Returning Home
(This is a roleplay between Rea and Darson based on one of the newly improved dungeons in game. Posted with permission from both parties. Please enjoy.)
It was a nervous trek through Scholomance for the woman, though with her husband by her side she felt braver than she thought possible. Together they fought through the horrors that came up recently.. and some that were even reintroduced. After Rattlegore, Instructor Chillheart, and even Jandice once more they were coming to see Gandling more and more, and even fully when he was torturing Lillian Voss.
[Reä]: There was a rage Eric had never seen on Rea's face when she saw Gandling. His pregnant wife was nearly growling with the need to go kill the man that had destroyed her home.
[Darson]: Eric's face was, surprisingly, stoic. An almost grim determination on his face, as Rea's feelings were so openly displayed. He knew that was the man responsible for the story she told him, in those ruins of Andorhal. He spat on the ground in the spot he had...floated. He glances over his shoulder at Lilian, not quite sure what to make of her, deciding on a whim she wasn't their enemy. Stepping next to his wife, he stood by her side, letting her know that's where he would be when the final confrontation came. And it was quickly approaching. He could hear the laughter echoing through the halls.
The moment Lillian was close to her end, Gandling disappeared further into the halls and the group was forced to follow.
Professor Slate stood in their way now of the door they would need to go through, the gathering of five of them determined to meet with the Darkmaster for his fate attacked with a passion and the need to pass into the room where Darkmaster Gandling himself stood and waited for them all.
[Rea]: Eric would likely have to hold Rea back once they actually got into the room, she was ready to run at him and rip his face off. Her eyes were watered down with the emotions that seeped in her soul, not just her heart. Rea's hand reached out to hold Eric's and she squeezed hard. "I want him dead." Her voice was so cold as brown eyes stung into the Darkmaster's face.
[Darson]: The Darkmaster watched them behind a hooded mask, cold, unearthly eyes staring through them both, silently judging the worth of their souls. It was an uneasy feeling, but the cold determination behind their actions was enough to shrug the look off, and stare right back into the eyes of the man who murdered Rea, and the entirety of her town. Eric felt a mixture of emotions, even as Rea's hand reached out to grab his own. He knew deep down, that if the actions that had lead to Rea's death never happened, they likely never would have found their way into each others hearts, they way they had now. Deep down, he felt an incredible guilt that he acknowledged that fact, and was even somehow grateful. But this didn't outweigh the sheer -hate- this "Darkmaster" could feel resonating from his very core. Grateful or not, guilty, or not, He had committed a great sin when he unleashed that plague on Andorhal. When he had harmed his Anna. There would be blood spilt this day, and he would spill it in the name of his love. To avenge the death she was forced to face, and perhaps to atone for his own guilt for feeling grateful for the hell she had to burden, in order for them to be together. Eric squeezed his wife's hand, and turned to gaze at her, taking his eyes off the Darkmaster for the briefest of moments. "And you will have it, Anna." With that, he slipped his hand from hers, and reached back to grip the hilt of his sword, aiming the blade down the stairs at their target.
[Rea]: Again, Eric would be surprised at how Rea acted when he told her that she would have what she wished. With a blood curdling shriek, the small and emotionally pregnant woman was leaping down the stairs and cursing the Darkmaster with everything that she could. Shadow Words that she rarely used because of the way that made her, and the light that she was blessed with came down upon the former 'man' to give him the wrath that this scorned woman was compelled to feed him. Annalisa wanted to give the burden of a bastard what he deserved for what he had done to her family and friends; what he had done to her. She was crazed with hatred and anger and seeing red as she threw curse after curse onto the being.
[Darson]: It was clear to Eric now how deeply she was lost in her rage and hatred, and he acted quickly, following after her down the stairs. The way she moved, there was no fluid to it. There was no grace. It was just pure, carnal rage. And she was unleashing it all on the man before them, who simply stood in wait for their attack. Eric would not be her arm, today. She seemed perfectly capable of inflicting an ungodly amount of harm upon the man without any shred of remorse. But, what she didn't seem capable of, was restraint and caution, at least, not in this moment. And, he couldn't blame her. So, he would be her shield, for the obvious counter-attack that was soon following. With a wave of his had, the Darkmaster was sending a wave of shadow crashing down at Anna, and Eric was already discarding his long bastard sword, tossing it over the side of the stairs, and reaching behind him for his sword and board. Leaping forward, his shield came up, to absorb the attack that was aimed at his wife, and future mother of his children. He could feel it. The weight. The weight of thousands of burdened, anguished souls behind his attack. In the rooms around them. In the air. There were everywhere, watching with open mouths. Mouths that wanted to scream, but were unable. This room was a hellish nightmare. As the first counter-blow was deflected, the weight of Anna's attacks would begin to take their tole on Gandling, and Eric was back on his feet, after being forced to his knees by the weight of the attack, ready to be her shield once more.
[Rea]: She was a woman on peace, Rea. She had never lifted a sword before in her life before this man had cursed her to be among the unliving as a spirit to walk Azeroth without a place to go, or being to interact with. This rage that she felt was nothing new, but a weight on her shoulders that she had carried for so long in the time that she had no body and was slowly losing her mind to the whispers of the spirit world. Slowly losing her mind to each spirit she came across and helping them to cross over when she could not find her own way to the other side. Years of solitude and whispers at the same time was enough to drive even the most patient and steady of beings into pure insanity. Rea bit down on her insanity daily, instead focusing on helping those that needed it and using her strengths there. Helping people find peace and move on was how she remained even slightly together while she'd been dead. Now.. all of those emotions that she felt and locked away were spilling out in a waterfall of a rush and onto the creature that killed her livelihood in one devious plan. Strike after strike of holy light and shadow words, when Eric was ripped away to fly into another room, she shrieked again and grabbed the staff from her back. He had only seen it on one occasion, but her body was glowing brightly with the rage and the passion of the fight. The light worked its way to her staff and slammed into the Darkmaster with each blow she brought across his face and body. "YOU. BRING. HIM. BACK!" A blow landed with each word to force him to open that door and free her husband.
[Darson]: As he was torn from his wife, and locked away in one of the crazed Darkmasters studies, he felt his blood pump through his veins. They were separated, Anna was alone. He, was alone. And as the corners of the room grew dark, and the low growl of hungry scourge could be heard rummaging their way from the cracks, he felt the fear. He was, in all honesty, afraid. Even the large, hulking man Anna called her husband was a victim of fear. He muttered under his breath, his body shaking lightly. "Should o' kept the blood sword..." He raised his shield, and the small dinky sword he now used as a weapon. Though, when he heard Anna's voice ring around the room, that fear quickly melted away. He was reminded that she was still fighting that Darkmaster, and she was alone. He wouldn't let her shoulder this burden alone. With a frenzied battle cry, Eric charged his way through the room, and slammed himself into the door, shattering it into pieces, and lunging out and over the railing to the floor below. "ANNA!" He called out to her, hitting the floor and rolling, jumping to his feet with sword raised overhead, ready to bring it down on the Darkmaster's head.
[Rea]: Running to try to get Eric out of the room he'd been locked in would have done no good for her, because it would have opened her up for any kind of attack the Darkmaster would want to throw at her. Tears were spilling over the woman's eyes and down her cheeks as she blindly swung at him with her staff, cracking it more and more with each blow. There was so much anger, and it was tearing her apart. It was a shock that his Anna was crying as she continued to beat on the man that killed her and her entire family. She was terrified that he had just taken her husband away from her too. Screaming out her rage and shaking to her core, she was almost ready to give up until she heard the shatter of rusted metal and the love of her lives calling her name. He landed near her and was bringing his sword down toward Gandling's head. A calm came over her being as she felt the child in her stomach calm at her husband's voice and her eyes cleared of the blur from the tears. She focused on the MONSTER before them with complete intent. He'll never hurt anyone ever again. Never. With the staff brought to her left side from one of her swings, she timed it so when she brought the wood back up, it was the opposite side of Eric's sword and shoving the blade through the Darkmaster's head and spinal cord. Exhausted, she collapsed to her knees as the staff broke in her hands and fell to the floor. Palms and fingers bled from the splinters and she was covered in dust and cobwebs from this cursed place. Panting, she said no words but only shook her head as the body of the creature fell in front of her and brown eyes could only stare. The room began to lighten, and they could feel the spirits of those he had taken begin to clear. She felt her family release her and her hatred bled out of her soul as the blood seeped from her hands. Tear stained cheeks, she sighed and let her body go lax.
[Darson]: As their fight came to a close, and Eric stood true to his promise of being by her side when this was all over, he felt a sickening pleasure of feeling his blade slide through the Darkmasters head like a knife through butter. Slicing through bone and muscle like it was nothing, severing the spinal cord and ending the reign of the terror that was the Darkmaster of this school. He stood there, panting for a moment as he attempted to catch his breath, his sword still lodged deep into the dead mans skull. And when the souls began to disperse, he felt overwhelmed by the sheer emotions the room had suddenly been filled with, and he dropped to his knees next to Rea, reaching out to grab her, and pull her into his chest as the souls departed around them. So many lives that had been stolen. He shut his eye tight, and without warning, began to weep quietly as his fingers ran through Anna's hair. Why did he shed tears? It was hard to determine. Was it the overwhelming relief that could be felt through the room? Thousands of souls being released at once could do that to someone. But no, these tears seemed sincere. His tears were for the woman in his arms, and the burden he knew had been lifted from her shoulders. All that pain she had been forced to endure. All that suffering. Suffering he could never truely understand on the same level as she could. It all rested with the lifeless corpse that they would leave to rot in the corner, and simply knowing that it was over, brought the lumbering man to silent tears.
[Rea]: They both sat there for what seemed like hours, releasing the emotions that had been locked away for so long. When they were both calmer than before, she looked at him, kissed the corner of his mouth and whispered that she wish to go home.. their home in Stormwind. Hands would glow with a green light as she used a hearthstone and sucked them both back to the great Alliance city.
It was a nervous trek through Scholomance for the woman, though with her husband by her side she felt braver than she thought possible. Together they fought through the horrors that came up recently.. and some that were even reintroduced. After Rattlegore, Instructor Chillheart, and even Jandice once more they were coming to see Gandling more and more, and even fully when he was torturing Lillian Voss.
[Reä]: There was a rage Eric had never seen on Rea's face when she saw Gandling. His pregnant wife was nearly growling with the need to go kill the man that had destroyed her home.
[Darson]: Eric's face was, surprisingly, stoic. An almost grim determination on his face, as Rea's feelings were so openly displayed. He knew that was the man responsible for the story she told him, in those ruins of Andorhal. He spat on the ground in the spot he had...floated. He glances over his shoulder at Lilian, not quite sure what to make of her, deciding on a whim she wasn't their enemy. Stepping next to his wife, he stood by her side, letting her know that's where he would be when the final confrontation came. And it was quickly approaching. He could hear the laughter echoing through the halls.
The moment Lillian was close to her end, Gandling disappeared further into the halls and the group was forced to follow.
Professor Slate stood in their way now of the door they would need to go through, the gathering of five of them determined to meet with the Darkmaster for his fate attacked with a passion and the need to pass into the room where Darkmaster Gandling himself stood and waited for them all.
[Rea]: Eric would likely have to hold Rea back once they actually got into the room, she was ready to run at him and rip his face off. Her eyes were watered down with the emotions that seeped in her soul, not just her heart. Rea's hand reached out to hold Eric's and she squeezed hard. "I want him dead." Her voice was so cold as brown eyes stung into the Darkmaster's face.
[Darson]: The Darkmaster watched them behind a hooded mask, cold, unearthly eyes staring through them both, silently judging the worth of their souls. It was an uneasy feeling, but the cold determination behind their actions was enough to shrug the look off, and stare right back into the eyes of the man who murdered Rea, and the entirety of her town. Eric felt a mixture of emotions, even as Rea's hand reached out to grab his own. He knew deep down, that if the actions that had lead to Rea's death never happened, they likely never would have found their way into each others hearts, they way they had now. Deep down, he felt an incredible guilt that he acknowledged that fact, and was even somehow grateful. But this didn't outweigh the sheer -hate- this "Darkmaster" could feel resonating from his very core. Grateful or not, guilty, or not, He had committed a great sin when he unleashed that plague on Andorhal. When he had harmed his Anna. There would be blood spilt this day, and he would spill it in the name of his love. To avenge the death she was forced to face, and perhaps to atone for his own guilt for feeling grateful for the hell she had to burden, in order for them to be together. Eric squeezed his wife's hand, and turned to gaze at her, taking his eyes off the Darkmaster for the briefest of moments. "And you will have it, Anna." With that, he slipped his hand from hers, and reached back to grip the hilt of his sword, aiming the blade down the stairs at their target.
[Rea]: Again, Eric would be surprised at how Rea acted when he told her that she would have what she wished. With a blood curdling shriek, the small and emotionally pregnant woman was leaping down the stairs and cursing the Darkmaster with everything that she could. Shadow Words that she rarely used because of the way that made her, and the light that she was blessed with came down upon the former 'man' to give him the wrath that this scorned woman was compelled to feed him. Annalisa wanted to give the burden of a bastard what he deserved for what he had done to her family and friends; what he had done to her. She was crazed with hatred and anger and seeing red as she threw curse after curse onto the being.
[Darson]: It was clear to Eric now how deeply she was lost in her rage and hatred, and he acted quickly, following after her down the stairs. The way she moved, there was no fluid to it. There was no grace. It was just pure, carnal rage. And she was unleashing it all on the man before them, who simply stood in wait for their attack. Eric would not be her arm, today. She seemed perfectly capable of inflicting an ungodly amount of harm upon the man without any shred of remorse. But, what she didn't seem capable of, was restraint and caution, at least, not in this moment. And, he couldn't blame her. So, he would be her shield, for the obvious counter-attack that was soon following. With a wave of his had, the Darkmaster was sending a wave of shadow crashing down at Anna, and Eric was already discarding his long bastard sword, tossing it over the side of the stairs, and reaching behind him for his sword and board. Leaping forward, his shield came up, to absorb the attack that was aimed at his wife, and future mother of his children. He could feel it. The weight. The weight of thousands of burdened, anguished souls behind his attack. In the rooms around them. In the air. There were everywhere, watching with open mouths. Mouths that wanted to scream, but were unable. This room was a hellish nightmare. As the first counter-blow was deflected, the weight of Anna's attacks would begin to take their tole on Gandling, and Eric was back on his feet, after being forced to his knees by the weight of the attack, ready to be her shield once more.
[Rea]: She was a woman on peace, Rea. She had never lifted a sword before in her life before this man had cursed her to be among the unliving as a spirit to walk Azeroth without a place to go, or being to interact with. This rage that she felt was nothing new, but a weight on her shoulders that she had carried for so long in the time that she had no body and was slowly losing her mind to the whispers of the spirit world. Slowly losing her mind to each spirit she came across and helping them to cross over when she could not find her own way to the other side. Years of solitude and whispers at the same time was enough to drive even the most patient and steady of beings into pure insanity. Rea bit down on her insanity daily, instead focusing on helping those that needed it and using her strengths there. Helping people find peace and move on was how she remained even slightly together while she'd been dead. Now.. all of those emotions that she felt and locked away were spilling out in a waterfall of a rush and onto the creature that killed her livelihood in one devious plan. Strike after strike of holy light and shadow words, when Eric was ripped away to fly into another room, she shrieked again and grabbed the staff from her back. He had only seen it on one occasion, but her body was glowing brightly with the rage and the passion of the fight. The light worked its way to her staff and slammed into the Darkmaster with each blow she brought across his face and body. "YOU. BRING. HIM. BACK!" A blow landed with each word to force him to open that door and free her husband.
[Darson]: As he was torn from his wife, and locked away in one of the crazed Darkmasters studies, he felt his blood pump through his veins. They were separated, Anna was alone. He, was alone. And as the corners of the room grew dark, and the low growl of hungry scourge could be heard rummaging their way from the cracks, he felt the fear. He was, in all honesty, afraid. Even the large, hulking man Anna called her husband was a victim of fear. He muttered under his breath, his body shaking lightly. "Should o' kept the blood sword..." He raised his shield, and the small dinky sword he now used as a weapon. Though, when he heard Anna's voice ring around the room, that fear quickly melted away. He was reminded that she was still fighting that Darkmaster, and she was alone. He wouldn't let her shoulder this burden alone. With a frenzied battle cry, Eric charged his way through the room, and slammed himself into the door, shattering it into pieces, and lunging out and over the railing to the floor below. "ANNA!" He called out to her, hitting the floor and rolling, jumping to his feet with sword raised overhead, ready to bring it down on the Darkmaster's head.
[Rea]: Running to try to get Eric out of the room he'd been locked in would have done no good for her, because it would have opened her up for any kind of attack the Darkmaster would want to throw at her. Tears were spilling over the woman's eyes and down her cheeks as she blindly swung at him with her staff, cracking it more and more with each blow. There was so much anger, and it was tearing her apart. It was a shock that his Anna was crying as she continued to beat on the man that killed her and her entire family. She was terrified that he had just taken her husband away from her too. Screaming out her rage and shaking to her core, she was almost ready to give up until she heard the shatter of rusted metal and the love of her lives calling her name. He landed near her and was bringing his sword down toward Gandling's head. A calm came over her being as she felt the child in her stomach calm at her husband's voice and her eyes cleared of the blur from the tears. She focused on the MONSTER before them with complete intent. He'll never hurt anyone ever again. Never. With the staff brought to her left side from one of her swings, she timed it so when she brought the wood back up, it was the opposite side of Eric's sword and shoving the blade through the Darkmaster's head and spinal cord. Exhausted, she collapsed to her knees as the staff broke in her hands and fell to the floor. Palms and fingers bled from the splinters and she was covered in dust and cobwebs from this cursed place. Panting, she said no words but only shook her head as the body of the creature fell in front of her and brown eyes could only stare. The room began to lighten, and they could feel the spirits of those he had taken begin to clear. She felt her family release her and her hatred bled out of her soul as the blood seeped from her hands. Tear stained cheeks, she sighed and let her body go lax.
[Darson]: As their fight came to a close, and Eric stood true to his promise of being by her side when this was all over, he felt a sickening pleasure of feeling his blade slide through the Darkmasters head like a knife through butter. Slicing through bone and muscle like it was nothing, severing the spinal cord and ending the reign of the terror that was the Darkmaster of this school. He stood there, panting for a moment as he attempted to catch his breath, his sword still lodged deep into the dead mans skull. And when the souls began to disperse, he felt overwhelmed by the sheer emotions the room had suddenly been filled with, and he dropped to his knees next to Rea, reaching out to grab her, and pull her into his chest as the souls departed around them. So many lives that had been stolen. He shut his eye tight, and without warning, began to weep quietly as his fingers ran through Anna's hair. Why did he shed tears? It was hard to determine. Was it the overwhelming relief that could be felt through the room? Thousands of souls being released at once could do that to someone. But no, these tears seemed sincere. His tears were for the woman in his arms, and the burden he knew had been lifted from her shoulders. All that pain she had been forced to endure. All that suffering. Suffering he could never truely understand on the same level as she could. It all rested with the lifeless corpse that they would leave to rot in the corner, and simply knowing that it was over, brought the lumbering man to silent tears.
[Rea]: They both sat there for what seemed like hours, releasing the emotions that had been locked away for so long. When they were both calmer than before, she looked at him, kissed the corner of his mouth and whispered that she wish to go home.. their home in Stormwind. Hands would glow with a green light as she used a hearthstone and sucked them both back to the great Alliance city.