Grim Views

Syreena sat in the High Inquisitor's office, slowly turning a red shard over and over on her desk. She stared at it, lost in thought.

The stranger approached her after the guild meeting, and after most of the other Grims had left. Lilly was the only one left, trapped in a conversation with an apparently mad troll.

The stranger's name meant nothing to her, though he said he'd worked with the Grim leadership in the past. He was dressed like a warlock, or maybe a dark priest. He went on an on about his gratitude for the Grim's work, and that he had a gift for her. He said he had once made a similar deal with Ashenfury, back when the shaman was High Inquisitor. Syreena asked, hopefully, if the gift was elf ears. It wasn't.

He presented her with the red shard, which contained a part of someone's soul. The stranger said it was a piece of Kogrona's soul, and he said that Syreena could use this to control the orc rogue. Syreena initially refused, insisting that Lilly find a way to restore Kogrona's soul, but the stranger seemed to know Kogrona, and hinted strongly that Kogrona would change if she were restored. He said she had commitment issues.

After he left, Lilly informed her that restoring this part of the soul to Kogrona would most likely do no good. The best plan now would be to keep the shard safe, so it couldn't be used to control her.

Still, Syreena wondered what it would be like to have that kind of control over another. She could really make sure of Kogrona's loyalty. Not only that, but what would Kogrona be like if they somehow did find a way to restore it? The stranger suggested Kogrona would be trouble. Memories of Cessily came back to her when he said that. Kogrona, like Cessily back then, was her responsibility. Syreena didn't want to go through that kind of trouble again. With Cessily's trouble, she only had to answer to Lascivious. She only got a whipping for her lack of control over those under her. Now she would have to answer to Awatu, and she knew the last person who had to answer to him was still in the RAS trying to get his arms put back on.

Syreena tucked the shard into her pocket. She would just hold onto it and make sure Kogrona behaved herself. At least until she was promoted past Supplicant and no longer Syreena's responsibility.

It's not everyday that you find someone traipsing around Azeroth with a true soulgem. Not the soulstones that warlocks can tap into to help in battle, but a true piece of someone's soul that holds their very being. Even if it's just a fraction, merely a miniscule portion of the original soul, once put into a gem or a shard then control and information could be garnished with ease. Soul magic is a nasty thing and little good ever comes with tearing apart, destroying, eating or containing souls.

At least, this is what Lilliana believed from the experiences she's gained over her short life.

Lilliana didn't want to think too much about the little red shard that the odd undead fellow claimed to belong to Kogrona. She could sense that it was a soul. The aura it emitted with such faintness that most would miss did suggest it "could" belong to Kogrona. She had told Syreena that attempting to reunite Kogrona with this sliver of soul would be pointless. She said that the most important thing to do now was to keep the soul safe. This was only partly true. There was also an impulsive ulterior motive.

Lilliana, despite her warm and inviting nature, is also quite opportunistic. This odd undead fellow had in a sense offered them an opportunity. Now, it is true that Lilliana truly believed that the soul was not salvageable, but the young troll has been known to be wrong in the past. And if she was wrong, her disinterest in searching for another answer was clear. To Lilliana the best answer was, keep the red shard, keep control of these "commitment issues" the odd undead fellow spoke of, keep Kogrona fighting for the Grim, and most importantly, keep the soul piece safe. This also in turn kept Kogrona safe. Lilliana felt that this way of thinking was a fair exchange to the Grim and to Kogrona. It was a "win win" situation.

This way of thinking was on Lilliana's mind when Kogrona ran into her, heading to the Caverns of Time. Lilliana found herself accompanying the rogue on her enthusiastic search for treasure. Kogrona did not find her treasure that day, and Lilliana never mentioned the sliver of soul now resting with Syreena in the High Inquisitor's office. She did however, wonder what may come of this and Lilliana found herself hoping that the end result would be in Kogrona's best interest. Maybe she should have another look at the shard, and have a chat with her mother. But involving Bloodshine in anything was always a tiresome affair. Lilliana would have to think on this.

Lilliana Bloodshine
Daughter of Shamans

Syreena had not seen the orc rogue for a while until recently. Seeing Kogrona again reminded her of the soul shard the odd warlock had given her. The warlock mentioned that the shard should be accepted as Kogrona's Trial of Sacrifice. Syreena accepted the shard, but not as completion of the trial.

First, she wondered about the warlock knowing so much about the Grim's induction program. He did mention he'd worked with Ashenfury in the past, and he obviously had a strong connection with Kogrona though, so his knowledge was not too worrying.

Second, she considered the request. The trial was supposed to be a willing sacrifice on the part of the Supplicant. Something they give up to show they have left their old life behind in favor of a Grim life. As far as Syreena knew, Kogrona didn't willingly get a piece of her soul into the High Inquisitor's hands.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly to Syreena, she had to report on the Supplicants' trials to the Commander. If she accepted the soul shard as Kogrona's sacrifice, she would have to tell him and the other Grim officers about it. She preferred to keep it secret for now. Kogrona would have to come up with a sacrifice of her own choosing.

Now, Syreena sat in her office. Papers were piled all over her desk--letters of applicants, Supplicant reports, images of combat, an appointment calendar, various flyers and posters. She sat hunched over a small bare spot in the middle of the desk, staring at the red shard. The warlock hinted that the shard was the key to controlling Kogrona. Syreena had no idea how to use it, but that wouldn't stop her from trying.

She picked it up, cradling it loosely in both hands, and then bent her head, whispering a command to it that would make it obvious whether her actions worked.

"Kogrona, bring the tip of your ear to the High Inquisitor's office."

She watched curiously for a few moments, but the shard didn't seem to react in any way. Finally, with a sigh, the little rogue tucked the shard away in a secret place and turned to the stacks of paperwork.

((Late response, sorry. Wrote it out, wanted to tweak it, never got around to it. So here's what I got.))

Darkness all around. So thick that the orc couldn't see a thing.

Kogrona felt groggy. Her energy was drained, and she hurt all over. She didn't know how she had gotten here, and her whole body burned as though with fever. She needed to move. To figure out where she was, find out what had gone wrong.

Lifting her arm, she heard something rattle on the floor nearby. Her hand stopped, unable to go further. She could feel it now, something wrapped around her arm, preventing her movement. This feeling...

Chains. She was locked in place.

This could not be. This was a nightmare she had years ago. She could not be here now, it was impossible. And yet, it was so.

Something stirred from above her. She tilted her head upward, even though in the darkness it proved to be a useless gesture, as she could see nothing. The footsteps were loud and heavy, but uneven, as though the one walking was struggling with the effort. She heard the jingle of metal as keys were lifted, and the sound of the wood being scraped as the keys were clumsily drawn toward the lock. She could hear the latch click, the creak of the door as it slid open.

It was not possible. She could not believe it.

Light flooded the room, forcing Kogrona to squeeze her eyes shut. It was too bright. After a few moments, she managed to open her eyes again, no longer pained by the intensity of the light from upstairs. Looking up, she could see an indisinguishable shadow of a man in the doorway, in between the light and the darkness. He wasn't moving. Not yet. Just staring. Looking down at her.

She tried to scream. She tried to struggle against her bonds. She called for help, she prayed to the spirits. It did not matter. No help would come. Help would never come.

The shadow started it's descent down the stairs....



"AAAAAHHHH!"

Kogrona lunged forward, leaped forward with her knife, bringing it across in a vicious horizontal slice. However, there was nothing there to cut. Losing her balance, Kogrona stumbled forward. She managed to catch herself, spinning and turning her tumble into a roll before springing to her feet, ready for action.

Nothing. There was nothing there. She was home again, in her little hideaway in Durotar, the abandoned hut she'd discovered in the middle of nowhere weeks ago. One of the few places she felt safe.

It had seemed so real, so much like what she remembered. She could feel where the shackles had been attached to her arm. Her eyes still felt a little strained. And her heart was beating so loudly that she was certain that if someone else were nearby, they would hear it. Could it really have all been a dream?

Looking from side to side and panting, comprehension began to dawn on her mind. The moon shone bright, illuminating her surroundings. There were no intruders poised to strike. She had not been dragged away to some lair. She had not gone back to relive that nightmare once more. She was in Durotar again. She was alive. She was free.

It had been a dream.

She could feel something trickling down the side of her face. After placing her blade in her belt, she reached up and wiped her face, holding her hand out in front of her afterward in order to examine it.

Blood....

It wasn't a lot. Not enough to be nervous about bleeding out. But she didn't like waking up to find blood on her face. Reaching out again, she began feeling the left side of her face, searching for where the blood was coming from. Her hand made it's way higher and higher, until her fingers close around her ear.

The effect was immediate. Pain. It hurt to touch. Wincing, Kogrona closed her hand even more tightly around the wound, gritting her teeth as the pain intensified. She was tough, though. She wouldn't make a sound.

Though she couldn't see it, she could guess at the extent of the damage. The tip of her ear had been sliced off. It wasn't a huge cut, most of her ear was still intact. Kogrona wondered for a moment if her hearing might be damaged, but she could still hear the sounds of the Durotar nightlife, the chirping of crickets and the cries of birds, as clearly as ever.

She didn't understand. No one was here. There had been no intruder, she would have known. There would be some sign. And yet the end of her ear had been sliced off. How had it been done? Why? And where in Durotar was the rest of her ear?

Kogrona felt a sudden and sharp pain in her head. Images flashed through her mind. Each one had a feeling to it, a certain emotion. Distant, but not cold. Not evil. Strange and peculiar. A bloody knife in her hand. A face, familiar. A forsaken woman, whispering a command. The knife descends, a bloodied ear wrapped into cloth and sent.

Dropping to her knees and clutching her head in her hands, Kogrona tried to clear her thoughts. Her head was hurting, hurting a lot. She couldn't concentrate, couldn't think. The pain was crippling. And it was getting worse. What was happening to her? It wasn't fair! If it was a fight, it was with something that she didn't know how to engage!

More images flooded into her mind. Different from the others. The feelings that were projected changed. These ones felt evil. Dark and foreboding. Another command. A different one, buried within another. A whisper, soft and sinister. She couldn't quite make it out, as though someone was speaking just out of range. She could hear the voice, but not distinguish what it was saying. It was maddening.

Kogrona buried her face in her arms, trembling as the pain intensified. Her knees gave out, and she fell forward to the floor. The voice continued to whisper to her, indistinct and inaudible. It felt like someone had carved a hole in her skull and was sloshing the insides all around.

More images flashed before her, painful and indistinct. Familiar faces and familiar places. Blood and death, love and betrayal, pain and freedom. She felt tears forming in her eyes. She tried to stop them, as good orcs do not cry. She was a good orc. She could not cry. But she could not stop. The pain was too much. Liquid poured forth from her eyes, her chest heaving.

And just like that, the pain vanished.

Blinking away the tears, Kogrona unsteadily rose to one knee. It was gone. It was all gone. She remembered the pain, she remembered the emotion, but she couldn't remember what had caused it in the first place. It was like there was a blind spot in her head.

Picking herself up off the floor, Kogrona dusted herself off. Her head felt a little fuzzy. She needed a drink. That was the first priority.

Afterward, she would need to find Lilliana. She wasn't sure why, but something told her that she needed to find her.

As she left, she swore she could hear a voice whispering to her. She paused, lowering her head and listening for a few moments. The noise faded.

Perhaps it was just her imagination, but she thought she had heard Lilliana's name. Shrugging, she decided to put it out of her head. Her head was pounding, and it hurt to think too much on it. It would be much easier just to ignore it and maybe get a few drinks. That always made things simpler. Life was a little bearable when she had a drink or two at hand.

Besides, maybe it wasn't real. Maybe it was just a bad dream. Maybe she was still dreaming and she'd wake up in a while.

Sighing, Kogrona continued on her way.That was a wish she had all too often. And she couldn't recall a time it had ever come true.

((Hah!!' Drama!! Syreena, how could you!!!!! *grin*))

((This occurred just a few weeks before Syreena decided to use the Red Shard, on the night that Kogrona came back from her mysterious leave of absence – which apparently involved this creepy Veltor fellow – as Kogrona's other posts show! - link-))

Months had flown past as months often do, time refusing to wait for anyone or for anything. The evening between Syreena and the strange fellow with the red shard had been forgotten in Lilliana's mind. The troll priestess still often presented herself as a youth, and her attention span mirrored that as a result. She had been distracted that evening, lost in a flirtatious interaction with a handsome troll she had met after the Grim's guild meeting. When Syreena had obtained the shard and Lilliana interrupted her and Veltor after saying goodnight to the random troll, she hadn't given the manipulative decision she offered to the High Inquisitor much thought. Back then Kogrona wasn't much in Lilliana's mind. The rogue was just another soldier to serve the Grim, and the Grim's best interests were all that Lilliana cared for. They were not friends. Not yet.

You never know who will become your friend, and who will fight faithfully at your side. During the months following that night, the troll priestess had found herself to become quick friends with Kogrona. The pair found they were quite well attuned to each others fighting styles. Together they challenged the Alliance through the structure of arenas. It was a pleasure to cut the enemies ranks down in such a socially accepted manner. Lilliana loved it, as she loved killing. She also enjoyed the conversations that she had with Kogrona after their battles, and so a friendship blossomed. They would discuss the philosophy of the Grim and of the wars in general. Lilliana found that she was an ear that could listen to Kogrona, something that the orc seemed to need from time to time. Lilliana rarely had someone that she could simply sit down and talk to. This was despite Syreena's proclamation that “Everyone knows Lilly”. Sometimes when everyone says they know you, you end up knowing no one at all. This is a sad fact when it comes right down to it. Lilliana's evenings after the battles, with the exception of when Kogrona was around, were often spent on her own.

But nothing lasts forever, and Kogrona left, quite mysteriously and with no notice. Lilliana dealt with the disappearance of her new found friend as a good horde, and especially a good Grim, would. With a shrug and quiet stoicism, accepting the fact that, as happens in wars, your friend is gone. Nothing is ever for sure in this world, nor is it ever eternal, save for dying and the eternal sleep that comes from death. Lilliana got that. And that's why, months later when the orc rogue returned to the Grim, that Lilliana reacted in such glee. This was a rare treat, to have a friend lost return! The troll hadn't known, in fact, that Kogrona was back.. She hadn't sensed her re-attunement to the Grim's hearthstone. Kogrona hadn't sent her a letter or sought her out in any manner. Lilliana had herely happened to stumble upon the orc while venturing on a walk within the outskirts of the undead city. She found Kogrona staring into space up atop one of the tower parapets. It seemed as if the orc barely recognized the troll, for when Lilliana barreled into Kogrona, demanding a hug from the rogue, Kogrona was quite slow to respond. Kogrona's mind was foggy, distracted, and Lilliana could tell that Kogrona's head was causing her pain.

That night Lilliana convinced Kogrona to allow her to venture into her mind, to see what was causing her distraction and pain, and then to help reduce that pain as a priest could. Kogrona claimed she couldn't remember leaving the Grim months ago, or how she had come to the undead city. She was certain it had only been a week since she had last seen Lilliana. This made Lilliana all the more determined to search Kogrona's mind. As her mother, Bloodshine, Lilliana was familiar with manipulating thoughts and delving into the deepest part of another creature's mind. She could do so to harm or help. Although Lilliana rarely engaged in this type of magic, unless she was on the battlefield, she felt quite accomplished in it. She knew what she was doing. So, before the Grim knew that Kogrona was back, Lilliana tried to help her friend.

When Lilliana entered into Kogrona's mind, she found holes. The mind was a complicated vault, and oftentimes memories and information could become lost or hidden amongst the jungle that is our thoughts. But so rarely were there ever outright holes, vacant and gaping, like a dried up wound that will never heal. This is what Lilliana discovered. Such injuries to the mind could happen however, if on only rare occasions, by severe trauma or by the magic that certain warlocks, and the magic that even Lilliana herself could wield. When Lilliana discovered these holes she pushed forward. She stumbled across a group of memories that seemed to latch onto Lilliana's own thoughts. The memories were dark in nature, grim and forceful. The priestess saw unknown places, scenes of battle and scenes of torture, and faces she did not know. The images did not display as a memory often would, hazy and distantly. These came upon her in a sudden attack, becoming fierce and demanding.

Each image flashed angrily across Lilliana's mind, and when the priestess attempted to pull back, she found she couldn't. The memories had hold of her. It demanded her utmost attention and ensured that Lilliana had lost control. The priestess did not panic, but rode it out until the last image made it's appearance, despite her own fear that lay hidden and subdued. It wasn't being held hostage so much that terrified the priestess, it was that now the images were no longer simply within Kogrona's mind, being viewed by Lilliana, but appeared to be directly in front of the priestess, in the place of the orc which she thought had been seated before her. And they looked real. They felt real. It was as if the priestess were living them, even though she knew they were just memories, something to be forgotten in time and nothing more.

The priestess grunted, but was granted the last image. This appeared to be of an undead man, dressed in dark robes and hooded, as villains often are. Lilliana noticed an odd mask worn on this man that mirrored that of a bird's beak. It was not humorous, in fact, it was quite intimidating. The man began to laugh hysterically, the laugh of a madman. “Ha ha ha ha!”. He pointed a bony finger at Lilliana and then he spoke. “Lilliana! I got you! I got you!”

Lilliana was released then, and fell back, clasping her head in her hands. Never had she experienced something like that. Were these twisted and frighteningly real memories the result of a sick orc who's memories had crumbled into distorted and devious pieces due to past trauma? Could memories play such twisted tricks on mind readers? While Lilliana tried to grapple with the possibilities and deal with her now pounding head, Kogrona shot up into the air, throwing her arms out in her usual excited way when she's proclaiming that she's happy. The orc was all over Lilliana, thanking her and shouting how great she felt now. Kogrona even proclaimed that she was now ready for some drinks, and went to ditch Lilliana without more than a second thought, she was so excited (of course, Lilliana would be welcome to join her, but she'd have to catch up on her own). Lilliana held Kogrona back, asking her questions about some of the images, including the undead she had seen. Kogrona was quick to recognize Lilliana's description of the man, and explained that he was her old boss,Veltor. She said he was quite creepy, was bad news, but that he hadn't been around in a long, long time. Lilliana took some solace at that. She didn't know Kogrona's history, but considering the holes in her memory and the darkness in the images she did see, she figured that all this had been created due to trauma. Encountering a memory of Kogrona's hooded and bird beaked boss that happened to know Lilliana's name could simply be a trick of the mind. Lilliana took it at that.

It was a shame that Lilliana didn't remember the red shard that was given to Syreena, now quite some time ago. For if she had, she would have remembered the man that gave it to the High Inquisitor. She would have immediately made the link between him and tonight's events that coincided with Kogrona's return. For all of Lilliana's intelligence she often missed entire plots due to lack of attention to moments that she didn't perceive as crucial. She had found herself in trouble on numerous occasions due to this lack of insight. Perhaps if she had paid attention instead of throwing Kogrona aside back then, she and the orc would not be in the danger that they are in today. But then again, perhaps they still would be.