Chapter 3
The Tournament
Zak sighed as Matron Do'Urden started the tournament. He had finished sparring against another possible choice and was extremely bored by the lack of skill the commoner had. He truly wondered if he really wanted to fight in the tournament, distressfully noting that the skill of who he just fought was the norm in the tournament, and perhaps even that skill was one of the better ones.
Zak knew that it was mostly because the drow were taught to lose all passion in fighting, in everyday life. From day one in the Academy, Zak and his classmates were taught on how to fight, and not to revel in the kill, but to kill and move on. They were brainwashed, and most that were naïve were induced entirely. Those that knew otherwise had already been told about the information and believed it. That, Zak believed, was the mistake of the drow.
Lost in his thoughts, Zak did not hear the call of the Matron. After he was called twice, he walked onto the platform where the fight was supposed to be. Matron Do'Urden announced those that were fighting, and the extremely short list of disparaging comments that were to discourage them, yet Zak absorbed them and ignored them. His opponent, however, flinched and Zak knew that the comments were actually aimed at his opponent, and not at him, even though he had been the slow one.
"Fight!" Matron Do'Urden cried to the fighters. And, softly, to Malice, she said, "Watch this fight, and the laziness of the one called Zak'nefien. He is better than he will show... he will be the next patron." Malice smiled just so her mother could not see the rage in her eyes. She knew her mother was taunting her, telling her to become the matron without saying it. But Malice just watched and was amazed at how many parries Zak missed, amazed at how sluggishly the weapons moved. Perhaps he needed a better challenge.
Zak watched the commoner pull off a dazzling foward thrust feint, followed by a low jab by the hilt of his dirk to Zak's groin. Zak, however expected the attack, and while the drow was moving in his latest attack, Zak merely snuck behind the drow and nicked his arm, all the way from his shoulder to his wrist. It was a small cut, but it bled immediately.
"Zak'nefien has won!" Matron Do'Urden cried to the audience. The audience cried out many calls, some being "Kill the loser!" and other comments of the same ilk. Zak just looked at the loser with an approving stare, and just wondered when he could leave the tournament.
"Zak'nefien," Matron Do'Urden said. "You are the new Weapon Master!"
The crowd gasped audibly. The tournament was not finished, yet Matron Do'Urden had selected the Weapon Master, and effectively her new patron. She glared at them.
"I said he won," she snarled to her commoners. "Does anyone want to tell me otherwise?"
"Yes," said Zak, immediately. "You have not finished the tournament, and I would like a better enemy. It would not be... acceptable if I won now by defeating such a weak opponent." Some people were shocked that Zak would outwardly tell the Matron Mother what to do, and others shocked because he had just gotten a very respectable position in the house.
The Tournament
Zak sighed as Matron Do'Urden started the tournament. He had finished sparring against another possible choice and was extremely bored by the lack of skill the commoner had. He truly wondered if he really wanted to fight in the tournament, distressfully noting that the skill of who he just fought was the norm in the tournament, and perhaps even that skill was one of the better ones.
Zak knew that it was mostly because the drow were taught to lose all passion in fighting, in everyday life. From day one in the Academy, Zak and his classmates were taught on how to fight, and not to revel in the kill, but to kill and move on. They were brainwashed, and most that were naïve were induced entirely. Those that knew otherwise had already been told about the information and believed it. That, Zak believed, was the mistake of the drow.
Lost in his thoughts, Zak did not hear the call of the Matron. After he was called twice, he walked onto the platform where the fight was supposed to be. Matron Do'Urden announced those that were fighting, and the extremely short list of disparaging comments that were to discourage them, yet Zak absorbed them and ignored them. His opponent, however, flinched and Zak knew that the comments were actually aimed at his opponent, and not at him, even though he had been the slow one.
"Fight!" Matron Do'Urden cried to the fighters. And, softly, to Malice, she said, "Watch this fight, and the laziness of the one called Zak'nefien. He is better than he will show... he will be the next patron." Malice smiled just so her mother could not see the rage in her eyes. She knew her mother was taunting her, telling her to become the matron without saying it. But Malice just watched and was amazed at how many parries Zak missed, amazed at how sluggishly the weapons moved. Perhaps he needed a better challenge.
Zak watched the commoner pull off a dazzling foward thrust feint, followed by a low jab by the hilt of his dirk to Zak's groin. Zak, however expected the attack, and while the drow was moving in his latest attack, Zak merely snuck behind the drow and nicked his arm, all the way from his shoulder to his wrist. It was a small cut, but it bled immediately.
"Zak'nefien has won!" Matron Do'Urden cried to the audience. The audience cried out many calls, some being "Kill the loser!" and other comments of the same ilk. Zak just looked at the loser with an approving stare, and just wondered when he could leave the tournament.
"Zak'nefien," Matron Do'Urden said. "You are the new Weapon Master!"
The crowd gasped audibly. The tournament was not finished, yet Matron Do'Urden had selected the Weapon Master, and effectively her new patron. She glared at them.
"I said he won," she snarled to her commoners. "Does anyone want to tell me otherwise?"
"Yes," said Zak, immediately. "You have not finished the tournament, and I would like a better enemy. It would not be... acceptable if I won now by defeating such a weak opponent." Some people were shocked that Zak would outwardly tell the Matron Mother what to do, and others shocked because he had just gotten a very respectable position in the house.
