An Old Conversation

[Zazkiel]

The Legerdemain Lounge wasn't that busy at this time of day.


That didn't stop Vellys from looking around nervously, all-too-aware of her new title and the weight it carried. Cardinal Morningray.


Cardinal Morningray, meeting up with the newly-named Highlord of the Argent Crusade. How quickly her life had turned into something out of a drama novel, priests and paladins meeting in private rooms at luxury taverns.


Corec had sent a letter, shorter and more terse than usual. They'd all been so busy lately, and she wouldn't have thought twice about it, but he'd very firmly requested that they meet at soonest convenience. This was the first free moment she had where she wasn't either asleep or trying to work out her place in the new Triumvirate of Cardinals. 


Standing in front of the door to the upstairs private room, she reached back and nervously drummed her fingers agaisnt Light's Wrath for a second. Just to steel herself, of course.


It had been a long time since she'd seen Corec, and not very long at all since she'd seen that shade of him, standing in the shadows of Rivena's horrible new staff.

 

[Blakie13]

The blade shimmered in the light of arcane torches as it laid across the table. Its keen edge sharper than most smiths would ever recommend.


Corec stared at the sword in thought. Ashbringer. One of the most well known weapons on all of Azeroth, butcher of Scourge and Legion alike. The elf's handsome features were frozen in a contemplative expression. Never had the Blood Knight considered becoming the successor of the late Tirion Fordring. More than that, he had never seen himself as the restorer of the Silver Hand. In a matter of days, Corec Duskwhisper had gone from a champion of the Horde, noble of Silvermoon, and officer among the Blood Knights to... To Highlord of every paladin order on the planet. Even survivors of the defunct Scarlet Crusade now swore loyalty to the elf.


In any other time, such events would have filled Corec with elation beyond reckoning. An added boon to his ambitions. But the context of his rise... The Legion was relentless. Unending. Dangerous beyond comprehension, as his new, shimmering arm could attest to. The prosthetic was a marvel of blood magic and engineering, and it almost felt real. Its golden glow accented with countless Thalassian runes, runes almost too small to read. Still, it pained him, being so new. 


His eyes flicking back and forth between his new arm and his new weapon, and all that it entailed, Corec wondered how much longer Vellys would be. Usually she's so punctual... I suppose with her own new office, she may have been held up... the elf thought to himself, looking up to the door. 


He knew, deep down beneath the desperation of fighting for Azeroth, his people, his family, and his own life, that the search he was considering was foolish. Dangerous. Nothing had changed since his research during the Pandaria Campaign, which felt as if it was a thousand years ago. The Old Gods... Too dangerous to research. Too disturbing to contemplate. But in such desperate times, even Corec Duskwhisper would consider stupidity as a method to defeat the Legion. After all, the Triumvirate held onto Xal'atath. Perhaps... 


Corec shook his head, clearing his thoughts. Such questions were exactly why he was waiting here and now for Vellys to arrive. 

 

[Zazkiel]

Sighing to herself, Vellys ran the tips of her fingers against the cool metal at her back on last time before knocking on the door. Cracking it open slightly, she poked her head in. "Corec? Are you here?" 


Gold.


That was the first thing she saw, not necessarily an uncommon occurrence for a sin'dorei. Corec's new arm shone dully in the light, matching his new sword beautifully. He was already looking so much healthier than the last time she saw him, no longer gaunt and pale-looking from too little sleep and too much pain.


Stepping through the door, Vellys gripped the doorframe as her breath caught. "O-Oh. That's that's Ashbringer." 


She immediately wanted to punch herself. That's Ashbringer? Of all the lines to lead with, she had to choose the most obvious sentence in the world? 


"It's uh, it's a lot shinier than I expected. It should suit you perfectly, if you listen to Riv's nephew." 

 

[Blakie13]

The paladin snorted, a quick, soft hint of laughter. Vellys' nerves always made themselves apparent rather fast, an endearing trait in his friend. 


"I'm sure Daerus would be most pleased by the additional gold added to my wardrobe and arsenal. I'm sure the next time I have to meet with the crew he'll make some sort of crude comment regarding the polish of my prosthetic," he replied, motioning for the other woman to sit across from him. 


"Apologies for the lack of embrace, I'm a little... worn down, if I'm honest," he said, cringing as he smiled apologetically. His skin had regained much of its healthy glow, but their was still a layer of exhaustion just resting on every surface of his body. "Ashbringer, at the very least, has been a great source of comfort. The holy energy emanating from it is, well, pardon the play on words, but it's truly been a blessing in my recovery." His smile was playful, the upturn of his lips easy, friendly. 


But his eyes were distracted, glancing at the staff on his friend's back.  

 

[Zazkiel]

"Oh, it's fine. I think I've had quite enough people touching me for today, actually." Unstrapping Light's Wrath, she balanced it against the side of the chair as she sat down. 


So much touching, nobody in Netherlight had any concept of personal space. A hand on her shoulder to stop her in the hallway, another pair of hands to help her lift something, everybody was so tactile.


At least Kallira seemed to understand how overwhelming it was, and Vellys was familiar enough with Jocryn that he didn't bother her overmuch with his enthusiasm. 


"I'd steer clear of Daerus's ship, with your new adornments. They might think you're a particularly shiny bit of treasure and attempt to steal you away!" A faint grin followed Vellys's declaration as she winked at her friend.


She wanted to ask if he needed more healing, but she knew there were holy paladins under his command. Would he think her overbearing? Or even dissmissive of his paladins' skills?

 

[Blakie13]

The paladin couldn't help the full bodied laugh that escaped him in response to Vellys' quip. 


"Ah, perhaps they would. You should see the way some of them eye my jewelry. I probably should lessen how much gold I keep on my person around them... but I have an aesthetic to uphold, at least in the words of Belenar," Corec replied easily.


"And how have you been adjusting to your position, Cardinal?" The elf asked, his mouth feeling odd as the words left his lips. It wasn't often that he had ever needed a title to attach to Vellys, and it felt... unusual. Not wrong. But it would take some getting used to. "My cousin has sent me a few messages herself. She seems to rather enjoy the honour of it all." Kallira had become one of Corec's most steadfast allies. A surprise, to be sure, after what befell Priestess of the Moon Celynaria in Frostwall during the Draenor Campaign. As well as the tensions between factions.


But Kallira was a wily sort, her own ambitions unclear, and her devotion to family absolute.    

 

[Zazkiel]

Vellys couldn't help a raised eyebrow and a soft intake of breath when Corec referred to her by her title. Of all things attached to her new job, having Corec and Rivena actually seem to genuinely respect her was by far the strangest. 


"It's strange, I'lll admit. So far it's mostly felt like being a glorified mediator between the Light and Shadow. Thankfully, my fellow Cardinals aren't quite as vicious towards each other as I'd feared they'd be."


It was also frightening, not that she'd mention that to Corec. Not just the situation Azeroth was in as a whole, although that contributed to it. A discipline priest was meant to be, well, disciplined. Staunch followers of the Light, using the shadow without giving themselves over to it. Vellys had rather failed on that account, both in her faith and her actual combat abilities.


"Besides, I might ask you the same question! How does it feel, being Highlord? Leading Lady Liadrin?" 

 

[Blakie13]

Corec nodded his head, not in the least bit surprised that Kallira was proving to be a peaceful leader. 


He paused before responding. "Truth be told... that part, at least, becoming her superior? That I expected. It's been a long time coming in her own words. I was to be named her second-in-command, actually. And from there, well...  The invasion interrupted that appointment," Corec stated, with a tone full of resignation. 


"The rest of it, however, is a bit more stressful than I had hoped. Primarily in absorbing so many paladin orders. The Silver Hand of Stormwind were the most difficult, not all too willing to subjugate themselves to a Horde Champion, even as Fordring's dying wish was for the unity and restoration of the Silver Hand to its past glory. And then of course there's the matter of helping the Sunwalkers acclimate. The Tauren have an entirely different mindset on the Light from the rest of us..." he trailed off. 


"The bright side being that I finally met dear Bel's human suitor, Eidric. Scaring the poor boy was more amusing than it should have been," Corec smirked, some of his usual slyness coming to the surface over his exhaustion. 

 

[Zazkiel]

"Oh, please don't tell me you terrified the poor human!" That smirk spelled terrible things, although Vellys found herself matching it to a lesser degree as she imagined the hell he'd probably put this 'Eidric' through.


"I know what you mean, though. It has been, uh, strange, leading some of the Alliance races. Or even some of the Horde races, for that matter. Trolls have a completely different mindset from us when it comes to the light and the dark."


Turning her head, she reached out and patted one of the wings on Light's Wrath. "This definitely helps a lot though, in terms of making them listen."

 

[Blakie13]

"I didn't do all that much to the young man, it was honestly enough to bring up his relationship with Bel. For whatever reason, that alone intimidated Eidric. I think he might be afraid of me as is," Corec replied to her first comment, as he mulled over the Alliance.


"I wonder how it goes for the other Orders, the Alliance and Horde tension, I mean. I don't hold much trust for our new Warchief either, but her decision saved the Horde. And my life. For that, I am in her debt..." Corec muttered. "I'm trying to meet as much of the leadership as I can, although I am left rather disturbed after making contact with the Ebon Blade. Desperation seems to see them following... old routines."


Corec shook his head, finally looking at the staff Vellys held, in response to her final comment. "It's quite impressive, that staff. The great Artefacts of Azeroth are all quite useful. It suits you, Vellys," Corec said, smiling gently, his golden hand motioning to the staff and Vellys as a whole. If there's one thing he could say about his prosthetic, it was that it made quite the regal statement, at the best of times.

 

[Zazkiel]

Vellys flushed a dark red, looking straight at Light's Wrath to make her sudden coloring a bit less obvious. 


"I-uh, ahem." Coughing lightly, she let herself look over the staff. 


Dark wings curled around the top of the staff, dulling the bright golden glow emanating from the shield foci in the middle of the staff. The rest of it was dark scales (draconic, if Vellys remembered correctly) and a faintly glowing cardinal ruby on the other end.


"So, I'm shiny? Glowing, I mean?" That was what came to mind when she first looked at the staff, at least.


Forcing herself to look back at Corec, she mustered a mostly-cocky looking grin. "That's so sweet of you!" 

 

[Blakie13]

The Highlord smiled gently, nodding at his friend. "Indeed you do, Vellys. We make quite the glowing pair, our weapons being fraternal twins makes for quite the interesting accent," he stated.


"But... That is not exactly what I wanted to mee with you about today," Corec said, after a moment's pause. "Do you remember much of my side projects I mentioned during the Pandaren campaign?" Straight to the point, like a blade. Corec was a diplomat, but there was no room to beat around the bush.


Likewise, he doubted that the conversation would in any way hurt or offend the priestess, so to be blunt seemed the best path.

 

[Zazkiel]

"Uh, not exactly. I think there was something about the Old Gods? Or dragons?" She'd been...a bit preoccupied at the time, between trying to figure out her new abilities in the Shadows and deciding whether or not she should travel.


Why was Corec bringing this up? Other than a few quiet, heartfelt confessions about her true religious and magical leanings they'd mostly steered away from the topic of the Old Gods. 


Unconsciously, she fiddled with the sleeve of her robe and tried to block out the quiet Whispering in the back of her mind. 

 

[Blakie13]

Corec smirked, but it lacked his usual sly charisma. Instead the expression carried a sense of resignation and humility, two emotions that rarely appeared on the paladin in public or even with friends. He gave a slight chuckle. "It was both, actually. Which reminds me, I need to check in on our friend Vorethrion soon," the paladin stated. Vellys was one of very few to know the identity of Corec's top brawler, and the only person outside of Corec's agents and family to know.


"But no, it's not about dragons. It's... about the Old Gods. I realise I didn't go into all too much detail during the Pandaria Campaign, but..." he trailed off, for once at a loss for words.


"It's... perhaps a foolish idea. But I returned to my vaults, and took out the Puzzle Box again. I... am considering returning to Ulduar, continuing my research. Wandering into Ahn'Qiraj... is dangerous. And with the Sha being all that's left of ancient Y'Shaaraj... we face so many enemies, this day. My reports of the Nightmare send shivers up my spine, and the Legion is... endless," he whispered the last word, grief and desperation leaking into his voice. "Perhaps some ancient secrets held by... held by Yogg-Saron may be of some aid to our fight." The paladin paused, almost afraid to go on, and worried he might offend his friend with his next words.


"Given your... history, Vellys, I thought I'd ask your opinion, your thoughts on the matter. I know it's foolish. As a follower of the Eternal Sun it goes against most everything I believe. But the fate of Azeroth-of my family and people-is at stake," Corec finished, his hands clinching into fists, the prosthetic making an almost musical sound as the metal clinked.

 

[Zazkiel]

Her history.


"Is it really my history if it's still a part of me, Corec?" Worrying her bottom lip between her canines, Vellys glanced around the room.


Vellys steeled herself to continue, carefully making sure not to look at Corec's face. She didn't want to alienate her friend with her next few comments. "The shadow priests at Netherlight, Cardinal Fisk. Myself, although the majority of the Temple is unaware. We're already doing...that."


She didn't go into detail. Corec didn't need to know the fervent prayers sent to her Patron in the middle of the night, the gaunt figures of the shaodw acolytes who were slowly being absorbed by the Whispers driving them insane. He didn't need to know about the bands of slowly-healing lacerations covering Fisk's arms, marks he refused to allow holy magic near in the desperate hope N'zoth would look to him with any semblance of interest.


"Yogg-Saron, if you want to ask him things you can always just...ask me." That was as close as she was going to get to an explicit confirmation of her Old God of choice.


Corec was a smart elf, he'd understand.


"But just seeking power from the Old Gods for power's sake, instead of for a specific question? I would advise against that, Corec. And not just because my fellow priests have already got that market pretty much cornered."


Pausing, she leaned back and tapped her fingers against Light's Hope. "Do you know what puts a priest on the Path of Discipline, instead of Light or Shadow?" 


A change in topic may be just what's needed to explain how the Old Gods were a bad idea for someone as ambitious as Corec.

 

[Blakie13]

The blood knight felt his mouth open slightly, in mild shock. He had a suspicion as to who Vellys chose as her patron. But he had never been sure as to if he wanted those suspicions confirmed. It... was a lot to take in. 


"I have a vague memory of it, from my days in the Priesthood. But before the fall of the Sunwell, the priesthood was... rather singularly focused. Why not explain it to me?" He replied. 


Corec wanted to mull over Velly's patron more, wanted to think on the idea of power for power's sake. For once, that wasn't his true drive. But without a specific question or a definitive plan, that's how his search would be seen. The Old Gods were not to be approached lightly.

 

[Zazkiel]

"To be honest, I'm not a very good discipline priest."


Well, that was putting it lightly. Swallowing harshly, Vellys forced herself to continue.


"The path of Discipline is very strict. Light casts shadow, of course, and shadows can't exist exist without light." She knew she was avoiding the topic she brought up herself, but she couldn't figure out the proper way to word things.


"The problem with shadow magic is it's all consuming. It's void, it's insanity. Discipline priests are supposed to be able to dabble in shadow magic without succumbing to it. We're not quite as holy as some priests, but we're not supposed to have pledged ourselves to the Old Gods or managed to complete a Shadowform transformation."


She saw Corec during the Broken Shore debacle while she was in full Shadowform, actually. She could only hope he hadn't seen her.


"But uh, the point I'm trying to make is...discipline is the path that has the fewest followers for a reason. It's hard-it's hard and even some of us who call themselves priests of discipline don't have the skills required to keep ourselves from hearing the Whispers of the Old Gods."


She didn't want to underestimate Corec, but ambition wasn't a very helpful trait when dealing with a force as all-consuming as the Old Gods. She was already watching over all of Jocryn's priests for people who might not be able to handle the Whispers after the immediate threat of the Legion was defeated, she didn't want to have to watch her best friend for corruption as well.

 

[Blakie13]

The man nodded his head, as if in understanding. He believed he had an idea of what Vellys was attempting to convey. 


She wasn't trying to convey doubt in Corec's capability, of that the paladin was sure, it was not her style. To anyone who did not the woman's quirks, they may have read it as otherwise. 


"When you say to keep yourselves from... hearing the Whispers of the Old Gods, would you care to elaborate? I do not intend to dismiss your other points, Vellys, but as you may understand, whispers caught my attention," the paladin finally voiced his reply. He felt a slight shiver. The hint of familiarity. Memories of the Howling Fjiord and of Ulduar. Vaguely voiced thoughts resonating through his skull as he traveled across the frozen north.


Ulduar had called. Strongly. At the time, he had dismissed things as the exhaustion of a war. But if he knew more about how the Old Gods interacted with the realm of mortals... No, it couldn't have been.


But Corec hated doubts. The paladin was a prideful man, to his very core. 

 

[Zazkiel]

"Prayer, prayer and absolute devotion to the Light." Vellys frowned and picked at the skin around her nails, trying her hardest to avoid Corec's gaze.


"You can't have any doubt in your heart as to why you're doing this, working with the Shadows to enhance your abilities with the Light. Obviously, that's not something I'm as talented at as I should be as the Discipline Cardinal."


Biting her lip, she continued slowly. "That's also not something many non-Priests possess. Paladins rely a little but too heavily on their martial prowess to give themselves completely over to the Light's power. At least as far as we've seen, that's a hold-back for...your people. You always have the belief, no matter how subconscious, that you can fall back on your sword if your magic fails you."


She wasn't trying to insult Corec by any stretch of the imagination, she was just trying to warn him. There was a reason there weren't any "Shadow Paladins" that weren't fifty different kinds of insane. 

 

[Blakie13]

Corec chuckled darkly, in a sense of morbid humour. "You have a fair point, Vellys, I do rather like my sword. And it has been... so very long since I traded in the robes and staff of that divine office..." he practically whispered, his expression thoughtful yet almost pained. 


Mother had been so proud. The first of her bloodline to take the vows in generations, since the time of Elune and Azshara. All gone the moment he took the sword and defended his family from the thing that had once been Renalia Duskwhisper. 


He did not wish to drift into silence, or his companion would notice that too much was wrong. "Is everyone susceptible to the whispers, Vellys, or how does that work?" he asked earnestly. "I... could have sworn, in Northrend, during that campaign and my research during the Pandaria campaign...." he trailed off. Usually the elf was all charm and charisma. But uncertainty whittled at his composure. 


"During the ventures into Tyr's tomb, many heroes were lost. But as you know, the Silver Hand and Xal'atath were both recovered from within the depths. Can you understand why I might wish to renew my research? The layers of Shadow often hold useful secrets. Dangerous, as you and I both know, but..." he stated.


"I'm not dismissing your concern, my nearest and dearest friend, I simply need to explicitly know what consequences would sway me from making the choice to continue," Corec finished resolutely. The blood elf was a man of nuance. But he knew that the only way to be discouraged from his course of action was to see it in the black and white. Vague ideas of consequences wouldn't be enough. He needed Vellys to spare no gory detail, lest he give into the temptation worming to the forefront of his mind. 


The Legion truly was getting to him, his steel trap mind fading in and out of doubt...

 

[Zazkiel]

Vellys sighed and looked at Corec earnestly, reaching forward to take his non-metal hand. 


"Understand that I wouldn't tell you this if you didn't ask me, Corec. And understand that this cannot leave this room." 


Sucking in air between her teeth, she did her best to maintain eye contact despite the tremors running through her body.


"Half-assing worship of the Old Gods, listening to the Whispers but refusing to follow through on your devotion, there's no way around it. You will go completely insane. And I don't just mean regular insanity, I mean the depths of madness seen with the Sha in Pandaria, or in the depths of Ulduar."


Shaking her head, Vellys gave a bitter laugh.


"And even showing them complete devotion is no guarantee of your safety, or of some kind of unlimited power that can be used to fight the Legion. We try not to let the shadow priests wander the entirety of Netherlight not because we have something against them personally, but because in the short time we've been here four of them have snapped and turned into monsters. Six have just lost the will to live entirely."


"And that's not even taking in to account Xal'atath's wielder, Cardinal Fisk. He knows Belenar, I'm sure you've heard at least a little bit about him. He wasn't exactly the most stable individual to start, but he's been deteriorating at a rate that I'm not even sure if he's going to survive the first few months of having that blade, let alone until the end of this invasion." 


Letting go of Corec's hand, Vellys leaned back in her seat.


"There is no researching, studying, or attempting to use the Shadows without corruption on some level. It's dangerous and it breaks the minds of even the strongest individuals. I'm one of the extremely lucky ones, and even I...have had some rather debilitating side effects."

 

[Blakie13]

The paladin sighed, nodding. He had expected as much, but it was no less a disappointment for his queries to end in such a dead end. He could admit, at least to himself, that he did not trust in the stability of his mind enough to take the risk. Not when the loss of his sanity or his life would leave the Silver Hand, arguably the most powerful of the orders in the fight against the unholy Legion, without a rudder. And of course there were his ambitions and his family to consider. Sure, the Legion had thrown things off, but his plans were still in place. Insanity didn't really fit them.


"I understand; thank you, Vellys," the elf replied after a few moments of thought. "I shall have to watch the relics left in my vault then. They are no more than historical relics, but nonetheless... Although the Puzzle Box should perhaps be sealed in a more well contained vault," he wondered aloud.


He looked to the Ashbringer in curiosity. "I suppose Holy magic continues to be our greatest weapon. I shall look no further into the realm of Shadow; it's for the best, as you said," Corec said, expression thoughtful.


"And Vellys... thank you. I hold no judgement for your decisions, past or future. You are a fine Cardinal, do not think otherwise.  And we all make decisions we someday come to regret," the paladin stated, smiling softly at his friend.


"Should I worry about  this Fisk figure's interaction with my brother? His sister is one of mine, but she reveals little. I sense a falling out. Belenar makes unwise decisions of association..." he added as an after thought.

 

[Zazkiel]

"I wouldn't recommend taking a pillar of support from Jocryn so quickly." Vellys said quickly, fearing a misunderstanding .


"Belenar's safety, of course, takes precedence. But Fisk's loyal to a fault, I can't see him willingly doing anything that would put your brother in danger. I'm sure his sister could back up those claims, if you asked her." 


Hesitating, Vellys continued. "You, uh, you could vet him yourself if you wanted to. He's capable of being discreet, he could help make sure this vault of yours is contained and no shadow energies were escaping the relics." 


She wanted to see the vault herself, see these relics Corec so offhandedly mentioned. But the idea of Corec throwing Jocryn over a cliff to protect his brother had her breath seizing in her chest. Better to make sure they played nice with each other.

 

[Blakie13]

Corec quirked his brow in thought. Pillar of support, an interesting turn of phrase for it. "Hmm. Well, my brother has handled worse in his time than unstable friendships. I suppose, for now, it will be up to his discretion. Although I will certainly be keeping an eye on things," Corec teased. His tone held no threat or malice; he trusted Vellys' judgement. She and Belenar were close after all, she cared deeply for his safety much the same as he did. 


"I might approach his sister, yes. But you raise an interesting suggestion. It would require getting him the proper documentation for travel into Eversong, of course, not that that would be all too much of a challenge. Selarion or Belenar could easily arrange it through the Magisterium and keep it confidential as well..." he thought aloud. "I might just act on this idea, Vellys, if you'd pass along the message for me. I shall, of course, accompany him to keep him out of trouble from the vault guards. And the estate is often a maze for newcomers... Not quite as labyrinthine as the old estate, but still. Thank you, Vellys," he finished with a smile.


"Now, should we order coffee or tea, like respectable customers in this establishment?" His tone was light, and joking. Despite the pain and exhaustion in his eyes from his wounds, and possibly the subject matter, he felt much better after having discussed things with a friend. A friend whom he trusted quite a bit more on this issue than the sycophantic advisers he kept around.

 

[Zazkiel]

Vellys smiled in response to his subject change, standing up. "I'll go and order. No, don't stand up, is there anything you want?"


Luckily, the serious conversation seemed to be over for the night. Good. Vellys was now looking forward to sitting down with an old friend of hers and attempting to destress from the rough past couple of days they'd both had.