Elf world the complete s.., p.54
Elf World : The Complete Series, page 54
It had taken far too long, but I was finally beginning to piece it together. “I wasn’t supposed to return, was I?” I snarled at her from my kneeling position. “You sent Lazziar and I out there to die. That was your intent.”
“Of course it was my intent,” she hissed in frustration, as if that much should have been obvious by now. “How could you have survived when every drow patrol ever sent to that region has perished? Even now it boggles the mind.”
“It boggles your mind that I exterminated a bug? Pffft... I’d say that has less to do with me, and more to do with the weakling pussies you sent out there to—” Smash... Again with that fucking pommel to the back of the head. I wasn’t going to withstand too many more of those.
“My plan was perfect,” the high priestess continued, speaking softly as if talking to herself. “It was all supposed to be simple and easy, a clean and convenient way to dispose of the Arkala without drawing too much attention.” She rolled those sadistic-looking eyes toward me. “But you just had to pull it off, didn’t you? And on top of that, as has been so graciously pointed out to me, everyone knows you pulled it off.”
“But your actions make no sense,” Lazziar said, attempting to challenge the high priestess’s reasoning without overstepping. It was a fine line. “Should we not be celebrating his accomplishments? Once word of his heroics has spread, it will open many doors for the drow. Why, he may be the one who can finally unite all the elven kingdoms once and for all.”
“So young and naïve,” Rilrina said, her voice dangerously cool and calm. “To give a mere human”—she spit the word human as if it were poison on her tongue—“such power and recognition would be foolish indeed. Folk believe what they want to believe, and whispers of this human’s exploits have the potential to spread far and wide like a raging forest fire. Give a myth that kind of power, and it won’t be long before the tale becomes larger than life.”
She made another lazy gesture, and I was hoisted up to my feet and wrestled toward the door. “Easy, asshole,” I grunted, trying to shake their grips off my clothing. “This shirt you’re ripping is worth more than you and your mother combined.”
Suddenly, someone snapped a glowing blue collar around my neck from behind, and I instantly felt my energy drain as my legs grew heavy. My own bodyweight felt crushing, as if I just gained five hundred pounds within a second. Knowing I was no longer a threat at this point, the surrounding soldiers stepped back as they pointed and laughed.
In my severely weakened state, I glanced up at my two special elves. Aunrae’s eyes glistened with unshed tears, while Lazziar openly cried with tears streaming down her cheeks. They were crushed, and I couldn’t do a thing about it.
Rilrina hobbled over to Aunrae, who simply stared over the top of her head, unable to meet this sadistic woman’s eyes. “I owe you no explanation for my actions,” she hissed up at the Matron Mother. “And yet I’ve said far more than I intended to. That, my dear, was purely out of the respect I have for House Vurot. But...”
She raised a gnarled finger. “In the name of Lolth, if you even think about interfering, I’ll have what’s left of your house slaughtered in front of the whole city as an example to anyone foolish enough to worship this human. I trust I’ve made myself clear.”
“And what do you...” Aunrae paused to swallow the lump swelling in her throat. “What do you plan to do with Isaac?”
Her wrinkly face peeled up in a sloth-like grin. “I plan to finish what I started.” Her smile widened. “Quite publicly, in fact. After all, we both know that the mortal is nothing more than flesh and blood. I just need to make sure the rest of the city knows it too. I bid you good day.”
I felt helpless, and all I could do was watch my elves cry as I was led away.
They marched me through the city like a circus freak as drow gathered in the streets to watch. The glowing collar felt like a cinderblock hanging around my neck. I was forced to march along, dragging my feet with each laborious step.
The collar wasn’t even necessary, seeing as how my hands were bound behind my back, but I knew that the intent here was to make me appear as weak as possible in front of the whole city. And so far, it seemed to be working.
The high priestess led the way in her strange horseless buggy that just floated along. Drow soldiers surrounded me, marching along with their weapons drawn. The one right in front of me held the chain leading to the collar on my neck, and every so often he gave it a harsh tug just to make me stumble.
The last time these drow saw me out in public, I was a hero dragging the head of the creature that had tormented them forever. And now I was little more than a common criminal being led to my execution. It was hard to believe how far I had fallen in such a short amount of time.
Their rasping whispers grew bolder as they fed off each other’s energy, and soon threats and taunts where raining down on me, along with the occasional thrown rock.
But even though I had never felt this helpless in my life, I’d be damned if I was going to give them the satisfaction of seeing me in that light. A tumbling stone whizzed past my face, and I turned that direction and stared at the taunting section of drow. They all fell silent, surprised that I still had that much fight left in me.
But the moment we moved past, they resumed their taunts, louder this time as if trying to make up for their moment of weakness. But what did I care? It wasn’t like they were my biggest problem.
The taunts and jeers faded off into the background as our little parade moved down a wide alley and ended up on a barren dirt road. The floating carriage stopped up ahead and there came a few rustling sounds from just beyond it. And when I was led around to the front, there was an open trapdoor in the ground, revealing a set of steps leading down.
Now that the show was over, one of the soldiers snapped the collar off my neck. It clinked against the ground and my strength returned instantly. But my hands remained bound as a hard shove in the back sent me wobbling forward, and down the steps we went.
The trapdoor was slid back in place up over my head, and suddenly everything went completely black. I had to probe with my foot, trying to find where the next step was. This action drew laughter from the drow soldiers who could see perfectly fine. I felt a mild relief when we finally reached the bottom, but I was still blind as a bat.
“Move it, worm!” I caught a hard elbow in the ribs, followed by a slap across the back of my head. The jarring blows were amplified simply because I couldn’t see them coming and couldn’t brace against them.
When I didn’t move fast enough, I felt a sword point jab me in the back. “Hey, easy with that shit!” I said, but my outburst only earned me another slap in the back of my head. I fumbled through the darkness while constantly being prodded, poked, and slapped. This was a no-win situation.
A harsh tug at the back of my shirt halted my blind march, and a light breeze circled to my front. Although I couldn’t see, my other senses functioned just fine. I could feel a presence standing there, its face shrouded in shadow. It took an effort to smooth out my features and not wear my emotions on my face.
“I know you’re frightened, human,” said the withered face in front of me. I knew that voice all too well, and I knew she was only an inch or so away as air puffed against my lips with each word. “As you should be.”
“If you think I’m frightened by a thousand-year-old mummy, you better think again, bitch!” And once again my mouth earned me a thundering smack across the cheek. Man, that old prune could really pack a wallop. For a moment I questioned whether or not it was actually her.
“I see you still have some fight left in you,” she growled.
“Cut these bonds and you’ll see just how much, bitch.” My other cheek flared as she blasted that side. Well, at least that rosy glow would be distributed evenly. “Um...” I turned back into the shadowy face hovering in nothingness. “You know, it’s kind of bullshit that you can tee off on me at will, but I can’t hit you back. For a powerful drow high priestess, you sure come across like a fucking coward.”
“I like you, human,” she purred. “Really, I do.”
“If that’s true, I’d hate to see what happens to those you don’t like.”
“But as you seem to enjoy constantly pointing out, I am the high priestess. And with my title comes a level of responsibility you couldn’t even begin to comprehend.” I flinched as her hand snapped up to my jaw. Her strength was shocking. “I wish to tell you something, Isaac,” she cooed as she held me fast. “A confession, if you will. Something I didn’t want to admit in front of others. But since it is just you and me now, and dead men tell no tales...”
“Lay it on me, sister,” I mumbled through scrunched-up cheeks. “It’s not like I have anywhere to be.”
“You are special, Isaac. Of that, I have no doubt. And the very real possibility that you may one day unite the drow, along with the surface elves, does not sit well with me.” That iron grip of hers yanked me forward and our foreheads thumped together. “You see, a challenge to the controlled chaos that’s taken centuries to build is a direct challenge to my power. What you represent is a miracle of sorts. That’s the sort of thing that gives people hope.
“And the last thing the people I’m trying to control need...is hope.”
She shoved my face back. “And that is why it is imperative that you die. But since killing you in private will only create more damaging rumors, I think it is best to do it in front of the whole city. They must see with their own eyes that you are no miracle. You are but a mortal...”
A white line split the darkness behind her as a set of double doors opened up. It wasn’t exactly bright beyond those doors, but after being in pitch-black for so long, the cutting light seemed absolutely brilliant.
“And what more fitting end could a mythical legend have than to die in the arena in front of thousands?” Two soldiers rushed up and clutched my shoulders from behind as I tried to rush her.
“So this is the fitting end you envisioned for me?” I growled while struggling against her men. She smiled and nodded slowly. “Then let me make you a promise, bitch,” I hissed in her face as the soldiers held me back. “You better make sure I die in that arena. Because if you don’t, I’m going to fucking kill you myself!”
“A hollow threat born of desperate fear,” she hissed back. “I suggest you save it for the arena. And try not to die too quickly. I would much rather your final moments be somewhat entertaining.”
They sliced my bonds and pushed me into the chamber before the iron doors rumbled shut behind me.
A few heads turned as I stumbled into the circular chamber, but most didn’t even seem to notice, or maybe just didn’t care. Like me, they had bigger things to worry about than who the newest slave was.
It was a rough-looking bunch, mostly hobgoblins with a few big green orcs thrown in. There were even two surface elves that caught my eye, sun elves if their light blond hair were any indication. But what really held my attention was the stone giant lying near the back of the chamber. His massive chest rose and fell with slow, raspy breaths. There were no obvious wounds that I could see from this distance, but it was clear he was in pretty bad shape.
My attention moved back to the elves, who were splashing water on their faces from a narrow trough. Although they weren’t fellow humans, I deemed them to be the least threatening of this bunch, so I decided to make my way over to them. At first I just moved up to the trough and began splashing my face without saying anything.
“A human?” One turned to acknowledge me as he squinted against the water in his eyes.
“The human, I would suspect,” the other one said as he dried his hands on his shirt.
“Ah, I’m guessing you two have heard of me,” I said, turning to face them directly now that the ice had been broken.
“Your guess is accurate,” the first elf said. “Even these walls aren’t thick enough to keep out the fantastic tales being told about the groblem slayer. So I must ask you then, are the stories true?”
“Did you hear that I knocked it out with my dick?” I asked smugly as I crossed my arms.
“At least one person gave that version,” the second elf said. By the way his expression never changed, I honestly couldn’t tell if he was kidding.
“In that case, yes, it’s true,” I confirmed.
“And what about the other rumor?” he followed up. “Is that one true as well?” The way they watched me expectantly, I had a pretty good idea of what they were asking. But since I didn’t feel like having the Arkala talk...
“So, are the locals friendly?” I asked, abruptly changing the subject as I gestured around to our neighbors.
“Not particularly,” the first elf said as an orc snarled in our direction from across the room.
“Nor are they particularly hostile,” the second one added. “We are all slaves, after all. And whatever rank or privilege you may have had on the outside means nothing inside these walls. What’s to be gained by a slave harming another slave?”
“Enough blood will be spilled soon enough, of that you can be sure,” the other said. I nodded my understanding. “Would you like to join us, slave?”
“I’d be honored, fellow slave,” I replied in a nasally voice as I followed them back to the stone bench ringed around the pillar at the center of the room. I glanced over and noticed that the stone giant had stopped breathing all together.
“A brutal experiment gone terribly wrong,” the first one said as he followed my gaze. “It would seem that strategically placed needles around the body can cause extreme damage when done the right way. You’re lucky you weren’t here to watch. It was not pretty or quick.”
“Why the stone giant and no one else?” I asked.
“Because no one else had a body that resilient,” the second elf explained. “It made the findings that much more compelling. Trust me, his death was a mercy.”
“You’ll get no argument from me,” I said as I tore my eyes away from the sight. Who would have ever thought I might feel pity for a stone giant?
“If you don’t mind, I would like to ask you something else,” I said, trying to steer this morbid conversation back to the thought I had when I first spotted the sun elves. “I heard a rumor about the sun elves as well. About your home, Ullenor Island, to be exact. There are those who say it is currently under olgok control. I don’t know how long you two have been stuck down here, but has either of you heard these rumors?”
The sun elves glanced at each other, and then back to me. “What you speak of is no rumor,” the first elf confirmed. “The sun elf kingdom has fallen. But mark my words, we will not be the last. Other elf cities will follow soon enough.”
“I’m truly sorry,” I said. I had already known it was true, but I wanted to hear it from the sun elves themselves.
“If I didn’t know better, I might believe you meant that,” the other elf said.
“That I’m sorry? I do mean it,” I confirmed. “I am no friend to the olgoks, and I truly am sorry about what has happened to your lands. No one deserves a fate like that.”
“A human who shows compassion for elves,” he said as he slowly shook his head. “And here I thought I had seen everything.”
I turned my head to a series of snapping sounds as sliding panels opened in various spots around the chamber. “Remember what I said about there being no rank in a place like this?” the first elf reminded me as I watched humanoids dash toward the open slots. “Well, that rule does not apply come feeding time. It’s every elf for himself.”
And they left me in the dust...
Bowls of white slop came sliding in on wooden planks. I moved quickly to get one, but a pair of big green hands snatched it up just as I got my fingertips on it. But rather than stay in one spot and sulk, I dashed across to the other side of the chamber where the hobgoblins were conjugating. It wasn’t easy, but I managed to worm my way through the crowd and get up near the wall.
I wasn’t even that hungry... But it was all about pride at this point.
I made a hard reach for the next bowl sliding along the plank, but just as I grabbed it, a hobgoblin also grabbed the other side. We sidestepped away from the horde as each of us refused to release our end. Our stares stayed locked onto one another as he snarled at me. It was a weird situation because if either one of us pulled too hard, our gourmet meal would end up on the floor. It was essentially a stalemate...
Suddenly, my eyes went wide as I glanced at the space just over his left shoulder. “Kill him! Do it now!” I shouted.
“Wha...” The hobgoblin screeched in alarm as he let go and spun around. Of course there was no one there... I casually turned the other way and walked off with my hard-earned prize.
“Kill him now,” I chuckled to myself as I went back to my seat. “Like shooting fish in a barrel.” But to be fair, it wasn’t really a direct knock on the creature’s intelligence, although I didn’t know for sure one way or the other. All I did was trigger a primal reaction that not many could have resisted.
I sat next to the sun elves, who had apparently been victorious as well, and stirred my white slop with the wooden spoon sticking up from the goop. “Hmm... Dead ants, live ants, and...” I surfaced a leg of some kind, a thin, greenish drumstick with two hooked claws on the end of its webbed foot. “Annnnd that one’s the deal breaker.” I pushed the bowl aside. “What the fuck was I thinking? And I actually fought for that nightmare stew too.”
The elves, on the other hand, were chowing down like this was some White Castle after a hard night of partying. “May I?” one of them asked as he tinked the side of my abandoned bowl with his spoon.
“By all means.” I pushed it closer to him, and he wasted no time going for that alien limb.
“I don’t imagine you’ll be this picky in a day or two,” he mumbled around a mouthful of alien meat.
My cheeks puffed as I watched him gorge. “Ugh, challenge accepted.” I closed my eyes and leaned back against the pillar.
