Zadori Chapter V

From Black Country Role Playing Society

“Are you sure you can do this Zadori?” asked Celebess with a concerned look on her face

“Of course.” Replied Zadori, with just a hint of scorn in his voice

“al-ssharrr-Lek Iktomalar Dun-Idlon.” Intoned Zadori his brow furrowed as he used all his concentration on the unfamiliar words. A bolt of pure fire sped from his hand and blasted a rock into fragments, but Zadori didn’t see it, he had turned white as a sheet and his legs began to buckle.

“Zadori! Wow! Awesome!” Exclaimed Celebess excitededly

She turned to see the pale supine form of Zadori lying on the floor, a slight trickle of blood running down his nose “Zadori!” and she ran over to him and felt his neck where she thought a pulse could be found, after a few seconds she rose and ran back to the house.

“Master Grindel!”

                                                           * * * * *

“Hello Zadori.”

Zadori opened his eyes “You again” as he stared into the face of the elven priest

“Yes, me again.”

“What do you want?”

“I don’t want anything, I’m here to help you on your path.”

“You’re Corellon Larethian aren’t you?”

“Of course not, what ever would make you think such a thing.”

“You gave me what I most needed and then appeared in my dreams.”

“Clearly I must be, the most powerful of all gods is really going to take time out of his busy schedule to give an apprentice mage a few trinkets.” Replied the priest with a hint of sarcasm in his voice

“I’m right, aren’t I? Why else you would be getting so defensive.” Said Zadori triumphantly

“No Zadori, you are not. But I am a gift from the lord of elves, I reside within each and every member of the elven race, only a very small number are ready to heed the call.”

“I don’t understand.” Replied Zadori

“The elven races are like the reflection in water of their creator; they are distorted and faint, but in a rare few individuals there exists the possibility of awakening something that will bring them closer to perfection than other elves.”

“I’m one of these?”

“Perhaps, whether you achieve it is another matter entirely.”

“What must I do?”

“Put away the childish fantasies for a start.”

“Eh?”

“Celebess, Grindel, this house, and the whole rebellious life style you have created.”

“Celebess is real!”

“She is no more real than me, there is a woman who bears her face, but it has been many decades since you saw her, she isn’t your lover or your bound mate, the real woman wouldn’t even give you a second glance if you met her.”

“And Grindel?”

“Like Celebess, there is a man who you have seen, a traveling adventurer who once passed through the elven lands, but he wouldn’t know you, as you have never really met.”

“But I met you!”

“I’m not the priest you met; your mind has given me his form, because he was one of the very few people who has ever helped you or been kind to you.”

“But..”

“But nothing, this is holding you back, Zadori. A very small number of elves are like you, and like you they also have these fantasies to hold them back, if they are clever enough or willful enough to reject the pleasant lulling drug of contentment and be all they can be, then they can become closer to Corellon Larethian, closer to perfection.”

“I love Celebess.”

“True, but she isn’t real. Give all this up Zadori, be all you can be, and if you really love Celebess, find her and win her heart for real…or stay here, locked in your fantasy and spend the rest of your life casting pathetic magics and working dead end jobs, the choice is yours.”

The priest offered Zadori a hand and pulled him to his feet.

“Think about it and decide, the time is at hand, now you must decide, one way or the other.”

Celebess and Grindel hurried over to Zadori

“Are you okay Zadori?” Celebess asked breathlessly

“Was that a scorching ray you cast at that rock?” asked Grindel

“Yes, and yes”

Celebess threw her arms around Zadori and kissed him

“Thank all the gods, I though you were dead.”

Zadori closed his eyes as he felt his love for the girl of his dreams and embraced her fully, far away he could hear Grindel muttering something like “Impressive.”

“Is this what you want?” The voice of the priest echoed in his mind

“Be all you can be, or go back to being an ordinary elf, choose now!”

“But she is so sweet and fragrant.”

“She is a lie; and lies you tell yourself are the most seductive and the hardest to break.”

Zadori pulled slightly away from Celebess but still held her arms tenderly

“I’m sorry Celebess, but I have to go now.”

Grindel slapped Zadori on his back

“My boy this is truly unprecedented, and impressive. I’ve misjudged you, tomorrow I’ll begin your formal training.” Said Grindel

“I’m sorry master Grindel, but that won’t be necessary.”

“But you waited so long, don’t you want to learn?”

“Yes but not like this, I have to be all I can be, and I can’t do that here.”

“Please Zadori, don’t leave me, I need you.” replied Celebess, tears welling up in her beautiful large blue eyes. Zadori stared into Celebess’s eyes and could see their love for each other mirrored within the ocean-like depths.

“I’ll never forget you.” He whispered, and kissed her for the last time.

(back to Zadori Varan)

(On to Zadori Chapter VI)

(back to AKA)

(back to Dungeons and Dragons Characters)