Death of Moon and Darkness: Part 2

Death of Moon and Darkness: Part 21

The sun began to set across the cliffs as a wild flock of rocs flew across the horizon.  The breeze blew swiftly through his wispy white hair revealing a face of deep sorrow.  His eyes were empty as he tried deperately to cry away his pain.  Andellin sat atop the ridge overlooking the plains that expanded to all corners of the earth.2

Lunarai was gone now ... gone as swiftly as he had driven the dagger into her stomach.  He could still feel the warmth of her blood upon his palms.  He clenched them into fists at the thought of the memory.  He saved his family, but only to have Lord Selvatarm betray his word.  They were thrown to the dragons in the Pit ... a memory just as painful as loss of his love.3

He was kept prisoner, but only for so long.  Every week he was given a short period of time to exercise under the watch of two guards.  It was a simple task to kill them.  With a concealed dagger beneath his tunic he sliced the neck of one and drove it through the heart of the other.  He stripped them bare of their equipment.  It wasn't much though; crude weapons, a heavy cloak, rashions, simple tools, and few canisters of fresh water.4

Under the veil of day he escaped through the tunnels that fed into the Tal Ashid river.  He followed it west for a week through forest, field, and meadow.  And now he was here ... fugitive of the Drow, betrayer of the Moon Elves, and an enemy to the world around him.5

It was quiet as night settled in and darkness wrapped the small clearing in which he sat.  The fire snapped and crackled in the silence as he stared blankly at the dragon's tail dagger in his lap.  All the pain he had suffered, the very thing that took away Lunarai ... it was all because of this.  The blade shimmered dully with the reflection of the small fire.  The green poison had washed away while it sat idly at the bottom of the lake next to the willow meeting place; retrieved in his flight from the Underdark.6

The wavy blade was his bane, and yet again his means of retribution.  He would exact revenge ... someday he would.  But not today, today he would flee and try reclaim the part of himself that was gone.  He closed his eyes, and sat silently as a tear escaped and fell upon the dragon's tail dagger in his lap.7

Regaining himself, he replaced the dagger and smothered the fire.  Andellin followed the path within the forest that would take him to the base of the canyon that enclosed a river and the road that would take him to the plains ahead.  The night grew cold quickly, and before he knew it he could see his own breath.8

Something wasn't right, something was clearly out of place.  He could see the trees and bushes rustle, and yet there was no wind.  Andellin's eyes darted left and right.  He could see the shadows moving all about.  Something, or somethings, were following him.  His pace quickened into a run, but still the shadows kept pace.  He reached a small clearing surrounded by oaks, and turned abruptly ... there was nothing there; no shadows, no creatures, nothing.9

He breathed heavily and relaxed.  Then something triggered, a sixth sense, whatever it was wasn't gone.  Fire exploded!  Andellin was knocked from his feet, sprawled across the earth.  He wiped the dirt from his eyes and looked up to see five dark-shrouded figuges standing before him; all of them encircled by the oaks now ablaze.  The flaming ring of an impenetrable inferno shut them away from the world beyond.10

Andellin quickly struggled to his feet to face the five dark adversaries.11

The center one stepped forward and spoke as the four encompassed the two of them.12

"Andellin, did you really think you could escape that easily?", a deep voice bellowed above the sharp crackling of the flames.13

"What do you want with me?" Andellin spoke with a firm voice.14

"Lord Selvetarm wants your head on a platter.  And we're the ones come to fetch it." He said as he drew a long curved falcion. "So will you come quietly?"15

"You must really be bigger fools than I thought if you expect me to return with you to Underdark!" He sneered at the black cowled figures about him.16

"So be it, Andellin." The drow snapped his fingers and the two drow behind him grappled his arms and struggled to hold him firm.  With all his strength, Andellin vaulted backwards and kicked the two of them into their leader.  The other two flipped forward and flew at him with perfect coordination, sabers held to ready to strike.  Andellin held out the dagger as one flew straight into the blade and fell to the ground, unmoving.  He turned quickly with a round-house kick that landed a crushing blow that sent the other flying into the ring of flames.17

Andellin turned about now, longsword drawn.  The other two and their leader had now scrambled to their feet.  He ripped his dagger from the fallen dead corpse and stood at the ready.  The other two drow rushed him furiously.  Andellin's eyes darted back and forth, and then caught sight of where the other drow had fallen next to one of the burning trees that was now ready to topple.  He darted next to the tree and with all his might swung his longsword into the fractured point.  The tree cracked and moaned as it began to topple over.  The two drow tried to stop and turn, but it was too late, the tree slammed to the ground and they were lost beneath flames and embers.18

A rush of smoke stung Andellin's eyes.  He rubbed vigorously to regain his vision.  The blurs finally took shape and he could see a murky, dark silouette as it emerged from the smoke.  The leader stood with the falcion gripped tightly in his right hand.  Blood, sweat, and soot covered his body and black clothes.  A crunching blow from the other's left fist sent Andellin flying into the dirt a few feet away.  He was dazed a moment as he heard the footsteps grow closer.  The drow leader had kicked the longsword from reach and lifted him by the neck of his tunic.19

"You've caused a lot of trouble for us heretic." he spit in Andellin's face.20

"Well you really haven't been the greatest chum either." He said smuggly back as struggled in the other's arms.21

"Hmph! One such as you isn't complete without the right mark." The drow leader tightened his grip as he lowered the falcion to Andellin's left cheek and carved a small horizontal curve and a short vertical curve a quarter inch below it.  Andellin gritted his teeth and grunted in severe pain.22

"Now you will go to join the she-elf you so love!  You never were a true drow, now die heretic!"  The drow leader lifted the falcion high.  And before he could swing, Andellin wipped the dragon tail concealed in right hand out and drove into the other's heart.  23

The other's breathing struggled, "It isn't ... over heretic ... we will hunt you ... to the last ..."24

The drow leader struggled a few moments, and the then dropped the falcion and Andellin as he fell to the ground; dead like the others.25

Andellin ripped the dagger from the other's stomach and cleaned it on his cloak.  He replaced it and the longsword without word.  After a moment he looked about him saw the carnage of what had just passed.26

Blood, smoke, fire, ash, ember ... death.  He was right, it wasn't over.  And would not end for some time, but when it came time he would be the one to end it.  Andellin pulled the cloak close about as he passed once more into the night through the haze of smoke and fire.27