Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Friday, July 6, 2007
11. Burnt Offerings.
Dusk formed a dull shade of grey. Kaz strolled down the river north of the Allerian Stronghold, taking frequent minor stops to gaze at the sky. Each and every leaf seemed to mock him, each and every pebble would glare at him. The world around him seemed to close down on him, as if it would implode, tearing him apart soon.
But soon could never be soon enough. He almost wished for it. Oh, what a price it was indeed… She had given him a choice… And he chose what would eventually rip his soul.
Peaches… A hollow word now, a scream of despair echoing in his mind.
The price for a brief time of true happiness was his very soul… He realized now.
The Redridge rundown was a warning…The blackouts he had, were in fact part of his whole existence turning around to something new. He conflagrated a basilisk and sat by the river bank. The same river bank they should be walking together.
She clearly didn’t feel the same. And now Kaz was not the same either.
It was over.
A strange glow showed up in his eyes. And a vouch… “Never again…”
He had lost Lean and their daughter, Anule, upon dying… He came back up fighting.
He lost his best friend in unlife and he came back up fighting.
But… Losing her… was the final blow.
No woman will ever again be allowed to enter this heart. For it lies dead and stiff in his hands now, ripped off seconds ago. Kaz rised up on his feet, shuddering to get used to his new lifeform.
He walked up to a low rock and placed the heart on it. A few steps back and a last sight of it, before closing his eyes. He raised his hands slowly and immolated it.
Burnt offerings.
“Aznar… Don’t even dare to provoke me now…”
The imp widened its eyes and ran to hide behind a tree.
“Y- y- yes, master!”
Kaz glared at the imp.
He needed to find someone new… But not for love this time… He gave up on that. Hate is all that’s left.
He raised his eyes after a few moments… Dusk and her embrace gave Kaz a new way. The moon was cold and cruel. Cold and cruel…? An image struck him.
“Morsters…”
Kaz grinned.
8. The Patriarch
The breeze of
Clouds of worry derailed Kaz’s thoughts into nightmares. What should he do?
Morsters was as cold and unaffected as ever, simply doing what needed to be done. Seemingly unconcerned about the weird look in Kaz’s eyes.
“I need some repairs. I’ll fly to the village.” He said.
Edurne barely turned to look at him, but he knew that was nothing to be expected.
She arrived in the village shortly after Kaz, only to find him in a quite unexpected situation. The Patriarch was there… A twist of fate led them to meet randomly… Apparently, Weyland had not delivered the note.
The Patriarch granted Kaz some time for a private conversation. Morsters snorted, but Kaz wasn’t sure if she snorted for being left out or for being delayed.
The two Warlocks climbed the stairs of the
“I met with mr. Weyland in Silvermoon the other night… I gave him a parchment to deliver to you, asking a meeting. “ Kaz started out.
“Mostly we can’t tell if Edward is in the same reality as we are, but do continue…”
Kaz kept up. “The reason for this was some information I received… Some rather… disturbing information”.
“And what is this information you are talking about?” Timrashal inquired.
“The news received, spoke of your Marshal, Patriarch” Kaz said in a serious and abrupt voice, pausing for a few seconds to see Timrashal’s reaction, as the Patriarch stared down on him.
“I…suppose you are talking about Lordaeron’s ex-Marshal and not the current one?”
“Suppose I am talking about Mordan... if that’s making it clear enough.”
“Yes… Well I must inform you that such business really doesn’t concern you, sir Shadowstep… this is internal Lordaeron business”
“Patriarch, with all the respect. Anything done to harm miss Mordan does concern me.” Kaz left no margin for negotiation, still remaining calm as a baby.
Timrashal smiled.
“Well, suppose I let you in on internal Lordaeron ruling… please ask away…” said Timrashal, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Lordaeron is more than a banner, Patriarch, you know that better than I do.”
Timrashal nodded in agreement.
Kaz carried on “Miss Mordan was a Marshal. You surely know your Marshal better than anyone.”
“A Marshal admitting to cold-blooded murder, yes” Timrashal intervened.
“What would you suggest we did? Pat her on the head and give her warning not to do it again?”
“Did she not give you a reason?”
“She did… not one that justifies it though…”
“And… that justifies Faranel?” came Kaz’s response.
The Patriarch seemed to agree with Kaz’s objections, as Kaz interpreted his reactions to that, but still wanted to keep the flag up.
Kaz brought up the trial issue, to which Timrashal reacted angrily, stating that it was either Thrall’s justice or his.
“And how is Faranel better than any other form of justice, Patriarch? Tear her apart? Do unimaginable things to her?” Kaz’s hands began to tremble at the thought.
Timrashal apparently wanted this conversation to end, so he once again stated that it was internal Lordaeron business.
“So, was there something else?”
Kaz saw no reason to carry on, merely stated:
“Forgive me Patriarch… but as far as I am concerned, this is more than internal Lordaeron business. Miss Mordan concerns me in a great degree… and so does her wellbeing… And I will do whatever I can to keep it that way. So, no… there is nothing else”
Timrashal grunted.
“Well, if it eases your mind, miss Mordan is well, very well even.” Said the Patriarch, unaware that Kaz had already found her in the Caverns of Time, just the day before.
“It would ease my mind to know she will keep being that way” Kaz added.
Timrashal gave Kaz the one answer he was looking for: “She is unharmed, proof has been given to the Horde that Lordaeron doesn’t allow random murdering and she will take up her duties in due time.”
Kaz couldn’t help a smile.
“I take your word, Patriarch. Thank you.”
Timrashal nodded, before Kaz added: “And… be sure to call on my services if you need them. I do believe the Patriarch would not speak anything else but his real thoughts, so… I trust, miss Mordan will no longer be endangered”
“Well, I will not represent those dangers… or not while she doesn’t do anything wrong”
“Be sure to let the ones who represent those dangers… that I will represent their own danger” Kaz replied meaningfully.
Timrashal smiled and said “I’ll try to keep it in mind”
Kaz nodded in respect and turned to leave.
Downstairs, Morsters was waiting impatiently. Kaz beckoned her that all was done.
They set off southeast once more, to infiltrate the Path of Conquest…
Kaz’s thoughts no longer turned around Cybele… As if he had fulfilled his duties towards her… and no longer had reason to let his mind linger around her… It was futile after all… They had both changed…
It was nothing more than a story that never really started…
Kaz smiled coldly at Morsters and hurled a shadowbolt to down a pesky elf that almost killed her.
6. Edward
Hardly could Kaz expect the twist in the myth to come, as he was desperately trying to avoid open conflict with the imprudent, arrogant elf who was all over Kimri.
The arrogant whelp was more or less suggesting he could, gods be praised for the laugh of it, outpower Kaz… And the language, dear me, how arrogant can Blood Elves be at times…
Kimri turned to Weyland and asked of his view on the subject discussed, subject being that the Forsaken were some pitiful, smelling pile of bones, according to that sorry excuse for an elf, Astox.
Weyland traveled in his own thoughts.
Kimri’s kind mood towards her fellow elf had gone for a walk now. She was growing very unhappy indeed. “It’s not wise to make the Forsaken dislike you… They can make you suffer with just a move of their hand. Especially this one…” she said to the elf. “You will suffer”
Weyland sprung up at the quote.
“Ah-ha!”
“Yes, Edward?”
“You shall suffer as I have suffered… That was it! Hmm…”
“What is on your mind Edward?”
Kaz was going to be very sorry he asked.
“Well… Marshal, did call it eh… ‘Ghostminds’… Or something…Quite an accurate word…”
Kaz blinked.
The imprudent, irritating elf was all of a sudden as important as the carpet for Kaz. He lost focus of everything in the room and turned to face Weyland.
“Marshal?”
Weyland carried on. “But then again… Marshal is no longer Marshal it seems…”
“Which… Marshal, Weyland?”
“Yes… Marshal… ah… Marshal who speaks the word of Patriarch of course!”
“Yes… But which?
Kaz was not very familiar with the Lordaeron structure of order.
“Eh? There is only one
“Just tell me the Marshal’s name, Edward”
Kaz knew that Cybele held a high rank amongst her banner… But not exactly which one… He had to be sure.
“Hmm… Name?” Weyland asked himself. “We always called Marshal… Marshal…”
Kaz’s patience was long gone.
“Edward… Is it… Marshal… Mordan?”
“Mordan? Mordan Mordan Mordan?”
Kaz nodded.
“…Maybe…”
“Think, Edward”
“Yes… Maybe that was it... How so?”
“Where is she?” Kaz said in a slightly noticeable trembling voice.
“Eh… She… is eh… Ah yes!”
Kaz peered searchingly at Weyland, while Kimri muttered something about Astox, the insolent whelp from before.
Then the sky fell off and the ground shattered for Kaz, at the sound of a few words, coming out like poisoned daggers off the madman’s mouth.
“Patriarch made Marshal no more… Sent what remained of her to the Apothecarium, Patriarch did…”
A storm of words flooded his mind… No more? What remained of her? The Apoth-
Kaz froze.
“WHAT?!”
“Yes..”
Weyland kept his unaffected tranquility that his damaged mind offered to him. Kaz liked Weyland ever since he met him on his way to Epitwee, the Auctioneer. But at this particular moment, his calmness drove Kaz mad instead.
“T-The Apothecarium?”
“Well… Yes… We believe so…”
“F-f-f-… Faranel?”
It was all painfully connected now… Nilar’s anger, Faranel’s words, Kaz’s undefined worrying… The one Faranel talked about, must have been Cybele then… The only thing that kept Kaz from falling apart, was the memory if Faranel’s own words… “I need to find her again…”
“Ah… Faranel? Oh we recognize that name, yes…”
Kaz mustered up all his remaining strength to carry on.
“Edward… Listen to me… Pay attention. This is important. Alright?”
Kimri grew tired of arguing with the whelp and greeted the Undead, before she walked away.
Weyland turned to Kaz
“Ah… Alright.. heehee…”
“When did this happen?”
“Hmm… It was at the same time that we met Bloodlord, yes… It must have been…”
Kaz couldn’t even hear the elf’s inquiries.
“Yesterday?” he asked himself, as Kaz dropped to his knees. So it was her, Faranel was talking about. It was her, Nilar was worried about. It was… her.
“Or maybe 10 months ago?” Weyland carried on and led Kaz to the conclusion that nothing more could be learned from this poor fellow. He needed to pull a thread now.
Two meetings were in order. One of them was a sine qua non for Kaz’s future mental health.
He glanced at Weyland and scribbled something on a piece of paper.
“Edward… Take this to the Patriarch.”