Sericon has been waiting for the master to address them but as he finally did a answer he was not expecting came from the dark creature. They were to report to Skalaz? The Artificer? Sericon had seen the goblin a few times but not that often unless the Master was also nearby. He was mostly a creature of mystery, constantly working and creating great works of evil. As Sericon had heard that great fel reaver that Salkeen deployed to Pandaria was not just some legion wrought war machine, it was a design that Skalaz had taken from the legion and enhanced with his own intellect as well. The most dangerous weapon on the reaver, the powerful laser beam weapon located on the head of the reaver was infact crafted by Skalaz after some beast from Draenor! The other things Sericon had heard of were alchemic chimeras of the mist vile kind, who needed to carefully worry about genetics when you could magically connect whatever animal trait you desired on a new host.
Sericon was honestly tempted to question the Master’s decision but it was becoming obvious to him why they would be sent to Skalaz first… Isaik knew they had power and potential, but further empowering his minions by the key crafter of the entirety of the Master’s armies was desired to make Izzabelle and Sericon unstoppable… Sericon paused to consider that perhaps the armors found in his quarters were not just made from echoes and the Master’s dark power, but the Artificer as well.
Sericon looked at Master Isaik right in the cold hollow undead eyes of his face before speaking. “Yes Master, we are quite strong and ready to do what we can. We will head to the Artificer right away.” Sericon stated before rising slowly and making his way towards the door back out into the shadowed hallways. Sericon knee Izzabelle would likely follow behind him, her mind still likely recovering from the traumatic loss of bond.
Sericon continued down a few hallways turning left than right before stopping to face Izzabelle. Sericon focused his gaze squarely upon her trying to read her face, “Any more questions you got? It seems the Master is sending is to Skalaz, the Artificer, no doubt to enhance us in some way.” Sericon said wondering what she felt, he would try to reassure her but didn’t know Skalaz that much.
Izzabelle was confused the binding to Sericon hadn’t been that traumatic. She idly twists the ring on her finger with her thumb. That’s when she realizes that Master Isaik is speaker about the binding to him. That had been extremely painful. Yet even that wasn’t nearly as painful as the unbinding. Having a piece of your mind, soul, magic, and heart permanently obliterated was an agony that would haunt her for all time. She still felt the echoes of it when she slipped into her own head and noticed all the blank spots. Still they were to report to the Artificer, Izzabelle has no idea who or what the Artificer even was. Truthfully she didn’t know much about anything, she really hadn’t a clue as to who she was either. She turns to Sericon, the look on his face and his thought waves, tells her that he knows who Master Isaik is talking about.
“Yes Master Isaik, we will report to the Artificer right away.” Izzabelle says bowing respectfully before following Sericon. As she leaves she feels a pair of eyes on her back. The red headed female that had entered seemed a bit concerned about her. But why would she be they didn’t know each other. Izzabelle only k ew two on this ship, she Knew Master Isaik, and she knew Sericon. Izzabelle steps out f the room behind Sericon, certain that he knew where he was going. A smile spreads across her face, even if he didn’t this sentient vessel would know where to bring them. It wasn’t just them who were in motion, the entire ship was constantly moving, shifting, changing around the two f them. While it didn’t actually read her mind it did have an uncanny way of predicting what one desired. Still knowing nothing of this person they were sent to see first, she followed Sericon.
Izzabelle stops walking and tilts her head to the side and looks up at Sericon, as she considered his question. “Who or what is the Artificer, I’m not sure about letting someone or thug mess with me while my mind and body still haven’t fully recovered from what recently happened. There’s so many blank spaces in there. Not painful though, just empty, a place where something use to be.” She speaks unsure of how to actual explain it. Her mind before would have been Centralis before the Legion came. Alive, thriving ful of memories which gave her purpose, and power. Now it resembles Centralis after its destruction. A mostly barren wasteland, yet within that emptiness was Sericon, and the potential to do horrifically amazing things. “Part of me fears being altered to soon could mess something up in my head. Yet I can understand the need for this, at the moment I don’t feel that powerful at all.” Izzabelle exclaimed barely above a whisper *At the moment she wasn’t powerful, much of what she was capable of would need to be relearned. It wasn’t that the ability, or the potential was lost, it was just stripped from her mind.
Quaking with fear, the Shivarra quickly closes its mouth. Bowing her head and remaining silent she carefully places Jericha on her Lords throne. Once Jericha is suitably places she slowly backs toward the exit, her head bowed. She doesn’t lift her head or turn, until she has passed the threshold of the Command Bridge. It isn’t s then that the Shivarra turns, and her footsteps can be heard as she flees down the hall.
Lhashira was wishing about now, that she had been able to escape with the Shivarra. Still with her their was no such luck, and her Lords fury was terrifying. She wets her lips before speaking, keeping her head bowed. “Please forgive the disturbance My Lord, your minions brother was rather insistent that I get this message to you.” Lhashira say in a slightly shaky voice. Why the hell couldn’t you of just told him this yourself? she thinks at her brother, and receiving only silence in return. Lhashira continues to speak “I know not why my brother doesn’t speak directly to you, still this concerns your Void Witch.” Turning her head slightly she looks at Jericha from the corner of her eye. “She is being searched for by three people. One seeks her aid, and could prove to be useful if bound correctly. The other two seek to save her, but in the process of saving her will destroy her. What they plan to use on her, will completely obliterated every aspect of her being. There would be no bringing her back ever again.” Lhashira says blood dripping onto the floor as her nails pierce her flesh, as she nervously clenches her hands.
“He says that she should not be allowed to walk upon the soul of Azeroth anytime soon. She shouldn’t become involved in the battle there, there they will find her, and try and and set her free.” Lhashira continues saying hoping that her Lord doesn’t punish her, she didn’t want to be here, anymore than he wanted her here.
Faendrel hisses in rage as she watched the horrific Captain of the Guard end the life of one of her pets. She cared not for the life of the guard he has ended. She almost wanted to thank that wretched excuse of a man for helping them. She decides spitting on his mangled corpse would be thanks enough. Movin* her fingers in complicated patterns she summons a Phantom Singularity above Jakk’s head, the spell sucks the life from the guards that surround him. Then channel the damage to that disgusting pile of flesh and filth. She is about the cast corruption on the Mage when Jakk makes a move.
“I think you might be mistaken the smell, for your own abominable stench. After all That wouldn’t expect someone who would marry him sister, to care much for hygiene.” She spits out at him “As for my vermin theybareca step up the evaluationarry latter compared to the likes of you.” She sends a a pair of daggers flying towards him, which he swats out of the way with his heavy gauntleted hand. Faendrel begins spell casting again, reaching into the nether her ethereal hands close around its prey and pull.
The spell shattered as Faendrel was forced back by the concussive wave caused by that gruesome fiend landing beside her. Her arms, and face, are sliced up by the sharp shards of rock, that were sent flying. She managed to block the first swing with her staff, although it sent her twisting to the side. The second swing catches her along her hip slicing deep into the flesh and muscle, taking out a piece of the bone. She shrieks in agony, as putrid smelling blackish colored gunk oozes from the wound. There’s the sound of buzzing as the black ichor starts transforming into a swarm of gnats. She falls back casting drain life on the nearest guard, as soon as Jakk’s attention is pulled to the Orc who has threatened to garrote her earlier. She adds agony to the drain life, just so she could hear the mans screams as his life was drawn from him. Two of the imps aren’t so lucky as the swing of Jakk’s sword relieves th3m of their heads. The still screaming heads bounce a few feet down the hall before growing silent.
She coalesces an orb of unstable afflictions and sends it hurling at Jakk’s back as he turns to face the Orc. At that same moment she reaches into the nether once more pulling her void walker to her, it moves to stand between Jakk and its Mistress.
Jaseiah who until recently had just been standing next to Yumara, turned to Master Isaik. “And I’m sure my Lord Father can await my arrival a little while longer, Master Isaik.” Jaseiah says bowing slightly in respect. Like most she to could feel the overwhelming power that Master Isaik commanded. To her Master Isaik was a Master of many things and deserved the fear and respect of those beneath. Not that she was actually a minion of his, she just felt the need to be respectful in his presence. She turns to Yumara with a questionable look in her eyes. Yumara reaches down and pulls a obsidian dagger from her belt. It has a wicked curved razor sharp blade. She closes left hand over the blade in a fist, then pulls the blade free, slicing into the tender flesh. Yumara’s runny sap like blood, spills onto the floor. As it strikes a shadowy fey type creature appears as the clear fluid coalesces with the surrounding void, it looks like a cross between an imp and a spriggin. It reaches out and tugs on Jaseiah. “Follow, yes yes follow we will show the way”. With that it takes off out of the room.
Jaseiah quickly thanks both of them before hastily exiting the room so that she could follow the creature, passes no the two Elves as she follows it down the twisting black corridors. She knows that Master had said her Sibling, but she had felt Ahcire die. So this new Sibling of hers, wouldn’t be Ahcire, she wasn’t sure how she felt about that. While she was happy to be getting a new sibling, it wouldn’t be able to replace the bound she had formed with Ahcire. She is certain that her void witch mother wouldn’t except this new sibling as family, even if her and her Lord Father did. The shadow like creature suddenly appears on her shoulder and raps her on the head. “Ouch! What the heck was that for?” Jaseiah snapped rubbing the top of her head. “Stupid wit wandering Elf is about to walk into a door.” Is hisses jumping back down to the floor. Jaseiah grumbles to herself as she opens the door entering a different area f the massive vessel. She can tell by the decline of the floor that she is headed towards the lower levels.
As she walks it occurs to her that the area around her is forever moving and shifting. Still she continues her trek to find this Gnomes laboratory, and whatever sibling awaited her. Even if it wasn’t related by blood, to her it would still be her Sibling.
Sericon nodded towards her as she spoke, “As far as I’ve heard he is the top crafter for the Master, the Artificer creates weapons, armors, poisons, potions, creatures and homunculi.” Sericon paused trying to figure out how to explain the goblin, “I heard of him many times but the Artificer rarely leaves the laboratories he works in so very few truly know him.” Sericon said, “As for him trying to enhance us… He hasn’t been known for failures it is likely he would only do what we could handle. Perhaps he’ll help you with your spider vomit problem?” Sericon joked poking fun at her.
Sericon tilted his head at the mention of blank spaces, he tried to be the optimist. “Those spots are just there to help you get new memories, you will have them filled soon enough with me around.” Sericon nodded to himself confident she would be safe with him.
“I’ll be with you the whole time to make sure we both make it out of there ok.” Sericon said, and with that he decided to show off some of his new strength he could use to protect her. Reaching down Sericon swept Izzabelle off her feet and carried in his arms as he continued down the shadowed hallways until finally he came upon what seemed like the obvious place. A massive door etched with arcane and alchemic symbols looked before them before creaking open with a ominous groan…
Sericon looked left then right before making his way inside while still carrying Izzabelle. The room before him was like a laboratory that the higher ranking demons of the legion might have except much more scourge like… There were darkened cages in every corner and even hanging from the ceiling… Sericon slowly let Izzabelle back down before hovering his hands nearer his blades, it wasn’t that he felt they might be attacked but the room brought back memories… Bad memories of the scourge invasion… Sericon inhaled then exhaled calmly reaffirming his nerves before waiting for the Artificer to address them, he was in here somewhere…
Braumer reeled from the downright abuse he received from Jakk, the telling so violent about things he could barely control! Just mere moments before Braumer had nearly died! Woth his vision still blurred the mage tried to rise to the challenge but every step he managed felt like a mile run, every breath a struggle from drowning… Braumer wasn’t sure he even wanted to fight anymore… The mage barely managed to raggedly push the negative thoughts from his mind as a whirling blast of chi energy rocketed near his face, necrotizing his cheek in the process…
Braumer gritted his teeth defiantly, he would fight, not for Jakk or his corrupt gang but the man above him and humanity… As Jakk foolhardily leapt into the den of the lions to face that witch, the assassin and the monk head on Braumer readied his own attacks. Exhaling softly Braumer wove his hands in a circle conjuring a barrier of ice to protect him further from the evil attacks of the horde like villains before extending his hand to activate one of the many seals in the stockades. With a great flash of purplish blue, the seal activated dampening the hostile spells of any not of alliance flesh! They would still be able to use magic but it’s power would be diminished to a more manageable level to the guards!
Braumer felt slightly better now he had hope they might actually win this thing! Braumer stood more valiantly before weaving his hands in the air and conjuring a blast of ice to send directly down the hallways towards the invaders! The mage would chill this room, he would make it so cold they would freeze these criminals in their tracks so they could lock them up once more! Braumer snapped his fingers bringing a cold chill upon the air to any not of alliance flesh, the icy chill would work up from the ground freezing vermin then demon, finally if he was not stopped it would freeze the invaders!
As Sericon speaks, Izzabelle’s mind jumps down some rather irrational paths. Is that what she was, some sort of creation, an homunculi, a creature perhaps. Is that why she had no real past that she could recall. Just these odd bits of knowledge scattered throughout her mind. Perhaps she needed repairs done, somewhere along the line she might have been damaged. Still she felt like she was living…
Izzabelle lightly punches him in the arm, a smile appearing on her face. She might not remember how her spiders came to take up residence within her. Yet she does recall how the exit through her mouth, and sometimes through her nose. It isn’t the most comfortable of experiences. As she is thinking one of her spiders scales her esophagus, well not actually her esophagus. If she were to be dissected they would notice that unlike most who have two tube like muscles at the backs of their mouths, she has three. The esophagus, the trachea, and a third, this is where her spiders come from. Of course they don’t always remain there, the minuscule ones infest her most of her digestive and respiratory systems. Izzabelle opens her mouth wide, there’s a small fel infused spiders sitting on her tongue. It raises one of its forelegs almost like its waving, before crawling from her mouth. It grow slightly as it scales her face and rests on her head. “You know Sericon, I’m not so sure about having the spider vomit problem taken care of.” She says in a low voice, before grabbing his arm and tugging him down and whispering in his ear. “I mean there’s only like two paths for them to choose from. I think I’ll stick with the option they’ve chosen.” She says matter of factly, still a little unsettled by everything’s no that had happened.
Izzabelle lets out an undignified startlingly squeak as she is swept off her feet, both of her arms wrapping around Sericon’s neck as she holds onto him. Not the She is worried that he will drop her, she knows that he would never do that. Still the action itself seems to soothe over her worries and that vast expanse of empty spaces, becomes a bit smaller. He was right, those spaces might have been created for him to fill and for her to obtain the knowledge she needed to fight this creature they would have to face. Izzabelle lays her head on his chest as he carries her like she weighs nothing. The fel plagued spider hops from her head onto Sericons as they reach the door to the Lab.
As she is slowly lowered to her feet, she can fel the dark magic begin to coalesce in her palms, ready to bring forth her shadow daggers. She looks around at all of the darkened cages hanging around the room, and moves closer to Sericon. She motions towards a larger cage hanging from the ceiling. “Hopefully we will get put in that one. It’ll be a tight squeeze, but if we arrange or bodies correctly we should fit.” She whispers a smile on her face as she speaks. still she ponders as to whether they might need to be contained in some way, in case something went wrong.
“Who is he to say whether or not I should be allowed to walk the soil of Azeroth.” Jericha demands her voice cracked and hoarse, from all the screaming from earlier. She was still curled up on Lord Salkeen’s throne, her fel eye was open, the flames licking up over her forehead. Her long claw like nails mindlessly drum against the arm of the seat, as she watched, and listened to what was being said. “He is no one tha5 is who he is, If Lord Salkeen needs me on Azeroth, that is where I will be.” She continues her voice dangerously low. Void tentacles laced with fel burst from her hands. They wrap around Lhashira’s throat, and upper body, pinning her arms and wings to her side. Jericha then jerks her off of her feet, she land hard next to the throne her head mere millimeters from Jericha’s own. Bringing her lips to the huntresses ear she softly whispers. “Might I suggest that the next time you have a message to deliver, that you simply deliver it, and leave personal thought out of the equation.” She remarks cruelly, part of her understands that she is looking out for her. Yet for her to suggest what Lord Salkeen should do with her, infuriated her. Latching a hold of Lhashira’s ear she painfully bites into it, fel saliva spills onto her head burning the flesh. Lhashira screams and struggles, for the few seconds it takes for Jericha to rip the ear from her head, and spit it onto the floor.
Jericha releases the Demon Huntress and watches as she drops to her knees. She has one hand presses to the gory looking hole in the side of her head. Foul greenish black blood oozing out from between her fingers and down the side of her neck. She makes no motion to get up and flee, just stays there her head bowed, pathetically apologizing. Jericha wants to reach into her mouth and rip her tongue out, the constant blathering was beginning to hurt her ears. She wasn’t completely finished healing inside yet. Still she would take care of that while she was resting. She had wanted to be with Lord Salkeen in a conscious state. She had been somewhat aware of what had been happening around her, but not completely. She had sensed the presence of one that seemed to want something from her. She would seek her out and speak with her a bit later, as for now she had other thing to accomplish. She looks over at her Lord and smiles. “Lord Salkeen, do you know if Suzuna’s body was brought onto this Vessel? It would seem I have her Spirit trapped within me, via the artifact eye, I possess.” Jericha says, she wants to get up and go to him, but her mind is still acclimating itself with her body, so her fine motoring skills aren’t the best at the moment.
Varicar hissed gathering his strength to counter attack, Throggore had bought him plenty of time to recuperate with his garroting oh the mage. Unfortunately it appeared another bold human entered the fight, but atleast there deathknight ally had also joined assaulting some bold little Paladin… Varicar rushed forward reinvigorated by unholy magic slamming into the first guard with his shield up, Varicar brought his arm back before sending his fist directly into the center of the shield. Normally the shield would block such a move by a unarmed combatant, but chi energy forced its way through unabated by the metal! Varicar grinned as he watched the guard collapsed his arm shattered, the chi shredding his bones to dust! Varicar followed up his move by bringing his leg up than down in a arc, his corrupted chi energy like a knife blade, the homunculi severed the man’s arm in a cascade of blood and ichor!
Three more guards took the man’s place, it seemed while they were trapped in the stockades the alliance would simply send more soldiers… Varicar hissed at the realization, but he still had a plan, if either the mage or the barking human warrior was slain it was likely they could push the mediocre guards back! Varicar prepared to lunge firward only to be forced to dodge yet another wall of ice heading his way! He saw that puny mage create a barrier of ice around him to protect his weak human flesh, it would not be enough! Varicar growled conjuring a blast of corrupt chi to send back at the arrogant mage, his spell however became erratic before shrinking considerably, the mage had activated a magic suppression rune for the stockades…
Varicar changed his target, one of the guards to the left was blasted by a chi blast as Varicar took in the necessary information to terminate his enemies… Varicar swiftly dodged backwards as a overzealous guard rushed forward his sword drawn and ready to slash the homunculus. Varicar dropped moving under the human before with a few well placed jabs to the humans chestplate the man’s guts exploded into blood oozing from every opening… Varicar emotionlessly grabbed the broken man before sending his battered body crashing into the other assembling guards… It was at that point he noticed something…
His form stained with the blood of fallen alliance guards felt less restrained by the magic nullification field… Varicar glanced around, the blood and flesh of the alliance were not hindered by this spell? Perhaps? Varicar ducked a erratic sword swing before plunging his fist deep into the offending man’s chest and ripping his heart free… Blood and flesh now further covered Varicar, the homunculi crushed the heart of the man in his grip before attempting to summon a blast of chi once more… To his pleasure the spell grew to its normal and powerful strength allowing Varicar to send the chi energy careening down the hallways knocking several guards to the floor by its force!
Yumara lifts her head and looks over at the two Elves as Master addresses them. A slight frown appearing on her face as she watches Izzabelle. She would need to have words with Orion, he removed much more from the Elf than he had claimed. Yumara could tell just by looking that Izzabelle had completely forgotten her. She knew that the young Elf had desired to forget Jericha and Salkeen. Yet, not only had Orion removed them, but her and most of the memories of Master as well. Without these memories many of the things she could previously do, would need to be relearned. Her abilities to purge her body of plagues, poisons, etc. Her power to create portals, and rifts, that could create the artillery fire of siege weapons, and weapons of mass destruction. She was especially worried about how Jericha would handle knowing she had been forgotten again. Still there was nothing to be done about it now. The Izzabelle that she was no longer existed, hopefully this new Izzabelle would be enough. She watches as the two Elves left the room, off to find Skalaz no doubt.
As Master speaks to Jaseiah Yumara ponders what has happened with Izzabelle. It isn’t until Jaseiah looks up at her that her mind reconnects with the present. She can tell that Jaseiah has no idea where to even begin looking for the Gnomes Lab. Cutting her hand Yumara summons forth a shadowy fey being to guide her to where she needed to go. As both the creature and Jaseiah vanish through the doorway, she heals the wound on her palm. She steps closer to Master, but says nothing for a moment.
Yumara smiles her eyes filled with respect, and adoration, as she looks at Master. “It will be nice to return to Azeroth. I take it Master is speaking of the petty war between the two Factions?” Yumara says shaking her head slightly in disgust. “They worry about either the Burning Legion, or the Old Gods destroying it. Yet if given enough time they would easily destroy it themselves.” She taps the finger of one hand against her chin, while her other lightly gripped Masters robes, as she speaks. “Greed, envy, pride, hate, such wonderful emotions to possess.” Yumara exclaims with a slight sneer. She would fight for Master as she could, she however would have to be kept in balance. She wouldn’t be able to just kill and destroy things, although she didn’t much mind doing so. “It will be nice to return to my labs Master, I left many an experimental potion, poison, and plague, in stasis when I left. Being able to continue with them with Masters permission will be nice. Still it is a pain that my tester has been delegated to other more necessary things.” She says growing silent.
After a few minutes she looks up at Master. “It would seem that Orion has removed nearly every memory that Izzabelle had.” Yumara speaks a slight annoyed hiss in her voice. “The loss of these memories means she has forgotten some rather useful things. She doesn’t remember me, or you either Master. She recognizes you as The Master, but recalls Very little about you other than that.” As she speaks, she summons Orion, who appears in his feline form and jumps onto her shoulder. “What was the meaning behind completely erasing most of Izzabelle’s memories?” Yumara asks, her gaze locked on Orion. Orion gives a Cheshire Cat grin “She needed to be removed from Salkeen and Jericha, this was the only way to do so, otherwise she would of chosen death.” The feline says matter of factly. “You could of just removed the memories of Jericha and Salkeen, why all of us.” She demands. “Be glad that I was able to salvage what I could Yumara, to completely forget someone, you must also forget those that are somehow connected to them. Keeping most of her memories of her pilot intact was damn near impossible. Some of her abilities are still intact, she just doesn’t recall how or why they exist.” Orion exclaims hopping from her shoulder back onto his little broom.
“You look nervous… You haven’t heard to many stories of the tortured and deranged from here have you?” The voice of Skalaz rang out before he emerged from somewhere farther back in the lab… The goblin didn’t truly enjoy stories of his failure circulating around…
A dark cackle rang out, “Hopefully a cage will not be needed…” The goblin said moving towards the pair, in his hands were mightstones… Skalaz had to consider, his skill was not known for failure, but if their minds were affected so greatly to need cages they would likely need them apart from each other… Luckily, messing with them in that way was not Skalaz’s intention…
“I am the Artificer, one of the masters first. The creator of all dark things in his name!” Skalaz said introducing himself, “I know why you were sent, enhancements…” Skalaz finished he looked at each elf one at a time taking in all the information he could… Sericon’s build was rather simple, he was a minor felblood elf at his base, no doubt from the years of fel exposure… A more recent magic however overlapped that, a similar magical alteration that affected the elves in the alliance… Skalaz notes there were no additional mutations…
Turning his look upon Izzabelle gave him a idea of what she was… Interesting… Izzabelle was a much more complex felblood, as if she had been born not created by the legion like those in the netherstorm… This was layered over by a few other things Skalaz could almost place as well as the painfully obvious mutations caused by Salkeen… Skalaz shook his head disapprovingly, Salkeen had always had skill in enhancing his minions, but his target was always power sometimes leaving some instabilities…
“It appears that your weapon skill set and equipment are perfectly exceptional, however…” Skalaz snapped his fingers causing Sericon to jump as his armor changed in front of his eyes! Sericon’s blue armor vanished in a flash before great armor of dark grey and fel crystals appeared on his form… “You are new to the armors, I might heavily suggest you use this one first…” Skalaz said with a edge of command. “As for bodily enhancements? Minor ones should do…” Skalaz commented, mostly additions to helping the pair deal with heat, cold, trauma was what the goblin was mostly focused on.
Skalaz tapped his chin, it was likely they would need tardegrades added to them, a creature Skalaz had learned about from the research of Smuggs… Smuggs had been a avid researcher of dna and animal mutations, it was useful but alchemic mutations were not limited by what dna was available… For alchemy one could literally increase the strength of bones by adding calcium and carbon, or simply replacing their bones with metal… Skalaz could make their skin like carbon fiber but feel like chiseled marbel. However they did have something Skalaz usually chose to remove… Beating hearts were always such fragile things, it was much easier to be in a state between… Not true undeath like that of the forsaken but not truly alive… Skalaz considered what other creatures he could mix into the elves, the first thing he was thinking of was symbiotic organisms, the Artificer already knew about the bond between the individuals. Combining a symbiotic creature into the two elves would only further strengthen their bond…
Finally Skalaz considered the end result of the elves, something of a goal… The goblin gave a more wicked grin, he had been experimenting on draconian chimera… The thought of implementing his results on one of the elves was something he much desired… Skalaz knew Izzabelle was mostly felblood, the makeup of her body would be better off if he only further enhanced what was already there. However Sericon was more of a open slate, Skalaz wondered if he couldn’t create a full draconian elf hybrid… Perhaps it was just the idle thoughts of a mad man, willing to combine anything…
Sericon tilted his head as she spoke perhaps she was right, however Sericon would have no idea the possible suggestions the Artificer might have for her…
Sericon glanced up towards the ceiling about to respond before the Artificer called out…
Sericon turned to try to see the goblin that had emerged from the shadows. “Merely admiring your work, Artificer.” Sericon said back, a half lie, Sericon did indeed admire what he had heard of the Artificer’s work, but still the room in which he worked was testimony to the dark paths the goblin did tread. “I have heard of some of your greatest feats… The ultra reaver? I heard it cleaved through worlds before it was brought down in Pandaria.” Sericon said he wished he had been there to see the machine in action…
Sericon nodded he very much wished to avoid being caged, let alone being caged because he had essentially lost his mind to whatever beast he was mixed with…
Sericon gave a more formal nod, this was Skalaz introducing himself, Sericon would do the same atleast for formality. “Sericon, I don’t recall if I have been given a name yet… We are here to deal with the ultimate failing death issue, a certain person of particular power?” Sericon implied, he was sure that the Artificer knew exactly what he was preparing them for.
Sericon jumped slightly as his armor was changed on his person without his own command! Sericon considered how the goblin might be able to override Sericon’ own control of the armor but chalked his nervous worries down to the the fact Skalaz created the armor. Sericon took a step back examining his new armor, grey metal of a unknown nature to Sericon with power fel filled felstorm crystals… The armor itself radiated the power Sericon once wielded freely when he was apart of the legion directly… Sericon idly puller forty one of the blades that accompanied the armor, a dark grey metal with a large fel stone in the center before giving it a swing! To Sericon’s surprise the blade emitted raging fel flames as it sliced through the air that trailed across the path the blade had taken. Sericon notes as soon as he stopped moving the blade the fel flames slowly dissipated back to the gem that summoned them. Sericon swung the blade again before grabbing the back of the blade before the flames had vanished, a grin forming on his face as they refused to burn his flesh. The swords could replicate the fel ability of a moderately experienced warlock, Sericon could choose what his fel flames would burn.
Sericon flexed slightly to further feel the inside of his armor, the elf could feel sharp injector needles that lined the area of his spine… Sericon wasn’t quite sure what they did, but his best guess was that they would give the elf a needed boost for combat when he needed… Sericon has heard tales of warriors from Azeroth training nonstop to become something of a juggernaut of muscle! In the legion the warrior like races were bred for war and combat, then given overwhelming amounts of fel to further the rage and bloodlust… Sericon considered it might be a version of fel blood in the needles, when a boost was needed he would be injected with pure power of the legions physical might!
Sericon turned his attention back to Skalaz, “Nonsense! I would love a tail, some tentacles and antlers! If I’m getting enhanced obviously we gotta make a monster!” Sericon said jokingly, imagining what he would look like!
Isaik heard the minions of his own command hear his will and obey. They might not have known it but they would need to be quite familiar with the Artificer if they were to ever beat the man who would kill them all. Isaik could easily read the confusion on their faces, they were ready for combat and war… They would join soon enough, Isaik had been watching the group on Azeroth fight through the stockades and felt their progress was going a bit slow… Something had to be done…
Isaik gave a dry laugh, “Can? He will always do as I will, however his aggression may be high if he believed I kept you for no reason…” Isaik hissed, he however had no plan to keep Jaseiah longer than needed… Isaik only wished to send Jaseiah back with her sibling, a sign that Salkeen was still a favored under Isaik, that even with something taken something was given in return…
Isaik watched as Yumara sliced her palm to create a life form to direct Jaseiah deeper into the dark vessel… Isaik easily understood why Yumara might create such a thing, Jaseiah has never been aboard the vessel… But, one never had to be aboard the vessel to find what they were seeking… Isaik considered for a moment, it was quite time Isaik addressed his vessel by its name…
The vessel’s name was Malevolence… Contrary to what the others no doubt thought about the vessel, it had never actually been the legion vessel that Isaik and the other had taken… Isaik had actually sacrificed the entirety of that legion vessel to summon his own… The Malevolence was not built with a legion ship in mind, the Malevolence was built using the knowledge of naruu dimensional ships, that’s what the Malevolence was, a dark dimensional ship… The Malevolence was a work of wonder beyond what many thought possible, it was nearly unstoppable, a monstrous supreme structure… However such power came at a price… The vessel needed to consume obscene amounts of power, a entire fel Star, a legion command vessel, all the other demons aboard… It was unmatched…
Isaik turned his full attention back to Yumara as she spoke… “Their war… It is merely a distraction, I sense slithering under the tides… I foresee a future where it is necessary to eliminate this problem… Shame really… I would have preferred more minions…” Isaik spoke letting Yumara in on the futures he had seen… “Though truth you have, in a few timelines mutually assured destruction is exactly what the two factions have done…” Isaik gave a dry laugh…
“Indeed… Those emotions are exactly why I rather enjoyed watching those wars… One could only wonder how the armies of Azeroth would have faired against Y’Shaarj… The fools only faced a mere fraction of his power…” Isaik hissed. Isaik may not have been allied with old gods as the Master wished to consume the void lords but he could admire their strength. When he had been known as the entity Zalak, he had even slain a few old gods on long forgotten worlds… But none of the pitiful gods Zalak had faced had been like Y’Shaarj, the most powerful old god upon Azeroth…
Isaik tapped his chin a gesture of thought, “You would very much enjoy the Artificer… He too works in such fields… Skalaz, the Artificer, has many test subjects for you to use if you so desire… His skill is more in alchemic transmutation and arcane transmutation, so he can design any test subject for you to use… We will be joining him soon…” Isaik hissed, He still needed the teacher for the elves to show up…
Isaik gave a small shrug, “a unfortunate situation yes, but also a great opportunity to mold her to our own goals… Izzabelle has Sericon to act as her anchor to the world, we will just ensure to safeguard that anchor.” Isaik moved to help calm Yumara, not to much as to dissuade her from her next actions but lessen the pain of loss… “It does not matter if she forgot who we were but to focus on what we are.” Isaik implied, he was not that unhappy over the entire outcome.
Isaik merely watched unmoved as the two beings conversed with one another, “Why not introduce new memory suggestions to take place of what was lost? Izzabelle already questions whether she herself is s malfunctioning homunculus, I am very tempted to further that suggestion…” Isaik hissed, “I already had to ensure that neither Sericon nor Skalaz mention Lord Salkeen… Her mind state seems to fragile for that at the moment…” Isaik stated, he had been keeping a close on in the girl after the binding, he saw that Sericon had been unsure how to treat the situation… The void elf very much despised being untruthful to his bonded…
Isaik reached into his cloak once more pulling forth a small trinket, a string of blade shards covered in long dried blood. The phylactery focus for his recently deceased minion… Isaik merely began to focus his power on the relic further calling his lost spirit back to the place he belonged, to the Master and a newly awaiting body… “Unfortunately our lost soul is taking his time…” Isaik spoke monotonously, “Follow along with me, we can continue our deliberations along the way…” Isaik said before slowly turning and moving towards the door like a revenant… The doors opened slowly to reveal the ever dark hallways devoid of any others that had recently moved through before them… Isaik crosses into the darkened halls, sure his loyal would follow him…
Ahcirej moves across Centralis, steeping in and out of the plain of shadows? Was it the plain of shadow? Perhaps it wasn’t, she couldn’t be sure, it wasn’t the void, nor was it the plain of death, or the non corporeal realm. She could wonder into those plains as well. Still it was this shadow filled realm of nothingness that… No she was wrong this realm wasn’t as much empty, as it was filled with disconnected, and forgotten things. Memories, thoughts, deaths that leave their imprints on the world around them, long after they have been forgotten. These oddities existed more strongly around where the recent battles involving Lord Salkeen took place. Ahcirej could manipulate these memories and give them a form of life, and magic. But it took a lot of memories, and a powerful mind to create, control, and command these beings once created. Plus she missed the bond she shared with both Jericha, and Lord Salkeen.
Memories however had been messing with her brain. They were making her question who, and why she was. She was once the holy light, a beacon of hope for the light side, as it fought against the darkness, of the void, and the Legion. She now finds herself unsure of herself and the connections that she had. Connections that she’ll never have again, now that the one who could return them was gone. At this moment she hates them all, Jericha, Salkeen, Izzabelle, Isaik, that damn cat… everyone. Yet as soon as the emotion appears it vanishes, Ahcirej being unable to hold it. She cannot hold, bond, or connect to anything, not for any lasting time. She could use the imprints around her to create a body for herself, depending on the strength of them, it would determine how strong she was, how long this body would last. They never last nothing ever lasts, all the connections the others have, will one day cease to exist, but unlike her they could form new ones. Stepping back into the realm of nothingness, she continues her trek across Centralis.
The undead creature had watched damn near the whole of the battle play out watching so much death! It was quite a treat to watch the souls of the slain whisk off to the places for their demise, he of course mostly meant the demons returning to the nether. There was something peculiar though, a echo but more that was also nearby… Someone from the battle, John could tell… He replayed the war in his head… “Ahcirej…” The undead creature hissed… The echo of what he saw, a soul but like a memory… John watched her wander, the realm of death was a ever changing and flexible realm just like the nether… Parts of the realm were pure black, spirits running through in terror, others like a dark forest replaying their biggest regrets, some were more peaceful a ethereal realm of mostly nothing… John could only guess which she was experiencing…
The undead soul of his black as it was creeped its way towards the only other important thing that was also here… “Truly lost are you??” John hissed his appreance like a rotting black corpse… “Normally I might revel in such loss and pain… But I always serve the master…” The corpse hissed, his soul seemed sickly it had been through much darkness… “The longer you stay the less chance you have to ever return…” Gallows explain, he had been in the dark place, during his first death he thought he might never return from the nightmare… Necromancy had not been seen by human eyes on Azeroth at that time…
Gallows tilted his black skeletal skull, “Make your way back to Azeroth… Here on this dead world you will only remain nothing…” The skeleton hissed, he didn’t care if she made the trek like he did or if she just merely moved to the dark vessel in the sky… “If you are valuable… You are never forgotten…” Gallows hissed, he could feel himself being further pulled towards the Malevolence…
As Ahcirej continued her trek phasing in, and out, of the different realms. Her mind wandering down many paths, paths soon forgotten. Perhaps wandering to far from everything would eventually disconnect her from existence. As it is she was struggling to remember things she knew just moments before… The realm of death, no this place she walked wasn’t the realm of death, though some might see it as such. She could enter that realm, but there she had no form, no mind, no existence, she preferred just walking along its borders.
Ahcirej stops and turns staring into the realm of death, at the corpse that had spoken to her. She looks around first to be certain he wasn’t speaking to another of that realm. Seeing no one she watches the decaying black corpse for a moment. She couldn’t speak, so she would have to form what she was saying. Then again it was a simple question that could be answered simply. She shakes her head back and forth, she wasn’t lost, something that didn’t truly exist couldn’t be lost.
She pauses looking at him, unsure of what he meant, she didn’t really feel much of those. She couldn’t connect to emotions that well now, while in a physical body. In this form it was even harder, still it got her thinking that she should head back to Jericha’s room aboard the Ered’Kiel. Ahcirej focuses her magic on a group of passing thoughts, she creates the image of things dying in multiple ways, and those that grieve their loss. She then forms illusions of physical and mental torture, One to represent loss, the other pain. Then they all vanish into the mists leaving not a trace behind. When that she turns away ready to continue her journey.
Ahcirej stops again, turning she thoughtfully eyes the decomposing, undead. No one understood what she was, they thought her dead because she skirted the boarders of that realm. She couldn’t explain what she was, what she had become, but dead wasn’t it. Whether she stayed here or not wouldn’t change what she was now, what she had been forced to become. A sprinkle of Void dust, and some magic words weren’t going to change what she was. Izzabelle was the only one who could’ve done that. The only one! and she had chosen to forget everything, to continue living her life oblivious to the damage she had caused her. once again she feels hate, anger, resentment, again it fades leaving not a trace behind.
She wasn’t about to take orders from a heap of decaying flesh and bones, that she met just moments earlier. Besides she wasn’t really sure how to even return to Azeroth. She could return to the side of those she knew, like Jericha, Salkeen, Izzabelle, even Master Isaik’s or Yumara’s. For now she wished to return to the Ered’Kiel, the memories tied to that vessel helped to keep her grounded. She nods at the corpse, before vanishing, reappearing in Jericha’s room aboard the crashed vessel. She doesn’t stay their for long, after a few minutes she leaves it and heads towards the command bridge. On her way she passes the mostly destroyed flight hanger, where all the Ered’Kiels fighter vessels and ships, were kept. Most of them had been destroyed in the blast from the Flesh Titan, and the following crash. Ahcirej moves through the wreckage, surveying the damage. That’s when she sees it, buried beneath the wreckage of another was a mostly intact one person fighter. Opening her mind she searches the myriad of memories floating around her, for the ones that she needed.
Orion switches to his Humanoid form to speak with Isaik. While he has no fear of him, he does respect him, and believes that he deserves to speak with him in his more powerful form. “Why not just introduce new memory suggestions? The answer is simple because I cannot. I cannot create what is non existent, I can erase from her mind all the memories that she has, by simply removing that time period from her existence.” Orion explains, looking at Isaik not really sure if he understood what he was saying. “When Salkeen released Izzabelle, i had to go in and remove every moment of her life where she might have any sort of contact or affiliation, with himself, or Jericha.” Orion continues his voice low, like he regretted having to do what he did. “However Izzabelles memories of Yumara, you, Varicar, and many others are tied strongly to either Jericha, or Salkeen. So I had to remove those times as well, I set it up so if anyone tried to return those lost times, they would be erased before she could even process them.” Orion states as hundreds of little watches, clocks, and hourglasses, constantly move around him. “As I said it took a lot of manipulation just to keep most of the memories of her pilot intact. It was imperative that she choose to live, not that she remember.” Orion says stopping and smiling slightly before speaking once more. “You do realize that Izzabelle is more like a living construct, that an actual living being. Her body was completely destroyed by Ebony’s spell along with all of her memories and damn near the entirety of her soul. Her body was created using some of the darkest Magics we could find in that mad mans tower. Countless lives were sacrificed to create the form that she has. millions more to recreate her soul.” Orion pauses, he’s sure Isaik had seen this, he was certain that Yumara had shared with him Izzabelle’s blocking of the spell meant for Jericha. “Izzabelle is more than anyone could possibly imagine, she isn’t just a felblood with some power. She is Elven, demonic, draconic, ethereal, primal, void, elemental, humanoid, necrotic, bestial, etc… so many thing went into making her, yet they could all be destroyed in less than a nano second.” Orion stops and drags his hand through his hair, and shakes his head in slight frustration. “To keep Izzabelle frozen like I do is the most magic consuming thing of my existence. So if you wish to go with her being an homunculus then I’m okay with that, although it might cause her to question her feelings for her pilot.”
Orion looks at Isaik with a rather confused look on his face. “Why? you do realize that Izzabelle has no memory of Lord Salkeen, zero, zilch, nada. Someone mentioning his name isnt going to bring those memories back. There gone, permanently gone, so neither of the two you mentioned should worry about mentioning Salkeen or Jericha, If they mention them to her, she will have no clue as to who they are talking about. Now if they try to get her to remember Salkeen now that would cause a problem.” Orion says switching back into his feline form and vanishing as the conversation came to an end. It would be interesting to see this Skalaz’s opinion on the genitic makeup of Izzabelle’s body. It took looking really deep to unwrap all the layers that were Izzabelle.
Isaik watched as Orion changed to a humanoid form, it wasn’t entirely necessary, the dark being always saw through his forms to see the true creature before him… “You cannot because you use time magic, I however am more skilled in other things relating to the mind…” Isaik implied, he could have easily placed a entire lifetime of memories for Izzabelle to look back on. “It seems time magic is not always the solution… Perhaos you should have just gone to me, removing memories is something I do quite often…” Isaik hissed, infact removing memories was one of his favorite things to do, he had planned to do something like it in Stormwind after the group made their escape…
Isaik tilted his skeletal form, He merely would have altered some memories and removed emotions for others… If Isaik had worked his magic, Salkeen and Jericha would’ve just been some commanders that once owned Izzabelle and Sericon, Izzabelle would have merely felt unappreciated when she looked back on them… The mind was quite flexible, easily able to put pieces together…
Isaik gave a dry laugh, “Perhaps you should have relied on one more adept with such manipulation…” Isaik hissed, Izzabelle was now under his command…
Isaik nodded, he had replaced his hands back into his sleeves as they all moved through the darkened hallways… “I did see such a thing… Infact I see more than you at times…” Isaik stated, he listened to the words of the timeless elf and put it together with the fate signature he had felt upon casting his gaze upon Izzabelle… More and more the dark master, started to realize that his influence had gone farther and effected more than even he predicted and in a way evolved… This is why he foresaw Izzabelle as the one to slay Raveintis, she was made by Zalak’s dark knowledge but with a purpose other than dark… Isaik wondered if her original purpose might try to show itself down the line…
“I know this, and Skalaz will see the same when he lays a hand on Izzabelle… One of the first things for using alchemic transmutation is comprehension, understanding the inherent structure and properties of the atomic or molecular makeup of a particular material to be transmuted, including the flow and balance of potential and kinetic energy within.” Isaik stated as for Izzabelle being destroyed as quick as Orion implied, Isaik was not so sure… If she was indeed born from what he suspected she was, she would not be destroyed in a physical way… But she would also become the destroyer…
Isaik did not let on what he was starting to believe, he would now fully understand why it consumed so much energy to hold her… “You imply as if the homunculi couldn’t feel feelings if not made to do so… Humans are devolved Titan constructs, if they can receive emotions is it so hard to believe a homunculus could not?” Isaik implied a cunning predatory grin on his face…
“I ensured they would not for two reasons, should some poor idiotic minion try to remind her… And two, I prefer to not have complications of someone saying something happened that she can’t remember… It might not be something she would remember then, but after she might have questions…” Isaik hissed, unintended loose ends were not something the master enjoyed dealing with…
Isaik had been continuing the conversation while they moved through the shadows halls… It was only after such words they arrived… Great dark doors swung open slowly with a low groan… The area they were entering was even more cold and filled with despair than the rest of the dark vessel… wretched black metal spikes hung from the ceiling, as chains hung beside them… Along the back of the great dark room filled with the beaten and lost prisoners was a great pale orcish form hanging from spiked chains… Dried blood covered his form, he was in a sorry shape… “We have arrived…” Isaik hissed…
The dark skeleton only gave a dry hollow laugh… “Deny it all if you wish… There is more than one way to be lost…” The corpse hissed… It however was not easy to communicate with a being incapable of such things as words…
After much attempts at communication, the exchange ended just like that… The spirit nodded before vanishing… Now it was Gallows’s turn, he felt the master calling… More and more the undead creatures form began to fade before with a last screeching sound the undead soul seemed to vaporize into dust…
To Gallows it was different, his phylactery called to him… His soul moving to be contained within the shattered blood stained blades… His old blades he had used for such wanton murder before and after his death… Even with his soul in a new body, the blades called to him, wished for him to return to his bloodshed… His spirit entering the blades he removed his last moments as a living man…
The sounds of his old shop, John sat alone in the darkness as he slammed his butcher down into some meat from the nearby farms… The man lifted his arm again and slammed it down hard decapitating the meat of what was once a sheep… He had grown so bored of slicing the flesh of these dead farm beasts, he just wished for more… The man had tried to see if his wife would follow him to do something more, but it only ended up in arguments and pain…
John slammed the cleaver down once more before the voice rang out behind him! “I am leaving you…” It was johns wife, “I couldn’t leave because I don’t love you, I love another man!” The women yelled! Now normally a man like John might argue and yell with this women, but night after night he had fought with her, day after day she denied him and cheated on him… John snapped… John whirled around his blood cleaver still in his hand and with a quick slice he cut the women across her screaming face! John didn’t stop in his rage he sliced again and again dismembering his one time wife until she was completely unrecognizable, just another lump of meat in his shop… When he was finally done, John had a cold realization, he kinda liked slicing living flesh…