Welcome to Gaia! ::

Chapter 6: When paths cross once again... (cont.)

*missing post by Zev of his realizing Rynn has dissapeared and then his escape from the city

The first thing Asinity glimpsed, as he strode into the city of Silvermoon, was a man running into a woman and knocking her onto the ground. The two began to scuffle with each other, the woman trying to chain the man's hands with shackles. As quickly as he could, Asinity strode over with a frown, to see if he could break up whatever was going on. When he approached, the woman caught a glance of him and shot her finger out, pointing at him for a brief second.

"Give me a hand, sir! Please!" She pleaded, her attention distracted by the rogue under her smaller frame. Liliana grabbed at the other's shoulders, attempting to disarm him as he struggled against her as if she were some minor annoyance. She glanced back down and continued to try to subdue him, hoping to protect the rest of the citizens of Silvermoon. "You are not going anywhere," the guardian began, "...not until you tell me what happened. We heard the screaming, -high- elf."

"Let go of me! I need to get out of here!" Zevron struggled with the guard, he had to find a way out, to find a way to track down Rynn before it was too late. He kicked himself for leaving her without protection. "She is in danger! Let me go!"

"Z-Zev? Is that you?" Asinity interrupted, wondering what the heck was going on.

The rogue's ears perked and he sighed after a moment, looking over at the familiar paladin, his expression somewhat crestfallen. "Hey Asinity..." This was the last thing he wanted. He was sure that the paladin would want him to stick around and to hear the full story. Every moment that ticked away Zev was sure that his chances of finding the warlock was slowly slipping away.

Asinity raised his gaze, looking around the immediate area as quickly as he could. Luckily, no other guardians had been alerted, nor any blood knights. Perhaps this woman was the only one that had caught Zevron, for whatever he did. Asinity glanced back down at the rogue and gave an offhanded nod towards the gate. His eyes shifted upon the woman, who was now looking back up at him with a frown.

"Asinity? Daes'vega? My apologies, sir, I did not recognize you." She spoke, and bowed her head quickly. Liliana had heard many stories about the respected paladin but had never had a chance to meet him. She was a little awed in his prescence but did not forget why she was there.

"What's he done, my lady?" The paladin asked. It was obvious that Zevron needed to get out of there but he wanted to be sure that the trouble he was in was not of his own doing.

"This rogue is a prime suspect. There was screaming in the house of Delnaria. Two elves went in, he was one of them, but he was the only one to leave." Liliana reached to grab the collar of Zevron's leather chestpiece, but Asinity motioned for her to hold, and held out his own hand towards the rogue. Obliging after a moment of confusion, the woman moved back slightly, still keeping a tight hold of his arm just in case. She seemed to want to keep at least some level of control over the situation.

"What happened, Zev?" Asinity asked, with a frown. He watched as Zev knocked his hand away, preferring to stand on his own, brushing himself off. There was something big going on here, he was sure of it, but he needed to get the details first. The paladin looked between the two elves before looking off towards the Troll's house, noticing the door was still open, a few pieces of furniture broken inside of the archway.

"Look, I was coming here with Rynn, to see Malis..." The rogue began, giving the woman a look. "I left the room for about a minute, and the next thing I know, Rynn is screaming. I ran back, but they were gone when I got there. Both of them." He gave a shrug, it was the true and did not need any embellishing. That and he was sure that Asinity was more likely to believe him that way.

The woman was not convinced. "A likely story. Two people don't just 'disappear'..." She started forward but the paladin interrupted her.

"Screaming?" He asked Zevron, watching him curiously.

Zevron rolled his eyes in annoyance. "As if that's the strangest thing in Azeroth or something...Yes, screaming." He wished the guardian could just get off his case so that he could get going. Tapping the buckle of his belt in impatience, he eyed the pile of belongings that had been torn off him. His knives had been carelessly tossed onto the ground beside him and he clenched his fist tight as a surge of anger went through him at the disregard of his blades.

Asinity opened his mouth to speak, but the woman put herself between them and jabbed a finger at Zevron. "If that was the case, why did you injure so many guards on your fight out of the city, ruffian?" She glared at the rogue. Gently, Asinity put a hand on the woman's shoulder and frowned, gesturing for her to move aside. Flustered as the woman was, she obliged, but Zevron could still feel the daggers that were being stared into him from her.

"The guards wouldn't let me out, and I needed to go. To find her." Zevron stated plainly, turning to Asinity, giving up on the guardian. He hoped that the paladin would see reason, not like this daft woman who seemed a little too eager to place him behind bars.

"Did she sound in pain, Zev?" The paladin asked.

"More...surprise, and shock. Not really pain." Zevron answered. Now things seemed like they were moving, he took a small step away from the guardian, hoping that she wouldn't notice. If he could find a window of opportunity, Asinity being there or not, he was going to make a dash for it. As soon as he left the city walls there'd be no stopping him.

Asinity clicked his tongue against his teeth, pensively. "And they were -both- gone?" The paladin have a good idea of what had happened at this point but needed to check on a few things.

"Yes." Zevron snapped. "Now can I go? I need to figure out where they are." He took a few more steps away. Carefully inching towards the pile of his belongings. The rogue was upset that he'd have to leave most of his blades behind but there was no way he'd leave his hooked knives behind.

The armored woman growled at the rogue. "Not on your life! There are men back there who were put out of commission because of you!" At least several guards had been attacked, some with broken bones the worst would be out of work for a few months yet. The healers of the city had been dispatched but she knew she'd hear it from her officers if she let him go. The last thing she needed was something added to her record, she had worked hard to keep it clean her entire carreer.

Zevron glared back at her, but Asinity spoke first, turning to face the woman. "My lady, I would trust this man with my life. I believe he is telling the truth."

"Aww. Touching. You have a way with words." Zevron broke in, grinning. Now things were definitely moving, all he needed to do is figure out where to go. Freedom never tasted sweeter.

Taking a moment to consider her own position, the woman sighed and nodded towards Asinity. "If it your wish, sir...but I caution you. This one is suspicious." At least if she mentioned that Asinity Des'vega was the one to take him in on her report she could keep it off her own conscious. At that point if this rogue, this Zevron, disappeared it would not be her problem any more. She released his arm and took a few steps back before bowing towards Asinity with respect. "Good day to you Sir."

Asinity raised an eyebrow curiously. "Don't think too much about what I said." He said to Zevron, and tapped the tabard that was fastened over his armor. The tabard depicted a golden, leafless tree, surrounded by scarlet, and wreathed in gold. It was the symbol of the Symphony of Eternity, to which both men owed their allegiance, and consequently, their lives. Asinity raised his chin slightly, and regarded Zevron. "I'm coming with you." He stated openly.

"Only problem is, I have no idea where they are." The rogue responded. He began to gather his items, stowing them on belts, shoulders and his hips. Feeling much better now his had the familiar weight of steel around him he turned towards the paladin. "I did not see who came in... Unless they were already inside but then the place was quiet except for the troll." Zevron shrugged and then eyed the gate realizing that he couldn't leave now.

Chapter 6: When paths cross once again... (cont.)

Rynn came to once more as she felt a jabbing in her side from a sharp layer of stones she had fell onto. How long had she been out this time? The warlock winced as she reached up with her undamaged hand to feel the back of her head. Her vision swam before her as she almost blanked out again from the pain. If she had her bag on her side she could have drawn on a soul stone but that, and all her other belongings were missing. Dazedly, she tried to remember if there had been anything else in her pockets but she came up short. Rynn felt as if she was surrounded by a cloud of fog. A fog that bit and stabbed at her without warning. She tried to pull herself up, anything to get herself to a safer place. Standing on shaky legs the bloodelf moved towards the shadows only to almost cry out as she stubbed her bare, aching feet on the sharp crystal outcroppings.

I'mani stalked forward and lashed out with her arm, catching the blood elf across the face. "Ya be thinkin' they be savin' ya?" She growled down at Rynn who had fallen on the floor, her hand over he left eye. "Well ya got another thing comin' an' now t' game be changin'. Ah be thinkin' ya need t' be learnin' that there be worse things than death." The troll advanced towards her, kicking at her again. Reaching down to pick her up by the throat, the troll pinned her against the wall. She eyed the bloodelf, smirking as she admired her handiwork. Rynn's eye was swollen shut, a bruise rapidly forming as crimson seeped from the gash above her eyebrow. The heavy robes were torn, showing her pale damaged skin, a long cut down her arm and mutilated hand which was still weeping blood. She heard a whimper fall from Rynn's cracked lips and a look of feral delight spread across her face. Leaning in close I'mani could smell the terror and slowly licked across those parched lips and up the pale cheek, tasting each sweet drop of crimson. "How it be feelin'? Havin' ya life slip away through ya fingers?" The troll tilted her head to the side as the elf trembled with fear and revulsion. "Not bein' in control of yaself? Of bein' powerless an' weak?" The drakkari seemed to grow as she spoke, as if the rage was finally cresting over her. She pressed the small dagger against Rynn's chest, cutting into the fabric. "Well?!" I'mani pushed harder reaching skin and the blade drank blood once more.

The warlock struggled against the fog of pain, trying to clear her head enough so that she could escape. Rynn thought fleetingly about the communicators, hoping the few moments she had was enough. She remembered hearing voices but wasn't sure who they belonged to before the troll had kicked her, causing her to fall and crack her head against the ground. If only Zev... She banished the thought even before it could form. For the moment she was alone, she had to do this by herself. The bloodelf felt the stone blade press up against her chest, the pressure getting stronger until she felt a sharp agony as it bit into her skin. She bit her tongue to keep from crying out feeling the necklace grow warmer. Malis...? For a moment Amirynth wondered if she had been captured too. It was still too dark in the cavern to see much, it was possible that the shaman had been wandering around with out her knowing. If this deathknight had over powered Malis then she must be even stronger than Rynn thought. her mind started playing tricks on her as she imagined seeing the troll dead once more, eyes opened wide in surprise. No... she would not think like that... She raised her good hand and wrapped her fingers around the drakkari's wrist. Frowning in concentration and ignoring the troll's hiss of anger, she pushed the dagger in deeper, cutting into her skin as she warmed the blade to cauterize the wound. This blood magic would weaken her even more but give her the slight resources of mana she needed. Drawing from what was left of her reserves, the warlock whispered a single word, focusing her power and sending tendrils of flame from her fingers, burning the deathkinight's icy skin. She felt, rather than saw, I'mani's surprise and pain as the hiss became a growl. Rynn fell to the ground as the troll let go of her, moving back into the shadows.

"How ya be doin' that witch!?" I'mani felt her bloodlust seep away from her and the icy cold tendrils wrapped around her protectively. Her sharp senses alerted hear voices in the distance and she narrowed her eyes. She needed to dispose of this elf now, there was no longer any time for fun and games. The deathknight looked around with a deep scowl. Where had she gone?

Her legs shaking, the bloodelf crouched in the corner of the darkest shadows she could find. She had to feel her way around but at least this way she could stay hidden long enough to gather up her strength. The necklace grew warmer against her skin and she gathered the largest crystal in her hand, feeling the familiar roughness as she felt the shaman's presence nearby. Ya be playin' hide an' seek, shinies be wantin' t' help... many friends come... Rynn started at the whisper, her heart beating faster. She heard the deathknight move around the cavern, a growling coming from her direction. Was Malis here to save her? She shakily got to her feet, trying to pinpoint where the two trolls were. She was in no condition to fight but she wanted to help any way she could. More whispers came, causing her hair on the back of her neck to raise up. They guided her, helped her fingers find the crevices they needed. The necklace grew warmer, almost making her gasp in shock and drop the pendant. Remembering Zevron's lessons, the warlock crouched back down, her good hand finding a small round stone. She could hear I'mani move about again, the drakkari seeming to be occupied with something, not trying to be silent. This could be her only chance to get away. The bloodelf took a deep breath to steady herself and tossed it as far as she was could, hoping it would provide a much needed distraction.

The stone clinked as it landed against one of the many crystals that grew from the cavern floor. A flash of sparks lit up the darkness in the small area, revealing the exit that she had unknowingly been working her way towards. A tall shadow also turned towards the source of the noise, scouring the area for the split second it was alight. Rynn slunk back into the darkness, not wanting to be seen before a voice rang clear into the still air.

"Ya be leavin' mah Rynn alone!"

There was a thud as the Drakkari dropped to her knees. I'mani growled an answer in Zandali that Rynn couldn't make out before starting to look around, searching for something.

The warlock stopped in her tracks. That had to be Malis, the must have thought the spark was a signal. Putting a hand to her necklace she drew on the last strength she had and gathered up enough power to help Malis. Even if she ended up pushing too far she was confident that the troll would protect her and wanted to help as best she could. The sounds of footsteps echoed around her, more voices seeming to join the fray. Rynn span around as she felt a presence behind her, eyes widening as the death knight moved in close, growling her triumph as she spotted the bloodelf. She felt the drakkari's hand wrap around her ankle and fell to the ground. "No!" Amirynth raised her hands to fend off the attack she knew was coming chanting quickly to form a spell of protection. She felt the power coalesce around her as the troll seemed to stall a little bit, eyes widening. Then the warlock let loose an attack, dark shadowy energies coursing from her fingers and wrapping around I'mani. She pulled them tight before releasing the spell, the focus suddenly pushing outwards, sending the drakkari backwards, a cry of anger and fear escaping her lips.

Rynn peered into the shadows, trying to find out where the death knight had gone. Voices echoed around her from all direction; the sounds of battle and drums getting ever louder. Her vision finally seemed to clear as she spotted a fain light coming from the side. Slowly she started to make her way there, crawling on the floor at a snail's pace. Suddenly a form moved towards her; she looked up and gasped, reaching out towards the figure who crawled out of the darkness. "Malis! N-n-no!..." The 'lock cried out as the troll collapsed before her, eyes vacant. Amirynth tried to pull herself towards the shaman, her legs unable to carry her weight. Growing weaker with every attempt she felt the edge of her vision darkening until she collapsed also, unable to continue, her face pallid.



The three men arrived at Mosswalker Village just as the sun was easing its way past noon. It baked the great forest in its light, and the humidity rose to uncomfortable levels as the men made careful steps through the muddy, mossy undergrowth. Asinity, a large man in his early forties, stood between two other middle-aged men in leather armor, both displaying long black hair in stark comparison to his own lightened blond. Mordagen and Zevron were their names, and they were both good friends of Asinity, and had willingly come with him to this dreadful place to try and recover two supposed victims of a kidnapping. One was a young female blood elf, with red hair and a blind eye. The other, a female Zandalar troll, also with red hair. The three men began combing the war-torn village with their eyes, but they could see no sign of either women through the Scourge-wrought chaos of that which lay before them.

Zevron frowned and turned to Asinity, just as Mordagen walked up beside the two. "Where's the best place to start?" He asked the paladin, giving Mordagen a nod in greeting. While he would have loved to just dart off and search for Rynn he knew that the three of them would have better luck if they searched together.

"It's obvious that she's not out here, I...the one place I can think of, is a cave nearby. Malis and I slept there on the evening that I found her here." Asinity responded, and jerked his head northwest with a grunt. The night had been interesting, even without most of her memories, Malis had many traditions that he never even knew. He almost wished he had a chance to know her better before she had died. Shaking his head, the paladin turned his mind back to the problem at hand. "I say we try that cave first."

Mordagen and Zevron followed his gaze, and nodded affirmatively. The younger rogue frowned, "You found Malis here? In Mosswalker?" Zevron hadn't heard about how she was discovered. Until he had met her the rogue hadn't even known about the Zandalar troll.

Asinity shrugged and gave a nod. "When she was risen...I'm not sure how long after, but we went to that cave to rest. I'd say that's our best bet." He lead the way towards the enterance of the cave stooping low at the dark opening. In the night it had seemed a lot more homely and less forboding than it did now.

Mordagen ran a hand through his hair, and patted the sheath of one of his daggers. "Well, how do we want to do this?" He grinned at the darkness of the cave. This was one of his specialties and it was proving to be quite an interesting outing. The only thing that would make it better was to have a bit of action. His blades were waiting for that death knight.

Asinity looked to the two men in their dark leather armor, and glanced down at his own plate mail, his skin slick with sweat underneath. "You two would be better to go in first, and do some recon. Then let me know via the communicator if it's safe to come in. All I would do is make noise if I went in first."

The two rogues grinned at each other, and shrugged. "Alright, we'll let you know. Come on, Mord." Zevron rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand, and took a few steps toward the direction Asinity had pointed, Mordagen at his side. He felt the coolness of the cavern envelope him, a contrast to the heat of the day. Waiting for a few moments his eyes adjusted to the shadows of the earth and he crouched down, carefully checking the area for any signs of people.

The armored sin'dorei gave them some distance before he started towards them, but even when he began to walk, his steps were slow. The humidity was weighing him down, and caused him to sweat fiercely under his plate and leather armor. He reached the entrance of the cave with no hinderances, and took a brief respite by leaning against the moss-covered gray stone that served as the gaping mouth of the cave. Asinity tapped his thumb against the arcane communicator that was clipped to the collar of his shirt, and exhaled a deep breath in impatience. Just as a cool breeze flew out from the cave, tickling the whiskers on his chin, the communicator turned on and a voice spoke quietly through it, muffled slightly by static.

"Come on in." Zevron sounded relatively stable through the small device, but Asinity brought the missing troll's two-handed axe in his hands anyway.

The tunnel that followed the entrance of the cave widened up until it was big enough for six men to walk through, side by side. As he walked through the twisting turns within the tunnel, Asinity saw massive mineral deposits gathered in clumps, shining brightly and creating a faint light source to guide him through the cave. Finally, he made his way to a large room, with three people in plain sight at the center. Two of them were laying down against the cold stone floor, and another was kneeling next to one of the bodies. Asinity stepped forward with his eyes narrowed, peering at the three individuals. Once he approached them, he identified that it was Zevron kneeling near Amirynth. The other body belonged to Malis, the other missing female they had been looking for. The rogue was checking Rynn's pulse as Asinity approached, two fingers slid against the nape of her neck.

"Are they both...?" Asinity began, looking to Zevron.

The rogue's eyes flickered to a shadow accross the room, then back to the blood elf that lay in front of him. "Search the area, Mord." He began, then removed his hand to brush the bangs out of Amirynth's face. "The pulse is weak, but she's breathing. She needs care right away." The rogue had a look of sorrow and pain on his face, it was obvious that he blamed himself for her capture. He winced slightly as he saw her hand, noting all the new scars and bruises that were forming already on her pale skin.

The paladin looked around for Mordagen, but the other rogue eluded his gaze. At the edges of his hearing, Asinity heard the familiar metal clink of Mords weapons being drawn, but he was too focused upon Malis to look for the man. The armored sin'dorei made his way over to the zandalar troll, and kneeled down next to her. He brought her wrist up to check for a pulse, but there was nothing. No hints of life within her at all. Thinking as quickly as he could, he set the troll's axe on the ground next to her, and placed her hand upon it, silently praying that it would bring the woman back to life. Oddly, the woman's fingers close upon the grip as it touches her hand, but she makes no other movement.

"Come on Rynn..." Zevron was murmuring under his breath as the warlock stirred with a whimper, followed by quick, short breaths. The rogue gently brought the woman's body into his arms and tried to comfort her through her waking pain, lifting her head and rubbing her back. "Stay with me, Rynn...come on..." He glanced towards the paladin, a look of anguish in his eyes, almost begging Asinity for aid.

"I'll try to heal her in a moment, I...I need to see if Malis-" Asinity began, catching his gaze. He looked back to see the troll woman stirring as well. Breathing a sigh of releaf he helped up the shaman as best he could. The drakkari was no where to be seen but at least they had recovered the pair that belonged to the Symphony.

Malis' eyes blinked open, and glanced at Asinity through darkened red irises. "Ya be callin' mah name? It be time t' get up?" She studied the paladin for a moment as if she did not know his face. "Ya be seemin' familiar, who ya be?" She grinned, "Ah be Malis Vitterfolk, it be a pleasure t' meetcha." She held out her hand in greeting.

The blood elf frowned, looking down at the zandalar troll. "It's Asinity... Malis, please tell me that you haven't forgotten." If she had lost her memories all over again he wasn't sure if there would be any hope for her getting better. He took her hand, not shaking it but instead helping her up.

The troll frowned as well, the irises of her eyes curiously shifting to a pale purple color before she responded. "Oh...heya, Asinity. Not be seein' ya there. Ya decided t' come and visit?" She rose and gave him a tight hug, grinning around at everyone as she did so. "So many peoples comin' t' visit t' mahself!"

The paladin opened his mouth to respond, but was silenced as Amirynth began to speak behind him.

"Zev?" Rynn asked the rogue who cradled her against him. She ached all over and wanted nothing more than to just go back to sleep. Every movement seemed so heavy and took all the energy she had. Her mind was awhirl with the last few moments, the confusion not helping. Had Malis been there the whole time? She wasn't sure but the troll had definitely done something to that deathknight. She shuddered at the memories and leaned into his warm body, "T-t-that you?"

"Yeah... it's me." He responded, attempting to give her a grin through his grim expression. He was torn within, wanting to hold her close and never let go and wanting to just pass her over to Asinity for him to heal her up and then just stalk out of the cavern.

"She... the d-d-death..." The blood elf began, attempting to look around the cave. She still couldn't see much but the shadows didn't seem so deep any more.

"We know she's dead..." Zevron tried to finish for the woman. He would make sure that she was going to be ok, take her home and then go away for a bit. He didn't know what to think right now. Before when she had been missing all he had thoughts of was saving her, protecting her, but now... All he could remember was that moment in the troll's house, his heart sinking to the pit of his stomach. A lump rose to his throat and he angrily pushed it down, gathering up the warlock and standing, about ready to leave.

Asinity glanced over to the pair, then looked over towards the troll with a frown. "Malis...do you remember anything? Anything of how you got here?" He narrowed his eyes and looked back to Amirynth. "Zevron left and heard a scream...and ran into the house to find you and Rynn gone. Now you're both here. What the hell happened?" He asked, shooting a gaze back at the troll.

The troll mirrored his frown, and spoke up. "Ah be rememberin' ah be at t' home in Silvermoon, an' then ah be thinkin' o' t' shinies ah left here an ah' be at home here. Ah guess ah can still be travellin' in t' spirit world." She finishes, smiling as though she were happy about that. Thinking some more she added, "Oh! Ah remember Rynn be comin' t' talk' t' me..an Peaches be stormin' out an' then...," she paused, as if searching for a thought. Asinity raised a curious eyebrow. "...an then ya be here an...hmm." She paused again. "Oh, an t' drums be gettin' loud again so ah be lookin' fer mah shinies..."

The amored sin'dorei shook his head, and sighed. "What drums? Do you hear them now?" This was the second time she had mentioned the drums, he wondered for a moment if there was a connection.

The troll wrinkled her nose and smiled. "Nope! They all be gone! It be all t' crystals." She surmised, and gave a nod of approval. The troll was happy to have so many people around her who cared about what was going on. She was a little scared of the obvious missing memories but Asinity seemed to know what was going on and she was sure he would come up with an explenation. Though while this cave had been home for so long she had become partial to the soft bed in the elven city and was ready to go back there.

Asinity sighed again. "Alright. Let's get you two the hell out of here and back home. Bring your axe, if you can manage it. I'd like a chance to ask you a few questions about it when we get you back in Silvermoon, ok?" He asked her, rolling his shoulders. There was a connection to everything, he could see it floating just beyond his grasp. He had an idea but needed to get a little more research before he tried anything.

"Sure sure! Ah be likin' this one, it be all shiney. Ya see it?" Malis held up the runed axe that was now devoid of the pale ice bue glow."Ah be rememberin' it be different than mah old axe but much more shiny... an' bigger..." For a moment the troll looked down towards the golden blade and frowned at it. With a shrug she placed it on her hip and grinned down at Asinity.

The paladin looked at the axe as she showed it to him, and nodded quickly in response. To his right, he heard Zevron clear his throat, and looked over to see Rynn in his arms. The rogue gave him a stern look, and they exchanged nods. "Malis and I will return to Silvermoon...are you coming with?" He had seen the connection between them and was wondering if there was something there that he didn't know.

"I'm going to take her back to Nagrand, so she can finish her business there once she gets better." Zevron responded quickly.

The paladin nodded, "Alright. I'll come visit in a few days to check up on her." He watched as the rogue nodded silently in return and began walking out of the cave. Asinity motioned for Malis to follow, and gave one last look around the large room for any sign of Mordagen before he gave up and followed the other elves out of the cave.

Chapter 7: Up Against the Wall (cont.)

Chapter 8: Mistakes can sometimes prove to be dangerous... (cont.)

Asinity kept his hands held out, and shook his head. "This is not intended to hurt, Malis, only to bring the spirit from the body. If it hurts, the pain will be minimal. You must only clear your mind and relax." He said, giving a nod. "I will handle the rest."

rusting him, the troll nodded back, taking a deep breath. "Ah be ready when ya be." She wiggled slightly, getting into a more comfortable position before closing her eyes. She let herself relax, concentrating on her breathing and counting softly under her breath, something she had been tought to do when first learning to be a shaman.

he paladin bowed his head again, eyes closed. He mirrored the troll's concentration as Light lifted like tendrils from his fingertips. Small murmurs escaped his lips as he chanted. Gradually, the Light wove its way through the air towards Malis, aimed for her chest.

As the Light slithered onto the troll's body, a warmth was felt upon her skin, but soon the troll felt a pain in her temple, like the beginning of a headache. Asinity opened his eyes, but remained channeling the spell. He watched as Malis' hair turned lighter in shade, and the wrinkles on her face become more pronounced. His brows drew together and his mouth hung slightly agape as he observed a spirit being pulled from the body, appearing as if the troll had an aura and it was being sucked away from the skin. Oddly, Asinity thought, the spirit was being pulled towards the axe that Malis held.

The troll whimpered slightly as she felt the pounding in her head grow in response to him chant. Quietly in the back of her mind the ever present drums got louder as Malis felt a cold shiver wash over her body. Something came over her, pressing at her, pushing her from all sides and she tried to open her eyes for a moment to tell Asinity what was going on. Her eyes stayed close, not responding to her wishes. Getting a little frantic, Malis tried to lift her arm to no avail, her consiousness getting weaker and weaker as time went on. Just before things completely went black, the troll opened her eyes, glowing a bright pale blue. "Why hello there Lord Asinity. Fancy bein' here again... an' wit' yaself in audiance? My my, ah be thinkin' ah be quite special."

Asinity exhaled a deep breath, as if relieved. His hands dropped to his sides, but when the troll spoke, one of his ears flickered and he raised his gaze, looking upon her. Asinity mouth hung open as he stared upon what he had done. "******** grinned at him and lashed out with her arm, catching the paladin on the chest and thrusting him backwards, off the couch and onto the floor behind him. With a growl she stood up, advancing towards Asinity with one purpose in mind. "Ah be thinkin' if ya be knowin' how t' give mah freedom, then ya be knowin' how t' take it away. An' ah not be wantin' t' let ya get t' advantage like that warlock b***h." The death knight stood over him, her height seeming much bigger than Malis, a faint cold aura collecting about her person.

The wind taken out of him, Asinity writhed on the floor for a moment, a pained expression upon his face. Reacting as quickly as he could, he swiped at the troll's legs with his foot, attempting to trip her or get her to jump back.

She hopped back with a laugh. "Ooooh, ya be as feisty as t' other! This be fun!" I'mani moved forward quickly and kicked at his side, making the movement short and precised. Stepping back once more she lashed out with her food again, this time trying to catch him on his shoulder. "Up ya come, it be easier t' fight ya when ya be upright..." Bodily picking him up she threw him against the wall, not quite as easily as the warlock had been, but still with a resounding thud.

Asinity grunted as he slid to the ground, against the wall. Shaking his head to clear his vision, he then stood and bared his teeth, assuming a defensive stance. "Just like you to attack someone who's on the ground. Come at me this time, b***h." He growled, balling his hands into fists.

With a laugh, the troll did as he asked, moving towards him and throwing a few punches at him. The few that missed hit the wall with a loud crack, small dents appearing in the stone as a waft of cold air drifted from them. She caught him on the side of his head, following with a few jabs at his midsection, the feral grin never leaving her face. "Ya gonna fight back any knight?" She jeered at him, bating him with her words. "Of ya be maybe wantin' ya other eat t' match t' one ah be groomin' t' other day?"

The paladin blocked as many blows as he could, striking a few of his own as often as he could. He quickly became aware that with a wall behind him, his movement was too limited. Acting as fast as he could, he punched downward at the troll's thigh, and rolled to the side, the door to Malis' house hanging on its hinges a few feet behind him.

The change in direction of his attack caught her off guard for a moment and I'mani took a moment to swing around. Striding forward she growled, the fury shining within her glowing ice-filled eyes. "Where ya be goin'? Ah not be done wit' ya yet!" Grabbing him by the shoulders she listed him up and tossed him again, this time following his pathway with a fist to his head.

Asinity flew through the door and preceded to bounce off the porch, and rolled on his side down a few steps, skidding to a halt on the paved stone of Silvermoon. He coughed once, wincing, and opened an eye to glance at his surroundings.

Ro'neylee was glad for the cool shade of the Shephard's Gate as she stepped inside the city of Silvermoon. She wiped the sweat from her brow as she slowed her quick pace to a slow trot, her faithful companion, Brio, padding along at her side. They had just come in from the forests after a long day of training. It felt good to be out and about in the sun once more, her body relearning her training as a Farstrider slowly but surely. She and Brio had returned to the city for some well deserved rest but fancy had her still jogging along, making a slow victory lap of sorts around the city. As she came upon the Royal Exchange, she was surprised to see a familiar figure rolling down the steps of one of the homes. The ranger blinked a few times and slowed down, making her way hesitantly to the Paladin. "Ah...Asinity?" she asked, puzzled as she looked down at him, clover green eyes regarding him with concern. "Are you quite alright?"

With one hand, the paladin grabbed his throbbing forehead, and then pointed towards the door with his other. He then struggled to get to his feet, but he was slowed by his numerous bruises and pains. "Get your bow...-Light- that hurt..."

Chapter 9: Checking in...

*Not written out. At some point I have plans to write this up considering it is one of the best fights of the year when we RPd it *grins*



Zev goes to check up on Rynn. I'mani shows up and there is an epic battle, rogue against death knight. At one point I'mani get's thrown off the roof of the little home and then knocks Rynn out against the wall of the building. Zevron get's his a** kicked and Rynn finally awakens from her dazed state to reach out and attack the death knight, pushing her back and defeating her for the moment. Rynn runs up to Zev, worried about him and shakes him awake. he reaches up realizing that holding grudges was silly and that he really cared for her. He's about to tell her as such when Vicious comes up behind them, knocks him out and steals Rynn away!

Chapter 11: Rogues to the rescue!

*In which Rynn get's rescued, I'mani is defeated, Malis is brought back for good and Tai'jin almost dies.

Chapter 13: Prologue

"I have a surprise for you, well two actually..." Rynn looked up at the rogue with a smile before reaching out her hand for his. At Zev's curious look she took his hand and lead him out of their home to where her windrider sat lazily basking in the sun. While exploring she had found something quite amazing and wanted to share it with him. "And I apologize ahead of time..." She knew he was not a fan of flying, as much as he preferred to keep that fact hidden. With a pat on the lion's mane, the warlock climbed onto his back and then motioned for Zev to sit behind her.

He did so reluctantly. "So many surprises!" Zev felt a little apprehensive but had faith in Rynn that it would be worth it. As if to echo his own thoughts he heard her utter the very same words. Ready? He'd never be ready! He shook his head at her question before adding "No... but go on anyways." At her command, they suddenly shot straight up into the air. It took all his concentration not to grip hold of her thin waist too tight as they rose into the air. Keeping his eyes closed the rogue relied on Rynn's guidance to get them to the destination of her choosing. It was over before he knew it.

After making sure the winged lion landed squarely, Rynn turned back to glance at the rogue before uttering a soft. "We're here!" She quickly slid off onto the soft green grasses before helping Zev off the windrider and making sure he was steady on the ground. "You can open your eyes now," She chuckled lightly and held his hand tight.

Zevron opened his eyes to see the world far beneath them on one of the many floating rocks above Nagrand. He took a deep breath inward and eyed the edge. "This is... so confusing. Ground... but flying." He took another quick look around before turning to admire the large tree growing from the center, careful to keep his vision from drifting to the view. "I'm conflicted..."

She smiled and walked to the edge of the floating island to glance down at the lands below before looking out towards where the sun was starting to set. Soon, both moons would be rising, the larger one almost illuminating the lush, fertile lands as if it was daytime. Walking up to wrap her arms around Zev's waist she leaned her head on his chest and gazed up lovingly. "The ground is sturdy yes? We can always put something up to stop p-p-people from falling off." She hugged him tighter for a moment before letting go and taking a few steps towards the open area, spinning around in a half circle.

"People from... oh... OOOOOoooh!" He looked around at the large island with new eyes. "I get it!" Having something there would definitely help but already he could see how the location was small and unique but still able to hold all they wanted to invite. He watched as Rynn spun back around to look at him with her miss-matched eyes and strode towards her. Gathering her up in his arms he leaned down to kiss her soft lips, " It's perfect!"

"You can even see our house from here." The 'lock smiled up at him, glad he liked her finding.



Zevron chuckled, "I'll take your word for it." The last thing he wanted to do was take a peek over the edge and end up taking a trip down without any of those nifty goblin-made contraptions to slow his fall. Pulling away slightly he tapped Rynn on the nose. "Hey... You know... you are one lucky woman." Stalling a response he put a finger to her lips before adding. "You are the only person I'd agree to marrying let alone up in the air." With a grin the rogue smoothed back her hair, kissing her forehead and smelling in her unique scent of floral mixed with the faint traced of oil from her lab projects.

Rynn snuggled in close, listening to Zev's heart beat as she looked out over the view. "I know I am lucky, I think so every day that I get to be with you." Running a hand down his chest, she looked up at the rogue with a small frown. "There are other p-p-places if you wanted to go there instead though." She wanted it to be a good location for the both of them and was happy to exchange vows anywhere.

"Not a chance!" Zev grabbed Rynn tight and spun her around, grinning at her surprised squeak. "This is it!" Setting down the one he loved more than anything, the rogue looked out over the horizon and nodded. This was the best spot they could have ever chosen.