Chapter 10: Encore
The shadow in Xainia's life had been bound and defeated. The story of her training and triumph had come to an end just as a curtain falls on a play. Yet, some questions remain unanswered. Inquries so pronounced that they could plague many. And now, an encore.
"Help me." A voice echoed in Xainia's head as she slept in a makeshift bunk.
"Wha? Dat not be ah shadah, it not be somebodah here. Who be talkin in dis way?" she thought.
"You will know when the time comes. Help me." The voice faded.
Somewhat confounded by this, Xainia got up from the cot she was having an evening nap on and walked over to the chapel. She had been in the Eastern Plaguelands, tending to the sick. After completing the tasks given to her by Eris Havenfire, and the call to battle from the horde, working with the Argent Dawn had become her calling. The young troll wore their tabard proudly as she approached the chapel and continued to think.
"Dat sounded familiah, like ah dream." Xainia muttered as she stopped and tended some of the wounded.
A familiar voice came from inside the chapel. "...Na', nah...yah, ah'll be back..dun worrah mon, ah'll be back in time fer...wha? Yah, ah kin do 'dat, ahkay, ahkay...yah...Latah..."
Xainia looked up, smiling; she ran over to behind the mailbox at the chapel. The owner of the voice, a troll wearing a wolf mask, stepped out of the chapel. She looked towards the sick beds trying to find Xainia. ".. 'Xai..? Ya 'ere?"
Reaching out quickly from behind the mailbox, Xainia jerked the wolf mask down so it blocked Zilis' vision. Wisely, she jumped away at the same time and avoided a swift roundhouse kick that Zilis responded with by instinct.
Zilis pulled off the mask, hitting nothing, and looked for who did it. "Ah! Xai!' She laughed and stood up again, smirking.
"Nice reflexes, Zilis." Xainia was practically plastered against the wall to avoid the blow.
Zilis giggled. "'Dat's what'cha git fer messin' wid 'da Wolf." She winked and smiled again. "'Ou ya bin?"
"Ah been so so. Dere be so manah tah heal wit dat dam big buildin up dere in dah sky. An not ta mention dese scarlets runnin around actin like dey know wha ta do. " One of the various Scarlet Crusaders shot Xainia a dirty look at that comment. "Sah what bring yah all dis way?" Xainia continued.
"Ah gaht ah job...ahn was wonderin' if ya wanted tah come along...be ah nice change ah pace." Zilis suggested.
"Ah job?" Xainia got close and whispered. "Yah mean killin?"
Zilis nodded and turned towards the windriders then began to search in her bags.
"Yah, ah dun like bein like dat too much, but ah come with yah. Dis must be important fah yah ta need me" Xainia acted like the change of pace was a ploy, but was only guessing at it. "Lez get goin. We can talk bout it latah."
They walked a distance from the chapel, but Zilis led them away from the windriders. "Som'un be wantin' meh tah take out 'dis Creepah guy, 'dey said 'ey was a Demon Talkah ah sometin'...'ey's up in Wintahspring."
Xainia looked incredulous. "Dat be kinda far. But ah will go. We not goin on dah windriders?"
Zilis pulled out a medium sized white stone laced with blue runs that looked like running water from her back pack. Holding it up to Xainia's eye level, she grinned.
"Ooh.. but... ah thought onla one could use dat ting."
"Well yah be right, but ah watch dah innkeepers." Zilis grabbed Xainia's stone like the ninja she was and moved around the blue runes on the surface.
"Dat be amazin. Ya kin set hearthstones?"
Zilis held the stone out in front of her, waiting for Xainia to prepare also.
"Where dis be takin us? Alla da way dere?" Xainia activated it.
"Yah, tah Wintahspring" Zilis said before a flash of light engulfed them both.
The air flashed around them as the two were ripped across the known world. After a slight pause in the hearthstone's traveling spell, they noticed snow falling outside. The surroundings had changed from the bleak plaguelands to a warm inn in Everlook.
Xainia staggered for a moment, getting her bearings. "Where we be goin nah?"
"Nawhere tahnight." Zilis saw that there was a horrible storm outside and walked over to the innkeeper. "Ah need ah room."
"Okay, Do you need a single…" The innkeeper looked over towards Xainia. "Double separate, or double joined."
"Ah take dah joined." Zilis took out some money as the goblin innkeeper went to get a set of keys.
Giving them a strange look, he made the exchange. "Hehe, glad I could help."
The inn in Everlook was very spacious and had many rooms for rent. With Everlook being the only real city in the cold mountains of Winterspring, it had to be. Zilis went over to the bar next and bought some food.
"Ya 'ungry ah thirstah?" Zilis turned to Xainia.
"Yah, blessah sunfruit be all ah had in weeks. It get boring." Xainia sat down on the stool beside Zilis and ordered food.
The two had lived like this before Xainia had retired to the plaguelands. They had been floating between inns and living off of what they had, for a time after the battle of Jintha'Alor. It had all ended, however, when Xainia was called by the horde to serve in battle. Zilis didn't hear the same calling; she had gone and become well known, exhalted, among the Argent Dawn. After that, they had only run into eachother on occasion. This day was the most time they had spent together since the horde had come calling. After having dinner, they retired to the room that they had rented.
"It not be good tah eat right befa sleepin." Xainia commented as she lay on the bed.
"Who say we be sleepin?" Zilis sat on the bed in the small room after securing the door and removed her wolf mask. She smiled at Xainia.
"What if ah do?" Xainia leaned over and prodded Zilis' forehead with her finger.
Zilis pretended to bite at the finger. "Ah dun think yah would. We haven seen eachotha in months."
"Well ah guess yah got me." Xainia grabbed the collar on Zilis' armor and pulled her down somewhat forcefully to the bed.
The next morning, they both rose and ate at the inn again. After finishing, Zilis led the way by stepping out into the chilly embrace of the Winterspring air. While Zilis stretched for a moment, Xainia came out of the building and took an ornate whistle from her bag. She played a quick tune on it and a small shot of magical looking energy came down from the sky and landed. In a small burst of light, her raptor, Zahriel, appeared.
"Show ahf." Zilis muttered as she retrieved her raptor from the troughs just outside the city. "We be goin down south ah 'dis town...las place 'ey was seen."
As Xainia tended to her raptor and prepared to climb on, the voice suddenly echoed in her head again. "Help me." Xainia looked around to see where it had come from. Not finding anyone, she shrugged and climbed onto Zahriel; the dulled Lieutennant General insignia hung from his neck jingled as she did.
"Jus down dah road?" Xainia asked.
"Yah...it be quite 'dah ways, 'doh...ahn 'da cavern 'ey went in be dangerous..." Zilis replied.
"Well lez go den. We wanna make it back befa dark." Xainia led the way south, riding slightly off the path to keep a lookout.
After several hours of riding through the bleak snowy wastelands, it became hard to tell where the road was or even where the ground was in the snow; a storm had begun. Zilis stopped a moment and looked around, but Xainia foolishly kept riding and suddenly dissappeared, falling through a bank of snow. The snow quickly filled in around her.
"Xainia! Xainia!" Zilis jumped off her Raptor with a start "Ah ya alright!"
Over the bank of snow just to the south, Zilis met a surprising sight. There was a scourge camp just off the road, hidden in a lower part of the ground. Some skeletons looked towards the voice. Zilis' eyes widened as the unnatural gaze fell upon her. She quickly fell to the ground, hoping they hadn't spotted her, letting lose a low whisper telling her raptor to hide.
A voice entered' Zilis head now. "This quest will bring you only pain. Turn back."
The skeletons turned back towards the fire in thier camp, which glowed an eerie shade of blue and green. Zilis sighed with relief, choosing to ignore the voice in her head for now... Xainia was still in danger. Nothing moved for quite some time in the camp. Trying not wasting a moment, Zilis crawled slowly towards the place Xainia dissapeared, calling out to her in a low voice, careful not to fall into the same trap. The undead were moving around to the side of the camp that was away from the road, looking for something to kill and eat.
In the snow bank, Xainia had tried to make a place for her self to see she was getting frozen very quickly. She could almost see something to hit and so she took a chance, holding onto one of Zahriel's reins while she did. Through the oppressing clouds in the sky, a bolt of holy flame came down and struck a skeleton on the far side of the camp. All of the others looked around for where it had come from and finding nothing, walked towards where it had hit. Zilis heard a raptor growling slightly a small distance away. Another bolt hit a skeleton on the opposite side of the camp and as the main population of the camp ran for that it, Zahriel charged out of the snowbank heading to the south, with Xainia clinging to his side and trying to get onto the saddle. The undead were all alerted and tried to take off after her.
Xainia made it into the saddle and grabbed the reins. "Nah. We hafta make dis fast!" Zahriel growled and began to sprint.
Slowly getting to her feet, Zilis watched, slightly taken aback. The undead were still on Xainia's tail, not even noticing Zilis. The undead were losing ground on the sprinting black raptor. Concentrating as best as she could, Xainia smited the skeletons while riding towards the south.
Zilis sighed, "Yer crazy" then grabbed her own raptor and started to sprint towards the Undead, her hands on her weapons.
Despite the damage they were taking, as Xainia began to cross a gigantic ice bridge, even the undead came to a halt. They stood, watching for a moment, as Xainia made it halfway across before coming to a halt. Zahriel breathed in the cold air with visible effort as the undead continued to watch at the bridge.
Finally comming up behind the Undead, Zilis did a flip off of her raptor's back and landed on the back of one of the undead, bringing her sword down through the top of its skull. Next, she jumped off and attacked another one in the same way, moving with great agility until one of the undead dodged and she landed on the bridge. Despite being just out of melee range, the undead did not step on the bridge. Zilis' raptor rode through and knocked down another, clawing it to pieces as it ran across. The undead still would not set foot on the bridge. They stared for a moment, realizing the two would not come back, then lost interest and returned to their camp.
"Yah sure know how ta show me ah good time." Zilis turned to her friend.
"Wha took ya so long?" Xainia panted.
"Ah didn't know where ya was…" Zilis shrugged as her Raptor caught up to them, carrying a still wiggling leg bone in its mouth. "Put dat down… it still movin." Zilis motioned at the raptor and it threw the femur over the side of the bridge with a swing of its head. "Besides, ya kin take care ah yahself, it be seemin'.."
"So.. is dat it? " Xainia pointed at the darkened gorge to the south, across the bridge.
Zilis' expression changed, her Mask seemed to cover her entire face to hide it. "Yah...'dat's it.."
"Well den lets get dere. Dis place be dangerous even when we not in da canyon." Zahriel carried Xainia south again at a slower pace as she said that.
Patting her raptor on the nose, Zilis told her raptor to return to the city. Zilis continued on slightly ahead of Xainia, walking quietly. Dismounting from Zahriel, Xainia came to a stop as they finished crossing the bridge. She blew her whistle and Zahriel was whisked off by the arcane torrents to a safe place. Standing infront of them was a sight not normal to these parts. Infront of the hederine demons that guarded the gorge, a large infernal was standing. His firey eyes followed them as they moved around.
A deep demonic voice echoed towards them from the beast. "You shall not pass."
"He has chains... Dat belong tah someone." Xainia noticed and whispered to Zilis.
"'Dat Mastah runs scared, leavin' 'dere pets tah die...?" Zilis muttered.
"Or ta return when dey win." Xainia replied.
"Na gore, na glorah..."
Xainia lowered her head in prayer and a shield appeared around Zilis. Zilis looked the enormous creature over. It didn't appear to have any weak points, so most of her assassination skills would prove useless. The flaw of the infernal was that it looked slow... she'd have to outmanuver it. The infernal saw that they were not being frightened away and moved to engage first. Without a word, Zilis charged at the beast, lunging at it with her sword behind her, preparing a hard strike to the chest. While Xainia burned away at it with the powers of light, the infernal swung its arm powerfully to hit the approaching toll away. Just as the Infernal was about to strike her, Zilis vanished and left only smoke in her place. The infernal looked around, not charging for Xainia even though she was helping; it searched for Zilis. Without warning, Zilis appeared from behind the Infernal. She had jumped upwards and behind it to get a good shot. She stabbed into the rocky back of its head before landing and holding on. As the infernal's aura burned her and he tried to shake her off, she continuously slashed at its head. Xainia looked at Zilis swinging; she had not done combat in so long as she had been at Lights Hope healing. Xainia's shield helped to lighten the burn on Zilis, and her armor absorbed some of it, but she started to sweat from the fire on the infernals' head as she ran around on the beast's shoulders. The infernal was weakening. Xainia looked at her hands then back at the infernal after renewing the shield on Zilis. She thought very hard for a moment and then the infernal suddenly shook and collapsed to the ground; its mind punished severely. As the infernal fell to peices, Zilis quickly backflipped off of it and landed in the snow. Xainia ran over and made sure the rogue was ok.
"D-d-dat wasin' s-s-sah bad...is jis a little coldah down here is all..." Zilis took off her mask and wiped the sweat off her forehead. Xainia held the mask while Zilis composed herself.
"Ah only wonda what be comin next. Do we hafta kill dese? Ah tink we can get around dem." Xainia looked at the hederine demons.
Zilis looked around for a moment before moving. "Follah me, ah see a way around."
Xainia followed her closely. The hederines were obedient to their posts, they did not notice the two. They made it through one of the caves before Xainia spoke next. "So how dah we find 'im in all dis. Dere's tons ah caves."
"Dey say Mt. Hyjal be through 'ere...mebbe he be lookin' tah hide 'dere?"
"Dere? but dah elves locked dat place up. Ah been dere befa. Back when dis canyon was full ah snow." Xainia strained to remember.
"'Den if he be gettin' in, 'ou knows what he be unlockin'..." Zilis looked worried. "We bes be checkin." As Zilis said that, suddenly something wrapped around her leg and tripped her. A bright light flashed at the same time; Xainia was blinded by it too.
As the flash faded, it appeared like two Xainias were standing behind Zilis. One of them stepped back and gasped. "Wha?"
Getting to her feet quickly, Zilis turned around and shot a glance behind her to make certian this wasn't a sneak attack. Nothing else was nearby. Even a succubus that had been walking the path was gone. Only her and two copies of Xainia stood on the path.
"Wha dis be? Yah look like me!" the one that hadn't gasped said.
"Wha yah be talking about. Yah be lookin like me." The other said.
Zilis turned her gaze on the one that spoke last, giving it a glare through the eyes of her mask, her mask seemed to come alive and reinforce the glare.
The one that had gasped turned to Zilis. "Ya gonna hafta figure out which one. Ah can't have some demon ah otha thing lookin like me."
"Can yah tell? It be her!" The other one said. "Ah know yah. We been friends fah so long."
The Mask continued to stare down the Xainia that Zilis was looking at, however, under the mask, Zilis' expression was quite different, many different thoughts ran through her mind. If she hit the wrong one, she would hurt her friend.
"Enough ah dis. get out ah mah form." The two Xainias said almost in unison and began to lock arms with eachother.
Zilis growled deeply and poked her finger with her blade. "Ah, ah got a cut, which one of yah can heal me?"
They looked at her and then at eachother. One of them quickly cast a healing spell while the other looked around with helplessness. "Ah… ah din have mana. Wha ya goin ta do?"
Still staring at the same Xainia, the one who could not heal, Zilis raised her blade and pointed it directly at her.
"Dun do it. It be her" The non-healer pleaded.
Wordlessly, she charged forward as the threatened Xainia dived away. Bringing her blade behind her, she prepared a great cleave down onto the Xainia. Zilis suddenly felt a whip wrap around her as the Xainia she fought dove back revealed itself to be a succubus.
Zilis stopped in pain, and proceeded to try and remove the whip.
"You are perceptive, but that won't save you." The succubus suddenly stood up and tried to charm Zilis.
Zilis staggered as the succubus taunted. "You'll never reach him." Now drawn to the succubus, Zilis walked forward to try and embrace it.
In the middle of this charm, Zilis closed her eyes and tried to ignore the words. Barely concentrating enough, she avoided embracing the demon. The eyes of her mask came alive and glowed slightly.
"You'll stay here with me. Always with me." The succubus echoed.
"Spirit ah 'da Wolf...lend meh true sight..." Zilis muttered.
The succubus felt her spell weakening and tried to renew it. While she could still concentrate, Zilis took her blade in hand, sheathing the other and bringing her hand in front of her. Cutting her palm quickly, she clenched it and focused on the pain as the blood fell to the tainted ground. The spell broke very quickly because of the pain. Redoubling her effects, Zilis looked up at the Succubus through the Mask. The succubus realized her spell was broken now and tried an all out attack.
"If I can't have you, you'll die." The demon's whip lit up as she drew it back and swung it.
Zilis ducked the whip as she swung it horizontally and then caught it with her arm. The troll twisted the whip around her arm despite the burning sensation it had, and pulled the succubus towards her. Though such an attack would usually not have been enough, the succubus tripped on a loose rock and fell right onto Zilis' blade.
Run though, the demon coughed. "This isn't over. Kalona fails, others won't."
Zilis shot the dying Succubus a glare before turning to Xaina. "Ya a'ight?"
Xainia paused for a moment. "Kalona... yah ah be alright."
"'Dere's nah time tah lose, if 'ey be lookin' tah unlock Hyjal...c'mon" Zilis ran towards the entrance of Hyjal, trying to make up for lost time.
Soon, they saw the line of columns leading to the gate. A small blue figure stood infront of them; it too glared at them.
"Ah voidwalker. He mus be runnin out ah choices." Xainia commented.
Zilis returned the glare as they approched it. "Get outta dah way."
"And why would I be a last choice?" the voidwalker spoke in a low voice, he seemed to know the horde language well. "You seem to underestimate me."
"Savin' da best fer last den." Zilis prepared to take on the blue ball of shadow.
"You come here as murderers. Why?" he questioned them.
"Ah demon born ah 'da Souls ah da fallen calls us Murderers? Ya 'Mastah' seeks somethin' terrible, ya know not what ya do."
Xainia stood silently, trying to see into the cave that led to the gate.
The voidwalker, Krakkesh, laughed. "Yet you seek something just as horrible, his death. You have no conviction, no reason. Only a price."
"'Un fer manah. Death be part ah 'da way ah Life, Death comes, death takes, ahn death gives." Zilis tried to match the word play that Krakkesh was giving her.
"You must believe that, having killed an entire city of trolls on a whim"
Xainia shook a bit at that comment, still silent, she seemed to sense something.
"Ah give mah 'Enemies' sancity from ah world ah chaos, ahn try tah repair 'da world in da Process. Ah give 'dem peace"
"And yet thier peace would have been living.. not slaughter." The voidwalker argued.
"Peace ah Demon like ya kin nevah know...sad..." Zilis tried to insult the demon passively.
"I do not need peace. I will not know peace. You would nonetheless try to pass and destroy all that my master has done." The voidwalker tried to worm into their resolve more. "For nothing more than a price. How demonic of you."
Zilis snickered; doubtful a Warlock could do any good. As she did, a fireball hit her in the back.
"Augh!" the rogue cried out and staggered forward from the blast.
Xainia looked around for the source, seeing an imp on top of one. She had sensed the presence but could not find it before. Xainia quickly shielded her friend.
"Xainia, gid outta 'ere!" Zilis yelled.
"You help this one? You know now what you do." The voidwalker glared at Xainia as the imp grinned and threw more fire around.
"Nah. Ah not leave yah!" Xainia said, healing Zilis.
"Two on 'un, eh? A'ight 'den.." Zilis looked to the voidwalker, but he was gone. He had run towards a broken pillar and was headed up into the mountains around the canyon. Dodging the next fireball, Zilis drew a throwing axe and hurled it at the Imp. The imp caught the axe between the palms of his hands and laughed, discarding it.
In response to this, Xainia smited him.
"Hey, watch it lady." The imp yelled at Xainia.
Zilis ran over to the pillar and scaled it with ease; Xainia followed as closely as she could. They found themselves jumping on the rock ledges above the door, they could see the green lush and renewing forest on the far side of the ridge. The imp was now out of range, it chased to catch up. The voidwalker kept running, heading down a steep slope now into the forest. The two slid down the hill and looked around for him.
Zilis muttered to Xainia "'dis is prolleh a trap...be on yah guard ahn don be hesitant tah run...ah'll be fine."
"Ah tink it be too late... dah gate is still closed an dere be nah way back up." Xainia looked at the hill.
The gate to Hjyal had indeed not been breached, falsifying the idea they had that the warlock was letting something out.
"He musta taken dis way in too." She suggested.
The voidwalker stopped ahead of them and turned, now in the open. "That is right, fools. Now you truly have no cause except chasing. You're not saving anyone. What a waste of time." The voidwalker faded away.
Zilis sighed. "What crawled up 'is ass...?"
"A fireball." a high voice screeched as Zilis was hit in the leg with one. The imp who fired it ran off further into Hyjal.
"Ow.." Zilis mumbled as she brushed the ash off her leg. "'e be getting on mah nerves."
"Dis place be big. But with tha gate closed wha could he be doin here?" Xainia questioned as she took out her whistle and prepared to call Zahriel.
"Ah dunno.." Zilis thought for a moment.
Playing the usual tune, Xainia made Zahriel appear for her. Feeding the raptor, she waited for her friend. Zilis remembered hearing legends of a terrible demon that had been slain in Hyjal, perhaps this warlock was intending to absorb the demon's remaining power?
Xainia noticed Zilis' thoughts formining up. "What ya be thinkin he do? Do we hafta hurry again?"
"'Ey may be lookin' fer powah 'ere, if 'ey's not tryin' tah un-lock some Demonic army ontah 'da world..."
Xainia climbed onto Zahriel. "Den we gotta hurrah."
"'Ey can't be up tah anah good 'ere, we bettah find 'im" As Zilis said this, she lowered to one knee. "Ah dun see anah tracks"
"Maybe dah demons erased dem. or dah forests heal dem quickly." Xainia suggested.
"Prollah. A'ight, les go..." Zilis started running along the pre-made path on the mountian.
"Get on. Zahriel be fast." Xainia held out her hand as Zilis took it and hopped on the raptor also.
Zahriel sped off along the path, riding through the winding trails of Hyjal. As they passed on, they came across several craters. The craters were obviosly fel-tainted, but they were clear of demons.
"Each ah dese been one ah our base camps." Xainia remembered back from her stay at the orc camp. "Dah demons took each one on dah way to tha top."
Zilis said nothing, the sights simply reinforced her resolve. She was sitting in front on the saddle, Xainia leaned forward onto her and almost started dozing off while they rode, so much had already happened this day. Zilis couldn't rest, she had to find and stop this warlock from doing what she imagined. She smiled at Xainia leaning on her; the priest had always been one to look to her for such things. She couldn't say that she disliked it.
They came to a final path up to the summit. Xainia woke up as Zahriel slowed down and crept to the top. Dismounting, Xainia motioned for Zilis to dismount. She took out her whistle and quietly played the tune to send Zahriel away. Her staff, Benediction, pulsed at being so close to the tree it was splintered from.
Xainia peeked around the corner at the top of the hill and looked back. "Dere it is." she looked back and whispered. "Tha world tree." Xainia pulled Zilis around the corner barely. They could see the tree, the demon's gigantic skeleton still hung lifeless from it. Archimonde had rotted away leading only his skull, armor, and ribs. Zilis' expression turned grim upon seeing Archimonde.
"Dere someone down dere... by dah well ah eternity." Xainia looked over the cliff. "Dis too steep, we gonna hafta go around."
Zilis nodded quietly, she had been strangely quiet since entering this place. They moved quietly down the ramp. They could see in the distance that the figure had a demonskull helmet and bright robes. It was indeed Zilis' target. It was standing on the shore of the well, looking out on the water.
"Ya gonna sneak up on 'im?" Xainia asked.
Zilis nodded and crouched down, adopting an almost Animal-like stance in stealth. Xainia slowly started to move up, trying to keep her self hidden. Quietly, but with an alarming amount of speed for the stance, Zilis moved towards the target, her Blade already prepared with the special poison.
"What are you going to do." The figure spoke. "I can see you." He hadn't turned. Zilis could now see a felhunter off in the underbrush staring at her and causing general paranoia for the warlock.
Xainia made it up behind to near Zilis while the rogue formed a response. "Ah'm gunna stop ya..."
"Stop me from doing what?" The warlock turned to her and Xainia. He was still wearing his mask.
"Ya be here fer Powah, dun ya?"
Xainia heard the voice in her head again. "Help me" it sounded like the warlock's voice, she suddenly realized. It was so familiar to her.
"No. I am here to explore." The warlock removed his helmet and put it in one of his bags.
Xainia took a step back when he did, shivering slightly. "Ma… ma.." she whispered almost inaudibly as she backed away more, putting benediction back into its holster.
"You have made it past my demons. Quite a respectable run you have made. However, your journey ends here. My own are loyal to me." The warlock looked at them both, especially Xainia.
Zilis felt a chill run up her spine. She knew this warlock somehow, indirectly perhaps.
"We sha gah, Zilis." Xainia puts her hand on Zilis' shoulder and then looked at the warlock, her eyes filling with tears slightly. "We sha gah now."
Zilis stood there, seemingly frozen. "..."
Xainia looked at Zilis and at the warlock. She looked very worried and thought to herself. "Ah haven't used it in sah long... ah might hafta ta stop dis."
The words of the one who hired Zilis came to her mind. "Don't let him trick you. He has a way with words, but do not listen… he is a slaver. A pitiful beast who wishes only to control."
Xainia released her grip. Still quivering as the warlock looked at her. The words in Zilis' mind created an image that fueled great anger. She still hesitated.
"So then. What are you going to do, 'brave' assasin?" Maldelic goaded her.
Still worried, Xainia thought of what she could do. She detected a magic about the poison. To stop this, she casted a passive dispel on the area to remove it. It could easily have been mistaken seen as dispelling something positive from the warlock. The words continue in Zilis' mind, egging her on, trying to convince her that this Warlock sought only to control...
"As you seek to control me!" Zilis hissed back to the voice in her head, silencing it. At the same time, Zilis wondered which warlock was really doing this.
The warlock grinned, knowing the poison's magic was gone. "Do what you will with me. Assasin. One motivated by nothing by money."
"Y'know... Fer 'un explorin', ya left ah lot ah trouble fer us." Zilis looked up at him. "'Ou ya explain 'dat, puppeteer?"
The warlock offered no explanation. He turned away from her, disinterested. The words still echoed in Zilis' head; 'My own are loyal to me'. They filled the rogue with dread. As he walked away, the warlock reached the side of the lake and had the audacity to dip his hand in and run it around in the waters. When he did, the hand looked renewed and human, but as soon as he withdrew it, it returned to undeath. This entertained the warlock; he smirked and sat by the shore. Suddenly Zilis' keen ears heard the imp running around preparing a fireball. The undead suddenly looked over, not realizing that the imp was going to be mischievous. The imp fired a big one at Zilis, but she blocked it with her arm and turned, kicking the imp as if it were a child's toy. The warlock did not even look twice.
"An ya even let ya 'pets' out dere tah die." Zilis started approaching.
Xainia held out her staff infront of Zilis. "Ah dun care who he be, nah warlock leave dere pets tah die like dat." Xainia said, masking her resentment at the statement. The priest withdrew her staff.
Not turning to see Xainia, Zilis continued to look at the Warlock. "He be doin evil tings here, it dun mattah. We gotta stop im."
"You've never done anything worth much have you? Just lived and seen people die before you. Is it perhaps because you fear the beyond? You fear what death would do so you appease it with killings?" The warlock challenged.
"Ah dun naht fear death..."
"Well then, I suppose we will remain here until then. Your employer will be quite displeased knowing you've failed."
"Look, if ya be innocent like ya say..leave 'dis place" Zilis demanded.
"I move for no one tonight, especially some assassin. Now go on your way, young one. You are beginning to bore me."
"'Den ah kinnaht allow ya ta remain." Zilis spoke these words somewhat sadly. She adopted her combat stance. "Spirits be wid ya, foul 'un."
The warlock smiled as he stood and faced her, pulling down his robe to bear his chest slightly. "Bring me your hate and your venom, assassin," The felhunter growled, wanting to engage the troll, but it held back at its master's command. "Now we will see if faith exists for the dead." He thought to himself.
Zilis vanished from his sight, the felhunter looked around, trying to see her and alert his master. Just as fast as she dissapeared, she reappeared, delivering a roundhouse kick to the Warlock's side. Following up on the kick, she elbowed the undead in the side of the head.
"Nah. Mastah!" In an instant, before Zilis' next move, Xainia's thoughts raced. She had not used her real power in a long time, she knew that she could not allow this to happen, but she could not tell Zilis everything for fear of hurting her. It was too late now, the attack had begun. Within the split seconds, Xainia reached out her hand and saw the shadows race across her skin as she changed into shadow form. The burning flames lit up as the eyes on her helmet glowed red. She raised her staff in her other hand and it transformed from Benediction into Anathema. She reached out for the attacking rogue, raging at her former master being attacked. A tendril of shadow shot out from her arm, wrapping around Zilis' middle. This beam of shadow threw the troll up into the air and brought her down fairly hard on the ground a small distance away, releasing her.
Xainia rushed to the warlock's side. "Mastah, ah yah all right?" Xainia saw to him.
"My name is Maldelic; you should call me by that, Xainia." The warlock stood beside his former pet as they both looked to Zilis.
Zilis rose to her feet slowly, the full realization of the connection between them hitting her. "Xai… … …"
"He dah not die taday." Xainia said. "Ah sorry, Zilis. Ah wun let yah do dis."
"He be 'dah 'un 'dat made 'da Shadah ah ya? 'Da Tyrant 'dat destoyed anah life it found an consumed it? 'Dat was 'is doing!"
"Nah. Yah dun be sayin dat. Da Mas.. Maldelic nevah do sometin like dat, he save me. He found me as nothin an showed me tha way ta avenge wha happened tah me." Xainia came out of the shadows. "Yah lissen tah me. If it wun fah him, ah'd be waitin tah die in tha middle ah nowhere."
Zilis dropped her weapons, torn by inner conflict.
"I suppose now that the cards are on the table. Well they all are aren't they? Who was it that sent you again?" The warlock prodded.
The rogue fell to one knee and began to tremble.
"Was it, Selima?" he insinuated
Without warning, Zilis stood up completely straight, her hands on her head and screamed, her voice echoing for miles "SHUT UP!"
"Who would pay you to see my death. Do you now realize that she hates Xainia too and would see her dead?" Maldelic continued.
This trembling and yelling was not at them, nor was her cry for silence. The voice that had seemed a memory in her head now spoke again; the voice of her employer. It wouldn't stop, it kept talking despite her protests. The conflict and the pain kept her from using her shamanistic abilities to block it out.
Xainia tried to soothe Zilis' mind from where she stood. "Is dis true?" Xainia tried to approach. "Was it Selima?"
"Kill him. It must be done. Kill the girl too, if she gets in the way" the voice echoed.
"Ah wun do it, shut up." Zilis started tearing up at the suggestion that she would even have to lay a finger on Xainia.
"It must be done" The voice continued.
"'Dat's fer me tah decide." Zilis said again.
"You will do this." The voice of Selima ordered.
"Shut..UP!" Zilis demanded, still crying each time that the voice spoke.
"Do it… Now"
Xainia picked up on the voice, knowing that she was only hearing half the conversation. "Somethin not be right in dis place." Xainia tried to cast more dispels. "Dun lissen tah her." Xainia picked up on what the voice was saying. "It's not like yah can do anahting anahway. Ah dulled yah poison. He wun die from it."
"She is meddling. You must kill her as well." The voice was still persistant.
"Ah wun do it! Nah Xainia! Gid outta mah head." Zilis was a wreck, broken down crying and wrestling for control of her actions.
"Dun yah see? Selima is ah warlock too. An she be forcin her will on yah just like yah be some pet."
"Ah know… ah kin't...git 'er...out..." Zilis started beating herself about the head in helplessness.
Xainia suddenly got a crazy idea. "Dun hate me fah dis." She said quietly as she faded into the shadows again. "Please dun." The priest took a deep breath and cast the most powerful mindblast she could muster.
Zilis screamed and was knocked backwards from the kneeling position she was in, she didn't move for some time, but smoke rose from the area of her head.
"That warlock... is a demon herself. A succubus in the body of an undead. I will do what I can." Maldelic took his staff off back and drew power from it. With the power he could give, he cast the widest range banish that he could on the area to try and ward Selima off.
Xainia slowly approached Zilis, coming back from the shadow and renewing the other troll.
"unhh.." Zilis was coming to.
"Are yah you?" Xainia asked. "An only you?"
Zilis let out a groan of deep pain and then silence fell. Zilis started laughing coldly. "Ya dun come between ah Wolf and 'er Prey..."
Both of them tensed up for a moment at this comment.
Zilis laughed again as she slowly got to her feet. "Unless 'dey've got 'dah Wrong prey."
Xainia let out a sigh of relief as Zilis looked at Maldelic.
Maldelic cracked a wry grin, unusual for an undead. "So then I have some explaining to do I guess."
"Maldelic..be ya name?" Zilis asked.
"Yes." he responded. "That is what I call myself."
Zilis walked to him, and kneeled before him. "Mah apolgies."
"It is not neccesary, young one. But I will accept. I have seen too today, that an undead can have faith in those they have aided." Maldelic looked to the east. "Come this way. We will need to make a fire away from the shadow of the tree. It is getting dark."
Zilis nodded quietly. Khuufen, the felhunter, followed too, rubbing up against Xainia's leg. Falling in step slightly behind Xainia, she rubbed the ash off and tears off her face.
"Ah sorrah ah had ta hit yah dat hard, Zilis." Xainia apologized.
"Ah dun mind... ah had ta be rid ah dat voice."
Maldelic soon gathered some wood and set it aflame instantly with a spell. "Sit down, both of you, I have a long story to tell. You should eat, for it spans many years. Perhaps it will put some of my motives in the light."
Xainia sat by the fire as he said, wanting to know what her former master was to tell. Zilis stood for a few moments, slightly stunned, then sat and looked at the fire in silence. At that point, Maldelic told the long story. His life as Methuselah, his loss of his love, Arisia, and his fall into the scourge and near murder of his love by the lich kings will. The story did not reach a point to pause until it was pitch dark outside of their small lit circle.
"After I had risen as a forsaken, I did not have my memory. I trained in the dark arts under the service of the dark lady and it was some time before I finally gained enough control of myself to remember. I met a shaman, Hasur, who helped me to be able to remember; he is also the one who told me of you, Xainia. I knew that with the isolation of the blood elves and my own status with the horde, I might never see her again. She might have even died in the war, along with my s... well that's a different story. And so, I decided to find you, Xainia, and see if I could truly help someone as a forsaken. Today you have shown me that hope and faith can still exist in my world. That help does not go thankless and without loyalty. I was here, at this fountain of magic and life, to see it for once. I had no other intent than this."
"Den what about dah demons dat ya had tah face us?" Xainia asked.
"I knew that woman had sent someone. If I had put up no fight, she might have suspected that you would help me earlier and caused the two of you to fight."
Zilis sat quietly, more tears on her cheek reflected the fire before her.
"What would you ask of me, Zilis?" Maldelic turned to her.
The rogue did not reply, she seemed lost in thought. Xainia asked a question in the interim. "Why did yah leave when yah stopped bein dah mastah?"
"I... I felt I couldn't know you any other way, Xainia. I thought my work was done and that I should step away. I am sorry that I faded so wordlessly. I suppose I may be sentimental in knowing you again now, but that is not always bad."
"T-tell meh...about 'da Shadow." Zilis finally asked.
"Ah yes. I guessed that might be on your mind. The shadow is a strange thing. It made those craters out there, defaced that gorge, and twisted many creations including this dead relic above us." Maldelic pointed at the demon skeleton. "I did show Xainia the way, and instruct her to train as a shadow priest, but I am not behind the side of herself that she now has chained."
"How yah know about that?" Xainia asked.
"You would assume that I would miss an army of hundreds going to do battle? I was there, though unrecognized. I have helped other times too. You didn't think that the Eye of Shadow for that staff that you wear so proudly came into your possession without help?"
"Dah was you who sent dat?" Xainia looked more thankful then she could express.
"Yes, an old friend gave it to me, and I knew it would be of use to you." Maldelic answered.
"'Ou created 'dat Shadah ah 'er?" Zilis asked, wanting a direct answer before the conversation changed.
"I showed the pathway to the shadow and guided her development, but that entity was far beyond my control and creation. It formed from the memories I had held back from her while she was training, I believe."
Xainia had realized this already to a level. "Mah regret, mah vengeance, mah hate."
"It did things I could have never forseen as a warlock. The ways that priests can use shadow with such affinity can be frightening. So to answer your question, yes; I am responsible in a way, but I did not plan it." Maldelic said slowly.
"..." Zilis looked down. All this time, she had wanted something to blame. Even when Xainia had first realized the shadow was part of her, Zilis had not wanted to believe it. She could not blame this warlock for not knowing the results. Zilis wanted some tangible force to take out the rage she held over the pain and torment that she had witnessed at Xainia's hands. She had wanted revenge for both herself and Xainia. "Ah see..." Zilis sighed and dismissed her rage, realizing that it was a part of everyone, that even she had a side that could kill, but it was not backed by the shadow in such a way.
"If you were hoping for something more glorious or exciting, some grand design, I am sorry. There is nothing more. The whole affair, a fancy of an undead to bring hope and to help someone in the best way they could."
"Nah..." Zilis dismissed her revenge too and denied she wished for more to Maldelic.
"Now I must be going. There is an affair of my own I have to attend to. The only thing left for me, with this over." The undead rose and began to walk away from the fire, searching his bags for something.
Xainia looked at him, remembering the part of his story about Arisia. She smiled, inwardly hoping the best for him.
"Yah...we all 'ave our own affairs tah 'tend tah, ahn our own stories tah write." Zilis said firmly, getting to her feet and smiling at Xainia.
Xainia stayed seated. "Lets stay here fah dah night. It be sah peaceful, Zilis. Goodbye, Maldelic. Thank yah fah showin me dah way." she waved to him as he removed his own hearthstone from his bags and began to dissappear with it.
Xainia pulled Zilis back down to beside the fire. "Ah like dis place. Ah moment ah peace in dis crazy world."
"...Yah..." Zilis slumped against Xainia with a sigh. "Long day..."
"Yah. Let's go tah sleep." Xainia rubbed her nose against Zilis' nose.
They both slept as the fire faded. The great questions that had been left open were now answered for them. The solution showed them that, all creatures, no matter how they appeared, didn't have to act in key with their looks; undead could hope and have faith, priests could hate and destroy, and vengeful assasins could relinquish their venom. It was all brought together in the land where peace and immortality were born, and yet where chaos had reigned only a few years before. Hardly a 'waste of time', as some demons would have called it.
