A finger trailed over Lixiss's body, taking in the beautiful curve of her hip, tracing its way up to the neck, down the jawline to the chin—a gentle kiss placed upon Lixiss's lips. Nu’Uni was a masterful bedding partner; she knew well how to use her tongue and was a quick study receptive to the guidance of her priestess, Lixiss. There had been many bedding partners before Nu’Uni, and how else could it be for the priestess Lixiss? She was a gorgeous woman in a position of much power and renown, so close to the Spider Duchess. Dark-elves had flocked to her in droves, eager to drink her in, doing her every bidding for a chance to be her bed warmer for a single night. Some had fought for her in deadly combat, others tried to get to her with political favors, and others brought her treasures that coin could not buy. Nu’Uni let a few fingers glide back down across Lixiss's body, making their way down to her wetness; Lixiss was pulsating with anticipation of receiving them once more. She expected her pleasure to rise, but when the fingers met her soft lips, Nu’Uni started to scream, a horrible screech that put fear into Lixiss’s body. From the room’s shadows came a hundred spiders that crawled over her body, biting and tearing at Nu’Uni, injecting her over and over with venom. Nu’Uni bled from her eyes, turning her streaking tears into rivers of blood. Nu’Uni screamed and damned Lixiss. She damned the Spider Duchess and all those who worshipped her. Lixiss found herself paralyzed, unable to move even an inch, as she could not look away from Nu’Uni’s horrible fate. As Nu’Uni’ 's screams turned unintelligible, turning to gurgled words uttered by someone drowning in their blood and saliva, Lixiss felt the spiders moving onto her. These monsters of eight hundred legs burrowed deep within her legs, eating them from within and without to the bone; she screamed or at least tried to, but the poison had left her paralyzed. It did not reduce the pain; she felt it all as her bones started to break apart. Her legs were growing; the spiders seemed long gone now, a mass of eight hundred eyes staring at her suffering. The mass started taking shape, a person made of spiders carefully caressing the bone before breaking it again. Lixiss screamed and found herself able, her legs being broken and reformed. Lixiss tried to stand on her newly made legs, awkward, thin stilts of bone that broke under her weight. The person made of spiders pushed her down to the ground and worked quickly. When a hushing finger came towards her, it was not an amalgamation of spiders hitting her lips but a soft, supple finger, one that put her at ease. It was strange to feel so at ease; the pain seemed so far away. Lixiss was looking at her body on a distant shore with a spyglass from a distance. The person of spiders stood next to her, letting a hand glide over her cheek, grabbing a seductive hold of her chin. Lixiss was forced to look at this person and found herself gazing at the most beautiful face she’d ever seen, with eyes that drew her in and away from what had happened to herself so far across the dark, tumultuous waters. When that person pulled her closer for a kiss, Lixiss did not resist; she was utterly submissive for the first time in her life. The kiss was sweet, but that did not last as spiders crawled into her mouth from that person. Those eyes looked at her as Lixiss cried; there was a smile upon the person.

"Neva Coh’Etriel, that is who I am. Spider Duchess. You may now call yourself my blade and champion, for we shall unite the dark-elves." That person said while the sea moved unnaturally. "Your kiss shall be poison, your legs fast and eight times stronger, your body resilient and fearsome." The spiders had forced their way throughout Lixiss" body. She could feel their legs traversing her insides; she could feel them making new passages where they pleased. The pain Lixiss experienced was far beyond anything she ever had or ever would. The spider duches grabbed Lixiss and threw her into the dark black waters between Lixiss on the distant shore and her body. The sea was an accountable mass of spiders dragging her under; a controlled movement like a wave carried her on eight thousand legs from shore to bed. Her body became engulfed and consumed. It was impossible to tell where her body began and the spiders ended.

"You shall be beautiful, just like me." Neva Coh’Etriel stated as if fact.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

Lixiss reached out, trying to find help, but found a cold, dark, empty bedroom instead. Tears streaked her face. Are these for the body I had or the one I have, or is it for that fateful night when the spider duchess changed me forever? Neva Coh’Etriel, a name I had forgotten.

Lixiss contemplated as she made her way over to the balcony overlooking Myth’Ath’Areana. Lixiss took in her body, guiding her hands down towards the change.

Would it remain strange as long as my dreams reminded me of what it was? Lixiss looked upon the city, a mix of stalactites and stalagmites of various sizes, a chaotic naturally formed structure that the dark-elves had used and become familiar with throughout aeons. There were no clear streets, homes, temples, businesses, and everything else were carved caves and tunnels within stalactite or stalagmites, large wooden bridges, and some simple rope bridges connecting many stalactites. The only genuinely identifiable structure lay within the separation of the guilds, each guild carving a piece of Myth’Ath’Areana for themselves. The orange glow of the busy hives reminded Lixiss of the tiny flying insects above. Their hives held a dark golden viscous nigh liquid sweetness that many a surface dweller craved; she remembered the food and wine enhanced by this sweetener.

The Realmgate stood proudly, seemingly holding up the ceiling of the entire city; in the east, the windowless hives of the Menatu guild eager to seal away their knowledge, with only small slits letting light out betraying their presence, the mushroom fields of the Fulekh guild, the tiered towers of the Artek guild, the strangely shaped stalactites, and stalagmites of the Gisiae guild where lights appeared and disappeared with no rhythm or cause–the thousands of spiders that crawled within and without. In the south, the bright red lights of the forges of Magmea lit up several hives, the almost fortlike hives of the Visinet guild where the sound of hammers and chisel was constant. In the north were the wide open spaces surrounded by walls between stalagmites, the training grounds for the Pugnas guild; above those hung the stalactites with mechanical bridges, easy to retract the Othreth guild had deemed that necessary. In the west lay the home of Qintoris, minor guilds existed throughout Myth’Ath’Areana eager to prove their worth or lay claim to the work of another, and here in the west also lay the ruins of the Prodis guild and all that they owned, their homes lay cracked open like beehives sent crashing to the ground, a desolate wasteland, a debris ridden corner of Myth’Ath’Areana. A scar and reminder, lest other guilds would forget the fury Lixiss Qintoris could possess.

The others should fall in line now. I shouldn’t forget what this body has brought me, the glory I attained. The power it has brought and the blessings the Spider Duchess bestowed upon me. The gift to get back a follower; she is close to replacing me, but is it wise to do so? Lixiss found herself reflective as the cool air swept over her.

A knock sounded at Lixiss’s door as she was still in deep thought; the door opened slowly without the faintest creak.

"I hope I won’t disturb you, Mastress Lixiss, but I come with urgent news." Qilynrae Qintoris stood at the door, wearing her burgundy robes with spiderweb-silvered stitching. She must’ve come from a service. Lixiss thought.

"An Ignigena calling himself Agazuul is here with a man named Carl, and they’ve brought company.”

End of Chapter 11 - Lixiss 4