Blood and Thunder!... and all that.
Continued from... Reptilian Interrogation Part 2
Lightning struck in the distance. This was a common occurance, to such a degree that it was bordering upon annoyance. Deep within the mines, however, the sound was at least muffled.
Dinaer sat upon the hard stone floor, sifting through some discoveries, with a few books open before him, mostly handwritten by himself, as notes from his conversations with the Pandaren fellow known as Cho. Before him, at the mine's wall, both Zig'garath and Cavrissa used their strength -- and in Cavrissa's case, unique characteristic of having multiple arms -- to hack away into the stone, and uncover what had been lost.
Khalaena sat off nearby, also dusting off, and inspecting some relics found in the mines, the tiny observer known as 'Eyeball' hovering over her shoulder, and watching. She never got used to such a demon, and Dinaer did not know why it, above all the others, disturbed her. Regardless, it seemed interested in her, and often tried to play with her, which only served to distract and disturb her further. At least, that's how it looked from Dinaer's perspective.
The corpses of Mogu, Saurok, and Zandalari lay strewn about within the mine shaft, polluting the air with the scent of blood and filth. Choham, and a plethora of imps patrolled the shafts to make sure no reinforcements interfered.
Amidst his studies, a metal gate pushed from under the earth, forming an arch before him. The gate filled with fel light, before Trinklin, Wiksillin, and a few other imps arrived, with proof of success. Part of the artifacts he was looking for.
"Good," Dinaer said. "I was afraid the delay in our travels, due to Vol'jin's rebellion, and our attention needed elsewhere, would have allowed these artifacts to fall into Garrosh's hands. The last thing he needs is more information on flesh-crafting. I dare say, his only support these days will come from the lives he's wrought himself with this power. We must keep it from him."
Cavrissa chuckled.
"What's so funny."
"Why, you, master. You sound so ... noble." and she managed to work a sneer of contempt into that word, as if the word itself was disgusting all on its own.
"Hmm, indeed. Amusing, but I assure you, I care not whether Garrosh remains Warchief or not. The status of the Horde means nothing to me, so long as it does not hinder the link to my contacts within the Sunreavers and in Silvermoon."
He set his writing tools down, and beckoned to Trinklin. "Come, let us have a look at this artifact you found, and see if that filthy Saurok was telling the truth."
Dinaer would take the artifact from the imp, and compare it to the artifacts before him, as well as to the notes he had opened up before him. His eyes scanned back and forth, and his hand brushed over one of the objects. The three -- one in his hand, and two laid out before him -- would collide with each other, as if blown together by a strong gust of wind, and seemed to solidify themselves into a single object. A writhing swirl of energy began to envelop the object, even extending to wrap about Dinaer's hands. He examined himself, as this occurred, a bewildered yet mystified expression upon his face. Soon, he motioned one hand out, to the side, the energy leaping from his arm, and snatching onto one of the Mogu corpses. The body lurched into the air, as if struck by the crackling lightning from outside, and soon came back down to the ground, standing upon his feet. The power wreathed about Dinaer's arms slowly faded away. The Mogu opened his eyes, which were now glowing with a sickly looking light. He gazed upon Dinaer, and shouted out.
"Intruders in the mines! Slay them all in the name of the Thunder King!"
A whip lashed out around his neck from the shadows, thorny edges grating on his throat, only moments ago refilled with air. It seemed he would be brought back to life, merely to die a second death...
"Disrianna!" Dinaer shouted. "Heel!"
The Mogu would be brought down to his knees, his breath choked upon, as blood spilled from his mouth. A delicate seeming foot would press to his back, to keep him down. Dinaer stood, and approached her and the Mogu. For a moment, he kept silent as he stared at Disrianna firmly. After a time, he would look down at the Mogu.
"I have squeezed the life out of your body once already, so rest assured, I can do it again." Dinaer stated firmly, before whipping a hand back to the object that had moments ago filled his body with an unknown power. "Explain what you know of that object."
The Mogu looked sharply at the object, his eyes widening briefly before he corrected his expression. "Why should I tell you, puny elf?"
"Do you know how I knew to look here for this object? You know what it is. You know where I've been before here. The Saurok told me where to find it. And I did not make it easy on him. I can make you talk through the same means, so unless you feel like suffering pain for weeks and weeks until you crack, you can simply speak, now."
"You will not escape what lives beneath the Vale."
"For an ancient race that forged an empire through skillful and intelligent use of fear ... you are stupid."
"I shall crush you, worm!"
Disrianna's whip tightened, scraping more flesh from his neck away, and ushering forth a gurgling sound as more blood spilled over his neck, and from his mouth.
"You were saying?"
Gurgles and growls emitted from the Mogu.
"Allow me to explain to your meager brain. You were tools, nothing more. You are no more intelligent than us. Y'shaarj used you, as he has used so many others. Yes, I know what lies beneath the Vale, and let me assure you, I and countless others have witnessed what the actions of the Old ones can do. You fought against the Mantid, did you not know they were also His servants? Now, this relic, it has to deal with flesh-crafting, and from what it allowed me to do to you it , as I can only assume, has to deal with flesh-reviving. Necromancy, perhaps. Explain."
To be continued...
