Parallel Realms

Chapter 3

Warning: mentions of sexual assault resulting in a heart attack, suicidal thoughts, mentions of abuse, bloody corpse

Note: I wrote this as a one-shot but never published. But I decided to adapt it into this story so I could introduce the premise for a Zaknafein/Rizzen pairing. So to avoid confusion, this is part of a different reality, an alternate timeline from the main timeline involving Drizzt and the others.

Zaknafein shook his head as he sat up... and then sat back down, his body aching with the reminder of recent events. His wounds were healing. His physical wounds anyway. He doubted anything would take away the wound in his soul. A mortal wound, he knew. Sure his body was still alive, but only because the spider queen wished to prolong his misery.

His Drizzt was gone. Sacrificed to the spider queen while he was forced to watch. He wanted to take his place, begged and pleaded with Malice to let him take his place. But this was punishment for him as much as for his son. Malice wanted him alive. She needed him to wage her wars.

Zaknafein longed to be rid of this life. If he wasn't such a coward, he would do it himself and rob Malice of his sword- and his body whenever she pleased- as she had robbed him of the one thing that had given him hope. But he feared what Malice would do to his body, how she'd torment him even after death, how Lolth would make him suffer.

Slowly, Zaknafein got out of bed, got on his armor and his swords. He went through the motions of his daily routine, but it felt empty. He wanted to die and he looked forward to the day when an enemy cut him down. All he was now was an empty shell.

Drizzt had been the one. His one triumphant treasure. He'd managed to survive the academy with his soul and his principles in tact- principals that now cost him his life. It was the worst sort of irony to Zaknafein. He had held out hope that his son would be able to be what he could not. To be able to defy the evilness of lolth worshipping society. But it was all in vain. The love Zaknafein had shown him had cost him his life.

And it cost Zaknafein his soul. The weapons master felt numb as he stepped out into the hallway and headed for the chapel room where he knew Malice would be expecting him.

On his way, he heard the unmistakable sounds of pain. He recalled hearing them all night last night, but they weren't coming from where he expected. They came from the opposite direction- from the elderboy's chambers. Zaknafein didn't know why Dinin was in agony, though he could easily guess. Most sexual encounters with a priestess involved agony. At least Drizzt would be spared that pain now. At least he was at peace.

Maybe it was the best outcome for Drizzt. Maybe it was merciful that his life had been cut short. Maybe Zaknafein was selfish for wanting to take his place in death.

"Ahh, Zaknafein," Malice greeted pleasantly as the weapon's master finally made it into the chapel room to find the matron seated in the center of the room, her daughters gathered around him as usual. "So nice of you to grace us with your presence."

The cheerful pleasant tone in her voice struck hard within him and Zaknafein shot her a venomous glare despite himself.

"We could kill you for such a glare," Briza sneered as the weapon's master brushed past her. He stopped, looked at her straight in the eye, his own face stoic and emotionless.

"At least then I would be spared from having to stare at your ugly face, priestess," he didn't even give her a chance to react to his blunt comment as he continued to walk past her until he stood, turning his attention to Malice.

"That attitude does not suit you," Malice commented, her pleasant mood dampened by Zaknafein's insolent remark. "I have news for you. I wanted to offer you a reward for your deeds of late. For helping us regain Lolth's favor, you may become my patron once again."