All right... I hate to admit it, but I've been pouting. I finished R.A. Salvatore's latest book... for those of you who haven't read it yet, I will not mention it, but for those of you who have, you might understand why I'm pouting.

So because of that my muse had been completely beat up, on the verge of death, put in the hospital for a long recovery, and hides behind me from this point on and doesn't want to leave my side while ignoring his job... stupid muse.

So, sorry for the delay, but this chapter was a pain to get down.

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Names Have Power: Can't make any promises... Creative Torture Machine?

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Disclaimer:

I do not claim to own Drizzt Do'Urden or anything else related to him in any way, shape, or form. That all belongs to R.A. Salvatore.

Chapter 10

Zaknafein

Zaknafein stared at the doors, where a servant had just been prier, informing him of Drizzt's wish to see him. The Weapons Master thought back to when Malice's sons first came back after the patrol. What Dinin had said about Drizzt troubled Zak to no end.

He still remembered when Drizzt smiled in anticipation for their next sparring lesson, how the child laughed in joy over Zak's jokes. That laughter—that smile—held an innocence that no drow Zak had ever met did. Then it all went down hill when Malice intervened. The murdering of Drizzt's innocence was by her hand when she made Drizzt kill.

Zak wished he could salvage it, but he was only male. A high ranking male, but a male nonetheless. He couldn't disobey her plans for the second boy. Now, however; Zak regretted not fighting more to keep Drizzt under his care and now with what Dinin bragged about earlier. How Drizzt killed elven children and even attacked a fellow drow for stealing a kill...

His pupil had been such a carefree child when he saw him last, when did Drizzt turn into a malicious killer just like the others? Zak couldn't- wouldn't let that happen. He would rather kill Drizzt himself then let the young drow become just like their kin.

With this sad, but determined, thought in mind, Zak readied himself for the last spar he would ever have with Drizzt.

Drizzt

Drizzt didn't know where he would start in order to convince his old mentor to come with him, but this certainly wasn't how he expected it to play out.

The drow blocked a slice from Zaknafein, silently cursing Dinin a thousand times for being such a gabby goblin. He should have known that Zak would hear of what Drizzt had 'accomplished.'

Flashback

As soon as Drizzt had entered, he noticed the air about Zak was different. It felt like the times just before they would spar. Zak beckoned him to come further into the room before he passed by Drizzt and locked the door.

Drizzt grew tense at the actions, but didn't draw his blades until he saw Zak come at him with his swords ready. Zaknafein confronted him as they fought, stating what Dinin had said. The older kept increasing his rate of attack so that Drizzt could not respond while Zak kept talking.

End Flashback

Drizzt blocked another blow that was more powerful than he expected, Zaknafein was angry. Drizzt made to dodge another slice, but his back ran right into the wall. Unable to move, Drizzt quickly redirected the blow to the side, then pinned the other sword with his own blade, berating himself on being too distracted to realize he got backed into the corner.

Zak fluidly maneuvered his swords around Drizzt's blocks, moved the scimitar out of the way with his right blade, and pinned Drizzt by the neck with his left. Pushing just hard enough to draw a few drops of blood. Any less and Drizzt would have tried to remove himself from his pin. The blood warned Drizzt that Zaknafein was very serious about this. The younger froze instantly, dropping his arms, but stubborn enough not to drop his scimitars (the action caused a slight smile to grow on the older's face despite the situation).

Silence surrounded the pair, Zak staring into Drizzt's eyes, while Drizzt just waited for his old mentor to do something.

The blue of Drizzt's eyes seemed to reveal something, fore the Weapons Master finely lowered his blade before backing up a few steps. They continued to stare at each other. Drizzt just waiting for Zaknafein to do something. Zak's reasons for silence were unknown to Drizzt.

Zaknafein finally spoke, this time in a calm manner compared to his questions and acusations earlier.

"I can not believe you truly murdered children, Drizzt Do'Urden. You're fighting has not changed at all, and it would most certainly do so. I have trained countless students and noticed similar changes after their first kills. Your aura changed the first time you killed, courtesy of your mother, I noticed the difference. This would be your first killing of our cousins. There is no such change I can see. Tell me, if you did not kill the child, who did?"

Drizzt just gaped in silence, not knowing how to respond. If his old mentor really knew he did not kill those elven children, why the calm reaction? Any other drow would have instantly taken him to the matron for further favor and the death of a powerful rival, him.

Drizzt stood there for a bit getting his thoughts in order. The other drow just waited patiently, as if he were aware of what his words did to Drizzt's mental state. From the unexpected hostile behavior to the instant show of mercy afterwords.

The younger slowly began to realize that if Zaknafein had wanted him dead, he would have killed him before. The question was also strange, if Zak didn't feel a change in his aura (the kind that would come from the needless murder of innocence) then why ask at all? Why assume he didn't stop the killing? Drizzt kept gnawing at the thought, until he realized this wasn't an interrogation, but a test. Like the other times Zak had given him. In order to grow his mind as well as his body, Zak would do unexpected things or set up ploys and puzzles for the younger to figure out and strategize.

Drizzt's mentor wanted Drizzt to realize he can trust Zaknafein.

The younger boldly faced his mentors eyes. Zaknafein studied those blue orbs with intensity, before he smiled at what he saw. The look on the older's face dropped however when he heard what Drizzt says, "Please escape this city with me."

A/N:

I wanted to make it longer as an apology of sorts for taking so long, but I've held it back for long enough. I hope it is still up to your expectations and I really do hope I'm keeping them in character. Like I said before my inspiration kind of died with the ending of Salvetore's latest book. I got into reading other stories on here, pretty much avoiding my stories. I might just have to start rereading the books some more and then hopefully my muse will get some life back into him.

Anyway, Drizzt finally got around to asking Zak.

How will the Weapons Master react I wonder?

Please baby-sit Review as I go scream in excitement over the How To Train Your Dragon 2 Teaser. *proceeds to go to youtube where said video is located*