#... and kronk!

Syrielle crossed her arms. The information he gave matched up. Either this was Alteris, or this was another Ren’dorei that had done his research. A frown remained on her features. Obviously she wasn’t convinced.

“Let’s pretend you are Alteris. What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be conducting… business… elsewhere.”

She made certain to leave out what ‘business’ meant. There were other ears in the room, after all...

“Oi, y’mean fuckin’ Gatto?” he shrugged - clearly far-less concerned about who heard. “Aye, normally we go someplace quiet fer that. But I ain’t ‘ere fer that.”

His smug smirk faded some, as Alteris shook his head. He sighed, heavily - coughing again a bit as a result.

“M’ situation’s changed. I need t’ lie low fer a bit.”

Grakkar’s face contorted in confusion. He looked to Syrielle, brow askew… but remained silent. Maybe that had multiple meanings in elf culture…? He’d have to ask Kai’eka later.

Syrielle’s ears twitched and she grimaced as the Ren’dorei so crudely clarified the word ‘business’. She let out a sigh, both upset that Grakkar had overheard, but also relieved that this was, in fact, Alteris.

“You can release him, Grakkar,” she finally said, “This one is a friend. And uh… not a word of this to anyone, yeah?”

It was difficult for Grakkar not to say anything in that moment. And while he didn’t utter a word… his expression said it all. He averted his eyes, awkwardly, from Syrielle, as he set to freeing Alteris. He gave the void elf a look as he unbound him. Alteris smirked back proudly in response. He felt vindicated at least - if this wasn’t proof enough, he knew Gattius would vouch for him once his work was done. As he was untied, he moved to stand up from the chair. He chuckled at Grakkar, noting the incredulous expression on his face.

“Hmph! Wot’s th’ matter, Orc? Ne’er fucked a lady’s husband b’fore?” he taunted.

A quick and strong hand thrust Alteris back into the chair, as Grakkar growled. He leaned in, teeth bare.

“Mind yourself, you little purple weasel.” he snarled. “She said you’re a friend… not that you needed all your limbs intact.”

Alteris only grinned wider. This Orc… was damn hot! He looked him over, lightly biting his lower lip as he did so. His face was… nothing special. But that muscular form, those tribal-esque tattoos, and that commanding presence he had… not to mention he’d managed to sneak up on him earlier! He nodded slowly, compliantly.

“Aye… whate’er y’ say, Muscles.” he winked.

Grakkar backed off, still snarling, and took position beside Syrielle. He didn’t fully understand what was happening, but he got the majority of it figured out. He was no stranger to meeting various needs outside committed relationships. This void elf was clearly some manner of vice to Doctor Starfrost… and Lady Starfrost seemed okay with it. Still, he didn’t like how this one eyed him up. It wasn’t sizing up for a fight… more sizing up for something else. He grunted.

“Quit looking at me.” he barked.

“Hard not t’, big guy.” Alteris smirked in response.

--Then it clicked. The name… he knew it from Kai’eka!

“Figured y’d be used t’ ren’dorei attention, aye? Seein’ as yer th’ one fuckin’ my sister, Kai.”

Grakkar’s shoulders sank. Eyes wide. He glanced quickly, wordlessly, to Syrielle… and the immediately away. Azeroth was too damn small…

Syrielle opened her mouth to ask Alteris to stop harassing her employee… but instead her jaw dropped and she looked over to the Orc. The way he snapped his gaze away awkwardly indicated that it was true.

“—err… you keep our secret, we’ll keep yours?” Was all she could think of saying. Clearly, she was in no position to judge.

She frowned, gaze turning to Alteris once more, “Wait… you mean the berserker woman is alive?! I thought she was dead!”

“--Aye, she died once.” Alteris grinned wide. “On that orc’s dick.”

Grakkar brought his face to his palms, sinking down where he stood. So much so, Kronk concernedly came to brush up against him. Ancestors, this was awkward! Alteris reveled in it, however, as he rose once more from his seat. He wandered back over to the bar, where his drink was still waiting for him. He felt rather securely in, at this point.

“Like I said, lass… I know ‘lot other folks dunnae.”

Syrielle brought a hand to Grakkar’s shoulder to give it a comforting pat. Part of her wanted to know exactly how he had ended up in bed with Alteris’s sister, but another… more wise part of her, told her to just let it be. She made her way to the bar, across from Alteris. Her fingers weaved in a specific pattern, levitating a bottle of arcwine and wine glass over.

“Want anything to drink, Grakkar?” She asked out of courtesy. He certainly looked like he needed it. She didn’t even wait for an answer, already pouring him a mug of ale now that she had her wine.“So, what’s going on, Alt? What’s got you running off to hide in Horde territory?”

The Void Elf looked Syrielle over, hesitantly. He felt no obligation to tell her anything, now that he’d proven who he was. She wasn’t exactly going to kick him out - she knew as well as he did Gattius would be more than a little upset if she did. His smirk grew a bit larger, before he took another swig of his drink.

“Long story, lass.” he shrugged the question off. “Suffice t’ say… I got nowhere else t’ turn.”

“Hmph. What of your sister?” Grakkar asked, as he took up the mug Syrielle offered. “Will she not take you in?”

“Heh, th’ only guy she’s been ‘takin’ in’ lately is you, big fella.” Alteris quipped - much to Grakkar’s displeasure.

The Orc growled lowly, drowning his anger in a large gulp of ale. He didn’t like this elf… not one bit! Alteris chuckled a moment longer at his witty wordplay, before sighing, and shaking his head.

“--Nah, but seriously… cannae turn t’ ‘er on this’n.” he vaguely explained further. “Won’t go inta detail… but I went’n pissed a lot o’ folks off. Includin’ Kai.”

He shrugged a shoulder, before taking another sip of his drink. It wasn’t exactly a lie…

“Gatto already said I could stay. Pointed me t’ ‘is lil’ passage inta th’ manor, an’ all that.” he gestured to the door through which he’d come. “Dunnae know how long I’ll be, but hopefully nae too long. Dunnae wanna… interfere…”

Try as he did, he couldn’t mask the disgruntlement with this situation. Specifically, with Syrielle. His tone betrayed it just a bit.

“I, uh… I know it’s askin’ a lot.” he added… for cover.

Syrielle raises an eyebrow, but took a drink of her wine. She highly doubted that Gattius would make a big decision like that without consulting with her first, but she didn’t feel much like arguing.

“We’ll do everything we can to help you out, yeah,” she finally said, “My only concern is this: do the people coming after you know to look for you here? I’m all for providing you with shelter, but we have a son to protect. I just need to know if I should be ramping up security measures or not.”

It wasn’t something Alteris considered, really - he expected the Coterie would know well enough to check here for him, given his history with Gattius. But at the same time… it felt too obvious a place he’d go. Kai’eka knew him well enough, from the last time he ran out on her. She didn’t find him for years after that. Surely she’d find searching Quel’Thalas for him to be a waste of time. Hopefully. Besides… if he could hide amidst Gattius’ shining Light before, he could do it again!

Either way, telling Syrielle seemed like a bad idea. One that could cost him his little hiding place… And he simply couldn’t afford that.

“Doubtful.” he shrugged, casually. “Folks think I’m dead. They won’t come lookin’ fer me. Jus’ need t’ keep outta sight fer a few weeks. Couple months, maybe. Let ‘em mourn an’ move on, y’know?”

He almost felt bad, lying to her. Almost.

Syrielle nodded, swallowing down another gulp of wine. She doubted Alteris would do anything to bring harm to Gattius and his family. She didn’t know him well, but her husband did, and that was enough for her.

“If that’s the case, it shouldn’t be a problem at all. I’ll let the staff know you’re here so that you can move about the manor, though if any of my co-workers drop in, you’ll have to stay out of sight, yeah?,” she twirled her glass as she made the to do list in her head, “I’ll have one of the spare bedrooms ready for you tonight… —Ah, unless you prefer sleeping in our room? Our bed is pretty big.”

Of course she couldn’t pass up making that offer. She gave him a playful smile. Gattius would no doubt roll his eyes at her if he were there.

"--Light, I leave you alone with him for two minutes…" came a voice familiar to the trio.

“Oi, voice down, lad!” Alteris loudly whispered. “Dunnae wanna give me away, do yeh? Not after I worked so hard sneakin’ in ‘ere!”

Alteris grinned his usual smug grin - half proud he’d slipped past all of Eversong’s defenses, half reveling in Gattius’ reaction. As much as he loved coming to see his dearest companion, he took pleasure in making his life a bit more ‘interesting’ all the moreso. He hopped down off the exam table, and approached the blood elf.

“Wanted t’ apologize properly fer missin’ our last rendezvous.” he explained, bringing his arms around Gattius’ waist. “Think I owe yeh somethin’ fer that, aye?”

“--No! This is hardly making up for it!” Gattius scowled in response, pushing the void elf back from him. “I’m way too busy for this. Not to mention this is way too dangerous! If someone sees us here… I could lose everything!”

'Not that I probably won’t anyway...’ he thought to himself, the concern resurfacing in the moment - only fueling his agitation. This was the last thing he needed today… another stressor. Another source of worry. Another problem to solve. With an irritated huff, he grabbed Alteris’ wrist and led him to the door. Slowly, he opened it and peeked out. The hallway was clear.

“This way! Hurry!”

Without delay, he dragged Alteris from the examination room and down the hall - crouched down, stepping lightly, as if he were infiltrating an Alliance camp! Alteris did nothing to help keep a low profile, however. His steps were naturally light, of course, but he didn’t seem nearly as concerned at being sneaky as Gattius towed him around the Clinic. Almost like he wanted to be found! He didn’t, of course, but it irritated Gattius more this way.

“--Oi, ease up!” he feigned a whine, smirk still plastered to his face. “If’n ye wanted t’ rough-handle me, better done back there on th’ exam table, aye?”

“--Shut up!” Gattius hissed in reply.

He shoved Alteris into a room at the end of the corridor, and closed the door most of the way. The Blood Elf glanced over his shoulder once more, cautiously, before sighing. He looked to Alteris.

“Alright… this is my office. There’s a door that leads out behind my desk, there.” he explained in hushed tone. “Follow it into the Manor, and wait for me there. Don’t touch anything!”

Alteris glanced around the room a bit, before smirking at Gattius.

“No time fer’ a quickie, then?”

The door shut quickly in his smug face.

The ren’dorei sighed, smirk fading fast. That… wasn’t as fun as he’d hoped. Agitating Gattius was always interesting, but this time it wasn’t nearly as satisfying. He grumbled to himself, as he turned from the door. Gattius had changed, he’d noticed. Back in the day, he wouldn’t pass up a chance to shirk duties and have a quick ‘spar’ atop his desk, or back in the examination room. Now, it seemed he was all business. He didn’t like it. 

He looked around the office, finding further confirmation of how Gattius had changed. It was so… orderly. More so than was normal, as Alteris recalled. Gattius was a neat individual, keeping things in relative, passable order. But this office was pristine. Alteris felt like he’d stumbled into some kind of museum. A monument to the most droll elf to waddle across this mortal plane. Hanging nearly and squarely on the walls were numerous certificates and degrees, documentation of Gattius’ medical proficiency. The Thalassian script was so excessively curvy and elegant, it looked like a child got hold of a quill and discovered how to draw circles. 

The bookshelves were almost artificial in appearance, each book flush against its neighbors in height and protrusion. He wouldn’t have been surprised if half of them were empty, simply aesthetically-pleasing filler to-- no, apparently not. He pulled a random book from the shelf and flipped through it. The script was so small, each page packed with medical jargon and biological babblings. The ren’dorei sighed once more, as he slipped the book back in place, leaving the spine sticking out just a bit in mild defiance. 

The desk was, comparatively, the most cluttered aspect of the room. But even then, it was still rather well kept. Quills and inkwells were arranged neatly on the right side, with files and documents all sorted in upright organizers on the left. A few stray parchments sat in the middle of the desk, clearly needing to be worked and filed away later. Alteris tugged at a drawer - locked. How boring and unlike Gattius! He almost wanted to break into the drawers to see what was hidden within… but if his office was this boring, he couldn’t imagine anything of interest was tucked away in the desk. Likely more files, if he were to wager a guess.

Then he noticed the picture frame.

His pale hands clenched as he glowered at the picture. A heartwarming portrait of a familiar face holding a small infant. Syrielle and their son, Tannis. Alteris scoffed, as he lifted the frame from the desk. It wasn’t that unusual, having a picture of family on one’s desk. The implication, however, was what irked Alteris so. He could just imagine the Blood Elf leaning back in his chair after a busy day… and smiling at this inanimate painting of his family. Gleaning a spark of joy from looking at his loving wife’s bespectacled face, and finding the strength to carry him through the remainder of his mundane medical practitioning… 

It felt like a gut punch. One last nail hammered into the disturbing realization. Gattius wasn’t at all who he once was. So organized, so driven, so family-oriented. Alteris clenched the picture harder, feeling the wooden frame begin to crackle from the straining. How he wanted to smash it! This was her fault after all! He’d watched it all from within Gattius’ mind. His descent from the exciting, fun-loving elf he once was into this… this domesticated buzzkill! It wasn’t hard to see who was responsible for his transformation, either. She’d tamed him… ruined a perfectly appealing elf. An elf he loved deeply. And it made his blood boil.

He set the picture down - face down, in another act of defiance - before heading for the side door Gattius mentioned. This office only depressed him. He hoped the manor would be more exciting for him. 

The corridor was narrow; hardly a grand hallway. But it served its function in connecting home and office. Alteris padded down until he came to the opening. The manor was silent… but breathtaking. He’d been here before, of course - snuck in once or twice, and even beheld it through Gattius’ eyes. But seeing it for himself, without any fear or need to slink about silently… he could appreciate it fully. Specifically… the bar. His eyes were drawn to it immediately. Bottles upon bottles, lined from floor to ceiling on glass shelves. He grinned widely, rubbing his hands together as he examined each label. 

His feet carried him behind the bar without a second thought or hesitation, as he picked one out - an exceptionally appealing whiskey in a rather cubic-cut glass bottle. Dwarven-distilled… definitely in his tastes! He popped the stopper, and began to pour himself a glass-- when something shook the room. The glass bottles clanked lightly together as heavy steps trudged into the room. Alteris quickly ducked down behind the bar, holding as still as possible to not give away his position. What was it - a construct? An Arcane Golem? He knew Gattius had upped his security as of late, but this seemed… excessive! Slowly, he peered around the side of the bar… and saw a kodo?

He blinked. Then blinked again. He couldn’t have been seeing things… he hadn’t even had his drink yet! Sure enough, there was a kodo in the house! He stood slowly, eyeing the beast carefully. What was it doing here? Did Gattius know it was here? Was this some kind of pet? The kodo glanced to Alteris, and lowed in a friendly manner. Alteris smirked - he was… kinda cute, actually! He came out from around the bar, and reached out a hand to pet the beast. The kodo trudged over to meet him, merrily nuzzling his horn against Alteris’ outstretched hand.

“Oi, friendly fella, aren’t yeh?” Alteris smirked. “Wot’s yer name?”

“His name is Kronk.”

Alteris turned quickly towards the grizzled voice that suddenly came from behind him - an ambush? A trap! He reached for his blade-- but was suddenly caught. A meaty hand clenched about his neck, and lifted him up off the floor. He gasped and wheezed, legs flailing as he clawed at the hand which gripped him. His eyes blurred, but he could make out the face of his abettor. An Orc, and an ugly one at that! He resisted as much as he could, before the Orc reeled back his free hand… and drove his fist into Alteris’ face. He blacked out instantly, going limp.

The Orc scoffed, grip loosening slightly. He thought to squeeze tighter and be done with it, but… he presumed the Lord and Lady of the house would have questions.

“Come, Kronk.” he grunted. “Let’s find Lady Starfrost.”

~*~