Chapter 3
Banshees and Plaguelands
Outside of the Monastery, Zyathri called to Nightmare who happily trotted up to her. Pleased to see her steed again, she smiled and lightly patted him on the side. With her usual level of ease, she climbed up onto his back before offering a hand to Erthos to help him up. Taking the hand, Erthos climbed onto the back of Nightmare, using one hand to hold the staff, and the other wrapped around Zyathri for stability.
"At least we are out of there now…" Zyathri said quietly as Nightmare started to trot down the road. "Let's get this book to the Undercity." At last…soon I can go back to Silvermoon… Zyathri thought to herself as an after thought, smiling faintly.
As they journeyed back to the Undercity, the two of them remained silent. As with before, the various beasts and animals voided them, and the trees simply whizzed past them. It was finally Erthos who broke the silence.
"Hey, Zyathri?" he asked, shaking his head slightly to try and get some hair from his face. "What do you think it is that makes this amulet so important?" He glanced down at his robes where he could make out a slight lump where the amulet was resting against his chest.
Zyathri thought about Erthos' question for a moment as Nightmare continued onwards to the Undercity, the golden runes appearing at his feet and increasing his speed.
"It more than likely holds some kind of magical property." She eventually answered to the question. "But as for what kind, I don't know…" Erthos went quiet as he thought on Zyathri's answer. The amulet certainly had magical properties to it. He could feel them whenever it came into contact with his skin. He remained quiet for a few moments before asking another question.
"Why would Sylvannas want it? Surely someone such as herself has enough power at her disposal?"
Zyathri remained quiet after Erthos' question, simply offering a shrug in response along with a quiet sigh. The two Blood Elves remained silent for the rest of the journey back, leaving each other to their own thoughts.
It wasn't long before Nightmare turned and ran up the small hill to the ruins of Lordaeron, where he came to a gentle stop. Here we are… Zyathri thought quietly to herself as she slowly climbed off of Nightmare. Lost in her own thoughts, she walked into the ruins, leaving Erthos to catch up.
Erthos watched Zyathri, wondering what was on her mind, before he jumped down from the back of Nightmare, stumbling slightly, but managing to regain some balance before he fell flat on his face. After a quick look around to make sure no one saw him nearly fall over, he quickly jogged after Zyathri before matching her pace walking beside her.
"Hey, just a quick question" he said as he glanced down at the staff in his hand. "Is there somewhere in the Undercity where I can get some sort of holder for this staff? It's a bit impractical to be carrying it around in my hands everywhere…"
Zyathri turned her head and looked at Erthos as they moved further into the ruins, before looking down at the staff. She gave a slight shrug before responding.
"You can probably buy a holder somewhere in the Magic Quarter" she said as they turned to the corridor to the lifts. At the end of the corridor, the Abominations stood to guard, causing Erthos to gag slightly.
"Come on, don't go throwing up again" Zyathri said with a smirk before holding her nose and sprinting past the Abominations into the waiting elevator. Taking a deep breath and holding his own nose, Erthos sprinted after Zyathri, joining her.
Both of them began to relax as the door closed, glad to be away from the Abominations. After a few moments, the elevator stopped and the door opened. Zyathri quickly stepped out, followed by Erthos. Walking to the inner ring, Zyathri stopped and looked around, trying to work out where they were.
"The Magic Quarter is behind us" Zyathri said with a nod, looking to Erthos. "We may as well get that holder for you whilst we are here." Zyathri started walking down a slope to get to the Magic Quarter, motioning for Erthos to follow.
Erthos followed along side Zyathri, his staff in hand. As they walked, he looked around, catching glimpses of people going about their business. It looked to be quieter than the last time they were in the Undercity, which Erthos was grateful for. He didn't want to run into any more Orcs.
It wasn't long before the more commercial area of the Undercity faded away and was replaced by a strong feeling of magic. All around them people were selling magical wares and services, ranging from lucky charms to people willing to enchant their gear.
It only took Zyathri a few moments to locate the Staff merchant, an Undead man who was stood quietly behind his stall. Zyathri looked around, trying to find something that looked like a staff holder for Erthos.
"Can I help you..?" the Undead finally asked, his voice sounding dull and unenthusiastic. Zyathri continued to look around for a moment before looking to the merchant.
"Yes, we're looking for a staff holder." She replied. The merchant nodded slightly, causing Erthos to wonder what was holding his head to his bare decaying neck, before looking around his stall. With another nod, the merchant took hold of a staff holder and held it out to Zyathri.
"Fifty silver coins" he said. Zyathri looked to Erthos and gestured to the merchant. Looking from the holder to the merchant, Erthos stepped forwards whilst reaching into the folds of his robe. He then pulled out a leather bag, large in size, but small enough for him to hold in one hand. He untied the cord that kept it closed before pulling out a gold coin and passing it to the merchant.
Taking the coin, the merchant bit down on it, causing some of his rotten teeth to crack slightly. Happy that the coin was real, the merchant reached into a small compartment behind the stall, where Erthos could hear the clinking of coins. Holding out his hand, the merchant passed 50 silver coins back to Erthos, along with the staff holder.
Happy with his purchase, Erthos slipped the strap to the holder over his head, so that it ran diagonally across his chest and back. After making sure it was comfortable, he then placed his recently acquired staff into his new holder, glad that it slotted in perfectly. Adjusting the strap again, Erthos felt the amulet being pressed against his chest, feeling the breath of magical energy running through him.
Zyathri watched Erthos for a moment before moving towards the Royal Quarter, Erthos quickly catching up with her. Soon it will all be over and I can go back to Silvermoon Zyathri thought to herself, smiling slightly. She looked to Erthos as they walked, her smile faltering slightly. Although…despite his annoying curiosity…he isn't so bad…
Erthos stayed close by to Zyathri the entire time they walked towards the Royal Quarter. As they walked, Erthos' mind started to wonder about what he would do after they had finished their task.
"Maybe they have need of a permanent messenger boy" he mused to himself, not realising he had said it out loud. It was certainly an idea that had merit. It would allow him to travel a lot, and meet new people. With a faint chuckle, he put the thought and idea on the shelf for consideration later on.
Zyathri didn't seem to notice Erthos' remark as they entered the Royal Quarter, or at least if she did, she made no mention of it. She remained quiet as they walked down the corridor to the royal chambers themselves, where the Dreadlord was quick to stand in their way once again.
"Do you have the book?" he said with a snarl, his arms folded across his chest. Reaching into her bag, Zyathri pulled out the book and passed it to the Dreadlord, who quickly snatched it up.
This had better be worth it… Zyathri thought to herself, throwing a quick look to Erthos. Our task should have long been done by now…
With baited breath, Erthos watched as the Dreadlord flicked through the book, checking to make sure it was the right one. With a slight growl and a smirk, the demon closed the book and moved out of their way, motioning for them to move forwards.
Ahead of them, Erthos saw Sylvannas, standing almost stock still. As they walked closer, Erthos felt that the distance between them was getting greater, not smaller. He could feel his nerves building up again and glanced to Zyathri to see how she was holding up. Erthos was not surprised to see that Zyathri looked completely calm and in control.
As soon as they stopped in front of Sylvannas, Erthos bowed politely, remaining silent. Zyathri stood just behind him and likewise bowed to the Banshee Queen. There was silence as Sylvannas regarded the two of them with a cold, dead gaze before finally speaking.
"You are the Sin'dorei sent to me by Lor'themar, I assume?" she said slowly, looking to Erthos more than Zyathri. "Well, I have no time for games. Hurry and show me what is so important."
"You mean you didn't send for us?" Zyathri suddenly asked before Erthos could respond. Sylvannas turned her head slowly and looked at Zyathri before shaking her head slightly. Erthos found himself being a bit confused by this revelation. If she hadn't asked for us, then who did? He thought to himself.
With a slight frown, Erthos moved closer to Sylvannas. Out of the corner of his eye, Erthos caught sight of the Dreadlord watching him. Stopping a short distance away, Erthos focused solely on Sylvannas, who turned to look at him with her cold eyes. Reaching into his robe, he pulled out the amulet slowly, showing it to Sylvannas.
"We were told to bring this to you" he said quietly, trying to remain calm in the presence of someone with as much power as Sylvannas. Leaning forwards for a moment, Sylvannas looked at the amulet before quickly moving back, a look of shock on her face.
"Take that off at once!" she yells. "It is a Scourge amulet!" Zyathri looks at Sylvannas, then Erthos, her hand instantly moving to her blade. Sylvannas quickly regains her composure as fear and panic start to spread across his features. Judging from how Sylvannas was now acting, Zyathri could tell she was concerned for Erthos.
"Erthos…" Zyathri said quietly, looking to the young Blood Elf. The tone of Zyathri's voice, and the worry on her face only made the fear inside Erthos stronger. "Take the amulet off. It's not safe…"
Erthos began to raise his arm to remove the amulet, but his arm soon stopped. He looked to Sylvannas then Zyathri, his mouth opening to say something, but nothing coming out. Seeing Erthos' struggle, Sylvannas stepped forward and took hold of the amulet, removing it from his neck.
"Holding it shouldn't harm you" she said slowly, holding the amulet out to Erthos, who took it cautiously. "But don't wear it again." Sylvannas went quiet for a moment, as if thinking, before saying more. "Perhaps you should take the amulet to the Argent Dawn in the Eastern Plaguelands. They may be able to rid the scourge properties from it, so that it may be used."
Erthos looked at the amulet in his hand, turning it over and over, watching its dull glow. He couldn't help but wonder how something as small and basic as an amulet could cause so much worry in people like Zyathri and Sylvannas. Erthos looked back up again, still holding the amulet.
"I didn't feel any different" he said slowly. "I felt stronger, I guess, but no different." Erthos' mind thought on how it felt to have the amulet around his neck. He went silent for a moment before asking a more pertinent question. "Why were we told to bring this to you?" Erthos looked to Zyathri, then Sylvannas, hoping that an answer would be provided.
Sylvannas remained silent for a moment, as if she was thinking as to why they had been asked to deliver the amulet.
"I am unsure" she finally said after a few minutes of thinking. "Perhaps to simply identify the amulet…" Sylvannas shook her head and gestured toward the exit. "Leave my sanctum, now." Erthos nodded slightly before turning and moving towards the exit.
As he left the room, Zyathri soon following behind him, he couldn't help but notice the looks that everyone in the room was now giving him. Once they were outside of the room, Erthos stopped and waited for Zyathri so that they could plan their next move.
Its not like we have to go to the Plaguelands… he thought to himself as he looked down at the amulet. But can we go back to Silvermoon with the amulet still in our possession? Erthos let out a slight sigh, hoping that Zyathri would have the answers.
Zyathri soon stops next to Erthos, looking to him quietly. There was silence between the two of them as Zyathri simply shrugged slightly and shook her head, waiting for Erthos to say something. Erthos looked at Zyathri, not knowing what to say. With a quiet sigh, he looked down at the amulet for a moment.
"What could have happened?" he asked, looking back to Zyathri. "If, you know, I had kept the amulet on for a much longer time. What would have happened to me?" Zyathri looked at Erthos and shook her head slightly.
"You could have turned into one of the scourge…" she whispered softly, looking down at the ground. I should have know the risks of the amulet… she thought to herself. I should have warned Erthos about it…
Erthos quickly caught on to the change in her voice, noticing how hard it was for him to hear her. He instinctively reached out and placed a hand on her arm reassuringly.
"The important thing is that it didn't happen" he said quietly whilst giving her a smile. He squeezed her arm slightly, trying to comfort her in some way. Zyathri simply sighed quietly, still looking at the ground. Erthos looked at her for a moment before moving in front of her.
"Where's the woman that was teasing me happily at the inn in Silvermoon, hmm?" he said, looking at her with a smile. Slowly she raised her head up and looked him in the eye. For a moment, Erthos thought she was going to thump him and walk away.
"You would remember that, wouldn't you…" she said quietly, a small smile forming.
"I did say I liked what I saw, didn't I?" Erthos said, his cheeks turning red slightly as he let out a laugh. Zyathri sighed again, but also seemed to visibly cheer up. She looked away from Erthos for a moment before looking back to him.
"We should get you checked for Scourge infection, just in case." She said softly, slight signs of concern still seeping through. "Along with taking the amulet to the Argent Dawn, we should ask them to examine you."
"Yeah, your right" Erthos said with a slight nod. "I assume you know how to get there?" Erthos offered Zyathri a warm smile, brushing a stray piece of his hair from his face. Zyathri closed her eyes for a moment and folded her arms across her chest.
"I do know the way, yes" she said, opening her eyes and looking to Erthos. "But you should probably learn your away around sometime." Zyathri smirked, placing her hands on her hips. "Im not going to be around to take you places forever, you know."
Before Erthos could respond, Zyathri started walking towards the elevator to head outside. Erthos watched Zyathri as she walked away, her words cutting deep into him.
"Maybe one day I will learn my way around…" he said quietly. The realisation that Zyathri would soon be leaving him had not hit him as hard as it had just done. Erthos was getting very attached to his guardian.
With a steady sigh, Erthos quickly caught up with Zyathri. It didn't take the pair long to be outside of the ruins again and heading along the path into the Plaguelands. Zyathri had opted that they walk for part of their journey, whilst the weather was good.
"It will give you a chance to properly sight see" she had told him when he asked why they weren't riding on Nightmare. They both remained quiet up until they came to the entrance to the Plaguelands.
"How long will it take us do you think?" Erthos asked, looking to Zyathri. Zyathri looked into the Western Plaguelands and remained quiet for a moment, calculating how long their journey may take in her head.
"It will take a couple of days, at least" she said, looking over to Erthos who simply nodded and smiled. Zyathri looked at Erthos for a moment, her mind wondering. I suppose being assigned to guard this warlock isn't so bad… she thought to herself. I seem to have made a friend. Zyathri smiled very faintly before walking into the Western Plaguelands.
As the two of them followed the well trodden path, Erthos took the time to practice his magic more. Holding up his hand, he focused on trying to create the shadow ball again. Twice as fast as before the ball formed, and also at twice the size. Smiling to himself, he closed his hand into a fist, causing the energy to fade away. Opening his hand again, he tries once more, again summoning the shadow ball. Letting out a chuckle this time, he got rid of the energy ball in the same manner as before.
As the second shadow ball vanishes, Erthos stumble to the side slightly, feeling the effects of constant use of magic taking its toll on his body. He shook his head slightly as he felt his strength quickly restore itself.
Erthos knew well that using magic would sap him of his strength, especially for long periods. He looked over to Zyathri, wondering how long she must have been using magic to be able to use some of the more powerful spells at her disposal without showing any signs of fatigue.
Catching Erthos look, and noticing the slightly drained look on his face, Zyathri brought the two of them to a stop. She briefly looked around, making sure there was nothing near by.
"Maybe we should stop for the moment" she said, looking to Erthos. "We do have a long walk ahead of us, and you look as if you could do with something to eat." Erthos nodded in response, his stomach growling at him slightly.
Zyathri let out a slight laugh at hearing Erthos' stomach, using her hand to try and hide her smile. Composing herself, Zyathri took out her sword and shield and led Erthos to a near by pool of water where a tree stood, offering moderate shelter. After making sure the water was ok to drink, she motioned for Erthos to sit down.
Erthos slowly sat down, looking at the area around him. Zyathri, meanwhile, reached into her bag and pulled out a reasonably sized bread roll which she tore in half, offering one piece to Erthos. Taking hold of it, Erthos had a large bite, happily chewing on it.
"Thank you" he said between mouthfuls. He stomach had been bothering him ever since their run in with the Abominations earlier in the day. He just hadn't thought to mention it as he didn't want to burden Zyathri any more than he needed.
Tearing a small piece off of her own half, Zyathri eats slowly, remaining cautious of the area around them. Whilst she looks around, her mind runs over the events of the last two days. Why don't I mind taking Erthos to the Argent Dawn..? She thought to herself, her brow furrowing slightly. After all, I was forced into this situation…
"You know…" Erthos suddenly said, breaking Zyathri's flow of thoughts. "I just want to say thank you for coming with me, Zyathri. Im glad you're here." Erthos smiled at Zyathri before he looked down the path they had come from, taking another bite out of his bread.
Zyathri looked at Erthos for a moment, thinking about what he had said. She soon finished her roll and stood up, stretching slightly. Sitting back down again and relaxing, Zyathri looked to Erthos.
"As I said before, if I returned to Silvermoon without you, Lor'themar would have my hide" she said with a slight smirk and then shrugging slightly.
"But that isn't the only reason I decided to come with you…" Zyathri added quietly. She doesn't continue on with her sentence, nor offer any explanation as to what she meant. Erthos looked at her, wondering if perhaps he should ask what she meant, but decided it was probably best if he didn't.
The two of them remained seated in silence for a short while, both of them just enjoying the peace and quiet that surrounded them. Erthos looked at the amulet in his hands, turning it over and over. Eventually, he stood up, stretching his legs and walking over to the nearby body of water.
Looking at his reflection in the still water, he raised a hand to his forehead, feeling around slightly. He frowned before looking over to Zyathri.
"Does it look like I have two lumps on my forehead?" he asked her, moving closer to her so that she could see better. Zyathri looked at Erthos with a slightly confused look on her face. Not entirely sure what she was looking for, Zyathri studied Erthos' forehead before shrugging slightly.
"I don't see anything…" she said quietly, shaking her head. "You're probably just imagining things." Zyathri let out a slight laugh and Erthos smiled before sitting down.
"You're probably right" he said, resting his head on his knees. Erthos watched Zyathri quietly as she remained seated, a gentle breeze blowing through her hair, the now slowly setting sun casting an orange glow across the area.
"Tell me about yourself…" Zyathri suddenly said, her voice soft. Erthos blinked slightly, surprised at the request, but also happy that Zyathri was interested. Now he only needed to think of something to tell.
"Err…there isn't much to say" he finally said, his mind not able to come up with anything. Zyathri turned her head slowly to look at him and laughed faintly. She shook her head before running a hand through her hair, pushing it back into place.
"Well, tell me about your family" Zyathri said, offering a place for Erthos to start. Erthos went silent for a moment, his face darkening as his mind pulled back on old memories.
"My family?" he said slowly, as if thinking what words to use, what words would best suit the situation. "I don't know anything about my family." Erthos closed his eyes and shook his head slightly.
"Im sorry…" Zyathri said quietly, noticing how it had affected Erthos. She reached out cautiously and placed a hand on top of his, lightly squeezing it. Erthos looked at the hand for a moment before looking at Zyathri.
"Its ok" he said with a slight smile. "You didn't know. It isn't that bad of a subject, really. No one knows my family, or at least if they do, they haven't said. I was raised by my teacher all of my life. I don't even have a surname." Erthos shrugged before letting out a slight laugh.
"My teacher has always been my father figure I suppose. He was the one who gave me my name, taught me right from wrong, and the one who got me interested in becoming a warlock." Erthos seemed to be smiling more as he spoke with Zyathri, who listened with a gentle smile of her own.
"Did you ever go looking for them?" she asked him, hoping that the topic of conversation didn't cause to much upset for Erthos.
"When I was younger I did." Erthos said, looking off into the distance. "I would spend my time looking through old record books for any clue. But I didn't really have anything to start on, so I didn't know what to look for. As time went on though, I just kind of stopped…" Erthos sighed and shrugged slightly, still smiling faintly. "Maybe I just wasn't wanted, you know? Or maybe they were wandering travellers who were killed by a pack of rabid wolves? Its just something I'm not meant to know."
Zyathri looked at Erthos, thinking upon his situation. She began to wish there was some way she could help the young warlock, but what? In terms of his parents, she would know less than he would. And who would know about a nameless baby? Zyathri's brain came to a sudden start as an idea flourished in her mind.
"You could try looking in the Silvermoon records" she said with a small smile. "All births are recorded in there. There are seers in Silvermoon who would be able to work out when exactly you were born, and we can use that information to locate your birth record."
Zyathri was pleased to see the change in Erthos' face at the mention of her idea. It was something that he had not considered doing himself. All he had used were the old records in what passed for the town hall where he had grown up. And he had not been sure of his date of birth, so there was a wide margin for error.
"I would like to try that" Erthos said, nodding with a rather large smile. Zyathri smiled in return and also nodded, giving Erthos' hand a slight squeeze. "What about you?" Erthos then asked, shifting slightly to get into a more comfortable position. "Do you have any family?"
Zyathri seemed to freeze for a moment, the smile fading from her lips. Slowly she opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out. Instead, she suddenly leapt to her feet, her hand going to her sword.
"Do you hear that?" she asked, looking around, frowning. Erthos quickly stood up next to her, taking out his staff and also looking around.
"I think…I think I hear hooves?" he said slowly, casting a quick look to Zyathri. Zyathri nods, confirming that that was what she also had heard.
It soon became apparent that it was indeed a horse that the two of them had heard. Further down the path, deep within the Plaguelands, a fiery horse came charging towards them both. Zyathri recognised it as a Dreadsteed almost instantly, and drew out her sword.
On top of the Dreadsteed, a robed figure held tightly to the reigns, pulling the horse to stop just in front of the two blood elves. Erthos looked at the figure on the mount, their face covered by a hood that cast a deep shadow.
"Well, I never expected to run into anyone in the Plaguelands" came a female voice that seemed to be filled with a mocking tone. "And certainly not you" The last comment seemed to be directed more at Zyathri than it was to Erthos, who quickly looked over to her to see a rather menacing, or perhaps annoyed, look.
"Zhantara…" Zyathri said quietly, as if trying to keep herself calm.
There was a laugh from behind the hood before the mounted woman reached up and pulled it back. Thick brown hair dropped out of its hiding place, landing on the woman's shoulders and falling down her back. She looked at Zyathri with a smirk.
"Hello, sister."