Part 2/5 of the Highborne Backstory Segment.

Maluineth recalls the meeting the previous night and wonders on the motives of Mildreas, while a startling revelation is revealed to her.

Transcendence: Gaiden

The Lies are Unravelled

Maluineth leaned back into her chair and tries to relax for the night, a night followed by a day and one more night had passed since her Sanctum was attacked. Mordent had seen fit to strike her within her own abode, attempting to reclaim the prize he had stolen so long ago.

While had been captured he had orchestrated his escape even before his incarceration, knowing full well of his internment. Using it as a means to free his colleagues that had also been imprisoned beneath the city streets, it was a cunning plot. One she should have expected from that sly snake.

It had caused her some grief over the last day, for already rumours have been spreading of Mordent and the Nobles plots for dominion and evil. Mordent was giving the people ideas that the nobility that led them were just as corrupt and dangerous as their former Prince. As much as she would have scoffed at the man's attempts she had to accept the fact that they were taking root.

There was discontent amongst the populace, people actually questioning if their leaders were going down the same corrupt path as their former lord. It was a shock to her that the people would be so easily led astray by Mordent and his lies.

'But, he is not wrong that there is corruption in our ranks.' Maluineth conceded, recalling the meeting from last night.

She had been called to an emergency late night meeting; it had originally pertained to learning of Mordent and his return to the city. Along with the rumours that were beginning to spread amongst the populace. But Tylarwin had been able to redirect the conversation quite easily thanks in no part to Mildreas and his attempt to sneer at the Guard Captain and his lack of ability to capture Mordent.

While they had cornered the man he was strangely able to turn the conversation around and actually make himself out to not be the villain of their report. Instead he looked to be a father attempting to protect his son, albeit in an exceedingly extreme case.

"He took all these artefacts." Maluineth said, looking at the list she still carried on her person. "But it doesn't make sense."

"What artefacts did you employ?" Maluineth inquired, she wanted a list of all that was taken. She knew some of what had been taken but she wanted to know exactly what was lost to this man and see if they could be retrieved.

"Raiment's of General Yealdan and Allaminar, the Star Blade. They had been given to my son personally." Mildreas replied, calmly and oddly with no scathing tone or remark on his lips. "I had hoped that with the impervious armour and powerful blade he could overcome Codexia and Mordent. I was wrong it would seem."

Maluineth nodded her head at the statement, yet she had some other thoughts on the matter on which contradicted the words that left that man's mouth. Yet she did not speak, only waiting for him to continue to speak and learn what else he had taken.

"I had taken the Handmaiden Statue and the Brazier, used their potent magical abilities to enhance my warriors so that they could traverse those dark caverns and have a chance to survive." Mildreas moved on, a frown finally appearing on his face as he moved to protect himself. "It did little I am afraid."

"Enough with the regrets and unpleasantness, list the items taken and your purpose for taking them. We do not need dramatizations." Tylarwin stated, folding his arms and giving the Noble a hard stare.

Mildreas' glare returned quickly at the interruption yet he spoke not a word, instead chose to fight down the rising ire in favour of calm. He was able to gain it after a hard struggle, yet it still took him a moment to continue on.

"Very well, I will be sure to keep my words to a minimum and that of a drawl report." Mildreas replied, deciding to spite the Guard Captain by speaking in an equally bland tone.

Tylarwin narrowed his eyes at the man but said nothing.

"How did you harness the power of the Brazier and Handmaiden?" Maluineth inquired. "One required something to be sacrificed to the flames, often life or something that can be consumed. While the latter requires objects of importance to be shattered at its base, often a weapon is used, so where did you gather so many?"

Mildreas was silent for a moment.

"The reagents for the Brazier were procured from a Graveyard not far from the Mountain, mostly large animal bones from the looks of it." Mildreas replied smoothly, almost as if he was being smug about it. "The Handmaiden we fed the weapons left behind by the Naga, along with some gathered from the Centaur that were shipped back along with the bones."

Maluineth narrowed her eyes slightly, that would make sense. She would have accepted that answer had his response not felt so arrogant and assured, as if he was some trickster that thought he had duped those that listened.

"Now… I used the Cup of Elune as well." Mildreas said, moving on. "I used the waters to cleanse the armour and weapons of my warriors, intending to use them to remove any residual magical forces that would interfere with the Handmaiden's waters when they were enchanted."

Maluineth raised an eyebrow there, he used the sacred waters of the Cup to cleanse the armour. The Cup was meant to be used to wash one's eyes to allow them to remove the restrictions and limitations that bind them to the material. It is said that it opens them to greater things in the universe, or so it is said.

Often it can grant visions of the past and future and even allow one to see spirits. But it is said to be one that cleanses all that are washed so maybe Mildreas misunderstood the actual purpose of the Cup.

"I assume you also used the Enchanting Chisel and Brush with the waters from the Handmaiden?" Maluineth inquired.

"Correct, the Handmaiden may be able to gathering the magical energies from the weapons but channelling those energies into legitimate enchantments was impossible." Mildreas replied, nodding towards Maluineth for her keen observation.

The Brush and Chisel were enchanting tools used by their people to write runic script onto armour, often with magically imbued paint. Then the Chisel would be hammed over the printed rune and the rune would engrave itself onto the armour as it was hammered in. It was actually a common tool for the smiths and craftsman of the cities close to Zin-Azshara, but beyond it was much more rare.

But beside that she wanted to know what he wanted with the other artefacts, for the ones he took were not something he can explain away so easily.

"The Seal of Sulayman, what did you need that for?" Maluineth asked, it was almost exciting to see what excuse he could pull out of thin air to protect himself.

"Shari'adune, I need the Seal to lock away the demons in the ruins." Mildreas replied. "After the capture of the Primal Spirits your forces were busy tending to the pylons and recovering. I saw to it that we recover any more artefacts from the ruins before they become lost to us."

Maluineth narrowed her eyes, it would seem that the man was a lot smarter in coming up with excuses than she last thought. Although she found it strange that he would simply go to Shari'adune to collect more artefacts, if there were any left.

"Did you find any artefacts?" Maluineth asked.

"Sadly I had to depart, it would seem that the Kaldorei have an outpost there. I noticed several of them watching me from afar, luckily they didn't attack while I searched." Mildreas replied. "Besides I intended to clear the ruins and send out search parties, I wasn't about to go digging in that ruin alone."

The casual rebuttal from the man almost made her believe that he wouldn't degrade himself to manual labour to search for relics.

"What of the rest?" Tylarwin asked.

"Tyet, the Blood Amulet. The Palangine and Wast, the Staff of Dominion." Mildreas replied.

Maluineth nodded her head, those were the last of the relics that she knew had been taken.

"The reason being?" Tylarwin asked.

"The Tyet is a powerful gem that bestows life and reincarnate the dead, I thought to give it to my son so that nothing would befall him in the Mountain. Sadly the requirements to use the gem were something I was unable to acquire." Mildreas replied.

Maluineth knew what he meant, the Tyet was a jewel that was used to punish those who wore it. It was given to those who personally displeased Queen Azshara, given as a gift to be worn only for it to slowly and painfully strip the life from you. It was infamous amongst the upper echelon of the Highborne and one to be feared, for displeasing the queen often involved it being sent to you.

Last she heard it had been sent to a Princess in Shari'adune, considering that the gem was found on a corpse it was more than likely it had done the deed the Queen had sent it out to do. But how could Mildreas not know of the gems powers? It was not meant to restore life but take it away, unless there were things he knew more about than herself.

"The Palangine and Wast were to go to my son as well, I had thought to arm him accordingly but he brazenly rebuffed my concerns and only took the armour and sword with him." Mildreas said, and from the irritation in his tone it was likely that was probably the one truth about it.

She wanted to scream at the sheer ludicrosity of the moment and the fact that Mildreas nearly lost two more powerful artefacts to the enemy. Yet she held her tongue, knowing full well that the man was not a fool and was being quite careful how he spoke right now. Revealing his hand would draw too much attention towards herself, if he got too suspicious their investigation would be ruined.

Yet she suspected that the Palangine and Wast were for himself, after all the cloak was likely more powerful than even the Raiment's of General Yealdan. They were carved from the body of a Primal God, one of the beings that inhabited Hyjal and ruled the mountain.

While Wast was formed from special crystals and wood that had bathed in the stream of an unearthed Layline. It coursed with power and was directly connected to it, feeding the staff with unimaginable power. In fact it was a wonder why they had not decided to use that to harvest magic instead of from the spirits.

"Is that all?" Tylarwin asked.

"No, I also acquired the Family tome of the Moonscribe Family."

Maluineth slammed her fist into the desk as she recalled how the meeting and how it went from there. While she had heard his claims to why he took the artefacts she knew that they were nothing but lies to cover up his true intentions.

Mildreas was a man who was ambitious and wanted power above all else, the past has shown her exactly what that man was capable of. He suggested the genocide of all life in the Desolace, killing every living being that dwelled in this place. To use the storm and the Heart to create a storm so powerful that it would wipe out everything.

'I am surprised A'oraen would accept the proposition, it is terribly similar to what Prince Tortheldrin committed within the walls of Eldre'thalas.' Maluineth mused.

At first she had thought it to be A'oraen's plan to exterminate their enemies, coming from him at first had not sounded so diabolical. Yet now that she realizes that the true masterminds behind the suggestion and plot were Mildreas she couldn't help but shudder and feel sick. Something about the man reeked of corruption and evil, a greed for more than magic can provide for them or anything else material and immaterial in the world.

"What are you up to?" Maluineth murmured, his plans had to involve something dark and twisted to match his equally corrupt soul.

Yet nothing came to mind right away, for his taking of the artefacts had obviously been to ensure that the forces he sent to Maraudon returned victorious. He was attempting to garner praise and favour. He also seemed to be making attempt to claim artefacts from Shari'adune. But he gained nothing from it, and from the looks of things he did not bring any artefacts back with him.

'Why would he need the Seal of Sulayman for?' Maluineth mused, why acquire the ring that allows for demons to be sealed into the gems on the ringlet?

"Lady Moonscribe."

Taken from her thought she turned to the door to find a serf waiting for her, hands behind his back and waiting for her permission to enter.

"Enter." Maluineth said, standing from her chair and waiting for the man to stand before her. "What is it?"

"My lady, I come from the vault to you on Erdunor Whitespire's orders. It concerns some of the artefacts that were taken by Mildreas." He responded quietly, his words low and eyes shifting to the door in suspicion as if thinking someone may be listening to their conversation.

Maluineth raised a brow at the behaviour, it was obvious that he was suspicious of something and that was of concern.

"What is wrong with the artefacts?" Maluineth asked.

"When we were transporting them back to the vaults we found them laced with a magical energy." The serf replied.

"What kind of energy?" Maluineth inquired, confused by this line of dialogue. What could have been found on those magical artefacts that had this serf so concerned?

"The Fel, my Lady."

Maluineth was motionless for a few second, however her mind was going through a hundred possible and horrible scenarios regarding that single word. Without waiting for further explanation she grasped her staff and ran for the door, she needed to get to the vault and see what was going on herself.