themercenaries

[themercenaries]

The slick substance dripped from bare flesh,  an experiment, he told himself. Waiting and anticipating,  but nothing happened. There was no madness here, no negative emotions, no hallucinations, no horrific visions,  no disembodied voices. At least none that weren’t already there. Can one already touched be doubly so? How curious to find himself immune to what tore apart so many lives.

But this wasn’t the first time, just a different state of matter used for similar purposes. It felt all too familiar. Icy gaze drifted towards his own blades - volatile, controversial, deadly. Using for good versus evil tiptoed a fine line, a subjective point of view. Was he any different than those here? Nothing is ever black and white, the answer always lies in the grey. Salvation has never been my goal.

@themercenaries

[themercenaries]

Written for the mercenary prompt #2, found here

As Kai ushered people into the Intercontinental Hotel, chaos erupted outside. She worked tirelessly alongside the menders and healers to set up triage stations, running back and forth to ensure each healer had the supplies they needed. Together with Nahi, she devoted herself to directing the injured to the appropriate caregivers, making sure they received the help they required amid the turmoil.

It was getting harder to keep track of everyone inside the hotel. “Don’t lose focus.” she kept repeating each time she found her gaze drawn to the door that led outside. The screams of those still outside made her think back to that night the nerubian attacked another camp. Fear kept gripping her, but she fought against it as she kept on task. 

"Hey! Roof-top! I need as many bags of flour as you can get me up here asap! Don't ask questions just do it!" Shei’s voice reaches her from her com, and Kai does not even question the request as she rushes to the kitchen.

Grabbing as many of the heavy bags of flour as she could, throwing them up through the hatch. She peeks out after the last sack lands on the roof, her eyes wide, evening a startled gasp came from her lips. 

Little oozes had swarmed Shei, trying to make their way closer to the hatch that lay open, and Kai quickly gripped the handle and jerked the hatch upward. It slams into place. She trusts Shei and Garren to do their best to keep those oozes back. After making sure the hatch was in place, she jumped down and rushed out of the kitchen. 

Her foot caught something slick on the floor of the hallway and somehow she was able to catch her balance before falling into whatever was on the floor. A while later after taking more supplies to the healers, she went to find Nahi.

While she was looking for Nahi, and helping anyone she came across. She did not notice something large charging right at her, until a man slams into her. The force of the impact sent her slamming into a wall with a hard crack as solders rush the man to keep him from going after anyone else.

Commander Dal’shula voice reaches out “Move everyone to the second floor!  We will hold them off for as long as possible!” Despite the darkness that threatened to claim her, Kai fought with all of her strength to stand, her fingers slipping across something thick.

Forcing herself to her feet when Nara’s voice rings out strong “Focus on the heavily injured first! Move the equipment and supplies!!!!  Encourage anyone who can walk to relocate upstairs and bring any supplies they can carry with them!”

Kai wraps her arm around an injured goblin, helping the terrified woman. The stench of blood, burning flesh, and the intense throbbing in her head caused her stomach to lurch which causes Kai to stop for just a moment to take deep steady breaths. That's when she felt a sharp pain in her side. Either a rib was broken, or bruised.

She helped move supplies, patients, menders, and healers upstairs, despite the pain caused by her ribs. She was about to head back upstairs with more supplies when she spotted Nahi being taken down by a black blood-crazed worgen.

"Nahi!" Fear was heavy in her voice as she went to rush forward to aid her friend, but a burst of light blinded her for a few seconds and she was sent flying backward, becoming disoriented. 

Her vision clears just in time to see Nara aiding Nahi. She watches in horror as Nara lunges at the Worgen. No! What was she doing?! It was then Talon gripped Nara, snapping her out of whatever haze she was in.

Kai follows the man who carried Nahi up the stairs as Talon handled things with Nara. After making sure that Nahi was placed on a cot away from the others and tended to, she went to check on the others.

His voice reaches her, “LINALIA!” and she stops dead in her tracks. No no no no no! She watches as Dice seems to be trying to reach his deceased wife, screaming out her name. She stood there at the window while he fought through anyone who dared to get in his way. “DICE!” she cried out, her eyes full of fear and sadness. She watches him fall as one of Stellan's tranquilizer darts hits it's mark.

Her hands rest on the cold glass, tears streaming freely down her cheeks. She knew Stellan and Xy would make sure he was safe until they could get him back into the hotel. Forcing herself from the window, she goes back to helping the healers set up everything again. Now and then she would watch the door. Waiting, hoping. 

@nahisummerhold @dicenne @talonoa @xylaes @themadamelioness @sheizara @themercenaries

[themercenaries]

Mercenary Group Prompt #2

Nock. Draw. Aim. Loose.

There was a rhythm to it, there always was. This was more violent than target practice, but the situation was kinda dire and all hands that could help were good help. Sheizara nodded at Garren and they started the grim process again.

Nock. Draw. Aim. Loose.

There were other marksman on distant roofs and balconies matching them shot for shot. They had to keep a lane open for folks to get to the Hotel. Support in numbers, and support in the shared burden of what accomplishing that task meant. She drew another arrow from her quiver, the neon blue hawkstrider fletching was almost too cheerful for the situation. Arcane magic outline the arrowhead on her exhale and she leaned forward to look over the edge of the roof as it landed in the middle of a group of Darkfuse Cartel members, binding them in place for precious seconds to give those fighting back and those fleeing more ground.

Predictability swiftly ended as a dervish of cartel drones suddenly whirled into the air above and around them, unleashed by Nikki the Fixer. "Oh, fuck that," she breathed out in a nervous laugh at the exact time Garren echoed her with his own, emphatic "What the fuck."

"WE NEED TO PROTECT THE HOTEL," Commander Dal'shula's shout carried up from the ground level as she looked at her friend, and he looked back at her as they realized they were in no small amount of danger at the same time.

And then the drones started dropping goop. Goop that turned into monsters. A few of the contraptions careened into their space on top of the Hotel and shot their payloads off before they could get arrows shot to divert them. Animated black blood landed with a sticky slap on the flat part of the roof and immediately began to constitute into horrifyingly large, ambulatory oozes. Garren's comm crackled to life and Xylaes' voice came over the speakers, "Incoming! Take cover, will be there as soon as I can."

This was a small arena, and neither one of them were up-close-and-personal fighters. One of the other snipers from an allied crew launched at one of the goo-creatures with a knife and was immediately engulfed to the elbow. She couldn't blame Garren for darting to hide behind some of the discarded supply crates they'd set up in case they needed them. He had self preservation.

She didn't. All fight, no flight. That was a problem, sometimes.

The other mercenary that had touched the goop reeled back, arm pulling out of the viscous critter with a resounding slurp, his eyes darting around wide in terror. They'd all heard the stories about the black blood at this point, and this guy had foolishly tried to stab what was, effectively, a wobbly clot.

She had to do something before they realized the hatch down into the upper floors of the hotel was open.

Shei nocked another arrow and shot in between both oozes, her magic holding them in place temporarily. She grabbed the other merc by his shirt and shoved him back through the hatch, down the ladder to the floor below. He was better off down there, right? Right. She pretended she hadn't heard something break when he landed.

Two seconds. She could feel the arcane binding starting to wane as she grabbed her own comm off her belt and shouted into it on Kaisina's private line, "Hey! Roof-top! I need as many bags of flour as you can get me up here asap! Don't ask questions just do it!"

Her spell fizzled and the oozes advanced, attention on her. She threw her comm aside and held her bow like she'd seen some of the goblin basebomb players hold their bats. Her first swing made contact and severed one of the oozes in two. Three oozes advanced. She scuttled to the side and swung again, making four as she tried to avoid being touched. Another bash and there were eight. Eight became about 50 faster than she could keep track of.

Setting the roof on fire was a terrible idea, wasn't it?

She screeched with fury and smashed her bow down again as all the little oozes started to swarm toward her feet. It was a damn good thing she was a fast runner and had elvish grace to help her navigate kiting the little squirmy bastards around in a circle.

The first bag of flour landed on the roof from the open hatch door with a thud, then another, and another. Kaisina peeked over the bags and gasped at the sight right as Shei shot off another binding arrow to freeze the little menaces in place. Garren poked his head around the crate, brow furrowed in confusion as Shei darted over to grab one of the bags.

She sliced into it with her boot knife and dumped it on the black blood oozelings, nervously word vomiting the entire time, "Listen, it's just oily slime right? And if you put flour on oil it sops it up and makes it stop spreading, we used it to clean the kitchen if we spilled stuff sometimes!"

"That is a GREAT idea!" Garren ran to grab a bag himself as Kai disappeared back down into the Hotel.

The oozes absorbed the flour dumped on them and clouded over. The binding spell faded again and they sat there for a moment. Had it worked?

She and Garren stared in anticipation, and then screamed in unison as the blobs advanced again. Slower, this time, but more like dumplings than the noxious pudding they had been.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Garren huffed as he sliced into the bag of flour he was holding and dumped it in front of them to make a protective barrier as they ran backwards to avoid the new problem.

The many mini-oozes rolled through the powder, each one absorbing a little more. Their constitution changed as they solidified and became more doughy, but it didn't stop them.

Shei laughed, overwhelmed with anxiety. They'd be cute if they weren't scary little madness monsters.

In a fit of desperation Garren stomped on one, the sole of his boot splattering it flat. As he pulled up his foot, thick bits of glutinous black blood stretched between the roof and his shoe in a truly grotesque display. And then it pulled his foot back down toward the surface, trying to re-constitute itself.

She lashed out with her knife and severed the squishy new problem in two, not liking at all the way the freshly split little ooze tried to become one with Garren's shoe. It didn't really reform, though. The flour had made it too tacky.

"Holy shit, genius," Shei exclaimed at her friend, he'd figured it out, "We just gotta jump on them really hard so they spread out and—"

Garren didn't need to be told twice. He jumped on another one and immediately jumped again, the ooze snapping before it had time to pull together. She joined in, landing on one in the flour pile and sending a cloud of powder in every direction, hitting some of the other blood-dumplings with more of the substance and making a huge mess.

That was when a spacial rift tore through the air, and for a moment everything stopped. Xylaes stepped through and stared at them. They stared back at him. An ooze dumpling rolled and broke the tension, back on the sluggish attack.

Lady Sheizara Tel'vaiel put on her most pleading, charmingly pathetic expression and begged with the smallest, saddest tone of voice she could manage, "Help please."

@themercenaries / @garrennorassin / @talonoa / @kaisinasunblade / @xylaes

[themercenaries]

The Mercenaries writing prompt #2 Xylaes's Perspective

“WE NEED TO PROTECT THE HOTEL!”

Xylaes didn’t have to hear Talonoa’s shouted orders twice to know he needed to rejoin the others on the ground to make their push. The rooftops in Tailgate Park didn’t provide very good vantage points for the hotel itself, and that was where his son Garren was currently stationed. He shimmied his way down the side of the building with ease just in time to witness a couple of drones starting to drop some black blood monstrosities atop the Incontinental Hotel’s roof. Shit.

With a grimace, he rushed over to rejoin the others, but not before pulling out his comm device to deliver a hurried voice message to Garren. “Incoming! Take cover, will be there as soon as I can.” While they had been training heavily, his son was no melee fighter yet. He was a great shot, but Xylaes doubted his abilities to fight monsters like these while up close and personal.

By the time he had reached the group, Talonoa and the front lines were already plowing ahead through the frozen monstrosities on their way toward the hotel. He gave Stellan a brief nod as the older man ran up to round out the back of the crew. “Do bullets even work on these fucking things?”

“Explosive, but not a great idea with so many fighters nearby unless you want everyone here going out of their minds.” Stellan was already strapping his sniper rifle to his back and retrieving his sword. “In other circumstances, that sounds like a fun time.” He smirked over towards Xylaes, attempting to lighten an obviously serious mood. What was war without a little bit of humor anyway?

It did elicit a slight grin from Xylaes, but the expression was abruptly washed away when they and a handful of others in their crew, including Fiorenze and Tinnaire, were suddenly cut off by another wave of monstrosities crowding in towards the hotel.

The two men shared a look of annoyance before Stellan took charge, ordering them to start clearing a path towards the hotel and their friends, while he and Xylaes would keep an eye on their six. Some of the Darkfuse Cartel still remained and would take full advantage of this situation in an attempt to regain some ground. It was not the ideal position to be in, but they were an efficient team and Stellan had already been witness to some of Xylaes’s exciting new features.

Void magic had come easily to Xylaes after he released it for the first time. Controlling it felt almost similar to controlling arcane had in the past, whether that was by design or just the particular brand of void he possessed. Much of it remained a mystery to him, but it was thrilling to have magic of any kind running through his veins again after having it ripped away over two decades ago.

The unspoken agreement was to take on the Darkfuse up close and personal while trying to bring down the black blood abominations from a distance. Watching Inistellan fight was akin to watching a ballet: His movements were fluid and graceful, always constantly aware of who and what was around him at any given moment. Much of the crew knew him to be an excellent marksman, but Xylaes had always considered him one of their better melee fighters as well - if not THE best. Xy himself was certainly no pushover, but this was on another level and certainly not what they train in the Farstriders. Stellen never spoke much of his past, and at times Xy wondered exactly how much he was leaving out. He could relate, so he never asked.

While the older mercenary breezed through a group of Darkfuse, Xylaes set his sights on a few of the black blood monstrosities creeping their way. Overthinking was his enemy, and he decided to do what felt natural. Extending that replanted arm, the glowing purple runes covering it shimmered, glowing brighter as a small, cloudy void sphere appeared among the enemies. Opening his arms wider, the sphere rapidly extended until it completely engulfed the attackers, trapping them within the dark violet and black mass. With a clap of his hands, the sphere promptly imploded into itself until it and the monstrosities vanished in a puff of void. Efficient given it didn’t leave a mess of black blood in its wake.

Stellan shot a brow upwards before nodding back towards the groups still marching and pushing their way toward the Hotel. Xylaes turned to join the front of the group, eyeing the absolute horde of monsters barreling towards the base. The forefinger and thumb of both hands pinched together and touched at their points as that eerie purple gaze and the runes on his arm glimmered even brighter. As he pulled his hands apart, a spatial rift began to tear open beneath a large mass of the monstrosities, disappearing them into the nether. His gaze briefly flicked towards Fiorenze and Tinnaire, silently urging them to shove as many in by any means possible while he concentrated on holding the volatile magic in place.

He was still largely untrained in this type of magic, and perhaps he shouldn’t have been using it or pushing himself so hard, but desperate times called for desperate measures. His hands began to shake with the effort and he dropped the spell, stumbling to one knee and bracing his hands against the ground to steady himself. The rift snapped shut, slicing a few of the creatures in half and causing the black blood to splatter in various directions before reforming into smaller globs.

“On your feet, soldier.” Stellan grabbed him by the collar and yanked him upwards before returning to his graceful assaults, seemingly barely winded without a single hair askew.

A bullet whizzed past his ear, drawing his gaze to one of the rooftops where a few of the Darkfuse snipers had stationed themselves once again. Before Stellan could react, Xylaes ripped open another spatial tear, this time for himself, and appeared behind the attackers. With sword in hand, he sliced cleanly through the neck of one of the shooters before stabbing it through the gut of the other. His void gaze stared down at the still-living Darkfuse, who was now pleading for his life, before he just smirked and returned to Stellan’s side through the rift. He would die a painful, drawn-out death, and honestly, it’s what they deserved.

“The fuck…” Stellan’s words drew his attention towards the crowd of abominations in front of them, who were suddenly being violently shoved to the side, and in some instances straight up, in a path heading from the hotel straight towards them. Whatever, or whoever this was, was creating an excellent path for them to get through.

“Dicenne?” One of the other crew members exclaimed, as sure enough the tall, black blood-covered Sin’dorei burst through the wall of attackers. 

He didn’t stop to say hello, in fact, it was as if he didn’t see them at all despite sprinting right by them and across the road. He stopped, spun around, reached for something on the ground that wasn’t there, and then called out his dead wife’s name, “LINALIA!”

Oh.

The crew was warned that the black blood madness would affect them in different ways. That man was deep into the Unseeming, but at least a path had been cleared and the monstrosities were beginning to thin on this side thanks to their combined efforts. He watched as Dicenne dashed around the area and jumped atop buildings, obviously searching for someone who wasn’t there. Someone who wasn’t alive anymore and hadn’t been for a long time now. 

“He’s gonna hurt himself even more if he keeps going.” Xylaes’s heart stung for the man. They had both lost their wives unexpectedly years ago, and after the Shadowlands, Xylaes knew damn well that seeing a version of your loved one in a place you couldn’t stay was a form of torment he wouldn’t wish upon anyone.

“Yeah.” Stellan frowned, “I got him.” There was no way any amount of them were going to outmuscle this man. Stellan reached into his unending pouch of tricks at his side to retrieve what appeared to be a small pistol. He flipped through a case of darts, selecting a specific one before loading it into the gun. The next time Dicenne slammed into the ground nearby, Stellan aimed and fired the dart into the side of the man’s neck. This was for the best, he was already in bad shape. “Go find your son, we got this.”

Stellan didn’t have to tell him twice and in the blink of those ominous purple and black eyes, he was atop the roof of the hotel and thrust into a cloud of…wait, was this flour?? Eyes immediately met Garren’s, and then Sheizara’s, who were both coated in flour but didn’t seem to be injured, and then dropped to the ground where this small half-ooze, half-flour black blood dumpling rolled slowly across the ground between them. 

“Help please.” Sheizara pleaded while Garren waved off the haze of flour, coughing a few times. What the actual fuck.

One scene of chaos right into another.

@themercenaries @inistellan @talonoa @fio-renze @kharrisdawndancer @dicenne @sheizara @garrennorassin

[themercenaries]

Discordant Lament

TW: Blood, death, gore violence

Written for the mercenary prompt #2, found here

Inside the Intercontinental Hotel Nara had been showing non-combatants from the company how to set up the triage stations, something the Lioness had Nahilvi practice hours on in camp. The spaces had to be organized, they were a system that would allow most military medics to be able to find what they needed without fumbling around. It was the type of work that she would be good at one day, Nahi wanted to be a person who would combat bedlam with order. 

Bedlam was nothing compared to what descended…

The first moments were exactly as she remembered the exodus during the rout of Tempest Keep being, too many people, too much screaming and too little safety. It only took the first rush into the hotel before this was as similar to that night as a spring gust was to a tornado. People poured in through the hotel entrances, some seeking protection, others healing, but it didn’t matter their purpose, there was only so much room in the lobby so they had to try and make it as orderly as possible. Nahi and Kai worked through the crowds together, trying to clear pathways that could get injured to the healers. It was a task that boiled down to a lot of requesting, cajoling, commanding, pushing and even yanking people out of the way. 

Foot traffic policing was going well, it wasn’t organized completely, but it was leaning closer to organized chaos. Nahi had stopped to help a goblin woman when she was nearly forced off her feet by a body falling against her. The person wasn’t dead weight, that would have been easier, they were armored and panicked, grasping at Nahi sending both of them stumbling together. A ridged pauldron caught her in the chin, snapping her head back Nahi took a couple steps away which only plunged them further into the sea of people moving through the lobby. Trying anything to get free, Nahi shoved her hands up into the person’s face, spongy flesh yielded under her fingers where bone should be. A hot trickle of blood traced a path across her palm and down the inside of her wrist and she looked up. The woman had her face crushed on one side, impact had burst skin over bone and teeth could be seen through a tear near where her jaw bone had been shattered. Blood and saliva oozed through a rent near the chin, dripping over Nahi’s armor when she began to collapse.

The dying woman tumbled against her, their bodies close enough to share a breath, locked in some obscene dance as the veil of life was pulled away from her. Guiding the fighter to a quiet spot set up for this exact thing, she helped lower her to a makeshift mat, dark fingers brushed the woman’s forehead, focused on her eyes over the destruction done to her, trying not to watch the blood that was bubbling over the thready flesh near her jaw. “Rest now, we have you.”

Screams erupted across the lobby, people were running away from the room that had been set for the black blood patients. The sound from the device had been a quiet hum that had interlaced itself with the melody Nahi’s thoughts were composed of, with the screams a third strain of music mixed in, this one composed of ugly, off key notes that clashed with the perfect pitch of the harmonizing device. 

Two people rushed from the room, a graceful Kaldroei druid who had experience with dealing with the madness and helped them set up the cleansing space, the other a dwarven man chasing right on his heels. The healer fell to one knee with a strangled cry as the dwarf drove a boot into the back of his knee and wrapped an arm around the elf’s purple grey throat. A scalpel flashed and the dwarf began to stab into the other man’s chest in rapid fire motions, sinking into flesh and scraping off bone alike. Help was no more than two steps away but by the time they reached the two, blood soaked the front of the druid’s robe in what looked like a hundred little holes. Soldiers grabbed the dwarf, trying to carry him back to where other healers could help him, but he fought them. His mouth was open and he was babbling something incoherently , he looked out over the room and Nahi would later swear that locked eyes with her, a cognizant moment before that out of sync dirge flared in her mind and he cut off his own tongue.

Nahi’s mouth widened in horror and she kicked out sliding on her ass across the floor until her back hit a wall where she drew her knees up into her chest. Looking away from the dwarf’s self-mutilation only to meet Kaldorei’s eyes, the brutal attack left her watching the spark of his life drain away, silver faded to slate grey, light extinguished from within him; she was locked and shackled to the last moments of his life and might remain so for the rest of her life. Her stomach clenched then spilled its contents onto the floor, the regurgitation would pause and then bile would burn her throat and up into her sinus passages as she bent forward again. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head against the cool wall next to her, when she felt she could open them again without falling into dry heaves, it wasn’t dull grey orbs she saw, it was one of the company healers moving between through the lobby. 

People rushed past not noticing the dark Sin’dorei backed into a corner, she could hear the discordant lament of the song in her mind grew louder. Her intuition told her that the black blood infected were moving closer, then she heard Commander Dal’shula yell out and she knew it was true. “Move everyone to the second floor!  We will hold them off for as long as possible!” 

Nahi saw a group of injured people making their way to the stairs. She needed to go with them, help to get them, and herself, to safety. Slipping in slick fluids on the ground as she tried to stand and move forward, then she was yanked back through it by a hand on her ankle, Nahi rolled her body and looked up into a grey muzzled worgen face.

Kicking up, slamming the heels of  both of her feet into his chest, a grunt was forced from his core, spit flecking off sharp teeth to splatter across her cheek. “Bitch!” The word was barely intelligible through the miasma of his madness, he sounded beastial but there was cold intelligence in his eyes, he was not driven beyond reason into his animal form, he was using the trransformation to inflict the most fear and pain possible. 

Nahi opened her mouth to scream but his huge paw closed around her throat, the tips of his claws wrapping around to press against her spine. “Hush little baby don’t say a word…” the growled out song, mocking her. Did she know him? She flailed her arms and legs wildly, the noise in the room covering all be the sharpest of slaps against the floor.

He lowered his head, green eyes the color of pine boughs locked with hers, “I am going to love watching the life in your face drain away.” Drool lowered on a strand just above her face then plopped and slid across her cheek, the lights around him began to grow hazy and her chest constricted and burned as fresh oxygen was denied to her. Nahi’s eyelids began to flutter shut and then there was a brilliant flash just past him. If it was to be the final glimpse of light in this world at least it was beautiful. 

@themercenaries @themadamelioness @talonoa @kaisinasunblade

[themercenaries]

Written for the Mercenary Prompt #2

Tailgate Park had become a tempest in record time. Between the civilians running for the shelter of the Incontinental Hotel, the civilians staying to defend their businesses and homes, and the Darkfuse Cartel actively trying to murder everyone in their way on behalf of Gallywix it had become progressively harder to tell ally from foe. Luckily the Black Blood bolstered weapons had a particular look about them.

Familiar heat from Tinnaire's fireball bloomed to her left and the howl of pain from the goblin it hit was quickly drowned out by the disorienting boom of a bomb going off nearby. Fiorenze's ears pinned back sharply as she winced. Sound was as much an enemy here as the actual combatants.

"WE NEED TO PROTECT THE HOTEL!"

Talon's command cut clear through the din. She spun on her heel in time to catch Tinnaire flicking a hand and setting alight the all fuses on an allied Bilgewater bombardier's mini-rockets. The high pitched whirring shriek as they launched in tandem aligned perfectly with searing pain in her scalp as she was hauled off the ground by her hair. Her staff fell to the ground as both of her hands immediately began to claw at the wrist of the hobgoblin that had seized her, astral form dropping as she flailed, kicked and called down a series of moonfire and sunfire strikes to try and get the grunt to set her free.

She could smell the arcane and nature magic smoldering on his skin, but rather than release her his other meaty fist slammed directly into the front of her face with a sickening crunch at once, and as he reeled back to swing again, the second blow glanced across her jaw as she heard — and felt — the concussive heat of one of Tinn's fireballs hit the bastard square in the chest.

Fiorenze hit the ground with a heavy whump, pain fracturing through her like light being split through a prism. Adrenaline coursed through her as she scrabbled to grab her staff and prop herself back up. There wasn't time for this, really. She reeled back and slammed the heavy, curled and barbed head of her staff down on the brute's face herself for good measure, mostly to make sure he'd stay down. Definitely not out of spite.

"You good, Fio?" Tinn called over to her as she unleashed another rapid barrage of fire magic to cover her while she got her bearings back.

She could feel the blood pouring down her face, she couldn't breathe through her nose and her head hadn't stopped spinning, but she held a thumbs up out all the same as she shifted back into her astral form. That would hide most of the damage, at least.

Tinn's grimace paired with her easy laugh made it clear enough that she probably didn't look great, but they fell back into an easy rhythm of fire and flung stars as they made their way back to Xylaes, Stellan and the other crew members who were pushing into the wall of Black Blood monstrosities that had cut them off from the hotel itself — and the rest of their group.

A cloudy, void sphere expanded around some of the caustic creatures and rapidly collapsed in on itself in a startling re-creation of what had happened to Dalaran, leaving nothing in its wake. Her eyes flicked over to Xylaes as she sent a whirl of her own new astral magic, white hot and neon prismatic at the edges, careening into a quivering mass of smaller oozes off to their side. It was hard to miss the runes on The Arm flaring as he dipped into whatever new abilities he had access to.

It was annoying how equally extremely hot and truly terrifying that display was.

There wasn't time for this, and she'd have to examine why that was still as much of a turn-on as it was later. She nudged Tinnaire with her elbow as Xylaes tore open a large spatial rift, they were both close enough now to help. Fiorenze thrust both of her hands forward, kicking up a torrent of dust as a column of wind with all the force of a typhoon lashed out toward a pile of the gelatinous creepers, forcing them into the void tear as one of Tinn's pyroblast hit a larger, giant goo abomination with enough power to send it tipping back into the nether.

Fiorenze pivoted on her heel to watch their backs and gathered the coalesced star-motes that had begun to float around her her head in a crown formation down into her palms. Every little bit helped, right? She tossed the magic up above her head and watched them subtly red-shift and split into their own, miniature cosmos before raining down in a barely perceptible blue-shift, hitting as many active enemies on the ground with them as possible.

It was Tinn's turn to elbow her this time. Stellan was their de-facto commander on this side of the field with Talon handling business at the Hotel itself, and his perplexed "The fuck…" as some fresh horror bulldozed its way through the muck was worth paying attention to.

Except that fresh horror was their friend.

Coated in black blood from head to toe it was hard to tell initially, but Dicenne's height and stature gave him away — as did the roared shout of his wife's name. Linalia. That desperate invocation was a torment. She was there for him, wasn't she? Beyond the veil in the madness brought on by the Unseeming. Maybe it was the adrenaline starting to wear off, maybe it was simply empathy, but a heavy weight settled in her stomach and her heart hurt for him.

Dice was moving too fast for her to do anything, her entangling roots were weak in this soil and Tinnaire's ability to polymorph was going to be hampered at the range he was at, but Stellan was on it. The pair of them returned their focus to the few Darkfuse that had yet to start fleeing, hoping to chase them off or end them while their other crew members rushed to help their incapacitated companion.

When the dust finally started to settle, Fiorenze collapsed into an uncomfortable, reclining-sit on the Hotel stairs. She'd have to see a healer about her face eventually, but there were a lot of people way worse off and she could definitely wait.

@themercenaries / @talonoa / @kharrisdawndancer (tinnaire) / @xylaes / @inistellan / @dicenne

[themercenaries]

Mercenary Prompt #2 Dicenne's Perspective

Nothing was going to get into the Incontinental Hotel if Dicenne had anything to say about it, but these Black Blood monstrosities were no joke. His weapons slashed into the viscous goop, threatening to get stuck or sucked in, and he wasn’t sure he was even doing any damage to these things. Freezing and shattering them seemed to work well, but the magic folk were quickly depleting their energy in an attempt to keep up with the swarm.

He took to chopping off chunks at a time, creating smaller blobs that were more manageable, but those had an easier time wriggling through the cracks to get inside the hotel. With a forceful, forward thrust of his sword, he pierced one of the more enormous humanoid-shaped monstrosities and sliced upwards - essentially cutting it from groin to head. Once the blade was freed from the substance, he bashed his shield against it with the full force of his unnatural strength. The miscreation immediately exploded upon impact, sending a downpour of syrupy black blood directly atop his person, then splattering in various directions.

There was no way they were going to do this without getting dirty. Maybe the effects would take a while to take hold. Maybe his thick skin would come in handy and he wouldn’t be affected at all. For now, he had to keep fighting, there was no other choice but to protect all the innocent lives inside the building. They were counting on him.

He wiped the back of his hand across his face to clear his vision, spitting out anything that may have gotten into his mouth as he kept pushing onwards. Squinting, he tried to spot the remainder of their group behind the crowd of monstrosities, but despite their slightly translucent appearance, he saw nothing.

He just had to keep going. He had to keep fighting and be strong. Eventually, it had to end. Nothing would get past him. He would protect them.

A flash of rainbow caught his eye across the street through a small break in the swarm. He blinked and returned his attention to the battle ahead of them. Talonoa had rejoined the fight at some point, a concerned look about him. Dicenne wasn’t certain if that look had anything to do with his current ooze-covered appearance, or what was going on inside that he was unaware of. He spotted the flash of bright colors once more in the same place as before, shaking his head a bit before rubbing at his eyes. Something was wrong.

The memory hit him like a truck when he realized what it was that he was seeing. He recognized that tacky, brightly colored shawl waving in the middle of the crowd. His wife Linalia donned the gift every time he returned home from war so she could easily be spotted. She was short in stature but loud in beauty, and as their eyes met he smiled and felt old, familiar emotions begin to well up. It had been so long. But what was she doing out here?! Enemies surrounded her and looked as if they were going to attack at any moment! He had to get to her, he had to save her!

Abandoning all sensibility, the black blood’s madness overtook him.

He dropped both his sword and his shield with a *clang* before he began to muscle his way through the crowd of…what was this? Who were these people? Why was everyone so resistant to him getting to his wife? She was in trouble, couldn’t they see that?! “LINALIA!” He cried out, ripping arms and legs free of whatever was trying to hold him back. Fists clenched at his side as he exhaled a bellowing *ROOOOAAAAAR*, fists pounding into the nearby obstacles, sending them flying backward. Lowering his shoulder, he dug the toes of his boots into the ground and pushed off, slamming forward into everything in his path and carelessly flinging it aside or trampling it with heavy footfalls.

These things grabbed and slashed at him, tried to knock him over and trip him, but it was to no avail. He had become an unstoppable force in this berserker rage and plowed his way through the throngs of things trying to stop him from getting to her. He broke free from the crowd and she opened her arms to welcome him home, only to vanish the moment before he made contact. 

He spun around in a panic, spotting the brightly-colored rainbow shawl on the ground nearby. He picked it up and held it to his chest, calling out, “LINALIA!” She was there again, ten feet in front of him, looking panicked. He dashed to her and she disappeared yet again. She was now atop a nearby building, screaming at him! In one giant leap, he was up on the second-story balcony and from there clambered the rest of the way only to find her gone. Now she was in the middle of the road crying, about to be run over by cars rushing past! With a running leap, he jumped! Feet SLAMMED hard against the ground, cracking the pavement where he landed what should have been a few feet away from her - yet she was not there. He was growing more and more frustrated, why couldn’t he reach her? Eventually, he would, he just had to keep going! But now he was growing so, so very tired. Feet began to drag as his vision blurred. Arms flailed out in front of him in another attempt to grasp his wife, but again just empty space. He stumbled and fell to his knees, legs too tired to work anymore. He began to crawl, but even that felt like an arduous task at this point. Collapsing onto his side, eyes focused on the rainbow shawl in front of him that wasn’t actually there. “I’m sorry…”, and then the world went black.

@themercenaries @talonoa

[themercenaries]

Written for mercenary prompt #2 found here!

The Darkfuse Cartel stood no chance against well-trained mercenaries. Even with their guns and robotic guards, Talonoa and his crew were a well-oiled machine at this point. Their rooftop snipers kept the air clear while the fighters on the ground thoroughly combed the streets. The wounded were taken to the Incontinental Hotel where a wide variety of healers were stationed and at the ready for whatever may come their way. 

Manageable chaos.

Unfortunately, that feeling did not last for long, as expected. Talon turned his icy gaze to the sky as Nikki the Fixer flew in, a few bullets from the nearby snipers pinged off her impenetrable shield as she came to hover a street away. He could barely make out her words directed at Gazlowe over the commotion, but that maniacal cackle was hard to miss. She was enjoying this, and it was about to get even more fun for her. Not good. 

Dozens of drones began to swarm the area and while the snipers did a good job in bringing them down quickly, it didn’t matter. Within them contained monstrosities made of black blood itself. The various blobs and humanoid-shaped creatures began to take form, some heading towards the various groups of fighters while others were directed to attack the Incontinental Hotel and destroy everyone inside.

He grumbled out a soft ‘fuck’ under his breath before shouting out to the remainder of his nearby crew, “WE NEED TO PROTECT THE HOTEL!” They formed up and began to fight their way towards their base. While they had done a good job thus far of avoiding the dangerous substance, fighting monsters literally made of it didn’t bode well, especially for the melee fighters. They did their best to clear a path, trapping the monstrosities in place with various magics to allow the ranged crew to take care of them all while avoiding too much black blood splatter. There were too many to keep being that delicate about it if they wanted to reach the hotel in time to warn those within.

Talon’s eyes flashed with rage as he twirled his halberd above his head, slicing it across the space in front of him. Streaks of jagged ice and glacial winds extended in a vast cone, freezing the monstrosities to their core and in place. Dicenne and some of the other frontline crew didn’t even need to be told as they raised their shields and smashed their way through the frozen enemies, sending shattered pieces of black blood in every direction.

Eventually, they were able to reach one of the open sides of the hotel, the path created in their wake already closing back up behind them with more of the horrible creations, cutting their crew in half as the back part of the group wasn’t able to make it to the door. They would be fine, he told himself. There was no other option. He ordered those who did follow through to guard the door and try to reunite with the rest of their crew while he sprinted inside to warn the healers:

“MOVE EVERYONE TO THE SECOND FLOOR!” Shouted Commander Dal’shula, “WE WILL HOLD THEM OFF FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE!”

He pushed his way through the crowds, trying to find the area where he knew their healers to be stationed, gaze frantically seeking Naralinthe’s golden hair among the swarming bodies. A sudden wave of blinding magic nearby caught his attention as screams rang out and a few people were sent flying backward. He muscled his way towards the commotion only to see his lovely lioness with a scalpel in hand about to stab a stunned worgen. What the fuck.

He grabbed her from behind, pinning her arms down, “NARALINTHE, STOP! What are you doing?!” His gaze darted between her, the worgen, and Nahilvi in confusion as to what was going on here. The madness had clearly begun to settle into those touched by the Black Blood, and manageable chaos had very abruptly turned into absolute chaos. 

The worgen was surely infected. They knew this could happen. Was she infected?  At this point, many likely had some level of infection.  Except him… And he wasn’t sure how that could be.

He spun her around, cupped her cheeks, and growled in her face, “He needs treatment, not an execution! Pull yourself together!” There was no understanding here, only anger. Later he may regret that, but for now he had the rest of his team and everyone else inside this hotel to worry about as well.

@themercenaries @themadamelioness @dicenne @nahisummerhold

[themercenaries]

Pandemonium

Written in response to this prompt.

[ Cue the Music ]

If ever there was a smell Naralinthe loathed more than anything, it was that of charred flesh.  The noxious reek of burnt skin and hair hung heavily in the hotel and she lifted her mask to quickly apply yet another dab of scented oil under her nose.  Its potent aroma helped a bit, but the stench was already seared into her memory and no amount of smelling salts or scented oils could ever erase it.  Laser burns, molotov cocktail burns, fire burns, electrical burns, it mattered little… the nauseating smell was still the same.

Naralinthe worked tirelessly to cut away singed and melted clothing, careful so as not to inflict more damage than was already wrought, but sometimes the use of a scalpel was necessary to remove foreign objects embedded in the skin to prevent future complications.  In addition to pain medicine, a topical spray was used to numb the exposed nerves before a cooling gel was applied and the burns were loosely wrapped with gauze.  Beds and IV bags were reserved for the victims with the largest burn surface area, while the others who could move about were encouraged to seek a ‘buddy’ for observation and a place to rest in one of the rooms in the upper floors of the hotel.

Civil war was a different sort of hell.  It targeted the lives of innocent people instead of trained soldiers who knew what they signed up for.  The stench, while unpleasant, paled in comparison to the uncontrollable wailing of the injured, and Naralinthe gritted her teeth every time someone screamed.

Breathe.  Focus.  People are counting on you.

Her hands ached, her eyes burned from the smoke billowing in the streets and the ventilation system in the underground city was being pushed to its limits.  Goblin engineers accounted for the vehicle exhaust, but had they calculated enough contingency for massive-scale fires?  She had her doubts. 

When this is all over, I want to go somewhere I can breathe fresh air.

Naralinthe felt like she was suffocating… physically, mentally, and spiritually.  The Undermine was so mechanized and cold it did little to refresh her spirit.  She wanted to ground herself in nature, not in a concrete jungle.  Especially not one in the midst of a revolution.

Stop.  These kinds of thoughts are not helpful.

A deep sigh puffed out her mask, and she reigned in her thoughts before redoubling her effort to help the injured.

“AAARRGGGGHHHH!!!” Not the cry of a burn victim, but one of a maddened individual tainted by the black blood who was slowly succumbing to the unseeming.  Naralinthe lifted her head and watched as he thrashed violently with rage.  It took three soldiers to restrain the Orc so one of the nurses could cleanse him using a specialized harmonizing instrument.  The black blood corruption added yet another obstacle to overcome in an already complex situation.  No amount of preparation could mitigate this kind of unpredictable chaos.

Just when she thought things could not possibly get any worse, Commander Dal’shula’s voice cut through the packed hotel, causing her to flinch.  “Move everyone to the second floor!  We will hold them off for as long as possible!” 

Is that… Talonoa?  He sounds distressed.  Oh no… what is happening??!?!

The Commander was always calm, even in the midst of discord.  He was her rock.  Her eye in the storm.  If he was panicked, whatever was coming their way was undoubtedly bad.  Her eyes darted wildly about as she tried to see what could have raised such alarm.  That was when she glimpsed the first wave of animated black blood monstrosities heading toward the hotel.

By the Gods!!!  More people are going to die if we don’t move quickly!

“Focus on the heavily injured first! Move the equipment and supplies!!!!  Encourage anyone who can walk to relocate upstairs and bring any supplies they can carry with them!”  She screamed, and the surge of emotion in her voice betrayed the fact she was starting to crack.  Naralinthe could work under pressure… but this was pandemonium.  “Move, move… MOVE!!!”

Where is Nahilvi?!  She should be here helping!!

Striking twin citrines darted frantically in all directions, looking for her trusted friend and companion as she stood on the tips of her toes. Citizens and soldiers alike swarmed like ants, making it hard for her to see, but she eventually caught sight of a dark-skinned elf pinned beneath a fully transformed Worgen provoked by the onset of madness.  He was trying to choke her to death… and succeeding.

Naralinthe’s body surged with holy fire so potent it made her tremble with rage.  Her eyes ignited with the unmistakable wrath of judgement, and it burned away any shred of benevolence that remained within her.  “GET OFF OF HER!” She hissed, and it was clear to any onlooker the healer had snapped.  She lunged at the Worgen, an inflamed Lioness with teeth bared, claws out, and every intention to maim or even kill.  Spurred on by a primal urge to protect, Naralinthe unleashed a wave of powerful magic, sending several people hurling backwards from the blinding flash of light, and leaving them disoriented.  The scalpel in her hand was raised, aimed at the worgen’s neck with the intention of severing his jugular and inflicting a lethal blow.

Hands came down around her, tearing her from the worgen’s back before pinning her arms to her side.  A familiar voice bellowed in her ear from behind.  “NARALINTHE STOP!!!  What are you doing!?!”

Reason returned, and she snapped back to reality just in time to watch the scalpel fall from her hand.  A handful of soldiers piled on top of the transformed Gilnean while a nurse cleansed his mind, drawing him back from the brink of madness.  The Lioness had nearly killed him— in cold blood— to save Nahilivi.

Another soldier scooped up her now unconscious friend, but before she could see where they took her, Talonoa spun Naralinthe around and forced her to look at him.  His hands cupped her cheeks and he yelled in her face, “He needs treatment, NOT an execution!!!  Pull yourself together!”  His eyes roiled with dark magic and she gasped, for in that moment she was genuinely frightened by his unbridled menace.

She nodded, choking back tears and already the guilt was overwhelming, but she would find no comfort from him… not this time.  Talonoa was angry, and she could tell by the way he stomped off in the opposite direction there would be consequences for her actions.  Had he not been here to stop her, she likely would have murdered an innocent— her behavior was both immoral and unacceptable.  She would be reprimanded later and take full responsibility for her temporary loss of control.

For now, she had lives to save and this nightmare was far from over.

@themercenaries with mention of @talonoa and @nahisummerhold

[themercenaries]

Writing Prompt #2

*There will be a series of prompts for the mercenary crew that anyone involved is welcome to write about. Follow-up stories to this prompt will be reblogged here as they are written!*

Nikki the Fixer, known ally of Jastor Gallywix, has shot and killed Renzik ‘The Shiv’ in an attempt on Monte Gazlowe’s life! The news of Renzik’s murder spreads quickly throughout the city and the assisting military and mercenary camps in Dornogal. The whispers on the streets have turned into shouts; the residents of the Undermines have had enough of Gallywix and his Darkfuse goons! Everyone is done waiting for this city to change, so they are putting an end to it all today and we're here to help fight for a better Undermine and destroy all the Black Blood supplies. Spurred on by his friend’s sacrifice, Gazlowe has decided to band together with all of the Cartel leaders to start a revolution and bring Gallywix down once and for all!  All hands on deck for the city-wide insurgence! THE UNDERMINES BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE! After a brief meeting with the leads of other groups and military units, the mercenary crew has been assigned to assist Gazlowe’s forces in Tailgate Park, the Bilgewater Cartel area of the Undermines, alongside a handful of other trusted mercenary groups. Gallywix’s Darkfuse Cartel has taken over and guards the area, and it’s time to put their reign to an end by any means necessary - they’ve terrorized these citizens for far too long. While there are holding cells in the Undermines, Talonoa has recommended killing on sight as the Darkfuse would show no mercy to anyone that would not extend the same.  ‘Work together, kill swiftly, have each other’s backs. Today is a good day for someone else to die!’ Nearby, the Incontinental Hotel has been turned into a makeshift hospital and safe haven for the non-fighting residents, guarded by some of Gazlowe’s forces. The mercenary group’s healers work side-by-side with other mercenary and military healers as the local denizens and those rallied to aid their cause are ushered here for medical attention. Weapons utilizing the Black Blood are being heavily used against the revolutionists, and those not outright killed experience a wide variety of negative emotions when afflicted with the substance. Those exposed to Black Blood are drawn into the Unseeming, an illusionary void plane that corrupts the minds and souls and keeps them trapped there as they slowly fall into madness until cleansed. Overrun with patients coming in with gunshot and laser injuries, festering black blood corruption, and wounds inflicted by civil war, the staff is forced to work quickly and under pressure.  Despite the use of the black blood weapons, the fight seems to be going in the revolutionist’s favor as many of the remaining Darkfuse begin to flee from Tailgate Park.  But, of course, it’s never that easy! It’s at this time that Nikki the Fixer shows up and everything descends once more into chaos as she summons a legion of black blood monstrosities and commands them to attack the Incontinental Hotel! The mercenary groups present rally and press towards the hotel as the monstrosities begin to swarm and overwhelm the current guards. “Move everyone to the second floor!”  Shouts Commander Dal’shula, “We will hold them off for as long as possible!”  Tensions run high as medical staff scramble to shuffle patients, supplies, and equipment out of harm’s way while the rest of the crews stave off an assault at the hotel from three sides.

[themercenaries]

"Lady Sunmote—"

Fiorenze cut her lawyer off, "Miss Sunmote, please."

His unamused glance up at her, above the rim of his glasses from the papers he was looking at spoke volumes about that request and his flat tone punctuated the statement, "Ma'am, you are here to discuss the hereditary Sunmote estate."

That was certainly true. Still, she was stubborn, "What's left of the hereditary Sunmote estate. You and I both know it's no longer able to be productive for the kingdom or support tenants. The title might as well be worthless."

"There have been various research projects undertaken at the East Sanctum that used to be under your mother's charge to see if the corruption in the soil from the scar could be reversed, so I wouldn't say it's worthless," he countered, laying down the maps he'd been reviewing.

The first was ancient parchment dating back to the era of the founding. An oxidized stroke of faded red ink traced the original acreage deeded to Lord Fiorel Sunmote. Another, fresher by a millennia or two, outlined an expansion under her grandfather, Arlen Sunmote. Her lawyer overlaid a thinner parchment that had the scar drawn in so she could see exactly how much had been carved through, "Per the last survey, you have about a third that touches the Elrendar, up into the Living Wood, that is considered habitable. That said, habitation is discouraged due to the proximity of the scar and the abundance of unsettled treants that now roam the area. The manor home has been condemned, as has the East Sanctum."

All that was left in the "habitable" zone had never been developed, it had been a significant buffer between the Amani to the east and was good grazing land when the sheep needed to be herded up as part of pasture rotation. She chewed on the inside of her cheek and considered. All of the previous research he'd mentioned had been arcane based, and the treants had no druids here to guide them. "Are there still limitations on permitting for building crews in the area?"

He laughed, "Of course. You'd never be able to hire anyone to build there. It's far too dangerous, and the Regency is utilizing most of them to build new residences around the city, anyway."

"So I cannot do anything with them, but they are mine, legally," she wanted him to confirm that, if only to make the point about the uselessness of the title.

"Mostly correct. You could always lease them to the Farstriders for fishing and hunting rights and turn a small profit; that section of the river is closer to the headwaters than it is to the scar," he shrugged and began to roll up the maps.

That sounded like a terrible idea. Still, she smiled as if to thank him for the suggestion, "I see. Would you please get me a copy of those maps when your assistant has the time? I'd like to have them for my own reference."

Pyraelia's lovely little Portable Penthouse spell continued to come in handy. This was only a stop-gap measure, mostly because she didn't think she was capable of sleeping up in a hammock in her guardian tree's boughs without falling out and dying. The tree was tolerating the arcane scroll being affixed, for now, and it'd only last a couple of days anyway.

She'd been able to shape the interior to resemble what she imagined a carved out inside of a tree to look like, similar enough to Yserina's House — if a bit more Sin'dorei in fashion, with a sloping ramp up to a wooden platform that had a plush bed for her to crash out on. And she did, with the aid of a particularly robust potion. Her teacher tended to sleep during the day, and it was going to be easier to reach her in the Dream than it was to trek all the way out to Amirdrassil.

Yserina was in her usual grotto, lounging languidly in the emerald haze. It was coming up on a year since the elder Kaldorei had found her here, sorrow-drunk and lost. Fiorenze smiled as one of Yserina's silver eyes cracked open to see who had been disturbing her peace. It shut ask quickly, accompanied by an amused hum, "You've survived your grand mercenary adventure, then?"

"You saw me last month!" Fiorenze laughed and slowly wound her way over the slippery stones, step by step until she was at the edge of the small pool that filled the hidden cave, "Besides, it's not over, we're taking a little break."

"How kind of you to visit then, unannounced." Yserina's slight smirk betrayed the fondness hidden behind the mild annoyance in her voice.

Fiorenze shrugged and toed off her boots before wading into the water. This was a dream, her clothes getting wet didn't matter a bit, "I had a question for you, and this seemed the best way to find you. How do you move House?"

Yserina's response was swift, "House moves itself. Why?"

A question for a question. "Well, there's a tree I'd like to move. The one that gifted me a branch for my staff. Some of its roots are reaching into corrupted ground and there's a better spot nearby with clean water and room to grow." She looked back over toward Yserina and was privately pleased that the elder Druid had sat up to fully look at her, attention caught.

"Have you told the tree that? It's a compelling argument, Fiore," Yserina narrowed her eyes, calculating how much to say, "You're an ambitious one, aren't you?"

Fiorenze smiled sweetly back at her mentor, "You knew that already."

That elicited a sharp, pleased laugh.

She woke up with a dozen new ideas based on the theory, and some practice, that Yserina had showed her. Things were always easier in the Dream, but that was the simple nature of the place. It would take some time, or no time at all if she was amazing about it, but her tree was massive from centuries of growth — it was possible that she could make a home out of it it similar to the illusion the Penthouse had provided.

Her comm buzzed as a message came in, jittering against the floor where it had fallen off her bed. The two most recent notifications from Pyraelia read « Hey, did you tell people you were staying here? I'm getting your mail. » « Kaisina sent you a Winter Veil gift, I think. Aren't you guys in camp together? »

Shit.

She shoved it into her pocket and dashed out the Penthouse spell's front door, sighing as it popped out of existence as soon as she'd crossed the threshold, purpose served.

It was okay — she'd be back soon.

@themercenaries

[themercenaries]

Karma Blues

Nahi dropped off the potions Kai had sent to Dornagal, but when she started stocking  the kits, the performer got a knowing look from Naralinthe that said, ‘I know what you are doing’ and was shooed from the tent. The joke in camp was ‘you don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here’, which was all well and good when you had a home. Yes, Nahi had her Tarts apartment but it was meant to be a bandage for the ‘if’ Dalaran fell’, she was unpacked to a point where she didn’t mind inviting company there, but it certainly wasn’t a place she thought of as a home, right now home was her tent in the camp.

Luckily, she didn’t have so much in the camp that she couldn’t carry the little things that said home to her along wherever the wind blew. Her bag was packed and she set off without a clue of where she was going or what she was going to do. Never in her life had she been in this scenario, nor had she expected it, and she had options but decided to throw some things into the wind that weren’t her leaning on her friend crutch of Kon and Tal, as much as she loved them. 

Stopping outside of the capitol building in Dornagal, she pulls out her comm unit.

Nahi to Pathyn: Hey you.

There wasn’t an immediate response, one which might have helped her make up her mind as to a plan.  Running a hand through her curls, moving to sit on a wall, letting the sun warmed stone’s heat soak through her leathers. The song in her head skipped to a halt for more than a heartbeat, dead air that resonated in her own chest, then she was flooded with her familiar accompaniment she walked through every with. Well, that wasn’t getting better, so there was that. Her comm unit buzzed and she lifted it expecting to see a message from Path, but instead it was from Fio. Fiorenze to Nahi: Keranna said the realtor she used to find her place in Silvermoon was named Amitasia Runesinger. She has a small office in the Royal Exchange. Mostly works with titled families and Magistry members, but has access to some exclusive properties as a result. Tell her Magistrix Zerine, that's Keranna, sent you and she'll treat you well. Nahi to Fio: Thank you Fio. I am still in Dornagal but will head to the city and reach out to her. Please thank Keranna for me as well. A direction, as she had nothing planned, that was as good of one as any other and she might as well go see what was out there. With a small jump, leather boots landed quietly on the carved stone, her dancer’s step not even whispering her movement into the towering building. 

Making her way towards the portal that was locked to Orgrimmar, Nahi pondered the harnessed magic. What would it be like to have access to the world balanced in one’s palm? The knowledge that was a boon to her and all the others that passed through on a regular basis, life was just easier without weeks, months, of travel. A breath’s span later, she was in the dark room that granted some of the same access to a layperson that the arcane talented held. Turning slightly to her right, she saw Silvermoon enticing her to step through into this new venture that might cure her homeless situation. It was just a few steps to the opportunity of a home she would purchase for herself, not inherited, not owned by her step-father. 

Coming through with her head held high, showing that confidence she tried to explain to Kaisina. It was masking the unsurety in her current path, the feeling of being so deep in the new of her life that she was bobbing on her tiptoes just to claim a lifesaving gulp of air, but no one on the outside would see it.

The comm unit in her bag vibrates and she draws it out, smiling as she saw Pathyn’s name on the screen. Reading his message as she walked out of the ornately dressed red and gold room, moving to sit on the edge of the fountain down the ramp settling in then engaging with her friend.

Pathyn: Hey beauty, it has been a week since I heard from you, thought you might still be mad.

Nahi: What a waste of time would that be? Besides, you can reach out to me first you know.

Pathyn: I can, but it is more fun to see you name light up my comm. 

As she just thought the same thing about him she couldn’t really tease him about  that.

Pathyn: So, what’s up?

Nahi: They kicked us out of camp for the holiday. Wouldn’t even let me stay as a ‘just in case someone is hurt’ person.

Pathyn: Right, because a person without a healing gift is the best to leave in that ‘just in case’ scenario.

Nahi: Asshole.

Pathyn: So what are you going to do with this time off?

Nahi: Right now I am in Silvermoon about to talk to a real estate broker.

Pathyn: Good for you. It is a great feeling when you have a place and set it up as your own.

She had stayed at his home in Azuna and it was exactly that, everything there just read ‘Pathyn’.

Nahi: Yes, plus every time someone talks about going home it just drives the fact I no longer have one deeper.

Pathyn: That probably won’t take all your time, what else will you do?

Nahi: Want to go somewhere and get drunk for a few days?

Pathyn: Don’t think that will work.

Nahi: Still watching his pet warlock?

A clarification of who she meant was unnecessary between them. Kyeanadril, the Illidari that had stalked her in Ahj’kahet, causing her to almost lose her place in the company.

Pathyn: Off and on, Deiala and her odd company have almost tracked the cult to its source.

Nahi: That is good, if she is as nice as you say she deserves a bit of a break.

Pathyn: That is not the real reason though. Nahi, you are gorgeous and if things had been different with you in Dalaran I would have fucked you nine ways to Sunday and then worked my way into your life until I would be your main friend with benefits.

They had talked enough for both to know how unlikely that was, she was still unsure about opening herself enough to designate the term friend to those she knew, let alone a friend with benefits. 

Nahi: Okaaayyyy, so what does that time have to do with now?

Pathyn: If we hung out and drank a few days away I am not sure I could keep from acting on that.

Nahi: And?

Pathyn: I get why Kyean is drawn to you. You are sexy, smart, funny, stubborn, sexy, good hearted, enticing, sexy and did I say sexy?

Nahi: Thank you, I think.

Pathyn: I can’t sleep with you, he is my cousin and I love the big asshole. 

Nahi: I see. 

Pathyn: No you don’t. I am attracted to a woman my closest friend in the world thinks he is in love with 

This… this was the exact reason she keeps sex to just a, usually, pleasurable night or two with the same person in her life, usually complete strangers, that was so much easier. Nahi had become empathetic enough since her time in the Prince's court to actually feel for him, it was exactly this type of interaction she would encourage among courtiers. In fact, the irony of this made her think this was emotional payback for all the times she gleefully set friends against one another for her affections.

Nahi: I can’t say if we were together like that, we would not sleep together either. My feelings about all this are complicated.

Pathyn: He told me he saw you the other night.

Nahi: Did Kyean take a job with my friends just because he would see me at performances?

Pathyn: He hasn’t said much about it except he needs to keep an eye on things. I think it is a partial yes, but possibly something else. Don’t know where his mind is at, except that his interest has only changed in shifting from that weird intensity that overcame him down there.

Nahi: I really want to see you.

Pathyn: Ditto. Let’s just keep things cool for a while, while I ponder the morality of stealing away the first woman Kyean has shown serious interest in, in more than a century before he followed Illidan.

Nahi: Yeah, probably a good idea. I do miss you though.

Pathyn: Ditto again, this sucks balls, like big ogre balls, or maybe sea giant ones. Go, buy a house in a city I can’t visit you in, then go back to your company where you will be in a place without copious amounts of alcohol and my company.

Nahi: You know I *am* going to have sex on this break, right? Maybe, hopefully, more than one once. Might even let the same person hang out for a day or two.

Pathyn: Asshole

Nahi: I learned from the best.

(Tags to @fio-renze, @themadamelioness and @kaisinasunblade for mentions. @themercenaries for a place called home. And to @konietzko-sylvoran and @talthorn-sylvoran for being my friends and also Nahi’s who I forget to tag but they still like me)

[themercenaries]

Starting a New Path

Walking through the camp, taking dinner back to her tent with a blue colored book under her arm. The lithe Sin'dorei is picking up bites off her plate that she didn’t need utensils for in a hurry to finish the necessities of the body before the nourishment of the mind. Smells of chicken and roasted potatoes carry over the normal scents of their Dornagal camp, sun warmed stone, armor and weapons, and bodies, which were not always pleasant after sparring sessions. 

Slipping with ease into her little tent makes her inner soundtrack in her mind strengthen, the little touches of home she brought with her support that special way she processes knowledge. For over a week, incongruous snippets keep inserting themselves into her melody, the invasion was frustrating in the same way it would be for someone having a person whispering into their ear randomly through a day. It was fraying at her nerves, a life of hiding her emotions to protect herself coming in handy in not snapping at people for minor annoyances.

The cot beckons to Nahi with a temptation to relax, instead she uses it to set her book and plate on, while she takes off her shoes aligning them perfectly near the tent flap, a firm believer in everything having its own place, there is no clutter in her little space. Detail oriented and with a sharp mind that processes quickly, both traits that the Lioness told her were more important in triage than a magical healing gift would be. Settling cross legged on the ground, Nahi props the book up against her pillow and begins to read while unwrapping her fork from a napkin. 

A couple hours later she stretches, having transitioned from the floor onto her cot, the empty plate sits on the floor next to her. Looking up, the color warming the top of her tent telling her that the sun is beginning to fade spurring her to action. Nahi is a woman of action, she enjoys reading but she partners it with movement, often stretching while focusing on the words. She knew her mentor saw that in her, it was part of the lesson Naralinthe was teaching her about the strength in movement. Nahi knew how best to treat her body and mind in partnership but had never seen that as personal strength. Standing up, she slips her feet into her shoes and picks up her plate, planning on dropping it off at the cooks’ tent on the way out to the wall that overlooks the sea that many of the camp enjoys meeting at. Taking her book with her, if no one else was there she would at least get a walk in and have a beautiful view while reading.

(Thank you @themadamelioness for all our character discussions of late. Tagging @themercenaries )

[themercenaries]

Reflection

Over the past few weeks, Kai has learned a lot about self-reflection. Recently, she found herself meditating by a small river near the camp during their down time. Her recent conversations really got her thinking about the future. What was her greatest desire? Did her personal growth help her choose the right paths in life?

She sometimes wore a mask. There were some who knew of her passions in life. To fit in with the others, she thought she needed to change who she was. In light of this, she knows she does not have to change who she is as a person. Kai reaches down with her fingers, brushing them across the water.

Ripples start from the center as she watches them become bigger over time. She could feel herself in those ripples. Starting out unsure, then slowly becoming more steady. It was not easy. Trusting in herself. At times she felt as if she was being pulled into two different directions.

At first she questioned herself on joining the crew. She had put on a brave mask, even though deep inside she feared what this war would bring. Had she joined for the right reasons? But now sitting here at the river, she knew deep with in her heart she had joined for the right reasons.

Everyday she was growing in confidence. Her friends are here. Kai smirks, shaking her head. Oh the steps she has taken outside of her safety net, her comfort area. If someone had told her that in time she would open up more, to trust even the slightest touch of anyone. She would have laughed.

Fingers run through the water once more. Slowly, she was learning who she was truly meant to be. No more hiding behind masks. No more trying to change to please others. She now owned up to her own actions. She would make mistakes, and she vowed to learn from those she has already made, and those she will make.

Taking in a deep breath, she looks out over the mountains. It was time. She will show them. Her future lay out before her.  

[themercenaries]

Fiorenze smiled a bit as she watched Pyraelia social butterfly her way around the camp before their great Bounty feast. Her little sister had been a bit of a late bloomer to being a socialite, perhaps the pressure of the way they had grown up had stifled her, too. She'd made the choice to abdicate the Sunmote titles years before Fiorenze had even considered surrendering the Tel'vaiel's — and that choice had clearly been to her little sister's benefit. Working for the Kirin Tor had helped her confidence and strengthened her social skills in a way garden parties and elegant balls never would have.

They came back together much later, after the feast had been cleared away and the city was starting to turn in — as much as the city ever turned in, the Earthen certainly didn't keep the same sleeping schedules as fleshier mortals. Pyraelia joined her up on her favorite roof, the one that overlooked the interior of the city on one side, and the Dornish bay on the other.

Her sister broke the silence first, eyes on the city below, "I'm glad I came, you know. It was good to meet the people you fight with, and I was able to catch up with some of the Kirin Tor who are still here."

"You didn't have to, I would've understood. You were heartbroken when I told you Aerden was still missing, and this might've been your only chance to see him for a while," Fiorenze let the 'and tell him what you said you wanted to tell him in person' remain unspoken.

Pyraelia smiled one of her little, enigmatic smiles and leaned enough to rest her head on her older sister's shoulder, "He didn't invite me, Khaeris did. I don't think he's ready to see me yet, and that's okay. Things happen when they're meant to happen. You worry about that sort of stuff more than I do, I think."

That was certainly true. "All I've ever wanted is for you to be happy and thriving, Rae. Terrible as some of the things were to achieve that… You're the best of us, really. Wiser, more patient—"

"Charming, beautiful, do go on," Pyraelia laughed and threaded her prosthetic fingers through Fiorenze's own that still glowing slightly from the stain of magic she'd used to get up here, "You invited Keranna to this too, I hope? She misses you."

That had been an ongoing difficulty. Fiorenze rest her cheek against the crown of Pyraelia's head before answering plainly, "I did, she declined. Something about being too busy, she's rejoined the Magistry and couldn't get away."

"Ah, yes. Magistry Intelligence, whatever the offer was must have been great enough to tempt her out of retirement. Not that I'm surprised, she's seemed a little bored," Pyraelia sighed a bit and settled, relaxing into the moment.

Fiorenze's brow furrowed. She couldn't help the back slant of her long ears as she ran through all the implications of that particular fact, "Rommath's setting her up for the Director job."

"What?" Pyraelia pulled away to look at her incredulously.

Fiorenze scrunched up her face in frustration, "He offered it to me last year. Implied the current Director was going to be retiring in the next decade or so, I think they've had a falling out and me being the pick must have reached the current Director. That's why Aradana tried to kill me. Considering how clumsy she was about it must be why Rommath wants to clean house."

"Keranna, though? She's…" Pyraelia's brow furrowed then. She looked so much like their mother, sometimes.

"She worked directly for me and was privy to everything I was, she's from a noble family, has no scandals and she's impossibly discrete. If he couldn't have me, she's perfect," Fiorenze sighed, accepting it for what it was.

Pyraelia lifted her brows then and shrugged, "I'm honestly surprised you turned it down. That's pretty much a direct path to Grand Magister if anything ever happened to the current one."

"It was tempting, I thought about accepting. It wasn't for me, though," she smiled at her sister and then looked back down toward where their camp was situated.

Pyraelia followed her gaze and made some connections of her own, "Xylaes?"

Fiorenze scoffed immediately, "No." She waited a beat and frowned, "Maybe. It's complicated. My ambition was a problem and did need to be checked, accepting that role after promising to work on it in an apology to him, of all things, wasn't going to be helpful. But outside of that I did want to figure out who I was without it. The Magistry, the family legacy getting me everything…"

"It can be a layer cake of reasons. This is a good place to figure that out — the camp, I mean. What are you going to do when it's over?" Pyraelia prodded, directly, while leaning against her again. "You can always come live with me, my house is big enough."

She didn't want to do that, though, and she hadn't wanted to really think about it much. "Not sure. The Sunmote lands are still ours, aren't they? Uninhabitable obviously, but ours."

"Technically. And by all rights you are legally still Lady Sunmote, even if the lands being worthless means it's a title only," Pyraelia's voice quirked up in inflection as she tried to figure out where her sister was going with that line of thought, "Why?"

Fiorenze had been able to nurture the giant whitewood tree that they'd spent decades playing under, pushing back the wasting effect of the Dead Scar enough that it had given her a branch to shape into a stave — a great focus for her magic, and a great weapon in case anything got too close to her. She hummed a thoughtful note, "I think I'd like to work on them. The Druids in Lordaeron have made incredible progress on turning back the tide of corruption there… Maybe if I ask nicely the big tree will let me live in it."

Pyraelia's bell like laugh rang out, bright and soothing, "That's the most absurd thing I think I've ever heard you say, but it's not the worst idea you've ever had. Fixing the land there will take centuries, Renzi."

Perhaps it wasn't, and perhaps it would, "I've got nothing but time, darling."

@themercenaries | @kharrisdawndancer / @aerdendios / @xylaes mentioned.

[themercenaries]

Staring…

It wasn’t anything that she recognized at the time, a note here, a phrasing, everything just felt a little off, distracting her, making it hard for her to enjoy even simple things. There was a constant something grating on her nerves and she just couldn’t pinpoint it. 

Dornagal and camp had been a calming space that she sought out, now there was a rough noise underlying everything in the city. Rhythmic sounds she could time followed by a grating, like those little instruments they gave children with a stick that they run across the cuts in a gourd. It was constant and yet different each time so she could find no peace with it going on around her. 

Maddening…. 

Dunking her head under the water at the secluded hot spring, hair flowing around her blocking out the city lights, and everything above the water. Nahi held her breath until her lungs burned like the coals from Dice’s grill and forced her to come up from under the water, ombre waves covering her face, drawing them back she looked into the eyes of an Earthen man across the tub

“Why do you move so quickly around the city over and over?” He asked in their normal blunt manner.

Working her fingers through her hair, twisting it, laying back she traps the curls between her body and the wall to keep them in place. Looking straight at this man who was questioning her, “What?”

“You move fast around the city and up and down the stairs a lot. Why do you do this?” 

Nothing about him changed, Nahi had no clue how to read these people and she wasn’t quite sure what he was asking. Trying to picture what he was saying, it finally dawned on her, “Oh move quickly, yes I run in the city and the stairs specifically.”

He kept staring at her, staring and more staring. 

Nahi blinked, blinked again, “Oh why, why do I keep running. I do it to be fit.”

“What do you need to fit in to? All of our doors here accommodate all of you.”

For fel’s sake, Nahi took a breath almost as deeply as she had before going under the water. She really never asked about Earthen anatomy, nor did she want to, which now handicapped her, Nahi had no clue how to explain it without a comparison, but she gave it a valiant effort. “Most of the people not from here can be known to overindulge in food, when we do it adds weight to us, I run so I can indulge in more food.” 

He stared at her again, this was creepy, just stared and didn’t say anything. This Earthen was like one of those dolls you see in haunted home designs, with their unblinking eyes.  

“What?” She snapped, completely out of character for her. 

“What what?” 

Nahi felt her body thrumming with anger, there was so little  of her musical energy to drain this away, as she normally did, “What do you want?”

The man just looked at her, “To sit in the water.” 

“To sit,” she parroted, then shook her head, there was no way she was going to sit here with him staring. There went her whole night, fucking ridiculous. Rising up out of the water she dipped her head in a semblance of politeness, “Enjoy your soak.” All she really wanted to do was to kick him out so she could stay, Nahi was so furious she would have made the water boil if she was still in it.  Wrapping herself in a robe,  twisting her hair into a towel, she headed back to her tent. What a waste of a beautiful night here, why could he not have respected her privacy, was it so hard to just let her enjoy the heat? 

Walking past a building she punched its door and the latch came undone, an Earthen pair stared at her, “Sorry, Sorry.” She closed the door and walked on, all she could see were those eyes staring at her. 

(@dicenne for mention, and @themercenaries )

[themercenaries]

DWC Nov '24 - Day 7 - Peculiar/Theory - Tinnaire

Tinnaire hissed, then sucked on the tip of her finger. She tasted the drop of blood with annoyance. The paper showed a small smear of crimson and she sighed. Practicing embroidery on paper was perhaps not ideal. She picked up her needle and went back at it.

The picture on the front wasn’t bad; she was no tailor, but she worked in leather enough to be able to start adapting to the thick paper. She walked little thread lines along the patterns of her origami paper. She embellished flowers and crescent moons when she was feeling more confident, but after just stabbing herself she decided she’d stick to the geometric patterns already on the paper for the moment.

She finished a line and flipped the paper over to sign it; she always took pleasure in singing her art--even the amateurish works. Even so, the elven woman grimaced to see the tangled mess she’s made on the back. She turned the paper over again. That side could still be seen as elegant and artful. After adding her name and the date, her hand smoothed it and set it on a stack of other decorated papers. One was a velvety black and she’s placed stars with a peculiar glittery floss the Earthen tailor had been pleased to sell her--it was almost wire! An ocean scene was done in blues and greens with little bone-fish and a cartoon squid. The last paper had an apple and what _should_ have been a corn cob--but that had been her first and it had a ‘sickly banana’ look to it.. Ah well, you can’t win them all and practice had improved her new artistic endeavors.

Pilgrim’s Bounty was coming this next week and Dicenne and Talonoa had invited the mercenaries to a have a feast together. Maybe she would try to embroider some napkins for it? She thought about making little placards with everyone’s name for the table, but she theorized the numbers would overwhelm her--family and friends had been invited. It would be nice to be around so many happy faces; she just wished she had anyone to join her. No doubt Fiorenze and Pyraelia would let her insert herself with them, but that seemed selfish of her. If Pyraelia was even coming. Fiorenze had not seemed confident her sister would be ready to see her by the time the holidays happened on them.

“Maybe some pumpkins on this one…” She smiled and started to rethread her needle. Her mouth quirked up with a smile. And maybe a squash. Or an aubergine. Yes. An egglant. She laughed as she started to practice tracing letters--D. I. C …

@daily-writing-challenge

soft mentions: @themercenaries @pyraelia @fio-renze @dicenne