The Raven Queen

The Raven Queen is a goddess.

Weariness suddenly overcome Cal. All strength escaped his body, and he collapsed to his knees.

Cal felt his life force escaping him and grew so weak that he could not even speak. He saw the movements of his companions slow down, until they stood frozen, mid-step. The blood dripping from Bory's flail froze in mid-air.

A chill breeze nipped Cal's face. He heard the swooping of great wings from above, and a figure gently touched down on the floor before him. Frost formed on the stone and slowly radiated away from the black-winged woman. Her long, black dress was adorned with ebon feathers, and raven locks of hair framed a porcelain visage that coldly stared down at Cal with icy blue eyes that pierced his very soul. Hey ivory skin was so fair that Cal found himself incapable of looking directly at her due to its brightness, and as she stepped toward him, he felt frigid claws close in around his heart.

The Raven Queen began to slowly pace around the Disciples. "Melocal," she said, her voice sucking all warmth out of the room. "Woe is he who finds himself bound to my realm for eternity. It is a rare pleasure for me to claim a soul; and yours is one I wanted to collect personally."

"Throughout your life, up and until the very end, you've murdered callously, showing no respect for death, deeming yourself worthy to decide the fate of others. For this, you have earned yourself an afterlife of eternal servitude, to preside over the likes of the very souls that you so irreverently sent to the Shadowfell."

Suddenly, the room began to take on a fiery red tint. Cobwebs grew out the pillars and snaked down from the ceiling like vines, until the entire chamber became a claustrophobic maze of silk webbing, harboring a suffocatingly humid atmosphere.

The Raven Queen turned about, looking back and forth. She pursed her lips, furrowed her brow, then spat, "Lolth!"

A veil of webbing parted, and a figure stepped forth from the shadows, a lithe dark elf woman that walked with unearthly grace. A gossamer gown floated about her, lighter than air, and her long, silvery hair cascaded down from her tiara and framed a face of beauty so exquisite that Cal could do naught but stare at her.

"How lovely to see you again, Nera." She spoke with a voice as smooth as honey, and her cherry lips spread into a smile.

"You have no business here," said the Raven Queen.

"I'm doing well, thanks for asking. Still enjoying my banishment. You know, the Abyss really isn't all that bad, once you've bent it to your will." Lolth paced around the Raven Queen, who ruffled the feathers of her wings. "Oh, and did you hear? I'm royalty, too, now." She pointed at her tiara. "They call me the Queen of the Demonweb Pits. Or the Demon Queen of Spiders. I like both."

"I bought the right to lay claim to this soul."

"Hmmm you mean you bought the right to lay a claim to this soul. You still get last pick. Or do you not want to be the goddess of Death anymore? I'd happily take that burden off your shoulders, the way you took it from your dear Nerull."

"You have no claim to lay on this soul."

"Don't I? By your own admission, he's not a particularly devout follower of your tenets, but, as for mine... well. Let's see... he lies; he steals; he just murdered his own companion without a shred of remorse, and bonus -- she was an eladrin. Couple that with the fact that he exposed the weakness of one of my priestesses and toppled her, and I think I've found myself the perfect follower. He clearly doesn't care about fate, and since you relieved me of that particular domain, I think I have a very strong claim to lay on his soul."

"So this is what this is about? Petty revenge?"

"Oh, my dear Nera, the past is past. I just honestly would like nothing more than to torture this little halfling's soul throughout eternity. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Lolth placed a hand on Cal's shoulder, and webbing began to sprout out of her fingers and envelop him.

The Raven Queen stared daggers at Lolth, trembling in anger, then stormed forward and thrust a hand into Cal's chest. Cal felt a shock of cold jolt through his entire body, and as the Raven Queen withdrew her hand, he felt his heart begin to beat once more.

For the first time, Lolth's smile faded. "You've bought him more time, but you're only delaying the inevitable. He'll come back to me. Just you wait."

Lolth returned through the veil, and the cobwebs melted from the chamber.

The Raven Queen cast a final glance down at Cal, then, with a beat of her wings, vanished into the shadows above.

The movements of the other disciples sped up, until time resumed its normal course.