Lost Souls
Mornings in Icecrown were hard to distinguish from night. With the ominous overcast permanently in place over the frozen wastes, time meant nothing. Less so to the undead host who called it home. Be they the mindless wanderers, or the Ebon Knights still in place to keep the peace, the difference was negligible. All the same, Avehi could tell the next morning had come, as slightly more light poured through the broken stained-glass windows of the Scarlet Cathedral.
It was rare for her to find herself in beds, anymore. Without the need for sleep, so too did she lose the desire to sleep. The appeal of it was dreaming, and awakening refreshed and reinvigorated. Now, any sleep she got was tainted. Stained by nightmares, devoid of any true rest. Sleep only brought vulnerabilities without benefits, now. But with Astaloren, she felt she could lower her guard a bit. There were few Knights she trusted as much as she trusted him. Years of fighting alongside each other had forged a firm bond between them, enduring even their prolonged absences from one another. Avehi was comfortable there, in his presence. This run down Cathedral felt like home.
“You plan on getting up, my dear?” the elf asked, securing the last of the clasps on his boots.
“Mm… in a moment.” Avehi smirked. “I still don’t know how you came across such a comfortable bed. I want to enjoy it a little longer.”
She stretched out, the soft mattress cradling her every curve as she did. Soft feather down, silken sheets… the last time Avehi had enjoyed a bed like this was… well, last time she was here. But otherwise, it hadn’t been since Draenor that Avehi had enjoyed a bed so much. She sat up after a moment, the blankets pooling about her waist. The covers were habitual comfort, more than anything; neither of the Knights paid much heed to the cold.
“Mm, well… the Scarlet Bishops spared no expense for comfort, I suppose.” he shrugged. “Enjoy it as you wish. It doesn’t get a lot of use, otherwise.”
“‘No rest for the wicked?’” she chuckled.
“No rest for anyone, it seems.” Astaloren replied, tone growing severe. “If what you say is true.”
Avehi’s smile vanished; the elf had a nasty habit of changing both subjects and conversational tones with little transition. She was used to it, and usually managed to shift back and forth without issue. But with this particular change in topic, Avehi felt that brief moment of comfort and indulgence stripped out from under her. She’d almost managed to forget about such peril, for a while… With a grunt, the Draenei swung her legs over the edge of the bed to finally get up, and join Astaloren in getting dressed once more.
“It is true. I’m certain you’ve felt it, too. As close as we are to the Citadel, especially.”
Avehi had come out this far to seek Astaloren’s help. With everything her research and investigation had yielded, she knew the problem wouldn’t be one she could impact alone. Let alone solve. It was a growing concern that even the Knights of the Ebon Blade as a whole wouldn’t be enough to undo whatever damage had been done to the afterlife. And the Ebon Blade was far from whole, anyway. So many Knights had splintered off. Astaloren included. Avehi had too, but recently came back. Given the circumstances, she hoped her long-time friend would consider doing the same.
“I’ve felt something. You’re right; it’s not easy to ignore such things around here.” he huffed, in mild frustration. “You’re certain the Ebon Blade aren’t behind it?”
Astaloren’s tenure with the Ebon Blade was short-lived. Long before even Avehi left their ranks, he found himself at odds with the organization as a whole. Of course, the elf took issue with just about anyone who tried to tell him how to live his unlife, after the Lich King fell. Distaste turned to distrust, and festered into disdain. It didn’t surprise Avehi that he blamed them for this.
“Trust me. They were my first suspects as well.” she reassured him. “But it’s not them. It’s not even the Lich King, as far as I can tell.”
She set to getting dressed again, as the two spoke. Astaloren was thoughtful, and as such took many long, thoughtful pauses. Considering. Appraising. Assessing. She admired that about him; his reserved and calculative demeanor. He wasn’t as brash as most elves she knew. Arrogant, certainly. But tempered with a patience she wished she possessed, herself.
“... Then we need to find out who - or what - is behind this.” he nodded to her. “I’m skeptical, but… I don’t doubt you, Avehi. You wouldn’t have come here if it weren’t severe.”
“Then you’ll rejoin the Blade?”
“Mm. On… tentative terms.” he sneered, slightly. “In the context of helping sort all this out, anyway. Being divided on this helps no one. Hopefully they’ll see it that way, too. And won’t drive me out of Acherus.”
“Their leadership is much more amicable than it was back in the day, Astaloren.” Avehi assured him. “They were fair in hearing me out. Accepting me back, after my laundry list of transgressions against them.”
She stood beside him after pulling up her plated gauntlets, nudging him in a playful manner.
“Not as long a list as you boast, but still - I’m confident they’ll see due cause to work with you on this. I’ll even vouch for you, as I am able.”
She brushed a few loose strands of his golden hair back from his face, smiling at him. Astaloren turned to Avehi, hands finding hers. He smiled, leaning into the Draenei, affectionately. He gave her plated hands a squeeze, nodding slowly.
“I appreciate it, Avehi. And… I appreciate you coming to me about this. In truth, I’ve been worried about it for some time. I wasn’t sure when to try and step in, or even how to--”
The two of them felt it in an instant; heat. Not just any heat, but a crackling, sizzling heat that permeated the air. It was faint for now, but grew stronger by the second. Avehi’s gaze turned to the stained glass. More light poured in through it. More than was usual. It wasn’t an ordinary glow, either. Such radiance could only be exuded by a truly powerful paladin. Or a Vindicator. Avehi didn’t have to guess who.
“... Argonas.”
She cursed under her breath, parting from Astaloren to retrieve Rokaa, her hammer. The elf, too, brandished his blade in preparation for what was to come.
“You were followed here?” he scowled, a tone bordering on accusatory.
“--No. Not… not knowingly.” she huffed back.
The two stepped out from the bedchamber into the main hall of the Cathedral. Already, Astaloren’s enthralled Scarlet corpses rose to defend their home, rallying in a loose formation. Mindless as they were, a Death Knight’s dominion over them directed them well enough to stage a proper defense. Ten or so shambled along the worn carpet, hollow eyes affixed to the entry. Avehi took her place beside Astaloren as he stood in front of his throne, hammer at the ready. She knew Argonas wouldn’t let things go, even after thoroughly thrashing him last time they met. That damned Vindicator considered himself some manner of Light-chosen hero, sent to dispense justice wherever he’d tread.
“Who is this, Avehi?” Astaloren asked, brow furrowed. “And how did they find you here?”
That, she didn’t know. Argonas must have been following her at a distance for a while, waiting until she was far from the crowds of Stormwind or Boralus to face her again. Smart. And very much like him. Or did Sylaess tell him where to find her? No, she wouldn’t have. They’d only talked recently. Too recently for her to have gone back to Argonas, and then for Argonas to have arrived. Sylaess had said she didn’t opt to join him in the hunt… and she believed her.
It didn’t really matter at this point, though - the heat of his righteous rage grew hotter and hotter. The sounds of the undead falling against him outside grew louder and louder. A wave of worry washed over Avehi, causing her tail to twitch. It felt different than last time. Unbridled. Unrestrained.
He certainly hadn’t come to talk.
The doors crashed open, splintering as the holy reckoning barreled through. It was the Vindicator alright; his entire body crackling with vengeful Light. The undead rushed in to swarm him, each falling one after the other as Argonas swung his crystalline sword. Astaloren’s grip tightened on his own blade, as he stepped down the stairs. Avehi stepped down right alongside him.
“--No.” the elf held his blade out sideways before Avehi, to impede her advance. “I’ll handle him.”
“Astaloren, he’s--”
“He’s invading my home!” he quickly snapped, brow furrowed. “I will deal with him myself. He’s not the first Vindicator I’ve killed, after all.”
Avehi scowled, but hung back as the other Knight advanced towards Argonas. She kept her hammer up and ready, prepared to intervene as necessary.
As Argonas cut down the last of the shambling Scarlet corpses, he set his glaring gaze to the two Death Knights in the back of the room. He bore his fangs, growling at them. His focus settled on the elf as he drew near. Who this was, or what he was doing with Avehi, didn’t matter. He could feel the foul unholy aura emanating from the Knight. Sickening. This cathedral’s defiling had his stench all over it.
It ended here.
“I don’t know why you’re here, Vindicator, but you’re not welcome!” Astaloren commanded. “Depart this place, or I’ll--”
The Vindicator gave him no time to finish, before he charged in. A wide swing of his blade nearly cleaved Astaloren in half, if he weren’t so nimble. He parried, knocking the blow off-center as he jumped back. Argonas pressed his attack, swinging again in a diagonal arc. Astaloren quickly sidestepped and thrusted his blade - only for the Vindicator to bat it aside with the back of his gauntlet. Astaloren had to jump back yet again to evade the third heavy strike. Still, he kept the rhythm by riposting; a firm jab against the behemoth’s shoulder plate. Harmless. But at least he connected somehow.
The two traded swings and jabs in vain - Argonas’ heavy hits never landing on his agile opponent, and Astaloren’s quick strikes doing nothing against the plated embodiment of the Light’s fury. Avehi watched, tail twitching tensely as she beheld the battle. Her every instinct to her to step in. Fingers tensed and loosened around Rokaa’s handle, hooves scuffing along stone steps.
Finally, one of them connected - ducking beneath a broad swing, Astaloren thrust upward and drove his blade into Argonas’ side. A small gap in his armor. He pressed his sword in deep-- before a swift kick knocked him away, his blade still lodged in Argonas’ midsection! The elf caught himself from falling over entirely, landing on his hands and feet, skidding along in a kneel. He stood up, and scowled.
“The Light has no justice to serve here! It left this place long ago!” he called out. “We’re sovereign Knights!”
“You are defilers!” Argonas growled back.
Rather than pull the blade from his side, he slammed the hilt of his own sword down against it, shattering the runeblade in half! The broken hilt fell to the ground with a clatter - the force of the runes breaking apart blasting Argonas back towards the door.
“--NOOOO!” Astaloren cried, cradling himself as if he himself were struck.
He might as well have been - the Knight’s connection to his runic weapon was strong. He felt the runes shattering at his very core! Losing his blade was akin to losing a limb - a part of him! Argonas regained his hoofing with little effort, despite the localized blast. The explosion shot the jagged side of the blade out his back. But the wound didn’t last long. Latent Light energies swirling around his body both cauterized both the wound’s sides, and expedited the healing within. He hardly looked fazed. With a roar, he charged in for Astaloren once more!
Avehi could stand idle no longer. She rushed in, swinging her hammer broadly. The head connected with Argonas, knocking him back from her fellow Knight just in time. The Vindicator smashed into a pillar, stumbling off down the center aisle. He shook his head, as if to shake the blow off, before narrowing his eyes on Avehi. The real reason he’d come here, after all… The Light sparked off of him, shifting from an amber hue to a malevolent red. He charged at her again, holding nothing back!
Avehi braced herself, hammer ready. She timed her swing well, managing to slam a sturdy hit into Argonas’ side as he neared - but the Light fueled his advance, undeterred. He tackled her, ramming her into the wall a few feet behind her with righteous fury! He cast his blade aside, opting instead to pound his plated fists into the Death Knight. Blow after blow, he let loose a flurry of pummels into Avehi’s chest and midsection - the Light surged through her with every hit, causing her body to writhe. She brought her hands up to protect her face from the onslaught, but couldn’t block them from her chest and stomach at the same time. The plated armor seemed to do little to mitigate them, as even protecting her body from being crushed did little to stop the surges of Light that shot through her. Rokaa fell to the ground beside her as she braced herself as well as she could. But she knew she wouldn’t last long...
Suddenly, he was torn off from her, tackled sidelong by Astaloren. She collapsed to the ground, still reeling from the barrage of hits. Astaloren wrestled with Argonas, grappling the Vindicator with all his unholy might… but the size difference was insurmountable. Argonas kept steady, crouching to a kneel as he slammed the elf into the stone floor. His hands still blazing with holy Light, he pinned him down with a snarl. One hand took hold of Astaloren’s chest. The other, his neck. The Light filled his gauntlets, searing Astaloren’s body with intense righteous heat! He could barely scream, only managing to hiss as Argonas’ grip tightened.
“By the Light…” Argonas growled. “Be purged!”
The Light filled Astaloren, burning him away from within. Without even the ability to scream out in pain, he felt his entire form engulfed in righteous fire. Avehi watched in horror as the elf’s body burst, nothing left behind but a pile of ashes beneath the Vindicator’s massive hands. Argonas was stoic throughout, simply staring into the elf’s eyes as the lich fire within them snuffed out. He rose as the deed was done, and turned his glare back to Avehi.
She screamed.
No normal scream; an unholy, shrill scream echoed throughout the Cathedral, shattering what little stained-glass remained. Argonas quickly covered his ears, wincing from the piercing sound. His mind felt warped… scrambled! He barely had time to react before Avehi rushed at him. She shoved him back, causing him to trip up the stairs leading to the throne. She lashed out at him, clawing for him in a frenzy. Her nails scraped against his plated armor, swipe after swipe - the latter of which left trails of blood in their wakes. Argonas reached out to grip one of her wrists, staying Avehi’s assault for just long enough to slam a fist into her face. He knocked her back into the same pillar he’d struck - this time, the blow collapsing it fully. Rocks and stones buried Avehi in seconds as the vaulted ceiling came down atop her. When the dust settled, Argonas stood up, and approached.
The Death Knight grunted, struggling to free herself from the pile of stones and debris. Argonas watched a moment, before scoffing. He made no effort to help her.
“You brought this upon yourself, Avehi!” he scolded her, wiping her blood from his armor. “I warned you to cease your defilement! But you would not listen!”
“Y-You idiot!” she grunted in response, straining from beneath the stones. “You have no idea what you’ve just done! You’ve damned him!”
“He damned himself, harboring you here.” Argonas grunted. “His death is on your h--”
“--SHUT UP!”
Avehi shouted, a burst of stones slamming against the wall as she finally broke free. She stood, glaring at Argonas. Her body was in rough shape; one arm broken, one leg clearly misaligned. She was in no state to keep fighting, but it didn’t stop her. She hobbled for Argonas, lich fire eyes aglow ominously.
“You damned him to the Maw! No souls rest anymore, you fucking fool!” she berated him, unable to close any distance. “I’ve been there. I’ve seen it! I’ve seen those who are there, and shouldn’t be!”
She spit up blood, in a blue globule on the stone floor beneath her. A huff.
“Those like your wife.”
Argonas’ eyes widened - shock clearly rushing through him. What did that mean? That was.. Impossible! There was no way she could’ve seen Sinafay! Not when she’d joined with the Light! He frowned.
“You lie…”
“You dipshit!” Avehi retorted. “I’ve been trying to tell you this all along, but you just won’t LISTEN!”
She lashed out for him, only to fall forward. Collapsed. She brought herself up to a kneel, wincing. Definitely some broken ribs, and internal damage. Too much to ignore outright, this time. For all she was, she was still dependent on her body to do anything. A damaged corpse was still damaged. Pain was less an issue, but incapacitance couldn’t be shrugged off in the same manner.
Argonas simply shook his head, brow furrowed resolutely.
“You lie!” he repeated, sternly. “Sinafay joined with the Light! She gave herself to--”
“Are you deaf!?” Avehi barked. “Death is broken! She’s in the Maw, with everyone else!”
“No! No! You are wrong!” he repeated, stepping back from her.
He felt sick. Confused. That couldn’t be possible! But after everything she’d said before, and everything Sylaess had told him when last they spoke… he thought they were maddened ramblings. For Avehi to repeat them so precisely, for the two accounts to tie together like this… he wasn’t entirely sure it was made up anymore.
He turned from Avehi, and scooped up his blade. Nothing felt right. Nothing added up. He needed time to sort this out, before passing his final judgment on her. Sheathing his blade, he turned for the door, and made his way out.
“--W-wait! You… idiot!” Avehi groaned, unable to do much of anything to stop him.
Her cries fell on deaf ears, as Argonas vacated the shattered Cathedral. Like a tornado, he’d come in, destroyed everything, and left without a trace. She crawled over to where Astaloren was killed, grasping a clump of the ashes of him that remained. She could see the charred outline of his body now permanently stained into the stonework. It was over so quickly… she’d been so powerless to stop it. And now, it was too late. She couldn’t even try to bring him back, like this.
It felt so cruel that she couldn’t cry. A tearless mourning of her lost friend. Astaloren had been a comfort to her, in ways few others could be. He was one of the few people on the planet who understood her. They didn’t always see eye to eye, but she’d come to rely on his guidance and support. He taught her so much. Protected her. Strengthened her. Loved her.
And now Argonas’ short-sightedness had robbed her of one of her dearest friends.
She let the ashes fall from her hand, and rolled over. The healing process for her wounds would take time - and would be anything but comfortable. But she set to work, her hemomancy slowly piecing herself back together. She glared at the shattered ceiling above her, cementing her resolve. Argonas had killed her friend, and destroyed her home. All in the Light’s name! She was tired of ignorant zealotry taking such things from her! The Light blinded him of the truth of things… but he’d see. She’d make him see.
One way or another.
~*~
(( @sylaess and @sinafay1 for character mentions ))
