The Light tends to frown upon the undead. A select few forsaken are able to use it as priests, but that is really the limit of it. The Light especially frowns upon death knights. Therefore it was decided that, when the time came, Faiyte would have to travel to Shatterath alone, to gain A'dal's blessing upon the finished necklace. It had taken weeks to hunt down the correct materials for the creation of it, and even longer to find someone capable of completely purifying them. All through it, trying to block Kil'sha's attempts to drag them into the nightmare through potions and sheer willpower.
Drakkon still couldn't quite wrap his head around the fact that Faiyte had met Jaimee inside the emerald dream. Faiyte had remained certain of it, however. She stated it as an unwavering fact, when Drakkon had appeared skeptical. It was just hard to believe both Jaimee and Kil'sha could exist within the dream, together. It seemed entirely too coincidental, even after Faiyte had tried to explain it to him. In fact, it was hard to believe Jaimee could still exist anywhere, at all. It sounded like an awful thought, but Drakkon had spent years convincing himself that she was gone for good. It flipped his entire thought pattern upside down to learn otherwise, even if she did only exist in the emerald dream. She still existed. There was no such thing as peace of mind, anymore. Not after this. Though, it had been a rare occurrence for Drakkon, anyway.
"It's being crafted in Stormwind." Faiyte announced, as she came to a stop in front of the table. "With the aid of the priests and paladins in the Cathedral." Drakkon said nothing, only gave a short nod. "It may take a while, considering the purification process.." She added. He still gave no true reply. He'd been too lost in his thoughts, lately. "Drak." She tried, earning only a small glance from him. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." It was a lie, and they both knew it. But he wasn't in any sort of mood to talk about the truth. Faiyte sighed, moving around the table and sitting on the edge of it.
"I've been thinking..." She began. "We could go back in there, and I could distract him, this time." She suggested, earning his full attention, finally. "And you could go see her."
"You've lost your damn mind." He muttered, and Faiyte frowned.
"No I haven't." She insisted. "Obviously, its something that should happen. If you won't admit that you need it to happen, at least acknowledge the fact that it would make you believe me. You've been acting like this is all absurd since I brought it up.. I wouldn't lie about something like this.."
"And how, exactly, do you intend to distract Kil'sha and stay alive, in the process?" He asked, a sharper tone to his voice.
"I could figure it out." She said.
"He would tear you apart." He said pointedly. "Without the use of your spells, you're nothing more than a bug, compared to him."
"A bug?" She glared, offended. "Honestly, Drak, I would be able to handle myself. There's no reason to be an ass, when all I'm trying to do is help you."
"What you're trying to do is kill yourself." Drakkon said. "He would destroy you in an instant."
"Drak! I-" Faiyte stood, growing angrier at Drakkon's defiance.
"Stop, Faiyte!" He ordered. "If you want to think this will help then I obviously can't stop you. But it doesn't mean that I'm going to go along with it. This plan of yours isn't going to fix anything. It isn't going to make anything better, or put peace to it, or whatever it is that you're thinking it will do. I was forced to deal with her mortality, already, and going there to talk to her while you throw yourself at Kil'sha's mercy, or lack, thereof, will not change a damn thing. She is dead, and you're alive. I'm not so far gone that I don't realize that is what's important, here." He said. "Going there is not going to change what happened to her, it will only put your life in a danger that it doesn't need to be in. What needs to happen, is getting this necklace and destroying Kil'sha. That is where the focus needs to be." Faiyte had calmed a bit, through this, and took a moment in silence as she realized he spoke the truth.
"I just wanted to help." She finally said.
"You can't." Drakkon said simply. "And we're done talking about this. " The way he'd said it left no room for argument, and Faiyte gave a small nod in understanding. After a moment, she moved forward, sitting in his lap and resting her head against his shoulder. Occurrences such as this had ceased to bother him, for the most part. She had adapted the habit of doing so, often enough, that he'd been forced to deal with it. There was still a large part of him that despised being touched, but she'd managed to work her way around it, somehow.
"So, I've been meaning to ask you something.." Faiyte spoke, after a while of sitting in silence. She seemed troubled. This couldn't be good.
"What?"
"Well, with everything I've learned about the whole situation.. About Kil'sha, I mean.." She began. "According to what you said, about how long you've been dealing with it. How you spent years without sleeping and all.. And Tacoon explained how the light prevented it for a while so.. I mean, that's what started all of it, right? Because, with me, you were able to sleep?" She asked, glancing up to him. To this, he gave a rather cautious nod. "So, once we defeat Kil'sha and eliminate him as a threat, you'll be able to sleep whenever you want." She continued. "And you won't need me, anymore. So, there'll be no reason to.." She trailed
"I don't need you, now." Drakkon had said it without thinking, and Faiyte quickly sat up, looking to him in a bit of shock. "Meaning that he can still pull me into the nightmare, whether you're there or not." He clarified.
"That's not.." She faltered. "Listen Drak, you know what I'm saying.. Could you just-" She stopped short as a drake landed, rather heavily, in front of Drakkon's work station. Considering it was nowhere near the allotted landing space, it was a bit curious. Until, that is, they saw who was flying it. Wolfe looked stressed, which was even more strange. He leapt from the drake's back hurriedly, focusing on Drakkon as soon as his feet hit the ground. When he saw Faiyte, however, he hesitated.
"I need to talk to you." He said in an uncharacteristically serious tone, looking to Drakkon with a hint of urgency.
"Why?" He rose a brow.
"Because there's something we need to talk about." Wolfe said, now a bit agitated.
"Can it wait?" Faiyte huffed. "We were in the middle of something."
"No." He said sharply, giving her only a quick glance. "Drak. Now." Something had clearly happened. Drakkon sighed, giving a gesture for Faiyte to leave them alone. She frowned, but got to her feet, regardless.
"Fine." She said. "I've got work to do, anyway." She muttered as she walked off, towards the main building. Wolfe watched after her, waiting impatiently for her to leave earshot.
"What happened?" Drakkon asked. Wolfe glanced back to him, then moved forward, snatching Drakkon's arm and tugging him from the crate he sat on to drag him away from passers by. "Stop that." Drakkon snarled, pulling his arm from Wolfe's grip. As he did so, the paladin rounded on him.
"What the hell are you doing!?" He demanded. "And I want a straight answer this time, not some half-assed excuse or deflection!"
"Calm down before I have to hurt you, and tell me what happened that's got you so riled up."
"I want my answer!" Wolfe insisted. "You've been here for close to two years now, Drak. What happened to just gathering information and leaving, so the place could be destroyed. That was the plan, remember!?" He growled.
"What happened?" Drakkon repeated. At this, Wolfe's glare worsened.
"What happened, is the Citadel got attacked, again." Wolfe said. "It was bad, this time. We can't keep up with this nonsense much longer, Drak! You haven't been back there to see what it's come to, but I have! It's a complete disaster!" He shot. "It is not getting any better, it's getting worse! The damn attacks are constant, now, and we've lost well over half of the enforcements we used to have, in just this past week!"
"So coming to scold me, is supposed to help?" Drakkon rose a brow. Wolfe's tone was easily wearing at his patience.
"You're the one that's supposed to be dealing with this! You're supposed to be there, not living among the damn Crusade!" Wolfe hissed. "You have to go back, NOW!"
"I'm not going back." Drakkon announced.
"When, then!? We can't keep doing this!"
"Wolfe. I'm not going back." Drakkon said pointedly. "Ever."
"What!?" Wolfe erupted, looking both shocked and outraged.
"You heard me."
"You can't be serious right now! You have to go back, Drak, you're the damn King!"
"If I don't go back, then I'm not." Drakkon said. "Then dad can take back the throne, and everyone will have to listen to him again. Everything will go back to normal."
"Drak!"
"I made up my mind a long time ago." Drakkon announced. "And there is nothing that you can say or do to change that. Deal with it." With this, Drakkon turned to leave Wolfe behind. The paladin stared blindly after him, stunned and angered by it all.
"Wolfe?" He turned quickly as he heard Tsage beside him, looking a bit concerned. "Are you alright? You look-"
"Why are you here?" Wolfe asked, interrupting her.
"I come to check in on things, from time to time." She said. "With how I hear you've been keeping busy, I can understand how you must not have noticed." She paused, as Wolfe gave another glance toward the direction Drakkon had gone. "What's going on?"
"I need you to do something for me..." He said, looking back to her.
"That really would depend on what it is." She said cautiously, studying his stressed demeanor.
"I need you to tell the Crusade... No.." Wolfe hesitated. "Tell Wrynn.. Tell everyone.." He struggled.
"Tell them what?"
"Tell them about Drak. Who he really is, that he's been staying here, that he's been gathering information.."
"Wolfe, I can't do that." Tsage breathed, taken aback.
"You need to." He insisted. "I would do it, myself.. But I don't exactly have a death wish. Whether that means from Wrynn, the Crusade, or anyone back at the Citadel who would disagree with this decision."
"What is going on?" She tried. "Why are you asking me to do this? I can't just rat him out without a good reason."
"And the fact that the Lich King has infiltrated the Argent Crusade isn't a good enough reason?"
"He hasn't done any harm to us.." She shook her head.
"Well he has to us!" Wolfe announced.
"Us.. Meaning the Scourge?" Wolfe nodded. "You do realize that's not a team I belong to, right?"
"Do it as a personal favor to me, then." Wolfe sighed. "This all started, because you worked your way into the Citadel." He accused.
"Wolfe, that was a long time ago.. It has nothing to do with-"
"It has everything to do with the current state of things!" Wolfe corrected. "After Drak found out about you leaking information to the Alliance, he tore down Dalaran and ran everyone that wasn't affiliated with the scourge out of Northrend, all together. He did this all without consulting, or even informing, the council. They rebelled against him, after that. They denounced him as their king, and they fought against us." Wolfe explained hurriedly. "They lost their respect for Drak, and so they wouldn't listen to him. Our father tried to help but, since he was no longer the king, they wouldn't listen to him, either. Then, Drak decided to help the Crusade raise Dalaran, and subsequently allow the Alliance and Horde adventurers back into the continent that he'd already lost control over. So, now, we not only have to deal with the rebelled forces, but the adventurers, as well. Who have all developed a very large, unrelenting grudge against us for driving them out, in the first place!" His stress was heavy in his voice, and Tsage's concerned expression had grown worse as he continued. "The Citadel, the gates, fleshwerks.. It's all under constant attack, from everyone, and we're losing ground, guards, soldiers... We are just one strategically planned out attack away from losing it, all together. And Drak is now refusing to go back to the Citadel at all!" Wolfe huffed. "Our only chance to make it out of this is if Drak is forced to go back. The only way that can happen, is if his real identity is exposed. Then he will have no choice, not being able to be here, or in any Horde or Alliance city.. I need your help, Devon. I need it desperately."
"If I do this, they will go after him.. You, too, since you've already let everyone know you two are brothers.." Tsage announced. "How do you know you can even make it out of here, alive? If Drakkon is refusing to go back to the Citadel, he'll be here, when everyone finds out."
"He'll be able to get out of here. His mind works faster than your soldiers can move." Wolfe insisted. "Please. You owe me." He tried, and Tsage faltered.
"Are you sure this is the only way?"
"He's stubborn. He said he's already made up his mind, and I know I won't be able to simply talk him into leaving.." Wolfe said. "The only way he'll leave, is if it's impossible for him to stay."
"You don't want to try?" She seemed almost pleading, and Wolfe frowned.
"There is nothing else I can do."
"Alright.." She finally sighed in defeat. "I'll go back to the city now, then... Just be ready." She said. "If the two of you end up dead, over this, I would never forgive myself." She added.
"We'll be fine." He assured with a nod. "Now, the sooner the better." He nodded towards the griffins. She nodded, moving forward to give him a quick hug, before starting off. Wolfe waited a while, then set off to find Drakkon, again. Perhaps, if he was lucky, he could convince his brother to leave, and the fight could be avoided, all together.
"Drak." Wolfe tried, once he saw Drakkon, wandering on the outside of the Vanguard's walls.
"Save it." Drakkon shot, glaring over to him. "If you're so damn concerned about it, then you go back."
"I shouldn't be the one who has to clean up after you." Wolfe said. "What the hell is so much better about it, here, anyway?"
"Everything." Drakkon glared. "The top of the list is not being responsible for every little thing, anymore. No one knows who I am, they don't expect me to be able to solve everything, I don't have to worry about what my next move has to be.. It's much better, here."
"Better in a place where everyone treats you like a lowly worker, only looking to you for a potion now and then, getting minimum to no pay, and playing house with Fyrelilly? That's better?" He paused a moment, something clicking in his mind. "You know, that's when all of it started! When you started hanging around the priest!" He said. "I was in that meeting about Dalaran. I saw how hard she fought for it to be raised, again. How upset she got, when the Crusade decided against it.. Then you told me to let it happen, after she talked to you!"
"Get off it, Wolfe." Drakkon demanded, though he didn't deny any of it.
"So it is all because of her!?" Wolfe asked, in a slight uproar. "You want to abandon everything, just for a piece of ass!?" At this, Drakkon narrowed his eyes. "And I thought I was bad! What the hell happened to your damn priorities!? I thought being king was all you ever wanted, for Light's sake!"
"It's changed." He shot.
"Just like that!? WHY!?" Wolfe hissed. "That's all I ever saw you aspire for, growing up! The only thing that mattered to you! That little Argent Crusade whore has just gotten in your head!" As he said it, Drakkon snarled, sparks erupting from his claw as he took a rather violent swing at Wolfe's head. The paladin barely ducked out of the way in time, all his anger instantly turning to shock. "Hey! Calm down!" Drakkon didn't listen. He caught Wolfe, slamming him back into the brick wall behind him.
"You DARE call her a whore again and I will slit your damn throat!" Drakkon growled. "Are we clear!?" Wolfe gave a quick, submissive nod. He knew better than to cross Drakkon when he was angry, and Drakkon certainly looked outraged.
"Alright." Wolfe agreed, before Drakkon finally let him go. "I'm sorry."
"Damn straight you're sorry." Drakkon shot.
"So.. It was all for her. The protection and letting them keep Dalaran.. All the cooperation?" Wolfe asked, after a moment of allowing Drakkon to calm down. He didn't give a verbal answer, but Wolfe could still see it, all the same. "You love her, don't you?" Again, he didn't answer. "Even if you don't go back to the Citadel.. If you stay here and continue to work for the Crusade, if you go back to Darnassus.. Whatever plan it is, you may have.. She would, eventually, find out who you really are. You couldn't just hide something like that forever.. You do know that, right?"
"You'd be amazed at the things I've been able to hide, Wolfe." Drakkon muttered.
"But.." Wolfe began, slightly bracing himself. "Are you good enough to hide something that's announced openly... To the entire Crusade?" Drakkon's glare worsened, and Wolfe moved back a bit.
"You wouldn't, if you knew what was good for you." Drakkon warned.
"No.. Not me.." Wolfe tried. "Not really.." He paused. "Listen.. I thought I could handle this my own way.. Force you to come back to the Citadel by, basically, giving you no other option.. I told Devon about my problem, and asked her to tell Wrynn... For your own good." He added. Drakkon looked surprisingly calm. Wolfe hadn't expected the silence. He had expected Drakkon to be trying to kill him, at this point.
"So.. Go stop her." He finally spoke, a very cold, dangerous tone to his voice.
"Stop her?" Drakkon nodded. "How? You want me to just go to Stormwind and-"
"Yes." Drakkon interrupted. "Now."
"Drak, I can't just-" Wolfe began.
"No, Wolfe! You can, and you will!" Drakkon shot. "How dare you go behind my back like this! For the first first damn time in a very long time I don't feel like I constantly have to look over my shoulder. I don't feel like I'm carrying the weight of the world, and I don't feel so damn stressed about all the bullshit I had to deal with, before! Who the hell are you to take that away from me!?" Drakkon snarled, giving Wolfe a quick, hard shove that nearly made his topple over. "You will fix this! Remember one thing, Wolfe! If they find out who I am, they find out who you are! You'll be stuck back in the damn Citadel, too! And, trust me, I will make it my personal top priority to make your life such a royal, living hell that you'll wish you'd never been born!" He growled. "GO FIX THIS!" Wolfe, knowing there was no argument left to make, if he wanted to escape injury, nodded. He ducked back around the wall into the Vanguard, heading for the griffins.
Drakkon watched, making sure Wolfe left to do as he was told, before he leaned back against the wall with a heavy sigh. He knew it would be Wolfe that ended up ruining everything. From the moment the paladin had set foot in the Vanguard, it was a disaster waiting to happen. Wolfe probably wouldn't make it in time. Tsage probably already told Wrynn. Drakkon should have known better than to trust her, as well. Of course, it would end up being a combination of the two of them. Wolfe wouldn't be able to stop what he'd set into motion. The Crusade, as a whole, would know about him before nightfall and, if he and Wolfe were lucky, they would escape with their lives, only to be sent running back to the Citadel and all associated madness that went along with it. And, as though that wasn't enough in itself, the Crusade and the adventurers would surely focus more on the Citadel, after learning about the infiltration. With the other forces of Northrend still at war with the scourge, fresh attacks would definitely prove to be disastrous. Everything was entirely ruined. Drakkon swore loudly, wanting nothing more than to rip Wolfe's head clean off.
"Drak?" The last think he wanted was to have to explain his current state to Faiyte, and he tried to express that thought as he looked over to her. She seemed to understand, well enough, and simply moved to his side, leaning against the wall beside him. "Kil'sha, again?" She tried, after a while of silence.
"My idiot brother." He corrected, unable to mask the venom filled hatred from his voice, as he did so. This caused Faiyte to raise a brow in question. "I thought you left."
"I was going to." She said. "Apparently, there was some big to-do in Stormwind that had to be dealt with.." She shrugged. "Duxar said the Queen had called the leaders together and said to hold off, until he got back." Wolfe was too late. It was already happening. "Are you alright?" She asked. His realization had clearly made his panic more noticeable.
"Let's go." He sudden;y suggested.
"Go?" She asked. "What do you mean? Go where?"
"Back to your house. Like you said, Duxar won't have anything for you to do, until he gets back. He can't expect you to just sit around here and wait. It's around the time we usually head back anyway, right?" He was rather desperate. Leaving the Vanguard, leaving Northrend, all together, was his last ditch hope at avoiding what he already knew was coming. Faiyte looked concerned.
"Drak.." She said, demanding his attention. He was reluctant to actually look at her. As though she'd be able to see it all, read his mind, and just know. "Are you alright?" She asked.
"No." His answer made her frown a bit. "Can we please go?" She hesitated, but gave a nod, gesturing to the griffins.