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avehi-the-adamant · 4 years

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The Chosen Champion

[[ Co-written with @kidcatgemini / @kaiekasunwhisper. ]]

Acclimating to Maldraxxian life was easy. Scary easy. It wasn’t a scene Avehi ever thought she’d feel so accustomed to, but here she was; working with the Necrolords to unite Maldraxxus again for the good of the Shadowlands. A realm like this, dedicated to protecting all other realms beyond the veil, couldn’t do so divided. Avehi had worked hard to that end, making great progress with the House of Rituals during an ongoing entanglement with Revendreth. She’d leave for that realm soon enough, but not until this mysterious Champion of the House of the Chosen Melosh had told her about was dealt with.

She scowled at the thought; who from Azeroth would support the enemies of unity, rather than fight against them? It infuriated her that someone from her world - another Death Knight, no less - would voluntarily be so detrimental to the already-daunting task that lay before them. But that’d be set straight soon enough.

Epitaph made for the Theatre of Pain with haste; they served Avehi well on Azeroth, and just as well here beyond the veil. Such were the benefits of a spectral steed, she supposed. The familiarity was a boon in this strange and unsettling land. Which… wasn’t all too unsettling, as she looked around. Gruesome and savage, but… familiar, somehow. She couldn’t explain it, but she felt she belonged here.

Was this where her soul would’ve ended up, if her death were permanent?

Finding the answer to that question would have to come at a later time. Epitaph came to a stop at the entrance to the Theatre-- the cheering and clattering of bone and steel filling the air around her. She dismounted, sending her steed to vanish once more into nothingness, before stepping inside.

~*~

Blood gushed out into the Champion’s face as a hooked blade tore through her opponent’s neck, slicing open the artery. She kept her momentum going, spinning around completely as the challenger grasped at the fatal wound, pathetically trying to stop the bleed. Not that they’d have time to bleed to death. Both of the Champions blades came in horizontally now. The first hit cut through the midsection, while the second cleaved the upper half of the body clean off with a sickening crack!

Kai’eka grinned. She couldn’t have wished for a better time in the afterlife than this! Winning her benefactors the anima they needed time and time again to help mend the Shadowlands? Oh, how she loved when violence was the answer to everything.

She harnessed her blade, before slamming a plated boot into the dead body’s neck, coating it in ice. The warrior then reached down, grabbed the head by the hair and, with unholy strength, broke the head off and held it up into the air in victory.

The crowd went wild!

“KAI! KAI! KAI!”

The Draenei’s brow raised as she wove through the crowd. It couldn’t be… could it? As the chanting grew more and more feverish and excited, Avehi hastened to get a better look. She began to push, knocking patrons aside or pulling them back to give way as she slipped between them. She was… stunned… when she finally laid eyes on the champion in the center of the ring. Yep-- it was Kai’eka alright. She wasn’t entirely sure if she should be amazed, disappointed, or proud of the fellow Death Knight she’d raised. Regardless, she wasn’t surprised.

“The Indomitable Champion of the House of Chosen claims another hapless victim!”

Announced the Grandmaster, feeding the crowd’s frenzied excitement.

“Is there none who can stop this master of disaster? This whirl of blades? Who dares to challenge Kai’eka the Butcher?”

‘Tch…’ For a moment, Avehi forgot this was why she’d come. The traitorous House of the Chosen had recruited Kai’eka, it seemed. Surely she simply didn’t know the true intention of her newfound allies. Kai’eka had to be set straight. But in an environment like this, she was unapproachable in all but one manner. Avehi contemplated simply waiting until the day’s fighting was over. And yet her body continued to move as it had been, cutting through the crowd to get to the stairs.

“I do!” she declared, unabashed.

The crowd’s eye turned from Kai’eka to the challenger as she descended the bloodied and fractured stairs leading into the heart of the amphitheatre. Free from the tightly-packed mess of spectators, Avehi was free to draw her hammer as she focused her gaze on Kai’eka. A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips, the memory of the first time she’d faced this unusually muscular elf crossing her mind. Kai’eka had only grown stronger since then, in undeath.

This would be fun.

The warrior tossed the head aside and turned to face the new challenger. She was surprised to see Avehi, though the only indication of such was a raised eyebrow. A grin tugged at the corner of her lips, though.

Avehi had been the one to kill her, and raise her. Kai’eka knew how strong the Draenei was, and wouldn’t underestimate her again. The thought of facing her again in battle was an exciting one. A test to see how far she’d come in her training as an Ebon Knight.

Kicking the top half of the fresh corpse aside, she made her way to the centre of the ring to meet her opponent.

“Didn’t know you were in Maldraxxus too. Surprised the Chosen haven’t recruited you as well,” she spoke simply, honestly.

Though, the more she thought about it, the more she realized she never really spent much time outside the Theatre.

"Kai'eka." Avehi nodded, stopping short of the elf in the center of the arena. "Is this the start of a trend? Or have you always been so careless to whom you pledge your allegiances?"

She slung her hammer up over her shoulder, loosely counter-weighing the glowing crystalline head by draping her forearm over the hilt. Her lichfire eyes flared, the neurotic energy welling up within her. As it always did before a fight. There wasn't a choice here; even if she could talk Kai'eka back from her error in judgement, the Maldraxxi were here to see a fight! The notion immediately reinforced as the Grandmaster's booming voice filled the stadium once again.

"How exciting! These two tiny titans know one another from distant mortal planes! Reunited here, in the crucible of destruction and glory! I couldn't have arranged a better matchup, myself!"

The chanting reached a fevered pitch, as the various denizens shouted and roar with excitement! Clearly Kai'eka had impressed them greatly; what would another like her be like as her opponent?

The warrior raised an eyebrow. Avehi’s words piqued her interest.

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

The question was asked, but it was time to fight. The crowd would most likely get upset if all they did was talk. A blade in each hand, Kai’eka shifted her stance, and charged at the Draenei.

“I win fights, they get anima to help protect the Shadowlands,” she informed Avehi as she swung her blades at the Draenei’s knees, “It’s not complicated.”

Avehi leapt back, playing it safe for now as the two conversed. Shrugging her hammer from her shoulder, she took a ready stance and frowned.

"You're under the misconception that the House of the Chosen are protecting the Shadowlands!" she replied, as Rokaa's crystalline head began to swirl with neurotic energy. "Margrave Krexus is dead. And Vyraz killed him!"

Before letting Kai'eka reply, Avehi thrust her hammer forward, sending a death coil at her! It moved quickly, aimed squarely for the center of the elf's chest!

Kai’eka didn’t try to dodge the blast, but instead brought her large sword up to intercept it. The runes on the weapon glowed as it absorbed the necrotic energy, before the warrior swung it and deployed it back towards Avehi, her other blade following up with a horizontal strike for the Draenei’s midsection.

“What the fuck’s a Margrave?!”

Seriously? Avehi was less shocked as her death coil was returned-- able to lean out of its trajectory without much trouble. But Kai’eka couldn’t be so… clueless, could she? She was starting to think Kai’eka joined the Twilight Cult by accident! The House of the Chosen were at least former allies. But is that as far into it as she read? No question as to who led the House? Sloppy and foolish. Something she’d expect of Raetos, certainly-- but not Kai’eka!

Momentarily baffled by the show of overall situational unawareness, the elf’s follow-up strike landed! For being so poorly informed, she still fought well; Therein was the problem, after all! Her strength needed to be properly implemented, not wasted here working for the enemy!

Avehi hissed, powering through the sudden pain as the runeblade sliced into her armor to retaliate immediately. She thrust the head of her hammer out to bash Kai’eka’s face!

“Fool! I’m telling you that you’re on the wrong side! Again!”

“Since wh—“

Kai’eka barely managed to lean back on time to avoid a broken nose.

“Son of a bitch…”

She continued with the momentum, jumping up to kick Avehi in the jaw as she performed a backflip and landed on her feet. Immediately, she took on a defensive position.

“Since when?!” She growled, “That Baroness chick, Draka, she led me to them herself. I’ve been doing all the fighting for them here ever since! Where the fuck have you been?!”

Avehi snarled, bringing her gauntlet to her mouth. She eyed a bit of blood her fingers had connected from her lips; courtesy of Kai’eka’s parting kick. Her grip about her hammer tensed.

“If you had peeked your head out of this arena every once in a while, you would’ve seen what I’m talking about!” she scolded the elf! “The other Baron, Vyraz, killed the Chosen’s leader in a power grab! He’s in league with the Jailer, you idiot!”

She rushed at Kai’eka, before jumping up into the air. She spun, bringing her hammer up from behind her-- at the same time, reaching out for Kai’eka with a deathgrip. But rather than rip the elf towards her, the shadows coiled around the elf’s boot to pull and trip her down into a vulnerable position for the blow to land!

“Why would—“

Kai braced herself for the grip, but not for where it was aimed. She cursed as her foot was yanked and she lost her balance, but her quick reflexes saved her from the blow as she rolled to her right.

“Fuck! Why would I leave the arena?!”

She growled, literally throwing one of her large blades at Avehi as she continued the rolling momentum and got to a crouching position.

“All I need to do here is rest, train and fight! I’m perfect for this! You should see all the anima I’ve won!”

It was the last thing she expected Kai’eka to do; mostly, because it was foolish! While the blow landed as intended-- cutting into Avehi’s shoulder-- throwing one’s weapon was a desperation tactic. Ill advised for anyone, especially a Death Knight. As the Draenei staggered back from the force of the blow, she picked up the tossed blade and stared Kai’eka down. Her hand tensed around the hilt of the broadsword as its tip dug into the ground at her feet. The other tightened around the grip of her hammer. It seemed there were two lessons she’d have to teach her, today.

“Are you truly so short-sighted? I’m not arguing that you’re earning anima here.” she snarled. “But you’re doing it for the enemy!”

She brought her hammer up, and swung down hard onto the blade. It cracked… then shattered from the impact in front of the Draenei!

Kai’eka’s eyes grew wide as she realized her mistake, too late. In life, throwing her swords had worked exceptionally well as a surprise attack. She’d forgotten, however, how important a rune blade was to a Death Knight.

She took a few steps, hand outreached as the weapon shattered. The effects were felt immediately. She cried out, falling to her knees as pain coursed through her system. The pain was followed by what she could only describe as ‘void’. Part of her had been torn away as her runeblade was destroyed. Her hand tightened on the hilt of her remaining weapon as her body trembled under the shock of what had just happened.

“F-fucking bitch…” she growled, but was otherwise too weak to continue.

The crowd went silent.

Avehi cast the hilt of the blade down, freeing her hand to grip her shoulder. Violet blood oozed from her arm, the perforation in her armor cutting clean and deep. It wasn’t all her blood anymore, but still retained its bluish hue just the same. Slowly, her hemomancy set to mending the gash as she stepped towards Kai’eka.

The silence was deafening in a place like this. Thankfully it didn’t last long, replaced soon with hushed murmurs and whispers from confused and anxious fans. Avehi didn’t want to do that to Kai’eka. She knew the pain of a shattered blade all too well-- it was a pain she’d inflicted upon herself once, in misguided desperation. Both then and now were lessons, at least. She stood over Kai’eka frowning in disappointment.

“I know you’re smarter than this, Kai. And if you weren’t before… you are now.” she berated the elf. “You’re here to help-- not to be another problem I have to deal with. You want to fight in the arena? Fine. You want to earn anima? Great. Just have the cognizance to know who you’re really fighting for. Understand?”

With that, she pulled her hand from her wound, and extended it out for Kai’eka in an offer to help her back up.

Kai’eka glared up as Avehi spoke, teeth clenched as she struggled against the aftershocks of losing her blade. Thankfully, she had two, and she didn’t even want to think about how horrible it would have been if that had been her only one.

To say she was angry and frustrated would be an understatement. Not necessarily towards Avehi, but towards herself. She’d made a horrible mistake in dedicating her entire life to the Twilight Cult, and she’d just found out she’d been doing the same since her arrival in the Shadowlands. Twice now, she’d fought for what she thought was the right cause, only for Avehi to keep coming in to correct her.

She hated it. Hated being wrong. Hated that she couldn’t trust herself to know the good guys from the bad.

Of course… admitting all of that out loud wasn’t about to happen. Having been beaten in battle was bad enough.

Her hand reached out to grab Avehi’s. The woman who had raised her seemed to have a full picture of things.

“Fine,” she growled, the closest she would get to admitting she was wrong, “Then point me in the direction of whoever’s ass I need to kick.”

Once she tugged Kai’eka up out of the dirt, she placed her hand over her arm once more to sustain the healing. She nodded, relaxing a bit, and offering the elf a more amicable expression. Not quite a smile, but… hints of one.

“Still plenty of asses to kick here in the arena. But make it clear you’re not fighting for the Chosen anymore.” she replied, motioning to the crowd-- still murmuring and whispering in confusion. “Your anima winnings should go to support restoring order to the Shadowlands. You fight for the unity of Maldraxxus. You fight for the Undying Army!”

“The Undying Army,” Kai’eka repeated the name before giving a firm nod, “Well, sign me the fuck up.”

#character story #co-writing #kidcatgemini #Avehi the Adamant #Kai'eka Sunwhisper #Warcraft #Shadowlands #Maldraxxus

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avehi-the-adamant · 4 years

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Are We Dead Yet? - Part V: Left Behind

[[ Co-written with @sylaess / @kidcatgemini / @darkestfable. Gif source: @wowdetails ]]

*CR-CRUNCH!*

Argonas slammed his shield up against one of the Mawsworn, pinning him to the jagged cliff facing. He bashed the winged assailant’s head with his hammer to put him down for good-- the abettor helpless to block or evade. That was the last of them. The last of this wave, in any case.

Fighting erupted in intermittent spurts. Mawsworn agents would swoop in with little to no warning, needing to be fended off by the ragtag group as they made their way further. Their goal was in sight, atop the next ridge-- Avehi didn’t know what it was, but she felt drawn to it. The mysterious obelisk was unlike anything else here in this dreadful place. With any luck, it’d be their way out.

The fighting was a nuisance, but in a strange way… Avehi welcomed it. Each foray taught her something new about the Mawsworn. The winged ones, the ghost-like casters, even the ones she could’ve sworn were mere suits of armor enchanted to move on their own. She was assessing them all, in potency and fighting style. And that assessment was yielding good information that she and her compatriots would need to stand a chance against them.

In addition to that, she wasn’t quite ready to leave. Not wholly, in any case. Certainly, she didn’t want to spend a second longer than was necessary down here, but… she hoped Raetos would show up sooner or later. A small sentimental part of her wished it so, turning her eyes to distant ledges to look for a flicker of brightness in the desolace of the Maw.

“Damned fool… where is he?” she muttered to herself.

“--I think I see a way up this ledge!” Argonas announced, pointing his weapon towards a small path that seemed to be the more gentle climb towards the obelisk. “But we still need some manner of vessel for Sinafay, yes?”

--Shit, she’d forgotten about that detail, for a moment. With a huff, she glanced back to Argonas and the soul of his dead mate. There was no way to sustain Sinafay’s soul without a vessel of some kind. Not on Azeroth. But then again… Avehi didn’t know if the obelisk would even take them back to Azeroth at all! This was definitely a plan she was making up as she went along, regardless of how confident and organized she seemed about it.

“We should secure our exit first. Then we’ll take time to find a suitable vessel.”

She glanced once more to Rokaa, the shimmering crystalline head pulsing. Another voice added to the chorus of doubtful whispers and haunting murmurs that filled her mind.

“... let her join me…”

The dastardly conniver’s goals were transparent. Rokaa, the Sargerei she’d captured, would surely tear Sinafay’s soul apart if she bound her to the same crystal. It was out of the question. She pushed the notion from her mind, and kept the idea to herself…

“Avehi, get to that obelisk.” The words were sparsely above a whisper. There were so many voices here. So much turmoil to sift through!

Those cold black eyes stared at Argonas for a long moment. “You need to go with her.” Stated. Not asked. She was done asking things. Sylaess had had enough. Her head was a riot of pain from various sources. “I need to stay.” With that she walked past them and up the path. No dawdling. “I will be here for Raetos, if he makes an appearance. And I will safe-guard Sinafay.” There wasn’t much choice--she felt his eyes on them. Their time was running out. But there was still... that memory. That snippet. The familiar voice in a language she didn’t know in the forest glade she knew like the back of her hand. Syl didn’t know if it was anything more than a figment of her own imagination at this point, her perception of reality was so broken. But she hoped. It was dangerous.

Somehow, she wanted to know.

“--Sylaess, wait!” Argonas called after the elf, shaking the Mawsworn remnants from his pavise. “I have not come this far just to--”

“She’s right.”

Avehi interjected, frowning sternly. Simply put, they were out of time. They had found Sinafay, but had no way to transport her out. An oversight she partially blamed on herself. But then, a lot of this plan was improvised. Nonetheless, they’d made it into the Maw. Reason dictated they could always come back. Better prepared, next time.

Sinafay, for her part, wasn’t pleased at the thought of separating. Her hands reached out for Argonas, to no avail. She swallowed down, tried to keep her emotions under control.

“Is there really no other way?” She asked, even though she knew the answer.

It felt like a step back. They’d come so close to actually liberating her soul from this horrible place, yet now she had to wait. And with how time passed in the Maw, who knew how long it would be. She looked to Sylaess and shook her head.

“You should not stay on my account. I do not wish for any of you to suffer in this place longer than you must.” Her glance moved to Avehi, “If you give me a description of this Rae—“

*SPLOTCH! SPLOTCH!*

Sinafay blinked in surprise as bright pink paint rounds exploded over Avehi’s dark armor.

A distance away, Raetos couldn’t help but grin as he let his hunting rifle fall to his side. He sat back against a rocky wall, his other arm holding a dark skinned elf curled up against him. While Fable looked healthy, but exhausted, Raetos was horribly pale. Blue blood seeped from beneath his armor and pooled beneath him. He’d been grateful for having brought the paint rounds, otherwise he didn’t have the strength to call out to Avehi and they walked by.

“You need a healer,” Fable muttered, watching the paint rounds go flying. He knew his lover was an excellent shot, and they’d hit their mark. But the elf was far more concerned with the blood loss. After all, who knew more about exsanguination than a blood hunter?

It took all that he had to stand. Everything ached, even the wind on his bare chest felt like razors. Fable spotted Avehi thanks to the bright pink that now so lovingly decorated her dark armor, and the woman next to her. An unfamiliar face, but this wasn’t the time to bother with details. Wordlessly, the elf raised an arm to wave them over. Not that he’d ever voice it, but pink was a good choice.

Avehi, of course, disagreed. She frowned at Raetos, as he revealed his position. Frowned at him for shooting her again with paint. Frowned at him for leaving, like the damned fool he was. Frowned at him for clearly getting hurt. She had half a mind to leave him here, for all his foolishness!

At least he had found Fable.

“Argonas, we need to leave.” she said, simply. “Sinafay, go with Sylaess. She’ll keep watch until we get back.”

She looked at Sinafay, and nodded once. Reassuringly? An attempt to be, certainly.

“We will be back.”

With that, she rushed over to help Raetos up.

“I--”

There was little Argonas could do or say in protest. He was far beyond his depth here; and if both the Death Knights were telling him they’d worn out their welcome here in the Maw, he had little choice but to believe them. He turned to Sinafay, face only able to convey a fraction of his lamentation over the predicament. He held his hand out, despite Sinafay being unable to hold it or feel it. A gesture, all the same.

“I found you here twice now, my Beloved.” he said to her, voice hoarse. “I will again. This I swear. Next time, I will take you from this place with me.”

Sinafay nodded, stepping forward and getting on the tip of her hooves. She couldn’t touch him, but her lips reached where they would press to his had she been able to. She closed her eyes and lingered there a moment, enjoying the closeness of his life aura, before stepping back and offering him a smile.

“I have no doubt that you will, My Love. Safe journey, yes?” She then gave him a wink, “Syl and I will try to stay out of trouble.”

Argonas couldn’t help but grin, at that-- he knew neither of them were particularly adept at keeping out of trouble! But they both were strong-willed and indomitable. And that would be plenty for this place. Sinafay had already proven that!

“I love you!” he left her with, before turning and heading up ahead for the Obelisk.

Raetos, for his part, couldn’t help but grin wide as Avehi stomped over. He could tell she was angry, which… was both terrifying and amusing all at once.

“Hey, Dead Girl! You have any idea how hot you are when you’re pissed?”

Fable just stared at Raetos for a moment, blinking. It must be blood loss, there was no way his lover was THAT stupid. The elf did pause, curiously, at the rest of the group though. Unfamiliar faces, but so many draenei. That did make him smile a bit. They did, usually, take care of their own. Despite Avehi’s anger at Raetos’ idiocy.

“You’re allowed t’ smack him, Avehi. Jus’ don’t rattle too much else loose, yeah? Th’ hunters ‘n shit seem t’ have beat you to it,” Fable shook his head, wincing when the world spun. Hopefully escape from this hellscape would be sooner rather than later.

The elf’s caution was lost on the Death Knight; as she got near, she gripped Raetos by his crest, and slammed her plated knee into his face, promptly knocking him out! Her icy grip kept the Lightforged from slumping all the way over. It wasn’t enough to kill him, though Avehi certainly was tempted. Perhaps the only reason he was still alive was so Avehi could chew him out about his stupidity later. She certainly didn’t have the time now.

Though larger than Avehi, Raetos was lifted with ease up and over her shoulder. A benefit of undeath was unnatural strength. The foolish Lightforged groaned a bit in his unconsciousness as he was brusquely hefted up across the Draenei’s pauldrons. She turned her gaze to Fable, lichfire eyes narrowed with irritation. She had no time for games.

“Can you walk?” she asked, curtly.

Pale blue eyes went wide, and Fable simply nodded. He wasn’t about to cross her, not after that. It was one thing to have a chat in Stormwind’s park, where Avehi had been curt but friendly. Ish. This...was way different. “Yes ma’am,” was all he said, ready to follow her.

“Good. This way.” she ordered, hefting Raetos off towards the Obelisk.

~*~

#Character Story #Fable #Raetos #Sylaess #Sinafay #Argonas #Avehi #The Maw #Shadowlands

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avehi-the-adamant · 4 years

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Are We Dead Yet? - Part IV: Rescuers Down Under

(( Co-written with @darkestfable . @argonas / @avehi-the-adamant / @thefugitivemango , @codegemini , @sylaess for chatacter mention))

~*~*~

Landing in The Maw was more of a bang than a whimper. Fable’s soul had been torn apart between worlds, searing pain and deafening screams pulling him apart until he hit soil with an unceremonious thud. The blood hunter’s body should have been broken from the impact, but as the dust settled around him Fable realized that he was…alive? No, not alive, but not resting.

His ears rang, his head was foggy. As if every system was restarting from the ground up. The high pitched ring was subsiding, being replaced with the growls of distant thunder. The sound rumbled deep in his body before it faded away. Ash blew around his body from the constant wind, a dull roar that he could now make out between the bellows of unseen storms. A louder noise reached Fable’s senses now, and at first he thought that it must be higher winds. They wailed and moaned, echoing with metallic screams before fading. It wasn’t until the hunter opened his eyes and sat up that he realized what the sound actually was.

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#character story #Raetos #Fable #Kidcatgemini #The Maw #Shadowlands

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avehi-the-adamant · 4 years

Note

To Avehi: “Yeah, Baby! Swing that tail!”

Avehi swiftly throws a wild punch, swinging blindly at the voice! To no avail. She growls...

“You sure are running your mouth carelessly, for someone in blood-draining range! Say that again; I’ll show you just how close to death I’ve grown beyond the veil!”

#character prompts #blindfolded and listening

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avehi-the-adamant · 4 years

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Are We Dead Yet - Pt III: A Way Out

[[ Co-written with @kidcatgemini & @sylaess ]]

Avehi led the trio to a small cave. The term was a generous one; it was a hole in the cliff facing, hardly noticeable from the outside. Avehi only found it thanks to a subtle rune placed over the entrance. Not by her hand, but that of a friend. She peered inside, and once it was determined to be safe, only then did the Draenei lower her guard.

Argonas brought up the rear; his hulking mortal form only barely able to slip inside the cave– and not without a bit of scraping. Still, he managed inside without drawing too much attention to himself or the cave overall. He loitered by the entrance, not keen on delving too deep in the cloistered space. Keeping watch was as good an excuse as any. He exhaled slow, even breaths to suppress his phobia. Few things gave him anxiety like rightly enclosed spaces. But he set that aside, out of necessity.

For Sinafay.

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#character stories #Sylaess #Sinafay #Argonas #Avehi #The Maw #Shadowlands

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avehi-the-adamant · 4 years

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Are We Dead Yet? Pt.II - The Tremaculum

(( Co-written with @thefugitivemango / @argonas / @avehi-the-adamant ))

~*~*~

Sinafay kept her head low, hair hiding her features as her tormentor floated away, seeming satisfied with his work. Her ghostly form still trembled from the inflicted pain, but her concealed expression was that of a defiant grin. It took a moment for her head to clear, but once it did, she brought her head back up and peered around.

One was never really alone in the Tremaculum. There were plenty of sentries and tormentors about. For now, none were watching her. Prisoners were never really active after torture sessions. Even now, Sinafay knew she didn’t have the energy to do much. But she had enough for what she needed.

Glancing down to her side, her tail came into view. The end was curled up tightly, one would assume, out of pain. But there was another reason for it. It had been busy during her session, when her torturer had been deep in concentration. Slowly, it uncurled just enough to reveal a key. Her smile widened.

Her tail’s movements remained slow, as she kept her head low, peeking through her hair to make certain she wasn’t being watched. It took some time, but eventually, it managed to unlock the shackles holding her wrists, before tucking the key away, out of sight.

For now, she kept the unlocked shackles on. She didn’t have the energy to attempt an escape… not yet, anyway. So she waited, either until she regained her strength or until a distraction broke out. Whichever would come first.

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#Character Story #Sinafay #Argonas #Avehi #The Maw #Shadowlands

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avehi-the-adamant · 4 years

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Are We Dead Yet? Pt. I - Piercing the Veil

[[ Co-written with @sylaess & @kidcatgemini ]]

~*~

The summons came for all of them.

Every single Knight of Acherus could hear that call, knew that call. It wasn’t one you fucked around with.

They stood in ranks, watching the portal open. Waiting. Somehow, they were going to help. The icy winds atop Icecrown snatched at cloaks and fur-trimmed armor alike. Stole the wispy breath of the living and tossed it to the glacier beyond. A very solemn time.

A very anxious time.

They filed through. Rank by rank.

It took forever, in Sylaess’s humble opinion. All for a bloody portal. To the deadlands. Shadowlands. Syl hated portals. They always fucked her up. She cut a glance to see if she could spot Avehi one more time. Had tried to get into formation with her, but who knew if they were still near each other? There had been so much shuffling about.

The rank before her moved up. Started popping through, one by one. So the rumors were true, then. Bolvar had had his ass handed to him by Sylvannas. And then she messed everything up. Again. Sylaess was careful to keep herself still, steady, and cool. At least outwardly. It was tiresome. But she did an excellent job of that mask.

Sigh.

Syl stepped forward unthinkingly. Just muscle memory in the line, headed into the portal. The less she thought of the insanity she was about to partake in, the easier it got.

That was a bold-faced lie, but she was grasping every thin thread to keep herself from launching off the side of Icecrown instead of into the afterlife. Both options sucked, to be fair.

Took a breath, hands on her swords hilts like they were a lifeline. Stepped through the blue-black mass of magic that would lead her to the exact place she’d been avoiding all these damned years. Literally.

Tried not to scream.

The Maw was unchanged from when Avehi was here last-- but it was still an entirely new experience. Before, merely a fragment of her consciousness could wander freely through the desolate wastes beyond the veil. Now, she was here wholly, fully… with no guarantee of any way out again. Her body never felt more cumbersome, reminiscent of when she was first risen. That bitter, ashen taste. The way the air felt so thin and yet stifling at the same time. The amber skyline was piercing, a burning contrast to the somber grey dust beneath her hooves. Immediately, the wailings of the damned assaulted her ears, in a symphony of suffering. This was no place for a mortal.

Thankfully, she wasn’t one.

Foolishly, however, she’d brought two along with her. She looked back to her companions; imposters, both adorned in Ebon Blade recruit armor. Argonas’ barely fit over his muscular physique. An oversight on her part-- she should’ve procured a Tauren-sized set for him, just in case. Raetos’, however, fit just fine. Though his brighter skin tone betrayed his Light-suffused body beneath the dark Ebon plating. Both of them would’ve been easy enough to pick out… if anyone were looking hard enough. Too focused on Bolvar, Avehi presumed. She wasn’t sure about the Highlord. Helm or no helm, it was hard for her to reconcile how she felt about the presence that had set up shop in the back of her mind since the fall of Arthas Menethil. Familiarity, yes. But overwhelming distrust trumped it. Like an estranged brother.

She put it from her mind, for now, attention back on Argonas and Raetos.

“Muster your senses.” she instructed. “We must move-- quickly!”

Argonas did just that; he was much more prepared for the terror this place instilled in the depths of the soul than Raetos was. Having died somewhat recently, he was already accustomed to this place, and the heavy draw that permeated the air. He expected it. Prepared for it. Shrugged it off, and moved to follow Avehi into the wastes. Somewhere here, they’d find Sinafay. And he’d make good on his promise to free her from this terrible place! That alone was all the drive he needed to suffer through.

Raetos wasn’t as fortunate. Despite all the time he’d spent on the Fel-suffused planet of Argus, it did nothing to protect him from the wave of absolute dread and hopelessness that permeated his senses.

“--Light,” he muttered under his breath, kneeling down and throwing his helmet off to bring his hands to his head.

Thankfully, his Lightforged body offered him some protection. He couldn’t imagine how much more horrible this place would be without it’s soothing properties. It took him a moment, as he waited for his senses to acclimate. When he looked up, Avehi and the others were already far ahead. He removed some of the extra pieces of plate armor Avehi had told him to wear. The atmosphere was already too heavy, and the weight of the gear was unbearable. At this point, it didn’t matter if the Ebon Blade realized they’d brought a mortal through.

Not like they could force him to go back...

Gritting his teeth, he got back on his hooves and followed after his companions. He was one step closer to finding Fable.

Sylaess’ skin felt prickly. Like someone had chopped the sides of her neck with the blade of their hand and jolted all her nerves at once. A cold sweat made her armor lining cling uncomfortably.

She wanted to vomit.

Two steps onto the other side, and she held it all back. Held her breath, too. Did a half-turn to check for an ambush and--

Came loose from herself. Drifted away from her own body.

Ah, shit. The thought was haphazard at best. A remote acceptance. The world went away.

Sylaess stiffened up like she’d been struck on the head and went over like an ominous pillar of saronite. No hand came out to break that fall. Crashed to the ground unceremoniously with a dull thud. Absolutely unresponsive for a solid moment, other than a faint tremor in her hands. Unnatural.

“I waited, nonetheless.”

He took another bite, and chewed that one too for a while. Thoughtfully. The only times Argonas was really so quiet was when he was eating or sleeping. His mouth stopped running long enough for his thoughts to get a turn. Most of his thoughts were on Sylaess, and his gaze followed them. He swallowed.

“Was it worth it?” he asked, motioning roughly over his own face where Sylaess’ exacerbated scarring was. “It looks as if you took a few hits. Did you learn anything of the truths you are seeking?”

She blinked at her hands, considering the question for a hanging moment. “...I don’t know if I feel qualified to name worth about this, but I learned enough that I...” Want to take a scalding damn bath, my friend, badly. “...want to leave. I have enough control, I feel.” No, you don’t.--

The taste of rust and dirt in her mouth. Black, watery rushing in her ears. A flicker of lights. Pushed away from the fragmented memory. Didn’t recognize much of it, anyway. Didn’t make too much sense.

And awake again.

She gave a hell of a start. Limbs felt loose, uncoordinated. Standing up felt a little clumsy. Shit, how many times was that? Sylaess tensed, willing herself to look like iron again. Hoped beyond whatever frail hope she had that most of her companions looked past that little... episode. Destarion had made sound mention of her new ailment. She had an idea of what happened, but never a full understanding. Her skull felt like it throbbed, and yet was airy all at once. It was incredibly hard to refocus.

The fragment of memory, or fictitious image was fleeing her mind already. Little snippets. Some were true, but she couldn’t tell what was real. It was harrowing to try and winnow it all out.

Truthfully, she felt like her bones were made of windchimes. Hollow.

Avehi eyed the elf, a mixture of worry and annoyance upon her countenance. The poor thing shook and wobbled like a newborn talbuk finding its legs in this treacherous place. The Draenei couldn’t fault her too terribly for it, though-- everything about this place was an affront to the senses. She was, in truth, surprised Argonas seemed to take it in such stride. But then… he’d been here before, rather recently. She examined the trio, and grunted. This was it. This was the team. With no plan to get back out, and no telling what to expect inside… they proceeded.

“Stay close.” came her only instruction; her only warning.

The Vindicators trudged forward, driven by their respective purposes. Avehi had finally made it to the other side, and took strides now in correcting this problem that had haunted her for so long. Argonas’ purpose was far more specific. Yet both moved, in a show of their shared training, keeping a close-yet-loose and wary formation. Hammers drawn and ready for the horrors the Maw would surely throw their way.

Raetos stayed further behind, both to watch their backs, and also to keep an eye on Sylaess. She was the only one in the group he didn’t know at all. She was such a tall and skinny thing, so lanky and sickly looking. And from the looks of it, she’d taken the entrance into the Maw harder than he had. He wondered how long she'd been dead, but then Avehi had made it clear that it wasn’t a question to ask a Death Knight. A sensitive subject.

Now wasn’t the time to make friends and start conversations anyway. Quite the departure from his regular self. Instead, his golden gaze scanned the rocky cliffs. Oddly enough, it wasn’t too far off from the rocky and desolate landscape that Argus had been… except Fel was replaced by… well… death and mist of some kind. So he had no issues blending and moving quietly about the area. Thankfully so, because the mist made it hard to see at a distance, and there were constant eerie screams in the background that made things difficult for his ears to pick up other sounds --not to mention the sounds of battle! It would make hunting the enemy harder for him.

He wondered if Avehi knew where she was going. She seemed to anyway… So he followed. For now.

The worst of it faded slowly. Not that the ominous air of the Maw itself was helpful in any sort of recovery.

To be fair, she’d been here before. A few times. They had to find Sinafay as fast as they could. Every second in this place was a threat to the very fabric of a soul.

She should not be here. So many should not be here. That would have to be solved later. It was a much grander scale issue.

Sylaess shook her head slightly, chasing off the thoughts before they took hold. Glanced over the rest of the party and resolved to ignore her indiscretion. Such as it would be. A brief flicker of concern for Argonas, but she let it slide. Had to. No room for that here. She wasn’t particularly concerned with Raetos, disguise or no.

There was a feeling that the Jailer would be able to sense them regardless of any shade or misdirection and that bothered her. Bothered her a lot. She slid a hand into her cloak, a hidden pouch there. Reassurance. The tiny vials were wrapped securely in cloth and leather layers, protecting them from a lot of damage. They seemed intact. “Avehi, do we have a specific direction, or should we try to command a soul to give us an idea?”

Her voice was quiet and gravelly, but clear enough. Such an odd thing to hear out of her own face. She sighed softly through her nose. At least she’d spent the last few weeks with the ritualists in Acherus, learning what she could of the other side of being a death knight. Less battle, more magic fuckery.

"Once we have our bearings, that's a good idea." Avehi replied without breaking stride. "Let's get up this ridge, and see what we can see."

"--Command a soul?" Argonas repeated, clearly uncomfortable with the notion. "Have they not suffered enough without such compulsions?"

"Probably. You can ask your wife the specifics after we compel a wayward soul to lead us to her." came Avehi's curt response.

It silenced Argonas well enough.

“Geez… I mean, it doesn't hurt to ask nicely at first,” Raetos couldn’t help but throw his opinion in, “If they’re being a pain in the ass, then by all means, but Argo’s right. No need to hassle an already suffering spirit if it’s not putting up a fight.”

He held his rifle ready, keeping his senses sharp despite his mouth working.

“Like… from the looks of things, there are some obviously bad things picking on helpless looking spirits,” he mentioned, taking a peek over the ledge where he spotted the commotion, “We intervene, the nice spirit tells us what they know out of gratitude, and then we can compel the baddies for extra information. Win win. Oooh! Leave that hound-thinger down there alive, though. I want that.”

“Was it worth it?”

The memory echo gave her half a pause, but it slid away like oil on water. She sighed softly, the tightness in her jaw not settling.

Maybe it was the half-echoed whispers from the souls damned to this place. She could hear them. Assumed Avehi could, too. “More than half of these souls are ... remnants. Shattered pieces. The Maw is where they are sent to be slowly obliterated. Now that all souls are sent here, it's ... the worst fate you could wish on anyone. No hope for rebirth here, just swift annihilation if you’re lucky.” Sylaess said. Gave pause, side-eyeing Raetos. “They’re constructs, but ones that feast on souls. Fine sport, I’m sure.” She had meant to be calming, reassuring even. But her words raked like gravel, gashing out the hideous truth of this place. The end was colored by sarcasm. No mercies indeed. There was regret, but she couldn’t pluck the words from the air. Nor did she feel she could’ve found better to say. The elf tugged her cloak over her shoulder, black hollow eyes scanning the area in a slow sweep. Old habits were never far. At least, she assumed it was a habit.

She eyed the hound. Then it came together. “But we could harness it to travel faster. At least, one of us.”

This place was grating on Avehi’s nerves. The sounds most of all. Words no mortal could hear, but registered as whispers to the Death Knights, one foot in and one foot out of their graves. Half-truths and intrusive thoughts given soundless voices, all speaking directly to her mind.

“You belong here, too.”

“None escape…”

“The Jailer sees all!”

It was distracting. Overwhelming. And Argonas’ and Raetos’ sanctimonious protesting only irked her further.

“Feel free to see how far asking nicely gets you.” Avehi chuffed, growing in irritation. “But if you want your respective loved ones saved from this infamously-inescapable place? Cast aside your Light-bleached sensibilities and be prepared to do whatever it takes. Let the undead handle the undead, if you can’t stomach it.”

The ridge crest overlooked everything… and nothing. There wasn’t much to see of this desolation. A ‘river’ of aetherial miasma cut through the land some distance ahead. And following it to their left revealed ramparts of some manner of fortification. Beyond that, ever-looming in the sky, was an infinitely tall tower. Unsettlingly menacing, it dominated the skyline, casting its shadow over the already dismal landscape.

“--There.” Argonas spoke up, motioning to the fortifications. “I… I saw Sinafay near there, when I died. I remember the wall.”

“You’re certain?” Avehi asked, turning to him.

He nodded once, eyes affixed to the distant keep. It was recent enough, still fresh in his mind. Avehi grunted, but nodded in response.

“Then we make our way there. Any soul we manage to find on the way, we question.”

She waved her hand dismissively at the construct and his ‘dog’ down below.

“Leave those sentries be, if we can. The creature will serve us no purpose, anyway.” she directed. “Splitting up here is the worst thing we could possibly do.”

And yet, that was exactly what Raetos decided to do. As the others turned away and continued their journey, the Lightforged kept his eye on the hound and its rider. He always worked better alone anyway. And it would be easier to sneak around without the heavy plate wearers. Brows knit into a frown as he looked over to his friends once more, only to see them already a good distance away; pushed forward by Argonas recognizing a rock formation.

Fable wouldn’t be with Sinafay. It was a gut feeling the Draenei had. Their times of death had happened so far apart and differently. The chances of finding them together in this hell hole was slim to none. His three companions obviously cared more about finding Argonas’ mate than his. Avehi had promised to bring Raetos into the Maw. That done, it was time for him to walk his own path. His partner needed him, and he wasn’t going to waste any time following the wrong trail.

Silently, he stepped away from the group and hid into the cliff. And just like that, he was gone, silently moving down the cliff to stalk the hound and rider, hunting rifle in hand.

“Perdition...” It was more of a mumble to herself, thinking over the location. She frowned, watching Raetos go--but who was she to stop him? If you want to disappear into hell, literally, by yourself, then that’s on you. She honestly wished him well.

The wash of voices became loud in her ears for a moment. She grit her teeth.

“If we’re headed that way, we should get going. “ A pause, and she stared at Avehi. Tried to gauge how much she knew of this place, gave up. “He’s watching.” Softly. “There’s not much I can do about it.” Stepped up to be vaguely beside the other Knight a moment. “The best thing is that he’s busy with the sudden swarm of Acherians. He can’t focus.”

The Draenei’s tail flickered in irritation, as Sylaess put so well into words what she was feeling. The master of this domain exuded a too-familiar omniscience in this place. The power behind the Helm of Dominion worn by the Lich King could be felt here. Its origins, perhaps? It felt far too similar to be coincidence.

“There’s nothing any of us can do about it.” she affirmed, bluntly. “May his focus be elsewhere as we get done what we’re here to do. Everyone stay cl--”

She narrowed her eyes in search; the brightest of their group was nowhere to be found! For his otherwise inept and naive countenance, Raetos was particularly adept at forging his own path and vanishing when he felt it was time. His impatience and disobedience would be his doom here, Avehi thought, as she shook her head.

“We need an escape. A rally point. Somewhere to fall back to and regroup as necessary.” she grunted, eyes flickering to Sylaess. “Can you secure one? Argonas and I will go ahead into the keep, and see if we can’t find Sinafay.”

Sylaess nodded. “I’ll hold to one spot as well as I can, but I feel I might need to move. May this be a quick endeavor.”

(( Mentions: @avehi-the-adamant / @argonas / @raetos / @sylaess / @sinafay1 / @darkestfable ))

#character stories #Shadowlands #The Maw #Avehi #Sylaess #Argonas #Raetos #Sinafay #Fable

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avehi-the-adamant · 4 years

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Second Chances

By now, the Exodar had long served as a home for the Draenei. Having used it to flee their shattered and doomed territories on Draenor, the Exodar was a familiar comfort to many. But to Avehi, it was a stifling cradle which she had outgrown. Once she called it home, yes. But even before her ill-timed fate, the Exodar was never a place she wished to spend her days. It was a trap; the Prophet chose to remain to be among his people, and the skittish people remained to cling unto the Prophet. Why here? It was just a ship, after all; a vessel meant to translocate her people to a safer world. And it had… years ago. Her people weren’t meant to live in the wreckage of the vessel that brought them here! Now, the Exodar only served as a hive for those too scared or afraid to venture out further than the Isles. It had become a breeding ground for xenophobia and closed-mindedness. And the Death Knight found it abhorrent.

Returning was never pleasant; for that reason, and others. The irritating tinge of Light energies soaked into every stone and crystal felt irradiating to her now. It had been years now, since O’ros was destroyed here by the Legion. But his presence remained, permeated into the vessel itself. It was stifling. Avehi’s lips curled to an uncomfortable snarl as she paced through the metallic corridors. She’d come here with a purpose, but every step she took made her wonder whether or not it was worth the trouble. She had almost turned back twice, now. But both times, Raetos’ face flashed across her mind’s eye. His words echoing in her thoughts.

“He is actually sorry and apologetic for what he did…”

“He knows he did wrong. He died for it. The Grand Vindicator judged that he deserved a chance to repent and make amends… “

“Repentance means he learned and aims to do better…”

‘Damn it, Raetos…’ she thought to herself, in a huff. How could someone so dumb also be so wise? It didn’t help at all that he, himself, was living proof that a zealot could reform and better themselves. He was almost worse than Argonas was, when she first met him. Argonas at least treated her with a modicum of reverence for having perished in battle. Raetos, meanwhile, had insisted she hadn’t joined with the Light because her faith wasn’t strong enough. But he’d come so far since then; now, he was dating a Void Elf and lecturing her on not judging others by their practices and beliefs. She hated that he was right about Argonas-- he at least deserved a chance at repentance. And that’s why she was here.

Avehi stepped out into the Crystal Halls; of all the sections of the Exodar, this was her favorite. Serene and calming, without the blinding Light glaring down from every corner. No, it was a relaxing place, with reflecting pools and - as the name implied - softly-glowing purple and blue crystals. It reminded her of Shadowmoon Valley, and the time she spent there with her mother. Perhaps that was why it seemed to calm her irritations. As expected, she saw a familiar broad-shouldered figure kneeling beside one of the pools. She knew few Draenei as large in stature as Argonas; one of only a few mortals whose natural strength rivaled the unholy strength granted to her by virtue of undeath. She remembered learning that in their grapple when all of his interference first began…

--No, she pushed the thought from her mind! That train of thought was a slippery slope to changing the tone of this visit from forgiving to vindictive. That wasn’t why she was here.

“Argonas.” she called out, stopping a comfortable distance from him.

He turned, tail twitching as his name was called. Argonas stood as he looked at Avehi. He’d let himself go, it seemed-- generally he was very precise about his professional and clean appearance, trimming his hair and keeping clean-shaven. But now, he bore a thick beard, and the hair behind his crest was easily twice as long as usual, tied back into a loose ponytail. He wasn’t in his armor today; another deviation from his norm. Instead, he wore a simple sleeveless shirt and cotton-woven pants. Avehi peered at the runic scars etched into his arms. She’d heard of what happened to him in Tanaan… but had never seen the scars until now. Argonas approached, expression both hopeful and contrite. He bowed his head, stopping an arm’s length from Avehi.

“Sister… you bring news? Is it time?” he asked, a glint of determination in his tone.

Honestly, it had been some time since Argonas referred to Avehi as ‘Sister’. The honorific dealt between Draenei helped instill a sense of community and equality among one another. It wasn’t fitting to call your betters-- Argonas would never call the High Vindicator ‘Brother’, for example. But the act of not calling Avehi ‘Sister’ for so long was, admittedly, scornful. Petty, even. Just another of his wrongdoings for which he had to atone. He was still wary of Avehi, but no longer for the same reasons as before. He had seen what awaited the departed in the Maw. He bore witness to the horrors those killed and cast into it had to endure. Avehi was fighting to right those wrongs. He knew that now. What had him wary was Avehi’s demeanor in Arathi, as he was brought back. He was wary of the pain he’d caused her, knew full well that were their positions reversed… he’d be vengeful. Why wouldn’t she be?

Much to Argonas’ surprise, Avehi didn’t appear hostile. Her expression still bore the beginnings of a scowl, but somehow dulled. Softened. She didn’t seem as mad… more disappointed. Somehow it was worse.

“Not yet. Not for you.” Avehi replied, plainly. “I am not here with any news. Rather… to speak.”

“Speak?” Argonas blinked, confused.

“To… check on you.”

Avehi glanced away, tail flickering. This was harder than she had anticipated. Awkward and tense. She and Argonas had never been close, despite sharing similar experiences. Both were trained by High Vindicator Khanaros, but at separate times. They lived in separate regions on Draenor, and were assigned to different posts. Their lives had taken them down different paths, even along the same major events. When the Exodar crashed on Azeroth, Argonas mourned his fallen love while Avehi ventured out to deliver vengeance upon the elves that sabotaged their ship. And yet, for all their differences, they had similarities in their paths, too. Again, trained by Khanaros, who forged them into some of the best defenders of their people. Their parents were artisans, crafting weapons, armor, and tools from metal and crystal. And now, just as dying had opened Avehi’s eyes… it had opened Argonas’ eyes, too. Considering that helped to dissipate some of the tension.

“When I died and came back… it was shocking to me, as well.” she explained, her gaze meeting his again. “One of the short-comings of such a singular path, like how you and I were brought up, is that we never learned to deal with the reality that the sole path we’re taught doesn’t account for everything. For me, being raised as undead rather than joining with the Light, like I was promised, was more painful to me than when I actually died.”

Argonas was speechless; for the best. Listening seemed much more appropriate as Avehi opened up to him. He didn’t expect her to sympathize with him… or honestly, to even try. In all the time he’d known her, she’d never reached out to find any measure of common ground between them. Then again… neither did he. The two were so caught up in their differences, they never considered the experiences they shared. And now, of all things, dying was one of them.

“I suppose what I’m saying is… I know what you’re experiencing right now. Before I died, I was like you.” she went on. “I… looked down on anyone who did not incorporate the Light into their lives. But the Light alone can’t answer all the problems we face. History has proven that, too; the Krokul and shamanism helped us to heal the land and gain allies in the elements. The Demon Hunters, too, helped us return to Argus and join with our Lightforged kin to defeat the Legion. And now… those like me who are undead will lead us into the Shadowlands to fight for the souls of our people!”

She recoiled some at her own words-- not out of any disbelief or discomfort with them. But she hadn’t intended to lay on the point so heavily. As she well knew, Argonas was experiencing a crisis of identity. All he knew was altered. And it wasn’t an easy realization to accept. But she had hoped that, in highlighting truths she had learned, that he’d manage to cope with it better.

“You see that now, yes?” she asked, in a calmer tone. “The Light is one of many paths. And all paths have their uses.”

“I… know this.” Argonas nodded, brow furrowed slightly. “I have always known this. But… until now, I have always managed to accomplish what was needed through the Light. Even surviving on Argus was the Light’s doing. It delivered me from death. What bothers me is… I have never known why. I still do not. Why would the Light spare me, if there is nothing I can do for my people?”

“Nothing? Argonas…” Avehi frowned, shaking her head. “You are a Vindicator. A protector of our people. There is much you can do for our people. Those living, and those departed.”

She reached forward, placing her cold, plated hand on Argonas’ shoulder. Her lichfire eyes pierced his now, commanding his full attention-- and he gave it entirely to her, both wary and intrigued.

“You’ve learned much you would not have, had you died on Argus, yes? What good would you be to our people dead, trapped in the Maw?” she asked. “You want to know why the Light delivered you? To help deliver more of our people from that terrible fate. People like Sinafay.”

“--Y-Yes! Yes, I must save her!”

“We must save her. We must save all of our kin, Argonas. You would not know that, nor be equipped to, if you had died on Argus.”

She jostled him, emphasizing her point before pulling her hand back. With a nod, she stepped back from Argonas. His expression had changed to one of pure conviction. He peered back at Avehi, and returned the nod.

“You… are right. This affects not just Sinafay, but all our people. And I… I cannot make a difference myself. The Light can help, but I must get there, first. And that is what you can do, yes? That is what you and the Ebon Blade are working towards?”

“Mm. The time will come soon.” Avehi replied. “And when it does… you will come with me. We will redeem our trapped kin together.”

Standing tall and proud once more, Argonas grunted his affirmation. It seemed to be precisely what he needed-- a call to arms. A purpose. And Avehi was somehow glad to see his spirit lifted and his motivation restored. And now… toward a goal they shared. He smiled at Avehi, and bowed his head.

“Thank you, Avehi. I… know I have not treated you well in the past.” he apologized, sincerely. “I appreciate you including me in this important work, nonetheless. I am in your debt.”

Avehi shook her head, and returned the smile. She could tell Argonas was earnest in his contrition. She knew well what he was enduring. The pain he faced, and the resolve he needed to find purpose after such a traumatic shattering of his reality. It was something she needed once, too. Raetos’ words echoed once more in her mind; and she echoed them here now, to Argonas.

“Everyone deserves a second chance.”

#character stories #Avehi the Adamant #Argonas the Ironclad #Draenei #Vindicators #Warcraft #The Exodar #Raetos

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avehi-the-adamant · 4 years

Text

LFRP: Avehi the Adamant

Art by: @kidcatgemini

The Basics ––––

Age: 769

Birthday: July 24th

Race: Draenei

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Predominantly Straight

Marital Status: Single

Server: Wyrmrest Accord - US

Physical Appearance ––––

Hair: Black/Grey

Eyes: Lichfire Blue

Height: 2.14m

Build: Athletic

Distinguishing Marks: Crossed scars on lower abdomen

Common Accessories: Crystal hammer, silver elven earring, various jewelry

FC: Jennifer Garner

Personal ––––

Profession: Vindicator & Crystalforger

Affiliations: The Hand of Argus, the Ebon Blade, the Alliance

Hobbies: Drawing, jewelcrafting, blacksmithing

Languages: Common, Draenic, Eredun, some Orcish and Darnassian

Residence: Unspecified

Birthplace: The Genedar

Religion: Formerly the Light

Fears: Losing those close to her

Art by: @pyro-fishy

Relationships –––-

Spouse: None

Children: None

Parents: Veluura (Mother, Presumed Deceased)

Siblings: None Known

Other Relatives: None known

Pets: Potato, the crawg.

Art by: Intoxicated Rabbit

Traits –––-

* Bold your character’s answer.

Extroverted / In Between / Introverted

Disorganized / In Between / Organized

Close Minded / In Between / Open Minded

Calm / In Between / Anxious

Disagreeable / In Between / Agreeable

Cautious / In Between / Reckless

Patient / In Between / Impatient

Outspoken / In Between / Reserved

Leader / In Between / Follower

Empathetic / In Between / Apathetic

Optimistic / In Between / Pessimistic

Traditional / In Between / Modern

Hard-working / In Between / Lazy

Cultured / In Between / Uncultured

Loyal / In Between / Disloyal

Faithful / In Between / Unfaithful

Additional information ––––

Smoking Habit: No

Drugs: No

Alcohol: Not often

Art by: @teechew

RP Hooks ––––

From Draenor? In this most prosperous time for the Draenei, Avehi was a fun and flirty gal, making friends of all sorts - from casual to intimate - all over Shadowmoon Valley!

We do what the Living cannot! Ebon Blade Death Knights may know Avehi for her vicious reputation! She’s usually wary of other Knights, but in these troubling times… she’s finding more and more common ground with them.

Need crystal work done? Avehi designs and repairs all manner of crystal craft, from jewelry to weapons and armor!

Open to ideas, as well!

OOC Information:

I’ve been RPing in World of Warcraft since The Burning Crusade, and off-and-on in other media before that.

PvE fan! I love running M+ and getting into whatever raids I can. Work schedule doesn’t allow for a steady raid team, though. All the same, hit me up if you need a tank Alliance-side, or DPS either faction!

Looking for long-term story arcs / relationships (friends, romance, family, whatever!). I love writing stories!

Cross-Faction is fine with me! Enjoy RPing in game as much as writing in forums/GoogleDocs/Discord!

Art by: @sylaessart

Contact Information ––––

Reach out to me here on tumblr if interested, or send Avehi in-game mail! If you’re just looking for a taste, feel free to drop a starter ask in the ol’ inbox, too! Follow backs come from @thefugitivemango

#LFRP #Avehi the Adamant #Warcraft #Draenei #Death Knight #Wyrmrest Accord RP

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avehi-the-adamant · 4 years

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Arathi Meetup

It was a beautiful day in Arathi. Raetos took a moment to take it all in. The fields still held signs of the battles that had been waged during the faction war: broken siege engines, catapults, pieces of armor and weapons scattered about. Still, nature was already beginning to reclaim the land, the grass spreading and growing tall to cover up the ground beaten down by cavalry. The sky was a perfect blue, not a cloud in sight.

He allowed his companion to graze in the fields as he made his way into the ruins of Stromgarde. While parts had been reclaimed and rebuilt by the Alliance in the war, there was still a large part left untouched. The Lightforged’s hoof steps were surprisingly light for someone his size, moving through the environment without a sound. Compared to the Fel environment of Argus, this was nothing.

He’d certainly seen a lot of what beauties Azeroth had to offer in his hunts for Avehi. First Northrend, then Pandaria, and now the Eastern Kingdoms. He wondered if Kalimdor would be next. She was easy enough to track down now. Surely, she felt relaxed enough not to try and cover up her tracks. That, and he was well attuned to her cold and necrotic aura.

He moved around a wall and unharnessed his rifle, having filled it with special rounds for his prey. He propped it up on the stone ledge, looking through the scope as the Ebon Knight came into view. He smiled, seeing her, already feeling his insides stir in anticipation. He took a moment to slow his heart rate, aiming carefully at her chest….

...And fired off a couple of pink paint rounds.

*Splorch! Splotch!*

Slowly, Avehi looked down at her chest plate. She didn’t so much feel the paint round hit, as low impact as it was on her plated armor, but the sound caught her attention on its own. She snarled as she beheld the fresh pink stain on her tabard-- one of her prized possessions. Avehi had kept this tabard clean and serviceable for years following her demise. Washing it, sewing up holes and tears, and overall maintaining it as meticulously as she maintained her armor, weapons, and even herself! And now… paint? She eyed the stain’s splatter, judging well enough the trajectory of the projectile that did this, and turned her gaze up towards the stone ledge.

“Raetos!”

The Death Knight reached out her hand, calling upon the necrotic power she had mastered over the years to reach out for him. A shadowy tear ripped through the space between them in a harsh and jagged line as the darkness gripped at the Lightforged. She pulled at him, yanking him down from his perch towards her! She could immediately feel the tingle of his opposing Light suffusing as the tendrils of darkness connected between them… and couldn’t help but smirk.

“Hehe! Gotcha!”

Raetos grinned widely, victoriously. Like a child who’d just won a game. Even having just been yanked over by Avehi’s creepy magic, he couldn’t help but be in a good mood.

“I’m gonna be straight with you. Had no idea you could do that. Creepy as fuck, but pretty cool move.”

He reached out to loop an arm around her waist to pull her against him.

“What other surprises do you have in store for me, My Lady?”

“Tch… only a fool would reveal all their tricks at once, yes?” she grinned back at the Lightforged, his playful mood contagious.

Nonetheless, she pushed away from him, putting a bit of distance between them as she looked around. Her icy gaze scanned over the entry paths, and other stone outcroppings like the one on which she’d spotted Raetos. Her tail twitched warily for a moment, before she returned her attention to the other Draenei.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, bluntly. “You came alone?”

“Pff! Of course I came alone! You think I’m stupid or something?”

As she moved away to look around, he couldn’t help but fire another paintball into her thigh at close range. He’d managed to keep a firm hold on the rifle in one hand despite her surprising magic.

“Hah! Gotcha again! Man, you would be extra dead if Argonas was still on your trail. Dude, that guy is PISSED!”

She scowled at Raetos, letting out a huff.

“Enough of that. Or it’ll be the only kind of round you ‘unload’ today.” she warned him.

Getting shot again hadn’t soured her mood, but the mention of Argonas certainly had. She took another quick glance around the worn-down fortress, before turning and stepping inside a nearby decrepit old building-- motioning for Raetos to follow, of course.

From the look of it, the structure used to be a house. Possibly an inn. The mantleplace was the only part still more or less intact. Floorboards were warped and uneven, stairs were chipped and eroded, and the only furnishings left were a well-built table, a few chairs, and a faded chaise lounge that probably looked really fancy in its prime. She drew Rokaa from its holster with a light flourish, spinning it once before she leaned it against the fireplace. Then, she drew a small cloth from her inner pocket.

“I’m not surprised Argonas is upset. You spoke with him, then?” she asked, as she began to wipe the paint off her thigh. “I’m not pleased it took Khanaros’ orders to keep him from interfering, but I suppose it’s preferable over sending him to join his wife directly…”

Raetos’ tail swayed as he followed the Ebon Knight into the tiny inn. He still couldn’t get over how small humans built things… still, it would do well enough. He walked over and placed his rifle down next to the hammer, before drawing his sword and doing the same.

“Oh, those orders aren’t gonna stop him,” he chuckled, shaking his head, “Bumped into him at the bar. He told me all about it. I had to talk him out of hunting you down, despite the Grand Vindicator’s orders. Bought you some time, telling him I’d keep an eye on you and report any illegal activity you might be doing out here.”

He shot her a smirk, “So, you’re welcome.”

“Mm, I’m so sure.” Avehi rolled her eyes, as she finished wiping down her legplate.

Next came the tabard, which she knew would be harder to clean. Still, it had to be done before the stain set. She pulled it up over her head, and laid it out on the table. She pressed her hand to the paint splotch, palm growing cold with icy power. The paint solidified, and became easy enough to slowly scrape off in solid chunks before setting into the fabric.

“I know Argonas well. A command from Khanaros is the end of it, for him.” she nodded. “What did he really say about all this?”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought, too. But the guy has gone unhinged! He thinks you and Mierne are working together and are controlling the High Vindicator. He feels it’s his duty to deal out justice because he accuses Khanaros of being unable to make proper decisions because of Mierne. The guy is going rogue. Gotta say that Mierne chick sounds hot. Did you know she seduced Argonas on more than one occasion?”

“Mm, I’m well aware…”

She continued chipping off the last of the paint from her tabard, casually. Waiting for Raetos to chuckle and finally tell her what really happened. But as the silence drew out between them, she turned, brow furrowed.

“... You’re serious, then? Argonas really thinks that?”

She set her tabard aside, and stepped towards the Lightforged.

“What exactly did he tell you?”

Raetos blinked, looking confused, “I just told you. He said the High Vindicator’s judgement is skewed because of his relationship with Mierne. He told me that it was up to us to bring about ‘the Light’s justice’ ourselves. I told him he couldn’t just go against orders and had to be patient. I told him the best course of action was for him to stay put, because everyone knows how emotional he’s being about all this, and in exchange, I would stay close to you and report any illegal activity, creepy raising corpses excluded, obviously.”

He went about removing his shoulder gear, followed by his gauntlets.

“I mean, you want his exact words?”

He puffed up his chest, placing his hands on his hips and giving his best Argonas impression.

“The High Vindicator is not of sound judgment in this matter! He is far too close to the issue to be impartial! It falls to us to do what he is unwilling to do. It is our responsibility to see justice is met, Raetos!”

He shot Avehi a grin, “How was that?”

Avehi blinked. She nodded slowly, unable to help but be impressed by Raetos’ eerily accurate impression of Argonas. She almost had a mind to put that incredible mimicry to better use, if she weren’t so upset with the subject at the moment...

“Pretty good, I guess.” she shrugged. “But that doesn’t bode well. If he’s so upset that he’s willing to go against the High Vindicator about this…”

She trailed off, continuing the thought internally. Raetos was right; he was clearly unhinged if he was considering such possibilities! The Light was dangerous enough, but Avehi had put faith in Khanaros, at least, limiting how it was deployed. But if an emotionally unstable Vindicator like Argonas was talking about starting to take the Light’s justice into his own hands, that was dangerous. For everyone. She sighed; only one clear solution came to mind. Argonas was too dangerous to be kept alive.

Her gaze flickered back to Raetos, as a soft smile crossed her lips.

“You… did that for me? Talked him down so he wouldn’t keep coming after me, himself?” she asked, stepping in a little closer to Raetos. “Thank you, Raetos. Truly. That means… well. It means quite a bit, that you’d intervene on my behalf.”

The Lightforge’s face flushed, and he brought a hand behind his head. His tail swayed widely behind him in excitement, knocking over a chair.

“Well… I mean. I enjoy spending time with you. And while I admit I don’t understand a thing about all this world of the dead and raising people business, if the High Vindicator thinks it’s worth looking into, then so do I. I don’t want to see you hurt, and if staying close to you means keeping Argonas off your trail for a while, then win-win, right? Temporary, I know. But… gives us time.”

A mixture of emotions fell over Avehi. Flattery and gratitude, of course. But spoiling them both came a sense of worry. Of concern, aside from the new ones brought on by this information about Argonas. No, concern that perhaps Raetos was taking things too seriously between them. Just what was he expecting through all this? She had begun to enjoy the time they spent together as well, but… she couldn’t see herself going to such lengths to prolong the time and opportunities for them to meet up and get intimate with one another.

All these feelings, of course, remained well hidden behind her facade. She remained smiling softly as she beheld the Lightforged, glowing like a beacon in the dimly-lit and run-down house. She tried to put it from her mind, instead electing to believe he was simply being selfish; maneuvering amongst Argonas and others to maximize his chances to get laid. Surely that was part of - hopefully all - he was going to such lengths to accomplish. And for his efforts, he surely earned one such chance here and now.

Without another word, she stepped in, pressing her cold, plated body against his as she claimed his lips with a kiss. Her hand came up behind his head, fingers gripping at his hair to pull him into the intimate gesture. Her other slipped to his side, tugging at his girdle while she began to grind her hips against his. This was all she really wanted with him. And all he really wanted with her, too.

… Right?

#character story #Raetos #Arathi Highlands #Argonas the Ironclad #Mierne the Persevering #Khanaros the Inexorable #Warcraft #Draenei #Death Knight #Vindicator #WoW

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