Author's Note: First off I'd like to thank those of you who posted reviews! I can't tell you how much I appreciate getting feedback! Oh, and Mermur, I know Devias is a douche bag, but he's my douche bag.

Second I apologize for the delay in this chapter's release as, after much consideration, I had to re-construct the large majority of the storyline. My plans for this story had been pretty shaky from the beginning but now I've got a solid plotline down so the next few chapters are going to flow much easier. Also, I know this chapter is short, but fear not as the next installment is going to be absolutely gigantic!

And now for your usual disclaimers to prevent Blizzard from suing my ass except for the fact that I own Devias and L'Via so take that you corporate bastards!

Chapter 4

Detours

The Dae'mon had left L'Via's legs untied and she praised the Sunwell for his oversight.

As soon as he had vanished she had hauled herself out of the hollow tree and began looking around for anything that might help her escape her bonds. She had recognized the smell of burning wood and bodies as soon as Devias had and deduced from his actions and their location that Auriferous or one of the other local commanders must have attacked the Night Elf post on Shalandris; but right now that meant little to her. Her only priority at the moment was making a run for it.

L'Via's wrists were bound by chains which could not be cut through by anything of non-magick origins so she focused on looking for something that could slice through the rope attaching her to the tree.

Wait! The tree!

The fel magick that had transformed the Ghostlands into what they were today had some very unusual side effects on the once thriving foliage. While this tree had been dead for only a few years at most it had already undergone heavy fossilization to the point where parts of it could be considered solid rock; she scoured the side of the tree for any particularly jagged edges and was soon rewarded. L'Via leaned in and caught the cloth gag on the hook of a sharp piece of fossilized bark that was jutting a few inches out of the side of the tree. Within a minute she had sliced through the cloth and the gag fell to the forest floor.

As soon as her mouth was free she had to hold back the urge to scream for help; after all while some of her allies may be within hearing range considering the fact that mostly new recruits trained here they would most likely be too inexperienced to be of much help to her. Besides, if she screamed L'Via had no doubt Devias would hear her and in her current condition she would find herself back to square one in no time. If it wasn't for that damn collar –

Another sudden wave of dizziness washed over her, but this time it wasn't due to the collar. Indeed it was something much, much worse. She hadn't used her mana tap in over a day now and while that normally wouldn't be cause for huge concern her battle with the forest elemental had drained a decent portion of her mana. If L'Via didn't get rid of this collar within the next two days her health would begin to rapidly deteriorate until…

L'Via swung her head and gripped the piece of rope between her teeth and began to saw through it using the same jagged piece of bark that she had used before. The rope was thick and durable and her actions became more frantic as minutes began to pass by; she gnawed at the rope with her teeth hoping that would be of some use. After extraneous tugging and tearing and sawing the rope finally tore apart and she was off running through the dead wood as fast as her legs could carry her.

She recognized this area of the Ghostlands and rejoiced that she was within sprinting distance of Tranquillien. She knew she was leaving behind a fairly clear trail but L'Via could hold quite a gait and put as much distance between herself and the Dae'mon as possible. L'Via headed east towards the Scar; if she could make it to that landmark before Devias caught up with her she would be guaranteed escape.

A good hour had passed before her sensitive ears heard him coming to retrieve her. In true warrior fashion she did not panic, but simply put on an extra spurt and kept running.

Devias was faster.

All she needed was to reach the Scar then speed wouldn't matter.

He was still gaining on her.

She got out the first note of a distress call before something solid hit her in the back of the knee bringing her to a – literal – crashing halt.

The Dae'mon was upon her and he was absolutely livid.

"In the name of the Light did you truly believe you could get away?" he bent down and grabbed her ankles and dragged her towards him. "I must admit you are quite the clever little shrew and fast to boot but make no mistake when I say that you will never escape my grasp!" He flipped her over onto her back so that she could look up at him. There was blood splattered all over his chest and part of his mask and his crimson eyes were on fire. L'Via could not suppress the small, triumphant smile that formed on her lips.

"Escape your grasp? What grasp? You seem to have lost complete control of the situation at this point. Your grasp? What a joke! It means nothing now! Where will you go? Where will you take me?"

"I will drag you body and soul across the Plaguelands if that's what it takes!"

"AND FOR WHAT?! Gold? You would become so driven at the prospect of gold?" Devias' eyes narrowed.

"It has become more than that..."

"Why? Because of the Night Elves?"

"Someone will pay for their slaughter!"

"Someone who played no part in it?"

"Your people played a part in it! The Horde played a part-"

"Stop trying to justify your greed!" L'Via interrupted with a roar and Devias whipped out his still bloody karambit and held it against her throat. She grinned at this, a wicked grin that reminded him of the grin that had crossed the Once Elf rogue he had slain earlier. "You don't give a damn about those Night Elves, you're livid because your one route out of hell has been destroyed and now there's nowhere to run to except another hell that may be an even worse circle than the one you're in now. Am I really worth all of that? Is the price upon my flesh so high that you would sell your soul to even taste the riches that await you if this unholy slave trade pans out?" The grin faded, "And you believe that the Orcs have uglier souls than you."

He knocked her out and immediately shoved her words to the furthest recesses of his mind.

But she was right, where would he go from here? The Plaguelands, I have to face the Plaguelands…

He had traveled through there only once and that was in the company of his old guild. They had spent as little time upon that unholy ground as possible completing their mission within one day and leaving before night fell upon the land. The trip had always stuck in Devias' mind and the needles of fel magick that he had felt there was indeed much worse than the Ghostlands. Even with his level of expertise to drag this Once Elf across that endless wasteland alone would be tantamount to a suicide mission. Could he make it?

Devias shook his head; what he needed to do was take this trip one step at a time and worry about obstacles as they appeared. Right now his biggest obstacle was finding a way out of the Ghostlands that was not guarded tooth and nail by Horde forces; even before that he had to make his way to the southern border. There was no time to waste; fresh adrenaline was pumping through his system so now was as good a time as any to get started. Devias once again picked up his prize, slung her over his shoulder, and headed south as darkness began to engulf the world around him.

L'Via awoke to find herself whirling through the night drenched Ghostlands slung over her captor's shoulder. She remained limp, making sure not to give him any indication that she had come to, and tried to formulate her next move.

She would see the Sin'dorei fall before she allowed him to drag her through the Plaguelands; beyond that she would watch the destruction of Azeroth itself before he sold her to some Alliance scum! Bound as she was this was still the Ghostlands and she had shed blood, sweat, and tears all over this dark soil during her training and initiation into the Blood Knights. L'Via had made her mark upon this land and become a part of it; furthermore she knew its secrets.

The Dae'mon would not cross the Scar this much she knew; if he feared the Ghostlands he would not dare tread upon the Scar. They were heading south towards the border on the western side of the Scar which gave out onto the sea which they could not traverse without a boat. There were only two passes through the southern mountains and both were on the eastern side of the Scar. The human would not cross the Scar or the ocean, he was stuck in between the two, and his destination lay south.

L'Via grinned from ear to ear; all things considered there was only one possible destination.

Deatholme.