[b][center]Town Square[/center][/b]

She was in reverie and was dreaming, eyes moving wildly behind her closed eyelids.

[i]The Great Web, spun by her goddess, normally strong and resilient, gave way to something else. Black tendrils that tore and disintegrated the web whenever they touched it, spreading over it like wildfire. A flash of movement, a long arachnid leg, swinging down like a blade and cutting parts of the healthy web off to stop the spreading of the corruption that had befallen it.

The scene changed, marching, marching boots in the darkness, warriors with white hair and armoured for battle, obeying the commands of females who were also geared for battle, they spoke of cleansing, of extermination, to save the whole. Gesturing to what lay beyond. Others, white hair like theirs, black skin like theirs, but the eyes... the eyes were wrong, frenzied, madness, not armed with weapons and armour, but fists and pure rage as they charged without a mind of their own.

It was mercy.

It was slaughter.

It was filled with the laughter of the mad.

And...

It was a dream.[/i]

She opened her eyes and noticed she had a knife in her hand, the blade pressed against the throat of her servant and bodyguard, who looked calmly at it like she always did when this happened when she had to disturb her. She put the knife away and stretched, "What is happening? Have you found out what the delay is?"

Ceann shrugged and gestured behind her, where her mistress could see that the Queens Blades were gathering their gear and setting off, some together, some alone with others following. "There is something going on at the town where we were supposed to meet the two surface queens of Renalta. Illusions and what sounds like someone wanting to make a point, or example."

"I see." She made sure her knifes were in place and then traced her fingers over the handle of her whip on the hook of her belt with a soft smile. "Well then, I suppose that means we have to get to work, yes?" She grinned, showing her teeth and licked her lips. "About time, here I was thinking the surface world was boring, I cannot fathom how you have survived here for a century and a half without getting bored to dead."

Ceann checked her quiver, making sure her regular arrows were separate from the ones that her mistress had prepared for her when she heard to comment. "Not so bad once you get used to it, it offers perspective and a new way of thinking. I gathered the two queens were closest to the town square, the center of the town, I figured you would like to head there above all the other locations two of the 'Heroes' told us about."

She paused, frowning as she looked over her shoulder. "Heroes?"

"The ones called Mikan and Dean, some call them heroes, banishing the gods, restoring the kingdom of Renalta, bringing peace." She was replying before she noticed the look on her mistress's face and went quiet.

She had her eyes narrowed and shook her head speaking in drow, <"Heroes.... Fools, they were fools, they don't know what they have done or what it might unleash, not even we know. But what little we do has brought us here, has brought me here."> She finished preparing and resumed in the crude grumbling that passed as language on this part of the surface. "Lead on."

Moments later they arrived at the center of town and noticed some others had already arrived, Andrea gave them mostly a brief glance while looking elsewhere. Ceann, to her credit, had her bow already strung and a arrow at the ready, eyes darting around the square, rooftops and alleys for threats. Andrea suddenly hissed and waved Ceann away when she turned to look at her in alarm. Ceann could not feel this, there was another mage, a presence, not from the Queens Blades, though she could sense a few with magic potential as well. [b]“Fiend, while you may hide, the devout will triumph yet! You merely prolong the inevitable for your crimes. Step forth and challenge me, foul one, and I shall issue you a swift and painless death!”[/b]

She blinked and looked to whom had shouted that and snorted, really? All armoured, waving a pointy metal stick around and saying that kind of prattle? Did that one wanted to be a target? How curious, she took her whip from her waist and tried to focus on the source of the presence of magic, trying to find exactly who or what was emanating it and from where. Then again if the owner of the presence was as brazen as the warrior woman loudmouth then it would be easy, though she doubted they had such luck.