Disclaimer: ... Nope. Don't own WoW at all. Not even a smidge.
Side Note: Oh, hey, look. An update.
Khark had asked her to help clear up the Vaults of Archaron. He'd told her that Naelyn and Ophirion would be helping, as well as their old shaman friend, Kodoburger, and others he had recruited.
However...
She had NOT expected Xolst.
"What is he doing here?" she asked, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice.
"Last I checked, I do more damage than you," the hunter remarked.
"Yet anyone who comes up close to you can easily break your bow in half and kill you."
"Anaeli," Naelyn warned, and the Death Knight shrugged carelessly, leaning against the wall of Krasus' Landing in Dalaran.
She didn't need to act kind or nice. She just needed to do this for Khark, maybe regain her old possessions. Naelyn would likely act if she did anything hostile, and she could hardly bug Ophirion as he would be taking the hits for them.
Damn.
"I'll meet you all there," she sighed, closing her eyes and climbing the wall. She called her Frostbrood out of its shadowy realm, jumping on its back and flying off before anyone could catch her.
Really... she would just take the long way. She needed to calm herself until they could start clearing the Vault.
Wintergrasp Fortress was quiet and had thankfully been repaired after the last battle. It was easy enough to land her massive creature atop the fortress, climbing off it and standing near the edge.
Wintergrasp truly was a beautiful place, she noted. Thinking hard, she could vaguely remember coming here before her employment as a Death Knight. She couldn't remember what she had been doing here, though. She was sure it was nothing huge, but...
"Took you long enough."
Anaeli mentally groaned, closing her blue eyes as she easily recognized the voice. After a minute she opened them, looking behind her to find Xolst sitting right where the roof made a point. He had that smug look on his face, and she could quite easily give in and tear him to shreds.
But no... she wouldn't.
That would cause too many complications.
"I've never enjoyed those portals," she said simply, placing a hand on her Frostbrood and ordering it to fly away.
"So you waste time instead?"
She rolled her eyes: she didn't want to spend her time alone arguing. Anaeli turned away from him, hands on her hips as she looked out over the fortress once again. That is, until the Death Knight heard the hunter get up. Ears twitching just the slightest bit, she gripped the hilt of each sword, waiting...
And then it dropped. An Alliance team of about two: a Druid and a paladin. Anaeli reacted out of instinct as the paladin through his shield, narrowly avoiding getting smacked over the head. She was somewhat glad Xolst had chosen to occupy the Druid, easily managed to push the paladin into a corner. The poor fool didn't realize who he was messing with, and a shame, too. He was such a handsome human being with a well-defined body. She'd have fancied him if he hadn't been trying to kill her.
"Focus!" she heard her hunter ally snap, and the Death Knight rolled her eyes. With a swift combination of strikes, she managed to send the paladin over the edge of the roof, caught sight as the Druid that Xolst had been fighting seemed to shapeshift and fly off in raven form.
So they were safe for now.
Or so she thought. The slight feel of energy through the air was their only warning as a barrage of arcane missiles rained down on them, causing them to scatter a little as they were fully exposed. Anaeli scanned for the direction they were coming from, seeing how Xolst seemed to be struggling to achieve the task himself.
Was that... ?
There!
Just as she was about to call it out, she felt one of those infernal missiles collide with her right shoulder. The impacted blast caused her to stumble, stepping over the edge of the roof. Thanks to quick reflexes and instinct, she grabbed the edge before she fell too far, wincing as gravity seemed determined to separate her arm from her body at this point.
What surprised her was the hunter looking down on her with worry and slight fear. Was he stupid? There were still enemies!
"It's in the crevice, two hundred feet up. Go!"
He reacted to the information well, trained eyes scanning from what she could see. It didn't take him long at all, and judging from the smirk he had as he released his arrow, he'd hit the mark.
That was good.
Anaeli had something of a tough time lifting herself up, her right arm screaming at her from the effort. With a hand from Xolst, she was out of danger, inspecting the damage inflicted to her shoulder.
"Anything serious?"
"My armor is undamaged, but it appears to have left a burn."
"Ouch."
Full inspection would have to wait until she returned to Dalaran. Reattaching her shoulder plate, she stood and dusted herself off, making sure she hadn't dropped her weapons.
"You're never gonna change, are you?" Xolst asked as Anaeli summoned her Frostbrood. She surveyed him with a blank look for a moment, grabbing hold of the creature's leg.
"My growth stopped at death. I cannot change anymore," she replied, shrugging.
The hunter sighed. "Not what I meant."
