Chương 25: The Druid choice
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The rift of Aln… is not something to be taken lightly… should one gaze upon its dark tears… losing one mind is the least of concern for the poor soul… out of its inner darkness lies not just monsters and aberrations… A reflection of Azeroth that never was, is, or is to be… a place filled with insanity and the sane…. A place where the void laughs at mortal efforts… A place where deals are made…lost and kept…
A place filled with iron thrones that sit kings and queens who gave up their worlds… a mysterious place filled with unknown secrets and knowledge… a place we druid free to trend more than any other plane…. A place that makes us betray our nature… our dream... Our hopes… and our earth mother!
A place filled with screeches….PAIN… SCREAMS…. BLOOD AND... AHHHHH! Huf… a place filled with lost hope and souls…. AHHH! A place of invisible pain… the light…. Chase… the light… Crave… the light… SCRON!
DRAGON ARE BUT NOTHING… STAYRS LITTLE SHEEP…. ORDER IS CHAOS…. CHAOS IS PEACE… DEMONS… INSIGNIFCANT! THE TITANS…. BUT BLIMPS…. AHHHH!... blimps... Hiccups… CAN'T CHANGE… NOTHING WILL CHANGE… DARKNESS WILL… DEVOUR AND CONSUME… NOTHING WILL change….
→Excerpt from Archdruid —- ←
[Tallonkai! The boy must leave!] said one druid
[No! He must undergo a cleansing ritual!] said another
[silence! Laurna what is your opinion... You've trained the boy firsthand and know him better than anyone besides Cynthia…] yelled Tallonkai in frustration.
[ehhh… I think… I think he is loved by the light more than we believe… do the ritual…I trust him… please let him stay… Cynthia even found him a teacher… he's just a kid…] replied Laurna with love
[lord Tallonkai! You can't be seriously considering her words! It's her fault the boy was even there in the first place! The battlefield is no place for children!] screamed back a druid
[Umm….]
[why not ask Cynthia for her opinion!] replied Laurna interrupting Tallonkai's thoughts
[No… we can't… she is to… parcel to the child… her opinion would be too biased… but I will agree with the cleansing ritual… after that, I will have someone monitor the boy... And should he show any signs of… corruption… he will be put down without judge or jury… and without mercy! Is that clear!] said Tallonkai! In a demanding tone.
[Yes], screamed the others in unison
With a nod of satisfaction, Tallonkai! Walked back up to his office and while petting his pet owl, he said to shadows of the room:
[Tell Maflurion he has nothing to worry about, we've decided what to do, of the boy, he needeth worry about something so insignificant right now.]
The shadows, of the room heard Tallonkai! words, and slithered back into the corners of the room in silence.
[sigh… this is going to be one long winter…] said Tallonkai! To himself as he stared outside his window, to see the changing of the leaves…
Lanthios POV
{Cynthia!} yelled Lanthios in confusion
[yes… Lanthios…] replied Cynthia with a smile
{why are these druids painting my fur with... These strange symbols… and where are we? And better yet… WHY I'M I NAKED!} asked Lanthios in shivers in the cold, to the amusement of Cetrisa laughing and blushing at the scene.
{And why is SHE here?} continued Lanthios as he pointed his little finger at Cetrisa's smug face.
[Oh... Lanthios… just stop squirming and let the druid finish their work! You need to be cleansed!]
{cleansed of what?} replied Lanthios in annoyance
[corruption…] replied Cynthia a little worried
{corruption? Do I look corrupted to you? Look, I can still use the light!} replied Lanthios as he made a ball of light shine on his hands.
[Lanthios… that's enough! Just let the druid do their work… Whose fault do you think this is anyway? No one told you to look into the Rift of Aln!] replied Cynthia exuberated
Hearing Cynthia's sharp remake, caused Lanthios's ear to lower while feeling confused as to why she was upset.
[so… this is the uppity brat you want me to train… ha... It's funny, never thought I would ever train a gnoll… umm…he quite skinny for one of his races…tsk… what am I to do with you.] said an old man in a deep voice, interrupting Lanthios cleansing.
{AH! Who is this guy!} screamed Lanthios in shame, as he stared at a tall old man, with sharp eyes, who held an old rusty-looking sword… A man, who dressed in tatters of clothing but had an aura of nobility…
[Oh! Right… I have introduced you to him yet… this man here is] replied Cynthia as she had her sentence cut short.
[Wexford… a former knight of the silver hand… at your service. Now, enough with the pleasantries, Boy… do you even understand the severity of your situation?] replied Wexford a bright smile that hid his smugness
{if you're asking if I comprehend what 'they' are worried about then yes… I do... It's just that… I didn't expect to be like this… you know, all chained up and naked, on full display for the world, surrounded by glowing shrooms of mysteriousness…} replied Lanthios, with a smartass undertone.
[my… so cheeky! It's going to be fun breaking you in boy! Reminds me of my youth… I too was cheeky once… then Commander Duncan changed all that…] replied Wexford as he looked into the distance in longing.
[but that's all in the past… now, I'm reduced to being a teacher… to an animal my kind killed for sport and training… ironic now that I think about it…] continued Wexford in mumbles of an old man.
{hey!} screamed Lanthios suddenly which caused Wexford to raise his brow
{I'm a great animal thank you very much! And this animal isn't for sport!} said Lanthios with pride
{ugh] said the peanut gallery in unison
[hey druid… does this cleansing ritual cause pain by chance?]
[not unless one of the symbols is off…why do you ask] replied the druid as he suddenly smiled and got the hit…]
Lanthios not liking that smile said:
{please don't!} replied Lanthios scared as the shroom glowed eerily and their spore rained onto him like a winter coat.
As Lanthios's screams echoed in the background, Cetrisa smiled as she sat by a table with tea and biscuits, enjoying herself and the show, but with a slight eye, she watched out for Wexford, as the man gave her goosebump and she dam knew why…
[umm… that old man… is definitely not my type…. I prefer the furry kind… Hehe….] thought Cetrisa with joy. But then as her smile slowly faded, she had a different thought:
[I need to be careful around that man… I'm almost positive he can see or feel my true self if I'm not careful… It might be better to distance myself from Lanthios when he is around. Sigh, this is going to make my daily reports so much harder…]
Now, Cetrisa wasn't the only one having mixed thoughts, for Cynthia too was worried about having a human train Lanthios, but being unable to find another suitable teacher of another race, she had no choice but to make do with a human. she just hoped there wouldn't be any mixed feelings erupting between the two later down the road.
But with those thoughts in her mind, Wexford thought differently, as he didn't have any hard feelings about the gnoll species as a whole, though they did kill each other, but that was merely as a need to survive. He always just believed that the 'gnoll' was just a stupid race, that was slightly more intelligent than a wild dog! Nothing worth memorizing or taking to heart…
Though their raids on villagers and cargo shipments were annoying, the people of Lordaeron just treated them as a minor nuisance, as the gnoll were never a real threat that could ever fight against a well-trained army that was Lordaeron or Stormwind...
[But still… this gnoll… is smart… too smart for a gnoll… originally, I thought this night elf was crazy when she offered me the job… but after seeing him for myself… as me thinking just maybe… Maybe even a beast can be taught, of course, I must make sure to remove every bit of the 'shadow' that lives in his heart, since he chose to walk down the priesthood first.
Ha… I wonder what my former master would think of this situation… he'll probably tell me it is impossible for one of 'them' to ever be a paladin! And he would either kill it now or never would have accepted the job in the first place…
Sigh, if only we had gone with him that day, then maybe those blasted orcs…]
[it is done!] said the druid in charge of the cleanse, breaking Wexford out of his thoughts.
But as Wexford studied the boy, he didn't notice any change in him or around him and wondered why. But before he could even ask, the druid said:
[odd… very odd indeed…]
[what do you mean? Isn't nothing happening a good thing?] asked Cynthia a little worried
[nothing happening is what's odd! Normally should one peer into the rift without nature's blessing, they should go mad or at least be corrupted with some short-of-void spawns… but yet with this child… nothing… that is why I believe this to be an odd case… I must inquire lord Tallonkai immediately!] replied the druid as he left in a hurry, as per step leaving behind a sprout of flowers.
While the druid left, Lanthios breathed out heavily, while he slowly moved in his chains made of thorns and roots, he cursed under his breath:
{damn druids! Nature and love… my ASS! That shit hurt! I still can't stop my muscles from spasming out! The cramps… and the burning sensation! I swear when I get my hand on that druid!}
But with such thoughts, Lanthios looked over to see Cynthia's concern and felt slightly better, but through the corner of his eyes, he still watched as Cetrisa laughed smugly with her tea!
{I swear you demon… keep laughing…} thought Lanthios with a hidden smile as he planned something.
Following Lanthios's grin, Wexford looked over to Cetrisa and thought:
[is that elf his friend? Well, I guess I'm not surprised, the elves usually get along pretty well with the more animalistic of races… but why does she give me an odd feeling… maybe this gnoll isn't the only kid I should keep an eye on…]
Feeling Wexford gaze, Cetrisa looked at him with the disgust of a child and promptly left, with the excuse of needing to get more biscuits. Of course, Lanthios noticed her promptly leaving after staring back at Wexford and gave out a quick growl to show his displeasure at the scene.
[Oh! Calm down little gnoll! I didn't mean to scare your little girlfriend away! And to be honest… I'm cheering for you… it's not easy to score an elf… trust me I know from experience! Why do you think I chose to retire out here in this big tree?] said Wexford in an attempt to calm the situation down
{cough... Ha…ouch… hey man… don't make me laugh! It still hurts to breathe!} replied Lanthios
[oh! And what did I say that was so funny?] replied Wexford with interest
{please... As if a man of the light... A great paladin at that… would ever come out here in this far corner of Azeroth for something like picking up 'chicks! Let me guess... As a member of the Silver Hand, you must be here on a mission, right? To spy on the satyrs? No… something more…} replied Lanthios through eye squints
[boy… you are smart… but remember one thing… the weak has no right to question!] replied Wexford aggressively with his sword at Lanthios throat!
{cough… I guess I was right…. And you're right, but as a young squire, is it wrong to ask my master his plans?} replied Lanthios without a hint of fear, as bright blood mixed with holy light dripped down his neck.
[umm… kid…keep that bravo of yours… you're going to need it!] replied Wexford as he withdrew his blade, while touching Lanthios glowing blood with one hand and thought to himself:
[looks like I stumbled onto an interesting squire master… this is going to be fun!]
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Sulfates_Cidif
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