood. Black leather gloves were on his hands, the knuckles of each one embedded with a thick metal stud, perfect for punching heads in as evidenced by that spider. The dirt-brown boots on his feet had thick metal soles, each one slightly wider around the vamp, and brassy metal bands ran from the sides of the soles to the tops. A belt was around his waist, a few potions and a set of metal staves attached via pockets in the brown leather that made them easy to grab. He wore a helmet on his head, one crafted to resemble the skull of a ram, a frightening visage for any to behold. Rubies that seemed to burn with an inner fire were embedded in the eyeholes, and the tips of the curved horns were shod in dark metal. The underside of the helmet was open however, and Yu could just make out the thick, sturdy jaw beneath. With a start, he also saw what looked like small tusks jutting out of the man's mouth, and he swallowed involuntarily.
With a grunt, the man reached down and collected his hammer, bracing it easily against a spiked shoulder. The head looked worn and well-used but still very sturdy, a weathered veteran of countless battles. The broad side of one end still dripped ichor onto the floor below, pieces of chitin still clinging to the blood-covered metal. On the hammer's opposite end, a massive onyx was embedded into the shaft, the inky darkness of the gem seeming to absorb any light that came close.
Yu swallowed a lump down as the man came near. He still remembered, quite vividly, the brutal savagery with which he had attacked his opponents, his fearsome war cry still ringing in his ears.
His companion was of much smaller stature, and up close, looked noticeably more feminine. A dark blue vestment covered her torso, a pretty dark blue robe of silk woven with a shiny metallic thread in an elegant waterfall pattern. Dark leather boots were on her feet, the golden threads wound tightly around the cuff shimmering in the gloom. Bronze bracers were on her wrists, the image of an open eye emblazoned on each. Dangling from her neck via a heavy gold chain was a fist-sized orb painted to resemble the eye of a dragon, and Yu got the uncomfortable impression of being watched when he looked at it. A vellum tube was attached to her waist, along with a satchel and a brown bag that could be another Bag of Holding, but he couldn't be sure. A simple black hood was pulled over her head, its black train winding around her neck and shoulders like a dark shawl. For some strange reason, every time he tried to look closer at her face, it felt as if his attention would wane and his eyes would slip away, like some part of himself saw nothing of interest.
What he did find interesting was the crossbow that sat in her hands. It was of elegant make, the body carved from rowan and inlaid with silver tracery along the limbs and foregrip. The tips were shod with silver, and blue metal wire was wrapped around the grip. A quiver was slung around her waist, the golden heads of several bolts peeking over the folded lip, in easy grabbing distance. Her aim was a deadly one, as he'd witnessed, and he was glad he was not on the business end of her bow.
These were Tirin's friends? But wait, if that was so, then did that mean-?!
"Tch!" The man suddenly snorted, the sound making anxiety shoot down Yu's spine. It took him a moment to realize it was one of amusement, "You really weren't kiddin', were ya?"
"Indeed, it seems he was not," the woman said in wonder, bracing her free hand against her hip, "A miracle then! We haven't been dragged into some meaningless prank."
Tirin feigned hurt, holding a hand over his heart and waxing, "Oh Nyras, don't you have more faith in little old me? Why, the nerve of insinuating I would ever play something as juvenile as a prank!"
The man grunted, "Yeah, tell that to the fletcher at Dresden."
At this, Tirin grinned, shoulders shaking as a maniac little giggle escaped him.
"Enough about that. I'm certain these children are quite curious to know who we are," the woman said as she refocused her attention on the group, "Allow us to introduce ourselves."
With one sweep of her hand, the hood fell back and banished the shadows obscuring her face from view. At the same time, the man reached up and yanked his helmet off with deft tug, revealing his own face as well.
Behind him, gasps rose and jaws fell once more, and Yu could feel both Naoto and Kanji completely freeze as their doppelgangers, the ones they'd only theorized over, suddenly became flesh and blood before them.
"My name is Nyras Theron," the Naoto look-alike said.
"Name's Korval," the Kanji look-alike grunted.
"And it would seem," the newly known 'Nyras' continued, "That we have a problem."
(*)
The room was dark, lit only by the candelabras of glowing crystal affixed to the smooth stone walls. A 'throne' of webs sat on the far end of room opposite the ornate double doors, the silken strands gleaming like ice in a shadowed glacier. The webs formed an intricate tunnel recessed into an alcove the purpled stone, the outlying threads woven into beautiful and otherworldly designs that bore a resemblance to magical runes. A beautiful woman perched before it, her skin as polished and smooth as ebony, a crown of wrought adamantine settled upon her brow. White hair tumbled down her slender shoulders in waves like snow atop a dark mountain, and her smoldering red eyes glowed like cinders in the dark. A fine vestment of black and silver was wrapped around her torso, the billowing sleeves and jeweled collar marking her highborn status; the raiment of a high priestess. The rest of her body was hidden in the darkness of the webbed throne.
At her side were two figures; at her right was a drow man dressed in leather armor and carrying a pair of swords strapped to his sides, silver hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. His face was completely neutral, standing as still as the stone itself as he observed everything through carefully guarded eyes. On her left was another woman wearing a long, billowing robe that was plain by anyone's standards, the modest clothing obscuring her every feature from sight. The only visible portion of her body to be seen were her hands and her mouth, and the pale skin was enough to mark her as not of the drow people. But her manicured claws, as sharp as knives, were enough to show that she was much more than merely human.
All three stared down at a lone drow kneeling before them, her hand pressed over her heart and her head bowed low in reverence, the silver circlet upon her brow glinting.
Pressing the tips of her long fingers together, the high priestess spoke in voice that was both smooth as silk and hard as stone, "And . . . are you certain this is what you saw?"
The prostrating woman nodded, "Yes, Lady Phaedra. Children who have the faces of the Champions of the Seventh Crusade. I would not waste your time unless I was certain."
The priestess narrowed her eyes, "And this is all you know? You did not stay to gather more information?"
The bowing drow's face was neutral, but the bead of sweat clinging to her brow betrayed her nervousness. She spoke slowly, picking her words very carefully, "The Champions are more than this lowly priestess is capable of handling. As such, I believed it more important to deliver this news to you, My Lady."
"Your cowardice reflects poorly on our people," Phaedra admonished sharply, "Lolth will be displeased."
The drow on the floor swallowed.
Then, another voice spoke up, a delicate whisper like wind through the rattling branches of a barren tree, "If I might speak, Lady Phaedra . . ."
The drow snapped her head in the robed woman's direction, clearly disgruntled by her interruption. Then, focusing her attention ahead, she nodded curtly, "Speak."
"This phenomenon your protégé encountered is exactly what I have been telling you of. The signs of change that mark the beginning of calamity," the woman said. Stepping forward, she extended a hand and the lights from the crystals began to flicker. Her fingers twitched, and suddenly they went out entirely as their internal light was torn from them. The glowing orbs flew to her waiting hand, gathering into a single large ball that hovered mere inches above her palm. Rolling her fingers in a gentle wave, the orb began to waver and quake, "The multiverse is vast and limitless, but bordered by many invisible walls. These walls separate us, divide us. But they also supply a certain order that most lesser creatures have come to rely on. But now . . . those walls are breaking."
She brushed her hand into a violent fist and the orb shattered, the whole room descending into darkness. It mattered not to the ones who inhabited it, for they all could see just as well in the dark as they could in the light.
For a moment, all was silence. Then, the woman spoke again, "Do you see now, my Lady Phaedra? What I have told you is truth."
Phaedra stared her down for a moment. Then, she nodded, "Perhaps . . . there is more merit in your story than I gave credit."
Turning to the drow still kneeling, she flicked her hand in dismissal, "Leave us."
The woman rose to her feet and bowed once in respect. Then she departed, leaving them in peace.
"Now," Phaedra continued as she quietly weaved several spells around the room to prevent eavesdroppers, "Before I make any decisions, I'll need to know thus; what exactly are you planning to do?"
At this, the woman smiled, "First, I plan to find allies. After all, the Champions will naturally try to upend my plans. It is only natural to have others who equal their strength in the battlefield at my side."
"You speak as if they already know of your plans," Phaedra replied.
"Oh, they will. At least, what they think my plans will be. After all, I plan to pay them a visit," the woman said.
At this, Phaedra narrowed her eyes, "That seems foolish. Why give them even a hint towards your goals? Why not carry on in secrecy until it is too late?"
"Because I want them to fear," was the woman's dark reply, "Fear is a powerful weapon, one few give inclination towards. It has the power to cripple even the strongest of men, to make even the most reasonable person mad. Give someone something to fear, and they will tear themselves apart trying to avoid it. The same is true of nations. In the end, I want them all to know fear in its truest form."
Looking upwards as if an open sky were above her head rather than miles of stone, the woman smirked deeply, "The time has finally come . . . the Night of No Stars is about to begin."
And there you have it! Two new (kinda) faces make the stage! But wait. just what is this sinister new presence lurking in the shadows?
You'll have to wait and and out!
Rate and review, if it pleases you. ;)