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2. Brother and Sister


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#1 Weyoun

Posted 05 January 2003 - 07:02 PM

Writer's comment : Thinking back, I think this story was inspired by Lara's kids quiz, and a snapshot of Viconia and Valas' child-hood. This has been long one of my favorite stories. It also establishes some major fact, like Vierna, Vic and Valas' elderly wean-mother and teacher, and she has had quite a had in the Drow Viconia is today. :)

 
Brother and Sister
by Weyoun.

Valas DeVir walked through the dark halls of the DeVir compound. The ten-year old boy was carrying a stack of books his teachers wanted him to study in the next few months. It was not that unusual, since it had been discovered that he possessed a strong aptitude for magic. So, he was thrust into magic studies as good as he could form a coherent thought. At least master Jalafein never beat him, like his older sisters always did... As he continued on his way back to his small room, he heard the soft sound of weeping. Puzzled, Valas turned into another corridor, after peeking in to see if any of his older sisters were there. When he approached a small chapel to the Spider Queen, Valas paused... But after identifying the source of the weeping, he just couldn't stay away. Going against his better judgment, he put down the books and hid them behind a small bench, before entering the small chapel.

This chapel was only one of the many small ones the DeVir compound had, and it was nothing compared to the large family chapel in the western section. But the chapel itself did not hold his interest. Instead, he turned his attention to his five-year-old sister, lying on the floor of the temple and crying softly. He noticed why : she had been whipped... Her back was torn open at many places and her blood was flowing freely. Valas decided to slowly walk up to her.

"'Coni...?" He asked softly as he approached her...

"V...V... Valas...?" She asked softly. She tried to dry her tears, to stop choking up... To be strong in front of others... But she failed...

"It was Devora, wasn't it?" He asked softly and with sympathy... Devora had almost beaten him to death once... Then he noticed a fallen book, filled with prayers to Lolth... "Is it about..."

"I tried, Valas!" She whimpered. "I tried really, really hard! But I just couldn't read it fast enough for... Devora...! I tried really, really hard..." Once more, tears streamed down her cheeks.

"She's gone away now. She can't hurt you for a while..." Valas tried.

"She screamed and screamed at me, saying I was angering the Spider Queen... Then she took out her whip and hit me and hit me..."

Valas grimaced. He knew what she had gone through... Devora had hit him often enough, and he would always remember her gleeful laughter and the joyious look in her eyes, with a cold fear...

"You can't stay here, 'Coni," Valas said. "Hey, let's go see Vierna..." Vierna was a commoner of their house, and was entrusted with the rare honor of being the wean-mother to Matron Ginafae's children.

Viconia simply nodded and accepted her brother's help getting off the floor. Valas supported his sister, carefully avoiding the wounds on her back, and together, they limped out of the chapel to see their wean-mother.

---

Vierna was an old woman... She could feel it in her bones. After almost a millenia of life, she had grown tired... Tired of life in this infernal city, tired of the back-stabbing and the evil. She ran a hand through her hair, which had turned into a grandmother's yellow some two centuries ago. Though many older drow would dye their hair at this point, she didn't bother... Why hide the obvious, she had always said. She got off her bed, and prepared to make a new batch of healing potions for her house...

"Vierna?" She smiled as she heard Valas approach her. She loved children, especially the ones she was assigned to wean...

She turned around, and for a moment wondered if he had been beaten again... But then she noticed a bleeding Viconia.

"Oh, you poor child!" She said and carefully took Viconia in her arms...

"It was Devora, Vierna. She hit 'Coni with her whip!" Valas said sadly and with a hint of anger.

Being among people she trusted with her life, little Viconia let her tears flow freely when she held her wean-mother tightly...

Vierna gently put her on the table and gathered her magical healing salves. Viconia hissed in pain as Vierna gently rubbed the healing salve on her back. "Sssshh, child, I know, I know..."

"Don't worry, 'Coni," Valas said, while holding his sister's hands. "I've been beated many times before and it doesn't even hurt me as much as it used to." Viconia smiled sadly at him.

"Don't worry 'Coni," Valas said, while softly squeezing his sister's hands. "I'll protect you. I'll keep you save from anything..."

'Such sweet children.' Vierna thought sadly. But then again Devora was a very sweet child as well, when she was still young. But the filth of the Spider Queen had poisoned her... And the same would happen to these two. It was one of the many tragic things she had seen in her long life. 'But that hasn't happened yet, and they are still young.'

Vierna started to sing. Both Viconia and Valas loved to hear her sing... Her song wasn't one of haunting praise to Lolth, like all the other songs they had heard. It had a soothing tone, and was sung in a strange, unknown language...

Little Viconia sighed in relief as the magic took effect and healed her wounds. She smiled at Vierna for a moment, but was confused to see Vierna suddenly sneering...

"Excuse me for a moment..." Vierna said as she walked out of the door and walked right into an enraged Devora.

---

"Devora..." She said calmly, but was still barring the entrance to her quarters.

"Let me pass, hag! I must collect the girl! Her studies are not finished!" Devora snarled.

"Oh?" She said calmly. "Well, I'm afraid that just isn't possible..."

"DON'T push it, old Elg'Caress! I'm taking the girl, now!" Devora continued

"Why? So you can whip her again?" She said angrily. "Does whipping a helpless child make you feel big, Devora?!"

Devora was seething now and took out her Whip of Fangs. "I'm WARNING you! Children must learn!"

"NO, I AM WARNING YOU!!!" Vierna shouted, which seemed very out of character for her. "If you leave now, I won't tell the Matron, that you almost crippled a precious future cleric just for the fun of it!"

Devora was taken aback. "What... What lies are you spreading, woman?"

"You almost did permanent damage to her spinal cord! If you had continued whipping her only a few moments more, you could have crippled her for life!" Vierna shouted. "You can't just torture a child that young, when she's still so fragile!"

Devora swallowed. This could turn out very badly for her.

"And believe me! I'll be giving the Matron a full report of your actions. And face it, she trusts me far more than she trusts you! Perhaps a couple of hours with the handmaidens' Whips of Fangs will teach you a lesson."

"Unless," Vierna began. "You give little Viconia some time to recover from her injuries." Upon watching Devora glow with anger again, she added : "And if I see, you anywhere near her, I will tell the Matron all about this incident..."

Devora growled in denial and stormed off...

---

"You heard that?" Vierna asked the children, who obviously had been listening at the door.

"Yeah," Valas said. "You're pretty lucky 'Coni! All that free time!"

"Don't cheer too soon, little ones." Vierna said. "Viconia, I want you to stay her with me a few days, so I can keep an eye on your condition. And yes, Valas, you can visit whenever you want." She smiled.

"But you should really collect you books, before they are discovered..." Vierna said.

'How did she know that?!' Valas thought.

"But, like I said, you are welcome to visit whenever you like!" Vierna said, as she prodded him out of the door.

---

Five days later, Valas and Viconia were lying in wait just around the corner of the passage leading to Devora's quarters. Viconia could barely contain her giggling.

"You sure you did that spell right, Valas?" She asked.

"I'm sure, 'Coni, but... Wait, here she comes!"

The children tried to remain as quiet as they could. Devora, clad in her black and red clerical robes, went around the corner and opened the door...

A large flame shot out of the corridor. And as a dazed Devora lay naked and hairless on the floor, two children ran from the scene of the crime, giggling all the way...

---

Vierna laughed uncontrollably above her scrying bowl. Devora would be the laughing-stock of House DeVir for months! She sighed again as she watched the children run through the hallway. May Eilistraee watch over you, little ones. She thought and smiled sadly.
 
TnT Enhanced Edition: http://www.fanfictio...rds-and-Tempers

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Sith Warrior - Master, I can sense your anger.

Darth Baras - A blind, comotose lobotomy-patient could sense my anger!

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"The New Age? It's just the old age stuck in a microwave oven for fifteen seconds" - James Randi




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