Dont really know what to say this time. . . so lets just get on with it.
Chapter 9: Captivity
Warrick was bored, he had been listening to Nell about possible reasons to attack ThunderBluff. He had nearly dozed of when he heard something outside. He stood up and immediately went outside. Nell stayed inside, relating possible reasons to no one. Grisha and The raptor quickly followed Warrick, welcoming some diversity to the endless stream of possibilities thought up by Nell.
When Warrick stepped outside tauren were running around in frantic movement, trying to warn everyone they could. Cairne came out of the centre stairs door. "what happened here?" He asked loudly, mostly of Warrick and his companions.
Warrick just raised his shoulders, not knowing what had happened. Another tauren stepped to Cairne and began relating a story in the tauren language. Cairne listened with impatience and when he had heard it all he began stomping towards warrick and his companions. "A demon appeared and captured Jack." Cairne told them.
Warrick just stood there, mouth open. The raptor was standing in similar fashion. Only Grisha still showed some composure. "Where did they go?" She asked.
"We don't know." Cairne answered.
Warrick remembered someone and ran back inside Cairne's home. Nell was still talking to no one, or maybe himself? Warrick had never taking Nell for someone who would talk to himself. "NELL! Snap out of it! Jack has been captured!"
Nell looked up, finally recognising Warrick's presence. As the words registered with Nell he jumped up, fear of something beyond warrick's knowledge plain on his face. "By who!"
"Demons."
Nell let loose a string of curses in a language that Warrick didn't recognise. He looked to Warrick. "Damn." He added. ""Where did they go?"
"We don't know."
Jack woke having a terrible head-ache. The demon hadn't visited him in his sleep, which had been a relieve. He only feared that would happen next would not be just mental torment.
He opened his eyes and saw he lay behind bars. He sat up, only to have vertigo push him back down. Moments later he tried again and succeeded. He was sitting inside a large cavern room. In here the smell of death and decay was in every particle of air. The room was light by two torches on the sides of the entrance. Along one wall there stood a table with ontop it all sorts of tools for causing people agony. Although no chains held him down, none were needed. He was surrounded by bars and the only way passed those bars was through a heavily reinforced door.
He noticed his shirt lying on the table and looked on his chest. Nothing covered it. Several marking had been drawn on it and one that ran from his throat all the way to the middle of his stomach seemed to glow. Something tugged on his mind but it was only a minor hindrance.
A human entered the room. First he had hopes that it was either Nell or Warrick coming for his rescue. He wasn't either of them. The man looked like he was just entering his forties, which was to young for Nell and to old for warrick. The face was also much more scarred than that of either. Eyes that glowed slightly and spoke of cruelty inspected Jack's now sitting form. His face was narrow and sported a hawk like nose, which had a cut in the middle that might be evidence that he had been hit by a sword or axe on his nose once. He wore green robes with blue edges.
"Ah, I see my new project is awake." He walked to the cage and inspected the drawings he had made on Jack's chest. He pointed at the one in the middle of Jack's chest and it flared up brightly.
The tugging on Jack's mind increased a hundredfold and threatened to overwhelm him. He pushed it back as good as he could and looked at the human.
"Indeed you are strong of mind. Just as the magnificent demon said." The human said, loosely pointing at Jack.
"who are you?"
"I am Krasgall, and the demon informed me that you are Jack. Am I right?" Krasgall smiled at him maliciously.
"what do you want?"
"It appears you have the remnants of a once great demon inside you. I have been given the task of letting it take over your body. What do think of that?"
"I wont let that happen." Jack answered as if he had answered like that a thousand times before.
"That's what they all say." Krasgall returned in the same manner.
Jack suddenly launched forward, throwing himself into the bars and reaching out with a long right arm. He grabbed Krasgall's robes and pulled him into the bars. Just as the pressure was about to kill Krasgall his clothing ripped where Jack held them. Krasgall fell back and immediately stood back up. "Was that really necessary, you ruined my brand new robes." Krasgall did not at all seem deterred by the fact that he had been about to be crushed to death. "I am going to get some new ones. You just stay right here." Krasgall turned and walked out of the room.
He heard a boiling noise behind him. He turned and saw Red smoke coming out of nowhere. The smoke formed a figure he knew all to well. Before him stood His inner demon. "what are you doing here?" Jack asked annoyed by this.
"Krasgall gave me more power over you. It should have been enough to take over, but. . . The extra influence he gave me over now makes you see me while you are awake, isn't that wonderful!"
Jack was disgusted at the thought of having to keep listening to the demon about giving up his body and all that. "Do you think that babbling to me will make want to surrender to the all powerful you?"
The demon seemed taken aback by that a bit, realizing that would take even longer to break Jack if he thought that way. The demon walked over to the bars and waved a hand through them. "See, you cant touch me like this. In your dreams you could, which turned out to be against me. But none of that here. Even if I anger you to the point of madness, you wont be able to touch me here." The demon found this terribly amusing and bellowed with laughter. He stopped laughing and walked to Jack. "Come one, try to touch me."
Jack just waved a hand through the demon and saw it pass right through. "This doesn't change the fact that if I sleep you will be there."
"No no no, you are mistaken, I was there on my own accord. I just never planned to be injured like that." The demon flexed the once broken arm. Scar tissue covered the area where the bone had jutted from the skin. "So what shall we talk about. The whole surrender your body subject is getting old." The demon considered something and grinned maliciously as he found what he sought. "Yes, lets talk about your wife."
"We must go after him!" Warrick shouted at those he was with, neglecting he was in high placed company. At the head of the table was off course Cairne, but for this meeting he had also gathered the highest placed warriors and those that had the most elderly shamans and druids currently at ThunderBluff. Since Jack had been taken prisoner Warrick, Nell and Grisha had been allowed in, only the raptor had to stay outside.
Cairne was slightly annoyed by Warrick's shouting but could not blame him. "We will go after him, when we know where to look. Nell has told me that the spell used to flee by the demon was a relatively short ranged one because of speed in which it was used. So they had to be should be within Mulgore. I have send scouts to all likely places where those demons could be hiding. But there are more immediate threats." Cairne paused for a moment, then continued. "Has there been any word from Bloodhoof village?" He asked of the scout also at the table.
"I have been there. All is fine. I have talked to your son, Baine. Nothing has happened around the village. They have send messengers to the training grounds to the south to evacuate to ThunderBluff."
"Good." Cairne said relieved. He turned his attention to the highest officer at the table. "Have any of the other scouts returned already?"
"Only one has returned already. He found nothing." The warlord answered
Grisha saw something was off here. "Excuse me." She said humbly because of the high placed tauren. "But how could he have returned already. They left only one hour ago. Did he have to go somewhere close?" Only after she had said this she remembered there were wyvern at ThunderBluff, used for flying messages and people between cities.
"He had a special mount to use." The warlord explained. "He has already been send out to another likely place."
Cairne wanted to know why a demon would capture Jack instead of killing him. He directed his attention to the not tauren at the table. "Why would the demons capture Jack?"
Nell was still the only one who knew about the demon inside Jack, and he wasn't about to tell anyone. "Maybe the demon just wanted a hostage, so would be able to threaten the tauren with killing if they stepped any closer."
Cairne nodded in agreement, although a slight glittering in Cairne's eyes betrayed to Nell that Cairne did not completely believe it. Nell seemed to be the only one to really notice. Cairne had another subject though. "Have any messages been send to Orgrimmar yet?"
"No, the wyvern are still nowhere to be seen. They were scared away by the freezing spell the demons cast." A large druid answered.
Again it didn't sit well with Grisha. "Than what is that scout riding? who was back so soon?"
The warlord answered. "As I said: he has a very special mount. It is his own. He trained it to stay with him no matter what. If you can really call it training."
Grisha didn't find the explanation enough but did not push the matter.
"And then the wall exploded." The demon continued to harass Jack with memories without pause.
"I have had enough of this!" Jack shouted to the demon.
"No you haven't had enough."
Then the human once again entered the room. A wave of disappointment passed through Jack, now he would have to listen to two. "Talking to yourself huh?" Krasgall began. "Are you a bit more forthcoming now? I need to speak with the remnants of the demon, so could you pass out for a moment?" The demon immediately vanished into red steam.
"No, I would rather not."
"Than I'll just have to make you." Krasgall pulled an object from his robes and concentrated on it. It began to glow and a green beam shot from it. The beam hit Jack and made loose consciousness. Blackness again filled his vision. He only hoped he would wake up again.
He did wake up again. He sat up again and saw Krasgall sitting in a chair by the table. Krasgall was sound asleep. Or so Jack thought. The snoring ended and Krasgall opened his eyes again. Jack had no idea what time it was, it could be night, day or afternoon for all he knew.
"We are both awake again." Krasgall began. "Lets talk about you again." He grabbed the chair and put it down just beyond Jack's reach. He sat down heavily. "What is your greatest wish?"
"Right now? to be out of here."
"No no, not now. When you are completely comfortable and not here."
Jack thought a moment. "My wife back."
"Oh yes your wife. She died, didn't she? But you lie again. That is not your greatest whish."
Jack couldn't think of what it could possibly be that Krasgall was aiming at.
Krasgall noticed his uncertainty. So he decided to tell Jack. "You want to live forever, don't you?"
"Every body has his times that he wants that." Jack retorted.
"No it is deeper with you, you truly want to live a very long time. That demon can grant you that he told me."
Jack felt that Krasgall told him the truth. He had always wanted to be like that. And he had wanted it even more than his wife. "But I would never be able to use that immortality if that demon is in control."
"Sure you will be able to use it, when he leaves you for another body he will reward you, if you cooperate off course."
Jack faked thinking really hard about it. "No."
"Think about it, your greatest wish is within hand reach, take it. Just cooperate."
Jack actually began considering it. It would be what he had desired most. But something gnawed at him. "And how will he grant me that reward?"
"Well, he is immortal himself, and he is very powerful spell caster."
"And what will I have to do to cooperate?"
"For him to pass to another body he will have to take you over first." Krasgall smiled wickedly at Jack.
Jack thought it to be just another trick. "Nice offer, but, no. It is just another trick."
Something glittered in Krasgall's eyes. "I knew this would be a waste of time. Last chance to give up willingly." Jack kept silent. "We'll just have to do it painful way then."
Krasgall made movements with his arm, not unlike Nell had done to wake up Cairne, and a terrible pain shot through Jack's body. He felt icy cold and searing hot at the same time. His head pounded and his heart felt like it was going to explode. When the pain left he fell to the ground and lay there gasping for air. Krasgall dared get closer to the bars and brought his as close as he could. "How about now. No? Well, maybe in a short time then." And the pain resumed. His lungs his throat and his mouth burned. If would have wanted to scream he couldn't, because all the air had already left his lungs.
Krasgall suddenly stopped. He got back up and seemed to concentrate on something not in the room. He then focused again on Jack. "My patron has spoken to me, got to go." With he turned and hastily walked out.
Jack slowly recovered. When he felt he had his strength back and Krasgall wasn't back yet he got. Red smoke suddenly sprouted into being to his side and they formed the demon. "Don't you dare." The demon began.
Jack had other plans. He knew from past experience he might have enough weight to barge through the door to his cage. "Don't you dare." The demon said again. This verified to Jack that he had a good chance of cracking the door. He took steps back and saw the demon attempt to block his path. He already knew he could just walk through the demon so that didn't add another problem.
He charged at the door as fast as his crammed space allowed him to. The door creaked heavily under his weight and he felt pain shoot through his shoulder. He charged it again and he was rewarded with a crack in the door. The door still held though. He charged again and this time it gave way and splinters went flying. "NOO!" The demon shouted at him.
Jack grinned at the demon and started for the entrance to the room. He peeked around the corner and saw a tunnel. Rocks were lying around and it was poorly light. He proceeded through the tunnel and on multiple occasions nearly tripped on a loose rock.
He stopped when he arrived at a better light room. The room was filled with orcs, humans and other humanoids he didn't recognise. There were tall blue ones that had a slightly bent back and there were a few that looked a lot like humans only taller than average and with long pointed ears. They all had a glow in their eyes that spoke of lust for battle and bloodshed. At the head of them was the scarred demon. He was holding a speech in an unknown language, but Jack supposed the demon worshippers would understand what the demon was saying.
The demon ended his speech and cheers arose among the gathered. The lead demon began casting and moments later a colored form appeared two feet away from the lead demon. It was circular and purple. The demon stopped casting but the circle stayed. The demon pointed at it and seemed to urge those gathered through. They streaming to the circle. They passed through it and disappeared. A portal, it came to Jack's mind. More and more passed trough it, more than he could count, but they didn't hesitate.
As the room became less populated Jack could see just how big the cave was. A small army could have fit in there with ease. Almost all of them streamed through the portal until only a few remained, including Krasgall and the demon that had brought Jack here. The lead demon passed through it and the portal collapsed with a flash.
The last demon was now in command and let them all notice it. "What are you pathetic rats still doing here! Back to your posts! They will be looking for us after we attempted to take out their capital."
Krasgall began walking back to where he thought Jack still was. He would pass where Jack was hiding at the moment. Jack took a step back. His foot landed on a loose rock. He slipped and fell into the open. The demon and the others still present immediately noticed him. "what are you doing here!" Krasgall began. "Get him!" Krasgall signalled to four others.
Jack stood back up and did not want his chance at escape go wrong. Before they could surround Jack he launched at the nearest. Jack first punched him in the stomach, which made the orc double forward. He then grabbed the head and slammed his knee in the human's face. Cracks from a broken jaw echoed through the cavern. His foe slipped to the ground and lay unmoving except breathing.
He saw his chance to run to the nearest exit and tried to take it. But again the ground proved treacherous. This time he kept his balance, but he slowed enough for one pursuer to catch him. A wooden pole swooped Jack's legs from under him. He landed hard and turned. He caught the pole just before it would come down on his head. He grabbed it from his adversary's hands and then used it against him. One end of the pole ended up in his adversary's stomach. In the time Jack had after making his foe double over he stood back and brought the pole down on the shoulder of his enemy. Another crack rewarded his efforts.
The two others were close now and tried to come at Jack from two directions. "We need him alive!" Krasgal's voice resounded.
Jack swung his pole around. The two managed to get out of the way. With the pole in addition to his long arms made Jack's range much longer than that of his adversaries. He swung again and hit one. The one hit went flying. The other one saw his chance to jump at Jack. Jack turned just in time and caught his foe with the back end of the pole in the face. More cracking resounded as the cheekbone snapped.
A robed orc was in his path to the exit and he charged it. The orc panicked slightly. In his panic the orc forgot about Krasgall's warning. He conjured a black fireball and shot it towards Jack. In the wake of the ball small stones followed towards Jack.
"NOOOO!" Krasgall again resounded. Krasgall stretched his hand to the orc and formed a clawed hand. The orc clothes quickly closed around the orc and began crushing the life out of the defenceless orc.
The bolt of fire hit Jack square in the face and the stones in it's wake slashed wounds all over his face. Something hit Jack's left eye and it stopped functioning. The flame made him shoot backwards and crash into a wall.
Krasgall quickly walked over to him and checked for live signs. "He is still alive! Get him patched up immediately, the demon will want an intact body. Krasgall didn't know just how alive Jack still was. He was still conscious. He reached out to Krasgal's throat. His hands closed around the neck and he began to squeeze and shake it. More were coming for him again and he dropped the increasingly limp body of Krasgall.
A new magical bolt hit him, only this one didn't hurt him. It just put him unconscious. He vision went completely black again.
"The scouts found the cave where they are hiding!" A tauren said while barging into the room where Cairne and the other high placed tauren were discussing matters. Nell, Warrick and Grisha were present as well, although the latter two were more or less asleep. They woke from there slumber upon hearing the news.
"Where?" Cairne asked.
"In the mountain ridge to the west of here. They are residing in a cave which we thought empty." The lead scout answered.
"We know which one you are talking about, thank you, you may leave and refresh yourself." The warlord told the scout.
"So what do we do now?" Grisha asked. She wasn't really worried about Jack but still found it necessary to take out those that tried to commit genocide. And if they could rescue Jack along the way, that would be nice.
"We need someone who knows the cave and It's surroundings." Cairne stated.
"I know one." The lead shaman said.