Depths of Madness - Erik Scott De Bie [38]
"Calling upon their god, Ithilnin," whispered Taslin, "and a blessing over those the Great Slitherer shall consume."
"Radiant," said Twilight. "That sounds like something I'd look forward to."
The chorus of applause and hooting ended, and the column moved forward again.
Twilight saw Taslin's lips moving gently. She spoke silently. Not magic-the shadowdancer would have sensed that. Rather…
"Aillesel seldarie," Taslin prayed quietly. "May the Seldarine preserve us."
"You say that as if they would," said Twilight. Taslin's eyes flew open and a pained look came over her face, colorless in darksight. "Thegods hear what they choose to hear, and they don't need us telling them what prayers to answer."
They reached an even greater cavern than the one that held the city. The rock walls were plain, and other than the massive size, the space was unremarkable. A perfectly rounded tunnel, much like the ones Twilight had seen earlier, opened from the floor in the center of the chamber. The sacrificial chasm, she imagined, out of which their god would emerge.
"But- "
"If your lord wanted to save us, he'd have done so," said Twilight. "Or maybe he yet will. Either way, he doesn't need you reminding him that we're about to die. Or-more accurately-be eaten by this Ithlin-ithnin thing."
One of the grimlocks snarled at her, recognizing the word as its god, and Twilight flinched despite herself. "Ith-//-nin," she spat. "My mistake."
Silence reigned.
"You made it clear you will not talk about your past," Taslin whispered.
"Good," Twilight said in the Common tongue.
The blind creatures lifted both their pallets and set them up high-likely on an altar, Taslin thought. The priest's voice lessened, as though backing away. She imagined that she and Twilight were alone. Abruptly, some sort of light appeared in the darkness-bonfires lit by the grimlocks. Their heat fell upon Taslin's face, and she could see flickers and dancing shapes. The moon elf was lying straight and dead as a rod, looking around.
"Ifyou're wanting a heart to heart now that we're about to die," she said, looking at Taslin sidelong, "can't say I'm interested."
"I have only one question I wish to ask,"said Taslin.
Her companion sighed. "I suppose it hardly matters now, since we're about to be eaten and all. Query, Taslin, and I'll answer."
"You serve Erevan Ilesere-the trickster god-do you not?"
Twilight looked at her curiously for a heartbeat, then looked away. That told Taslin all she needed to know. "Isee,"the priestess said softly.
The moon elf smiled with bemusement. "You got that idea from the mark?" she asked in Common, gesturing with her head toward her hips. "Or from the sword hilt? Or perhaps my charming personality?"
The world shuddered and the chanting increased in speed and intensity. The fires were blazing and the chamber was lit up as bright as day. The grimlocks' gray flesh glistened with sweat, drool, and other juices Taslin didn't care to identify.
"All of them," Taslin replied in kind. "My real question, though, is that if you are a fellow servant of the Seldarine, why do you not pray for aid, as I do? Why not supplicate your lord?"
"Because I would rather die," she said, "than talk to that scheming, lecherous, backstabbing old bastard ever again. He used me, and as you can see, he hates me."
Taslin realized that was a lie-or perhaps not the whole truth. She wasn't about to be deceived. "Why not beseech Lord Corellon, then? Surely the elf gods-"
"I want nothing to do with the elf gods," Twilight said. "I turned my back on the People long ago, for reasons that are my own, and I've no desire to turn again."
Why was Twilight lying to her?
The grimlocks' chanting rose in volume.
"No offense meant, of course."
Taslin nodded. The two fell into silence.
Perhaps her bravado was a lie, and she truly was a child.
Twilight looked away from the priestess to hide her shock. Taslin didn't believe her, and that made her afraid-more afraid than all the grimlocks in all the Realms could have made her, sacrificial