| With the aid of a blacksmith, Xun’riia successfully melded the blackrock into the blade. She then spent several days in practice. It was during this period that I noticed something was not right. Xun’riia was becoming distant, distracted. She also at times seemed nervous, jumpy, as if she was being watched. Maybe it was me. After Vierna had dealt with me I took my anger out on Xun’riia. She should never have said anything to Jhulae. She had to be disciplined, she had to know I will not tolerate betrayal. She accepted that, and now, things are back they way they were. Or so I thought.
This nervousness, this distraction. Was it my actions that caused it? Does Xun’riia now fear me too much? Whether it was my desire to get one over Vierna or my desire for something else I know not, but Xun’riia and I had become close. Now she seems detached. All my enquiries about what was the matter with her were dismissed. But I could see she was hiding something from me and I had to get to the bottom of it.
Then the words of Jyslin came back to me…."She’ll turn against you, just as you turned her. They always do." Was she right? Here was a drow unused to the ways of Lloth. A follower of Eilistraee who came to me alone and trusting. And what did I do? I totally destroyed her innocence! Taught her to hate, taught her to kill, taught her to……She can never again be the Xun’riia she was before she met me. No more innocence, no more trust.
I watched her carefully from a distance. If she was going to betray me again, I would know before she did. No one gets a second chance. Then I realised as I watched, it was not me but something else. I confronted her, demanded to know what ailed her. Once more she stalled and prevaricated but I sensed something. I brought her down to the dungeon. Saw the fear in her eyes as memories returned to her. Then she broke! The voices she said. She could not understand how I could not hear the same. Then I knew for certain……the blade!
The blackrock melded blade had taken her over, had got inside her head. It was now only a matter of time before the blade would have complete control over her. I had to stop it. I demanded she handed over the blade and secured it from her with a struggle. I quickly locked it away in a metal chest, but she could still hear the voices, demanding her attention. We left the dungeon, we left the house but still she could hear. So I took her away to a secret place, far from the house……..the voices stopped.
That night, far from anywhere, among other things we began to make plans. Xun’riia must dominate the blade. The blade must not dominate her! |