The Scorpion’s Web, part 3/3
pt.1 pt.2
Tw: Mild blood
TLDR: A new troll arrives!
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Bladepen sat on the altar top, hands folded in eir lap as ey listened to Oliver and Bohwie’s explanation of… everything. Overall, ey was taking the fact that ey’d been dead for four hundred sweeps pretty well, eir unnerving, coy smile never leaving eir face.
“… And that’s why we need your blood, darling.” Oliver finished.
“My, my, my…” Ey said, “That is certainly quite a story. I do not care for any sort of god, but I am not opposed to being a rat in your procedure. I shall have a vial delivered to your hive once I have the time.”
Oliver bowed graciously. “Thank you very much for your cooperation, doctor.”
Bladepen hummed, rose to eir feet, and turned to observe Zeruki, who was fidgeting with his tail. “So, you’re my descendant, are you?”
“Yeppers-peppers.” Releasing his tail with a flourish and a jingle, Zeruki stood up straight.
Bladepen cocked eir head to the side, observing him. “Hm. Malnourished, but reflexive. Serving the Fleet as an engineer, but,” Eir eyes locked on the bells embedded in Zeruki’s tail, “marked by the Enforcer.” Clicking eir tongue, ey steepled eir fingers. “Overall… disappointing.” Ey concluded, “Remove your helmet.”
Zeruki barked out a laugh. “Look, Bladey-bitch, you’re not my lusus, so I don’t gotta listen to you. You ain’t Fiona, and I ain’t Shrek. I’m not removing my helmet for shits or giggles after slaying your scaly-beasty-hivemate, okie-dokie? I’m uuuuugly, let’s leave it at that.”
Bladepen’s eyes narrowed slightly, before ey laughed. “Very well. What do they call you?”
“Zeruki. Zuki, Zuzu, Zuzuzuzuzuzuzuzu- but that one’s for my lusus only. Zeru if you’re here, Zeri if you’re queer. “The duder-bro who just stole a bag of chips” if you’re the oliveblood from the snackhive-”
“Oh my god, shut up.” Fayroe finally interrupted, twirling their needle-knife between their claws. Zeruki hissed at the seadweller.
Bladepen turned to Fayroe, their smile inexplicably getting bigger. “My, my… You’re Godric’s little one, aren’t you?”
Fayroe stiffened, fin-fronds fluttering. “Yes…?”
Bladepen looked them up and down. “Handsome, royal carriage, armed and dangerous… and, of course, bearing Godric’s majestic horns. Overall, satisfying.”
Fayroe curled his lip. “You’re weird.”
“So I’ve heard.” Bladepen purred, eir tail swishing back and forth as ey turned to address Oliver. “If there’s nothing more you need from me, I’d quite like to go see how my beloved has held up these past four hundred years.”
Oliver returned the cloying smile. “If it’s alright with you, darling, I’d like to accompany you. I wish to meet the Enforcer myself.”
“I don’t see why not.” Bladepen mused. Turning on eir heel, ey headed for the exit. “Come along, then.”
Zeruki looked around at the other three, then at the Black Hand. “… Yeah, no, I’mma dippin-dots-and-dash. This isn’t my kind of scene, so cut, print, kill the director. I’m out.” Flipping them all off, the young teal turned and fled.
While Bohwie and Oliver bid their followers goodbye and dismissed them, Fayroe headed after Bladepen, scratching listlessly at their lip.
“Dr. Ursida?” They asked as they ducked out of the cavern.
Dolion was stood a few feet away from the entrance, looking up at the stars. “Yes, master Fallen?”
Fayroe’s fin-fronds flickered; he liked the sound of that title. “What are you? To father, I mean?”
Bladepen made an amused sound, eir tail sweeping back and forth. “I am his physician, heart, and spade.”
“Oh.”
“Indeed.”
Oliver and Bohwie emerged from the cavern a moment later.
“Shall we, darlings?” The oliveblood beamed.
Half an hour later, they were stood before the Imperial Enforcer’s hive. Bladepen and Fayroe took the lead, striding up to the gates. The drones on guard watched the group pass without reaction.
Dolion looked around, clicking eir tongue as they approached the front steps of the grand hive; it was large, imposing, and dark, exuding an energy of power over the lawnring. It was made of obsidian and gold, with architectural designs that could only be called “threatening.”
“Ohhh, so he’s a villain villain.” Bohwie said, staring up at the demented statues of drones in the process of dismembering lowbloods.
Oliver and Dolion both laughed.
Fayroe, however, had gone dead silent; Oliver could smell fear, barely contained terror, emanating from the fuchsia.
“His taste certainly hasn’t changed. How refreshing.” Dolion purred as they ascended the steps. The double doors were swept open for them by a pair of drones.
As the four of them stepped into the foyer, a fifth troll approached from the opposite side. He barely glanced at them at first, before he froze and did a double take.
“Wh-”
Dolion craned eir head back and beamed at the other troll. “Well this is a surprise. Hello again, Hounding.”
The giant purpleblood’s lip twitched, a growl rolling in his throat. “You’re back, too, doc?” He huffed, adjusting the ax laid across his shoulders.
“Indeed. Were you here to see Godric?”
“Hmph. Just fer a visit. Boss likes ta pretend we’re buddies; called me in fer a hive visit, an’ here I was thinkin’ it was work. Nah, fish-bitch just wanted ta have a beer and talk.” He rolled his eyes.
“How nice.” Bladepen smiled.
Hounding shook his head. “Whatever. I got shit ta do.” He turned and kept walking. “Getting’ real sick of finned-fucks tellin’ me what to do.” He muttered, just loud enough for them to hear.
Bladepen chuckled, before ey turned and kept walking. As the group headed through the doors on the far side, Fayroe dropped back behind Bohwie and Oliver.
They emerged into a dark, grand throne block, lit by braziers full of pink flames. Everywhere the group looked, there were depictions of deep sea monsters, banners of the Fleet, and- most prevalent- scorpions. They were carved into the ornate pillars, doorways, and even sewn as designs along the border of the carpet. The block was freezing cold, too, the air damp. It felt as if they’d stepped into a terrarium of sorts.
Out from the arched, tall and dark ceiling came a monster’s face; an ancient scorpion scale-beast, its scales bone white against the gloom. A death-rattle hiss in its throat, it bared its crimson teeth at the four of them.
“My, my, I’m coming across old friends aplenty today. Hello again, Lord Scordra.” Bladepen reached out and scratched the chitinous scales on the scale-beast’s chin, completely undaunted by the monster.
Lord Scordra, as the lusus was called, chittered and hissed; it was an odd sound, as it was both high pitched, and practically subsonic. The monster curled away, back into the dark ceiling, before it reappeared, crawling down an obsidian pillar.
It was a ginormous beast, with too many disjointed limbs and multiple glassy eyes. Its long, scorpion tail slithered over the ground as the monster snaked its way behind the raised platform at the far side of the throne room, curling around the dais.
Upon that dais, seated upon the throne, was the Imperial Enforcer.
“Dolion? Is that you?”
“Godric.” Bladepen breathed, eir tail practically vibrating. Faster than the three descendants could register, the tealblood was streaking across the throne room.
Ey ran up the steps and dropped to eir knees before the fuchsia, who reached out with black-gauntlet-covered hand and stroked his claws through the doctor’s wavy hair.
“I was wondering when you’d come see me again.” The fuchsia hummed.
“So sorry it took me so long. I’m afraid I was a little preoccupied for the last four hundred sweeps.” Bladepen groveled, taking the hand off eir head and kissing the steel knuckles.
Enforcer chuckled, deep and low. “Behave, Dolly.” He rumbled, grabbing the tealblood’s horn and tugging em to eir feet; his grip moved to one of the horns protruding from Bladepen’s jaw, which he used to pull the tealblood into a kiss. “Tell me, who are these friends you’ve brought with you?” He asked when he pulled away.
Oliver took the opportunity to step forward. She bowed as low as possible, as Bohwie did the same beside her.
“My lord Imperial Enforcer, Godric Fallen, I am Oliver Maddel, and this is my morail, Bohwie Akshai. We are no more than a humble oliveblood and cerulean, with a dream to see our enemies slaughtered before us. We’ve come to beg for your assistance. All we request and require would be a singular vial of your most royal blood.” Oliver spoke eloquently, laying it on thick. With their heads so low, Enforcer couldn’t see the shit-eating grins the two leaders sported.
The fuchsia laid his cheek on his knuckles, observing the two. “Rise, the both of you.” He ordered after a moment. Bohwie and Oliver instantly stood up straight.
“I would stand to greet you, but I cannot.” Enforcer narrowed his eyes towards Bohwie, “You resemble the one that robbed me of the use of my legs.”
The cerulean was not the best at being composed and articulate, as Oliver was, but he stood up straight, keeping his eyes on the floor. “Yes, sir. Dmitri is my ancestor.” He explained.
“Has he sent you to finish me off?” Enforcer asked, amused.
Bohwie spread his arms out. “Search me if you’d like, my lord, but I am weaponless. I don’t doubt I’d be cut down before I even took a step towards you, if your death was my intention.” He intoned, waving one hand to indicate the monster behind the throne; in truth, he wouldn’t even need to move to cut the fuchsia down. His abilities were far beyond his ancestors, but the Enforcer didn’t need to know that.
Enforcer laughed at that, before his gaze switched to Oliver. “Show me your eyes, oliveblood.”
Oliver obediently reached up and removed the band around their eyes.
“You’re blind?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“What happened?”
“Nothing, my lord. I was sightless from my hatching. My eyes were changed when I beheld the god I worship.”
“How is it that you return Dolion to me?”
“Through the god I worship, my lord.”
Enforcer said nothing, and his face gave nothing away. After a moment, he chuckled. “Very well. As thanks for returning my descendant, I will permit a single vial.”
Elation shot through Oliver so hard that his head spun. “Thank you, my lord.” He managed to say, bowing once more. Bohwie echoed his thanks and bowed, too.
Enforcer made a small noise in acknowledgement, before his gaze shifted to the fourth member of the party. “Fayroe.”
The younger fuchsia’s breath froze in their lungs. “Hello, father.” He managed to croak.
“Approach.”
On stiff legs, Fayroe did as he was told, but came no closer than behind Oliver and Bohwie.
A displeased growl rolled in Enforcer’s throat. “Fayroe, were you not released from the white room two nights ago? Then you turn around, flee the hive, and have to be dragged back by Dolion and company?”
Fayroe’s heart was hammering loud enough for Oliver to hear. “I didn’t flee, f- father. I went to fetch the Engineer, Zeruki Ursida, s- so that I might reunite you with Dolion.” He stammered.
Enforcer looked down his nose at the trembling fuchsia. “You’re pathetic, Fayroe.” He said at last, his voice as icy and dark as space itself, “Did I not just hear it was the oliveblood that brought Dolion back to me?”
“But I-”
“Enough!” Enforcer sat up sharply; had he the use of his legs, he would have stood. Lord Scordra stirred, letting out another subsonic hiss. Enforcer glared down at his descendant. “It matters not your intentions; you left the hive when you were ordered not to. You are meant to obey me, child!”
Fayroe flinched back half a step, a near silent whimper in his throat. They froze, their eyes widening with horror when they realized what they’d done. “I’m sorry, father, I didn’t mean- I’m sorry, please don’t-”
“Scordra.” Enforcer looked down at his lusus, “I’m finished with that thing. Do away with it.”
The draconic arachnid chittered shrilly, like it was laughing, gathering its feet under itself.
Panicked and desperate, Fayroe grabbed Oliver’s shoulder. “You swore you’d help me! You promised to get me away from him!” He cried.
Oliver turned her head and smiled at him. “I have done as I promised; he has rejected you, Fay, darling, and now you can go away.” She and Bohwie stepped away. “Goodbye, Fayroe.”
Fayroe’s head snapped up as the monstrous lusus shot across the floor towards him, the sound of his father’s laughter echoing around the chamber.
Oliver couldn’t see the carnage, but he heard the scream, the tear of flesh, the snarling-snort of a wounded animal, and fleeing footsteps, accompanied by the smell of fresh blood.
“Oh dear… did he hurt you, my lord?” Dolion said after a beat of silence. The giant lusus skittered up to the doctor, who knelt down and removed the needle knife from its nose. “There you go.”
Laughter rolled from Enforcer’s chest like an oncoming storm. “To think he’d defend himself… I certainly didn’t see that coming. How entertaining.” He turned his head towards the other two descendants. “You two, approach once more, and tell me this tale in full.”
“Yes, my lord, but- what about Fayroe?”
Enforcer’s smile was as coy and cruel as his lover’s. “Whom?”
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(Credit for base)
Bonus story coming~!