Long time no seen! Been having a break from everything for a while but now I hope I'm back on tracks again. I really wanna finish this story so let's hope I'll be able to keep the monthly schedule I first put up when I started this story.
Never before had she felt so exhausted. She had done much in her long life, fought foes, gotten beaten, almost killed, but Malik's "exercise" had left her with aching muscles and a physical exhaustion she had never experienced before. But at least he had agreed to help collect the eggs and carry them back to Klaxxi'vess instead of putting the task upon her. But when she told him she was reluctant to touch the dread amber, he had become defensive telling her it was her problem, not his. Maybe he too held fear for the sha's power. Maybe.
She entered Klaxxi'vess with four dread crystals floating behind her, barely. She was so tired, so incredibly tired she wasn't even certain she still had them. But judging by the ambersmith's gaze that filled with a mixture of anxiousness and worry, something he undoubtedly attempted to hide, they still were.
"You have the crystals," the smith stated. He jumped involuntarely when the four chunks of polluted amber fell to the ground; the mage didn't have enough power to put them down gently, she was all too drained. "Would you be careful with those?!" the smith spat. Curses clicked between his mandibles for another few moments before he collected himself and went to examine them. "What would happen, I wonder," he murmured glancing up at her in mischief, "if you ate one?" His suggestion made her take a few quick steps back. "What would it do to your soft, pink insides?"
"I suggest you take this seriously," came a sharp tone from behind them as the Unscathed approached them. "This polluted amber is nothing anyone will eat, even less experiment with."
"Of course, paragon," the smith replied, his antennas curled in what Wargana guessed was shame. "I will see to it that they are being taken care of."
"Handle them with care, ambersmith, you do not wish prolonged contact with them," Malik spoke.
Wargana watched as the smith nodded his acknowledgement then hurried to move the damned things. Upon contact she noticed him flinch slightly, but other than that he seemed unaffected by their power. Why was it that he could touch them with such little effort when she was affected by their mere presence? Was it that he was mantid? No. No, that couldn't be. Malik feared them as well even if he didn't say it outright.
"You should rest," Malik suggested, snapping her out of her thoughts.
Looking up at him she found he had moved from her side and now stood right in front of her, towering over her. A nod was all the answer she gave before she passed the paragon in search for a fairly remote place to sleep. The way she felt right now she could really use a warm bath and a proper bed. She was so sore, so tired. Cuts and bruises discolored her blue skin with tints of purple and red and then there was her head. It pounded as if she hadn't slept for years or had read all too many books without rest. Her thoughts were a mess, the events of the day was burned into her mind. At the moment that was all she could think about save from the pain. The paragon, the eggs, dreadsworn, swarmborn... Malik's training.
"You!" Utter frustration filled her as the rather shrill tone tore through her thoughts. The familiar voice was one she hoped she wouldn't hear and when she turned to see Kor'ik's... angry face? Why was he angry? "How... How did you... The Deathcaller was a legendary hero! You..." He paused. For a moment he was silent, gathering himself, his antennas twitching and tensing. "He must not have been fully wakened."
Deathcaller? The corrupted paragon? Yes, it must be him Kor'ik was referring to. That would explain his rage. "He didn't seem fully awake," Wargana agreed. Better not pick a quarrel with him. She considered mentioning Malik's involvement, but decided not to. There was something about this mantid that made her reluctant to share anything. She was more likely to share things with Kil'ruk than him. Naaru, she would even tell an orc before this mantid.
"You are fortunate," Kor'ik said. They were silent for several moments, Kor'ik's mouthparts clicked several times before he snorted. "Fortunate indeed," he muttered as he turned and left.
Wargana scowled. She didn't understand that mantid at all. Groaning at her headache she decided to not think about it and find herself a good place to sleep. Striding around the sanctuary she found it harder and harder to even see where she put her hooves. Eventually she decided one of the bushes by the large tree looked very comfortable.
As she walked she could feel her eyelids grow heavier with each step. Maybe she should just rest them for a moment, just close them a few seconds longer than usual. Only a few seconds…