Sylthrenn disgustingly produces from its mouth a series of silk threads, creating a complex symbol in the air.
"A message from the queen," it announces.
We are all perplexed and speechless at the same time.
“Vel'uss, phuul'orbb Qu'ellarth! Welcome, to the Underealm!”
The creature before us, Sylthrenn, is a blend of horror and fascination.
With a deranged gaze, and long, disheveled hair, its movements are more akin to a spider than an elf.
Sylthrenn cackles maniacally, his face twisted grotesquely, making him appear even more monstrous.
His visage almost seems fractured, ready to split open into some horrific form.
He murmurs continuously, yet the other dark elves seem to respect him entirely, as if they've become completely immobilized at his command.
But the most astounding revelation is our location, if we are to believe the monster's words.
This is the Underealm. A subterranean dimension where dark elves reign.
It's as if it's a parallel world to ours, inhabited by dark elves instead of humans. This certainly explains their presence.
However, being in this dimension suggests this is no ordinary dungeon. A normal dungeon is structured in levels, and at the lowest level, there's a Boss. By defeating the dungeon's boss, you destroy it, closing the portal. An alternative dimension doesn't operate this way.
How will we escape from here?
We exchange puzzled looks and brace ourselves, uncertain of what to do next.
Deedee still has an arrow nocked, ready to release it. Indeed, I'm certain that right now, she would love nothing more than to drive one straight into the skull of this Elfrider. Even Kanna is nervous, and their experience makes me realize that their past encounters with dark elves were not pleasant.
"I am Strauss Wagner, the leader of this party," I decide to introduce myself to the creature, breaking the awkward silence.
The half-elf, half-spider monster clicks its numerous legs, creating a disturbing sound.
"The queen knows who you are, Wagner!" yells Sylthrenn before bursting into a mad laugh.
His laughter is like a dagger in the silence, grating and unpleasant.
"Yes, my queen… I know what I must say!" he returns to mumbling to himself.
This queen knows who I am.
Does she possess the power of clairvoyance? Is she so powerful that she knows everything that happens within the confines of her realm?
It seems hard to believe. Moreover, what exactly does she know about me and my powers?
To the world, I should appear as a very weak Venture of the lowest rank.
The fact that she knows who I am suggests she knows much more about me. And this opens up several possibilities.
Raqahela has disappeared, and it's as if she's gone radio silent.
It seems she doesn't want to confirm my hypotheses, but perhaps this silence in itself is a confirmation.
The Elfrider twists its head, moving it left and right as if it's painful to keep it still for more than a few seconds.
"You filthy humans… you have spilled precious blood of the children of the spider queen! The queen suffers. The queen weeps!" he says, almost crying.
"We were attacked. I claim our right to defend ourselves," I reply, not letting myself be intimidated.
The monster taps its eight legs, jumping on the spot angrily.
Despite the outburst, it doesn't seem intent on attacking.
I see that my companions are attentive and ready for the worst.
Luysia is tense with her sword ready to spring forward.
Rero is also ready to slice off some limbs of the monster.
Bicrista gives me a nod of understanding, confirming that she is ready to throw her knives.
"Yes, you are right, my queen. I should tell them of your magnanimity!" the spider returns to mumbling.
"If she knows who I am, why were we attacked? Does she consider us enemies?"
Both the spiders and the elves attacked us on sight. If she is indeed the queen of these creatures and knows everything that happens in her domain, then the order must have come from her or been endorsed by her.
The Elfrider bursts into thunderous laughter.
"Everyone who is not a subject and treads on her land is an enemy of the queen!"
He extends his head, bringing it very close to mine. The sensation is as if his face might explode at any moment.
We have invaded her territory, shed the blood of the dark elves and her spiders.
They consider us enemies. Considering this, my next question comes naturally.
"So why did you stop the attack?"
"The queen does not want you dead... Those fools should not have attacked! They did it out of habit! This is the hunting ground of the spiders," he replies without looking at me, turning to observe the other dark elves.
His words confirm that the queen does not have absolute control over her subjects at all times.
Now I understand why we were attacked, but his words hint that there is a bigger plan behind all this.
Queen Azharie Loree’Nahil wants us alive, and this is a crucial clue.
The dialogue with the Elfrider proceeds very slowly. The creature seems to want to communicate with me, but half of what it says makes little sense and the other half is sparse and essential. I'm starting to lose patience.
I don't like talking to madmen, and I feel like I have to extract information from him piece by piece.
I must remain calm and try to understand what this queen wants from me.
"So what does the queen want from us?" I ask the Elfrider, hoping he will answer me more clearly this time.
"Heheh... The queen wants to invite you to play with her, Strauss Wagner! I told him, my queen!" Sylthrenn replies, barely holding back his laughter.
"A game?" the proposal surprises me. I would never have expected such a proposal. "What kind of game are you talking about?" I push him for more information.
"Yes, my queen. You are very generous! The queen will explain everything. She is waiting for you in her palace at Arach'Che'el!" he raises his arms to the sky as if to praise the ruler.
"Arach'Che'el?"
"The city of the dark elves, Strauss Wagner. Queen Azharie Loree’Nahil guarantees your lives," he responds with a disturbing smile, which does not reassure me about their intentions.
"It's a fucking trap!" exclaims Deedee.
"Indeed, we can't trust what the dark elves say," agrees Kanna.
My women are right, but I must admit I am particularly curious.
It's not every day that one is invited by a queen of the elves. It's a rare honor and privilege.
Sylthrenn laughs maniacally.
"My queen anticipated that you would not trust us. That's why she shows you her good faith! Observe!"
The Elfrider pulls out a luminous globe from his pockets.
It looks like a crystal ball.
The sphere rises into the air and lights up. Then the sphere begins to show images.
I can clearly see people. Humans. I recognize the uniforms of our academy. Many are students. Teachers, academy staff, firefighters, common people. There's also that god of boredom, Professor Sfanzeen.
They are imprisoned. They seem to be well, but they are clearly deprived of their freedom and could be executed at any moment.
"We could have easily killed them, but the wise and far-sighted Azharie decided to use them as bargaining chips."
This time, it's me who bursts out laughing.
I can't hold back my laughter.
"Your queen doesn't know me at all. I have no interest in the people you are showing me," I explain, amused.
"Is that so? What a pity, my queen. So, should we kill them?"
The images in the sphere continue to flow, and then a familiar figure appears.
Kanna jumps and grips my arm. Deedee also flinches, and I can feel her anxiety.
That damn mountain of muscles managed to get himself captured.
Appearing in the sphere is Gulihelmus, the former party companion and friend of Kanna and Deedee.
That foolish barbarian has put me in a difficult position. I couldn't care less about him, but he is very important to the professor and the ranger.
"Strauss..." Kanna whispers.
I gesture with my eyes for her to stay calm and hide her worry. I do the same with Deedee, who struggles to conceal her anxiety, but after seeing my expression, she calms down and nods.
We can't show weakness in front of the monster, and above all, they must not know they have someone they can leverage. I must appear calm, but still try to avoid these people dying. I need to make sure Guli survives.
"Although I have no interest in these people, I am willing to meet your queen. I will consider the safety of these men and women as proof of her non-hostile intentions," I say to Sylthrenn in a neutral tone.
The Elfrider smiles horribly.
"Yes, the queen is generous! Yes, the queen is magnanimous! Yes, the queen guarantees! Her word is law in the Underealm!"
It seems he will keep the promise for now, but I have no idea what to expect.
praise Lolth!
Always! 🕷️
The inspiration is evident, but I'll make sure there will be my own twist. After all, Azharie is also inspired by a character from a fairly famous novel, but you'll find out in the upcoming chapters.