The Keystone

Magical warning glyphs flickered in the air above control stations composed of fel iron and dark magic. Throughout the open space that made up the command bridge of the Legion vessel Bloodspiller there was the stench of acrid smoke that was unrelated to the magic that powered the weapon of war. Demons scrambled to and fro, smaller creatures arguing in foul voices over malfunctioning, fel-infused devices. The entire scene had an air of controlled chaos about it that displeased the Eredar who stood watching it all.

Helnaa was responsible for all of the Bloodspiller. A powerful Eredar in her own right, she'd been honored for her many eons of service to the Legion and for the many innocent souls she'd claimed. Her red skin glistened here and there with bright green fel magic that seeped from her very soul, her burning green eyes almost like flames as a vicious scowl passed over her features. She turned to one of her subordinate felguards, her tone dripping with malice, "Report."

"We've taken heavy damage near our engines and near the nodes that help power our defenses and weapons, Commander," the demon growled. "We have yet to account for all of the damage."

"How did this happen? We opened a portal at random and moved with speed once through it!" Helnaa growled. Her subordinate knew better than to answer the hypothetical question; it was one they were all asking anyway. The second the Bloodspiller had exited through its portal something had gone awry. As if they'd been expected, two massive blasts of arcane energy had struck the exterior of the vessel with pinpoint accuracy, damaging them so heavily that they were forced to land to make repairs. Clearly an ambush, the fact that the vessel was not now under attack by an assault force made little sense. Helnaa had even sent out half of the vessel's compliment of the Legion's finest shock troops to scour the area around their landing site clear of life.

And yet there was nothing. It was all quiet. Too quiet.

"I want the patrols doubled outside. Tell our warlocks to keep watch with the felbats. We need to make repairs and move as quickly as possible," Helnaa growled again. "For every hour we're delayed, I'll flay the skin from one of our engineers until we're airborne again."

Before the felguard could respond, another demon approached, this one a succubus under Helnaa's command. She bowed low, her voice sultry, "My Lady, several of the patrols have not reported in."

"What?! On which side of the vessel? Near the forest?" Helnaa demanded.

"N-no, my Lady," the succubus stuttered. "Inside the Bloodspiller..."

Helnaa's fel-flame eyes widened and she rushed over to the nearest display screen. She spoke a few words of magic and the images it displayed shifted, showing the interior of the Bloodspiller and the patrol routes that she'd assigned. Several of them had stopped, and as Helnaa traced their routes, a pattern emerged. "Demon's blood...the engineering sections..."

Without another word Helnaa turned and dashed out of the control room, her sword already coming free of its sheath. Behind her, demons scurried about, continuing to work on repairing the wounded vessel. Clearly the commander was off to deal with whatever the issue was personally....

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The two demons were bent over a damaged section of pipes that ran into the Bloodspiller's main engines. Struck by an arcane explosion that had pierced the hull in just the right location, the entire area was a mess and needed to be fixed quickly. As one of the hideous little creatures leaned in closer, he gestured to his companion for a wrench. His face still pressed near the section of the engines he was repairing, he frowned as a wrench was not placed in his clawed hand. With a growl, he turned towards his companion, a curse on his lips. His eyes widened as he came face to face with the pale purple countenance of a night elf, her long silver hair sparkling with magic. She grinned at him once and then an explosion of arcane light rocked the room and he saw no more.

Biara stepped over the fallen demons, her prize in sight. A series of pipes ran into a large fel-infused engine that purred with the infernos of evil magic that powered it. Connected to the entire contraption was a command console, fel-green glyphs glowing over its surfaces. Beyond that, another series of smaller pipes connected to the rear of the rectangular chamber, a clear glass covering protecting a runed green stone that was the heart of the control section. A green stone that was designed to allow the vessel to open portals through the nether, so that the Legion could move its troops quickly.

Biara grinned, moving quickly towards the glass case. Around its base there were a number of wards, and she began to expertly counterspell them one by one, her brows knitted in concentration as she worked. Time was limited, and she had to move fast.

She sensed rather than heard the attack before it reached her, her battle instincts saving her at the last moment as she hurled herself backwards. The Eredar's flaming sword cut a swath through the air where she'd been standing, the large creature looming over her with a growl. The first attack was followed up by a second swing, Helnaa's rage palpable as she assaulted the Highborne.

"You will suffer for all eternity for your audacity, little elf!" she yelled, her sword swinging wildly.

Biara managed to avoid a few more blows, her hands coming up and flinging a spell at the raging demon. The sword arced slightly, deflecting the magic down and into the deck plates of the vessel, Helnaa grinning as she forced Biara back towards the engines with her weapon. "You think to fight me with your magic? I'm made of magic. I am magic, pathetic Highborne. You will learn your place soon enough."

"I don't think so," Biara growled. She hurled another spell, this time not at the demon but instead at the floor near where she stood. The arcane explosion hurled fragments of molten decking all around and forced Helnaa to stumble back. With flicks of her wrists Biara continued the attack, more explosions rocking the vessel's interior and making it impossible for the demon to deflect the magic.

Helnaa howled in rage as she was struck by several pieces of shrapnel, her eyes flaming with magic. In an instant she burst into flames and disappeared, reappearing behind Biara. The Highborne was ready for this trick, her form shimmering as she Blinked across the room and avoided being impaled. Unfortunately for Biara, she was not prepared for Helnaa to be as quick as she was, and the demoness disappeared a second time, reappearing in a burst of flames next to Biara.

Biara desperately hurled herself to the side, the flaming sword's tip scoring a shallow wound on her arm and tearing her clothing open as she narrowly avoided death. She cried out, her free hand coming up to tear away her burning sleeve as she stumbled away from Helnaa. The Eredar continued her advance, grinning now as she blurred and disappeared again, reappearing behind Biara and slamming the Highborne in the back with a cloven hoof.

Biara tumbled forwards, the demon playing with her now as it slapped her with the flat of the sword, the burning weapon singing the fabric on her hip and spinning her as she crashed to the decking. She tried to rise, but Helnaa burst into flames again, reappearing near her and delivering a solid kick to Biara's side. The Highborne fell, gasping for breath as Helnaa continued to kick her over and over again, enjoying the other's discomfort.

"I will make you pay for every moment of my time you've wasted, wretch!" Helnaa growled, delivering more kicks and a few powerful blows with the flat of the sword. Biara was barely conscious now, looking up at the demoness with blood trailing from her nose and mouth. Helnaa merely grinned, kicking her again, "Nothing to say now, have you? We'll fix that soon enough."

She brought her sword up, intent on striking the elf in the head and rendering her unconscious for transport to the prison section of the Bloodspiller. As she brought the weapon up, there was a faint hint of ozone in the air about her. She never felt the arcane blast as it struck her in the back and hurled her across the room. The Eredar slammed into the bulkhead, her sword tumbling from her hands as she crumpled in a heap.

Through blurred vision Biara peered up, seeing a figure walking towards her. Her eyes widened as Malandrae Moonwhisper knelt down next to her, reaching out to wipe away the blood from her mouth. Malandrae's own nose was bleeding, the light purple blood glistening in the light of the fel magic around them, and Biara knew it was not from any wound inflicted on her, but instead from her own internal wounds come to life in this hellish place.

"Oh Kerriel..." Malandrae murmured, holding her friend in her arms. "I'm so sorry. I-I read your journal...your notes. I-I didn't know...I should have a-asked....Oh Eli...they killed Eli. Oh my heavens I'm so sorry. Please forgive me."

Biara felt a stab of sorrow run through her, tears welling up in her eyes as Malandrae held her close, the two weeping together in the middle of one of the Legion's weapons of war. For a long time, she couldn't speak, the emotions too raw in her heart to force any words out. She just held Malandrae, the two friends saying nothing and supporting each other merely with their presence. After a time, Biara was able to choke a few words out, "Shhh, hush Malandrae. It's not your fault. It was never your fault. I never blamed you for any of it."

"I should have been there, Ker-...Biara. I should have been there with you when the Legion came, t-the first time," Malandrae said. "I-I...I can't remember it all, but I know I did something wrong. I should have left with you. It's all gone so wrong. I'm so sorry."

Out of the corner of her eye, Biara saw the Eredar begin to stir, the creature rising to her knees and reaching for her sword. She met Malandrae's gaze, seeing within her eyes the confusion that came with the mental damage that Malandrae had suffered after watching the Legion destroy her home and everything she loved. The cyan-haired Highborne had never recovered, would never recover, thanks to her own subconscious repressing those memories. But sometimes you had to remember, had to face your demons if you were to survive. With agony in her voice, Biara whispered back, "No, Mal. I'm sorry. I should never have let you come here. And I'm sorry for what has to happen now. I will love you forever, even if you hate me when this is over."

With that, Biara reached up and spoke a few simple words of magic, her counterspell touching Malandrae's mind and releasing the arcane wards her own subconscious had built around her memories. The ditzy Highborne rocked back on her heels, her eyes glazing over as a flood of memories rushed through her. A shadow loomed over them, the enraged Eredar having reached them at last. Her sword burst into flames, the blade screaming down towards Malandrae's head, the weapon too fast to avoid.

In the last instant, Biara saw Malandrae's eyes dilate. Her head tilted at an odd angle, and the flaming sword slammed into an invisible barrier of magic that sprang into existence around Malandrae. Unsteadily she rose, her movements almost catlike now as she met Helnaa's fel-flame gaze. When she spoke, it sent a shiver up Biara's spine, the voice one she remembered well from thousands of years before. It was Malandrae, whole and well, speaking as she used to do when she was angry.

"You think your magic a match of mine?" Malandrae purred, her voice dripping with malice. "Your 'legion' was hurled screaming back into the nether thanks to the actions of our people, and you think you alone will challenge me? Here and now?"

Helnaa's eyes widened, her sword lashing out again and again, and slamming into that same barrier. It shimmered around Malandrae, arcane energies building now. Malandrae's hands came down at her sides, arcane energies building there. From her place on the floor, Biara watched with eyes wide as her friend reclaimed her birthright at long last. When Malandrae spoke next, Biara felt chilled to the bone. "House Moonwhisper sends its regards to your master. Let him know that we're coming for him, and all of his little pets."

Malandrae released her spell, and it screamed through the air into Helnaa. The Eredar brought her sword up, but the blade shattered as arcane energies torn through it and the creature behind it. In an instant she was cut to pieces, her soul sent screaming back into the nether to answer to her masters for her failure.

For a moment, the room was filled with utter silence. Malandrae stood over Biara, swaying in place. When she finally looked down at her, their eyes met and Malandrae's next words made Biara's heart ache, "Kerriel, I forgive you. I will always love you as well. We both know you had to do it, even if it hurts. Even if these memories hurt forever, they can't possibly hurt more than your loss. Friends forever."

"Friends forever, Mal," Biara whispered back.

Malandrae reached down, her hand extended to Biara and Biara clasped it, allowing the other to help her up. She was bruised all over and bleeding profusely from the wound on her arm, but she had a task to complete before she was done. She stumbled over to the glass case, finishing the task of removing the wards and scooping up the vessel's keystone.

As she turned, she saw Malandrae standing there, staring blankly at nothing. With a sigh of sorrow, Biara whispered another spell, removing her counterspell from her friend. Deep within Malandrae's mind, her subconcious rose up again to protect itself, blocking off the horrible memories of Zin-azshari's fall with a barrier of arcane energy that the Highborne would never see through. Malandrae's nose began to bleed profusely, but she sighed and her shoulders slumped, as if a weight had been removed from her.

Biara reached out and clasped her hand again, holding it tightly and guiding her confused friend towards the room's door. Before she left, she paused, a foul grin crossing her features as she turned and uttered a few words of magic. Arcane runes appeared across the Bloodspiller's engines, magic beginning to creep across it slowly, the spell beginning to pop and sputter as it met the fel magic there and interacted.

Hand in hand, the two Highborne walked from the chamber as the hull began to crackle with building magic.

***************************************************

Captain Richard Benson of Stormwind's guard looked out across the hills of Westfall, watching through a spyglass as the legion vessel sat on the grassy field. He and his men had seen it virtually crash-land about an hour before, and demons had poured out of it, but they seemed to be guarding it rather than attacking anything. The entire thing was odd, but he couldn't get his small scout squad any closer than they were due to the dangerous creatures roaming around it.

As he watched, he frowned, seeing something odd happening along the ship's side. A portal appeared there, two night elves in long dresses appearing beside the vessel. They were holding hands, and walking with confidence right towards the demonic patrols. At this distance, they were like tiny little dolls, but even from where he watched he could sense the magic about the two. Each of them brought their free hand up as demons approached, magic flashing from their fingertips and cutting the creatures down with ease.

Demons fell screaming around them. Others rose up into the air only to have spells slash into them. The entire time, the two elves walked hand in hand away from the legion ship, as if looking for flowers to pick in a field. Captain Benson blinked in surprise a moment later as the vessel behind them exploded, sending fragments of fel-infused wreckage all around. The two elves continued walking, the blastwave making their skirts ruffle aound their ankles and their hair whip about their faces, the silver and cyan colors almost mixing together from the fierce winds.

Demons fled in all directions after the destruction, but the Captain kept his spyglass trained on the two elves until they began to shimmer and suddenly faded from sight, gone elsewhere with magic. He set his spyglass down, shaking his head in shock at the developments, already mentally preparing his report. It seemed someone had taken care of the Legion's assault force here without their need for intervention.

He just wished he knew their names so he could thank them.