Ascension

Prologue

Flashback

"Where is Zak?" Drizzt demanded again, above the chorus.

Silence dropped as quickly as the tumult had begun.

"He is of no concern to you, my son," Malice said to him, still keeping to her tact despite Drizzt's impudence. "You are the weapon master of House Do'Urden now. Lolth has forgiven your insolence; you have no crimes weighing against you. Your career may begin anew, to glorious heights!"

Her words cut through Drizzt as surely as his own scimitar might. "You killed him," he whispered aloud, the truth too awful to be contained in silent thought.

The matron's face suddenly gleamed, hot with rage. "You killed him!" she shot back at Drizzt. "Your insolence demanded repayment to the Spider Queen!"

Drizzt's tongue got all tangled up behind his teeth.

"But you live," Malice went on, relaxing again in her chair, "as the elven child lives."

Dinin was not the only one in the room to gasp audibly.

"Yes, we know of your deception," Malice sneered. "The Spider Queen always knew, She demanded restitution."

"You sacrificed Zaknafein?" Drizzt breathed, hardly able to get the words out of his mouth. "You gave him to that damned Spider Queen?"

"I would watch how I spoke about Queen Lolth," Malice warned. "Forget Zaknafien. He is not your concern. Look to your own life, my warrior son. All glories are offered to you, a station of honor."

With a sigh that only could be heard by Drizzt's ears, the lavender-eyed warrior took his place as House Do'Urden's weapon master.

"I am honored to be so mercifully returned to your side Matron Mother Malice." Drizzt spoke solemnly. "I will serve you as best as I am able, hoping to fill the void left by the previous weapon master."

With that the meeting returned to order, although Drizzt stayed mostly out of the discussion. His inner turmoil kept his tongue numb, his eyes dry, and his palms clasped to the hilt of his blades.

All those in attendance were oblivious to Drizzt's reserved attitude, all except Vierna. She looked at her brother, her true brother, with mixed feelings. Though she could understand his empathy for Zaknafien's death, she couldn't understand how the feeling could overshadow the pleasure of being promoted to the station of weapon master. She made a mental note to keep an eye on her unstable little brother, to make sure he wouldn't try anything.

Drizzt thought about a lot of things as the meeting wore on. He thought of leaving Menzoberranzan, choosing exile over the companionship of these cursed drow. His hand even moved toward the tiny ceramic globe contained in Zaknafein's pouch. Sadly his hands were only able to weakly grasp the globe. Time passed and passed until Drizzt began to forget why he was holding globe, why he didn't just go along with what was happening. Why couldn't he simply do what his father had done, survive in a city of evil.

When the meeting was over, it took a nudge from Briza's whip to uncloud Drizzt's mind.

"Are you coming or not?" she snapped at him.

"What do you mean?" Drizzt replied, a little confused.

Briza sighed and almost began to strike Drizzt with her whip. Then she thought that would be a bad move. Since Malice was willing to make an exception on her gifted but wayward son, she should do the same.

"We are attacking house Hun'ett tonight!" she exclaimed. "You will be taking the role once reserved to Zaknafien." She stated, taking satisfaction in knowing that Drizzt would respond to the name of his father.

"What was my fa…Zaknafien's role in battles?" asked Drizzt, stumbling over his father's proper name.

"Killing the priestesses of course." She stated with a wicked smile melted on her face. "I will use some of my magic to transport you into the inner chambers of house Hun'ett. I just hope I don't lose favor with the Spider Queen in casting these spells on you." She replied with an even bigger wicked smile on her face.

Drizzt took the back handed comment stoically and followed her to the balcony with no comments.

As they made their way up to the balcony, Drizzt was surprised by the unusual amount of activity in the Do'Urden compound. Slaves passed the hallways with all assortments of equipment. Soldiers, usually forbidden to wander this far in the house, passed by Drizzt left and right. It all was brought to a climax when he saw the formation of the house Do'Urden armies from the high balcony. Hundreds of drow soldiers stood in formation awaiting orders from the field commanders. The field generals, Rizzen and Dinin, rode lizards up and down the ranks, both looking regal in their noble armor. Drizzt thought he saw Dinin glance up at him on the balcony. He wondered what his older brother thought of his treasonous acts against Lolth.

"Since you already wearing Zaknafein's outfit, probably the best in the whole house, there is no need to re-outfit you." Briza claimed in a calm voice.

"Who are my targets?" Drizzt asked in an equally clam voice.

Briza smiled at this remark and looked back at her brother. "Every drow you see of course." She replied in a deceitfully innocent voice.

This brought Drizzt back to the reality of the matter. Hours ago, in the battle with the two Hun'ett mages, Drizzt had made a vow never to kill another one of his fellow drow. Could he seriously go through with what was gonna happen. For the first time since he had become weapon master, Drizzt thought of what inherently came with it.

He reached in to the pouch that contained Guenhwyvar, and slowly began to rub it. Briza was deep in spell casting, the one time when a priestess was vulnerable. With Guen's help he could over power her, and make his way out of Menzoberranzan. Sadly, just like in the throne room with the ceramic globe, Drizzt couldn't go through with his plan. Before he knew it, Briza was done casting a spell on him, and than another and another. All his chances at true freedom passed before Drizzt's eyes like a mocking fly.

"It's time." Briza said, motioning for Drizzt to step of the balcony and go into the sky.

As Drizzt floated into the air he looked back toward Briza. How ironic he thought, it almost looked like he was getting away from it all, but sadly he was already tightly clung in the spider web.

"Good hunting." Briza yelled after Drizzt.

"Only if I was hunting you" Drizzt muttered under his breath.