Chapter 5
Nobody's Chicken
They had spent the night in Honor Hold after all. Callidus needed time to take in all he had been told about his new charge. He did what any devout Paladin would do when confronted with a challenge larger then he was. He went to prayer with the Light. It was where he put his trust, and the Light had never failed him.
Hearing the full story of Zepporah's father had rattled his resolve. Lord Hopemender had been a proven Champion of the Light, and the Dread Lord's manipulation of Hopemender's love for his family had been the purest of evil. They had all fought valiantly. Zepporah was still fighting, even being cut off from the salvation the Light could offer. What future torment was Dreisirus planning for her? That was what Callidus had to find out, and stop. The blue eyes opened glowing with righteous anger. She may not be able to use the Light against the Dread Lord, but he could. Callidus rose to his feet full of resolve.
He went in search of Zepporah. It was not hard to find her. The Warlock was surrounded by the guards of Honor Hold. If she had planned on doing any exploring in Hellfire Peninsula, Trollbane's entourage had put an end to that quickly enough. It was clear the man was not taking any chances with Lady Hopemender, and the curse she possessed.
She sat on the steps of the main keep, sewing needle in hand, working on her profession. Several netherweave bags stacked next to her. The Lady did not see Callidus approach she was so engrossed in her task.
"So, Zeppy, have you had your breakfast yet?" Callidus looked down at the black hair that had been twirled up on her head to keep it out of her way. She had not cared to be neat about it, with the wild strands brushing against the white column of her neck.
She tipped her head back to see him. A look of surprise that he was addressing her at all. "Sir Tenebrie, you are finally up. Does the Light usually sleep in so late?"
Several men chuckled at her witty remark. A few even looking over at him. Their amusment was greeted with a menacing look as Callidus waved them off.
Zepporah folded her hands in her lap and waited for him to talk down at her.
She was given reason to be more intrigued when he informed her,"I was in prayer with the Light. The rest of you may depart. I can handle my charge from here."
"So what do you plan to do today?" Zepporah started packing up her supplies. "Lecture me on the virtues of the Light? Haul me back to HearthGlenn so you can ask for reassignment? I am sure it was not your main goal in life to protect an agent of Darkness through her training."
"I plan on following your lead, whereever that will take you." Callidus leaned down and looked her right in the eyes. Their faces mere inches apart. "Now that I know exactly what is going on, I offer you my aid as well."
The lime green eyes blinked, almost stunned She stared at the expression on his face. Perhaps he was playing with her? "What are you trying to say Sir Paladin?"
Callidus reached out and took her hands in his. "Lady Hopemender." He looked down at the pale fingers in his firm grip. "The Light does not forsake it's own."
"I am proof that isn't true." She frowned and tried to take her hand back.
He hung on tightly. "No you are definitive proof that it's completely true. Until Dreisirus is dealt with, all you have to do is look to me for your Light, because I will not be very far."
Zepporah's eyes closed. The black lashes resting on her cheeks as one single tear rolled down her cheek. A long fortifying breath as she reached up and pushed it away. She steeled herself before opening them again. The emotion she had been about to express, now firmly locked away. "Okay, Sir Tenebrie. It will be as you desire. I will allow you to assist me for the time being."
"If it was how I desire, you would be in more danger then is proper." He winked and a bright smile spread under his helm. Standing up he looked out to the dusty expanse of Hellfire. "So where are we going, Lady Hopemender?"
"Auchindoun. There are several dungeons in the area that I need to investigate fully." Zepporah came to her feet and breezed past him.
Callidus choked on his own breath. "Are you mad, woman? You would need to form a full party of strong fighters to search those cursed halls."
"I have you, Sir Paladin. I think that my void walker, Mezzgrave. It should be enough." Zeppporah kept moving forcing him to lengthen his stride to keep up.
"No." Callidus grabbed her arm and pulled her around to face him. "We do not need to involve a demon in our travels."
"Mezz is very loyal to me. You will come to be used to him in time."
"No!" Callidus shook his head. "We are trying to destroy a Dread Lord. I fail to see how employing the help of lesser Demons is going to help you get that done!"
" A Dread Lord can not be defeated by typical means, Sir Tenebrie. My father is proof of that!" Zepporah shouted in his face. Then she clamped her mouth shut. "Excuse me, that was not ladylike of me to yell like that. I must maintain control." She hissed between clenched teeth. Then she looked up at him. "It was a long time ago when a Holy Priestess told me that I had the ability to stop Dreisirus on my own."
"How do you intend to do that?"
She shook her head. "If you heard the whole story, then you know I can not trust my plan to anyone. Dreisirus can extract what he wants from anyone if he decides too. It is something I have learned as he destroys everyone who gets to close to me. Which is why I assume even my mentor stays back. She already knows what I am up against. That Warlock is not one to be trifled with and is deeply respected even beyond my class. If she feels reason to worry, then you should learn to do so as well."
"Then why Auchindoun?" Callidus dropped her arm, and waited for the explanation
"Because I can assess your skill. Dreisirus would not be afraid of that place in the slightest. If you are, then you can take your Light and be gone, because you are not up to the task of guarding me. I do not need a liability further then my own demons."
Callidus nodded. "Fine, then it's a full clear my Lady wishes. You can just try and keep up to my Light." She had pricked his temper again with her words. Why was it that every time he tried to be nice to her, he just ended up angry with her?
Callidus was more then angry, as he crashed with all the delicacy of a bull in a china shop through the dungeon. He was a shining freight train, plowing through the ancient halls with no care at all to how it looked to the Warlock behind him. He didn't bother acknowledging Zepporah. It was not an option, because next to her was the pulsing blue blob she called a void walker.
The moment she had summoned it, there had been immediate contention. Not between Zepporah and himself, but him and the Demon. It turned out the creature had a strong dislike of the being of Light. That emotion was fully reciprocated in kind. Callidus looked around for something else to attack, because everything he had encountered had run or fallen to his polearm already. The room was silent. Which did nothing for his peace of mind. He had not purged himself of the insult he was being force fed in grouping with an actual Demon. Looking to see that Zepporah had somehow ended up trailing to far behind him. She was no where insight. He turned to backtrack. Although he was sure he had cleared the way. So it should be safe enough for her and her vile pet.
A sudden sound of rustling feathers caught his attention. Turning fast to see the Ararkkoa entering the room. It held up hit's hand with a glowing bluish ball within it's palm. The magic waving through the room. To late Callidus realized that it was reaching into the fringes of his mind. He stumbled back trying to tear his gaze away, but it was to late as his will slipped. until it was not his own.
Zepporah was gathering the cloth that had been left behind. Didn't the stupid paladin remember that she was a tailor? Of course not, he had just charged ahead without so much as pausing to consider what she had been about. Looking up she saw Mezzgrave hovering close.
"It's partially your fault, you know. He was suppose to be helping me investigate this dungeon. Now he is probably over halfway in without me." Zepporah poked a finger into the blue mass watching his body give way like an over stuffed pillow.
"Light creature." Mezz breathed out loudly. "Dislike."
"I know that, but you could have tried just a bit for my sake." Zepporah waved her finger at her demon. They had been through much since she had brought him under her control so many years ago, and had an unusually strong bond for mortal and demon.
Mezz pulsed slowly and hissed out. "Light Creature. Dis-ahhhike."
Zepporah chuckled, and leaned in to hug her void walker, and gave him a soft pat. "I got that the first time you said it." She looked up to see an elaborate wall hanging across the room. Excitedly she let go of Mezz and went to it. Reaching up she touched the fabric. Nodding she pulled it down. Only to have her staring into a secret room full of Arakkoa.
Unfortunately the inhabitants glared back.
"Mezz!" The cry burst out as she ran for the safety of her void walker. The demon puffed up as black smoke rolled over the floor. If one thing she could count on in this life it was Mezz's ability to draw attention from her at any cost. She tossed some spells around and soon realize there were far more enemies then she or Mezzgrave could handle alone.
Shaking her head with worry as the Arakkoa pushed her beloved void walker back with punishing blows. She knew Mezzgrave had their full attention, and would not last long with this kind of physical abuse. Turning she ran around the corner and headed in the direction Callidus had gone. Room after room flashed past as she ran. Finally coming into one circular one. There in the middle was her body guard. His form enshrouded in a bright blue glow.
"Sir Tenebrie! I am so glad I found you. Mezzgrave is in trouble, we have to save him!" She watched as he stood up from his kneeling position and turned slowly to her. "Sir Tenebrie?" The lime green eyes moving around the room to see the Arakkoa holding the blue gem in hand radiating the same blue light.
"Kill, caw, the intruder, caw!" The bobbling head screeched as the gnarled hand pointed out at Zepporah.
She turned to watch Callidus pull his polearm to one hand and advanced slowly on her. There was no sign of the man she knew in his eyes. "Callidus. It's me, Lady Hopemender!" She implored him with a fist to her chest. "You know, the annoying Warlock of Darkness, bent on destroying the world with her demons?" Oh. That was not going to help her cause.
That brought a flash of holy light around him. Clearly invoking a spell that empowered him greatly, and yet he continued his advance in an increasingly menacing manner.
"Damn!" She turned and ran. Looking over her shoulder to see the paladin rushing after her. Prudently she lifted her robes higher on her legs and ran faster. Thinking on Tiron Fordring, she growled. "Thanks Pops!" The sad part was she would rather face the group of angry Arakkoa then the one mind controlled Paladin at her heels. She knew what a good Paladin was capable of, and she wanted no part of the bad side of it. Retracing her steps as she ran for Mezzgrave, because she would not die without a good fight. After all she had already been through it would be such a shame to go down here.
Coming into the room to see Mezzgrave was still firmly locked in battle. Scanning the room she saw a pillar that was leaning on it's side. Rushing up the safety of its slippery slope, as Callidus entered the room. The Paladin's blue glow showing he was still firmly under the mind control of the unseen Arakkoa
"Mezzgrave!" She cried out as the Paladin moved to follow her up the pillar.
The void walker turned seeing Callidus chasing his Mistress. Despite the mass of bird creatures beating on his form, Mezz, all to happily, slid toward the Paladin. "Light Creature." He breathed loudly. Then in a sound of Zepporah almost took as amusement, it rasped out, "Disssss-liiiike!"
She made her way up the stone pillar, until her back pressed against the damp wall as the crumbling stone of the roof dropped into her hair. Looking to Callidus moving up, and then sliding down due to the weight of his armor. "You are a bad Paladin! Bad!" She waved her hand at him trying to ward him away. Watching as Mezzgrave reached out and clawed his hand down Callidus's back. "Don't kill him, Mezz." Then in an after thought she called down. "Good Demon. Good! Keep protecting your Mistress."
The overwhelming odds of the flock of Arakkoa and the over powered servant of Light was more then she could allow Mezzgrave to handle alone. The green eyes darkened as she swirled her hands before her calling out her seed of corruption and implanting it into her first unsuspecting victim. Again and again that spell was summoned forth. Zepporah wanted to get as many of them off as she could before the first explosion, because when done right, it would be the end of the annoying bird men.
Mezzgrave knew what his Misstress was doing. The blunt of the attacks still coming to his form were almost ignored knowing that victory was on the way.
Callidus had no control over his body. Although the embarrassment of out right attacking his charge was leaving him with a new burning dislike of the Arakkoa. So he was pleased when the first of Zepporah's spells went off. He was not so pleased with the chain reaction as the others went off next to him with full force. The feathers of the dying Arakkoa swirling in the air as pain rippled through his body. Landing on his back as the mind control spell lifted from him.
"Sir Tenebrie!" Zepporah screamed and slid down the pillar just a bit. She was clearly torn between wanting to go to him, but fearful he could still be out of his own control.
Mezzgrave did not care either way. Still swinging wildly at the Paladin, although he was not making any actual strikes.
Callidus rolled over and climbed to his feet. Shaking his head to toss off the last of the resignating tones in his head. A hand going to the ground to reclaim his polearm. "It's alright. I am myself again, Zeppy."
"Oh thank goodness!" She let go of her hold and slipped down the pillar like a slide. The gravity had her dropping into Callidus's arms. "I feared we were done for in here."
"If not for you, I may have been. There is no telling how long they could have kept me under their influence." Callidus let his arms drop around her reassuringly. Ignoring the void walker that was still huffing and hissing behind him with slow swings.
"Disss-like."
"Yes, Mezzgrave. I think I got the picture." Callidus let go of Zepporah, and tossed a healing spell over the void walker. Half hoping the power of Light would be like acid to the Demon and melt it where it stood. It became clear this was not going to be the case.
The motion did not go unnoticed by the Warlock, but she said nothing as her pet was healed to full life by something as simple as a flash of Light. "Alright, I need to go find a certain little birdy with a blue orb. He needs to be taught it's not nice to play with toys that are not his."
"I agree, you were sent for my benefit, not his." Zepporah nodded and followed close behind. Coming to bounce off Callidus's back as he turned to her.
"I am your bodyguard. I do not belong to you." The Paladin chuckled down at her. "Let me make that clear before we take another step."
"Don't be silly." Zepporah rolled her eyes and moved around him. "You are mine the same way Mezzgrave is. I snap my fingers and you come. Isn't that what the High Lord had in mind?" she moved to the door and then realized he wasn't following. Snapping her fingers, she smiled brightly, "Come on. Snap Snap!"
Callidus didn't hear his own growl, over Mezzrgave's very eager hissing verbalization of "Your will be done."
Callidus made sure he entered the circular room first, and with much more care. The blue light swirled around the floor, and it became clear he had stepped into a trap by not paying close enough attention. It was not going to happen again. Holding a hand up to keep Zepporah from rushing in. "I am going to skirt the side. Then I want you to send Mezzgrave to the center of the room. That sure lure the Arakkoa out of his hiding place."
"Works for me. He cant gain control of Mezz." She nodded over at her Demon.
"it was what I was counting on." Callidus was as silent as he could be in full plate as he slipped around the broken tables and chairs that lined the wall. Once in position he waved over at Zepporah.
She turned to Mezzgrace. "Go get'em boy."
"Creature of Light?" The demon pulsed with excitement.
"No, the Arakkoa."
"Dissss-like." Mezzgrave hissed as he entered the room in a pulsing pace.
As suspect the runes on the floor began spinning and the Arakkoa shuffled into the room, only this time he was rewarded with Callidus's polearm through his gut. A hard twist as the cry of, "Raww -caaalll." It dropped dead with no epic battle needed.
"Did you get him?" Zepporah leaned carefully around the door frame to peer inside.
Callidus curled his lip and kicked the dead Arakkoa. "yea. Now let's get to Shattrath. I am suddenly in the mood for roast chicken."
Zepporah's Journal
Hey Book, Busy Busy morning. Life or death experiences abound. All before lunch
Crusaders, ugh. Once they have a cause, they crusade. That grin of his, I want to lick it. It's a good thing I'm behaving. You, book, will be the one to know.
Some things, I won't even tell you, but that, I will.
He almost killed me today, and not in any way that was fun. Mind controlling Arrakoa, I would wipe the planet of them. Side note: Redesign robes so I can run faster in them.
Side note too: stop dwelling on the how it felt falling into his arms.
Ok, we're going to Shattrath. Roast chicken for lunch he says.