#Alteris Sunwhisper

[brent-sunborn]

Shadow Savior

(( Follows The Attempt / Co-written with @kidcatgemini​ ))

“This how y’ thought y’d be fucked t’night, lass?”

Syrielle had no time to react. Hardly any time to blink! She moved to bring her hands up to try and block the blow, but one of them was held down. The other came up much to slow, as Alteris brought the jagged piece of glass down. She screamed!

But rather than the sharp pain she anticipated, she felt Alteris pull away from her entirely! She sat up quickly, and saw why. Another elf had come up behind Alteris and pulled him back off of her! The two grappled a moment, before Alteris was thrown - behind the counter, into a large cabinet of fine porcelain dinnerware. Plates, bowls, teacups and shelves all shattered, coming crashing down atop the would-be assassin! 

Syrielle gasped, and looked to the other elf. Gattius? No. Another Void Elf. Dark leathers, long hair… familiar blacksteel daggers and a plated face mask…

Alteris brought his legs back up beneath him quickly, seeming stunned! He narrowed his gaze at the other ren’dorei, seeming just as shocked as Syrielle to see him here! It didn’t last long. The elf lunged for Alteris, slamming him back into the shattered cabinet with one hand, and stabbing him without a moment’s hesitation with the other. Alteris let out half a gasp, unable to breathe for the moment… before his body disappeared in a plume of shadow. The other elf grunted, gripping his side with his free hand as Alteris vacated it. He braced, tensing as if he had expected the random jolt of pain to shoot through him as Alteris’ body vanished from sight. It was over… Alteris was gone. And the other elf turned his narrowed gaze to Syrielle. 

The Cryomancer was frozen with fear, recognizing Brent Sunborn as he turned his deadly gaze towards her. This was the first she’d seen him in his ren’dorei form, much more threatening than his Sin’dorei one had been. Last time she’d seen him, he’d abducted and delivered her into Tharinel’s hands; an event that left her well traumatized. 

Panic set in and her mind went blank. Pupils dilated and her pulse increased as adrenaline flooded her system. She wasn’t even thinking about Alteris or what had happened to him. All she could concentrate on was getting away. She scrambled off the counter, but let out a pained cry. Her bare feet landed in the mess of whiskey and shards of glass now covering the floor thanks to Alteris’ improvised murder weapon. Pain shot up her legs as the shards implanted deeply. Worse yet, she slipped as she tried to move forward, landing hard on her hip.

Tear filled eyes looked up as the threatening figure brought a knee down in front of her. She couldn’t find her voice to scream or cast a spell, so frozen by fear she was at the sight of him. 

“Relax.” he said, tone curt - irritated. “I’m not here for you.”

His ebon-steel dagger slipped silently back into its sheath at his hip, reinforcing his claim. With a bit of a light scoff, Brent took hold of Syrielle’s foot and began to pluck shards of glass from it. His gaze parted from hers, instead intent on the task at hand. He would’ve preferred not having to deal with her at all; collateral was always so messy. But at the same time, he couldn’t let Alteris kill her. Despite having delivered her into such dangers before… things had changed. 

Nepen’thea had still cared for this one, after all.

So instead of silencing another witness, the Ghostblade set to helping her out. At least, enough so she wouldn’t bleed out all over the floor in her pathetic panicked state. The larger chunks were removed easily enough, and the smaller ones hadn’t set in too deep. He ripped at the hem of her nightie to retrieve a length suitable enough for a bandage - so paralyzed in fear, she did little to oppose him. Fear… or perhaps confusion, at this point. He didn’t seem concerned either way.

“He’s not dead yet.” he informed her - because revealing that the elf who had just tried to kill her was still out there seemed like a smart thing to say to the fear-struck cryromancer. “But he’s far from here. Trapped. He’ll be dead soon enough.”

The makeshift bandaged tied tight and snug at her foot, before Brent stood. Halfway. He still hovered over Syrielle, offering her a hand up from the floor. Brow still knit in agitation, he waved a few fingers quickly at her, beckoning her to make haste.

“Get up.”

By now, Syrielle seemed to have regained some basic functions. She blinked up at him in confusion. What was he doing here? Why had he saved her? Why would he care to help her at all? Was this a trick?

Still, her hand took his and allowed him to pull her to her feet. She winced as she put pressure on her damaged feet, but the makeshift bandages made it at least possible for her to stand upright.

“Wh-what’s going on?” She finally managed to find her voice, small as it was, “Why are you helping me?”

“--I’m not helping you.” he snapped back, almost defensively.

He eyed the Cryromancer, gaze lingering as he turned. She seemed okay… now, at least she wasn’t sniveling and flopping about. He sighed slowly as he stepped away from her; it was the least threatening thing he could think to do, at this point. Instead, Brent looked over the shattered porcelain and shelves that broke during the brief altercation. He gotten Alteris out of hiding, now he only had to get back and finish the job.

“... Not intentionally, anyway.” he elaborated. “Came to kill Alteris. He just… happened to try to kill you, too. Almost let him, honestly.”

He shrugged, glancing back to Syrielle.

“But Thea liked you for some reason.”

Alteris had mentioned pissing some people off when he’d requested to lay low. Obviously, he’d lied about not being traced back to the Starfrost manor. He’d also conveniently forgot to mention that Brent Sunborn was one of the people hunting him. Syrielle’s hands balled into fists as she realized the dangers Alteris had purposely put them in. Gattius has trusted him, so Syrielle had trusted him as well.

And once again, trust nearly got her killed.

Her ears flicked, and perked up as a Brent made mention of Nepen’thea. The Cryomancer had wondered for some time if she’d survived the Void explosion as well. Now she knew that she had.

—but then, why was Sunborn speaking of her in past tense? Her ears lowered at the implications.

“...liked?” She repeated, hoping she was reading that wrong.

Brent was quiet for a moment - but the silence spoke volumes to confirm it. He looked once more to the cabinet, where his quarry was last seen. Subtly, he tilted his chin up in that direction, as if to motion to it. To point it out.

"Her killer." he practically whispered, though pain and anger both rang through loudly in his words. "She'll be avenged."

Syrielle’s ears wilted and she leaned back against the counter. She closed her eyes and lowered her head. Nepen’thea had been an enemy of the Phoenix Guard… a cultist playing with ancient dark forces. Surely, her death was a good thing for Azeroth, but Syrielle only felt sorrow at her passing. She remembered the beautiful, friendly elf that helped her get her bearings when she’d first arrived in Dalaran. Her best friend and lover. What had happened for her to turn onto such a dark path? Could Syrielle have somehow done something to stop it had she noticed her friend slipping away? Had she been too wrapped up in her studies to notice the signs?

And Alteris… anger flared. She’d allowed him into her relationship, into her home. And he repaid her by attempting to end her life. The selfish fool clearly didn’t care for anyone except himself.

She took in a deep breath, swallowing down the lump in her throat as she looked up at Brent. She gave him a nod. She had no doubt that he could get the job done.

“Thank you.”

“Hmph. I’m not doing this for you.” Brent replied, coldly. “I’m just running down Thea’s killer. Don’t get it twisted.”

The Ghostblade exhaled sharply out of his nose, a scoff stifled by his metallic mask. He really would’ve preferred not to have to interact with anyone at all during all this. But if it had to be someone… someone Nepen’thea valued was probably the best he’d get. He shook his head, before looking to Syrielle once again.

“Don’t forget about her. I know what you meant to her. Even after Suncrown Village…” he trailed off, letting the pause linger for a moment. “She never bore you ill intent. Your friends, sure, but not you. And… she had nothing to do with when I…”

Another pause - he knew she remembered that well enough. It was true, though; Nepen’thea had nothing to do with the deal Brent had made with Tharinel. He wanted to make sure Syrielle knew that. It was a sobering realization that, of any other living being on Azeroth, this weepy, dorky, Cryromancer was probably the only other person Nepen’thea truly loved.

“... Just don’t forget her. Because once we start forgetting her… that’s when she’s gone for good.”

He fidgeted, uncomfortable with the vulnerability that hung over him. But it had to be said.

“I know I, of all people, don’t have a right to ask anything of you. But if you really wanna thank me for this…”

He nodded once. More than enough words had been spoken. Far more than he’d planned to say to anyone at all tonight. 

“I could never forget her,” Syrielle shook her head, “Never.”

She brought a hand up to wipe at the tears. She couldn’t quite hold them back. Knowing Nepen’thea was truly gone now. Knowing she had nothing to do with Syrielle’s capture and torture. Answers to questions that had kept her awake over the past year and a half. There was closure now. Relief.

Now, she could truly mourn the loss.

“Stab him a few extra times for me, yeah?”

It seemed like a good place to end the conversation. With a final nod, Brent stepped into the shadows… and out of sight.

(( @nepenthea​ for mention ))

~*~

#character story #Syrielle Starfrost #Alteris Sunwhisper #Brent Sunborn #Nepen'thea Dusksinger #void elf #blood elf #Quel'Thalas #warcraft

[kaiekasunwhisper]

Shadow’s End

(( Co-written with @thefugitivemango / Alteris / @brent-sunborn . @pariker / @nepenthea​ for character mention ))

~*~*~

Alteris gasped as his body materialized once again in a hidden grove just outside Stormwind’s city walls. Despite it happening once or twice already… he still wasn’t used to the sensation of being ripped apart and mashed back together again somewhere else. It wasn’t like teleporting, or slipping through the shadows. It was painful - excruciatingly so! Far from elegant, but effective enough to keep members of the Coterie from dying before their time. And while his tenure with them had been brief, the rune had remained. 

Until now. 

He sat up once he got his bearings, and examined his wrist. The rune was gone. His safeguard spent. He’d have to be more careful from here on out.

He’d underestimated Brent Sunborn, it seemed, assuming the Starfrost Manor would strike those who hunted him as ‘too obvious’. He’d hoped to hide in Gattius’ radiant Light like he did in days past to evade detection. But Sunborn was thorough - he had to give him credit for that. Did he know immediately, he wondered? Or had he somehow tracked him down…? It didn’t matter now. Starfrost Manor was miles away from Stormwind. It would take the Blackened Blade hours to return, if not days. He smirked at the thought, head still rather hazy, as he brought himself upright.

To his surprise, however, the runic marker where he’d been delivered wasn’t quite as he remembered it. Tall ghost iron bars wrapped in ebon chains surrounded the marker. The bars curved inward up top, forming something of a bird cage around the runic circle… and Alteris, as a result. He huffed.

That made twice, now, that he’d underestimated Sunborn.

But all wasn’t lost. Sunborn underestimated him, as well. His little trap only bought him an hour or two, if that, before Alteris would be free. There weren’t too many locks on the chains. He could tap them easily enough. And once he had a length of chain at his disposal, bending the bars would be simple! He shook off the last of his haze, and set to work. Time was of the essence!

“You just has to go and piss him off, didn’t you?”

Kai’eka pushed herself off the crate she’d been leaning against as she waited for her brother to awaken. She knew it was only a matter of time before Brent found him, and when the rune on her neck painfully activated and disappeared, she knew exactly where to go to find her brother. 

She walked up to the prison Brent had so carefully set up and eyed Alteris. Her large blades remained propped up against the crate behind her. She wasn’t in her armor, but in the tank top and pants she often wore when in a dressed down state. Her expression was unreadable, but the exasperated sigh she gave made her disappointment more than obvious.

“You’re such a fucking dumbass, you know that?”

Alteris exhaled a relieved sigh. It was only Kai’eka! He chuckled, giving her a cheeky grin as he shrugged.

“Meh, y’ know me, Kai. Dunnae play well with others,” he sneered, as if it were somehow an endearing trait of his. “Help me outta this thing, aye?”

The Shieldmaiden rolled her eyes, but set to work. Unlike Alteris, she didn’t need the chains to bend the bars. Using her raw natural strength, it wasn’t long before she’d made an opening just large enough for Alteris to squeeze through. 

“You fucking owe me, you little shit!” She growled, moving away to give him the space he needed to get out. She walked back over to the crate, where a well stocked backpack rested on top of it. “I fucking told you to stay out of cult business! You had your freedom! I didn’t interfere with your stupid love affair! I let you be!”

Hurt became obvious in her tone as she continued on her rant. The look on her face as she turned to face him, backpack in hand, complimented her tone. He’d abandoned her, again, and she was more than a little upset.

“I thought we were bonding! I just needed you to be patient! I was going to talk to Thea, but you had to go and pull this… this stunt! She was the Speaker, Alt! And now Brent will never stop hunting you!”

She held out the backpack for him to take, her shaking hand telling how hard she was working at keeping her composure together.

“I can’t protect you anymore,” her voice broke. Gods! Those words were probably the most painful she’d ever uttered.

Per usual, Alteris blew off the gravity of the situation. Her lecture seemed to flow into one ear, and right out the other. It wasn’t that he couldn’t tell his sister was upset… but more that he just didn’t care. He snatched the bag from Kai’eka’s hands as he rolled his eyes. 

“Tch, relax…” he sighed, as he began rummaging through the provided bag. “Yer pretty-boy partner got lucky, ‘s all. Blew m’ main hideout, but I got more. Won’t underestimate ‘im again, dunnae worry.”

He tugged a shirt from the backpack, and pulled it on over his head hastily. Then did the same with a pair of woolen pants. Not exactly the most protective of gear, but inconspicuous enough for his purposes. Aside from the change of clothes, the bag had a few rations and supplies that would help him in his life on the run.

“Figure I did yeh a favor, anyway. Out from under that bitchy harlot Speaker o’ yers, now! Dunnae tell me y’ actually liked ‘er, didja?” he chuckled. “Yer makin’ it out bigger’n it really is, anyway. Cult trash like ‘er dies on th’ daily. Some other scum’ll take ‘er place in a week. Dunnae fret.”

Kai’eka closed her eyes and clenched her fists. Every word out of Alteris’ mouth only made things worse. It only sealed his fate. And the fool had no idea! Every word confirmed everything Brent had said. Kai’eka hadn’t wanted to admit it at the time, but she saw it clear as day now. 

Alteris would always be a threat. A loose end. A distraction. How many years had she spent searching for him the first time he’d fled? How many resources had she used up? —to search for him and bring him back both! Now, she was responsible for the death of a Speaker, because she’d chosen her brother over the Coterie. Her brother over her service to the Old Gods. Her brother over her friends… the people she trusted above all else.

One of those friends paid for it with their life. And Brent, her best friend, would likely never recover from losing Nepen’thia.

She opened her eyes to look at a Alteris once more. He was so blissfully unaware… Frustratingly so. But this was so very typical. Alteris hadn’t changed at all, no matter how hard she’d tried. 

She took in a deep breath, both to keep herself calm and to prepare herself for what was to come.

“Where will you go?”

"Oi, cannae tell yeh, can I? An' risk yer sneaky lil' partner catchin' wind of m' plans?" Alteris shook his head. "Y' know how this goes, Kai. When I go hidin' from th' Cult, I hide from the whole cult. Yerself included."

He chuckled at that, too. Like it was a game the two played, or some minute but lovable quirk he had. Unabashed, he gave a careless shrug as he looked at Kai'eka.

"I'll come by'n bother yeh when I need supplies an' such. Maybe check in so y'know I ain't dead in a ditch somewhere." he added a few empty promises, just for kicks. "Maybe we can swap stories 'bout guys we've fucked, aye? Now that y'ain't all square 'bout that kinda stuff."

“Fair enough,” she managed, despite wanting to beat the living shit out of his self-centered ass.

She took a step forward, closing the distance between the two of them and wrapping her strong arms around him in a tight hug from behind. He felt her trembling now, but she didn’t care. She needed this. A final moment with all she had left of her family. With the boy she’d practically raised on her own. The one she’d spent the past couple of centuries trying to protect.

No longer.

“I’m sorry,” she said in a defeated whisper.

Alteris only sighed. She wouldn’t see him roll his eyes again, as he brought his hand up to gently pat her arms where they met across his chest. 

“Tch, dunnae be sorry, Kai. Yeh’ve actually been a big help in all this,” he replied, “But… Gods, quit snivelin’! So emotional, aye? I love yeh, but yer actin’ like a whiney lil’ b--”

He didn’t have time to finish his sentence before Kai’eka’s brought a hand up to grasp the side of his head. The movement was quick and swift, made effortless by her incredible strength. The sound of Alteris’ neck snapping echoed loudly in her ears. Her other arm continued to hold him close as his body went limp.

Her legs felt weak, and she let herself fall to a kneeling position as she cradled her brother’s body in her arms. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she closed her eyes and rested her forehead on his shoulder. 

It was done. Without the rune, he had no failsafe left. His body didn’t vanish in a puff of shadows. His soul didn’t flee into the mind of another. This time, there was no coming back.

Alteris Sunwhisper was dead.

#Character Story #Kai'eka Sunwhisper #Alteris Sunwhisper #GRAND FINALE! #co-writing #thefugitivemango #The Coterie of Ancient Scripture #The End #How's them feels?

[gattius-starfrost]

Harboring Shadows - Part 2

(( Follows Part 1, found here ))

“Tell me something only Alteris would know.”

The Cryromancer’s emerald gaze flickered over Alteris, expectantly. She didn’t recognize him - how could she? He’d changed rather drastically since he was a Blood Elf, bound to a body of Nepen’thea’s design. There were days he didn’t even recognize himself! If only Gattius were here… he could vouch for him! But he wasn’t sure how much longer the doctor would be. And time was running out...

“Oi, might be tough, lass. I know a lot other folks dunnae.” he smirked cheekily, stalling for time to think. “But… aye, gimme a second. Head’s a wee bit fuzzy, thanks t’ yer brutish friend, there.”

Alteris looked Grakkar over. Where had he heard that name…? No matter. He had to focus. The ren’dorei struggled to think of something that would prove who he was. To Gattius, it’d be simple. But to Syrielle? He had no idea what she did and didn’t know about him. Or about Gattius… But it wasn’t the time to be cautious with information. She may have thawed him out, but she’d proven decently enough that she didn’t mean to keep him alive if he wasn’t who he said he was. Especially if she thought he were Sunborn. He wouldn’t blame her, either. Sunborn was a dick. But walking all the way back into Quel’Thalas again sounded tedious… he had to give her something.

“Alright, well… I know Gatto’s favorite drink’s whiskey. An’ he smokes, thanks t’ me. Got ‘im hooked back durin’ the Outland Crusade.” he stated, almost proudly. “An’ he’s got a tattoo on ‘is shoulder. Phoenix-lookin’ bird. Had it fer years.”

These were all things that came off the top of his head. He hoped they’d be enough proof…

Syrielle crossed her arms. The information he gave matched up. Either this was Alteris, or this was another Ren’dorei that had done his research. A frown remained on her features. Obviously she wasn’t convinced.

“Let’s pretend you are Alteris. What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be conducting… business… elsewhere.”

She made certain to leave out what ‘business’ meant. There were other ears in the room, after all...

“Oi, y’mean fuckin’ Gatto?” he shrugged - clearly far-less concerned about who heard. “Aye, normally we go someplace quiet fer that. But I ain’t ‘ere fer that.”

His smug smirk faded some, as Alteris shook his head. He sighed, heavily - coughing again a bit as a result.

“M’ situation’s changed. I need t’ lie low fer a bit.”

Grakkar’s face contorted in confusion. He looked to Syrielle, brow askew… but remained silent. Maybe that had multiple meanings in elf culture…? He’d have to ask Kai’eka later.

Syrielle’s ears twitched and she grimaced as the Ren’dorei so crudely clarified the word ‘business’. She let out a sigh, both upset that Grakkar had overheard, but also relieved that this was, in fact, Alteris.

“You can release him, Grakkar,” she finally said, “This one is a friend. And uh… not a word of this to anyone, yeah?”

It was difficult for Grakkar not to say anything in that moment. And while he didn’t utter a word… his expression said it all. He averted his eyes, awkwardly, from Syrielle, as he set to freeing Alteris. He gave the void elf a look as he unbound him. Alteris smirked back proudly in response. He felt vindicated at least - if this wasn’t proof enough, he knew Gattius would vouch for him once his work was done. As he was untied, he moved to stand up from the chair. He chuckled at Grakkar, noting the incredulous expression on his face.

“Hmph! Wot’s th’ matter, Orc? Ne’er fucked a lady’s husband b’fore?” he taunted.

A quick and strong hand thrust Alteris back into the chair, as Grakkar growled. He leaned in, teeth bare.

“Mind yourself, you little purple weasel.” he snarled. “She said you’re a friend… not that you needed all your limbs intact.”

Alteris only grinned wider. This Orc… was damn hot! He looked him over, lightly biting his lower lip as he did so. His face was… nothing special. But that muscular form, those tribal-esque tattoos, and that commanding presence he had… not to mention he’d managed to sneak up on him earlier! He nodded slowly, compliantly.

“Aye… whate’er y’ say, Muscles.” he winked.

Grakkar backed off, still snarling, and took position beside Syrielle. He didn’t fully understand what was happening, but he got the majority of it figured out. He was no stranger to meeting various needs outside committed relationships. This void elf was clearly some manner of vice to Doctor Starfrost… and Lady Starfrost seemed okay with it. Still, he didn’t like how this one eyed him up. It wasn’t sizing up for a fight… more sizing up for something else. He grunted.

“Quit looking at me.” he barked.

“Hard not t’, big guy.” Alteris smirked in response.

--Then it clicked. The name… he knew it from Kai’eka!

“Figured y’d be used t’ ren’dorei attention, aye? Seein’ as yer th’ one fuckin’ my sister, Kai.”

Grakkar’s shoulders sank. Eyes wide. He glanced quickly, wordlessly, to Syrielle… and the immediately away. Azeroth was too damn small…

Syrielle opened her mouth to ask Alteris to stop harassing her employee… but instead her jaw dropped and she looked over to the Orc. The way he snapped his gaze away awkwardly indicated that it was true.

“—err… you keep our secret, we’ll keep yours?” Was all she could think of saying. Clearly, she was in no position to judge.

She frowned, gaze turning to Alteris once more, “Wait… you mean the berserker woman is alive?! I thought she was dead!”

“--Aye, she died once.” Alteris grinned wide. “On that orc’s dick.”

Grakkar brought his face to his palms, sinking down where he stood. So much so, Kronk concernedly came to brush up against him. Ancestors, this was awkward! Alteris reveled in it, however, as he rose once more from his seat. He wandered back over to the bar, where his drink was still waiting for him. He felt rather securely in, at this point.

“Like I said, lass… I know ‘lot other folks dunnae.”

Syrielle brought a hand to Grakkar’s shoulder to give it a comforting pat. Part of her wanted to know exactly how he had ended up in bed with Alteris’s sister, but another… more wise part of her, told her to just let it be. She made her way to the bar, across from Alteris. Her fingers weaved in a specific pattern, levitating a bottle of arcwine and wine glass over.

“Want anything to drink, Grakkar?” She asked out of courtesy. He certainly looked like he needed it. She didn’t even wait for an answer, already pouring him a mug of ale now that she had her wine.“So, what’s going on, Alt? What’s got you running off to hide in Horde territory?”

The Void Elf looked Syrielle over, hesitantly. He felt no obligation to tell her anything, now that he’d proven who he was. She wasn’t exactly going to kick him out - she knew as well as he did Gattius would be more than a little upset if she did. His smirk grew a bit larger, before he took another swig of his drink.

“Long story, lass.” he shrugged the question off. “Suffice t’ say… I got nowhere else t’ turn.”

“Hmph. What of your sister?” Grakkar asked, as he took up the mug Syrielle offered. “Will she not take you in?”

“Heh, th’ only guy she’s been ‘takin’ in’ lately is you, big fella.” Alteris quipped - much to Grakkar’s displeasure.

The Orc growled lowly, drowning his anger in a large gulp of ale. He didn’t like this elf… not one bit! Alteris chuckled a moment longer at his witty wordplay, before sighing, and shaking his head.

“--Nah, but seriously… cannae turn t’ ‘er on this’n.” he vaguely explained further. “Won’t go inta detail… but I went’n pissed a lot o’ folks off. Includin’ Kai.”

He shrugged a shoulder, before taking another sip of his drink. It wasn’t exactly a lie…

“Gatto already said I could stay. Pointed me t’ ‘is lil’ passage inta th’ manor, an’ all that.” he gestured to the door through which he’d come. “Dunnae know how long I’ll be, but hopefully nae too long. Dunnae wanna… interfere…”

Try as he did, he couldn’t mask the disgruntlement with this situation. Specifically, with Syrielle. His tone betrayed it just a bit.

“I, uh… I know it’s askin’ a lot.” he added… for cover.

Syrielle raises an eyebrow, but took a drink of her wine. She highly doubted that Gattius would make a big decision like that without consulting with her first, but she didn’t feel much like arguing.

“We’ll do everything we can to help you out, yeah,” she finally said, “My only concern is this: do the people coming after you know to look for you here? I’m all for providing you with shelter, but we have a son to protect. I just need to know if I should be ramping up security measures or not.”

It wasn’t something Alteris considered, really - he expected the Coterie would know well enough to check here for him, given his history with Gattius. But at the same time… it felt too obvious a place he’d go. Kai’eka knew him well enough, from the last time he ran out on her. She didn’t find him for years after that. Surely she’d find searching Quel’Thalas for him to be a waste of time. Hopefully. Besides… if he could hide amidst Gattius’ shining Light before, he could do it again!

Either way, telling Syrielle seemed like a bad idea. One that could cost him his little hiding place… And he simply couldn’t afford that.

“Doubtful.” he shrugged, casually. “Folks think I’m dead. They won’t come lookin’ fer me. Jus’ need t’ keep outta sight fer a few weeks. Couple months, maybe. Let ‘em mourn an’ move on, y’know?”

He almost felt bad, lying to her. Almost.

Syrielle nodded, swallowing down another gulp of wine. She doubted Alteris would do anything to bring harm to Gattius and his family. She didn’t know him well, but her husband did, and that was enough for her.

“If that’s the case, it shouldn’t be a problem at all. I’ll let the staff know you’re here so that you can move about the manor, though if any of my co-workers drop in, you’ll have to stay out of sight, yeah?,” she twirled her glass as she made the to do list in her head, “I’ll have one of the spare bedrooms ready for you tonight… —Ah, unless you prefer sleeping in our room? Our bed is pretty big.”

Of course she couldn’t pass up making that offer. She gave him a playful smile. Gattius would no doubt roll his eyes at her if he were there.

"--Light, I leave you alone with him for two minutes…" came a voice familiar to the trio.

Gattius emerged from the door leading to his clinic. He looked frazzled, worn down from stress not only from working so much, but also thanks to Alteris' surprise visit. He did indeed roll his eyes at Syrielle, letting his half-quip hang as he went for the bar. If was only about lunch time… but the doctor needed a drink.

#character story #Alteris Sunwhisper #Syrielle Starfrost #Gattius Starfrost #Kai'eka Sunwhisper #Grakkar Gorefang #... and Kronk! #blood elf #void elf #mag'har #warcraft

[cebinaruavin]

Sinister Shadows

((Story co-written with @thefugitivemango / Alteris . Story elements discussed with/approved by @nepenthea / @pariker . @brent-sunborn and @kaiekasunwhisper tagged for character mention))

~*~*~

Ears flickered and eyes darted around. Alteris had no desire to be here, of all places. He’d heard stories of Nazjatar, of course - he expected every elf had. And even before his family had inducted him into the shadowy cult of Twilight, it sounded very much like a place he wanted to avoid at all costs. Seeing it now, that opinion hadn’t changed.

But he had a purpose here and now. In the ruins of Zin-Ashari, the Coterie had made camp. Expecting the glory of N’Zoth to wash over them here, at the moment of his expected release… they waited. She waited. Nepen’thea meditated, communing with the darkness, the shadowy power that flowed through her. Empowered her. Even now, she was in a trance state, completely attuned to the Void. Alteris watched her from the shadows of her lavish room. Watching her, and the door… warily. If she woke, she’d have questions. And if Kai’eka or that angry little stalker she partnered with came back, they’d have questions, too.

Questions he’d rather avoid.

“Find it yet?” he asked, voice barely above a whisper. “Thought y’knew where it was.”

“Never said that, Sweetie,” Cebina’s melodious voice replied.

It was true. The priestess has promised to keep an eye out for the item Alteris had requested, and to collect it if found. However; she hadn’t been invited to Thea’s room often since then; the Speaker was drawn to her Void meditation more and more the closer N’Zoth came to being free. Just as well. The commotion at the Eternal Palace gave the two interlopers the perfect opportunity to search her room freely.

And so, while Alteris watched her back, Cebina rummaged through chests, drawers and wardrobes. She wasn’t about to risk actively using her powers, though. That would leave a trail that could be traced back to her.

Time passed and Cebina huffed. Her search had yielded no results. She looked over to a large pile of pillows where Thea’s famous hookah was kept.

“You also never mentioned what it would look like,” she added as she got up and went over to look under and around the pillows.

“I dunnae know what it looks like! I told yeh that!” he whisper-shouted back, brow furrowing. “It’s gotta be here, though. She wouldn’t leave it behind.”

He slipped back from watching Nepen’thea, delving deeper into the room to help Cebina search. It was a huge disadvantage, not knowing what, exactly, it looked like. But a powerful item like that, literally his leash, wasn’t something he could see the Speaker leaving outside her reach. It had to be there, somewhere!

“Check boxes and shit.” he whispered again. “Th’ thing in me’s some kinda sphere… maybe th’ controller is, too.”

“Boxes are too obvious,” Cebina tapped her finger on her lips as she thought, “Hmm, a sphere…”

Her ears perked up as she made her way back to the vanity and began sifting through the jewelry.

“Come here and see if any of these feel familiar to you.”

Alteris shrugged - it was worth a shot. Slowly, he hovered his hand over the jewelry as Cebina splayed it out atop the vanity. His lip curled down, in disgust; lavish necklaces and bracelets, earrings to match… gaudy things, some of them. Others so ornate and complex, he could hear the whispers of unearned superiority in their low jinglings when Cebina set them out. Alteris was never big into the lavish life anyway. But this seemed especially excessive. Sickeningly so. 

Nothing felt familiar.

He huffed, grumbling lowly in… Dwarvish?... as he continued the futile search. Nothing reacted, nothing felt any different or out of the ordinary. None of the jewelry could be the controller. Nothing in the room felt like the controller. If she hid it, she hid it well. And he didn’t have time to overturn every drawer or case in the room to find it. His eyes narrowed, shooting back to the Speaker in stasis. She’d forced his hand, this time. Bringing him back into enslavement, flaunting her power so needlessly… for what? She didn’t seem to want him for anything other than just to say she had him. A pet. He wouldn’t get free of her as long as she had that control. Otherwise…

“... We’ve gotta improvise.” he mumbled lowly, eyes narrowed.

Cebina sighed at Alteris’ lack of patience as she went about returning the different pieces of jewelry in their rightful positions in the ornate box. There was a reason she mostly worked alone... 

“Not much to improvise on, Sweetie. Thea’s not dumb. She hides her things well. There’s probably an Arcane cloak over it. Makes it invisible and is preventing Void users from detecting it.”

She couldn’t help but chuckle at Nepen’thea’s cleverness, “She’s good. Best just to put everything back where we found it and come back when the next opportunity presents itself. I’ll look into acquiring something that can help us detect Arcane enchantments for next time.”

It sounded like a solid plan. And if Alteris was of a mind to hear it, he might’ve agreed. But his mind was made up - if he couldn’t find the controller, he’d simply have to make sure she could never use it. And there was only one sure-fire way to make sure of that!

“Won’t be a next time, Sweetie.” Alteris returned, somewhat mockingly.

He reached back, quickly drawing his swords from their scabbards. Without hesitation, he reeled back, and thrusted them at Nepen’thea! ...But it wasn’t so simple to kill a Speaker. Least of all, one as cunning as her! The void energies surrounding her reacted, forming a dense barrier that caught Alteris’ blades as he thrust them towards the Speaker. He snarled, pressing against the void barrier with all his might! Within it, Nepen’thea seemed blissfully unaware of what was going on; her serene expression remained, as her meditations continued. 

Somehow, it pissed Alteris off all the more.

“What are you…?!” Cebina quickly spun as she heard the clash of energies.

She shouldn’t have been surprised. Alteris wasn’t the patient type. He’d demonstrated that once already by getting killed in Silvermoon not long after his resurrection from the Void. She wanted to be angry, but really, Alteris was just acting like the dumbass he was. It was her own fault for agreeing to come with him on this search in the first place. 

The damage was done. Nepen’thia had been attacked. Despite her appearing oblivious to it, no doubt had a way of detecting who had made the attack. She could attempt to stop Alteris, and risk going down with him when shit hit the fan. Or, she could help him in murdering a prone Speaker and gain more control and freedom over her own situation. Between her and Alteris, they could no doubt get the job done.

She didn’t need to move from where she was, extending her hands as the shadows weaved around to encompass her entire body. Her powers were much stronger here, so close to N’Zoth’s embrace. The shadows extended from her fingertips, shooting across the room to move over the barrier.

“Get ready,” she told Alteris, “I’ll have the shield down in under a minute.”

It was all she said before setting her mind to the task at hand, pouring all of her concentration in nullifying the barrier. The Speaker’s shield was strong, but her mind being elsewhere made it less strong than it could be. Cebina, being empowered and in full concentration, was much stronger in this situation. The Void energies sparked and flared.

Pleasantly surprised Cebina didn’t try and stop him, Alteris grinned. He held, pressing against the void shield as long as it took for the Priestess to undo it. It shattered in an instant, the powers both of them exacted against it proving sufficient enough in overcoming the barrier! 

“Now!”

The burst, however, caused a blowback - a steady galewind force of power blasting back anything not tied down! Nepen’thea’s personal protection was layered, it seemed. The shield was only the beginning! Curtains billowed, clothing racks and dressers toppled over, the room itself fell into an upheaval… But Alteris remained, planting his feet as he resisted the blast. He couldn’t fail now, they’d come too far for that by now!

“Nnnyyaaaaagh!” he cried out, swords inching closer against the torrent of energy repelling him!

He began to gain ground, razor-sharp tips of his dark swords closing in on the Speaker. Tantalizingly close - mere millimeters! He lunged with all his might to close the gap. It worked; the blades found purchase in Nepen’thea’s chest, barely piercing her skin!

Her eyes shot open, affixed on Alteris. She smirked.

Then, she was gone.

The repellant force ceased, the room falling eerily still. Alteris collapsed, dazed and dumbfounded by what had just happened. The death rune, perhaps? No… it hadn’t triggered. Both he and Cebina would’ve felt it. He quickly looked at his arm, where the rune was - intact, as it had been. She vanished for another reason altogether. Cebina as well had braced herself for the pain that came with the rune being set off… but it never came. Thea was gone… but not dead. 

“--What happened?!” he demanded, eyes narrowing at Cebina… as if she knew any more than he did.

“Pookie?”

The horror separated itself from the shadows as it was called, taking its rightful place at the Priestess’ side and awaiting its orders.

“Find Thea. Kill her.”

The shadow monstrosity made its way around the room. If Thea teleported somewhere, the Void creature would easily sense her trail and track her down. It lingered around where the Speaker’s body had been, seeming to sniff the air around, but there was no trail to be found. Cebina herself kept her shadows on high alert. Not attempting to subdue her powers anymore as she tried to detect a Void tear or portal of any kind.

“I… don’t know,” she finally admitted, “She’s not dead, but she didn’t teleport or blink away, either.”

She suddenly gasped as she realized. Thea had been in deep meditation… she’d been working harder and longer for months enhancing her connections to the Void. Attacking her in such a out of body experience could only do one thing...

“She’s become one with the Void,” she concluded, wide eyes looking at Alteris, “We destroyed her body, but her spirit is lost in the Void. That’s why our runes didn’t go off.”

“.... Y’sure?”

Alteris continued looking around, warily. Joining with the Void wasn’t exactly what he had in mind. He much preferred the assurance of a corpse. He’d joined with the Void himself, before… and clearly that didn’t turn out to be a permanent arrangement. His ear twitched as he looked Cebina over, lips curling to a smirk. Nepen’thea was the one to pulled him from the Void; no one else among the Coterie could. Cebina, perhaps, but… she wouldn’t. Not after going through the trouble to help him kill her. That was, more or less, what they did.

“She’s good as dead, if that’s true, lass.” he chuckled. “Think we did it.”

The room was already a mess, but Alteris set immediately to trashing the place further; yanking down drapery, scattering clothes… then dousing every soft fabric thing in alcohol by pouring it out. It wasn’t hard to figure out his next move.

Cebina simply watched him, silently. Pookie had returned to her side, emitting some strange mix of a growl and a purr as the Priestess gently scratched the top of its head. This wasn’t at all how she’d imagined the scenario playing out. A less obvious murder scene would have been preferred, but there would be none of that with Alteris.

Obviously, he wasn’t the type to think ahead very far.

“So what’s the plan, Sweetie? Where do we go from here?” 

She was curious as to what was going through his head.

“... We?”

Alteris raised his brow, as he emptied out the last of the alcohol onto the lavish bed in the corner. He shrugged at Cebina, passing her by as he headed for the door.

“She’s fuckin’ dead, now. I’m free, lass. I’m gone.” he explained. “Th’plan now is t’burn this shithole down, and ne’er look back.”

He was polite enough, at least, to wave Cebina out of Nepen’thea’s encampment before lighting the match and tossing it into the volatile room. But he was clearly eager to - fingers twisting and spinning the match stick around, in anticipation.

“You oughta do th’ same.”

Cebina frowned, waving aberration back to the shadows as she followed Alteris out the door. She wasn’t about to stop him from burning down evidence, after all. 

“We had a deal, Alteris,” she reminded him, hands finding their places on her hips, “I help you gain your freedom, you help get me off the chopping block. Brent is going to be furious, and,  unlike with you, your big kodo of a sister won’t hesitate to cut me down. If you won’t take me with you, at least make it look like I tried to fight you off.”

Alteris scoffed! He let out a light chuckle, as he tossed the match in through the doorway - the room ignited quickly. 

“Can’t help if y’still want in good with these people, aye? Brent’ll be huntin’ me down. An’ Kai’s gonna be fuckin’ pissed, family ties aside.” He shrugged. “Y’want off th’ choppin’ block? Do what I suggest; disappear.”

Swiftly, he tucked his matchbook and cigarette case back into his pocket, and turned to leave. 

“Deal’s done. Nice knowin’ yeh.”

Cebina did nothing to stop Alteris from walking away, though she did look awfully put out; arms crossed and eyes narrowed. She let out a sigh as the shadows around her body slipped away.

“Thanks for burning the evidence, at least, Sweetie.”

While part of her was frustrated at Alteris’ unwillingness to hold up his end of the deal, the situation could have been much worse. All evidence of Cebina being part of this whole event was currently up in flames. All she had to do was make up a story about being away investigating a disturbance, returning only to see Alteris fleeing the scene. Brent would automatically blame him anyway. 

She turned to face the burning building, arms remaining crossed over her chest, hip sticking out. Then, she smiled as she enjoyed watching The Speaker’s home burn just a little longer. Finally, she brought a hand to touch the ring on her finger, activating the communication rune beneath it.

“Brent! Kai!” She made certain her voice sounded alarmed and out of breath, “It’s an emergency!”

#Character Story #nepen'thea dusksinger #Alteris Sunwhisper #Cebina Ruavin #Old God Cultist shenanigans

[kidcatgeminiart]

Across Enemy Lines

Completed commission piece for @thefugitivemango / @gattius-starfrost of his characters, Gattius Starfrost and Alteris Sunwhisper. I’ve always loved these two’s relationship. They were tragically separated in the Landfall of Pandaria, but have recently been reunited despite being on opposing sides of the war! It was an honor to get to draw them together at last!

Drawn and colored with Photoshop CS6 and Wacom Cintiq tablet.    

~*~*~

Ko-fi | DeviantArt | Commission Info

#blood elf #void elf #Sin'dorei #ren'dorei #World of Warcraft #Gattius Starfrost #Alteris Sunwhisper #art commissions #my artwork #kidcatgeminiart #thefugitivemango

[brent-sunborn]

The Hunt Begins

(( Follows Harboring Shadows Pt 1 and Pt 2 / Co-written with @kidcatgemini​ / @kaiekasunwhisper​, @nepenthea​ ))

There was a loud cracking sound as Kai’eka’s blade hit the target dummy, snapping it in half and sending the top part flying across the training yard. The warrior-woman growled, teeth clenched as she caught her breath from her vigorous workout. It was a workout that ended much too soon as she’d gone and destroyed the last target available. With a frustrated cry, she threw the rune etched blade at a nearby tree.

Thankfully, there was no one to witness her little tantrum. The training grounds had emptied as she’d begun her workout. It became obvious very quickly that the muscular woman had a lot of frustrations to work out.

Part of it was due to the Alliance and Horde victories in Nazjatar. The freeing of N’Zoth was good, but the loss of Azshara didn’t bode well. Things were reaching a critical point. Cultists couldn’t afford to scatter now…

Of all the times for Alteris to make one of his famous dumbass moves! Kai’eka figured he’d make a stupid attempt at Nepen’thea sooner rather than later, but she would have never thought he’d manage to succeed! She even hoped… foolishly… that giving him more freedom to do as he pleased would bring him around.

Now Thea was dead. It wasn’t the first speaker, nor the first friend Kai’eka had lost in her long life of servitude to the Ancient Ones. But the fact that her own brother landed the killing blow cut deeper than any blade ever could.

“... We need to talk.”

The familiar voice stuck out in the now-quiet training yard, despite being barely above a whisper. The shadows of a large nearby tree shifted, taking form. A familiar form. Brent stepped out, over a piece of training dummy, into the fading sunlight. His expression was, per usual, unreadable. The mask he wore served its purpose well. And yet despite all that, the air of anger was thick enough around him to betray his thoughts and feelings. And rightly so - after all, Alteris’ latest victim was the woman Brent loved more than anyone or anything in this world. Or the next.

“Where is he?”

“Hell if I know…” Kai’eka grumbled as she made her way across the training yard to pick up her weapon.

Brent’s appearance didn’t surprise her. She figured he would show up sooner rather than later. She found she couldn’t make eye contact with him. To say she felt partially responsible for Thea’s demise wouldn’t be inaccurate. She hadn’t approached Brent after learning the news. The Blackened Blade has secluded himself almost immediately, and she respected him enough to give him the space he required.

Like she had with Alteris…

She sighed.

“I’m sorry, Brent.” 

Odd words for her to say. Not easy ones to utter. But words that needed to be said nonetheless.

“Spare me.” the Ghostblade scoffed. “I’m not here for consolation. I’m here for information.”

He crossed his arms, tone thick with his anger. It wasn’t all directed at Kai’eka… but enough of it was to hint he held her partially responsible. After all, Alteris wouldn’t have even been alive if she weren’t so insistent that Nepen’thea bring him back. And for what? Familial ties? His eyes narrowed at the berserker.

“It’s useless to try and protect him, Kai.” he all but threatened her. “I told you what would happen. I told you bringing him back was a horrible, horrible idea. You know what’s coming next for him.”

“I fucking told you. I. Don’t. Know.” She growled back, turning her head to narrow her gaze at him “He didn’t exactly tell me where he was going. Took forever to find him the first time. If he doesn’t want to be found, we won’t find him.”

She huffed, sheathing her blade. Her frustration grew as she realized Alteris still didn’t trust her. Everything had been going so well, she thought. They were bonding, finally… and now he went and threw it all away, leaving her alone, just as he had all those years ago.

“It’s useless to go after him. He’s gone for good. We need to stick together now. With N’Zoth free we need to be ready.”

He silently regarded Kai’eka, for a moment. She wasn’t lying… he knew her well enough to tell. He recalled the story, of course - Brent had heard it a time or two after getting the brutish woman to open up and share. Those moments were few and far between, to be sure. So when she told him about Alteris and how he’d left her all those years, never to be found until it was far too late… it stuck out well enough to the rogue.

“... Hmph. Covering his tracks well.” Brent huffed. “Not to worry. I’ll find him, one way or another.”

He uncrossed his arms, and turned from Kai’eka. It was clear Alteris wouldn’t seek refuge with Kai’eka. So it only made sense to start looking wherever she wasn’t. He stepped off for the training yard’s exit.

Until a large sword struck the ground in front of him, blocking his exit.

“I said, you stay here,” Kai’eka’s voice was commanding, not asking, “Leave him be.”

She stepped towards him now, the apologetic look gone and her usual intimidating presence returning. She drew her second blade, obviously ready to fight him on the subject.

“What part of ‘stick together’ didn’t you understand?” She growled, “You’re mind’s clouded by anger. Snap out of it or I’ll knock some sense into you myself!”

“--My mind’s clouded? What about yours?” Brent scowled. “Your brother came to be thanks to you and your fucking emotions! You wanted your precious little brother back… and now it’s cost us our Speaker, Kai!”

He turned, glowering at the warrioress. How typical… of course she would try and defend him now. Spare him from death after working so hard to get Nepen’thea to bring him back for her. And how did he repay the favor? By taking a semi-successful attempt on her life! How did she repay the favor? 

By letting it happen. 

“Your brother betrayed us! Betrayed all of us, Kai! You’re right; we need to make sure things go well now that N’Zoth is free.” he scolded the woman. “And your brother’s proven he aims to disrupt the Old Gods’ plans! Why don’t you find some sense, and realize that your idiot brother needs to be put down, before he causes any more damage to our plans?”

If there was one thing Kai’eka hated, it was being told the truth. She snarled, reaching her free hand forward to grab Brent by his leather jerkin, pulling him face to face with her. The fact that he wasn’t backing down and was standing up to her was pissing her off all the more.

“I won’t let you kill him,” she spelled out, plainly, “This is your last warning. Let it be.”

“... You won’t let me?”

Brent’s eyes narrowed, piercing Kai’eka’s own as they darkened. He brought one hand up to grip her wrist - the other slammed up against her neck. They stayed there for only a moment, before he pulled them back and let the fall to his side… leaving in their place shadowy manacles. Chains emerged from each of them, the one at her hand pulling her off and to the side. The one at her neck pulling her back and down. He simply stepped back, as his shadowy incantation took effect to bind the berserker to the ground beneath her. As much as she struggled, the chains hardly budged. Brent was more than prepared to subdue Kai’eka if necessary. This was but one tool in his arsenal to satisfy that necessity.

And thankfully, for now… the only tool he needed to use right now. His blades stayed sheathed at his hips.

“You don’t get a choice, Kai.” he scowled. “The last time you made that call… whether your brother lived or not… he took my Thea from me.”

He turned quickly, as the tensing of the chains became audibly strained.  Nothing could fully stop Kai’eka… that he knew better than anyone still living. But this way, he’d at least slow her down enough to leave her well in his dust. The shadows swirled about his feet, spiraling up his body, before engulfing him entirely. By the time they dissipated… he’d be long gone.

Kai’eka tugged violently at the shadowy bonds, enough so to bruise the skin beneath. She couldn’t do anything but gasp for breath with how tightly her neck was bound. She was more than familiar with Brent’s shadow links. He’d used them on her enough. Their strength would fade over time, and she’d break free when they would.

By then, of course, it would be too late. Brent was already gone. Like Alteris. She wouldn’t be able to find him unless he wanted to be found. Like Alteris, he was abandoning her. 

Kai’eka closed her eyes tightly. She hadn’t felt this alone in a very long time.

#character story #Kai'eka Sunwhisper #Brent Sunborn #Alteris Sunwhisper #Nepen'thea Dusksinger #Void Elf #cultist #warcraft #family matters

[gattius-starfrost]

The Walk-In

The clinic was as busy as it usually was; not terribly. But as Gattius still hadn’t found any help to hire, doing even this regular workload of both administration tasks and administering the actual medical help was overwhelming, to say the least. He could feel himself growing more irritated, going from patient to patient, between exam rooms and the front desk, all without a break to even take a breath! 

Anger turned to worry, when quiet moments allowed it; had he bitten off more than he could chew? Without help, would the clinic ultimately fail? Should he cut back on the days they opened, or was that a death knell for his small, independent infirmary? The first step to the inevitable closing of this unfulfilled chapter in his life…?

Today, the dread and anxiety hang over him more than usual. So much so, he had already left his next patient waiting fifteen extra minutes as he tried to gather his composure and desire both before stepping into the examination room. If he could just get through today… 

'Light give me strength…'

His faux smile found his face, finally, as he exhaled a quiet sigh, and opened the door.

"Afternoon, sorry to keep you waiting." Gattius bowed his head apologetically as he entered, eyes still scanning over the chart in his hands. "You mentioned you had some 'skin and eye discolorat--eeough for fuck's sake!"

Snapping quickly, Gattius tossed the chart as he looked up, and slammed the door behind him in a hurry! Before him, atop the exam table, sat a ren'dorei. Not just any ren'dorei, either…

"Alt, what the fuck are you doing here?!"

“Oi, voice down, lad!” Alteris loudly whispered. “Dunnae wanna give me away, do yeh? Not after I worked so hard sneakin’ in ‘ere!”

Alteris grinned his usual smug grin - half proud he’d slipped past all of Eversong’s defenses, half reveling in Gattius’ reaction. As much as he loved coming to see his dearest companion, he took pleasure in making his life a bit more ‘interesting’ all the moreso. He hopped down off the exam table, and approached the blood elf.

“Wanted t’ apologize properly fer missin’ our last rendezvous.” he explained, bringing his arms around Gattius’ waist. “Think I owe yeh somethin’ fer that, aye?”

“--No! This is hardly making up for it!” Gattius scowled in response, pushing the void elf back from him. “I’m way too busy for this. Not to mention this is way too dangerous! If someone sees us here… I could lose everything!”

'Not that I probably won’t anyway...’ he thought to himself, the concern resurfacing in the moment - only fueling his agitation. This was the last thing he needed today… another stressor. Another source of worry. Another problem to solve. With an irritated huff, he grabbed Alteris’ wrist and led him to the door. Slowly, he opened it and peeked out. The hallway was clear.

“This way! Hurry!”

Without delay, he dragged Alteris from the examination room and down the hall - crouched down, stepping lightly, as if he were infiltrating an Alliance camp! Alteris did nothing to help keep a low profile, however. His steps were naturally light, of course, but he didn’t seem nearly as concerned at being sneaky as Gattius towed him around the Clinic. Almost like he wanted to be found! He didn’t, of course, but it irritated Gattius more this way.

“--Oi, ease up!” he feigned a whine, smirk still plastered to his face. “If’n ye wanted t’ rough-handle me, better done back there on th’ exam table, aye?”

“--Shut up!” Gattius hissed in reply.

He shoved Alteris into a room at the end of the corridor, and closed the door most of the way. The Blood Elf glanced over his shoulder once more, cautiously, before sighing. He looked to Alteris.

“Alright… this is my office. There’s a door that leads out behind my desk, there.” he explained in hushed tone. “Follow it into the Manor, and wait for me there. Don’t touch anything!”

Alteris glanced around the room a bit, before smirking at Gattius.

“No time fer’ a quickie, then?”

The door shut quickly in his smug face.

The ren’dorei sighed, smirk fading fast. That… wasn’t as fun as he’d hoped. Agitating Gattius was always interesting, but this time it wasn’t nearly as satisfying. He grumbled to himself, as he turned from the door. Gattius had changed, he’d noticed. Back in the day, he wouldn’t pass up a chance to shirk duties and have a quick ‘spar’ atop his desk, or back in the examination room. Now, it seemed he was all business. He didn’t like it. 

He looked around the office, finding further confirmation of how Gattius had changed. It was so… orderly. More so than was normal, as Alteris recalled. Gattius was a neat individual, keeping things in relative, passable order. But this office was pristine. Alteris felt like he’d stumbled into some kind of museum. A monument to the most droll elf to waddle across this mortal plane. Hanging nearly and squarely on the walls were numerous certificates and degrees, documentation of Gattius’ medical proficiency. The Thalassian script was so excessively curvy and elegant, it looked like a child got hold of a quill and discovered how to draw circles. 

The bookshelves were almost artificial in appearance, each book flush against its neighbors in height and protrusion. He wouldn’t have been surprised if half of them were empty, simply aesthetically-pleasing filler to-- no, apparently not. He pulled a random book from the shelf and flipped through it. The script was so small, each page packed with medical jargon and biological babblings. The ren’dorei sighed once more, as he slipped the book back in place, leaving the spine sticking out just a bit in mild defiance. 

The desk was, comparatively, the most cluttered aspect of the room. But even then, it was still rather well kept. Quills and inkwells were arranged neatly on the right side, with files and documents all sorted in upright organizers on the left. A few stray parchments sat in the middle of the desk, clearly needing to be worked and filed away later. Alteris tugged at a drawer - locked. How boring and unlike Gattius! He almost wanted to break into the drawers to see what was hidden within… but if his office was this boring, he couldn’t imagine anything of interest was tucked away in the desk. Likely more files, if he were to wager a guess.

Then he noticed the picture frame.

His pale hands clenched as he glowered at the picture. A heartwarming portrait of a familiar face holding a small infant. Syrielle and their son, Tannis. Alteris scoffed, as he lifted the frame from the desk. It wasn’t that unusual, having a picture of family on one’s desk. The implication, however, was what irked Alteris so. He could just imagine the Blood Elf leaning back in his chair after a busy day… and smiling at this inanimate painting of his family. Gleaning a spark of joy from looking at his loving wife’s bespectacled face, and finding the strength to carry him through the remainder of his mundane medical practitioning… 

It felt like a gut punch. One last nail hammered into the disturbing realization. Gattius wasn’t at all who he once was. So organized, so driven, so family-oriented. Alteris clenched the picture harder, feeling the wooden frame begin to crackle from the straining. How he wanted to smash it! This was her fault after all! He’d watched it all from within Gattius’ mind. His descent from the exciting, fun-loving elf he once was into this… this domesticated buzzkill! It wasn’t hard to see who was responsible for his transformation, either. She’d tamed him… ruined a perfectly appealing elf. An elf he loved deeply. And it made his blood boil.

He set the picture down - face down, in another act of defiance - before heading for the side door Gattius mentioned. This office only depressed him. He hoped the manor would be more exciting for him. 

The corridor was narrow; hardly a grand hallway. But it served its function in connecting home and office. Alteris padded down until he came to the opening. The manor was silent… but breathtaking. He’d been here before, of course - snuck in once or twice, and even beheld it through Gattius’ eyes. But seeing it for himself, without any fear or need to slink about silently… he could appreciate it fully. Specifically… the bar. His eyes were drawn to it immediately. Bottles upon bottles, lined from floor to ceiling on glass shelves. He grinned widely, rubbing his hands together as he examined each label. 

His feet carried him behind the bar without a second thought or hesitation, as he picked one out - an exceptionally appealing whiskey in a rather cubic-cut glass bottle. Dwarven-distilled… definitely in his tastes! He popped the stopper, and began to pour himself a glass-- when something shook the room. The glass bottles clanked lightly together as heavy steps trudged into the room. Alteris quickly ducked down behind the bar, holding as still as possible to not give away his position. What was it - a construct? An Arcane Golem? He knew Gattius had upped his security as of late, but this seemed… excessive! Slowly, he peered around the side of the bar… and saw a kodo?

He blinked. Then blinked again. He couldn’t have been seeing things… he hadn’t even had his drink yet! Sure enough, there was a kodo in the house! He stood slowly, eyeing the beast carefully. What was it doing here? Did Gattius know it was here? Was this some kind of pet? The kodo glanced to Alteris, and lowed in a friendly manner. Alteris smirked - he was… kinda cute, actually! He came out from around the bar, and reached out a hand to pet the beast. The kodo trudged over to meet him, merrily nuzzling his horn against Alteris’ outstretched hand.

“Oi, friendly fella, aren’t yeh?” Alteris smirked. “Wot’s yer name?”

“His name is Kronk.”

Alteris turned quickly towards the grizzled voice that suddenly came from behind him - an ambush? A trap! He reached for his blade-- but was suddenly caught. A meaty hand clenched about his neck, and lifted him up off the floor. He gasped and wheezed, legs flailing as he clawed at the hand which gripped him. His eyes blurred, but he could make out the face of his abettor. An Orc, and an ugly one at that! He resisted as much as he could, before the Orc reeled back his free hand… and drove his fist into Alteris’ face. He blacked out instantly, going limp.

The Orc scoffed, grip loosening slightly. He thought to squeeze tighter and be done with it, but… he presumed the Lord and Lady of the house would have questions.

“Come, Kronk.” he grunted. “Let’s find Lady Starfrost.”

~*~

(( @syrielle​ for mention /  Desk Art Link ))

#Character Story #Gattius Starfrost #Alteris Sunwhisper #Syrielle Starfrost #Tannis Starfrost #... and Kronk! #warcraft #blood elf #void elf

[gattius-starfrost]

Sly Deflection

With an exhausted grunt, Gattius rolled over off of Alteris, and sprawled out beside him on the disheveled blanket. He sighed, contently enough, heart still racing and chest rising and falling rapidly as he caught his breath. He had been looking forward to Alteris’ return for quite some time. Political turmoil brought about by the war and numerous other factors made it difficult for his ren’dorei lover to get as far north as Quel’Thalas more often, so the two made the most of the visits - few and far between as they were. Alteris sat up-- no longer hindered by Gattius pinning him to the blanket-- and stretched. He reached for his pants, and withdrew the cigarette case within. He lit up a couple cigarettes for the two elves to share; such was something of a ritual, after their intimacies, dating far back to the earliest days of their relationship. But for now, it also served as a distraction… an excuse not to exchange any immediate post-coital pleasantries or words. Truthfully… neither of them seemed keen on it, anyway.

Gattius wasn’t in a talking mood because of the distressing rumor he’d heard about Alteris. It couldn’t be true; Alteris wasn’t set on breaking him and Syrielle up… was he? It actually made a lot of sense, as he thought about it. Alteris wasn’t as open-minded about polyamorous relationships as Syrielle was. And once upon a time, he’d had Gattius all to himself. Now that he was back, in the flesh, it made sense that it would be something he’d want to get back… on a more exclusive level. 

The awkward tone during their intimacies, and now as they kept their gazes clear of one another in awkward silence, lent itself to Gattius’ suspicions. Normally, Alteris would be jabbering about all manner of things, from the sex, to what he’d been up to, to reminiscing about old times. But now, he was quiet. Wordless. Uncharacteristically reserved. Gattius had to wonder why.

It was, of course, because it was all true.

His last chat with Wendy left Alteris particularly concerned. She’d spilled everything! The safest course of action was to assume it had all gotten back to Gattius. At least they’d had sex already - it was a sign his golden-eyed lover didn’t buy it fully… if at all. If he knew. Presuming he did, Alteris had already prepared himself to talk away such concerns during his long trek north. A few lies that could ‘disprove’ certain things, and hopefully make Gattius doubt it all entirely. Damage control. He was confident he could talk his way out of it, if need be. He knew well how Gattius thought - better than anyone else. He just had to play it cool…

But not too cool. Gattius couldn’t shake it - something was definitely off about Alteris, in the moment. The longer the silence between them stretched on, the more that feeling grew. Distrust. It did seem like something he’d try to poke at, too. Marriage never appealed to Alteris, so the sanctity and integrity of it wasn’t anything he held in particularly high regard. Dismantling a marriage just to get what he wanted wasn’t off limits to him. The more he thought about it, the more it angered Gattius. He’d hoped Alteris was above it, but now it seemed exactly like something he’d try to pull, just like those days back in Northrend; manipulating whoever or whatever he needed to in order to keep the two of them together. 

Bringing it up had to be done, but it wasn’t simple. Such a delicate matter had to be broached with finesse, after all. With some tact. Gattius sat up, and drew in a deep breath before exhaling a plume of dark, rich smoke out of his nostrils. His golden gaze turned to Alteris.

“... So why’d you send that worgen to break up Syrie and me?”

Alteris returned an incredulous look to Gattius; of course, he had to. As much as he’d expected that subject to come up, he didn’t think it would be brought about so brazenly. Thankfully for him, the sincere surprise only reinforced his upcoming excuses. He scoffed a bit, as he ashed his cigarette, lips curling to a grin.

“Oi, lad. If some worgen lass kissin’ yeh is enough t’ make yeh wanna leave yer wife, that’s on you, aye?” he chuckled as he shook his head.

“That’s not what I mean.” Gattius frowned. “And speaking of that…”

Alteris almost toppled over, as Gattius slugged him square in his arm! He let out a yelp, before bringing his hand in to cradle the fresh bruise.

“--Tch! C’mon, lad, it was just a joke! Truthfully, I didn’t even tell ‘er t’do that!” he grimaced, yet chuckled all the same. “Y’gotta admit, was funny shit, aye?”

“What isn’t funny is what you sent her to do after all that.” Gattius scowled. “They found her snooping around Syrie’s mentor’s place. She said she was there on your orders, to find something that’d break the two of us up.”

He reached out, brusquely gripping Alteris’ shoulder and turning him so the two were facing one another more squarely. Eyes narrow, he peered at the ren’dorei searchingly…

“Tell me it’s not true, Alt.”

Alteris batted Gattius’ hand from his shoulder, letting out another scoff as he shook his head. His ears wilted a bit, but his gaze kept steady, meeting the Blood Elf’s with equal disappointment.

“Cannae believe I gotta, if I’m bein’ honest, lad.” he replied, taking on an indignant tone. “Of course it ain’t true! I hired Wendy one time, an’ it was t’ come pass that message ‘cause I couldn’t get up ‘ere safe, y’know? That’s it.”

He scowled, turning away as if hurt and offended as he puffed away at his cigarette.

“I like Syrie, lad. Not much as you do, course. Dunno if anyone does. But I like how happy she makes yeh.” he went on, with a sigh. “Wouldn’t wanna break you two up, knowin’ how much she means to yeh. An’ I used t’live in yer head, lad - no one but you knows what she means to yeh more’n I do.”

Gattius sank. His shoulders slumped, ears pinned back as he started to realize how upset Alteris appeared by all this. He felt so stupid, jumping in so accusatorily like that! He let out a smoke-filled sigh, before reaching his hand over to Alteris once more - this time, a gentle pat rather than a forceful grasp. 

“... I’m sorry.” he muttered, quietly. “I… I know you wouldn’t. That’s why it seemed so hard to believe. And somehow… that made me believe it could be true all the more.”

He slumped back once more, laying out limp atop the blanket. He draped his arm over his eyes, and groaned shamefully. Alteris subtly smirked - it seemed to have worked. He reached back, resting a hand atop Gattius, before clutching it to give it a reassuring squeeze.

“Oi, I don’t blame yeh, Lad. Technically, I’m a ren’dorei now - I know every other void elf’s caused yeh distrust.” he nodded, slowly. “Just… remember I ain’t like ‘em.”

“I feel so dumb, though. Like I forgot who you were for a moment.” Gattius chuckled, sheepishly. “I think Syrie got to me, a bit. She doesn’t know you like I do, so when she heard what happened, she believed it.”

“So… she dinnae see fer herself?”

He had him by the nose! Now, he just had to lead him down some different rabbit hole to keep him off his trail! Gattius followed easily enough, too - he moved his arm, brow furrowed, as he looked up at Alteris.

“... No, don’t think so…” he admitted.

“Well who did?”

“Magister Everblaze, she said.”

Alteris chuckled, and shook his head. He ashed his cigarette, before plopping it back in between his lips.

“Don’t think it’s me you gotta worry about, breakin’ up yer relationship, lad.”

~*~

(( @syrielle for mention ))

#character story #Gattius Starfrost #Alteris Sunwhisper #secret meeting #side piece #Syrielle Starfrost #blood elf #void elf #LIES!

[kaiekasunwhisper]

The Sunwhisper Sister

((Co-written with @thefugitivemango / @gattius-lightmourn )) Few things had brought Gattius much happiness as of late. He used to enjoy pitching in at the infirmary, but lately it felt like a chore. He used to enjoy sitting in command meetings  and discussing the current state of the war on Argus with other high-ranking officials, but now it felt mundane and repetitive. He used to enjoy looking out the Vindicaar’s massive window out at Argus, watching the Azerothian forces advance… but now, it only made him worry. His circle of things that made him happy lately had been reduced to one of two things, as of late; Syrielle, and food. Given Syrielle had already gone to bed, however, Gattius sought out the latter. Talbuk gyros always tasted so good, and reinvigorated him after a long, tiring day. He made his way to the vendor’s small kiosk, and placed his order. “Yer gonna get fat, lad. Round as a Pandaren, if yeh keep eatin’ like that.” Alteris teased, materializing in Gattius’ peripheral beside the kiosk. “Bah, please. I do enough running around this damn ship to work off three times this meal.” Gattius retorted. “Still, yeh ought t’ find something more healthy to eat. I dunno if I wanna live in a mind connected to a frail, deterioratin’ body.” “Would you prefer I just eat salads and drink water?” Gattius frowned. “I don’t just eat for sustenance, Alt; I eat for comfort. And aside from a Sunsail filet, these talbuk gyros are the best tasting food I’ve had in a long time. I need this.” “Oi, suit yerself, lad. Don’t come cryin’ t’ me when--” Gattius suddenly felt a sense of dread wash over him; a sentiment expressed not by him, but by the image of Alteris. The Pathfinder stiffened, eyes wide as he stared off outside Gattius’ field of view.

“Oh, shit!”

He vanished in an instant, much to Gattius’ surprise! That had NEVER happened before. Quickly, warily, the Blood Knight turned to look the direction Alteris was looking before he vanished - he saw a woman, adorned in plate, approaching him… The older woman walked directly over to the captain, her gaze set on him. She was intimidating to say the least. Everything about her; the way she was composed, the way she walked… even the neutral expression on her face almost looked like a glare. Needless to say, everyone made certain to not get in her path as she walked. She stopped a few paces away, a respectable distance. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She wore no makeup to hide her age, clearly a couple hundred years older than he was, slightly taller but around the same build. There was an obvious scar that traveled across her left cheek and ear; a very old wound. Her dark red armor showed clear signs of recent battle. She stood up straight, tall and proud. Two very large swords were strapped across her back. “Captain Lightmourn,” she stated, eyeing him over… maybe sizing him up a little, “Blood Guard Kai’eka Sunwhisper. I’ve recently put in an application for the position of reservist of the Phoenix Guard.” ‘There’s something familiar about this woman,’ Gattius thought to himself. Not just the composure, or the static glare. He turned fully to her as she approached, eyes narrow as he rested his forearm on the hilt of his blade. He, too, sized the woman up - very much immune to being intimidated by battle-hardened women by now. His brow raised, however, as she rattled off her name and rank - Sunwhisper… A strange coincidence at the very least. His ear twitched, cautiously. “A pleasure, I’m sure.” Gattius responded, casually, as he looked Kai’eka over again. “How long ago did you submit this application? The process takes a few days, and I’ve got much more pressing matters as of late to be reading reservist dossiers.” He met her gaze with his own, frowning a bit. It surprised even himself; perhaps his time in command over the Guard had shortened his patience, and added edge to his demeanor. He felt irritated enough already. But now, this Blood Guard exuding a bad attitude had come up to him inquiring about her application? He didn’t have time to be pestered like this. Still… there was something alarming and particularly interesting about this woman… He sighed. “I’m sure you understand, Blood Guard… Sunwhisper, you said?” he added, tone taking a somewhat calmer and more personable tone. “Is that the same Sunwhisper as Pathfinder Alteris Sunwhisper?” He narrowed his eyes again, watching her reaction - given Alt’s odd behavior, he couldn’t help but ask… She raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest as Gattius got on the defensive something fast about the application. He was clearly stressed, most likely about the missing Commander. “Relax,” her tone remained neutral, “I came to tell you I applied. That’s it. I don’t give a shit where the process is at. You’ll get to it when you can. No skin off my back.” She was trying to be nice… It wasn’t something she was good at, however. She tried to think of something to say the would put him at ease. Nothing came to mind. She didn’t want to be talking to him in the first place. Clearly, she was not a people person. She went to turn away, but paused as Alteris was mentioned. She froze, her ear twitched, and she turned her attention back to Gattius, a look of interest now. “He’s my brother. Pain the the ass,” she said, “How do you know him? I haven’t heard from him in years.” Gattius sighed, her response confirming what he had feared. “--Sorry, I’m… I didn’t mean to snap at you like that.” he apologized. “Got a lot on my mind lately. Thanks for following up about that application.” He gave the woman another look-over, appraisingly. She was fit, seemed strong, clearly a capable combatant. But after her retort, he noticed she went quiet, and broke her gaze from him. He sighed, guessing she didn’t interact too much with people. All the more reason he should’ve been patient with her before. What she revealed after was more than surprising to him - Alteris had always told him his family was long dead. A sister, though, still living… he wondered why Alteris never said anything. He wondered why Alteris never sought her out, kept connected to her after so many elves died in the Third War. But most of all, he wondered if it were true… “His sister, aye?” he quirked his brow. “He never spoke of a sister…” He watched her a moment, as if to gauge her. What did she have to gain by lying about this? Was she trying to garner Gattius’ trust? Interest? To what end? The way Alteris responded to her… still couldn’t explain that one. This whole thing raised dozens of questions. Still, he opted to answer hers as best - and plainly - as he could. “Alt and I were partners, for many years.” he explained. “I met him when we pushed through the Dark Portal together, and we were with each other every step of the way since.” His ears wilted, lips pressing to a thin line. “I… I’m sorry to be the one to tell you, but… he’s dead. Killed in Action, during the Pandaria Campaign.” This conversation had gotten uncomfortably personal all too fast. She frowned, being told that he had never mentioned her. Part of her wasn’t surprised, given the fact that he had literally run away. He hadn’t wanted to be tracked down, made even more obvious that he had found a Light user to cling to. Smart. She wondered if Gattius knew he had been used in such a way. “Yeah, he rushed through the Dark Portal something fast,” she said simply, finally uncrossing her arms and allowing them to fall at her sides, “That’s where I lost track of him.” She eyed Gattius over again, wondering the exact nature of his relationship with her brother. The word ‘partners’ could mean more than one thing. “At least you’re an Elf,” she concluded, “His ‘partner’ before you was a Dwarf.” Her tough attitude seemed to melt away, though, as Gattius told her of Alteris’ death. Her ears wilted, pain evident in her gaze before she looked away. Hands balled into fists. She had always wondered of his fate. If he had died in Outlands or somewhere else. Where had his adventures taken him? Hope that he was alive and that she’d finally be able to track him down had risen when the Captain had brought him up… Now she knew her final surviving family member had also perished. She turned away, her back to Gattius. “It was good to meet you, Captain.” she managed before walking away. She needed to be alone now. “--Ah, wait!” Gattius insisted, lightly jaunting up beside her as she moved away from him. “Wait, I…” He hadn’t exactly planned how to follow that up; but seeing her react to the news of her brother’s death resonated with him, deeply. He knew how she felt - moreso than anyone else ever could. Alteris was his closest friend, almost family and then some as they cultivated a deeper, emotional relationship. He’d always thought he, alone, would mourn the loss. But now, seeing the sister he never knew Alteris had, he couldn’t let her mourn him alone, as he had. “Listen, I…” he began again, organizing his thoughts on the fly. “When you’re comfortable with it… I think we should get together and talk about it. If that’s okay with you, I mean.” He shrugged his shoulders, reminding himself to be sympathetic. “There’s a lot I don’t know about him, even after the years we were together - clearly, aye? I didn’t even know he had a sister.” he explained. “And it sounds like you don’t know about the later parts of his life, either. I’d be happy to tell you about it. We could honor his memory together, yeah?” Gattius nodded once, offering a comforting smile. “What do you say?” Kai’eka cursed under her breath as she heard the Captain following, holding back the urge to turn on him and tell him to get lost. She had to keep reminding herself that she wasn’t part of the Guard yet, and she never would be if she didn’t manage to navigate this discussion properly. She stopped walking, allowing Gattius to catch up to her, though she kept her eyes ahead of her as he spoke. Her fists remained clenched at her side. “I’m not…” she sighed, rolling her shoulders back, “I’m not good at talking… about things… feelings.” She wanted to be left alone, and some very particular aspects of her life with Alteris were absolutely not up for discussion. She knew Gattius had questions, and she didn’t want to answer them. But at the same time,   after all of these years, she finally found someone with the information she had been looking for. Unfortunately for her, it was someone she wouldn’t be able to intimidate and threaten the information out of. “Maybe.” She finally answered, “Not now, though. Later.” Gattius nodded, understandingly. He knew it was probably the last thing she wanted to hear in that moment. Clearly, she wasn’t a very social person - he knew the sort. Respectfully, he took a step back from her. “Of course.” he assured her. “Take any time you need. I… I know it’s hard to hear news like that. I understand what it means to lose someone.” He fought the urge to keep talking, realizing anything more he said would be best saved for when she was ready to hear it. He regarded her one more time, taking note of her features and demeanor. He believed she was being sincere, quelling his worries perhaps she was simply trying to manipulate him. But he trusted his gut - and his gut told him she was genuine. “--Ah, er…” he fumbled, snapping back to the conversation. “It was good to meet you, Kai’eka. I’ll be around the ship, here, if you need anything. Even if you’re not ready to talk, you’re welcome to come to me for anything you might need. Mending, support, some kind of liaison between you and these Army of Light types… you name it.” He smiled warmly, before nodding his head. He turned from her, throwing a hand out to the side to wave his farewell. Kai’eka finally made eye contact, the look betraying the fact that she was doing everything she could to hold it together. Clearly, she was trying to hide how distraught she was over the news. She gave Gattius a respectable nod of the head. “Thank you, Captain,” she said simply, before continuing on her way. The Blood Guard made her way straight over to the teleporter, steeling herself before being transported to the planet surface. Her ears picked up the sounds of battle not far. She went the opposite direction, to the cliff’s edge. She was finally alone to reflect on the conversation Alone… “Alt…” She had spent years looking for her brother, trying to determine what happened to him. Now, her search had come to an end. And she knew for a fact that she would never see him again. She wanted to scream. Her cold front melted away. Bringing a single hand up to her face, she grit her teeth and closed her eyes; however, it didn’t stop the tears from streaming down her cheeks.

#character story #Kai'eka Sunwhisper #Gattius Lightmourn #Alteris Sunwhisper

[kaiekasunwhisper]

The Ebon Hold

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

~*~*~

Here she was again; Avehi felt like she spent too much time here. And at the same time, never enough. Acherus was such a fluid constant in her unlife, from the very beginning of it. She was raised in these halls. Conditioned to obey the Lich King’s call here. Then fought that very conditioning. All right here. She hated it, and loved it all at once. 

Memories weren’t the only thing the floating necropolis brought. The Ebon Blade was working tirelessly to uncover the mysteries surrounding the Shadowlands, and the inequality that plagued the scales of the afterlife. The latest on that front; The Lich King himself had become involved. Avehi didn’t know Bolvar Fordragon well; which was to say she’d never met him. But every Knight knew who he was, and what he had become. A sacrifice so great, and a burden so damning. She had reverence for the human. Reverence and caution. 

The Helm of Dominion on his head gave him the potential of becoming an enemy of life itself. So far, he’d shown great restraint. But nothing lasts forever. She was wary of him, to say the least. So upon hearing the Ebon Blade had begun working with him in recent days, pledging Knights to serve him once more… Avehi grew increasingly uncomfortable.

She crossed her arms, examining the training yard on the upper level. Her brow raised, tail flickering as she beheld one of her recent converts - Kai’eka Sunwhisper, a cultist warrior she’d met, killed, and risen. The woman was truly terrifying in that training ring! Other Knights cheered as she bested contenders one by one with her twin blades. The Draenei smiled, as she observed; Kai’eka was a good choice for this. Perhaps her best choice, so far. She turned to come around and down the steps, to speak with the warrior as her final fight came to its predictable conclusion.

Kai’eka beamed. She offered a hand to help the human up, her thanks for a fight well fought, before harnessing her weapons to leave the ring for the next pair of fighters. Being among the Ebon Blade felt good. Sparring against them was much more fun than the living. They held more strength, stamina, and one didn’t have to hold back to avoid a ‘killing blow’. While she still hadn’t grasped exactly how hemomancy worked yet, it didn’t matter as she usually came out of the ring victorious. 

She smiled at Avehi. An actual, genuine smile.

“Avehi,” she greeted her friend, “Was wondering when you’d show up again. Need to figure out how to fix my link with these swords.”

“I can show you. We use runes, not unlike the ones with which you’re familiar.” the Draenei replied, smiling in return. “Come, I’ll take you to the Runeforge.”

She led Kai’eka up from the fighting pit to an ominous, towering forge. The power it emanated thrummed as they drew near, the lich fire flames within crackling strong and bright. As far as skills developed postmortem, runeforging was something Avehi excelled at. She already served the Ebon Blade as a weapon smith early on, and picked up the undeath-unique skill from a fellow Acherian artisan. Now, she was regarded as a seasoned runemaster in her own right.

“You’re fitting in well here, it seems.” she commented to Kai’eka, smiling back to her. “How are you feeling about all this?”

“Never better, actually,” the Ren’dorei replied, “I don’t need to eat, sleep or drink. I don’t sweat, I don’t get tired… Honestly, I haven’t found a down side to this death thing yet.”

She eyed the runeforge as they approached, ears perking up in curiosity. She’s heard of them before, but never seen one up close. She eyed her blades, the cultist powered runes having faded since N’Zoth’s defeat… something she was still trying to wrap her head around. Before now, the Old Gods were all she knew… her ultimate truth. Now that she’d seen for herself the lie she grew up believing, it was time to re-evaluate where she stood and what to fight for. A confusing and frightening concept at first, but after a few days and nights of contemplation, she was excited for her new start to ‘life’ in undeath. 

“So how do these things work? Is it the same runes from a different power source, or different runes altogether?”

“I expect they’ll be quite different than the runes you’re used to.” Avehi nodded once.

She tried to keep neutral on Kai’eka’s cultist past. True, that’s what led to their conflict, and ultimately the ren’dorei’s death, but Avehi wasn’t one to fault anyone for coming to terms with the fact that their beliefs were all wrong. She could relate, after all. Kai’eka seemed genuine in her desire to move past all that, anyway. And Avehi wasn’t about to hold her back.

“They’ll function similarly, but how they bind to us and how they’re etched and forged is a very unique process. Nothing the Living can emulate… and survive.”

She opened the forge’s 'jaws', revealing a small platform. A stand, to hold and imbue the Death Knight’s weapon. Then, the Draenei stepped aside, and motioned for Kai’eka to place one of her weapons inside.

“We’ll start with a simple one, to draw upon runic power. Think of it as a reserve of necrotic energies you can call upon when needed.” she explained. “The rune you draw for it is simple; but by the nature of these runes, it’ll bind the weapon solely to you. No one but you will be able to call upon its power.”

She nodded once to the elf.

“Come, I’ll show you.”

Kai’eka nodded at the explanation, observing the blue flames spouting from the forge in the same cold blue color her eyes now matched. She drew one of her hooked blades as she stepped forward, but hesitated for a moment.

Her eyes left the forge momentarily to the now faded runes on her blades, the last symbol of her dedication to the Ancient Ones. Something about that notion tugged at her unbeating heart. Doubt clouded her mind, as over six hundred years of formation nagged at her mind. What if this was all a test? The final trial before being allowed into her promised afterlife? Eyes closed as she mulled it over… thinking of everything she’d sacrificed in life, all in their name. Her sole dedication, the blood she spilled, risking her life time and time again to obtain artifacts of power in offerings, shortening her own lifespan in ritual to give a more worthy servant longevity, her body as she gave herself in to the Void, Alteris… her own life.

No. If all of that hadn’t been enough, then she was done. Even if what she’d been led to believe was true, the Old Ones  were now powerless after N’Zoth’s fall. Had Alteris still been alive, he’d no doubt be boasting to her about it now.

“I killed my brother,” she said, opening her eyes and starting at her distorted reflection in the blade, “That’s how he died. He… interfered with the cult so…”

She shook her head, sighing. Her earlier good mood having dissipated completely in her contemplation. She wasn’t certain why she was telling this to Avehi now… perhaps because of the Draenei’s faith in her being able to change... 

“He meant the world to me. But that’s how much I fucking believed in the cause…”

Outstretching her arms, she placed the sword onto the platform, her cold gaze never leaving it.

“Never again.”

Avehi knew well when to keep quiet. Kai’eka’s moment of realization was surely one such moment. She watched the elf silently, observing her expression and demeanor change through pensive staring at her blade. The revelation was unexpected, certainly. But clearly it needed to be said. She remembered Kai’eka sharing word of her brother’s death upon their first meeting. Now, with more details given to her, it began to paint a picture of her life, and where her priorities had been. Skewed by a higher power. Muddied by faith. The Draenei’s tail flickered, before she took her place beside Kai’eka. No hand on her shoulder, no comforting embrace. Only acknowledgement of what the elf told her. Acknowledgement, and understanding.

“The Light inspires similar devotion.” she commented, as she drew her hammer from her back. “We’ve done terrible things in its name. We’ve turned our backs on our own people, even after one of the darkest chapters in our history. All because they, too, ‘interfered’ with the harmony the Light instilled within us.”

Avehi shook her head. She recalled such days. Such was her own thought process back then, amidst the fanfare and accolades of serving as a Vindicator. The Light’s chosen warriors, empowered to protect her people. She pondered herself; if she, too, had a meddlesome brother interfering with the Light’s designs, would she silence him as Kai’eka had? Her brow furrowed in disgust with herself, when the answer 'no' failed to clearly and definitively ring out in her mind.

“It’s a harsh lesson on blind devotion. One I had to learn as well.” she nodded. “But now that you’ve learned personally… it’s a mistake you’ll never fall prey to again.”

She lowered her voice, and glanced around.

“Serve no one so steadfastly that you fail to question their intentions. Not even the Ebon Blade.”

Avehi’s words were appreciated, yet surprising to hear. As much as Kai’eka had always despised the Light, it was rare to hear someone describe that side of it. Even more so to hear it from a Draenei. She listened intently, taking in Avehi’s words of wisdom.

A nod of understanding, before she turned her attention back to the task at hand. Avehi set her crystalline hammer into a stand beside the runeforge, head upright. It glowed in proximity to the forge, the same blue flames flickering within the shimmering prismatic weapon. One rune in particular began to glow at Avehi’s command; a simple enough pattern of a semi-circle beneath an acute angle opened left, with a solitary dot nestled in the arc’s cradle. The rune projected from the weapon, enlarging for clarity’s sake before the elf.

“This is the Rune of Reserve.” she explained. “When you are prepared.”

Kai’eka’s ears perked up a bit as she studied the rune. As dark as the subject of her brother was, there wasn’t much that could take away the excitement of rune inscription. Even through a different process than the Coterie, she enjoyed learning about them and what they did. And she looked forward to feeling connected to her blades once more.

“I’m ready,” she informed, “What do I need to do?”

"Draw it."

The instructions were simple enough; Avehi extended her hand, two fingers pointed out as they traced along the rune suspended before them. The rune itself flickered, glowing brighter at the Death Knight's touch. Her hammer, too, exhaled a notable wave of power as the rune was redrawn. She turned her eyes to Kai'eka once again, and nodded.

"Focus your mind on your weapon. You're well familiar with it, yes?" she asked, though already knew it was so. "Focus intently on it. Feel its smooth, cold surface in your thoughts, and trace the rune out before you. You'll feel it as it's etched, both into your weapon… and into you."

The Draenei loosened her gauntlet, before tugging it off and setting it aside. She upturned her hand, revealing the same rune aglow on her forearm. It was identical in every way to the rune etched into the weapon, glowing from beneath Avehi's skin. As the rune on the hammer's glow dissipated, so too did the glow on the rune in her skin - both fading out until they had seemingly vanished entirely.

"This power is a curse on it's own. Unbridled and untempered, it turns lesser Knights to madness. Static, it would burn our souls to dust, from within." she cautioned. "The runes focus the power coursing through us, applying it to greater uses than simply reanimating our corpses. Runeforging transmutes this danger into an asset. This pain into our drive. This curse… into a gift."

Avehi nodded, smirking slightly. She remembered hearing those words for the first time, when she learned runeforging for herself. They resonated deeply with her, then; a lost soul, hoping desperately she could pivot her dark fate into some semblance of salvation. They resonated with her still, but now for a different reason.

"Draw it," she repeated, as she tugged her gauntlet back over her hand. "and embrace this gift. Your power."

Kai’eka’s ears flicked as Avehi explained. It was a rather long winded answer for a simple question. She had to stop herself from rolling her eyes and making a snarky comment about it. With Avehi being her only contact in undeath so far, she attempted to keep her more abrasive side in check until they knew each other a little better. 

“Got it. Simple enough.”

She removed her gauntlet as Avehi had, and went to work at tracing the tune in the air in front of her. She felt the inscription almost immediately as it became engraved into her arm and blade; quite a different feeling from ritual tattoos. It burned, but with cold instead of heat. Her lips parted at the new sensation, a grin forming as she felt the bond with her blade renewed, like meeting an old friend after some time apart.

Once the runeforging was complete, she looked down to her arm to admire the new marking.

“You keep saying ‘curse’. What do you mean by that? I haven’t seen or heard a downside to any of this at all.”

“And I truly hope there never is one, for you.” Avehi nodded, replacing her gauntlet - flexing her fingers to situate it properly. “Back in the days of the Lich King, soldiers and warriors were raised without much discerning. People from all backgrounds, brought back from death against their wills. With no consideration for what it might do to them, mentally.”

She shook her head, recalling how horrible that time all seemed back then. Compared to now… it was abhorrent. The entire reason she was so against raising the dead in the first place came from that terrible feeling she got anytime she thought of the early days. Before the Ebon Blade. Before the Lich King fell. But things were different, now. And if she didn’t learn to adapt, and keep her morality flexible, how was she any different than zealots like Argonas? She grunted resolutely, as she looked to Kai’eka once more.

“It’s different, now. I picked you because I thought you’d handle it well. Better than anyone else.” she told the elf. “You don’t need to be empathetic. But at least be cognizant that it’s nowhere near this easy for other Knights. Especially those of us from the Scourge days, who suffer from the Hunger.”

Kai’eka raised an eyebrow, but said nothing more on the subject. She’d heard about the Hunger, but didn’t know exactly what that was about. According to Avehi, it wasn’t something the ex-cultist has to worry about, so she didn’t really care. She assumed it was something unpleasant, nonetheless. And it was true, she’d seen some Ebon Knights walking around that looked half decomposed. She supposed she was lucky to have been brought back right away.

She turned her attention back to her blade, removing it from the platform to admire the freshly inscribed rune a moment, before setting it aside and placing her other weapon in.

“Does the same rune go on each blade? What’s the limit on how many you can have?” She asked, returning to the subject at hand.

“For this rune, they’ll be separate inscriptions so you can draw on one, the other, or both.” Avehi answered, as the impromptu ‘lesson’ resumed. “The limit comes with a balancing. Our power is limitless, like a river. But too many branches in its path will cripple how well it flows, yes? You’ll have to be mindful. Try three or four for now - these two each counting separately - and see how that feels. We can add or remove runes as you please.”

She raised her hand to the hammer, causing the rune they’d drawn before to glow and expand - reference once more for Kai’eka to imbue upon her second blade.

“Fair enough,” she nodded before going back to concentrating on the rune ahead of her. 

Having already gone through the process once, the task was already familiar, though that didn’t mean Kai’eka took it less seriously. Her connection to her blades was important to her, and she kept her concentration on that as her fingers traced the rune once more, ears flickering as she felt the inscription etched into her arm. It felt good, being able to do the runeforging herself as opposed to having to depend on a Speaker to inscribe her tattoos. It was empowering. She felt more in control of herself than she ever had before.

The process complete, she took hold of the blade, and then the other, holding both in each hand as she stepped back from the forge. She smiled, satisfied with her work. Two runes would do for now.

“Gonna have to test these in the ring soon.”

Avehi couldn’t help but chuckle lightly at that. For all she was, Kai’eka was at least predictable. She nodded approvingly as she took Rokaa up from the stand and sheathed it to her back.

“You’re welcome to now, if you wish.” she offered. “I’ve a few more errands around Acherus. Others to check on. Perhaps once I’m done, I’ll even join you.”

She chuckled again lightly, before dipping her head to Kai’eka. Despite their rocky past, Avehi felt good about this one. Emboldened and encouraged to carve her own destiny after having lived a lie, Kai’eka’s afterlife would be much better than Avehi’s ever was. And in the end, that had always been the Draenei’s intent for those she raised. It felt good to see the beginnings of that trend.

#Character Story #Kai'eka Sunwhisper #Avehi the Adamant

[gattius-starfrost]

🌟 What is my muse’s sexual/romantic orientation?

Gattius is bisexual, with a slight lean towards hetero. For a long while, though, he was in deep with his male best friend and ‘battle buddy’, Alteris Sunwhisper.

[gattius-starfrost]

Alteris

((Co-written with @kidcatgemini.))

| The Abduction | Shadows Keep You | Revelations | Confrontation |

‘... up…’ a voice whispered in Gattius’ mind, through the chaotic noise the mental attack caused. ‘... Get… up… lad…’

Through his hazy vision, he saw a familiar figure standing behind Tharinel. Distorted and blurred like everything else… yet he would recognize Alteris anywhere. Gattius grit his teeth, and worked to steady his erratic breathing.

‘Y’ve only failed if you stay down, lad.’ his voice slowly became clearer. ‘Get up! For Syrie!’

Gattius tugged at the shadowy binds around his arms and legs as he fought through the pain and torment. The Light sparked off his form, striking out at the tendrils about his arms to sever them as he brought his legs up beneath him. The chaos in his mind, the shrill discordant noise and sharp, nagging pain… it all seemed to dull as he focused his thoughts on Syrielle. Alteris was right; she needed him! He wasn’t about to fail her! A shaky hand crossed over his front, reaching to pull the sword from his scabbard as his eyes - still aglow with holy amber Light - set intently on the shadowy form of his father.

“Hurt me… all you like… Tharinel.” Gattius growled, as his breathing steadied. “But fuck with my wife? My son?”

The shadows still tugged his legs down, making his steps heavy and short… but he stepped towards Tharinel nonetheless.

“I’ll kill you for that!”

The older elf’s smug grin turned to confusion. He even took a couple of steps back up the stairs as Gattius advanced. His shadows lashed out, but were deterred by the radiant Light his son’s body gave off. He sneered, bringing up a barrier as the Blood Knight got dangerously close. Where had that strength and determination come from?

It was impossible! Tharinel had felt the horror, the agony, the helplessness and defeat… but then…

His mind’s eye scanned the room. He had felt something right before Gattius’ change in demeanor --another presence! It had been brief, but he doubted it to be a coincidence. His ears twitched as he searched, but he couldn’t pinpoint anyone. It wasn’t until the Blood Knight’s sword crashed upon the barrier that he brought his attention back to his furious son. Their eyes met.

There! How had he missed it before?

His eyes flared as his hand shot out from the invisible shield to grasp Gattius by the throat, peering into his mind.

“Who else is in there?!” he barked as he forced his way in.

The pain in Gattius’ mind subsided, as Tharinel pressed into it - his thoughts were clear as if he were seeing them with his own eyes. Memories… they flashed before Tharinel in still images, running together to tell stories of his past. The memories at the forefront of Gattius’ mind were all of Syrielle; how they were growing up together, the fighting and conniving… then the letters to one another… Dalaran… the Phoenix Guard… their wedding day - then their wedding night… It was overwhelming, almost sickening, how much he loved and cherished Syrielle.

More memories presented themselves in a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. Practicing medicine in Eversong, joining the Blood Knight Order-- then there, clearer than others in the sequence came a series of memories of Alteris. They were fresh, and yet from years back. The images were sharp… and started to move. Hidden within them was that presence! A consciousness embedded deep within Gattius’ mind that even he, himself, didn’t know about! The shadows swirled as the consciousness realized he’d been discovered, shrouding him from Tharinel’s view.

‘... Well, y’found me out…’ an unfamiliar voice rang. ‘Powerful shadow magic, old man. But I’m guessin’ yer not used t’weavin’ it ‘round others of similar talent.’

The shadows swirled again, shrouding around Tharinel’s connection into Gattius’ mind, until… the consciousness appeared. Another elf, looking strikingly different from his son. He reached out and took hold of Tharinel, dark eyes gazing back down the link…

‘... Otherwise, y’d know it goes both ways!’

Tharinel’s own memories began to flash one after the other in his mind’s eye, as the presence delved and probed through them. The immense sorrow at the loss of his wife, the bitterness he’d felt for Gattius, growing more calloused and festered as time went on… aspirations to rise above his lowborne lifestyle and ascend to the high life… and the means he utilized to get there. Manipulation. Blackmail. Mind probing. Murder. Tharinel’s mind and soul were as dark as the shadows he wielded; every memory was stained by such blackness, betraying his selfishness and lust for power.

Memories of Aviara flashed briefly - a young, unsuspecting woman, gorgeous and fertile… The horrible things Tharinel did to her, enslaving her so subtly she wouldn’t know any other life but one at his side… twisting her mind was easy enough. A puppet, a toy… a pawn in his game. What life she had before Tharinel stole it from her was nothing but a black void - erased.

Then Syrielle killed her.

Syrielle… the target of his wrath for so long. Hiring hits against her… orchestrating her kidnapping. The memories, so fresh and clear-- this happened recently! The dialogue he had with her, the fear he put into her… then fed off of… she was here. Down in the deep, winding basement of his dark, treacherous manor. The path flashed all at once, from the foyer in which they stood to the very bed poor Syrielle was strapped to.

‘I found her!’ the voice rang out, as it retreated from Tharinel’s mind… ‘Thanks, old man!’

The connection was severed, as Gattius reached up. His Light-suffused hand burned Tharinel’s wrist as he pried his father’s grip loose from around his neck. The searching through memories felt like hours… but it had hardly been seconds. Curling Tharinel’s arm back away from him, Gattius brought his blade to bear once more.

“Die, you son of a bitch!” he cried, as the Light of vengeance poured forth from his form.

The sword struck Tharinel’s barrier, shattering it in an instant! The release of power knocked the two apart again, as Gattius stumbled down the steps for a second time - this time, however, he managed to catch himself halfway down, keeping on his feet.

‘Yer runnin’ out of time, lad!’ Alteris’ voice came to him once more. ‘Follow this path… I know where she is!’

Gattius gasped, as a series of images flashed before him in his mind. The path… the way to Syrielle, revealed. He grunted, casting another glance up the stairs at Tharinel. Oh, how he wanted to finish what he’d started. How badly he wanted to tear the old man apart… to choke the life out of his frail, dastardly form… He exhaled, sheathing his blade.

‘Another time, lad… for now, go! Go to her!’

Gattius spun on his heel, and headed for the door he’d seen in his mind. The library, just off the main hall… and the hidden doorway behind the center bookshelf.

“Syrie…” he whispered, as he stepped into a dimly-lit room, adorned by only a single nigh-burnt-out sconce.  “I’m coming!”

#character story #gattius starfrost #alteris sunwhisper #tharinel lightmourn #syrielle starfrost #co-writing #kidcatgemini #abduction