Dark Flower, Book II - Chapter 16 Yathtallar

[Mikayla]

[Author's note: I must give many thanks to Vendrin for making one of the more important moments in my character's life an absolutely riveting, incredible experience that was better than I had thought it would be. It was great DMing on his part. Thank you Vendrin.]


The blood began to flow soon enough. After Inthara’s death, Sheyreiza met with Matron Triel Baenre of Qu’ellar Baenre, the first house of Menzoberranzan, and her brother, the Archmage Gromph Baenre. Triel knew of the shade invasion and was concerned enough to have plans prepared. Negotiations followed; Triel wanted much, Alustriel wanted to yield little. In the end, the two women came to an accord through their emissaries, Sheyreiza and Hignar. Talks with Ched Nasad followed. Though the Nasadrians initial demand was soundly rebuked an accord with them was reached in short order. Sheyreiza had her army; at least, she saw it as hers. The two cities committed nearly twenty-thousand heads to the effort, nearly half of which were drow; hundreds of priestesses, nearly a thousand wizards, many thousands of warriors and scouts and more than ten thousand slave-troops. It was an army more than four times the size of that which sacked Blingdenstone in 1371 and nearly 3 times the size of the one that had moved on Mithral Hall in 1358. It was, perhaps, the largest drow army ever assembled in the north.

Of course, ‘assembled’ had to be loosely defined. The army was quite spread out. Menzoberranzan’s forces began gathering in the west, beneath the defenders. The Nasadrians gathered mostly in the east and south, flanking the enemy. As the troops were mustered the army steadily percolated from the depths to caverns just below the surface. With the arrival of the first Qu’ellar Auvryndar contingents, Sheyreiza moved her headquarters from the tiny farm cottage to a series of caverns some miles from Silverymoon. There she erected a shrine to the Spider Queen and began laying in her defenses. Among the first Auvryndar was an acolyte, Faerylene. Faerylene was the daughter of the high priestess Yavoniel Auvryndar, one of Sheyreiza’s older sisters, thus making Faerylene Sheyreiza’s niece. Faerylene said she was here to observe and learn but her true mission became obvious quickly; Yavoniel had heard of Sheyreiza’s return to Lolth and had grown jealous of Sheyreiza’s favor. She sent her daughter, Faerylene, to get close to Sheyreiza and assassinate her. Sheyreiza, flush with the favor of Lolth, gave Faerylene the opportunity but the young acolyte wisely declined and switched loyalties. In the drow world, blood was not as thick as the will of the Spider Queen. Everyday more troops came and the camp expanded through the caves. The army’s buildup did not go unnoticed however.

One of the first patrols of Auvryndar warriors to reach the surface was ambushed. Sheyreiza and her band tracked the attackers and slew them. The ambushers were darthiir, surface elves. So far as Sheyreiza could tell, they were followers of Shevaresh. She did not have to wait long to confirm her theory; a strong force of nearly two dozen elves launched a surprise attack on Sheyreiza’s caverns. Her defenses held, but ten of her Auvryndar warriors and wizards were slain in the process of killing the twenty followers of the Black Archer. The elves were not all that they seemed however. As they died, they melted into shadow. The taint of the shades was all about them. More attacks followed. A shadovar assassin slipped into the cavern and poisoned Sheyreiza’s food, but Sheyreiza, ever wary of assassination from her own kind, discovered the poison before eating. The shadovar assassin, seeing his plan foiled, struck from the shadows but was brought down by Sheyreiza’s morningstar.

Sheyreiza sent Hartex to scout the enemy. The bebilith found a shade arcanist and its minions sealing one of the passages the drow army was using to come to the surface. Hartex slew the shade, but was severely wounded. Oddly, this turn of events, though seemingly ill, proved the turning point in this battle. Sheyreiza, desperate to heal her demon, went on the offensive. She led a small raid against a Shevaresh camp. She had the elven warriors and wizards slain, but she captured their priest. Sheyreiza sacrificed the cleric of Shevaresh on her newly made altar to Lolth and in so doing, healed her demon. Emboldened by her success, the Auvryndar forces began striking more regularly at the Shevaresh.

The Matron of Faen Tlabbar, designated leader of the Menzoberranzan contingent, came to Sheyreiza’s caverns and set up her headquarters. With her came the Archmage of Menzoberranzan himself, Gromph Baenre. Sheyreiza was more than a little impressed; she had heard that among Gromph’s duties was the lighting of that Menzoberranzan pillar known as Narbondel, which was the light for the city by which they counted the hours and the cycles. That Gromph was relieved of this duty and sent to the surface to fight in this war spoke volumes about how seriously Matron Triel was taking the threat.

The Auvryndar came as well. Yathtallar Yavoniel Auvryndar, Faerylene’s mother, led their contingent. She brought many warriors and wizards not least among them, Celuldor, Sheyreiza’s brother and the House Wizard. It seemed Matron Shyntlara was taking the shade threat seriously also. The friction between Yavoniel and Sheyreiza was palpable; neither woman could stand the other and both realized they were in direct competition. Yavoniel could not strike directly at Sheyreiza because Sheyreiza was clearly favored by Lolth. Sheyreiza could not strike directly at Yavoniel because Yavoniel was a Yathtallar while Sheyreiza was only a Yathrin.

The Shevaresh elves came to Sheyreiza’s aid; their incessant guerilla war against the growing drow army infuriated Matron Tlabbar. She demanded the Auvryndar destroy the elves once and for all. As the drow leaders sat around the war table the Tlabbar Matron delivered her ultimatum to the Auvryndar and it fell heavily between Yavoniel and Sheyreiza. Yavoniel, the senior priestess and older sister, deftly passed the task onto Sheyreiza. This was the cautious move – if Sheyreiza failed, her favor would fall and Yavoniel could be done with her. However, if Sheyreiza succeeded, then Auvryndar succeeded and Yavoniel, as leader of the Auvryndar contingent, would be successful. For Yavoniel, it was, at least on the surface, a no-lose proposition.

Sheyreiza took to the task with a vengeance. She wanted the damn Shevaresh worshipping elves dead anyway. Matron Tlabbar’s ultimatum simply gave her the justification to employ sufficient resources to get the job done. By this time, the drow scouts had discovered a camp of nearly 100 elves, all tainted or allied with the shades though they were worshippers of the Black Archer. Sheyreiza assembled a strike force and too this strike force of warriors and wizards she added her own entourage including her nieces Faerylene and Ghal’vira, her nephew Vedo, and the greater bebilith Hartex. She also called in King Hignar. The dwarf was a powerful combatant and Sheyreiza had every reason to suspect they would find at least one shade arcanist with the elves.

As the war party traveled up into the mountains Sheyreiza began to think of the dwarf as another kind of war machine, or perhaps a demon. It was powerful but dangerous weapon and like all such weapons, one had to constantly guard against being hurt by it. It also required constant maintenance in the form of manipulation, cajoling and appeasement. Sheyreiza was up to the task, however, and the dwarf soldiered on with the drow army. At a V-shaped gap in the mountain side Sheyreiza sent the bulk of her force, led by the Acolyte Faerylene, down the slopes to raid the elf camp. With Faerylene’s force conducting its raid, Sheyreiza, Hartex and Hignar went into the mountain after the shade that was leading the surface elves. The fight was hard; the shade arcanist they expected was accompanied by shadovar warriors and a shadovar arcanist apprentice. They fought through anyway. The battle was chaotic, with the caverns being dropped into pits of inky darkness wherever the combatants roamed. Fiery spells strobe-lit the caverns but only increased the chaos and confusion. Sheyreiza found herself beside Hignar in a short, narrow corridor, the shade arcanist just ahead of them. The two charged, seeking to overcome the mage before he could react. Sheyreiza’s morningstar found its mark but the Shade was not brought low. A terrible magic swept from his fingers and Sheyreiza felt herself withering under its horrible curse. She fell back, nearly dead, gasping. Using the power of her ring she disappeared from normal sight and began quaffing the strongest of her healing potions. As she recovered, she fired more spells into where Hignar was going toe to toe with the Shade. Hartex joined the battle and the arcanist was overcome.

The trio made there way back to the V-shaped gap in the mountain where they found Ghal’vira, Vedo and the rest of the war band. The raid had been successful. Without the shade and shadovar to assist them, the Shevaresh followers had been slaughtered. Faerylene, the leader of the raid, had been sorely wounded; Ghal’vira dragged the unconscious acolyte back on her own shield. Sheyreiza marveled that Ghal’vira had not finished her cousin off. Under normal circumstances Sheyreiza would have faulted Ghal’vira for showing mercy, but in this war, they needed every experienced priestess, fighter and warrior they could get. Though perhaps letting Faerylene live was not in the Ghal’vira’s personal short term interests, letting her live to benefit the army was probably in everyone’s long term best interests.

The battle was decisive; the tainted followers of the Black Archer and their shade and shadovar handlers had been slaughtered. Sheyreiza naturally took full credit for the victory and full credit was given to her. Though Yavoniel had tried to position herself to take credit for any Auvryndar success, her open antagonism towards Sheyreiza made that virtually impossible. After the battle, the Tlabbar Matron summoned Sheyreiza to her plush chambers.

“Your Matron, Shyntlara, has sent me a message. She says you are to be elevated to Yathtallar as soon as you are ready.” The lithe, seductive form of the Tlabbar Matron swayed just a little as she turned her back on Sheyreiza. Sheyreiza’s heart pounded with excitement upon hearing the news. She started bowing to make her exit when the Matron looked half-way over her shoulder and spoke again. “I will not tolerate having two Auvryndar Yathtallar here. Do you understand?”

Sheyreiza understood perfectly. “Of course honored matron.”
“See that this is resolved, one way or the other, soon. I do not like to be kept waiting. You may go now.”

“Thank you honored matron.” Sheyreiza bowed low and exited. In her chambers, she cast all her divinations seeking guidance regarding Yavoniel. The answers were cryptic, but only because the outcome was as yet unknown; what did not seem uncertain was Lolth’s will, as expressed by the Matron - namely that Sheyreiza should finally confront her older sister. The question was how. Should she assassinate Yavoniel? If so, should she strive to make it look like an accident? Or should she let it look like an assassination and let that assassination stand as a threat to those who would cross Sheyreiza? Though both were viable, time honored techniques, Sheyreiza did not like either of them. Sheyreiza was the junior priestess and younger sister, but she was also the one more favored by Lolth and the one who had recently crushed the enemy. She found herself offended at the idea she should have to hide her dominance. Indeed, Sheyreiza suddenly found herself wanting to exert it; needing to exert it. Sheyreiza wanted power and she did not want to steal it, she wanted to take it. Her path became clear. She summoned Hartex and told him the very simple, very deadly, very risky plan.

***

A male warrior stood in the entry to Yavoniel’s large chambers. “Yathrin Sheyreiza requests your presence at a meeting, Yathtallar.”

Yavoniel was not alone in her chambers; speaking with her there was Celuldor, the Auvryndar House mage and Yavoniel’s closest confidant and supporter. Yavoniel frowned at the messenger. “Very well, be off.” The male bowed and left as ordered. “What is this about do you think?” She asked of Celuldor.

“I would not venture a guess, Yathtallar, but where our sister is concerned I would advise caution.”

His answer did not please Yavoniel much but she made the best of it. “After you then.” She said, gesturing towards the doorway.

Celuldor walked through the door, still speaking with Yavoniel when an invisible hand grabbed him. Behind Celuldor, Hartex, in drow form, became visible. The demon-drow quickly placed a very wicked, very sharp blade against Celuldor’s throat.

Yavoniel snarled and drew forth her mace. “What is the meaning of this?”

Sheyreiza stepped out from behind a pillar. “I have received a message, dear sister. I am to be elevated to Yathtallar. There is just one obstacle.” Sheyreiza paused and let the head of her morningstar swing free. “You.”

The moment Sheyreiza uttered the word ‘you’ the situation became crystal clear to Yavoniel. At that same moment, Sheyreiza’s challenge had been issued in full. Neither woman waited a single second longer to act; looking like mirror images of each other both women raised a hand and screamed out a prayer-spell.

“Lolth hold you!” Sheyreiza snarled.

“Lolth slay you!” Yavoniel growled.

The women cast simultaneously, but Yavoniel’s spell required her to touch Sheyreiza. To do that, the high priestess had to take a step forward; though Sheyreiza was close, she was not yet close enough to touch. Sheyreiza’s spell, however, had range. It fired before Yavoniel could take that extra step she needed. Though resistant to spells, Yavoniel was not able to shrug off the effects of Sheyreiza’s prayer; Lolth's favor was with Sheyreiza. Yavoniel stood motionless, her right hand outstretched, the prayer of death still on her lips, the power of death resting in her finger.

Sheyreiza’s heart skipped a beat. Was it real? Was Yavoniel held? Sheyreiza knew she was and wasted no time taking advantage of her success. Yavoniel did not die easily; though held, the high priestess was not without her defenses, but die she did. When it was done, Sheyreiza only took a few things from her dead sister. Yavoniel was an enemy but she had died a faithful high priestess and would be treated accordingly. Sheyreiza would show her the respect in death that she withheld in life. Such was the closest thing to sisterly love Sheyreiza could give.

Sheyreiza turned her attention to Celuldor, who remained in the fierce and deadly grip of Sheyreiza’s demon. “And you, dear brother? What say you now about our departed sister?”

Celuldor smiled as much as he was able. “I say she is dead. And I say I have a gift for the Yathrin who will soon be our families newest and most promising Yathtallar.” Sheyreiza smiled. Celuldor was practical at least. No use wasting loyalty on the dead. The House Mage quickly bowed to Sheyreiza, literally and figuratively.

Standing over the bloody body of her older sister, Sheyreiza’s face lit with a wicked grin. Her heart was still pounding. Had she been any slower, or had Yavoniel resisted her spell of holding, Sheyreiza might very well be the one on the floor at this moment. But that was not how it happened. Yavoniel was dead, and unless both the Tlabbar Matron and all of Sheyreiza’s divinations were lying, Sheyreiza was going to become a Yathtallar.

***

The fane of Lolth was dark, lit only by eight smoldering braziers of coal and incense. The braziers were arrayed about an unholy magic circle. Sheyreiza stood, naked, in the middle of that circle. Around her stood five women, each a high priestess of Lolth. Two of them were matrons; Shyntlara of Qu’ellar Auvryndar and Ghilanna of Faen Tlabbar. Each of the high priestesses bore a whip of fangs in her hand; evil scourges whose multiple lashes were made of living, fiendish snakes. These whips were the symbols of Lolth’s highest ranking clergy.

The women chanted, led by Matron Shyntlara, the vampiric leader of Ched Nasad’s fourth house. Shyntlara spoke the demands of Lolth and Sheyreiza made her oaths. Shyntlara asked Sheyreiza if she would summon her own demon or have the assembled priestesses summon one for her. Sheyreiza chose to summon one herself. Shyntlara allowed it, but cautioned her that if the demon did not come, Sheyreiza would not get a second chance. There was no turning back and no second chances. The high priestess lashed out at Sheyreiza with their whips. The fiendish snake heads injected Sheyreiza with poison that could only be counteracted with Lolth's favor as expressed through the demon. At this point, Sheyreiza was either leaving this chamber as a high priestess or as a corpse.

The summoning began. Sheyreiza’s voice yelled out her demon’s mortal name, “Hartex”, but her mind called out the demon’s true name, or at least, that part of his true name she knew. Nothing happened and Shyntlara bade Sheyreiza call again and keep calling or be lost. Sheyreiza screamed for Hartex now, feeding her call with her anger, lust, hate and fear.

The demon came. A shadow filled the fane and then took form. The bebilith, larger than almost any of its kind, stood over Sheyreiza. Sheyreiza knew what was coming next and though she desired it in her fantasies the reality of the situation sent a bolt of fear-fueled adrenaline coursing through her veins. The demon did not allow her to rethink her position however. Its legs quickly grabbed Sheyreiza and picked her up off the ground. It rolled her face down and spread her legs. From its hind section the demon revealed its long, wicked stinger. Sheyreiza began to squirm in fear but the demon’s spindly legs were like iron and she could find no relief or release. The demon thrust the stinger into Sheyreiza’s sex and she screamed madly in agony. The demon pushed again and Sheyreiza felt the stinger, a weapon capable of piercing demon hide and steel armor, penetrate deep into her body. Blood poured out of her sex and the high priestesses in the circle immediately began casting prayer spells. One by one they cast healing after healing on Sheyreiza as the demon tore her apart. With each thrust Sheyreiza felt the agony of a mortal wound only to be healed an instant later by the well timed prayers of her sister clergy. The demon’s furor increased and so too did the fury of the horrid thrusts and the pace of the frenetic healing. Sheyreiza screamed until she could not scream any more. Her eyes were wild, like a cornered animal, and then they began to glaze over as her mind began to let loose its hold on reality. The demon did not confine its depredations to her sex, either. Wicked hooks tore at her soft, tender flesh leaving her rent and bloody. But for the spells of the gathered high priestesses, Sheyreiza would have been all but consumed by the demon as it raped her.

The agony was so intense it seemed to transcend time. Time, however, never truly stops. The thrusts of the demon reached a bloody, terrible climax and the high priestesses poured their most powerful healing spells onto Sheyreiza. An orgasm beyond description erupted in the midst of the indescribably pain and Sheyreiza screamed like she had never screamed before. And then it was done. Sheyreiza lay, broken but alive, in an expanding pool of blood pouring from her ruined sex and her many wounds. Matron Shyntlara motioned to the other priestesses and an entire stone coffer of slithering, venomous, fanged snakes was poured over Sheyreiza’s prone, helpless body. The high priestesses began chanting again. This time, they summoned the spirits of fiends from the abyss. The ceremony was an ancient one, practiced for thousands of years by the high priestesses of Lolth. When it was done, the snakes atop Sheyreiza’s form dissipated until only a four were left. These four were bound at their tale and had come together to make Sheyreiza’s whip of fangs. Into each of the four living snake heads of the whip was bound the spirit of a demon, and each of these demonic spirits was now bound to serve Sheyreiza. The priestesses finished the ceremony and healed Sheyreiza who used what little remained of her strength to stand.

At the outer rim of the circle, Matron Shyntlara regarded the naked, bloody form of her daughter holding her new whip of fangs with a cold grin. “Congratulations, you have survived. Now, you are a Yathtallar.”

Only when all five of the high priestesses in the circle, including both Matrons, bowed ceremoniously to Sheyreiza as was the custom, did Sheyreiza fully believe it. She had made it. It had taken almost 140 years as well as the betrayal of everyone who loved her and the sacrifice of everyone she loved, but she had finally done it; she had reached the pinnacle of drow society. She had become a high priestess of Lolth.

[Burt]

Demonsex!

[LBaeldeth]

Um ...

Congratulations?

[Mikayla]

Thanks! I soon expect Hallmark to be making "Congratulations on Becoming a Yathtallar!" cards - those guys have less concience than Sheyreiza; they will try and profit off of anything.

[Rumple C]

yikes.

great read but yikes.

[Cynon]

Cynon is disturbed, congratulations, a rare event.

[fade]

Least it wasnt following in suit with the overexcessive lesbian cybor in alfa

[Zakharra]

Very good, Mik. Ccccongratulations and may Lolth find Favor for Sheyreiza for a long time indeed.

[Burt]

So nearly two months later...where is the continuation?

[Mikayla]

Fair enough, I suppose its safe to begin telling the next segment of the story.