The Cunning Shadow - A Drow Story

Chapter V The Hall of Memories

"Weak, just like your father!" shouted the queen Higr'.

He was startled by the sound, he immediately opened his eyes, sits down and regained his senses. He was in a familiar place inside the castle, where his father would take him whenever it is time for him to learn a new sword lesson. But swords aren't really Elonin's favorite, instead he favors on using daggers.

"My queen." Elonin bowed to his the queen.

"How dare you sitting and bowing, have you no respect to your queen!" shouted the queen more.

In panic, he stood up immediately but his feet wasn't helpful, for they have betrayed him, he found himself suddenly on his back against the floor and was followed by the sharp pain after cracking the bone on his elbow.

"Stand up, you feeble pig!" shouted the queen.

After the queen recouped from her exhausting exhibition in the hall of throne, she still has a lot of pent-up anger to release on poor Elonin. Her chest was exploding with anger she could not quite contain that she thought she might kill some lowly peasant again tonight. Her rage gradually intensifies as she continues to look at Elonin.

"Apologies, My queen," said Elonin, forcing himself to stand up. He bowed his head low and raising his palm to the queen.

"Do not apologies, be better." The queen turned away from him, heading towards the huge door of the hall.

He remembered that phrase, his father used to say this a lot to him for all the stupid mistakes he makes. Of course, this comes after all the punishments he underwent training under his father's greatest weapon master – Urkg'.

"I want you proper by the time I get back here. Do you understand?" The queen halted without looking back at Elonin.

"Yes, my queen," answered Elonin.

Queen Higr', looked back at Elonin, glanced at him with disgust as if he did something so malicious that he deserved to be looked down upon. She slowly turned her head straight, muttering something and proceeded to exiting the hall.

"Praise Yrinik!" he thought to himself, slamming back himself against the floor, relieved.

He was away in the academy for ten moon years. That couple of minutes he stayed here talking to the queen- since he regained his consciousness, it could sum up all of the weariness he felt in the academy for ten years.

He felt a little freedom when he was sent to study in the academy, away from his father's confusing treatment and his step mother's scorn. Although, being away did not make it easy for Elonin, every day in the academy must be 'pleasing the implacable' and was no easy task.

A couple of minutes gone by staring at the stalactites, Elonin decided to sit down from being laid on the floor of the hall.

"ahhh...sssssd!" hissed Elonin, accidentally pressed his elbows on the floor, forgetting about the crack on his elbow.

Sitting down, he looked at it and saw that it was slowly stitching itself back until there's only blood left on his elbow.

"I can not be this weak. All that training and under the greatest Mreaks and I curve and flinch to a small crack on my bone," he told himself.

Why should he convinced himself to be strong, when everyone reminds him that he is not? But Elonin lived the expectations of being a bastard son to the king, a chosen bastard son. In Drekush it could hardly be noticed since there is no room for recognition in here, by this it meant no room for a bastard, especially a king's bastard, no, just Elonin, no room for Elonin in this place.