((one week after the fight with Cordelia))

Eliel pulled his shirt off and clasped his fingers together, raising them over his head. He bent over, stretching his back and arms. Letting his fingers slide apart, he reached to grab the necklace he wore, a drow-made piece, made of dark metals and drow magic. Having found nothing wrong with it, he had decided to wear it, and had not taken it off since, being maybe a week now.

Eliel let his fingers curl around it. Tried to, anyhow. His fingers couldn’t get under it, only prodding at his skin. His eyes widened as he woke completely, cursing. It seemed to press down on his skin as he pulled at it, bonding with his flesh. Panicked, Eliel grabbed a dagger.

He slid it under his skin without hesitation, trying to pull it out from below. He felt the magic in the necklace activate, fusing with him. He pulled the dagger out with a grimace. The flesh healed over and he felt a shudder run up his spine. Sharp pains sprung out below his torso, legs seeming to bind together in a mass of flesh. He clenched his teeth and yelled out as the mass of flesh that was his lower body began to swell, becoming more defined as they went. His vision took on a light red hue as they turned a deep, ruby red.

Eliel felt the black mass form behind him, becoming that of a spider’s two pains on his forehead erupted as two new eyes formed above his own. Eight legs sprouted from his spider half, becoming huge, thick limbs. Eliel passed out then, going limp.

* * * *

Eliel awoke hours later, looking around the room in a panic. He started to move his legs to the mirror, and found himself gliding over the floor. Even more worried, he arrived and gasped.

Eliel had four red eyes now, but that was the least of his worries. His entire lower half had become that of a huge black spider. He had received the punishment of lolth, that reserved for those who angered her immensely.

He was a drider.

But how? He remembered the necklace and his hand went to it. It was beneat his skin, feeling like little bumps. He groaned and scuttled around the room in anger.

Ruby.

Ruby had done this to him, the woman at cascadia. He snarled in anger and looked at his hands. He still had the left gauntlet, and his right palm was still scarred from Luriel. Eliel felt murderous. Going to his armory, the hidden space, he slipped on his right gauntlet and seized his wand and Luriel. He found a way to place it and it’s sheath on a belt and fitting it across his chest diagonally on his back.

Eliel took the wolf mantle and earthmeld gem, placing the gem on his palm under his right gauntlet and sweeping the mantle on. His form shifted, turning into a black wolf with red eyes. Eliel left his house in a rage, setting off for Balefire to begin his search.