Chapter 2
The Undead and the Scarlet
When Erthos awoke the following morning, he was alone in the room. Stretching his arms and letting out a yawn, he slowly sat up, looking down at the amulet that was still hanging from his neck. Zyathri's armour and weapon was no longer on the side, and her bed was freshly made.
After taking a few moments to freshen himself up in the small water basin, Erthos slung is his robe back on, making sure the amulet stayed hidden. Looking around the room one last time, and making sure he had everything, Erthos headed downstairs to see if he could find Zyathri. When he arrived at the bottom of the stairs, the innkeeper came over and told him that his breakfast was ready for him, and that Zyathri had a few errands to run before they set off. Shrugging slightly, Erthos sat at a table in the corner and started eating slowly, watching as various people came from other rooms in the inn and started eating.
It wasn't long before Zyathri returned, once more adorned from head to toe in her armour. Erthos' mind flashed back to what he had seen the night before, and he couldn't help but smile. Zyathri, on the other hand, had returned to her stern appearance. Pulling out a chair, she sat down opposite Erthos.
"You are well rested, I take it?" she asked him, readily taking a drink brought to her by a waitress. Erthos nodded as he took another bite out of his meal. He had never tasted anything so nice before.
"Good" Zyathri continued, taking a sip from her drink. "Once you are finished there, we will return to the Spire and use the Orb of Translocation to get to the Undercity. It is quicker than heading through the Plaguelands." Erthos nodded in agreement again. He didn't actually know what the Orb was, nor how big the Plaguelands actually were, so he trusted that Zyathri knew well enough.
As soon as Erthos finished, the two of them left the inn, walking out into the blazing sun. Erthos raised his hand slightly to block the sun as his eyes adjusted to the brightness. Zyathri didn't stop walking, leaving Erthos' to jog to catch up with her.
As with the day before, when they first arrived, there were plenty of whispers about the two of them walking through Silvermoon. They city seemed to be a lot busier as well, with more people cluttering the streets. Merchants trying to sell their wares, people looking to buy them, whilst mothers ran after their children that were dodging and weaving through the crowds. Erthos couldn't help but wonder how people got anything done in such a city.
It didn't take them long to arrive at the Sunfury Spire again, the guards still standing to attention along the bridge. Erthos wondered if they were the same ones as before, but discarded the idea entirely. Once inside the spire, Erthos breathed a sigh of relief, glad for the brief respite from the scorching heat that was being generated by the sun.
Unlike when Erthos had been standing there prior to talk with Lord Lor'themar, this time the Spire looked to be empty. The council and Lor'themar were no where to be seen. Zyathri continued to lead Erthos through the spire, taking him up a small ramp into a room behind the council chambers. Sitting on a platform was a glowing red orb.
Walking past Zyathri, Erthos walks up to the Orb, reaching out with his hand. Holding his hands just above the surface, he lets out a light, nervous laugh. He stared at his reflection in its mirrored surface before letting his hand drop to his side. I have no idea how this works… Erthos thought to himself.
"After you" Erthos says, looking slightly nervous as he looks to Zyathri, motioning towards the Orb. Zyathri looks back at Erthos, shaking her head slightly and sighing. Reaching out, she places her hand on its surface and shrugs slightly before being enveloped in arcane energy and vanishing.
Erthos blinked at the spot where Zyathri had been sanding only a few seconds before, moving over to the spot and looking at the Orb. He was still clueless about what he was supposed to do. Biting his bottom lip slightly, he reached out, placing his palm on the cool surface of the Orb and closed his eyes. After a few moments he opened one of his eyes, his muscles relaxing.
"Well, know wh-" Erthos' sentence was cut short as the arcane energy wrapped itself around him. There was a bright light as everything around him faded, rapidly being replaced by tones of grey. Erthos feels a cold breeze rush around his body as the light fades and he mumbles the last part of his sentence. "…at…" Erthos slowly removes his hand from the Orb and looks around before looking to Zyathri who was standing a few paces away.
"Hi" he said, slightly embarrassed for some reason, waving slightly. Zyathri looked at him for a moment before burying her face in her hand, shaking her head slightly. Turning around, she walked to the entrance to the room that the Orb was in.
"Coming?" Zyathri called out to Erthos as she walked into the main ruins of Lordaeron. Now…where is the entrance… Zyathri thinks to herself. Ugh…I had hoped to never come back here…After a few moments of searching, Zyathri got her bearings and headed into the ruins.
Erthos quickly caught up with Zyathri, looking around at the ruins as the slowly make their way through. Reaching out, he ran his fingers along the stone walls, feeling the various cracks and marks that time and war had caused.
"Have you been here before, Zyathri?" Erthos asked, feeling a slight chill run down his spine as another cool breeze travelled through the ruins, running past the two Blood Elves, causing their hair to sway slightly.
"A few too many times…" Zyathri said quietly, nodding very faintly as she lead Erthos down a passageway, knowing it lead to the elevators that travel to the Undercity. Erthos wondered what she meant by "too many times", but thought nothing of it. As they turned a corner, a faint odour started to fill the hall. At the end of the passageway, standing guard at the entrance to the elevator, were two Forsaken Abominations.
Knowing all to well that the stench was enough to make even the strongest of stomachs turn, Zyathri held her nose before quickly moving forwards. Erthos, however, did not know. At first, when he spotted the Abominations, he was intrigued by them. They were large, fleshy creatures whose stomachs were sliced open, exposing their putrid guts to the world. All sorts of foul things oozed from their bodies, contaminating the air.
As soon as they moved closer, Erthos understood why Zyathri had held her nose. The smell assaulted his nose, instantly causing him to gag, his stomach attempting to void the food it had received not to long ago. Bringing his hand to his mouth, Erthos ran to an alcove, just in time as his stomach emptying everything it held into one giant mess on the floor. Erthos remained doubled over as he spat and coughed, trying to get the foul taste out of his mouth and nose, but failing miserably.
"Come on, get into the elevator before it leaves…" Zyathri said, shaking her head slightly, still holding her nose. Underneath though, the smell was starting to affect her as well, and her stomach was starting to churn. Reaching into a small bag that hung from her waist, Zyathri pulled out a bottle of clear water and took a quick sip of it, trying to calm her stomach.
Erthos, meanwhile, steadied himself against the wall, still coughing slightly, as he looked at the Abominations, and Zyathri who was now standing in the elevator. Taking a deep breath and holding his nose, he quickly sprinted into the elevator, just in time as the door slid shut, sealing them off from the dreadful stench.
"Here, drink this" Zyathri said, offering the bottle of water to Erthos, who was now taking deep breaths of fresh air as the elevator started to travel down. Erthos gladly took the bottle and took a large gulp of it, trying to wash the taste from his mouth. Using the sleeve to wipe his mouth of any remaining vomit, Erthos passed the water back to Zyathri who put it away, before using his other sleeve to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
"That…was not pleasant" Erthos said slowly, standing upright, a feeling of shame and embarrassment flowing through him in regards to what had just happened. "The water helped though, thank you…"
"It happened to me too, when I first came here." Zyathri says with a slight smirk before simply shaking her head. The elevator slowly comes to a stop as it reached the bottom, the stone doors opening slowly. Much to Erthos' thanks, there were no Abominations on the other side. The two of them exited the elevator just before the door closes again and the elevator travels up to the surface once more.
"Where next?" Erthos asked, looking over to Zyathri. After a few moments of thinking and working out where they had ended up, Zyathri led the two of them down the corridor into the central hub of the Undercity. As they walked, Erthos placed his hands behind his back, standing fully upright, trying to give an impression of authority and importance.
"Well, the royal chamber is behind us, so we go down and around. This place is a giant ring." Zyathri said, quietly, glancing to Erthos. Seeing his current posture, Zyathri raised an eye brow, shaking her head slightly. "What are you doing?" she asked, stopping for a moment to look at him.
Erthos tried to make some kind of answer up, but found himself failing to do so. With a slight sigh, he let his shoulders sag and his arms drop to his sides.
"Come on. Make sure you don't lose sight of me, this place is easy to get lost in…" Zyathri said as she started walking again, Erthos following quietly in tow. Unlike in Silvermoon, where people were watching Erthos everywhere they went, in the Undercity, everyone seemed to be keeping to themselves. The atmosphere was a lot more dank and dark as well. Must be the lack of natural light… Erthos thought to himself.
Staying close, Zyathri led Erthos over a bridge that crossed a river of green slime that slowly circled the entire Undercity. Erthos looked at it as they walked over it, noticing the various skulls and bones that would bubble to the surface before sinking again.
Many a time as they walked through the Undercity towards Sylvannas, Erthos stumbled into other people, most of who ended up growling and swearing at him. Each time he apologised profusely and quickly ran to catch up with Zyathri, who was somehow expertly weaving through the crowds.
Silvermoon had been filled with all sorts of nicely mannered people, mostly Blood Elves with the occasional Tauren. In contrast though, the Undercity was filled with Undead and Orcs. Erthos found that the Orcs were the ones who he most often bumped into, and the ones who gave him the meanest looks.
Turning round a corner, the two blood elves stood before a long corridor, guarded by two of Sylvannas' royal dread guards. They looked to Zyathri who stepped towards them, one of her hands hovering above the hilt on her blade.
"I'm here to see Sylvannas" she said in a rather commanding tone. As if an after thought, she quickly took hold of Erthos, pulling him in front of her. "And this one is with me."
The two royal guards nodded silently before moving to one side, allowing Zyathri and Erthos to walk past them both. The entire time, Erthos remained silent, looking all around him. I wonder how long it took them to build all this… he thought to himself as he stared at the high ceiling before looking back down as they came to the end of the passage way.
As they walked into the Royal Chamber, their path was blocked by a large Dreadlord, his arms folded across his chest. He looked down at the two Blood Elves, snorting slightly.
"And who might you be?" the demon asked, leaning forwards slightly and looking at Zyathri. Tilting her head to the side, Zyathri calmly responded.
"I am Zyathri, of the Blood Knights of Silvermoon." Looking over to Erthos, Zyathri gestured to him. "And this is Erthos. We are here to see Sylvannas." Erthos offered a weak smile as he looked at the imposing figure before him. He wondered how Zyathri could stand there so calmly. His fear only grew as the Dreadlord broke out into a monstrous laugh, shaking his head.
"Your title means nothing to us, puny blood elf. You are not worthy to talk to the Dark Lady" he managed to say, whilst still laughing at Erthos and Zyathri. Zyathri let out a faint sigh and looked to Erthos, giving him a faint shrug.
As the Dreadlord laughed at Zyathri, Erthos felt something bubble inside him, not noticing the amulet around his neck starting to grow warmer. Without even realising it, Erthos had taken a step forwards towards the Dreadlord, even though every fibre of his being was telling him to leave.
"Sir, if you would please lend me your ear…" Erthos began, choosing his words carefully. "It is of utmost importance that we see Lady Sylvannas." Reaching into his robe, Erthos pulled the amulet out, only now noticing the warmth it was giving off. "I have been charged with bringing this to her by Lord Lor'themar. It is urgent that I complete my task. Wont you let us by, so we can stop wasting your time?"
Zyathri slightly raised an eyebrow as the Dreadlord turned to look at Erthos, who was doing his best not to show how scared he really was. There was silence for a few moments before the giant demon burst into laughter again, obviously finding what Erthos had said to be amusing.
"Puny creature, your lord means nothing to us" the Dreadlord said before pausing, crossing his arms across his chest. "However…" he said slowly, looking at the amulet. "Your…task…seems to be important. I will allow you to see the Dark Lady…" The Dreadlord paused again and grinned at Erthos, lowering himself down to look directly at him.
"…Only if you prove yourself worthy."
There was a slight sigh and a faint slapping noise as Zyathri covered her face with her palm, shaking her head slightly.
Not another god damned errand… she thought to herself, throwing a look to Erthos, who somehow looked even more scared than before, before looking to the Dreadlord again.
"Look, demon, we are not your lackeys. Go do your own damned work" Zyathri said, her voice sounding very commanding. The Dreadlord's face flashed with anger as he rose himself up, staring down at Zyathri.
"You will do as I say if this task is so important!" he bellowed at her. Before things got any further, Erthos stepped in between the two of them, looking at the Dreadlord before looking to Zyathri.
"Zyathri…please…" Erthos said quietly, looking at her. Zyathri glared at Erthos for stepping in before simply turning her back on him and walking up the passage. Erthos watched Zyathri walk away, feeling a lump form in his throat. Turning back around, he looked up at the Dreadlord.
"What is it you will have us do, demon?" he asked quietly, his mind lingering on Zyathri. The Dreadlord turns his attention back to Erthos, lowering himself down again.
"There is a particular book within the Monastery, not far from here, containing secrets of demonic magic. I want you to get it for me…" The Dreadlord said before grinning at Erthos. "But…said Monastery is inhabited by the Scarlet Zealots who have been troubling the Dark Lady for quite some time. Do us a favour and get rid of them while you are at it." The demon lets out another laugh before turning its back on Erthos, dismissing him.
Putting the amulet back into its hiding place in his robes, Erthos walks back up the passageway to where Zyathri is waiting, stopping short just behind her. He looked at her for a moment, unsure of what to say.
"Im sorry…" he finally said, thinking that the words sounded hollow, as well as leaving a taste almost as foul as his vomit from earlier in his mouth. Erthos remained silent as he waited for a response, looking down at the ground.
Zyathri slowly turned and looked at him, not saying anything. After a few moments, she lets out a quiet sigh and shrugs. Looks like I'm stuck with him for a while longer… she thought to herself, crossing her arms and turning away from Erthos. Closing her eyes Zyathri ponders the situation for a few more moments.
"So, it looks like you've got us doing more than I had planned…" she says quietly and slowly, shaking her head slightly before turning to face Erthos again, her arms still crossed. "Where are we going, then? And why?"
Erthos looked at Zyathri standing there, studying her face as she stared blankly at him. He wished he could change what he had done, yet he wasn't entirely sure why. After all, I only met her yesterday…and she has teased me a lot in such a short time… Erthos thought to himself. Letting out a slight sigh, Erthos walked forwards, past Zyathri. Stopping, he turned his head slightly.
"You don't have to come if you don't want to" he said, closing his eyes for a moment. "I should be ok to take care of myself. You've done your bit. You brought me to the Undercity." Turning his head back and opening his eyes, Erthos started walking onwards once more.
Zyathri's arms fell to her sides before she sighed quietly, following just behind Erthos.
"I was assigned to guard you until your task is complete…" she said quietly. "Lor'themar will have my hide if I return to Silvermoon without you…" Zyathri suddenly overtook Erthos and stood in front of him, placing her hands on her hips and tilting her head to the side slightly.
"Besides…" she carried on, a slight smirk showing on her lips. "We both know you wouldn't last five minutes without me. Now, I ask again: where are we going?" As she stands in front of Erthos, a ring of blue runes appears beneath them both, a sense of protection flowing through the both of them.
Erthos smiled slightly, letting out a slight laugh at Zyathri's comment. He glanced down at the runes that were slowly fading away before looking back up to Zyathri.
"We need to go to the near by Monastery" Erthos said slowly, wondering how Zyathri would react to the knowledge of where they were going. Thankfully, she seemed unfazed. "We need to get a book about demon magic… and to kill anyone we come across…" Erthos' voice trails off at the end as he looks away slightly.
"I suppose we had better get going then" Zyathri says with a slight shrug. Its not as if we have much choice… she thought to herself as she double checked her weapon and shield. Turning around, Zyathri quickly led Erthos back through the Undercity, towards the elevator where she knew the Abominations and their ungodly stench would be waiting for them.
"How long will it take us to get to the Monastery?" Erthos asked as the two of them walked into the elevator again. As they rode upwards, the memory of the Abominations came to Erthos' mind and he shuddered slightly.
"Not long at all, once we are out of the Undercity" Zyathri said, smiling faintly as she noticed Erthos shuddering slightly. "I'll call Nightmare to take us there. Oh, and hold your nose this time." As the elevator came to a slow, Zyathri held her nose with her hand and took a deep breath, motioning for Erthos to do the same.
Wondering what Zyathri meant by calling Nightmare, Erthos quickly held his own nose and took a deep breath, just in time as the door slid open. As soon as he was able to, Erthos sprinted past the Abominations and up the corridor, away from their stench.
"Gods, they are putrid" he stated as he took in a deep breath of fresh air, the cool winds striking him once more. Zyathri quickly came up behind him, more of a smile on her face.
"Yes, vile things. As are most of the Forsaken" she said with a slight laugh. Leading Erthos outside of the ruins, Zyathri stopped for a moment. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she started to channel light energy. Erthos watched quietly, noticing her lips moving slowly, in what he assumed was her reciting some spell.
After a bright flash, that caused Erthos to cover his eyes for a moment, there was a slight grunt as Nightmare trotted over to the two of them, standing in front of Zyathri. Smiling, Zyathri reached out and gently placed her hand on the mounts side. With one swift motion, she climbed onto Nightmares back before offering a hand to Erthos to help him up.
Taking the offered hand, Erthos climbed onto the mount, positioning himself behind Zyathri. Once again, he wrapped his arms around her waist, feeling more comfortable with the position this time. Looking behind them Erthos looked at the ruins that hide the entrance to the Undercity. I wonder how long this will take us… he thought to himself.
"Away we go…" Erthos says quietly, turning and looking forward. Closing his eyes, Erthos waited for the inevitable jerk that came with Nightmare breaking into a full on sprint. As if on queue, Nightmare sped away from the ruins, running along the path that led towards the Monastery.
"Let's pick up the pace, shall we Nightmare?" Zyathri says to her steed, patting Nightmare on the side. Once again, golden runes form around Nightmares feet and the mount charges forwards at an increased speed.
"We'll be there before you know it, Erthos" Zyathri said with a slight smile. The sooner we get there and get this done, the sooner we can see Sylvannas and then I can finally go back to Silvermoon… Zyathri thought to herself.
As the mount sped through Tirisfal Glades, Erthos looked at the few things he could catch sight of amongst the trees that lined the paths edge. The occasional demon hound would be sniffing at the path, but would quickly move away from the mount as it charged past. Every now and then, Erthos caught sight of some random person battling against one of the local creatures, some winning, although some weren't faring so well.
Taking a sudden turn, Nightmare ran up hill, following a well trodden path. The path was almost completely faded away, being replaced by grass that was growing all over it. Ahead of them, Erthos caught sigh of the spires of the Monastery, rising skywards. As they approached the Monastery, Nightmare slowed down to a trot before coming to a full stop.
"Be on your guard…" Zyathri said quietly as she jumped down to the ground. "The inhabitants here aren't called Zealots without reason." Cautiously, Zyathri checked the immediate area around them. There was no sign of anyone outside of the Monastery.
Jumping down, Erthos landed beside Zyathri, stretching his legs slightly. Looking down at his robe, a question formed in his mind and he looked to Zyathri.
"Err, I don't suppose you have a dagger to spare, do you?" Erthos asked sheepishly. "I don't have a weapon of my own and…well…my magic isn't much to go by at the moment." Erthos chuckled nervously, knowing that in truth, it was only recently that he had managed his first spell, and he had no idea how strong it had been.
Zyathri looked to Erthos, seeming slightly surprised by his request. She gave him a faint shrug, tilting her head to the side. Erthos looked at her for a moment before letting out a slight sigh. Zyathri only carried with her the items that were visible; her sword, shield and a small bag containing a few reagents and drinks.
"I don't have any other weapon with me, aside from my sword" Zyathri said, shaking her head slightly. "But trust me, with me here, you won't need a weapon." She tried to give Erthos a reassuring smile, who smiled back slightly in response, nodding a little.
Turning on her heel, Zyathri confidently walked through the main door of the Monastery, Erthos following close behind her. Inside, the first corridor of the Monastery was very well kept. The stain glass windows were spotless, and pictures hung on both sides of the walls. The floors looked clean enough for someone to eat off of.
After a few moments, as the two of them approach the end of the corridor, the sound of footsteps started to echo close by. In a quick move, Zyathri pulled her sword from its sheath and readied her shield. From around the corner, a human female appeared. She stopped as she saw Zyathri and Erthos. Adorned in crimson armour, the woman held a mace in one hand, and a shield in the other, the symbol of the Scarlet Crusade showing on it.
"Halt, fiends!" the woman called out, pointing her mace at the two of them. "This is a place of the light! How dare you intrude here!" Her loud voice started to echo around the room they were in, and through the corridors of the Monastery. Erthos hoped that it wasn't so loud that others came running.
Letting out a loud battle cry, the woman charged towards Zyathri, raising her mace to attack. Before the woman had a chance to get close, Zyathri's shield started to glow and she swung it round into the path of the Scarlet attacker.
As soon as the woman collided with the shield, she let out a cry, stumbling backwards, gripping her ribs. Erthos quickly dashed to the side, so as to avoid the conflict. He watched as the Zealot stood there for a moment, groaning with pain, Erthos trying to suppress his laughter. Glancing to the side, he saw a sight that caused the colour to quickly fade from his face.
"Z-Zyathri…?" he managed to say, having to force the word out. Raising a hand, he point towards a doorway not to far away where a group Zealots had begun to charge towards the Blood Knight and the young warlock.
"Don't worry, as long as they are preoccupied with me, your fine" Zyathri said calmly, looking over to the incoming Zealots. As soon as they are close enough, Zyathri quickly reached down, brushing her fingers along the floor. As she does, holy energy arched across the floor, encompassing a small area around her. As soon as the Zealots ran across it, they started to cry out in pain, as if being burnt.
Those that had a strong enough will to push past the pain tried to attack Zyathri, who easily blocked them away with her shield, before slashing at them with her sword. Noticing Erthos standing to the side, one of the Zealots moved over to him quickly, deciding the young warlock would be an easier target.
"Oh no you don't" Zyathri said as she caught sight of the Zealot. Reaching out with her hand, a shield of light enveloped Erthos, just as he jumped out of the way of a swing from the Zealot, causing him to yelp slightly. With an evil glare, the Zealot turned and looked at Zyathri who made a taunting gesture at him, smirking as she did. "Come and pick on someone your own size."
As the Zealot charged towards Zyathri, Erthos took a step forwards. I really shouldn't… he thought to himself as he brought his hands together in front of him and focused. But what if she can't handle them all? Concern washed through Erthos as a dark energy ball formed in-between his hands, almost twice the size of the first one he had conjured.
Looking at the energy ball with a large grin, Erthos took aim and launched it at the Zealot. He watched as it flew through the air before colliding with the legs of the Zealot who had tried to attack him, causing him to tumble forwards into another group of Zealots who had charged in to attack. They group fell onto the floor, but little more damage was caused by the attack.
Zyathri blinked slightly as she watched the Zealots fall over. She looked over to Erthos, raising one eyebrow, who simply shrugged slightly and let out a nervous laugh. Looking back to the Zealots who were now trying to get up off the floor, Zyathri reached down again, letting another wave of holy energy arc across the floor, burning all those within its reach.
After a few moments, Zyathri looked to Erthos again. On the floor the Zealots remained still, obviously now all dead.
"I don't think they will bother us further" Zyathri said calmly, moving over to Erthos who was now scouring the Zealots, trying to find a dagger he can use. He quickly found one and took it from its previous owner, along with its sheath. Attaching it to his belt, he looked to Zyathri who sighed slightly, but seemed calm.
"You're good" Erthos said slowly. "Very good…" He adjusted his robes slightly, whilst making sure the amulet was still around his neck. Glad that it was still present, he looked back to Zyathri.
Zyathri shrugged slightly at Erthos' statement. "I have gone through years of training, don't forget" she said as she started to move further into the Monastery. "I suppose we are looking for a library…"
Years of training… Erthos thought to himself as he followed behind Zyathri. As they walked through the halls of the Monastery, trying to find the library, Erthos found himself looking at the various books that were dotted around, along with all sorts of religious artefacts. It was whilst they were looking that Erthos stopped.
"Wait a second" Erthos said as he quickly moved over to a wall. Handing on the wall was an impressive looking staff. Reaching up, Erthos took the staff off of the wall, holding it in his hands. He ran his fingers along its length, feeling the notches and grooves in it, along with the large, green coloured gem that was embedded in the top. Upon closer inspection, Erthos noticed that the markings were actually runes, although he had no idea what they said or meant.
Walking up behind Erthos, Zyathri placed a hand gently on his shoulder, shaking her head slightly.
"Look, let's just get what we came for, and leave…" Zyathri said to him quietly, trying no to sound to stern. "No messing around." Erthos nodded slightly and placed the staff back on the wall before looking down and mumbling sorry.
The two of them began moving through the halls and rooms again, trying to find some evidence of a library in the Monastery. Trying to keep his mind off of how he seemed to constantly be annoying Zyathri, Erthos focused on the amulet, pulling it out of his robe and holding it in his hand. As he studied it, he noticed something that had escaped him before. Whilst he was wearing the amulet, he felt his strength and willpower increase, his connection to the magical energies of the world getting stronger. Smiling slightly at this discovery, Erthos put the amulet away again.
After what seemed like much to long of a time, Zyathri found what looked to be a library. Thank goodness… she thought to herself as they both walked up to the entrance to the room. I was about ready to give up…
"Be careful, Erthos" Zyathri said as they stood at the entrance to the room. Drawing her sword and shield, Zyathri prepared herself to enter the room. Neither of them knew what they would find in there. Taking a deep breath, Zyathri ran in, ready to attack. Much to her thanks, however, the room was empty. There were, however, bookcases lining all of the walls, filled to capacity with books of all shapes and sizes.
"And how are we supposed to know which is the right one?" Zyathri asked, turning to look at Erthos. Erthos had moved to the middle of the room and was looking around at all of the books. He had always enjoyed reading, and would have loved to spend time reading the books in this room. Looking over to Zyathri, he came up with an answer to her question.
"Well, if its important enough for our task, it would be by itself…" Erthos began to say as he moved to one of the book shelves, pulling out one of the books quickly. "However, if the Zealots are smart, they wouldn't leave something important like a spell book lying around. They would put it in with all the others." Turning to look at Zyathri, Erthos smiled slightly before looking back at the shelf in front of him. "Or at least that's what I would do…" he added quietly, almost as an after thought.
Zyathri looked at Erthos, slightly surprised at his logical deduction before sighing, realising it meant they would need to check all of the books. Moving to a bookshelf, Zyathri joined in with looking through the books. After a few minutes, she stopped and looked over to Erthos, making sure he was still ok.
All of a sudden, a loud voice boomed from outside of the room.
"You will not defile these mysteries!" the voice shouted. A Scarlet Mage came running into the room, holding in his hand the same staff that Erthos had been looking at not to long ago. Under his breath, Erthos cursed for not actually taking the staff.
Before either the Blood Knight or the Warlock had a chance to react, the Mage began to channel magic at Zyathri, sending bolts of arcane energy at her. Not having time to raise her shield, the energy bolts collided with her, causing Zyathri to stumble backwards into one of the book shelves.
"Ugh…a mage…" Zyathri muttered to herself as she got up, drawing out her sword and shield. "I hate mages." Channelling her holy energy, Zyathri threw a magical hammer at the mage, stunning him momentarily.
"Erthos!" Zyathri said, pointing to a unique looking book that was tucked underneath one arm of the Mage. "I think that's the book we are after." Erthos looked to where Zyathri was pointing and smiled. It did indeed look like the book they were after.
"Yes! That's the one!" he called out, pointing himself, suddenly realising how pointless it is for him to be pointing as well. Shaking his head suddenly, the Mage looked to Erthos, frowning slightly. Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, the Mage let loose another volley of magic, this time aiming them at Erthos. Letting out a cry, Erthos dived to the side, narrowly avoiding the magic as it collided with the bookshelf behind him, sending torn pages flying everywhere.
Before the Mage can do anything else, Zyathri charged forwards, readying her shield. The Mage turned just in time to see Zyathri ram her shoulder into him, causing him to stumble backwards. That was the only opening Zyathri needed as she brought her shield round and slammed it into the side of the Mages head.
Erthos looked over to the two of them as they both stood still for a moment, pieces of magically burnt paper swirling in the air around them. As if unsure of what had happened, the Mage brought his hand slowly to the side of his head before falling to his knees, then falling over, the blow from the shield knocking him unconscious.
Looking down at her defeated foe, Zyathri took the book from his possession, as well as picking up the staff. He won't be needing it anymore… Zyathri thought to herself as she moved towards Erthos.
"Are you alright?" she asked Erthos, offering the staff to him as he pulled himself back to his feet. He nodded slightly, taking a firm hold of the staff as Zyathri quickly flicked through the pages of the book.
"This is the right one" Zyathri said with a nod, allowing a small smile to escape from her lips. Erthos let out a sigh of relief, obviously glad that they now had the book. "We'd best get going before more Zealots arrive." She said, putting the book into her bag.
"Agreed, lets go" Erthos said with a nod. He didn't want to be in the Monastery any longer than they absolutely had to. Now that they had the book, they were nearing the end of their task. Then I can return home to my training, and Zyathri would be able to return to her duties in Silvermoon City… Erthos thought to himself. Looking to Zyathri quickly as she lead him out of the Monastery, he couldn't help but feel a touch of sadness that they would soon be parting ways.