by Drinn
No, the dreams hadn’t gotten any better, if anything they had progressed. Ever since Lupen pulled her from the hand of death she had dreams that felt more like visions. Memories. Places she had never been, and people she had never met pushed against the backs of her eyelids whenever she lost the now almost constant fight with sleep. The scenes that plagued her where nothing terribly grim yet when she woke she could still smell the pine of the forest she had just visited lucidly and always there was this sense of over whelming dread.
The events of the evening were taking yet another toll against her already exhausted self and she closed her eyes as she placed her weight against her friend. His presence was a comfort. He offered safety. Certainty.
“Stay with me tonight?” The weakness of her voice made it sound more like a plea rather then a simple request.
The Forsaken wordlessly nodded as he looked over the rolling hills of Nagrand below.
((Secondary story starting. Will be breaking from this thread soon-ish.))
A carefully wrapped present addressed to Grogkor with a bloody note. by Anaie
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Keeper Of Lore
- Lost
- Posts: 1749
Re: A carefully wrapped present addressed to Grogkor with a bloody note. by Anaie
"Is this what you have come to Anaie? Attacking those weaker than you?" the Mistress of the Grim stated as she dismounted from her wolf, coming face to face with Anaie. Even seething with rage as she was, Anaie noticed the slightest hint of disappointment in Lascivious' voice. Anaie blinked, Lascivious' words stinging her more than one would think. But she quickly suppressed the weak feelings and moved her face to within inches of Lascivious.
Anaie rumbled a low growl, almost beastial, and spoke in a low deep tone, "My business is my own. If your Grim cannot control their own actions, than they will feel repercussions.... that whelp should learn when to keep her trap shut." Anaie was no longer paying attention to Cessily, her focus was completely upon Lascivious. "She should be without the offending tongue or dead, but I took her pride instead. That which makes her what she is, now she looks like nothing more than a scrawny human." From the corner of her eye, Anaie saw the girl move around from behind to be off to the side.
Anaie recalled Cessily's words. I will not run. The girl’s bravado did not increase. She did not leap upon Anaie's back as she expected most other rogues would. Perhaps she is not a complete fool, Anaie thought, wishing the whelp would have tried to take advantage of the opportunity that had seemingly presented itself. Anaie refocused her attention to Lascivious, while the girl could be an annoyance, the Mistress of the Grim was actually a threat and it was wise to be fully aware of her at all times.
"All this because of a few words? Can Grog no longer take care of himself? I will deal with my Grim as I see fit it is not your place to interfere. I will punish those that should be and no one else. I am their Mistress!"
"You can punish her all you wish Lascivious, but when she angers those not under your sway, you will let the entire Grim suffer from her actions by defending her foolishness?" Anaie hissed. "I did not want a war with the Grim, but that seems it is what it has become. Your judgement on my love, for an action he had nothing to do with, is what angers me, and this loud mouthed whelp is the root of the entire problem." Anaie's voice softened a bit as she spoke of Grogkor, "He told me she spat upon him Lascivious, called him a slave. Do you know what that means to him?”
"Grog raised his hands against another Grim. Nothing you can say will change that fact. As long as he is Grim his actions are my responsibility. I failed with Kromag and again when I should have done the same to you when you attacked the paladin.” Lascivious' anger had faded, and the disappointment was again clear in her voice. “I will not fail to act again. You will not touch her.” Lascivious lowered her visor and gripped her mace.
“Mistress!” Cessily called out worried. Anaie looked at the little thief and smirked, lowering her own mask.
Lascivious watched Anaie carefully through her visor. She was already well aware of the thief’s skill and speed, but the rogue had not been idle since leaving the Grim. She nearly glowed with powerful magics radiating from her and her blades dripped with poison. The Mistress knew unlike most rogues this would not be an easy kill.
It has come to this then, Anaie thought to herself.
Anaie rolled her neck, the bones popping and cracking as she did so, her muscles twitching slightly as she tried to anticipate what the Mistress would do. Lascivious was a vicious fighter in battle but Anaie was experienced in these things and she had seen many like her in the goblin arenas as the scratches and dings in her armor attested to that fact. The rogue took to the shadows, even though she knew it would not aid her in this battle. Lascivious knew where she stood and was much too close to be fooled, the terrain not allowing Anaie to withdraw far enough to cause the Mistress to truly lose sight of her before she would charge. And charge is exactly what Lascivious did.
She slammed into the rogue with a tremendous force, dazing her slightly, her small body showing the strength provided to all of Slyvanas' chosen. Her mace swinging with a fury and speed of the most experienced of warriors. Anaie quickly shook off the effects of the charge and began to evade and maneuver past and around the blows, Lascivious reacting quickly to some of her actions with overpowering blows that Anaie's defenses could not stop. Anaie's armor was of the highest quality, providing a great amount of resilience toward absorbing the strongest blows that Lascvious could deal out. While there was still pain, it was manageable.
Anaie began to see the openings in Lascivious' defenses and countered with her own flurry of blows. Her daggers finding small gaps in Lascivious plate armor, where the chain link undershirt was sliced like paper. Her poisons worked fast, noticing Lascivious' movements already beginning to slow. A slice delivered to Lascivious' exposed flesh on her forearm quickly turned black, as the deadly poison did its work. Dropping to a roll to go with Lascivious' mace striking her side, Anaie came to a knee behind Lascivous. Spinning and turning her blade to so that the pommel drove into the pressure point on Lascivious' back. The blow caused Lascivious to stagger limp for a few seconds, allowing Anaie to raise her dagger high above her head, driving it down with a force that would kill many opponents instantly.
Grabbing a handful of dirt, the rogue threw it into the warriors faceplate, just enough of the grains entering the visor to stagger her back blind. Anaie knew it was only temporary, and she used the reprieve to snap to her feet and assault Lascivious from the front. Delivering another blow to her kidneys, Anaie felt her adrenalin well up inside her, enhancing her already potent combat abilities. She unleashed a series of shivs to Lascivous, each one designed to ensure poison was delivered to her target.
Lascivious was tired. Her first blows had hit the thief hard and when she felt Anaie shudder and saw the blood leaking from her armor, her anger seemed to leak out with it. The rogue had been among her favorites and the warrior wanted to hate her but could not. She put less effort into each swing and the combination of her fading ire and the poisons coursing through her blood was more than her body could stand. She barely reacted when Anaie vanished in a puff of smoke only to appear a moment later stunning her from behind with a brutal kidney shot. Her numb fingers lost their grip on her mace and she doubled over her barely noticeable armor suddenly feeling heavy and cumbersome.
Anaie breathed heavily, her body aching from the tremendous blows landed on her, her shoulder throbbing in pain. She looked upon Lascivious and a great sadness came over her. Here was the woman that cared for her sister, that spared Anaie's life when Kel'thuzad used her to try to assassinate her not so long before, that was truly disappointed in what Anaie had become.
"I cannot kill you Mistress. It should not have come to this. I... I am sorry." Anaie dropped her blades to the ground and walked to Lascivous, raising the skull mask on her faceplate so that her face was visible.
((to be con't))
Anaie rumbled a low growl, almost beastial, and spoke in a low deep tone, "My business is my own. If your Grim cannot control their own actions, than they will feel repercussions.... that whelp should learn when to keep her trap shut." Anaie was no longer paying attention to Cessily, her focus was completely upon Lascivious. "She should be without the offending tongue or dead, but I took her pride instead. That which makes her what she is, now she looks like nothing more than a scrawny human." From the corner of her eye, Anaie saw the girl move around from behind to be off to the side.
Anaie recalled Cessily's words. I will not run. The girl’s bravado did not increase. She did not leap upon Anaie's back as she expected most other rogues would. Perhaps she is not a complete fool, Anaie thought, wishing the whelp would have tried to take advantage of the opportunity that had seemingly presented itself. Anaie refocused her attention to Lascivious, while the girl could be an annoyance, the Mistress of the Grim was actually a threat and it was wise to be fully aware of her at all times.
"All this because of a few words? Can Grog no longer take care of himself? I will deal with my Grim as I see fit it is not your place to interfere. I will punish those that should be and no one else. I am their Mistress!"
"You can punish her all you wish Lascivious, but when she angers those not under your sway, you will let the entire Grim suffer from her actions by defending her foolishness?" Anaie hissed. "I did not want a war with the Grim, but that seems it is what it has become. Your judgement on my love, for an action he had nothing to do with, is what angers me, and this loud mouthed whelp is the root of the entire problem." Anaie's voice softened a bit as she spoke of Grogkor, "He told me she spat upon him Lascivious, called him a slave. Do you know what that means to him?”
"Grog raised his hands against another Grim. Nothing you can say will change that fact. As long as he is Grim his actions are my responsibility. I failed with Kromag and again when I should have done the same to you when you attacked the paladin.” Lascivious' anger had faded, and the disappointment was again clear in her voice. “I will not fail to act again. You will not touch her.” Lascivious lowered her visor and gripped her mace.
“Mistress!” Cessily called out worried. Anaie looked at the little thief and smirked, lowering her own mask.
Lascivious watched Anaie carefully through her visor. She was already well aware of the thief’s skill and speed, but the rogue had not been idle since leaving the Grim. She nearly glowed with powerful magics radiating from her and her blades dripped with poison. The Mistress knew unlike most rogues this would not be an easy kill.
It has come to this then, Anaie thought to herself.
Anaie rolled her neck, the bones popping and cracking as she did so, her muscles twitching slightly as she tried to anticipate what the Mistress would do. Lascivious was a vicious fighter in battle but Anaie was experienced in these things and she had seen many like her in the goblin arenas as the scratches and dings in her armor attested to that fact. The rogue took to the shadows, even though she knew it would not aid her in this battle. Lascivious knew where she stood and was much too close to be fooled, the terrain not allowing Anaie to withdraw far enough to cause the Mistress to truly lose sight of her before she would charge. And charge is exactly what Lascivious did.
She slammed into the rogue with a tremendous force, dazing her slightly, her small body showing the strength provided to all of Slyvanas' chosen. Her mace swinging with a fury and speed of the most experienced of warriors. Anaie quickly shook off the effects of the charge and began to evade and maneuver past and around the blows, Lascivious reacting quickly to some of her actions with overpowering blows that Anaie's defenses could not stop. Anaie's armor was of the highest quality, providing a great amount of resilience toward absorbing the strongest blows that Lascvious could deal out. While there was still pain, it was manageable.
Anaie began to see the openings in Lascivious' defenses and countered with her own flurry of blows. Her daggers finding small gaps in Lascivious plate armor, where the chain link undershirt was sliced like paper. Her poisons worked fast, noticing Lascivious' movements already beginning to slow. A slice delivered to Lascivious' exposed flesh on her forearm quickly turned black, as the deadly poison did its work. Dropping to a roll to go with Lascivious' mace striking her side, Anaie came to a knee behind Lascivous. Spinning and turning her blade to so that the pommel drove into the pressure point on Lascivious' back. The blow caused Lascivious to stagger limp for a few seconds, allowing Anaie to raise her dagger high above her head, driving it down with a force that would kill many opponents instantly.
Grabbing a handful of dirt, the rogue threw it into the warriors faceplate, just enough of the grains entering the visor to stagger her back blind. Anaie knew it was only temporary, and she used the reprieve to snap to her feet and assault Lascivious from the front. Delivering another blow to her kidneys, Anaie felt her adrenalin well up inside her, enhancing her already potent combat abilities. She unleashed a series of shivs to Lascivous, each one designed to ensure poison was delivered to her target.
Lascivious was tired. Her first blows had hit the thief hard and when she felt Anaie shudder and saw the blood leaking from her armor, her anger seemed to leak out with it. The rogue had been among her favorites and the warrior wanted to hate her but could not. She put less effort into each swing and the combination of her fading ire and the poisons coursing through her blood was more than her body could stand. She barely reacted when Anaie vanished in a puff of smoke only to appear a moment later stunning her from behind with a brutal kidney shot. Her numb fingers lost their grip on her mace and she doubled over her barely noticeable armor suddenly feeling heavy and cumbersome.
Anaie breathed heavily, her body aching from the tremendous blows landed on her, her shoulder throbbing in pain. She looked upon Lascivious and a great sadness came over her. Here was the woman that cared for her sister, that spared Anaie's life when Kel'thuzad used her to try to assassinate her not so long before, that was truly disappointed in what Anaie had become.
"I cannot kill you Mistress. It should not have come to this. I... I am sorry." Anaie dropped her blades to the ground and walked to Lascivous, raising the skull mask on her faceplate so that her face was visible.
((to be con't))
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Keeper Of Lore
- Lost
- Posts: 1749
Re: A carefully wrapped present addressed to Grogkor with a bloody note. by Anaie
by Lascivious
"It doesn’t matter." She unstrapped her helm and as Lascivious spoke she could see blood dripping from her lips to the ground between her feet. "Leaving wounded me more than your daggers ever could."
"Las…" Anaie’s face twisted into a pained expression. "I had ta leave. He was taken hold o’me. He knows yer were comin’ fer him. I didna want ta be a tool fer yer assassination. I was ta ashamed ta let you know I was weakenin’. Der other reason ta, but none I c’n speak here."
"I’d rather you stayed and take my chances." Lascivious dropped to her knees and tilted her head up revealing her rope-burned scar cutting a perfect line across her throat. "Do it. Kill me and you won’t have to worry about it anymore. Just leave my Grim alone."
"No!" Cessily jumped nimbly down the side of the hill drawing her blades and stood protectively beside the warrior. "I won’t let you."
Anaie blinked several times, but ignored the lesser experienced rogue. "Mistress… I can’a do that."
"I’m on my knees Anaie. You know me. I kneel to no one, not even my queen. Kill me and release us both."
Do it, Anaie. Take my burden from me. End my loneliness.
Anaie reached down and picked up her daggers and sheathed them. "I’m sorry Mistress. I can’a do it." She turned toward the elf. "Grog… he be me love. I hope yer happy, elf."
Cessily trembled, staring at the undead rogue angrily. "No. I’m not happy. I know what Grog went through and it made me sick to see it."
Lascivious struggled to her feet. "It’s true. She spoke for him in the ring. She begged me not to do it."
The Forsaken rogue looked surprised, then miserable. After what she had done Cessily has spoken against her Mistress in favor of Grog, the tormentor of her friend and lover of the woman who had taken her ears. She shook her head, not know what to think of the foul mouthed arrogant elf.
"Mayhap there be some hope fer ye afterall." Anaie reached up to one of her own ears and unsheathing her dagger cut it away quickly and held it out to elf. "This be in exchange fer what I did. I be sendin’ ye ears, I know someone who c’n maybe make ye whole again."
Cessily looked shocked and shook her head. "I don’t want it. And keep my ears. I have a friend… maybe I’ll just see if she loves me the way I am now."
Anaie nodded and tossed her ear to the ground. "Hm. Dat hurt more den it looked. I’m sorry Cessily. She turned and walked down the hill disappearing into the shadow. After a few moments Lascivious spoke.
"Is she gone?"
"Yes. She is gone."
Lascivious reached up and expertly unsnapped the straps on her armor letting most of it fall to the ground. With an exhausted sigh she followed thumping into the dirt and rolling over on her back groaning.
"Mistress! " Cessily kneeled at her side and the sound of hooves could be heard behind her.
"There you are brat!" Mogok thundered. "Where is that- Mistress! What happened?"
"She fought with Anaie to protect me Mogok."
"Bah! Why are you causing so much trouble! Where is that rogue, I’ll kill her."
"Can you two argue somewhere else and let me die in peace," Lascivious groaned.
"She’s gone, she-- DIE!?!"
Mogok shouted into the stone. "Aest! Come to Kargath! The Mistress has been wounded and poisoned. She needs healing!"
"I will be there soon," the paladin replied instantly. "What has happened?"
"That rogue Anaie attacked her!"
"I’ll come too," Aquizit told him. "I am not far."
"Mogok," Lasicious sighed. "You sound like my mother."
"Bah. You just rest. Aest will be here soon."
"I don’t understand," Cessily told her standing up. "I’m not Grim anymore. Why would you do that?"
"Mogok, help me up." The large Tuaren warrior hesitated then nodded easily pulling the Forsaken warrior to her feet. She steadied herself against him and put her arm around Cessily. "If you were not Grim, I would not have come for you."
Cessily’s eyes welled up with tears but she fought them back and whispered hoarsely. “Thank you.”
Aquizit and Aest arrived then and Aest did provided the woman a elixir to cleanse her poison and tended to her wounds while Aquizit watched over the group until ensuring the unpredictable rogue did not return.
Mogok nodded his head in agreement. "You’ve been through a lot and yes, you got a mouth on you, but you’ve been brave in the face of enemies with greater skill than you. You have my respect elf." Mogok seemed to notice something then and reached down to pick up the ear near his foot. He held it toward the elf. "Here you take this."
Cessily shook her head. "No I don’t want it."
Mogok was insistent. "Take it, Cessily. I am sure we can find someone who can repair it."
Lascivious and Cessily looked at each other and then back to Mogok.
"Mogok," the Mistress said. "That is not Cessily’s. It’s Anaie’s."
"Please, elf. We can - EEWW!" Mogok dropped the ear like it burst into flames and Lascivious laughed although it pained her to do so.
"Well at least you got a piece of her."
"No," Cessily told him. "She did it to herself."
"What? Who cuts off their own ear?"
"Anaie." Lascivious said simply bending down to pick it up, holding onto the Shu’halo for support.
From the shadows of some nearby shrubs there came the sound of laughter and Anaie appeared from the shadows.
"It doesn’t matter." She unstrapped her helm and as Lascivious spoke she could see blood dripping from her lips to the ground between her feet. "Leaving wounded me more than your daggers ever could."
"Las…" Anaie’s face twisted into a pained expression. "I had ta leave. He was taken hold o’me. He knows yer were comin’ fer him. I didna want ta be a tool fer yer assassination. I was ta ashamed ta let you know I was weakenin’. Der other reason ta, but none I c’n speak here."
"I’d rather you stayed and take my chances." Lascivious dropped to her knees and tilted her head up revealing her rope-burned scar cutting a perfect line across her throat. "Do it. Kill me and you won’t have to worry about it anymore. Just leave my Grim alone."
"No!" Cessily jumped nimbly down the side of the hill drawing her blades and stood protectively beside the warrior. "I won’t let you."
Anaie blinked several times, but ignored the lesser experienced rogue. "Mistress… I can’a do that."
"I’m on my knees Anaie. You know me. I kneel to no one, not even my queen. Kill me and release us both."
Do it, Anaie. Take my burden from me. End my loneliness.
Anaie reached down and picked up her daggers and sheathed them. "I’m sorry Mistress. I can’a do it." She turned toward the elf. "Grog… he be me love. I hope yer happy, elf."
Cessily trembled, staring at the undead rogue angrily. "No. I’m not happy. I know what Grog went through and it made me sick to see it."
Lascivious struggled to her feet. "It’s true. She spoke for him in the ring. She begged me not to do it."
The Forsaken rogue looked surprised, then miserable. After what she had done Cessily has spoken against her Mistress in favor of Grog, the tormentor of her friend and lover of the woman who had taken her ears. She shook her head, not know what to think of the foul mouthed arrogant elf.
"Mayhap there be some hope fer ye afterall." Anaie reached up to one of her own ears and unsheathing her dagger cut it away quickly and held it out to elf. "This be in exchange fer what I did. I be sendin’ ye ears, I know someone who c’n maybe make ye whole again."
Cessily looked shocked and shook her head. "I don’t want it. And keep my ears. I have a friend… maybe I’ll just see if she loves me the way I am now."
Anaie nodded and tossed her ear to the ground. "Hm. Dat hurt more den it looked. I’m sorry Cessily. She turned and walked down the hill disappearing into the shadow. After a few moments Lascivious spoke.
"Is she gone?"
"Yes. She is gone."
Lascivious reached up and expertly unsnapped the straps on her armor letting most of it fall to the ground. With an exhausted sigh she followed thumping into the dirt and rolling over on her back groaning.
"Mistress! " Cessily kneeled at her side and the sound of hooves could be heard behind her.
"There you are brat!" Mogok thundered. "Where is that- Mistress! What happened?"
"She fought with Anaie to protect me Mogok."
"Bah! Why are you causing so much trouble! Where is that rogue, I’ll kill her."
"Can you two argue somewhere else and let me die in peace," Lascivious groaned.
"She’s gone, she-- DIE!?!"
Mogok shouted into the stone. "Aest! Come to Kargath! The Mistress has been wounded and poisoned. She needs healing!"
"I will be there soon," the paladin replied instantly. "What has happened?"
"That rogue Anaie attacked her!"
"I’ll come too," Aquizit told him. "I am not far."
"Mogok," Lasicious sighed. "You sound like my mother."
"Bah. You just rest. Aest will be here soon."
"I don’t understand," Cessily told her standing up. "I’m not Grim anymore. Why would you do that?"
"Mogok, help me up." The large Tuaren warrior hesitated then nodded easily pulling the Forsaken warrior to her feet. She steadied herself against him and put her arm around Cessily. "If you were not Grim, I would not have come for you."
Cessily’s eyes welled up with tears but she fought them back and whispered hoarsely. “Thank you.”
Aquizit and Aest arrived then and Aest did provided the woman a elixir to cleanse her poison and tended to her wounds while Aquizit watched over the group until ensuring the unpredictable rogue did not return.
Mogok nodded his head in agreement. "You’ve been through a lot and yes, you got a mouth on you, but you’ve been brave in the face of enemies with greater skill than you. You have my respect elf." Mogok seemed to notice something then and reached down to pick up the ear near his foot. He held it toward the elf. "Here you take this."
Cessily shook her head. "No I don’t want it."
Mogok was insistent. "Take it, Cessily. I am sure we can find someone who can repair it."
Lascivious and Cessily looked at each other and then back to Mogok.
"Mogok," the Mistress said. "That is not Cessily’s. It’s Anaie’s."
"Please, elf. We can - EEWW!" Mogok dropped the ear like it burst into flames and Lascivious laughed although it pained her to do so.
"Well at least you got a piece of her."
"No," Cessily told him. "She did it to herself."
"What? Who cuts off their own ear?"
"Anaie." Lascivious said simply bending down to pick it up, holding onto the Shu’halo for support.
From the shadows of some nearby shrubs there came the sound of laughter and Anaie appeared from the shadows.