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| Details |
| Author: | Alli |
| Summary: | Dara, Sophiette, and Hugo continue their work in Hellfire Peninsula, and they find that the recent demonic incursions may be more of a problem than first anticipated. ~2300 words. |
| Rating: | T for Teen |
Dara and Sophiette meet up once again in Honor Hold.
Dara smiles at Sophiette. "We've gotten another summons! More work to be done. Are you ready?
[Sophiette]: Always. Are you sure you've had enough rest?
[Dara]: Yes, I think so. Was your family well?
[Sophiette]: They worry, of course. But they're well. Speaking of family….
Sophiette smirks and hollers toward the inn. "Hugo! Double-time!"
The young squire comes barreling out of the inn, backpack loaded with fresh supplies. "I'm here! I'm here!"
Dara claps her hands once. "Hugo! Delighted you're with us again, little brother."
Hugo beams happily at Dara calling him 'little brother.'
Dara beams. "The three of us together again. Are we ready to speak to the Force Commander?"
[Sophiette]: We are. Let's see what he has for us today.
As we walk to the Keep, we talk.
[Dara]: My brothers are doing well, over in Redridge. Luckily, things have been quiet since the time we spent in the Burning Steppes.
[Sophiette]: Thank the Light. I worry that the orcs will regroup. I do hope the Alliance takes the threat seriously and maintains a defense there.
Dara nods. "That mountain is just a continuing problem. One thing after another."
Sophiette salutes Force Commander Danath Trollbane with respect.
Hugo mimics the salute.
Force Commander Danath Trollbane says: You’re here - good. I’ve received word that the demon gate to the north has been reopened.
[Dara]: Oh, dear!
Force Commander Danath Trollbane says: It's not as terrible as it might sound - this happens from time to time.
Force Commander Danath Trollbane says: I’m assembling a team to close it, but in the meantime I need someone to slay any demons that might have come through.
Force Commander Danath Trollbane says: Hopefully, there aren’t many, but I ask you to clear out the area and bring me any information you find about their intentions here.
Dara nods seriously.
[Sophiette]: Yes, Force Commander.
[Dara]: We'll see it done.
We exit the Keep, heading north to locate the demon portal and slaying any boars or orcs that cross our path.
[Sophiette]: In conjunction with the recent outpouring of demons from Hellfire Citadel, this does seem worrisome.
[Dara]: It does. On top of everything else, we do not need another Burning Legion invasion.
[Sophiette]: You don't suppose it's somehow connected to Deathwing's emergence?
[Dara]: Hm, is he aligned with demons? They're both bad things, so I'd imagine they might be allied.
[Sophiette]: I pray it's not the case. Maybe the Legion is just taking advantage of the situation.
[Dara]: Yes, opportunism would be much better than it being coordinated.
[Dara]: And Hugo, stay behind us for the demonslaying, you remember? We'll keep you safe.
Hugo sighs softly, but nods. "Okay…big sister," he adds experimentally.
Sophiette grins.
Dara grins.
[Dara]: Perhaps the Cobalt Blade will uncover something soon.
[Sophiette]: We should get in contact with them to share intelligence.
[Dara]: That is a good idea. As far as I know, we're the main ones working out here these days.
Hugo bounces excitedly. "We're gonna meet the Cobalt Blade?!"
Sophiette winces. "Uhhh…I don't know about meet, Hugo."
[Dara]: I suppose we would meet them, in order to talk with them.
[Sophiette]: It's just….
[Dara]: It would be professional - we wouldn't be asking for signing of books or anything.
[Sophiette]: It's the books that concern me. Their exploits make me think they might be…um…inappropriate for Hugo.
[Dara]: Oh! Do you think? Hugo is not so young.
[Dara]: And most of the raciest stuff is fan-written, in any case.
Dara surely hasn't read any of that. Surely.
Hugo says: Yeah! I'm almost eleven!
[Sophiette]: Even so, they just seem…I don't know…a bit rough around the edges.
Dara peers ahead. "Ah… indeed. Demons."
We are at the edge of the area around the portal. We begin to work our way in, slaying demons. They are not so challenging that we can’t keep talking about the Cobalt Blade.
[Dara]: Perhaps you and I should meet them first. Or at least one or two of them. Then we can judge based on reality rather than fiction.
Hugo's pleading eyes seem to grow three times their size.
Sophiette sighs. "Very well."
[Sophiette]: And if the meeting goes well, then maybe you can meet them, Hugo.
[Dara]: Yes, exactly. We'll test the waters, so to speak. Which do you suppose we should approach? The human, Arthur? Or the draenei woman, Zaara?
[Sophiette]: The dwarf fellow is their leader, isn't he? I think that might be the most appropriate.
[Dara]: Oh, I suppose so. *Dara bites her lip in thought.* He might want to bring some of the others along, which would be fine. Or meet us alone as well, to evaluate us.
Hugo says: I can't wait to meet Tadget! And the night elf! She's a dark priestess!
Sophiette grimaces.
[Dara]: Yes, like Wisteria! *Dara smiles.* And Estel, a bit, I think? Though she also uses Light.
[Sophiette]: Do night elf priests even call upon the Light?
[Dara]: I don't rightly know. Isn't it something about a moon goddess? And Tadget, she was a friend of the Company Captain, right? She must be a little less bloodthirsty than the books make her sound.
[Sophiette]: I suppose…
[Dara]: I suppose the moon reflects Light, and… oh!
[Sophiette]: Hmm?
[Dara]: This one, he was holding some kind of letter…
[Dara]: I can't make sense of it. *Dara peers at it, and blinks* I might wish I had that elf shadow priestess here now, the way these letters skitter. Can you read it, Sophiette?
Sophiette takes the letter, soon recoiling as she tries to read the text. "It makes my head hurt."
[Dara]: Oh goodness. We should probably keep our eyes off it. And Hugo, no way.
Hugo says: Awww….
[Dara]: Maybe someone at Honor Hold will know what it means.
We ride back and head up into the Keep once again.
Sophiette salutes Force Commander Danath Trollbane with respect.
Dara salutes Force Commander Danath Trollbane with respect.
Force Commander Danath Trollbane says: That was quick. Is the portal cleared?
[Sophiette]: Sir, we brought down the demon forces…and we found something.
Force Commander Danath Trollbane says: Oh? Show me.
Sophiette places the letter on the table. "I advise caution. It seems to have some kind of magic on it."
Force Commander Danath Trollbane says: It is fortuitous that you intercepted this missive when you did. I can already sense the hatred and urgency woven into this scroll. Warp-Scryer Kryv, can you read it?
Warp-Scryer Kryev peers at the evil missive. "Give me a moment to decipher this script… Hm, this is not only demonic, but it is in a cipher. I think I recognize it - one we cracked back during the early days."
Warp-Scryer Kryv says: Unfortunately, it was documented in a book that was left behind at the old armory that fell during the end of our invasion, down in the south of the peninsula.
[Dara]: Can it be retrieved?
Warp-Scryer Kryv says: I hope you can do so. The place is now full of hostile spirits, but I trust you can work around them to find the codebook.
[Sophiette]: We'll do our best. Do you have any idea where to start looking?
Warp-Scryer Kryv says: Likely in and around the buildings. I'm afraid I don't know where it might have been knocked. I expect you'll know it when you see it.
We head back down and ride for the armory in the south.
[Dara]: So now we will fight ghosts.
[Sophiette]: The poor souls. Just imagine the torment they must have suffered on this alien world that has kept them from passing on.
[Dara]: I can't imagine - to be trapped in an alien world, and perish there, only to never be able to leave.
[Sophiette]: Maybe we can do something to bring them peace.
[Dara]: At the Abbey, they said slaying ghosts only disperses them, that they usually re-form.
[Sophiette]: Did they suggest any means of helping them?
Dara frowns. "They said most ghosts are trapped by the feeling that they're not done."
[Dara]: Perhaps if we show them somehow that we are carrying on their work?
[Sophiette]: If we can even get them to understand us. They're so hostile…they don't seem to want to talk.
[Dara]: Perhaps they still think we're the enemies that ruined this place.
[Dara]: Oh, is this…? There's something here, it does look still intact.
Dara picks up a book and begins to flip through it. "I can't make heads or tails of it, so it may be a codebook?"
Sophiette gazes out across the edge of the peninsula, into the Twisting Nether. She shudders, then turns her attention to Dara.
[Sophiette]: Has the Light guided us to it?
Dara smiles, holding it up. "The Light is always guiding our path."
Hugo pumps a fist. "Yes!"
[Dara]: Now we'll get that missive translated!
[Sophiette]: If these ghosts will just let us pass! Ungh!
We unfortunately have to disperse a lot of ghosts.
[Dara]: Perhaps next time I'm back at the Church, I can ask more about ghosts. Maybe we can do something.
Dara sighs. "At least we got through."
Sophiette nods grimly. "Poor souls."
We head back to the Keep once again.
Sophiette stands at attention and salutes.
Dara approaches Warp-Scryer Kryv and hands over the book. "Is this what you were looking for?"
Warp-Scyrer Kryv says: Yes, that's it! Thank you, ladies, that must have been difficult to find. Now, let’s see what we can uncover…
Warp-Scryer Kryv pores over the missive for a long moment, then sighs.
Warp-Scyrer Kryv says: It is just as I feared. The demon you killed and took this from is working for someone else, already here. The second demon is amassing forces near the old Pools of Aggonar, and this note says they are nearly ready for action.
Warp-Scyrer Kryv says: Let’s not wait to find out what that action might be.
[Dara]: Oh, yes, let's prevent that.
Warp-Scyrer Kryv says: I’m sending my team up to close the portal again now, but I don’t have people to spare for this second threat. Will you address it?
Dara looks to Sophiette.
Sophiette nods solemnly.
Dara nods solemnly.
[Sophiette]: Leave it to us.
We head out into Hellfire Peninsula once again!
[Sophiette]: Dara, I don't suppose you know where the Pools of Aggonar are?
[Dara]: I do actually! They were talking about them the other day in that draenei temple we discovered!
[Dara]: They're somewhere between here and the temple, in the north.
[Sophiette]: Excellent.
[Dara]: I hope they're easy to find.
[Sophiette]: Most powerful demons are rather large. They should be hard to miss.
They arrive at the entrance to the Pools of Aggonar. It is still a pretty gross place.
[Dara]: Ah… this must be the place. At least, there are certainly pools.
Sophiette wrinkles her nose. "Mercy…the stench…and look at those corrupted pools."
[Sophiette]: Hugo, do not touch anything.
We fight a demon, who spews fel fire.
[Dara]: Including the flames, stay well back.
Hugo nods, eyes wide.
[Dara]: There are certainly a lot of demons.
[Sophiette]: Strong ones, too.
[Dara]: I think this might be a bigger problem than originally thought.
[Sophiette]: I don't even know some of these types!
For the demon aficionados among us, they are primarily Terrorfiends and Shivarra.
[Dara]: Goodness, look at all her arms.
[Sophiette]: And her…clothing. Hugo, look away.
They are dressed rather scandalously, the Shivarra. We make our way to a platform, where a large red-skinned demon stands proudly
Sophiette gasps.
[Sophiette]: Mercy…that's an eredar.
[Dara]: An eredar, here? Again?
[Sophiette]: Everyone, stay behind me.
[Dara]: The Legion is certainly planning something.
[Dara]: Stay safe, Sophie.
[Sophiette]: You die today, fiend!
Dara shields Sophiette and flings holy Light at the eredar.
The Light is with us! We kill him!
Sophiette pants heavily, backpedaling from the falling demon.
[Sophiette]: Light's mercy…
Dara watches the demon fall. "We've done it!"
[Sophiette]: We're not done yet. We need to fight our way out of here.
Dara nods grimly.
[Dara]: But wherever they were going to attack, they won't now.
We fight our way back, and head to the Keep to report.
Dara salutes Force Commander Danath Trollbane with respect.
Sophiette stands at attention and salutes.
[Sophiette]: Sir, the demon is dead. And sir…it was an eredar.
Force Commander Danath Trollbane says: An eredar. That is not good news. These are not merely remnants. The Legion is clearly planning something new.
Warp-Scryer Kryv says: Still, this is a great victory. The blessed naaru smile upon you this day.
[Dara]: Thank you, sir.
Force Commander Danath Trollbane says: I'll keep an eye on the situation, and keep you apprised should we need more assistance.
[Sophiette]: Thank you, sir. We'll be ready.
Sophiette stands at attention and salutes.
Dara follows suit, and then backs away.
[Dara]: I would say we've more than proven ourselves - they're sending us after eredar of all things.
Sophiette smiles with a touch of uncertainty. "I dread to think of what that means, though."
[Dara]: The Light has brought us here for a purpose, hasn't it? Perhaps it's to stand together against whatever this threat will be.
Sophiette nods firmly. "You're right. I must trust in the Light."
[Sophiette]: For now I'm going to return to Azeroth again. I don't like keeping Hugo here for extended periods.
[Dara]: I don't blame you. The fel is so strong here. I think I shall return as well.
Sophiette smiles. "Let's go breathe some proper air, then."
[Dara]: Yes, let's. *Dara reaches one hand for Sophiette's and smiles.*