Chapter 52 - Three To Tango

“I wish the spectres weren’t required to participate in all matches,” I muttered as my sister strutted out of the rest room. “Narhas is going to completely wipe them out with her holy magic.”

“We could intervene early, try and catch them on the backfoot,” Bella suggested, and I could tell by the way George was pacing that he agreed with her.

“No, it’s better to let Narhas concentrate on me, while you both engage her lieutenants. The last thing we want is for all of them to target the same person,” I replied quietly. “Plus you really don’t want to be caught by my sister’s magic Bella.”

As if to emphasize that, Narhas stepped up to the dancers and raised her mace. A moment later a pale black light oozed from the weapon, causing every dancer hit to scream, and dissipate. I could see her smirking, even from where I was sitting, way on the opposite side of the gargantuan room.

Narhas started striding forward, just disintegrating any spectre that got close, and scaring the spiders enough to prevent them from engaging. I grabbed my glaive, and strode into the middle of my arena to meet her. “Go on, you two have your own fights to win,” I said quietly to my friends. “Give Narhas a wide berth and she’ll ignore you.”

“If you’re sure…” Bella replied quietly, as she slowly floated towards the wall.

“I’m sure, go!” I barked as my sister finally stepped up my trick floor. George shot off, taking to the wall in order to make sure he gave Narhas enough room. Bella just disappeared into a wall.

“That’s right… better to get all the rabble out of the way, so the two of us can settle things the traditional way, right Talia?” Narhas sneered. “I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time.”

—-

Seraphine struggled to control her charge as the massive Abyss Crusher, Talia’s pet George, skittered across the walls towards them. It didn’t look particularly special, maybe a little bigger than the average specimen, but she couldn’t see any reason for Narhas to harbor a particular hate for it.

It did seem to be surprisingly focused on her, or to be more precise, the abyss strider, at her side. It almost looked like it was sizing the other spider up, or planning. Not that it would make a difference.

“Kill it,” she snarled, as soon as George hit the floor, releasing her charge. The stalker instantly blinked forward, forelegs already raised to stab down on its opponent.

Surprisingly it didn’t connect. Despite teleporting forward, and instantly attacking as it arrived, George managed to jump back and avoid the deadly strike. The strider didn’t even have time to make another attack, because George burst forward and shoved the larger spider off the wall.

It didn’t even try to follow up, it just sat there, watching. Judging.

“Stop messing around and fight!” Seraphine yelled, hefting her harpoon and chucking it at the wall. George simply stepped to the side, then grabbed her weapon with its forelegs, pulling on the rope tied to the back. “You’re just an evolutionary dead end. Lowliest creature in the abyss, just like your master,” Seraphine snarled.

THAT got a reaction out of it. Before she could react George yanked hard on the harpoon’s cord, which was attached to her belt, causing Seraphine to topple forward. It then catapulted itself a frankly frightening distance forward, landing within a few feet of her and growling. Despite being nothing more than a lowly abyss scavenger the spider radiated an indescribable pressure as it advanced.

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“Kill it!” Seraphine managed to croak out, as she skittered away. Thankfully her oversized pet seemed to hear her, and felt like following orders, because it appeared behind George a moment later, ready to strike. This time, it didn’t miss. The strider’s razor sharp forelegs smashed down on George’s thorax, a crunch echoed out.

It didn’t derez.

Rather than perishing, the pressure George was exerting increased, and it slowly turned upon the strider. Despite being nearly twice the size of its opponent, the strider slunk backwards. “What are you doing, attack!” Seraphine yelled as she struggled to her feet, and tried to retrieve her weapon. The strider just didn’t respond.

Slowly, George closed in upon the larger spider, reared up and slammed its forelegs down. The strider dodged back, it managed to avoid most of the blow, but not all of it.

The floor shattered under the impact, as did the two legs the strider sacrificed to try to get out of the way. Seraphine FELT the impact in her bones. “What the fuck are you?” Seraphine growled as she and the strider scrambled to get away. “Nothing hits like that, you’re a freak!”

George ignored her, and continued to bully the strider. The deep repetitive growl he was letting out sounded vaguely like purring, or laughter. The fucking thing was laughing at her.

Seraphine jumped to her feet and grabbed her harpoon and threw it with all her might. It cracked George’s carapace open, causing him to stagger, but he still didn’t go down. Instead the attack just seemed to prompt him to finish his fight with the strider. He burst forward and started smashing down upon the other spider. At first the strider attempted to block, but after a few alternating blows it’s forelegs cracked and broke. Allowing the alternating blows to finally catch the large spider in the head. The strider instantly went still, and started derezing.

“Bullshit,” Seraphine spat as she desperately attempted to retrieve her harpoon again. “Why didn’t you try and jump away you stupid spider,” she yelled at her pet. As soon as she got her harpoon back in her hand she felt a furry limb press against her chest, and she was thrown across the room. Even though George had just pushed her, it knocked the air out of her lungs, the power was immense.

As she scrambled for her harpoon once more George slammed a foot down on the weapon, snapping it in two. “You’re enjoying this aren’t you, you freak,” she snarled. “I don’t know how you prevented the strider from running, or how you survived our attacks, but once Narhas finishes with your precious master, you’re next.”

George didn’t bother to answer, he just slowly advanced on the downed drow, the pressure building as he did. Seraphine turned to crawl away, but as soon as she did George crushed her leg, causing the woman to cry out in pain. She flipped over, just in time to see him slowly advancing, looming over her. At the last moment, she had a moment of clarification. “You suppressed the strider’s teleport, and my throwing ability,” Seraphine mumbled. “But that’s not possible, because the only thing that…”

George didn’t let her finish. A quick strike to the head sent her right back to the projection room. She talked too much, he thought.

—

At the back of the room Narhas stepped onto the trap floor, easily balancing her eight legs on the dividers between the tiles. “Look at you, making a cute little trap room for those two legged races. You must be proud! Achieving something that you could never do when there was actual competition, becoming a floor boss,” she scoffed.

“Being recognized for my skills, instead of family nepotism? I am kind of proud of that actually,” I quipped back. It was surprising how quickly I fell into my boss persona, even in front of my sister.

“You’re nothing! You only defeated me ONCE in the entire time you were home, yet our sisters won’t let me forget it. Because of you I’M a laughing stock. We’ll, I’ll prove who’s a laughing stock.” Narhas spat, becoming increasingly enraged as she spoke.

Everything suddenly clicked. “Awww… now that little sister isn’t there, someone else had to take the low position on the totem pole, didn’t they? Doesn’t feel nice to be kicked by absolutely everyone around you, does it?”

“It’ll end when I end YOU!” Narhas raged. “I’m going to destroy you, while my minions crush your little pet, and ghost friend!” I quickly glanced past her, checking on the fights that had already started, then smirked at my sister.

“Maybe… but we’re not fighting by your rules anymore, we’re fighting by mine. I think you’re going to find that things may not go as smoothly as you think.” I hefted my glaive and danced into the middle of my arena, beckoning my sister forward. “Come, let's find out if you’re as great as you claim.”