The Not So Great Death Scenes As Told By Me
By Semdai Bloodquill
Chapter Two : Zaknafein Part One (revised)
Disclaimer/Opening thoughts : Well here I go again with my love of pain and death. This time my victim is Zaknafein Do'Urden, father and mentor of the legendary Drizzt Do'Urden. I originally wanted this to be the first chapter, but the scene was too heart-wrenching and I couldn't bring myself to write it for quite a while because I completely love and adore Zaknafein and wish with all my black little heart that I owned him (which I don't) so that together him and I could make more cute little Drizzts (who doesn't belong to me either). But with a case of writer's block hindering my other works at the moment and the enhanced death scene of beloved Zak still haunting me I have no choice but to pen the scene and stop being such a softy. Damn that took forever to say.
Zaknafein : I have yet to read an R. A. Salvatore book that does not at least mention Zaknafein Do'Urden. Zak(such a sweet nickname) is the father and mentor of Drizzt Do'Urden. Wait a sec! I think I already said that. Oh well, my memory isn't as good as it used to be. No wait, it was always bad, never mind! Zak was the weapon master of House Do'Urden and the greatest rival of Dantrag Baenre(weapon master of House Baenre), he taught both of Drizzt's (half)brothers, Dinin and Nalfein, and pretty much all of the Do'Urden nobles. At one time he was the husband of Matron Malice(Drizzt's mother) but she dismissed him for Rizzen, although she kept him as weapon master and continued to sleep with him until the time of his death. When Drizzt spared the life of an elven child(Ellifain), Zak's son was sentenced to death but was spared when the ever noble Zaknafein gave himself to Lolth in Drizzt's place. The only book Zak actually appears in is 'Homeland' first book of the Dark Elf Trilogy. He also is partially resurrected in the second book 'Exile' as a mindless zombie but since I haven't read it I can't include it... yet.
Here's the real reason you opened this story.
Surreal, like the transition from life to death...
Malice brought the ceremonial dagger down slowly, inching ever closer to Zak's naked chest. The flames of the brazier, leaping in a chaotically beautiful dance, shimmered on the spider blade and threw their light in the old weapon master's tired eyes, but he ignored them as he lay on his back, strapped to the evil alter, praying that Drizzt would continue to survive. Zak closed his dark eyes and rested his head against the stone beneath him. Waiting and bracing his body for the pain that he knew was coming.
Malice placed the spider dagger over Zaknafein's heart, laying it parallel to the weapon master's breast-bone. The metal slowly heated in anticipation, wanting to taste the heart flesh of a blasphemous drow. Briza held out another dagger for her mother to take, which she did. The first knife was fast gaining temperature against Zak's vulnerable chest, burning his flesh mercilessly, demanding that he make some agonized sound.
Zaknafein's instincts wanted him to flail, to cry out, to writhe and twist in hopes of escape from this terrible fate. He pushed them away, knowing that, if he resisted, his sacrifice would be in vain and Drizzt, the only drow he had ever loved in his long life, the son of not only his loins but his heart as well, would die a worse death than the old drow could imagine. Even when Malice plunged her second dagger into the soft flesh of rib cage, Zak refused to scream, refused to give this twisted female the satisfaction of seeing him suffer such pain. Malice carved a half-circle into Zak's chest, taking great care to avoid his heart, before retracting her blade, which she promptly plunged into the opposite side of the first dagger, now glowing red hot, and carving a corrosponding semi-circle.
Those pains, including the second set of complementary semi-circles below the first set, were trivial to the drow male who had lived four and a half centuries without a kindred spirit to comfort him. He hardly felt the wicked sting of the dagger tearing up his lungs as Malice cut lines out from the half circles to symbolize the legs of a spider. He barely registered that he was being robbed of breath, or the ample flow of his own warm blood as it spilled onto the alter, so lost was Zaknafein Do'Urden in his own thoughts. Not even the burning of the first dagger, slowly eating away his sternum with its demonic heat, really pained him. His hope for Drizzt deluded the pain, allowed him to struggle for breath with only minor discomfort.
Malice began to carve the runes of Lolth in Zak's chest, adding to the image of a spider. After the runes were finished, a full drawing of a spider was carved into the male's torso and not once had he even moaned. This angered the Matron Mother enough to make her reach forward and seize Zaknafein's neck in her claw-like hand. She dug her fingers deep into Zak's throat, savoring the furious pounding of his heart against her grip and the small stream of blood that stained her hand as her nails punctured the soft skin of his gullet. Still the stubborn weapon master did not cry out.
" Why do you not scream, Zaknafein," she purred, " you should be honored to be given to the Spider Queen." Zak's head moved up against Malice's grip to lock his dark, blue eyes to her ruby red ones. The agony he felt was evident in his face, but his eyes showed only defiance as he spat in her face.
" Damn the Spider Queen to the lowest levels of the Abyss," Zak growled, restricted somewhat by Malice's grip, " kolsen shea orbb." The last remark, a drow curse that roughly translated to 'pull the legs off a spider' in the common tongue, brought fury to Malice's ruby eyes. The female's eyes flared angrily and she violently clenched the hand holding Zak's throat. This time the male offered a small gasp as her fingers nearly crushed his windpipe. Malice was not satisfied with such a minor expression of pain.
" Lolth wants to hear the cries of a dying, blasphemous drow, Weapon Master," she crooned, " if you will not give them, then perhaps your son will." She glared into Zak's indigo eyes with venom. He knew the Matron Mother would not kill Drizzt unless she had to, the young drow was too valuable to House Do'Urden, but the thoughts of what she might put the son of Zaknafein through were utterly terrifying for the old weapon master. " Scream for us, Zaknafein, and we will spare the traitor," Malice teased, letting go of the weapon master's throat and slapping him across the face. Zak relinquished a slight moan at the strike. Malice struck him again, harder this time. He groaned at the powerful blow. Malice backed off for a moment.
Zaknafein coughed weakly as he fought to regain his breath against the blood rapidly filling his torn lungs. A strong spasm racked his body and forced a gush of warm, salty fluid up his throat and into his mouth. Zak turned his head to one side and let the blood trickle from his mouth to the alter beneath him. When his eyes opened again, the old weapon master gazed through the gathering haze at the face of his daughter.
Vierna stood beside Briza and Maya, her evil sisters, her eyes never leaving her father's face. Something inside her screamed in sorrow for Zaknafein but she smothered it with thoughts of the rewards Lolth would give for this male's death. But as she stared into the eyes of the dying weapon master, Vierna wished the was another way. She scowled at Zak with feined hatred.
Zak saw Vierna's scowl but he knew better. Malice slashed a deep line across Zak's collar-bone, drawing a quick gush of blood, and began chanting anew. The old drow cried out weakly in pain. Blood was flowing off the sides of the alter and pooling at its base. Zak felt his strength leave him along with his lifeblood, spilled for his son, but his hopes for Drizzt's future stayed to comfort him. Malice's chanting reached its crescendo and her bony hand snatched up the burning dagger on Zaknafein's chest. Zak had turned his head back up, though it now felt almost too heavy for him to lift, and watched Malice bring him arm vertically across his chest, slash an opening in the flesh, reach inside him, and sieze his heart in the same grip she had inflicted on his throat.
Malice gave a great tug and tore the weapon master's heart from his body. Zak opened his mouth and screamed with all his strength in response to the new waves of agony in his chest. His cry went on for several moments, making Malice grin with pleasure and Vierna cover her ears in denial. Whatever part of her that was untainted by Lolth's lies was utterly destroyed as her father's dying cry resounded in her ears.
Zaknafein's cry echoed throughout the whole of House Do'Urden and ended in a rush of more blood. His head dropped back to the side, involuntarily this time, as the dying drow's body trembled with unrelenting agony. He shook again, but it was fleeting. The pain would not go away. The burning would not cease. And the old drow weezed in his final breaths.
" I... love... you... Drizzt...," Zaknafein sighed with his final breath, blood tricklng from his lips and pouring from his chest, " good bye... my... son..." His chest heaved as he gave up trying breathe.
Zaknafein's indigo eyes fluttered once, clouded over, and closed. The corpse atop the alter of the Spider Queen went completly limp. Zaknafein Do'Urden knew the peace of restful and eternal slumber, where he would wait, for centuries if he had to, until he would be reunited with the son of his heart and body, where he could rest and be at peace, away from Malice... Away from Menzoberranzan... Away from Lolth...
Ending comment : I'm gonna cry myself to sleep tonight after that. I hope you all didn't think it as sad as I did. I suppose I should be expecting a flaming review or two for this. I really hated writing that scene but like I said earlier I had to get it out. Please feel free to flame me for my blasphemy against Zaknafein. In other words, SOMEBODY FLAME ME PLEASE!!!
And BTW if you want me to write a death scene for a character you thought was under-described, send me an email with the subject 'idea' to GoddessTiamet@hotmail.com and I'll see what I can do. Include the character's name, species, and what book I can find them in. I aim to please(and to be flamed but I shouldn't say that... wait... oops.)
And now some rather pathetic comic relief... Semdai - (rises from her swivel chair, walks over to the wall, and starts bashing her head against it) Why! (bang) Why! (bang) Why! (bang) WHY!!! (bang bang bang) Bruenor - What's all that racket! (enters the room and sees Semdai bashing her brains out on the wall) Oh God, that's inhuman! (Catti-brie and Drizzt enter) Catti-brie/Drizzt - What's inhuman? Bruenor - (looks away in terror) Will someone PLEASE get some armor for that wall! (Drizzt and Catti-brie face fall) Bruenor - (runs away in horror) Make her stop! Semdai - (is too absorbed in punishing herself to notice.) WHY! (bang bang bang)
The End... for now... dot dot dot...
Chapter Two : Zaknafein Part One (revised)
Disclaimer/Opening thoughts : Well here I go again with my love of pain and death. This time my victim is Zaknafein Do'Urden, father and mentor of the legendary Drizzt Do'Urden. I originally wanted this to be the first chapter, but the scene was too heart-wrenching and I couldn't bring myself to write it for quite a while because I completely love and adore Zaknafein and wish with all my black little heart that I owned him (which I don't) so that together him and I could make more cute little Drizzts (who doesn't belong to me either). But with a case of writer's block hindering my other works at the moment and the enhanced death scene of beloved Zak still haunting me I have no choice but to pen the scene and stop being such a softy. Damn that took forever to say.
Zaknafein : I have yet to read an R. A. Salvatore book that does not at least mention Zaknafein Do'Urden. Zak(such a sweet nickname) is the father and mentor of Drizzt Do'Urden. Wait a sec! I think I already said that. Oh well, my memory isn't as good as it used to be. No wait, it was always bad, never mind! Zak was the weapon master of House Do'Urden and the greatest rival of Dantrag Baenre(weapon master of House Baenre), he taught both of Drizzt's (half)brothers, Dinin and Nalfein, and pretty much all of the Do'Urden nobles. At one time he was the husband of Matron Malice(Drizzt's mother) but she dismissed him for Rizzen, although she kept him as weapon master and continued to sleep with him until the time of his death. When Drizzt spared the life of an elven child(Ellifain), Zak's son was sentenced to death but was spared when the ever noble Zaknafein gave himself to Lolth in Drizzt's place. The only book Zak actually appears in is 'Homeland' first book of the Dark Elf Trilogy. He also is partially resurrected in the second book 'Exile' as a mindless zombie but since I haven't read it I can't include it... yet.
Here's the real reason you opened this story.
Surreal, like the transition from life to death...
Malice brought the ceremonial dagger down slowly, inching ever closer to Zak's naked chest. The flames of the brazier, leaping in a chaotically beautiful dance, shimmered on the spider blade and threw their light in the old weapon master's tired eyes, but he ignored them as he lay on his back, strapped to the evil alter, praying that Drizzt would continue to survive. Zak closed his dark eyes and rested his head against the stone beneath him. Waiting and bracing his body for the pain that he knew was coming.
Malice placed the spider dagger over Zaknafein's heart, laying it parallel to the weapon master's breast-bone. The metal slowly heated in anticipation, wanting to taste the heart flesh of a blasphemous drow. Briza held out another dagger for her mother to take, which she did. The first knife was fast gaining temperature against Zak's vulnerable chest, burning his flesh mercilessly, demanding that he make some agonized sound.
Zaknafein's instincts wanted him to flail, to cry out, to writhe and twist in hopes of escape from this terrible fate. He pushed them away, knowing that, if he resisted, his sacrifice would be in vain and Drizzt, the only drow he had ever loved in his long life, the son of not only his loins but his heart as well, would die a worse death than the old drow could imagine. Even when Malice plunged her second dagger into the soft flesh of rib cage, Zak refused to scream, refused to give this twisted female the satisfaction of seeing him suffer such pain. Malice carved a half-circle into Zak's chest, taking great care to avoid his heart, before retracting her blade, which she promptly plunged into the opposite side of the first dagger, now glowing red hot, and carving a corrosponding semi-circle.
Those pains, including the second set of complementary semi-circles below the first set, were trivial to the drow male who had lived four and a half centuries without a kindred spirit to comfort him. He hardly felt the wicked sting of the dagger tearing up his lungs as Malice cut lines out from the half circles to symbolize the legs of a spider. He barely registered that he was being robbed of breath, or the ample flow of his own warm blood as it spilled onto the alter, so lost was Zaknafein Do'Urden in his own thoughts. Not even the burning of the first dagger, slowly eating away his sternum with its demonic heat, really pained him. His hope for Drizzt deluded the pain, allowed him to struggle for breath with only minor discomfort.
Malice began to carve the runes of Lolth in Zak's chest, adding to the image of a spider. After the runes were finished, a full drawing of a spider was carved into the male's torso and not once had he even moaned. This angered the Matron Mother enough to make her reach forward and seize Zaknafein's neck in her claw-like hand. She dug her fingers deep into Zak's throat, savoring the furious pounding of his heart against her grip and the small stream of blood that stained her hand as her nails punctured the soft skin of his gullet. Still the stubborn weapon master did not cry out.
" Why do you not scream, Zaknafein," she purred, " you should be honored to be given to the Spider Queen." Zak's head moved up against Malice's grip to lock his dark, blue eyes to her ruby red ones. The agony he felt was evident in his face, but his eyes showed only defiance as he spat in her face.
" Damn the Spider Queen to the lowest levels of the Abyss," Zak growled, restricted somewhat by Malice's grip, " kolsen shea orbb." The last remark, a drow curse that roughly translated to 'pull the legs off a spider' in the common tongue, brought fury to Malice's ruby eyes. The female's eyes flared angrily and she violently clenched the hand holding Zak's throat. This time the male offered a small gasp as her fingers nearly crushed his windpipe. Malice was not satisfied with such a minor expression of pain.
" Lolth wants to hear the cries of a dying, blasphemous drow, Weapon Master," she crooned, " if you will not give them, then perhaps your son will." She glared into Zak's indigo eyes with venom. He knew the Matron Mother would not kill Drizzt unless she had to, the young drow was too valuable to House Do'Urden, but the thoughts of what she might put the son of Zaknafein through were utterly terrifying for the old weapon master. " Scream for us, Zaknafein, and we will spare the traitor," Malice teased, letting go of the weapon master's throat and slapping him across the face. Zak relinquished a slight moan at the strike. Malice struck him again, harder this time. He groaned at the powerful blow. Malice backed off for a moment.
Zaknafein coughed weakly as he fought to regain his breath against the blood rapidly filling his torn lungs. A strong spasm racked his body and forced a gush of warm, salty fluid up his throat and into his mouth. Zak turned his head to one side and let the blood trickle from his mouth to the alter beneath him. When his eyes opened again, the old weapon master gazed through the gathering haze at the face of his daughter.
Vierna stood beside Briza and Maya, her evil sisters, her eyes never leaving her father's face. Something inside her screamed in sorrow for Zaknafein but she smothered it with thoughts of the rewards Lolth would give for this male's death. But as she stared into the eyes of the dying weapon master, Vierna wished the was another way. She scowled at Zak with feined hatred.
Zak saw Vierna's scowl but he knew better. Malice slashed a deep line across Zak's collar-bone, drawing a quick gush of blood, and began chanting anew. The old drow cried out weakly in pain. Blood was flowing off the sides of the alter and pooling at its base. Zak felt his strength leave him along with his lifeblood, spilled for his son, but his hopes for Drizzt's future stayed to comfort him. Malice's chanting reached its crescendo and her bony hand snatched up the burning dagger on Zaknafein's chest. Zak had turned his head back up, though it now felt almost too heavy for him to lift, and watched Malice bring him arm vertically across his chest, slash an opening in the flesh, reach inside him, and sieze his heart in the same grip she had inflicted on his throat.
Malice gave a great tug and tore the weapon master's heart from his body. Zak opened his mouth and screamed with all his strength in response to the new waves of agony in his chest. His cry went on for several moments, making Malice grin with pleasure and Vierna cover her ears in denial. Whatever part of her that was untainted by Lolth's lies was utterly destroyed as her father's dying cry resounded in her ears.
Zaknafein's cry echoed throughout the whole of House Do'Urden and ended in a rush of more blood. His head dropped back to the side, involuntarily this time, as the dying drow's body trembled with unrelenting agony. He shook again, but it was fleeting. The pain would not go away. The burning would not cease. And the old drow weezed in his final breaths.
" I... love... you... Drizzt...," Zaknafein sighed with his final breath, blood tricklng from his lips and pouring from his chest, " good bye... my... son..." His chest heaved as he gave up trying breathe.
Zaknafein's indigo eyes fluttered once, clouded over, and closed. The corpse atop the alter of the Spider Queen went completly limp. Zaknafein Do'Urden knew the peace of restful and eternal slumber, where he would wait, for centuries if he had to, until he would be reunited with the son of his heart and body, where he could rest and be at peace, away from Malice... Away from Menzoberranzan... Away from Lolth...
Ending comment : I'm gonna cry myself to sleep tonight after that. I hope you all didn't think it as sad as I did. I suppose I should be expecting a flaming review or two for this. I really hated writing that scene but like I said earlier I had to get it out. Please feel free to flame me for my blasphemy against Zaknafein. In other words, SOMEBODY FLAME ME PLEASE!!!
And BTW if you want me to write a death scene for a character you thought was under-described, send me an email with the subject 'idea' to GoddessTiamet@hotmail.com and I'll see what I can do. Include the character's name, species, and what book I can find them in. I aim to please(and to be flamed but I shouldn't say that... wait... oops.)
And now some rather pathetic comic relief... Semdai - (rises from her swivel chair, walks over to the wall, and starts bashing her head against it) Why! (bang) Why! (bang) Why! (bang) WHY!!! (bang bang bang) Bruenor - What's all that racket! (enters the room and sees Semdai bashing her brains out on the wall) Oh God, that's inhuman! (Catti-brie and Drizzt enter) Catti-brie/Drizzt - What's inhuman? Bruenor - (looks away in terror) Will someone PLEASE get some armor for that wall! (Drizzt and Catti-brie face fall) Bruenor - (runs away in horror) Make her stop! Semdai - (is too absorbed in punishing herself to notice.) WHY! (bang bang bang)
The End... for now... dot dot dot...