Cunning, self-serving and patient, Cebina is only interested in power and money. Using her body as a means to get close to people, she will lie, use, and kill, without hesitation or regret, in order to get what she wants.
Current Situation: Seeking relics of power in K’aresh.
((Dialogue with Darius co-written with @thefugitivemango ))
Part 1
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3 Months Ago - Zul’Aman
Kynlea sighed, a hand idly playing at his beard as he tried to decipher the tome he’d stolen from the Twilight camp’s repository. It was a heavy book that contained a variety of rituals the Cult participated in. His hope had been to find the one that had marked him and see if there was a way to remove it. Kai’eka wasn’t much help on the subject. Despite actively participating in many rituals herself, she never had a full understanding in how the magic worked.
Unfortunately for him, it wasn’t an easy read. While the soldier wasn’t illiterate, this was much more advanced than anything he could decipher. The format was dry, with a lot of big words he’d never heard before, and plenty of runes and symbols he didn’t understand.
With a frustrated growl he slammed the book shut on the small table in his tent.
The petite redheaded woman sitting across from him raised an eyebrow as she peeked up from the scroll she had been studying. Delaylah Songwhisper was the bookish type; a spellcaster that had infiltrated the Cult years ago, gathering and sending out critical intel and warnings to the Farstriders where she could. She was the point of contact the Magistry had chosen to help Kai’eka and Kynlea transition smoothly into the Twilight’s Blade operations at The Broken Throne. A decent person overall: friendly, quiet, and personable. So Kynlea hadn’t opposed it when she started spending more and more time hanging out in his tent.
“You okay?” she asked, concerned evident in her tone.
“Yeah,” he sighed, rubbing at his tired eyes, “Just can’t understand a damned thing in there.”
Curiously, she looked over to read the title and the other eyebrow raised to join its counterpart, “No kidding,” she couldn’t help but giggle, “That’s an advanced volume. It took forever for me to even get through it. What were you interested in knowing about?”
“Nothing specific,” he lied.
“...is it about the mark?”
“...” His hand dropped from his face and his ears lowered as she spoke the words.
“Everblaze told me about it and asked me to keep an eye on you,” she stated, head canting as she watched him, “Not having nightmares, are you? Or hearing voices… whispers?”
“I'm fine,” he said, rather dismissively, brows knit into a frown as he looked away. While he appreciated that people cared, he was well past tired of being a burden that everyone had to worry about. “Everblaze has a barrier in place that keeps it isolated.”
She nodded, her own ears lowering as his mood shifted, “I’m sorry, but you won’t find anything in that book that’ll help. The Rite of Dedication is eternally binding. The Void sinks into every fiber of your being in the womb. I’m afraid there’s no separating you from it.”
“Yeah… that lines up with all my other sources,” he sighed, “I guess I should look into that energy diverting thing, then.”
“Ah, the Weapon Binding Ritual. The one Sunwhisper uses?” A finger came up to tap at pursed lips as she thought it over, “Hmm… that’s not a bad idea.”
“She said she could teach me if I found someone that knew how to use the spell and components.”
“Well, you’re in luck, Sweetie!”
He glanced over as Delaylah snatched the tome up from the table and made her way over to the bed, flipping to a specific section of the book. She patted the spot next to her, inviting him to sit.
“Strip down so that I can study that barrier real quick. I want to make certain that this won't mess with it in any way. Oh! And I need your blood.”
Now it was his turn to raise an eyebrow at her, making her chuckle. “Don’t worry, it's just a few small vials.”
“You saying you know how to do it?” his ears perked up as he moved to sit next to her. He was already out of his armor for the night, so all he had to do was remove his shirt to give her the access she needed.
“Mhm! And all you have to do is sit still for some tattoos. The best place for them would be on the shoulders, arms or hands, whichever you prefer. It'll take me about a day to get the ink ready, which is what I need the blood for,” she explained, “Sunwhisper can help you prepare the etching on your swords in the meanwhile.”
“That’s awesome!” He smiled brightly.
The redhead returned the smile, her deep blue eyes alight as she met his gaze. Had they always been blue? He couldn't quite remember at the moment. There was certainly an allure to them, and he found he couldn’t quite look away.
As she brought her hand to rest on his muscular chest, candlelight dimmed as the shadows in the tent grew larger around them. Some appeared to come alive, snaking up Delaylah's form to envelope her completely. He felt strangely calm as the dark energy coalesced in her palm and danced around the Arcane runes, before seeping into his chest to access the barrier. Their eyes remained locked as her Shadows explored him. It somehow didn't feel invasive or overwhelming. If anything, it felt… comforting.
The study lasted several minutes, and he found himself leaning in, his hand coming up to cup her face. There was a sudden draw to her that his mind couldn't make sense of. But, as their lips touched, he blinked for what felt like the first time since the process began and shook his head, pulling away. His ears lowered, cheeks flushed. The attraction was out of place. Kynlea had never been interested in women in such a way. Perhaps a side effect of the Shadows?
“Sorry,” he apologized, hand returning to his side, “Didn't mean to get that familiar.”
That comforting smile never left Delaylah's face. She leaned in to place a kiss on his cheek as the Shadows dissipated and the room returned to normal.
“Don’t worry about it, Sweetie. My magic tends to set a certain… intimate atmosphere. No lines crossed.” She explained as she got up to rummage through the bag she'd left near the table. “The good news is, there's no risk of the ritual upsetting Everblaze's barrier. As expected, his work remains impeccable.”
She returned to the bed, laying out some vials and brandishing a capped syringe.
“Now to start making the ink! Not afraid of needles, I hope.”
~*~*~
2 Months Ago - Silvermoon City
“... Your follow-up is lagging a bit, because you're rushing the next initiator. You seem too focused on what your main hand is doing.”
Kynlea 's ears flickered at the familiar voice. He’d been so absorbed in his training that he’d been oblivious to his surroundings. A final blow was dealt to the poor training dummy before he turned to face his most recent sparring partner with a smirk, “Your turn to watch me, huh?”
“In my own way, I guess.” Darius turned his head towards Kynlea, as if to imitate looking at him normally. “You're different now. Something's changed.”
Kynlea shrugged at the Illidari’s words, going back to beating on the dummy as they conversed. His movements weren't calculated much, letting off steam instead of going through actual forms, “Been an interesting few weeks.”
“Yeah, the whole Kingdom seems upset about how the Sunwell thing shook out. But... I don't think that's what you meant, is it?” Darius pushed off from the fountain he’d been leaning against. “The way power flows through you is... new. Different. I'm seeing a power application that wasn't there last time. Runes are glowing through your armor. They're... not exactly Thalassian.”
The swordsman stepped away from the target and looked down at his blades, concentrating on them for a moment. The shadow runes flashed along with the tattoos under his armor as they were activated, making them more visible for his friend to read, “They're a bit of a sensitive topic around these parts.”
“Can't relate.” The Illidari chuckled a bit at his own sarcastic joke, “You any good with them yet?”
Kynlea shook his head, “Not exactly. I've only used them in battle twice, and luck was the only reason it was successful. Afraid I'm not very familiar with how magic flows.”
“I get that. Can be tough to visualize, if you can't actually visualize it. Oughta practice fighting some mages.”
“Yeah, find me a Magister that'll wanna help me use shadow magic! I just got pulled from a mission in Zul'Aman because of it.”
“The Guard’s strict like that? Benched you for your shadow runes?”
“The Guard doesn't know about the runes yet. But I assume they will soon. Everblaze figured it out and he was... less than pleased. But it's not the only reason I was benched. My situation is... complicated.” Kynlea was silent for a moment, trying to decipher how to best explain his predicament, “When you look at me, are the new runes the only thing you see? Sense any other magic?”
Darius nodded slowly. “... Mhm. I see some Arcane wards, and deeper in, there's... something. Looks like a mix. Like the Arcane's trying to pad it and drown it out, but… Cursed?”
"Mhm. Void. My mother was a cultist. Long story short, it can't be removed. It was reacting really badly to the Sunwell’s energy a month ago.”
“Damn. That's a rough burden to carry. Especially it not being your choice. But yeah, what I'm seeing makes sense now. All wrapped up in Arcane padding to keep you safe from it, right?”
“Yeah. I found out about these runes while working undercover in a Twilight Blade's camp. The barrier has kept me alive this long. But it's not a permanent fix,and I'm tired of living in fear of being consumed by this thing. Even more tired of sitting around and waiting for Magisters to decide what should be done about it. Decided... instead of fighting this thing, wouldn't it be better to learn how to control it instead?”
“Heh, you would've made a great Illidari.”
Kynlea chuckled at that, “Suppose it's not too far off from what you did with the Fel, huh?”
The Illidari nodded firmly. “Again, by choice for most of us. But I think you've got the right idea about it. There are all kinds of dangerous magics that can be corrupting, deadly, whatever. Fel, Void, even the Light can be all-consuming if you lack discipline. But I think you're right. You oughta learn to use it to your advantage. Living in fear of it is kind of a shitty approach. You could use it. Turn your weakness into a strength.” His ears flickered. “... I can try to help you. The Void isn't my speciality, but I've been holding this demon within me at bay for a good long while now. Some of the techniques should still help. Would also recommend you find a Ren'dorei you think you could trust to help you. They know a thing or two about the Void, and more specifically how to live with the burden it brings.”
Kynlea shook his head, “I have a Ren'dorei contact, but I wouldn't call them an expert on the Void. I'd be happy to learn what you could teach me though. If you're able to keep control of a whole ass demon inside of you, I can't imagine it's that different.”
“It takes some serious discipline, though. Constant vigilance. Think you're up for it?”
“I mean, yeah. That shouldn't be a problem,” Kynlea 's ears perked up, "Thanks, man. I'll find a way to repay you somehow."
“Nah, no need. I feel... I dunno. Duty-bound to help. It's a shit situation you didn't ask for, and if it's something we Illidari know how to handle, it could make your situation better.” Darius shrugged. “Just another way to make my sacrifice a little more worth it, I guess.”
Kynlea smiled, “Then at least let me buy you a drink.”
Some of my characters have undergone some changes over the past few expansions. My Ren'dorei priest, Cebina Ruavin, being one of them. Being as vain a character as she is, the physical change to her appearance was quite an adjustment, but she's learned to embrace her now more powerful void-touched form.
