Yet another chapter for the loyal readers :)
35 - Withered and Broken Inside
Finch frowned seeing his once student as she currently was. Niveah sat on the side of her bed with her head cradled in her hands. She hadn't said anything the entire afternoon and into the evening. By now, Magus Garren had returned to Dalaran to inform the council of her progress while he, Finch, decided to stay behind.
Standing behind him and cautiously entering the woman's bed chambers was Khadgar. Both men looked to the other in uncertainty. Finch timidly cleared his throat. "Niv?" No answer or movement came from the solemn form. "Dinner will be ready soon. Were you going to join us?" Still no answer.
Khadgar peered around Finch's shoulder. "It's honey ham. You love Cook's honey ham."
Finally the woman said something, her voice barely recognizable. It was hoarse from all her crying. "You knew. This whole time, you knew and you didn't tell me. Why?"
Finch observed the younger man and stood aside for the two to talk. Khadgar took a step closer to the small stairs in the room. "I was under order not to say. I wanted to Niv, I really did, but couldn't. I didn't want to chance whatever the Guardian would do to me."
Niveah slid her hands away from her face to stare at the regret ridden dark eyes. "How much longer were you going to stand aside, letting this go on without telling me? Watching as I humiliated myself?!"
Her resurging sobs pained Khadgar. "It's not like that, Niveah, I promise."
The woman leapt to her feet, momentarily forgetting how weak her knees were. They trembled as she stood, glaring angrily. "Your promise...your word...none of it means anything to me. Not anymore."
She held onto her bed's foot post to support her balance. The room was spinning around her and her head feeling as though about to float off her shoulders. Had she really over done herself that much?
In the blink of an eye, Finch as was at her side and easing her back to sitting down. "You're dreadfully pale, child. I suggest you get something to eat and make sure you get plenty of rest tonight."
Niveah shook her head and wiped at her eyes. "I want to return to Dalaran. I can't stay here."
Finch gave a gentle squeeze to her shoulder comfortingly. "I'll talk with the others. I can't guarantee anything, seeing how the Guardian insisted you study here till a better replacement could be found in my place."
"Just tell them the truth. Things between...the Bastard and I...got out of hand...got a little too personal." She exhaled a labored breath and hung her head low. "I knew better than to let myself care for him. Things just felt too convenient...too perfectly timed. I knew there had to be something to it."
She looked over to the bouquet of blue roses on her desk and noticed one starting to wilt. All the others still had their vibrant color and fresh petals. No doubt they were enchanted to hold such appearance.
She continued, blinking out another tear. "Finch, see what you can do about my re-transfer to Dalaran." Blue green eyes met the man's honey brown ones. "I want to forget this place...forget him."
Finch nodded and in turning to leave, gestured for Khadgar to follow. Quietly the door was shut behind them and Niveah left to herself.
Groaning in protest, the young woman stood up and weakly strode to the desk. A gentle finger was brushed over one of the wilting flower's peddles. She gasped as the peddle withered into blue dust in its falling off the rose. Pain stabbed at her heart and she squeezed her eyes shut in another series of sobs.
Come dinner time, Finch stared at Khadgar staring at the Guardian's empty seat. Not even Moroes was joining them, though his plate and silverware were laid out. Khadgar's saddened expression returned to his plate. He poked at a lima bean with his fork and chased it around his plate in quiet contemplation. Things in Karazhan were about to change and he feared for the worst.
Within the energy chamber, Moroes finished organizing the batches of herbs bought in Stormwind the day before. He had been meaning to get to this done before now, but had been busy elsewhere until now. Everything around him was hauntingly silent other than the energy pool churning behind him.
The lack of the Guardian's presence was nerve wracking. This time yesterday evening, the mood of the tower was cheerful. Things felt right. But now, all that had been suddenly and unexpectedly destroyed.
Moroes paused in his herb sorting to visually examine the empty chamber. He couldn't take it anymore. With hands held behind his back, head lowered in deep thought and strides guiding him down the spiraling staircase he made his way to the celestial watch tower.
Inside, Medivh paced the room with a dark grey colored tome opened in his hands. He gave no acknowledgement to the steward. Moroes stood, watching the other. There were no emotions in his eyes, his expression just as empty.
Whether or not the Guardian knew, Moroes felt it best he be the one to inform of the young woman's decision. He had been told by Finch shortly before dinner. "Ms Hawthorne is requesting transfer back to Dalaran."
After several minutes, Medivh halted in his pacing and slammed the book closed. He rolled his glance upwards to arch an inquisitive brow. "Is that it? If there's nothing of importance to tell me then you're dismissed." Medivh turned on a bare foot to go to a table, mindlessly tossing the book onto it. With his back still turned to Moroes, he clenched his jaw and squared green glowing eyes in infuriation. As he turned to stare down the other man, his eyes were back to being hard and cold. "Well?"
There were so many questions Moroes wanted to ask; to confront the Guardian with. But judging by the air surrounding his person it was best to wait till later. Did he not care about the damages done to the young woman's emotions? Her trust? He seemed so genuine in his caring for her that when things suddenly turned bad, he made no attempts to repair them. Why? How could he go from one extreme to the other? From caring to not? Since the woman's challenges earlier that day, all he had done was stay to himself and talk to no one. Guess everyone handled things in their own way.
Moroes studied the stars visible through the paned dome window and over the mountain ridge. The favored blue green planet wasn't in view yet, the man lowering his brow. "I would have thought by now, you would have learned to cherish those around you since you can't be with her...your daughter."
Medivh slammed his hands down on the table and rolled his head around on his shoulders. "Leave now," he growled.
The gravely tone in his voice startled Moroes. It was like the Guardian's voice wasn't his own. He jerked where he stood and took a step back. Yelling out in a fit, Medivh threw everything off the table top and onto the floor. Fearful, Moroes quickly left the celestial watch. The man within could still be heard roaring out in rage.
Medivh tightly clutched his head and dropped to his knees, screaming behind gritted teeth. He clawed to get out; that damned demon. He had already managed to break out of his cage within the man's mind enough. Enough that Medivh was feeling himself loose control of his consciousness. He clawed at his scalp, trying to fight for control. The pain. It was as though his entire mind was being torn apart under the influence of two consciousnesses battling for dominance.
He huddled on the floor, hands still around his head. He urged him to go back; back to that distant planet. Back to Draenor. Business was needing to be tended to and he was going to make sure that business was met.
By now, a sweat was forming on the distraught man curled up on the floor. His whole body burned and ached for relief. A sharp pain struck the back of his head and he threw him back against a book shelf, crying out. Medivh could feel himself slip away. Tingling was taking over his body as it ran down his spine. It was a tingling that turned to a numbing sensation and his consciousness became swallowed by the encroaching darkness.
Medivh's panting slowed to steady breaths and his eyes open, them now completely black. He stood up and grabbed for the great staff leaning against a book shelf on the other side of the desk. He didn't care for the delicate tomes or rolled up parchment he stepped on in his way. Once within his grasp, a portal was created. But this wasn't like any other portal normally created by the Guardian. Instead of the brilliant white and blue wisps of arcane magic, these had a demented green glow. The portal core was released and the corrupted Guardian gone.
The cold chill of the celestial watch's stone floor was replaced with a warm gritty earth. Black eyes rolled upwards in their sockets to see a hooded disfigured orc's form standing before a brazier blazing with fel fire. It's green luminance gave the immediate surroundings a hellish appearance. It was as though nothing was safe from its influence.
The orc turned to see the robed human behind him. But the black eyes suddenly blazing green let him know this was the visit he had been anxiously awaiting. Gul'dan sinisterly sneered, laughing under his breath.