(2022-10-19) So My Ex Is a Death Knight

Details

Author:	Alli
Summary:	Paluuva and Erixa meet up to discuss Paluuva's recent meeting with her ex, Icaros.
Rating:	T for Teen

Chain: Exes and Woes

Erixa comes trotting up to the overlook where Paluuva waits. She calls out, "Hi, teacher. Paluuva!"

Paluuva brightens at the quick correction to the use of her name. "Achel hecta, Erixa."

[Erixa]: How have you been? How did it go with… how are you?

Paluuva gives a musing sigh.

[Paluuva]: Your unfinished question is relevant, I'm afraid. It has been haunting my thoughts. Not that I am unwell, but I suppose I feel unbalanced.

Erixa grimaces. "Then I advised you wrong."

[Paluuva]: No, no of course not. It is just…Icaros. He was always a difficult man to contend with. But now…

Paluuva 's mouth turns down in a slight frown.

[Erixa]: This newfound focus has not improved him?

[Paluuva]: Come, let us sit.

Erixa folds her legs under herself and sits by the ledge. "That bad? That we may lose our feet?"

Paluuva chuckles dryly.

[Paluuva]: It is not that his new pursuit has not helped. I think it is a good thing for him. But…there has been another change. A rather drastic one that he failed to disclose to me in his letters.

Erixa frowns at Paluuva, gears turning in her head. "What? He has a new girlfriend? Boyfriend? A child?"

Paluuva 's shoulders tense, shrinking her profile.

[Paluuva]: No…nothing so mundane. You are familiar with the Knights of the Ebon Blade?

Erixa 's eyes widen. "He's working with the Knights of the Ebon Blade?"

Paluuva winces.

[Paluuva]: He is a Knight of the Ebon Blade.

Erixa blinks, touching one hand to the hilt of her own blade. "He… what? Can that even happen? I thought that was a thing of Azeroth people."

[Paluuva]: It seems we are not immune to the power of this Lich King.

[Erixa]: So this is… he is… not quite Eredar. I know it is a different thing, but… *Erixa looks out over Shattrath as she tries to figure out how to contextualize this*

[Paluuva]: In the strictest definition of the word, we might think of the death knights as man'ari. But that would only confuse the matter. He is…simply what he is now. A death knight…and yet, he is still Icaros in many ways.

[Erixa]: But he seemed himself, in the letters?

Paluuva nods. "In the letters, and in person. Mostly."

[Erixa]: Mostly. Did he try to hurt you? I hear they do that.

Paluuva shakes her head. "No, not at all. In fact we had a very interesting conversation about their 'hunger'. But that is beside the point. When I say mostly I mean that this transformation did change some things about him. But they are subtle. However, he is an academic and has done considerable self-examination, and was able to articulate it himself. He no longer possesses any pride of any kind. But neither does he seem to feel emotions in any great depth. Not that he ever displayed them much."

[Erixa]: So… dying and being raised as a death knight has made him into a better scholar. *Erixa glances sidelong at Paluuva, eyes narrowed* Are you going to see him again?

Paluuva tilts her head with a little shrugs, "I do not know if he is a better scholar. In fact, I worry that his limited emotional capacity will hinder his work. I believe the greatest scholarly and scientific achievements come as much from passion as they do from intelligence." She pauses, reaching into her satchel, searching for something. "I have agreed to teach him. But in exchange, he is going to teach me about death knights. I want to better understand them."

Erixa turns fully to look at Paluuva. "You're being very calm about all this. The pros and cons of study while alive or undead. But why do you need to better understand death knights?"

Paluuva glances up. "I was not calm the day I met with him, believe me." She produces an envelope from her satchel. "As a vindicator, can you not think of reasons we should have a better understanding of the death knights? Their strengths, their limitations, the scope of their powers, the depths of their hunger?"

[Erixa]: They will not be a part of the Army of the Light. This… undeath, this hunger… isn't it antithetical to what we stand for? *Erixa drums her fingers on her palm.* Maybe to understand how to destroy them.

Paluuva nods solemnly. "My interest is academic, but I am not blind to the tactical advantage of possessing such knowledge. There are reasonable concerns that the death knights may again fall under the sway of the Lich King, or their own hunger."

[Erixa]: That would make sense. What can be dominated once can be taken again. And what if it happens at a terrible time? Do you think Icaros might?

[Paluuva]: He does not think it possible, but in this I see only a stubborn refusal to accept the possibility of being enslaved again. He recognizes the incredible power of the Lich King, yet dismisses the notion that he could be controlled again.

[Erixa]: Are you certain he has no pride?

[Erixa]: That sounds quite prideful to me.

[Paluuva]: I have asked myself the same question. I do not believe it is pride, though. I think it might be fear. If Arthas were to leave any emotion intact, fear of him would be the one.

[Erixa]: That would be an effective control, if the only thing you can feel is fear. *Erixa draws her legs in closer, shivering* It is terrifying to think of such an existence. Cut off from the Light, cut off from even yourself…

Paluuva nods grimly. "But I am only speculating and will not make any assumptions. I still have much to learn when it comes to the death knights. I may discover that Icaros is quite correct and that bond with Arthas is forever broken."

[Erixa]: We can hope. We do not want them to turn on us, if we do follow to fight Arthas.

[Erixa]: Though if we do fight the Scourge someday, and you see me fall… can you make sure for me? That there is nothing for any Lich King to resurrect?

Paluuva 's brow creases and she reaches over to touch Erixa's knee. "I swear to you, I will never allow that to happen."

[Erixa]: Thank you. *Erixa looks at her very seriously* Nor will I let that happen to you. Not ever.

Paluuva nods solemnly, whispering softly, "Thank you."

[Erixa]: As for Icaros, you are meeting him in public places, just in case?

Paluuva chuckles weakly. "Of course. I am not a fool."

Erixa smiles and ducks her head in apology. "I did not mean to say you were. It's only worry."

Paluuva smiles affectionately. "I did not mean to imply you thought I was. I like that you worry about me, Erixa. It warms my heart."

Erixa shrugs, shifting over a little closer to Paluuva. "It's natural to worry about people you care for. And I guess… if you learn anything useful for combat, you will tell me? That seems the most likely way I might interact."

[Paluuva]: I will. I expect that Arthas still has some death knights in his army. So even if the Ebon Blade remain steadfast allies, knowledge of how to face their kind will be invaluable.

Erixa nods. "And you… will it hurt you, to teach and learn from him like this?"

Paluuva glances down to the envelope in her hand. "I imagine it will, sometimes. But, these are wounds I thought had healed long ago. Obviously I still have issues that I need to resolve. I think this will be good for me; a way to find some closure."

Erixa nods. "I hope that you are right, and that it brings closure and not yet more wounds. *She tilts her head, looking at the envelope* Is that a letter?

Paluuva nods and offers the envelope to Erixa. "You might find this interesting. You may recall that I said he never apologizes? I pointed this out to him…and he wrote this."

Erixa takes it from Paluuva's hand, and looks down at it. "Is it okay for me to read it?"

Paluuva gives Erixa a nod, eyes dropping briefly to the letter as if to urge her on.

Erixa reads through the letter, looking up guiltily from time to time at Paluuva, with a sense that she shouldn't be reading something so personal. When she reaches the end, she looks at it for a few moments longer.

Erixa holds up the letter, looking at it like a puzzle, "So in life he felt the need to apologize, but could not. And in death he does not feel the need to do so, but can."

[Paluuva]: Just so. That is strangely the most open he has ever been with me…at least of his own initiative.

[Erixa]: Does it help, knowing the feelings he held back then?

Paluuva takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly. She blinks rapidly as her eyes moisten. "Ahh…in some ways, it helps to know that he felt something that intensely. In other ways, it hurts that he could not express it back then."

[Paluuva]: I cannot help but wonder how our lives would be different if he had.

Erixa nods. "It seems like we have all the time in the universe, and then… suddenly it is too late."

[Paluuva]: And yet…that heartbreak may have saved me from many others. I am uncertain if that was a good thing or a bad one. But, I have certainly raised my standards because of Icaros, at least for considering a committed partner to form a f-…family with.

Paluuva 's breath hitches a little, but she quickly recovers her composure.

Erixa reaches out to touch her shoulder, in a clear invitation for a hug. "Then it is not all bad. Maybe your standards are the right height now."

Paluuva leans into the embrace, pressing her cheek to Erixa's. "Perhaps too high. Thirteen millennia and I remain unmarried. Not that I have been unhappy. I would not trade my time with my students for anything."

Erixa squeezes her gently. "Better unmarried than with the wrong person, yes? And you are not alone."

[Paluuva]: You are so wise. You must have had a very good teacher.

Paluuva grins.

Erixa pulls back and looks at her with a mischievous grin.

[Erixa]: I'm pretty sure she was the best one.

Paluuva dips her head in a humble bow. "A teacher is only as great as the achievements of her students, and in you I see my greatness realized."