(2023-08-09) The Cottage in Duskwood

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Author:	Saaron
Summary:	A group of Cobalt Company members and friends go to interrogate Helyn, the prime suspect of Sandy's disappearance, in her home. They find much more than a few answers to their questions.
Rating:	M for Mature 17+

Arc: The Sandysappearance

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At the earliest hours of the morning, on July 1st, Therald stands down the path leading towards the gryphon master of Darkshire. He awaits for the other people joining in on today's investigation. After various rituals and interrogations, all signs seem to point to Helyn, the girl who came to one of their meeting speaking of her missing brother. A missing brother she said Sandy was helping her find. Therald doesn't know what to expect, going to her home. Instead of his usual plate armor, he's wearing mail today. Still, he wears his usual sword and shield tied to his back. "Duskwood is a dangerous place," he thinks. "And if it comes to it with that girl…" He shakes his head. He stands as tall as he can, looking up at the incoming gryphons, a serious look on his face. A green whelping snuggles against his neck, clearly not fond of Duskwood. He comfortingly pats her head with one hand, while clenching the other around Ekorenine's letter containing the Blackwood's address.

Nesselos arrives next, stumbling off the gryphon in his rush to Therald. "I'm here!" Ness calls, waving, as he walks over. He doesn't have the usual smile on his face, and the crease of his brow beneath his horn crest speaks of concern. "If anyone is harmed, I will heal. Or bring them back."

Therald nods at Ness as he approaches. "Thank you, Nesselos," he says, a little awkwardly. "Others have said they'd come… Just in case," he says, without going into details about what the case might be. "They should arrive shortly… I hope." The dragon, Lyra, stares at Ness curiously, although her general demeanor shows that she's still a little afraid of the place they find themselves in.

Jo lands next, hopping nimbly down off the gryphon in her mage's robe and adjusting her goggles for the low luminosity of Duskwood. She nods at Therald and Ness. "You're here to look for Sandy Spellbond? And to visit that Blackwood warlock?"

"We are. I'm Therald, Sandy's father." He looks at Jo, squinting slightly, trying to remember if he knows her. "You are?.."

"I'm Captain Jo Sparkwire," the gnome supplies, smiling tentatively as she reaches out to shake Therald's hand. "Sandy's boss, I suppose. We'll find him. I'm sure of it."

"Hey, Jo!" calls a friendly voice, and Estel Herald approaches from the direction of the inn. "You got a lead? Tell me y'all got a lead." She is dressed in leathers rather than a robe for once.

Sir Elohad Ference is not far behind her, though he appears to have come from the Darkshire town hall. He is dressed formally and his clothes match; Niris must have dressed him and he must have arranged a meeting with the Council while he was in the area. His expression is slightly disgruntled, but it clears into a friendly smile as he approaches Jo and the others.

Jo smiles when she sees Elohad approaching, then she says to Estel, "More or less. We know where Helyn Blackwood lives, so we're going there. If nothing else, we can tell her what happened to her brother."

"Oh! An honor to meet you, Captain Sparkwire," Therald says shaking her hand. His cheek take a reddish color under his beard, unaware that someone as important would be joining. It gets worse as Elohad approaches. "Lord Ference, thank you for taking time off your day for Gausanders," he says, finally letting go of Jo's hand, while Lyra was approaching it, coming very close to licking the gnome's fingers, perched on Therald's arm. "Lady Spellbond mentions Helyn to be… Suspicious, in her letter," Therald says, looking at Jo and Estel.

"If it's the place, I'll know it as soon as I see the interior," Estel promises. "Dunno if they'll have moved him, but I'll recognize the building for sure." She cracks her knuckles. "Hey, I'm Estel," she says to Therald and Nesselos. "The priestess who helped Ekorenine check in on him." She points two fingers at her own eyes.

"Right, the mind vision spell…" Therald received all the necessary information from the letter. "Therald, San—" high ranking people are presents, we're not doing nicknames anymore. "Gausanders's father."

"Pleased to meet you, Estel," Nesseloes smiles, and then adds, "Though I wish it were happier circumstances. But, you know, if we find Sandy today, it will be happier circumstances! Oh, also, I'm Nesselos."

Elohad beams at them all. "Everyone here knows me, of course."

Estel laughs. "Sure do."

"Of course!" Jo giggles a little. Nesselos nods at Elohad with respect.

Therald nods. Lyra doesn't.

"We expecting anyone else today?" Elohad's olive-green eyes scan the area alertly, and he idly starts to loosen his tie.

Atley marches over to join them from the gryphons. He’s wearing his day to day work plate-mail set, and of course his Cobalt Company tabard. It’s clean, and the colors shine out rather starkly in the gloomy environment of Duskwood. He nods to everyone present. “Milord, Captain, hullo’ hullo’.” he growls.

"Hey, Dane," Estel says cheerfully.

"Ah of course," Elohad says warmly, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he gives Dane a hearty clap on the shoulder.

Suddenly ghost wolf, possibly or almost late. It is rapidly weaving a few circles around Nesselos and Therald and whoever else gets near, a mostly transparent wispy missile leaving a trail of breeze and static. Then Nunuzac is looming like a reedy sapling, face full of determination. She looks like she does not know where she is going but is nonetheless ready to go there.

"Hi Dane," Jo smiles. "Good we've got a crowd here. We'll be able to handle anything."

Nesselos claps his hands once with delight when the ghost wolf appears. "Nunuzac!"

Another gryphon swoops in from above, carrying a passenger with a billowing cloak, desperately trying to hold her purple, pointed hat to her head. "Cheese and crackers, gryphie, they weren't kidding. You are the fastest!" Gwenivene dismounts and grips her hat by the brim, rotating it into a more determined position as she approaches those gathered. Though she tries to put on a brave, freckled face, it lasts precisely three and one-quarter seconds until she lays eyes on Sandy's father. "Oh, Therald! I'm so sorry, I should have protected him!" She flies at Therald, throwing her arms around the man in a tight hug.

Dane nods to Gwen in greeting and sets his jaw, keeping quiet.

Elohad approaches and rubs Gwen's back gently in a fatherly manner as she hugs Therald.

Therald holds his hands up in suprise as Gwen hugs him. He stays like this for a little bit, before awkwardly patting her on the back. He frowns slightly as he tries his best to hold back tears. "No need to apologize," he says, keeping his voice steady. "I'm more to blame than you are." Lyra notices Gwen entering personal space, but doesn't seem to mind. She licks the air, as a snake would, near the mage's head.

Jo clasps her hands together and watches Gwen and Therald with a worried smile.

Gwen steps back, wiping at her eyes. "I've let my duties with the Kirin Tor consume me. If I'd been paying him more attention…" She trails off, shaking her head. She leaves it at that, and turns her attention to more hugs. It's Elohad's turn, soon followed by Jocoza. Then, yup, Dane gets attacked with a hug as well…and gosh, everyone else that doesn't explicitly stop her, because hugs are life.
Estel is a good hugger. She is happy to hug Gwen. "Hey, he'll be real glad to see you when we find him, yeah?"
Jo loves hugs, especially with people she cares about. She hugs Gwen as tight as she can with her little arms. Ness is also a hugger, and would never turn one down. He doesn't mind that this is probably his first time meeting Gwen. If a hug might help, hugs it is!

Nunuzac recognizes a good hugathon when she sees one. She is close in height to Nesselos but much string-beanier, so it's a little big like being embraced by an especially friendly lamppost with gentle crossbars. She seems more oriented now, recognizing Gwen from previous brief meeting, and Therald from the Ghostlands search. "If we know where to go, must not lose time."

Atley blinks and gently accepts Gwen’s hug after a moment of pause, being careful to not injure her with his armor. He gives her back three firm pars before he nods to Nunuzac. “She’s right,” he says with a nod. “Let’s go get the lad back from that witch.”

"Yes. Let's go," Therald says, right after wiping his eyes with his hands while everyone was busy hugging Gwen. "We're not certain she's got him, but…" He sighs, shaking his head. "We have to hurry regardless." He looks around, frequently looking at Elohad. "I… don't know who's more familiar with Duskwood, but here, this is the address." He shows the letter to everyone, pointing at the line which indicates where to go.

Estel gestures to Elohad. "Elo, you probably know, right?"

"Yep," he says. "Follow me, ladies and gentlemen." He starts off confidently in the correct direction.
Jo and Ness follow along.

Therald follows Elohad, staying behind the group. He has to wipe his eyes again, looking at the amount of people who've joined for something that might be nothing more than a conversation, a dead-end.

Elo glances over at Therald in time to catch the eye-wiping, and places a hand briefly on his shoulder with a slight, warm smile.

Estel mutters a prayer that sounds suspiciously like, "Hey, Light, do the thing," but functions as a [Prayer of Fortitude] for the group.

Atley takes up a place to Elohad’s left, grunting as the [Prayer of Fortitude] washes over him. He scowls into the dark forest with disdain.

Estel nods to Dane. She is fluent in Grunt.

Gwen initially tries to stride ahead at the forefront of the group, eager to get where they're going…until she realizes she doesn't know where they're going. So, she falls back a bit, following Elohad's lead. "Does she live far from Darkshire?"

Therald briefly smiles at Elohad, then shyly turns to look forward, focusing on the paths ahead. Lyra, similarly to what she did with Gwen and Jo, licks the air around Elo's hand. She's seen a snake do this once and thinks it's cool. Therald quickly glances at Elohad at Gwen's question, clearly jittery with anticipation.

"Not far at all," he says. "I didn't think it worth bringing a horse, if that tells you anything." He glances toward the dragon whelp, but it seems to be harmless and he has learned by now not to Ask Unnecessary Questions where Sandy and his family are concerned.

"Oh good," Jo says. "Sometimes I have to blink a lot to keep up with you people on long walks."

After traveling for about 15 minutes, the group stumbles upon a relatively well kept, small cottage. A stone path, overgrown with the twisted, sick plants of Duskwood leads to its front door. From what can be seen through the window's curtains, candles are burning inside, the dim orange lights shining through the cloth.

Atley eyes the whelp with a raised brow, keeping any Unnecessary Questions to himself for now, for similar reasons. He swivels his gaze back to the darkened forest around them before they come upon the cottage, when he sets his hand on his sword.

"It's… Is it here?" Therald asks his hand fidgeting towards his sword. It looks too plain, too normal to be the place where his son could be. He's got a bad feeling about it. But then again, who wouldn't have a bad feeling about the place where they think their child is being held captive? Therald takes a deep breath. "Should… We all go?"

Elo scratches at the short beard he's been wearing since he got voted onto the House of Nobles. He probably thinks it makes him look more distinguished, and he's not entirely wrong. "We're a big enough crowd that we might be intimidating, especially those of us who armored up for a fight. Maybe I'll go knock on the door, along with anyone else who looks harmless - Gwen for example. And the rest of you can take positions where you can hear but not be seen, for now.."

Gwen's mouth pinches up in a little pout at being declared harmless-looking, which only makes Elo's point for him. It also helps that she is deliberately not bearing any markers of her status as a Kirin Tor mage. Despite her initial pouty protest, Gwen does not object, in fact nodding eagerly. "Yep. Yes. Yessereebob. Um…yes."

Jo walks next to Elo and says, "I'll just go invisible when you knock. That'll help."

Elo chuckles slightly and turns to survey the others. "All right, who's with me and who's lying in wait? I'll yell out 'Cobalt' if I need everyone to move in."

"I'll lie in wait," Nesselos says. "I might look frightening, to someone not used to draenei, and who doesn't know me."

"Unfortunate but true," Elohad says with a frown. "I still remember my first reaction, and I'm not proud of it. I hope some day Stormwind is a place where the sight of draenei is a comfort to all."
Therald nods at Elohad. "I'm in full armor. I'll stand back for now, I'll…" he looks around. "Hide behind that tree, over there."

"A tree!" Ness beams. "Good idea, I think some of them are big enough to hide me."

Elo nods. "So long as you're in range to hear my shout and out of her eyeline when she answers the door, that'll work."

Gwen sticks close to Elohad's side, and smiles gratefully down at Jo. She gives her hat a turn into a slightly less imposing position, lest she intimidate with the impression that she is a mighty sorceress.
Estel folds her arms. "I should be up there," she says. "I'll recognize the place, and the warlock, if it's her." She does not look as harmless as she usually does, but she steps up to stand next to Gwen.

"Three ought to be enough to look like a friendly call," says Elo. "Not counting invisible Jo," he adds with a grin. "Any more and it starts to look like a mob. The rest of you are all right with waiting here unless I call for backup?"

Ness nods, already moving towards a large nearby tree.

"Sure," Therald says, going in a direction opposite to Ness, to stay behind another tree, on the other side of the cottage, covering more ground. Lyra hides her face on Therald's neck, worried of going further into these woods.

Nunuzac perks up, she looks harmless doesn't she? But second guesses the idea, nodding along firmly at the discussion of draenei unfamiliarity. "Yes okay, hiding. There is no danger here, yes?" She accompanies the others in looking for somewhere inconspicuous to lurk like the world's most suspicious surprise birthday party.

Atley nods to Elohad and silently hangs back, cinching his thumbs on the belt keeping his tabard pressed to his chest. He idly glances around, but otherwise keeps still and in plain sight.
Elohad returns Atley's nod, puts on his Charming Visitor face, and strides up to the cottage door to knock.

Estel's posture goes deceptively relaxed.

Gwen looks as relaxed as she possibly can, which is to say she is as tense as a long-tailed cat in a room full of mousetraps. But she smiles—awkwardly—and pretends everything is Just Fine.
Jo traces a symbol in the air and disappears from sight just before Elohad knocks.

As the knock resonates through the house, a loud noise can be heard inside. A chair, scraping against the floor. Soon after, a head pops from behind the curtains, looking at the people standing in front of the door. Helyn's eyes widen and she clearly takes a deep, shaky gasp. Right after, she puts on a smile, and through the closed window, her muffled voice comes out. "I'll be right there!" she says, before disappearing back behind the curtains. Seconds later, people standing at the door hear the key turning in the lock. Then, nothing.

Elohad narrows his eyes, and then shouts back to the people in the trees, "All right, I'm calling it. Sir Atley, kick in the door."

Estel takes two steps back and casts a Shield around Gwen.

clank, Clank, CLANK! Atley jogs up between the others, heading right for the door. Unless interrupted, he squares his stance with a posture of experience, and moves to kick the door open with his armored boot, no questions asked.

The door easily breaks open under Atley's kick. Inside, the shape of someone looking vaguely like the Sandy they knew has his wrists chained to the floor, with chains too short to let him lay down or stand up comfortably. He's inside a demonic ritual circle, clearly in bad shape, but the corners of his mouth lift weakly as he sees familiar faces coming in. Behind him, on the other side of the room, Helyn, wearing a black cloak jumps out of the window without looking back, and begins running into the woods.

Atley yanks out his sword. "It's him! She's making a break for it, round the back!" He races to the edge of the summoning circle.

"Get her!" Elohad orders at… people, generally, as he immediately kneels by Sandy and tries to cast healing and purification spells on him.

Therald runs behind Atley, significantly less swiftly than he does, and then stands awkwardly behind the people at the door… Until Dane speaks of Helyn. Therald hesitates, unsure if he wants to see Sandy first, or run after the girl. He ends up choosing the latter.

Nesselos rushes in around the same time as Therald. His eyes widen on seeing Sandy, and he rushes over to him. Chasing is best left to other people, after all. Jo becomes visible again, and blinks through the window after Helyn. As soon as she reappears, she activates her rocket boots.
Gwen gasps in horror at the sight, and blinks so suddenly across room that poor Padrick is left behind and plummets to the floor, left to hop after her in irritation. She rushes to Sandy's side. "Sandy! Oh, by the Light, what's she done to you?!"

Estel sprints after Helyn, slipping into [Shadowform] as she does. She's out of range for any of her spells. "Sheep, Jo!"

Ness calls up a healing totem next to him, which provides a steady stream of supportive healing.
Jo nods, and doesn't hesitate even to answer Estel. She attempts to polymorph Helyn.
Atley comes short of the summoning circle, and rounds it. He leap/runs to the window Helyn just escaped from, and yanks out a throwing hatching. He flings it out towards her in the darkness, aiming for a leg.

steadies his breath with all the healing magic being cast on him. His temperature is high, yet, he still shivers. Wounds begin slowly healing, but one on his calf doesn't seem to, the colors, textures, and smell being too odd, too unusual. The infection has gone too far, even for healing magic. Upon inspection, the ritual circle around him seems to have been broken and rendered useless, even before they came inside the house. He looks at everyone, managing the biggest smile he can - a fairly weak one, especially for him. "Gwen, you're there…" he whispers happily. The joy quickly fades from his face as he turns around towards the Estel's and her shadowy presence, he uses his very scarce strength to throw himself in her direction, letting out a soft "No…", hurting himself with the chains in the process.

Nunuzac was too far away to fully grasp Sandy's situation, but people are chasing? Chase?? She fades into a ghost wolf that appears to do a very brief little excited stamp of forepaws before barreling after the fleeing shadow with some of the others. She intermittently solidifies into this plane as lanky draenei spouting heavy gobs of frost and snow ahead of her, most missing the target and spraying trees and grass with patches of powdery obstactle, in between swapping into her speedier form like the most annoying pvp shaman you know.

Helyn knows Duskwood like the back of her hand. This is just like all these times she played hide and seek, but much worse, and much more horrifying. She turns around, hearing Jo's boots and looks at her in utter horror. She picks up speed, running as fast she can. She zigzags behind the familiar trees, trying to break line of sight from the casters. She manages to disappear right in time to avoid Jo's spell, but gets hit in the back of the knee by Dane's hatchet. The girl falls into the muddy ground, screaming, but just as quickly a green light shines in her hands - a healthstone being consumed. For a split-second, Helyn watches the frost forming on the nearby trees, her eyes widening. The wound from her leg disappears, and she gets up, running further into the dark woods. Barely visible hooved footsteps appear in the mud, making their way towards the people following her.

Therald wishes he'd taken his bow and arrows. He tries to run after her, but his legs are short and his armor heavy.

Nesselos tries a poison-cleansing totem, watching Sandy's leg with worry.

Jo continues the chase, shooting a rocket towards Helyn from a glove.

Gwen wraps Sandy up her in her arms, cradling his fragile form against her. "Yes, I'm here. It's me. Please don't strain yourself. We're gonna get you free and heal you right up, okay?" Her voice wavers as she fights tears, trying to stay strong and sound confident for him. She gestures with a free hand at one of the chains binding him, conjuring up a focused frostbolt in an effort to freeze the metal, at least enough to make it easier to shatter.

Estel is a very good runner, and she's dressed for this. She rattles off a [Prayer of Shadow Protection] that sounds a lot like, "Hey, Light, don't fucking let her get us."

Sandy's leg doesn't seem to be healing properly, despite Ness's efforts. He completely lets go in Gwen's arms, as if finally feeling safe again after all this time here. "I'm glad," he smiles at her, "We're going home together…" He still shivers in Gwen's arms. His smiles drops slightly. "Just… let her go. Please."

Therald keeps running after Helyn. He turns his head to look at Lyra. "Can't you do something?" he asks. The whelpling looks worriedly around, tentatively taking flight. She flies in Helyn's direction, preparing to spit poison her way. Therald slows down and looks at the dragon, impressed. Lyra manages the equivalent for a green whelpling to a cat expelling a hairball. It falls right under her. Therald takes a deep breath, and picks up speed again.

Helyn's succubus appears between her and Jo's rocket, taking parts of the explosion onto herself. Helyn still gets hit by the blast and propelled forward, falling into the mud. She screams again, her cloak catching fire. Adrenaline rushing in her veins, she leaps forward and disappears. She reaches for her favorite hiding spot, as a kid, and sits in a hole, under a tree's roots. She wipes her cloak into the mud, extinguishing it, and covers her nose and mouth with both her hands, trying to silence her panting. Her eyes move in every direction, looking for any sign that someone is coming. Meanwhile, her succubus, half-burned, begins running towards Jo, chuckling. "Just as I expected. This is my favorite part!"

Jo draws to a stop, trusting the shield to handle the whip. She launches the fireball at the succubus, following up with a summoned dragon's head above her that spouts disorienting flame.
Sandy difficulty turns to look at Dane, not focusing on what Elo said about his leg. "That's… not her fault."

Atley nods and bends over, scooping up the chains in his hand. He admires them closely, sword still held in his free hand.

The demon's eyes widen in surprise at the shield, followed by the bursts of fire. She chuckles through the flames, blinded by the fire's bright lights. The succubus falls to her knees, not trying anything to stop the flames. "You're good… really good." She chuckles some more.

Estel drops the [Shadowform] before she she steps up to stand on a large tree root, looking down. "Hey," she says to Helyn. "If you want to live, this is the part where you surrender."

Nunuzac sees a succubus and is immediately diverted from the first target. A demon that she wasn't already warned about (and even that is questionable) is bad news - any draenei knows that much. Totally forgetting about "poor" Helyn and her current smoldering plight, Nunuzac puts on her serious face and beelines to help close in on the demon, hands wisping with elemental wind in preparation for a shock - appearing quite focused and cross, which is unusual.

The disorienting flame's effect fades from the demon, as she watches Nunuzac approaching her. Through the flames, she smirks at the draenei, daring her to do it.

Helyn squak at the sound of Estel's voice. "No! Please, no!" she sobs, getting up, ready to run again.
Jo looks over at Estel and Helyn at the sound of her voice, and she sends a burst of frost their direction trying to hold Helyn in place.

Estel jumps down in front of her, blocking her path. "Hey. You can't outrun us. You can't hide from us. You're outnumbered. There's no world in which you escape. Trust me, you want to surrender. I'm the nice one." The [Fade] spell is incredibly subtle, as are its effects: for some reason, Estel seems to be less of an obvious threat compared to the others around her.

The frost magic traps Helyn as Estel blocks her path. She sobs into her hands, surrendering. "Please… I just wanted my brother back…"

Nunuzac does hesitate briefly while crackling with gathering static, though not from the sound of Heyln's voice. "I know that ending you here will only send you back out there," she hisses out in draenei, perhaps assuming the succubus will understand, or unconcerned in that regard. "But I will do what I must if you try to control anyone. You will be silenced or worse. Everyone here for Sandy is strong."

"Well then," the succubus, still on fire, answers in Draenei, with a smile. "Shouldn't you put out these flames before it's too late, then?" She doesn't seem to do anything to stop burning.

"We can talk about why you decided to kidnap and torture a guy later, and you can make your excuses in front of more people than just me. Okay?" Estel tilts her head, peering at Helyn. "Are you injured?"

Nunuzac waffles for a few more moments of smoldering demon, her frown twitching. It's a demon, and the kind that is definitely trying to trick you, but in which direction? Is this a double fakeout, or an obverse psychology? Maybe a 5D switcheroo!? With a frustrated little snarl and stomp of her hoof, she finally makes a decision and drops a pile of frost and snow powder over the succubus, smothering some of the flame.

Helyn doesn't answer Estel. Instead, she falls down and completely breaks down, sobbing, hugging her knees.

The succubus smiles, finally not on fire anymore. "Thank you!"

"Yeah, okay. Okay." Estel doesn't take her eyes off of Helyn, unwilling to miss her sneakily activating a hearthstone.

Gwen continues freezing the chains to make them easier to break. "The metal should be more brittle now…if I got it cold enough. Sciencey stuff," She says to Dane. " Looking up at Nesselos, she nods. "I'll open a portal directly to Dal-…um…to Stormwind as soon as we have him free of the chains."
Atley waits for Gwen to freeze over the links of the chain. He inspects it for a visibly weak point before he raises his sword and brings it down onto the weakest link with a grunt of exertion, utilizing the same muscle groups and posture he uses when he’s smithing.

Sandy doesn't take his eyes off of Gwen anymore, no matter how much noise or distractions are happening around him. He doesn't notice Atley breaking the chain at all.

Elohad looks between Sandy and Gwen and smiles wistfully. But when he speaks, he sounds like Knight-Captain Ference from the second war. " Gwen, can you get him to Stormwind and find a surgeon? You'll want a surgeonand a priest. I'll wait here for the others to return."

Atley lowers, trying not to interrupt the reunion as he reaches for Sandy, aiming to pull him up. “On your feet, lad, there we are.”

Gwenivene nods firmly to Elohad. "I'll take care of him." Once Dane has Sandy supported and her hands are free for a moment, she produces a portal stone. Tossing it into the air, she murmurs an incantation as she gestures at the stone in a wide, circular motion. From the stone, a ring of glowing, arcane energy expands, pushing space apart to reveal the portal leading into the Mage Tower of Stormwind. Padrick grips the brim of Gwen's hat firmly. Gwen slips her arm around Sandy again, looking to Dane briefly with a nod of affirmation. She kisses Sandy's cheek. "You're gonna be okay. I love you. I'm taking you home and we're gonna get you all fixed up. You ready?"

Atley lofts a brow and looks between, supporting Sandy unemcumbered. He looks to Elohad with a silent question, nodding to the open window. ‘Take Sandy? Or stay and fight.’

"I think the fight is likely taking place without us," says Elohad. "For better or worse. It's up to you if you want to go with Sandy or try to find where the others chased that woman. I'll stay here to communicate to the others what's happened to Sandy when they return, but I think our work here is mostly done.

Ness looks worriedly at Sandy, but says, "As for me…. Sandy will be safe in Stormwind, so I'll stay here. There's still Helyn."

Sandy does slowly raises his eyebrows at the mention of a surgeon this time, but doesn't say anything back. He listens leaning in toward Gwen as she kisses him on the cheek. "I'm ready," he says weakly. His head hangs forward a little but still, he smiles at Dane, then turns towards Ness as much as he can. "Keep her safe, okay?"

Atley looks between them all before he nods. "Alright, then. I warrant you lot have it sorted. On we go, lad." He moves to march Sandy through the portal, still supporting him with a raised arm.
Elo reaches out to give Sandy one gentle squeeze on the shoulder before Gwen and Atley take him through.

Ness nods once at Sandy. "I'll try."

Sandy smiles weakly at Elo and Ness, before seeming to drift to sleep, finally feeling safe enough to actually get some rest. His breathing stays steady.

After Gwen and Sandy disappear through the portal, Ness heads out the door, shrinks down to a ghost wolf form, and runs after the team chasing Helyn.

Jo moves towards Helyn slowly, trusting Nunuzac to keep the demon occupied.

Gwenivene, hugs Sandy tight to herself, keeping a firm hold on him. She gives Dane, Elohad, and Nesselos one last look of worry and distant hope. As she steps through the portal with her beloved, her words echo back at them, "Don't let her get away…." The portal retracts, space reclaiming its natural state, and they are gone.

Helyn is still crying, her face hidden behind her knees. She shakes uncontrollably, and doesn't hear Jo approaching.

"Helyn Blackwood," Jo says, in a low, unusually flat voice. This might be her angry voice. "You kidnapped one of my people. And you hurt him, I don't even know how badly. For weeks. I should… I…" Jo blinks at Helyn, a fireball blossoming in one hand almost as if she's not aware of it. She looks at Estel, and then glances back towards Helyn's house. She shakes her head and the fire fades slowly. "I should arrest you. Or Elo should. This is his jurisdiction, I think."

"Can you go get Elo?" Estel asks. "Is the succubus dead? We do not want the succubus around for this. I can keep an eye on her."

Nunuzac has indeed been keeping the succubus busy, but apparently still alive in a heap of only slightly on fire wings and hooves. The draenei is watching her like a hawk, clearly expecting some kind of attempt at a trick or spellcasting, until someone with more say on what should be done about it shows up. But it's been a while now, and everyone else has either gone to Sandy's side or cornered Helyn, potentially leaving Nunuzac with the trepidatious prospect of having to make an additional decision? Mortifying. "Helloooooo?" The shaman's high and windy voice tries, sounding increasingly nervous with being responsible for this demon that is probably using every second to plot something. But she still won't take a chance at taking her eyes away.

"You've got her?" Jo asks Estel, looking back at the sound of the anxious shaman's voice. "I can check on Nunu and find Elohad to take her into custody."

"Yeah, I've got her. She's done running." Estel sounds confident, but she hasn't taken her eyes off Helyn.

"Please, just let me go!" Helyn suddenly looks up at the two of them. "I promise, you'll never see me again if you do! Please, please, please, please, please!" The tears have stopped, leaving panic and fear in their stead. The girl looks at Jo and Estel, eyes wide with terror. Meanwhile, the succubus, still kneeling, smiles at Nunuzac, hearing the sound of Helyn's pleas for mercy. "Do you mind if I get closer? I swear, I won't do anything. I just want to watch my 'master' beg." She chuckles. "After all, it's not every day you get to see a mastermind fail and get caught. I want to see her lie and deceive your friends." Her voice goes softer, and she speaks in a humble tone. "I've got so much to learn from someone like her…"

"Actions have consequences," Jo says, glancing to Estel. "You don't get to run away from them. Estel, I'll be right back." Jo heads back toward the house, and stops by Nunuzac and the succubus. She frowns, looking between the two of them. "Aren't you going to kill her? She'll just go back to the Twisting Nether, but at least she can't cause problems there."

"Why the fuck would we let you go?" Estel asks Helyn in a friendly, conversational tone.

"Stay there!" Nunuzac snaps back at the succubus's suggestion, clearly not trusting the demon's stated intentions in the least. Visible relief crosses her face when Jocoza comes into range. "Demon is tied to that warlock…" she answers. "Calls her back, makes her strong again. Can we trap?" Where's a good Nether Box when you need one? "If no, then kill. But look for summon fuel on the warlock? Magic item , stolen soul…" she seems to really quite expect some underhanded maneuver.

"I can only trap her for a short while," Jo shakes her head. "I think the best bet is to kill her, and make sure Helyn can't summon her back."

"Why the fuck would we let you go?" Estel asks Helyn in a friendly, conversational tone.

Helyn seems taken aback by the question. Indeed, why would they let her go? "I…" She scraches the side of her head, going back to hide her face against her knees. "I don't… deserve it."

The succubus sighs at Nunu for telling her to stay there. She turns to Jo. "You saw my master? How was she? Was she crying?" She shakes her head. "After everything she did, to just get caught like that… that's terrible. So close her to her goals…"

"No more poison words," Nunuzac tries to cut off the succubus, her normally cheerful face hardening at Jocoza's input. Pushing down the unease inherent in taking the course of action the succubus had first spoken of, the shaman plants a magic-empowering wind totem and gathers a thunderous lightning strike decisively down at the demon.

Jo does not answer the succubus, and keeps her gaze on Nunuzac. "I see you've got this under control. I'm going to go find Elo, if he's still at the house." Jo leaves Nunuzac with the succubus and makes her way back to the house where Sandy had been held. She blinks to the doorway, and says before even looking, ” Elo, are you still here?"

"Soul shards on the ground, now. And hearthstone, if you own one." When did Estel draw her dagger? It's in her hand now.

"I am," he says, coming to the door and looking down at her. "Whittle and Atley took Sandy back to Stormwind to get his leg… taken care of. Did you get the girl?" Apparently she isn't even worthy of being referred to by name.

Jo nods grimly. "Estel's got her under control, and Nunuzac is killing the demon she had with her. I figure this was a crime committed in your jurisdiction, so you ought to take her into custody. I… I admit for a moment I thought about just killing her. But. Justice, right?"

Helyn shakes her head, giving up entirely. Her face grows blank, and she just stares at the ground. "I don't have any. I don't have anything anymore. Except this." She reaches for a pouch on her dress, and lets a soulstone roll onto the floor. The magic doesn't seem to be hers.

As she gets hit by the lighting, the succubus's smile drops, leaving her instead with a deep frown, and a look of hatred in her eyes, as she glares at Nunu. She disappears, going back to the Twisting Nether.
"Stand up, hold your arms out to the sides," Estel directs Helyn. It's searching time.

"Justice," Elohad says, his olive-green eyes going as hard as cloudy jade. "I've thus far failed to bring the warlock that harmed Mayellen Mullby to justice ((because timey wimey!)), but I'll be damned if I'll be prevented from letting this one be an example — before all the good people of Stormwind — of what happens to warlocks who pursue their own cruel, selfish schemes instead of serving the Alliance."

Helyn obeys, although she moves slowly, completely defeated.

Jo nods. "Let's make it as public as it can be. I'll take you to Estel? I don't want us to leave her alone with the warlock any longer than we need to."

"Right behind you," Elohad says grimly.

The Ness ghost wolf arrives by Estel's side. He turns back into a draenei, but doesn't interfere.

Therald catches up to Ness and Estel, panting. Lyra is now back on his shoulder. He stares at Helyn. "You…"

Estel does as thorough of a body search as she can without literally taking off Helyn's dress, but this does include checking the insides of her sleeves and the underside of the skirt. It's almost as if she's been professionally trained to check assassins for concealed weapons or something.
(She probably has.)

Jo leads Elo back to where Estel has Helyn.

Helyn doesn't hide any weapon on her, and the pouch on her belt is now empty, now that she took out the soulstone. She would feel embarrassed about the search, if she wasn't thinking about how she'll spend the rest of her life in prison.

Therald glares at her, his hand on the handle of his sword.

Elohad approaches the captured woman with murder brewing in his eyes, but his body language is calm and commanding, with no tension evident in his posture.

"As a member of the Darkshire Council as well as the Stormwind House of Nobles, I stand personally as witness to your abduction and torture of an innocent Stormwind citizen. I will be personally escorting you to Stormwind, where you will be taken into custody by the Guard until your trial."
Jo stands a pace behind Elohad, keeping careful watch in case a counterspell is needed.

Nunuzac collects her totem and clutches it to her chest as she darts away from the scene of the zappening - finally finding the others and huddling near Nesselos, looking a bit worried. Finally getting a clear look at Helyn, she holds a bit of mild surprise at this pathetic sight, perhaps having expected something more hellfire-defiant, maybe with skulls and curses all over. No, she looked pretty similar to the other human warlocks who claimed good intentions and control.

Helyn listens to Elohad, looking up at him. Her lower lip begins quivering before she lowers her head, crying once more. Her shoulders shake with every loud sobs, her voice cracks.

Therald seems to wake up from his single-minded anger about Helyn. He looks around. "Where's Sandy?"

Nesselos adds quietly to Helyn, "Your brother was murdered by a Forsaken warlock named Sirie Netelle. It doesn’t change what will happen here, but… I thought you should know."

"… What?" Helyn says, softly. Her sobs come to an abrupt end. Her breathing seems to stop too, for a few seconds. This information just doesn't make sense to her. She shakes her head. She doesn't even look at Nesselos. "… Why?"

Therald purposefully stopped listening to that conversation, knowing he'd just get angrier if he did. He focuses on what matters the most. He begins walking back to the cottage, looking for his son.

"She's… a murderer," Ness looks a little sick. "I do not think he was her first victim." Jo moves up next to Elohad and says to him, "How should we do this? Bind and gag her? I can make you a portal to Stormwind."

Estel gives Elohad a thumbs-up. "She's clear. Basically nothing on her. She didn't have time to grab much, I guess." She reaches down and picks the soulstone up off the ground. "Tell me about this, Helyn."

"No, no, no, no… No! That's not true!" Helyn shakes her head frantically, now looking at Ness. "If he's gone, it can't have been random! That Forsaken can't take him from me for no reason!" Her tears keep rolling down her face, but this time she doesn't sob "I can't lose everyone for no reason…"
She sniffles, turning to Estel. She wipes her face with her sleeve. She tries to speak without her voice breaking. "It's a soulstone. For… If I got attacked by worgens, or skeletons while I ran, or… whatever else…"

"We've all lost people," Elohad says to Helyn, his eyes hard and unforgiving. "The Scourge took my wife, my daughter, and my eight-year-old son from me. I coped with it by joining the fight at Hyjal and trying to make a better world, not by abducting and torturing innocents. Save your tears for the judge."

Helyn doesn't save her tears for the judge.

Estel studies the soulstone, her eyes going a little unfocused. "Here," she says eventually, and hands it back to Helyn. "Keep it." She reaches into a bag and offers Elohad a pair of handcuffs. Does she always carry those? Who can say.

Elohad takes the cuffs from Estel. "Vengeance would have me tighten the cuffs until you lost a hand," he says in a resonant voice equally appropriate to a battlefield or a concert hall. "But my interest is in Justice, not vengeance. You will pay as the law dictates, and no more." He attempts to pull Helyn's arms behind her back to cuff her in a way that means she'd have to rely on someone else to keep her from falling flat on her face, should she trip.

"Oh!" Ness says, and moves after Therald.

Helyn puts the soulstone back into her bag, before letting Elohad handcuff her with no resistance. "Where were you, then?" she asks, her voice low, monotone.

"Not all evil can be stopped. But this evil will be." Jo answers, and pulls out a portal stone, opening the second portal of the day from Duskwood to Stormwind. "Elo, I'll come with you? Just in case she tries anything - I'll turn her into a sheep if she does."

"Perfect," says Elo, sounding satisfied with a Job Well Done. He closes a hand around one of Helyn's arms and guides her through the portal, firmly but not roughly.

Jo follows afterward, holding the portal in case any of the others want to come along. The more the safer.

"I'm going to check out the house," Estel says to Nunuzac once the two authority figures have stepped through the portal. She dusts her hands off. "Good work, yeah?"

Nunuzac pauses for a moment, a hand to her chin in thought, glancing from the portal to Estel and back. "I go to house too-also? There is maybe a danger, so two-number is more good." She steps away from the portal, seemingly making a decision. "Did you see Sandy?"

"Sure," Estel says, waving Nunuzac along. "I saw him, briefly, before the running bit. He didn't look great."

Nunuzac's vaguely worried face flashes very worried for a moment before she gathers herself and clips along with Estel. "Others are with him, girl-friend, Nesselos with water spirits, Paladin Elo. And Captain will know what to do." She seems to be reassuring herself as they take off to investigate.
"Gwen will make sure he's taken care of," Estel promises. "What was that succubus trying to tell you? Anything interesting, or the usual manipulative bullshit?"

Nunuzac makes a face. "She gives me a taunt face, as like ready for die right away - but that only takes her out there. Ready to come back with a summon soon. It made me think maybe it is more safe to have her hurt or in a trap. I stop a short time, think. "But we have no such thing right now, so I kill." She does not sound too sentimental about it, probably having killed demons before given her people's history. "So I want to see there is nothing in the house that makes her come back."

"Good call." Estel gives Nunuzac a thumbs-up and continues on towards the house.

Therald walks into the house. He looks for Sandy, then spots the broken chains on the floor. He pets Lyra on the head. "Already gone…"

Ness walks in behind him. "His girlfriend took him to Stormwind by portal. Lord Ference and I tried to heal him as best we could, so he's had plenty of both healing water and Light. Still, there was a wound in his leg that had already set, and Lord Ference said he needed a surgeon and a priest."
"I… I better get going, then. Fly back to Stormwind," he says his voice calm but his hands moving nervously. "Thanks. For coming here today, and for telling now."

Ness nods. "He's alive, that's what matters. And he'll be happy to see you."

"I hope you're right," Therald says, looking at the ground. He exits the building, running towards the gryphon master.