The Rise of the new Empire of Drow

[Rylna Barrirret]

Rylna sat behind the bamboo desk at the Peg Leg Inn in Buc’s Den. She crossed her legs and leaned back in the chair as she put her feet up on the desk. For all who looked upon her she appeared to be a Drow Female but hidden beneath her exterior was the heart of a demon. Rylna considered herself above most other creatures of the realm for she was an immortal. Unlike her Drow Minions she would live forever.
Nearby another female paced back and forth, her name was Elvolin Tor’ahel born the second daughter of the House of Tor’ahel. She was now first daughter but very far from home. She had but one goal, to restore her house to its former glory. First house of Ra’Dashan needed to be returned to glory and that was all she cared about. Finish the mission that brought her to this despicable land of humans and to get back home and far from her lesser cousins the surface elves.
In the shadows in each corner of the room sat a spider waiting to spring upon some hapless soul. The females waited with them. Also deep in the corners of the room were two humans, cocooned in spiders silk and silenced by spells. The poor Innkeeper and his wife could only watch in horror from the corners of their own Inn. They were completely trapped. Unable to move or speak they waited in terror for what they knew was to come. But they were of Bucs Den times like this were normal. What wasn’t normal was the Drow and their unwillingness to believe that the Innkeeper and his wife were not a threat.
“How long must we linger here Rylna?” Elvolin asked tired of the long wait.
“I have foreseen the coming of our pray, it will not be long.” She said with a grin.
Indeed it was not long before an old man dressed in white robes entered the Inn. Rylna motioned silently with her hands to Elvolin.
Elvolin hissed and the spiders sprang from their corners ensnaring their pray in webbing. The man struggled against his bonds but could not move to either free his hands to cast a spell or even to reach his dagger in his robe. Angrily he continued to struggle as he shouted at them.
“Release me now!” He shouted. Prestige was caught completely off guard. He had heard rumors of activity on the isle but nothing prepared him for this.
“Foolish human, I have need of you. Tell me do you know of the one known as Malag-aste?” She asked.
“I’ll not tell you anything vile wench. Set me free or so help me I’ll burn this place to the ground and you with it!” He continued to shout as he struggled to free himself.
“You are not going to be doing any such thing foolish creature.” Rylna said calmly walking towards him. She looked him over a bit satisfied that he was not going to be moving. Silently she motioned to Elvolin.

Elvolin grinned. This was the part she truly enjoyed. The torture the torment and the pure joy of inflicting pain. She waved a finger to her most beloved pet. Geldarranar, a Frost Spider, sprang to her side, eagerly awaiting its master’s instruction. Rylna drew a blade from her skirt and cut away the webs and cloth from the mains waist exposing the white flesh of his abdomen.
“What the devil are you doing? Let me loose now and you may live!” He spat at Rylna. Rylna turned and slapped him hard across his face leaving her angry red handprint on his cheek along with a few scratches from her claw like nails. With one look to Elvolin the torture began.
Elvolin smiled and pulled a flask of bright blue glowing liquid from her robes. She pulled the stopper and poured a few precious drops of the liquid into the palm of her hand and held it out proudly to her pet. Geldarranar knew exactly what he was to do. The spider drew the fluid up into its fangs and sprang on the man, sinking its fangs deep into his exposed flesh. He injected the vile potion inside his victim and drank some of his blood before returning to the side of his master.
Prestige was wracked with pain as the liquid made its way into his bloodstream. He could feel his stomach churning and it felt as though ice had formed inside him. His whole body became frozen and cold, it clouded his mind with vivid images of strange creatures and symbols, but yet there was something else there. A feeling like he had never experienced before. He felt as though he was not alone in his own mind.
Another flick of a finger and again the spider was fed and pounced upon its victim. Again Prestige felt the wash of ice cold pain. Once again his mind saw images unlike any he could describe. Just before he collapsed he saw his beloved nightmare attack but the spiders quickly dropped the mare to the ground. He saw them drain the life from his pet just before the darkness took him.
Prestige awoke in back home in Yew. Had it been all one horrible dream, he wondered? Rising from his bed he knew it was not. Pain washed over him as he looked down. There upon his abdomen were the marks of fangs. His head was spinning as he rose from his bed. He staggered about his room before falling back onto the floor. In his mind he wanted to scream but he could not. He felt once more the presence that was there before. He was not alone here. Horrified he tried to wake but could not. It was her, the wench, the drow female. She stood before him as he lay upon the floor. But was he dreaming or awake he could not tell. She whispered in his ear words he could not know the meaning of. His body moved to stand and he could see through his own eyes his body walking and watched in horror as he met with the female near the sheep pens right behind the Armory. He wanted to call out and shout… “Drow! To arms!” but he could not. She spoke to him once more in a strange tongue and he heard his own voice betray his people.
“Yes this is our Armory. Our numbers are few now. Newcastle lies to the East of here. They too have but few numbers. I do not know of the one you ask about. I have seen him yes. I don’t know where to find him. What demon? You mean Calibus? He is the only one like that I know but he moved from here long ago.” Horrified at what he was saying he tried to wake, he tried to scream but he could not. He heard hoof beats behind him but he could not turn to see who approached, though he recognized the voice. A voice he thought was long gone. Streea Ur’thal had left with several others several years back.
“What have we here?” Streea asked, looking to Prestige and a female. Her allure was intoxicating. She spoke to him in such a voice he could not resist her.
“I am Rylna, and I will have your allegiance Male! Bow before me.” She commanded in such a voice and with such power he could not resist. He would do anything she asked of him. Streea dropped to his knees before he could even question his own actions. Rylna smiled, impressed with her gift for persuasion. She stroked his shock white hair and drove a fingernail into the back of his neck. She slowly counted to ten waiting for the poison to do its work. “Excellent.” She smiled again.
Prestige felt the wench’s power over him lift and he turned and ran for the armory.
“Oh no you don’t.” Rylna warned. “Your first command my new soldier. Fetch that creature for me now! Drop him to the ground.”
Without a second thought Streea jumped on Prestige pinning the old man to the ground.
“Excellent indeed. You are a worthy servant.” Rylna said as she once again stroked his hair and dug her clawed finger into his neck. “Worthy indeed.” Rylna kneeled beside the shaken form of Prestige. “Now you will not be disobeying me again fool. You have told me so many things I wished to know. I may yet have some uses for you. I shall leave you for now. But I can’t have you going and ruining all my plans now.” With that she pulled out a vial of black liquid from her skirt. “Turn him over so that I may look into his eyes.” She instructed. Streea complied though he couldn’t say why. All he knew was that this female filled his every desire. He would do anything she asked of him. He took a deep breath breathing in her scent. The smell was intoxicating.
Rylna bent down and looked deeply into Prestige’s eyes. She muttered ancient words that fell upon him like ripples on the water. She poured the black liquid into his eyes and his mind flashed for an instant before his world was dark once more.
“Come with me now and leave this creature. I have no further use for him now.” She said to Streea who followed her oblivious to all he had just done. Nothing mattered now but to serve this female. He would give her his life.

To be continued…