The room was moderately large. A full dresser stood in the corner next to the vanity and sink. Two windows were open on the wall opposite the door, and a slightly salty breeze tossed about the thin curtains. An elaborate timepiece sat on an end table next to the vast bed, and on the bed sat a very confused Drizzt Do'Urden.
Where was he? It felt as if he had just woken, but he knew this was not where he had fallen asleep. There was a faint memory tugging at the back of his mind, something about a glowing figure. Thelania! He had been in his room on the Sea Sprite talking with Thelania, and she had sent him here. Why was he here again? Oh yea, Drizzt slumped his shoulders. He was here for a tournament.
The door opened, and eight people entered. Well, eight people almost entered. The four men took one look at Drizzt and turned right back around, leaving only the four women. They looked human on first inspection, but something was not quite right about them. Their eyes were too big, and while they appeared well built, they moved with a litheness akin to elves. And as one of the females turned to place a basin of warm water and soap in the sink, a gust of wind from the open window caught her hair and revealed an elvish-looking ear.
Drizzt looked at the other three, one of which carried a bowl of fruit and placed it next to him on the end table. Her short-sleeved robe revealed a thick arm as she set the bowl down, far too thick for an elf, and when she caught Drizzt staring at her, she smiled. Her face was unnaturally round, and her eyes looked as if they would roll out if she opened them any further.
"Do you require anything more?"
It was one of the remaining two females. The one next to her was carrying towels and what looked like a folded-up version of the robes each was wearing. The female who had spoken looked at Drizzt, waiting for an answer. He just looked blankly at her, still not sure what was going on, and his eyes constantly flirted back to the female he had stared in the face.
"This is a full-service hotel. We can provide you with any food you desire prepared in any way. Our library is stocked with a vast array of books covering many cultures. And we also provide more 'personal' entertainment."
Without prompting, the female who had carried in the fruit tugged at the tie on her robe, and a second later, it was on the floor. Drizzt was shocked. It wasn't just her beauty, though that was impressive, but she was by far the most exotic female he had laid eyes on. Her skin was the deepest tan he had seen outside of dessert people, but it did not appear to have come from any sun. Her arms and legs were powerful yet lithe.
"Uh, I . . ." he stuttered, and as the naked female walked toward him, her hips swishing to and fro, he finally gained his composure. He slid off the bed on the opposite side of the approaching female. "I'm fine, thank you. I shall wash up with what you have provided, and that will suit me."
"If that is what you desire," the leader of the group said. With that, they all gathered up their things and left him.
Drizzt took a while to remember what he had just sorted out before his guests had entered. He thought this was the greeting that all the fighters were probably getting. Thelania must have known this and could have better prepared him so he wouldn't have acted so clumsily.
As if on cue, a familiar feminine laugh filled the room. "A fighter with discipline. I should have expected no less."
"You knew this was coming," Drizzt said as the ghaele faded into view in the corner of the room.
"Of course, I did, but if I told you everything that was going to happen to you, how would you learn. In less than half an hour, you will get into a nasty fight that could have been avoided if you had only said, 'A noble ogre,' but having said that, you will now likely avoid that fight and spoil my fun."
"You find this situation fun? Am I here just for your entertainment?"
Thelania shrugged. "You have to admit she was one of the most beautiful creatures you have ever seen. What would be wrong with having a little fun? Is your heart given to another?"
Drizzt didn't know if she was serious or if this was just a test. "There are many beautiful creatures in my world, some dangerously so, should I seek to bed them all?"
"Why not?"
"Very, well then," Drizzt said, reaching down and undoing his belt.
"What are you doing?" Thelania asked, a shocked expression on her face.
"Having a little fun," he replied. "Your beauty is comparable to few I've ever seen. If I am to make it my goal to enjoy life to its fullest, I see no better way than to start with you."
Thelania's beauty disappeared quickly as a scowl crossed her face. "You will find what you need downstairs. I shall speak with you again once you've reached the island." With that, she vanished from the room.
Drizzt smiled to himself. He hadn't dropped his belt yet and now refastened it, securing his two weapons on his hips. It was hard to believe that Thelania was really a servant of Mielikki; such was her cavalier attitude. But then, to an uninformed observer, it would be difficult to think that Drizzt was a drow.
He spent a few minutes washing up and then exited his room. He stood on a balcony overlooking a sparsely populated tavern. A couple of doors like his lined the balcony toward the stairs.
As Drizzt walked toward the stairs, one of the doors opened in front of him and two giggling females came running out. They were hastily retying their robes, but as one of them bumped into Drizzt, she went down to the wooden floor, and Drizzt got another view of what he had just passed up a few moments before. He helped her to her feet, and she contemplated closing her robe as she looked into Drizzt's lavender eyes. He shook his head, and she ran off after her partner.
"Quite a pair, those two." The voice came from Drizzt's left, and he looked into the room the females had just vacated. A man was adjusting his belt, or at least what Drizzt had first assumed was a belt. A silver chain wrapped around his waist, each end of the chain linked with an 18-inch-long ivory handle. They were nunchaku.
"The ride of a lifetime," he continued, his eyes rolling back into his head as he remembered. "It must be the dwarven blood that gives them such powerful legs."
Dwarven blood? Drizzt looked off toward where the two females were scampering into a side door on the main floor of the tavern. Then it hit him. He could not identify their race earlier because they were some freakish combination of all of them. The human curves, the halfling face, the dwarven muscles, and the elvish dexterity. And they would have to be all of those things because they had no idea what kind of fighters would be arriving.
"And tasted like the sweetest fruit," the man continued, his eyes looking at Drizzt with a glimmer as he licked his lips.
Drizzt sneered at him but didn't look away. This was definitely one of the fighters for the tournament, and if Drizzt was going to take this event seriously, he might as well take stock of his future opponents. Right now, having seen and heard what he had, he had no qualms about fighting this human.
He stood a couple of inches over six feet, a half-foot taller than Drizzt. He was thin but strong, his short sleeve tunic showing off powerfully muscled arms. As he walked onto the balcony, there was an unmistakable swagger and flair to him. His vest and tunic were colorful, almost to the point of gaudiness. It looked like the man would pull out a red cape at any second and dance around the room like a bullfighter.
The man bowed low when he reached the doorway. "Enrique Cortez, at your service."
"My service?" Drizzt asked. "Are you not yet satisfied?"
A scowl started across the man's face, but he fought against it successfully. An unnerving grin took over his lips instead. "But alas, it appears you are not in the mood. Though I had hoped the legends of drow surliness were overstated."
Drizzt managed a smile despite himself. "For the most part," he replied. "I am Drizzt Do'Urden."
"Well met, Drizzt," Enrique said. "Then this is the start of a strong friendship, until one of us kills the other." He laughed, donned a plumed cap, and moved out onto the balcony in front of drow to lead the way down the steps.
As Drizzt looked at the cap, he realized why this man irked him so. He was like a combination of Jarlaxle and Entreri. The confident flare of one with the calculating edge of the other. Drizzt also cringed when he realized either one of those two fighters might be at this tournament. He quickened his pace after his new "friend."
Enrique seemed to be friends with everyone and knew several barmaids by name. They giggled at his lewd comments and then hurried about their tasks under the eye of an unforgiving bartender.
"Trotter," the flagrant fighter called to the bartender, "Let's have a couple of drinks for my new friend and me."
Drizzt didn't care to drink, especially with the contest looming near, but this man obviously felt at home in these surroundings, and Drizzt needed a guide. He accepted the mug from Trotter as he took a seat at the bar and sipped it gingerly. It was fabulous. Drizzt had never been a fan of ale, but this tasted like the fabled elvish honey wine, with the fullness of the best dwarven mead.
"You've been here before?" Drizzt asked.
Enrique nodded as he took a generous swig. "It's been a long while, but it's almost as if I haven't left. Unfortunately, we've arrived late, my friend, and don't have the luxury to socialize as much as I would have liked."
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The bartender chimed in. "There are only two more scheduled runs out to the island, Cortez. You and your friend should be on your way."
"We have plenty of time, my good Trotter," he laughed. "You aren't just saying that to try and get rid of me, aren't you?"
"We just finished cleaning up your last mess."
Enrique laughed, something he did a lot, Drizzt was learning. "That was a long time ago."
"Not for us," Trotter replied evenly. "And it was a big mess."
Enrique looked around the room as if reliving the distant/recent memory. Drizzt didn't precisely know which it was. "When does the next boat leave?" Drizzt asked.
"When?" the bartender scoffed, looking as if that was the most absurd question he had ever heard. It looked for a moment as if he wasn't going to answer, but Trotter leveled a stern gaze on Drizzt. "At sunset," he replied and then walked away to help another customer.
Drizzt looked at the fading light outside and turned to his companion. "It is nearly dusk now. We should leave."
Enrique chuckled. "That Trotter is such a character. We will be fine, friend. Just finish your drink."
Drizzt stood, letting it be known that he planned on leaving. The other fighter shrugged, downed his glass, and stood, beckoning forward for Drizzt to lead the way. Drizzt turned, took one step, and was thrown to the floor.
He scrambled to his elbows, looking in front and behind him, wondering what had just happened. It felt like he had walked into a brick wall, but there was nothing in front of him except an empty barstool.
Then, an image started flickering as what Drizzt had walked into became clear. A colossal creature was standing up from the stool, its appearance seeming to fade in and out of reality. When it was finally fully visible, it stood 9 feet, towering over Drizzt and looking down on the drow past his elongated snout. The beast was covered with so much spiked armor Drizzt was unsure how he had run into the monster without impaling himself.
"Clumsy drow, watch where you are going, or I'll remove your ability to ever walk again."
Drizzt was stunned. The beast looked no more intelligent than a pile of bricks, but its speech denied its apparent ancestry. The creature accepted Drizzt's scrutiny with evident scorn. "What are you looking at?" he said.
Drizzt gathered himself quickly, throwing away the sarcastic reply that first came to mind. "A noble ogre," Drizzt replied.
The ogre stared at him for a few breathless moments before laughing out loud. He bent over and picked Drizzt up by his shoulder. "Let me buy you a drink."
"I'm sorry, good friend," Drizzt replied, "but I must be going. Maybe another time."
The ogre patted him on the back, and Drizzt and Enrique walked out, Drizzt's new friend laughing as they went. "Don't you think you could have taken him?" he asked once they had left the tavern.
"I don't know," Drizzt replied honestly. "That isn't usually the first thing I determine about someone when I meet them."
"What are you, 'A noble drow?'" he asked, mimicking the tone Drizzt had just used with the ogre. Drizzt didn't answer, just shrugging his shoulders. Enrique predictably threw his head back and laughed. "This will be a good tournament. A noble drow, and phase shifting ogre, and . . . oh my."
Drizzt followed Enrique's gaze toward a similar tavern to the one they had just walked out of. Drizzt wasn't surprised to see it was a woman who held his partner's attention. "There must be hundreds of them here," Drizzt replied, a bit of frustration creeping into his voice at his companion's one-track mind. "They are all the same, and they are nothing more than mindless slaves."
Enrique turned to look at Drizzt, hurt in his eyes. "I'm afraid to say you've spent too much time in your lightless home to appreciate real beauty. That woman is not from this island."
As they neared the woman in question, Drizzt could see that Enrique was right. She had long blonde hair like the slaves, but she was much taller, almost topping six feet. She wore a long brown cloak obscuring her body, but Drizzt could see the movements beneath it were graceful. They weren't lithe and seductive like the females before, but powerful and efficient like a trained warrior.
Enrique was in front of her in a flash. "My lady, it is a privilege to make your acquaintance. My name is Enrique Cortez. Would you mention yours that I might engrave it on my heart?"
The woman stopped to look at the prostrate man before her, wondering if she should take him seriously. "My name is Druianalla."
"Ah, Druianalla," he said slowly as if he were inhaling a fragrant flower. On cue, he pulled a beautiful lily from his vest and held it before him as he knelt.
"Druianalla so beautiful and fair,
With deep blue eyes and golden hair.
A gown of flowers is all you wear,
Save when it's draped over my bedroom chair."
Druia's hand snaked out fast for the offensive lyricist's face, but Enrique was ready for her, blocking the slap with the hand that held the flower. His other hand deflected her second strike, snaking around and grabbing her wrist. She tugged as he stood, but he was the stronger. She reached over with her other hand to free herself, and Enrique threw his flower at her face, stem first.
Druia deftly moved her head to the side, as planned, and the lily brushed the side of her face as it secured itself behind her ear. She started to reach up for it with her free hand, but Enrique sent his other hand toward her chest. Druia had her priorities straight and left the flower for now to block the man's lustful grab.
Enrique hadn't expected to get close but worked with the block, letting his arm fall low, sliding around her hip. He raised her still secured wrist in his other hand. "We could dance all night. We would make beautiful music together." He pulled her close.
"Sing this tune," she replied, driving her knee up hard into his groin.
"Ungh," he grunted, losing his grip on her lofted wrist. Druia brought it down hard, elbow leading, striking him in the temple, spinning him completely around. As he finished his pirouette, she kicked him hard in the chest, and he went tumbling to the dusty street.
Druia stood over him with a grim look on her face. "The only chance you will have to see my bed is if you are called upon to change the sheets." She tossed the lily on his chest and walked off toward the dock.
"If they had caressed your body while you slept," Enrique called out, "it would be my pleasure to-" but as he turned to finish, his side tightened up, and he grunted. "Buxom and bold, just the way I like them," he muttered to himself. When he struggled into a sitting position, he saw Drizzt squatting before him.
"Do you think you could have taken her?" Drizzt asked with a sly smile. "Isn't that the first thing you determine when you meet someone new?"
"What fun is life without a challenge?" Enrique asked as he struggled to rise. He winced. "If you would be so kind?" he asked, extending his hand.
Drizzt grabbed it and hoisted him off the ground. Enrique dusted himself off and tossed the flower aside. He looked up after Druia. "But do not fear, friend drow, for she makes her way to our boat." He turned with a smile, "Shall we?" Drizzt beckoned for him to lead the way.
The boat was not as large as the Sea Sprite and did not look anywhere near as fast. Several crew members had the same multiracial qualities as the other slaves on this island. Trotter had looked like a human, and likewise, the captain of this vessel looked to be human.
"Get up with you; we haven't got all day," the captain laughed. "Get yourselves on board, and we can be off. I've got another of these to do before I'm done. Let's get moving."
After Drizzt and Enrique had climbed onto the boat, two of the crewman retracted the gangway and pushed off from the dock. Besides the crew, there were three other people on the ship with the new arrivals. Druia kept her distance, but Enrique winked at her whenever she looked their way.
Drizzt tensed when he saw one of the other two passengers. He looked like one of the countless pirates Drizzt had fought against for the past few years working for Captain Duedermont. He came complete with two machetes, a stubbled face, and an eye patch.
"Quite the fashion statement you are making there, friend," Enrique said. The pirate had almost as much flair as the unique fighter, but not half the class. "The patch is a bit much, though."
"Would ye have me walk around like this then?" he asked, pulling the black patch away from his face. Beneath was a gristled, hollow cavity that Drizzt could have sworn held a few maggots.
"No," Enrique said, acting as if he was barely keeping his lunch down, "I stand corrected. The patch is a nice touch." The pirate snapped it back in place and growled as he walked away. "Charming individual," Enrique added to Drizzt once the pirate was gone. "You'll have to fight me for a chance to face him."
The last passenger leaned against the far rail with her back to the pair. She wore a cloak with the hood up. Enrique's instincts didn't let the fighter's identity stay hidden for long.
"And what fair maiden do we have here?"
From her stature, she could have only been a female. She turned slowly, dropping the hood from her cloak. She was an elf, no more than five feet tall. Her head had looked much larger inside the hood, for she wore a fabulous metal headdress in the shape of an eye feather from an enormous peacock. It was almost as wide as her shoulders and stuck up a few inches over her head.
"I would give you a rose," Enrique started, falling to one knee so he could look the elf maiden in the eye, "but you are already such a fine flower I feel my gift would seem inadequate."
She barely paid him any attention. "My name is Adenae De'Aneda," she said, her eyes focused more on Drizzt. "I am here to fight, not to socialize. I have no need for foolish antics." She walked off.
"I didn't even get to my poem, and she had such a beautiful name, a palindrome even. Think of the possibilities."
Drizzt said nothing but looked around at the sky. It had been dusk when they had left the tavern, and even though they had taken their time, the sky hadn't seemed to get any darker. Drizzt began to understand all of the veiled jokes about the time he had heard since arriving. "The ship leaves at sunset," Drizzt said quietly.
Enrique smiled as he looked at Drizzt. "Not so stupid after all."
Drizzt returned the look. "You'll have to excuse me. I grew up in a cave."
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The boat ride took an hour, and as Drizzt predicted, the sky did not get a shade darker or lighter. The island where the tournament was to be held loomed to the west, blocking out the sun, which silhouetted the mountainous island with what looked like waves of fire.
Druia admired the view from the bow. Her memories returned to her time with the monks who had trained her, high in the snowy mountains. The sunrises and sunsets up there had been spectacular. The snow and ice glowed with energy as if they were a sea of fire.
"Do you know the true beauty of a sunset?"
Druia did not have to turn to know who it was. "That in a few minutes, it will be too dark to see your face," she answered.
Enrique leaned against the railing on his forearms, mimicking Druia's pose. "Why such venom from such a pretty face?"
"Please tell me you are not going to break out into poetry," she turned to look at him. His face was different than before. It seemed almost gentle.
"I ask only a simple question. Can you see the true beauty?"
Druia turned back to the view in front of her. The colors were spectacular. The waves were alive with fire, but the sky just above the island was bathed in the softest blues and violets. "That such power could create such peaceful splendor."
"Spoken like a true warrior," Enrique said, "and a child."
Druia spun on him, backing away a few steps. "What are you about?"
Enrique smiled at her. "You see things based on their strength. That the sun, an immense ball of fire, could create such a pastoral scene is shocking to you because you are used to power inflicting pain and destruction. You have not yet learned that power is a minor thing in the vast sea of life. It is often too self-destructive to be of any worth. Wisdom on the other hand . . ." Enrique faded off as he turned to his left. "Can you help us out?"
Druia turned to her right to see Drizzt perched atop the cabin, trying to get an elevated view of the sunset. "The true beauty of a sunset is that tomorrow there will be another one just like it."
Enrique smiled at the correct answer. "Spoken like a true eternal brother. And let me tell you something," he said quietly so only Druia could hear it, "that drow did not grow up in a cave."
"What are you talking about?" Druia knew she was young and that the two fighters here were experienced, but all this talk of sunsets, wisdom, and beauty was going against the mindset she was trying to put herself in to prepare for the tournament.
"This island is continuously bathed in the fading light of day, but the sun never goes down. The night will never come. This island is bathed in the light of eternity. 'The one who loves his life will lose it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.'" Enrique stared out over the island in front of them. "The prize you seek here is more a curse than you can know."
The captain's voice broke the mood at the front of the boat. He began shouting to the crew to prepare the ship for landing and to the passengers to get ready to disembark. Enrique smiled at Druia. "Welcome to the Shores of Dusk."