Server:Sisters of Elune US/Zaiviys

Zaiviys Story: Part I

The sky was growing lighter... and I was getting more worried by each passing moment.

“Jessa, we must get you inside, or under cover. The sun will be up in a few moments.” I said.

My older sister looked at me a moment, then to the sky, and back to the path before us. We had been traveling since dusk, and it was now the sun was beginning to wake. I had to find shelter for my sister, who, though older by me than 3 years, looked younger than me. Younger, more pale, and yet, one hundred times more beautiful and perfect than I could imagine. Upon reflection, I am not at all surprised that my love for her had turned from that of a brother, to that of a lover.

“Zai... I see a house up ahead through the trees to the left of the road. Perhaps we may seek some shelter there?” replied my sister. She called me Zai, short for Zaiviys. And she was the only one ever allowed to... she used to say it with such kindness, such caring, such love. I followed her gaze, but could see nothing. No surprise, this, being what she was, my sister could see perfectly well in the blackest of night. Her senses so acute, her embrace so intense, her kiss... so divine, yet in the same moment, demonic.

I kept moving, quickening my pace, nearly dragging her behind me. A moment or two later, I saw the shape of the house that she had seen so clearly. I stopped, turning to her and nodded to a place beside a large tree. She smiled and stepped into the shadows, blending with them effortlessly. Silently, I crept forward to the house and approached a low window. It was broken, and a shutter hung askew on one side. Still, I took a moment to gather dark energies to me, in case something more dangerous that my sister and I lurked inside the rundown building.

Peering through the window I quickly noted that there was nothing to fear, and beckoned my sister to me. In a swirl of black, she was at my side, and through the shattered pane into the house. She moved quickly, securing various things, and returned to assist me through the window if I required it. So thoughtful, my sister, so deserving of my devotion to her. I paused to summon Char, my voidwalker, and then he and I began to search through the house. Upstairs and down, we looked, watching for the slightest movement, the barest hint of life in this run down shell. We found none, and I moved to a door way set into a wall. Opening the door, I peered into the shadows beyond it, sensing more than seeing the downward spiral of a staircase. I motioned to Char who moved down the stairs, a purple-black mass of shadow. He returned a moment later, with no trouble and I spoke to my sister.

“Jessa, downstairs, now. The sun will be up any second.”

My sister nodded and began to descend the stairs, kissing my cheek in her passing. How I loved her kisses, so warm with passion, and yet so cold to the skin. It was not always so, how it was now, but I relished her touch all the same.. no matter how fleeting. I looked around once more, making certain that no signs of our occupancy showed, and then I followed my sister down the stairs. In the dark basement, my sister had already gathered together a few blankets that we traveled with, and was settling down onto them. I came to her, removing my outer cloak and my robe, and leaving my staff next to us on the floor. My wand I kept tucked out of sight beside me, but within easy reach should the need present itself. My sister lay beside me, snuggling against me and I chuckled. Imagine it... a vampire afraid of being alone in the dark. I held her close to me and we both drifted off to sleep.

Part II:

The cold steel of a short blade pressing against my throat was my only indication that something was wrong. I remained still as I opened my eyes, and found myself staring into the eyes of a hooded and masked man. I did not need to see his face, however, to see the sneer that it surely held. The man spoke a few syllables and then moved back a step, allowing me to sit up. I looked to either side, but my sister was not there. I spoke to the man as calmly as I could.

“Where is the girl that was here with me?” I asked. The man must have smiled because I saw the slight change to his eyes. “She's been removed safely from here and is on the way to our stronghold at Hearthglen. You are safe, boy. The undead creature and her minion shall not trouble you further. Now, I must ask you a number of questions. Did she bite you?”

As he asked this, I saw the man attempt to conceal a small blade. “I was not bitten by her, milord. She did not cause me harm.”

The man looked at me for a moment, and then replaced his dagger, not concealing his movement this time, as if to show me what would have happened if my answer had been 'Yes.'. He nodded and began to hand my things to me, my robe, wand and staff. I forced a smile, worried for my sister. I could not see around the man to tell if the moon had risen but I thought it had. As I took my wand from the masked figure I asked a question.

“Your pardon, milord, but what hour is it?”

The man nodded, and turned his back on me. “About an hour after sundown.”

“Wrong”, I said, triggering my wand, watching it spit arcane magic at the man's back. “It is time for you to die.” I spoke a few words of power and the man was overcome with dark energies, his body wracked with pain[Curse of Agony]. A few more words, and he was suddenly engulfed in flames[Immolate]. I spoke more words, my hate rising in me, and the man was running in fear a moment later[Fear]. I paused a moment, took a deep breath and summoned my minion. Char sprang forth from nothingness just as the man returned, his fear leaving him. I sent Char at him and stood back, calling again upon my powers to drain his soul. As he lay dying, I heard one word pass his lips.

“Why?”

I answered him as the last bits of his soul were drained into the shard that I held in my hand. “Two reasons... first, 'that creature' was my sister, you fool. And second... I am tired of being hunted by the so-called moral authorities like your Scarlet Crusade. They and groups like them have hunted my family for centuries and it ends with my sister and I. If she is harmed by your comrades, I swear to you, that all of your Order, and those like it, shall perish by my hand. I shall not rest until I have sundered your armies and your ideals. No longer will those like me live in fear of you or any others.”

His eyes grew wide a second later and it was my turn to sneer. “Old fool.. only now, at the end, do you realize your error. Welcome to darkness and shadow... they are your home now.”

Part III:

The keep rose before me, seeming more like a large phallus then a place for a religious order. Then again, the symbol might have been the perfect representation for the Scarlet Crusade. Whatever the reason for the shape of the keep, I knew that scaling it was out of the question. I had been camped near the Hearthglen stronghold for two days and the sun was a few hours from coming up. Most of the Crusaders were abed, with only a few guards to be seen. I had heard the talk of some of the men last night... stories of the demon woman chained to the walls in the darkest depths of the keep. The stories of the torture that she had already undergone and would until they destroyed her. I had to get my sister away from these madmen before the morning, else all would be lost. I slunk from my hiding place near the road and approached the keep, staying well to the shadows. My time for exploration was over, having done it the previous night. I moved quickly to a side door and slipped inside. Quietly, I called Char to my side, and donned the uniform of the mad that I had slain in the old house. I had deduced by Char's disappearance that night that the Scarlet Crusade had Warlocks of their own... I would not stick out overmuch... I hoped.

I moved through the hallways with care, always seeking some route that would lead me downward, to my sister, my love, my life. I was directed to one by a young neonate to the Order, who addressed me as “Brother”. How little this one knew, but oh how helpful he was. Standing there in fear of my demon, frightened, yet brave at the same time. If only this child had not thrown his lot in with these monsters, the zealots... he might have lived longer. I bid him lead me to the doorway so that I could have my turn at the evil creature below and he smiled knowingly. As I followed him, he talked of having been instructed by others in how to abuse and torture my sister. I fumed beneath my cowl but made no move against him, lest I be discovered and my scheme revealed. A moment later, we came to a large wooden door, its iron hinges creaking in protest as the boy opened it for me. I asked him to light a torch and as he turned from me, I cursed him with Agony. He spasmed for a moment and then fell dead at my feet. I propped him inside the door, out of sight, and then began to descend the stairs.

I heard many screams as I moved down the stairwell, human, animal, other-worldly. My sister's voice was not among them, and that gave me some comfort but also caused me concern. What if I was too late? What if she was already dead? I did not know what I would do... but it would be swift, deadly and righteous.

Part IV:

Only a few moments passed before I found the cell holding my sister. She was bound by her wrists to the wall, her back to the cell door. The room was larger than I had expected, with many painful looking instruments hanging from the walls. I took note of a window, covered with a heavy black cloth, set a few feet above my sister's head. The floor behind her, closer to the door was scorched, as though something had burned for a moment and then been extinguished. I looked at my sister more carefully and bit back a snarl. I had not noticed until now just how she was bound, and my blood began to boil at the sight of it. She faced the wall, her arms, outstretched, chained above her head. On the floor, a bar was tied between her ankles, forcing her legs apart, while another bar extended from the wall, pushing against the first bar. It was then that I began to understand what had been happening to my sister over the last few days and nights. My sister was being constantly tortured and raped, alternating the torture during the day, and the repeated rapes at night. I looked closer at the chains and restraints that held my sister, and saw the faint wisps of magic that imbued them. No wonder my sister had not attempted to escape. She could not break the magical bindings, nor could she move to the door, for fear of the window above her.

I looked around and then quietly tried the handle to the door. It opened smoothly and I quickly stepped inside. A sleeping guard woke with a start, but then nodded at me, and settled back to his chair. I spoke a word softly, and purple energy shot from my hand, robbing the man of his very soul. He vanished, and I walked over to where he had been sitting, picking up the purple, crystal-like splinter that now occupied the chair. I dropped the item into a small pouch hanging from my belt, and moved over to my sister. I stepped over a set of manacles attached to the floor by a great loop of metal, and ducked beneath my sister's sagging body to see her face. I glanced down at her chest, and watched the slow rise-and-fall of her breasts for a moment. Their motion told me that her breathing was ragged and that she would not be able to survive the torment of the Scarlet Crusade for very much longer. I began to look around for some sort of key to unlock her bindings and take her away from here. I kissed her forehead gently, and only moved away after she had opened her eyes and smiled at me. I stepped back out from under her and started to search the room for anything to assist in our escape. It was then that the door to the cell opened.

Part V:

The door opened and I turned, a spell already on my lips. A large bluish-purple form floated into the room, and wasted no time in rushing me. Luckily, my own spell was completed and I backed away allowing my own voidwalker to engage my attacker. I spoke another word, and the enemy 'walker was afflicted with a corrupting curse. I spun to face the door, and cast a bolt of pure Shadow energy at the warlock coming through it. There was no effect. I paused only a moment and then reached for my wand, bringing it to bear against this new threat.

A moment later, I heard a strangled rasp of breath as my voidwalker was overrun by the other demon. That demon now turned on me, and I was forced to shift my wand attacks as it came forward, bearing down on me. I heard the warlock behind me speak a soft phrase and as he did, two things happened at once. The voidwalker in front of me vanished, surprising me for just a moment. I rounded on my heel, only to feel the lash of a whip across my stomach. I was not prepared for this, and doubled over in pain. I pitched myself forward, hoping to roll out of the way of any subsequent blows, but alas, I am no Rogue. The whip of the warlock's succubus licked out at me again, biting into my leg. I stumbled with the blow, and fell to the ground, doubled over in pain and anger. I rolled to my right, clutching a green stone to my chest, feeling it infuse me with energy. I came up to my feet and fired a bolt of Shadow at the scantily clad demon. It hit home, but did not damage her very much. I felt something slam into the side of my head, and saw the warlock holding a long staff as I hit the floor, and was overcome with blackness.

I woke up some time later, my head pounding, and my body aching all over. I was on my back, my hands and feet bound to some sort of inclined table, but I was able to move my head. I looked to my left and right and slowly my vision grew less blurry. As the cobwebs cleared from my mind, and my sight, I found myself facing my sister. She was still bound in the same fashion as when I had entered the room, but she looked worse than she had before. I faced her right side, and so had a good view of the rest of the room. There was no guard in the room that I could see, but in a dark corner of the room, the succubus stood, watching my sister and me with a cautious eye. She nodded slightly when I looked at her, the flames licking at her feet, and blazing in her eyes, reminding me that I was dealing with something beyond my current ability. I had not yet learned enough to call forth my own succubus, and was now painfully aware of how inadequate I was next to many other warlocks. I looked back at my sister and stopped, seeing that she was now completely unclothed. She had not been when I had entered the room before. The door opened to my right, and I turned my head, watching many different kinds of men enter the room. A line of priests, their wills bent to the Shadow, while their lips praised the Light, Warriors whose only concern was the gold in their purses, Rogues who walked in darkness and shadow, Mages whose souls burned with dark fires and Warlocks all entered the room, one after to other, and formed a semi-circle around my sister.

One of the men, the warlock that had subdued me in battle stepped forward, and motioned towards me with a wave of his hand. My inclined table was wheeled forward into the wall of the circle, and I heard the movement of chains beneath me, presumedly to secure the table to the spot. I saw a pair of hands come over me, and a strip of cloth was forced into my mouth, silencing my protests. The Warlock nodded and then motioned for one of the priests to step forward.

As he did, he turned his back to my sister and faced the gathering of men. “My Brothers. Tonight we once again taste the flesh of this creature of Hell to gain a better understanding of what it is that we face. Remember to pour all of your anger at the Horde, your hatred of the undead, your rage towards Darkness into your actions. Only that way can you be cleansed, and your soul be spared in the end of times.”

The men nodded to one another, some smiling, some sneering. The Priest nodded to some of the men in the far portion of the circle and they moved a contraption of some sort into the middle of the room, in the center of the scorched area. Two of them undid my sister's hands, while two more took hold of the bar extending from the wall. The men lifted my sister, and dragged her over to their device of sexual torture, binding her hands to the bar at the top, sliding it downwards until her back was flat and the cheeks of her once-shapely ass were thrust outward. The men attached the extending bar to the bottom rail of the device. My sister now resembled a dog in heat, hips upraised, waiting for the penetration that was to come. I thrashed on my table, trying to cry out, to make them stop what they were about to do, but they all just laughed at my feeble attempt. The first man to come forward was a warrior. He dropped his pants to his ankles, and I had a perfect view as he forced his manhood into my sister. She cried out in pain, and began to move from side to side, trying in vain to throw the man from her. He grabbed her hips tightly, controlling her movements and simply laughed as he continued thrusting into her. He was finished soon after and winked at me as he left the circle and another man, this one a Rogue took his place. Things continued in this fashion, one man after the next raping my sister, leaving a bit of himself inside of her, knowing that it would never grow within her dead flesh. I raged, I screamed, I cried, but most of all, I hated.

I must have passed out again, because I awoke to a soft light coming in through the window. On the back wall. My gag had been removed, and I spoke my sister's name softly. “Jessa.” no response from her. “Jessa! Wake up!” My sister's head turned to face me and I drew in a short breath. Her face was covered in cuts and bruises from the “attentions” of the various men from last night. I shook the visions away, and focused again on my sister, and the growing light from the window. “Jessa, please dear sister. Please help me to free you. Call forth one of the creatures of the night, something! Jessa!” I was crying now, knowing that I was powerless to stop what was coming next. The door to the cell opened and the Head Priest from last night entered the room, followed by most of the men from last night. I focused for a moment on each face, imprinting it on my brain for all time. Until the day that I died, I would never forget those faces, and I would have my revenge, one way, or another. They again formed a circle around my sister, still bound like a willing whore to the rack from last night. Yet she was not willing, and she was far from a whore. She was innocent of crimes against these men and their families, but not their ideals, yet I would seek vengeance on everything that these men held dear. They would pay for what they had done, what they were about to do. The Priest stepped forward and began chanting words that I did not know. I looked about the room, still trying to find a way to save my sister and escape. As I did, I noticed for the first time that a group of Paladins had filed into the room and were standing against the far wall, four of them on either side of the door. I had nothing going for me. My weapons, my wand, my bags, all had been taken from me, and placed somewhere within the stronghold. I could do nothing but watch in agony as the light from the window grew brighter and brighter. As the sun outside rose, I began to smell the sickly-sweet odor of burning flesh. Tears filled my eyes, and I watched as my sister burst into flame, her body spasming, her screams filling my ears. And then abruptly... it was silent. There was no sound in the cell, none that I could hear, anyway. My mouth was opened in a wordless cry and I slumped forward, unconsciousness thankfully claiming me.

When I was awake again, I was lying on the floor of the cell. My robe had been flung across me, my boots were beside my head and my bags, minus their contents, had been returned to me. I staggered to my feet, and slowly drew on my clothing, all the while keeping my back to the pile of ash that now lay in the circle that I had been facing. I finished dressing, and moved to the door, grasping for the handle. As my fingers touched it, I heard a voice behind me. “You are free to go, young Warlock. Take what you have observed here and let it be a lesson to you about what happens when you involve yourself with the Undead. They will perish, and you will watch.” I turned to face the man, my eyes focusing on his. “Do you have family?” The man nodded. “Yes, I do.” “Do you wish to see your family outlive you? Do you believe that you shall perish before them?” Again the man nodded, his eyebrow quirking upwards. I smiled at him and he looked me over, not sure of my questions. I paused a moment, before finishing my statement. “Your family will perish before you. Understand this, Warlock.” I spat the title. “You have made an enemy today. You killed my SISTER! And for that, I will destroy your family, and once I am through with them... I will destroy you.” I stepped backwards through the open door, and ran. I could do nothing more. The tears were flowing down my cheeks, but I did not stop running until I was outside, and a mile or more away from Hearthglen.

My story ends there...for now. I have been fortunate enough to join a group of Warlocks that are focused on the same things as I am. They will assist me in becoming a powerful warlock, and I will give my life if necessary to protect them. They have all become my brothers and sisters, and woe betide to anyone who harms one of my sisters, for they will feel my wrath.. the wrath of Hell itself. If you have seen someone harm one of my sisters, then give them a message for me... You tell them I'm coming, and Hell's coming with me.

Signed,

Zaiviys Darkflame

Ah yes, that story... how things have changed since then. You would like to hear more, yes? Very well...

My sister's death changed me. After joining the Scions of Darkness, I began my journey for life everlasting. I was consumed with hate and revenge. For their actions against my sister, the Scarlet Crusade would die, horribly, slowly, and none would be able to stop me. Some time after joining the Scions, I was given the opportunity to serve within the upper echelons of the Order. To do so, meant that I must ingest the blood of a Dreadlord... Slowly, a plan began to from, and with it, the means to my ultimate revenge over the Scarlet Crusade. I researched day and night for the clues that I would need in order to achieve my goal.

The day of the ritual arrived, and I met the members of my family, and the High Council, in our guildhall. It was decorated for the event with all manner of dark and shadowy things. The gathering began and new individuals were added to our numbers. Some members of the guild gained new ranks, or were demoted. And then finally, it was my turn. I stepped forward and knelt on the dais where stood our current guild leader. He smiled down at me and offered praise for my actions towards this family of mine. He then called for the chalice and offered it to me. During this time, one of the members had moved to stand close behind me, a large axe raised above my head should I not pass this test. I spoke the words of the ritual and drank the blood given to me.

The world stopped.

I cannot begin to describe the feelings and sensations coursing through my body, I don;t even recall most of them. However, there are a few that I will never forget. I saw myself, older, and yet not, full of power, commanding legions of demons... I saw a woman, carrying a child in her arms, calling out my name in the darkness... I saw my sister, beckoning me to join her in undeath. And then I came back to myself. It took me a moment to recall where I was, but slowly, I raised myself up to my knees and took a deep breath. I opened my eyes slowly, and saw our Prytanis ((guild leader rank)) through a haze of purple light. I blinked again, and my vision cleared. Looking around, I felt the power within me cooling, yet still there, just below the surface, waiting to be called upon. I returned to my place in the Hall, and waited for the gathering to be ended. That night, I went to Darkshire and loosed my power, trying to determine what I could and could not do. Let me say simply, that I was impressed.

I continued my research into immortality, trying to discover how best to implement my plan. Over the course of many weeks, I concluded that to do what I wished, I would need to travel into the Nether. That night, I left the protection of the guildhall for what might be my last time. I traveled until I reached the Blasted Lands, and then the Dark Portal itself. I spoke the words of an astral travel spell that I had memorized and a portal opened before me. I stepped through and things changed for me once again.

The Twisting Nether is something that I feel can never be adequately described seeing as it changes moment to moment. Not very many things ever stay the same in the Nether and those things that *do* are likely to be avoided. I knew all of this when I entered the portal that I had created and yet, I was still unprepared for what awaited me. I found myself on a small piece of rocky land simply hanging in space. I stepped of of the rock and stood there, hanging in nothingness. I took in my surroundings and then began to think about finding a powerful demon with which to converse. Slowly at first and then gaining speed, my body began to move. I traveled for what seemed like seconds, but could have been days, until I landed on the rampart of a large ebony castle. I paused a moment to look around and gain my bearings. I heard a noise behind me, and turned to stare into the face of a large demon that I had only seen a few times before, a Fel-Guard. He led me to his Mistress, another demon herself, and we talked for a time. I entered into her servitude, more slavery than anything else, and I will say no more than that. I was contracted to server her for a thousand years, after which, she would reveal to me the secret of immortality.

Nine hundred years into my service, she became embroiled in a war against one of her fellow Dreadlords. One evening I overheard a conversation between my Mistress and one of her demonic lieutenants discussing strategy for the upcoming battle. They intended to sacrifice me and unleash the power within me in order to destroy her foe. I decided that that would not happen. I escaped her stronghold that night and made my way to that of her opponent. I explained who I was and why I was there. I betrayed my former Mistress to the new Dreadlord, in exchange for what I wanted. He agreed, hoping to turn it against me at a later time, I'm sure.

The next day, or so it seemed, the battle took place and my former mistress was soundly defeated. I had given the new Dreadlord every piece of information that I had and it had been used to great effect. After the battle, I was ordered before the Dreadlord to receive my reward. We spoke for a time and it was decided that my soul would be bound to that of another Dreadlord, one who had been defeated in battle time after time after time. To this new demon, being bound to me was seen as a punishment. I knew that I must not allow my true designs to be known to the other demons, lest I be killed then and there. I was bound in a very complicated ritual and then given the option to return to Azeroth at whatever period in time that I wished, while retaining all of my knowledge from my nine hundred years of service. I chose to come back only a few days after I cast the astral travel spell in the Blasted Lands.

It was not long after this incident that I found Kya once again. We had been childhood friends, but nothing more. It was because of this childhood that I returned to the village in which I was born and raised. I had received word that the Scarlets had once again targetted my village, since they would not bow down, and I knew that I must do what I could to help.

But I was too late... almost. I saw the smoke rising beyond the hill as I galloped my Fel Steed towards my childhood home. As I neared the village, I noticed a young woman under attack by three Scarlets. She was young, her hair a fiery red, and there was something vaugely familiar about her. I drew my staff and prepared to charge them when the young woman unleashed a Shadow Bolt. Now I knew I must help her. She was a fellow Warlock, untrained, outnumbered and in pain. I began to call curses of agony down upon her attackers and they fell around her, not knowing who had killed them. I rode up to the young woman just as she collapsed to the ground and was astonished to realize that the young woman was Kyarrah, my sister's childhood friend.

I took her to Northshire Abbey, and spoke to my first teacher in the Shadow Arts, Drusilia. She agreed to begin Kya's training and send her to me after her tenth season. I spoke with Kya briefly after she awoke in the Abbey, explaining some things to her and telling her what had happened to my sister, her dear friend, Jessa. I left the Abbey the next day, leaving a note on her breakfast tray directing her to Drusilia, and that she seek me out when she'd reached her tenth season.

(more to come)