Salhistra knew too well that Urelya was ever envious of her benefits. Once more she had tried to send an assassin to kill her and once more she had failed.
The Assassin was laid upon the altar bound and trembling, a typical male. She was genuinley insulted in some ways, though sacrificing males was a worthy offering, she expected her to be a little more, creative.
The Altar bound male stared up at her with trembling eyes. Like any male it was only a matter of time before various poisons broke his mind and hers were the finest for it. She had creativly employed a spider venom that would quite literally cause him excrusiating pain through his nerves if he whould lie. And so she mounted upon him still fully garbed while he lay nude, her body pressed dangerously close to his so eagerly lower flesh.
"Tell me male... where is my sister now..." She leaned forwards and breathed a soft heated breathe upon his figure as her hand caressed his face. Shuddering, the male trembled against her grip as she smiled with a more-than-delighted expression.
"I...I...I dont know... She fled when I f-"
"When you failed?" She asked in a cynical tone. The flush of the Assassins face only amused her even more. She withdrew her cat of nine tails and coiled it around his lower flesh blades first his eyes widened in horror.
"You wont be needing this anymore male."
What happened next was a scream that send shudders down the spines of her sisters Elthris and Ts'orel. She laughed and twisted untill all that remained of his precious male dignity was a smeering pile of blood and gore.
She shuddered in a twisted delight enjoying the mutual fear her siblings shared with the agonised male.
"Your fortunate, that I am the kind of Jabbress that gives you at least 'one' chance to die with dignity. Ive humilated you enough male, you get to die now."
His eyes widened as she rolled her lower figure straight onto his belly, before withdrawing her sacrifical kris.
She stabbed, and stabbed and stabbed again. She stabbed untill blood pooled below and the male couldnt scream anymore. She drained him of every last drop from his chest untill it gushed over her armour and splattered her face.
Then she leaned over him in extacy.... and kissed his dying lips... opening his throat as she drank the blood that gushed from his mouth.
She sighed, he was dead, what a dissapointment.
"Elthris!" She yelled as the stammering youth, barley in her first cycle trembled towards her. She was weak, but the advantage of picking on the weak ones was obvious, a weaker servant had more loyalty. A strong compeditor would only cause problems in the long run.
"S-s... Salhistra?" The trembling girl asked in a desperate tone.
Salhistra pressed her blood stained hand to her face. She yelped and recoiled.
Weak...
"Take this corpse to mother when you find her. And be sure to inform the matron of Urelya's new alligance."
She planted te Vhaerunite broach on the male assassin as the other two shifted awkwardly. This was a risky ploy and even Salhistra knew what it meant, she had found the thing on the person of a Vhaerunite that tried over ambitiously to convert her. Now she had a way of ridding herself of one more compeditor.
The girl trembled and stepped in line. "Y-yes Salhistra A-at once M-miss..."
"Mistress?" Salhistra asked with amusement more than dominion, none the less giving her sibling an affectionate massage upon the cheek. She knew that Elthris favoured finding a sibling she could make use of but her weakness was her desire to feel compassion.
So, she would exploit that.
The girl gave a light shudder as her sibling caressed her in an unnatural manner, she bit her lip and nodded. "Im sorry M-mistress I will do as you ask right away."
Silently Salhistra repulsed her, she was sickening to even enjoy the touch. There was something wrong about that girl she'd have to be rid of in time, namely her life but she simply disliked the way she appraised her when she undressed at night. Salhistra didnt like being treated in a perverse way, least of all by her own siblings.
Sometimes she wondered just how simple Drow society would be if it didnt have these intreauging little webs to spin.
She snickered inwardly, it would be rather boring, she concluded.
"While your at it..." She preyed on her fear. "Take Ts'orel with you to the Temple of Lolth and pray there for forgiveness. I think your going to need it soon."
She saw horror on both womens faces. She grinned inwardly, the taste of fear was the best thing about a drows life, it felt, good, to have power.
"As you wish Mistress..." Ts'orel replied, she was skinnier but more curvacious than Salhistra, she hated that.
When the two left, her brother Naro'zz'uk entered in their place. The Clad armoured warrior was the House Captain and the most favoured male. Salhistra barley equaled his rank as the two leveled eye to eye.
Naro'zz'uk was a rather handsome male but he had one thing about him that truley annoyed her. He 'cared' for her too closley. Much like Elthris he shared a desire to indulge with his own lineage but unlike Elthris he lacked the respect a male should possess.
He assumed, he had a right to claim her, and he was wrong.
Still, his hands gently placed themselves upon her shoulders as she stared up at him. For a moment she felt lightly intimidated by his height, he was not small like most male drow but considerably taller.
He waltzed her to the altar, where she stood there inwardly trembling. She had baught his loyalty but she dispised the price. Still, she would do what ever it took to be the victor.
There was no dignity amoung drow after all.
As her dress was thrown aside she helped to unclad his armour as Naro leaned to her ear. "Ive missed you Sister... its been a while." He let his chest become bare to her, laced in scars from battles with other males.
She pursed her lips. She didnt like what she had to do but she also knew in order to keep him loyal, she needed a weapon.
She played her part like a content little fool might. She knew inwardly that she had plans, he knew outwardly that she was a toy for his desire.
Foolish male.
You will die first when I am matron.
"I have missed you to my dear Naro... now shut up and do what you came here to do."
And so without another word, it was love making she thought.
Time passed, and she regarbed as the moment was over, she narrowed her eyes and let her body endure the pain. He was a rough one for a tool and certainly enjoyed being ontop. She didnt stop him though, she wanted him to assume he was in control.
After all, Lolth uses all, she caressed her pendant.
Finally exhausted he looked complacent to listen for once. She nodded, now was the time to use him.
"Naro... ...You must do something for me, or I will no longer be able to serve your needs."
When worry lingered on his face, she grinned inwardly but masked it with the look of 'concern' he wanted to see on her face.
"Elthris and Ts'orel plan to kill me. The time has come to be rid of unwanted competition... Ive heard they are in the temple now. I want you to go there, and break their necks."
Naro looked suddenly afraid. No male would DARE enter a temple of Lolth and attack a priestess in its sanctuary. Which is 'exactly' why she wanted him to. Three siblings, one moment.
"I cant" He said nervously. "The temple is f-forbidden to males and I..."
"Would rather let me die?" She purred to him softly.
"N-no of course not Salhistra but... this... they... what if I am caught?"
Your a clever boy she thought, you wont be caught, at least by them, she grinned.
"My dear Nero, theres something else you should know about them..."
His eyes narrowed, she lighted up with delight.
"What..." He asked bluntly.
"I wish it hadnt come to this, but I knew it was clear from the start I saw them. They are servants of Elistraee, and worse still they are in... consumation."
He saw the shudder on her face and did so in turn. Her act was perfect, she had got him exactly where she wanted him.
"You have proof?"
"Go to their rooms before hand... I did not dare tamper with them, but I saw in their shared quaters a pendant of our enemy."
His nostrils flared. "In our very house?!"
Hers did the same, mimicing him to buy his loyalty once more. "Yes... in our house, we must act quickly. They will defile Lolths honour."
She saw uncertainty in the young fool but she smirked. It was of course a lie, she had already put that pendant there and left a few fake love letters while they had gone to the temple earlier. Hence her instruction. She doubted either of them had figured out her plan.
"I... I must consult the Matron." He said flatly. She knew he'd do so and she'd let mother find out the 'truth' of their alligances. She knew her mother wouldnt believe her but with overwhelming proof, she'd see them perish.
And Nero with them.
She grinned quietly.
The day was comming to an end and Nero had now left the smaller altar in her room. She left aswell, going into the main corridoor to investigate something else entirley.
The Archways were formed from calcified webbing mixed with the dark stone of Sschindylryn's caverns. Dim Purple torches lit the way and windows shaped like spider eyes peered down on the city of portals.
It was quite a sight, so much activity.
She would soon be the forth ruler of that activity. She would control a strand of the threads of chaos that controled Sschindylryn and she was amused by that. She'd play the city like a harp and perform a cadence of fear and terror none would forget.
Maybe she'd even make matron mother... one day.
Big plans, but first, the present problem.
She headed down the northern corridoor where a large series of spidery legs made from stone hung above her pointed like blades over her head. She never had felt entirley comfortable with the House Wizards quaters. It always felt as if she was about to be impaled. Still she was impressed, that should be how any Drow should feel. A knife in the back, is commonplace.
Suddenly she halted before the door and noticed something on the lock. A spellglyph she'd never seen before... curious, she'd have to investigate that later.
She went to knock but halted. The glyph started to react as she moved away. She wasnt stupid it was probably a trap.
The glyph stopped glowing as it faded down. She had no idea what it meant but she wasnt about to throw herself into dangers jaws, not today.
Then from behind her, the house wizard finally arrived.
He was a male, Jablorxzil Yszoril, he was a lesser house wizard that had been personally adopted into the family by her Mother Fezzbel'yx Sorhael. Her mother had told her once that he had saved her from death and she considered inwardly that her mother was clearly an idiot for trusting a wizard.
Wizards never save people, they simply use them.
Much like she did.
Jablorxzil was good at the game of manipulation like her. Her chief rival as he was clearly the most cunning of the 'family' beyond her own capacity. That was exactly why she let him assume he was manipulating her. As ever, like any male he baught the trap.
"My Lord..." She almost choked on the words. She was disgusted as she bowed to him and saw his delight.
He was not the most pretty male, bald on the head save a ring of hair. His girth was rather wide but he retained some beauty in that mature face of his.
A face that was now smiling delightfully at her subservience.
"My servant Salhistra. I saw you playing the game earlier... you're doing well, your mother will soon be in our grasp and then you shall be Matron." He clearly had scried her somehow, she'd have to find out how before she killed him when the time came. She had a troubled feeling he was trying to read her mind, but with her many webs of lies she hid her true thoughts behind complacency, uncertainty and guilt, making sure he assumed she was 'uncertain' of his motives.
"You are too kind My Lord... What must be done to secure my throne?" She asked as if more a slave than a master. She was going to enjoy killing him when the time came to reveal where she 'really' stood.
She saw his lip curve into a grin and for a moment genuine concern lay on her face. Did he just read that? She cused her cockyness and prayed to the spider queen he didnt.
"You wont have to do much. I have made plans in foreign lands beyond this one my servant. We need only bide our time, when the evidence you played against your siblings is discovered. Your mother will have them flayed to death. Her loyalty to Lolth is too passionate to betray her."
"And what of Naro?" She asked as if pretending to seem concerned.
"The Males fate will be a painful one. He will die in agony having sacrilidged a temple of Lolth."
She inwardly grinned. She knew her mother was too stupid to assume there was an ulterior motive behind all this.
"After that, the remaining siblings will fall in line. You will be the strongest in the house and your mother will recognise you as a favoured daughter. Then, when the venom is coldest you will wait untill her reverie. I have employed the Bregan D'aerthe to handle the remaining issue."
She narrowed her eyes. She didnt need some mercinary group to handle a task she was more than capable of. What was he up to? More importantly, the Bregan D'aerthe was a Menzoberranzan organisation, what were they doing in Sschindylryn?
Suddenly, she realised she had alot to think about.
"My lord?" She asked as softly as she could, pretending nervousness, he was played well as he grunted impatiently.
"What is it, servant?" He asked with a sigh.
"Why would the mercinary company from Menzoberranzan take an interest in House Sorhael? We have nothing of value to them." She pursed her lips thoughtfully.
Indeed, they had nothing of value. Why would he want them anyway? Didnt they only serve the Baenre family anyway? She wasnt too familiar with the group beyond its origins and its name.
"I have an arrangement with them. They owe me a service and I will claim it now. They will handle your mother and I will help elivate you to a possition of Matron, that way... our plans... my servant can be put into action."
It was falling into place. She remembered a few sessions ago when the wizard braught her to tourture her younger sibling Selfa to death that he had explained he intended to help Salhistra accend to Matron but only if she agreed to help him in a matter he had long been searching for.
She supposed she'd indulge him with the benefit of that doubt for now. What ever it was, she was only concerned that he might be attempting to establish a male patriachy in the house. But there was something else, the wizard was looking for something... beyond Sschindylryn.
But because of that alone, the feeling of uncertainty of his actions secretly "did" unnerve her. Just 'what' was so important to him that he'd need mercinaries from a foreign nation to find it...
"I understand..." She nodded complacently and let him assume she was obedient. After all, obedient servants were easy to manipulate.
She knew that so well.
"Return to your quaters tonight Salhistra. By tommorow you will be a Matron and I promise you this. When you are Matron you will be remembered. For I have found something that will finally lead us to glory."
She raised a brow. He was a fool if he would reveal his plan this early. None the less, she let him continue. She had to let him play the game as if he was in control.
"What, my lord?" She asked him nervously, hidden behind her fear was her true face, curiousity.
Jablorxzil produced a large spidery key that she had never seen before. She raised a brow at it with curiousity.
"A key... that will lead us to Lolth herself. Through this, we will gain a major advantage over our enemies at last and we, my dear, will become Lolths true favoured."
Salhistra inwardly wondered how truthful the Wizard was. Was that a very good lie or was there some eeire truth to it? She'd never seen the key before, she nodded thoughtfully.
To stand at Lolths side did indeed tempt her. She wasnt entirely void of one weakness she desired at least once to see Lolth gaze upon her.
Yet never once when she prayed has she heard Lolth answer her. She looked troubled as she bit her lip.
"How do you know this key will lead us to her?" She asked genuinley with a tone of disbelief.
"Because my servant. I have been to a place through this key that has a portal directly into Lolths realm. We can finally restore our power with her once more."
Lolth had been awefully quiet latley... she nodded inwardly.
"As you wish my lord... I will be silent on the matter as always."
"Good." Jablorxzil replied. "Then do as I have instructed and wait, it will not be long now."
Salhistra bowed and left the wizard to his muse as he entered his private chambers. She still wondered what he held in there beyond a key of mystery that was so important to him.
She narrowed her eyes and returned to her private quaters. Tonight she would find out nothing.
She locked the doors, sealed the wards, summoned her enslaved Succubus familiar and forced Ytrel to watch over the door to the demoness pouting groan.
She rest in her bed finally after inspecting it for poison, blades or any other kind of trickery. She dispelled the bed for curses and found nothing.
She sighed and relaxed into her reverie at last.
Tommorow would be an interesting day.
A Thousand Webs
