Ironworks Gaming Forum - Dragon Revived, Chapter 2- Soaring on wings of pain

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The one who lay prostrate whimpered "Mistress, I turned myself in as soon as the priestesses began the questioning..." One of the priestesses spoke, "He spoke as soon as we turned to cast the magic on him." she sneered. The one with the flail in his back whispered "Lloth's favour..." he whispered as he died. The last male remained silent, calmly awaiting his invariable execution. He waited for his Mistress to speak to him.

"You should have spoken when I asked you to, not when under the questioning of my priestesses." She tugged the flail heads free and kicked the dead male in disgust. Loanna had just finished killing the first, and had a satisfactory smile on her face. She glanced at Zennenn briefly, then at Alliene,
"Your permission for Zennenn and I to be excused, mother? I think I have learned enough."
Alliene sighed, "Yes, go. I will see you on the morrow." Loanna and Zennen bowed to her and exited quickly.
Alliene muttered to herself and drew Nizzre again as she approached the last male, "I think I have heard enuogh of your excuses." She raised her sword, but glanced back at her priestesses, "Don't you agree?" It was an open invitation for them to taunt the male.

Zennenn bowed to Alliene and requested, "Might I speak with you later, my Mistress? Perhaps tommorow?" he bowed before her again, his bow far lower then it had to be. The last drow just whimpered "Mistress, please, show mercy... just let me explain" he simpered, and withdrew an amulet "This contains information on the enemy house... please... show mercy?" he begged, "Please let me serve you." he begged. One of the priestesses spoke, "Why would she want a dog like you? Drow need to be strong. You are worst then an elf. A slave has more backbone then you. You'd make a good slave, if the Mistress let you live. Kicked around and beaten like the dog you are." she sneered. Sui'aerl rolled her eyes, walked over to the prostrate drow, and lifted him up by his chin. "Your sniverling sickens me. If the mistress does let you live, report to me and then I shall beat you. As you so richly deserve." then she dropped him, and he fell face forwards with a "Yes priestess" quivering in fear, and Sui'aerl asked "By your leave, Mistress? I am sick of watching this dog. If I may be excused? I trust you'll torture those two on the rack. It might be an object lesson to let the dog watch before you put him down. If you plan to." she left the room.

"Ah, my priestesses speak the truth. You are a dog. And really, all males are." She took the amulet and pocketed it, "You may live, for now. You can watch your comrade here be tortured and killed, as well as the female. Then I will do as Sui'aerl requested and send to you to her to be beaten. Then killed. Or if she wishes, she can make you a slave." She turned from him and stepped up to the silent male, "Nothing to say, I see? That is wise of you. Perhaps a swift death wouldn't be out of order." She drew her ice blade and waited for him to speak. If he said nothing, then off with his head.

The silent male shrugged, "I failed you, mistress. I deserve death. I was not strong enough to resist their tortures, or their magics that compelled me to remain silent until the priestesses removed their magics." One of the priestesses spoke with a sigh, "What he says is true, Mistress. We found a magical block, and it took us a while to take it out." She paused, "And Mistress, the female is the one with the gaes." the silent male looked up at Alliene, his eyes calm though disapointed, "My only regret, my mistress, is that I failed you. I will not beg for you to spare my life; but trust you pass judgedment." he kissed the floor in front of the matron's feet, "I am a tratior, Mistress. I deserve death." he finished simply. The priestess muttered darkly, "Bah. I can sense no treachery now the magical block is gone. He is loyal to House Streea." she sighed. "It is disgusting that our enemy can do this to our warriors. I would suggest harsher training, to increase their willpower, Mistress." she sighed, "At least this male has enough backbone to acknowledge he is weak and he failed without resorting to a sniverling dog. It makes me sick to think that Drow could behave in such a manner. Its a pity there aren't more like this one." she sighed.

The female with the gaes looked up at Alliene, and prostrated and whispered when Alliene looked at her, "Mistress, I was under a Gaes and I reported to your priestesses at the first chance. It has only been on me for a single day, and I have served you for centuries." She dropped her head, "But the male is right. I am a tratior and I deserve a tratior's death." The priestess looked down at the female and snickered, "Arn't you going to beg?" she asked mockingly, and stroked the female's hair, as one might stroke a dog, and leant down and told her clearly enough for all to hear "You should have told us as soon as you got it. See, a single mistake in the Underdark means death, be thankful it will be swift. The mistress might even let you live, if you beg." the priestess petted the female on the head, "Though I suspect not. But at least you can die as a Drow..." mocked the priestess, and stood up again. The prostrate female merely closed her eyes and whispered, "Forgive me, Mistress. That is all I ask..." The priestess stroked the female's hair again, "There, there. I'm sure our Mistress will forgive you. After all, you've been such a good girl. You're still going to die though, but at least you'll have a few seconds of satisfaction, knowing your forgiven. If the Mistresses chooses to." the priestess smirked, obviously enjoying mocking the female. "At least you won't be tortured first." she finished. The two males strapped on the racks watched in amusement at what would be their last entertainment.

<center>~~~Meanwhile...~~~</center>

Arlyth couldn't sleep, and he tossed and turned. The bed was comfortable enough, and he'd bathed, but he couldn't sleep. Something, he didn't know what was nagging at the back of his mind. With a sigh, he got out of bed, threw a cloak around his shoulders, his thin tunic he wore as a night-garment would let the cold get to him quickly. With a few steps, he was at Alae's door, and knocked on it. When Alae opened it, he looked at her and whispered with a sigh, "Mind if I come in? I... I'm having trouble sleeping..." he sighed and looked at the floor. Alae realised that were he back at the castle, he'd have gone to his aunt, Sylquis; but she wasn't here, and Alae was the one he felt closest too out of all of them and it was quite possible he saw her as a surrogate elder sister. "I'm having trouble resting in this place... I can't relax..." he whispered not meeting her eyes, "If.. if I'm disturbing you, I'll go..." Alae heard real pleading in his voice...

Alliene nodded to the male, "Wise words, male. For that, I will make your death swift." She looked at the female, "And yours as well. I forgive you, and in my forgivness you may find Shar's. You will not be repeating these mistakes again." With two swift spins, Alliene removed the heads of both the male and the female, and completed her move in front of the last male, "You, however, will not be so lucky. I am leaving you to my priestesses, since they seem so eager to end your life." She turned to her priestesses, "Do with him what you wish, jut make sure he doesn't scream too loud; we don't want to wake our guests."

~

Alae smiled at Arlyth, "No, it's ok, little cousin. I do not feel like resting at the moment anyway, this place is much to creepy."

"Mistress, you ordered me to report to the priestess Sui'aerl" the drow whose life she'd spared - for now - simpered. "Mistress, the two whom you said your torture personally?" asked the priestess. She looked somewhat disapointed, "After all, you did promise to torture these two personally." she sighed, somewhat saddened at not seeing her Mistress's expert torture skills put to use. Looking at the prostrate male, she walked over to him and kicked him. "Well, why are you still here? Since the mistress isn't going to torture these two, there is no point in you watching. Run along to Sui'aerl. And don't you dare think of fleeing." the prostrate male whimpered, "Yes Priestess!" and scurried off. The priestess motioned that a guard follow him. It wasn't necessary since the male went straight to Sui'aerl's chambers, and she allowed him to enter, then locked the door. What happened afterwards, the guard didn't know. Alliene wouldn't know until the following morning and probably wouldn't care anyway.

<center>~~~Meanwhile, back in Alae's chambers...~~~</center>

Arlyth looked up at his cousin happiness in his eyes. Once she'd let him in, he impusively embraced her. He sighed, and let her lead him further into her quarters. Sitting down on a couch, Arlyth leant against his cousin, his head on her shoulder. He sighed and whispered, "Alae... I really can't sleep... when Tagnik... gave me information, I could feel it at the back of my mind, sort of. Like another presence... over the last few hours... I felt it change... I can't feel it in the back of my mind anymore. Ah well..." he sighed and snuggled up against his cousin. "I don't like this place to much; the beds are nice and all... but... this place... I felt more at home in your home." he sighed and buried his head in her arms, "I miss Aunty Sylquis... I saw her for only a day, and then we had to leave." the young elf looked up at his cousin and whispered, "And well... I haven't been behaving as well as I ought..." he sighed again, "Sorry..." he said, dropping his head back into her arms. "I.. just... the Thri-kreen sparked out memories, and reopened old wounds and..." he sighed again and climbed into his cousin's lap.

"I have other matters to attend to. Otherwise I would torture them. I must examine this amulet though, and see what Zennenn wants." She stepped out the door to find him waiting patiently for her. He bowed when he saw her, "So, my warrior, what have you to tell me that is important enough to not be with my daughter?"

Alae sighed, "I know, I miss home too, and everybody there. I really do hope things are going well. And don't you worry about your attitude. You had reasons." She got up to examine a bottle of darkish liquid. She uncorked it, sniffed it, made a face, and put the bottle back, "That stuff is vile. Ah well. What do you think this presence you felt was?"

The priestess sighed mournfully and replied with "Yes mistress." she looked almost like a child who had been denied a treat. Then with a sigh, she set to work with the other priestesses, the door closing behind Alliene, muffled screams just at the edge of the Matron's hearing.

Zennenn smiled slightly and bowed to Alliene and replied, "Mistress... I wsih to know why you did not slay me. I was a noble of the House you destroyed, though a minor son." the warrior smirked slightly "And might I compliment you on raising such a wonderful daughter, Mistress." he grinned, "She is a credit to you."

<center>~~~</center>

Arlyth looked curiously at the bottle and asked, "Whats that?" then he hugged her tightly and whispered, "Thank you Alae." then he sighed, "I don't know what it was... it was just like the sword's presence had gone from my mind... as if it were no longer there. Alliene has the sword... and well, if she had destroyed it, I would have felt its pain..." he shrugged, "I don't know..." then looking up at her, he whispered, "Might I stay with you tonight? I don't want to be alone..." he dropped his eyes, and refused to look into hers.

Alliene shrugged, "There was no treachery on your part, except to your former house. You acted as most drow would by chosing the strongest. Plus, you are useful, and my daughter is fond of you."

Alae crinkled her nose, Just some rather vile drow spirit." She gave his shoulders a squeeze, "Of course you may stay here tonight. And I'm sure Tagnik is just fine; I don't think Alliene was planning on destroying it."