Chapter 11: Skin Deep
Journal Entry No # 442
Storm persisting. Might even have fresh snow, which should not be happening. V. Annoying. Realized yesterday all it would take to be free is for one of the remaining Dalaran wizards near mountain to wander up here and notice the unnatural magic nature of the storm. Further realized this unlikely because lazy Dalaran wizards need blasting powder to get them to move an inch out of the books they're likely perusing during their easy duty watching a crater. Or the scrub duty. Or whatever it is.
Stupid Dalaran wizards. Certain Sparse trained by them.
Despite continuing storm problem, solved another one. Actually managed, over last few days, to clean privy. Really am quite amazed how many chemicals and reagents I was carrying in bags. Good timing to put off re-organization, one realizes. Managed to make crude scrubbing tools and mop via locating another cast-off ogre fur in castle. Too far-gone to even try and clean for bedding, so cut up and soaked in chemical mixes. Made cleaning solution via the dozen or so buckets we'd managed to find, boiled water on fire, and went to work.
Harder than any monster I ever killed. Might be because I let Rielle use the nose plugs though. Honestly wonder if ogres instill fel energy in what goes into them for when it comes out. Nothing normal should make that smell. Some say you get used to bad smell in time. They liars.
But, done. Somehow. Originally going to burn cleaning rags. Decided fire didn't deserve that and just tossed them out onto the roof of the castle. Not care much for feelings of snow. It why we stuck here.
Writing too late again. Journal makes less sense that way. Wonder what Rielle has planned for tomorrow. Can't think of any more chores.
"…what?" Zackel said flatly.
"I want a bath." Rielle said, sitting on the lone table the pair had. "I helped you with that LOATHSOME stopgap we call the facilities, and quite frankly after watching you do all your little alchemist tricks I damn sure deserve one."
"Um…okay." Zackel said, scratching his head. "Well, did you find the castle's bathing chambers?"
"The ogres used it for another toilet."
"Say no more." Zackel said. "Well, I'm not wholly sure how I can…"
"Quit talking, mage. I have a list." Rielle said.
"Oh Rielle, I thought we were past this part of our relationship." Zackel said with mock disapproval.
"Not as long as I have this, Zack." Rielle said, holding up her axe. "Now get to work."
"…you haven't given me the list yet."
Zackel still hadn't gotten Rielle's speed down. At least this time she just poked him in the forehead.
"What part of quit talking did you not get?" Rielle said. "Shall I say it slower? QUIIIIIIITTTTTTTTT TALKKKIIINNNGGG…where are you going?"
"To get snow." Zackel said, walking off. "Maybe I'll get back by the time you're done with the flaunting."
"Oh believe me Zack, you wish I would flaunt myself."
"Oh believe me Rielle, you want NO PLACE in my wishes." Zackel snarked, as he stepped out of the room.
"First things first clever boy. I want soap. PROPER soap, not that stuff you used on the furs and our privy."
"Ask and you shall receive." Zackel said, working over one of the buckets. He'd taken fireplace ash, and mixed in a few alchemical components which he was now stirring slowly.
"Move faster!" Rielle said, (very) lightly smacking Zackel on the back of the head.
"Ow." Zackel said. "This isn't a case of stick chemical A in potion B, Rielle. Unless you want my mix to melt your skin off, you'll let me do this at the proper pace."
SOME TIME LATER.
"Test it on yourself." Rielle said, holding out a piece of fur.
"Pardon? And where did you get that?"
"I thought ahead and cut up one of your blankets."
"You WHAT?"
"Kidding. I cut off a piece of mine. Better sponge than your excuse for hides." Rielle said. "Soak up the soap and test it."
"Right. Did that include dripping it into my eyes? Because if it does I'll just skip the middleman and ram my head into the bucket."
"Don't. It'd be a waste of a good bucket."
"It really says something about my life that I've been reduced to goblin levels of demonstration." Zackel said, stripping off his robe, trying to roll up his sleeve, and then finally getting annoyed by his sleeve refusing to roll up and just stripping his shirt off.
"Wooooooooooooo." Rielle said, in the fakest possible enthusiasm she could muster. Zackel mostly ignored the draenei, as he found some grime in a corner and rubbed it on his arm.
"Dirt." Zackel said, demonstrating his arm as he soaked the makeshift sponge/scrubber in the soap and water mix he'd made. The dirt easily came off as he ran the soaked fur up and down it. Clean water from another bucket rinsed the limb with no sign of injury or irritation.
"Tah-dah. It's GONNNEEE."
"Just put your shirt back on, I can't decide whether to fall into hysterical laughter or start vomiting."
"Why don't you just combine the two, you can choke on your own vomit and put me our of my misery." Zackel said, loosely buttoning his shirt. "Give me a second to add one more chemical. Make sure you smell nice afterward."
"Are you saying I stink?"
"I'm saying you've spent a fair bit of time sweating and cleaning an EXCEPTIONALLY unkempt lavatory."
This time, Zackel dodged the flick to the forehead. Though he was pretty sure she let him see she was coming.
"Didn't deserve that one." Zackel said, commenting on his unlikely (?) dodge.
"Just finish your soap. And don't take your shirt off to test it, I need these eyes."
"Fine. I'll take off my pants instead."
"Please don't, the end result probably WOULD have me laughing until I vomit."
"Next I want water. Lots of hot water. You're the magician, make with the magic!"
"I have to wonder what you'd have done if I was say, a hunter." Zackel said, boiling several of the wooden buckets over the fire, using his mage talents to prevent the buckets themselves from catching on fire and to properly heat the water.
"Probably would have killed you and eaten you by now. Then I wouldn't care if I stunk." Rielle said.
"So you admit it then."
Rielle's axe buried itself in the wall near Zackel.
"And your aim still hasn't improved I see."
Rielle waited until Zackel was done boiling the water before she tossed him out of nowhere on her piled bedding.
"OW! What was THAT for?"
"Considering it an item off the next training bill you'll be getting."
"Okay then. Main tub filled with water, buckets filled with more water, a proper soap, a sponge, you're done with me. I'll just wander downstairs and see if I can find anything new amongst the…" Zackel said.
"Not so fast." Rielle said, producing her dagger.
"Now what do you want, for me to poke holes in the bottom of one bucket to make you a shower?"
"No. Your robe." Rielle said, tossing the knife to Zackel. He let it fall to the floor. "Hey!"
"I still consider this the wiser course of action." Zackel said, bending over and picking Rielle's knife up. "Now what's this about my robe?"
"Cut a strip off it."
"WHAT?" Zackel yelled. "You think this is just some piece of clothing woman?! It's precisely inlaid with enchanted threads and weaved in a specific way to better serve in my minimal-as-it-is protection and my spell casting efforts and why the fel do you want me to cut a strip off my robe?"
"Your blindfold."
"What?"
"Because of you I have to bathe in that." Rielle said, indicating the tub. "You're helping. And believe you me, you are not getting ANYTHING out of it."
"…………………what." Zackel said. "Do you…"
"Strip!"
"What?"
"Cut the strip off, Zack."
"………you know, if you really want to do it this way, I could just close my eyes."
"Ah ha ha. No. Strip." Rielle said. "And believe me, I'll be watching. You peek, I'll rip your eyes out and shove them up your rectum so you can watch me kick your ass."
"………….you have no idea how nice I'm being to you." Zackel said, as he began pulling off his robe.
"Oh yeah, and before you do, make some more of that face-tidying stuff you used. I want that too, and forgot to ask before."
"ARGH!"
"Now that's tied tight now?" Rielle's voice said into Zackel's ear.
"Yes." Zackel said with deep irritation, now blindfolded with a small piece of what had once been his robe. "Perhaps I shall provide entertainment for you as well? Do a dance while you perform your desired hygienic acts?"
"Nah, just stand there. I'm getting enough of a laugh. You're certain you can't see?"
"NO."
A second later Zackel felt the edge of Rielle's axe lightly pressed between his legs. He was pretty sure he paled a great deal at the realization.
"…is that REALLY necessary?"
"Perhaps." Rielle said, removing the blade. "I know men, after all. You can't help…"
Zackel found himself almost flying off his feet as Rielle did another combat throw. Lacking any form of sight, he'd had no idea it was coming and would have had an incredibly painful landing on the stone floor had Rielle not caught him in turn.
"……………………convinced NOW?" Zackel said, his cross tone coming out more gasp-like then he would have liked.
"No that was just for my own amusement."
"My whole LIFE is for your amusement now."
"You're catching on." Rielle said, guiding the blind Zackel to a certain spot. "Stand there."
Zackel did so, arms crossed, his shirt still untucked and semi-buttoned from his earlier demonstration. He heard Rielle stripping out of her clothing, and slightly sensed motion as she stepped into the tub in front of him. He debated asking if there was a point to this, and decided he didn't want to get smacked in the face with a wet fur-sponge and continued standing there.
"When I ask, bend down and hand me one of the buckets." Rielle said.
"Right then." Zackel said, staring at the darkness that was his world now. He heard water dripping and splashing as the alien cleaned herself in front of him.
"Ah…"
Zackel arched an eyebrow.
"……mmmm."
Zackel had absolutely no idea if Rielle was continuing her parade of head-screwery or if her noises were genuine. A period of silence left Zackel 'in the dark' some more.
"Ahhhhhhhh…"
"You all right there?"
"Let a lady enjoy her bath in silence, mage." Rielle said, flicking water onto Zackel's chest. "Need a bucket soon."
"Right." Zackel said, leaning over and hunting around. He located one and stood back up, listening to more faint splashes and squishing noises.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhh…bucket please."
Zackel held it out, and Rielle slipped it out of her hand and poured it on herself, judging from the noises Zackel heard.
"Arm out." Rielle said. Zackel slowly held out his arm.
"To your side I see. A gentleman." Rielle said, slipping the bucket over Zackel's arm. "Wait there."
Zackel did, as Rielle bathed and did whatever other tasks she had wanted to do (she'd asked for his gnome cleaning tool as well), Zackel occasionally handing her another bucket of rinsing water. Judging from the noises she kept making, she thoroughly enjoyed herself.
"Am I done?" Zackel finally asked after about thirty minutes and seven buckets. Rielle's response was to lightly place the empty bucket over Zackel's head. "Oh this is nice. All that and this too. Very nice."
"You've EARNED very nice, Zackel. Just as long as you do one more thing." Rielle said, taking Zackel by the shoulders and turning him around. "Walk until you find the wall. Sit down. Stay there until I give you the signal."
"Right. You're not going to throw the empty buckets at me for target practice, right? Or decide now is the best time to practice the martial arts created to fight your ancient bucket-headed enemies? Oh I know, you've directed me to walk into the fire, so you get an amusing dance out of me after all."
"Get moving." Rielle said, giving Zackel a push. Zackel walked, hands out, until he found the wall and sat down, removing the bucket from his head as he did so. He heard Rielle stepping out of the makeshift bathing tub, and he sighed and drummed his fingers on the floor as Rielle did the slow-drying process in front of the fire.
At least until he heard it. The faint shuffle of what sounded like feet.
"What was that?" Zackel said, turning his head.
"What was what?"
"I heard…something? A noise?" Zackel said, standing up. "Sounded like a creak. Like someone's on the stairs."
"What?" Rielle said.
"Rielle, where's my staff?"
"It's across the room…"
"I need it…" Zackel said, stripping the blindfold off, being VERY careful to keep his head tilted away from where Rielle's voice was coming from. He still heard a small gasp. "I'm NOT LOOKING. NOT LOOKING…"
Zackel fumbled his way across the room, locating his staff and heading back for the open door.
"NOT LOOKING. NOT LOOKING…gentleman, remember?" Zackel said as re-assurance as he reached the door. "I'm going to go check it out. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"I don't think I could live long enough to do all that."
"Still not funny…" Zackel's voice drifted through the door as Rielle heard him going down the stairs.
"Hmpphh. Probably was running out of the ability to resist peeking. Pervert." Rielle said, turning back to the fire. Now having a sense of semi-urgency, she began rubbing down her body to try and dry off faster. The fact that such an act would have been an even BETTER show never occurred to her. Combing her hair with her fingers as best she could, Rielle pulled on her shorts-underwear, and then took her bra/undershirt off the fireplace GET TO THE POINT corner it was hanging and began lacing it up.
She was half-way done when she heard the skittering noise, making her jerk her head up.
"Zackel?" Rielle said, looking around. She was still alone in the room. "Hey, Zack! This is a bad time for a prank!"
There was no answer. Grinding her teeth slightly, Rielle scooped up her axe and began heading for the door Zackel had gone through, slowly. For some reason, she suddenly had a very bad feeling.
The only noise now was the slight click of her hooves on the ground, as she made her way over to the door, axe at the ready. It had to be nothing. Probably just the castle settling. Or Zackel trying to screw with her after his most recent bout of servitude. Couldn't be anything else.
Just her and him, alone in this castle. All alone.
A shiver ran up her spine.
THUD.
Rielle jerked her axe up, even as she felt her pulse quicken.
THUD.
Something was coming.
THUD.
What could possibly be in here…
"Rielle? It's me." Zackel called. Rielle blinked, and then realized that the thuds were Zackel's staff on the stairs. He was letting her know he was coming back. "Are you decent?"
"…yeah. Come in." Rielle said, as Zackel emerged through the doorway, looking none the worse for wear.
"I went to check around the-whoa boy." Zackel said, whirling around. Rielle stared. "Uh Rielle…your shirt is slipping open."
"Wha?" Rielle said, looking down and realizing her half-done lacing had begun coming open from her recent jerking movements. She was glad Zackel had turned around, mostly because she didn't want him to see her blush as she began re-tying the clothing. Most of her chest, she could live with. Her flustered, not so much.
"Okay, okay. Done." Rielle said, after she'd fixed herself.
"Something happen?" Zackel said, turning around.
"Heard a weird noise myself. Decided to check it out."
"Really? Well I'm as lost as you. Went all over the castle. Nothing. Must just be the storm, or the building itself. Or our nerves, who knows."
"I want to." Rielle said, walking back over to the rest of her clothes. "We're doing another sweep."
Zackel watched Rielle walk for a few seconds: his official reason if given would have been the motion of her tail caught his eyes. Which was the truth. Mostly. The rest was adrenaline without a release, which Zackel rather wished would fade so his eyes wouldn't give his alien companion an excuse to beat him up more.
"…wait did you…" Rielle said, turning around as Zackel jerked his head up, the firelight catching her…
Fire…
Laughing…
"BEG ME LITTLE BOY."
"Gah!" Zackel said, blinking.
"Oh zoning out again. Grand timing, wizard. Come back down to the world here, we have another sweep to do." Rielle said, turning back to her clothing.
Zackel blinked a bit, before putting his face in his hand and grimacing. He was still having the flashbacks. It was starting to become more than irksome, especially considering that the woman who was triggering them…
Well, he wouldn't have minded a peek. Whether that just him being a red-blooded male, who could say.
Not like the other one.
The greatest regret. Even more so than Jasciona.
He really hoped they came under control soon. As far as he knew, he was sane. But considering what stirred in him every time he saw those images, and how they reflected in the draenei he at least considered a friend…
It had to end soon. Hopefully.
"As you wish." Zackel said, and waited for the Draenei to finish getting dressed.
"…what?" Rielle said flatly.
"You heard me. My turn." Zackel said. With the search of the castle having turned up nothing, Zackel had disposed of the bathwater, and while Rielle ate some bread, begun bringing in fresh snow and water. "You don't have to do anything. I made extra soap and all that myself. You just have to leave the room."
"Oh really." Rielle said, her eyes sparkling mischievously.
"Yes, REALLY." Zackel said, trying to denote deadly seriousness. Rielle settled her axe on the ground, and flashed Zackel a smile hardened killers would have trouble manifesting.
"MAKE ME, wizard boy."
SOME TIME LATER.
"Oh you dirty cheating bastard!" Rielle yelled at the massive ice blockage that now filled the door in front of her, the draenei now trapped out in the hallway the stairs were attached to. She had no idea how Zackel had talked her out of her axe, then put an ice trail on the floor to slide her out the door with a sneaky push before he'd sealed her out of the room with an ice wall. Or so she would claim. In truth, she'd thrown 'the match', more interested to see what Zackel would do to get rid of her instead of seriously planning to stay. However, he'd gotten the best of her just a bit more than she'd liked, and hence she was going to make sure he didn't have a quiet cleaning time.
"Yeah, yeah. Keep telling yourself that." Zackel said, standing in the tub as he rubbed soap into his hair. "Hmmmm. This is pleasant."
"Just you wait until I get back in there! I'm gonna dry you off by rotating you over the fire!"
"Would be quicker. It's always woman who take their time doing these things."
"OHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Rielle said. "Maybe I won't wait! Maybe I'll just kick this ice down right now!"
"Go ahead. You said it yourself. You'd go blind." Zackel said. "Or vomit. Or be so horrified you'd vomit out your eye sockets. Actually, that would be kind of interesting to see: do try and get in. I have nothing to hide."
"Why Zack, how very honest." Rielle snarked. Zackel paused for a second, then groaned to himself.
"Walked into that one."
"In all seriousness Zackel…" Rielle said some time later, when she was back in the room (without fulfilling any of the violent promises she'd made), the two adventurers now dry and sharing the evening meal. "Thanks."
"I do my best." Zackel said, taking a bite from a piece of fruit.
"I mean it. I bitch and complain and use you like slave labor, but while you got me stuck in here with you, you're talented enough to make it tolerable, and generous enough to make it almost like a camping trip. Jasciona must have been insane to leave you."
"Technically I left HER…though I'd rather not go back into that." Zackel said. "If we're going to tell stories again, I'd rather something lighter."
"Sure. There was this wizard who I took a bath in front of. He never peeked once. I think he was light in the loafers."
"That's not what I meant and you know it Rielle." Zackel said. "If you're going to just insult me all evening, again, let me pull out the Thrust board so I can get my own back."
Rielle learned quickly. REALLY quickly. While Zackel's mind had been nowhere near the game the last time (which probably had more to do with his loss than the draenei would have liked to admit), the warrior was picking up the strategy of the game to the point where Zackel considered lowering her handicap. In the end, he decided her gloating about her wins was less annoying than her gloating about scaring him would have been, and left it at that.
She'd long drifted off to sleep. Zackel was dozing himself when he heard it. He jerked his head up, looking around.
Nothing. Again. Zackel got up and skulked around the room anyway, and when he was done he made sure both doors leading into the makeshift barracks the two shared were firmly shut. After doing that, all without waking the draenei, he'd gone back to bed and managed to drift off to sleep.
There were so many secrets in the world of Azeroth. So many sins. So many horrors.
Who knew what sometimes lay, festering and forgotten, in some dark crack or abandoned corner…
Until someone opened it up?
Until someone let it out?
Are you alone…
Or do you only…
Think you are?
Zackel felt grouchy the next day. He hadn't slept well. Flitting nightmares he had been unable to remember.
It kept him from noticing that when he'd went to bed, his staff had been directly within reach.
When he'd woken up…that was no longer the case.
Author's note: No, she was shaving her LEGS you debauched hornd-WAIT A SECOND WHO WROTE GET TO THE POINT IN THE MIDDLE OF MY BLOODY CHAPTER?
Rielle: Evidentially someone who desired a point. How strange.