Anna's Parlor.
That was still disorienting, Jeb thought as he went from the wet and cold murloc settlement to the Anna's warm dry parlor. He shook himself a little to get his body adjusted to the different temperature. He looked around but couldn't find the spidery seductress anywhere within the cozy room. Though the balefire he conjured for her last time still burned within a nearby fireplace, giving the entire room an eerie look and feel to it.
"Alright Jeb, you're here to learn about magic. Just think happy, and chaste, thoughts and focus." He muttered to himself as he took a glance around just to make sure she wasn't lurking nearby before heading out into the labyrinthian halls of her domain.
Jesus, she could be anywhere in here, Jeb thought as he glanced down two almost entirely identical halls that seemed to go on forever. He was curious just how vast her home was as he picked a hall at random and decided to head down it in search of the Arachne.
As he walked he noted just how much gold there was along the halls. Was she really this wealthy in her world or was there gold somewhere nearby, he wondered as he continued on while gazing at the morbid and macabre artwork that hung upon the walls. Depictions of people, creatures, places, and events dotted the walls in stunning gilded glory and horror. One section of wall there were depictions of what appeared to be elves standing next to one another dressed in simple robes with bowed heads as they knelt before a dragon that stood before them. The detail on them was so real, Jeb thought as he ran a hand along the fine gilded features. He was half tempted to believe that they were actual elves that Anna had gilded for artwork.
On another section of wall it had the same group of elves, but this time, they were dressed in fine robes and had crowns on their heads and they had scowls and frowns on their faces and several looked to be reaching for their weapons or conjuring magic as they seemed to glare at one another. The next section showed the same elves set apart. One was dressed in leaves and branches with animals next to him. Another was dressed in fine robes and wielded a stave with what appeared to be magic glowing at the tip and she was surrounded by buildings and depictions of people with scrolls. Another was dressed in what looked like pirates garb and was depicted to be on a ship. This continued on as the single group of elves shattered into dozens of different groups. Some seemed to take to the sea, others the forests and nature, some went to the cities and taught magic to others.
Yet others took darker routes, Jeb noted as he saw the group that Anna was probably a part of being driven into the dark as they cast vile dark magics and bound others within chains as they knelt before a depiction of a spider. Another showed a group of elves that raided villages along the coasts or stalked the woods like bandits giving their tributes to some sort of king who held a bloody sword in his hand.
"Enjoying the art, My Lord~" Jeb turned with a start and found Anna a few steps away.
She was either really quiet, she used illusion magic to disguise her steps, or he was so engrossed in the macabre art that he didn't notice her approach. He wasn't really sure which he felt comfortable with.
Jeb cleared his throat.
"Yeah, it's really interestin'."
Anna smiled down at Jeb before turning her gaze up at the wall of elven figures.
"This is the history of the elves."
She gestured further down towards where Jeb saw the first group of elves.
"That was when our people were united. Back when an Elder Dragon gifted us the ability to wield magic. We were a primitive people to them but we showed that we had the ability to lead and to learn from them. We were called something different back then, but when the Elder Dragon gifted us the knowledge to use magic we took a new name from their own tongue. Elvier. Immortal in Draconic."
She moved on to the next one, where the elves looked angry and readying their weapons.
"But even we were not perfect. As time went on and other races began to take shape along our world. There were the first elves that saw their potential and wanted to teach them magic the same as the Elder Dragon taught us. Others saw their potential as a warning and advocated isolation and seclusion. Others, like my own former people, wanted to either wipe out the mortal races in their infancy before they could one day challenge our supposedly divine rule of the land."
"The Elders War was fought over the future of the elves and our relations to the mortal races. It was long and bloody and many cities and untold number of people perished in the bloodshed. Entire cities were wiped away with magic or razed and enslaved. There are even stories that there was an entire continent that was made entirely by elves to call our own. But if it ever truly existed, it too was lost during the fighting."
She moved to the next one where the elves were all dressed differently.
"Eventually the great battles and vast expenditure of magic was lessened to small scale skirmishes and eventually it cooled into bitter rivalry and hatred for one another. The once unified Elven people was shattered into dozens of different people whose only shared similarity was our long lives and our pointed ears. Even our stories and tales of our ancient heroes and gods were twisted and changed to fit each and every Elven faction."
"My former people were eventually driven below the surface of our world. The other elves, for all the bitterness they had for one another, believed that we were the cause for our races' fall from grace. Believed that we had been tempted by the Twin Gods of Lies and Murder. Ashterok, the Spider Goddess. And Ashteron, the God of Murder. So they formed a truce among them and joined forces until we were pushed into the darkness of our world until it became too much for them to suffer and retreated back to the surface and the light. It's said that our skin became the blues and purples that our race is known for is a generational scar or bruise that will only heal when we enact vengeance among our former brethren."
"But as much as they might believe that we were the cause for our races' fall, every century there are those among their kind that heed the darkness in their hearts. They are dubbed The Fallen by the elves, or Dark Elves by the mortal races. In truth, they merely see and feel what we did all those thousands of years ago. That there are those that are meant to rule, and those meant to serve. They've even formed several kingdoms of their own. For instance, The Korsair Kingdoms, as they are called, are a collection of islands that are home to the various corsairs that raid and pillage the coasts and haunt the seaways of our world led loosely by a ruler that only remains as such as long as they have plenty of riches to bribe the varied crews or ruthless enough to enforce their will upon the many nominally independent captains. Or some mixture of the two."
"Were you there back then?" Jeb asked as Anna seemed to go silent as her little history lesson came to an end.
"No, My Lord. This was long before even my own ancestors were but babes. We elves might be long-lived, but the oldest among us barely make it to a thousand years before time comes to collect his due. It's said that we truly were immortal back then, but because of the war our true immortality was stripped from us. Or perhaps we never had it to begin with and it was just used as another justification against their fellow elves."
"So how old are the Elves?"
"I'm not sure. There was plenty of history around that said that we were the first among the races of our world to rise and create civilization. Of course the Dwarves believe that they were the first and have just as much evidence to suggest so as well. This has, of course, led to many disagreements, wars, and no small amount of grudges, feuds, and rivalries between Elves and Dwarves since anyone can remember. Only the Elder Dragons have any knowledge that could settle such a dispute, but none have been very forthcoming with that information."
Anna turned to look down at Jeb.
"But I suppose you didn't come here for a history lesson did you, My Lord?"
"No. Though as interestin' as it was, I didn't. I was hopin' to see if you could teach me a couple things about Illusion magic." Jeb said a little uneasy.
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"Of course, My Lord. It would be my honor, and pleasure, to teach you." She says with a smirk and gestures for him to follow her.
So he does. Down and down into the labyrinth of halls and corridors that seemed to go on and on. Sometimes they'd pass by rooms that were decked out in enough silk and precious metal that the room itself could fund an entire country if stripped down.
Eventually she led him to a large antechamber. Unlike the many rooms he saw before, this one was more a cavern than an actual room. The floor was flat but still stone with the far walls and ceiling having only the barest hints of spider silk running along them.
She led him over to a raised platform.
"Sit here, My Lord. This is my meditation room, where I come to concentrate on certain matters that even the comfort of my own abode doesn't quite allow."
So Jeb did so. He sat on the raised bit of stone that was wide enough for him to sit on with enough elbow room to spare. The stone itself wasn't very comfortable, but then again, stone wasn't really known for being soft now was it?
"Now what?"
"Now close your eyes." She instructed and Jeb followed, albeit a little reluctantly.
"Now focus, My Lord. Concentrate on your breathing."
Jeb followed along easily enough. No different from his breathing exercises he's done before really, he thought as Anna continued her instructions.
"Now, open your mind."
That one was a little harder to do.
"Open my mind how?"
"Like you're mentally reaching out." She explained.
Though Jeb wasn't sure what "mentally reach out" was supposed to do, he followed along. He "mentally reached out" for what you might ask? He didn't know, but he reached out regardless. Then his eyes fluttered open when he actually FELT something!
"What was that?!"
"That was me, My Lord. You briefly touched my own mind." She explained.
"It felt... weird. And also familiar." He said as he tried to recall the feeling he got.
"Could be from when I guided you to my parlor the first time. Or perhaps this isn't the first time you've touched someone's mind, but the first time you've been consciously aware of doing so." She explained some more.
Could be the first thing, Jeb thought. But he doubt it. The way Anna's mind felt for the brief time he touched it, he would've remembered. More likely it was the second thing. Fear, terror, dread. Those were the things he felt when he was battling the dwarves back at the cabin. At the time he just thought it was him or maybe adrenaline that made him feel that way. But what if it was THEM he felt?!
Jeb shook his head. This was important. He can deal with mental shit later. This would help him and the kobolds and he had to suck it up for now. So Jeb closed his eyes and opened his mind again, then he reached out and prepared for when he would make contact with Anna.
He suppressed a shiver as he made contact. Her mind was fuzzy. Or buzzing. He wasn't sure. It just felt like he was touching staticky fabric. Or maybe like sticking your hand in a bowl of spiders, he thought with a shiver.
"Why does your mind feel like this?"
"Perhaps its because of the ritual that made me what I am? I'm not sure myself. The few times I've come into contact with others of my kind, they didn't allow me a moment to question and experiment." Anna said and Jeb could gleam traces of her memories as she explained. He saw flashes of her fighting against other Arachne as they clashed within deep dark caverns.
"Now why don't you try and expand your reach, My Lord." Anna continued.
"Expand how?"
"If what you're doing is reaching out with a single hand, imagine reaching out with two or more." She continued.
So once again, Jeb imagined reaching out and was almost immediately in contact with something else. Something connected to Anna, he noted as he felt some sort of cord attached between her and the thing. It was close to him but he couldn't figure out what. Even trying to feel its mind like he did Anna, as unintentional as it was, didn't do anything. It was like staring into static.
So he moved on and expanded his reach until he could feel something else. Then another thing. Then another. Then another! It was like stepping on a nail and feeling as the pain bloomed across your foot, Jeb thought as he watched as thousands of cords and threads appeared within his mind's eye and an entire network flooded his brain! He could feel as every spider that Anna controlled moved at her command! He could feel giant trapdoor spiders deeper as they expanded her domain. He felt as spiders darted outside and collected things for food and brought it back for the brood.
He could also feel her slaves. They weren't connected to her and seemed faint specks of light among the ocean of fuzzy static that filled his mind's eye. They were empty and hollow. What worth they had in life was hidden deep within their minds or was snuffed out completely as slaving away was all they did. There were some among them that still had some fire in them. Most was sputtering and weak though save for three that seemed to be getting closer.
It got worse as his mind expanded more and more as he started to sense and feel not just the multitude of spiders and slaves, but the animals nearby, he could even start to feel the kobolds from this distance and a faint cord that lead to him.
He shouted as he threw himself to the side and shook his head to get rid of the overload of information he had just received. He looked around and felt like he was about to throw up as his head and vision swam.
Anna bowed to Jeb from nearby.
"I'm sorry, My Lord. I should've warned you. But most aren't capable of extending their reach quite so far and are barely able to touch the mind of one or two others, maybe ten or more if they train or particularly talented. But you are not most, my apologies."
Jeb was only half paying attention though as he tried not to empty his stomach and held his head in his hands as he tried to re-center himself. He didn't even dare speak for fear of any effort would lead to him repeating the pie scene from Stand By Me.
"My apologies, My Lord. Perhaps some wine and something to settle your stomach?" Anna stated as a side passaged opened up and three figures entered from nearby.
"I noticed how you didn't care for my slaves, My Lord. But I don't find offense. Some prefer their slaves to have a bit more life to them. So I sent my brood out and they managed to capture these three as they were traveling here. I hope they are more to your liking my lord."
Jeb turned his head as it stopped swimming and saw out the corner of his eye and in the shadows of the antechamber three figures. One was an older man, and beside him was a boy and a girl. Jeb's mind immediately began to turn red as he saw his father, Sammy, and... Greg? Wait, Greg and Sammy aren't that short.
They stepped into the light and Jeb's vision returned to normal as he saw the older gentleman and the two kids he had with him. The older man wore a large red Hawaiian shirt while the boy wore a white shirt with black stripes and the girl wore some off-blue t-shirt and sports pants.
The older gentleman dipped his head as he headed over with a pitcher of wine and spoke with a heavy accent from the Upper Midwest.
"Oh uh, good evenin' there Sir. Uhm, the spider lady over there said we're supposed to be slaves now. Golly Gee! I'm not sure if I'll be a good one, but it can't be any worse than crankin' away at the office eh?! But boy did she scare the dickens outta me! Nabbed us right outta our tents she did! Sure hope our motorhome is alright while we're gone eh, just got it insured."
"Don't worry grandpa! I'll transform into an alien and save us from that spider freak!" The little boy said as he slapped his wristwatch and gestured wildly while making sound effect noises with his mouth.
He managed to smack the girl during his "transformation", causing her to snap at him.
"Ugh! You're such a loser! It's your fault we're here!"
"Fear not Hen! I'll save you and you'll fall madly in love with me!"
"EW! You're my cousin!"
"So! That's what happens in the videos on the internet!"
"The internet's rotted your brain if you think that'll happen!"
"It WILL happen or my name isn't Ken Twenty!" The obnoxious boy going through puberty declared as he continued to make even more obnoxious transformation noises and sound effects.
"It's TWENTIVILLE loser!" The girl continued to whine as the boy also continued to make the obnoxious noises.
"Sorry about my grandson there, he gets so hooked on them shows on TV sometimes!" The older man apologized.
Jeb took the pitcher of wine and downed a couple gulps that helped steady himself a little.
"So what are you three doin' out Appalachia way?"
"Well me and my pappi used to come out here durin' fall way back when the dinosaurs still roamed, eh kids?!" The older man said as the two brats continued to argue.
"Anywho, never came back around for a long while after he passed. Heart problems ya know? But, figured it'd be nice to come here again with the grandkids there!"
"But why fall?" Jeb asked as he gulped down some more of the wine.
"Ya know? I asked my pappi the same thing! Ya know what he said? Cuz most folks wont go in the fall! So that was why we went, because traffic was lighter and we could get some of the nicer fishing spots!"
"Did you catch anythin' good?"
"Well, no. We didn't. Turns out that traffic wasn't the only thing light during the fall eh? BUT, my pappi always said that it was the journey and not the destination!"
Jeb just stared at the older man that seemed completely unbothered by the fact that he and his grandkids were now slaves and would be more than likely until they died. Even to Jeb, the fact that they would work until their bones broke just didn't faze him.
Which was something he really needed to fix. He turned to Anna and was about to tell her to let them go when a thought sprung into his brain. What if they tell people about her? Or him? What happens when that then gets out? Then there was the idea that she would simply kill them if she thought he didn't like them.
Why did things have to be complicated, he thought as he gave back the now empty pitcher as he thought carefully about what to say and how.
"This was very interestin' to say the least. Thank you for the lesson Anna."
"My pleasure, My Lord. Return should you desire my assistance again." She replied with a smile and a bow.
"And, I really like these ones." Jeb said as he gestured to the Midwest family.
"You do?" She asked with a skeptical brow.
"I do. I like the way they talk." Jeb said, maybe having his "seal of approval" will keep them alive long enough that she'll just give up on slaves in this world, Jeb thought as Anna turned to glare at the bickering children.
Small victories, Jeb thought as he got up.
"Thank you for your time Anna. Uhm, Twentiville family?"
"Oh, you betcha!" The old man replied with a cheery smile even as the kids continued to bicker.
With that Jeb left the four behind. He doubt what he did was little more than wishful thinking. But he had to try at least SOMETHING! Not like his own conscious, wherever the hell he went off to, was going to motivate him to do something, Jeb thought as he wandered far enough down the halls before starting to teleport back to the lodge.
-----
"That went well dont'cha thinks?!" The man replied and turned back towards Anna who just glared at him and his grandkids.
"It did. Though I am surprised that My Lord enjoys your voice." She replied coldly.
"Yeah, that's what my late wife used to say too. Her family always thought that I had the voice of a caterwauling cat!"
"I can see why." Anna said as she stalked closer to him.
"Yup, why when we would-"
"ENOUGH! My Lord may find your voice and spawn amusing, but I do not! You will cease speaking while in my presence, is that understood?!"
"Or WHAT spider-freak?! He said he liked us!" the boy said in an annoying voice.
"Maybe so, but don't mistake my willingness to tolerate your presence as a sign that I cannot destroy you from the inside out. Rest assured, if you misbehave, I WILL make it so you can speak and act as My Lord finds amusing while being completely dead on the inside." Anna threatened before dismissing them with a wave.
She was disappointed that Jeb hadn't stayed longer, but the fact he returned to her at all was progress, She thought. She just hoped that he grew tired of her new slaves before she did. Perhaps she could find some the both of them will find more appealing? She dreaded to think that EVERYONE was like those three!