To: Arkadelphia
From: Sahalia
Subject: Contract Nearly Complete
Don't come to us. We will come to you.
Sahalia
Wow, well better that this is dealt with now. Ark went to find Verloren. She found her in a confectioner's shop in the trade district. Everything looked wonderful, but she knew the look on her face gave away her trouble.
"Ark what's wrong, something with the wedding? Is someone arguing again?" Ver's words expressed a deep concern. Ver knew when Ark was this visibly shaken something was very wrong indeed.
"Ver I did something a while back," Ark started, "something I am not proud of, but I can stop it if I hurry. I think."
"Ark you can't run off on me again," Ver was not sure whether to be angry or happy that Ark was telling her this.
"I can't talk about this here Ver. When you finish up, meet me in the Timberline." Ark tried to turn and head out, but Verloren grabbed her wrist with all her strength and pulled Ark back.
"Ow Ver, I said I am not..." Ark protested.
Verloren kissed her softly and deeply on the lips, standing on her tiptoes to do so. "I know, that was to remind you of why you are not running off from me."
Ark mouthed the words 'I love you,' as she walked out of the shop. Verloren was quite the kisser, and when she wanted to she knew exactly how to leave Ark weak in the knees. This was one of those times. Ark shook her head to clear her thoughts, and began going over who was not involved in wedding plans at this moment. Moto would kill her if she tried to do this job solo. Ver would chew up the remains, it wasn't worth trying that now.
Lucy might help, a lock for a lock, fire with fire. But she might need a healer, perhaps a druid. River had a big mouth, and she wasn't sure Beldonna could be spared, between Bel's honeymoon and her sister's wedding. Well Beldonna had her hands full. Dobby might help, but Ark didn't know the druid well enough. Jade was too preoccupied at the moment, and Izume was out of contact. Honbun was getting better, but Ark wasn't sure she had the chops for something like this. Rose was off somewhere trying to attract a new man, and one Ark was pretty sure was gay, but she said she didn't want to be disturbed so. Ark chuckled at the thought. Mandy had all, but disappeared. Which left Dobby, better a guildie than not, and better someone you know a little than not at all.
To: Dobby
From: Arkadelphia
Subject: Ver
Dobby,
Listen I don't know you that well, but you said you wanted to be included more. I have a problem. I know this is short notice, but I need a healer. I know you quit healing, but you know how to do it. I need someone for this job. I can pay you if that is an issue. I don't normally ask for help, and it gets me in trouble. FYI this could get us killed or worse, and yes the people we are facing are worse than death.
It is a rush job I need to know in the next day or so.
Thanks Ark
Ark went to her bank, and grabbed a few extra things, you never knew what you might need against warlocks. "Lucy, listen I am glad I ran into you, have you ever heard of the Shadow Proclimation?"
"Ark tell me you didn't?" Lucy said in her high squeaky pitch.
"It was a dark time for me Lucy." Ark could see the uncertainty in Lucy's eyes as the little warlock mulled it over.
"Who else is on the team? I take it Ver is." Lucy continued, if she was going on this nightmare, she wanted to know who else was on the team.
"Well I asked Dobby, mainly because everyone else is either busy or out of contact." Ark knew Dobby and Lucy didn't always get along, but it was what she had at hand.
"Dobby doesn't heal anymore Ark," Lucy sighed, if she went this would be quite the challenge. "I don't know."
"Well if you aren't up to it, I will let you tell Ver I asked for your help, when you are both leaning over what used to be my body." Ark knew the little gnome had more than a little vanity. "Maybe I could ask that new fellow, Feanta something isn't it."
"You drive a hard bargain, but I am not letting Feanta get bragging rights I could have. We have a deal." Lucy and Feanta had a friendly rivalry that Ark could count on to get one or the other's goat.
"Meet me at the Timberline in 2 hours." Ark said as she started her coptor. She hadn't taken the mount in months, but this job could get one of her other mounts killed. She had no idea how the Shadow Proclimation were going to do what they were going to do. And she didn't want to risk a living mount. The coptor could always be repaired.
Neither Prime nor Fred were anywhere to be found, which was a shame. She didn't know that many other death knights that could help her, and that she trusted. And other paladins well, Ark didn't want this getting back to her superiors in the order.
Ark landed just outside the Timberline, and said hello to Bixi and Buliwyf. "Listen I need for you not to hear anything that is said when my friends get here." Ark's voice was low as she slipped the dwarf and gnome a few gold. "I need an hour or so."
"Grreat ta meet cha." Buliwyf said, as if he had never seen her before, and he and Bixi slinked out.
"You have a great day now!" Bixi called behind her.
Ark went downstairs to find Luliana, Verloren, Honbun, and Dobby all there.
"Ark," Luliana started right in with her tone, "we want to give you the benefit of the doubt, but you have so many secrets. Is this some ploy for attention?"
"Only if it keeps my memory intact. I am not hiding anything." Ark sat down and suggested by motion they should do the same. Ark went over to Verloren, and cupped her hands around Verloren's.
"Ver this is mostly to you, but I am not hiding anything. I made a deal with the Shadow Proclimation. They are supposed to take me out of a human body, and put me in a dranei one." Ark knew how this sounded, but she also knew the Shadow Procimation was well known enough, deals, dangerous scary deals were made and people just disappeared.
"See they can take me, my soul, remove my memories, and place me in a young brain damaged child. My new soul heals their mind, and I have a new body." Ark looked around and saw the looks of horror on her friends faces. "It was a dark time for me. It was a chance to start over. It never occurred to me how they would do it, or that my life would turn out how it did."
"Ark you can't go through with this." Luliana was adamant.
Ver was fit to burst. "Ark why would you do this, you aren't leaving not again. I don't care what you look like. How many times do I have to tell you that? What do I have to prove to you?" Verloren was readying a spell to release her pent up rage.
Ark held her hands at her side to prevent her from casting. "Verloren remember when I talked about how I wanted to end it all, long before ASC, and all of this." Ark brushed Verloren's cheek with her hand. Ark rubbed her thumb in an attempt to calm Verloren. "Ver it was before you, long before. I thought I needed to start over. I thought I needed a clean slate, but I don't. I..." Ark's eyes started to tear up. "Everything I experienced brought me to you Ver, and if I had to do it all again to find you I would." Ark rested her head on Verloren's shoulder. Verloren might be mad, but she had never turned Ark away when she was completely honest.
"Ok well you aren't going through with it. I am not risking your life for some half baked warlock scheme." Verloren held Ark's head as the pair rocked back and forth. "No offense Lucy," Verloren added nodding at the warlock who just walked in.
"Oh none taken, those guys are bad news. Even warlocks know not to mess with them. One of the first things they teach us, never mess with Mother in laws, Mother Nature, and Mother Freakin Shadow Proclimations. You just don't do it." As Lucy said this she counted off her fingers. "Demons can be bound, the Shadow Proclimation takes what it wants, when it wants it. Change your mind, oops too bad contract is binding." Lucy shook her head. "I had second thoughts, but a promise is a promise, plus I know what we are in for."
"Okay Ver I love ya. And Ark I think you are very nice, and very good, but I can't do this." Dobby waived her hands in protest and started to get up.
"DOBBY SIT DOWN!" Ver's ire had been raised now, and there were few things scarier in all of Azeroth. Dobby did as she was told.
"Ver this is too much, you can't expect..." Luliana always tried to contain Ver, but it was like containing a volcano you could try, but you would only get hurt.
"Luliana shush!" Ver interuppted. "Now Ark came to us, as you told her to do Luliana. WE ARE GOING TO HELP HER! SHE WOULD HELP US DAMMIT!"
Ver's logic was inescapable. Ark had done as asked, not helping was akin to saying don't bother us with your problems, and that would cost the guild both Ark and Verloren. More importantly it would cost Luliana a couple of good friends.
"Why am I here again?" Honbun asked. Ark hadn't mentioned anything about this to her, and she would rather stay out of trouble.
"You are here Hon, because Ark needs a healer, and Dobby can do more as a cat or a bear right now, than a healer." Verloren did her best to maintain her fragile composure.
"Ark why didn't you come to us with this before?" Luliana asked. It was a fair question. Ver decided to let Ark answer it.
"I forgot, honestly with everything going on, and the wedding, until I got the letter from Sahalia today. I was so happy I forgot. I really did. If you want me to do this alone I understand." Ark hoped her earlier foolishness didn't cost her everything she had spent the last few years building, trust, friendships, and most of all love.
Luliana cautiously approached Ark. "No Ark I just wish we knew ahead of time." Luliana rubbed Ark's back, careful not to touch Verloren. Not that Luliana was afraid of her, but there was no reason to escalate Ver's anger when they all wanted the same thing.
"Wait what, who? Sahalia, ok I was never here, you don't know me." Lucy had been cautious up until now, but on hearing that name, maybe she could find a way to wipe it from her mind. Sahalia was dangerous, powerful, and unpredictable.
"LUCY SIT!" Ver was forceful, and getting more so, by the minute.
"No Ver, I was kinda iffy on the Shadow Proclimation to begin with, but Sahalia, NO!! Feanta won't survive it either. I am out." Lucy was not going up against this one, this was too much.
"Ver I am with Lucy on this one. Ark is pretty strong let her handle it." Dobby's voice cracked. Honbun was trying to blend into the corner. Perhaps this was why they added Fade.
"No Ark, you aren't going alone, we are going with you." Verloren said stroking Ark's hair. "And by we I mean all of us." Verloren said through gritted teeth.
"Ver you can't just storm up to Sahalia, between Giddean, and her other guards, it is certain death." Ark tried to explain her plan. Ver cut her off.
"Okay then we explain you are no longer interested in her services Ark." Ver said matter of factly. "And if they won't take no for an answer we make them."
Lucy cut in, "Ver the deal is done, they probably already have a need for Ark's body, wait Ark you were human right?"
"Why does that matter? I love her for who she is now scars and all." Verloren wanted this over with, and if she had to call every favor she knew this was going to be over. Ark would be hers, no more scary freaky jerks. "Ark is this all of the people who have a claim to you? Because I want it all taken care of now. If we find a way, I want to be with you forever, not until some other idiot tries to take you again."
"Yes, I think so." Ark said lifting her head and wiping the tears from her eyes. Her whole future with Verloren might go down the drain, because of a death pact she made 4 years earlier.
"No Ver, you aren't listening, the Shadow Proclimation doesn't care about scars, they care about forms, that is what they deal in." Lucy waved her hands up and down her own body to demonstrate. "They are body switchers and snatchers Ver. They will mind wipe you, and give you a new start, but no one quite knows how or why, at least no one I have ever known who made such a deal ever talked about it. And some of them I never heard from again."
"And..." Luliana could see that Ver needed Lucy to get to the point faster.
"And Ark was human, Arkaneena when she made this deal. So they probably want a human body, not a dranei one." Lucy tapped her chin, as she starting mulling their possibilities. "Where can we find a brain dead human, equivalent exchange applies so in theory they just need the body." Lucy started pacing the room as her mind raced for a plan. "They are stuck with Ark being dranei, but they want a human." Lucy thought aloud. "Ark what body did you want?"
"Dranei, but I already am one. Ver maybe they will just give me a body free of scars. If they turn me into a man would you still love me?" Ark asked.
"Ark shush, I won't let them do anything to you." Ver pulled Ark closer to her. Ark was being silly, of course it didn't matter what she looked like. "Scars and all I am keeping you as is."
"Well Ver," Lucy started again, "as far as I know the procedure works. There is no way to be certain, and a mind wipe is not a requirement. They want a human, and presumably Ark has already paid for the transformation. Verloren how would you like to become dranei?"
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment