Memoria

[Rand_Shea]

((I don't know how this will flesh out since it's gone beyond this instance in Rand's story, but open RP is possible. Just talk to me beforehand if you want to join in on it. :o Reposted from Citadel's RP forum))

The room was dimly lit, the floor puddled and soggy, and the air was stale with the lingering scent of the wretched Ashtongue all around and of the Dreadlord that had stepped in and was now speaking to one about the affairs of the prison, as a captive Night Elf in the background paced and seethed in pent up rage. Rand lay on the soggy and nasty ground, feigning death to put up the act to fool the Dreadlord that he was an intruder that had been "easily dealt with", putting all of his efforts into remaining still and holding back the gag reflex that was so very tempting to give in to.

Soon enough, the Dreadlord left, satisfied that the 'intruder' was dead, and that the Ashtongue were still as cowed and enslaved as they had always been. Rand waited a few seconds more before quickly getting up, though no more happy that he now had putrid mud all over his armor. He looked over to a corner where Keltag had remained hidden in shadows, the lynx finally stepping out of them as he observed that the coast was now clear.

"You now have what you seek. Take care to keep our discussions secret, lest we all be sent to slaughter." One of the Ashtongue nodded to Rand, the 'Lost's' pale glowing gaze dulled and subdued by decades of torment and oppression, but not completely dead to the world. A stubby-fingered hand reached up to lightly poke at an area of Rand's chest armor, though pulling back as the Sin'dorei defensively gripped the hilt of Stellaris... the large curve-bladed hand axe that the young hunter had come to master as one of his primary melee weapons.

"Sorry, you're not my type. Hands off." Rand smirked, though it was not out of amusement. He felt a pulse of energy from the parcel he carried with him where the Lost had touched, stinging him a little bit as the fel energies of the ring hidden within the cloths grew stronger and pierced right through the netherweave fabrics. Much to his chagrin, however... the Ashtongue didn't back off completely, and even seemed amused by the whole thing.

"Young ones such as yourself should be wary of tainted artifacts... You are not equipped nor strong enough to bear the burden of the curse you are carrying around."

A spike of rage, and Rand's hand tightened on the grip of Stellaris a moment before he forced himself to calm down. "A pity you couldn't have given yourself that advice, right?" A scathing remark, to get back at the Ashtongue's seeming enjoyment of messing with him. "I'll be back."

Rand motioned for Keltag to follow as he took the hidden underwater tunnel leading into the depths of the prison back out again. In all his journeys through Azeroth and on to Outland, this place was by far one of his least favorites, and his stomach turned slightly at the thought of having to wade through the muck and grime just to return to speak to the wretched Draenei again.

Was it really worth the eleven gold? He wondered about that... though not for too long before a searing jolt of pain pierced through his chest from the parcel, and he stumbled, clutching his chest and falling to his knees in what looked to be a 'begging' posture.

"Nnngh!..." Purple eyes went wide, and the arcane haze covering them glowed intensely as his body, though in pain from it, was absorbing the energy to feed his constant 'thirst'. His once controlled addiction had been getting worse since he had received the accursed ring, but as much as logic told him that he had to get rid of it, obsession demanded that he kept it.

It was 'hers', after all.

"...Zalara." His mind drifted as he thought back on the young mage he had met in Silvermoon, courted, and whom ultimately vanished without a trace. Now pangs of regret and guilt coursed through his heart, as the ring itself was inciting the memories, as well as a message to go along with them.

It's your fault.

Keltag watched solemnly as Rand dealt with the latest 'attack', having come to observe several of them over the past couple of months, and learning the hard way that there was nothing he could do to protect the blood elf from them. He stood watch, keeping an eye and an ear out for roaming beasts or opportunistic Alliance who may happen upon them, but thankfully none were about this time. As he noticed Rand coming to stand up again, the lynx moved over and put himself underneath the young man's hand to steady his ascent so he wouldn't stumble again.

"Heh, thanks bud." Rand managed to give a small smile to the cat before looking around to get his bearings again. Shadowmoon Valley was just as desolate as ever, and in his tiredness, he no longer wanted to stay here and deal with it. "Come on, let's get out of this hellhole."

A sharp whistle from Rand rang through the air, and off in the distance the sound of cloven hooves clopping on cobblestones was heard as a silvery-gray Talbuk trotted towards him. As the beast moved past, Rand grabbed onto the lip of the saddle, swinging himself up onto its back and nudging its sides with his ankles to coax it into picking up speed. A small rearing and an anxious grunt from the young 'filly' and it bolted off into a canter, sparking an annoyed rumble out of Keltag as he sped off to keep up after them.

The youth sped the Talbuk as fast as the beast could go without wearing it and Keltag out, eyes set on the path back towards Terrokar, and ignoring the fortress where he knew a wyvern master was that could give him a speedier ride. No... today he wanted to take the 'scenic' route, through the mountain pass, the first few acres of forest, and upon the stream that lead past the Firewing Stronghold... sharply turning the beast to follow the water upstream, looking towards the academy-like buildings where the weaker and untrained recruits of Kael'thas performed their tasks in attempts to be upgraded to the ranks of Sunfury. He had been through this place many times on errands for the Scryers, but alas, once again... the reserves Kael'thas had seemed to have no end as it was repopulated back to its former numbers... if not having more than when he last remembered.

He stopped the Talbuk at a clearing overlooking the main courtyard, where those of mage or warlock class milled over magic circles and a newly reconstructed mana-grenade, and those of the Paladin class stood guard and did routine patrols around the area and its buildings. They were nothing more than fledglings, completely unaware of his presence even out in the open, and it seemed unfair to even think of clearing out this place all over again.

Eclipse Point was a much 'fairer' challenge, but Rand wasn't in a mood to fight fair.... This place was no longer worth the effort, but he was compelled to go forward. Dismounting, he motioned for Keltag to follow, leaving the Talbuk along to graze, and with one fluid motion unhitched the Valanos' Longbow from his back, pulling out an arrow as well, hitching it to the drawstring, pulling back, and then allowing the projectile to soar.

His aim was true, and the pained screams of one of them shot through the courtyard. Not even a second later, several put aside what they had been doing and made to charge towards him with the casters stopping a distance away to conjure their spells. Keltag eyed his partner a bit perplexed, but a snarl soon overcame the cat's face and he bolted out in front of Rand, jumping in the way of a young Blood Knight swinging his weapon, teeth latching on to the swinging arm and bodyweight slamming him painfully to the ground. Rand took a step back to avoid another's blade coming down on his shoulder, swinging the longbow to the side for one hand to grab Stellaris again, swinging the axe upwards from its hilt and laying a deep blow across the chest of another. Blood sprayed from the wound and onto his face, but Rand was undaunted and re-hilted the weapon to resume picking off the casters from afar while Keltag kept the closer-ranged soldiers busy.

A few tried to run but were quickly sniped, and Rand walked forward towards the court yard, purple eyes glaring forward at more who were now mobilizing in an attempt to stall his invasion. Keltag again lunged forward, claws tearing through the robes of a caster, before making evasive maneuvers to avoid the rain of arcane-laced arrows that Rand repeatedly shot up into the sky to fall upon more of the novices. Before too long, the entire place was in a panic as some fled, while others hid to plan strategy to deal with the threat... meanwhile the jingle of several signet rings on a leather string was heard as Rand took a break and counted how many he had gathered.

"You're all nothing but traitors... too stupid to realize just what you've allied yourselves with. Rand gripped the string of signets, shoving it into his pack and standing up to face the small brave party of Firewing agents that had banded together to try and take him on again. The few wounds that they had managed to lay on him stung and bled through the hasty bandaging he had done on himself, but it was nothing compared to the stinging of the fel energy that was both punishing him, and ordering him to continue further into the courtyard and towards the 'academy's' main building.

"I'll avenge you... if I have to kill every last one of them... Including HIM!" Rand shot off a heavily arcane-laced arrow and glared emotionlessly as another fell, ignoring the concerned growls and low roars from Keltag, as the lynx pleaded with him to stop the only way it could without crossing him... even as it attacked and mauled more of the novices at the behest and protection of his partner. Once again, the novices were 'dealt' with, and Rand stood in the middle of the main building's floor feeling accomplished, but now unsure of what exactly he had come here to do.

There was a stifling silence and Rand seethed, eyes now wide with confusion and a sense that he had fallen into something that he now no longer had control over. Still the fel energies urged him, though he couldn't tell for what or where...

"I'll do whatever you want, just tell me... tell me and forgive me, DAMN IT!" His mumbling crept up into a yell, clutching at his chest again, though also reaching beneath his armor to grab the parcel and yank it out. It burned his hand through his glove, but he held onto it, clenching the cloth surrounding the ring with both hands and twisting it, sweat dripping from his brow. "I can't help you anymore... I couldn't protect you... I didn't know..."

IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!

"You were so weak then. And stupid." A familiar voice, one he hadn't heard in years and one he had hoped to never hear again, spoke softly behind him. Purple eyes went wide again in shock and Rand turned, and to his horror...

"... you..." Rand's voice was a mix of a hiss and a growl, eyes remaining wide, though eyebrows firmly furrowed in a rage-filled and hateful glare. Another Sin'dorei stood before him, draped in elegant robes brimming with magical energies, long immaculate hair, and a face with dark colored eyes beneath a green haze that resembled that of his own as well as his brother... standing over the severely injured and unconscious body of Keltag. How he had managed to appear without Rand knowing and dealing with Kel so quickly was unknown, but now Rand understood, at least barely, what was going on.

"Hello, Ranadarus." His hair hair was darkened and his skin was paler, but Lord Sunspiral hadn't changed at all besides for that from what Rand last remembered of him. "I'd like to congratulate you for proving me wrong... I was certain you'd manage to kill yourself shortly after you'd made your way to Tanaris." The Lord's look was soft, but sinister. "Not only did you prove me wrong, you managed to make quite a career for yourself no less!"

"..." Rand could hardly believe his ears, and wondered briefly if this was all some strange nightmare brought upon by inhaling too much of that Lost filth. "You have a death wish." He grabbed both Stellaris and the sword hilted to the other side of his belt, the only thought on his mind being that of what it would be like to see this man's head cleaved clean off its neck, then kicked across the courtyard.

"... Indeed." Lord Sunspiral eyed his son's actions and his expression, thought not even making a single motion to move or counter him. "Panthaleon sends his regards, and..." A quirked eyebrow as both his son's weapons were swung at him, the blades colliding with the arcane shield he had set up beforehand for protection, watching nonchalantly as it built up against the blow and sent it back at Rand, sending him flying back to one side of the room. "Yes, quite... I'll get right to the point, then. Congratulations son, I've decided to allow you back into the family, and you've been requested to provide your service to the ranks of The Calculator himself."

Rand groaned, as he hit the far wall, but ignored the pain and immediately got back up again. He heard his father talking, but he didn't care what the words were or what they meant, lunging forward again to attack. "DIE!"

"..." A sigh from Lord Sunspiral, casually laying a hand on the side of his face as his shield once again deflected the blow, but instead this time allowed the blade of the weapons to slice through slightly, then locking onto them to prevent them from being removed. Rand was confused for a moment and furiously attempted to yank them out, missing the hand motions of his father that yanked the parcel he still gripped out from under his main hand, discarding the now tainted cloth, and allowing the ring with the tress of hair wrapped on its band to spin and float in the air. "Yes, boy... I'm the one who took her from you, and I destroyed her... even disowned, I couldn't allow such unworthy bloodlines to have a chance of branching out from my own. Imagine how ridiculous that would make your mother and I look to the rest of the court..."

As expected, his words only served to further enrage Rand, who had now given up trying to free his weapons in exchange for furiously beating on the shield as his father watched in calm amusement. Curses in both Thallasian and Orcish escaped from the hunter, including those unbefitting of noble blood, and those perfectly designated to it.

But, before long, the Lord was bored with watching his son's futile efforts to enact revenge, allowing one punch through the shield and allowing the young Sin'dorei to fall halfway through, gripping his son's wrist, and tearing off the protective glove and armband that covered his forearm. Surprised, but still enraged, Rand attempted to grab at him, but found his strength sapped away as a crippling temporary curse was sent coursing through his body.

"Perhaps if you had learned the lessons I had provided for you, you would have had a chance." Lord Sunspiral smiled as his son choked and gurgled as the curse sucked away every last ounce of strength and resistance he had, releasing the shield and his wrist in allowing the young hunter to fall heapishly to the floor, barely able to move. A firm nudge of foot overturned Rand onto his back, and the Lord knelt down and patiently started the process of removing Citadel's symbolic tabard, Rand's chest armor, and tearing a good part of the sleeveless shirt he wore underneath off of him. Meanwhile the ring still floated, spinning slowly in the air above the both of them, as if anxiously watching.

"Wh...wha..what are you..." The rage had been sucked away along with his strength, and now barely able to stay conscious, Rand watched in confusion and fear at what his father was doing. His thoughts raced on the possibility that his father was going to kill him, possibly in the same way he had done to Zalara... As guilt ridden as he was, death was still not a 'luxury' he wanted to partake in the least.

"You wanted to be with her forever... and what remains of her in that ring is no longer a nuisance. Consider it my gift to you for managing to prove yourself worthy to gain such an esteemed place in our ranks." The ring was plucked out of the air, gripped softly in the Lord's hand, before being place in the center of Rand's sternum. A breif cold feeling of the metal on his flesh, then searing burning pain as it was pressed hard into his chest and burrowed its way into his flesh. Rand's screams rang out in all directions, his body tensing and writhing as much as it could against the crippling weakness, and dark bolts of energy coursing out from where the ring was being pressed in and spreading out into his extremities.

Throughout the whole several minutes of the process, Lord Sunspiral was calm... unmoved by his son's suffering, and merely standing up and stepping back as soon as it was done. The ring was burrowed securely into his son's chest, and his job was done. He turned away from Rand's now unconscious body, making one last hand motion in a conjured spell that gathered him up, his pet, and his items, removing them from the area. The young hunter would wake up later, back on the Scryer's tier, his armor placed back on his body to hide the evidence of what happened, and little memory of any of it. The plans were now in motion, and it was only a matter of time before all the pawns were in place...