1This is not how it was supposed to end.

These words rang through Zaknafein Do'Urden's mind as he tried to block out the sound of metal against metal and his son's voice as Zaknafein tried to kill him. He had assumed that it had come to an end years before when his son, Drizzt had escaped Menzoberranzan and the cruel machinations of the drow city where they'd both lived. It was then that Zaknafein had given up his life as a sacrifice to Lloth so that his son might live and find a way to escape the pitiless world that they'd both lived in. At that time Zaknafein had given up his life peacefully, content that with his sacrifice he'd made it possible for Drizzt to survive and to become something more than just another pawn in Lloth's dark and twisted game.

If Zaknafein had known what the future had held, he would have died fighting in an attempt to take Malice to her grave with him despite her threats. Anything to prevent the horror that he was watching happen now.

Malice had decided to punish her son for his rebelliousness and so had demanded one of the highest and most draining gifts of Lloth. The ritual had restored Zaknafein's body and returned his skills, memories and spirit to his body. However, his body and his skills remained under Malice's control while his spirit could only watch with helpless frustration as the newly created spirit-wraith was sent out to find and kill Drizzt Do'Urden.

When the spirit-wraith had been created, Zakanafein had not entirely understood what was going on, only that his soul had been wrested from its resting place and that for some unknown reason he was now a spectator to his body's actions. It was only when Malice had given him his horrible mission and referred to him as what he now was that he truly understood what had happened to him. Since that time he had tried to fight against Malice's control many, many times in order to regain control of his body and to end this course, but each time his attempts had proven fruitless.

For months now, his soul had been brushed aside as inconsequential and made to watch as the hunt continued and his body killed time and time again to satisfy Malice's lust for violence. He had long since stopped trying to regain control in these moments. Indeed, he had tried, as best he could, to ignore what his body was doing and to pretend that he was not there. He had reasoned to himself that, as he knew none of the creatures he fought, and many of them were evil, that there was no reason to watch or question his body's actions. Now, the situation had changed. The one person that Zaknafein cared about more than his own life was at danger, and due to his own hands. Zaknafein found that as much as he wished to, he could watch impassively no longer. Despite the fact that he knew what was happening and that he was helpless to prevent it, he found himself battling violently against Malice's will in a desperate attempt to regain his body.

Sword clashed against Scimitar as the two dark forms fought, and Zaknafein felt his body move against his will to hack at his son. Behind him lay a Hook Horror and a gnome, Drizzt's companions no doubt. The Hook Horror was dead, and Zak had no doubt that after he killed his son, Malice would ensure that he killed the gnome as well.

Unable to do anything but watch, Zaknafein's spirit wept in despair and cursed Lloth's existence even as Drizzt cursed at him. He was a damned thing, a pawn in life and now in undeath as well. His hatred for himself and for what he was doing spurred him on and he fought Malice as violently as his son fought him, trying to find some chink in the Lloth-granted powers she'd been given.

The battle continued as Drizzt flung himself at Zaknafein in a rage, scimitars up high. Zaknafein countered the foolish attack with an ease that he loathed, and working the other drow's weapons up high, then driving into a double-thrust low, a move that they had often practiced together as Zak proudly trained his son to follow in his footsteps. Drizzt concentrated on the move, his lavender eyes burning with an inner fire as he parried in a cross-down position that pinned both of Zaknafein's swords. He followed up the move by putting his booted foot between the scimitar hilts and kicking at Zaknafein's face. The spirit-wraith moved its head out of the way long before the blade reached it, a counter that only Zaknafein could possibly have known.

Drizzt's eyes went wide with astonishment. "You are Zaknafein!" he cried, "What has Malice done to you?"

For the briefest of moments Zaknafein overpowered Malice's will, and he struggled to explain what was happening, that Drizzt must kill him else he would never be free of Malice's grasp. The moment proved too brief, and he found himself thrown back from control before he could form the words he needed to say.

Zaknafein watched as Drizzt's eyes suddenly filled with hope and the realization that he was still somewhere within the spirit-wraith's body. The drow shouted to his ally what was going on, then launched into a training routine that he'd practiced with Zaknafein many times before. Zaknafein's heart ached at his son's courage and flawless performance, even as he wanted to yell at him for his foolishness. As a gap opened, the spirit-wraith hacked pitilessly at Drizzt's side.

The only deity he had known in his life had been the false goddess Lloth, who had twisted and perverted the people of his city, turning them into malicious creatures whose only desire was for more power. Despite that, Zaknafein sent out a silent plea to any god that might be listening for some form of mercy.

Dimly, he heard Drizzt pleading for him to understand what was going on, but Malice was firmly in control and he could give the young drow no words of comfort.

The battle continued, and now Drizzt looked worried. He would tire eventually, Zaknafein knew, and that was when Drizzt would get careless and the killing blow would fall. As a spirit-wraith, Zaknafein's body felt no fatigue, and the slashes across his neck and belly that Drizzt had scored neither neither pained him nor hindered him in any way. Aside from destroying his body, there was no way that Drizzt could end this fight. He would die.

Even as Zaknafein thought this, Drizzt slipped on a loose stone and went down to one knee. The spirit-wraith drove his swords forward pitilessly, and soon had the drow on his back, only inches away from the lake of acid that filled the area below this particular cave. He heard the gnome scream out Drizzt's name, even as his swords readied themselves for the final blow.

Suddenly, he felt a surge of power not entirely his own come over him, strong enough for him to pull back and to hold in the killing blow. Drizzt seized the opportunity and punched out with a scimitar hilt, driving the spirit-wraith backward and he regained his footing.

"Zaknafein!" Drizzt called.

"Driz-" Zaknafein struggled to reply, but Malice gained control again and the spirit-wraith attacked, swords leading the way.

No! Zaknafein's spirit screamed in desperation, though no one heard the words. Please … I'll do anything, just let this end.

In front of him, Drizzt slipped his scimitars back into his sheaths.

Zaknafein struggled to take control again as the spirit-wraith cut into the air with his swords in anticipation of the coming battle.

He felt the same rush of power come to him again, giving him precious time to think. You know what needs to be done, a female voice assured him. He knew not the voice, but he recognized the gift for what it was. A goddess had heard his prayers and granted him a respite, driving back Malice so that he could end this battle properly.

His body once more his own, Zaknafein brought the swords down to rest at his side.

"Drizzt." He re-sheathed his swords against Malice's will and Drizzt's eyes brightened with relief and joy as he started towards him. As much as he wanted to embrace Drizzt and express everything that he was feeling at the moment, Zaknafein put up a hand to stop him.

"No." He said quickly. "I do not know how long I can resist. The body is hers, I fear –"

"Then you are-?" Drizzt began, and then stopped in confusion.

"I am dead." Zaknafein said bluntly. "At peace, be assured. Malice has repaired my body for her own vile purposes." The part about being at peace was a lie, of course, but it was something that Drizzt needed to hear, and something that he knew would be coming soon.

"But you defeated her," Drizzt protested. "We are together again."

"A temporary stay, no more." Zaknafein said. As he spoke, Malice wrested some of his power from him and one of his hands shot to the hilt of his sword. He snarled and fought against her will, and gradually managed to bring his hand away from the weapon again.

"She is coming back, my son. That one is always coming back!" Much as he wished it otherwise, he knew this control he'd been gifted was temporary, and that he could not possibly win his body back. This body was one that Lloth had constructed, and the spider queen would have it back. Even now, he felt the surge of power that sustained him waver in the face of Malice's assault. If he had dared to deny this at first, the degree to which he was struggling even now, left him no doubt.

"I cannot bear to lose you again," Drizzt said. "When I saw you in the illithid cavern-"

"It was not me that you saw," Zaknafein explained, as he attempted to explain to Drizzt what he now was. "It was the zombie of Malice's evil will. I am gone, my son. I have been gone for many years."

"You are here." Drizzt argued, a stubborn light showing in his eyes. Zaknafein knew that expression well. It was the expression Drizzt wore most often when he knew he was right and knew he was going to win. Zaknafein wished dearly that he could grant his son this victory.

"By Malice's will, not … my own." At the mention of her name, Malice fought once more to gain control and Zaknafein growled as he fought her off. It took longer this time to fight her off, and he knew that his time was almost gone.

He took a long look at his son, noting the physical changes and remembering the changes in his fighting style. Drizzt had come a long way from who he was when they had last met, and he was easily now Zaknafein's equal or better.

"You fight well," He said at last. "Better than I had ever imagined. That is good, and it is good that you had the courage to run –" Malice fought for control again, and Zaknafein stopped he fought to regain control again. This time, he felt the separation between his body and his spirit, and watched as his hands went to the swords once more. This time, both came flashing out, ready and in a guard position.

"No!" Drizzt pleaded as tears began to form in his lavender eyes. "Fight her."

"I … cannot." Zaknafein replied as he felt the last of his control fading away. "Flee from this place, Drizzt. Flee to the very … ends of the world! Malice will never forgive. She … will never stop-"

Zaknafein lost control again and the spirit-wraith leapt forward. This time Drizzt had no choice but to draw his weapons. Refusing to allow the combat to continue, knowing that he wouldn't win another time, Zaknafein jerked to the side before he reached Drizzt.

"For us!" Zak cried in victory as he fell towards the lake of acid. Malice's hold on him was destroyed as he hit the acid and his body dissolved. Rationally, Zaknafein knew that he should be panicked. As his body was destroyed though, he felt an incredible sense of release and relief. Regardless of what happened next, he was completely free from Malice's grasp.
As oblivion loomed ahead, Zaknafein embraced it and all that came with it. For the first time in his existence, he was completely free. It was a beautiful feeling.