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| Details |
| Author: | Luridel |
| Summary: | Ben, Colson, Mordecai, Sil, and Auralind escort Thrall and the Dragon Soul to Wyrmrest Temple. Archbishop Benedictus forces a fatal confrontation. ~4.5k words. |
| Rating: | T for Teen |
Thrall looks over at the team of Cobalt Company. "Good, you're here. I've received the Dragon Soul from Nozdormu — a weapon with enough power to defeat Deathwing."
Ben surveys Thrall warily as he adjusts a gauntlet and checks his pack. He nods once and glances over at the others to survey them.
Mordecai looks deeply relieved even just to see Thrall. "It's good to see you well."
Colson inclines his head politely to Thrall. This Thrall wouldn't recognize him, but Colson remembers. "It is, indeed."
Auralind inhales deeply, steadying herself in the presence of Thrall. But after what she witnessed during his elemental crisis, she is a bit more at ease around this particular orc.
Ben looks from Mordecai to Thrall and back again. He shoulders his pack and straightens up.
Sil smiles at Thrall. "Yeah, hope things are going well with you and Aggra."
"They… are," Thrall manages a small smile. "And it is good to work with all of you again."
"But for now, we must bring the Dragon Soul to the Aspects at Wyrmrest Temple," Thrall says.
Colson nods. "Yes," he agrees. "We will do what we can."
"Yeah," Sil nods. "We'll get it there safely."
Mordecai smiles faintly. "Light grant us Fortitude and protect us from the Void."
"Reckon my people all are good to go, then." Ben's tone is not entirely friendly, but not unfriendly. He looks at the group and might be arching an eyebrow but it's hard to tell without the eyebrow.
Mordecai nods to Ben. He seems good to go.
Sil tries to send a kind of don't worry, this one's alright look at Ben.
Colson is all good to go.
Mordecai looks up sharply as he hears the voice.
Mordecai readies his excessively enchanted mace obediently.
Sil rushes along after Thrall.
Colson looks over to Mordecai. "You recognize the voice that spoke?"
"I don't," Mordecai says apologetically.
"They are relentless," Auralind mutters.
Ben looks up sharply and scans the sky.
"I'm guessing we were hoping to slip in unseen," Sil says uneasily, looking around for the source of the voice.
Mordecai shivers. It's more about atmosphere and less about temperature. He's wearing such heavily enchanted robes that the amount of cold he feels is definitely limited.
"They have had time to prepare and reinforce. Defenders always have a military advantage," Colson says calmly.
"I ain't even tell where it's comin' from." Ben watches the glaciers to either side of them, narrow-eyed.
"I cannot either," Colson admits.
Mordecai blinks at Arcurion. He doesn't recognize this person at all.
Sil dodges the ice as much as he can, as the team fights the source of that dangerous voice.
Colson dances through the ice like a man who trained exactly for something like this.
Mordecai falls back, keeping an eye on everyone as he prays for their health. When Thrall is encased in ice, Mordecai tries to dispel it and fails. He calls, "Thrall's trapped!"
Ben grimly slogs through the icy hail like a man who was born in the south and dislikes ice. He takes out his revenge on the ice-making Ascendant.
Sil speeds up his evasion, glancing over worriedly at the ice block of Thrall. More and more of the ice seems to be hitting him.
Auralind turns her aim from the Ascendant to the ice block encasing Thrall. A few arrows thunk in…and she listens. Small cracks form, revealing larger weaknesses. She adjusts her aim, and sinks a series of arrows in an arc along the surface, causing a larger crack to creep open until the whole of it shatters.
Ben glances over at Mordecai's call and slams the Ascendant with his shield to silence a spell, ducking beneath a swipe.
Colson throws a hammer of Light back at Thrall, although his path back is halted by chains of ice that encircle his legs.
Thrall's time spent trapped has allowed the ice elementals at the top of the cannon throwing giant snowballs to get out of hand.
Sil has no way to reach Thrall without leaving the Ascendant, so he just keeps darting and stabbing.
Mordecai dispels the ice binding everyone multiple times, but eventually he gives up on dodging, plants his feet, and sings a hymn.
Ben surveys the Ascendant's corpse grimly. "Prudence dictates that I perform the unenviable task of searching the corpse," he says grimly, and crouches down.
Colson inclines his head in agreement. "Ah. Yes."
Sil chuckles and kneels next to him. "In case we find any clues on who he is or what they're plannin' next."
Thrall, now free from the ice, walks over. "Yes, indeed. Is there anything there?"
Ben sits back on his haunches and shakes out a document he has drawn from within the Ascendant's robes. He unfolds it carefully and is silent for an intent couple of moments, his brow creased.
Mordecai staggers in place as he's pelted with ice, but his voice is loud and clear, the Light shining bright within the canyon.
Colson waits patiently for the contents of the document, if they are useful.
Mordecai drinks some very cold water. "Is… everyone all right?" He tilts his head, and a large amount of snow falls off of the top of his hat.
Ben glances up from the letter. "They are ready for us to be comin' with the Dragon Soul. But I reckon we figured that out." He holds the letter up to the others. "The Twilight Prophet?"
Colson steps to Mordecai, gently brushing off the snow. "I am well. All wounds successfully healed. Are you all right?" he asks in turn.
Sil straightens. "That was the fellow attacked Thrall."
Auralind tries to hold back the ambushers above with arrow shot, but their sheer numbers make it an exercise in futility.
"Not exactly," Thrall says. "That was Archdruid Staghelm. But he did say he was acting at the Twilight Prophet's orders."
"Is this a different person from the Twilight Father?" Mordecai asks, uncertain.
"Hm," Colson says.
Mordecai nods to Colson. There is more snow on him than was initially obvious. The white robes make it blend in well.
Sil glances over at Mordecai. "I have no idea. Maybe a different guy? Or maybe he just rebranded after he lost with Chromatus."
"That would be one way to shake a reputation for losing," Colson says in a dry voice.
Ben gets to his feet and brushes snow off his tabard. "I reckon if he thinks he's gonna stop us, we will meet the fellow and find out."
"They will not find me so easy to deflect this time," Thrall says with a nod to Ben.
Mordecai exhales in an almost-a-laugh huff.
Sil grins a little at Colson.
Colson smiles back at Sil, before nodding again to Thrall.
"Okay. We good?" Ben stuffs the letter in his pack.
"Yes. On your lead, Ben," Colson says, brushing a little more snow off Mordecai.
"If they're, um, expecting us… this is going to get harder," Mordecai says, shuffling his feet in the snow.
"Then we shall fight harder," Auralind asserts.
"Yes," Mordecai says quietly to Auralind.
Mordecai steps in a frost trap and becomes a block of ice.
Colson's Hand of Protection is immediately behind, encasing Mordecai in the ice.
When the same thing happens to Colson, he again uses a bubble. It's a good trick, Bront.
"Thank you," Mordecai says quietly.
Mordecai looks up. Deathwing is flying by in person.
"Ah," Colson says, stepping reflexively in front of Mordecai.
"Oh, shit." Ben steps back as Deathwing passes overhead.
Auralind tilts her head, listening.
Sil looks up to see the red drakes arriving. Then they are attacked!
Colson readies himself for battle.
Sil dives in to attack the drake-killer, only for her to toss a smoke bomb that makes it very difficult to strike her.
As the assassin throws down smoke bombs, Mordecai calls, "I can't see you!"
Sil staggers out of the smoke in the direction of Mordecai's voice.
Colson begins backpedaling out of the smoke.
Mordecai quickly heals them.
Ben swears and stumbles backward out of the smoke, throwing an explosion of light after him to smite the blood elf. It dissipates harmlessly in the smoke.
To the assassin's surprise, Auralind's arrows find their mark even through the smokescreen, as if it weren't there.
Sil resumes his attack as Asira comes out of the smoke after them.
One of Mordecai's prayers cuts off abruptly as he is struck by a throwing knife.
Ben laughs out loud as the assassin, foiled by Auralind, is obliged to give chase to them rather than stand harmlessly concealed. He grins fiercely and charges at her again.
No matter where Asira turns, Auralind meets her with an arrow, using this to drive the assassin out into the open where Aura's allies can engage her.
Colson is calm as he fights, but when Mordecai's voice suddenly cuts off, his attention is briefly diverted — a mistake with the fast knifework of Asira, who scores a bloody line across Colson's face. Ignore her at his peril is the lesson here.
Sil dodges around behind her, slashing with both poisoned blades.
Colson heals himself by reflex, as he casts out another Hand of Protection on Mordecai, although he's too late for the silence.
Mordecai's lips move in silence for a moment before he yanks the knife out of him. The golden glow of a Circle of Healing washes over the team.
"I'm all right," Mordecai calls. A knife pings off of the Hand of Protection.
The healing seems to spur something of an adrenaline rush in Sil, who moves even faster than usual.
Colson nearly gets stabbed again, before he focuses his attention properly back on the assassin doing everything she can to murder them all.
Ben swings his hammer to catch the assassin's attention back to him by the expedient of slamming the breath out of her. He leads her backward as she attempts to drop another smoke bomb.
Mordecai heals in relative safety. The moment the Hand of Protection wears off, the assassin throws another knife at him. He exhales silently in frustration.
Colson has a fast bubble recovery, but not that fast. Instead, the fury is challenged into the Righteousness of the Light, as a golden knight manifests, and Colson's strength doubles.
Ben swears at the assassin as she throws the knife at Mordecai. She gives him a mocking smile. He slams her with his shield to try to change her expression.
The assassin is doing virtually nothing to Sil. He slices and dices while she tosses knives at the healer and attacks Ben.
"—sting… I'm fine!" Mordecai calls to Colson. He resumes healing.
Colson's expression is foreboding, and his strikes against the assassin grow in an effort to prevent more harm to the Extremely Precious Mordecai.
Ben leads the increasingly frustrated assassin out of another smoke cloud. Every time she tries to turn her focus on Sil or Colson, he smashes her attention back to him. He can't prevent her from flinging knives at Mordecai, so he settles for a focus on murdering her hard.
Sil also seems completely on-board with murdering her hard.
Mordecai ends up with a small collection of five knives at his feet by the end of the fight.
It's free knives.
Ben steps back from the fallen assassin's corpse and surveys Mordecai's knife collection. "You got to get one more for a whole table set," he says seriously.
"I'm all right," Mordecai says again, and is startled into laughter by Ben. "Sil, do you want these? I don't know if she used something on them or if it was just magic."
Colson chuckles, smiling at Mordecai's laughter.
Sil laughs, and then looks over at the knives. "I'd take 'em if you don't mind. They seemed to have pretty good balance, as she was throwin' 'em."
"Go ahead." Mordecai steps away from the pile and lets Sil gather them up, just in case they are poisoned.
Colson checks Mordecai over once more, satisfied enough with the priest's well being.
Sil gathers up the daggers carefully and tucks them away in his bag. "I'll check for poisons and curses before I use them, don't worry."
Mordecai boops Colson's nose with one finger and channels an extra Flash Heal into him. He smiles.
Ben gazes up at the sky above the quarry, his jaw set. "Y'all see Deathwing go past? Before she shown up? Was that just me?" He shades his eyes with one hand and points at the unfamiliar Alliance airship overhead.
"Yeah, I saw Deathwing, and the ship…" Sil looks up.
Ben steps back reflexively.
Colson smiles gently back, before his expression grows serious, looking over at Ben. "I did as well, yes."
"Oh," Mordecai says, and swallows. "That's right."
"I'll go on ahead," Thrall says. "The rest of the drakes will be here soon."
Auralind nods grimly. "I heard him. The beat of those wings is unmistakable."
Colson looks up.
Thrall flies off with the first red drake to arrive safely.
Ben looks around. "Shit. Thrall went on ahead with the — okay, we better catch up."
"Oh," Mordecai says. "Doesn't that defeat the whole point of the escort—"
Mordecai hurries to mount up on a red drake.
"It sort of does," Sil says, shaking his head, as he hurries over to the arriving Red Drakes.
And there he goes. "Ah," Colson says. He also hurries to the drake.
"Oh, hell." Ben is just gawking at a tentacled monstrosity in the earth when his drake dies beneath him and he is dropped.
"We got to — ! Oh, he's here." Ben jogs toward Thrall, who is standing uncomfortably close to the tentacles thing.
Colson looks back at Mordecai as his drake dies, and a, you guessed it, Hand of Protection.
"No!" Sil cries, as a tentacle gets his drake. He lands lightly on the corrupted soil. "Old God shit."
Auralind lands with a roll to absorb the impact. "What is that thing?!"
"Old God shit," Ben confirms for Auralind's benefit.
"Old God shit," Colson agrees.
"Looks like some sort of… mouth?" Sil elaborates. "Big round pit all full of teeth and tentacles all around. We're not going in there, are we?"
Mordecai cries out, "Shield," protecting his drake. It is not enough to protect it from the impact of the tentacle.
"No," Thrall says. "We're heading into Wyrmrest. We can get in here."
Colson looks to Ben.
"They brung it right up under the Temple." Ben squints briefly upward and then is distracted by slow-moving blobs of corruption that approach them.
Auralind nods to Sil, muttering, "Old God shit."
"Okay," says Ben. "Okay, regroup. All on Thrall."
Mordecai tries to heal the drakes, fails, and reluctantly regroups on Ben. He doesn't have time to try a resurrection.
Colson regroups, on Thrall. Respectfully.
"Keep movin'!" Ben yells
Colson keeps moving.
Sil leaps into action, breathing shallowly with panic, as they're attacked by eyestalks and faceless ones.
Mordecai heals some of the nearby shamans from the Earthen Ring as well as their own group.
A clergyman runs out of Wyrmrest Temple. "Get inside, quickly! I'll hold them off!"
Colson instinctually trusts this priest with his life.
The random priest lets the illusion magic fall, and it is Archbishop Benedictus!
Archbishop Benedictus says: And now, Shaman, you will give the Dragon Soul to ME.
Thrall says: I will NOT, Archbishop. It will never be yours.
Archbishop Benedictus says: I suppose it has to be this way, then. If only you'd seen what I've seen. THEN you'd understand.
Thrall says: You were a figurehead of the Light, Benedictus. How could you betray your own people?
Archbishop Benedictus says: There is no good. No evil. No Light. There is only POWER!
Archbishop Benedictus says: We serve the world's TRUE masters! When their rule begins, we will share in their glory!
"Holy shit," Ben says. It's like Old God shit but an Archbishop.
Colson's face goes white with betrayal, as he unsheathes his sword bright with Light.
"Benedictus," Mordecai says as the Twilight Father reveals himself. He sounds sad.
Colson shakes his head in rejection of all that the former Archbishop says. "You are wrong," he says quietly but with utter conviction of the devoted faithful. "We will show you the Light's true path. It does not lead to a world of darkness or masters."
Sil looks sadly at Benedictus.
Auralind has no particular stake in the Light or its church. However, "Traitors deserve death."
It is not sadness that suffuses the paladin, but a righteous holy fury that gathers, the edges of wings on his back shimmering like heat off a pavement over Colson's back.
Light spills from Mordecai, forming intricate patterns on his robes and the floor around him.
Ben rolls his shoulder. A golden light limns his form as well, but mostly it just looks angry. His gaze burns. He does not say anything, but crouches to spring for the attack, his shield raised; he strikes the shield once with his hammer, and instead of a clang there is a note in it like a clarion call. He looks over at the others. "You all ready?"
Sil nods sharply, baring his blades towards Benedictus.
Auralind draws her bow, an arrow growing into place. "I am ready."
Colson inclines his head. "Yes. It is time for the Light's justice."
Archbishop Benedictus yells: And YOU! We will FEAST on your ashes! Now, DIE!
Time to fight. They don't die.
Archbishop Benedictus yells: The Light will consume you!
The Light does not consume them.
Archbishop Benedictus yells: Witness my POWER!
They DO witness Benedictus' power, though.
Archbishop Benedictus yells: Drown in Shadow!
They do not drown in Shadow, although a massive wave of Shadow does descend across half the battlefield.
Eventually, Benedictus is defeated.
Archbishop Benedictus yells: I looked into the eyes of The Dragon, and despaired…
Ben straightens from the Archbishop's corpse and steps away. He looks over his shoulder at the others, the burning Light in his gaze fading.
Colson kneels at the side of the dead man, clasping his hands together, as he prays to the Light for what remains of Benedictus' soul.
There is a sudden rumbling in the earth, and the foundations of the Temple seem to shudder around them. A deafening roar fills the air, seeming to resound in their very bones, and outside there are cries of terror and dismay.
Mordecai approaches Colson, about to do the same.
Mordecai stumbles, grabbing at Colson for support.
Auralind steps aside, keeping an ear out for any further danger, giving her human companions space to grieve.
Sil steps over to Ben's side. "Trouble."
Colson grabs onto Mordecai's hand, steadying the priest, as he looks up. "May you find peace and truth in the Light's grace," Colson concludes, as he rises to a stand.
Ben readies his shield again and braces himself in a defensive stance like he means to shield bash an earthquake.
Auralind tenses. "Deathwing…?"
Sil has knives to throw, if that's likely to fend off an earthquake. Probably not.
Mordecai squeezes Colson's hand once. He looks to Ben, then Thrall.
Colson readies a shield of Light, sputtering back into life. "We may have disrupted the Twilight's Hammer's hold on this region."
Thrall looks up, alarmed. "That doesn't sound good — they may have realized their traitor failed them. I should get above to the Aspects immediately."
Colson nods. "Do you need us with you? Is there anything we can do to assist you and the Aspects?"
"Should we come with you?" Ben looks from Thrall to the entrance behind them. The silhouette of lashing, toothed tentacles is visible up the hill against a sky that is beginning to glimmer orange.
"We'll need to defend them, while they prepare the Dragon Soul," Thrall says. "The plan is for me to play the Earthwarder's part, but… this is all untested. Yes, let's head upstairs." Thrall pauses. "I think we are surrounded. I feel… elemental spirits, from all sides."
Mordecai picks up Archbishop Benedictus' staff. It glows in his hands, transforming from its current shadow-aligned state back to a more Light-inclined one.
"Spirits are… good? Not good?" Ben tilts his head and then glances over at Mordecai and the glowing staff.
Auralind nods firmly to Thrall. "We are with you, shaman."
Colson gives the staff a long, evaluating look, as if he's looking at less for appearance and more from some other sense. He relaxes when nothing more happens, no sense of poison or the Void.
Mordecai says a quiet prayer of his own for Benedictus and then hurries to catch up.
"Not good," Thrall says gruffly to Ben. "Angry, violent."
"Ah," Colson says.
"Let's go," says Ben grimly, and gestures for the others to follow.
"And thank you," Thrall says to Auralind. "I know our people are not always on good terms, but we have a common goal here."
Colson goes. Well, follows. You know what I mean.
Auralind grunts and nods.
Sil follows.
Outside, the earth around the Temple has been sundered jaggedly, and scores of furious earth and frost elementals are milling menacingly around the Temple's perimeter. A second group of lashing tentacles rears into the sky from the east.
"Oh, Light," Sil says faintly, looking at the forces arrayed against them.
Over head, dragons are locked in combat with Twilight drakes, and a massive, winged black shape circles in the distance, its shadowy form etched with lines of flame.
Colson keeps a steady hand on Mordecai now, his expression marked by visible concern. "They will tear this place apart if not stopped," he remarks.
"I think… we better get inside," Ben says in a Very Understatement tone. He is already moving across the snow, sidling with his face and shield toward the amassing elemental army.
Mordecai pulls his hat down lower, protecting his eyebrows.
"I agree," Colson says. He's calm, but he's moving fast.
Sil nods numbly, following the others.
"We're under siege," Thrall says, moving after them. "We'll need to call our allies."
A pair of blood elves — or blood elf visages — are dragging a third between them into the shelter of the Temple. The third one is bloodied and still. "We need help!" one of the pair calls frantically. "More healers! More arms!"
Mordecai jogs towards them right away. That's him, he's a healer.
Colson reacts immediately, a shift in the paladin, as he hears the call to arms for a healer. "Help is on the way!" he calls back. "We have two healers here!"
Ben plants himself with his back to the entrance and his shield up, still gazing fixedly at the ranked elementals. They rumble and rustle ominously, as though waiting for something.
A dragon's corpse plummets from the sky to land heavily in the snow beside them in a spume of bloodied snow.
Auralind takes up position near Ben, Rhok'delar at the ready to meet any attacks with arrow shot.
Colson sends out a wave of healing Light to the corpse, and when it fails, immediately tries for a resurrection; it doesn't take.
Ben glances up at the sky where the twilight drakes are circling in greater numbers, flocking like carrion crows. "Get inside!" he yells to the others, and starts backing toward the steps himself. "Inside!"
Mordecai is busy trying to resurrect the dragon the blood elves dragged in. He winces at the thud.
Sil rushes after, trying to toss a dagger at anything nearby that looks threatening.
Colson puts his attention back on the wounded. There are a lot, and more with every passing moment. Still, he tries.
Mordecai winces when his resurrection fails as well. "I'm sorry," he tells the two 'blood elves'. "Inside, come on."
Colson keeps backing up into the temple with every heal.
Groups of Twlight-robed figures move from the ranks of elementals and turn to form summoning circles. They begin channeling shadowy strands into portals in the air.
Sil covers the others as they move back into the temple.
"That cannot be good," Colson says, stating the obvious in an understatement, as he looks towards the sense of the Void growing.
"We gonna have to get word out!" Ben shouts as he continues to back slowly to the shelter of the Temple. "We got a siege here!"
"It must mean the Aspects are onto something, with the Dragon Soul," Sil says, backing away with the group. "This looks like a no-holds-barred last ditch attack."
"I saw an airship," Mordecai says. "Word's probably already out."
"Right." Ben glances up, scanning the sky for the airship's shape again. "Right. So we just got to hold out a little. We got this."
"We must hope," Colson says. "And pray that they come soon, with an army." In this case, he probably means that praying very literally.
If the airship is up there, it is entirely obscured by the flocking dragons. Or, IDK, maybe it's just on the other side of the tower.
"We will hold," Colson says with faith. "The Light is with us. 'With the power of the Light, you can overcome anything,'" he quotes.
"We'll hold," Sil says, taking a deep breath, staring out at the forces in the Dragonblight with wide eyes.
"Okay," says Ben, and turns to survey the ground floor chamber. "Let's get comfortable and get to work. Anyone brung coffee?"
"Yes," Colson says after a moment, patting his Orange Pumpkin Bag. "I have nothing to brew it in however, although I can attest that it is possible to make it in a boot, if one is desperate."
"Triage close to the exits, here and here," Mordecai says, gesturing.
Ben considers. "I got a second pair of boots," he tells Colson. Coffee is necessary. "I'm gonna see what kind of defense we got at the other side, first, though." He drops his own pack on the floor and strides across the chamber to the farthest door.
"I can do… bandages," Sil says, his face a little pale. "If we need. Mordecai, you'll tell me, if I can help?"
"We'll need more healers for the other two entrances." Mordecai glances at Sil. "Come with me, we can get set up."
Colson nods to Mordecai, as he murmurs a Blessing of Might for their mana, calm and steady. "Then let us begin."
Sil nods, and follows Mordecai.
"Compassion, patience, tenacity," Colson murmurs to Sil, a man of faith offering what comfort he can in desperate circumstances.
Ben is striding back and forth across the far archway now, surveying the situation outside and offering orders to dragons who are probably not accustomed to being ordered around by twentysomething rednecks.
"These doors is too big to barricade," Ben calls back to the others. "We are gonna need some magic to hold 'em. We got magic?"
Several of the dragons exchange looks.
With everyone inside, Auralind plants herself in the center of the chamber. She kneels down in a meditative position, ears wide open, and listens, absorbing the sounds all around…of battle, of the wounded and dying…painting a picture in her mind.