[Alliance] Chapter Two: Session Eleven
July 16th
0:00
Vel wakes up the morning after the kidnapping attempt and wakes Uther. They go and meet the others in the investigation room. Vincent is waiting for them, and Jaina also meets them there. Vel quickly casts identify as a ritual in order to examine Dar’khan’s body.
Meanwhile, Uther is explaining what happened to Jaina. As he’s talking, he doesn’t notice his mother’s eyebrow twitch.
Jaina: “That… is concerning.”
Uther agrees.
Jaina: “Moving forward, we might want to see if perhaps we can stay in groups of two in case he tries it again. That… doesn’t sound right. Why would Kael’thas do something like that?”
Uther comments that it would be a good way to distract Jaina and the others from the investigation. Jaina is concerned about Uther, and makes sure he’s feeling alright. She also says that he can say no to people that come to his room, even if he doesn’t want to offend anyone. Zone of Truth is powerful, but it doesn’t prevent people from changing their minds. Jaina expresses that Valeera may end up changing her mind in the future. She tells him to be careful.
At that moment, Vel finishes her spell, and the realization that Uther’s shot in the dark was correct.
Jaina asks Vel to repeat, and Uther says “I believe her first words were ‘Uther was right.’”
Jaina ignores her son and looks noticeably concerned as Vel continues to explain, and she says they need to be careful moving forward. Vel agrees, expressing that they likely have hit the point where they officially “know too much.”
That start to discuss their next move, and Vel suggests that she and Jaina go and talk to Kael’thas about the near kidnapping incident last night. Jaina expresses that it could be really dangerous. While she had known Kael’thas well when they were in Dalaran, she had not spent much time with him in recent years. While she had hopes that he was not responsible, she still had her concerns as he was a powerful mage and, if he was actually involved, she was not confident she could take him even with Vel’s help.
Vincent is also rather apprehensive about it, and Uther recognizes the irony of the concern he has over his mother being involved in something dangerous given his own tendencies. However, ultimately they agree it’s not a bad idea, as making sure Kael’thas is not involved, especially given their revelation about the body, could ensure they are not wasting their time pursuing a powerful mage who was actually innocent.
It was decided that Jaina and Vel would meet with Kael’thas while Uther and Vincent remained outside as backup. Ideally, they would able to appeal to Kael’thas from a place of concern, and perhaps get him to agree to a few questions under Zone of Truth so they could be sure of his position.
0:27
Gil gets a sending.
“Drathir alive. Body decoy. I’ll be reporting to Borel. Secrecy urgent. Say nothing to anyone. We officially know too much.”
Gil almost falls over, and his roommate asks if he’s okay. Gil responds with “Oh, yeah, just got a message from my sister… oh fuck.” Which is what gets sent back to his sister.
Vel then sends Kilnar: “Clone theory confirmed. Drathir alive. Likely faked death. Body is the clone. Original still active.”
Kilnar is overjoyed at this information, and informs Vel that after sundown tonight the information would then be considered “classified” so she is to tell anyone she needs to before then.
Vel also arranges a meeting with Kael’thas: “I need to speak with you. I’m concerned you’re being framed. Sending seemed best for discretion. Meet with me as soon as possible. Awaiting response.”
Kael’thas responds, calm, but serious, and asks for her to meet with him in his study after lunch.
Uther and Vincent go to fetch Valeera.
Jaina informs Vel that she needs to take care of a few things before the meeting with Kael’thas, but that she would find her beforehand.
0:35
Gil goes to inform Borel that his sister would be by later. Borel seems irritated, and suddenly his age seems to be showing. He has Gil break his fast in his office.
Tess sees Norii wake up, getting up for her morning duties. She asks her what she’s up to, and the two share pleasantries. Norii then goes to get breakfast for Borel and runs into Gil whos there, who she then also gets breakfast for.
0:42
Vel goes over to speak to Borel, along with Arator, who she briefly appraises of the situation. Arator is her escort.
Nori greets them and escorts them to Borel’s office, making a note to lock the door behind her this time.
Vel asks (in Draconic) “How safe is this room from prying ears.” Borel responds (In draconic) “That is why Nori locked the door.”
He once again seems irritated.
Vel resumes thalassian, explaining to Borel the clone situation. He seems surprised, saying that these are very strong magics. That and that this changes many things. Borel brings up that they should destroy the “affront to nature” that is the clone as a failsafe. Vel asks if that would raise suspicion. The group debates back and forth on whether or not destroying the body would be a bad idea.
Vel brings up that they should wait until after the auction, so that no rumors cause the thing to go to ground. Borel agrees to wait until dawn. He very much does not like clones, and he will not delay it any longer than that.
Vel also mentions that having her brother back on the case would be helpful. Borel agrees that things have changed, and says he has a task that only Gil can do.
Gil asks what, and he says that he needs to reassign his men at the Dawnseeker Estate. He doesn’t want to separate the captain from her daughter any longer. However, the daughter is going to be difficult to get out of the house, so he’s counting on Gil to convince her to stay at the barracks. Given Gil saved her life, Borel believes that he’s one of the few that can coax her out.
He asks her to bring Nori and Tess with him, as he trusts them. He also states that he should, ideally, be back before nightfall. This was intentional, as he planned for this to line up with the auction so that the attention of the warlocks is on the auction and not what’s going on at the Dawnseeker estate.
Vel then returns the leaf.
“I was wondering where you had run off to.” he said to the leaf.
Borel appreciates the fact the leaf has been returned. Gil is confused.
Borel tells Vel that he’s counting on her as far as the auction is concerned.
Vel leaves with Arator, and Gil asks Borel what Nori is capable of. He asks specifically if she is capable of things like Borel, or himself, or Vel, and Borel simply says she is capable of “magics that will assist you.”
1:08
Tess does herbalism, while Gil continues to train lightly until it is time for him to go and fetch Thal’ena. Tess also spends some time flirting with Nori.
Nori: “Tess. Are you… are you trying to court me right now? It’s like… you keep brushing your hand against mine, and you say things with this smile. Are you.. Are you flirting with me?”
Tess: “Aww. Did you just notice?”
Nori covers her mouth, and she falls back a bit, kicking her feet in laughter.
Nori: “We just met! And that’s… ha!~ You’re funny. In a good way. I promise.”
Tess: “And you’re cute. In a good way. I promise.”
Nori continues her herbalism lessons with Tess, though the rest of the day she keeps giggling whenever Tess flirts. Nori doesn’t reciprocate, but she’s receiving it well.
1:13
Meanwhile, back at the palace, Vincent and Uther are seeking out Valeera. They go to where the courtesans hang out, and are greeted by an older man.
Vincent: “Right! We are here for a courtesan for my good friend Uther, here!”
The man asks if there was one in mind.
Vincent: “There was one that’s been visiting him he’s taken a fancy to.”
Uther: “Lydi.”
Man: “I trust she’s been performing well, then?”
Vincent: “If she wasn’t, we wouldn’t be here, would we?”
Man: “Mm. Good. Her first monthly audit is next week. I’ll keep that in mind. This way.”
The man approaches another woman, and has her go to fetch Lydi. The woman also looks at Vincent and asks if he would like a companion as well. Vincent refuses for the time being, despite it being complimentary. The woman says he just needs to call later if he would like, and then she goes to fetch “Lydi”.
Valeera greets Uther, and expressed she wasn’t expecting another call so soon. Uther also admits that he wasn’t expecting it either.
They escort her back to Uther’s room, and she asks what exactly is going on.
1:22
Vel meets with Jaina and they discuss plans. Vel and Jaina decide to both go together while Vince and Uther remain close by.
Vince roles a new disguise. A bland blonde elf.
1:30
Back with Valeera, she wants to know what’s going on. Uther explains they decided to take action, as new developments have come forth and they opted to confront Kael’thas. Uther asks her to stand by, and she informs him not to die. Uther reassures her that he doesn’t have any intention of dying.
Valeera starts to call out the death flag, but then sighs.
Valeera: “I guess we should stay in here a bit to make it convincing.”
Vincent: “You could just say he finished early.”
Valeera busts out laughing, and Uther gives a deadpan look at Vincent.
Valeera: “Such little faith in you, my liege.”
Vincent: “He’s not my liege.”
Valeera gives her input, suggesting some sort of collateral. However, their options are kind of limited in that regard. They talk a bit. Then Valeera asks “how Uther slept.”
Uther mentions he slept better than he had any right to given he was almost kidnapped. Valeera mentions that she hopes he doesn’t raise the stakes. She then leaves, messing up her hair in the process so it “looks convincing.”
Uther does the same.
Uther and Vincent regroup with the rest.
1:37
Uther and Vince make it to the palace ground nearby. Vince hides in a bush and Uther reads a prayer book on a bench.
Vel and Jaina go invisible to go sneak into the palace to meet with Kael’thas discreetly. Vel knocks once. Then twice. Nothing happens. Jaina suggests they just enter, and they slip in, the door being unlocked.
Kael’thas is inside, his back turned as he stands on top of one of the raised areas of the study.
They both drop invisibility, and Vel greets him. He greets them in return.
However, he then tells them it’s unfortunate that they discovered so much so quickly. He bids them farewell, and steps through a fiery portal that opens.
Meanwhile, back with Uther and Vincent, they hear voices. It’s Kael’thas shouting “STOP HER.” And then Vel runs by. But it flickers for a moment, and Vincent sees the image of Dar’khan Drathir under the illusion.
Kael’thas runs out from behind a corner, his blade drawn. There is a gaping wound is his side that he’s clutching.
As she passes, “Vel” gives Uther a look and continues on, then turns invisible.
Uther talks to Kael’thas who then says Vel tried to assassinate him. Uther says that’s not possible. Kael says for him to “tell that to my wound”
Meanwhile, with Vel and Jaina, Jaina says they need to get out. Vel turns them both invisible. Two spellbreakers enter, and they start to try and detect magic
Uther takes stock of the situation. He then uses lay on hands on Kael’thas, but it’s uneffected. Kael explains that she did it with the magic dagger.
He then shouts to Velameestra to reveal herself, and then begins to ready a spell. Vel identifies it as blast wave. And recognizes the “safe areas” of the room are very limited and very narrow given where Kael’thas is targeting the spell.
Meanwhile, Vincent runs in, and shouts that he has information about Vel. He loudly proclaims “Vel” was actually Dar’khan.
And then the fountain outside warbles, and a massive water elemental appears.
Using the distraction, Jaina pulls Vel out of the study and prepares teleportation magic to get all of them out of the room. She tells Vel to cover her. One of the spellbreakers tries a counterspell, but Vel counters it.
Jaina teleports them back to the ranger barracks, to the investigation room.
2:13
Arator is suprised. The group explains to each other what they saw.
Jaina then notices that a dagger stained with blood on Vel’s belt, and as she feels around for the one she had on her person she realizes it had been stolen. Likely Dar’khan had stolen her dagger only to plant the one he had used to stab Kael’thas on Vel, so if they had been caught the entire situation was entirely incriminating.
Fortunately, it seems likely only the party itself saw the dagger, and not the spellbreakers or Kael’thas. Hopefully.
They discuss their plan from here, and it’s decided that they need to disguise themselves and get out of sight as soon as possible.
Jaina is able to transform herself into a rather plain-looking elf, though she definitely looks like she could still be elf!Uther’s mother. Uther now has dark hair and a goatee and looks like an elf, and Caylum is now blonde. Vel has long purple hair, and her tattoos are now covered. Vel gives the dagger to Jaina.
However, Vel and Vincent stay behind to try and continue with the plan for the black market auction and Jaina calls for Uther to follow her.
Uther remains for a moment and hugs Vel. He confides in her that he’s afraid to leave her but understands its not a good idea for him to stay, so he’ll go. But he tells her to be careful. Vel tells him she won’t let Drathir one up her again. He says he knows.
Jaina slips Vel a mana potion as well.
Jaina and Uther try to sneak out, disguised. However, there’s a checkpoint, and Jaina has the dagger on her person. She tells Uther that she may have to try something drastic. She starts to lead them to the side.
However, they get stopped by two spellbreakers, and the arcane golem that is with them produces an image of Velameestra. They ask if they had seen her. Jaina said she hadn’t, and then asks Uther given she looked around his age. Uther said she seems rather “bookish” for him, and if he had seen her he probably forgot.
One of the spellbreakers takes offense, expressing that magisters work really hard to reach their positions and his sister happened to be one. However, it distracts them away, and they leave, the spellbreaker’s partner telling him to calm down not start anything. Jaina then teleports them out of the city.
---
2:41
Meanwhile, back at the hold, Nori goes and fetches Tess and gives Gil the letter to get into the estate. They leave.
And Nori informs them that there are spellbreakers walking the city and that Gil’s sister is currently wanted.
Gil blinks slowly. Nori explains something happened at the palace. Gil asks her to please tell him that she didn’t try to kill someone. Nori explains that Borel had received word that Vel was armed and dangerous. Tess almost says something about Vel’s previous attempt on uther’s life under Zalazane’s control, but Gil stops her.
They arrive at the estate and give the guard the letter, and he relents and allows them inside the estate. The guard inside asks why they are there, and Gil informs him. They go up to Thal’ena’s room, and Thal’ena shouts for them to go away.
They talk outside the door, and Nori suggests they can just go in, maybe, but Gil doesn’t want to do that.
Gil asks her if she maybe wants to leave the estate, and Thal’ena retorts that it’s dangerous out there. Gil counters that she’ll have a guard with him. Thal’ena makes a frustrated noise, but lets Gil in.
Thal’ena said she hasn‘t even let her father in yet. Gil explains that they had come to get Thal’ena back to Morningtide Hold. However, Thal’ena said she isn’t going. She doesn’t want to see her mother because of what she did.
Gil said she doesn’t have to see her, and Thal’ena counters that her mother hates her and that she always had. She asks why he doesn’t believe her.
Gil said that Lana’thel was completely shattered over the fact Thal’ena believed she would hurt her like that.
Tess pipes in that, coming from her experiences with her own mother, Lana’thel could never hate her daughter. After all, Tess herself has pissed her mother off a lot.
Gil: “I think they were targeting your mother and using you to hurt her.”
He then runs through all the things Lana’thel had said about Thal’ena, and how torn up she was. Thal’ena seems to have started to calm down a bit. She expresses that she should feel worse about the situation, and Gil counters that she shouldn’t feel worse, but the entire situation is rather awful for everyone.
Thal’ena’s shoulders sink.
Gil smiles at her, and then emphasizes they were here to bring her back to Morningtide Hold. Thal’ena isn’t sure it’s a good idea, but Gil can’t think of anywhere better. Plus it’s where her parents were, and he was staying there too.
Thal’ena said it would be nice if he was there. Seeing he saved her life, she would like to speak with him more. However, she isn’t sure if they will be able to make it back. Everything is on high alert.
Gil: “That’s what we’re here for.”
Thal’ena: “I know. It’s… a lot worse than it sounds.”
Gil: “What is?”
Thal’ena: “Everything.”
Thal’ena then screams.
Thal’ena: “HELP. THEY ARE ATTACKING ME.”
She shoves Gil away.
The captain and one of the guards runs in, and then shouts for backup as Gil is “trying to assassinate Thal’ena.”
One of the guards fires a crossbow, and it sticks in Nori’s arm. Gil tries protection from good and evil on Thal’ena, but it does nothing.
Gil: “Fantastic. You’re doing this on purpose.”
Gil puts up his hands, clearly unarmed, and starts to leave.
Thal’ena jumps at him, but he is able to slip out of her grasp before she can grab him. The guard tells Gil to stop, but meanwhile, Thal’ena rounds on Tess and stabs at her. Tess is knocked prone.
She then goes and sinks her teeth into Tess’s shoulder, and her teeth are revealed to be sharp, elongated fangs. Tess’s mind goes fuzzy, and she drops down unconscious. Green liquid is oozing from Thal’ena’s fangs.
The guard screams, and the captain’s face darken’s. Nori is saying repeatedly that “thisisnotgoodthisisnotgood” and then a bunch of tiny fireballs spring to life around her.
A bunch more guardians burst in.
Gil zephyr strikes out of the way, and fires an arrow at Thal’ena. Thick green ichor bursts from her gut, and she grunts in fury. A second arrow impales Thal’ena, and the wound festers immediately and she collapses to the ground. Her skin decays almost immediately as her body melts into a pile of greenish ichor.
Gil then looks over at the guardians. Two are clearly freaking out, but the other three in the back are holding weapons, including the captain.
Gil: “Hey Nori?”
Nori: “Yeah? Any ideas here?”
Gil: “We’re going to have to fight out. Can you get Tess up?”
Nori: “I think so!”
Gil: “Cool. Do that.”
Captain: “You know what to do, men. No survivors.”
The traitors move to run a blade through the guardians in front of them. One of them drops immediately. Another of the traitors’ eyes glow green and he points at Gil, but Gil disrupts the spell.
The other innocent guardian is also run through.
Nori releases the small fireballs, blasting some of the guards and also herself, but Nori herself seems almost unaffected. She then bows down next to Tess and gets her up. Nori’s normally blue eyes are glowing a soft amber. Nori hastily explains what happened, and Tess gets up.
Tess is able to take a guard out.
Nori leans down and whispers a few words. Flickering flames wash around Nori, and flowers and plants begin to grow around the fallen body of one of the innocent men. He then gasps as the guardian gasps back to life.
Gil fires an arrow at one of the traitors, and it pierces through his shoulder and sticks him to the wall. He fires another, and the guard drops.
Just the captain remains. Tess shoots the captain.
The guard that was just brought back panics, wanting to know what happened. The party explains, and the captain tries to persuade him otherwise. However, it fails, and Gil finishes off the captain.
Captain: “Well fought. But it won’t do you any good, whelp.”
Nori: “Who you calling a whelp!?”
Gil: “I thought me, but…”
Nori: “OH. WELL. HE’S NOT.”
Captain: “Shame you weren’t quick enough to save her. But make it quick. What are you going to do. Drag me back to the keep to--”
Gil smashes him over the face with his bow and knocks him out.
There is nothing left of Thal’ena. Some more guards come up, and Gil stabilizes the other innocent guard. The one that Nori brought back up explains to the others, and Gil takes their captive and starts to head back to the hold.
Nori asks the guardians to take care of the mess. They have to go report to Borel.
When they arrive, Nori starts rapidly pounding on the door. Borel sounds confused, and Gil just unceremoniously dumps the captain on the floor.
Nori explains what happened hastily. There are traitors in the Guardians.
Tess expresses the poisonous fangs were not fun. She said that from experience.
3:38
Gil ties up the captain, and Borel looms over the man in the chair. Borel asks Gil is heal him just enough to get him awake.
Captain: “General! It’s good to see you. I didn’t think you’d actually bring me back here.”
Borel immediately grabs the man by his throat and raises him up. “You best start talking. Where’s the girl?”
Captain: “You won’t find her. She’s been dead for days. If there’s anything left of her body.”
Borel grabs him again.
Borel: “Where. Is. She.”
Captain: “We dumped her body out at Thuron’s Livery. There’s nothing left. There’s no way the dragonhawks didn’t pick her apart.”
Borel lets go, and he turns away.
Borel: “Very well. And who was the one responsible for killing young Ms Dawnseeker?”
Captain: “Who do you think they delivered her to? Yours tru-”
Borel spins around, and his fist is through the man’s chest.
Borel: “How. Dare you. Suffer and die a coward, fool.”
There’s a distinct squishing, and Borel withdraws his hand from the man’s chest.
There is rage in his face, and there is a single tear on his cheek. Borel looks at the others, and tells them to make way to the Livery. If they can find Thal’ena, he wants them to bring her back to his estate. Whatever remains they can find. They are to be quick and silent.
Gil nods.
Borel: “I… need to make preparations. And clean up this mess.”
Nori leads Gil and Tess out a back entrance, and ask if they trust her. They nod. Nori said they are really nice.
Gil: “You’re going to do something really scary, aren’t you?”
Nori: “...Maybe. Step back a bit, please.”
Nori holds her hands out, and a wind blows through the alley. As they watch, the figure of Nori shifts. Her cloak and clothing alters, and her form grows. Her skin gets covered with brilliant crimson scales, and her limbs elongate. She’s a dragon.
She apologizes for lying to them.
Gil blinks a few times. “Pretty.”
Tess is in awe. “You look amazing.”
Nori seems to rub her claws together bashfully. “Awwe. You two do not need to compliment me so much. You’re making me blush.”
Tess said she was being genuine.
Nori hops down and tells them to get on, and Nori asks Gil to hide them again, and Gil relents.
They then take off. Nori expresses it’s a lot harder to carry two people than she thought it would be. She flies off toward Thuron’s Livery. It’s a large stable with tall, spiraling, hollowed out trees. The dragonhawks are resting.
Nori says they should fan out and look as quickly as possible. Nori transforms back into an elf.
Tess asks how long they have, and Nori says maybe six hours. Tess says she has an idea. Last time she went feral she felt more in control. She changes into a full wolf form, and she looks up at Gil with puppy eyes. Gil scratches her head and tells her to get moving.
It feels amazing.
They then start looking. Tess’s nose leads her straight to one of the dragonhawk stables, and she realizes she needs to go under it. Gil follows. As they creep down toward the bottom, Tess is getting a faint scent that she picked up from Thal’ena’s room. Half-buried, and half excrement, there is a pile of dragonhawk guano.
Gil uses prestidigitation to clean out some of the muck.
They unearth a femur. Then a ribcage. As they continue digging, Tess transforms back. They are able to gather as much of Thal’ena’s body as they can find. Most of the remains of an elven skeleton were buried there.
Nori asks if they are ready, and if they found it. Then she sees the skeleton.
3:57
They take off again, and head toward Borel’s estate. Nori informs him they found Thal’ena, and they head in. There are some simple rugs and artwork, and a lot of plants. Nori leads them to a cellar. As they descend, they step down on grass. On the stairs still.
Nori illuminates an orb of fire in her hand to lead the way as they go down. The cavern at the bottom is dimly lit, and the first thing they note is a bed of tall, thick grass with shrubs and plants growing out of it. Vegetables. Flowers.
There’s no sunlight.
In the very middle of the room is a single, solitary tree. The leaves shine almost like sunlight, and they look familiar. They look like the leaves that were in his desk.
Gil asks Nori what type of tree it was. Nori said a word in draconic. She then thinks and calls it a vermilion dragonleaf tree. Gil asks if there are other dragonleaf trees, and Nori says she doesn’t know.
At the foot of the tree is Borel.
Borel sounds tired as he greets them. He asks if they found Thal’ena, and Gil produces the remains. Borel expresses that it should suffice, though if it’s successful, speculation will do naught for them. Borel asks Gil to lay the remains on a bed of red leaves.
Borel kneels down before the remains, and says he needs their help. He tells them to focus.
Borel: “If we are to call her spirit back from the Shadowlands, I do not know if I can do so alone. She, who gave us this gift, I beseech your power now. On this solemn day, your children cry out for your grasp, your touch. All life is bound together in a single spiral. One that continues on and out, intertwining all. This is Her gift. Compassion for all living things. A drive to protect and nurture them.”
His form shifts slightly. Constructs seem to grow out from the corners of his head. Long, spiraling horns. And amber glow wraps around his eyes.
Borel: “This is Her gift. To heal that which others cannot. To love the unlovable, those who need such grace more than other souls. I beg of this power to bring back the wayward soul claimed before her time. Drawn down into the shadow of mortal deceit. Restore her life. May her life be bound into the spiral to which all of us are connected.”
Borel continues speaking, repeating the same prayer in other languages.
Nori begins to chant with him, and mentions to Gil and Tess that it’s okay if they are afraid, but if they can think of something to call back Thal’ena’s spirit, they should do it now.
Gil kneels down and touches a bone, and then starts to tell her about her mother and how much Lana’thel wants to see her again. Tess also starts to talk about Thal’ena’s mother.
As the time goes on, the energy begins to pick up suddenly. As it does, Borel’s eyes snap open. They are now a bright, amber orange. A wind forming from the body of Thal’ena whirls around, yet her body remains still. Massive wings extend out of Borel’s back, and he continues to chant.
The glow forms around Thal’ena. The leaves ignite in a blaze of fire. A pyre that is hot, but not uncomfortable.
When the flames recede, Thal’ena’s bones are still there. They are glowing red, but present.
Nori clasps a hand over her mouth, and Borel watches for a moment. The leaves, which have blackened in the flames break off and fall apart. Ash begins to wash around her bones, and the ash forms to dirt, and the dirt forms into flesh.
Then a bright, glowing green symbol appears beneath her. Her bones begins to cool, and the flames die down.
The skeleton is now a body, unblemished, and unmarred. Borel places a hand on her forehead, and a weight seems to lift off his shoulders.
Borel: “She lives. She may never dance again. But she lives.”
Gil is lost for words. Tess is awe struck.
Borel smiles softly. “I thank all three of you. Without your assistance Thal’ena may have died, and we may never have been able to bring her back. Noristrasza. We need to bring her somewhere safe. She will become a target if she remains. I’m counting on you. I’ll inform her parents that she has been taken to safety. You know where to bring her. She will be safer there until we bring these foul creatures to justice.”
Nori: “As you wish, scholarly one.”
Borel then stands up. “I can only assume that you have questions.”
Gil: “A lot, actually.”
Borel: “I owe you that much. As you may imagined, my name is not Borel. I am called Tyranastrasz.”
He then transforms into a massive dragon form.
Tyranastrasz: “Prime consort of the dragonqueen Alexstrasza, the lifebinder of life here on Azeroth.”
Gil and Tess are both awestruck still.
Tyranastrasz laughs. “I expected you to be surprised. You should know this is the first time I’ve taken my draconic form in a very long time. It’s good to stretch the wings.”
Tyranastrasz: “As you may have guessed, my position here is to ensure that the Thalassian government remains stable, and that life is kept in balance. We were charged with those that created this world to watch over it in their absence. So we do. My queen has charged me, all of us, with this, and we obey. We serve. And we protect. You understand, now, why I was perturbed by your interference.”
Gil just nods. “Yeah… I can see why you may have been unhappy about that.”
Tess: “yeah, me too.”
Tyranastrasz: “You can thank my queen. Were it not for her, you would have been on a faraway mountain so you wouldn’t interfere. Yet she owes you a favor.”
Gil: “For what?”
Tyranastrasz: “You recall the egg you recovered with your friends, yes?”
Gil: “Yes?”
He almost seems to smile, and he offers no more explanation.
Gil: “Was it you who recovered the egg?”
Tyranastrasz: “It was not. Perhaps you will meet him someday, or perhaps not.”
He informs them that his friends had left the city, and they would contact him soon, but it was wise for him to leave the city. However, he also told Gil to go and bring the plot to its heels, and help him protect the world from the death that threatens it.
Tyranastrasz: “You’re a rare breed, Gilveradin. Painfully inquisitive to a fault, but there is… something to be respected in such things. Now go. There is little time to linger here, and should others find you and discover you stayed here, undue attention will be drawn to both of us. Thal’ena will be safe in our care. Of that I can assure you.”
Nori also bids them farewell for the time being. She also says that when she returns, maybe Thal’ena can thank them herself.
Nori: “And maybe you can flirt with me more, Tess. That was fun.”
Nori lifts Thal’ena’s body, and she bids them goodbye.
Tyranastrasz: “It goes without saying that what you saw here is to not be repeated.”
Gil mentions his sister will likely have a lot of suspicions, and Tyranastrasz says he is counting on Gil to keep the suspicions from being problematic.
Tyranastrasz bids them leave, and Gil starts to go. Then he looks back.
Gil: “When this is all said and done… can you teach me to heal like you can?”
Tyranastrasz stops and turns back to Gil. His brow raises, and his eyes then narrow.
Tyranastrasz: “Such a thing… is not impossible, Gilveradin. But such a thing is also not done lightly.”
He steps closer.
Tyranastrasz: “Should you choose, I may grant you a boon as thanks for what you’ve done here. But in doing so, know that there will be know turning back. You will be charged just as we are. Your life bound ever tighter into the spiral. A decision that is not to be made lightly. And one that can never be brought back.”
Gil: “But I can help save others then?”
Tyranastrasz: “Ours is the domain of life, Gilveradin. We serve as wardens. Protecting those who cannot protect themselves, and nurturing, cherishing life in every way. To say you could help others would be like saying rainfall helps a forest grow. Yet it is as intrinsic to its growth as the plants themselves. You need not make such decision lightly, nor need you make it now. I may be old, but I’m not going anywhere. And you I believe are worthy.”
Gil considers for a few seconds. “That sounds exactly like what I’ve wanted to do.”
Tyranastrasz: “Then kneel, Gilveradin.”
Gil kneels. Tyranastrasz summons a roiling orb of green energy.
Tyranastrasz: “Then you accept this compassion for all living things.”
Gil: “I do.”
Tyranastrasz continues going through the pact, to which Gil agrees. There’s a flicker, and the spiral appears beneath Gil.
Another, bright red symbol appears beneath Gil, and a hot flash appears on Gil’s chest. A symbol then appears on his chest right beneath the acorn he wears under his shirt.
Tess blinks.
Tyranastrasz: “And it is done. Arise, Dragonsworn.”
Gil stands. “I won’t waste this.”
Tyranastrasz: “I trust not. You will henceforth be friend to red, and the vermillion will look at you as kin. Do not allow that to be for naught.”
Gil: “I won’t.”
Tyranastrasz tells Gil to return to his barracks, and thanks the two of them again.
Arator meets Gil at the barracks, and asks to stay the night. Gil examines his body, and sees a symbol on his chest. There’s also the life spiral burned into the acorn he wears, which is also burnished red.
Gil attunes to it, and as long as he’s attuned to it and its on his person his Charisma is a 19.
Meanwhile, Vincent and Vel make their way to the aforementioned auction location. As they approach, coin in hand, they prepare to enter.
