Chapter 5 Part 5

Tyson and Morteous Blackheart walked down the dark corridor of the Arachnian Temple. The temple was hidden in the depths of the woodlands east of the city of Tycho. The fact that it was a Tycarian parish had necessitated stealthy travel on their part. They had arrived in Elmendorf earlier that week and had traveled on foot through back trails under the direction of their guide, a black skinned elf with pale white hair.

Morteous explained that the elf was a Doyr, a race of underground dwelling nocturnal elves. Tyson had spoken to the elf and found him a totally disgusting sort. The Doyr were driven by a racial fanaticism with their sick matriarchal religion of spider worship.

Morteous had filled him in one night while the guide had left the camp to enter a village and acquire supplies. The Doyr were ruled by a female who was the offspring of a demon father and Doyr mother. The Great Mother, as she was called can often assume the form of a giant spider with the head of a woman. She was worshiped as a goddess, though Morteous confided that he suspected most of her power was just fear and talk.

The guide had led them through the hills and valleys. After a time they had gotten close enough to the city of Tycho to see lights in the distant sky at night. That was when they turned aside from the traveled trail and entered the thick and well concealing woods. The brush seemed impenetrable at times, but their guide managed to find his way through it until they had come to a scattering of ruins. The guide opened a hidden entrance and they had descended into the depths of the earth.

The passage was long but well worn. It was obviously frequently used and was ornately decorated with carvings and murals of Doyr lifestyle. Finally, many long minutes of hiking ended when they emerged from the passage and entered a temple with an entrance shaped like the web of a spider.

Later they had left the main sanctuary and were traveling down a corridor. Morteous had requested and been granted an audience with the Great Mother; an event Tyson learned was extremely rare. The fact that he was the popularly held head of the most powerful noble house in the mortal realm had undoubtedly played a part in the decision to admit him.

They approached a door and the guide spoke briefly to the guard. The guard cracked the door and stepped inside. A few moments later he returned followed by a female dressed in the rich robes Morteous had earlier described as the outfit of a priestess. She stepped up to Morteous and eyed him critically.

"So you are the second son of the Godking," she said. Her voice betrayed no indication of how she felt about him. "And you are also one of the foremost warlocks in the world."
Morteous bowed respectfully. "I am honored to be brought into the house of the Great Mother," he said. Tyson loved seeing Morteous in action. The halfelf was a natural diplomat.

"Are you aware that only during mating is a male allowed to stand before the Great Mother, and then the male is devoured by her imminence afterward?"

Morteous nodded at the guard. "The guards are not allowed in?"

"Those who are not female that serve our Mother are eunuchs."

Tyson swallowed nervously, but Morteous smoothly answered the challenge. "Does the Great Mother wish to deal with House Blackheart through a servant," he spat the word, servant, "or does she require the spilling of the Godking's own blood for her audience?"

A masterful rebuttal Tyson noted. The priestess had been insulted and she knew it, but there was nothing that she could do about it. Morteous had thrown her own conditions back in her face. She certainly did not want to insult the most powerful House in the world, especially since they knew of the Doyr existence nor would even the Great Mother do harm to the son of the Godking, even the second born son. The priestess had been maneuvered.

"That will not be necessary," she replied. "House Blackheart will be admitted unharmed into her holy presence." Her eyes jumped to Tyson,"but only House Blackheart," she added.

Morteous took Tyson aside and counseled him. "Let us not make things more tense than they are. Wait for me here. I shan't be long."

Tyson agreed. "I only wish Miguel was here," he muttered, but Morteous caught it.

"Why," he asked.

Tyson gestured towards the priestess. "He would have that wench in bed in minutes. When he got through with her, she would be a little less frigid."

Morteous grinned. "Get her name," he suggested. "Tell her that you think the grandson of the Godking might be interested in her."

Tyson joined the priestess as she watched Morteous allow himself to be escorted into the audience chamber. "So how long have you been the head priestess?" he said.

She slowly turned her head and stared at Tyson with cold eyes. Tyson accepted the challenge with anticipation.

Morteous Blackheart bowed low before the Great Mother of the Doyr. While he was doubled over, he fought to hold down his lunch. The creature before him was hideous. The chamber was oval shaped with a strong breeze rushing through it. The breeze was necessary to keep the stench down.

Seated, or perhaps hovering was a better word, above the throne was the huge swollen body of the demoness which was the Great Mother. Slime and mucus dripped from the orifice at the end of the abdomen that dropped eggs gently onto the chamber floor. There a eunuch would carry it to what Morteous assumed was a nursery. The body itself reeked of unwashed filth and decay. It was translucent and Morteous could see churning organs within going about their natural business.

The trunk of the body was pale and fair as that of the finest woman who lived with two perfectly formed and pert breasts and a shapely pair of arms ending in talons with ugly claws showing remnants of what Morteous assumed was her most recent meal.
The head contained long, unnaturally long black hair which hung almost to the ground though the head was over twelve feet above the floor. The eyes were crimson and the pale lips framed a mouth of triangular jagged teeth.

Morteous stood erect and waited respectfully for the thing to address him. It was not long.
"Morteous Blackheart," the voice was seductively smooth. "We are so pleased to get to meet with you at last. For far too long our respective factions have been unallied."

"On the contrary," Morteous replied, "House Blackheart has always held the Doyr in favor and hoped for the day when a joining of forces might be possible."

"Well said, Lord of Aspberg. All Doyr rejoiced at the realization of your brother's crowning achievement. May Ragnera prosper."

Morteous felt a tingling deep within his mind, a warning that something was amiss. The demoness' voice had a hypnotic effect. She was trying to lure him into a stupor, but for what purpose. He carefully drew in his will. He was unsure if the Doyr priestesses were sensitive to his power.

Steeling himself, he readdressed the demon. "Both my brother and my father are honored by you wishes."

The demon eyed him critically for a long moment. "Ah, so you are able to withstand our
influence. That is good. We are pleased that we do not deal with imbeciles."

"Of what service can the Doyr of the Great Deep do for the House Blackheart?" Morteous smiled. Gotcha, he thought to himself.

Morteous emerged from the inner sanctum several hours after he had entered. Tyson was sitting at a table drinking wine with a serving eunuch. The eunuch was describing how life for him had changed after he had been gelded. When Tyson saw Morteous emerge from the chamber, he stood and walked over to join his employer. "The word?"

Morteous reassured Tyson knowing that Tyson had been holding a spell ready for several hours. The strain must be very draining. "The word is Kerrada," he gave the code word that he was not under duress. "We have closed a deal with the Doyr. They will scour this area for the dwelling of the ranger named Avery and will launch a coordinated attack on any and all inhabitants. Our hand will not be seen in this."

"What is the cost?" Tyson asked. These deals were not made without payment of some kind.

"Miguel will have to donate the seed of House Blackheart to the high priest of the Doyr so that an alliance of blood can be established," Morteous said as they were led to the temple's exit. "Do you think he will mind?"