Title: Led
Genre: Comic > Webcomic
Notes: IF Entry
---
When it came time for her to go to school, Quain'tana sent her off with the weight of the clan on her shoulders. This was her chance to become what her mother wanted-- a strong leader, a fair judge, a powerful Drow woman who could easily rule the fortress and give the Sarghress the control it needed. Such was the weight on any female student, and it was something she was used to by now. But away from the stronghold and her mother's words, the weight shifted, tipped as it tried to settle just right.
The children of anyone who was anyone came to this school. It had its rules and regulations like any other, but the pressure to act as befitted one's clan was intense. Sequestered in it for so long, the young women of Orthorbbae had become a sort of family, but there were still big gaps between them.
There were still societal tiers, and there were still girls who were always at the center of things. Either by their own clans' prominence or by their personality, they ruled as leaders of their tiers, their classes, their year-groups. They decided, at the end of the day, how things would be. And their loyal subjects seemed to have little complaint to offer.
On the day that they decided their paths in school, Syphile leaned back against the wall and listened.
As the school went, she was normal. She was just a little slower to jump into the decision. Just a little more cautious-- which is what her mother would have wanted, right? She was sure it was.
"I want to summon," they said, flatly, quickly. One after another. Sometimes their words strung together. Most of the class. She'd heard about it since coming here, and barely understood the basics about tainting. She knew it involved demonic energy and that it was irreversible, and that long debates were running about it--but not why they were running.
The tallest girl in the class was a Sharen, a daughter of one of the most tainted clans in the city. She stood up to look at them, her eyes a deep red from the taint. She'd been through the ceremony before coming to Orthorbbae to learn. Her clan colors stood out against her dark skin, and standing from her seat in front of the pale-stone walls of their class, she looked more like a leader than anyone in the room. Even the teacher, who shouldn't have left, because now their leader had center stage.
This was what the tainting won you. Power, and glory, and that compelling confident stare. Somethign flexed, and then curled, tensing up in Syphile's stomach. Like her muscles were hardening for practice. Tighten up, or when they punch you in the stomach, you'll throw up. She shook the thought away.
"Who hasn't decided yet?" she called. A few hands flashed up, or drifted slowly into the air. Syphile didn't bother. She didn't want to be singled out if the leader decided to make an example or two.
The few left got a lecture on the benefits of being a summoner. Red eyes flashing, ears almost laid back, the Sharen preached a sermon on why it should be necessary for every female Drowolath, no matter what clan they came from.
No one dared to ask about the demons that circled their minds afterward, waiting for the chance to possess the soul, or the negative energy that flowed in a tainted Drow's veins. A Sharen was as bad about the practice as a Kyorl, one of the pure, taintless clans. The only difference, people soon learned, was whether the argument swung for or against.
"If you want to be safe at this school," she said, eyes sliding patiently over the crowd, "Then the ceremony is absolutely necessary. For everyone. Not only those who have decided to take the best path, and be summoners, but for those select few who are left in the crossfire. It would be a pity to lose any of our students because they were afraid to be tainted."
Those left looked at each other, looked at the people they knew, as friends, as classmates. Wondered what to do. The teacher had stressed that tainting was not mandatory-- but one of their own was making it clear that it probably should be.
"Well? Who's with me?" She looked them over. "Stand up if you want to be tainted, want to be safe, and powerful."
Her tone added happy, accepted, capable, confident to the list. Chairs scraped and clothing rustled as the leader smiled.
By the time the teacher walked back in, every girl in the class was on her feet, ready and waiting for the demon.
Genre: Comic > Webcomic
Notes: IF Entry
---
When it came time for her to go to school, Quain'tana sent her off with the weight of the clan on her shoulders. This was her chance to become what her mother wanted-- a strong leader, a fair judge, a powerful Drow woman who could easily rule the fortress and give the Sarghress the control it needed. Such was the weight on any female student, and it was something she was used to by now. But away from the stronghold and her mother's words, the weight shifted, tipped as it tried to settle just right.
The children of anyone who was anyone came to this school. It had its rules and regulations like any other, but the pressure to act as befitted one's clan was intense. Sequestered in it for so long, the young women of Orthorbbae had become a sort of family, but there were still big gaps between them.
There were still societal tiers, and there were still girls who were always at the center of things. Either by their own clans' prominence or by their personality, they ruled as leaders of their tiers, their classes, their year-groups. They decided, at the end of the day, how things would be. And their loyal subjects seemed to have little complaint to offer.
On the day that they decided their paths in school, Syphile leaned back against the wall and listened.
As the school went, she was normal. She was just a little slower to jump into the decision. Just a little more cautious-- which is what her mother would have wanted, right? She was sure it was.
"I want to summon," they said, flatly, quickly. One after another. Sometimes their words strung together. Most of the class. She'd heard about it since coming here, and barely understood the basics about tainting. She knew it involved demonic energy and that it was irreversible, and that long debates were running about it--but not why they were running.
The tallest girl in the class was a Sharen, a daughter of one of the most tainted clans in the city. She stood up to look at them, her eyes a deep red from the taint. She'd been through the ceremony before coming to Orthorbbae to learn. Her clan colors stood out against her dark skin, and standing from her seat in front of the pale-stone walls of their class, she looked more like a leader than anyone in the room. Even the teacher, who shouldn't have left, because now their leader had center stage.
This was what the tainting won you. Power, and glory, and that compelling confident stare. Somethign flexed, and then curled, tensing up in Syphile's stomach. Like her muscles were hardening for practice. Tighten up, or when they punch you in the stomach, you'll throw up. She shook the thought away.
"Who hasn't decided yet?" she called. A few hands flashed up, or drifted slowly into the air. Syphile didn't bother. She didn't want to be singled out if the leader decided to make an example or two.
The few left got a lecture on the benefits of being a summoner. Red eyes flashing, ears almost laid back, the Sharen preached a sermon on why it should be necessary for every female Drowolath, no matter what clan they came from.
No one dared to ask about the demons that circled their minds afterward, waiting for the chance to possess the soul, or the negative energy that flowed in a tainted Drow's veins. A Sharen was as bad about the practice as a Kyorl, one of the pure, taintless clans. The only difference, people soon learned, was whether the argument swung for or against.
"If you want to be safe at this school," she said, eyes sliding patiently over the crowd, "Then the ceremony is absolutely necessary. For everyone. Not only those who have decided to take the best path, and be summoners, but for those select few who are left in the crossfire. It would be a pity to lose any of our students because they were afraid to be tainted."
Those left looked at each other, looked at the people they knew, as friends, as classmates. Wondered what to do. The teacher had stressed that tainting was not mandatory-- but one of their own was making it clear that it probably should be.
"Well? Who's with me?" She looked them over. "Stand up if you want to be tainted, want to be safe, and powerful."
Her tone added happy, accepted, capable, confident to the list. Chairs scraped and clothing rustled as the leader smiled.
By the time the teacher walked back in, every girl in the class was on her feet, ready and waiting for the demon.
