Stories

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Original Forum Thread.

IV. (by Suni)

Suni had never doubted Timeus and she wasn’t about to start now. What began as a chance meeting a little over four years ago, on the bridge in Stormwind between the Mage Quarter and Trade District, had ended in a kindly engineer fixing a young girl’s fishing rod. He didn’t treat her like a seventeen year old girl then, or an inconvenience. He hadn’t talked down to her as he repaired the pole, all the while explaining the mechanics of casting. Suni had listened, giving him her full attention, mostly because she sensed he would explain a great deal more – over time – and not just about fishing, to one who proved a willing student.

Thus, when Timeus had been reluctant two weeks ago to involve the authorities in Lilienne’s attack and subsequent abduction, it gave Suni pause, but she never questioned his wisdom or his motivation. He was a smart man, a brilliant engineer, a friend, and a mentor. That he knew a great deal more about the situation than he’d admit, Suni had never called into doubt, but now his week-long silence worried her. She hadn’t seen him. He didn’t respond to her whispers. She was sure he was being cautious, but it frightened her – this feeling of being severed from his guidance, and especially left in the dark with all manner of monsters nipping at her heels. She’d stopped pressing him for details and had even scolded him for the squirrels lingering in her stateroom (“Honestly, Tim … seven? All clicking and whirring and clockwork in their … attention?!”). She couldn’t be sure now, in his avoidance, if maybe she’d hurt his feelings …

And the enormity of the task he’d entrusted to her, however inadvertently it had been, pressed on her. She didn’t have the insight right now to consider that perhaps he felt some amount of guilt, having unwittingly (or purposely) involved her; who wouldn’t help a friend? Yet, this felt too much like juggling fire and fire was chaos. Suni felt too small, too ill-equipped to bring order to chaos.

She sat on a stump deep in a copse, silently fuming at the rest of the world. Above her, the boughs of giant trees bent in the breeze, rubbing their limbs together. To her it seemed that perhaps they conferred, and she wondered what subjects trees might discuss. She was bare from the waist up, her arms at rest, the right one bleeding from the graze of an arrow tip, and her hands were tucked into her lap. Both, her under-dress and the light robes she wore for traveling were rolled down to her hips. The heavier robe, the one meant for protection in combat, lay in a heap at her feet, on top of her hip satchel. Try as she might, Suni could not estimate how many holes she’d be repairing in those combat robes tonight.

A few feet away, Lilienne diligently worked three twilight jasmine buds into paste at Neece’s behest, her small hands grinding pestle against mortar in slow, steady strokes. The sound of the action clipped a stony drumbeat, each click-slide dying without echo in the dense overgrowth of those giant trees.

To say Lilienne was an impressive child was to say the universe would fit in a thimble. Ludicrous. For Suni, she was fast becoming one of those people who defied the laws of nature – whose eyes gave one the impression of looking past the soul into the realms of the universe. Young. Ancient. Vast. People like Lilienne were essential to the balance of Azeroth. That someone, or many of them, could so readily threaten her irked Suni and blackened her mood all the more.

It didn’t help that she hurt. A lot.

“I can’t fight an enemy blind,” she bit out, erupting from her thoughts.

Behind her Neece smirked, taunting her in a cool, dry tone. “Didn’t you just tell me three days ago that you’re not a soldier?”

Suni hissed and flung a hand up in protest – an action she deeply regretted before she even finished the gesture as it yanked her skin painfully against the sinew line Neece used to sew the wound shut. For several seconds her entire right side throbbed from shoulder to tailbone with renewed agony. She gave a small, pitiful bark of misery while the elf waited patiently for her to settle again. Suni inhaled deeply, another action she quickly regretted. Holding that partial breath, she closed her eyes, collected herself and nodded for Neece to continue. She grimaced silently as her friend picked up another stitch; Suni could feel it sliding through her flesh.

“You’re lucky the troll missed your spine,” Neece commented, doing nothing to disguise the severity of her dismay.

“I’m lucky she was desperate enough to swing at me from behind a tree. Can you at least identify the tr–” she grunted as one of Neece’s larger, much stronger hands manacled about her shoulder, effectively locking her into place to keep her from twisting about.

“Sinew is stronger than your flesh, girl. I suggest you sit still until I’m done.”

Suni grumbled an unhappy, indignant noise but offered no resistance. She fell silent again to nurse her bad mood and sat listening as Lilienne came to them from the campfire to ask and receive further instruction. The night elf paused from attending Suni and stepped forward to explain in detail for the child how to pulp the twilight jasmine leaves into a liquid before adding the paste from the buds. Bright eyed, the girl listened raptly, absorbing the information as one of her hands played at a dingy blonde braid. Suni watched as she frayed the end of it into even further disarray. She also noted the girl’s face was dotted with dirt and plant stains and wondered when either of them would have time to look presentable again. There was a fresh tear in the knee of the pants Suni had altered to fit her slight frame. Beyond that, Lilienne seemed none the worse for the scuffle – save for the series of scratches along her arms, likely from their having plunged head-long through the underbrush when they fled.

Lilienne turned and smiled at her then, the smile – at the surface – of an enthusiastic eight year old eager to help, but at its depth, it was unsettling. The child didn’t just know; she was able to grasp that she was the reason for the attack, for the fight, and that she was the reason why they were being hunted. Further, the smile conveyed an acceptance of these things just as they were and a confidence in Suni she, herself, could not feel. Suni gave an involuntary shiver as Lilienne turned and went to finish her task. She glanced up then, noticing Neece frowning down at her, shaking her head.

“What?” Suni asked.

“I can’t do anything about the bruising. Better put some pressure on this arm, too.“ Neece tapped her right arm just above where the arrow had grazed her.

Suni reached up to test the bruise along her jaw and then her arm, wincing both from the movement and the touching. “I think the orc knocked a couple of my teeth loose.”

“Where did that portal lead?”

“Not too sure, was too busy trying to breathe. If he was lucky? The outskirts of Dalaran, but it could easily have been Theramore or Stormwind.”

Neece picked up the needle to resume her work, pausing in thought. “Mouse, we can’t do this alone. Perhaps it’s time to ask Terra – or someone – for help.”

Suni blinked slowly then gave a small shake of her head. “I can’t. Isn’t it bad enough that I’ve already exposed you and maybe Agent Cross to the possibility of treason?”

Neece gave her a derisive snort, and she could hear the jangling from the series of earrings the night elf wore along the length of her left ear. “Mouse … do you really believe Terra is not equipped to manage the authorities? Your ghost is more focused on you than he is trying to track down any shred of information that might be useful to us–”

“I haven’t asked him to, and stop calling him that!” Suni hissed defensively.

Neece forced her still again with one hand on her shoulder. She spoke in a caustic tone, though with every effort to be patient, but Suni could hear it wearing thin. “There are any number of instances throughout history where a soldier has defied the letter of the law for the spirit of the law when he felt it just –”

“Yes, why don’t we debate how well that worked out for Arthas Menethil. I am not a soldier. There will be no mercy for me.” Suni refused to acknowledge the bright stab of pain as Neece tied off the sinew with a little more force than necessary; an indication that she, too, was losing more than just her patience. Tight-lipped, the night elf snipped the needle and excess thread away with a pair of small, sharp scissors.

“What the fel is wrong with you?!” She finally barked at Suni as she organized her supplies, pressing an astringent-laden cloth against the arrow-wound. “We can’t keep up this pace. Cannot! Whether it’s Modas or not, is irrelevant, Suni. They’re organized and communicating. They’re not just tracking us any more, they’re getting ahead of us. Why are you so afraid to ask for help? Beyond the law, Suni, there are people who are more than willing to help you!”

“The LAW is using an eight year old girl as political fodder! You want me to trust that? Perhaps I should just march right over and ask Fernand Argustus for his help, because – you know – that makes just as much sense, Neece!”

Frustrated, the night elf threw up her hands. At first the gesture signified defeat, but then her eyes widened and she began waving them in absolute surrender. She stepped back from Suni, who’d risen on the stump, her eyes flashing at Neece as if they were flooded with molten rock. Now, in desperation, she pointed at Suni’s left hand and cried out, “Suni … stop!”

Suni glanced down at her hand. “Fel …” She bellowed at Lilienne to move away and did the only thing she knew to do, flinging the fireball into the campfire as soon as she saw the girl had cleared. In turn, the campfire erupted into a column of flames. As the flames shot up, the trees reared back, letting them through and into the sky.

Neece stared at the column of fire for several seconds. “Someday, Mouse … you will have to stop denying what you are. Get dressed. Get us to Dalaran. Now.” She pointed at the campfire, rushing forward to collect her saddle bags and bow. “That might as well be a signal brazier for all of Kalimdor to see.”

The crashing through the underbrush might have been Conk, or Arrow, or even Neece’s winter saber, but Suni didn’t wait to find out. Jamming her arms into her sleeves, they emerged, one clutching her wand, the other balancing her as she jumped from the stump. Landing made her light-headed, but she dipped to scoop up her torn robe, the satchel and, her own saddlebags. The portal she drew wavered, at first seeming as if it wouldn’t take. When it did, she breathed a sigh of relief. Although she was confident her backlash spell would keep any member of the Horde from dashing through in pursuit, Alliance was a different story. And, any decent mage or warlock could trace what ley line she’d used.

Suni turned to call out for Lilienne, but Neece was already there, shoving them through the portal, grunting, “the purple parlor. If you don’t hear from me within the hour, move.”

“Wait!” Suni tried to back-peddle, but there was pain and then heat – a lot of both – followed closely by a roiling sea of nausea. She fell through the portal into Runeweaver Square and promptly vomited. The wave of sickness lasted longer than the contents of her stomach, a meager lunch of rice cakes and and dried peaches; she continued retching for at least three minutes, maybe four. As far as Suni could tell, it was an eternity.

A small, cool hand touched her cheek and quickly withdrew. Then Lilienne slid a battered tin cup into Suni’s view. “Here, Suni,” she said, quiet and matter-of-factly. “Neece said it would help you feel better. I saved it for you.”

“Titan’s breath, Lili,” Suni swallowed the potion, dropped the cup, and then, collecting the girl, teleported into an alcove behind one of the primly trimmed evergreens. It didn’t make for great cover, but at least they were out of the way. Suni sat upright, supporting her weight over the heels of her hands against the flag stone. She tilted her chin to peer at Lilienne, who swam in her view like a mirage. A fleeting thought struck her, and she wondered briefly about the validity of her obscuring spells – those she’d woven into Beth’s clothes as she altered them to fit Lilienne. The casual passerby would see Lilienne if they looked at her, but the moment they looked away she’d rest in their memory as a plain, nondescript child with no identity whatsoever. In the case of well-trained magus, or worse, an archmage, here within the walls of Dalaran, such a deflection spell might not withstand close scrutiny.

Lilienne lifted Suni’s hand in hers. “A cat,” she whispered.

Suni blinked and shook herself, asking, “a what?” The healing potion had worked its way to her stomach; she was feeling a little better, if not somewhat disoriented still. She gazed into Lilienne’s green eyes.

“I want to be a cat, or maybe a turtle, Suni. Please?” She smiled and her chin dimpled. How could any one resist that dimple? Suni wondered. Somehow, her game made the odd connection in the back of Suni’s mind.

“Alright,” Suni replied, searching around for her wand. Where was that thing, anyhow? Right. She opened her left hand and flicked it from the depths of her sleeve.

“The Purple Parlor, Suni. Remember Neece.” Lilienne whispered this in her ear.

Suni nodded as she wavered towards confusion again, thinking that shock and adrenaline made better pain relievers than any alchemist’s potion. Her head cleared a little more and she focused, ‘morphing Lilienne into a small white kitten. She picked up the kitten and tucked her gently into her hip satchel. With both hands on the planter of the potted tree, she pushed herself upright. She paused as the world around her tilted. There was fire eating her gut and she was still sweating, but at least these she’d grown accustomed to dismissing. She knelt, one hand steadying her on the planter, and picked up the rest of her things. Then, picking a direction, Suni stumbled, heading for the Violet Citadel.

 

V. (By Suni, posting as Neece)

Shoving both girls through the portal into Dalaran, Neece knelt and dropped one knee to the ground, pivoting into a classic archer’s pose. Swift and precise, she nocked the arrow and drew it back as her bow rose in hand from the ground. She waited, steadying her breath, for the right moment to release the arrow into her target.

Except …

The orc didn’t break into the clearing as she anticipated so much as he pitched forward into it, arms limp at his sides as he fell and skidded face first across the loam. As he ground to a stop just a few yards away, the night elf watched as a tall, darkly clad figure standing astride the orc’s back yanked twin blades free of its kidneys. The hooded stranger paused as if to admire his handiwork, then swiveled his head to peer at Neece.

“Who the fel are you?” She heard herself ask. At her age, very little caught Neece by surprise, but she certainly wasn’t expecting this.

He didn’t bother to answer, simply flipped her a curt salute, his blade still in hand, and launched himself, cat-like, back into the trees. Neece lunged to her feet to follow him, but the sight of the dead gnome near the campfire brought her up short. Her ears flicked and she tilted her head. She heard nothing. She turned to the trees, contemplating chase for half a second longer before wheeling back around. She couldn’t be sure who the impromptu ally might be, but she didn’t have time to find out. She gave a single sharp whistle as she dashed towards the portal, halting again as it flickered, twisted, and collapsed on itself.

“Damn!” She gave another piercing whistle, this one different in tone and length, and launched herself astride the hippogryph as it crashed into the clearing with a shriek. She would not make Dalaran now in less than an hour. The plan had changed. Yanking her hearthstone from a pocket, Neece keyed the runed stone and spoke gravely, “Commander, I think it’s time we have a talk.”

She reined the ‘gryph towards the darkened campfire and peered down at the gnome. She lifted her gaze to stare through the trees, though they were dense enough that she knew it was pointless, even for her keen sight. The gnome was male, very much dead, but not from the charge of her boar, Conk, that had launched him across the clearing. No, he’d been stabbed to death, too. With a hiss to her mount that launched him straight up and into the sky, she reined him around and flew for Darnassus.

What Neece didn’t know, or had failed to see as she rode hard to the north, was a single human survivor, a man most unfortunate in his luck. He was plainly dressed – a lackey or a hired thug – his shirt decorated with the colors of the House of Nobles and now staining with the color of his blood. He stood with his back to the bole of a tree – not exactly choking, but unable to speak. On either side of the tree, his hands had been pinned, from their backs through their palms, with his very own blades. The puncture wounds, again mirrored on both sides, just below his ribs, were not meant to kill him instantly, but rather bleed him slowly to death.

Vectus drew back his hood. He delighted in the fear and the savage defiance this evoked in his captive who bared his teeth and panted heavily, as if breathing harder might yet save his life. But, interrogation, under any circumstance, was an arduous task to bear, even on the healthiest of subjects. Vectus let him watch as he refreshed the Red Death toxin on his blades.

Then Vectus smiled, almost politely, and said, “Now then. Let us begin …”

The following is excerpted from a much longer thread found here. There are several contributors to this story, and those posted here are credited to their respective authors.

 

I. (By Timeus)

Lilienne couldn’t sleep. Something just…felt wrong. It wasn’t an unusual feeling, really. She had always felt like she was out of place, like something was missing. Her mother had understood her, at least. But she was gone now. Her Aunt was kind to her, she enjoyed being around her cousins, but…she knew she didn’t really belong. She knew things they didn’t, saw things in different ways. Aunt Adelene had panicked when she found Lilienne in the backyard earlier that day with her Uncle’s tools. Bad timing meant she had a particularly sharp knife in hand at the time. She had tried explaining that she was trying to cut the excess thread from some stitching she performed on her favorite dolly but Aunt Adelene would have none of it. Perhaps it was for the best that her Aunt hadn’t seen her use the tools to fashion together a small motor and mounting so that her dolly could wave when she flipped a switch on it’s back. How could she expect her Aunt to understand how an 8 year old was capable of such a feat?

She smiled at the memory but the feeling of foreboding still hung about her like a cloud. She looked out the window of her room, the stillness of the evening broken only by the occasional patrol of the Watch or drunken carouser returning home for the evening. She was used to seeing these things night after night, well after when the rest of the house had gone to bed. It was that silent vigil that allowed her to glimpse the barest of movement down the street. Odd, out of place. Certainly not a cat. More movement, this time closer. Definately not a cat!

Her heartbeat quickened, the dread rising within her. It had something to do with her. She knew it with every fiber of her young life. She quickly moved off the bed and hid underneath it, moving the covers so they would hide her from view. She waited. Silent, fearful moments where her heartbeat sounded like the engine of a steam tank ringing in her ears. She bit her lip to keep from screaming when she heard something fiddling with the window. Eyes widened at the sound of the window sliding slowly open. Footsteps, soft and almost inaudible. They paced the room slowly…so very slowly. A muffled curse and another set of footsteps now came to her ears. And then silence. It was quiet for a minute…two…five. She hadn’t heard them move or the window closed. She knew they were still there but what were they waiting for? For her to come out and check? She wasn’t about to do something so foolish. She could wait here, under the bed, all night if she had to.

—————————–

Pal’fon was keeping watch outside with the human, Dirk, making sure that their progress hadn’t been discovered. That left the gnome, Sparks, and forsaken, Roach, inside Lilienne’s room, looking around for any signs of her. The house was silent, everyone else asleep. She had to be here. Could she have seen them? Doubtful but a possibility. They scouted different places around the room, different hiding spots. They looked everywhere a small child could fit…save for under the bed. Roach gestured towards it and Sparks nodded in agreement. Using hand signals, they decided to wait and see if she gave sign of her presence. After ten minutes of waiting with no sign, the gnome was starting to wonder if she was there at all. But the Master had said she would be in the city. Spark’s reconnaissance had indicated she would be here, in this room.

Roach, taking the initiative, slowly sank down to the floor beside the bed. He listened for several minutes before raising his hand slightly to make some signals. She was there all right. The gnome unslung the coil of rope from around his shoulders and a pair of kerchiefs from his pocket. When ready, he nodded to the dead man.

A hand shot under the bed and clamped over Lilienne’s mouth. She grabbed at the hand and tried to push it away but she had no chance. Within moments, she was out from under the bed, bound at the wrists, elbows and knees. One of the kerchief’s had been stuffed into her mouth and the other wrapped around her head to keep her from spitting it out. That done, the Forsaken took a vial out of his bag and waved it under Lilienne’s nose. She quickly stopped struggling. Limp as seaweed, it was a simple matter to hand her to the waiting pair outside the window, which was closed on the way out. They made their way back down the street, not realizing that their grim work had been observed.

—————————–

Lilienne couldn’t move. She could see just fine, think just fine but her body wouldn’t listen to her. The only thing she seemed to be able to do was blink, which gave her little comfort. She could smell the troll’s musk as it carried her over it’s shoulder. She could hear the faint patter of their soft boots on the cobbles. Though they had stopped repeatedly as they made their way through the streets to observe any potential followers and to wait for the best moment to move, she was confused when they suddenly stopped dead in the middle of a dark alley.

—————————–

Everything was going according to plan. They had nabbed the girl easy enough. Roach’s concoction had rendered the girl temporarily paralyzed. No alarms had been raised, no calls for the Watch. And yet, as they rounded a corner of an alley, they were greeted by several sets of green, glowing lights. Very close to the ground. They were immediately on their guard but it wasn’t until a pair of lights moved towards them out of the shadows that they saw it was a squirrel. A tiny little rodent. It cocked it’s head as it regarded them and Dirk couldn’t help but chuckle a bit.

“What the heck is this? A welcoming committee?” He aimed a kick at the squirrel but it dashed back out of the way, only to return to it’s position in the light.

The gnome was far more curious. He crept closer, crouching down slightly to get a better view. “How odd. It looks fairly realistic but it’s movements are too sharp, too precise. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s mechanical. That’s likely what the others are as well.”

Roach hissed in frustration. “What does it matter? So Stormwind has a mechanical rodent problem. Let’s hurry on and be done with this job!”

Pal’fon nodded in agreement. “Ya, we got no time fa dis, mon. The longa we be here, the worse off we be.”

The troll took a step forward…and the green lights suddenly turned red.

He stopped dead in his tracks and looked down to the gnome. “Spahks? What be goin’ on…”

Before he could finish his sentence, the squirrel in front of them hunched down on all fours and flipped it’s tail at them. Pal’fon thought that the pose reminded him of a scorpion as a small device flipped out the end of the tail and sailed into the air. He only got a glimpse before it exploded with a flash and a loud noise.

—————————–

Lilienne would have cried out if she had been capable. Her ears were ringing and though she had been on the opposite side of the troll when the explosion occurred, she still had lights flashing before her eyes. The troll had fallen to his knees and without his hold, she had fallen to the ground. She wasn’t sure what they had been talking about before the explosion but that quickly resolved itself as a squirrel came into her view and patted her on the nose. When she didn’t respond, it made some gestures to someone or something outside her field of vision. The next thing she knew, she was just barely off the ground and moving through the back alleys again. With her vision still blurred as it was, she couldn’t tell just how many twists and turns she’d gone through. But she could smell the salty air of the sea. She wasn’t far from home, it seemed. At last, she stopped and was set down. Looking around, it seemed like she was in some kind of ship. A squirrel came back into her sight and patted her on the nose again. With no more response from her than before, the squirrel chirped. Her hearing was starting to come back, it seemed. That didn’t make the footsteps she heard coming towards her any less frightening. More-so when a small pair of feet entered her sight, those of a gnome. And a familiar voice.

“Now what do we have here?”

Timeus knelt down in front of Lilienne, placing a hand lightly on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, child. You’re safe here.”

II. (By Suni)

Having been awakened abruptly, Suni was still alarmed and confused, but for the sake of the girl, would let none of it show. She’d worked quickly to strengthen the wards and double the enchantments in and around the Galleon the very moment she laid eyes on the child. A child! Of all the perversions of war, she couldn’t abide by aggression against children. Her words were terse whispers as she lay out the final instructions to her water elemental before sending it away to patrol the waterfront. Then, smoothing her skirts and fixing her hair, she returned to her stateroom and gave Timeus a curt nod as he promised the child she was safe here. Without the details of Tim’s explanation, she’d done all she could do to prepare.

“That should do it,” Suni told him, letting the lilt of her voice carry as warmly to the child as she could as she watched Timeus free her from her bonds. “Darkening spells. Confusion wards. Anyone scrying for her whereabouts will be disappointed to learn she’s in every house, inn, and establishment between Three Corners and Ironforge … as well as every corner of Stormwind your little army can rea– she’s not moving …” Suni brushed her skirts back and knelt beside the girl. Studying her for several long moments, Suni worried her bottom lip with her teeth. “Tim, really, she’s not moving,” she repeated, as if this was – for the moment – the most important thing in the world. And it was as far as Suni was concerned. How terrified this child must be, yanked from her home in the middle of the night, and now unable to control her own limbs.

Suni smiled and gripped Lilienne’s limp hand, then looked up to capture Timeus’ gaze with her own. Her mismatched eyes narrowed, nearly boring holes into her friend’s head while she reassured Lilienne vocally with the practice and ease of a well-bred lady. Mage-whispering, Suni practically shouted in Timeus’ head: Now then, WHAT is going on?

III. (By Timeus)

Timeus moved over beside Suni and bent over, picking up Lilienne’s hand. He shook it a little, surprised at its lifelessness. Dropping down to his hands and knees, he pressed his ear to her chest and listened for a few moments.

“Well, she’s still breathing, so that’s a good sign.”

Suni returned her gaze to her young guest, watching her intently. “Her eyes can track us, too. Look at them.” Timeus could indeed see Lilienne’s eyes darting about, taking in her surroundings. Suni looked back to Tim, this time voicing her concerns where the child could hear them.

“What’s going on? She seems completely immobile.”

The gnome frowned and shook his head. “I’m not sure. I thought she might have been in shock from the audio-visual disruptor. But this is definitely something else. Let me see if my little friends have any insight on what happened.” He moved towards the crowd of squirrels standing by, alert and watching. Their tails swayed back and forth in perfect metronome-rhythm with each other.

Suni gave Lilienne’s hand another reassuring pat as she waited, smiling down on the girl. “You just have to be patient now. Once we figure…” She stopped short and looked over to Timeus. “It’s invasive, but I *could* mage-whisper with her.” Tim considered it briefly before shaking his head. “I’d prefer not having to do that if we can help it. It’s not always the most pleasant experience for a young mind to endure without some kind of preparation or training.” Suni looked disappointed but nodded quietly.

Standing in front of the dray of squirrels, he looked over them carefully. To the casual observer, they were identical replicas. But he had fashioned each one of them, built slight differences in the frames, the limbs, head casings. Perhaps only he would understand the difference but he hadn’t cared. “Now let’s see here. First responder?” One of the mechanical rodents stepped out in front of the pack and hopped into his open hand. Lifting it up to eye-level, the squirrel tilted its head forward until its ears lined up with an indentation on the front of his goggles. Sparks passed across the brief gap and suddenly Tim’s vision was filled with the view of life from less than a foot off the ground. The images flit past quickly: the kidnappers in an alleyway, snatching Lilienne from under her bed and doing something that caused her to go limp; following the quartet through the streets from a rooftop view; the kidnappers writing about on the ground as the squirrels gather to carry off the absconded child. He shuddered as his vision returned to normal and put the squirrel back down on the ground, where it rejoined its fellows.

“Well, I have an idea of what happened, at the very least.”

Suni looked back at Timeus, though her hand never moved from the girl. “What’s happening to her?”

Tim moved back over to Suni and sat beside them. “It seems she was abducted from her home tonight. It was hard to make out but they might have drugged her with something. There was a vial but I don’t think they made her drink anything. Whatever it was, she went all limp like this.”

A soft growl rose in Suni’s throat, but she quickly regained her composure, wanting to seem sure and safe for the girl’s sake. Her eyes closed as she inhaled to calm herself before speaking. “You seem to know her.”

Tim nodded. “Yes, I visited her home recently, investigating some disturbances in the area. Thankfully, her Aunt hadn’t noticed anything but considering tonight, perhaps we missed something.” He shifted his position so that his fellow mage would be able to see his face but Lilienne would not. His own mage-whisper tickled her mind: There’s more but I don’t want to talk about it in her presence.

Suni nodded in understanding, not missing a beat as she responded to both spoken and mental communication. “And her name?”

“Her name is Lilienne Benoit.”

Suni leaned closer to the girl, brushing her hair from her face. “Lilienne is a lovely name,” she said in her gentle, soothing tone. “I’m Suni and you have my word, young Miss, that we shall see you safe from harm.”

Lilienne’s eyes had stopped darting around and settled on Suni. She blinked several times, then more. Tim quirked a brow, leaning in to get a closer look. “Is that…signal code?” He thought perhaps his lack of sleep was catching up to him, playing tricks on his mind. Suni leaned closer and cleared her throat. “Lilienne, if you’re trying to communicate, blink twice for yes.”

Lilienne blinked. Twice.

Suni glanced at Timeus, a slight smile on her lips. “That answers that. I don’t know any codes. I’m lucky to know the Orcish I learned.”

Tim was surprised and it showed. When he spoke, it was with an impressed whisper. “Well, fancy that. You’ll have to tell me how you learned that when you’re back to normal again. Did they make you swallow something?” He hastily amended his statement, in case she was not well versed in the code. “One for no, two for yes.”

Lilienne blinked.

Suni leaned closer, the possibility of this child’s predicament potentially coming to light grabbing her attention away from her concern. “Was it a spell?”

There was a noticeable pause, Lilienne’s eyes darting around a bit before she looked at Tim again and started to blink rapidly. He recognized it as more signal code. Though he was a bit rusty on his old lessons, he quickly settled into translating. “No…sound. Bad…smell.”

Suni glanced over at Timeus, her frown returning. “Something alchemical, perhaps? Some kind of poison or potion?”

Tim pondered the possibility but he had little experience with potions himself. “It could be. If that vial I saw in the data transfer had what did this, then it could very well be.”

Suni’s frown deepened, this time a bit of concern edging into her voice. “I can’t purge anything like that. Can you? I’d hate to think how long she’ll have to wait like this. What if whatever caused her condition needs an antidote?”

“I’ve no way of dealing with this. I couldn’t tell you if she was poisoned, dosed somehow, or something more exotic. Is there anyone you can trust that could be discreet?”

Suni bit her bottom lip lightly and shook her head at the gnome. “Without knowing the circumstances of her abduction? Not really. Possibly Neece. She’s an alchemist, at least.” She looked back to Lilienne, concern over the girl’s fate once more worrying her. “It’s a long-shot, I know, but did you recognize the one who took you?”

Lilienne blinked once…then began to blink rapidly again. Tim had to have her stop, he was having a hard time keeping up.

“Do you want me to write any of this down, Tim?”

“Yes, that would be a good idea.” He waited as Suni drew both a quill and parchment from the air, letting Lilienne’s hand go so she could focus on writing. Prepared, she bade Lilienne to proceed, writing quickly and neatly as she listened to Tim’s stilted speech. “Four people. Human. Troll. Gnome. Undead. Hid but found. Bad smell. No move. Take outside. Loud noise, bright light. Here.”

Tim scratched his beard lightly, shaking his head. “The signal code doesn’t give a lot of detail. It’s mainly meant for quick, basic communication. But I think we can safely draw our own conclusions about what happened. As for the why, that’s the tricky part.”

Suni turned to him and tapped the quill against the parchment. “I don’t care to draw any conclusions of my own. I can wait. I’m patient. But … Horde and Alliance together … to steal a child. Why, Tim?”

The pint-sized mage shook his head, an exasperated sigh escaping him. “I wish I had more information. Come, let’s make her comfortable and see if we can have Neece come down to take a look at her.”

Suni’s eyes narrowed on Timeus as she slipped the quill into a sleeve and set the parchment aside. “Help me put her into my bed. Neece is on her way.”

As they lifted Lilienne up onto the bed, Suni’s mage-whisper gave him the impression of being prodded. You know more than you’re letting on, friend.

Once Lilienne was settled and made as comfortable as they could under the circumstances, he moved towards the door. Yes but I don’t think she should know. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

Suni lingered at the bedside, looking down on Lilienne as she tucked a blanket around the girl. “My water elemental is going to be right outside this door. We’ll be back just as soon as my friend Neece gets here. Are you okay for now, young Miss Lilienne?”

There was some hesitation before she blinks twice, slowly. Suni could only imagine how frightened a girl her age would be, thrust into this situation and unable to speak or move to express herself. A prisoner in her own body. It caused an involuntary shiver to run down her spine. Though she was hesitant to leave her alone in this state, she rose and followed Timeus out of the cabin.

The water elemental was waiting outside and took it’s position in front of the door at it’s mistress’ mental command. When the mages had walked far enough that the sound of their voices wouldn’t pass through to Lilienne’s ears, Tim turned around and held up his hands in a warding gesture. “Now, before you try to roast me alive, let me say my peace.”

Suni stared down at the gnome for a few moments, letting him squirm a little at the silence before she nodded and gave him a pleasant smile. “Should I brew some tea? It promises to be a long night.”

Tim hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath and let it out in relief as he followed Suni towards the makeshift galley.

“Certainly. I’ll have whatever you are.” He pulled himself up into a chair and sat down…only to find his nose came level with the tabletop. He rolled his eyes and instead opted to stand on the seat. Judging by the impish smile on her face, he judged that Suni hadn’t missed it either.

As she set the water to boil, he cleared his throat as was his habit before beginning a speech. “Now then. The child you’re playing host to is the only daughter of Ameira Benoit, a magus originally from Dalaran who perished a few years back.”

Though she was taking down some herbs from the cabinet, she nodded as he paused. “Go on. I’m listening.”

He nodded in turn and continued on. “Though the Pillar’s operational status has been suspended for the time being, I still have access to certain records. Apparently, she died as part of an operation to take out certain key members of the Horde. In this case, certain members of the RAS. Among the suspected targets in this attack was one Fernand Argustus.”

Suni’s expression turned thoughtful as she dropped sprigs of honeymint into their mugs. “Refresh my memory. RAS?”

“Royal Apothecary Society. The engineers of the new plague of undeath used at the Wrathgate and since.”

Suni shook her head as she poured hot water into the mugs and brought them over to the table, setting one down in front of Tim before taking a seat on the adjacent side of the table. “Right, I knew that. I’m terrible with acronyms. Go on, Tim.”

“Fernand Argustus is also a member of the Modas Il Toralar.”

Recollection dawned on the young woman’s face. “I knew I recognized that name … Black Hand as well, correct?”

Tim nodded and blew the steam away from the mug before he lifted it and took a sip. “Mmm…quite good. Thank you.”

Suni sighed softly and turned to glance back at the door to her stateroom. She seemed lost in thought for several seconds before turning back, continuing. “And his part in all this?”

Tim followed her gaze to the door, the water elemental dutifully standing guard. “Apparently, according to Lilienne’s aunt, he’s her father.”

Suni drew in another sharp breath and stared, slack-jawed at Timeus. “Gods on high … does he know she’s here? Does she know about him?”

Tim took another sip of the tea to give him a moment to gather his thoughts. The mug placed on the table, he lifted up his goggles and rubbed the bridge of his nose in an effort to forestall a growing headache. “I don’t know if he realizes it. But my little friends detected a distortion in the vicinity of her home a few weeks ago. It went straight to the house, stayed for a considerable amount of time, then immediately left. It tarried nowhere else in the city. I suspect it was someone using some method of invisibility but beyond that, I couldn’t begin to identify who it was. But that’s what led me to investigate in the first place. Her aunt, lovely woman but understandably cautious, told me herself of Lilienne’s parentage when I pried a little. Given our current circumstances, I suspect someone knows her pedigree.”

“Someone…perhaps more than one. Given she told us there were four. Four adults to retrieve one child. I should like to get my hands on them.” Suni smacked the table as her eyes glittered angrily.

Tim steadied the mugs to keep them from tipping over as the table shook. “You may get your chance before things are resolved. They may try again if Lilienne is returned. I think, given the circumstances, it might be safer to keep her hidden. I believe her Aunt has nothing but the best intentions but I wouldn’t think she’s equipped for this.”

Suni got a faraway look as she glanced up at the door leading to the main deck. “Neece is in the city limits. She’ll be here shortly.” She shook her head slightly as her eyes refocused on Timeus. “Who cares for Lilienne? Just her Aunt? Should I send the elemental to fetch them?” Tim shook his head and took another sip of tea. Suni settled her skirts along her thighs. A few moments of silence passed before a thought occurred to her.

“Is the Aunt in danger, you think?”

Tim leaned against the back of the chair, rubbing his chin. His violet eyes seem to gaze down and through the wood of the table. “…potentially. Whoever made the attempt this evening could have tried to kill Lilienne’s aunt, uncle and cousins. They went straight for her. I would tend to think them safer in their ignorance, since they didn’t witness anything.”

Suni nodded and stood as the door to the deck of the ship opened and a tall, rather lithe night elf bent herself in through the door. Neece strode into galley, her head angled to avoid contact with the roof of the ship, and paused across the table from the seated pair. Her eyes went first to Suni then swung to Timeus before she smiled at the two of them in greeting. “So then, what pray tell, can I do for you two?”

Tim smiled back. “Thank you for coming so quickly. We have a patient who seems to be suffering from an induced paralytic state. We were hoping you might be able to help.”

Neece pondered a moment, mulling over her thoughts. Her left ear twitched, allowing the row of earrings to jangle lightly. “Size of the patient and are you familiar with the ingredients of the paralytic?”

Tim’s smile faltered at the question. “She’s an eight year old human child. We have no idea what was used. Nothing to sample, unfortunately. But from what we were able to learn, the state was brought about by the fumes of whatever was used. Seems limited to most muscle groups. Breathing seems unaffected, as are the eyes and ears.”

Suni growled softly as she stood up from the table, mumbling just loud enough to be heard. “I’m going to make Lilienne some hot tea and soup. Neece, Tim can escort you, but she’s in my room.”

Neece nodded, returning her attention to Timeus. “Let’s have a look. If her heart isn’t in any distress, it’s likely I have a readily available antidote that might take a few minutes to take effect, but should suffice.”

Tim allowed himself a sigh of relief. “That would be most excellent.” He hopped down from the chair and led the way to Suni’s cabin. The elemental seemed to lean down to regard him as he drew closer and moved aside slowly to allow him and Neece to enter. Tim rapped lightly on the door before opening it “Lilienne? It’s Mister Timeus. I’ve brought a friend who’s going to try and help you.”

He opened the door and Neece followed, bending her lanky frame to slip past the doorway and into the small room. Glancing down at the girl in the bed, the night elf looked her over before inhaling as if she were sniffing the air. She glanced back to Tim with a mild look of confusion. “How did you learn she inhaled it?” Neece leaned down cautiously to peer into Lilienne’s eyes. “I won’t hurt you,” she assured the wild eyed child.

Lilienne’s eyes, though wide as saucers, didn’t hold fear in them. She had never seen an elf so close before, let alone addressing her directly. She sometimes saw them on the docks or walking the streets of Stormwind. Even on the occasional visit to the Park before its destruction. But that was always from afar. Tim came up beside Neece, watching her reactions closely. “She told us, actually. In a fashion. Blinked out a signal code.”

Neece grinned down at the girl and winked. “Clever girl. Eight, you said? So young for such proficiency! Well then…” She reached into her satchel, rummaging for a small drawstring bag. Pulling it out, she untied the opening and shook a few flakes into her palm. “Lillienne, this is going to be rather unpleasant for you… but I suspect much less so than not having use of your body. Chewing is impossible, but you should be able to swallow. The leaves will dissolve quickly, I promise. You’ll feel sick in the stomach awhile, but before the next bell rings, I promise you’ll be able to move at least enough to sit up on your own. Deal?”

Lilienne blinked twice and Tim smiled down at her. “She says yes.”

Giving them both a brief nod, Neece opened the girl’s mouth gently and pressed three oak-like leaves to the back of her throat, one at a time, waiting for her to swallow each one before adding the next. “You can’t choke, so don’t panic. Just swallow them as they dissolve. The moment your stomach starts to feel queasy, you can count slowly to one-hundred. If you can’t move your hand by then, I’ll give you a free dragon ride. It’s that simple.”

Lilienne blinked twice once more and swallowed as best she could. And waited. Before too long, she started feeling sick as she had been warned. She shut her eyes tightly and began to count. As she got up to 47 she started feeling little pricks in her fingers and toes, like she was being stuck with tiny pins. She was having a hard time focusing on the counting as the sensation spread up her limbs. By the time she hit 83, it felt like her whole body was tingling. She couldn’t tell from the feel, but her fingers were starting to slowly curl into her palm.

Neece hovered over the girl, watching cautiously, but relaxed as she spied the movement. With another nod, she whistled softly through her lips. “Good call on the paralytic. Wasn’t any scorpion poison, so I can’t imagine anything that will leave a residual effect.”

Tim gave Lilienne a brief shake and her eyes opened. He held up the girl’s hand for her to see her slightly wiggling fingers. Despite the tingling and diminishing effects of the paralysis, she managed a faint smile. Tim laid her hand down and turned back to Neece. “So no idea what it was?”

The elf shook her head. “I can’t be sure. Everyone has their own recipe. The use of scorpion poison could have dampened her heart muscle and the leaves I used – from the earthroot – might not have worked with it. She seems okay, though, doesn’t she?” The anxious edge to her voice at the question betrayed her worry.

Tim gave Neece’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze as he watched Lilienne start to move her body on her own accord. He barely heard it but she managed to croak out a weak “one hundred”.

Neece rose from the bed and stepped back, tying the strings of the small pouch and tucking it back into her satchel. The necessary act also gave her the chance to regain her casual composure. “The church mouse knows how to find me if anything should go wrong. She promised me food and lodging for the night, however, so if you need me again, I’ll be in the berth below.”

Tim smiled slightly, pretending not to notice her discomfort. “Of course. We’ll let you know if we have any more issues. Thank you again, Neece.”

The night elf winked at Lilienne as she stepped back to the door. “You did well, Firecracker. Should let you have that dragon ride anyhow.” With a slight wave meant as a salute, Neece folded her frame and slipped from the room.

Tim was propping Lilienne up with some pillows when Suni stepped inside carrying a tray with a steaming cup of tea and bowl of soup for Lilienne. “Neece said it’s probably a good thing for your stomach to settle on a bit of food, so I brought a light broth with some easy to digest vegetables. Can you speak yet, Lilienne?”

The girl sluggishly looked up to Suni, her voice a little thick yet. “A bit. Feels weird.”

Suni smiled at the girl as she set the tray across her lap and settled a napkin across her legs. Glancing at Timeus, she motions for the door. “There’s a bowl on the table for you, too. You might as well take the time to eat some. Seems we might have a long day ahead of us, yes?”

Tim chuckled slightly, realizing just how worn he felt now that the excitement was starting to settle down. “Probably a good idea. I’ll be outside if you need me.”

As he went out and back to the table, his mage-whisper drifted back to Suni. I don’t think I should stay long. Once the Watch gets called in to investigate her disappearance, it likely won’t take long before they’re questioning my visit and my interest.

Suni nodded out of habit and answered Tim in kind. I have the feeling she shouldn’t stay in one place for very long. Are you going to answer to the Watch?

Tim seated himself at the table and absently ate the soup as they conversed, mind to mind. I’ll have to before long, I imagine. I can legitimately absent myself from Stormwind for long periods but it would look suspicious. I may have to reveal at least some of what I know but I’d rather avoid that until we have a better idea of what we’re dealing with.

Suni helped Lilienne with the first few bites of soup until she was comfortable using the utensil on her own. And her family? Will you let them know she’s okay at least? I’m guessing you didn’t bring her here because you believe the ship would keep her safe.

Tim’s mind-voice sounded a bit sheepish. Well…to be honest, I made your ship a rally point for my little friends back when we were dealing with the Coldfire Fever and forgot to rescind that directive. But no, I don’t expect to impose on you to be party to a “kidnapping”. I’ll have to see about making arrangements to keep her elsewhere. Once I have her safely hidden, I can at least have a message delivered to her family to let them know she’s well.

Though not entirely happy with the situation, she at least agreed with his caution. Is there anyone you think we can trust to assist?

Tim shook his head out of habit, though Suni wouldn’t have been able to see it. Yes but I’m not sure I want to get anyone else involved just yet. If this goes badly…

Suni interrupted his train of thought. Then two shifts will have to do for now. Between Neece and myself, we can make her a moving target rather than a stationary one should we need to. Until you have a chance to shake off the prying eyes and assess the danger.

Tim pushed the soup bowl aside and stretched, thankful for the small respite. I’m going to make arrangements for a safe place in case we need to move Lilienne further afield. I have a few contacts I can speak to, see if they know what’s going on. If I’m lucky, maybe we can track down the ones that tried to take her. Just in case, I’ll leave you some company.

He whistled and the squirrels swarmed in from the bedroom. They arrayed themselves before him and he began a quick cadence of chirps and clicks. The automatons bobbed in response and dispersed, some returning to the bedroom while the rest swept to the door, waiting for him.

Both Suni and Lilienne looked at the diminished group’s return. They arrayed themselves around the cabin, perching on shelves, dresser, headboard. Wherever they could settle themselves. All told, about a dozen lifelike squirrels were spread about the room. Lilienne giggled at the sight and Suni couldn’t help but smile.

When you’re ready for her, Tim, you’ll have to contact me again. I’ll sit in the stocks before I let anyone else know her whereabouts until I hear from you she’s under no more threat of harm.

Tim’s own smile came unbidden at her vow as he opened the door to the deck of the Galleon and went back out into the night, followed by a swarm of rodents that immediately dispersed.

You’ll be the first to know, Suni. I promise.

Next post.

Suni, around nineteen years of age, when she was a repressed fire mage.

Of Fire

Kill.

Isn’t that what Uthis had said? That battle, and killing, would drain the excess energy? But, here Suni was, on her knees in the training yard, her face twisted in agony … and there was fire searing through her veins. Threads of blood trickled from both nostrils and she was drenched in sweat, her hair plastered around her neck and face.

A yard behind her, a practice dummy smoldered, billowing a column of thick, dark smoke into the early morning sky. The ground around its base still glowed with hot ash and embers, and a wide swath of soot cut up along the wall of the SI:7 headquarters. Even the roof had caught fire, but thankfully that had triggered the protection wards and they’d extinguished any truly harmful flames.

Struggling to contain the heat roiling through her, Suni collapsed fully upon the gravel. She couldn’t call out for help. Not that it would have mattered much, anyhow. Except for the few riding animals milling nervously about the stock yard, the training grounds were still empty.

She felt the push back of Sath’s suppression gem and it brought her some semblance of relief. She drew her knees up to her chest and balled a hand against her mouth to keep from crying out. All she had to do was ride this vicious tide and pray it didn’t crush her in its wake. She fought to focus on her breathing, and then waited for the fire to slowly abate.

What had she been thinking?

She’d taken Uthis’s challenge to heart. Recklessly. It wasn’t that he’d goaded her into it, either. No. Somehow he’d managed to make her forget the danger – had instilled confidence in her and sparked her curiosity. Both had left her giddy; She’d toyed with it for days afterward, and had even shown him the flaming arch she’d practiced all that week.

And, he’d been pleased, which – in turn – had left her pleased.

She lost the rhythm of her breath and whimpered softly as she shifted on the ground. She was forced to recall why she’d told Uthis fire was chaotic. It couldn’t be controlled. At least, she couldn’t control it. How readily he’d side-stepped her caution, too, with his frankness and that quick, easy smile. When he said, “Anyone can sculpt with ice, Suni. You really should try fire,” she found herself wanting to … not just because he said to, but to see herself as capable in someone else’s eyes.

So she dismissed her fears, convincing herself she was being silly, and went for it. It wasn’t so bad at first. A few pea-sized fireballs here and there until she was able to keep them afloat, just above her palms without setting her hands on fire. She’d done well. Had even begun to believe maybe her fears had been unfounded. Yet, the arch had taken its toll. In the days ensuing, her nose began to bleed with every offensive spell she cast. Her body temperature rose gradually until she’d become a walking inferno and the heat tried to force its way out, through her hands. She’d barely made it here to the training grounds; had barely flung the spell at the dummy … otherwise, half of Stormwind might now be ablaze.

The sun was rising. Suni knew she had to collect herself, had to get off the ground, clean herself up and start another day. Her hands hurt and she could still feel the heat pushing up through her skin, but she managed to get on her feet. It took several seconds and many deep breaths before she could move forward, but she did so one step at a time. She straightened her hair, adjusted her skirts, and wiped the blood from her face. She cast a weary glance around, praying no one would see her looking this disheveled as she made her way back across the city to the ship in the harbor. Once she was clean again, no one would know. They wouldn’t see. They rarely did.

She’d grown accustomed to hiding it well.