#pascaa

As their allies hung in chains.

As their Vindicator’s soul awaited in danger.

As their world fell under the lingering shadow of the Burning Legion.

Not all eyes were blind to the rising danger; not all hands were idle in the face of impending doom.

Their Archon had suited up and prepared for a mission of justice and vengeance. Their flight lead prepared mounts and weapons for the next sortie against the Buring Legion. Their ‘Mighty Hunter’ was on the trail of the Legion’s most-hidden camp, and its captives.

And he had just found them, in the Lost Veil Anzu.

The Sargerei used their technology well, hiding the camp using a shroud crystal among the soggy ruins, towering mushrooms, and hostile denizens of the swamp.

When Tallgeez and Defender Pascaa passed through the shroud disguising the cave, they could see that the forward camp was in operation for some time. The ground at the entrance was densely-packed dirt, with traces of Sargerei hoofprints. Giant resonating violet crystals stood, like towers, outside the cave - devices likely made to dissuade the swamp’s wildlife from getting too close.

It was the stench of fel magic, though, that gave the location away.

“Pascaa.” Tallgeez began, watching the cave entrance from hiding, behind a fallen boulder he and the Defender had found. “You must get hearthstone. Move outside shroud - to avoid detection. Contact Archon Glyllena. Tell her this location.”

Pascaa looked at Tallgeez askance. Surely this was a ploy. “What about your hearthstone?”

“Mine? No, it is compromised.” Tallgeez replied, his usual cheer notably absent.

“H-How is it compromised?” Pascaa’s suspicion turned to concern.

“Because it is broken.” Tallgeez explained simply, pulling the cracked stone from his pack. It was clear that it had been bashed very hard against a rock. “You must go, quickly. Tallgeez will wait.”

Pascaa stared at the broken hearthstone in disbelief. Collecting her thoughts, she shook her head and looked to Tallgeez. “You promise to wait here, and not attack anything?”

“Of course!” Like that, Tallgeez’s confident cheer returned, grinning at the Defender happily. “Tallgeez is Mighty Hunter, not Mighty Rescuer! Prelate Maeorra, and others, are still alive in cave. It is best to have allies, to free them.”

Pascaa blinked a few times. "O- Okay, that’s-  that’s actually a good idea, I suppose.”  She admitted, retrieving her hearthstone from her own belt. “I’ll contact the Archon immediately. Please, don’t blow anything up.”

“Of course.” He responded cheerfully, before producing a bag of gemstones. He plucked one out, showing a diamond-shaped purple crystal to Pascaa, with a silver fastener at one end, allowing it to clip to her hair or clothes. “Here, crystals will protect you from cognitors. Creatures latch to skull and feed on brains. Many unpleasant!”

“Oh, thanks...” Pascaa said, tentatively, as the hunter proceeded to abruptly clip the crystal to the bangs of her hair. “...Do they really work?”

“Of course!” Tallgeez grinned, turning his head to reveal a similar device, clipped to his hair behind the angular horns of his crest. “Tallgeez designs these. Many effective!” He stated, proudly.

Pascaa swallowed hard, touching the one on her hair. “They don’t explode, do they?”

The hunter shrugged. “After wearing too long, perhaps? Maybe a few days. or a few hours. Not less than a few hours, though. They have at least three, maybe two hours before exploding, for Tallgeez.” He shrugged, grinning happily again. “But! Keeps cognitor creatures from attaching to brains, either way!”

Pascaa drew a long, tired breath. Her dwindling patience dueled with the sense of fear swelling in her gut. Ultimately, though, both were subdued by her sense of duty. Immediately, she snatched the bag of crystals from the hunter. “These count as restricted ordnance, as well, in that case.” She told him. Without another word, she moved away, taking the crystals and hearthstone.

“Of course. Good luck, Defender.”

Tallgeez watched her depart through the veil, then promptly engaged a thermo-active cloaking device on his wrist. The Beast of Tanaan’s form faded into his surroundings, and within a blink of the eye, Tallgeez had completely vanished. Hidden, he moved ahead, into the Sargerei caves.

For the hunter, ‘wait here’ was a relative term.