T'risstree - A Tale of Silver, Onyx and Rubies - Part 3

NOTE:
Before reading Part III of this story (& the conclusion I might add), I highly recommend that you read part 1:
http://lailaroknian.blogspot.com/2009/03/trisstree-tale-of-silver-onyx-and.html

and part 2:
http://lailaroknian.blogspot.com/2009/03/trisstree-tale-of-silver-onyx-and_19.html

Thank you for reading my humble writings & I hope you enjoy the conclusion of my short story about T'riss.

*********************************

-8-
“T’risstree, dalnilnuk, open up!”
Triss popped awake. Someone was knocking on her door.
“Malice?”
“I have to talk to you,” Malice whispered and quickly shut the door behind her.
“How are you?” she asked Triss.
“I’m bored out of my mind and my eyes are sore. I can’t wait to get back. And those humans, oh Malice, they are ugly…and lousy in bed. Don’t you think so?”
Malice sat in silence for a while.
“Don’t you think so?” T’risstree repeated the question and Malice evaded her glare.
“Malice, don’t you think so??”
Malice lowered her eyes and shook her head. It was a minute movement but big enough for Triss to notice.
“That man that I’ve been with, he is… He is wonderful,” Malice whispered.
Triss slapped Malice across the face.
“Wake up! You do not belong here!”
“I thought you’d be happy…” Malice smiled. “…If I didn’t return.”
“No! Not like this Malice! We make a good team you and I! We can both go back.
See how well we’ve played the villagers together? Maybe this is what Matron Viconia wanted us to see? That we can work together!”
Malice just shook her head and started walking towards the door.
“Malice, please think about this. It will pass….”
Malice nodded.
“I’m sure it will.”

As the days went by, T’risstree grew tired of pretending that she was having fun with the humans, and the stronger her boredom grew, the more tricks she played on the townspeople.
She had a beautiful stash of treasure that she had stolen from various stores around town with the intention of bringing it all back to the Underdark. She had seduced several males, husbands as well as unattached ones, and she was just as bored and unsatisfied with every single one of them. She couldn’t understand what Malice saw in these boring, ugly creatures.

“Let’s go into the forest,” Andy suggested one night after dinner, and she willingly followed along for a little rendezvous as usual.
He started kissing her passionately and she pretended to melt in his arms when all of a sudden she found herself with a knife to her throat.
“You little thieving wench,” she heard a voice growling. “You thought you’d get away with this, didn’t you?” The voice belonged to one of the shopkeepers in town.
“Andy?” Triss looked around and found Andy cowardly standing a few feet away, determined not to look at her.
“You tricked me! You tricked me!” She snarled at him.
“You’re about to get what you deserve. I knew we couldn’t trust you dark ones!”
“And what do you want?” She changed her tune and traced her finger across his face. He trembled a little and lowered his knife. “You want some of this?” she cooed and pressed her sexy body against his.
“Trevor, you’re losing it,” one of the other males said and whipped out his knife, but he was too slow. The brief distraction had bought T’risstree enough time to pull out one sword for each hand and before the men even had a chance to notice that she was armed at all, the shopkeeper was lying headless in the grass and she was already aiming for another male.
“Die light-lovers!” she hissed before she buried her sword in his body and watched him gargle up blood before he sunk to the ground like a sack of potatoes.
A third male had snuck up behind her with his knife and she cried out in pain as his knife sunk into her shoulder. The male seemed surprised over actually having hurt her and she realized that this was not a regular army. It was merely a bunch of cowards with knives.
T’risstree grinned at the male who was still stunned by his achievements with the dagger, and a silent swoosh was all the warning he had before she introduced his neck to her lightning fast blade.
“Triss,” Andy said and she turned around. He was holding a bow and the arrow was pointing at her.
“Andy you don’t want to kill me,” she said softly. “I’ll leave. I’ll leave right now if you let me go.”
His hands were trembling and she spotted hesitance in his blue eyes.
“I have to do this Triss,” he said and pulled the string on the bow back even further.
“Please don’t lover,” she purred.
“Will you leave?” Andy said.
“I will leave,” Triss nodded. “No more trouble from me.”
She walked up to him and let her lips embrace his. He started shaking and she unbuttoned his pants.
“One last memory,” she whispered and pulled him down on to the moss-covered ground, and he was unable to resist her advances.
“I’m going to miss you T’risstree,” he gasped in ecstasy. As he was busy climaxing, he never saw the dagger that impaled his heart from behind.
“I won’t miss you at all,” Triss growled as she rolled his heavy, lifeless body off of hers and wiped his blood from her chest.

-9-

Hastily she ran to the inn and gathered all her items in a hurry, before she ran over to Malice’s room.
“Malice!” She knocked on her door and after awhile it opened.
“I’m busy.” Malice was half-naked and flushed. There was no question who she was busy with. “Come back later.”
“I have to leave Malice,” Triss whispered. “Are you coming?”
Malice shook her head.
“No,” she said.
“You know what will happen if you don’t return,” T’risstree whispered.
Malice’s eyes darkened and she nodded.
“You will be declared kill on sight in the Underdark,” Triss reminded her. “Do you want to live the rest of your life being hunted by your own?”
“It’s better than what’s facing me back there if I lose,” Malice said.
“But you may win! We don’t know! We can both win! ” Triss tried to talk Malice out of the big mistake she was about to commit. “We can both win! Look at us! We’re working well together! Dalnilnuk, I think this experience has brought us closer. Maybe it is possible for us to both live in peace? We compliment each other, you have skills I lack and vice versa. We can make it work Malice!”
But she could tell by the look on Malice’s face that she was in love and had no intentions of letting him go.
“Goodbye Triss,” Malice whispered.
“Aluve’ dalnilnuk,” Triss replied and started walking away, and then she turned around one last time.
“Malice, I caused some problems… You know how they blame all drow for something that one did wrong. Just tell them what a horrible wench I am. Tell them…”
Malice held a hand up to make her stop talking.
“Shut up and go,” she smiled. “I’m the actress. I know what to say!”

T’risstree held on to her belongings and ran out of the village as fast as she could. She heard screams and loud voices and knew they had discovered her handiwork.
She fumbled for her brooch that Viconia had given her, rubbed it five times but even before she could say the magic words, she was flying through a dark tunnel and suddenly she was back in the Underdark.
“Congratulations T’risstree, you survived.”
Viconia stood before her with a big smile.
“I didn’t even use the brooch?” T’risstree was confused.
“It was time for you two to return. It has been a week. I won’t even leave my worst enemy up there for longer than that,” Viconia grinned.
Then she looked at the empty space next to T’risstree.
“Malice?”
T’risstree lowered her eyes to the floor and shrugged.
“She didn’t?” Viconia grabbed Triss’ face and forced her to look up.
“She did.” Triss’ voice was genuinely sad.
“That coward. If she ever shows herself here again or you run into her up there, she is to be killed. Do you understand that T’risstree?”
Triss nodded.
“I do,” she said.
“Spread the word,” Viconia sighed.
“This is why I sent you there,” she continued. “To see which one of you would survive and whose minds would get corrupted by the light…”
“They are so boring,” T’risstree complained. “How will she survive with them? Not to mention they can’t please a drow in bed and they’re all...”
Viconia chuckled at all her complaints.
“Oh but look what I brought!” T’risstree interrupted herself and poured her bags out all over the floors, revealing all the goods she had stolen and brought back to Xyldynn.
“Triss! What have you done?” Viconia laughed and picked through the treasure pile.
“It almost cost me my life,” Triss said.
“Oh don’t be so dramatic dalnilnuk. Light-lovers are no match for a drow,” Viconia grinned and T’risstree shrugged.
“Unless they get to your conscience and your heart strings,” Viconia continued and Triss knew that she was thinking of Malice’s betrayal.
“I’m going to miss her Viconia,” Triss admitted. “We found each other out there.”
Viconia nodded.
“I know,” she said. “That was part of the challenge. I wouldn’t have had to pick a winner, would I?”
T’risstree just shook her head, and they said nothing more.

-10-

“Traitor!” T’risstree’s voice was filled with hatred as she lifted her crossbow and with a sturdy hand she pulled the trigger and watched the bolt penetrate its way through flesh and clothing, successfully finding its way to the unfortunate victim’s heart and terminating his life.
Triumphantly she pulled the bolt back out, leaving the dead body behind.
“Waste of a good bolt. Now clean it up,” she ordered one of the males.
He bowed before her and quickly ran off to complete his task.
“The last one made his way out Jabbress,” another male said.
“Out? Where?”
“You know…” He lowered his voice. “Out there.”
“The light-lovers world?” she asked and the male nodded.
T’risstree smiled and kissed him on the cheek.
“Good work,” she said with a smirk. “Let’s go get him and you can please me later.”
“Xas Jabbress,” he grinned.

Triss rubbed her brooch three times and muttered the necessary words and they found themselves on the outside all of a sudden. It was dark.
“I’ve been here before,” Triss whispered. “Several years have passed since then, but I was right here in this very spot. It is stained with their blood...and a drop of my own.”
“What’s it like?” One of the males was curious.
“Boring,” she replied. “No fun in bed, no fun anywhere. Just boring.”
“He can’t have gone far,” someone said. “He escaped this morning.”
“It has been daylight since then. We don’t function well in daylight, it’s too … bright,” Triss whispered. “Spread out and go look for him. I’ll stay here. If you find him, come back to me.”
T’risstree hid in the meantime, and her mind went back to the last time she had visited this place and to the bloody fight that had taken place in this very spot.
The thought of it made her smile. She was proud of what she had achieved back then and in the years that had followed.
She had been an excellent matron for the House of Xyldynn, and realized that the right drow had won the challenge. Triss didn’t know how well she would have liked sharing her power with Malice. Did she miss Malice? Not really.
The only thing she missed was not having someone to harass when she was having a bad day, but there was never a lack of servants who volunteered to be harassed by T’risstree.
Lately, Viconia had left most tasks and chores around the house in T’risstree’s hands and these days she was mostly basking in the glory of being the eldest and the wisest.

“Jabbress, look what I found!”
One of the males came back, interrupting her train of thought.
“This is a good catch jabbress,” he said and was dragging something, or someone, along the ground. Brutally he tossed it in front of her feet.
T’risstree gasped as the “thing” looked up at her.
“Malice!”
The male nodded and was beaming with pride.
“Do you want to do the honors Jabbress?” he said and looked at Malice, who was shivering on the ground before them.
“Please T’risstree, please. Let me go.”
“Go on, keep looking,” T’risstree commanded the drow male. “I’ll keep her here in the mean time.”
He spun around and was gone again.
“Please let me go dalnilnuk, please.”
Her red eyes were glowing with fear as she was begging T’risstree to leave her be.
“How is the light-loving world treating you?” Triss asked.
“You left a big mess for me to clean up Triss,” Malice complained. “But I eventually made them see that I wasn’t like you. And I haven’t been… I’ve been good.
I got married…”
“Married??” T’risstree looked like she had tasted something extremely sour.
“You confined to their institutions and nonsense formalities?? And you have sex with only one person forever?” She shuddered out of pure disgust.
“It’s wonderful Triss, it really is. Now we want children.”
“Do you miss the Underdark at all?” Triss asked her.
Malice shook her head.
“No I don’t,” she said bluntly, but her teary eyes told another tale.
“Don’t lie to me wench,” Triss snarled.
“Well… sometimes I wonder… you know. What you’re doing, what it would be like if I had returned with you. But I made my choice and I have to live with it.”
“That’s for me to decide if you get to live with it,” Triss stated.
“Please let me go dalnilnuk, please.”
A few of the drow males had returned with no result.
“He is nowhere to be found,” one of them said. “We’ll have to look elsewhere.”

“Malice??? MALICE!”
Someone was stomping through the woods, crying out her name.
“That’s John,” Malice whispered.
“So that is John,” Triss grinned. “Let’s invite him to the party shall we?”
“Call him! Call him now,” she hissed and nailed Malice with a pair of fiery red eyes.
“What has gotten into you? I thought we were friends?” Malice said.
“Friends,” Triss spit. “That was before you betrayed us all! Maybe we could have been. But we’re not friends. You’ve made yourself the enemy!”
They heard branches snap as John came running through, and at first he didn’t notice them at all, until he stopped to catch his breath and realized he was surrounded by drow.

-11-

“Malice? Are you okay?”
“Triss… please let us go. Nobody will know. These males are faithful to you, they won’t betray you.”
“But would I want to betray myself?” Triss asked her.
T’risstree nodded to one of her males who flicked out his sword and John found himself in a tight grip with a sharp blade pressing against his throat.
“Please don’t Triss,” Malice begged.
“Remember Amalika?” T’risstree wheezed. Her ruby-colored eyes were flickering with cool hatred.
Malice screamed as Triss signaled the one holding John and he slit John’s throat without a word.
“Now we are even.” Triss stared at Malice, who kept stroking a golden band that was clinging to her left ring finger.
“I could kill you now, but killing you seems like an easy way out, doesn’t it Malice? What would you do now, without him, without us… and without them?”
She nodded in direction of the village and doubted they would forgive the drow again for having killed off another one of their friends. Malice would for certain be chased out of town, if not killed.
Nevertheless she would be declared kill on sight again, this time by the humans.
“The sun will be up soon. We have to go boys,” Triss declared.
“Stay out of our way Malice…and I suggest you start running from them if you want to live.”
T’risstree started rubbing her brooch to return home.
“I’m sorry about Amalika,” Malice wept. “I’m so sorry.”
“I’m sorry too,” Triss said. She paused on the forth stroke and glanced at Malice who was readying herself to flee.
“Malice,” she said.
“Malice, look at me.”
Malice slowly turned around to face T’risstree, only to be met by a flying blade.
“I’ll give you the easy way out one last time,” Triss muttered before the sword collided with Malice’s head and they watched Malice’s body sink to the ground next to John’s.
Quickly Triss rubbed the brooch a fifth time and brought them all back to the Underdark.

Viconia met them in the corridor.
“Did you find him?” she asked.
Triss shook her head and the two women exchanged a knowing look.
“Lolth is proud of you,” Viconia smiled and ran a hand through Triss’ silver mane.
“I am proud of me too.” Triss smiled confidently and headed for her room, where she closed the door behind her, hungry to be alone.
She gazed at herself in the mirror and liked what she saw.
“Vendui’ ussta alurl abbil,[1]” she mumbled and looked herself in the eyes.
For the first time, and probably for the last time, in her life, T’risstree shed a tear.

[1] Hello my best friend.

T'risstree - A Tale of Silver, Onyx and Rubies - Part 2

Note: This is is part 2 of this story. If you haven't read the first part yet, I suggest you visit the following link: http://lailaroknian.blogspot.com/2009/03/trisstree-tale-of-silver-onyx-and.html and catch up on the tale:)

Also, let me remind you that drow are evil in nature... that's all I will say. I will write more about the drow race at a later time, but if you wish to read more about them now, I advise that you google it... it's a fascinating race after all :)

Anyway, please enjoy the second part of this story, there will be 1 or 2 more parts following in the next coming days :)

-4-

If Malice had hoped for T’risstree to show any sign of breakdown, she had to be sadly disappointed, as there was no indication of remorse or sorrow. Viconia brought a new
melee trainer in and T’risstree trained with him faithfully every single day. Malice kept close watch, but soon found it to be a waste of time as Triss cared about nothing but the technicalities of how to best swing her swords in order to do the most damage.

“T’risstree, can you tell me the appropriate formula for shooting off a fireball?”
Viconia was tutoring the girls in their arcane studies.
Triss shook her head.
“It was in today’s homework Triss,” Viconia sighed.
Malice replied to the question and looked at Triss with a wide grin.
“I wont stoop down to her level,” Triss thought to herself, but the sword clinging to her thigh almost felt alive and she had to restrain herself from poking Malice’s eyeballs out.
“T’risstree, you must be punished. You are not paying attention like you should. Our goddess will be disappointed.”
Triss lowered her head.
“Xas jabbress,”[1] she muttered.
“You will be locked in your room without sword practice for a week. Study your books and come back to me with knowledge of magic.”
“Xas jabbress.” T’risstree got up from her chair and bowed before Viconia then headed out the door. As she turned around she locked eyes with Malice. If looks could kill, both would have been out cold on the floor that instance. Instead Triss turned around and walked quickly back to her room.
“Malice will get hers,” she muttered. “She better watch her back.”

-5-

It wasn’t the last time T’risstree would be punished for being lazy. She was known for having a mind of her own, and through the following years she spent a lot of time in her room. She was by far the fastest and the best fighter in the house, and quickly she climbed the ranks to the top. Whether she was a good mage or not, she knew how to get her way, which she often did. So did Malice for that matter, who was keener on the arcane arts rather than melee, and in that way they completed each other.
However, the bitter rivalry between the two did not fade. On the contrary it increased rapidly, and soon the entire House of Xyldynn knew the two were enemies and started taking sides. The rivalry turned into war and the House of Xyldynn stood divided.
Viconia was saddened by the event. The day two females had been born into the house had been the happiest day of her life, yet now the two were bitter enemies, and instead of bringing the house to life like they were born to do, they were tearing it apart.

“Jabbress T’risstree! They killed Zaknafein.”
One of her assassins came running and informed her of yet another tragic murder that had taken place.
“Should we go get revenge?” The young male was eager to please his mistress and was already whirling his knife around while licking his lips at the thought of stabbing someone with it.
T’risstree sighed. This had grown out of proportions and she didn’t know how to end it. The opponents would kill one of her servants, and she would kill one of theirs.
“No,” she finally said. “This is getting out of hand. We can’t keep doing this, it’s leading nowhere but to extinction.”
T’risstree went to her room and started pacing back and forth. This blood feud was starting to depress her.

In an attempt to cheer herself up she tried summoning visions of elven faces as her drow army stormed their camps, tears running down their elven cheeks while they were pleading for their petty lives... her slender hand elegantly twirling her sword around, before burying in their flesh one last time before she would walk away with a victorious chuckle. The thought put her in a good mood for only a short second.
Triss sat down and looked at herself in the mirror, which was one of her favorite pastimes. The reflection of her glistening red eyes was gazing back at her as she picked up a silver hairbrush and started grooming her long, thick silver-white mane. Finally she shook her head, sending her hair cascading down her back like a moonlit waterfall.
She reached for her jewelry box and let her hand slide into it. All the nice golden chains and necklaces she had collected through the years seeped through her fingers like it was water and she sighed. Gold was usually a cheerful sight, but this time she just closed up her box without even picking out a piece to wear.

T’risstree walked across the floor and opened the door out to the hallway.
“Xas jabbress, lu'oh shlu'ta usstan kla'ath dos?” [2]
She was pleased to see her pets come running as soon as she showed herself.
“How can you serve me?” She repeated his question with a smirk and put an elegant finger under the drow servant’s chin, cupping his face between her hands.
“Come with me jaluk,” she purred. Willingly he obeyed her and followed her back inside, where she closed the door behind them and had her way with him.
There was always a cure for boredom, even if it was temporary.

The following day, Viconia sent out summons for T’risstree and Malice.
“Girls, this can’t go on,” she said. “You are causing major conflicts around here. Warriors who once used to be friends are now killing each other.”
Malice chuckled and T’risstree just shrugged.
“Survival of the fittest,” she said and glared over at Malice.
“Well, you either fight it out, figure it out or I throw you out, I’ve had enough,” Viconia snarled. “And may I remind you, once you’re thrown out of here, there is no way back in!”
The words had the effect of a cold shower and T’risstree stood up and drew her sword.
“Let’s do it,” she sneered at Malice. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”
“Not here,” Viconia said. “I will arrange something. A challenge. The winner stays, the loser goes.”
“Goes where?” T’risstree asked her. Viconia just gave her a long look and T’risstree had a feeling she didn’t want to know.
“It will be the end of you,” Malice hissed and pointed at Triss.
Triss just laughed in her face, then spit on the floor in front of her.
“Whore,” she sneered before she spun around and ran out the door, realizing that whore was too much of a compliment for a lowlife scum like Malice.
“You belong with the light-lovers,” she yelled, and her intense voice echoed down the hallways and it silenced them all. They shuddered with fear.
It was win or lose and it was life or death. Actually, it was life or worse than death.
It was life or the abyss of eternal suffering.

-6-

T’risstree spent the next days in her room preparing for whatever would come her way in the contest. At least the killing had stopped for now, but the tension between the two groups was unbearable.
Finally the day of the contest arrived.
T’risstree and Malice were sitting across the room from one another.
“Vendui’ dalnilnuk.” Viconia’s voice broke the stifling silence and they turned their attention to her.
“I’ve been thinking long and hard to find out how to best test you. I know you are both excellent fighters, staging a battle would not be much help as I suspect T’risstree would win the melee battle and Malice would win the arcane battle.”

She walked up to T’risstree and handed her a brooch, then continued over to Malice and handed her a similar item.
“I will send you to the world of the light-lovers. Neither of you can bring anyone from here. We have wounds to patch up thanks to you two. While you’re away, the drow army will be brought back together again. The one of you who succeeds will return to a united house and be matron in the House of Xyldynn.”
“What exactly are we supposed to do there?” T’risstree asked.
“Survive,” Viconia smiled.
“Easy,” Malice shrugged. “I’ve been there before.”
“Your brooches are your teleporters. Rub it three times and act as if you were casting a portal and it will send you up to the surface. Rub it five times, and it shall send you back to the Underdark.”
Viconia sat down in her chair.
“Good luck girls,” she said.
“Can I pack some money and some clothes?” T’risstree asked and the matron nodded.
“Pack some necessities and return to me. I will send you both out at the same time.”

T’risstree was nervous. It sounded like a simple task, but knowing what was at stake, and seeing that the task came from Viconia, she realized it would be anything but easy. She packed some clothes, her swords and a purse with some gold coins and returned to the matron. Malice joined them seconds later and they were ready.
Viconia muttered some words under her breath. A big white light flashed before T’risstree’s eyes and she felt as if she was in the middle of a gigantic explosion.

-7-

When she opened her eyes again, she was sitting on the ground in a place she did not recognize. Malice was sitting next to her.
“They sent us to the same place?” T’risstree wheezed. “I don’t want to see your ugly face.”
“Fine,” Malice said and got up from the ground. She brushed some leaves off her coat and marched off in to the village. Luckily it was dark outside already. Triss knew she needed to find a place to stay before daylight came to blind her.
She pulled a big coat over her tiny body. It had a huge hood attached to it, which she pulled over her head and tied up so that nobody could see her face unless they looked closely. Swiftly she covered her hands with a pair of gloves before heading in the same direction that Malice had gone, towards the village.
She was almost there when Malice came running back out with a horde of angry villagers after her. They were spitting and waving knives at her. T’risstree chuckled and turned around to watch the spectacle just in time to see Malice making a fool out of herself. She blasted a fireball at the crowd that was chasing her and ran into the woods.
Triss knew her rival would be safe in the forest, since Malice, like most other drow, was an expert at stealth and hiding.
“That was one of them dark ones.” She heard someone talking to her. “Nasty dark folk bring nothing but trouble, I assure you.”
Triss looked up to find a hefty pale matron standing next to her.
“I know what you mean,” she spoke softly. “Excuse me, do you know where I can get a room for a few nights?”
“Sure thing honey. You look freezing cold the way you’re bundled up, let me show you to the inn.”
Triss drew a breath of relief and followed behind the woman. The vision of Malice running for her life followed by a group of light-lovers amused her still, and she had to bite her lip not to laugh out loud.

As soon as Triss was settled in, she tore the big coat off and took a deep breath. It had been hard to breath being so bundled up, but well worth it. As soon as she had taken all her outer clothes off, she realized she was hungry and sighed as she started putting it all back on. It had only been a few minutes and already it was starting to get tedious.
“This is no competition with Malice being so brain-dead. I’ll have to go help her,” T’risstree thought. “What fun is it if she’s defeated that easily? There’s no way I’ll have her deny me some good competition!”
She walked back downstairs. Stealthily she vanished in to the kitchen and stole a loaf of bread and some cheese. She knew she could just buy it, but where was the fun in that? After filling her pockets in the kitchen, she headed back out the city gates and into the woods.
“Malice, where are you?” she whispered.
“What do you care?” She heard an angry voice reply.
“Told you it wasn’t going to be that easy,” Triss said quietly.
“So?” Malice came out of hiding.
“Cover yourself up,” T’risstree sighed. “I knew you were dense, but really Malice! I’m not going to give you that many chances to catch up!”
Quickly Triss spun around and headed back to the inn, and by the sound of it Malice was following right behind her, still not covered up.
“I’ll use my own tactics,” she triumphed as she brushed by T’risstree and strutted back into the village. Triss heard ruckus as the villagers spotted Malice once again and expected to see Malice come running back out in a matter of seconds.
However, Malice never came back out and curiosity got the upper hand of T’risstree.
Leisurely she walked over to a corner and watched Malice in action.
“It’s terrible down there,” Malice sobbed. She was a great actress and had the entire village in the palm of her hand. “I can’t stay there anymore, and I guess I’m not welcome here either so I don’t know what to do.”
All the light-lovers were quiet.
“We’ll take you in for a bit honey,” Triss heard a voice say. “You may have lived a sad and pitiful life up till now, but we’ll take care of you.”
“Are they that stupid,” T’risstree muttered to herself and just about jumped out of her skin when someone joined her on the bench.
“Isn’t it terrible,” the newcomer said. “How they treat them dark skinned ones.”
T’risstree decided to take advantage of the situation and pulled her hood back.
“It is indeed,” she said in a sickeningly pitiful voice and turned her head to face the light-lover sitting next to her.
It was a young male, most likely in his late 20s. He had pale blue eyes, fair skin and blonde hair and seemed taken back by the company he found himself in.
“You are a dark one as well,” he stated.
“Nice observation stupid,” Triss thought to herself but nodded at him with an encouraging smile.
Malice had turned around and their eyes met. A glimpse of jealousy flew across Malice’s face until another young man tapped her on the shoulder and took her hand, leading her towards the inn, where it seemed like the young drow would both be staying for a while.
“What’s your name?” The male asked her.
“T’risstree,” she answered him.
“That’s a pretty name,” he smiled. “Mine is just plain old Andy.”
She turned and looked him in the eyes.
“You are very handsome,” she cooed and let a finger run across his face. He turned slightly red under her touch, and was breathing fast and swallowing hard.
“Perhaps… perhaps you would like to join me for a meal,” he stuttered.
“That sounds nice,” she said softly, even though her pockets were bulging from stolen baked goods from the kitchen.
She grabbed his hand and he escorted them to the inn. At a table next to theirs sat Malice with her foolish admirer, and by the looks of it he had swallowed her bait completely.
T’risstree realized they could have some fun with the light-lovers while they were here. There was nothing or nobody present at the moment that couldn’t be used and tossed aside later.

Malice’s story spread quickly around town and T’risstree knew she owed her thanks for making it easier to walk around without hiding in the big cloak. It was amazing how gullible these people were and T’risstree had no problems taking cruel advantage of their hospitality and kindness.
“It’s their own fault for being so stupid,” she thought to herself and ignored the pull on the heartstrings every time she pick-pocketed someone or stole another item from a store.

She let Andy off easy the first night. He followed her to her room where she gently kissed him on the lips and sent him on his way.
On the third day, T’risstree finally let Andy come inside with her.
“I want to know what a light-lover is like in bed,” she cooed and his kind blue eyes lit up with expectation.
“Really?” he smiled and ran a hand through her silver-blonde hair.
“Really,” she purred and pulled his head down towards hers. She pressed her lips against his and gently played with his probing tongue while he slowly undressed her.
Triss eagerly reached for his clothes and found his pale, naked body totally unappealing.
“Oh, you’re so sexy,” she lied and his soft chuckle filled the room as he carried her on to the bed and started stroking her dark smooth body.
For about an hour, T’risstree laid on the bed, moaning and groaning, pretending to be having a good time, while he took his sweet time with the foreplay before he finally made love to her.
“You dark elves are tigers in bed,” he panted after he was done.
T’risstree cringed at the word “dark elf” but didn’t say anything.
“You’re not bad yourself,” she bluffed and bit him on the neck, while thinking how she couldn’t wait to get back to the Underdark and to her loyal, feisty lovers that were all waiting for her there.


[1] “Yes mistress”
[2] “Yes mistress, how can I serve you?”

T'risstree - A Tale of Silver, Onyx and Rubies - Part 1

Note: This is the first few chapters in a short story I wrote about T'risstree, who is a drow character I used to play in various games though the years. For anyone who is unfamiliar with the drow, they are an evil race (although some "good" drow have sprung up through the years), which is why this story is on the darker side.

For further information on drow, you can google them. Some of the language in this story is also drow.

Zebeyana took a last quivering breath. She felt as if she was ripped in half for a second, and then there was nothing but peace and quiet in the room. A sharp cry penetrated the quiet night, and Zebeyana was afraid to open her eyes.
What was it? It had to be a girl. It had to be.

“Ol zhah natha jalil!”[1]

With a big smile, Zeby opened her ruby colored eyes and welcomed her newborn baby girl into her arms. The future of the House of Xyldynn was finally secured, and so was her own life. She peered down at the tiny body that was lying on her chest. The baby’s skin was black like onyx and a pale trace of silver white hair was showing itself at the top of her head.

“T’risstree,” Zeby whispered. “We have been waiting for you.”
She let her fingers run across the tiny face, tracing around her small pointy ears before she embraced the little one completely and hugged her carefully.
The baby was so tiny, Zeby was afraid she would break if she hugged her too hard.

A door flew open, and in walked another dark skinned elf, followed by a cold wind gust. Zeby lifted her eyes to examine the visitor. The only telltale of her current emotion was her red eyes, which were reduced to glowing embers, expressing intense hatred. Apart from that, she kept a cool ice-queen posture.

“Ph' dos kr'athin?”[2] He sounded impatient.

Was she ready? Would she ever be?

Softly she planted a kiss on the baby’s forehead and handed her over to the male. She was determined not to break down in front of anybody, but felt as if she was being ripped apart for the second time that morning, and this time there no remedy for her pain. As she saw him walk out the door, carrying her baby girl, a cold, empty void spread within her and even though giving birth to a girl had saved her from a certain death, she felt as if she had nothing left to live for.

-2-

“Vendui’ dalnilnuk,”[3] T’risstree greeted her fellow study companion with a fake grin.
19 years, in human time, had gone by since she was born and she was now a young woman.
“Vendui’” Malice muttered.
The two exchanged a look that was less than friendly and sat quietly side-by-side waiting patiently for matron Viconia, who normally taught them the ways of the arcane circles.

What Zebeyana had been unaware of at the time of T’risstree’s birth, was that another female drow had been born only minutes before T’risstree entered the world. The matron was pleased to see more females in charge. She had feared for the future of Xyldynn and now she was certain that the House of Xyldynn would continue to grow.

“Vendui’ dalharen,”[4] Viconia strutted into the room and T’risstree focused her attention on her teacher, following her every move with her piercing red eyes.
“Vendui’ jabbress,”[5] Malice smiled and T’risstree rolled her eyes.
“What are we learning today?” T’risstree asked.
“Ladies, I’ve brought along one of our males to teach you how to hand the blade,” Viconia said. A silent movement in the doorway caught T’risstree’s attention.
“Usstan tlun Amalika,”[6] he said with a gleam in his eye. Confidently he pulled two swords out and juggled them around before handing one to Malice and one to T’risstree.
“Showoff,” Malice muttered and T’risstree chuckled.
“Takes one to know one,” she whispered before she got up from her chair, waving her sword in the air.
“Careful jalil,[7]” Amalika warned her and grabbed her arm.
“You can’t tell me what to do,” T’risstree snapped at him.
“If you wish to kill yourself, go ahead and do as you please. If not I suggest you listen to him,” Viconia said and Triss could hear Malice snickering behind her.
“Fine,” T’risstree muttered, angered over having been reprimanded in front of the male.

The next few days Amalika taught T’risstree and Malice how to swing their swords. T’risstree found herself enjoying these lessons far more than the arcane studies, whereas Malice was rather clumsy with the knives. She had cut herself three times already, whereas T’risstree was pleasantly scar free so far.
“You are ready for a second weapon.”
Amalika came up to her one day as she was practicing, and her eyes lit up at the compliment.
“Really?” she smiled.
“Really,” Amalika said.
He brought a shorter sword out and presented it to her.
“Bel’dos,”[8] she purred and let a finger run down his chest. Her red glare looked up at him, glowing with lust. Amalika seemed flattered by her come-on.
She had grown up to be a beautiful young woman. Her long hair was thick and silver-blonde in color, her body was tiny but curvaceous still and everybody had a hard time resisting her sparkling ruby eyes.
Amalika went on to show her how to fight with both hands. He wasn’t unaffected by her advances. She was constantly rubbing herself against him, and he simply wouldn’t have been a man if he showed no reaction.
Quickly she chopped through the air with her swords, then spun around to face him.
“Do you want me?” she cooed.
“How could I not want you,” he gulped.
“Then let’s put our swords away,” she smiled and he could do nothing but obey.
T’risstree tilted her head and glanced up at him with her irresistible smile, and he knew he was lost. She kissed him before plucking her clothes off one by one, revealing her perfect dark-skinned body to him, then she moved on to his clothes, and soon they were naked and passionately committed to one another for the three nights that followed.
On the third night, Amalika exited T’risstree’s room, still in a state of lust and unaware of the piercing look that was following him as he quickly walked down the corridor.
“Whore,” Malice sneered as she turned away in disgust and envy, but the plan that was brewing in her mind made her laugh.


-3-

T’risstree was sparring with Malice. It was a boring task, but someone had to do it. Malice had improved her sword skill, but was no challenge to Triss. To make better use of her time, Triss automatically swung her sword from side to side while daydreaming of what was to come later that night. She had grown fond of Amalika and they had made a habit out of meeting every night.
“Ladies, you’re looking good.”
Amalika emerged from the hallway and studied the two women dueling. For a second he pretended to be interested in the actual swordfight, before he shoved all pretences aside and openly stared at T’risstree as she gracefully swung her petite body out of the way of Malice’s attempted attacks.
“I’m tired,” Malice yawned and lowered her sword.
“Finally,” Triss commented and put on a sexy smile before turning towards the drow male. “Do you have time for some more… exercises?” she grinned as she slid towards Amalika, halting only inches away from him.
“Always,” he smiled and glanced quickly to the side, making sure Malice vanished out the door, before he melted between Triss’ hands and lost himself to her.
They had just gotten dressed again when Malice stormed back into the room.
“I must have lost my amulet,” she excused herself. “Do you mind if I look for it?”
“Not at all.” Triss pretended not to care about the interruption.
“Did you see it?” Malice asked them. “It was silver with a red stone…”
While they watched Malice search for her necklace, Amalika boldly placed a strong hand on Triss’ thigh. She looked up at him with a sensual smile while grinding against his hand.
“I can’t get enough of you,” she purred.
“Yes my mistress,” he pleaded and she locked eyes with him and knew she owned him.
“I can’t find it,” Malice pouted.
“Come with me male,” T’risstree commanded Amalika and he bowed his head and followed her out like an obedient puppy. They reached her room and she started removing his clothes for the second time that day, when an amulet fell out of his pocket.
It was silver with a red stone in it.
T’risstree gasped.
“Amalika?” She looked at him.
“I don’t know how that got there,” he stuttered.
“She placed it there,” T’risstree frowned. “She’s a jealous bitch… she has every right to be.” T’risstree grinned and clung to his body.
“Get rid of it and come back to me,” she said and he nodded and vanished out the door.

Minutes later a scream sounded from the hallway and Triss stormed out of her bedroom, just to see Malice lecturing Amalika.
“Thief!” Malice turned triumphantly to Triss, before quickly replacing her triumphant expression with one of despair for the rest of the crowd to see.
“Thief! He stole my amulet!”
Other curious drow had arrived at the scene when Matron Viconia made a graceful appearance.
“Young lady, what happened?” she asked Malice.
“This thief stole my amulet!” Malice pointed at Amalika.
“No I didn’t, I didn’t take it…” Amalika’s onyx-colored face was drenched in sweat and he was tugging at his white hair in frustration.
“He did take it! I had it before sparring class this morning and all of a sudden it was gone. I caught him with it, he was carrying it in his hands!” Malice was furious.
“What punishment do you wish for?” Viconia asked the young female drow. Malice’s eyes were glowing bright red as she turned and looked T’risstree directly in the eyes.
“Death,” she said. “A lesson needs to be taught!”
Triss gasped.
“He didn’t take it!” T’risstree sprung to his defense.
“You choose to believe the male over me?” Malice sobbed and put on an extraordinary performance, highly believable to everyone else. “Are you insane? He’s scum.”
T’risstree looked at Amalika who shook his head and put his finger to his lips, quietly telling her not to defend him. Her body trembled as it restrained itself from crying.
She would get in trouble if she chose to be on his side over Malice’s. It was his word against Malice, a male drow against a female drow, and there was no doubt whose word carried more weight.
Quietly he sunk down to his knees and put his swords on the ground.
“T’risstree? You’re good with the sword, maybe you could do the honors?” Malice’s cold eyes were staring right at her.

T’risstree looked at the crowd gathering around them. One day she wished to be head of this house. If she walked away from this, her chances would be greatly diminished, and they would have Malice in charge of their lives, which would be worse than death.
Proudly she swallowed her tears and her fear while calmly approaching Amalika, who was kneeling before her. Her voice was crisp and clear as she spoke.
“You shouldn’t have taught me quite as much,” she said as she grabbed one of his swords from the ground. He looked up at her with a smile and winked at her. She wished she could close her eyes, but she had to look in order to aim properly. They locked eyes and with all her strength and great speed she swung his sword, aiming for his neck. She watched in horror as the sword penetrated his skin and heard the subtle thump as his head hit the floor and it was over. Quickly she gathered his remaining swords from the ground before she ran into her room and threw up.

“It’ll be easy from now on,” she thought to herself. “Because from this day and forward, the only emotion that is allowed to penetrate my shell, is hatred. And I hate! I hate! I hate!!”
She was chanting to herself while staring into the mirror. Her eyes never shone so bright before but they were cold as stone.
“I hate…” she whispered.

To Be Continued.........

(Translations for the drow sentences used above:)
[1] “It’s a girl!”
[2] “Are you ready?”
[3] “Hello sister”
[4] “Hello children”
[5] “Hello mistress”
[6] “I am Amalika”
[7] “Girl”
[8] “Thank you”