The sun shined down through the canopy of the Eversong Woods. Sadriel sat in the bough of a tree enjoying the quiet afternoon. So far his week-long patrol had gone well. The forces of undead that still remained despite the fall of the Lich King were easy to keep at bay now. Most of the time they wandered aimlessly, rarely attacking anything and feeding on carrion. In the past they had issues with Cult of the Damned necromancers attempting to control large groups of the beasts and sending them on attacks. Those attacks never seemed last too long. A majority of the magics used to create new undead no longer seemed to work properly - again something Sadriel often attributed to the fall of the Lich King.
Even better, the overall number of undead seemed to decrease with each passing day, something that pleased Sadriel greatly. With every patrol becoming easier and easier, it gave him much more time to get his duties for Ravenholdt accomplished. Which is what he was doing now, while sitting in the tree top. The winds were calm this day, so Sadriel had varies pieces of parchment pinned to the trunk of the tree, going over the bits of information contained within. Various reports from Eversong, the Ghostlands, and Silvermoon City that required his attention.
Ravenholdt had employed him as an informant for many years now - ever since the High Elves split off to become the Blood Elves. Due to Ravenholdt's neutral status with both the Alliance and the Horde they advised him to be...delicate...with his information. They did not wish their agents to become known and lose the flow of information. Sadriel's status of ranger and forward scout gave Ravenholdt access to a greater amount of intel. Over the years he had acquired a great respect for the organization. The information they acquired wasn't sold or traded - it would be used strictly for Ravenholdt operations.
So here he sat in his tree, going through the information the other informants in Silvermoon had passed to him. Most of it was boring - logistical information, supplies, current political climates - but he compiled it none the less. So engrossed was he in his work he almost missed the subtle vibrations that began to shake the tree. Almost. The papers movement despite the lack of breeze snapped him out of his concentration. Gently he placed his hands on the tree trunk and felt a rhythmic vibration passing through the trunk. He could see the leaves of the tree shudder slightly. Peering at other trees in the forest, he couldn't see any movement. The elf quickly pulled the papers down and stuffed them into a pouch. He nimbly jumped down the tree branches until he reached the base. Sadriel laid down on his side and rested his ear on the ground, listening.
For several minutes he listened to the earth, feeling the vibrations. He opened his eyes and stood up, staring grimly at the ground.
Something was digging. And it was heading towards Silvermoon City.
Quickly he broke into a sprint. Not towards the city, but away from it. The ranger knew from experience that he would need to get more intel on whom - or what - was digging towards the elven capital. Racing through the trees he emerged from the forest over looking the border with the ghost lands. He peered out as far as he could see - nothing.
Then, an almost imperceptible movement caught his eyes. In the thick, dead underbrush of the ghostlands he could make out the forms of several undead. Not aimlessly lumbering about, but sitting almost deathly still, unmoving. Waiting.
Watching.
Sadriel gripped his bow tightly and nocked an arrow. He drew back and took careful aim. If his hunch was right, these undead were sentries guarding the entrance to a tunnel. As he aimed carefully he never saw the dark figure materialize out of the shadows behind him. It raised its arm high and brought down a heavy mace on to the ranger's unsuspecting head.
Sadriel collapsed into a heap, his world going black.
Verielle gazed out across the hills of Tirisfal. The land still looked dead and dreary from when Arthas had ravaged it years ago. Under the Banshee Queens rule things had not improved much - Forsaken architecture tend to only come in various states of disrepair.
Zek had found them a small camping spot in the hills of the northern region. Far away from any Forsaken outpost or settlement it would be unlikely they would be discovered. Ruby had spotted a small creek running through the hills. By some miracle it had been spared the corruption that afflicted most everything else in the region. Ruby sat nearby resting. She had flown non-stop for days to reach land. Zek had explained to Verielle that Ruby could fly for extremely long distances with very little rest. Stone drakes could revitalize themselves by being in contact with the earth - the element of their home. Absorbing elemental energy directly she would be recovered very soon. Still she would be hungry, which is why Zek was out hunting - Ruby was cranky when she was hungry.
As for Verielle, she was going to indulge in something she hadn't had for nearly a week. A well deserved bath. She stripped the armor off her body and laid it in a pile on the bank. Zek kept some soap on hand in his packs. She stepped into the cold water, shivering as she waded out into the middle. The water came up to her waist and its cold began to soothe her aching muscles. She began to work quickly - she didn't want to catch hypothermia.
Zek had found a nice kill for Ruby. A herd of feral goats had made their home in these hills. He trapped one of the larger males and knocked it out with some poison. Ruby liked to kill her own food and the poison wouldn't affect her. He threw the goat over his shoulders and began the hike back to camp.
Their flight back to the Kingdoms had been smooth. It helped that Zek got to spend it a beautiful young blood elf holding him tightly. He smirked as he thought recalled the first time she had made the mistake of looking down - she had almost broken his arms she was squeezing them so tight. At first he couldn't tell if it was from fear or excitement. The string of obscenities in Thalassian had confirmed it was the former.
They had only been together for a short period and he found himself enjoying her company. Zek preferred to work alone - as most assassins do. But something about Verielle made him happy. Her warm smile that seemed to mimic his witty grin, her blonde hair that always fell in her eyes while they had trained. The sweat glistening on her body as it rolled down her lithe form...Zek shook his head and groaned. Every time he thought of her his mind wandered to THOSE particular thoughts. He sighed as he came up on camp. Verielle was his student - she had sought him out to repay him for saving her. Even though he playfully teased her with the nickname Sun Jewel, a blood elf wouldn't be interested in a human - not in that way at any rate.
Again he sighed as he set the goat down on the ground. Only to look up and see Verielle surfacing from the creek throwing her wet hair back. Zek felt the blood rush to his face - and elsewhere - as he watched the water trickling down her very beautiful, and very naked, body.
"Oh Light..." he whispered, entranced.
Verielle had stayed under for as long as she could. She had scrubbed and scrubbed and now she had stayed under to let the flow of the water wash away the soap and grime. Her lungs burning, she stood up, whipping her hair back in an arc. She took a deep breath as the warm evening air tingled on her cold skin. It had taken her longer than she thought to get clean.
I'd better hurry, she thought. Zek would be back soon and she didn't want to get caught with her pants down. Literally and figuratively. She turned back to the bank and saw Zek standing there, his face a deep crimson and his jaw practically on the ground.
The pair stood there in a stalemate for several moments. Zek stood there, almost dumbfounded, staring at her. Verielle herself was frozen with both fear and embarrassment. She was keenly aware of the rivulets of water dripping down her naked form, but she was too afraid to move.
"If you are both finished undressing each other with your eyes," came a reptilian voice, "I am quite famished. Besides its clear that Zek has won."
Ruby, awakened and refreshed, sauntered over to the awkward pair. "Although I'm not so sure this round counts. Veri has the obvious disadvantage." she turned her head towards the elf. "Or advantage..depending on the goal of the exercise.." she added, chuckling to herself. The dragon stepped into the water to put herself between Verielle and Zek, then turned towards the latter.
"Well?" she said, crossly. "Don't just stand there! Get the poor girl something to dry off with!"
Zek snapped his jaw shut and turned to back towards his packs. He quickly pulled out a long length of cloth and tossed it over the dragon's back. Verielle caught it and quickly wrapped it around her shoulders, covering herself. Ruby waited until she had completely covered herself, then stepped out of the water, snatched the goat off the ground, then walked away to enjoy her meal in peace.
Verielle stepped out of the water and on to the bank, still wrapped in the cloth. Zek stood next to his packs, his face cast down and his eyes averted. His face was still red and Verielle found herself suppressing a giggle.
I'm sorry. he said. I did not mean to...embarrass you. I will give you some privacy. Before Verielle could reply Zek walked off quickly, disappearing down the slope of the hill.
Verielle dried off and dressed, then tried to follow him, but it was too late. He had already vanished off into the hills somewhere. Instead she went back to Ruby, who had finished her meal and was laying contentedly nearby.
"He ran off, didn't he?" the dragon asked as Verielle walked up. The elf nodded and sat down next to her. Ruby just sighed and shook her massive head. "That boy...I don't know what I'm going to do with him."
"What's wrong? Is he mad at me?" Verielle asked, afraid of what the answer could be.
Ruby shook her head again. "No, little Sin'Dorei. Zek is a brilliant man. A master assassin, alchemist, and fighter. But despite his outward bravado and somewhat, shall we say, teasing manner concerning certain pretty blood elves...he is not very adept at handling certain situations with women." Ruby turned her massive head to look Verielle in the eyes. "Zek may seem confident, calm, and suave around you, but do not be fooled. When it comes to women, Zek is hopeless."
Verielle mulled over the dragon's words in her head. It didn't make complete sense, not really. When she had first met Zek he had been confident, even suave. He had been that way, to a certain extent, when she had reunited with him over a week ago. But something had changed...something very quickly. An idea popped into her head. It baffled her...and made her blush deeply.
"Ruby? Does Zek...have...feelings for me?" she asked quietly.
The dragon chuckled softly. "Think back to what he was saying just a few moments ago." she replied.
Verielle replayed the event in her mind for a moment, let her eyes widened in shock.
"He was speaking perfect Thalassian!" she exclaimed, thinking back to how smoothly Zek had spoken it. Over a year ago he could hardly form a coherent thought in the language. Now he had spoken it so fluently that she hadn't even noticed!
Ruby chuckled again. "I don't know many humans...but I'm certain human men don't learn an entire language that well in just under a year without cause...or reason." With that she curled up - creating a nook large enough for Verielle to lean against. "Get some sleep. Zek will be fine once he calms down and regains his wits. He needs to take first watch anyway." The dragon closed her eyes and in no time began to snore softly. Verielle sat there thinking for a few minutes. Then, smiling, she leaned over and closed her eyes to sleep.
Zek watched over the sleeping pair from the tall grass he had hidden in. He sighed in frustration to himself. Yet again, you have made an oaf of yourself! he thought bitterly. Zek had always been known as a flirt. But then it became known by many people when a woman reciprocated his feelings he would seize up. The women of the League had a field day with him on that one. He didn't know why he would seize up like that. And with Verielle! Again he groaned softly. So much for being a good teacher, he thought bitterly.
Zek resigned himself to patrolling the area. A good stalk would keep his mind off things - he hoped. By now the sun had set and the moon and stars shined brightly in the night sky. Fading into shadows he began a patrol around the area. Despite his awkwardness, he would rather face a horde of Burning Legion demons that to abandon his assignment. He would work things out.
Late into the night he patrolled. Certain that nothing dangerous was in the area, he had taken to sneaking up on local wildlife to hone his skills - not that they needed honing. There were few assassins that could match him in those areas.
Suddenly he became aware of an intense burning situation on his chest. His Ravenholdt insignia. He quickly reached into his armor and retrieved the metal seal from its hidden pouch. It was glowing slightly and producing intense heat. Not enough to burn him, but enough to get his attention. He stared grimly at it for a moment. He sat down and held the insignia in his hands.
The insignia of the Assassins League - ones given to their agents at any rate - had a few simple enchantments. It allowed them to receive orders - via magical telepathy - from the Manor. However Zek had to take extra steps to use it.
As he sat, he relaxed his body. As he relaxed he focused on the part of his being that made him special. A part that few knew about. As he focuses, he was able to completely suppress his hidden talent - then he turned his focus on the insignia.
REPEAT. ATTENTION ALL AGENTS. a voice boomed in his mind. WE HAVE A BLACK-LEVEL EVENT. ALL CONTRACTS SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. AGENTS IN EVERSONG NEED ASSISTANCE. ALL AGENTS IN THE AREA RESPOND IMMEDIATELY TO RENDER AID.
The message began to repeat itself and Zek snapped out of his meditative trance. A black-level event. Whomever had called it had been serious. The last time a black level event had occurred was when Deathwing had broken through Deepholm and began to ravage Azeroth. Whatever was going on in Eversong - it was serious.
Zek returned the insignia and began to sprint back towards camp. As soon as he could see Ruby's rocky form he began to shout.
"RUBY! BLACK-LEVEL! EVERSONG!" he bellowed as he ran.
Immediately the dragon's head snapped up, alert. She roared in response - all but scaring Verielle to death, as the elf jumped up in alarm. By the time Zek had reached them Ruby was stretching out, getting ready to fly. Verielle was hastily throwing things into the bags.
"Grab that one!" Zek said, pointing to the bag that contained his most important items. Verielle complied. "Ruby, torch the rest. The League will reimburse me."
The dragon turned and fired a burst of fire at the remaining bags, incinerating them. Zek grabbed the bag from Verielle and attached it to Ruby's saddle. He jumped up and reached his hand down to help Verielle up to the saddle in front of him. As soon as they were strapped in, Ruby jumped up in flight and headed north.
"What's going on Zek?" Verielle shouted over the rushing wind.
"Something bad is happening in Eversong. The League issued a Black-Level alert." Zek responding, sounding grim. "Other members of the League are headed there now. Ravenholdt agents are in trouble."
Sadriel groaned as he regained consciousness. He had been ambushed by someone or something that was in league with the undead. They had begun to drag him down into the darkened tunnel they have dug, but with the last vestiges of consciousness he had, he had managed to grasp his Ravenholdt insignia. Before completely blacking out the ranger had sent out a simple message to the Manor. Eversong. Black-Level.
Whether or not they had heeded his request he did not know. He also did not know why he had been kept alive. The undead monsters had shackled him up with crude chains and bound him to the wall of the tunnel. He tried to get a look around but blood and grime that had caked on his face obscured his vision.
"So...our little spy is awake." came a voice. Sadriel's sharp ears quickly discerned it was a blood elf male, speaking common. "Tell me, what is this trinket?" A shiny object came into his limited vision - his insignia. Sadriel said nothing.
The voice chuckled. Another, different, voice spoke up. "It matters not. I was able to break the enchantment on it. Whatever this thing is...it is nothing more than a lump of simple metal." This voice was also blood elf, but female. Older, by the sound.
A third voice chimed in, "No matter. Now that you are awake we can begin. I have always wanted to try this process on a still-living specimen." Another male.
Cold water splashed his face. As his vision began to clear he looked up and saw a group of four blood elves. All four were wearing identical armor - saronite, by his estimation. They all had the same strange rune tattooed on their foreheads. However what took Sadriel off guard the most was the fact they were all dead. Or undead rather. They were not death knights. Three of them had blank expressions. The fourth had a wicked grin across his face. Three men and one woman - all blood elves. The one with that was grinning went slack and his face relaxed. The female then began to grin wickedly and Sadriel noticed her eyes began to glow brightly with necromantic energy.
"Very well, let us begin!" she cackled. She pulled a knife out of her belt and drove the point into Sadriel's forehead.
Sadriel screamed.
Author's Notes: And thus concludes chapter 6! If you like the story thus far, toss me a review to let me know how I'm doing! See you next week!