Chapter 112: Rising Winds and Surging Clouds

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House DeVir had gone mad.

The news spread throughout the entire drow city. Menzoberranzan had taken on an entirely different appearance. On the surface, it was still that dark, elegant, tranquil, and deadly city. Beneath that surface, however, it had become as chaotic as boiling water. In just a few days, Maya had led the Second House to annihilate the Fourth, Fifth, and Eighth Houses. She had even defeated the allied forces of the Ninth and Eleventh Houses, coldly driving them to the brink of ruin.

Five Houses had vanished overnight, and every drow trembled at the news. They knew the story of House DeVir, and they knew that only a single high priestess remained there. In the eyes of the other drow, House DeVir had originally been on the verge of decline. Yet now, it seemed to have found a path back to strength.

But everything Maya had done left the other Houses utterly perplexed. House DeVir had indeed gathered up the surviving soldiers of every House it had destroyed, as the rules demanded. Its elite drow soldiers now numbered five hundred—almost enough to rival House Baenre. Yet the House’s greatest strength, its high priestesses, had not increased by even one.

For some unknown reason, in every battle against House DeVir, all the opposing matrons—including their high priestesses—had been declared “killed in action.” Not a single survivor had been left behind. It was an exceedingly strange occurrence. Drow loyalty to their Houses was notoriously limited. Normally, once the matron and the direct members of the ruling line were slain, the remaining high priestesses would immediately surrender. Even if one or two were stubborn enough to resist, surely not every high priestess would choose to fight House DeVir to the death.

What benefit could that possibly bring them?

Many Houses held ceremonies and prayed to the Spider Queen for answers. They did not know whether this was a sign that House DeVir had regained Lolth’s favor. If it was, then attacking House DeVir again would clearly be a foolish idea. Yet they received no response whatsoever, leaving the drow even more confused.

Ordinarily, such silence occurred only in one circumstance: Lolth considered their question unworthy of an answer.

Perhaps House DeVir was expressing its loyalty to Lolth in another way.

The matrons whispered about this when they gathered in secret.

Perhaps House DeVir was under observation. Or perhaps Lolth intended to use it to deal with certain troubles. That might explain why no high priestesses had been left behind. They may have offended Lolth through a certain degree of arrogance, and that was why they had been treated so harshly. House DeVir had botched the tasks and mission Lolth had previously entrusted to it, and as punishment, it was denied any high priestesses as replacements. Perhaps this was also meant to ensure that House DeVir would be completely destroyed once everything was over.

There was no truth in the world of the drow—only endless speculation and rumors. No one knew what Maya was thinking, but they all understood that the young matron possessed an almost fanatical passion. They could not tell whether that was a good thing or a bad one.

Because only one person had the authority to decide.

Now, every matron in Menzoberranzan had turned her gaze toward House Baenre. As the First House of Menzoberranzan and its de facto ruler, House Baenre would never permit the city to sink into unknowable chaos and danger.

Maya, however, cared nothing for any of that. At that moment, she lay naked and curled in Jann’s arms, her eyes narrowed as she breathed softly, savoring “Lolth’s blessing.”

It had become the thing Maya most eagerly anticipated each day. After defeating those Houses and killing their ugly matrons, all she wanted was to return to the bedroom, watch Jann smile and acknowledge the devotion she had shown, and receive her reward.

Maya was sinking ever deeper into the ecstasy of that pleasure. She had entered an endless, beautiful dream from which no one could awaken her. Jann, too, enjoyed the sensation immensely. A drow’s body was as supple as an elf’s, and utterly intoxicating. If not for Maya’s complexion, she would have suited Jann’s aesthetic preferences even more. Still, this was hardly a problem. To Jann, as long as someone satisfied his sense of beauty, what difference did it make whether she was a drow or a human—or even an ambulatory undead creature?

“You did very well, Maya…”

Jann stroked the girl’s smooth, delicate skin and lowered his voice as he whispered into her ear. Hearing him, Maya smiled blissfully. Her mind was still immersed in the pleasure she had just experienced and was nowhere near fully awake. Even Maya herself did not know what state she was in, but she was certain that she was entirely satisfied with her present circumstances.

She had defeated those despicable creatures who coveted her position and favor, and she had displayed her strength before those cowards. Now, very few in Menzoberranzan dared even speak of House DeVir.

“You did very well…”

Jann repeated himself. Seeing the corners of the young drow’s lips curl faintly upward, he knew that Maya had heard him.

“But it is not enough. Far from enough. Everyone you have destroyed stood beneath you. They feared your strength and your faith. They could only disrupt you; they could not stop your advance. Now that you have earned sufficient prestige through your own power, what you must do next is continue moving forward… Do you understand what I mean?”

“Baenre…”

Upon hearing Jann’s words, Maya murmured the name instinctively.

The drow had always lived this way. By betraying and murdering those above them, they became new masters and gained greater power and authority. That was the law of drow survival, and Maya followed it as well.

She knew, of course, that House Baenre stood at the top of Menzoberranzan, the highest and most powerful of all its Houses. If she could overthrow Baenre’s rule and take its place, she would become an undying legend among the drow.

But for Jann, that was still not enough.

“Baenre is merely an obstacle on your path, not the destination.”

He caressed the girl’s body, making her release another languid moan of satisfaction, then continued. Feeling the pleasurable sensations coursing through her, Maya closed her eyes. She heard the entrancing, almost magical cadence of Jann’s voice. She began to think, struggling to recall the problem hidden within his words.

Baenre was not the destination?

That was right. Baenre was merely the ruler of Menzoberranzan. Even if Maya overthrew it, she would only inherit that position. What lay beyond it?

The other drow cities? That was not impossible. But Maya felt that something was still wrong. Quite apart from the ubiquitous dangers of the Underdark, even if she ruled every drow city throughout the entire subterranean world, she still would not have attained the highest glory.

For there was still a great mountain weighing upon the hearts of all drow, unchanged in the slightest.

At that thought, Maya opened her eyes. Her red pupils blazed with brilliant light, bright with excitement.

“Lolth…”

She whispered the name to herself.

Yes. The sinful, evil, and mighty Spider Queen Lolth was her ultimate goal.

The drow lived as they did because of Lolth’s teachings. Betrayal and murder—all that glory belonged to Lolth. Then, if one thought about it carefully, why could Maya not reach Lolth’s position through the same means?

If she could stand at Lolth’s side and then pierce her heart, allowing the Spider Queen to die in the agony of betrayal, would that not be the supreme offering to the goddess of the drow?!

At the thought, Maya’s breathing quickened with excitement. Before this moment, she had been lost in confusion about everything before her. But now she had found a clear goal.

The Spider Goddess.

If she could kill the Spider Goddess in the manner of the drow, it would be the greatest moment of glory in the history of their race. Maya believed Lolth would certainly be proud of her.

And Maya herself would be proud as well. A goddess—the deity most revered by the drow. There could be no sacrifice more magnificent, more glorious, than this.

“Lolth…”

Maya murmured the name again, happily narrowing her eyes. She was not merely rejoicing because she had finally found the end of her destiny. At that moment, she was also thinking of Jann.

The more deeply she sank into the pleasure Jann gave her, the more she feared that one day he would leave her. She knew she could never defy the Spider Goddess. If Lolth ordered Jann to leave, what could Maya do?

Nothing. She could do nothing.

A matron’s blessings came from Lolth. If Lolth withdrew her favor, everything would end.

But Maya would not tolerate such an ending. For the first time, she felt that perhaps she should never have begged Lolth for rewards. Perhaps she should take matters into her own hands.

That was how the drow had lived for centuries. No matron had ever obtained her position through peaceful abdication. Every one of them had killed her predecessor to seize the power and status she had always craved.

Because that was Lolth’s teaching. She delighted in intrigue, betrayal, and chaos—and made the drow dance gracefully along with them all.

But now, things had changed.

If she could become the Spider Goddess, then Jann could remain at her side forever.

The thought comforted Maya greatly. At last, she let go of her worries and sank into a deep sleep. As far as Maya was concerned, there was not the slightest flaw in her reasoning.

Seeing that the drow beside him had fallen asleep, Jann smiled triumphantly. He rose, put his clothes back on, and walked toward the door.

When he turned to look once more at Maya’s sleeping face, Jann was certain that he had gained a servant who would remain utterly loyal to him, both in life and in death.

And Lolth would certainly find that very troublesome.

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To be continued.