Chapter Two: Combat
"You really musn't be so cruel to her. She does prepare our food, you know?" Pentaleon shot him a meaningful glare.
They had been scouting around the Exodar since dawn and Draes' legs were beginning to feel like pillars of lead. Every now and then, a sound in the distance would send Pen's ears to perking up and he'd quietly slip away to investigate. It was during those times that Draes could think freely without feigning interest in the rogue's nonstop chatter. Were it anyone but Pen, he would have immediately brushed them off with a harsh word or two. Talkativeness was a trait that Draes usually associated to selfish people, but not in his comrade's case. Pentaleon did enjoy talking, but he rarely delved into longwinded digressions about women he fancied or men he had fought. The only times Draes felt truly annoyed at their one-ended conversations were when the subject involved him.
"We're not discussing her," he said guardedly.
A disgusted groan escaped Pen's mouth. "You're not even saying her name now? Is it cursed because, Gods forbid, she developed a little crush on you?" He didn't wait for Draes to reply, "She doesn't realize that you're just a mean old man deep down inside. Give her time and she'll come to understand that your bitterness isn't attractive and your sour moods can't be cured by romantic walks through the forest. If that doesn't work, you could always bring up the fact that you encase the souls of your enemies into bits of glass to summon your demon minions. That actually might go over better."
It was Draes' turn to act disgusted now. "You're suggesting that I indulge her infatuation? Are you mad? I've seen rodents display more intelligence than that..that woman."
"'That woman,'"a female voice mocked from over his shoulder. "What is your deal, Draes? Is my feebleminded gender causing you distress with our feminine wiles?"
Oh great, Nyvene the Bitch Queen had to overhear us. The broad-shouldered paladin eyed him with cool contempt, her shockingly blonde curls bouncing as they ascended a slope. Had Nyvene simply been ill-tempered and sarcastic, Draes might actually like her. It was unfortunate that her abhorrent ignorance and egomania spoiled any hopes of civility between the two.
Before the argument could escalate, a gauntleted hand went up in a gesture of silence. Their scout leader, Caziel, tended to only draw attention to his presence when absolutely necessary. His quiet demeanor was often met with criticism by Captain Cor'theryn, who was used to barking orders at his men and throwing in a few curse words for good measure.. When Caziel spoke, however, his words commanded the attention of those around him in a way that far surpassed the methods of his superior.
"Voices," he said, pointing to an area of the forest that was thick with underbrush. "Investigate it."
With a brief salute, Pentaleon pulled his facemask up over his nose and stealthed. Caziel was right. Draes had to strain, but he could hear at least two voices in the distance—one of them was definitely male. Nyvene's hand went to the mace at her belt when she, too, heard the sounds. A few moments passed until Pen returned, his shape fading back into view. His face was taut with anticipation.
"Three of them, one male and two females. The women were plainly dressed. Civilians, by the looks. The man is definitely a warrior though."
Caziel nodded, then unsheathed the large sword he strapped to his back.
"Take the warrior. If the women fight, kill them."
Without another word, they took their positions. Caziel led, flanked by Nyvene and Pen. Draes took up the back, keeping him a safe distance from the melee. Removing a soul shard from his pouch, he summoned his Felguard. The demon appeared, it's gilded armor gleaming in the forest's light. It could almost be called a beautiful creature were it not for the scowl that twisted its lips, revealing a set of unusually sharp white teeth.
Caziel brushed past the overgrown foliage, his large frame creating a path through the ferns. The voices were beginning to grow distant as the group walked away. If they didn't move quickly enough, the pack would get away. Draes gritted his teeth, tempted to tell Caziel to speed up before their day was reduced to a leisurely hike through the woods. Light be damned if he was going to miss out on action after being cooped up inside the day before.
"They're passing through the clearing ahead. You two," he gestured to Draes and Nyvene, "go to the other side. Cut them off if they try to escape."
He could see them now, close to the center of the clearing. The foolish Draenei. They knew of the Sin'dorei's offensive stationed here, yet they strolled around like tourists. Draes wrinkled his nose in disgust as he watched the trio laughing, landing playful slaps on each other's arms. He narrowed his eyes at the warrior, calculating which spells would hinder him best while the others attacked. In addition to im, he would have to immobilize the women if they were stupid enough to fight back. It was an easy task that didn't need four people to complete. The element of surprise worked wonders and Draes found himself disappointed at the lack of challenge. Hiding his dismay, he and Nyvene edged their way along the tree line to the other side of the clearing.
When Caziel was sure that his soldiers were in place at the other end, he charged in. The warrior must have been a good swordsman, for he unsheathed his blade just in time to parry the paladin's attack. One of the women tried to run, but was overcome by her own clumsiness when she tripped over her long dress. The other one scowled, her eyes searching for anything that could be used as a weapon. Nyvene was on her in a fraction of a second, her mace raised over her head as she prepared to strike. Draes watched the ensuing struggle with interest. The woman, dressed in nothing more than a ratty gown, was putting up a decent fight. She managed to dodge Nyvene's initial blow and was now clutching a dead branch to defend herself with.
"Master?" his Felguard prompted.
Draes waved him forward, sending the demon to help wrestle the emboldened female to the ground. Nearby, Pen's immobilizing poisons were taking effect on the warrior. The Draenei moved with considerably less speed, his large form floundering in a sea of relentless attacks. The sight strangely reminded Draes of a bull being put down. Despite the odds, he still fought with everything he had. He struggled over to the woman battling Nyvene and tried to place himself directly in her path. But Draes was quicker. A spell was already formed on his lips, sending a fiery bolt of pain through the warrior. The warrior collapsed to the ground writhing, his alien face contorted with pain as the fire assaulted him. Draes turned to search for the clumsy woman, but she must have stumbled away in the chaos.
Despite that, one thing was for certain. It was too easy.
Nyvene had the woman in a headlock, dragging her carelessly toward Caziel. Despite the damning hold on her, the Draenei squirmed, trying to bite and claw her way out. Her eyes burned with menace as a torrent of unkind words flowed from eerie blue lips. Draenei was not an attractive language. It was both nasal and throaty, the syllables clashing together in discord that reminded him of a piano being smashed to bits.
"Draes," Nyvene began, her voice rising an octave as she mimicked the sweet lilt of the upper-class Sin'dorei women, "Do be a gentleman and dispose of this pest for me."
She shoved the Draenei woman to him with more force than necessary, resulting in a cry of surprise from both parties. This is where Nyvene earned her place at the throne of bitchiness. Somehow—Draes could never figure out how—she was able to glean fragments of information about people that they thought secret. Nyvene must have overheard something from someone and come to the conclusion that Draes avoided using physical violence out of distaste for it. What a perfect chance for her to get revenge. In all honesty, she was correct in her assumption. He preferred striking his enemies to death with a powerful spell, or outwitting them some other way. When he interrogated his prisoners he seldom touched them, leaving any physical torture to Alexion, the General's intelligence expert. Though inept at asking questions, Alexion was quite deft at extracting answers from their captives, using any means to drag the truth out into the open. It was the smell of blood that Draes despised, along with the feeling of slicing a cold blade into hot living flesh. Murder didn't frighten him per se, but it made him feel slightly ill. At that moment, Draes wished he hadn't underestimated her cunning. He also found himself wishing he had been friendlier to her
"Be quick," Caziel said to him simply, his eyes lingering at the woman for a moment. With help from Pen and Nyvene, he turned away and dragged the unconscious warrior out of the clearing. Looking over her shoulder, Nyvene winked and flashed a mocking grin.
The woman was still struggling against him, her long nails digging into his wrists. Shoving her roughly to the earthen floor, he drew the dagger at his side. If he wanted to avoid getting sick everywhere, he was going to have to do it quickly. Before he could lean forward to bring the blade across her neck, her hoof shot forward and planted itself between his legs. The cursed bitch. The force of her kick nearly sent him to the ground curling up in a ball. Fighting the pain, he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back to the ground with all his strength. His hands wound themselves tightly around her slender throat until he felt her heartbeat hammer against his palms. Something about t it held his attention for a few moments. Yes, he could definitely feel her pulse, but also something else. As the muscle expanded and contracted, the tiny whisper of another heartbeat echoed back from somewhere within her.
Years of teaching that Draes had struggled to oppress crashed to the surface with such ferocity that he wondered if the Draenei might use his momentary distraction to her advantage. She had stopped squirming and was now looking up at him, her glowing eyes fixed on him with an unfamiliar expression. He wanted to know why it bothered him so greatly that she was pregnant. A cursory look at her stomach showed no physical evidence of such, but what he felt was unmistakable. Did she even know she was with child?
"Please.." she whispered in Common, her brow creased pleadingly. She knew she was nearing her end.
Before he could open his mouth to reply, a hand rested gently, but firmly, on his shoulder. Draes looked up to see Caziel. The bulky paladin towered over him, his crested helm sparkling cheerfully in the sunlight. His mouth was pulled into a tight line that let little show in way of his emotions. Draes wasn't sure if he was angry, dissatisfied, or just indifferent.
"I will do it. Go," he said before Draes could comment.
A surge of frustration suddenly soared through him. He thinks you're too weak to do it, the familiar voice teased. The frustration was quickly replaced with the burn of embarrassment that was cropping up with surprising frequency these days. If his scout leader didn't think him able to complete a simple execution, what did that say for his skills as an interrogator? If he didn't kill this woman, he could very well lose his reputation. Draes looked up at him again, this time his face marked with such defiance that Caziel's unreadable expression hardened with scrutiny.
"I won't ask again," he said in a low, menacing, voice.
Draes steeled himself against the taunts that were building up within his mind, provoking him. Can't even kill a woman, the voice sneered. Turning his back to Caziel, he stalked out of the clearing to join the rest of the party. He wanted blood for what just happened. Someone needed to pay for the humiliation he just experienced. Caziel, maybe. But he was only guilty of the same pompous do-gooder attitude that plagued most of his class. Nyvene was the real snake in the grass. He would make her pay in a way she would never forget. In his state, murder seemed a viable option, but he dismissed the notion almost as soon as it came. While his mind explored various ways with which to exact revenge, Caziel returned. He sheathed his sword and motioned the group forward, everyone—even Pen—remaining silent as they hiked back to camp.
It had been a long day and it was just about to get longer.
A/N: Blarghh, my horizontal lines aren't working again. Anywho..thank you Forlorne and Zetsuke for your reviews! I've been wanting to do a DraeneixBelf fanfic for a while. Enjoy!