Chapter 31: The spiders rising

The voice made Breghen shiver, for he knew it so well. He could not control his own body that reacted to that cold sound. A hand reached out, the woman’s long nails caressing his cheek. And when her skin touched his, a devastating pain suddenly went through his body, around his throat and abdomen. Like a sword was cutting him in half. He could feel how something was ripped out of him. He wanted to scream, to yell of pain but the feeling was over before he could even open his mouth.

Breghen gasped, still dazzled by what he had felt. But even when that feeling had thrown him off, making his body shudder, he had not been able to avert his eyes from the woman before him, of whom’s smile only grew bigger by the second. He tried to move, but his body felt frozen, glued to the ground, no longer reacting to his will.

“Na … Nazira?” He muttered in disbelief. This could not be true. He had watched her die, bleeding out on the throne she reigned from! But here she was, seemingly alive and well.

“I'll deal with you later …” She whispered, patting him on his shoulder. And like a spell that was broken, he could move again. His limbs fell to the ground when the Matron passed him. But even then, it took several seconds for him to regain control.

“Hold your whip, Irae’Lin.” Nazira’s voice filled the hall, putting everyone at a halt.

“Lolth does not demand your mother’s soul today.”

Both Irae’Lin and Sharadreza their eyes shot wide open, but the difference between the two females was clear. While Sharadreza’s eyes were filled with fear when she fell to her knees, bowing deeply before her older sister, Irae’Lin could only stare with hate and disbelief, a scowl on her face.

“Matron Nazira? But … you were dead?” The eldest daughter muttered, lowering her whip. Her snake heads hissed in annoyance, denied their right to strike.

Nazira did not answer the girl’s question, only giving a satisfying grin. Irae’Lin her eyes shot to Breghen, who had come closer, like drawn by a spell. When his red eyes crossed those of Shinira, he noticed her worried gaze.

“You!!” Irae’Lin spat out, pointing towards her younger brother. “You lied to us! You claimed Nazira was dead! You treacherous male! You only saved your own skin!!”
The vipers on her whip hissed again, this time focused on their new prey. Their heads quickly turned towards the boy, already curling their bodies for their attack. Irae’lin raised her hand in the air to strike and Breghen could only close his eyes. Defending was useless.

“I told you to hold your whip!” Nazira commanded with a strong tone which made Irae’Lin halt on the spot.

“You are not fully wrong, my dear Irae’Lin. Your brother indeed saved his own skin …” 

And the Matron looked over her shoulder, giving Breghen a smile which made him shiver. He knew that he would be punished for that fact.

“But your brother didn’t lie. I was indeed dead.” Nazira straightened herself with a smuk expression, her eyes going to everyone in the hall, making sure they had heard her words.

“But how?” Sharadreza said, now daring to raise her face to her sister, but the fear had not left her eyes. 

“Lolth favors me, dear sister. She has chosen me to become her Yor’thae, her chosen. Her representation. With offering her my prized possessions, she returned the beating in my heart.”

“Your … prized possessions?” Shinira dared to ask. She was probably the only one who had remained calm. She looked hardly surprised by the entire event.

Nazira chuckled, flicking a part of her long white hair over her shoulder.

“My daughters.” She said firmly. “Lolth demanded by daughters and I gave them to her.”

“WHAT!!” Breghen yelled, surprising everyone in the room. Irae’Lin grunted at her brother’s reaction, while Sharadreza gave a disapproving frown. Breghen expected Nazira to lash out, but the much stronger female chuckle, showing a giant grin on her face. She perfectly knew why Breghen had reacted that way. 

“Yes, dear boy …” Nazira grinned. “Lolth demanded my daughters as sacrifice, so I gave them to her. They had failed to protect their matron, so they had proven to be weak.”

“But, she was only …” Breghen started, his voice stopped in his throat while his eyes started to gleam of tears that started to form. 

Nazira turned her frame towards him, making herself look a bit taller, which wasn’t that difficult. Most Drow females were already tall, most were taller than males.

With a short demonstrative walk, she stepped up to him, picking up his chin with her long nailed fingers. Again he felt a cold chill going through his body when she touched him and he realized her skin was no longer warm.

“All are gone, Breghen.” Nazira drilled her eyes into his, making clear that she held the scepter here. “Except for my last born, ripped away from my body. But don’t worry, I will get her back and if Lolth demands her, I will offer her as well. But that is a story for another time …”

With a flick she turned around, walking up to the balcony. Suddenly everyone realized that the House was still under attack. It had looked like all the sounds of the battle had been banned, until now. 

“Let me first fix this …”

The woman looked down from the balcony, seeing the courtyard filled with fighters from both House Duscrain and House Deveniir. A malicious grin appeared on the Matron’s face when she raised her hands.

“Fighters of House Deveniir!” Her voice echoed over the field, amplified by some magic to make it sound stronger.

“Your Matron does not hold the favor of Lolth. She does not have the Spider Queen’s support at her side. She has sent you in a battle you lost before you started. May your slaughtering be a reminder to do those who would ever dare to cross this house and House Doh’Arn!”

Nazira started to cast a spell and when the words left her mouth, dark black clouds sprouted from her fingers, rising to the top of the cavern, forming a clouded sky like they would live on the surface. 

“Ilhar de’orben, tlu’log uns’aa dosst yorn.”

Thunder started to form in the clouds and from the sky, it started to rain. But instead of water droplets, they were tiny spiders. When fallen on the ground, they grouped together, creating larger arachnid looking creatures who raised their fangs to the Deveniir soldiers. 

“Ellg lil’ e’trit de’ nindol khaliizi!”

The spiders started to form waves, like an ocean of spiders was rumbling over the courtyard. But instead of only killing the soldiers of Deveniir, also the soldiers of Duscrain who were too slow to leave it’s path fell under the thousand spider fangs.

“You are killing my soldiers!” Sharadreza said in despair when she saw her sister take her men.

“Do not fret, dear sister. They will be replaced. They are fodder anyway.”

The spider wave rushed over the stone grounds and soon all those that had been in its path, were laying dead on the ground, some still shaking of the venom that rushed to their body, foam dripping on the ground before also their bodies fell still. 

“Congratulations sister, it seems House Duscrain has claimed the rank of tenth House of Dro'Naqar today.” 

Nazira turned around, walking back inside while Sharadreza, flanked by Irae’Lin looked over the courtyard, seeing it littered with dead bodies of Drow males. Both females were impressed by the display of power. Nazira had single handedly killed the entire army of House Deveniir. Those who had survived had already pleaded their alliance with the stronger House, knowing that if they returned to their own House, it would be destroyed in the morning by the First House of Dro”Naqar. Drow laws were unforgiving. House Deveniir would be found guilty in their attack and shall be wiped from the city. 

When Sharadreza turned around, she saw how Nazira walked up to her throne. In the past, she would have scowled by this disrespectful move. No one sat down on the Matron’s throne, except for the Matron herself. But in the current setting, she knew she was in Nazira’s debt. 

“From this day on …” Nazira started when she took her seat, her dark nails scraping over the marble stone.

“House Duscrain will be known as Duscrain Dalninil Doh’Arn, Sister House of Doh’Arn.”

“You can not take over our house!” Irae’Lin barked in defense.

“Shut up!” Nazira’s voice echoed through the hall. “You should be thankful that I even let you all live. I could destroy you all for your betrayal, for your disloyalty!”

Everyone felt silent when Nazira looked at all of them. Her eyes lingered a bit longer on Breghen, sending a shiver over his spine.  

“You should all be sitting on your knees, asking forgiveness. But seeing the circumstances … more than one would flee from the sight of the Blue Dragon. I will forgive you this time, but I will not be so merciful on the next!”

Everyone one the room knew that they should be thankful they were still alive. If Nazira hadn’t turned up, it would have been House Duscrain that was destroyed that day and not Deveniir.

“Sharadreza?” Nazira’s squinted eyes landed on her sister, who tried to show herself strong, but in reality, she was afraid. Afraid of what was sitting in front of her. Lolth’s Yor’thae, her chosen, her blessed. Awoken from the dead to walk the earth once more.

“You will rule this House in my name. No one would be better for the job then you. Isn’t it, dear sister? After All, these are your people. It would be a shame to lose you and for you to vanish in the background.”

To an outsider, these words would sound kind, but to a Drow, it was clear what the underlying message was. Nazira hinted to the fact that Sharadreza had left her former House when Nazira had killed their mother and taken the position for herself. It was a clear warning to not think about it to try the same stunt again. Everyone knew that Irea’lin would be more capable right now to lead the House, but Nazira wanted the strings of her puppet in her hand.

Sharadreza grunted in her mouth, trying to hide her discomfort and the fact she realized the threat her sister had just given her.

“Of course, Matron Nazira. You are too kind with this offer.”

The seated Matron grinned when she saw her sister lower her head in subordience.

“Perfect …” She hissed dangerously. “I will send a part of my soldiers for your support. Any action you take, will need my approval. I will appoint my son, Jagredh, as messenger between the two Houses.” 

Then he is at least useful, Nazira thought afterwards. 

“And then there is you …” Suddenly the room felt several degrees colder and Breghen felt a ripple going through his body when he saw the red orbs of Nazira land on him.

“Come here!”

And before the boy could even move himself, he felt a certain pull in his mind. Like a hook had catched him and was now reeling him in. Breghen moved forward toward Nazira, but his movements were out of his control.

“Let me see where you were going …” She whispered and she stretched out her hand. Breghen yelled, pain shooting through his mind like claws were scraping over his brain. He felt how the clawed hand was digging into his mind, his memories. He saw images pass before his eyes, his training, the ritual, the conversations with Elendar.

“No …” He thought. He couldn’t allow her to dig further. She would learn about what his father had told him, about leaving the Underdark …. About her! But even how hard he tried, he wasn’t able to stop her when she ravaged his mind to find what she needed.

“Hhmm.” Nazira hummed in pleasure, the grin on her face betraying that she savored what she saw. “My my, you have some dirty secrets, my precious boy.”

Breghen grunted, clenching his teeth, trying to withhold another scream when the claws ripped through his mind again. When he thought he could no longer hold it, the pain subdued and left his head. The boy took a deep breath and he leaned with his hand on the ground, feeling sweat dripping over his neck. She knew! And he would die!

“So, you have a sister?” Nazira hissed.

Breghen gasped, surprised that it was that fact that she dragged up and not the lather, about his escape. 

“A half blood sister, on the surface.” Her voice was like a whisper in his ears, but even then it was filled with danger.

“We were already aware of that fact.” Sharadreza said, taking a few steps closer. “Elendar does have a child on the surface.”

‘And where is she?” Nazira's eyes shot towards Sharadreza, like they were arrows. The woman flinched by the sudden piercing eyes, taking a step back.

“She … she is still on the surface.” The Duscrain Matron stuttered.

“Why is she not here? Why is she not in your dungeons to be tortured? You, who are so keen to punish that traitor of yours. It would be such a valuable tool in your … plan.”

Nazira didn’t hide the accusation in her voice, raising her head above her sister to show her displeasure about the learned fact.

“We were rather occupied.” Irae’Lin stepped in. “At first we had to assist you in your little war in Che’El’Dheorden. Afterwards there were activities in the tunnels around Dro’Naqar and intern trouble in the city. There was no time to launch an surface expedition. Neither did we have the blessing of Lolth to do so. Going without would be foolish.”

“Hmmm …” Nazira hummed, letting the words enter her mind.

“But you do have it now.” She said, standing up from her throne. 

“I am Lolth’s Yor’thae, her voice. I grant you permission!. I want that little half breed here, crawling at my feet!” 

Her eyes lingered a few seconds on Breghen, who saw that mischievous sneer curl on her lips.

“I’ll send some of my best spies to the surface and once she is found, you can go and retrieve her, drag her underground. I am certain that you will be delighted with having a new toy to play with, Irae’Lin.”

The Priestess grinned when she heard Nazira promise. The fact that she would be able to torture that half breed was already a pleasure and it only turned greater for it was also her despicable brother’s half sister. The priestess took a deep bow, vowing she would not betray the matron.

“What about him?” Irae’Lin eventually asked, more confident now that she had the trust of the stronger Matron. The woman’s red eyes wandered towards Breghen. 

“He is still useful.” Nazira said when she walked over to the boy.

“He wanted to betray us!” Irae’Lin barked. You could hear the agitation in her voice. She wanted to release the vipers of her whip, she wanted to see punishment.

“Patience, Irae’Lin.” Nazira whispered before she stood before Breghen.

“He’s merely a boy, still a child. Give him a few more years under my tutelage and he will make his title as champion more worthy than ever. Afterall, he doesn’t have a choice!.”

Her nails scraped over his skin, his eyes were caught by hers, as usual.

“Hear me now, Breghen Duscrain. Here I offer you your life. I can make you grant, let you shine as the Champion of Lolth. Give me your loyalty and we will benefit both from this agreement. You have no other options. At least no pleasant ones.”

Breghen swallowed. The choice was clear. Life and serve his family and Nazira in their evil design or die. Their eyes would always be watching him, not a moment he would be alone. The idea, his plan to leave the Underwark had just vanished and Nazira knew she had him at pinpoint. With his powers, he could maybe overthrow his mother, his sisters, but not the Matron that held him at bay. He was at her mercy …

“I give you my loyalty.” The boy said, bowing his head deeply.

“I will never betray my House and kin again with foolish thoughts. This is my home. I now know where I belong.” 

Nazira grinned, raising her body to her full height to tower over him.

“Wise choice, my precious boy.” She whispered before turning around, having a triumphant expression on her face. 

“All praise the Spider Queen!” Nazira said in an intention to inspire her newly acquired House.

“In the honor of Lolth!”