Chapter 18 preamble

I now see my journey in life as three branches of the same thread.The first is a simple physical path, which runs through the training I received in the Do'Urden family, Drow's Warrior Academy Fighting Martial Arts Tower, and the years after that I was continued to be sheltered by my father Zaknafein. He prepared me for the challenge, and it was he who taught me the key to going beyond the rules of drow combat—to be adaptable in every fight.Zaknafein's skill lies not only in training the body's rapid response and perfect balance; it also lies in training it to be in harmony with the spirit, and more importantly, in harmony with his own imagination.

Adapting to circumstances, rather than rote, is what separates the average fighter from the master of martial arts. The physical road outside Menzoberranzan led me through the wilds of the Underdark, along the winding mountains to Monterey, and from there it took me to Icewind Dale, and the group I now have dear friends.It is constantly entangled with the second way, and they are inevitably connected together. The second road is the road of emotion, which is the embodiment of the germination and growth of my understanding and gratitude. It is not only what I pursue and want, but also the desire of others.And the cognition they get from observing the world may not match mine.

When I was in the perplexity of the fierce conflict between the evil nature of Menzoberranzan and my own emotional values, the second road opened up in front of me.Zaknafein told me that the truth is in my heart, but it may not be fully recognized by me.He made me clear the direction of travel again.More than anyone else, I trust Catti-brie to guide me on my journey.From the very beginning, she did not judge me by the past reputation of my people, but defined my existence by my behavior and heart.It was a liberating experience for me.I couldn't resist, I had to accept this philosophical attitude and embrace it.In doing so, I appreciate the many, many people with their own races, cultures, and ideas.I have benefited from everyone, and I am slowly growing as I think about my benefits with a sophisticated and enlightened mind.

Now, after all these years of adventure, I discover that there is a third way.For a long time I thought of it as an extension of the second way, but now I see it as a way out of the way.There may be only minor differences between them, but they are vastly different in magnitude. The third way began the day I was born, like every other sane creature.For me, it has been hidden for many years, because of the desire of Menzoberranzan City, and my own understanding—the door to the third road will not open until the other two roads are completed— Cover up. I opened the door at Monterey DiBloch's home in Monch Forest, when I found Melika, and then I discovered something deep in my soul.This is my first step on a spiritual path that contains more mystery than experience, more questions than answers, more belief and hope than possibility.Only by traveling far enough on the other two roads does the third road appear.This path has the shortest mileage, but perhaps the hardest, at least at first.If the three roads diverge from each other, and each has a fork in the front section, the decision on the material road is usually made by need, and the decision on the emotional road is usually made by desire. What about the spiritual road?

It's not a very clear path, and I'm afraid it never will be. In myself, just because I know I'm in the right direction doesn't mean I know the answer.I know that my path is right, because I have already identified the problem, especially the how, why and where. How did I, or anyone else, get here?Is there a first reason?Maybe it's all just by chance, just random? Or perhaps, the ultimate question for all intelligent life is: When I break free from the shackles of the mortal world, where will my journey extend? I take this last and most important question as the most personal.There are some questions that no one can answer for me except myself.I have met many people, and most of them find their answers in the "teaching" of others.Words honed over time and the sensuous wisdom of the writers offer a reassuring conclusion to a spiritual journey and answers to troubling questions.

No, it's not an end, it's just a reprieve, it's been waiting for the end of its known life course, and then to resuscitate. Maybe what I say is not fair to the common people.Perhaps the group among them who have found a personal answer have asked themselves the question, and then also found like-minded people with whom to share these revelations and comforts.If so, if these feelings are not simply preaching, then I appreciate and envy those who have gone further on the spiritual road than me. For myself, I have Melika, although the name is still not concretized in my mind.My exploration of Melika was limited to this instruction: first solve those questions I asked myself.It is not yet time to suspend, or end, my journey.Merikat gave me outer comfort, and the ultimate answer was inward, in the part of me that I felt I had in common with Merikate—as Monterey described it to me.

My deepest understanding of life has emerged on this last and final path: Emotional, physical, and material understanding is only a support for all other paths. If we don't ask our hearts, we will All achievements in the outer world are infinitely degraded.It is there, and only there, that we discover the true meaning of life. Part of the answer to the Three Ways is an understanding of why the topic of the Three Ways was raised in the first place; The weight of the finale on the route. I believe that the signposts on the path of the soul are not conspicuous, because the questions that arise along the way are always changing, and sometimes, the answers seem to exist for no reason at all.Even now, when everything is in order, I face the mystery of Alifen, and I suffer loss and grief.As much as I feel like I'm on the greatest adventure yet with Catti-brie, I still have a lot of questions about our relationship.I was trying to live with her in the present, in the present, and for some reason she and I had to face our shared future.I think both of us would be horrified by what we saw.

I have to firmly believe that there will always be a day when the fog is cleared and the moon will shine, and I will definitely find the answers I need. I've been in love with Dawn since the beginning.If circumstances permit, I still sit and watch every dawn.The sun does not hurt my eyes very much anymore, and every time I watch the sunrise, my pain will be relieved, or this signal is a manifestation of the soul level: it is cleaning my heart, soul, and my love for the sun. The comprehension of all of this. That is the radiant hope. — Drizzt Do'Urden