![](http://cobalt-company.wdfiles.com/local--resized-images/writing:2024-06-12-an-unexpected-aspect-of-the-journey/style="margin:/medium.jpg) |
| Details |
| Author: | Alli |
| Summary: | Dara, Sophiette, Hugo and Mercy are assisting around Eastwall Tower, when death knight nature threatens to open a rift between them. Then, their outing escalates in a very unexpected way. ~4500 words. |
| Rating: | M for Mature 17+ |
Arc: Eastern Plaguelands
Chain: Light Guide Us
The new recruits to the Argent Crusade and Mercy have reunited with the caravan at Eastwall Tower.
[Dara]: Well, I suppose we've got some time to help around this tower? Despite Gidwin's constant complaints.
Gidwin Goldbraids says: That useless blood elf! We have a DUTY to perform, and he wastes our time!
Sophiette chuckles. "He's never quite satisfied, is he?"
Gidwin Goldbraids says: I don't know why I put up with his nonsense. He never takes anything seriously.
[Dara]: Patience is a virtue, but one he has not yet mastered, it seems. *Dara totally has* Let's go talk to Tarenar?
Gidwin Goldbraids says: I'll throw my hammer upside his head if he makes us wait any longer.
Mercy follows silently.
Dara waves at Tarenar Sunstrike.
Sophiette smiles at her new brother-in-arms. "Tarenar!"
[Dara]: Tarenar, how are you faring? Better than Gidwin?
Tarenar says: Sophiette, Dara, Mercy!
Hugo bounces up and down, raising his hand. "And Hugo!"
Tarenar says: Ah, yes! Hugo! When I was your age I was playing at being a paladin. Good on you for being a squire already.
Hugo beams proudly.
Tarenar says: I'm in no rush. We've got plenty of time.
Tarenar says: I know we're supposed to head to Northdale, but that can wait, right? Besides, this lovely little goblin was just telling me about some Scourge that are even closer by.
Mercy turns to look at the 'lovely little goblin.'
Gamella Cracklefizz smiles. She’s a lovely little goblin.
[Dara]: I suppose as long as we're fighting Scourge, we're helping the Argent Crusade?
[Dara]: What's this Scourge threat you're talking about now?
Tarenar says: Apparently there's this nerubian underlord named Ix'lar that has been trying to make a name for himself ever since the Lich King was slain. He's set up a camp of undead to our north.
[Mercy]: It should be a simple matter to wipe the camp out.
Sophiette scowls. "Let's see to it his name isn't even remembered."
[Mercy]: I've already forgotten it.
Sophiette giggles.
Tarenar says: Alright! I knew you'd be on board. We can also ask around and see if there’s any other Scourge that need killing! I hope Gidwin doesn't mind waiting.
Gidwin Goldbraids says: Tyrosus himself sent us to Northdale! So why are we wasting our time with upstart nerubians?!
Yes, Gidwin, you’re impatient. We got it the first thousand times.
[Sophiette]: I think he will…but he'll be alright.
Gamella Cracklefizz says: Ix'lar isn't even the half of it. Blood elf, you didn't listen to all I had to say.
Gamella Cracklefizz says: There's not only Nerubians, but maggots.
Gamella Cracklefizz says: North of here and west of Northdale, you will find the corpulent maggot beast, Borelgore. I've lost entire regiments to that monster. His size knows no bounds! The more he eats the greater his girth becomes…
[Dara]: Should we kill this Borelgore as well?
[Mercy]: Of course we should.
[Sophiette]: Definitely.
Gamella Cracklefizz says: While I would not suffer any emotional harm should the beast devour you, I would prefer that you were the victor.
[Mercy]: Likewise.
Gamella Cracklefizz says: I recommend you work together for this mission. Borelgore has been known to devour others who tried to hunt him.
[Mercy]: I have not yet tried.
[Dara]: We will make sure we all remained un-devoured.
Hugo says: What's corpluant mean?
[Dara]: It means chubby, Hugo.
[Mercy]: Shall we?
The four of them make to head out, but then notice Vex’tul.
[Dara]: Oh, look, there's our undead friend pacing.
[Dara]: Maybe he's got something on his mind.
[Sophiette]: You seem pensive, Vex'tul.
Vex'tul says: My allies. It is time that I asked a favor of you, my allies.
[Mercy]: And here it comes.
Vex'tul says: I stand here and look toward my own memories. Far to the north of Eastwall Tower, hidden among the hills, is the Mossflayer capital city of Zul'Mashar. It was here that I was born, and here that I died.
[Mercy]: Riveting. What favor do you ask?
Vex'tul says: That is to do with the traitor, Thresh'jin, who sits atop Zul'Mashar's ziggurat. It was my every right to be there, but he took the seat from me with treachery and deceit. He is not strong. He is weak.
Vex'tul says: The favor I ask is this: I will meet you in Zul'Mashar, and we will kill him. Your strength and mine. Together.
[Mercy]: I doubt your assistance will even be needed, but we won't turn you away.
[Dara]: I… think that's within our purview? Mossflayer trolls.
[Mercy]: They're a threat to the settlements here.
[Dara]: Then yes, let's do it.
[Sophiette]: The Mossflayer are dangerous, yes. As long as this won't stir them up even more.
Deacon Andaal says: Did I hear you say MOSSFLAYER TROLLS?
[Mercy]: You did.
[Sophiette]: Yes…?
Deacon Andaal says: The Mossflayers of Zul'Mashar spit in the face of the Light! They cannibalize, they criminalize, they prioritize the forces of evil over good!
Mercy nods.
[Dara]: That… does sound like I've often heard trolls described, yes.
Deacon Andaal says: I advise that you remove their eyes, and give rise to the demise and the goodbyes of the unwise!
Mercy tilts her head.
[Dara]: …what?
[Sophiette]: Sorry, remove their eyes?
Andaal sighs. Nobody appreciates poetry, he must realize.
Mercy eyes the Argent Crusade tabard. "Whatever you say, Deacon."
Deacon Andaal says: In other words: I ask you to travel north, and you will rain down on them with righteous justice and indignation. The fury that they have wrought in the eyes of the Light shall be channeled through you.
[Mercy]: I'll bring you their eyes.
[Sophiette]: Right…yes, righteous killing we can do.
[Sophiette]: But…I don't see the need to mutilate their corpses.
[Dara]: You were being literal about the eyes, though?
Deacon Andaal says: I was.
[Mercy]: He said so. I will do it.
Mercy sounds strangely rushed, almost eager.
[Dara]: I… I'm not going to do that.
[Dara]: I guess, if you want to, Mercy…
[Mercy]: I'll take care of it.
Tarenar says: I don't think I really want to cut out eyes, but I can if we need to.
Tarenar says: You all don't know what these forest trolls get up to in the north - it's pretty barbaric.
[Sophiette]: I don't see why it's necessary.
[Mercy]: Orders.
Tarenar Sunstrike says: Take that! Taste the Light!
[Dara]: I'm pretty sure he just said that for the rhyme, and then he was too embarrassed to go back on it.
[Mercy]: Orders are orders. No sense arguing about it.
[Dara]: I wonder if we should've invited Gidwin along.
[Mercy]: No.
[Dara]: It might've helped him with the impatience, to have something to do other than sulk in the tower.
Tarenar says: Gidwin excels at sulking. I wouldn't dare to interrupt him.
Mercy 's mouth curves into a slight smile under her hood.
Ix’lar the Nerubian, a truly giant specimen, rounds a hill and descends directly at Dara.//
[Dara]: AAAHHH
Mercy charges at the huge nerubian.
We kill it.
Tarenar Sunstrike says: Wow. Is it just me, or did that one die really fast?
[Dara]: I went up on the ridge to get better visibility, and it was right there. This giant thing!
[Sophiette]: And Whatsisname is no more.
[Dara]: I've already forgotten him. *Dara grins, a little shakily*
Sophiette reaches for Dara's hand, peeking worriedly at her.
[Sophiette]: Are you alright?
[Dara]: Yes, yes, I think so. *Dara shivers* I thought the Nerubians were like spiders. That one was like an enormous beetle.
Dara takes Sophiette's hand and gives it a little squeeze. She's okay.
Tarenar Sunstrike says: I’m going to stay here and fight more Nerubians. Good luck with the maggots and the trolls! I’ll see you at the tower.
[Mercy]: All of the insect races come in a great number of forms.
Sophiette nods.
[Dara]: I'm not a big fan of most of their forms.
[Mercy]: Do insects frighten you?
[Dara]: Maybe not frighten, but they're just gross.
[Dara]: If there are a lot of insects, in my experience, it means something has gone wrong with the cleaning staff.
[Mercy]: I suppose it's fortunate that I've lost the capacity for revulsion.
[Sophiette]: In a small way, I envy you that, Mercy.
[Sophiette]: Especially right now….
[Dara]: Oh, speaking of revulsion.
Mercy points at Borelgore.
[Dara]: I am not eating that one.
[Mercy]: Do you want me to take care of it?
[Dara]: We work together, like they said.
[Sophiette]: Let's all…here it comes!
[Dara]: Orders, Mercy.
[Mercy]: All right.
We engage the giant carrion worm. It starts spewing animate skeletons at us.
[Sophiette]: Ugh, it's spitting up undead!
We kill it.
[Dara]: Just when I didn't think it could be any more gross.
[Mercy]: I'm fairly certain that would have made me spit up when I was alive.
Dara looks a little green, but she isn't spitting anything up.
Hugo says: That was so cool!
Mercy studies Dara with interest.
[Sophiette]: Hugo…ugh.
[Mercy]: There's no need to be alarmed, Dara. The grub likely ingested some of the local undead, and its digestive juices weren't strong enough to undo their necromantic bonds.
[Mercy]: So it was able to regurgitate them while they were still animated.
Dara nods. "That… makes sense, I suppose."
[Sophiette]: You don't find that alarming?
[Mercy]: Not really.
[Mercy]: I might be more alarmed if a grub were able to generate undead.
[Dara]: It might've done that to you, though, if it got you.
[Mercy]: Unlikely.
[Mercy]: You've had little chance to see my exercise the full extent of my skills, but nothing in this land frightens me.
[Dara]: Are you sure the lack of fear isn't simply… your condition?
Mercy considers.
Hugo says: If I could puke up undead, I'd spit skeleton rats at Amathia Mossford.
[Mercy]: No. I felt fear when we faced the Lich King.
[Dara]: Hugo, you would not!
Mercy smiles slightly at the sadistic little boy.
Dara turns curiously to Mercy. "You did? Were you afraid you wouldn't win?"
[Mercy]: I was afraid he would control me.
[Dara]: But… I thought Highlord Fordring freed you all.
We arrive at the Mossflayer capital, and Vex’tul silently sidles up from wherever he was. He may have been following along while we adventured with Tarenar.
Mercy eyes the living, vulnerable, fleshy trolls, and a slight smile touches her mouth.
[Mercy]: He did.
[Mercy]: But I had not been so close to the Lich King since then.
[Sophiette]: You think the Lich King could overcome the Light and enslave you again?
[Mercy]: I did fear that. I do not anymore.
[Dara]: Because he's gone for good.
[Mercy]: Yes.
[Sophiette]: Light's blessings.
[Dara]: I bet soon all this Scourge will be cleaned up, now that there's no one making more.
[Mercy]: They should be less of a threat, for certain.
[Dara]: There's the ziggurat, just ahead.
Mercy holds down one of the trolls, extracting both of its eyes. It's still alive.
Dara is fighting trolls with Light, when she turns to see Mercy. She makes a little sound of dismay.
[Sophiette]: Light's mercy…Mercy. Kill them, first!
Mercy doesn't seem to hear Sophiette; she's intent on what she's doing. The troll, still struggling, grows pale, bloodless, even as Mercy's complexion comes closer to a normal hue. At last she finishes it off.
[Dara]: We are tasked with killing them, but… that wasn't very merciful.
[Mercy]: I wasn't ordered to be merciful.
[Sophiette]: I'm asking you to be.
[Dara]: Isn't that part of why you took that name? A reminder?
[Mercy]: I must feed somehow. On what would you prefer I feed?
[Sophiette]: We're killing them. Isn't that enough?
[Mercy]: Unfortunately not.
[Mercy]: That is why I cannot be part of the Argent Crusade.
Sophiette frowns.
[Mercy]: The very nature of my existence forces me to inflict pain.
[Mercy]: But I can choose to inflict it upon enemies of the Light.
[Dara]: You would think being killed would involve pain.
[Mercy]: A small amount, briefly.
[Mercy]: I require suffering.
[Dara]: I can't think of a solution offhand, but there must be one.
[Mercy]: This is the solution.
[Dara]: Cutting out troll eyes.
[Sophiette]: There has to be a better way…
[Mercy]: Empty words unless you have the way.
[Dara]: Can you hurt a lot of people just a little bit?
[Sophiette]: They're not empty words. Hope is powerful.
[Mercy]: Yes. Just as you can sate your hunger by eating one grain of rice at a time.
[Sophiette]: I'm not sure that's morally better, Dara.
[Dara]: If each grain comes from a different field, then no one would even notice what they've lost.
[Mercy]: If I kill enough people — hundreds, thousands — the incidental pain of their deaths would serve as a meal of sorts.
[Mercy]: But I would have to do it as quickly as you would have to eat those grains of rice.
Sophiette sighs.
[Mercy]: Hunger returns, in time.
[Dara]: Well, right, that's not the direction I was trying to go with that.
[Sophiette]: Did the Lich King create you this way on purpose? Another way to control you?
[Mercy]: Think of each kill as a grain of rice. What I just did to that troll as a bowl of stew.
[Mercy]: Yes, Sophiette.
[Sophiette]: If the Lich King can be defeated, I believe his machinations can as well. We'll find a way…somehow.
[Dara]: Maybe not a way to sate the hunger, but a way to remove it.
[Mercy]: Say that as often as you need to rest well at night.
[Mercy]: If what you really mean to say is that you refuse to fight alongside someone who feeds this way, then I will feed more privately.
[Mercy]: I simply have not had time to myself in a while.
[Sophiette]: That's not…I'm not saying that.
We fight and kill the warlord.
Dara looks down at the troll warlord. "Well, he didn't stand much of a chance. Vex'tul, you were right about our combined strength."
[Mercy]: I could have defeated him on my own.
[Mercy]: There are advantages to what I am.
[Dara]: Of course you could, Mercy. And likely cut out his eyes, too.
[Mercy]: I will cease to accompany the two of you, if you like. When we return to the tower I will find another assignment.
[Dara]: No, that's not what I meant, either.
[Mercy]: I would simply ask that whatever you say to our superiors, you mention that I was ordered to cut out their eyes.
[Sophiette]: Mercy, I have no intention of-…
Sophiette blinks in confusion as the sky turns red.
Mercy looks up, also confused.
[Dara]: What's that?
[Mercy]: Is that a –
Sophiette slowly lifts her gaze, her jaw falling open at the sight of the largest dragon she has ever even conceived coming over the horizon.
Dara screams as the dragon rains down fire.
Mercy is consumed by flames.
Sophiette whispers hoarsely, "Light's mercy…" and she throws her arms around Hugo and Dara, pulling them close as if her body might shield them.
It does not.
Dara throws shields on Hugo, Sophiette, Mercy and then herself, as if that might help.
It also does not.
Then, there is nothing…but fire.
The fire rains down, enveloping the Mossflayer encampment. Vex'tul, the body of Thresh'jin, all the other followers… consumed in flames.
The fires rage for minutes. Longer than the four adventurers could possibly survive.
Finally, the dragon is gone.
The lava-spewn flames finally die down. A hot wind begins to scatter the ashes of four humanoid shapes. One of them stirs, the ashes falling away to reveal the armored form of Sophiette, howling hoarsely as her soul refuses to depart this world while her loved ones remain in danger. Much of her hair is burned away.
Sophiette stumbles to her feet, eyes wide and confused. "No…no no no no….LIGHT! I CALL ON YOU! Bring them back to me!"
Mercy 's charred bones remain, the wind blowing away the ashes that remain of her flesh.
Dara's body is burned beyond recognition, and she remains where she fell in that moment.
Vex’tul must have taken the full blast of the fire. His body is entirely incinerated, the ash already blowing away in the wind.
Sophiette's body glows with a golden aura as she calls on the greatest power of the Light, reaching through the shroud of death for the souls of Dara and then Hugo.
Dara 's body slowly reknits itself, muscle and bone and flesh. And then, she draws in a breath and coughs.
Dara struggles up to a sitting position, shivering as the air touches her bare skin. The fire has scoured away hair and cloth.
Hugo coughs out a mouthful of ash as his body reconstitutes. But he remains unconscious, exhausted by the traumatic experience.
Sophiette grunts as she pulls off pieces of armor that have fused together, tossing them aside.
Mercy's saronite armor is pretty much the only thing left of her but blackened bones inside it.
Dara reaches up and touches her hair. What was once her hair. She gives a low howl. "My hair! What happened? I'm… where's my clothes?"
Sophiette takes Dara's hands, nearly as naked and covered in ash. "Shhh…it's okay. It's okay, you're alive." She pulls Dara and Hugo close again, hugging them tightly. "We're alive."
Dara looks around frantically. She sees Hugo and Sophiette. "You're alright? I don't know what that was. I think I blacked out of a minute. But I’m… my clothes…"
Hugo appears to be unconscious, but he's breathing.
Dara clings to Sophiette, though she's blushing furiously. "Where's Mercy? Did she run off because we said…?"
Sophiette shakes her head, pointing to the bones in blackened saronite armor.
[Dara]: Oh, no. *Tears spring to Dara's eyes.* The fire got her?
[Sophiette]: It…it got all of us, my love.
Dara blinks. "But we're alright. I was just… knocked out or something."
Sophiette kisses Dara's forehead. "I brought us back."
[Dara]: You mean we were… then we could bring her back, couldn't we?
[Sophiette]: I don't know if it will work on a Death Knight. But we can try.
[Sophiette]: Go on Dara…the Light is strong in you.
Dara extracts herself from Sophiette's hug and moves shakily over to the blackened death knight corpse. She puts one hand gently on her forehead and breathes in, pulling Light to her hands.
[Dara]: Mercy, come back to us. We didn't mean to send you away.
Sophiette keeps a hand on Dara, trying to channel the Light through her.
Mercy 's bones gradually accumulate scraps of rotted flesh, ghoul-like… but the decay seems to reverse until she is simply a gray, bloodless corpse that looks recently dead. She sits up.
Dara sits back heavily, and then tries to cover herself with her hands.
Mercy 's hands curl into claws. Under her hood, her eyes glow not blue but RED. "Need… blood…." She stares at Dara almost lustfully, yet doesn't seem to notice her state of undress. Then, abruptly, she turns and flees.
Dara struggles to her feet. "I guess I couldn't bring her back purely. I'm no Highlord Fordring. Anyway, we need to get back to the tower. Maybe I can… hide in a bush, and you could get me something to wear?"
Sophiette watches Mercy go with wide eyes. "Mercy….I hope she doesn't hurt anyone. Um…that doesn't deserve it."
[Dara]: Many of the trolls are burned. But… maybe she'll go for the Nerubians.
Sophiette comes back to the present, nodding at Dara. "Of course. Let's hurry, though. I don't want to run into anything that survived that."
[Dara]: At least Vex'tul had his vengeance, before the end.
Sophiette nods solemnly.
[Dara]: Certainly yes, let's get out of here.
Dara, Sophiette and the unconscious Hugo make it back to Eastwall Tower. They pause just out of view of the tower inhabitants.
[Dara]: I'll just… stay here and you can bring me something? I don't want Tarenar and Gidwin and everyone to see.
Sophiette sets Hugo down beside Dara. He is very much in need of clothing as well. "Watch him, please."
Sophiette , barely clothed herself save for what little armor remains to cover her nudity, trudges into the encampment.
[Dara]: I'll keep him safe.
Sophiette manages to get Fiona's attention without attracting much more. The kindly worgen has plenty of supplies on her wagon, and provides some basic clothing for them.
Sophiette hurries back to Dara and Hugo, arms full of clothes.
Dara quickly takes the offered clothing and covers herself up with a sigh of relief. Then she turns to Hugo. "I can help you get him dressed? We should get him to the tower till he wakes."
Sophiette nods gratefully, tugging on a tunic and trousers herself. "Thank you. Yes…I want him to wake somewhere safe."
Dara helps to get Hugo into some fresh clothes, and then turns to the tower. "I expect the Crusade will have healers on call."
Sophiette carries the unconscious Hugo back to the tower.
[Sophiette]: Please…he needs help.
Argent Crusaders rush to assist the women who look like they've been through hell, a draenei man, Rahmalaha, taking Hugo to lay him on a cot. "The squire! What happened? Here, let me help."
[Sophiette]: Th-thank you. We…it was Deathwing. He burned everything. Please…I don't know what Hugo will remember.
Rahmalaha says: I'll make sure someone is at his side when he wakes. Then, whatever he remembers, he will have comfort.
Sophiette nods solemnly, turning back to Dara and immediately pulling her into an embrace.
Dara melts into it, a few tears trickling from her eyes.
[Sophiette]: It's alright…we're alive. That's what matters. Breathe deeply.
[Dara]: Thank you. You saved us all, Sophie.
Mercy approaches the tower. Her cloak has been burned to nothing, but her saronite armor seems much the same, only its finer silver and blue details visibly blackened with soot. Her hood remains, as it was made of a fine saronite mesh. Under it, the lower half of her face is a lifelike pink, her lips flushed ruby red.
Sophiette looks up in surprise when she spots Mercy. "She's back," she whispers.
Dara tenses, and then pulls away, turning to see Mercy.
Mercy stops when she spots the two girls, and remains in place.
[Dara]: Mercy. Are you well?
[Mercy]: Yes.
[Mercy]: Did you… I thought I remembered…
[Sophiette]: We were all caught in the flame.
[Dara]: There was a dragon.
Mercy stares at Dara.
[Mercy]: I know.
[Mercy]: But you…
[Mercy]: I heard you say…
Dara meets Mercy's gaze, waiting.
Mercy 's lower lip trembles a little.
[Sophiette]: Mercy…?
[Mercy]: What did you say, when you…?
[Dara]: I asked you to come back to us.
Mercy stumbles forward, arms reaching out, then stops.
[Dara]: I'm sorry I couldn't… bring you all the way.
Dara reaches out a little, receptive to a hug.
[Sophiette]: I wish we knew how…. I'm sorry.
Mercy 's lower lip trembles again. It's so red, lifelike! She collapses into a hug, and… sobs!
Sophiette's eyes widen in surprise.
Dara is surprised, but holds her, one hand gently patting her back as she cries.
Mercy is rather heavy, tall as she is and in all that armor, and she does lean quite a bit of her weight on Dara as she cries.
Dara braces herself, moving one foot back. It's lucky she'd set herself on an exercise regimen.
It would almost seem to be a miracle of the Light. She would almost seem to be a normal young woman. But when she pulls back, her cheeks are streaked not with tears… but with blood.
[Mercy]: Thank you…
[Sophiette]: Mercy…y-your face. Um…blood.
Sophiette winces and points to her own cheeks to demonstrate.
Mercy sniffles and fumbles in her bag for a cloth. She wipes at her face, then stares at it.
[Dara]: You're welcome. *Dara says, with an uncertain smile.* You are one of us.
Mercy wets the cloth and does a more thorough cleanup, trying to calm herself so she doesn't weep any further.
[Mercy]: Forgive my display of emotion. I had to… feed, and it makes me… it refreshes me, makes me more… lifelike.
[Mercy]: It will fade in a little while.
[Dara]: You do seem a little different than usual. But it's not a bad thing.
[Sophiette]: Emotion is nothing to be ashamed of.
Dara nods at Sophiette.
[Mercy]: You might not say that if you'd seen what I did to become this way.
[Mercy]: Anyway. I've returned, and I will continue to help you for so long as you permit it. Or until Sir Black gives me another assignment.
Sophiette nods, offering a meager smile. "I'm glad you're alive. Such as it is. You know what I mean."
[Mercy]: So it was… a dragon?
[Mercy]: I saw dragons in Northrend, but nothing like that.
[Dara]: I've seen dragons, but nothing that big.
[Sophiette]: The largest I've ever seen. Black…but it looked like it wore armor.
Mercy agrees with you.
[Mercy]: I'll confer with Sir Black later, see if he knows anything about it.
[Dara]: And the fire… it must have taken out most of the trolls.
[Dara]: Thank you, Mercy.
[Sophiette]: It had to be…him.
[Mercy]: Whom?
[Sophiette]: Deathwing, of course.
Dara blinks. "Deathwing? We were killed by Deathwing?"
[Mercy]: Deathwing?
Mercy has missed a few things.
[Sophiette]: I suppose I don't know for certain. But the sheer size and power…it just must be.
[Dara]: The um, Main Black Dragon?
Sophiette nods to Mercy. "Deathwing. Neltharion."
[Mercy]: The… Aspect? *she looks like someone trying to remember school lessons*
[Sophiette]: After seeing what he did to Stormwind….
[Sophiette]: Yes…wait. Have you not heard?
[Mercy]: We were attacked by a dragon Aspect? *Her voice is so expressive now, and absent its usual echo. It seems to be coming from closer.*
Sophiette shivers a little and nods. "I believe so."
[Mercy]: And here I thought I had seen everything.
[Dara]: That's… almost like a storybook thing.
Mercy takes a deep breath to calm herself.
Sophiette nods to Dara solemnly. A storybook tale, indeed.
[Dara]: We'll have to report that. Killed by a Dragon Aspect. Saved by a Hero.
[Mercy]: Wait, Dara… who resurrected you?
Dara smiles at Sophiette.
Mercy turns to Sophiette. "Then… who resurrected you?"
Sophiette gives her best attempt at a humble shrug. "Nobody. I can't explain it. I just…couldn't die. Not yet."
[Mercy]: Do you have any idea how rare that is?
[Sophiette]: I…I've heard about it happening. I suppose it's rare. I just never really thought about it.
[Dara]: That's why I said… hero.
Mercy bows before Sophiette.
[Mercy]: I am honored to be serving you, Sophiette, the undying.
Sophiette's eyes widen at the show of respect.
Sophiette is speechless.