Another day, another chapter. Review response time first, OutlastTheDark; yeah, Scarlet Crusaders ARE fun to kill...and yeah, those are the summary Assassins, which you'll find a bit more about this chapter. Now, on with the show!
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Chapter 3- Another One?
Malic strode quickly through the warehouse, not even caring to glance up at the many magical trinkets that rested on display. Most were useless, many were cursed and almost half the products were in actuality fake. The only real magic coming off of them were the illusion spells that made them seem genuine to the untrained eye. And judging from how much profit the Goblin was making, that was a good deal of people.
"How has this Beast managed to make such money from clearly fake artefacts?!" Khamû asked in exasperation, his glowing eyes narrowed in confusion as he gazed at the shelves of the warehouse.
"People will believe anything you tell them," Malic replied, turning to face the Void Lord. "say a useless piece of jewellery will increase your strength by tenfold and you'll have a dozen men and women basically throwing money at you..."
"Mortals are that desperate for power?" Khamû enquired, Malic silently nodding his head in response. "That is...most disturbing..."
"Indeed..." Malic stated, looking at a stone tablet that according to the plaque beneath it told one how to become a Loa that had the power to rival even the great Hakkar the Soulflayer. In actuality, it was an ancient Troll recipe for Grilled Scorpid Legs.
The two continued in silence as they passed the many goods in the warehouse, occasionally stopping to examine some of the genuinely magical trinkets. Eventually they arrived at an area that had been cordoned off by a pair of Bruisers who stood either side of a hastily made barricade, black bandanna's hiding their faces.
"You Malic?" one of the Bruisers asked, turning to face Malic with a raised eyebrow. Malic simply nodded, causing the Bruiser to face his partner and nod towards him. "Boss said you'd be down here, he's expecting you."
"Marvellous..." Malic glumly replied, his eyes rolling when he heard the mention of the Goblin.
The two Bruisers turned to face the barricade, pushing it aside before gesturing for the Warlock to move forward. Malic was quick to move, followed by Khamû, as the Bruisers pushed the barricade back in its place. It didn't take long for Malic to come face to face with Howitz once again, who was lazily reading a 'Steamy Romance Novel' whilst the Hobgoblin Grimnose stood nearby, longing for combat.
"Took you long enough..." Howitz mumbled, closing the book with a loud clap before carelessly throwing it behind him. Malic was relatively sure he heard the sound of pottery shattering seconds later.
"Howitz...I wasn't under the impression you would be here." Malic stated, his calm stature foreign to the disgusted tone of his voice.
"Just wanted to make sure you got here, that's all." Howitz replied, his hands clasped behind his back as he slowly walked forward, Grimnose stumbling forward in unison. "So, I trust you'll have everything you need?"
"That depends on what I'm dealing with," Malic stated, before patting a small satchel strapped to his belt. "but I have the basics covered..."
"Good to hear," Howitz replied, moving forward as Grimnose continued to amble forward behind him. "If you need anything else, just give my boys a yell and they'll get what you need. I'll be awaiting your success!"
"He has no idea what we could potentially be dealing with, does he?" Khamû whispered, turning to face Malic as the Goblin sauntered towards the barricade.
"No, no doubt he sees only a potential profit from whatever he's been toying with." Malic replied, turning on his heels as he slowly made his way over to where he assumed the strange artefact was. "Come now, let's get going."
Khamû nodded in response as the Void Lord turned to follow Malic, who was now increasing his speed. Malic could feel it, and he was relatively sure Khamû could too. There was a large amount of Fel energy ahead of him. Usually he only felt this much energy coming from a large number of Fel infused trinkets in a small area, this much coming allegedly from one artefact was as intriguing as it was dire.
He turned the corner, and was met by the site of a number of ash piles surrounding a large tome. The tome itself was literally seeping with Fel Energy, the ground around it no doubt permanently coloured a sickly green. The Tome itself appeared to have the appearance of a demonic face with crooked fangs, a large chain wrapped tightly around the book.
"...Malic..." a voice whispered, cooing the Warlock to touch the book and meet the same grizzly fate as all others. However, the response Malic gave was not one of longing, but one of exasperation.
"Please tell me that's not what I think it is..." Malic grumbled, his shoulders dropping slightly as soon as he heard the demonic voice in his head.
"I'm afraid so Master." Khamû replied, his own voice matching that of his Masters. Both annoyed and disappointed. "It seems that the Goblin has procured a Tome of the Lost Legion..."
"How many of these damned things did those bat winged bastards write?!" Malic asked, throwing his hands in the air in exasperation.
"The Nathrezim were always the ones to record their dark findings...no doubt there are millions of Tomes out there, each one brimming with the power of the Legion." Khamû answered, leaning forward as he stared inquisitively at the book, making sure not to touch it.
"Damn it!" Malic hissed, clenching his fists tightly. "Any idea why it turned these poor fellows into ash?" Malic sighed, prodding one of the ash piles with the butt of his scythe. No doubt one was the recruit Howitz had mentioned whilst the others were most likely ones who attempted to move the artefact to a safer holder.
"No doubt the raw energy from the book was too much for them to handle." Khamû theorized, sending a small strand of shadow energy at the book which seemingly absorbed the power. "How should we proceed, Master?"
"I've dealt with enough shit because of one of these damned books..." Malic grumbled, recalling how he had helped another Warlock who had come across one of these Tomes. That was an encounter he wouldn't soon forget, and one that he dearly tried to. "Is there any way to deal with it?"
"There are some containment spells you could try, but they would eventually fail in time." Khamû replied, rising up to full height as he turned to face Malic. "The safest course of action would be to destroy it."
"I was hoping that would be an option..." Malic chuckled, strolling over to the Tome as he knelt down in front of it. "How do we do that?"
"The Nathrezim were always one to keep their secrets safe." Khamû muttered, looking down at the Tome again. "Dark magic's bind the book to keep it safe from those unworthy of its power...but every lock has a key."
"A Healthstone...correct?" Malic asked, recalling the last time he encountered one of these Tome's, causing him to shudder slightly.
"For that one, yes. This Tome could have an entirely different lock." Khamû stated, tilting his head slightly in his Masters direction. "That particular Tome was written by the Dreadlord you Mortals refer to as 'Mephistroth'. This Tome..." Khamû paused as he held his clawed hand over the Tome, before lowering the hand seconds later. "...was written by the one known to you as 'Detheroc'."
"Detheroc..." Malic murmured, nodding his head in recognition of the name. "Yes I recall...ruled Lordaeron for a time alongside Balnazzar and Varimathras after the Legion's defeat at Hyjal?"
"Correct." Khamû confirmed, turning to face his Master yet again. "Detheroc toyed with his enemies, enslaving them with Dark Powers that dominated the mind, turning them into puppets and forcing them to commit heinous acts in his name, in a body they no longer controlled."
"Sounds like a charming fellow..." Malic murmured, standing up again to face Khamû. "How do we open it?"
"As previously mentioned, Detheroc toyed with his foes. No doubt something of a similar nature would work just as well..."
"Unfortunately for us both I'm no Shadow Priest..." Malic muttered, rubbing the back of his head as he raked his mind for an idea. Then a thought popped into his head, it was a long shot but it just might work. "Khamû, do you think a Soulstone might work?"
"Possibly...the idea of toying with ones Soul would certainly be in his nature." Khamû replied, before turning to face Malic with an inquisitive look. "You have an idea I assume?"
"Yes...I believe I do." Malic replied, balling his fist up tightly as shadowy energy surrounded it. He opened it seconds later, a small purple orb resting in his open palm. "If this works and the Tome opens, then what?"
"When the Tome unlocks, it will release a surge of power." Khamû responded, pacing around the Tome at a steady speed. "When it does, all you must simply do is strike the book until the power has all but faded...provided you can open it that is."
"Let's pray this works..." Malic murmured, whispering a silent prayer as he slowly placed the Soulstone in the centre of the Tome, ignoring the pleas the Tome murmured.
As the Soulstone came into contact with the chains binding the book, the stone dispersed into a thick layer of shadow that the book quickly consumed, shaking violently on the spot. The chains then disintegrated into Fel ashes, no longer restraining the violent energies of the Tome. Seconds later, the Tome opened, a pillar of Fel energy shooting out, momentarily blinding Malic and Khamû. Demonic moans echoed all around as the energy crackled all around them, causing the many trinkets to slowly turn to ash as the energy washed over them.
"Quickly Master! Destroy it before it destroys us!" Khamû shouted, backing away slightly as he spoke.
Malic was quick to act, bringing his scythe high over his head and swinging down. When the blade made contact with the page, a shrill shriek echoed throughout the warehouse. Malic swung down again, elighting another shriek from the book. Malic continued to swing the scythe down on the book, each hit causing it to scream in pain. After multiple swings, the Tome let out a final pained moan as Fel energy began to build up around it, forming a small orb above the book. Then, the orb imploded with a large amount of kinetic energy, causing Malic and Khamû to stagger back. When Malic gazed at the book, it no longer crackled with energy, the pages torn and tattered.
"Well, I'm glad that's over..." Malic muttered, leaning on his scythe slightly as he looked up at Khamû, who nodded in response.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON OVER THERE?!"
"Perhaps I spoke too soon..." Malic grumbled as he turned to the sight of Howitz rushing forward, an angry look on his face, followed swiftly by Grimnose.
"What the hell was with the-" Howitz paused as he noticed the now useless Tome behind Malic, his jaw nearly hitting the ground in shock. "What the hell! What happened to my book?!"
"The Tome was a threat to all...the safest course of action was to destroy it." Malic stated, though his explanation did little to quell the Goblins rage. "I did my part, so if you don't mind I would appreciate it if you-"
"I told you not to break ANY of my merchandise! And the first thing you do is break it!" Howitz seethed, turning to face Grimnose. "Grimnose, show him what happens to people who get on my bad side!"
The Hobgoblin giggled in glee as it quickly unsheathed the large hammer strapped to its back, the rusty weapon covered in dried blood. The Hobgoblin raised the hammer over its head, ready to swing down on Malic who stood unmoving. As the hammer was mere inches away, Khamû quickly caught the Hobgoblin's wrist in his clawed hand, shocking the brute. Khamû then proceeded to tighten his grip, causing the Hobgoblin to scream in pain as it dropped the hammer, attempting to pull away from the Demon.
"Hey! Tell your crazy ass shadow thing to let my bodyguard go!" Howitz demanded, a slight trace of fear in his voice.
"That 'crazy ass shadow thing' is called a Void Lord..." Malic seethed, followed quickly by a sickening crunch as Khamû shattered the Hobgoblin's wrist, who backed away rapidly as it cradled its bloodied wrist, whimpering in pain. "Now, as I have already politely asked, I would appreciate it if you gave me my money or I'll be forced to pluck it from what's left of your corpse!"
Howitz backed away slowly, switching his gaze to his now injured bodyguard and the Warlock before him, gulping loudly as he plucked a small coin pouch attached to his belt. "It's all here! Just take it and get out of my sight!"
Malic quickly caught the pouch and opened it, counting the coins inside before chuckling, attaching the pouch to his belt next to the satchel. "Thank you for your cooperation..."
Malic quickly strolled out of sight, followed by Khamû, as both made their way out of the warehouse and into the bustling streets of the port town.
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"That was far more entertaining then I thought it would be!" Khamû exclaimed, his head swivelling towards Malic.
"Indeed," Malic replied, making his way through the large crowd he currently found himself in. "I didn't think the day could get any better, clearly I was wrong."
"We will return to the Undercity soon then?" Khamû asked, nearing the Inn that Malic had rented for the night.
"Yes, we'll probably stay the night and then set off in the-" Malic froze outside the Inn's entrance, becoming as still as a statue.
"Master?" Khamû asked, turning to follow his Master's gaze.
There in the make shift stable were many mounts belonging to various adventurers and traders with Malic's Forsaken Warhorse, Boneshadow, amongst them. However, nearby were three new horses, all of them stabled next to Boneshadow. This would have been no cause for concern, but the armour they wore was almost uniformed. Not to mention something seemed awfully familiar about them, but he couldn't quite place it. Then he recalled it. On his way to Booty Bay he was being followed by three riders mounted on very similar horses. He'd thought he'd lost them, clearly he was wrong.
"I think we're being followed..."
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"Damn that bag of bones!" Howitz seethed, pacing in office as Grimnose whimpered in the corner, still nursing the shattered wrist. "He broke my merchandise! Then my bodyguard! Then he has the audacity to threaten me?! I want him dead! You hear me? Dead!"
"That can be arranged..." a smooth voice answered, catching Howitz by surprise.
Quickly turning, Howitz saw a Human leaning against the frame of the door. They wore a mixture of black plate and leather, a hood with a mask covering the lower half of his face, concealing his identity. Howitz also noted the long elven looking blade in his hand...a blade that was dripping blood.
"What the-how'd you get in here?!" Howitz stammered, backing away slowly as the Human leaned forward slightly.
"I let myself in." the Human replied, who Howitz now realised was holding something in his free hand. "Your guard outside wasn't too keen on that idea so I...relieved him of his post."
The Human then chucked the object forward, the object stopping mere inches from his feet. Now in the dim light, Howitz could clearly see that it was a Goblin head, the look of shock still written on his face. Howitz quickly back peddled as the Human slowly approached, cleaning the blade in his hand of blood.
"What are you waiting for?! Smash the prick!" Howitz shouted, turning to face Grimnose quickly.
With reluctance, Grimnose charged forward, swinging his good arm out in front of him. The Human ducked beneath the blow, quickly slashing at Grimnose's stomach as he passed under his arm. Grimnose quickly fell to the floor, clutching his stomach as the Human then thrust the blade into the Hobgoblin's back, killing him instantly.
"Listen pal...you let me live, I'll pay you big time!" Howitz begged, backing away quickly as the Human quickened his pace, nearly slipping on some stray paperwork.
"Calm yourself my friend, I'm not here for your blood. In fact, I'm here for information." the Human stated, signalling for the Goblin to calm down as he quickly sheathed the blade.
"Information?" Howitz asked, still backing away but now more slowly. Though the caution in his voice was still evident. "What kind of information?"
"The kind I'm willing to pay large amounts of Gold for..." the Human replied, snapping his fingers twice.
Immediately, two more figures dressed in the same attire walked in, carrying a large chest which they dropped on the floor with a loud thud. The Human took out a key which he inserted into the lock of the chest, turning it until he heard a loud click. The figures that had carried the chest in then opened it, revealing a large deposit of Gold laid out in front of him, quite literally glowing. Were it not for the situation, Howitz would have drooled right on the spot.
"Now I would say that a large amount of Gold was a worth while trade for some information, wouldn't you?" the Human murmured, tilting his head as he awaited Howitz's response.
"Well why didn't you say you were here on business?!" Howitz exclaimed, holding his arms out wide as a greedy grin spread across his face. "So, information huh? What d'ya wanna know?"
"You know where to find people, correct?" the Human asked, leaning back as he crossed his arms behind his back. When Howitz nodded in response, the Human leaned closer again, his face mere inches from Howitz's. "Then where can I find Malic Felshroud?"
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Well, things just got interesting! Stay tuned for more action next week. Liked it? Feel free to leave a review and constructive criticism is welcomed. Any questions? Either leave in your review or PM and I'll answer next chapter.
Raging Archon out.