A faint scraping noise woke up the emotionally and physically drained Sapphire. She lifted her head and peered around at her surroundings. She had no idea where she was or how far away she had fled from Hearthglen, but she'd managed to find a dilapidated home to shelter in. As soon as she found a spot not riddled with bones or splintered furniture, Sapphire had collapsed into a dreamless sleep.
Whatever the noise was, it was coming from outside the building.
Sapphire forced herself to get up and leave the house. A blur of color rushed at her and wrapped itself around her face. Sapphire desperately tried to yank the thing off. As she pried it off, she realized it was Tanomoan. The little darter chirped happily.
"Tano...what are you doing here?" Sapphire asked. She looked around in the yard. Rot sat on a rotted stump, wagging his tail as soon as Sapphire noticed him. in the fallow field closest to the house, she saw Tryg scraping the soil into some design. Next to him was something large covered in a tattered cloth.
Sapphire put down the faerie dragon. "You shouldn't be here! What if I hurt you? Or worse...eat you?"
The thought of eating Tanomoan caused Sapphire to become nauseous. She remembered the taste of blood the day before and was concerned over what or who she had eaten. Her memories were hazy. She only knew that she had slashed her father's face and left her mother in tears. Both acts had hurt. At least, Sapphire wouldn't be able to hurt her own mother. As for Arthas, she feared him coming after her. It was the worst thing she had ever done to him. She had felt his rage as he had clutched his face.
Tryg noticed Sapphire standing there. He stopped what he was doing, and rushed over to her.
"Friend! Morning, friend!"
"Good morning, Tryg," She said, letting out a small smile. She couldn't feel too bad for herself with Tryg around. Atleast if she attacked Tryg, she doubted she would eat a rotting ghoul. The same went for Rot. They were probably safe from her. Tanomoan could always fly away she supposed. The faerie dragon was bonded to her and would never just leave her.
Sapphire tried to push her worries to the back of her mind. Instead she focused her attention on Tryg's strange behavior. She pointed to the field.
"What are you doing over in that field?" She asked curiously.
The ghoul made a happy noise, pleased she had noticed him. After grabbing her hand, he dragged her over to the field and the strange symbols he had been drawing. It looked familiar. Bird feathers and bones lay scattered haphazardly around it. Tryg picked up a book.
Sapphire recognized it and gasped. "Hey, that's mine!"
Tryg handed it to her and opened it to a page. He then went over to the cloth covered object in the middle of it and pulled the cloth back.
It was a roughly made body composed of bones, wood, and unknown organs. Its head was a deer skull. Exactly like how the diagram in the book showed. Sapphire stared. Somehow, Tryg had been able to read the book and create what Bolfr had asked. He must have seen Sapphire studying the drawings.
Tryg pulled his lips back into a smile. "Me do good?"
Sapphire looked at the summoning circle and back at the Drust construction. "Yes, I suppose you did. You can read all this?"
The ghoul nodded happily. He then took the book back.
"Make friend now?"
She supposed it couldn't hurt. Bolfr had helped her and she had promised to help him get out of Thros.
"How do I do it?" She asked.
"Give blood to circle. Say magic words...then name of friend!" He said, struggling to speak so much.
Sapphire looked at the circle. She was hesitant to do Drust magic. This seemed like the kind of thing that Gorak Tul did. She had promised Bolfr to help, but it worried her. What if he was evil like Gorak Tul?
Tryg looked at her with bright eyes. Sapphire decided to take the risk. The ghoul had done all that work for her, without her even asking him to. In the house, she managed to find a rusty knife. She took it and made her way to the circle. Tryg showed her the words she needed to say. She trusted the ghoul.
Carefully she entered the circle without disturbing the drawings. She winced as she cut her palm. Her blood dripped into the dirt. Dark magic sparked along the runes of the circle. She started to recite what the ghoul said, not knowing the meaning of the words.
She saw the wooden claws twitch. The body lurched up. The deer skull's jaws spread out and it let out an unearthly howl. Sapphire covered her ears and watched as the thing got to its feet, examining itself with empty eye sockets.
"Finally, I am free from that wretched place!" It said with a deep rumbling voice. It observed the fields and the farmhouse curiously before turning to see Sapphire. It opened its mouth again and reached for her. Sapphire stumbled over the circle in alarm and caused the black magic glow to dissipate.
"Ah, little Drustling!"
Sapphire held up the knife at the thing, frightened. It took a look at her curiously.
"It is I, Bolfr. You were the one that summoned me. Why so frightened?"
"I only did it because I promised! That doesn't mean I trust you," She snapped back.
Bolfr leaned back, his entire body making a wooden creaking noise.
"The little Drustling doesn't trust me? That's amusing since I am now at your complete command."
Sapphire stared at him in disbelief. "What?"
The wickerman looked around, then pointed with one gnarled wooden claw to a rotting wooden barrel lying in the grass.
"Command me to do something with that barrel," He suggested.
She slowly lowered the knife, reluctant to do so. Tryg poked her encouragingly. Rot barked at her as well.
"Oh...okay. Go throw that barrel across the field?"
Bolfr creakily strutted over to it. He ripped it from the ground and with an easy motion, heaved it as far as he could. The barrel flew through the air only to hit the ground and explode into splinters.
Sapphire tried another command, something he didn't suggest. "Climb onto the roof of the house."
Without protest, the wickerman sprinted to the house, leaping up and grabbing the top of the brick chimney. He clambered onto the roof and looked down at her. The old house's roof wasn't meant to hold his weight however and it collapsed out from under him, taking him with it. Sapphire cried out and ran into the house. Dust clouded her vision and caused her to start coughing.
"Bolfr!"
One hand rose up from amongst the debris. Sapphire helped clear the roof tiles and rotten timber away from the Drust. Bolfr looked around in seeming disgust.
"I hope this wasn't your home," He said morosely.
Sapphire shook her head. "Are you okay?"
"No need for worry. I feel no pain in this constructed body. It is merely a vessel."
He pulled himself free from the rubble and back out of the house.
"Now, where are we? This is no Drustvar, unless more time has passed than I thought."
Sapphire shook her head. "No, sir. This is the Plaguelands, in the Eastern Kingdoms."
The wickerman let out a derisive snort. "And you live here?"
"No! I don't live here...I don't live anywhere anymore..." She said, suddenly remembering her predicament. Sapphire was bereft of family and home. She had nothing, not even a proper weapon. Most of her belongings still remained in Moonglade.
Bolfr picked up on her mood. "If it is any consolation, I too have no home. Drustvar belongs to the humans now."
It did comfort her a little. She looked at her little group. A faerie dragon, a undead dog, a ghoul, and a Drust. For their own safety, it would better to leave her. However, Sapphire was happy to know she wasn't alone.
She looked up at Bolfr. "We need to go somewhere far away from other people. I...I am cursed. I turn into a monster and hurt people."
The Drust put a finger to his lower jaw, contemplating the issue. Before he could suggest something, Tryg once again rose to the ocassion.
"Northrend!" The ghoul spoke up. Next to him, Rot started to wag his tail and barked as if in agreement.
Northrend. If any place could be considered home to Sapphire, it would be Northrend. She didn't like the idea of having to take a ship again, but it made sense. Very few people lived in Northrend for a reason. Three of her companions couldn't feel cold. Tanomoan might not enjoy it, but there was plenty of untamed wilderness in Northrend. She wondered if Tanomoan would enjoy Sholazar Basin. The majority of native people lived along the coasts, which could be avoided. Yes, Northrend sounded like a great idea.
"I do miss the cold," Sapphire commented. Tryg nodded sagely.
"So long as we don't encounter any of our estranged brethren," Bolfr growled, quickly explaining that the Drust were descended from vrykul. Thousands of years ago, the Drust were exiled from Northrend. It was taboo to even mention the old homeland.
Neither Rot or Tanomoan objected to the plan.
Sapphire's stomach audibly growled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten anything since the blackberry bush. She looked up at Bolfr.
"I don't suppose you could-"
The Drust reached down and patted her head. "Don't worry, Ingra Sapphire. I will find you something to eat. The ugly man and tiny canine can stay to protect you. You, tiny butterfly lizard! Come help me."
Tanomoan hissed indignantly, but fluttered after the Drust all the same. Rot trotted over to Sapphire and licked her leg. Sapphire reached down to pick him up.
"We are going to be okay," She said, more to comfort herself than to comfort Rot.
