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Elinor leaned against the side of the silken chair Iris had crafted, left hand pressing against her cheek as she observed her brightening valley and city below, a soft smile moving her lips.  The dark clouds that had gathered during the night, released their soft rain and moved east.

It had been several hours since the end of the previous day, and she’d spent the time high in her tower, pondering the tasks that needed to be completed throughout the day; this was the first cathartic experience she’d truly felt since arriving in this foreign world.

Violet was beside her, a content expression on her beautiful human face as she crafted her a new wardrobe with the instructions Tiffany had sent her throughout the previous day.  However, Elinor could sense something wrong within the youngest Spider Sister that had been eating at her since they’d returned.

There were several complete outfits already hanging from a silk clothesline as she worked.  Elinor didn’t want to push her to bring it up, but the girl hadn’t brought up what was eating at her for over five hours.

Iris had sent her daughter to guard her while she was away, scanning her new land for humans that could be rescued and brought back.  Elinor could still feel her through the Nexus, moving somewhere in what she assumed was the Xaltan Clan’s territory.

The Queen had sent Azalea to the east to scout out the Roxim Tribe’s exit and confirm if they’d vacated their land without even having to ask her, and by listening in on the conversation, she also knew the Shapeshifter had told her daughter to keep her eyes open for humans to rescue.

Her communication network only functioned within an eight-mile radius, which meant she was out of direct contact with a few of her minions, but it gave her comfort that she could still tell if they were alive and their general direction.

Tiffany had spent the entire time since Elinor had finished draining the Life Fruit studying the pome.  She could tell the Witch wasn’t happy about the risk but had since calmed down, and it wasn’t as if she was angry at her; Tiffany was just frightened of the fruit after such a drastic change.

Elinor agreed; however, she needed the energy, and they needed to test if repeating the process would create a similar result.  Even Tiffany had begrudgingly said that was the best way to move forward, and that means she had to be close enough to use Life Tap, but that didn’t mean she had to like it.

After all that study, what did she find?  So far, the new pome she’d drained had a similar effect.  However, the veins of the first fruit were starting to relax, returning to a normal outward appearance.  Although, the energy inside stayed compact.  To be safe, the Witch created a containment seal around it to restrict the damage if there was rapid expansion.

Edmon had recently contacted The Witch to inform her that the first test subjects for her religious ritual experiments had arrived, forcing her away from the contained hazardous objects.  The interesting thing discovered in her examination was that the pome that hadn’t been leached from didn’t have the same reaction, pointing a confident finger at the cause, but there needed to be more assessments made before it was accepted as the definitive root of the phenomenon.

The Doom Guard had been hard at work, using seventeen Quen’Talrat, including Quin, to secure the gates around the city until the time the show she’d planned arrived; only a single ape was below, inside the corridor with the elevator.  The Yaltha’ma were being used as scouts and guides to the breeches they knew of for Edmon to mark weaknesses and develop plans for restoration.

He left Camellia managing the palace’s defense, using her Zombies more as a buttress than actual guards, allowing the red-haired sister to react to anything suspicious happening to them.  Once the price of the daily maintenance came, so did the price of Lich’s Conquest, forcing her to select 10% of her minions to sacrifice, and that came to be nine Zombies, but that had been easily replenished with the bodies brought back with Valdar’s corpse.

Edmon told her that she could probably see a hundred and eighty miles from the tower when adding the valley’s rapid descent to the calculation; the mountains across the valley looked like hills compared to the towering giants behind the fortress, and the red-tinted sea belonging to the Nalvean Empire could be seen beyond.

Elinor had Violet question Nadraca a little about the Nalveans before coming up, and the information piqued her curiosity.  From the description, if you combined all the Great Lakes, then the Great Ruby Lakes would be a close comparison with an average depth of seven-hundred feet, falling to fifteen-hundred feet at some points.

The mountain range covered most of the landmass, and from this distance, she couldn’t tell if there was anything upon the sea, but it was a beautiful view.

Her focus shifted to her fortress, the size of multiple cities on Earth.  It was an impressive sight; most buildings were more than five stories high while easily accommodating for the average size of the Quen’Talrat at fifteen to sixteen feet tall.

A city that can hold over three million humans comfortably … it’s basically the New York City of the Quen’Talrat Empire, and it’s all mine.  If I want this religion to grow, then I need to advance to the national level quickly, but that’s going to be hard with the small Ri’bot tribes alone.

The Fire Wars probably took a heavy toll on many of these countries, but the Ri’bot were hit pretty hard by Ke’Thra’Ma, being so close to his greatest concentration of military might.

Her green irises shifted to Violet as she began humming Dancing With Your Ghost, a song her mother had loved to listen to in the car, directing her thoughts to her former life.

Wow … did Tiffany teach them that tune for me … I wouldn’t put it past her.  She’s surprisingly emotional for the scientific aura she puts off, but I suppose I fashioned her to understand my needs better than I know.  Hmm…

Violet looked up, white halo-like irises creasing slightly with her smile.  “Is there something you need, Empress?  Oh, is this not to your liking?”  She asked, vision falling to the gothic Victorian dress with an asymmetric hem and detailed laces.

Elinor giggled softly.  “No, it’s beautiful, Violet.  I’m just thinking about Tiffany … what else has she talked to you about?”

The youngest Spider Sister’s eyes fell to the dress with a light hum, lifting her fingers to flex them.  “She had a suggestion for me about using my silk as a weapon, exercising my hands, and I hadn’t thought about the type of style of fighting before.”

“Continue,” she prompted, shifting her legs the opposite way.

Violet lifted her hands, palm up.  “My silk is the most complex out of my family … even my mother agrees, and I can maneuver it like my legs or arms.  However, it doesn’t have the constrictive force that Tiffany thought, and so, she told me to use my fingers to apply the tension.”

Elinor’s mind followed her explanation, the mental image taking form, as she explained.  “You’re saying … you can use your silk as wire weapons, wrapping your prey up before pulling them closer, binding, lashing out like a whip, and stringing them up?”

The spider’s lips fell a bit.  “To an extent, yes, but I’m still having trouble with Tiffany’s desired result.”

“Which is?”

“Dicing a creature into little pieces,” she replied with a depressed sigh.  “I’m trying to work on my finger strength and thread proficiencies, but I’m finding more success with infusing some of my previous abilities into the … wire, you called it?”

“Yes, a wire is like—well, it’s usually a spool of metal thread.  It’s got a ton of uses, which is one reason why your spider-like abilities are so frightening to other creatures.  You can create silk, stronger than steel—you said other abilities?”

“They aren’t all that impressive,” Violet mumbled, continuing with her thread work while speaking.  “I can infuse my silk with electricity or a frost-like element.  When I was young, I gained the ability when eating some of the colorful gems we sometimes found with the Quen’Talrat.”

“Infuse elements into your silk,” Elinor repeated in semi-shock.  “That’s incredibly useful.  What did Tiffany say about that?”

“Mmh,” Violet’s lips dropped a bit more.  “She said the same thing, but I’m a little doubtful about the practical use of such a skill since binding a target in my silk immobilizes them in any case, and I’ve never had anyone but some of the massive Quen’Talrat escape.

“The frostsilk did help counter most of the stupid apes’ flames, but the strong ones could easily break it,” she grumbled, eyes shifting to the right with obvious irritation.  “Tiffany did mention something about testing to see if eating other stones unlocks different elements.

“Azalea’s poison is more proficient than mine … only by a bit, but it makes a difference when facing something like the big dumb white ape, and she can project her’s while I cannot.”

Elinor giggled, causing Violet to look up at her.  “I think you’re being too hard on yourself; I feel a lot safer with you after hearing that explanation.”

Violet’s cheeks turned red, chest burning with her praise.  “You feel safer with me?  That … means a lot, Empress.”  Her eyes fell a little, hands dropping to her lap.  “To be honest, I felt as if I had failed a little since you took Camellia with you instead of me—leaving me to babysit the humans.”

“No, of course not,” Elinor replied, brow creasing softly as she felt the self-doubt surfacing in Violet’s link.  “You rank among the highest level of Undead I can bring back; you’re anything but useless.”

Her smile slowly returned.  “Thank you, Empress.  I’ll continue to work on my skills.  Right now, I’m refining my silk to be stronger and smaller; Tiffany suggested making them near invisible while also using my Camouflage Silk ability to create perfect traps.  She also said it would be a good tactic to talk to my prey to buy time to set up my silk if I’m caught off-guard, which should never happen—mother would scold me.  Still, I’ll take the advice to heart.”

“Right,” Elinor chuckled.  “You’ve never actually talked to creatures you’ve attacked, but through my Nexus, you can converse—you know, maybe, if you eat one of the red stones, then your silk will be resistant to fire.”

The girl’s hands froze, eyes going out of focus.  “Resistant to fire—that’s possible … by eating a red one?  Would it be that simple?”

She shrugged.  “I’m not entirely sure, but if you just ate a few stones and could adapt those to produce electricity and frost, then why not?  I mean, maybe not resistances, but it could give you firesilk … theoretically making it fireproof or at least fire-resistant.  Maybe we’ll test that out today, once I finish some of my other tasks.”

“If I could resist fire, then—then I wouldn’t have to worry about Quen’Talrat at all.”

“We’ll see, but it’s worth a shot.”

Violet’s depression started to clear.  “That’s what Tiffany meant?”

“Probably.”

She licked her lips and tucked them under, excitement radiating from the young Thélméthra.  “Once you’re done with your tasks…”

Shaking her head, Violet gave Elinor a glowing smile.  “I look forward to it.”  Her hands lifted again, making small flexing motions as she worked her near-invisible silk.  “I should finish this before my transformation ends… I’m reaching my limit.”

“Of course,” Elinor replied, turning back to the city below, but she wasn’t looking at the structures.

Violet’s biggest problem really is her insecurity.  She needs to know she’s doing a good job and can take simple minion placement as an act of reprimand.  The excitement in her chest is suffocating, yet she was able to restrain herself, which is actually pretty impressive.  That’s Violet, though, beyond impressive with a few rough edges that need to be rubbed off.

She wanted to ask about my schedule but realized she was getting too familiar with her speech and backed down.  Her task from Iris, her direct superior, was to protect me, not bug me … not that she’s bugging me, but she’s self-conscious.  Still, I need to get going soon, anyways.

Elinor breathed out a long sigh, head moving to the western shelf; Valdar must have concluded the selection of the next Chief of the Delthax because they were heading toward the fortress.

Stretching out with a low moan, Elinor rose to her feet, walking to the edge of the glass while holding her hands behind her back; it was time to address everything she’d thought through over the last several hours.  “Finish up your current piece and prepare to move back to the Throne Room; I’ll be addressing the humans first—take your time, too.  No need to ruin all the work you’ve done.”

“I—as you wish,” Violet replied, relieved she didn’t have to rush.

Her glowing green irises swept the dirty buildings and streets of her capital city while waiting.  If this is going to work, I need to make sure everyone’s on the same page.  It’ll take at least six hours for Valdar and the other Chiefs to return … it’s over fifty-five miles, and they don’t have the support of tireless Undead giant gorillas and spiders.  That should be more than enough time to address everything I want to do.

Edmon, send word to Gwen, I’ll be down shortly to address all the humans.  Have any returned from Iris or Azalea’s mission?”

“Right away, Empress.  As to the humans, unfortunately not.  That entire territory of the Komath, Xaltan, and some of the Clanless areas within that range is vast, combining to roughly twenty-five hundred square miles, by my estimate.

“Even for Iris, that’s an extensive area to cover.  I believe she will be making her first report soon before returning to the search, and humans move at a snail’s pace while also requiring attentive focus to keep alive in this environment.”

No, you’re right.  Elinor frowned, examining the dense, fathomless jungle as the rising sun began to illuminate the valley.  Several groups of large bird-like creatures caught her eye as they took flight.

Tiffany, how goes the preparations for your tests to spread my seed to my followers through religious ritual?

The Witch’s emotions had settled over the last several hours, and her charming, upbeat tone had returned.  “The first steps are coming together.  I’m tweaking a few rituals to see if they’ll mesh well for this purpose, but I’m confident that the proper Branch for the spells I desire will unlock as I push forward.  Hmm … the second failure—what a mess.”  She giggled.  “Sacrifices are necessary for ritualistic advancement, though!  I doubt an answer will come tonight, but I just need to find the right mix of ingredients and success conditions.”

Elinor hung her head with a slight frown.  You’re counting the Ri’bot in the ingredient category?

“Of course, they’re an essential part?  Hmm … perhaps we need long-term conviction as a condition … maybe blind faith would work better?  Oh, so many things to test!  I’m in heaven.”

Just remember … these Ri’bot are also feeding me Experience and Death Energy through the Religious Network.  Connecting my two Networks is really important, but I also need every devout follower I can.

“I will only use what I believe is absolutely necessary; count on me to find a solution, my dear!  I won’t sleep until my first success.”

Elinor’s stomach shook with laughter, causing Violet’s focus to linger on her for a moment before returning to her task.

You don’t sleep, and neither do I.

“Haha, right?”

Alright, Tiffany.  I’m gathering the humans together to inform them about the future of my Empire and their part.  There are bound to be some that choose to take part in your rituals, but I’d rather use the Ri’bot until you perfect it to an acceptable degree since we have a very limited number of humans.

“Understandable.  Oh, we should encourage breeding!  Religions have mainly been dominated throughout history because of promoting … well, in general, sex, mind you in a specific context, but none the less they promote propagating as often as possible within a family unit.  It was a massive topic in France with Muslims.  Statistically, one birth in three is to a Muslim family, and it was predicted France would be majority Muslim by 2075.

“Faiths that promote large families tend to last much longer, especially if they allow polygamy.  If you want them to grow, then I’d suggest bringing up the topic of romance and facilitating a fertile environment for them to engage in the acts.”

Elinor knew she would have been blushing and blustering at the idea before her change, but now, it seemed logical.  Her eyes shifted to Violet as she finished the gown, hanging it up to start undressing.

Violet’s alluring body was in sharp contrast to the monstrous tank-like spider she transformed into, yet Elinor loved both for different reasons.

A chilling atmosphere returned as the Empress prepared herself for the task to come, moving toward the elevator.

“Empress, are you sure you wish to walk?  I am always available.”

A smirk moved her lips as she continued to the flat disk, repeating the action Edmon had shown her on the crystal to descend when Violet joined her, knowing the spider couldn’t interact with the gem in her current form.  “I must use my legs from time to time, or I’ll forget how to use them.”

“Oh, I see … umm, I also created a similar throne that my mother made on the middle chair.”

“Excellent,” she praised, hair fluttering around her while dropping to the ground level.  “When did you find the time to do that?”

“My mother told me to do it after you’d entered the tower.”

Iris, always thinking ahead.  Who knows, maybe Edmon or Tiffany suggested it first.  They’re all so dependable; it’s hard to tell who thought of what first.

The black metal platform slowed to a stop, sliding into its perfect resting place fashioned into the floor; above them, the ceiling disk did the same, giving no indication one could ascend the tower.

Fixing her hair, she did a once over of her appearance.  Finding everything in order, she led the way to the Throne Room.

Through her connection to the Thélméthra, Elinor knew she was worried.  No soft hisses of air left the plates on her abdomen, likely holding her breath while waiting for her appraisal of the work she’d done on the royal chair.

Elinor’s stationed skeletal ape pushed both doors open, and a myriad of echoing voices instantly died.  She calmly exited, and her guard closed the door behind them before swiftly moving to the White Throne to place its bony palm down for her.

The throng below wasn’t even looking at her; heads lowered as they waited for her response with held breath.

Her lips curled as she studied their response for a moment, holding the edges of her dress up while transferring to her minion’s hand.  It carefully lifted her to the throne.

Violet’s craftsmanship was phenomenal, matching her gothic theme with black thread, woven into Victorian-style patterns, and the weaving master decorated the entire white throne with similar black designs that appeared infused into the wood.

She smoothly lowered herself upon the silken seat; it not only provided a much clearer view of the floor below but was far more comfortable.

This was quite the present, Violet.  She could feel the girl’s internal squeals of joy for her praise.

An eerie silence followed as Violet’s eight legs shifted to stick her butt up in the air, head lowered to view the room’s occupants, waiting to her right while the Quen’Talrat took the left side of the throne.

Slowly crossing her legs, Elinor adjusted her dress and sat back, hands resting on the sides.  Not even the children tried sneaking a peak.

They’ve learned their places fast, but I suppose when thrust into a harsh environment, they either adapt or die … I certainly discovered that.

She allowed the compressing atmosphere to persist, waiting out of curiosity to see if any of them might break, yet not one person lifted their eyes; however, there were quite a few fidgets that amused her.

Both groups were present, and it seemed that neither had tried integrating into one another; of course, she couldn’t be sure since she hadn’t paid that much attention to either party, but Gwen was front and center on the platform with Severino, representing the Clavex group, and Gervasio, for the Delthax.

 Elinor spoke with a neutral tone, but her presence alone was chilling enough to cause them to shiver.  “I called all of you here to inform you upon the direction my Empire will be taking, and there have been quite a few changes to my plans since we last spoke.”

She waited for the impact of what she said to sink in, knowing the next sentence had to be told in a way that conveyed its full implications, and she activated a lower-tier version of Lesser Aura of Supremacy.

A shudder ran down every soul as Imperial Presence was amplified by her Link Skill.  Even the kids seemed speechless, in awe at the sudden image she presented.

Her words were clear and without humor.  “I’ve discovered a way to become a goddess.”

A lump dropped down everyone’s throats, and she could practically feel the tingles shooting down their spines as more than one had already broken out in cold sweats.

Elinor continued with the same chilling tone after letting the information sink in, recounting her Empire’s present and future actions.  “I’ve started a religion which has granted me many new avenues with my abilities.  Most of the Ri’bot in the valley have already come under my banner and will soon begin missionary efforts to new lands.

“Many of you have already experienced Tiffany’s ritualistic powers firsthand, and she believes it’s possible to link a small fragment of my power with my believers through a ritual contract with the condition of belief in my name.  The extent to which you can access that strength is contingent explicitly on your faith and obedience to me.”

Her ghostly green irises swept each individual as they watched her, and naturally, there was a mix between shock and fear, which was precisely what she wanted.

“If you join my faith, I will not leave you defenseless to pray for my hand to smite your antagonists … through faith and obedience to me, I will grant you the power to grasp your detractors by the throat and squeeze the life out of them yourself.

“Live within my Empire, a land with a rising goddess at its helm, and know that if you seek peace, you’ll have it.  Do you thirst for blood?  There will be plenty to come.  Are you desperate to take back the power you feel you’ve lost?  Take my hand, and show fate that we are not its plaything.”

She could see a notable change in more than one face; her cold, dispassionate delivery was in direct contrast to the words spoken.

“We did not choose to have our lives ripped away from us … our loved ones torn from our hands and taken slaves to a new world, but I am offering you the chance to grip the throat of whatever did this to us.  My mind has been stewing on this topic since my parents were killed…”

Elinor paused, the bright coals beneath the frozen wasteland covering her heart flared, but Imperial Presence kept it at bay.

“My wrath isn’t so trife to settle with the Ri’bot that inflicted these sins upon me—I want whoever made that portal—that allowed this to happen to me—that watched and laughed … I’ve met a Demon that is like that, and to be sure—to satisfy the animosity in my heart, I’ll become a goddess if that’s what it takes … death would be the greatest mercy to whoever set me on this scenario—who took my parents away from me.”

Her legs crossed the opposite way as she stared down at the humans gathered below her.

“How will you live the rest of your life?”

A soft smile lifted her lips as no one responded, tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.  “I expected as much.  Return to the right-wing and discuss it among yourselves.  Send the Clavex in next.”

Tiffany and Edmon had popped in, using the skeletal ape as a listening device while doing their work, and she could feel the excitement in them radiate inside Violet.  She’d given them a direction, and now, they had the privilege of carrying her there.

Gwen did a quick bow as Edmon directed a skeletal ape outside the door to open it, allowing everyone to exit.  The rest of the group appeared too stunned, unable to reconcile with her declaration, but not too long after Elinor released Imperial Presence, one by one, they stiffly followed Gwen’s actions to the best of their ability; more than a third had to be supported on their way out, legs too weak to carry themselves.

Not a word was spoken as she watched them go.

Someone is responsible for this … it’s too targeted.  It might not be the person that gave us these seeds; perhaps, they even wanted to help us, and even if there isn’t some grand conspiracy … then that’s fine, I’ll crush the portals … destroy the entire system surrounding it.

She waited patiently, cold eyes following every Ri’bot that shuffled into the room, eyes low, feeling the atmosphere the humans left with.  Once they’d all entered, the doors began to shut, causing the Clavex members to glance back with trepidation.  After the soft sound of the cracks sealing, they waited, stewing in the silence.

Elinor kept her eyes on Nadraca until she moved forward; she’d started to grasp the differences between their skin colors and symbols.  The Priestess had a unique pattern on her green skin, compared to many of the other members of her tribe.

Gwen had correctly guessed her intentions, sending in Dalria and some orangish-green skinned Ri’bot, hovering in the back.

“Nadraca, it’s time that the truth is revealed to you about my identity.”

A quake passed through the crowd, giving each other what she imagined were questioning looks as she continued.

“Currently, the Dalthax, Wixum, Flex, and Lethix Clans have chosen to follow me.”

A low whisper swept the throng, causing Elinor to resist a smile with the questions being passed around.  Two clans with a long history of blood feuds had given up their hatred, joining under one banner, Elinor.

“The Chief of each Clan is on their way for me to give them my instruction, and I offer the same promise to the Clavex Clan, which is why Nadraca—you’ll be returning home to deliver my message.”

Nadraca’s hands were clamped together as she offered this spark of hope to her.  “E-Empress … I—I don’t know what to say, umm—I suppose—I’ll need to return, but to have the chance—opportunity to speak to my family and friends—thank you.”

At that, Elinor’s features softened, putting on a mask.  “Indeed, yesterday was a day of celebration—and retribution.”

“R-Retribution?”  She mumbled, and a few of Nadraca’s clan mirrored her.

Elinor supported her head with the back of her left hand, elbow resting upon the silken throne’s arm as she smiled.  “Why do you think four Clans with a more violent history with each other than the Quen’Talrat themselves discarded their hatred after meeting me one time?”

The Priestess blinked as she swallowed, clearing her throat.  “I, umm—I couldn’t guess, Empress.  It seems—impossible to imagine those four—well, ever getting along … they were trying to get us to go to war with them.”

She hummed softly.  “Nadraca, tell me—who is the Supreme Chief of the Pits?”

“Supreme Chief—I, umm—I don’t recall…”

Nadraca trailed off, large blue eyes sliding from her to the burning skeletal ape beside her, muscles sagging as she began connecting the dots in her head.  A few of the other Clavex had caught the implications.

Elinor moved on before she could respond, vision lifting to the former Xaria, eyes wide with horror.  “Dalria—who is Edmon, Tiffany, and Iris if what you’re thinking is correct—with what signs were shown, you don’t need to be a Mystic or Chief to recognize what’s right in front of your eyes, but I’ll spell it out for you.”

The warmth that had briefly entered the room was snuffed out.

“A war in the Heavens—The One Above All—Ruler of the Pits, cast out the Heavenly Host, and what do I find—loving, devoted believers that I’ve helped out of the mud?”

“No,” Nadraca whispered in shock, “opposition … a spear, but—how could—no, the signs were on the horizon.  I’ve never…”

Elinor finished her thought.  “... never heard of The Supreme Chief of the Pits?  No, of course not, your Ancient Ancestors tried to erase me, siding with the imposter.  Let me correct you, Nadraca,” she flinched at her tone, “I was met by loving followers, devout believers—who killed and harmed those who had faith in me while I recovered from casting out the Heavenly Host?”

“We did…”  Dalria said, falling to her knees, unable to process the information, but the orangish-green Ri’bot seemed elated at the news as she too fell to her knees, yet for her, it was reverence, and she felt a new believer join her ranks.

“No,” Elinor stated.  “Not all of you; the Clavex did nothing unpardonable—excluding Benira.  However, I will have it known that those that harm those that have faith in me … do I really have to explain the Pits?”

The Ri’bot all gave quick shuddering no’s in response.

Elinor smirked, her ghostly eyes hard.  “No, but I might have to show others the smallest glimpse of what awaits those that harm my Empire.”

Directing the command to Edmon, he ordered two Quen’Talrat to open the door, causing a stir among the humans in the left upper balcony.  Quin walked through the front, carrying the cross with the distorted visage of Folcra, pungent scent of blood and guts still clinging, the body still fresh to demonstrate the horror with whatever ritual Tiffany had used.

“Let this be a sign to all of you; I do not abandon my believers, and those that harm you … will wish they’re dead—before finding out a fate much worse awaits.”

Gwen had been warned previously by Edmon to usher the kids below the age of twelve into a side room.  More than one Ri’bot and human lost their stomachs.

“My message that you will bring there, Nadraca, might be met with resistance.”

With difficulty, the Priestess turned away from the twisted form of what used to be a Ri’bot to rest on her; she’d already forgotten how to stand, and it seemed her tongue had lost the ability to speak.

“Supreme Chief of Storms, Yesenia has been taken in as the Nalvean’s Goddess, and she might not have the best image of the Ri’bot after what they did.  To be sure you make it back alive, I’ll be sending Camellia with you.  Be quick, your people’s lives may depend on it, and I can do nothing if they do not recognize me as their Supreme Chief.”

All Nadraca could do was a croak.  “Thank you, Supreme Chief—of the Pits.”

Elinor nodded in the ensuing silence, rising to her feet to step on her minion’s hand.  Sitting upon her bony platform, she smiled.  “The Chiefs will be here within a few hours.  That is all—for now.  Nadraca,” her glowing green irises fell to the woman, “Camellia will be coming to escort you shortly.  Take the minimum number of Clansmen you’ll need to repair a boat and return.  That is all.”

With that, she returned to her throne atop the tower with Violet, pondering how she should respond to Yesenia with Tiffany and Edmon’s advice if things went south, leaving the hall speechless.

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