Serpentis Family/Erik Eyolf/Lineage Concerns
Erik was far away in Evora with the Silver Legion, but Nesrah and Gormok kept him informed of everything with daily reports and the best messengers working with fast horses or with birds trained by Nesrah, the old sorcerer. When Eilien reached the Ivory Tower, an officer informed her that Erik was not there, but his bride will be glad to receive the young Lady. And so she was led through the halls of the Ivory Tower to the religious main hall with a direct connection through an underground corridor to the temple complex. The officer stopped in front of a huge double ebony door with ivory handles and carvings of deer. Each animal was in a door, face to face. The most impressive was to see their heads crowned with garlands of wild flowers and their human faces in the animal head, a man and a woman with unrecognizable traces from the past.
Officer: “I cannot enter, M’Lady. But when the Duke is out of Sirion leading his Silver Legion, we receive orders from inside this room and a retinue of priestesses... I'll shut up now, M'Lady. Good luck.”
Superstitious and frightened the man left her there. She had never seen elves serving in Avamar because Erik would never allow an elf to be a servant, even under his orders. The servitude should be reserved for humans. Before Eilien could touch the doors, two priestesses opened it from inside. Elilien couldn’t see too much in the dark interior of the room and she immediately felt the smell of flowers and incense. Pyres burned perfumed oil and there was a sense of wonder to step in, like walking on clouds. Veils and columns forming a supernatural atmosphere. As the people used to assume to be the heart beneath the earth, that was a warm place. The High Priestess should be there symbolizing Retarte incarnate in flesh and blood. Her powerful voice echoed like a thunder of a tropical rain while the doors were closed.
High Priestess: “Welcome, Lady Eilien Mercury Serpentis, the Goddess bless your path.”
The woman was probably one of the most beautiful human ever seen by Eilien. Her white breasts could be seen with perfection under the silver tunic woven with a pattern of spider webs. Her green eyes were like a shady forest and her voluptuous curves were a tempting invitation and her steps were entranced by a mysterious sound, a song that echoed through the room played by invisible musicians. If the real magic in the world could be considered a myth, the priestesses knew hidden mysteries and how to involve the simpler minds in their secular mysteries.
High Priestess: “Your father is not here and I’m curious to know his oldest daughter. He doesn’t have the same charm with his daughters that he demonstrates to other women; this should be a little... frustrating. I met the little girl, daughter of Lady Rugina. You have something similar in your eyes. It’s possible that the issues you have to discuss will be heard by me without concerns him too much. He’s male, even a father, I don’t believe he will like to know that his daughter is ready to lay down with an elf… or worst, a human”
Obviously the woman didn’t speak like a normal person. She was just a vessel and Eilien should feel the Goddess speaking by her voice. Anyway, the intuition told her what was going on and the young one only confirms her suspicions and intentions. She was playing with Eilien and called the priestesses close to her, walking up a shell-shaped bathtub, leaving the tunic behind and letting her priestesses pour scented water over her perfect body without even a mark of the hair that humans used to have over the skin.
High Priestess: “Who’s the lucky man that has made you lose your breath, sweet? I suppose you know that I can convince your father about anything. When he comes back covered in dust and blood is always the best time to convince him about things he usually denies.”
The malice was intrinsic in her voice. Eilien was just learning about the games of love, but there she had a specialist. If there was some truth about the divine claims, the essence of the great mother was there smiling at her.
