Dragon Revived, Chapter 2- Soaring on wings of pain

[Calaethis Dragonsbane]

Arlyth smiled darkly "Want to try it?" he asked, and black wings unfolded and the elf changed into his dragonic form, towering over the drow, "You have more to lose" he hissed, "I am already damned..." Both of the elven priestess's had broken into a run and sprinted back to Alae, breathlessly explaining that Arlyth was about to take on the entire Drow army.

Then Arlyth smirked, and changed back to an elf. "Perhaps not today, little drow." and causually strolled off.

[Lady Blue03]

The priestess merely smirked, and Arlyth ran smack into Alliene, all of her warrioirs behind her. She shoved him back, and before he could react, his father’s obsidian blade rammed full force into his gut. Alae screamed and sprinted towards Arlyth, but two priestesses caught her and forced her back. The blade had exited out through the elf’s back, yet no blood was upon it, and Arlyth realized he wasn’t in pain, though it did feel as if something was being sucked out of him. He noticed the blade was starting to return to its original steel color, not black.
Alliene was less than an inch from him, and with the sword still in his gut, forced him onto his knees, “You are not damned anymore. In the eyes of the gods, anyway.” She took her foot and shoved his shoulder, sliding him off the blade. There was no wound, “I have removed your taint.” She lifted Tagnik above her head, “Now bring me back my elves, or you will lose everything you hold dear.”

Arlyth stared up at the Matron, and hissed, "I suppose I should thank you... but had I a choice, I would have rather you saved the rest of those elves." Then he looked at the blade, and asked softly, "What did you do to it? The blade... is no longer black..."

“I don’t want your thanks, fool. Without these elves I do not have money, and without money I do not have an army, and without an army I die, and without me, your cousins die. I did it to protect them as well as myself.” She spun the blade in her hand, “Tagnik was black because of your taint. I used its power to draw your taint out. Since you no longer are tainted with filthy blood, the sword is no longer black.”

"If you do not want my thanks, then why did you do it?" the boy asked, still on his knees. He sighed, "And I suppose raiding the demon's treasury would not be enough?" He sighed, and then closed his eyes and concentrated. White wings sprouted from his back, translucent, like the radience of his deity. "It is gone, you say?" he asked Alliene, "Yet... I feel no pain... no sorrow... Thank you." He whispered.

“I told you, I did it to protect myself as well as my sister’s children. Now, where are my elves? I do not wish to enter a treasury that is likely booby trapped with demons.” Alliene flipped Tagnik in her hand and presented it to him hilt first.

[ 10-24-2003, 12:40 AM: Message edited by: Lady Blue03 ]

[/)eathKiller]

"Ah... but I dont think i've had enough..." He said without moving the air with his voice so that only himself could undstand what he was muttering...

(OOC: Talk about talking under your breath [img]tongue.gif[/img] Imagine talking under your breath without having to breathe [img]smile.gif[/img] )

With a pouty expression gus lost all the tension in his body and spoke "oh all right..." At which point he collapsed and all of his summons deteriorated in an instant into piles of rotting flesh.

[Calaethis Dragonsbane]

Arlyth's wings collapsed in on themselves, turning ethereal and fading completely. "It is... all gone..." he sighed in relief, and accepted the sword his eyes still distant. "Your elves... are in the treasury... even now, they should be collecting it..." he whispered, and made a guesture and all five hundred of the elves reappeared, the entire demonic treasury in their hands; many of them carrying sacks filled with platinum ingots. "You do not need these elves, Matron.." the boy said, his tone soft. "There is enough there to buy an entire kingdom, at least five times over with enough to spare to fund it's armies for centuries. Let them go, please?" he begged, looking into his 'aunt's' eyes. Still on his knees, Alliene could see eyes just like her one-time cousin's looking up at her, the same innocence before his genes were tinkered with. The boy sighed, and bowed before the drow and because he was already on both knees, his forehead touched the ground before the Matron's feet. "I owe you a debt... allow me to serve you; and my allegiance shall be yours until the end of time... I will gladly call you 'Mistress' and reject the one I follow now. The one that gave me this taint through my father..."

Despite the fact Arlyth had accepted Tagnik, the sword hadn't finished speaking to its creator. In Alliene's mind, it whispered, "Mother, you should know some things... your one-time cousin, he would never have threatened to kill you, Verloren or Avalon had his deity not tampered with his genes, and forced him to... his deity forced him to say those things, in order for you to reject him, knowing that he would be outcast, exiled... knowing he would take Tyatria for a mate, and produce Arlyth. Arlyth is as how your cousin should have been; how he would have been had his deity not tampered with him. Had you thrashed Calaethis as he so richly deserved, he would have not threatened to kill you, or anyone else. Don't let history repeat itself, please? You have the chance to fix a mistake, you need not love, or even like the boy, but if you accept his loyalty, his father's deity will have no sway over him, and will not be able to tamper any more... please mother? That deity has caused enough pain already... it is her doing that Calaethis turned into what he is now; had She not interfered, you would still love him..." the sword hushed, it's aura protective over Arlyth. "Mother, I need to speak with you alone later... it's important." the sword whispered in the Matron's mind, and quietened, waiting for the Drow's reply to her wielder's offer. Arlyth had no idea what had passed between the sword and the Matron, and was still kneeling, his head bowed waiting to be kicked or accepted. He did not care about the others standing around him, and all that existed was Alliene and the ground before him right now. His two elven priestess's were aghast at their young master's proposal, something almost unheard of. Angry thunder could be heard in the distance, lightning striking the mountains, seemingly coming from nowhere in a fury.

[Lady Blue03]

Alliene ground her teeth. This was more than she cared to deal with at the moment, "Very well. Fifteen hundred of the elves may go, but the others stay." She glared at his priestesses, "If you do not wish to be one of the five hundred I suggest you stay out of my way and do as my priestesses order you. Any word of you ordering my warriors," She transferred her gaze to Arlyth to make sure he knew he was included in this, "And I will see to it that you are punished."

Alliene closed her eyes as Tagnik spoke to her, then sighed. Bloody deity. She would have words with that woman when the time came for her to take Shar's place. She opened her eyes when it was finished and looked down at Arlyth,
"I will let you serve me, elf, if that is your wish. I warn you though, what your father did to me cut deep, and it is a wound that will never heal. I advise you not to make the same mistake he did, or I will kill you." She turned her eyes to the sky, where many of the drow were nervously watching the clouds. Sure they had been outside, but rain was a new thing to them. It looked like a violent storm though. Not something she wanted them to experience, "We go home now, my warriors!" She shouted, and opened up a dimension door that lead to the mushroom gardens of the first house. The drow cheered and poured through it. Alae approached Alliene anxiously, "Do not tell me our nextt ask lies in the Underdark."
Alliene lifted an eyebrow, "Why of course it does. Get through the portal, my dears. You will be fine."

[Calaethis Dragonsbane]

Arlyth nodded, "It is... Mistress..." he whispered, and lightning crashed against the nearby mountains, and near the ground where the drow were. It was fairly clear that someone was fairly peeved that Arlyth had sworn alligance to Alliene. "And I understand." he said with a sigh, meaning her orders. Looking up defiantly, he whispered, "I am not my father... and... those two priestesses, I would ask that they stay with me?" the he sighed. "Or perhaps not. I'll send them to the castle, with your permission?" he asked Alae, still on his knees.

[Lady Blue03]

"Of course, little cousin. In fact, take Myri with you, if you would." Alae took the small elf child from the drow priestess and handed her to one of the elven priestesses. She ruffled the girls hair and kissed her cheek, "We will return soon little one. You'll like it at the castle. Maybe they will let you ride my Star Shadow." She looked at the priestesses, "Just tell the adivsors that I sent you, and we will return as soon as we can." She looked through the portal where the dark waited.

[ 10-24-2003, 06:08 PM: Message edited by: Lady Blue03 ]

[Calaethis Dragonsbane]

Arlyth nodded again, "Of course cousin" he replied. Rain had begun to fall, and the two elven priestesses secured the trio's horses, and set off back to the castle, Myri hugging Alae before they left. Arlyth sighed, and waited for Alliene to give him permission to get up...

[Lady Blue03]

"You may stand now." Alliene told him, and waited for the rest of her army to go through the portal. When the drow, and the elves were through, Alliene pushed Arlyth in front of her and stepped through herself, after giving the sky one of her wicked smirks. Arlyth noticed a new drow walking towards them. It was a stunningly beautiful female, with hair, eyes, and body to match Alliene's. These silver eyes did not hold the same deadness that Alliene's did though. She bowed to Alliene when she reached them. She was about half and inch taller than Alliene,
"Welcome back, mother." She said in a rich voice.
"Thank you, Loanna(pronounced low-ana). I trust all went well in my absence?"
"Of course. House Streea still stands strong." Her eyes flitted curiously over to Arlyth before returning back to Alliene.
"Take them to the bazaar." Alliene ordered some of her priestesses, referring to the elves. She scrounged up some servants and told them to take the demonic treasury to their own. Then she addressed her milling warriors, absently pulling Tagnik from the sheath at Arlyth's side,
"I have some disturbing news, I am afraid. I beleive there is one among your number who is double crossing the first house. Step forward and reveal yourself now, and I will make your death painless. If you make my priestesses and I go through each and everyone one of you...I will personally torture you." Her cold gaze swept over the hushed crowd.

[Calaethis Dragonsbane]

Arlyth eyes widened slightly, and nodded to the new female. He didn't say a thing though. Arlyth looked up in surprise as Alliene drew Tagnik, and looked up at her. He didn't say anything. Several Drow males swallowed, and at least four drew daggers and stabbed themselves in the heart. One more stepped forward, a female and throwing herself prostrate, she whispered, "Mistress, I had no choice... a geas was used on me, I... I have only worn it for a day... and you were away! I swear I would have told you upon your return - I have been loyal to you for over two centuries!" Arlyth shuddered slightly, and one of the drow males threw a dagger at Loanna and Arlyth used his wild talent 'deflect' to knock it off course. Three warriors grabbed the male who had thrown the dagger.