jinxβsΒ mindΒ flickeredΒ withΒ imagesΒ fromΒ herΒ pastΒ asΒ sheΒ stoodΒ beforeΒ theΒ imposingΒ presenceΒ ofΒ lolth.Β theΒ memoriesΒ clawedΒ atΒ her,Β eachΒ oneΒ sharperΒ thanΒ theΒ last.Β theΒ snickersΒ ofΒ herΒ sistersΒ echoedΒ inΒ herΒ ears,Β theirΒ mockingΒ laughterΒ cuttingΒ deeperΒ thanΒ anyΒ blade.
β youβllΒ neverΒ beΒ oneΒ ofΒ us,Β jinx.Β leaveΒ theΒ swordsΒ toΒ theΒ realΒ drow. β
β goΒ ahead,Β playΒ yourΒ littleΒ games.Β maybeΒ oneΒ dayΒ someoneΒ willΒ takeΒ youΒ seriously...Β byΒ mistake. β
sheΒ hadΒ triedΒ toΒ laughΒ itΒ off,Β toΒ coverΒ theΒ hurtΒ withΒ herΒ usualΒ cheerfulΒ faΓ§ade.Β sheβdΒ spunΒ dazzlingΒ illusionsΒ toΒ distractΒ herself,Β toΒ convinceΒ herselfΒ sheΒ didnβtΒ needΒ theirΒ approval.Β butΒ evenΒ theΒ brightestΒ illusionsΒ couldnβtΒ maskΒ theΒ stingΒ ofΒ rejection.Β herΒ ownΒ familyΒ hadΒ calledΒ herΒ weak,Β strange,Β unworthyΒ ofΒ theΒ houseβsΒ name.
forΒ years,Β sheΒ hadΒ clungΒ toΒ theΒ dreamΒ ofΒ beingΒ likeΒ drizztΒ do'urden.Β aΒ rebel,Β aΒ hero,Β someoneΒ whoΒ couldΒ riseΒ aboveΒ theΒ venomousΒ websΒ ofΒ drowΒ societyΒ andΒ proveΒ thatΒ sheΒ wasΒ different.Β butΒ standingΒ here,Β beneathΒ theΒ dark,Β all-seeingΒ gazeΒ ofΒ theΒ spiderΒ queen,Β aΒ newΒ clarityΒ dawnedΒ onΒ her.
whyΒ run?Β whyΒ hide?Β whyΒ seekΒ theΒ approvalΒ ofΒ thoseΒ whoΒ wouldΒ neverΒ seeΒ herΒ worth?
herΒ lipsΒ curledΒ intoΒ aΒ slow,Β sinisterΒ smileΒ asΒ theΒ fireΒ ofΒ vengeanceΒ ignitedΒ inΒ herΒ chest.Β no,Β sheΒ didnβtΒ needΒ toΒ fleeΒ likeΒ drizzt.Β sheΒ didnβtΒ needΒ toΒ beΒ aΒ hero.Β sheΒ couldΒ carveΒ herΒ ownΒ path,Β oneΒ whereΒ theyΒ wouldΒ neverΒ dareΒ lookΒ downΒ onΒ herΒ again.
β myΒ queen, β sheΒ began,Β herΒ voiceΒ honeyedΒ yetΒ sharpΒ asΒ aΒ blade,Β β youβveΒ watchedΒ me,Β havenβtΒ you?Β watchedΒ asΒ theyΒ spatΒ onΒ me,Β mockedΒ me,Β castΒ meΒ asideΒ asΒ nothingΒ moreΒ thanΒ aΒ shadow.Β theyΒ thinkΒ meΒ weak.Β butΒ shadows,Β motherΒ ofΒ spiders,Β areΒ whereΒ yourΒ powerΒ thrives,Β arenβtΒ they? β
sheΒ steppedΒ forward,Β herΒ illusionsΒ swirlingΒ aroundΒ her,Β shiftingΒ andΒ coilingΒ likeΒ predatorsΒ readyΒ toΒ strike.Β herΒ toneΒ grewΒ darker,Β herΒ grinΒ moreΒ wicked.
β whyΒ shouldΒ iΒ runΒ fromΒ themΒ whenΒ iΒ canΒ makeΒ themΒ bow?Β iβllΒ showΒ themΒ theΒ strengthΒ theyΒ refusedΒ toΒ see.Β iβllΒ becomeΒ moreΒ thanΒ theyΒ couldΒ everΒ dreamβaΒ matriarchΒ greaterΒ thanΒ anyΒ inΒ myΒ familyβsΒ history.Β whenΒ theyΒ seeΒ myΒ shadowΒ darkenΒ theirΒ halls,Β theyΒ willΒ tremble.Β whenΒ theyΒ hearΒ myΒ nameΒ whispered,Β theyΒ willΒ fallΒ toΒ theirΒ knees,Β beggingΒ forΒ mercyΒ iΒ willΒ notΒ grant. β
herΒ voiceΒ droppedΒ toΒ aΒ venomousΒ whisper,Β herΒ glowingΒ eyesΒ fixedΒ onΒ lolthβs.
β andΒ allΒ ofΒ it,Β myΒ queen,Β willΒ beΒ inΒ yourΒ honor.Β giveΒ meΒ yourΒ blessing,Β andΒ iΒ willΒ makeΒ theΒ underdarkΒ itselfΒ singΒ ofΒ myΒ vengeance. β
theΒ illusionsΒ aroundΒ herΒ solidifiedΒ intoΒ aΒ toweringΒ imageΒ ofΒ aΒ throne,Β wreathedΒ inΒ shadowsΒ andΒ spiderΒ silk,Β aΒ visionΒ ofΒ theΒ powerΒ sheΒ craved.Β jinxΒ kneltΒ beforeΒ lolth,Β herΒ headΒ bowedΒ butΒ herΒ resolveΒ unshakable.
β amuseΒ you?Β oh,Β myΒ queen,Β iβllΒ doΒ farΒ moreΒ thanΒ that.Β iβllΒ reshapeΒ theΒ webΒ ofΒ ourΒ world, soΒ thatΒ allΒ whoΒ walkΒ theΒ depthsΒ mayΒ trembleΒ atΒ yourΒ glory.Β yourΒ nameΒ willΒ beΒ whisperedΒ withΒ fearΒ andΒ reverence,Β asΒ evenΒ theΒ mostΒ defiantΒ willΒ bowΒ beforeΒ yourΒ power,Β knowingΒ thatΒ allΒ things,Β evenΒ theirΒ fate,Β areΒ wovenΒ byΒ yourΒ hand. β