Private Of Wings and Webs

[Narina Dithi]

TAG: Niara

On Dathomir there were two rival houses, one noble and one not. The Nardithi Clan was fairest of all, its citdel in the tall cliffside opulent with ivory towers and Sisters in white and adorned in gold. Below, in the caves was The Spider Clan who was cast as meanest of all, having a reputation on Dathomir as the most despised clan with sisters who ride Bane Arachnids in dadk recesses.

These two worlds had nothing in common, save that a friendship formed between the Cliff and the Cave, two Sisters of two worlds became fast friends, meeting in woodland nearby, their bond would cause more than a stir, it would threaten a war. So they kept their friendship secret, but all secrets inevitably do not remain so and the consequences would last forever…

---

Narina sat upon her throne, it was made of pearl of the finest white and her arm rests sold gold. Her elaborate head dress was adorned with golden circlets, when she called to a servant.

“Ginnobrak!”

A short Zabrak came running, the size of child yet with the voice of a man.

“Yes Duchess?! How may I please you?”

The Head Mistress rose to her feet, her white dress flowing with long train.

“I wish to host a Ball.”

The Tiny Zabrak replied,

“Yes my Lady, who would you like to invite?”

The Pale Duchess turned eith burning green eyes.

“Nightsisters of course.. I suppose Night Brothers if we are to find a suitor for my Dalinda.”

The Zabrak Servant asked,
“What about the Spider Clan?”

Narina turned making a fist with her perfect porcelain fingers.

“Now Ginnobrak.. have you gone soft in the head? You know the Arachno urchins are not welcome.”

Ginnobrak began to sweat, when Dalinda walked in with her long flowing white hair and stunning amber eyes.

“Mother! Surly it would be an act of good will to invite Spider Clan. After all the new edict from The Night Coven is to seek unity.”

Narina looked at her daughter with a stern expression.

“Since when my dearest one, have you cared about such edicts?”

Dalina sighed,

“I just think if we treat our enemies kindly, maybe they will stop being our enemies.”

Narina drew closer, her steps so quiet.

“Hmmm.. a radical philosophy, Though in it some wisdom. If it will keep those disgusting eight legs off our cliffs, then it may be worth it.”

Dalina smiled, she could not wait to tell Xella the news, when she was stopped by her Mother’s word,

“Since so earnest are you, you shall make the invitations.”

Dalina turned and pouted,

“That is for servants! I am a royal!”

Narina drew close and grabbed her daughter’s chin with her fingers forming a crown.

“You put on a good show my dearest, but I see all in this citadel. If your intentions are not pure, I will know of it.”

Dalina rolled her eyes, but the sass was met with a great burning emerald flame that made Dalina recoil, as it fell on floor and spread towards her.

“Make it stop! Mother!”

The Duchess snapped her index and thumb fingers, making the spreading flame turn to smoke. She then went to their throne and turning said,

“If you ever again disrespect me, you shall join the Spider Clan below and the Gates of Dithia will be shut to you!”

Dalina scowled and ran off, she was angry at her chastisement. Narina sat and sighed,

“She finds a life mate or I send her off world.. she is growing restless.”

An elderly Sister stepped from beside the throne,

“She is young My Lady, I urge patience, she will wisen with proper instruction.”

Narina turned to her,

“What instruction? She has exasperated all the tutors!”

The Aged One smiled,

“Life is a far greater teacher, and its marks are felt forever compared to those made in chalk.”

 

[Niara]

There was so much tradition, so much that held her clan together. Those of the spiders, they were her family first. The rest of these clans of dathomir, they mattered. But for the most part, less than her own. Still, in spite of her family. In spite of her closest sisters. She had found another to befriend, another of this world her home. Yet this time, one of a clan with far more animosity. The spiderclan had never been the respected one, heretics or threats. It bothered her, she avoided causing war with the others. Yet still there was a lingering disdain, in particular for those that held fast to their hatred of them. In particular, the Nardithi.

And yet, it was from that clan she found a friend. She waited at a distance. Watching, the night was even less of a concern for her than it was for most sisters. Her eyes perfectly adjusted, her senses enhanced by the magic to let her seek out the distance the friend as she hid in the woods. Waiting quietly as a predator might, as a spider might. But watching for a friend rather than for a victim.

It was one of the few things her clan perhaps did not know she was up to, though she was not sure she'd be willing to lie to them. Not directly. No they were still family. But that didn't mean they had to know what she was up to at all times.

Narina Dithi

 

[Narina Dithi]

Dalina fled to the Citdel walls, and looked down the cliffs at the great forest. Taking a great support rope she tossed it down and began to climb down, she clang to the tan knots as she scaled the cliffside which she knew like the back of hed hand. Nardithi Sisters all knew how to navigate the cliffs, they were taught at a young age to make scaling second nature.

When she reached the bottom she headed to the previous agreed upon meeting places. Dalina was desperate to see her friend and tell them the news that The Spider Clan was invited to The Ball! She wound around tree after tree till she saw her, Niara , in all her exotic beauty! She had all the best features of a Night Sister with accents of a feline, including strips of black thay most Dathomirians bore, only she wondered if they were natural or acquired in the Night Sistr fashion. Dalina approached her friend, knowing snealing uo was impossible with her acute senses, she merely stomped on twigs to make a crackling sound, both hands behind her white dress, her long two braids of white hair rising in loops before her ear lobes. Her eyes sparking amber, the only feature Dalina believed was striking in herseld, for it bore no resemblance to her Mother.

“Niara.. I am here. I have the best news!”

---

In The Citdel, Narina stood in a oval outlook , with a puloar and white ball of crystal that she held her fingers over, the image of Dalina in a forest and Felacian, a Spider Clan member in the background. The Duchess eyed them both with her molten peridot eyes.

The Elder entered, and Narina made the orb go back to its swirling pearl.

“Reverend Mother.. I am in need of your wisdom.”

The Elder approached,

“What distresses you my Child?”

The Head Mistress turned in her train.

“This Ball will be a blending of our people with theirs.. if there ever was an opportunity to..”

The Elder finished her thought,

“End the menace of Spiders.”

Narina nodded,

“The problem is The Coven has decreed unity, that old animosities be put to rest.”

The Elder drew closer with her grey hair and wrinkled ridden face.

“Before you are two paths, one to avenge grievances of the past, the other to reform, to move into a new age of peace.”

Narina sat on a pew,

“What do you advise Mother?”

The Elder took a seat beside The Duchess.

“I am not the one to ask my Child, I harbor bitter memories of the War of Webs, and lost many daughters to the arachnid foe. You must decide for all your subjects, will you abide by the rule of the Coven Council or move in independence.. you must see the way ahead for us all.”

Narina nodded, she raised her soft hand to her chin. “Heavy is the head who wears the crown.”

 

[Bogdana]

Deep inside the caves of Dathomir, a fortress made of black rock like staralicyes stopd on a great round slab that was surepunded by a natural moat pf abysss. There in deep the Spider Clan resides and its Mistress stewed. Belowong in mines, in depths of the darkness Bogdana had a cauldron filled with red glowing liquid, she stirred the pot with the waving of her hands, as a spell book levitated above and the papers turned. Her work had changed the composition of the Spirit Ichor which was naturally peridot, here at her command it was vermillion and it immolated when it touched certain living matter.

Bogdana caste spells and called forth the dark power of the Sith, which made the cauldron shake, her eyes bright red, matching the waters she stirred.

“Na darith udan marr!”

The liquid churned and rose making the form of a Sister.

“Dark to dark, dust to dust, I curse who I use to trust!”

There was a slight quake and Bogdana stepped away as the Red Ichor shape fell back in pot and smoke rose. Walking in her black dress with chains that had balls of spikes dragging in the train, she ascended stone stairs of black rock, candles of red burning and levitating all around, she came to main Fortress wherw Sisters trained on ther Spider Steads, using staff blades and throwing javilans at makeshift statues of stone. It was good to see her Sisters training hard. Many who were waiting to fight bowed their heads to her as she came to a child weeping with black root stave.

“Why do you weep my child?”

The Little Girl turned,

“They.. they fought dirty.”

Bogdana lowered her head and whispered into her ear,

“There is only one way ro fight my dear, that is dirty. Honor is for fools, next time use every advantage, exploit all weakness, and you will be invincible!”

The a little girl nodded and rose up to fight another in a non lethal combat, she kicked up soem graphite and dust into the otherMa eyes and attacked.

Bogdana clapped,

“Well done! Well done.”

The Head Mistress of the Spider Clan pulled out Parasol of metal, and came to the black slab arena where several Spider Sisters on Arachnids approached, the Dark Mother snapped something on the parosol and red beams made a wheel of saber blades, which with flick she arched and threw around her the parasaber cutting through the staff weapons as it flew back to her hand. The Spidee Calvary charged and she soun the unusual weapon to make a shield of blade that when the Arachnid’s head passed into circle of red crossing ssbers, tore clean off making the sister fly off.

“Work as unit! Attack all at once!”

The Sisters listened to their Mistress, but the result was the same as each Bane Spider fell and the Sisters laid on the ground panting.

“Pathetic! How are we to take Dathomir from the unworthy if you cannot fight as One?!”

She pointed her fingers at two sisters and sent red bolts to strike them and drain their life force, something she used for sustenance and to punish failure.

Leaving the pitiful souls she moved to a higher level of the Fortress, young spiders crawling around in droves, following her like a river of black and gray. Her eyes burned, her wrath demanding further morsels, so she entered a dungeon where Nohjt Brothers hung from chains, one had orange skin and coughed.

Approaching she looked at the Captive Zabrak.

“To be born a man on Dathomir is such a curse.. you are of less value than refuse..”

She ran her hand down his neck to his chest.

“And yet.. you possess a singular purpose of value.”

Stepping behind him she leaned her mouth into his ear.

“That is the only reason you are alive..”

With touch of her finger the chains broke and he fwll to his knees.

“You shall be my personal slave.. and you shall serve my whims without hesitation.”

She placed her black lips on his and drew in a breath.

“Yes.. go and await my instruction.”

The Zabrak obeyed as she wiped her lip and smiled.

 

[Niara]

Niara smiled as she saw the familiar face, there were many she cared for. But few beyond he clan. Let alone any in this one, beyond this one. She hopped off her spot to stand up by Dalina and raise a brow, "Oh, I run the world do I?" she joked, giving her a light friendly shove, "You sure are a noisy courier aren't ya?" she continued to mess with her.

Then she made an "Oh" face, "Ooh, hey, got an idea for how we can meet and not to be quite so discreet. Just trust me, it'll be neat. You'll love it." then gave an apologetic look, "Right, sorry, what was the news?"

 

[Narina Dithi]

Dalina heard the voice of her friend followed by a playful shove. She gave a smirk regarding the noisiness of movements.

“Well I knew it was futile to sneak up on you my Felacian friend.”

When she heard of a more diacret way to meet she replied, “Oh? Do tell!”

She then related her news,

“We are hosting a Ball and all pf Spider Clan is invited! This means we can be seen together in public!”

Dalina was so jovial, so elated by the news she had related that she almost began to dance.

Niara

---

Narina rose to walk when the Elder began to struggle in her breathing. The Duchess turned to her,

“Reverend Mother? Are you alright.”

The Eldee began to choke and gasp, as she fell on her knees, prompting Narina to catch her and hold her in Her arms. The Old Sage then went limp. The Matron of Dathia closer her eyes. This sudden collapse and she was gone would indicate a stroke, but Narina sensed something faint, a trace of Ichor though it was strange. She squinted and said aloud,

“Bogdana…”

 

[Niara]

"I'm not the only predator in this world you know." she grinned, then held up a finger to her lips "Mmm, eventually."

She tilted her head at the offer staring a bit, befuddled more than she was shocked. The Felacatian couldn't hide the combined concern and uncertainty on her face, "Are you....sure. I mean, that'd be great but..." she bit her lip, "I don't mean to sound...uh...ya know. It's just. It sounds suspicious doesn't it?" Nia asked her, she really didn't want to offend her. And were Dalina seeking her feelings or thoughts she certainly would sense that Nia wanted it to be true, but she had spent far too long lacking any trust in other clans. least of all Narina's, to accept so suddenly that they'd be allowed. Let alone invited into a ball.

Narina Dithi

 

[Narina Dithi]

Dalina blinked, she had not considered it could be a ruse.
“Do you really think its a trap? That my Mother would harm you and your people?”
The answer was already in Dalina’s mind, for she knew the petty rivalry was strong between Nardithi and Spider Clan. And that the bad blood was boilimg despite the Edict of Unitas.
“I say we have a plan of it is a trick, I am willing to run away and join Spider Clan if I must!”
Her zeal for her friend was palpable.

---

Narina prepared a dirge, she wore a black cape over her white robes as she laid the Elder on a white ivory strone with candles of green flame all around.

“Sleep Elder Mother..”

Women in White robes chanted in the circle as Narina’s eyes burned. She knew her Sister was behind this and now plotted a reprisal. As she left the Ditge she spoke to a herald.

“Send invitations to Spider Clan for the Ball. Sign them in my name.”

Narina made her way back to the throne room and planned her retribution.

 

[Niara]

Niara frowned for Dalina's first reaction but then held up a hand to stop it shaking her head firmly, "I wouldn't ask that of you, not unless it was for your own sake. But yes, let's prepare for it."

Nia would look around, seeking out any eyes that might be on them and try and pull Dalina with her deeper into the forest so they could surely be well hidden. Then she'd cast spell of mimicry on herself, taking on the form of a dathomirian zabrak male with red skin, even changing the clothes she was wearing to be more fitting of one. She bowed the head, "Will this form suffice to hide amongst you?" she prompted, then seeking to send her own thoughts through mindspeech to Dalina, I also can attempt to make a teleportation out of here much easier, a temporary enchantment at a location, and I might be able to be on my way far more freely. Besides, this form shouldn't raise so many questions.

She grinned a little, Still, I worry what happens if our Matron might decide to accept it...and something does happen. If war breaks out between us...then I would beg you to come to us. I can't hurt you but...even if I wanted to I don't have the power to stop my clan from doing so either. I hope it can't come to that.

Narina Dithi

 

[Narina Dithi]

Dalina nodded,
“I would like nothing better than to leabe Nardithi. I feel smothered.. I just want to be free!”

Seeing her Felacian Friend transform into a Zabrak male was startling, but then she sniled,
“Very handsome, it will serve.” She winked.

When Niara ‘s tone was sober, as she spoke of war.
“If there is a war, I shall side with Spider Clan. For you are more dear to me than my kin. They are a bunch stone statues without hearts!”

Dalina had venom in her words, she was so bitter at her mother.

---

Narina stood looking into her crystal ball and saw her daughter with a male Zabrak.

“Who is this? Has she finally found a suitor?”

The Herald approached.

“The invitations have been sent Matron.”

Turning in her white headress, she pointed to the crystal ball.

“Find out who this Night Brother is and invite him to the Ball.”

The Herald bowed and left with haste. Narina turned back to the crystal ball and smirked. Everything was going as planned.

 

[Niara]

Niara gave her a sympathetic look as she said she felt smothered.
Then grinned at the comment on the zabrak form, "Oh really. It will serve will it?" she teased.

Though matters returned to seriousness quite soon, she had to pity Dalina. She was actually born to the woman, yet wasn't at home. And Niara had already been a young girl by the time she arrived on Dathomir and was adopted into the clan. Yet she felt her clan as close a family as her parents. Niara stepped forwards and wrapped her arms around Dalina.

"You're dear to me too Dalina," then trying to lighten the mood she nudged her head, exaggerating a confused and thoughtful voice "Hm, I wander if that's why I haven't decided to feed you to a spider?"

Narina Dithi

Male Zabrak Appearance

 

[Narina Dithi]

Dalina laughed at Niara antics, she had a dark humor which she loved, which was stark contrast to the humorless Mother.

“Your spider’s bark is worse than its bite. Plus it liked me better.”

She stuck put her tongue, somwthing no proper Nardithi would ever do and so she loved doing it.

“When you come to the ball, you shall be in this form? I want to make sure not to kiss the wrong Zabrak.”

Now she was being playful, and trying to mess with her friend.

“Speaking of spiders, you better be careful in that form or you may be mistaken as a meal. Your Spider may think its a male from some other tribe.”

While she said this in jest, the truth is Dalina worries about Niara, the conflicts between Nardithi and Spider Clan had raged long before she was even born. She wanted it to end, hate was a waste of energy and time.

 

[Niara]

Nia snorted shaking her head, "Oh making the slaves jealous are you?" she joked leaning to one side and grinning, waggling her eyebrows at Dalina, "But yeah this'll probably do it."

Then gave Dalina a fake offended look, "As if it could do anything about it?" then smiled and waved her hand aside, "It's under my command, not just my voice."

She picked up a stick wielding it psuedo-threateningly with a smirk, "Fear my might hand witch, no spider nor spell can best me. En Garde." she poked at Dalina's stomach her playfully.

Narina Dithi

Male Zabrak Appearance