The Witch's Daughter

Part Twelve

 Long after the last cave-elves went to their hard little stone-beds, Deliria paced the cave, gnarled hands folded behind her back. She whistled, the high-pitched sound echoing eerily, bouncing from cavern to cavern. Her huge ears flopped about like an elephant's. With Amma gone, her plan was ruined-- but that didn't mean it was completely over. Besides, she had an idea of where her great-granddaughter was.

"I sense something unnatural. Something...hissing and slithering. Primitive, but dangerous. Dangerous, but loving. Loving, but slugs fuck, too."

The old lady shivered as she spoke, but Terra scowled at her. Mother was always "sensing something", hence she needed someone to reel her back into reality.

"Don't play games with me, Mother. Now isn't the time!"

"I'm serious," Deliria continued, "Something's happened with Amma-- something unnatural. And when something of this magnitude occurs, I fear we must find someone new to continue the ritual."

Terra sat cross-legged, rolling the ball around the circuaginn.

"What kind of unnatural magnitude are we talking? The girl has no spine-- or so we thought."

"Spineless she may be, but slowly it grows in her."

"So what happened? Did she die?"

"Much worse. I have sensed a contact with the naga."

"The naga!" Terra tossed her head back and laughed. "You speak in riddles, old woman! You know nothing of this cave, don't you?"

"You know nothing of your daughter," Deliria spat, "Bathilde told me, long ago, that she rescued a naga from the hands of the Picardy Coven. The naga, therefore, are indebted to this family...particularly the matriarch, Ixtectha."

"That idiot will have to wait," chuckled Terra, "Besides, a hemipenes doesn't appeal to the average non-reptile." She shuddered at the thought. "Again you forget how I united your cave-folk!"

"I feel sorry for Ixtectha. She didn't expect all one hundred eggs to hatch, you know. One hundred males is a lot of mouths to feed."

"Her sons are handsome, if I remember right. But a hundred! Pfff! I'm glad we elves don't reproduce that much."

"We can, if necessary." Deliria looked her daughter up and down. "Unfortunately, you've produced twelve children I never see."

Terra frowned.

"I warned her to the best of my ability, Mother. Every time she looked at a man, I told her he steals bits of your soul away. That I was the person only she needed. 'This world wasn't made for half-breeds like you,' I explained, 'Only mine is."' Bathilde nodded and smiled a bit too much. You know how she is, blinding herself to darkness with too much light!"

"That may be so," Deliria replied, "And I cannot dispute such honesty. But did you ever think your fear for her was what made her rebel so quickly?"

"Perhaps."

"You call her a whore, but you envy her power."

Terra blushed.

"Th-That's true. But it's not fair! A fool like her, getting more power than her mother?! She ought to be hanged!"

"Don't be ridiculous. Bathilde is your favorite child and you know it."

Terra changed the subject. 

"The Cave Spirit can't wait for a mate. The longer they yearn, the longer the cave-elves struggle in their faith."