Down the line Serid looked over at the closed door for the last several hours. There he knew somewhere that the draenei slept in anguish as Kreus took Larkon. The tauren slowly trekked towards the closed door and peered it open to see what she was doing. There he saw her sitting on the chair, in the middle of the room. He could see the dry lines of the tears that had slides down on her cheeks. Her expression was obvious, it bore pure rage in her heart after weeping. That is the only thing that remained in for her.
The draenei clutched her full stomach as she sat in a chair, looking at the direction where Serid was. Her brows so narrowed down as her face were contorted with an angry expression.
"What are you doing here?" She asked, her tone would echo the rage inside of her.
The Tauren was silent for a moment. He knew no matter what words he would say it wouldn't change her expression. She had every right to be enraged by the actions of the Blood Elf. Nevertheless he knew he had to do something to help her otherwise she could risk hurting herself and her unborn child.
"I was just trying to see if you are hanging through."
"Better if I just die, I'll be murdered anyway."
He was silent another moment. Choosing his words wisely now that he sees she's close to the limit to how much she could put up from all of what has been done to her. He looked down on the draenei, just trying to look at her features and what she looks now. Trying to pry her eyes to look at him.
"The death knight is giving you a choice once more to have the chance to truly raise the child." He said.
She smiled, but it wasn't a happy smile. It mocked the essence of happiness. "Like a walking corpse would do for me?" She said.
'
"No, he'll let you live by letting your soul live in your flesh, like he is….." He revealed.
"What?"
"He has been taking consideration a number of things. One of them being your resurrection in the form of another Death Knight like him. But you wouldn't be made to serve or fight. You would be resurrected and granted the immortality to help raise your child as you strongly desire."
"Are you making a monster out of me? Do you really think that I would let my soul be corrupted? Get out of my sight you monsters!" She shouted and began to pick up pillows and hurled it over to the tauren, fiends she thought of them or demons for that matter. They go so low to let herself be down on them, to be corrupted and just be used as a stepping stone for them in a bigger event. That was what she thought of them, nothing but monsters for their own ideals and plans. They are willing to let mothers die, so that they could have the child, or fathers die because of some vengeance, and to her, only monsters would do that, and they did it and now that is what she saw of them or had been seeing for that matter. "Get out! Leave me be! Just disappear! I don't want your offer! I want my child and I want Larkon and I to just raise her in peace! Get out and leave me be till I die!" She hurled even when the Tauren was already out from the room with a closed door.
Alura took a moment to calm. She took back her thoughts in realization of the danger of her outburst in a pregnancy. "Calm….calm Alura, relax. Don't think of any, for Theia….for Theia….." Sounding calm now. "Be strong…..be strong, don't let emotions take you over." She said as she began to kneel down and pray.
It had been quite sometime, she almost forgot her own spirituality. But at least she has the time alone to further it again. To reconnect. "Pray, pray for strength that I'll be safe, and Larkon is safe."
He knew this Blood Elf had some personal issues to deal with regarding him. It was only a matter of time as he had been thinking all these months being forced to stay in this place with his family. He was back again in a cell, again and again in his life he always ends up in a cell for some reason. Looking at the Blood elf who was experimenting on something which didn't care about. Oh how he hated him. He probably is the number one reason why he is in this predicament, that Alura had to endure. As being growing to be a father in the future he already puts responsibility as a number one priority for Alura and Theia. He's willing to kill himself or die trying to save them.
"What do you want?" Larkon asked in the cell.
"Killing you of course. I always get the last laugh." Kreus said. "Do you know what both of you remind me of? A certain blood elf and a certain human comes to my mind, because of them having to go through trials and many things that endanger life. Somewhat like a cliche story would say don't you think? A damsel in distress and her handsome knight. And I'm not emphasizing that you are handsome either. I just usually tell this to children and to her, the draenei when was imprisoned, back when I hadn't met you."
"Yeah so I've heard…"
"One other thing, while you die, she'll get to live. She may die first but she'll wake up again." He revealed.
"What are you talking about you idiot? We're not going to be a walking corpse for them fools." He replied.
"Nope, just a death knight, not truly a death knight but living like a death knight, can eat, can sleep, but just not alive technically. We readied a banshee that would lock her soul down and imbed it to her body again. There, decay stops, she won't smell, her flesh will be just as she were when she was alive before the ritual takes place, and of course that would take place after she had given birth and you dead, so that she would get the chance to fully take care of the little parasite, the death knight said his naga won't be afraid to share as a mother." He chuckled while he told.
That made the human chuckled at those words.
"What's so damn funny human?"
"You, typical blood elf and your self centered nonsense ways thinking your all this and that. What makes you think I'm some knight in shining armor. My life was hell with struggles and still is even now me and Alura are family now. What would know anything about struggle?"
Kreus chuckled, somewhat eerily. "Struggle? I know more struggle than you ever know. The Sunwell, Silvermoon, Arthas, all those events I know of. I know what you know, you know what I don't know. Seems very arrogant to me that you assume always to others that you know struggle than everyone else." he sighed before continuing. "And all of that forced me to aide a Pit Lord in some grand scheme only for him to backstab me when he was finished. Forcing me to watch all those I care for suffer like animals!" Then he suddenly composed himself and lets out a chuckle. "Pretty sad isn't it, but it's not to me anymore. I am more realistic than people around here, I know this isn't a fantasy story that needed a princess to help me. I help myself because I know so." He said.
"Then why do you need some Death Knight for help?"
"Hahahaha, humans and their ignorance. Your people always have a knack to say 'help yourself' but I my people knows when I need help, just like this situation. It isn't arrogant and I'm not an arrogant man." He said as he finally inspects a sharpened knife on close to his face to inspect.
"What are you doing?"
"Checking my tools to see which is best to cut that skin of yours." The blood elf put it bluntly. "Been studying human anatomy for quite some time, to why the body structure is different to elves and why it is usually bigger and stronger. But lately durable against injuries but quite docile in regeneration, it's common knowledge that elves regenerate quite faster than humans do and are much more resistant to diseases."
"I don't know what are you planning and by the sound of which I don't understand I don't like it."
Kreus chuckled. "Of course, there is a limit to knowledge of all races, but their is infinity to ignorance. I say this simply that I will cut you up like a butcher would do to his beef and lambs to inspect you. That way education for everyone.." He smirked, his lips curled so upward that it was horrible to even look at. "That way, you die."
Larkon frowned, somewhat disgusted to the way he deludes himself. His voice was so arrogant, so full of pride that it hurts the human's ear every time the warlock speak. "You're delusional you know that?" He simply said.
The blood elf scratched his chin and smiled. "Not as delusional as you are." He said as he approached the human who was chained inside the prison, looking at him deeply in the eyes with green glowing eyes. "I think you must have heard this from myself before." He muttered and smiled. "What can a person like you would do for a maiden like her?"
"Not much, but I-"
"Well after you die different scenarios could play. If some miracle happen she would survive, but you die of course and gets rescued by some party. Then she gets to go home and live happily and sadly." The elf probed. The human wasn't sure what the warlock was coming into.
"At least she lives and gets to be happy with Theia, that's all it matters." He answered, looking at the blood elf, hanging his elbow on the bar, knowing he is safe from the stronger man's clutches knowing he is in chains inside his prison.
He slapped Larkon's head through the bars. It didn't bother the human in anyway but he did feel some anger. "Well that's not the only scenario that would happen now would it?
Larkon sneered. "What are you talking about?"
"Human, look at her." He made a life sized image of Alura once more with his fel. "Do you think a person like her wouldn't be hard pressed on being courted by someone else while you are out of the way? You're a human, she's a draenei. You should know sooner or later someone else would replace-" He immediately retracted away when Larkon suddenly jumped in, but the chains kept him at bay.
"You son of a bi-"
"Likewise, sooner or later you'll be just a fading memories in the millenias to come to her life." He said, looking down on the angered human warrior. "While she moved on, your presence to her would be just an itch at the back of her consciousness while she with an another man, probably, sooner or later, pregnant with the man's child." Oh does Kreseus' word hit so much pain in him.
Larkon jumped so strongly towards the warlock on the other side of the cage that the chains that bound his arms on the wall tore some of his skin. It didn't hurt nor did he care. His teeth were grit, his eyes was so narrowed down onto the blood elf with great anger. Looking at him with predatory eyes. But like he was the blood elf didn't falter and looked back at him also with his own predatory eyes, kneeling down, face to face with the human in chains. The air seemed to dull against the tension between them. It changed the atmosphere because of their great tension between one another. The warlock was eager to meet his gaze, as if telling the human warrior that he was not afraid himself.
"I have nothing to lose." He told Larkon before standing straight up and walked away from the room to leave the human pondering to himself with his unrelenting anger.
Fylrae crouched down on the rocks. Her eyes looking over to the other side of the hill, cautiously knowing that her brother is there looking down onto the plains to see if anyone is hiding around. She just wondered how he can still be awake even with his demonic transitions because of what twisted magics he had to face. But it doesn't matter for her, he would be her second priority. She promised herself that she would bring her brother back, back to what he was once, a brother that she wanted to look ahead to. But right now that is not the case, her mission is to help Alura, whether they can confirm that Alura is here and alive. Larkon on the other hand is what she doesn't know. She is hoping that Larkon is with Alura, if the two are truly alive.
Fylrae looked back at the group, hiding under the bushes. She had to take lead because of her people's natural affinity to stealth. And being stealthy is what she does best. Her eyes bore down on them, lifting her hand and put her index finger in front of her nose to tell them to stay quiet. Then back out in front of her, in the wilted grass plains. Kuura stealthily caught up with her, crouching down like her.
"Kuura, you go ahead, scout what is ahead near the cave entrance. Nodd to me twice if there is there is someone guarding or looking." She ordered in her native language, and with that her white furred feline companion swiftly yet quietly runs ahead.
Fylrae looked back to her companions, weaving her head forward indicating they can quietly crawl now through the wilted grass like her to step up forward and see what they could plan crawled, but it took sometime, not having the prowess and the slenderness of an elf's body really hindered their movement, but it didn't matter, they weren't detected just as Kuura as she runs down towards them, shaking her head, indicating a no for them to start.
"So anyone got a plan on how we're going to get past that Demon Hunter? Because I've been doing some observation myself and that night elf hadn't blinked the entire night…" Finan asked.
Fylrae pointed up, motioning her hand over meaning that the elven demon hunter was on the other side of the hill. "Just be quiet, it's morning, our senses in the day isn't as strong as the night but we have to be careful and quiet." She instructed, motioning her to follow down. It seems that the entrance is still far away from the field, and they have to crawl down against the withered field for cover and concealment.
"What do we expect to be in this cave other than the Demon Hunter and Serid?" Urak asked quietly to the night elf, keeping very low down on the field like the others.
"Other than Twilight Cultists. Larkon be mentioning some Blood Elf Warlock." Thark answered.
"Alright so we have cultists and a Warlock to deal with, as well as a Demon Hunter and my stepson Serid who take in mind everyone is a formidable opponent in his own right." the Orc warned.
"So how do we get past the guards?" Finan asked, which got everyone in the group to turn and look towards him with smirks. Something the Gnome immediately figured out what they were planning. "Ahhh shit…."
Back with the cultists standing guard, they found themselves slowly falling to the sleep they were deprived of. Lazarus had them guard all night the last night. After his display of rage with the Cultists that failed to protect the Draenei back at Booty Bay, none of them wanted to disobey him. Especially when he had his secrete Demon Hunter being the eyes and ears for him.
"Pardon me young friends!" the cultists heard an old Gnome call out to them. "You fine young men happen to look like to be in need of some of my special potions!" Finan scoured over to his bag and looked at what he could get. "Here! This is my specialty, for those who doesn't know how to get women-"
The cultists heavy eyes were starting to get in their heads. They were not thinking clearly as they just wondered what the gnome was offering. Absolutely forgetting what they were assigned for. One the cultist took everything the gnome offered and hand it out on to his fellow guards. Because of their hazy state they forgot they were doing in the first place. Quickly gulping down the potions.
"Alright people that'll be one gold per bottle."
"Let us test this product first before we-" the Orc cultist guard's eyes widen as he felt an intense pain in his stomach, crashing his head down against the hard rock floor banged unconscious.
"Yo mon I be not feeling good…" a troll cultist spoke feeling the same intense pain and the same resulted to him, putting himself to sleep with his head on the floor.
Urak and the others arrived, the orc all too eager to enter. "Come, lets-"
Finan suddenly shushed him. "SHHHHHH!" Before holding his hands up, letting his eyes glow as his hands glowed like his eyes. *pruck *pruck * pruck * pruck, one by one observer wards and revelation wards were exploding at the ceiling of the cave. "Observer wards, I sensed it. But I think we made enough time to destroy it before anyone is truly alerted." The gnome hypothesized. "Move on who got a strong sense of smell, meaning the cat. She probably knows where Alura is if she is inside because she must have smelled her."
"In that case does anyone have a belonging of the Draenei?" Urak asked all of a sudden.
Everyone looked at each other for a moment before the Dwarf handed the Orc what was a Alura's dress that Thark made for her a long time ago. "I bring this along, figured she be needin it once we be makin our way out."
Taking the dress quickly, the Orc called over to his armored frostwolf and had him sniff the dress. To become familiar with the Draenei's scent. "Kalib, assist the Sabercat in finding the Draenei." Urak commanded.
The two huddle with each other, sniffing the floor and walking at a steady pace. Judging from the mountainside of the unused mine this would be a long walk for them unless they can find Alura much easier.
Finan glowed his eyes once again, as if looking beyond the walls of the cave. "Everyone I can see two very strong magical energies emitting in each other, one is that of a death knight and one is what I could say an S class grade Warlock. We best to avoid them-and wait, wait, wait, faint energy, it's something from a Paladin or a priest! It must be Alura!" the gnome alerted, puffing off his magical eyes and back to his normal ones as he informed them, looking over at the left to where he saw Alura's energies.
"How far away?" Flyrae asked.
"Not that far, we could probably reach her if we sprint, but unless we risk getting caught. So what is it going to be?" The gnome asked. Always ahead in terms of planning.
Thark then moved forward. "We sprint, sooner or later we be gettin caught out, so might as well have a head start." He said.
Both the Orc and Night elf made a quick whistle, commanding their respective hunting pets to lead forward in a fast sprint. Taking point and leading the group fast and hard as they tried keeping up with the two fast beasts.
"Damn those things can run fast!" Finan complained having a hard time catching up because of his tiny legs and old age.
"Run fast not the one who has participated in running a hundred time. But the one who has ran for fun a thousand times." Quon spoke once more as he seemed to have no trouble catching up despite his size and weight.
"Damnit what did I say about-"
Finan stopped. He seemed to be looking around, feeling a sense of urgency when he noticed the walls were littered with magical orbs. He wasn't sure why whether or not they were wards or not. They probably would have noticed them by now and is running them down. "Wait guys, stop." He told them, stopping them in his tracks. Channeling up his powers to see what these orbs are because just to make sure it is safe for them beyond this point in the cave. "Alright, let's see what they were." He took a three step back, now being behind his companions, facing the ceiling of the walls where the magical orbs were. "Flashing flaming yellow…." He spoke. Then it hit him, about the color, flaming yellow. "Explosive wards!" He screamed in panic, trying to run towards them but it was already too late
BOOM!
The cave rattled, feeling the thunder of the explosion reeling and reverberating throughout the navigation. Rocks crashed down on the floor, blocking the gnome and his fellow companions who were fortunately uninjured from the ordeal just like him. "Finan! Finan! Are you alright?" Fylrae peeked through the cracks of the blockage, trying to push the rocks out with her feeble strength, but it was not going to happen.
The gnome coughed, but he was fine without injuries taking him in, looking over to answer. "Yes, yes, I'm alright." He assured, taking a step back to channel his powers and give off a fireball to attempt and destroy the blockage. "Damn it! This won't budge! Guys, you have to go without me, I'll stay here and think of ways to destroy this blockade for you to escape. Go! I can handle myself in this place!"
Fylrae nodded towards her friends, knowing they heard the gnome. "Alright, we'll go forward, good luck Finan. I still need some gifts from your ex-wife." She sprint towards the group.
"Yeah I know I still got some gifts coming from her." He sighed, dusting himself from dirt and other stuff off his robes. Knowing that the explosion already alerted the others in their position, hoping that they had the time to let them get away. Then, it all slowed down, like as if time slowed down for him when he sensed a ball of energy come flying by on his shoulder.
He suddenly encased himself in ice.
BOOM!
The ball exploded.
"Well now, it seems we have intruders…" the Gnome heard would sounded like the voice of a Goblin close by.
Within moments the area lights up with lights and torches, revealing an enormous Goblin made laboratory. Several mechanical flying clockwork machines working around to piece together some strange looking artifact displayed in a floating magical arcane orb.
Finan landed harshly on the floor, breaking the ice the was encased in but he was unharmed and stood up immediately.
A sudden movement caught the old gnome's eyes. Out of the shadows a Goblin with a robotic rig on his back with additional limbs that allowed him walk on walls and vertical surfaces.
"However, since I have such a fascination for knowledge, perhaps you can be some use to me as I wait for Lazarus' promise for infinite knowledge." The goblin spoke.
Finan casts mirror image to create three arcane copies of himself. "Ahh damn it. Not a Goblin…"
"Think he will be okay by himself?" Serga softly asked, concerned for the old gnome.
"Aye he be a hard bastard that little twat. He survived all three wars and me misadventures. Old Finan can take whatever this place has to throw at him." Thark answered.
"Beware the shadows of the unknown that the sight cannot see around." Quon spoke, stopping in his tracks with a serious look on his face.
"Forgive me Pandaren but we have no time for another of these riddles. Besides, what could be such an issue with a little darkness." Urak asked.
"No, just go! I'll stay down here." Quon said, his head and body moving around, looking around the surrounding walls of the cave, trying to see what his senses are telling him. It screamed for him to look up, look behind, look in front, never minding the pleads to his fellow companions.
It maybe that someone was looking at them from the shadows, and he always knows better than to let the ones who hid in the shadows, stay in the shadows. Knowing whatever is out there would wait and pounce them who were too busy dealing with something else, and he isn't going to let that happen acknowledging that they have little margin for errors. It is a risk he had to take by staying in the room, letting his hands go against the stealthy opponent. "Go! Now!" Quon urged them. For the first time he seemed serious with his words.
Seeing as there wasn't any point in arguing and surprised to hear him speak serious for once. The group decided to move on without the Pandaren, knowing the Monk had very good reasons for his sudden change of behavior and request. When it was now just the Pandaren and the stalker in the shadows, he heard the voice of the one who kept watch.
"So ya wanta be fightin in me own turf ay monk? That old dwarf not be the first time we crossed paths but I best be thinkin ya for gettin dem out. Not be fair for little ol me." Quon heard the voice of the Troll rogue speak to him from the shadows of his surroundings.
Quon then sat down, closing his eyes while his feet locked together in meditation. Relaxing his body and mind as he calmly and patiently waited for the Troll to make the first move.
The panda narrowed his hands as fast as lightning when he deflected a dagger that flew from the shadows. His focused so enhanced that it can hear the flaps of the butterflies inside the cave and the footsteps that the ants would make. "Now you are endangered!" The panda announced, letting the Troll no he is more than ready to fight in the shadows.
"We be seeing about dat mon…" he heard a dark chuckle echo across the darkness. Yet despite his experience and powerful focus. He could not trace where the Troll was hiding let alone hear any of the Rogue's movements. He knew this Rogue was not to underestimate, especially in his own advantage where his skills are at their pinnacle.
"Kuura, how close are we to Alura?" Flyrae asked, she was now riding her vicious warsaber with Thark riding behind her while Urak did the same with his Armored Frostwolf with Serga also riding behind him.
The two creatures rushed as fast as their pinnacle abilities would allow them. Until suddenly, Urak's Frostwolf, Kalib stopped. The Orc was about to question why his companion stopped until he looked at the direction the Wolf was growling towards which brought fire in his eyes and a serious look as well.
"Damnit Orc what be the issue with ye wolf now?" Thark demanded.
"Continue on." Urak simply spoke.
"But Urak…" Flyrae pleated.
"I have my own battles to fight in this place. I will distract them as you make your escape with the Draenei." the Orc spoke.
"But…"
"We must follow this path. It is for what is best for your friend." Serga answered calmly.
Hesitant, the Night Elf whistled for her warsaber to continue on.
With them out of sight, Urak hopped off of Kalib and petted the wolf gently. "Is he there, behind that door."
When the frostwolf only growled in response, the Orc nodded and marched over to the door to open it.
There he found himself in a large almost giant room of some sort. It looked to be more of a library of some sorts. To his shock and surprise, there at a distance, he finally saw his stepson Serid. Speaking to a Death Knight like figure who was reading a book.
Balling his hand into a hard fist his shock and disbelief soon vanished in the form of a demand for answers for all of this. "Serid!"
The Tauren next to the Death Knight was shocked to hear a voice he did not believe he would ever hear again. "Impossible…"
"And who is this Serid?" The tauren heard the Death Knight's dark echoing voice ask of him. Not even bothering to turn and look at the new intruder as the Death Knight focused more on reading his book. Yet the tone of Lazarus' voice told the tauren he sounded irritated as it's more darker slightly angrier tone sent a chill down Serid's spine.
"Someone I know."
"Well deal with-" Lazarus suddenly jumps out of the way as Serga burst through the nearby door next to them, using her bigger frame to crush through the door, almost catching Serid and the death knight, but their swift senses made them dodge the charge from the tauren.
Lazarus looked at the distance as he landed, putting his chances on to the Tauren. "Deal with it Serid!" He warned as he realized that they were dangerously close to the draenei. Swiftly removing himself from the scene to pursue after the remaining culprits who bursted in his fortress. He already knew from the start that they were here since the wards were destroyed, but he never thought they would be able to fight through his elites, it disappointed him greatly.
"I will!" Serid assured.
With the Death Knight now out of the room. Male Tauren was now left in the room with his younger sister and his adopted father.
"What have you done here?" Urak demanded.
"I will defend my homeland against the Legion! And Lord Lazarus will help us!" Serid explained in a military like response, clearly showing his discipline where he once trained with the orcish horde. "The Legion will return! We will not survive their slaughter. But Lazarus will make us ready. And I will be prepared to fight them!"
"You are speaking great nonsense!" Urak roared, he roared like what a father would truly do to his son.
"Serid, brother please don't walk this path. Thrall warned you of the consequences of the actions of this road you walk." his younger sister, the more reasonable of the three tried to calmly persuade.
"Look around you Serga. I tried and begged our master to unite the Horde and the Alliance to stand against the approaching Legion. But as always neither side wish to cooperate. Their refusal to let go of their petty differences will be the end of Azeroth. I will not stand by as the Legion burn our world. The Elements have showed me this vision and if neither side are willing to cooperate. Then Lord Lazarus will make them as they submit to his rule!"
Urak then pointed his sword on the young tauren. "Don't do this son. I don't know what visions the elements have shown you but this not the way to bring peace to both factions!" He threatened, but his threat did not harbor the threat of death.
"The elements would not have been aiding us if they were not sure of such measures. If they were not sure of Lazarus. The Burning Legion are coming and as of right now Lazarus is the only one who can become powerful enough to unite the races to stop them. He must succeed with his plan at all costs."
"Then so be it." turning his sword to point to the ground and stick it there, the orc began taking pieces of his armor plates off. "You leave me no choice. If this is the path you wish to walk. Then by the laws of our Warchief Thrall. I challenge you, to Mak'gora!"
This sudden challenge from their stepfather, both Tauren siblings were deeply shock and surprised. Though under Thrall's new rules, Mak'gora can be non-lethal combat, similar to Warsong's Mak'Rogahn. Still, the older tauren needed to go aide his lord in the defense of the Draenei priestess.
"I have no time for this!" Serid tried to get away, but Serga cut him in place, summoning a rock formation in every door and window that she could find. Trapping her older brother with her and their viciously enraged orcish father.
"I will not let the Legion destroy our home. And if this is what will get you to see reason. Then I accept!" Serid responded, tearing his armor off and tossing his weapon aside.
"Make that delusions count Serid!"
