Finally back with an update. I broke it up into two chapters. Enjoy!
Chapter 4: Reality in the Reflection - Part 1
Two days had past since the battle, or rather the one-sided slaughter, of the orcs in the ravine. Drizzt spent his existence roaming the landscape with no tangible purpose other than retaliation, a lost soul soaring through the sky. He was a creature of nothing more than instinct, instinct to survive.
He was alone, always alone. His presence was constantly unknown to any being in his vicinity. Food came when he found it and sleep was a rare luxury, troubled and fitful on those occasions. Visions haunted him always, things he refused to accept in his mind. His life was a lie...that thought screamed priority. A soul torn in endless directions, Drizzt was a mere shell of his former self. Searching it was, always searching for answers that would not come to the grieving Drow. Grief it seemed could get no higher.
And so, any potential enemy rose an inner anger that boiled his blood. Sending energy, hate, and most of all concentration through every weary limb. A state of mind that sent his toned skills to even higher expectations. But when the inferno in his eyes became extinguished so did the strength of his body, weakened emotionally.
The pain of lost loved ones could be dulled by the Hunter but it could not be washed away like the enemies' blood spilled by his scimitars.
Deep in recesses of his heart the Drow knew that rational thoughts alone would help his problems. But for the moment, the two weapons of metal strapped to each side of his waist brought him relief, gave him answers. They were constant companionship, inanimate as they may be, he knew life when they were in his ebony hands. When an enemy was brought to the ground, lifeblood flowing out from an scimitar inflicted wound, he knew purpose.
The truth was there in the one-horned helm Drizzt carriend...his friends were dead. Going back to Mithrall Hall to confirm the inevitable in his current state was most unwise.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The lone dark elf sat at the muddy shore of a small pond of translucent water. His appearance was not nearly as magnificent as it once one. Pride in his dress or hair, although never of utmost importance, was now as distant as the time when he lived in Menzoberranzen.
All was still in the water, silence met his sensitive ears.
He sat there thinking to himself. How different life was out on the open landscape when Catti-brie was at my side. Her beaming smile and care-free spirit always brought warmth to his heart no matter what the circumstance. Drizzt's thoughts brought a tear welling in his eye. Blinking the moisture away he turned back to the current task at hand.
Cleaning Twinkle's magnificent curved blade of the stains from the last death match, Drizzt stared down at his reflection in the water. If only it could be this easy to stare into his inner self and not just outside appearance.
Heavy droplets of rain began to fall from heavy dark clouds up above, letting pressure go that had built up all day. The sunlight was waning and fast becoming evening. Dry dirt under him began to turn to mud from the flowing rain. Drizzt stood up figuring it was time he headed off. An image caught his eyes before turning away from the water. With a sense of curiosity and sadness he slowly turned his head back to his reflection. The truth of his life was displayed there.
Drops hit his mirror's ebony visage, distorting the face and creating a creature he did not recognize. As he stood staring each drop seemed to take a lifetime to hit. Time itself seemed to slow to a near complete halt. His face contorted into an twisted expression that was a cross of incredulity, outrage, intrigue, and an even deeper sense of regret. Each drop fell like the fall of one of his friends, bringing it's stinging coldness down on his face with a cruel sense of reality. They were all lost to him, and guilt was driving into him. Drizzt felt the rain all to well on his flesh, but seeing the reflection made the storm worse. A maelstrom of emotion began to turn within his torn eleven form.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Meanwhile, two frost giants wandered off from their camp of fellow kin. They reached the edge of a tree patch stopping at the small clearing. They stood there gazing at the backside of a creature frozen like a statue, a Drow by all appearances. One giant reached up with his over-sized hand to stroke his chin, a curious expression splayed on his face. Turning to his companion he asked, "Are all Drow that fascinated with water?"
A chuckle answered his query. "One thing's for sure. We should never waste the opportunity to take down an unawares Drow." He went to step out into the clearing with a smirk on his face as he grasped a club handle tied to his back.
"Are ye crazy?" the venturing companion whispered skeptically as he grabbed the arm of his friend. After a silent and questioning glare from the recently halted fellow he continued. "Could be one of Gerti's four pet renegades. We'd get our hearts pulled out in no time if we killed one of them Drow."
Tearing his arm free the other responded dryly, "Not before our insides were cut out of our stomachs. Come on, where's the harm?" Nodding his head towards the Drow he continued, "Could be the one who's been slaughtering with ease around these parts. We could easily end that threat here and now." Proud of his logic he grinned.
Still not convinced, the slightly fearful behemoth offered, "Couldn't we throw a rock at him, ye know...kill him quickly from a distance."
Rolling his eyes the giant moved forward mumbling 'coward' under his breath. "All the more fun for me..." he stopped to turn around to face his companion again. "Besides, with us going to the smelly orc king," disgust was clearly apparent in his tone, "We'll have to share the wealth with those ruffians."
"Fine," the cautious giant gave in as they moved in behind the motionless Drow, eager for a quick kill.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Drizzt's mind was running on a rampage of death. The line between reality and illusional thoughts was growing thin, dangerously thin.
His blade sunk into Elifain's heart. Rain pounded in his ears.
Bruenor fell to an oblivion of rocks as fire missiles streamed through the air bringing ruin to the village around the crumbling tower. Orc laughter echoed in his mind.
Wulfgar was in the foul Abyss being beaten by the damned Errtu and tortured without mercy.
Drow surrounded his dear Catti-brie, pulling her down to the ground ensuring torment before her inevitable death. Blood caked her beautiful complexion.
The rain now proved to provide a constant pain in his temple. His whole body was shaking, emotions running rampant. He felt helpless, nothing seemed to ebb these terrorizing thoughts.
Vision of the pond that his physical eyes were transfixed on became blurred out by the death of his dear Halfling friend. Surrounding sounds of the forest were all but gone.
The two beast approaching the Drow were coming closer by the second, growing with confidence as the elf remained motionless. Their fancy garments were now soaked from the turbulent weather.
Deep inside of Drizzt's being, notice was taken of the approaching creatures. All his mind was tumbling down into the depths of deadly grief... but instinct remained. Danger alarms were sent racing to his brain begging him to take action against the giants's approach.
A raging storm mirroring the weather whirled inside of Drizzt. The fighter tried desperately to draw his blades and snap him out of the inner grief. He knew he could not be this emotionally weak.
Zaknafein fell off the bridge towards the burning acid as Drizzt screamed inside, trying desperately to push the illusional thoughts from his head.
The two giants were now a mere 15 feet away. Danger was there, but the dark elf remained frozen. Two clubs were drawn from their backs coming forward in an attack position.....
Chapter 4: Reality in the Reflection - Part 1
Two days had past since the battle, or rather the one-sided slaughter, of the orcs in the ravine. Drizzt spent his existence roaming the landscape with no tangible purpose other than retaliation, a lost soul soaring through the sky. He was a creature of nothing more than instinct, instinct to survive.
He was alone, always alone. His presence was constantly unknown to any being in his vicinity. Food came when he found it and sleep was a rare luxury, troubled and fitful on those occasions. Visions haunted him always, things he refused to accept in his mind. His life was a lie...that thought screamed priority. A soul torn in endless directions, Drizzt was a mere shell of his former self. Searching it was, always searching for answers that would not come to the grieving Drow. Grief it seemed could get no higher.
And so, any potential enemy rose an inner anger that boiled his blood. Sending energy, hate, and most of all concentration through every weary limb. A state of mind that sent his toned skills to even higher expectations. But when the inferno in his eyes became extinguished so did the strength of his body, weakened emotionally.
The pain of lost loved ones could be dulled by the Hunter but it could not be washed away like the enemies' blood spilled by his scimitars.
Deep in recesses of his heart the Drow knew that rational thoughts alone would help his problems. But for the moment, the two weapons of metal strapped to each side of his waist brought him relief, gave him answers. They were constant companionship, inanimate as they may be, he knew life when they were in his ebony hands. When an enemy was brought to the ground, lifeblood flowing out from an scimitar inflicted wound, he knew purpose.
The truth was there in the one-horned helm Drizzt carriend...his friends were dead. Going back to Mithrall Hall to confirm the inevitable in his current state was most unwise.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The lone dark elf sat at the muddy shore of a small pond of translucent water. His appearance was not nearly as magnificent as it once one. Pride in his dress or hair, although never of utmost importance, was now as distant as the time when he lived in Menzoberranzen.
All was still in the water, silence met his sensitive ears.
He sat there thinking to himself. How different life was out on the open landscape when Catti-brie was at my side. Her beaming smile and care-free spirit always brought warmth to his heart no matter what the circumstance. Drizzt's thoughts brought a tear welling in his eye. Blinking the moisture away he turned back to the current task at hand.
Cleaning Twinkle's magnificent curved blade of the stains from the last death match, Drizzt stared down at his reflection in the water. If only it could be this easy to stare into his inner self and not just outside appearance.
Heavy droplets of rain began to fall from heavy dark clouds up above, letting pressure go that had built up all day. The sunlight was waning and fast becoming evening. Dry dirt under him began to turn to mud from the flowing rain. Drizzt stood up figuring it was time he headed off. An image caught his eyes before turning away from the water. With a sense of curiosity and sadness he slowly turned his head back to his reflection. The truth of his life was displayed there.
Drops hit his mirror's ebony visage, distorting the face and creating a creature he did not recognize. As he stood staring each drop seemed to take a lifetime to hit. Time itself seemed to slow to a near complete halt. His face contorted into an twisted expression that was a cross of incredulity, outrage, intrigue, and an even deeper sense of regret. Each drop fell like the fall of one of his friends, bringing it's stinging coldness down on his face with a cruel sense of reality. They were all lost to him, and guilt was driving into him. Drizzt felt the rain all to well on his flesh, but seeing the reflection made the storm worse. A maelstrom of emotion began to turn within his torn eleven form.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Meanwhile, two frost giants wandered off from their camp of fellow kin. They reached the edge of a tree patch stopping at the small clearing. They stood there gazing at the backside of a creature frozen like a statue, a Drow by all appearances. One giant reached up with his over-sized hand to stroke his chin, a curious expression splayed on his face. Turning to his companion he asked, "Are all Drow that fascinated with water?"
A chuckle answered his query. "One thing's for sure. We should never waste the opportunity to take down an unawares Drow." He went to step out into the clearing with a smirk on his face as he grasped a club handle tied to his back.
"Are ye crazy?" the venturing companion whispered skeptically as he grabbed the arm of his friend. After a silent and questioning glare from the recently halted fellow he continued. "Could be one of Gerti's four pet renegades. We'd get our hearts pulled out in no time if we killed one of them Drow."
Tearing his arm free the other responded dryly, "Not before our insides were cut out of our stomachs. Come on, where's the harm?" Nodding his head towards the Drow he continued, "Could be the one who's been slaughtering with ease around these parts. We could easily end that threat here and now." Proud of his logic he grinned.
Still not convinced, the slightly fearful behemoth offered, "Couldn't we throw a rock at him, ye know...kill him quickly from a distance."
Rolling his eyes the giant moved forward mumbling 'coward' under his breath. "All the more fun for me..." he stopped to turn around to face his companion again. "Besides, with us going to the smelly orc king," disgust was clearly apparent in his tone, "We'll have to share the wealth with those ruffians."
"Fine," the cautious giant gave in as they moved in behind the motionless Drow, eager for a quick kill.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Drizzt's mind was running on a rampage of death. The line between reality and illusional thoughts was growing thin, dangerously thin.
His blade sunk into Elifain's heart. Rain pounded in his ears.
Bruenor fell to an oblivion of rocks as fire missiles streamed through the air bringing ruin to the village around the crumbling tower. Orc laughter echoed in his mind.
Wulfgar was in the foul Abyss being beaten by the damned Errtu and tortured without mercy.
Drow surrounded his dear Catti-brie, pulling her down to the ground ensuring torment before her inevitable death. Blood caked her beautiful complexion.
The rain now proved to provide a constant pain in his temple. His whole body was shaking, emotions running rampant. He felt helpless, nothing seemed to ebb these terrorizing thoughts.
Vision of the pond that his physical eyes were transfixed on became blurred out by the death of his dear Halfling friend. Surrounding sounds of the forest were all but gone.
The two beast approaching the Drow were coming closer by the second, growing with confidence as the elf remained motionless. Their fancy garments were now soaked from the turbulent weather.
Deep inside of Drizzt's being, notice was taken of the approaching creatures. All his mind was tumbling down into the depths of deadly grief... but instinct remained. Danger alarms were sent racing to his brain begging him to take action against the giants's approach.
A raging storm mirroring the weather whirled inside of Drizzt. The fighter tried desperately to draw his blades and snap him out of the inner grief. He knew he could not be this emotionally weak.
Zaknafein fell off the bridge towards the burning acid as Drizzt screamed inside, trying desperately to push the illusional thoughts from his head.
The two giants were now a mere 15 feet away. Danger was there, but the dark elf remained frozen. Two clubs were drawn from their backs coming forward in an attack position.....