Thank goodness for a break! I apologize sincerely for the long wait- I am a little iffy about this chapter, so I hope you still enjoy it...if not well I am definitely open to suggestions but this is not the last chapter (despite its' title- hehe). This one is a bit more dramatic/sad/ kinda funny. Thank you to all who have read up to this point and to my wonderful reviewers shadowdemon6 and SeaSalt Ice-cream.
shadowdemon6: Thank you! Her dad just needs to be smacked around a bit...or a lot. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you for your review!
SeaSalt Ice-cream: Thank you very much! Wenz is definitely a character isn't she? Haha, I love snarky sarcastic characters. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you for your review!
Disclaimer: Yeah, you already know.
Luka Galenth stared astounded by the sight before him, a brow rising slightly as he shifted to his feet shakily, "Slavion? Markos? What is going on?" He moved to his cell door where a blood knight stood and motioned for him to stand back which he did without any protests.
"Hold on for a second Luka, I will answer that as soon as I can get this infernal door open..." Slavion grumbled, trying to freeze the lock off the door to no avail, his eye began to twitch irritatedly.
"Wait, how did you get in here? There were at least ten guards stationed at the entrance of..." the high elf was cut off by a blast of fire magic and the door sailing across the room. Slavion stood in the entrance looking smug before bending down and wrapping an arm about Luka's shoulders and hoisting him up.
"That, my friend, is quite simple. We negotiated." Luka's arched brow returned to which Slavion only smirked.
"Along the way, we must press on." Markos ushered the two down the ornate hall, sending signals behind for his guard to keep watch. Rogues could hold off mages for only so long after all.
"Wait...wait we cannot leave yet." Luka frowned stopping short.
"Whatever gear that was taken from you I will happily buy to replace." Markos replied but Luka shook his head. His expression serious.
"Gentlemen, we have gone far beyond judgement. So I ask you to allow me to rescue one more from these cells." He looked from Slavion to Markos whose expressions mirrored unease and bordered suspicion.
"If it is a gnome..." Slavion began tartly, "I will have to put duct tape over his mouth." Markos snorted.
"No fool, it is a dwarf. He was taken prisoner at the same time I was and..."
"We know, lead the way." Markos cut him off gently, placing a hand over his shoulder as their pace sped up to a jog as shots rang out from behind them.
"Much better than a gnome..." Slavion muttered sourly, "what is he? A warrior?"
"Paladin actually and he is a close friend to Wenz. It might appease her if you rescued him as well." The high elf threw the mage a look to which the blood elf winced. He was still in a stink pot for sure.
"Very good point there Galenth, Wenz probably is out for blood by this point." Markos teased following Luka as they ran down a joint passage from his own cell.
"I saw him being led this way." Luka explained quickly, stopping in front of a cell, casting a look over his shoulder as Slavion approached.
"As long as he does not try to kill me..." a large fireball molded into his hands which he thrust as the door, sending it across the small cell.
In the center of the cell, sprawled out, was Celtor unconscious looking worse for wear. The blood elf paladin cursed softly moving over to the silent dwarf and scooping him up carefully as not to jostle any unseen injuries other than the ones plain in sight judging from the blood dried in various places on his face.
"He was interrogated by someone." Markos commented gravely, moving swiftly out of the room, Luka and Slavion following close behind.
"Most likely by that huge oaf of a draenei that ambushed us." Luka muttered darkly, his light blue eyes darkening.
"He was also most likely the one to have taken her to the Exodar as well. Luka, have you strength enough to send a small troop, myself, Markos and you to there?" Slavion asked softly as they exited the cell chamber and emerged in a circular chamber where a dozen or so high elf mages lay unconscious. Luka's brow rose at the scene.
"Negotiated huh?"
"Thanks to our allies, the undead, yes. They are only unconscious." Markos interjected quickly and moved over to assess the condition of his group.
"Yes, Slavion, I have gathered enough strength to port us, but I may need help maintaining it. Although I was not 'interrogated' I was drained of all my mana resources. What are we going to do when we get there?" Luka asked already knowing what the mage was planning from the glint in his eye.
"Simple, we negotiate my friend." Slavion grinned at the high elf's elaborate eye roll.
"Somehow I get the impression I was not rescued just because you were concerned for me."
"Oh you of so very little faith, I want as little blood shed as possible save for the hide of this oaf a draenei who attacked you all."
"Very well, let us begin. I trust you, Slavion Bloodfell, this had better work. There is no turning back now."
Slavion nodded, his expression serious, "I know. I will face those consequences as they come. After this, everything will be different."
Luka did not respond immediately but held out his hands conjuring up arcane magic, Slavion following suit slightly as they began to open a portal to the Exodar.
"Can you face your king? He will not forgive this."
Slavion gazed into the purple energy flow gathering around them as Markos moved about them, mobilizing the knights and rogues readying them for the shift of location.
"Can I ask another favor of you, my friend?"
Luka's brow rose inquiringly, Slavion chuckled.
"That polymorph spell, how quick can you cast it again?"
The high elf mused over this, "She should still be affected by the after shocks of it. That was a highly intricate spell I was in the process of developing for warfare, and I took careful steps into making sure its result was nothing less of perfection. I believe that since it has only been a day since our capture and her release of the spell, I may be able to cast it again. What are you plotting Bloodfell?"
Slavion smirked as an image of the colossal Exodar shimmered before them, taking a step into the portal, "What else, Luka? My fiance was kidnapped and I want revenge."
Luka watched as the mage shimmered and disappeared, Markos barked orders sending in his band of blood knights but ordered the rogues to stay behind as damage control- and to make sure they were not followed.
"Well played, well then, Ms. Strider, I hope you are ready to go." The high elf smiled slightly before following in after Markos.
...
Wenz's heart was pounding in her chest so loudly she could hardly hear the Prophet speaking to her, his gaze stern and grim.
"Speak child. What do you know of this situation?" He was questioning her, the Prophet.
Well played, jerk. She slanted her eyes at her father who was smugly watching the scene before him, satisfaction rolling off him in thick waves.
"Prophet, can I ask you a question?" The paladin ask calmly, holding herself up a little straighter, trying her best to hide her shaking limbs.
"Does it relate to what I asked you?" The draenei leader replied, slightly abashed.
"Very much so sir. What is your opinion on judgement?"
The Prophet remained silent for a couple of seconds, his eyes narrowing at her, "Judgement is neutral. It is applied to us all. It is what will guide us to justice."
Wenz nodded in agreement, "Sir, I..."
"Prophet sir! We need to get you to safety! They are here!" A royal guard came sprinting towards them, sword drawn and tone urgent.
"Impossible, how?" The Prophet demanded, thrusting his staff down on the ground.
"A portal sir, they have hostages!"
"What are their demands?"
Wenz's eyes widened, unable to believe what she was hearing. He was here. Idiot!
Vindicator Altros' expression grew lethal and he stepped into the circle, grabbing Wenz by the arm and growled , "They are here for her!"
All eyes returned to Wenz who was trying to jerk away from her father, but he held on vice- tight making her wince in pain.
"Vindicator, why do you believe this?" The Prophet asked, brushing off his royal guards who were trying to push him up another flight of stairs to safety.
Altros did not very well want to say 'because of my gut feeling!' but he knew. He heard that high elf traitor and Wenz's companion dwarf chit chatting. He knew damnit!
"With all respect sir, I find this situation suspicious. Only after I brought her here has this raid broke out. I am only assessing this logically." Wenz snorted.
"Very well, Altros, you are to confront them, ask their demands and have Wenz accompany you. Everyone else stand on guard at the entrances, we cannot let them in. There are far too many civilians around, since it is close to Christmas, evacuating would be far too difficult. If all else fails," the Prophet paused, his bright eyes darkening, "I will confront them myself. Now go and may the Light be with us all."
Everyone moved at once, Altros roughly ushered Wenz through the crowd ignoring her jabs and sneers along the way.
"You are such a damn fool, what do you honestly think you can do alone?"
"Shut your mouth!"
"A small force of Blood Knights plus their commander, a mage, a high elf mage and hostages- what do you intend to do?" They were close to the entrance, guards shifted behind them ready to seal off the entrances.
"I intend, Wenz," he hissed, pulling her arm jarringly, "to unveil you for the traitor that you are and pass judgement upon you."
The doors sealed shut behind them, Wenz's lips quirked slightly as she felt an all too familiar aura close by, "You are making a big mistake, Vindicator Altros." she cooed, her eyes glinting.
Her father tried to snap a retort but his eyes grew wide in horror instead, his grip on her arm gone and he took a step back, "What the hell is this?"
"Like I said, father," Wenz purred, staggering a bit as the aura vanished, "you have made a very big mistake." She was a blood elf again- oh the wonderful irony of it all.
"Devilry! What happened to my daughter? Who are you?" Altros roared, brandishing his sword to which the female before him threw her head back and laughed.
"Why, I am Wenz Strider, who else would I be?"
Well played, pretty boy. Wenz smirked, feeling a bit of deja vu. She never thought she would play this persona again but it felt amazing somehow.
"Draenei," a cold voice hissed close by, followed by another aura of lethal ice magic, "you will pay for the crime you have done against me."
From the edge of the platform, a blood elf mage stood, his wand brandished towards the Vindicator behind him stood a small army of blood elf knights as well as an imposing figure of their leader, faces grim. In chains slightly behind the leader, was a high elf and an unconscious dwarf, their heads bowed in submission.
Luka all the while was trying not to smirk in success, feeling faint from over using arcane power. It was all up to Slavion now.
"Crime? What crime?" Altros demanded, looking about him for back up, cursing under his breath.
Wenz backed away from the Vindicator to stand at Slavion's side, leaned up and pressed a kiss to his cheek before unsheathing her sword. Slavion felt a chill run through him but noticed her bloody lip and bruised cheek and felt a growl escape his lips.
"Kidnapping, you will suffer my vengeance." Slavion took a step towards him but Wenz laid a hand on his arm. He frowned at her and opened his mouth to protest but she cut him off.
"I must end this." The palaldin said quietly, brandishing her sword before her and advancing towards her stunned father once more.
"Vindicator Altros, what he says is true, you kidnapped me, his fiance and you will pay."
The Vindicator scowled, "It is you isn't it? This was all apart of their plan. You have planned something like this all along in spite of me haven't you?"
Wenz's grin turned feral, she cast the group behind her a wink before letting the arcane disguise drop, Luka threw up his hands in exasperation. What the hell? That took all his strength too!
"Yes father, it is me. I have been in spite of you since I was a little girl and saw you for the murderer that you truly are."
"Traitorous wench. You will die, if not by my blade, by the Prophet's own doing. You will face justice."
"Not before you, dearest father. Tell me, why have you hated me so all this time?" They began to circle each other, eyes locked.
The Vindicator's expression grew murderous, "Your mother, you are just like her. And she betrayed me just like you have."
Wenz stopped, her brow furrowed but her sword still held before her, "What?"
"That's right, Wenz. Your mother died a traitorous wench just like you will," something dark stirred in the man's eyes that made Wenz take a step back, "by my own hand, by the Light, I will do it again!" He rushed towards her, sending her flying back into a wall, not giving her any time to retaliate her pinned her to the wall, grabbing her throat and slamming her against it.
"B-Bastard! You truly are a murderer!" The paladin spat, kicking and thrashing in his hold furiously, tears ebbing down her face.
"I brought down justice upon her blasphemy! She who dared to use her Light given holy healing powers to heal and resurrect the demons I fell by my own blade, she who dared to stand against my protest that any not on the side of the Alliance deserved a swift death, and she dared to even try to stand and fight against me," the draenei paused, his expression muddled, "she left me with no choice."
Rage unlike any other burst forth from Wenz, sending her father flying back, and she fell to the ground crying out, "You are such an ignorant fool!" She gathered her sword and met him in the center, light magic flashing about them, thunder clapped overhead as rain began to descend upon them.
Markos placed a hand on Slavion's shaking shoulder, feeling the mage's fury, "This is her battle. You cannot interfere."
"I want to flay that bastard limb from limb." The mage sneered, ice growing around him in thick sheets.
"She fights for her honor, if you interfere-"
"-I am not going to, she will kill him."
Unknown to them, another watched the battle between father and daughter, tears making their way down his face in agony.
"Prophet..."
"This is irreparable. Do not interfere. I understand now, Wenz Strider, I understand your judgement."
"What about the blood elves...?"
The Prophet's grip tightened on his staff and his eyes darkened,
"These blood elves have no quarrel with us. Do not engage them."
Wenz locked swords with Altros, the eyes of her people, the one she loved and all the rest of the world upon her at that very moment, she laughed ironically to herself as she spun away from a sweep from the Vindicator, rolling away from a blunt attack to her midsection and rose to her feet. For once she was grateful for the rain- it hid her despair.
Such were the woes of a paladin.
Like? Hate (hope not =\)? Thank you for reading, thank you to all my readers so far, shadowdemon 6 and SeaSalt Ice-cream and anyone who has favorited this story it means a lot and is my number one source of inspiration :) I will update ASAP- because I now can!
~Ever-Wandering