Okay, everyone, here's the next chapter. Please enjoy!
Edits are done as of 04/12/2017 courtesy of Ellara Levellan
More edits are done as of 8/29/2021 with the new editing tool. Hope it looks more streamlined. :)
Chapter Thirteen: Fuckin'... Hate... Spiders!
In the end, I decided to travel by foot to the canyons. I still felt worn out and did not wish to be seen in the skies if my Gift failed me. A glance at the sky showed me that the moon had barely moved in the sky. An hour. I'd only been 'resting' for an hour before Kain had woken me so abruptly. If I had to hazard a guess, he had wanted to confront me in such an exhausted state to ensure that I'd not the time to organize an elaborate lie.
It made sense. Annoying, but it made sense.
Traveling in the canyons outside of Meridian was dangerous enough as it was. For such an impromptu mission, I dug through some of the clothing Kain had provided to me to find an outfit that was mostly dark browns to better blend into the surrounding shadows. It had the extra benefit of hiding my pale-skinned figure. I also grabbed a cloak and the light set of leather chest armor that was a little tight on me but fit me well enough.
That last item would hopefully help me appear as nothing more than a random male traveler. Being a non-Vampiric female in Nosgoth could be a bad thing when traveling alone. Even with my Vampiric nature, traveling without concealing my gender could cause me, which I probably didn't have the time for. I could handle any would-be thieves well enough on my own, but I'd rather avoid them and just finish my appointed task.
I paused as I reached the paths that led to the canyons themselves. I hadn't gone this far outside the city before and needed to be careful to memorize the route I took. The paths before me were shaded in dark shadows that were difficult to pierce for even my enhanced sight. I scented at the air. There was the faintest scent of fresh blood as well as the stagnant scent of old death on the wind.
Fresh blood to the left. Old death to the right. I let out a sigh. Either direction would lead to trouble. Wonderful. What little I'd learned about the canyons via maps indicated that both paths would lead through the canyons if one was careful while navigating the ant-hill-like paths. The left path led toward the Pillars. In a roundabout way, that is. It was a few hours' journey by foot, less by air. The right, northernmost path would lead to Provence, with a fork in the path that would take one to the Great Southern Lake and the Lake of Serenity further still to the east.
The big question was which path would lead me to the Sarafan Kain wanted me to kill?
I left out a faint sigh and then started to move down the left path that would take me close to the Pillars. Perhaps I'd even have the time to fly out and see them. This was my first foray out of the city. I let my hand fall to the hilt of the sword, ready to draw it in an instant. The canyon walls rose up around me like impenetrable walls as I walked. It was beautiful and foreboding.
After about twenty minutes of walking, a noise made me pause, and I looked around warily. The sound had been faint even to my ears, yet it had still sounded... close. Rocks tumbled to the ground to my right and behind me. I spun around, ready to lash out... and yet, there was nothing there. The strange noise was louder, though, almost like little chirring, chittering noises that echoed off the canyon's narrow walls. It made it difficult to pinpoint where the sound originated from. It definitely wasn't Human, though.
I bared my fangs, growling low and loud. The sound of a predator warning others away. The chittering stopped for a moment, only to resume louder than before. Whatever it was didn't see me as a threat. Great. I drew my sword and spun back around, darting deeper along the path I'd chosen to follow. I needed to get out of this ever-narrowing path and swiftly. Something landed heavily in front of me, and I skidded to a halt, eyes wide.
"Fuuuuck! I forgot about the God's damned spiders!" I yelped aloud, stumbling back a few steps.
It wasn't one of those jumbo-sized, Goliath bird-eating spiders that you see in Australia. Those little fucker's only grew to be around a foot long back on Earth. On Gaia. The thing in front of me was big enough for me to ride like a fucking horse! I backed up another handful of steps only to go still. Shit. The chittering sounds that I had been hearing were originating from the spider in front of me, and, from the sound of it, others were trying to surround me.
Dammit all, Kain! I thought angrily. Couldn't you have told me about the canyons being infested with giant fucking spiders? I fucking hate spiders!
"How the fuck do these things get so big?" I hissed under my breath. My tone turned sarcastic and mocking. "Welcome to Nosgoth, home of the Pillars, Vampires, and GIANT FUCKING SPIDERS. Please, do enjoy your stay! Fuck off, spiders!"
I had the sudden and distinct feeling that someone, somewhere, was laughing at me. The fuck? I shifted and tried to look around the general area without taking my sight off of the spider in front of me. The blasted thing edged closer toward me, its' front legs raised in a threatening gesture. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see other large spiders gradually easing down the walls of the canyon. There were at least eleven of the bastards within my peripheral. Likely more still behind me.
To quote a rather overused phrase in my realm; 'I have a bad feeling about this!'
I backed up slowly, being mindful of my footing. It'd be dumb to trip over something and leave my ass open to an attack. The spider in front of me lunged forward with a hiss. I slashed out horizontally with my sword in instinctive retaliation, widening my stance to maintain my balance. The blade cut through the creature's front legs, and it let out an ear-splitting screech. The creepy-as-fuck creature scurried backward to safety, and another dropped down to take its' place.
"Oh, fucking hell," I muttered under my breath. "This is just not my night..."
A faint, sticky-sounding 'plop' sounded from behind me. I went still for a moment and licked my lips before slowly moving backward. I really couldn't risk taking my eyes off of the spider in front of me. Especially not when two more moved to flank the damn thing. Another warning growl did nothing to chase them off, and I shifted my foot back, scraping it against the ground. Hopefully, I could-
I let out a startled shout as the ground beneath my right foot suddenly lurched up. I twisted about mid-air and landed hard on my back with a grunt. A glance down showed that a thick strang of webbing was caught along the side of my boot, along with a good amount of dirt. Shit. That plopping sound that I had heard was the sound of a trap being laid. Good to know what to listen for next time!
A quick slash at the webbing won me my freedom, and I just barely managed to roll to the side to avoid the sharp limbs of the spiders as they charged at me. The chittering sounds grew louder as they backed up and swayed back and forth on their many creepy legs. It was almost as if they were confused. Possibly because I was moving faster than the creatures they were used to hunting.
A quick glance over my shoulder revealed yet more of them converging on me. I winced at the sight, fighting back a reflexive noise of fear. Arachnophobia was a bitch to have right now. There were at least twenty-seven of the fuckers around me, and that's not counting the ones I couldn't see.
Fuck, Shit and DAMNATION! This is nightmare material! I thought, working to turn my growing fear into usable rage.
Hissing, I wrenched off the cloak and threw it at the largest grouping of spiders to distract them. It worked. They all scuttled backward to avoid the perceived threat. Well, good to know that they startled easily. My wings burst from my back in an explosion of feathers that sent the spiders closest to me back up the walls. Better, but I was still surrounded.
I drew my wings in close, lunging and slashing at the legs of one of the spiders on the wall. The leg came off, and the creature fell to the ground with a screech. I jumped and kicked off the now bare part of the canyon wall in front of me. The area I was in was close enough to bounce back and forth between the walls to gain some much-needed height. My blade sang out, cutting into the legs and bodies of the spiders who tried to intercept me.
I was able to do that multiple times and managed to reach an area wide enough to spread my wings. A few heavy pumps of my wings, and I gained a little more desperately needed height. Sadly, several lines of webbing shot up toward me from over a dozen angles. Hissing, I twisted about and, while I managed to dodge most of the webbing, one thick stand struck my left wing.
Yelping, I tried to grab onto the canyon wall, only to be wrenched back and down. I hit the ground. Hard. My wing ached like it was on fire, having been bent backward at an angle that had almost snapped the bone. I pushed myself to my feet, hissing as my wing drooped limply to trail against the ground. Damnation. That limb wasn't going to be flight-ready any time soon.
Despite being grounded, there was more breathing room between most of the spiders and me. I hefted my sword, only to lurch to the side as something hit me from behind. A second blow hit my leg, and I collapsed to one knee with a yowl of pain. I spun around, blade cutting through the face of the spider behind me. A glance down made me wince. I'd been bitten.
Twice.
Shit wasn't the slow-acting type of venom either. Within moments, I could feel the venom coursing through me like fire. I tried to push myself to my feet and could barely feel my limbs. Damn. Damn! The spiders were still there, just out of range of my sword. I cursed, slashing at one as it hesitantly moved forward, and it scuttled out of reach. The sword fell from my fingers. My limbs felt heavy and leaden. I landed on my side with a grunt, struggling to make my limbs move.
But I couldn't feel anything. Hells, I could barely feel the pressure of those spindly legs grabbing onto me and dragging me toward a hidden crevasse in the canyon wall. I tried one more time to pull away, to get up. My wings fluttered weakly...
And I fell into the depths of unconsciousness.
Soft chitting and the feel of clawed limbs dancing over my wings jolted me awake. Panic flared through me, but I slowly tried to move away from the offending touch. Thick strands of webbing held me in place, wrapped tightly around my form in a roughly shaped cocoon. Despite the apparent haste in securing me, I could barely move an inch in any direction. Or at least, the main bulk of my body was trapped.
Oddly enough, my wings had been left unbound. Only the single strand from earlier tangled up the limb. Again those claws trailed over my wings in a curiously light touch. The limbs trembled reflexively, flaring and then settling back over my form. Scuttling sounds filled the air as one or two spiders darted around my form, occasionally poking at my wings. Their chitters sounded almost surprised.
My only guess was that the creatures had never seen a creature my size with wings. That, or it was shocking that I was alive. I could just be projecting humanoid emotions onto the spiders, but they had acted fairly intelligent. Perhaps they were just used to their prey's insides being turned into liquid slurry for them to drink by now. Still, I hoped to escape before becoming dinner for the damned things.
I shifted my hands about and relaxed. There was some freedom of movement there. Scratching at the webbing loosened up some more space for me to move. Good. I kept up the scratching, trying to stay as quiet and still as possible as the chittering forms darted back and forth around my bound form. They fell silent all of a sudden, and I froze, expecting to get bit again.
There. Noise in the distance. Metal footfalls of people in heavy armor. Likely the very Sarafan that I'd been sent out to kill. Simple travelers wouldn't be wearing armor that could be heard so easily. The chittering noises started back up for a moment before fading into the distance as the creatures ran off toward the clank of metal. They seemed intent to either catch more prey or to simply kill those who had just invaded their 'territory.' Either way, it was just the distraction I needed.
Rolling my body slowly to the side, I began to cut at the webbing in earnest. I likely didn't have much time. Still, I kept my movements careful. Precise. If I struggled too much too soon, I'd bind myself back up in the sticky substance.
It wasn't easy, but eventually, I managed to free myself and sit up. A shudder ran through me. Ugh. It was going to be a bitch getting this webbing out of my hair later. Screams filled the air, followed by angry shouting. I tilted my head and listened. I could barely hear the cries of 'spiders' and 'kill them' followed by more shouts. Good. They were keeping the damned things occupied.
Getting to my feet, I looked around for an exit or a weapon, or both. There was a single exit from the cave I'd been tucked into. With all the webbing coating the walls, I knew not to leave my wings out. I'd only get them tangled up. It took a bit of testing to figure out where it was safe to place my feet. A lot of the webbing was sticky, but there were patches of webbing that were safe to walk. Likely the same patches that the spiders used. I came across an exit, stars visible in the sky beyond. I had to stop at the sight of a younger-looking spider standing between me and freedom.
"Sorry, kiddo," I said, baring my fangs and growling low in my throat. "But you're gonna die."
I darted forward, claws lashing out to cut into the smaller legs. It darted about, trying to avoid me and... well, I rather lost my temper with the thing. Handling one of these things alone was simple enough. Handling a baby version was even simpler. The problem was that they apparently traveled in fucking packs. My rage left me staring at a bloody mess, bits of spider carcass spread out before me.
A low huff escaped me, and I looked at the discolored, bluish-green blood on my hand. I tentatively licked at the blood and winced. I spat the little in my mouth out onto the ground. Ew. Acidic and acrid. Like grapefruit and motor oil mixed together. Gross. Any spiders that I ran across would find a very pissed-off and extremely hungry vampire half-blood tearing through their ranks.
Seriously needed blood. I could feel the Hunger biting at the edge of my mind like a ravenous beast struggling against a cage. That poison had done one hell of a number on my system to negate my earlier feeding.
Once out of the caverns, I glanced toward the sky, trying to figure out what time it was. By the position of the stars and the moon, I'd been out for a half-hour, if even that long. Good. That was good. I still had time and hadn't made a fool of myself-
For a fleeting moment, it felt like I was being watched. I looked around anxiously, ducking into the shadows while scanning the canyon walls. After a few moments, the sensation faded. I stayed where I was, looking around warily, before relaxing enough to continue hunting my appointed prey.
I eased through the canyon corridors more cautiously than I had before. Every time I reached a corner, I double-checked the area before continuing on. Eventually, I stumbled across an armored body laying on the ground. I paused and checked the woman over. Dead. Spider bite. Nodding, I continued on. The further I went, the more bodies I found. All of them had deep puncture wounds caused by fangs.
Odd that the bodies hadn't been carted off by now. Perhaps the spiders had enough food stored up. Or maybe the Sarafan were putting up a decent enough fight that they couldn't afford to split up. I was almost surprised to find a spider's corpse amongst the next pile of bodies. The spider to human ratio narrowed somewhat, but it was clear that the spiders were winning their war of attrition.
The canyon curved to the right ahead of me, the tall walls starting to lower. Good. That meant I was close to the exit. I paused at the sound of fighting in the distance and then continued forward. The walls dipped even further and then ended abruptly. A jarring transition from canyon to forest. Ahead was a well-worn path and a group of four Sarafan. They were surrounded by several dozen spiders. I grimaced, shuddering, and quickly ducked into the trees.
I circled around the fighting, mindful of any webbing, and found a place to duck down and hide. Once I found a good spot, I stayed low and watched as the Sarafan were cut down one by one. They then wrapped up a few of the bodies and started dragging them back toward their nest. Not the best way to go, really. I shuddered and, once the scuttling sounds of too many legs finally faded, I moved to climb the tree I was next to.
I needed to figure out where I was.
Reaching the treetops was a simple matter, and a quick glance around revealed the path to Provance was nearby. The Pillars themselves were almost directly to the North of me. Well. I'd been dragged a damn good way through the canyon. I bit my lower lip and glanced down at the bodies littering the small clearing. I hadn't even had to get involved. The spiders had killed all the Sarafan for me.
Mind you, I knew that Kain had ordered me to deal with them myself. But why should I interfere when nature decided to kill my appointed prey like that? I dropped down and checked the corpses. At the very least, I should ensure they were all dead, right? I couldn't hear any heartbeats, but I still checked each body for a pulse.
Satisfied that they were all indeed dead, I looked over the corpses to find one that had died from slashing wounds and not poison and then fed deeply. I needed to regain some of my strength. Figuring I had some spare time left to myself, I glanced toward where the Pillars were. I could reach them in less than an hour, either at a run or flying. I... I really wanted to check out the Pillars at least once. Especially if Kain was going to keep me busy for a long while to test me.
Kain hadn't given me a timeframe to get my task done. I could go there and then fly my way back. Yeah. Just a quick visit.
I found another poison-free corpse and drained it as well to ensure I had enough strength to use my Gift. Licking my lips clean, I then moved and climbed one of the taller trees before taking flight, winging my way toward the iconic structure.
The Pillars of Nosgoth. From a distance, one could only imagine how majestic they had been when in their pure and undamaged state. Even broken as they were now thanks to Kain's 'refusal of the sacrifice,' even knowing the basics about the 'door, lock and key' set up that actually kept the Hylden safe from the Elder Parasite, they were still impressive as hell to look at. I landed a good half a mile from the Pillars, and, even at this distance, I could feel the powerful aura of magic coming off of them. It was like their magic permeated the very air.
I continued toward the fallen Pillars, careful to stay hidden in the woods and off the main road. The path might not be as well walked as it was in the past, but people still came out here enough for the road not to be entirely overgrown. There were even fresh footprints and... I paused, frowning. There was the sound of chanting coming from ahead of me.
The voices were filled with a deep sense of malice that carried even over the distance. I eased deeper into the trees and continued toward the Pillars. As I approached, I could see a large group of people standing on the platform. They were the ones chanting. I knelt down close to the base of a tree and braced a hand against the trunk. I eased a few steps closer, trying to get a good view of what was happening.
Twenty people were standing in a partial circle. Ten on the left. Ten on the right. In the center stood the new Sarafan Lord. When did he get out here?! I blinked in surprise and leaned forward. The young Lord's hands were outstretched. He was holding something in his hands. Out of all of them, his voice was also the loudest. I eased a little closer.
Was this a ritual of some sort?
The Sarafan Lord took a few steps forward toward a stone basin that had been positioned directly in front of the Pillar of Balance. I tensed. Whatever they were doing wasn't likely to be good. I eased around the platform, trying to get a closer look at what he was holding. My attention was grabbed, however, by the stone around his neck. Memories clicked back into place.
Of course! I thought with a low hiss. That's what I forgot about! That strange stone necklace!
The stone began to glow brightly against his neck and then began to pulse. First, the red half. Then the blue. Pulsing not in time, but rather like a heart. I frowned and then focused once more on the object in his hands... only to bite back a snarl. He was holding an actual heart. A beating heart, no less. Glancing back and forth between the heart and the necklace, I realized that they were beating in time with each other. I leaned back and drew the dagger from my boot. I may have lost my sword, but I wasn't weaponless. I started forward, only to freeze as the group went silent.
Had they heard me?
No. They hadn't.
"Aterrucen yvalm a Pillars d' ssussun, Usstan lar ulu tau pholor nindol isto," the young Lord said, voice filling the air with a thrumming pulse of power. "A la xukuth vlos d' elakar ogglinn, Usstan lar ulu tau lu' vee tau tlu duul'sso, L' Pillars t'larryo, l' mri'kul astu, Usstan lar ulu tau, kku vel'bol tau tlusher!"
The other humans echoed him, starting to chant louder than before. The youth lowered the beating heart into the basin. A bright flash of light flooded the area, and I had to raise my hand to block the light. I blinked rapidly, trying to clear the spots from my vision, and turned to look back. A small portal had opened up in the center of the platform. It was a bright, sickly-looking green. Black tendrils of smoke circled the edges of the portal. I stiffened. I knew that sight. The little idiot had opened up a portal to the realm the Hylden were trapped in!
"Not on my watch, dammit..." I muttered under my breath.
The Hylden needed to stay where they were. Not just because of the war that had ended with them locked up, but because their very souls were in danger of being eaten if they returned to Nosgoth's soil while that damned Squid lived. I raised my blade and threw it at one of the humans in the circle. The blade struck dead-center in the guy's back, causing his voice to cut off mid-word.
Another bright flash of light filled the area, far brighter than the previous one. The crackle of lightning filled the air, and the portal widened. Despite having grown in size, it was wavering and jerking in place. Not only that, but a whining noise started to fill the air. The loss of one of the chanters had destabilized the magic. The Sarafan Lord spun around, fear in his eyes as he shouted angrily at the others. The portal started to shudder at a faster rate, splitting the air apart.
Another near blinding flash of light filled the area as the portal shattered completely. I could just barely make out two dark shapes spilling from the portal as it collapsed in on itself. I stood, ducking against the tree and ready to bolt if need be.
Odd, the two blurred forms were rolling about and flailing as if locked in close-quarter combat. I squinted, trying to see despite my ruined night vision. They separated, and I could make them out a little more clearly. One had blades for arms. The other... the other had wings!
The priests had all broken out into a panic as the two forms stood. Even the Sarafan Lord looked startled, his eyes pinned on the winged form. I started forward and froze when irises as black as ink, no longer pale blue, no longer merely rimmed in black, met my gaze. He'd seen me... and yet instead of shouting out a warning, he simply held my gaze for a tense moment before fleeing back toward Meridian. The priests were left behind to fend for themselves.
Coward...
I turned my gaze to the two fighting. The priests weren't really a concern. They either followed their master and fled or were killed by the two fighters. Although, the one with wings was actually doing his best to avoid hitting the humans. One of the priests went flying into the trees at the edge of the clearing. The sound of breaking bones filled the air, and I winced in near-sympathy at the sound. The winged fighter was doing well, but I still couldn't make out his features. What I could tell was that he was weakened and injured and that the Hylden warrior was his enemy.
That was enough for me.
Growling, I drew the blade from my other boot and jumped into the fray. My blade sliced into the Hylden's shoulder, forcing a yowl of pain from the being's throat. I knew quite well that the Hylden could not be left to run loose on Nosgoth. It spun around, trying to knock me away, and I darted out of reach. This gave the winged male time to fall back and recover a bit.
I pressed my advantage, ducking and weaving about to avoid the long, bladed arms lashing out at me. The creature's attacks were wild but still predictable despite that. It put on a burst of desperate speed, and I had to jump back, narrowly avoiding a slash that would have split me in two. Growling, I started to circle the creature warily. It lunged for me, bladed limbs closing in toward me like a pair of scissors. Once more, I jumped back and out of reach.
The Hylden stumbled, looking exhausted and winded. I took advantage of its weakness and lunged forward, knocking one bladed arm to the side so I could shove my dagger into its, his, chest. It took some effort to find his heart, and he almost tagged me with his other bladed arm, but I hit my target, and he fell forward with a choked-off cry.
I shoved the Hylden off my dagger and eyed the blade. Curious, I touched my tongue to the blade to taste the fallen warrior's blood. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Sour, but also sweet. But perhaps that was merely because it was heart blood.
Shaking my head, I turned to look around the area. The rest of the humans had fled, and it was just the winged male and me. I turned to look at him, noting that he'd collapsed to his knees next to the Pillar of Death. One hand was braced against the darkened Pillar, keeping him from falling over. I walked over to him and held out my hand, offering to assist him to his feet. The massive, dark-feathered bird-like wings twitched. His head turned to the side, and I knew he was eyeing my hand warily.
He reached out slowly and grabbed hold of my hand. Taloned. Not like mine or Auron's. Possibly not from my realm then. I helped him to his feet, stepping back once he had regained his balance. One talon rose to rub at his bowed head, and I frowned in concern. The hand lowered a moment later as he lifted his face. The gratitude in his tired eyes was honest. True.
I couldn't help but stare at him. A part of me had already known who the male was, but I hadn't dared truly hope that I'd been right.
I had just saved Janos Audron from getting skewered by a Hylden warrior.
Translation of words
"Creatures bound at pillars of light, I call to thee on this night, By the heart blood of thy enemy, I call to thee and bid thee be free, The pillars broken, the lock undone, I call to thee, finish what thee begun!"
Please excuse but the only language that seemed 'evil' enough was the drow language so, to add another disclaimer, I don't own anything of the forgotten realms, translation was found at www grey-company org/Maerdyn/resources/translator/ put a period where the spaces are, I couldn't get the link up here any other way x.x
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