With his regular excursions with Victrola, often people were more than used to seeing ZWEI out of the confines of the hovel he now had to call home. It was often, therefore, that he now used this new way of living to his own advantage. Though he no longer considered himself werewolf, he was able to channel all the abilities known of their kind; their strength, their speed, their sense of smell and direction, their ability to track others despite the distance between them. It was difficult, he knew, but once mastered he could use it for just about any situation, including an impromptu breakout.
ZWEI was used to keeping quiet. Often he had to lurk in the shadows to avoid being caught by those who would kill him in an instant, and this situation was no different. For many, he was not yet trustworthy, and though he didnât wish to push boundaries, tying up one of his kind, especially when one was being so volatile, was an massacre waiting to happen. It was for that reason, therefore, that he began his escape out of the Undercity once more, this time without the help of an ally.Â
It wasnât as if he were banned from wandering, but the looks given to him by the many he passed were less than pleasant. Of course, ZWEI kept a straight face, choosing to persevere regardless of their thoughts, for he knew that he would ultimately return. He had, after all, made a promise. Yet, as he wandered the cobbled halls he noticed something different in the air. It was quieter, less busy than normal. No footsteps, no fluttering of wings. A quick inhale caused his brow to raise; the Lady wasnât there. She always did go on excursions, but usually she made a fuss; told everyone and every being exactly where she would be and when she would return, yet today there hailed a silence.Â
Perhaps it was a sign to continue onward.
ZWEI walked quickly, managing to find the lift leading up to the ruins he found himself in only once before. As he explored with Vic he had taken an interest in the forest that lay just behind the City; it held the smell of his kind, yet they were different. More feral and vicious, he could tell they used their abilities to their own advantage, killing innocents in the process. Though ZWEI held understanding, he had done his research; these creatures were not as he knew them to be at home. They had control; they chose to use their raw ability for evil, and as a werewolf himself ZWEI wouldnât tolerate such nonsense. Yet, he had been assured that the area had been cleared; wolves tread there no longer, for the Lady had cleared them out.
It was in that moment that ZWEI found an ounce of respect for her; he would have done the same, no doubt.Â
As he followed the path towards the land he noticed one of Sylvanasâ own roaming the skies, looking out for travellers. He heard a hiss, knowing that she had seen but ZWEI hoped she wouldnât question. He gazed up to her and insisted that she leave him be, for he would return in due time. Whatever possessed the winged creature to leave him be in that moment, he would never know, yet he was grateful nevertheless. It gave him hope that perhaps he could gain an ounce of trust in this area; that there would be some sort of protection for him⌠not that he needed it, but at least he could sleep peacefully at night, without worry of an impromptu stabbing.
As he tread through the desolate forests, however, he could smell something lingering in the air. The smell of his kind, of course, but it was stronger than he expected. He had been reassured that this was territory belonging to the Lady, yet somehow it occurred that her smell was not as prominent in these lands; her influence was somehow tainted. Yet as he walked, both scents got stronger; her own and that of a wolf. ZWEI, of course, was cautious, though if wolves here held the same abilities as he, he could only assume the worst would come should Sylvanas be alone.
Judging from her nature, she would be.Â
It was through some sort of odd need to protect, therefore, that he honed in on her scent as being locked away in some sort of abandoned building, and with his power channelled he took off into the forests, attempting to find any shortcuts he could whilst also remaining blissfully silent. It was a good feeling to channel into those primal powers, yet he couldnât take it too far with himself; not yet, at least, for he knew not what was considered safe or dangerous in these lands, if such words existed here. With a sense of urgency and relief, he tore through the forests and ended up looking upon the fort before him. It was nothing special, but to win a piece of land like that must have been important to her, and so it held some kind of sentiment.Â
Treading with caution, he focused upon both scents. She appeared to be sitting on the top floor, idle almost, though he could expect that of her; her heart was not beating, after all, and if she had passed her scent would be long gone. The scent of another lingered, however. Awfully close, just in front of him. Adrenaline had kicked in quickly, survival instincts flooding into his mind as he entered the abandoned place and scouted the area for some stairs, to which he could hear another climbing. The footsteps would be silent to other ears, but the faint creaks sent alarm bells ringing in ZWEIâs mind, and thus he moved much quicker, catching a simply glimpse of dark grey turn the corner. ZWEI remained silent despite this, however, as he climbed the stairs and followed, choosing to keep a distance between them so that ZWEI could not be seen.Â
As he approached the final room, however, he could see what was being prepared. A lone wolf, it seemed; a rebellious one, new, primal, not knowing what to expect. Perhaps he thought that killing someone as prestigious as her would make him important, but ZWEI laughed silently at such remarks. Nobody could become important unless they beat the important ones in the pack, such was the way of life, and unfortunately the cub would learn the hard way. HE watched as the wolf snook up to the Lady, who was seemingly oblivious and in a dream state, though ZWEI intervened quickly, drawing forth a blade made of the purest silver before he plunged it into the wolfâs gut from behind. A loud yelp came from the pup as he dragged his head back by pulling against the thick mane of fur. A single whisper left his lips.
âYou know, itâs rude to sneak up on a lady like thatâŚâ With a growl of his own he pulled the sword from the pupâs gut, only to swing it around and lodge it right into the wolfâs jugular, cutting off the air supply almost instantly as he fell to the floor in a heap. If anything, it was a clean death; a proper death, and ZWEI nodded his head as he pushed the body aside. Turning his attention to Sylvanas, he noticed a gleam in her eye. Something sad, lingering. With primal instinct still in the forefront of his mind, he made his way over to her with caution as he knelt down beside her, keeping himself well aware of their surroundings, just in case another attack of sorts had been planned.
âSorry you had to see that⌠things happen.â He spoke with a clear sense of distress; distress for several reasons, really. Using silver, as far as he knew, was the only somewhat noble way to deal with a wolf, yet he himself was affected by the metals, and he found it difficult to hone in the ability to heal his human self as quickly as he could if he was a full wolf. His hand burned bright red, though that wasnât on the forefront of his mind. Whatever had sparked in that moment for her was something never felt before; something completely new, especially for one he could consider a stranger. He hardly knew the woman before him, and yet he had killed for her in an instant.
And he felt no guilt whatsoever.
