The world's first fanfic written for a mod that ha

Well, as proof positive that I have too much time on my hands, here's a short fanfic starring Rowan. (Hence the title. It's not half as silly as it sounds.) Anyhoo, this here is The Duel, featuring Gray the PC, Rosencrantz the PC's rival who doesn't actually show up in the game, and the party who consists of Gray, Imoen, Aerie, Keldorn, Minsc, and of course, Rowan. This here is a rather short piece, well in relation to some of the quality stuff here like Malice and Zaknafein *feels tired just thinking of all that work*, hopefully you folks will enjoy it. Officially sponsored and vetted by the creator of Rowan, Wynne.



The Duel

The metallic clang revertebrates around the room as I crash noisily to one knee. Blood surges from heart to lungs to shoulder, down my arm and onto the marble floor. My sword is suddenly too heavy to carry, the terrible gash in my fighting arm bleeding me of my strength as well as my lifeblood. Behind me, I can hear Rowan gasping, and I can almost feel her involuntary steps towards me before I wave her back with my slightly less injured arm. Even that simple gesture robs the arm of its remaining stamina, and it's all I can do to support myself on it. The strain of wearing plate and losing approximately a fifth of your blood can be quite exhausting, I assure you.

"You know, I don't understand you at all, Gray." Rosencrantz paces around me to my left. I'd love to keep an eye on him, but right now I'm more interested in staying conscious.

I cough, a wet, rasping, tearing cough, and I can taste the bile rising at the back of my throat. It's not half as bitter as the taste of being taunted by this bastard - again. This isn't the first time we're crossing paths, Rosencrantz and I. We're closely matched, more closely than he or I would care to admit, and again this isn't the first time I'm the one on the floor trying to catch his breath.

"*cough* Well, pardon me... Your life isn't exactly an open book to me, either." Speaking more than 3 words at a time costs me, and I cough even harder after that. Rosencrantz laughs, and the rage in my heart feeds the taint in my soul. Oh, it would be so easy... To let the Slayer take me, to feel my half-divine blood surge within me and give me all the power I need to destroy him once and for all... But no. To open the door to that power is to open the door to unimaginable evil, to allow the taint of Bhaal within me to control the man I have fought to become, to become the very essence of that which I struggle against daily. It happened once, in that madhouse on Spellhold, and I swear it will never happen again.

"You're pathetic, Gray. Just look at you." The sound of his boots clicking on the cold marble gives me something to focus on, and the fog in my brain clears a little, as does the fuzzy red edge on my vision. As my mind clears, I hear Rosencrantz continuing his little speech.

"You live as a mortal, taking no advantage of the power I can almost hear surging in your veins. You continually refuse to accept the divinity in your blood, continually insist on deliberately limiting yourself. Why? To satisfy some moral code relevant to no one but yourself? To keep a 'hold' on your 'humanity'? Pah! Sentimental nonsense." Rosencrantz continues pacing around me; much like a shark circles its prey before going in for the kill.

"In this world, there's only one law - survival of the fittest. The strong shall live, and the weak shall die. To think a weakling like you has the blood of a god within you... You do not deserve it at all!" Rosencrantz spits out the last sentence. Loaded as it is with derision and contempt, it's almost as if he's spitting out a foul-tasting bit of food.

I wrap both hands around the bloody hilt of my equally bloody blade, and with a superhuman effort I somehow manage to stand, leaning heavily on my sword. "And you do, I suppose?" I cough again, and this time it's a little better - my Ring of Regeneration must have decided to work after all. "I'm still convinced my bloodline is a accident of fate. Maybe you know better?"

Rosencrantz throws his head back and laughs. "What kind of fool questions power? Why do you complain about the immortal essence within you? Even restrained, the dark power within you is plain for all to see. You are faster, stronger and more powerful than any mortal has a right to be. You far outshine your comrades in every way, and you wonder if it's a good thing?"

He lunges at me, his blade coming in on my left. Fortunately, I've healed enough to keep up with him, and I've been expecting an attack, so our swords clash harmlessly. He begins his next stroke, but I've already left the parry and swung. Rosencrantz manages to block, and punches me in the face with his other hand. Knowing its coming doesn't help at all, because although he's wounded, he's not hurt as badly as I am, and I simply can't move fast enough to get out of the way. I stagger backwards, momentarily stunned, and Rosencrantz presses in on his advantage. He hacks and slashes, and although I'm able to block and parry his attacks, I'm getting weaker by the second.

Fate intervenes at this point, and I suddenly see an opening. Not to strike at him, but at his sword, and I do so with every iota of strength I can muster. My sword hits perfectly, just above the hilt, and it costs him his balance. I duck my head, and slam my shoulder into his chest. The sound of metal hitting metal booms around the room, and we finally get some breathing room as Rosencrantz and I stagger back a few feet from each other. By this time, I'm exhausted. Even what little strength my ring gave me was expended in that sudden last rush. The bleeding in my sword arm has slowed, albeit not by much, and my other wounds are still oozing blood. I'm panting, and my blood is pounding in my ears. I can feel the heat building in my heart, and suddenly I realize just how close I am to releasing the Slayer. I fight it, force down the anger and the hatred, and mount a concentrated effort to keep it at bay.

Abruptly, the rest of the world comes into focus, and I'm suddenly aware of Rowan's voice.

"Let me go, you blithering idiots!" I risk turning around, and I see Minsc and Keldorn holding her by the arms.

"Now Rowan, Boo says to remember that Gray said-"

"To Bhaal with what Gray said! That bastard is ripping his guts to strings, and you want me to just stand here and watch?!" Rowan is kicking and screaming, tears streaming down her face. Minsc and Keldorn are physically stronger that she is, but she's fighting tooth and nail to get free of them both.

"Rowan! Come to your senses, girl! Gray specifically told us to stay out of this fight. It is his battle and his battle alone!" Keldorn almost shouts at her, and I get the distinct impression of a father attempting to discipline his daughter.

"I don't care! Can none of you see it? Gray's getting chewed to bits out there! Do you think I'll just quietly sit by like a good girl, watch my only love get hurt worse and worse?! Nary a chance in the Nine Hells, and LET ME GO, DAMN YOU!" Rowan is struggling to get free, her anguish, despair and anxiety written all over her young face.

"Quite... a fan you've got there, Gray..." Rosencrantz pants. "What's that she calls you? 'My only love'? You always... were a hit with... the ladies, old boy."

"You... *cough* don't know what you're talking about, Rosencrantz... And leave her out of this. This... is between you and... *cough* me." I cough and pant, not yet fully prepared to deal with him just yet.

"Oh, I don't know about that... Comrades, remember? Share and share alike. I wouldn't mind sharing THAT one. Yum." Rosencrantz winks suggestively at her, and I can almost hear Rowan's circuit-breakers shorting out. Keldorn, and Minsc at Keldorn's urging, tighten their grip on her.

"Share me?! SHARE ME?! You- Mmph!!" Fortunately, Imoen clamps her hands around Rowan's mouth before she can get much further. Aerie is holding Rowan's hands in her own slender ones, and she appears to be speaking very fast to the distraught young woman, attempting to calm her down. It doesn't seem to be working, though at least Rowan does stop struggling against Minsc and Keldorn's iron grip. Tears are still pouring, and her beautiful green eyes are a little red around the edges, but at least she's not kicking and screaming any more. Meanwhile, I'm having a little trouble hanging on to MY temper.

"...That... was the stupidest thing you've done today, Rosencrantz." My heart is pounding, my mind is shrieking, and my soul is burning. Rosencrantz has just made a fatal mistake. He could have threatened anybody else, and it would have just made me worry. By making a pass at Rowan, he's just made me angry.

My anger fuels my strength, and with a roar of rage so bestial even I can barely believe it came from me, I rush at Rosencrantz with blinding speed. I close with him, the 15 or so feet between us devoured by that burst of speed. He can't comprehend my sudden attack, how I could possibly be hurt so bad and yet move so fast, let alone defend himself. My swing starts at the ceiling, and comes down with 15 years of rivalry and hatred behind it, increased that much more by the pure wrath burning in my heart. The blade of my sword hits his shoulder at an angle, shearing down diagonally into his body. The sheer force of the blow tears through his armour plates, crumpling and rending them even as my sword bites through flesh and crunches through bone. Rosencrantz roars in anger and pain, blood fountaining up from the terrible wound, and spilling to the floor.

"Uhnn... This... won't be... the last... Gray... and... the next time I see you... I... will kill... you..." Rosencrantz manages, before somehow managing to get enough concentration together to cast Dimension Door. Even as he fades from view, I can hear his words: "Remember... Next time I WILL kill you."

I collapse, all the breath leaving my body in a rush. Such an attack would wind me were I 100%, and right now it feels like my body is right on the verge of falling apart. The party rushes towards me, Rowan some 4 steps before everybody else. She catches me in a rough embrace as she reaches me, sobbing in relief. She's careful not to hug me too hard, since I AM still bleeding from several wounds, and she apparently doesn't want to aggravate them. Aerie heals the wound in my sword arm, which by now after repeated exertions that would test an uninjured muscle is bleeding quite badly. As she releases the spell, I can feel an unnatural warmth in my arm as skin and flesh knit together, and the wound seals itself. Imoen has pressed Minsc and Keldorn into guarding the only entrance to the room, proving to one and all (except possibly herself) just what an excellent leader she is when her 'big brother' is incapacitated. She then binds some of my less severe wounds, then gently pulls Aerie who's protesting that I'm still in need of healing. Within moments, Rowan and I are alone in the room.

"You idiot, you could have been killed!" She's yelling at me, but there's no mistaking the catch in her voice or the tears in her eyes. "Do you know how many times that scum could have skewered you when you weren't paying attention?! Do you know how many times you left yourself so open a petrified kobold could have killed you?! I swear, you ever fight so sloppily again and I will kill you myself!" She hugs me again, tighter this time. "I... could have lost you..." Tears are pouring down her cheeks, and she's breaking down. I gently wipe away a tear streaking her face, run my fingers through her hair, and suddenly my wounds don't quite hurt as much.

"Nah... I wouldn't have lost to him. I've got too much to lose." I manage to say, before she buries her face in my chest, crying her eyes out. "There, there..." I stroke her hair and kiss her on the forehead. "Come on. Let's get out of here." With an effort, and Rowan's help, I pull myself to my feet, and with her arm tightly about my waist, we walk out of the chamber, into the glorious and welcome sunrise.



End.