The peace in Light's Hope was shattered as Kirenestus threw a book against a wall and gave a frustrated scream. "That bitch!" He upended the chair he'd been sitting in. Stopped just short of smashing the container holding the nightmare vine. He looked down at it with a sneer. He wanted to set fire to it, to watch the poisonous pollen go up like goblin fireworks. He didn't like the idea of owing Rosefica, not even a little. She always took the opportunity to dig the knife in deeper. Petty, childish. Both of them were. It would serve them right if the Legion corrupted all of Quel'thalas. He hoped it did. He hoped his grandfather betrayed them all. They deserved it.
"Tell us how you really feel." Kelenar leaned against a wall, observing him. The other paladins and priests very obviously looked anywhere but at him. Kelenar watched with the kind of resigned irritation that Kirenestus had grown used to seeing from him for the last couple months. "I hope you're not planning on any destruction. You are in a church." He pointed to the chapel around them.
"You'd like the opportunity to lock me up, wouldn't you?" Kirenestus gave a resigned sigh, righted his chair, and sat back down heavily.
Kelenar wrinkled his nose and shook his head. "Not so much, that's too much effort. A good punch to the face, though. That might be therapeutic for both of us." At Kirenestus's glare, he held up a hand. "Get over them both. Traejan is always going to be an immature brat. It's what he's good at. Rosefica is always going to be vindictive and have more powerful men than anyone understands chasing after her. Light help us all if she ever realizes and uses that power to her advantage, she'll have Lor'themar himself at her beck and call."
Kirenestus rubbed at his temples and muttered, "Not helpful." He collapsed against the table in front of him, his cowl falling forward to hide his face from view.
"Did you expect a rousing ovation from them? An award for heroism?" He snorted softly. "You could do everything right and still you'll only get grief from both of them...from Traejan for sure, for ruining things, trafficking with demons, and losing control of an addiction. Believe me, I know. It's why we don't talk and why I still regret not killing him at the first opportunity." When Kirenestus looked up at him, Kelenar gave a shrug. "I never claimed to be a good little paladin. Now, what are you supposed to be doing with this thing?" He pointed at the nightmare vine.
Kirenestus gave another heavy sigh, but pushed himself back up and reached for a different book. He flipped through the pages until he found the right journal entry. "I never actually participated in the ritual to become a demon hunter, but I was responsible for helping to control the demons they used, and so I saw it done often enough. Nightmare vine pollen is a poison. You have to carefully remove the pods in order to use the vine for other potions. When it's prepared properly with its pollen pods, it creates a powerful enough hallucinogen to cripple even a powerful demon for long enough for me to complete the ritual alone."
Kelenar looked at the page skeptically. "And Rosefica couldn't have just made this thing for you?"
"I doubt it. It's not widely used. I think the people I worked with stumbled upon it by accident. I've had to make it a few times, the Legion tried to send pit lords against us and it's also a great defensive weapon." He closed the book and started gathering up all of his supplies, stuffing them into a leather bag. All except the nightmare vine. "It's only viable for a short time after it's made, so I'll need to make it in the field, after I know where I'm going to find a decent demon."
"What kind were you hoping for?" Kelenar looked down at a chart, written in Eredun, with several demon types that Kirenestus was in the process of rolling up.
"Nathrezim, or possibly ered'ruin. I've summoned doom guards before, it shouldn't be a problem to subdue one. Nathrezim are another thing altogether. Just finding one outside of a Legion invasion is difficult." Kirenestus finished packing his supplies and threw the bag over one shoulder, then picked up the nightmare vine. "I was thinking we'd go to Tanaan Jungle."
Kelenar stared at him for a second, then shook his head. "Never easy with you. Fine, but we need to go now. It's going to take a while to get there. The only contact I have with a boat to get us there is Alliance. And I can't heal you anymore. You were unconscious for hours after our last session. Another could kill you."
"Understood. I won't do anything to cause the symptoms to progress faster, at least until we get there." Kirenestus picked up the vine and followed Kelenar out of the chapel and to the netherdrake waiting on them.
