The Dark Elf Trilogy | Page 6

to Briza, Nalfein to Maya, and Dinin to Vierna. The
clerics chanted in unison, placing one hand delicately upon the forehead of their
respective soldier, tuning in to his passions.
"You know your places�� Matron Malice said when the ceremony was completed.
She grimaced through the pain of another contraction. "Let our work begin��
Less than an hour later, Zaknafein and Briza stood together on the balcony
outside the upper entrance to House Do'Urden. Below them, on the cavern floor,
the second and third brigades of the family army, Rizzen's and Nalfein's, bustled
about, fitting on heated leather straps and metal patches-camouflage against a
distinctive elven form to heat-seeing drow eyes. Dinin's group, the initial strike
force that included a hundred goblin slaves, had long since departed.
"We will be known after this night�� Briza said. "None would have suspected that a
tenth house would dare to move against one as powerful as DeVir. When the
whispers ripple out after this night's bloody work, even Baenre will take note of
Daermon N'a'shezbaernon!" She leaned out
over the balcony to watch as the two brigades formed into lines and started-out,
silently, along separate paths that would bring them through the winding city to
the mushroom grove and the five-pillared structure of House DeVir. Zaknafein
eyed the back of Matron Malice's eldest daughter, wanting nothing more than to
put a dagger into her
spine. As always, though, good judgment kept Zak's practiced hand in its place.
"Have you the articles?" Briza inquired, showing Zak considerably more respect
than she had when Matron Malice sat protectively at her side. Zak was only a
male, a commoner allowe to don the family name as his own because he
sometimes served Matron Malice in a husbandly manner and had once been the
patron of the house. Still, Briza feared to anger him. Zak was the weapon master
of House Do'Urden, a tall and muscular male, stronger than most females, and
those who had witnessed his fighting wrath considered him among the finest
warriors of either sex in all of Menzoberranzan. Besides Briza and her mother,
both high priestesses of the Spider Queen, Zaknafein, with his unrivaled
swordsmanship, was House Do'Urden's trump.
Zak held up the black hood and opened the small pouch on his belt, revealing
several tiny ceramic spheres. Briza smiled evilly and rubbed her slender hands
together. "Matron Ginafae will not be pleased�� she whispered.
Zak returned the smile and turned to view the departing soldiers. Nothing gave
the weapon master more pleasure than killing drow elves, particularly clerics of
Lloth.
"Prepare yourself�� Briza said after a few minutes.
Zak shook his thick hair back from his face and stood rigid, eyes tightly closed.
Briza drew her wand slowly, beginning the chant that would activate the device.
She tapped Zak on one shoulder, then the other, then held the wand motionless
over his head.
Zak felt the frosty sprinkles falling down on him, permeating his clothes and
armor, even his flesh, until he and all of his possessions had cooled to a uniform
temperature and hue. Zak hated the magical chill, it felt as he imagined death
would feel but he knew that under the influence of the wand's sprinkles he was,
to the heat-sensing eyes of the creatures of the Underdark, as gray as common
stone, unremarkable and undetectable.
Zak opened his eyes and shuddered, flexing his fingers to be sure they could still
perform the fine-edge of his craft. He looked back to Briza, already in the midst of
the second spell, the summoning. This one would take a while, so Zak leaned
back against the wall and considered again the pleasant, though dangerous, task
before him. How thoughtful of Matron Malice to leave all of House DeVir's clerics
to him!
"It is done�� Briza announced after a few minutes. She led Zak's gaze upward, to
the darkness beneath the unseen ceiling of the immense cavern.
Zak spotted Briza's handiwork first, an approaching current of air, yellow-tinted
and warmer than the normal air of the cavern. A living current of air.
The creature, a conjuration from an elemental plane, swirled to hover just beyond
the lip of the balcony, obediently awaiting its summoner's commands.
Zak didn't hesitate. He leaped out into the thing's midst, letting it hold him
suspended above the floor.
Briza offered him a final salute and motioned her servant away. "Good fighting��
she called to Zak, though he was already invisible in the air above her.
Zak chuckled at the irony of her words as the twisting city of Menzoberranzan
rolled out below him. She wanted the clerics of House DeVir dead as surely as
Zak did, but for very different reasons. All complications aside, Zak would have
been just as happy killing clerics of House Do'Urden.
The weapon master took up one of his adamantite swords, a drow weapon
magically crafted and unbelievably sharp with the edge of killing dweomers.
"Good fighting indeed�� he whispered. If only Briza knew how good.

Chapter 2
The Fall of House DeVir

Dinin noted with satisfaction that any of the meandering bugbears, or any other
of the multitude of races that composed Menzoberranzan, drow included, now
made great haste to scurry out of his way. This