Chapter 6. A Pact with Demons

My head throbbed with a terrible migraine. My body felt so hot, as if I was boiling from the inside, and yet I was shivering.

I opened my eyes slowly, unable to move my body. What...what was happening ? My arms were spread wide open, attached. It seemed I was underground, for there was not a light, except for the two torches who burned brightly, against the stone walls. This...this was a cave. There was a wooden table, on which were alchemist tools, potion bottles, potion makers, a cauldron on the ground, with a dark liquid inside...was that Teru's concoctions ? And on the walls were dried herbs...but not only...a bird's paw, a human hand...and...the head of a three eyed demon. And not far to the right, was a large wooden cage, large enough to keep a tiger mount inside...but instead, it was an elf. A white haired elf. One I had already seen. One I recognized. It was the elf survivor ! He...he had been kept prisoner all along ! No ! I had been kidnapped too...no, no no no ! Who did it, who ?! Was it-

...oh my god. My eyes widened in shock.

"Nerewin...?" I muttered in a weak voice as she approached me, weakedly smiling. "YOU...? Why ?"

She snickered, maniacally laughing. "You are such a fool Tuarwen. It was ME all along ! But you took the bait so easily, blaming my sister." She laughed.

"The concoctions...? I thought..."

"Concoctions ? Hah ! There's never been any plants, it was all along poison !" She admitted arrogantly. "Every single one of you were poisoned with DEMON BLOOD !"

Oh my god...most demon blood didn't do anything...but there was one that came from a race of demons almost extinct, amd mixed with other ingredients could create a most deadly poison. But how could a night elf get a hand on that ? And then realization struck me.

"YOU..." I said in a reproachful tone. "...you have made a pact with the demons, haven't you ?"

She changed sides.

"Hm. What a smart little pandaren. I saw it the moment you set foot on our lands. I had to get rid of you as soon as possible." She said casually, looking almost bored.

"You betrayed the alliance." I said, clenching my teeth in anger.

"Why, yes." She answered, pleased.

"But WHY ? How could you do this to your own kind ?!"

She sprang up from the chair on which she was sitting, and stomped towards me, pulling my head back, her fingers holding my hair. "How could I ?!" She repeated, furious. "The alliance has done nothing but take everything I had ! They took EVERYTHING from me !!" She shouted in my face.

She was crazy. I could see the madness in her eyes all too well.

"They...?"

"The humans. They are nothing but a hindrance." She said with hate.

"Then why do this to your kind ? Why not the humans ?"

"Oh, but they will be next. The alliamce has betrayed ME, when they killed my parents before my eyes. My sister does not carry the rage I carry. This hatred...

"Nerewin- listen to me, you are blinded by your own hatred-"

She hit me in the face.

"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO !!!"

"You are crazy, Nerewin."

She laughed at that. "And yet, I've never been more sane in my life. How do you feel sweetie ? Hot ? Feverish ? Cold ? And maybe a little aching too ?"

I widened my eyes in shock. "No...you made me drink this..." I glanced at the blood, disgusted. "

She grabbed my jaw, and to my horror, saw another bottle of that thing in her other hand.

"NO !!" I screamed.

"Oh but yes ! With one more little bottle of blood in your system, your body will not be able to fight back, and you will die- but of course, first you will experience intense pain and fever. Enjoy." She said, throwing the liquid down my throat.

My vision blurred, turning dark. No...

...

Aysa's POV:

"What are you doing here ?!" Asked a voice.

I flinched in surprise. It was Teru. I had been searching for a short amount of time for any clue of her treason. She shouldn't be here. What was Tuarwen doing ? I turned around. I had only options. Either I tell her the truth, or I lie. Tuarwen and I need more time before we start pointing fingers...I lie.

"I couldn't find where your sister was, so I wondered if you could tell me where she was."

Her suspicion died down. "Actually, I don't know either. She's been gone all day."

"Hm. Strange."

"Is there anything else I can do for you ?"

"Oh right, I didn't have time to drink the concoction, would you give it to me now, so I can drink it later ?"

"Of course." She took it out of her pocket and handed it to me. "Is Tuarwen alright ? She seemed very stressed out earlier."

"Believe me, she has a very good reason to be." I said, frowning.

She looked at me confused.

...

It was nightfall. Where was Tuarwen ? I was getting worried. I had a bad feeling over this. If I understood what Tuarwen said, Lucinda had been given the potiom, because she had knew something was wrong. What if...what if Tuarwen had been caught as well ? I uncocked the bottle, sniffing the inside. No scent. Strange. Normally, concoctions of plants reek. This smelled nothing. And even stranger than that...the liquid was black, and thick. Why was it so gooey and...sticky ?

Somebody suddenly started pounding against the door, making me jump on my feet in surprise.

"Aysa, Aysa ! It's me, Teru !" Her voice spunded desperate. "Lyliona and Merryna...! They..." Her voice trailed off.

I opened the door. "What is it ? Tell me !"

She shook her head. "They have succumbed to the sickness too...they are dead." She fell to her knees, sobbing. "It's hopeless..."

No...Tuarwen was most and definitely in grave danger.

...

It took all the will and strength in me to bolt out in search for her. Instead, I kept my anger inside, and helped Teru up, leading her to the bed where she sat. If she was the cause of all of this, then she was one talented lier.

I showed her the bottle. "This. Are you the one who makes these ?"

She looked a bit confused as to why I would ask her that, but answered anyway. "No. My sister makes these."

I frowned. Her sister ?

"And have you ever seen the contents of this bottle ?"

Again, she looked confused. "No. She told me that if I emptied the bottle, and put the medicine in a glass, for exemple, the potion would lose it's magical property, for it is attached to the bottle.

I raised an eyebrow. "Your sister put spells on the potion ?"

"Enchantments for good health."

"There are no enchantments, Teru. Look." I placed some of the liquid in my hand. "This is no plant concoction."

Her eyes widened in shock. She dipped her finger in it, and retracted her hand immediately, feeling how thick and gooey it was. "I don't understand...there must be a mistake." She said, a hopeful and desperate expression on her face.

"This is no mistake, Teru." I wiped the liquid away from my hand. "Either way, one of you are guilty." I said frowning, crossing my arms.

Her eyes widened in shock as realization hit her like a punch in the face.

To be continued...