The Adventures of Tanis Thalin: To Rule a World
Chapter Twenty Five

Three days after the attack in the palace, the wedding of Tanis Thalin and Athinina Targul took place. The grand hall of the palace was filled with people from every corner of his kingdom. Many came to see the new couple as they left the hall and maybe touch the hems of their garments. The hall was decorated with flowers by the thousands and with fineries that rivaled the very palaces of Olympus itself. No expense was spared as the tapestries and silks were placed about the hall. Great vats of flowers white as a new fallen snow where placed with care at close intervals making it appear as if the ceremony occurred in a vast flowered meadow.

The columns were covered in silk imprinted with the sigils of the Targul and Thalin houses. The white backgrounds standing out strongly against the dark grey stone of the columns. The seats covered in a soft padding of new white wools. The bride presented herself for the ceremony in a fine new gown made for her by the palace seamstresses. The cloth of the gown could have produced enough shirts to cloth half of the soldiers in Tanis’s army. The veil covered her face was so light that the gentle breeze of her breath caused the veil to stir before her. She felt distinctly uncomfortable in her gown and swore that it would be a new shirt for the troops as soon as she could be out of it. She would not have worn it, electing to marry in something much simpler, except for the statement by Artitous that appearances were all important to the people. The people prefer to see something extravagant by those who lead them as a show that they can and will provide for their people. It made little sense to her.

Tanis arrived at the wedding in the same simple tunic he normally wore for special occasions. The velveteen of the tunic was made to match the fabric that covered the entire hall. Tanis had the tunic made for the wedding in white so that he could tell Athinina that it was indeed a new tunic. When Athinina saw Tanis her eyes opened wide with surprise. Here she was draped like a huge gift and there was her husband to be standing there as comfortable as could be. The look she gave him promised a firm speaking to when the ceremonies were complete.

As Athinina came down the aisle to meet her husband and for the ceremony to begin, all the anger and distress over her garments disappeared. A feeling of butterflies in her stomach, so foreign to her, suddenly hit her as she moved to Tanis’s side. The feeling grew worse as she looked at him and she realized that this would change her world forever. She could no longer think for herself alone. There were two of them now. She would never have to walk alone again. She looked over at Clairine at her side. The woman had been at her side for years. Now she would have two rulers. No more answering to her alone. True amongst her people men had few rights but she was no longer amongst just her people. She would have to think as these odd outsiders thought now.

Clairine smiled at her and the butterflies settled. She was doing the right thing. Clairine would not allow her to do otherwise. Clairine looked at her mistress with pride in her eyes and her heart. She was doing what was best for her people and for herself by marrying the young lord. Athinina would now lead the largest land force ever assembled. She truly was the greatest of the Tyris Queens. Clairine watched the long ceremony with great boredom and nearly fell from her chair when Tanis interrupted it by grabbing Athinina and kissing her deeply before the entire crowd.

“I couldn’t wait any longer, lady. Please forgive me for spoiling such a great ceremony.” Said Tanis to the queen.

“Trust me, my lord. I was almost tempted to do the same to you if this continued much longer. I was kind of hoping that this would be over sooner than later. Now please explain something to me. Why am I burdened with all this fluff when you get to wear clothing as you always do? I think you and I are going to have to discuss this more closely later.” Warned Athinina.

“Just be gentle with me my lady. That is all I ask.” Said Tanis as they moved from the hall to the banquet that awaited them out before the palace.

The druid priest presiding over the event look puzzled and amazed as the couple walked from the hall and left him standing before the startled crowd alone. Once more the young lord had amazed them all and done what they had least expected.

Out in the courtyard where they had set the banquet, large kegs of wine and beer had been set up and had stewards standing by to serve the guests. Large tables of food were spread around the entire courtyard piled high with such dishes as roasts and pork and venison. Large quantities of fruits and vegetables filled other tables and stewards waited there as well for the guests. There were no tables to sit and eat as Tanis wanted the food and drink available to any who desired some. As platters emptied chefs refilled them with fresh food from the kitchens. The locals who farmed the land brushed elbows with the lords and ladies that ruled their lands in Tanis’s name. Shepherds mingled with bankers and beggars with lords. Class meant noting this day and Tanis ensured that it remained that way by stopping and speaking to every one of the people who had come to this event.

By the end of the day Tanis and Athinina were hoarse from the well wishers and those who would see the bride and groom to a very happy honeymoon with suggestion for the wedding night. Athinina assured her warriors that the wedding night was already well taken care of. Tanis would blush whenever he would hear Athinina speaking to one of the tyris warriors. After all, this was not something that should be discussed in proper company. This was something that was not discussed in any company!

The couple walked tiredly and a little drunkenly toward the suite reserved for the two of them. The Hands walking slowly around them doing their best to avoid noticing the state of their commanders. The Hands of the Phoenix moved carefully down the darkened hall. Tanis tried to send them away stating they needed no more protection but for some unknown reason the head of the guard ordered a closer guard. As they approached the doors to the bedding chambers the doors flew from their hinges.

The guard had been waiting though. The dwarf that led jumped at the first being to move toward them through the door scoring its chest with the blade of his axe. Athinina fumbled clumsily with her gown as she struggled to draw her sword. Tanis managed to draw his but in his state ended with it upon the floor. His attempts to call upon the power resulted in the same failure. Athinina finally had her blade up in time to see the fallen creatures around her. The Hands had done their work with brutal efficiency. Around them lay the bodies of demons and spiders. Spiders large enough to consume a man with barely a hesitation. The demons appeared to be of lesser castes and only to see to the behavior of the spiders. In the bedding chamber fine webs covered it in its entirety. Everywhere the group moved they found themselves becoming more and more entangled in the webs of the now deceased spiders. Slowly the group moved deeper into the chambers looking for more danger when the danger found them.

From the ceiling of the inner chamber a deep rumbling emerged. The group found themselves almost stuck fast by the webs that they had had to cut through. As they became trapped they saw the cause of the sound. A huge queen spider moved toward the now trapped group and moved toward the lead man of the Hands. The man pulled and strained against the webbing trying to release himself to protect himself and his master when the spider fell upon him. It was over in moments. The spider had drained him to the bone and was moving on to her next victim, a dwarf directly behind the man. The dwarf had managed to free a hand but had not managed to free a weapon. He too died rapidly as he tried to use his freed hand to clear his weapon and fight back against the giant monster.

The giant spider moved slowly toward the now stuck fast figure of Athinina and the blood of her previous victims dripped from her mandibles as she advanced. Tanis and Athinina watched in horror as the spider moved slowly across the web toward her new victims. Athinina wiggled in her dress trying to unstick herself from the webbing that now held tight to her dress. The more she squirmed the more the spider seemed enticed. Slowly Athinina seemed to become enveloped in the web as she wiggled and moved within her gigantic dress. The spider moved forward faster than Tanis thought a creature of its size should be able. Tanis was still trying to clear his mind enough to use his power to destroy either the webbing or the spider but nothing would come.

As the spider reached the still squirming Athinina the room filled with a flash that drowned out the vision of all those who continued to try to fight. The world went dark to all those in the room as the room faded.

The wedding had gone off without a hitch and Artitous and Marzioa were slowly moving down the corridors discussing the room in which Tanis had found the text. Something just did not seem right that the room was hidden and never found by the prior occupant. The discussion had gone to things such as magical protection, but they agreed they would have sensed its presence. They speculated on dumb luck, but Artitous calmly reminded his companion that there was no luck. Marzioa then countered that it was convenient that the knight had not used that wing for so long. What could possible have kept the Dark Knight from that wing?

Artitous was looking around and thinking when Marzioa suddenly stopped. “How much cob webbing and spider webbing did the stewards say they removed from that wing?” asked the wizard.

Artitous looked confused for a moment then realized what his friend was alluding to. “Where would they have gone? Why would they have not attacked? There would have to have been an entire colony of the beasts to have created that much web.” Said the druid.

“They did we just did not realize it. Remember we assumed that several of our workers left before the work was done because no trace of them could be found? Remember how many of the workers complained of being bitten or stuck by things unseen as work proceeded? We have been blind! They did protect them. They placed the spiders here as a security system that would appear natural. The only question now is where they would have gone since they were not crashing the wedding?” asked the wizard.

“Spiders like the dark, high, damp places of our world. They would not have traveled far from their usual hunting grounds. Especially if they suddenly became very lucrative to them. So where would they hide until all was cleared away and they could return?” Asked the druid.

“The bridal suite!” they shouted in unison as they turned around and ran for the high dark chambers that the newlyweds had chosen for their honeymoon. Rapidly they traversed the halls calling for every soldier that was still fit to hold a weapon to follow behind them. The two learned magi called to anyone with the strength of will or the ability to wield the power to come after them to the bridal suite and to make haste.

The outer doors where closed when the now huge party of men, dwarves, elves, and every other sort of creature that followed Tanis reached them. Artitous’s first thought was that the honeymoon had commenced and that this was a false alarm. Marzioa looked at Artitous and smacked him in the back of his head. “Artitous, learned friend, one thing causes error to your theory. There are no posted guards.” Marzioa moved through the outer doors and cut a path with his power toward the inner chamber. He arrived in time to see the giant spider bearing down upon Athinina’s now helpless form.

Marzioa let fly a spell no one present had ever seen before. At first it blinded everyone in the inner chamber and startled the spider. Then at near the same time it turned into a ball of light that slammed into the body of the spider sending it sprawling. The spell stayed with the creature and continued to pummel and beat against the great arachnid until finally the spider tried a final time to fight back and was once more beaten into submission. With a great heave the spider curled it legs beneath it and slowly stopped its breath. Marzioa took no chances with deception and ordered several spearmen to bring in very large spears and see to the destruction of the creature. His orders left no room for interpretation. No one was to get near the spider.

Artitous looked around the carnage in the inner chamber and saw the remains of the two soldiers that had been killed by the spider. One of the two fallen warriors was a ranger. A ranger was a long range scout that used disguise and subterfuge to hide and learn information which he then returned to his lord. The druid looked to the wizard and asked “Marzioa, a question. Don’t these great spiders take on the intelligence and capabilities of those which they feed upon?”

“My friend I believe you are right. That would mean that the spider would have some idea of tactics and fighting having killed the two soldiers.” Said the wizard.

“You make a mistake. Only one of these was a soldier. The other was a ranger which would mean that…” Began Artitous.

“Run you fools!” Screamed both magi at the same time. “It feigns death!” And both the magi ran toward the curled form of the great beast. Their warning came too late for those closest to the giant spider. As the magus screamed to them the spider made its move. Quickly it was upon the two closest soldiers and had killed the two with her mandibles spearing a third with her stinger. The spider slowly circled the two magi standing before it back to back. Both bore flames around their hands and looked at the spider with unbroken attention. “Remove everyone from the room.” Called Artitous to the surrounding soldiers. “This is our fight now. Just get everyone else out of here before any others can be killed.”

Rapidly soldiers started moving to clear away the webbing and release their lord and lady, as well as their comrades-in-arms. Several Tyris arrived in time to be shooed from the room with the rest of the newly arrived soldiers that had heard something was occurring on the upper floors. The wizard and the druid moved to keep the creature from moving toward those that where trapped, keeping themselves between it and its intended victims.

Finally the all clear was given and the two magic users looked at each other and then the beast. Marzioa struck again with his abusive ball of light while Artitous struck with fireballs. Rapidly the spider succumbed to the combined attack of the two wielders of the power and it fell to the floor. To ensure no further subterfuge from the spider, Artitous cast a further fireball to incinerate the great insect while Marzioa swept the burning remains on a flow of air into the fireplace. The two magi remained until the remains where reduced to dust, just to ensure that there could be no further mistakes on any of their parts.

“Artitous, I do believe after this, we need and deserve a drink.” Said the wizard.

“Why my good man, whatever do you mean? A drink? I had more like four or five in mind myself.” Laughed the druid.

“Well let us begin with one and add them from there.” Replied the now laughing wizard.

Tanis and Athinina finally awoke as the two magi walked down the hall laughing and talking of how they had underestimated their adversary. Tanis looked to Athinina and Athinina looked to Tanis. The two moved from the floor and began down the halls. They did not speak only looked at each other and shook their heads. One of the Hands of the Phoenix that came to replace those incapacitated in the fight looked at Tanis and asked “What is wrong my lord?”

“Can anyone ever figure wizards?”

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