The Ascension

"Mistress, are you sure we should go out?" A woman said, her eyes darting out the door fearfully. She was a servant, and though she was not a slave, she could be punished for even daring to question the wife of an elder like this. The older woman snarled.

"I am not staying inside the clan mansion for the rest of my life!" She said, her fine clothing now looked a little worn as she hadn't been able to refresh her clothing since before the volcano had been tamed. "That woman has not been seen since the time we left, and returned. I want to go out."

"Mistress, the Patriarch has already been vocal about this." The servant said. "I've been instructed to only warn, and not hinder." She bit her lip. "The master has gotten a new concubine, mistress. What if this is a trap?" The woman wanted to slap her servant, but thought for a moment.

"If it is a trap by my husband, why would he give me ten large silver to spend?" She asked quietly. "That is not a small amount for the clan. Ever since 'she' appeared, we haven't been able to do as well as before, and new merchants are coming into Aros. The Mercenary Union ignores our contracts, and the Assassin's Guild has made it clear to stay clear of them." She seemed to slump.

"There was a time that the Inaris clan was the top clan in Aros. Neither of those places would ignore us, let alone warn us." She lifted her eyes. "I just want to feel a little bit of that glory we once had." Her eyes hardened.

"I am the Head Wife of an Inaris clan Elder! I will not let some barbarians force me to hide like a thief!"

* * *

"I have been told that you are my Master's preferred merchant." Sol said as she was accompanied by the Dead Soldiers, and her daughters. Rirn looked at her, and chuckled.

"Somehow, I am not surprised. Except for those two young women, most of her servants are more 'ample'." Rirn said. "I can't imagine how upset she is that you're wearing clothes that do not fit properly, or cover your figure properly." Sol smiled a little, but looked a bit uncomfortable.

"I just realized that she cared about my appearance. She gave us these coverings so we could buy proper clothing." She said softly. "Master is quite upset that I didn't make the effort for the last two thousands years, though I've had the time." Rirn blinked, and looked down at little Giel. The girl giggled, and licked a fang.

"We look a lot younger than we appear." She said with a grin. "I'm over a hundred years old, and my older sister, Salia, is nearly two thousand years old." She looked at her mother. "I'm not sure how old momma is." Sol looked down at her daughter, and lightly tapped her nose with a finger.

"Be good, Giel." She looked back up at Rirn. "Master instructed me to buy our clothes from you. I have four more daughters that are Salia's size, with little variation in their builds."

"Master wants us to have quality clothes that are befitting our station." Sol started to turn as she heard a sneer, and a snort to her rear.

Immediately, she felt a reaction from her beloved Master.

* * *

The servant groaned inside as her mistress had already encountered someone she should not irritate. Two zombie soldiers followed a tall pale woman, one child, and one young woman.

"Zombies. Why are they allowed to walk freely inside Aros? The smell is horrific!" The mistress said. She walked over to a guard, but stepped away from the gate when she saw the squad of zombie soldiers standing outside the gate. She shivered.

"Let's go shopping, and not bother complaining, shall we, mistress?" The servant asked. She nodded, hiding her fear.

"Yes, we should. Perhaps the store will have some new fabrics we can purchase. If not, the tailor might have something." The mistress walked towards the main square, her nose twitching from time to time.

"There they are again." She grit her teeth. "And look at what they are wearing! It's indecent!" She gestured to the black fur that covered Sol's breasts, even if she still sported a large amount of cleavage, and long pale white legs.

"I'm not sure how old momma is though." She heard the girl say with a sly grin on her lips. She watched the pale woman look down at the girl.

"Be good, Giel." She looked back up at Rirn. "Master instructed me to buy our clothes from you. I have four more daughters that are Salia's size, with little variation in their builds."

"Master wants us to have quality clothes that are befitting our station." The servant groaned again as her mistress's ingrained habit of feeling superior bubbled out.

"Your station? What kind of station could zombies have?" The disdain in the voice made Salia's eyes narrow.

Sol was about to respond when she felt a burst of rage in the air.

"Mistress, what have you done?" The servant said, her heart sinking fast as she felt a sense of dread fill the air, along with the knowledge that the dread felt familiar.  She quickly got down on her knees as she felt that familiar dread.

It was the one who destroyed their gate, and brought about the clan's downfall. She would never forget this feeling of reverence she felt for the power being released, nor the fear that filled her.

A pair of red glowing eyes appeared in the sky. The Master has heard the insult of her servants, and she was not happy.

* * *

'Sol! That is not only aimed at you! It is aimed at my authority, and what I have bestowed upon you!' Everyone could feel the strength of Aila's thoughts, as Giel looked around in fear.

"Momma, she's here! She's angry too!" Giel held onto Sol's hand. She spotted the red glowing eyes, and hid behind her mother. Sol's black eyes, as close to onyx gem stones as they could be, swept towards the voice she heard. It belonged to an arrogant and snobbish voice that Rirn was quite familiar with.

"An Inaris clan daughter who thinks she's a noble." Rirn said, and shook his head. The woman looked at Rirn with anger in her eyes.

"We are nobles, and you're just a commoner! Along with these 'things'." The thirty year old Inaris clan mistress said. Her inner pride had said not to bend in this instance, but she would soon wish she had.

"Commoner?" Rirn said. "She's wearing the fur of a rank four dark panther! Even the Silver King can not afford such material!" Rirn rolled his eyes. This woman wasn't the matriarch, but he remembered that she behaved like she was of noble blood.

Sol's eyes began to leak death elements.

'Control yourself, Sol.' Aila said. 'You may take this one as a meal for your youngest tonight. I've sent the squad into the town, and a platoon will soon arrive. Direct them as you see fit.' Aila's voice turned hard.

Her eyes flashed, and a wave of energy flowed out, which caught the arrogant woman's attention, along with all others within Aros. This time, her voice was heard within Aros, and it sent waves of fear throughout the growing town.

'You are a Queen. The Queen of Death. Remember your station, and punish them severely.' Sol smiled a little, and reached out. Her hand grasped the woman by the throat.

"It seems you should have been taught some manners when in front of those of a higher station than yourself." She lifted the woman off the ground with that hand around her throat. "It is too bad that you will not have the time to learn that lesson." She handed the woman to her soldiers, fear now in her eyes. She quickly learned to respect those with power, even if it was too late.

"Take her. She is Giel's supper tonight." Sol would not have mercy on her Master's enemies.

"Momma, what about her?" Giel pointed to the servant, and licked her lips. "She looks delicious." The servant paled in fright, but Sol walked up to her, and inhaled her scent.

"Interesting. I think one of my daughters might like to meet you." She put a finger to the servant's cheek, her touch gentle. "Yes, I think she may definitely like you." She turned and looked at Salia. She noticed the intense longing in her daughter's eyes, that same look that Mirri and Nara had for Laria the first time they saw her.

"After all this time, Salia may have found someone compatible." Sol smiled gently. "Consider yourself blessed by my Master, child. You shall live for thousands of years, protected by my eldest child."

Sol looked at the squad of approaching zombie soldiers. She smiled, and though it looked wicked to others, Sol felt the affection and reverence for her Master fill her body, and vibrate within her core. She made a gesture, and watched them leave.

"We still need a few people to take back home for the girls. Both Thay and Laria need some nourishment."