Chapter 7 Chapter Five Fragile Loyalty

Dinin watched Vierna's every move, observing how his sister performed the ritual to honor the Spider Queen.The place they were in was a small chapel, which Jarlaxle specially opened for Werna in a small building complex in Menzoberranzan City.Dinin has always been loyal to Rose, the God of Darkness, so he gladly participated in Verna's prayer ceremony today.But in reality, the male drow thought it was all bland faux pas, and that his sister was just absurdly imitating her former self. "You shouldn't have any doubts." Verna reminded him, she was still performing the ceremony, and she didn't even look back at Dinin.

However, at the sound of Dinin's repulsive sigh, Vierna turned around at last, and a flush of exasperation flashed in her narrowed eyes. "What for?" Dinin ventured to ask the furious Verna, though he still stubbornly believed that Verna was not yet in Rose's favour.But Vierna was indeed stronger than him now, and the priestly power returned to her.Dinin gritted his teeth and kept cheering himself up, finally he didn't give up on his will. He didn't want the crazy Werna to bring him into a desperate situation of destruction again. In answer, Vierna drew a strange whip from under the priestly robe, the handle of which was plain gold, and five curly whiskers tossed up and down, like five living poisonous snakes.Dinin's eyes widened instantly, and he understood what this weapon represented.

"Only the high priests of Rose can have such a weapon." Vierna reminded her younger brother, and patted his head affectionately. "But we have already lost her favor..." Dinin tried to resist, but this time he was really speechless. Werna glanced at him, smiled maliciously, and there seemed to be some sounds in her throat.Dinin didn't know what that meant, for she was kissing a snake's head on the whip. "Then why are we following Drizzt?" Dinin asked her. "You have regained Rose's favor, why are you so desperate to kill our rebellious brother?"

"This is why I can regain Rose's favor!" Werner's scream was extremely shrill.She stepped forward, and Dinin wisely leaned back.He hadn't forgotten his youth in House Do'Urden, when his oldest and most vicious sister, Briza, used to torture him with a whip like Vierna's. But Verna calmed down quickly. She wandered around and looked at the altar covered with live spiders and spider statues, "Our family fell because of the incompetence of Malice Malice, and Malice did not complete the tasks entrusted to her by Rose. most important task." "Kill Drizzt?" Dinin continued.

"Yes." Verna concluded briefly, and then she stared back at her brother, "Kill Drizzt, that unfortunate, rebellious Drizzt, with all my heart to Rose Promise. I promise to make up for the family's mistakes, and only then can we—you and me—be truly favored by our God." "What will happen then?" Dinin looked around the chapel with a self-deprecating sneer. "Our family has been wiped out, and the name of Do'Urden has become a forbidden word. Even if Rose's favor comes to me again, what can we gain? I am also happy that you will become a high-ranking officer, but you still haven't The family can preside."

"There will be!" Vierna retorted sharply, her eyes as bright as wax torches. "I am the surviving nobleman of the destroyed family, and so are you, brother, we have the right to accuse." Dinin's eyes widened again. In theory, Verna was right.The right to sue is a privilege held by the surviving noble children of the ruined family.The accuser names the attacker, and the drow's just punishment falls on the accused.In the chaotic city of Menzoberranzan, the black box conspiracy has never ceased, and the so-called justice will only appear selectively. "Allegation?" Dinin stuttered for a moment, and could hardly utter any sound from his mouth that was dry due to shock. "Have you forgotten which family destroyed us?"

"It's sweet like this." There was a "ho ho" in my sister's throat. "That's Baenre!" Dinin roared. "Family Baenre, the first family in Menzoberranzan! You can't fight against House Baenre. Whether it's a single family or a family alliance, no one can fight against the Baenre family." Shake them. Matron Baenre controls the House, where are you going to muster the forces for just punishment?" "And the Dayet Independent Mercenary Group?" Dinin reminded her, "The mercenaries who took us in also participated in the destruction of our family." Dinin's voice stopped abruptly, and his words made him fall into deep thought , This is the cruel irony of drow society.

"You are a man who cannot understand Rose's beauty." Verna replied, "Our god is nourished from chaos, and it is so many cruel absurdities that allow her to taste the sweet taste." "The city of Menzoberranzan will not declare war on House Baenre." Dinin said feebly. "Never!" Vierna's voice rose sharply, and the flames of madness rekindled in her red eyes. "Matron Baenre is old, brother, and her time is past. After Drizzt dies, as the Spider Queen wishes, I will enter House Baenre, and there, I...we will make our charges .” "Then we shall be food for the goblin slaves of House Baenre." Dinin responded bluntly.

"Matron Baen Rui's biological daughters will force her to abdicate, so that the family can regain the favor of the Spider God Queen." Excited Werner continued her plan regardless of her younger brother's doubts, "In the end, they can only Accept me in power." Dinin could hardly find the words to refute Verna's fallacy. "Imagine, brother, imagine you standing beside me, with the first family of Menzoberranzan bowing at my feet!" "Rose promised you that?" "Through Tril—Matron Baenre's eldest daughter, Headmaster of the House."

Dinin began to grasp the whole situation. If Trill, who was far more powerful than Vierna, wanted to overthrow her mother, then she must take the throne of House Baenre herself, or at least put a sister who was loyal to her. take this seat.Dinin leaned on the corner of a bench, crossed his arms, shook his head slightly, full of doubts in his heart. "No doubters are allowed in my retinue!" Vierna warned him. "Your entourage?" "The Dayet mercenary group can only be regarded as a tool, and I can use it to please my god." Werner said bluntly. "You're crazy," said Dinin before he realized his slip of the tongue.But to his comfort, Verna didn't come towards him.

"You will regret your blasphemy when the traitorous Drizzt is dedicated to Lolth." "You will never get close to my brother," Dinin responded sharply, still remembering the painful lesson Drizzt taught him. "I won't go to the ground with you either, I won't face that devil, he's too powerful. Verna, you're stronger than you can imagine." "Shut up!" There was magical pressure on the word, and Dinin found his next sentence stuck in his throat. "Stronger?" Verna sneered, "What do you know about strength? A weak man." Her face was twisted with a smile, and this expression made Dinin in the seat tremble. "Follow me, suspicious Dinin." After Verna gave the order, she walked towards a side door of the hut, but Dinin did not follow. "Come here!" Vierna yelled, and Dinin found his leg stretched out by itself. He left the hut with only one stalagmite, left Menzoberranzan, and followed his crazy sister faithfully. ※※※※ As soon as the two Do'Urden were out of view, Jarlaxle lowered the curtain of the telescoping mirror and dispelled the vision of the chapel.He felt that he should speak to Dinin as soon as possible, and warn the unruly warrior of the problems he was about to face.Jarlaxle did like Dinin, and he knew that the drow was headed for doom. "You really succeeded in seducing her." The mercenary captain said to the priest standing beside him, his left eye also winked slyly at her, today he covered his right eye. The woman was shorter than Jarlaxle, but she exuded unmistakable strength, and she looked back at Jarlaxle with obvious contempt. "Dear Triel." Jarlaxle deliberately sounded a little surprised. "Keep your tongue," Tril Baenry warned him, "or I'll tear it out and give it to you, so you can see what it looks like." Jarlaxle shrugged, wisely turning the topic to current affairs, "Verna believed you." "Verna is desperate." "Promising her that she can enter the Baenry family will indeed allow her to hunt down Drizzt." The mercenary captain said his thoughts, "but tempting her by replacing Mistress Baenry..." "The better the reward, the more motivated Vierna will be." Trill replied calmly, "It is very important to my mother to dedicate Drizzt Do'Urden to Rose, let that stupid Do'Urden Priestess go to her daydreams." "Agreed," Jarlaxle nodded, "Has the Baenre family prepared their guards?" "Fifty people will go with the Dayet mercenary group," Trill replied, "They are all men," she added with a sneer, "can be sacrificed." The eldest daughter of the Banrui family looked at the wily man again When he was the head of the mercenary group, he had a questioning look on his face. "How will you choose soldiers to follow Verna? How will you integrate both of us?" Jarlaxle folded his slender fingers. "I will walk with them," he replied firmly. "Your answer displeases me." Baenre's eldest daughter growled before disappearing in front of Jarlaxle. "Your mother loves me, Tril dear." Jarlaxle looked into the void, as if the Dean of the House was still standing there. "I won't miss it." The mercenary captain's voice became louder and louder.According to Jarlaxle's reckoning, hunting Drizzt could only be a good thing.He may lose a few soldiers, but they are not irreplaceable.If he did take Drizzt's life, Rose would be happy, Matron Baenre would be happy, and Jarlaxle would be rewarded accordingly.In a word, as a rebel, Drizzt carried a huge bonus. Jarlaxle smirked twice, reviewing all the benefits of the quest.Even if Drizzt escaped from them, only Werna would be responsible, and the mercenary captain would still be the original mercenary captain. Jarlaxle also thought of a possibility. Although it was absolutely impossible under the current situation, the drow did not give up on it.Rose instructs Trill and Trill's mother to promise Verna an unbelievable reward, if one in a million, Verna will fulfill Rose's will.What will Rose do with all this?In any case, when the time comes, with his good relationship with Werna, he will definitely be in a very favorable position.The mercenary really wanted to know, what kind of absurdity Rose had prepared for the Banrui family? What is certain is that Vierna Do'Urden believed Triel's empty words madly.But Jarlaxle did know that many of the most powerful drow in Menzoberranzan, Matron Baenre among them, tended to be just as mad. ※※※※ Late in the day, Vierna walked through the translucent door of Jarlaxle's private chamber, her frantic expression revealing an eager anticipation for the future. Jarlaxle heard a commotion in the corridor, but Vierna just smiled knowingly.The mercenary captain turned around in his chair, tapping the fingers of his hands on each other, trying to figure out what surprise this Do'Urden priest had prepared for him this time. "We need an extra soldier to build our team." Verna's tone was quite tough. "It can be arranged." Jarlaxle seemed to understand Werna's intentions, "But why? Wouldn't Dinin follow us?" Verna's eyes flickered. "He will, but my brother's role in this hunt has changed." Jarlaxle didn't say anything, just lay down in the chair and continued tapping his fingers. "Dinin doesn't believe in Rose's destiny." Verna sat casually on a chair by the table, "He is unwilling to follow me in this crucial mission, which is what the Spider God Queen asked us to do. !" She jumped up suddenly and fiercely, pacing back and forth in the room. Jarlaxle bent his dagger-throwing finger, and then did nothing else, just quietly listening to Verna's long speech.The priest walked faster and faster, and she kept praying to Rose, cursing any creature that did not kneel before the god, her brothers, Drizzt and Dinin. After a long time, Vierna suddenly calmed down and smiled evilly again. "Rose demands absolute loyalty." "Of course." The mercenary leader An Zhiruo replied. "All the priest has to do is judge." "certainly." Vierna's eyes were shining brightly, and Jarlaxle tensed his nerves without saying a word, guarding against the woman suddenly attacking him for no reason.But she just went to the door and called out to her brother. Jarlaxle saw a vague silhouette in front of the portal, stretched and curved in translucent material, and Dinin walked in. First to enter the room was a giant spider leg, then another, a third, and then a mutated torso.Dinin's swollen, naked body turned into a huge black spider from the waist down. His once handsome and handsome face was now like a pile of dead flesh, swollen outwards strangely, and his eyes were sunken in, full of brilliance. Lost, like two ulcers. The mercenary captain tried his best to keep his breathing steady. He took off his big hat and rubbed his bald head with one hand, which was already dripping with cold sweat. After the ugly creature entered the room, it stood obediently behind Werna, and the priest kept smiling at the bewildered mercenary captain. "This mission is of the utmost importance, and Rose does not allow doubts." If Jarlaxle had any doubts about the task that the Spider God entrusted to Verna, that sentiment has long since disappeared. Vierna inflicted a punishment found only in drow society on the thorny Dinin, a spell that only the most favored of Lolth's high priests could perform.She replaced Dinin's exquisite drow body with an ugly mutant spider form; replaced Dinin's annoying independent mind with an evil obedience, and now Dinin can carry out every grotesque order of Verna without hesitation. . She turned Dinin into a spiderling.