Isaik quietly listened to the elves words, this was quite a issue then… Normally the dark creature would force the ring as the ultimate choice anyway, a little pain and torture made things stronger…
Isaik wasn’t so sure he enjoyed this description of the tome, his tome was linked to him by his very soul, if he willed it to do something it would… The master even had the power to will the tome dormant, but a dormant tome was weak, it wouldn’t protect itself… The dark creature did start to have a idea why the tome would effect her even if it’s magic was not present…
“Different perhaps, wrong? I would’ve been surprised if the tome did not effect you at all… As a void user one could sense its history…” Isaik hissed, but Isaik felt more than that… Something else…
Isaik tilted his head, he was now almost sure why she fled the tome… It wasn’t the genesis tome she feared but something within its very pages… The tome: Dominion, had been used to shatter every bit of her being, to break her entirely under Ebony, it was used to instill a absolute fear as it shattered and remade her into the perfect obedient weapon… The tome had done its job, breaking the women down where even now eons later it’s damages could be felt by Jericha, it’s presence amplified above its brethren.
Isaik tilted his head pulling the ring back from the mirror, “You are quite right… This won’t do…” Isaik hissed taking the ring in his hand, he made a few gestures… Void energy shot from his fingers impacting into the ring with a flash before the ring seemed to bend and break… Before Yumara’s eyes and those observing through the black mirror, Isaik reshaped the ring into a larger black ring with texture of chains, the images along the outside changed from demonic runes with a image of a burning Phoenix, to the images of fel and void a demon holding them back… “This new artifact should suit this nicely… However my dear…” Isaik hissed staring right at Jericha, “It is not made for you… This ring has the power to empower ones body against the ravages of the void should it course through you…” Isaik hissed, “As this ring is unsuitable for you, it will need to go to a different more demonic host… Someone like Salkeen” The dark creature let on. “Your Jericha was quite right… The ring was not going to work as I hoped on her… But I can’t let a good thing go to waste…” Isaik hissed referring to the fact the original ring would cause Jericha mental damage as she put. “But on you, this new ring shall empower you against the void that will flow through your body from your minion…” Isaik hissed, he gave a small dark laugh, “The ring itself is a little jumpy, it will choose its correct host, so mistakes are not made…”
Isaik seeing his creation was now satisfactory again for its job he held the ring forward again pressing it against the black mirror… “Lord Salkeen… If you will…” Isaik hissed, watching the group through the mirror with hidden feelings of a dark joy…
Salkeen watched as his dark master appeared within the cold black glass. The demon lord stood resolute, even with Jericha dying he would remain a unmoving wall of demonic rage that would not be played by the creature… Salkeen understood all to well that you had to show strength near the undead creature, assert what it is you desired…
Salkeen only stood arms crossed, watching his dark master carefully, a small demonic grunt showing the demonblord was even listening at all… It was wiser to not show any true enthusiasm or signs of outward relief to Isaik lest he might take advantage…
Salkeen gave a small grin that was concealed behind his mask, Salkeen fully agreed with Jericha… Whatever the Masters game it was always in his best interest if he was acting at all… Salkeen glared at the mirror, he could see Yumara on the other side, that manipulative wretch… Salkeen could see her flesh was becoming slightly ethereal like Jericha’s was… That was why the master even bothered to help, he needed the demon lord sane, and he desired to save his own new pet…
The demon lord listened to the two void creatures banter amongst each other, each trying to get the better deal but more importantly Jericha trying her best to remain if her own free will. The demon lord remained mostly silent his spectral sight glaring up inna attempt to inspect the ring… It was not to be so, The mirror would let neither act on the other side unless it was given the consent… Still Salkeen used his vision to magnify what he saw, every detail of the black metal band… His sight showed him much, demonic runes that gave Salkeen and only Salkeen power over the ring… Beyond that the ring was completely jet black smooth, the light itself seemed to refrain from touching the ring… Salkeen turned his eyes towards his master once more, Jericha was completely right, Isaik could easily be lying about its purpose… Yet, with Yumara nearing death as much as Jericha, Salkeen had his doubts that trickery would be used…
Salkeen turned to hear Jericha explain why it all was happening… She strained to get the words out… Salkeen hissed low, fel flowing from his hooves up into Jericha from the earth, he would still need to feed her the fel to keep her alive…
Salkeen heard the words of his Jericha quite clearly, But still the demon lord needed something more it felt incomplete… Still the two void beings spoke, arguing what they saw was the best outcome…
Isaik’s words did cause Salkeen to growl slightly, they may have needed his help but they would not tolerate his taunts!! Even if it did not sound like one, Salkeen could feel it was a jab at them.
Salkeen remained silent however, his tactic was simple as the two argued Salkeen listened, trying his best to pick out whatever information he needed… The demon lord would not make a decision on ignorance…
The very words Jericha spoke made Salkeen feel as if he would need to dig in his heals, if the ring would torture what was his, he was not sure of its worth… The demon lord would resist and fight the consuming void by himself if he was damned too! If at last he would nearly die with his Jericha, he would only take the ring upon feeling the agony of Jericha’s affliction himself…
This was finally more like it, perhaps Isaik could be reasoned with after all… The demon lord watched as the dark creature twisted his creation and bent it into something new… Salkeen wasn’t sure if it was truly different enough, but the more it was distanced from his tome the better! However the demon lord knew the mention of a more demonic host most likely meant it was designed for him, in fact it was entirely designed for him…
Salkeen growled, “If your damn tricks are used to try and control me or her I will make you regret this moment…” Salkeen said nearly choking on the words but still consenting… Within seconds it occurred the ring popped through the other side of the mirror into the presence of Jericha, Salkeen and the others… Salkeen glared at the larger ring with rage from the incident happening earlier before finally reaching out to grasp it. The ring leaped from the floor like a jumping spider and latched onto Salkeen!! Salkeen growled in irritation as the ring secured itself to the demon lords flesh and sent a chill of shadows down his spine! Salkeen snarled, clawing at the metal ring that secured itself to his middle finger and drawing his own blood! Even if the ring was beneficial it’s binding was beyond painful and the demon lord hardly liked objects of the darkest void nature acting on their own.
Isaik hissed from the other side of the mirror, now quite able to do as he pleased… The mirror was not a one time thing, once permitted the mirror was more like a open window… This is how the black mirror worked, the perfect spell for speaking to other beings as long as you gave consent sparingly, once given the protections from the specific mirror were gone.
Isaik turned to peak at Jericha, “However this means I must create something new for you…” Isaik said his arms stretched out calling his power to him, his void, he would create a new spell… The demon of eons of experience could easily do such a feat. From his own side of the portal a solid mass of void speared out from him towards Jaseiah before stopping short of the cocooned elf before the point merely pricked her flesh for a drop of blood… From the mirror Isaik reached through to do the same to Salkeen… Pulling back from his extension the dark creature took the blood of the two demonic beings and forced it together, multiplying the iron inside into something more… Before the dark creature a red and black gem… “Behold… A new artifact of the void… Forever linked to the demon lord this gemstone will act as a shield against the uncontrolled void as your demon lord acts as a shield to you…” Isaik explained using his magic to let the gem float in the air near Jericha, Salkeen and Skalaz… “Should the gem take more than it can bare, it will send the void to your shield… Your Phoenix…” Isaik hissed, there was no further tricks, should Jericha take the gem Isaik would be finished and be ready to close the mirror.
Jericha watched in pain as Isaik destroyed the original ring, and crafted another before their very eyes. Its design was an exquisite piece of work, Jericha watches mesmerized for a few seconds as the demonic runes switch, it seemed like the ring was alive. Knowing that she would have to give her consent for the ring to be sent through, she tilts her head. “I am yours, I will defer to your descision on whatever you believe is best for me Lord Salkeen.” As she speaks her words slur, Lord Salkeen can tell that Jericha is drifting in and out consciousness. Even with all the help the damage was taking it’s toll.
Jericha understood that the Artifact Ring was for Lord Salkeen, yet she was confused as to how it was going to help her. She was the one filled with the uncontrollable void, not Lord Salkeen. To Jericha it seemed odd to give it to Salkeen, still Isaik did things for reasons. His own reasons of course, but still reasons that Jericha wasn’t up for questioning. She doesn’t see when the ring comes through the mirror, the pain had nearly consumed her once more.
Jericha’s cries out in pain and opens her eyes, drawn back from oblivion by Lord Salkeen’s growl. Her Lords anger was always something that Jericha would react to. She watches as he tries to rip the ring off of his finger, remembering the pain when she claimed the Blood of Seeth. Jericha knew that the unrelenting agony Lord Salkeen was feeling was probably more than normal. Would Isaik deliberately make the rings binding be exceptionally painful? why yes, yes he would
Jericha doesn’t quite hear all of what Isaik is saying, but she somehow manages to comprehend that it’s something new for her. Then Isaik was speaking again.
Jericha knows only two things at this point, the first is pain, exquisite, unrelenting agony. The second is she is dying and the thought of being seperated from lord Salkeen has her lifting her hand to take the gem. Even that is nearly impossible, she barely manages to twitch a finger, when the New Void Artifact seems to act on it’s own, her consent had been given. It vanished and appeared behind her, then it swiftly embeds itself to the nape of Jericha’s neck. If Jericha wasn’t already being tortured, she would probably be screaming now. Instead she collapses listless against Lord Salkeen’s legs. A few moments later the gem is solid black and Lord Salkeen suddenly is hit with a massive tsunami of dark corrupt void energy. The Felguards senseing a shift in the air, crack their whips summoning most of the felhounds back, yet leaving some to drain off any excess void. They all then kneel and assume the position of those preparing to be inspected by their Lord. on the opposite side all the surviving Void Ethereal’s begin to pop away, until only Rajen remains. He floats slowly over to where Lord Salkeen Jericha, and the Goblin stand. Pointing an ethereal clawed finger at Jericha’s fallen form, he turns to Salkeen. “Would you like to see?”
Yumara listened to Master and Jericha as they spoke, the fact Jericha was actually speaking with Master and not fleeing was an improvement. It was a good thing that Jericha unless deliberately searching, wouldn’t be able to sense Masters Phylactery within her hearts tree. After all that was where she had kept Jaseiah hidden for centuries.
As Yumara thought of Jaseiah her thought turns towards the child she had carried and protected. In a way she was like a surrogate mother to Jaseiah. Like Salkeen and Jericha, Yumara to had a connection to Jaseiah. She could sense her fear, feel the echoes of her pain. Like she did with all the things she held a connection to. Yumara sighs inwardly, she wasn’t about to let Jaseiah be taken by that damned wretch Ebony. Concentrating her thoughts she actives her nature magic and sends a spell through her forest and into the fel and void scarred earth of Centralis. The spell finds Jaseiah and activates, living roots and vines, destroy void tentacles, and the horrific aberrations of souls. Once done they cocoon Jaseiah and bring her into Yumara’s forest. Wrapped within its embrace Jaseiah would heal. Now that Jaseiah was out of immediate danger, Yumara returned her attention to what was happening with Jericha. She knew the spell Jericha had used, it wasn’t just for the ring, it was to protect her from all things. She claimed it would only work on the ring, but that was a lie.
Still Yumara hoped that Jericha would be excepting of this new ring Master was creating. She smiled inwardly as she thought the word new. It was the same ring, made from the same hair he had plucked from her head. All Master really did was remove the original magic and reshape it. It was truly no different that melting down a sword and reforging it. The reageants to create it remained the same, the magic within was now just Masters. Yumara lets out a visible sigh of relief when the new ring is allowed through the shimmering black reflecting surface. Jericha is starting to fade again, Yumara knows because she herself is becoming more Ethereal, and large pockets of her vast forest are staring to vanish.
Yumara couldn’t help the twisted smile that appeared momentarily on her face as she watched Salkeen trying clawing at the ring on his finger. Yumara was certain the bonding of the artifact ring to Salkeen was most likely horrendously painful. Yumara knows that she herself would make it extra painful, just for having to deal with the constant annoyance.
Yumara reaches out and holds onto the edge of Masters robe, as he creates this new Void artifact for Jericha. The knowledge that it was made with Salkeen’s Blood should make her much more excepting of it. Still Jericha could be irrationally stubborn at times, but being protected against any inconsistencies or loopholes she should be more excepting of it. That and she was certain that Jericha didn’t want to die. The second Jericha reaches for the gem, it binds itself to the flesh, muscles and bones where her neck and spine meet. Yumara knows in an instant that the magic is working, as the ethereal parts of her become solid once more and her body starts to rapidly repair itself. The healing of Jaseiah is enhanced as well.
Sericon glanced at the door as they moved farther into the ship, “Seconds…” Sericon said before heading the firing up of a familiar legion fighter to take off once more… “Pity, I was gonna try to reward them…”
Sericon’s left eye brow rose as the door appeared, the master was rather sure that the two elves would join him now, in a way he admired that surety. As Sericon moved to the room himself behind Izzabelle, he also wondered what helmet this armor had, with a startled flash the helmet appeared on him. That might need getting used too… Even with the large helmet it appeared it had no traditional blind spots, as if magic filled the gaps that would be in his sight because of the metals.
It appeared that a weapon summoning device was given to Izzabelle as well, perhaps something the master had encountered during his eons in the nether battling whatever he had encountered. No it was something different she was making weapons from the shadows themselves! Even though they were only owned so tentatively by the master he had been gifting them with such great things to further win their favor. This creature was complicated showering his minions with power for loyalty and success, though Sericon still feared what failure would be reward with.
Next Izzabelle glanced up at the ceiling before expelling much of her spider symbiotes. This room would be their home, right next to Sericon’s room. He gave a small grin under his helmet, he didn’t mind the spiders!
“They could try!” Sericon said standing tall and ready. “But I think I got a bit faster reflexes now, plus I think they might like me!” Sericon said poking up towards the ceiling. He extended his arm out to beckon one of the many spiders, “Come here you furry guy! Who’s a good spider?” Sericon laughed as he called out. Maybe that voiding of his mind effected him more than he thought! Or perhaps this was normal, he wasn’t quite sane before his recent transformation!
Salkeen could tell Jericha was fading even as it seemed Isaik was taking his time crafting this new dark gemstone from the demon lords hallowed blood and that of someone from his side of the mirror… His daughter, one of the ones Salkeen thought was lost… Though the demon lord did not trust Isaik, he would get his daughter back before anything ended!
As Jericha gave her permission and collapsed the demon lord knelt over her his wings extending to protect his fallen Jericha. Lord Salkeen had come to close to losing so many today that his demonic instincts nearly reacted without a pause to protect what was left as his. The lord might have never moved until she arose on her own if it weren’t for the tsunami of void energy that hit him with such force it caused him to stagger… This was the power Jericha had been fighting against this whole time, the demon lord staggered back once more before finally the artifacts seemed to balance out more making the energy more manageable… If this is how she was at rest, he only wondered how the power would feel when she was at her more rage filled forms…
Salkeen glared around at his most loyal of demons, even with the very threat of complete annihilation if Jericha has not been saved they stood by ready to do whatever it took to ensure their masters will… They would undoubtedly be rewarded… With the errant void magic flowing from Jericha, Salkeen was formulating a perfect reward for the most loyal of his demons…
Salkeen glanced back at Rajen, “You act like my sight doesn’t hold the ability to see already.” Salkeen spoke not with rage, in truth despite the whole ordeal the fact she would survived did bring him a degree of content… Salkeen thought back to the black mirror, still Salkeen would need to use his sight on Jericha to ensure Isaik had kept his word… Ever since that day that Isaik tried to steal Jericha away, Salkeen had been unsure about all of the paths he had chosen, was it truly him?
The demon lord stepped between the mirror and Jericha before pooling his power to his sight, he would see if any of Isaik’s taint was upon her waiting to bring her great pain when she awoke. He would never allow that.
The words from his old friend did effect him, Smuggs had never seen Fushan brought so low, he was not accustomed to killing those he thought to bring into his care… In the end who knew if the old bear would be the same ever again…
Smuggs glanced over to Myrandah who seemed just as broken, Izzabelle must have been a great friend to her… Smuggs only knew her for such a short time but he to did find her a friend… The gnome scratched his chest, still he could feel the green skin growing ever farther… Smuggs was lucky, he had survived with the ever growing leprous skin for many years, other gnomes had not been so lucky…
Smuggs was taken back by such a revelation, Izzabelle still alive even after she was literally wasting away on the beach? How was it truly possible? Smuggs considered all the ways, it was possible but he still doubted she looked the same way after such a terrible experience. Smuggs pictured the women fully concealed in magic or technological coverings keeping that wasting away form still alive! It was no doubt in Smuggs’s mind that Izzabelle was on that creatures ship being experimented on and turned into his newest weapon!
Smuggs nodded, “I like your bravado, but you didn’t see what I saw… We are gonna need more than just this group here…” Smuggs glanced over at Fushan, “You came here to repent her death, but now it seems she still lives, would you not right the wrong of her imprisonment?”
Fushan could feel the women’s loss, it was exactly why he sat on the icy mountain top, he had acted to rash with haste… He had to repent… The wind that constantly called to him, asking their friend to decend the mountain was unheeded…
Fushan stopped, it couldn’t be true… Yet, the wind brought the sound to his ears… The pandaren sat for once in his life unsure how to act, he sat waiting before hearing the low groaning of the mountain… A earth elemental as ancient as the mountain itself spoke to him, “You must forgive yourself, make things right…” The earth seemed to groan, to the others in might sound like rumbling rocks… “Seek her out, that is your new repentance…” The great earth elemental said before going silent once more…
Fushan was convinced, leaping from his icy perch and landing gracefully next to Smuggs in the snow, “I am ready, but Smuggs is right, we will need help…”
Myrandah’s hand drops listlessly Downs onto the snowy ice covered earth. She feels totally exhausted, all of the adrenaline that had kept her moving earlier, had been sucked from her body. Right now she just wanted to be home with Lizzie, fixed mg her a treat. Yet that wasn’t a possibility at this time, Izzabelle needed saving. If what that wretched creature said was true, Yumara needed to be saved as well. Myrandah was quite certain that it was Jericha that gave them both to whoever was controlling them. While she didn’t hate Jericha outright, she always knew that manipulative void witch wasn’t to be trusted. She had tried giving Yumara to her Demonic Lord once before. Myrandah reaches up and lightly touches her face. As she does this, pain fills her eyes for a brief moment. She looks back over at Smuggs, a small smile on her lips. They had been through one hell of a fight, still they were alive. She glances over at the Drakkari, the Worgen, and the nether walking corpse well more or less alive.
“I saw and felt enough, just fighting those that we did to know there’s no way we can handle them with just our group.” Myrandah states as she slides the watch back into one of her pouches. “While we might have been able to hold our own against the original three. The coming of that twisted Goblin that manipulates chemical compounds and such, was more than we could hope to handle on our own.” As she speaks she places a hand on the ground and pushes herself back up to her feet. “It’s a good thing the Dusty corpse over there arrived when he did, or we would most likely not be here.” Myrandah hisses in pain, a small growl emitting from her through at the thought. “As it stands that foul monk left his taint on my flesh. I can feel it now a constant reminder of what can happen.” As she says this she waves her hand over the left side of her face. On the upper side of her left cheek is a hole about the size of a silver coin. The flesh, underlying tissue and muscle are a sickly grayish black. The smell of rotting, decay flesh wafts through the air. The white of the bone stand out against the darkness of the dying flesh. Around the edges of the wound is a thin golden light preventing it from spreading. “While I can prevent it from spreading, the damage has been done.” Waving her hand back over her cheek the wound and odor disappear, yet Myrandah knows they are still there. A reminder that she isn’t all powerful, that they will need strong allies if they are to recover those who have been taken.
Myrandah feels relief as the Pandaren joins them. They would need all the help they could get. “I agree we will need help, right now Izzabelle isn’t on Azeroth. Let us gather together those who would join us. Then when they return we will be ready, or as ready as we will ever be.” Myrandah’s eyes sweep over the gathered group, such a diversity of beings. Determination fills her eyes as she steels herself for what’s to come.
About this time a spider about the size of a small cat, peeks out from around some of the webbing that decorated the vaulted ceiling in Izzabelle’s room. If a spider could look leery, then this spider looked leery. It eyed Sericon with all eight of its eyeballs before its head once more vanished behind the web. Reaching over with one of its hairy front legs, it lightly raps a smaller spider on its head. The smaller spider, lets out what could only be explained as a world wary sigh and turns its attention to the larger spider. For the next minute or so the two seem to be carrying on some sort of conversation. Broken only when one or the other, would sneak a look down at Sericon. Then they would swiftly go back to conversing, their forelegs moving. The smaller spider would seem at times to be scratching his head, somewhat baffled by what the larger spider was saying. After a minute or so of this back and forth communication between the two arachnids, the smaller of the two climbs out from their hiding spot. Connecting itself firmly to the web it drops down from the ceiling stopping just a few scant inches from Izzabelle’s shoulder.
Twisting in mid air like an aerial acrobat, it lands on Izzabelle’s shoulder. The smaller spider which is about the size of a human fist, uses its forelegs to push the hair away from her ear. It then rears up on its hind legs, for a moment it looked like it might actually attempt climbing into her ear. yet that wasn’t going to happen, it was more trying to whisper something that it didn’t want Sericon hearing. Not that he was fluent in arachnid, but they didn’t know that. So it starts speaking, as it does Izzabelle nods every now and then… Sometimes she would speak, simply words of just sounds… between unlady like snorts of laughter “Mmmhmm! I see… yes, yes, really… WOW!.. okay then.” with that the smaller spider shimmied back up its web and returned to the larger spider, who was still warily eyeing Sericon, from around the web. When the smaller spider arrives both arachnids vanish back behind the webbing.
Izzabelle turns to Sericon and grins, “George says he’s not interested, your tall, ugly, and don’t have enough eyes, or legs.” Izzabelle says smiling still… “I was suppose to let you down easy, but sometimes you just got to go with the one, two punch and get it over with.” Izzabelle looks back up at the web and give the two arachnids the thumbs up signal, and they vanish. She turns back to Sericon, “Should we go back and see how Master Isaik and the crazies are faring?”
Isaik watched as the gem floated waiting until finally Jericha accepted that it might be her only hope!
It was exactly as Isaik had planned, the gem should stabilize the ever troublesome minions void and send excess to Salkeen, though Isaik did wonder… How exactly would Salkeen himself deal with such energy moving through him at times… Perhaps it was nothing…
Salkeen stood defensively over Jericha, as if he was a massive Phoenix ready to defend his mate… His actions nearly pushing Rajen away, Isaik could sense that Salkeen was trying to distance himself from the others, he had indeed nearly lost what was his… And yet, Isaik senses something else… “Here I expected you might be more greatful, your minion yet lives… Yet it is as plainly on your face as it is in your mind…” Isaik hissed as cryptic as ever… “To answer the raging thoughts in your mind… No… I did not manipulate you to contract Jericha, I merely ensured you were not disturbed during your process… Do you trust me so little Lord Salkeen?” Isaik hissed, he knew it was a wise choice to not truly trust such a creature and yet, Isaik was not a creature open to betraying such powerful minions under him…
“I never intervened with your contract with your Jericha, it was not in fates best interest to do anything but observe… Though I am quite satisfied with your choices…” Isaik explained, he turned to peer at Jericha through the mirror, even now she felt different than other void prospects… Isaik only needed the time to figure such things out… “Perhaps now with your mind cleared, you might do something else…” Isaik continued…
“I still need you to nullify the contracts to Izzabelle and Sericon, they will become mine completely as to further the chance at our survival…” Isaik said, he quickly glanced at the hanging pod in Yumara’s garden… With a short gesture he suggested the vines and plantlife bring the pod closer to the mirror so it would be more easily seen… “In exchange as a act of showing further proof of my actions only to benefit all of us in the future, we will return your daughter once she is fully healed…” Isaik explained, he had no desire to use the younger female as a bargaining chip at the moment, his ability to view a time ahead advised against such actions…
Rajen bows slightly to Lord Salkeen. “Very well all seeing one, I shall take my leave. Still know this all seeing one, your sight allows you to see what is, not what once was.” Turning from Salkeen Rajen looks into the reflective surface of the black mirror, after a moment he speaks in Shath’yar “It isn’t the goddess that binds the witch, it’s the witch that binds the goddess.” It was a message meant for Isaik, with that said, Rajen and his ethereals vanish back into the recesses of the void.
Although Jericha’s body was unconscious her brain was still very active. The uncontrollable void ripping through her, had nearly destroyed her mind. Unlike the void from the tower that she could easily control. This void was different, Jericha wasn’t able to work with it. It threatened to consume, and taint everything that she was. There was a time when she could of managed it, but that time had passed. Jericha looks about her, her mindscape is a disaster. Her mind form is nearly destroyed, at this time it wouldn’t even be recognized as Elven or anything capable of living. The twisted tainted, untamed, corrupted void had been eating away at her, and had nearly devoured her. If one could see inside of her, they would see three quarters of a torso, with half a skull attached to it. The torso cuts off a few inches below the ribs. From there the remains of Jericha’s digestive track spills across the ground, tangled among twisting void tentacles. More tentacles and tendrils slither about where large chunks of her skull are missing. You can hear the disturbing sounds of slurping and swallowing, and sucker like mouths eat away at her brain. Jericha is in severe pain and isn’t certain how much longer she can hold out.
It s like a vacuum, unexpected, but definitely appreciated. One moment she is on the brink of destruction, the next all the uncontrollable void is being pulled out of her. Jericha knows that it is being sent to her Phoenix, her guardian. Just as Isaik had said, she will admit, that she wasn’t certain that he spoke the whole truth, which is why she protects herself, from all from all of his would be gifts. Still with the dangerous void being stripped from her and fed to Lord Salkeen in a tsunami of power. Jericha is able to easily destroy what remains with the void that she does control. Using her mind she crushes the void that’s destroyed her body, and starts reforming it. First the skeletal system, followed by the muscular system. The digestive, respiratory, nervous and circulatory systems, quickly followed. Once her body was whole Jericha takes a look around at the massive destruction of her mindscape.
This would not do, now that she isn’t fighting off her own destruction, she is able to actually help some. The dome she stands beneath is riddled with thousands upon thousands of rifts tears and portals. There should only two openings, for me for allowing the void in, the other for releasing it after it was shaped. Yet that was no longer the case, the original openings still existed, but there was much more now. The void stone that Isaik had made, created a barrier of sorts over many of the openings. It seemed to be able to store a monumental amount of void energy. Yet it reaches its capacity in scant seconds, staggering Lord Salkeen as the excess energy slams into him. It won’t last but for a few minutes, once both of the artifacts sync the flow will become more like that of a steady stream of energy. Right now it was like a typhoon because there was an exceptionally large amount which she needs to get rid of. Once able to help Jericha creates barriers over a good number of the rifts and tears. It would take her a while to fix the devastation, during this time her body would remain n a comatose like state. Yet Lord Salkeen would feel and see that her body was healing. That the destruction caused to her form, is slowly reversing. Limbs, organs, bones, muscles, flesh everything is regrowing. She sends a message of sorts from her mind to that of Lord Salkeen’s. It is a desire to recover aboard Her Lords new demonic vessel. She does not like being this close to Isaik, especially being as defenseless as she was at this time.
Where was she? What was she? Death such a vivid experience, Ahcire could barely remember what had happened before this… She looked around, having no recognizable form, she had no soul… No true soul really… She was a clone, created in a lab not born… But still she was here, made up of something… Perhaps wisps of what might have been a soul, the bodies attempt to create what it truly did not have… To others in this dead realm it might look like particles of shattered light and soul… Ahcire floated aimlessly in this dark world of death, she seemingly would spend the rest of eternity here until she finally even from this realm faded away…
Ahcire could sense that her family was still in the middle of great struggles, yet in this form she could hardly do anything to aid them, she could only feel through a ever fading bond what was going on… Ahcire could feel her very being, the last vestiges of her energy slowly dispersing to the universe she was born from, it truly did feel like the end to her… At the last moment when she closed her eyes, accepting her fate once again something called to her…
A low thrumming followed by a loud pulsing ring! Again the thrumming came louder! A loud piercing sound rang out, if she could cover her ears she would have! Again the thrumming could be heard so loud it seemed to shake her whole vestiges of soul to the core! The pulsing purring sound rang out again, a image of a dark rune appearing in the distance! The thrumming returned so loud it shook like a earthquake of the most violent kind, before with a final pulsing ring the rune seemed to rush at Ahcire with such speed impacting her so hard she almost felt like she had died once more!
Ahcire opened her eyes… Real eyes this time… Eyes of flesh and blood… The dark rune before her slowly faded and grew dull until it was plainly seen as just a etched symbol of the glass before her… Ahcire’s small newly formed eyes peered around, she was back within the place of her birth, a cold metal lab aboard the dark ship of the masters… Was she being reborn? The insidious technology of the gnome woth the dark masters magic calling forth the lost spirit to a body formed again… Ahcire was now so young… And so tired… Slowly her eyes grew heavy forcing the young creature still growing to sleep…
Victur kept his distance as Smuggs searches for the old panda finding him rather quickly… It was actually a relief Victur was unsure if he hadn’t put them on the wrong mountain… The conversation seemed to take a rather darker turn as the human Paladin finally got the chance to ask Smuggs if he had seen some female also captured by that insidious master… By the tone of the conversation it didn’t seem well, in fact it seemed rather bleak, Victur however couldn’t tell, the razor ice winds had kicked up too high excluding Victur’s rather bad hearing.
Victur stopped as the area to his right seemed to swirl and bend, spectral energy beams piercing out from a core of chaotic energy… Victur wasn’t sure if it was truly there, the undead had unfortunately received a few different skills after his ten thousand years trapped in the nether… Seeing things was one of them… Luckily however, those things were usually fluctuations or other things in the nether…
Further staring at the warble of energy, Victur could see a small message… They did know they were on Azeroth and on Mount Neverest. Victur tilted his head slightly further watching the image… Victur looked towards the south, it appeared someone was waiting for Smuggs at the vale… Peering back at bending, it also appeared Victur was needed else where… As was a odd image of two short race beings looking for the Paladin…
Victur walked past the warble of energy which started to disappear, in the distance a new number of odd things appeared, after traveling here so hastefully woth that spell off Val, the area seemed to be a bit thinner to the nether… Victur was however sure they were not quite materializing in reality yet, just echoes of the nether, that one more attuned to the nether might see.
Victur heard these last words as he approached the group. “Human, Panda, Smuggs, help is closer than you think… Allies are waiting for you in the Vale to the south…” Victur said tilting his head to stare at another odd band of energy that he could see in the nether… Shaking his head he got back on track, “Human, Maria, two beardlings are looking for you…” Victur said, or was her name Myrandah… Victur was unsure he was distracted at that moment of names… Victur cast his gaze over the mountain ridge again, his eyes reverting to seeing the nether once more… Bands of energy were swirling around as the epitome of chaos became a symphony of destruction, Victur saw his tear from Val had not been sealed correctly in the haste, sooner or later on the planet Val the rift would reopen to consume everything around it… That it he left the stove on at his warlock lair again…
“I can make a rift to the vale?” Victur asked coming back to watching the group in the snow… His mind had become such a chaotic place ever since his stay… He always saw the nether in it’s chaotic reverence just outside the boundaries of reality… He saw the past he had lived for ten thousand years… The edge of the nether where the light and void bled causing a permanent explosion of fel in its birth much like the beginning of the universe… Victur saw threads of events happening now, as the magic binding each person to another kind of like the magic of sympathy, he saw their connections or longing of them.
Someone of a gnomish nature related to Smuggs Victur figured as due to the threads aura was seeking him out… Two beardlings seeking out the human… Even Victur saw threads attached to him, someone was looking for him… Victur blinked again looking back towards Myrandah and the group. He was ready to act if needed.
Ebony slowly paces around Nedde, who’s laid out on the cold stone floor, in a crucified position. The entire backside of her body is fused to the floor, her legs, arms, torso, head. She is completely immobilized, and terrified. The only sound that can be heard are her sobs, and begging. “Please, please Master forgive me, I’m sorry, so very very sorry. Please don’t do this, I’ll get her for you, I won’t mess up again.” Nedde cries, pleading for mercy, where she knows there will be none.
She watches with trepidation as Ebony paces around her. Abdulbai, or what once was Abdulbai is fused to the wall right above her. Ebony had surgically removed her eyelids, so she could see him. His body was split open from the top of his skull to below the belly. His cranium cracked open, the rotting flesh on his stomach pulled back, and pinned to the wall. His intestines and brains, strung across the ceiling like garland. Foul smelling grayish black ichor dropping in globs down onto Nedde’s immobile form. Abdulbai chest is split wide the flesh, muscles, and bone, spread to resemble a butterfly opening it’s wings. Abdulbai’s rancid heart still beats, his blackened lungs still fill with air. The rest of Abdulbai’s body is being slowly devoured by flesh eating beetles that nearly cover the whole wall. Nedde screams as more of his grotesque gore drops onto her, her body now soaked in it.
Ebony walks over to the rooms one table, and picks up a simple box. Removing the lid he reaches in and pulls out a black beetle that is about an inch wide and four inches long. He places it on his hand and approaches Nedde, lovingly stroking the beetles back. Stopping near her, he bends down and places it on her chest. Then he lightly caresses her face, with his hand “such a disappointment.” As he stands the beetle scurries down Nedde’s body, reaching her bellybutton, it begins to burrow into her flesh. Nedde shrieks and wails in agony, as the beetle eats its way through her flesh and abdominal muscles and tunnels into her intestines. Nedde screams “TAKE IT OUT, PLEASE MASTER TAKE IT OUT” she can feel it moving inside of her digestive track. Planting thousands of eggs that will hatch in a few days and eat their way to freedom. Ebony walks from the room and seals the door behind him, it seemed he would need to find another way to obtain his wayward Granddaughter. Abdulbai and Nedde had cost him much, they would know nothing but pain for the foreseeable future. The fact he was forced to aide his Granddaughter left a bitter taste in his mouth. Suddenly Ebony’s Head whips around, it couldn’t be she was suppose that be dead the tower moves through the void as Ebony tries to get closer to this anomaly.
Myrandah perks up at the mention of the two beardlings. “Ah! it would seem that Gregor and Grundel, have made their return!” she states turning her head and looking towards the south. “Their return was much faster this time, the last time their curse pulled them away, it took days for them to find their way back.” she continues to say while scratching her chin, eyes glazed over slightly light she is deep in thought. “They must have truly been worried about me, for them to of returned so fast.” Myrandah cannot help but smile happily at the very thought.
Meanwhile to the south in the Vale “I be tellin ye brother, this has become a mission of the utmost importance. We must recover me precious babies, tis all that matters…”
Still smiling Myrandah looks at Smuggs, then kneels down so that she can look him in the eye. Reaching out she places a comforting hand on his shoulder. The edge of her balm, lightly touching the leprous skin through the material of his shirt. “I know, and i’m sorry that there’s nothing that can be done. In my line of work, I’ve watched many succumb to madness and death because of it. If i could I would cure it in a heartbeat, yet I cannot.” as Myrandah says this a sad look flits over her face as tears fill her eyes. Myrandah blinks away the tears, she had never felt as helpless as she did during those weeks. When all she could do was try and make their dying as comfortable as possible. Still the cries and screams haunt her, the way they begged her to end their lives… Standing up she turns back to Victur.
“Make your rift, all I’m accomplishing up here is… getting a good case of frostbite.” She turns to Smuggs, and Fushan, if you two don’t mind i would rather continue this in a place where an eon from now my frozen backside isn’t being thawed out by some advance civilization." Myrandah states, turning she looks at the two undead. “Will the two of you be joining us on our mission to recover Izzabelle from the clutches of the one most foul?” She asks because neither of them were actually indebted into helping them with her recovery.
“You know Jericha you can be a real Witch! at times.” Suzuna exclaims appearing next to Jericha in her torn up mind scape. Startled Jericha nearly attacks Suzuna, but catches herself before unleashing the spell. “What are you doing here Suzuna? you should be serving Lord Salkeen.” Jericha says soundling a little confised as to how it was she got there. Suzuna looks completely flabbergasted, “Are you telling me that you seriously don’t know why I’m here Jericha?” Suzuna nearly screams. Jericha simply looks at her like she is a few cards short of a full deck, before going back to healing the massive amounts of damage. After a moment Suzuna speaks again, "I’m hear because you went nutty and ripped apart my body before consuming my soul with that cursed eye of yours Jericha. Suzuna spits her name out like it had a foul taste. Jericha pauses and looks back at Suzuna, “well seeing as how you are here, you might as well help with healing the damage.” Suzuna’s mouth hit’s the floor, “Help you? Help You? the last two time I’ve helped you have ended with me being dead my body in shamb…” she is cut off before she can finish… “What else are you going to do, stand around and complain? I cannot free your soul from my eye until i wake up. I cannot wake up until my mind space is healed.” Jericha says this slowly as if trying to explain to someone with comprehension issues. “If you help me we can heal me faster and you can be free faster… You do want to be freed right?” jericha asks sarcastically. Suzuna continues to give Jericha a deadpanned look, “Do forgive me, your sudden penchant for critical thinking has thrown me off guard. I’m afraid I was unsure as to whether or not you had been possessed by something that actually has living brain cells.” Suzuna snaps back with just as much vitriol. The two continue to make biting comments about the other as the work on healing Jericha.
on another area of Centralis
A few of the dark fey creature watched in fascination as these shadows attempted to pull this retched wreck of a creatures body back together again. After a few minutes they decide to help, A puzzle? yes? yes that is it it was like a puzzle! The pieces must be put in their proper place. It takes them a few minutes, but soon they develop a rapport of sorts with the shadows pulling the creature back together. The poor thing was rather torn up, but they were up to the challenge. Being small they were mostly seen as insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Still they were possessing of great intelligence. It wasn’t long before they and their shadowy friends had put the body back together. Still something seemed to be missing, it breathed once more but it seemed to lack consciousness a sense of being. Well they had dome what the could, one of the larger Manari Males, moves over to the body and lifts it off the ground. He is certain that their Lord will not want her left behind. The Shadows disperse, and the fey creatures blend back into the darkness of the forest, leaving not a trace of their existence behind as they go.
Now that it seemed that the worse was over, Lhashira dropped from the sky, and lined up with the other demons. The battle had taken its toll on her once mostly elven form. Where smooth Elf flesh was covered her body. It was now covered in thick draconic like scales, in many places. Nearly 70% of her body was now veiled by these, giving her a reptilian like appearance. Lhashira isn’t sure that she wants to be noticed, she saw the monster that stood beyond that shadowy reflective surface. That vile, horrific, nightmarish creature, would Lord Salkeen give her back to him. Lhashira finds herself shaking at the very thought. She flexes her wings, terrified they might be gone. She absently runs her hands down her legs. She recalls quite vividly the pain, terror, and utter despair she felt, while wrapped in that monsters web of tentacled terror. How he wrecked her mind, while plucking her wings and legs from her like she was nothing more then some insignificant bug. One to be tortured and played with, then he hung her like a butcher would hang a slab of meat on a hook in a butcher shop. please, please don’t give me back to him Lhashira silently begs in her mind over and over again.
She shudders once more praying she will not be noticed. Lord Reavrix, enjoyed the pained look on her face whenever she was forced to talk with her once handsome brother. He had promised that if she signed the contract that he wouldn’t kill him. What he did was much worse, she should have read it, before signing her life and soul away. It was shortly after signing, that the wretched Doctor, began the defilement of her brothers body, and mind. Lhashira blames herself for that and the horrendous deaths of her family. She had left them alone to go and train to become a Demon Hunter. Her brother had told her that if she left, she would end up standing alone. She hadn’t understood what he meant, it was to late by the time that she did. When she returned her family was being attacked, she fought with all she had, but that foul witch Amyndria had ended up poisoning her. When she regained consciousness she was bound to a table with saranite bands. The walls of the room she was in were covered in the flesh of her family members. She still has nightmares thinking about how terrified she was watching their misshapen faces looking down at her. They physically and mentally tortured her for weeks, inflicting her with numerous plagues and diseases. It was during this that her Mastery over wind come to the forefront. With that Lord Reavrix decided that bonding her to his service was better, than losing a valuable weapon. Now here she was owned by Lord Salkeen, Reavrix, was now dead.
Vaunn was the first to speak, the wolf glared first at Maleok before returning his predatory gaze towards Myrandah… Straightening his back some to further show his imposing height, and while Vaunn was not as large as the Drakkari, he was still a massive wolf. “Fight yes, but not now…” Vaunn spoke in a low tone laced with the chill of undeath… “Must return go north…” Vaunn spoke he turned his gaze at Maleok once more…
Vaunn paced around in the ice and snow for a second before finding the correct words and continuing his conversation with Myrandah… “Drakkari must return to Ebon Blade, we prepare…” Vaunn spoke, he had a idea of what was going on and knew they would need more, he knew the Ebon Blade would do much to help further free the Drakkari’s mind like they had done for him so long ago… It was more than just that though, Vaunn knew whatever was coming would require more from each one of them… They would need soldiers, Warriors, an army! The clever old wolf had a idea of where to procure such a thing, but it was something only he and Maleok could do without the living helping…
“We return when needed…” Vaunn growled, he searched his armor for something specific before pulling forth a old horn made of bone… Along the horn carved with exquisite detail were images of great wolves, skeletons and the icy winds of the north… “If you need us, Blow this…” Vaunn grumbled passing the horn over to Myrandah… The wolf then passed over near Maleok before with a flash of necromancy a deathgate appeared on the mountain side… The great wolf waited only a moment before passing through it…
Maleok watched as Vaunn approached first speaking with much difficulty, a trait the wolf had probably received when he had become worgen… It was relatively common knowledge that the Lich King’s grasp on the deathknights was resolute and within worgen it usually broke any animal instincts and replaced them with cold hard logic. Vaunn appeared to be a special case, he was a worgen for so long before his undeath transformation, there was no human side to return to. The process had instead only reverted a feral alpha wolf to a creature that now could communicate with the other sentient races.
Maleok heard Vaunn speak of the two deathknights heading north, the worgen could only assume that it meant they were personally heading to Northrend, that was indeed one of the places that Maleok needed to go… However the mention of the Ebon Blade helped Maleok understand, he had no idea how much influence was still upon him… If that insidious creature had been spying on them all using the Drakkari’s eyes… As Vaunn seemed to finish passing a old horn to Myrandah, Maleok approached for his words…
“You friend… Izzabelle, she was with them, with another elf… Might not be easy to claim her back if he doesn’t follow…” Maleok said in his slightly thick troll accent… “I see what the wolf wants, I must go… But I will fight with you, my friend is trapped there as well…” Maleok stated crouching down to better be within Myrandah’s point of view. “Orc is not evil, the Orc is trapped, what you must do, beware the homunculi, Varicar is not most dangerous one, there are many…” The Drakkari warned, with a huge hand the giant undead troll pat Myrandah on the back before heading towards the death gate opened by Vaunn earlier. “We see you soon…” Maleok said stepping through the portal first.