Honest, curious and jovial, Raetos will go out of his way to help those in need. Having lived most of his life fighting the Legion on Argus, he’s now learning to navigate life on Azeroth, along with its many people and cultures. While he’s not the brightest crayon in the box, he’s very loyal and skilled at what he does.
Current Situation: Aiding the Arathi in Hallowfall.
But she was already in action, her mind made up. Her sharp blade cut quickly across the child’s throat, severing the carotid artery. They would bleed out fast. Granting them the mercy of a quick death was the least she could do. She’d weighed their options quickly in her head, and knew her partner’s kind heart wouldn’t be able to do the unthinkable. That’s what she was there for. He’d chosen her as his Second for situations just like this. To step in where he fell short.
She knew he’d be opposed to her actions, so she wasn’t surprised when she felt his hand grab her shoulder and pull her back. Serres braced herself. Hitting the rocky ground didn’t phase her too much.
Raetos rushed in as the light faded from the child's gaze. It was too late. The deed was done.
“WHAT DID YOU DO?!” he yelled frantically, despair evident in his tone.
A strong beam of light erupted from the child’s body before she had a chance to reply, blinding them both. Serres curled up and shielded her eyes as everything around them turned to white. It was sudden and overwhelming. Everything around them shifted. For a moment, she worried that she’d made the wrong choice, but almost as suddenly as it had begun, the distressing feeling dissipated, replaced by a serene calmness. She breathed in, then let out a sigh of relief, feeling soothed and renewed. The ground beneath her shifted to metal, and as the light faded, she recognized golden interior designs of the Xenedar’s trial chamber. She glanced down at herself. The wounds she’d acquired during the trial were gone. All was well.
Her eyes widened, and she sat up to look at her partner. He was on his knees, doubled over as the Light seeped into his being. As it was absorbed, the changes to his physical form became evident. Golden markings and tattoos covered his skin from head to hoof in intricate designs, and his horns and crest were larger and more pronounced. Once light brown hair was now pure white, and as he opened his eyes, she couldn’t help but gasp at his radiant golden gaze.
Raetos had successfully Lightforged!
“We did it!” She exclaimed, unable to contain her excitement.
She was up and at his side in an instant, grinning ear to ear and wrapping her arms around him in a celebratory hug. She couldn’t believe it was finally happening! The moment they’d waited for their entire lives! Years of studying and training, discussing and imagining what their trials would look like. Observing all others who attempted it before them, watching them either pass or fail. It was finally his turn! His moment! And with her own trial coming up within the year, they could truly celebrate. They could be together and fight the Legion side by side, just as they’d always wanted. She drew back slightly to look him over once more. Light! He looked amazing!
But her smile faltered. Something was wrong…
The stress from the grueling trial had melted away immediately for her in light of their victory, but it didn't seem to be the case for her partner. Raetos never returned the embrace, his initially confused gaze shifting to a frown, eyes darting left to right as he struggled to process everything that had just happened.
“Rae…” She gently pressed a hand to the side of his face, “It’s okay. It's over. It's done.”
“Indeed it is!” Commander Rhykoth stepped forward, a proud smile on his usually serious face, “Raetos, you have faced your insecurities, your darkness, and your deepest fears… and have been reborn; a beacon of Light in the darkness. The Army of Light is honored to count you in its ranks!”
Applause erupted from all of those present. It was a triumphant moment! Raetos shook his head, seeming to finally snap out of the daze he was in. He finally got up, managing a smile. It wasn’t a real smile, though. Serres could tell. His stance was relaxed, but his tail’s movements erratic. She stepped back as others approached him, and observed him at a distance as he received the well deserved accolades.
She frowned, concerned. Why wasn’t he happy?
“The Trial can take a heavy toll, even in some cases of success,” she startled at the commander’s voice. In her worried observations, she hadn’t noticed him approach her. He must have picked up on her distress.
“Will he be alright?”
“He is merely overwhelmed. Give him time.”
She nodded, though his words did little to lift her spirits as she watched her partner excuse himself and leave the room. She followed him, barely managing to catch up to him as he arrived at his quarters.
“Rae! Wait!”
He paused at the door, not even bothering to turn and face her, “Not now, Serres.”
“What's wrong?”
His tail twitched, “I'm tired, that's all.”
It was more than that, she could tell, “You're a terrible liar.”
“...Just drop it, okay?”
“Rae… why won't you look at me?”
“You know why.”
She frowned, “Rae, she had to die!”
“You don't know that! There HAD to be another way!”
“There was no time to debate it and you know it! I did what had to be done. Wasn’t that the whole reason you brought me along?”
“You killed an innocent kid!”
“The child was a plant, Rae! She was corrupted by the Legion,” she argued, “As skilled as you are, you're too soft. That was the big final test, to see if you had what it takes to make the hard decisions and follow through!” She huffed, “And I stepped in and did the job for you so you wouldn’t have to get your hands dirty! You’re welcome, by the way! You’re a big, shiny Lightforged now, thanks to -me-!”
His golden gaze finally locked onto her for the first time since the trial ended. Pain, sadness, hurt… she took a step back, taken aback at just how deeply this was affecting him.
“Are you seriously angry with me?”
“I just need you to leave me alone for a bit, okay?”
Alone? She felt a pang of disappointment well up inside her. Was he really going to reject her? Tonight of all nights? Years of friendship had finally turned into something more the evening prior. They’d shared their first kiss and confessed to having romantic feelings for each other. They’d decided together that tonight would be the perfect moment to take things to the next level. After years of pining, she was finally going to get the intimacy she’d always craved with him.
“But we had plans tonight…” she shook her head, doing her best not to look hurt, “Remember? Yesterday you said…”
He frowned, heavily.
“--Really? That’s where your mind is? Yeah, we made those plans back before I watched you slit a kid’s throat open! Don’t know if you realise, that’s a bit of a mood killer!”
“It wasn’t real, Rae!”
“Tell that to the mental image that’s stuck in my head! Now can you -PLEASE- leave me alone tonight so that I can process all of the crazy shit that just happened?!”
Without another word, he stepped into his room and slammed the door shut. Serres just stood there, dumfounded. She hoped it was a sick joke; that at any moment, he would open that door again with his usual jovial smile and laugh at the look on her face. Or maybe she’d wake up and realize this was all a nightmare. But as time went by, that hope faded. Her hands clenched into fists, tears welling up in her eyes. She’d worked so hard and had given so much time and effort to help him reach this moment. Only for him to look at her as though she were a monster…
“Fine then!” she yelled, “I’ll do my trial by myself! You’d only slow me down anyway!”
With a swift kick to the door, she stormed off down the hallway.
~*~*~
(( Azeroth, year 42))
“... Hm. I suppose he wasn't willing to help us, then?”
Serres shrugged her shoulders as she shook the blood off her blades. Laying by her hooves was the body of her latest victim, still bleeding out from the cut across his throat, "Good heart. Too pure."
“We'll keep looking, then,” Her partner glanced around, before clenching his fists, causing a swirl of energy to overtake him. From his humanoid form grew horns, dark scales and wings, his visage disappearing completely into his natural Dracthyr state. He growled, “It's exhausting having to hide so much. And you did this for years when you first arrived?”
The Man’ari stowed her weapons and sighed at his words, scrunching up her nose, "Out of necessity. Survival! Azeroth doesn't like the Legion. Would have us all hunted!"
"A pity. From what you've told me, you're a proud and mighty people, like mine used to be. We shouldn't have to hide from -them-. But... yes. Necessary, as you said. Here, most especially.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, walking over to lean back against the wooden beam and glancing over to the body on the ground. Her tail twitched, "Torture didn't work."
“On this one, perhaps. Do you think they're all as tenacious? Everyone has limits. You just need to find one whose body can outlast their will. One of them will talk. We need only find them.”
"They do not trust easily, but we make ourselves useful to them and they open up,” She giggled, "I'll keep to my exile form, win their trust. Kill only when necessary, until we are in the right position. Then they all bleed."
Her partner nodded, smiling, "We'll afford ourselves some leisure time once our goal is attained. The entire continent can be stained red."
Serres’ fel green eyes flared with excitement, "It's going to be beautiful!"
Raetos sighed, turning his head to glance at his friend as she poked her head around the stack of crates. Her luminous blue eyes were just bright enough to show her concerned features in the otherwise dark storage room. Her lovely face was always a welcomed sight, especially in moments like these. He wasn’t at all surprised she’d managed to find him. She knew all of his hiding spots.
“Yeah,” he admitted as he watched her squeeze her lithe form between the boxes to come join him.
“Commander Rhykoth is out there looking for you,” she said as she took a seat on the ground next to him,
“Ugh! When is he not?”
“I alluded that you were probably on the other side of the ship. That should buy you some time.”
“Thanks, Serres,” he managed a weak smile, “Needed some time alone to think. Tomorrow is… a lot of pressure, you know?”
She nodded knowingly, inching closer and taking his hand in hers.
“Yeah, I know… But, you’ve got this, Rae. You’re going to do fine tomorrow,” she reassured him “We’ve been training for the Trials since we learned how to walk. You’re ready.”
“I guess,” he replied, slouching down a bit, his gaze fixed on some unknown point ahead in the dark, “But… you’ve seen what happens to those who fail. What if–”
“None of that talk,” Serres leaned in and gave his side a light jab, “You need to be confident going into this. Don’t start doubting yourself now! I’ve seen the reports on your progress. You’ve been doing amazing on the field! You’re fast, strong, and an excellent shot. Your survival skills are phenomenal and you’ve even got a few good demon skirmishes under your belt. The only thing that can stop you is, well… you!”
Raetos nodded along to her words, but a frown remained on his features. What she said made sense, and she was going to be his partner throughout the trial. Her quick thinking and sharp mind would be a big help where he knew he could fall short. The two of them were a perfect balance. He was convinced there was nothing they couldn’t succeed at, as long as they were together. Still, there was a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something he just couldn’t shake.
“Everything is going to change.”
“Yeah,” she agreed, “But that's good.”
“You think?”
“Of course! This is exciting, Rae! We're finally reaching the next stage of our lives. We’re not kids that need to be watched and guided anymore. We get to be our own people now, where we get to receive the Light’s blessing and truly live and fight alongside our kin! I’m actually SO jealous you get to do the trial before me!”
“Want to switch places?”
“Ugh! I wish they’d let us…”
“What happens if I look stupid after Lightforging?”
The question made her chuckle, “Don’t be ridiculous! You already look stupid. Can't make it worse.”
“Wow! Rude!” he exclaimed dramatically, pushing her off to the side, “No more cuddles for you, then!”
She laughed, immediately moving back in against him and locking her arms around his torso. Her good mood was contagious, and he couldn’t help but laugh along with her. It was a good change in atmosphere, lifting the cloud of worry and dread that had been growing and hovering over him all evening. Serres always knew how to lift his spirits. He was thankful for the bond they shared and how it continued to grow as time went by. Despite his words, he brought an arm around her shoulders, hugging her close.
“I’m happy you’ll be with me, Serres.”
“You couldn’t stop me from coming with you if you tried,” she replied, snuggling in, “You’re stuck with me.”
“I think I can live with that,” he chuckled, “About what you said earlier though. Care to explain how you managed to get a look at those reports?”
She shrugged innocently, “They were just sitting there on the desk. I happened to walk by and caught a glimpse of them.”
“On the desk or in a filing cabinet?”
“It may or may not have been in a filing cabinet.”
“Mhm. And was the office door locked?”
“May as well not have been with how easy it was to lockpick.”
Raetos gave her a deadpan stare, meeting her devilish grin. They stared at each other in silence for only a moment before bursting out into another fit of giggles and laughter.
The moment was cut short, however, as heavy hoofsteps were heard approaching in the hallway. Serres quickly climbed onto Raetos’s lap, bringing a hand over his mouth to silence him as she pulled a protective shroud of shadows over them. And not a moment too soon as the door swung open.
“Raetos? Serres?” The commander's voice boomed through the room.
The hoofsteps moved in closer to them as a light swept over their heads. The two Draenei held perfectly still and quiet as the room was searched; shelves moved, crates opened and closed.
The loudest sound for Raetos, however, was the sound of his own heartbeat as he stared at his friend. He found himself studying her features. Her beautiful freckled face, her mischievous gaze, her soft copper colored hair, the feel of her body against his… For the past few years, feelings between the two of them had grown beyond friendship. They both knew it and had been dancing around the subject. It made moments like these hard to ignore. She must have felt it too, as her gaze moved up and locked onto his. Her cheeks darkened. He brought a hand up, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. Her hand slipped off from over his mouth to cup the side of his face. Tentatively, Raetos leaned in, but hesitated. He knew what he wanted, but he wanted to be sure she did as well.
His silent question was answered as she tilted her head and closed the remaining distance between their lips. A wave of relief and happiness washed over him. He had to contain his excitement, however. Now would be a terrible time for them to be found. Still, his arm wrapped around her waist, holding her close as he leaned into the kiss, closing his eyes and savoring the moment.
Thankfully, Serres’ shroud proved effective as the hoofsteps moved back out into the hallway, the young couple remaining undiscovered. The door slammed shut, and the kiss continued.
“For the record,” She whispered against his lips, “I think you’re going to be a really handsome Lightforged.”
Raetos tried to think of something smart and witty to reply with, but his mind was blank. All he could do was give her a big stupid grin and pull her back in for more kissing. Now that he’d had a taste, he couldn’t get enough.
~*~*~
(( Exodar, year 42 ))
“Who’s Serres?”
“What?”
Raetos blinked and stared at the Draenei sitting across the table from him. Freckles decorated her lovely face but it wasn’t that of his childhood friend. This woman’s skin was purple instead of blue, and her hair was different; longer, and absent of red hues. What was her name, again? He’d forgotten at some point over drinks the night prior. The crystal forger’s daughter... He remembered Argonas pointing her out to him after the Tishamaat.
“You said her name in your sleep,” she said, taking a sip of coffee, “Must be important to you.”
“Shit, sorry! She’s uh…” he winced, bringing a hand up to rub the back of his neck. The whole subject had taken him completely off guard. It wasn't something he brought up often, if ever. He’d mentioned it to Dahlyah once, and even then, it had been a slip up over drinks. Maybe he should stop drinking? “She was, yeah,” he admitted, “We grew up together. Made plans to be together forever, actually. But uh…”
He trailed off, shaking his head.
“Legion got her?”
He nodded, shoulders slumping. The truth of the matter was a lot more complicated than that, but best to keep it short and sweet, “...Yeah, they did.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine,” he waved it off, but got up and started gathering his things, “I should go though. Bronx is gonna get restless if I don't get back soon.”
“Alright…” She got up along with him, “I uh... I had a really good time last night.”
“I did too,” he smiled, leaning down to give her a quick kiss on the cheek, “You… wanna do this again next time I’m in the neighborhood?”
“I’d like that,” she nodded, face lighting up, “Be safe out there, Raetos.”
“See you again soon,” he promised, quickly making his way out the door.
Now he felt bad. She remembered his name but he still couldn’t recall hers. That was awkward. Hopefully it would come to him before their next encounter.
Realized I haven't posted anything here in a while. Raetos has been going through some stuff!
Screenshots from some RP scenes with @argonas and @avehi-the-adamant who belong to @thefugitivemango <3
Your favorite resident Himbo, Raetos @raetos , also got a bit of a glow up with the new patch. Let his hair down a bit! He’s had no shortage of interesting encounters in the Shadowlands!
Raetos groaned as he found his way back to the waking world. He knew he was alive by how much his body ached. His head, most of all, felt like someone was hammering multiple nails in place. Only one luminous eye opened, the other still swollen shut under bandages wrapped around his head. His abdomen was also strapped tightly. He could feel the pressure of the wrappings limiting his movement, as to not aggravate what he assumed was broken ribs. The wound on his arm had been well cleaned and bandaged. Someone had been talking very good care of him.
He smiled, not having to wonder who, feeling the body curled up against his own. Tilting his head down, he caught a glimpse of the top of Fable’s head… there was no mistaking those lovely indigo locks.
“How long have I been out?” He asked.
For just a moment, Fable grumbled and curled more tightly against Raetos. If this was a dream, he didn’t want to wake up. The hellscape that had been The Maw was no longer ringing in his ears, and his lover was by his side again. This had to be a dream. It was never this good.
Argonas slammed his shield up against one of the Mawsworn, pinning him to the jagged cliff facing. He bashed the winged assailant’s head with his hammer to put him down for good– the abettor helpless to block or evade. That was the last of them. The last of this wave, in any case.
Fighting erupted in intermittent spurts. Mawsworn agents would swoop in with little to no warning, needing to be fended off by the ragtag group as they made their way further. Their goal was in sight, atop the next ridge– Avehi didn’t know what it was, but she felt drawn to it. The mysterious obelisk was unlike anything else here in this dreadful place. With any luck, it’d be their way out.
The fighting was a nuisance, but in a strange way… Avehi welcomed it. Each foray taught her something new about the Mawsworn. The winged ones, the ghost-like casters, even the ones she could’ve sworn were mere suits of armor enchanted to move on their own. She was assessing them all, in potency and fighting style. And that assessment was yielding good information that she and her compatriots would need to stand a chance against them.
In addition to that, she wasn’t quite ready to leave. Not wholly, in any case. Certainly, she didn’t want to spend a second longer than was necessary down here, but… she hoped Raetos would show up sooner or later. A small sentimental part of her wished it so, turning her eyes to distant ledges to look for a flicker of brightness in the desolace of the Maw.
“Damned fool… where is he?” she muttered to herself.
(( Co-written with @darkestfable . @argonas / @avehi-the-adamant / @thefugitivemango , @codegemini , @sylaess for chatacter mention))
~*~*~
Landing in The Maw was more of a bang than a whimper. Fable’s soul had been torn apart between worlds, searing pain and deafening screams pulling him apart until he hit soil with an unceremonious thud. The blood hunter’s body should have been broken from the impact, but as the dust settled around him Fable realized that he was...alive? No, not alive, but not resting.
His ears rang, his head was foggy. As if every system was restarting from the ground up. The high pitched ring was subsiding, being replaced with the growls of distant thunder. The sound rumbled deep in his body before it faded away. Ash blew around his body from the constant wind, a dull roar that he could now make out between the bellows of unseen storms. A louder noise reached Fable’s senses now, and at first he thought that it must be higher winds. They wailed and moaned, echoing with metallic screams before fading. It wasn’t until the hunter opened his eyes and sat up that he realized what the sound actually was.
Souls were crying out, their wordless pleas echoing across a landscape that was far from barren. The sound was horrendous, heart wrenching. In the distance, Fable could make out what he assumed was a river with at least one bridge that crossed over. It would be a rough trek, but the jagged stone that shot up from the ground all over the landscape would make for ample cover.
Dirt crunched and plumed out from each step, a dim sound in comparison to the constant suffering all around him. The closer Fable got to the bridge, the more clearly he could see that it wasn’t a river of water at all. The mist did little to hide the floating shapes that flowed downstream, and now their screams were even louder.
They were anguished souls, cursed to the river by whatever had upset the balance.
“Fuck…” Fable muttered, pressing his back against a large, sharp stone. He couldn’t do this alone.
~*~*~
Raetos wasn’t certain how long it had been since he’d separated from Avehi and the rest of the group. He felt guilty for sneaking off after she’d helped smuggle him into the Maw, but in his growing frustration, he’d been worried any words shared would have left them parting on angry terms. Avehi was determined to help Argonas and Sylaess find Sinafay, pushing Fable’s rescue as a secondary goal. Raetos couldn’t have that. He knew Sinafay and Fable wouldn’t be in the same place, and waiting around to rescue his lover was absolutely unacceptable. Especially now that he witnessed the Maw and it’s horrors for himself.
Finding Fable had initially seemed like an impossible trek, given the Draenei had no idea where to start looking. The moment he’d spotted the shade hounds, however, he knew what to do. He watched them with their rider, hunting down wayward spirits. He wasn’t certain if they could track specific spirits, but it was his best shot. With all the commotion caused by the Ebon Blade, Raetos found himself able to move about easily enough.
That is, until the distance between them became too great. Sneaking around was nearly impossible now. Despite his best efforts to remain unseen, the denizens seemed to detect him the moment he’d step into their vicinity. He already held a number of bruises and minor cuts from a few encounters. As it was, he couldn’t go much further alone.
He perched on top of a stone cliff, preparing to jump down onto the hound’s back. A leap of faith… that is, until a dark, winged form swooped in and grabbed him by the throat. It flew upwards, lifting him up into the air with a surprising amount of strength. The Lightforged reacted quickly. He didn’t have time to get carried off to who knows where. One hand gripped the dark angel’s wrist while the other came up to shoot a beam of Light energy into its eyes. The figure screeched as it was blinded, giving Raetos the opportunity to grab his sword and stab it into the creature’s wing. He gasped as he was released and plummeted down. Light! He hadn’t thought that part through!
Again, he lost his breath, this time, from the impact of hitting the ground, feeling ribs, and even his crest, crack on impact. Blue blood oozed out from the wound, and also on various scrapes across his face and body from the landing.
He hissed, gritting his teeth as he forced himself up. To say he was in a lot of pain was an understatement, but adrenaline still courses through him, giving him the push he needed. A good thing, too! His hand had barely taken hold of the hilt of his sword before he heard a howl and looked up ahead of where he lay. The shade hound and rider he’d been stalking were now charging straight at him.
~*~*~
In his slow advancement around the inhospitable land, Fable had heard hounds howling in the distance. It hadn’t been until he looked down on them from a cliff that he’d seen one of the shade hounds chasing what looked like a member of the Ebon Blade, but...glowing? There wasn’t enough time to process whatever it was, but Fable decided to act anyway. He still remembered how to fist fight.
With the rider hanging back a bit to let the hound bite their quarry, Fable made his way around behind them as silent as he could. He’d be dead(again) if a weapon was swung his way, but it could be worse, right? The blood hunter waited quietly until the rider raised his weapon to take aim, and waited until his attention was occupied.
Fable lept on the hunter’s back and wrapped one arm around the man’s neck, the other at the top of his head. A quick twist should do it, and it would show him just how human or undead these soldiers of the Jailer were. The creature clad in armor simply crumpled from the surprise attack, and the elf went down with him, landing on top of the heap. The metal bit into his skin, but his attention snapped to the Ebon Blade soldier and the hound.
It wasn’t long before some of the Ebon soldier’s more particular traits gave off his identity. Raetos had shed the heavier plate armor, but still wore the dark colors and tabard of the Ebon Blade. Even so, with the gold plated tail and hooves, long blonde hair and signature sword, marked him otherwise.
Unfortunately for the Lightforged, he’d barely had time to get up and run before the hound was on him, pinning him down and snapping its jaws down around his forearm.
“Hey hey! Don’t be rude!” He growled.
But as suddenly as the hound was on him, it froze. Thankfully for Raetos, killing the hunter, severed the connection to the hound. Raetos blinked, confused as he was released and the creature backed off and just… stood there.
“Uuuh, good boy?”
He winced as he got up, hand clutching his side as he looked over towards the hunter’s body. He gasped, eyes wide as he just stared at Fable for a moment.
“Hey… no fair,” he grinned wide, though his eyes watered as a flood of emotions overtook him, “-I’m- supposed to be the heroic figure here.”
Realization flooded Fable at once, and he felt his own eyes well up with relief. The hunter was sure he was imagining the gold, and he’d seen Ebon Blade members with blonde hair. But not that shade of blue. Not accented by gold and glowing with the Light. His breath hitched when he saw that grin. It was like falling for the man all over again.
“You are, love. You are,” his voice shook as he stepped over the crumpled hunter, closing the distance between him and Raetos with a swift stride.
He could tell that his lover was bleeding, hurt. For the moment, it didn’t matter. Fable reached his arms up around Raetos’ neck and pulled him down for a desperate kiss. Guilt chewed at the back of his mind, and just the memory of where he was stabbed was enough to make the mark feel like it was on fire. But none of that mattered right now, he had his lover back!
“Sorry I died, love. It uh...wasn’t supposed t’ happen that way. I jus’... You kept your promise, ‘n I fucked up.”
Raetos choked out a sob as he wrapped his arms around Fable. Physically, it hurt like hell due to his injuries, but the relief of having his mate back in his arms pushed it all into the back of his mind.
“Shhh,” he managed, burying his face into his lover’s hair, “It’s okay… it’s okay. I’m here… and I’m not leaving without you.”
For a moment he just lingered in the embrace; in that sweet moment of reunion, before he released his grip slightly, happy tears rolled down his cheeks as he cupped Fable’s face in his hands to just stare at it. He’d missed those blue eyes, that nose, his lips. Lips he couldn’t help but claim again with his own.
His words were swallowed up in the kiss, and for a moment their reunion was the only real thing in the world. Fable carefully pressed against Raetos as he kissed him, hands gripping at the poorly fitted armor. The blue blood from his lover's wounds wet his hands, and that was what brought him back to reality.
"I wanna keep kissin' you, but we gotta get outta here. I uh...ain't got a clue what's what. Please say you got a plan," Fable looked around, expecting another hunter.
Raetos couldn’t help but give a bit of a pout as the kiss was broken. It seemed he had completely forgotten where they were for a moment. Fable’s words were enough to snap him out of his trance.
“—Oh! Uh… yeah! Totally,” he nodded, “I mean… sort of?”
He hadn’t exactly planned further than getting into the Maw and finding his mate. Now that he’d achieved that, he had to play it by ear. He sheepishly brought a hand up to rub the back of his neck.
“We weren’t too sure what to expect. Came down here with Avehi, Argonas and another one of those deader knights. Syl… something… Anyway, they were— Ow…”
He winced as he leaned over to take his sword. With the moment of euphoria passed, the pain from his wounds became more and more evident. They had to get back to the others soon, so that he could treat them.
With Fable’s hand in his, and his sword in the other at the ready, he led them up a steep slope, towards higher ground.
“Anyway… they were going to find Argo’s wife, Sinafay. She’s been here a long time, I guess, so they needed to get to her fast. I split off to come find you,” he glanced over his shoulder, offering Fable a smile, before moving on to a more dreaded yet important subject, “Hey so… what happened? Any idea who did this to you? Gotta hunt them down and destroy that dagger they used on you. Some cult ritual artifact bullshit, I guess. Only way to get you back to your body on Azeroth is to destroy the weapon that killed you.”
Adrenaline was fading, and Fable could feel his own body aching in kind. So much travelling and skulking about had left his thighs exhausted. He paused at the top of the slope when Raetos started talking, and the hunter’s ears pinned back at the question. It wasn’t a look his lover had ever seen on his face, because it wasn’t one he wore often.
Shame.
The elf cleared his throat, trying to choose his words. Were it anyone else, Fable would simply try to deflect and turn the conversation on whoever these Argo and Sinafay people were. And Syl. All names he wasn’t familiar with, not really. No faces to put to them. His cheeks burned under the dark skin. Raetos could feel the tension in Fable’s hand as it rested in the larger man’s grip.
“I was doin’ a dig t’ kill time ‘n this lady showed up. She uh… I dunno what happened but she jus’ got into my head ‘n I couldn’t stop. Raetos I… I was gonna do it. Her. If she didn’t stab me…” his gaze was on the ground. Fable wouldn’t meet his lover’s gaze.
Raetos’ brow knit into a frown, at first, in confusion. His head tilted slightly to the side, as it often did whenever he was trying to figure something out. It felt like his head was in a fog. He had to replay those words in his head a few times. Then he thought maybe they didn’t mean what he thought it did. Or maybe the wailing wind distorted the words? No. Fable’s expression confirmed it well enough.
“...Oh…”
It was all he could think of as a reply. For once, he wasn’t quite certain what to say. He wasn’t angry… that much he knew. He and Fable hadn’t exactly determined boundaries, even after Raetos himself had almost done the same thing with Avehi. He felt hurt, to be certain, like a sharp pain in his chest, but his lover looked guilty enough, he didn’t want to express it and make him feel worse.
“Hey,” his hand squeezed the Blood Hunter’s, “We’ll get through it, okay? Together.”
He offered a smile, showing he meant the words he’d spoken. Fable obviously regretted what he’d done, and not only because it ended up getting him killed. Raetos wasn’t the particularly jealous type, but he couldn’t pretend the thought of his mate lying with another person on his own didn’t bother him.
“If you think this makes me love you any less, you can kick that thought from your head. I’m not going anywhere… Afraid you’re stuck with me, Love. You know… as long as you’ll have me.”
Fable felt tears well up again, his voice catching in his throat as he reached up to wipe at his eyes. It left streaks of dirt on his face, and didn’t hide the emotions that had bubbled over. All the hunter could do was sniffle and squeeze Raetos’ hand.
“I don’t deserve you,” he managed to say, wiping at the tears.
“Don’t say that,” The Draenei’s voice shook as he pulled his mate in for another tight hug. He was feeling rather light headed, and his legs felt weak, so he kneeled down, making it easier to hold the elf close. A hand came up to brush through Fable’s hair as he buried his face in his lover’s neck.
He was well aware that they had to keep moving. The trail of blue blood would be picked up sooner rather than later. But he was so tired…
Avehi led the trio to a small cave. The term was a generous one; it was a hole in the cliff facing, hardly noticeable from the outside. Avehi only found it thanks to a subtle rune placed over the entrance. Not by her hand, but that of a friend. She peered inside, and once it was determined to be safe, only then did the Draenei lower her guard.
Argonas brought up the rear; his hulking mortal form only barely able to slip inside the cave– and not without a bit of scraping. Still, he managed inside without drawing too much attention to himself or the cave overall. He loitered by the entrance, not keen on delving too deep in the cloistered space. Keeping watch was as good an excuse as any. He exhaled slow, even breaths to suppress his phobia. Few things gave him anxiety like rightly enclosed spaces. But he set that aside, out of necessity.
(( Co-written with @thefugitivemango / @argonas / @avehi-the-adamant ))
~*~*~
Sinafay kept her head low, hair hiding her features as her tormentor floated away, seeming satisfied with his work. Her ghostly form still trembled from the inflicted pain, but her concealed expression was that of a defiant grin. It took a moment for her head to clear, but once it did, she brought her head back up and peered around.
One was never really alone in the Tremaculum. There were plenty of sentries and tormentors about. For now, none were watching her. Prisoners were never really active after torture sessions. Even now, Sinafay knew she didn’t have the energy to do much. But she had enough for what she needed.
Glancing down to her side, her tail came into view. The end was curled up tightly, one would assume, out of pain. But there was another reason for it. It had been busy during her session, when her torturer had been deep in concentration. Slowly, it uncurled just enough to reveal a key. Her smile widened.
Her tail’s movements remained slow, as she kept her head low, peeking through her hair to make certain she wasn’t being watched. It took some time, but eventually, it managed to unlock the shackles holding her wrists, before tucking the key away, out of sight.
For now, she kept the unlocked shackles on. She didn’t have the energy to attempt an escape… not yet, anyway. So she waited, either until she regained her strength or until a distraction broke out. Whichever would come first.
Every single Knight of Acherus could hear that call, knew that call. It wasn’t one you fucked around with.
They stood in ranks, watching the portal open. Waiting. Somehow, they were going to help. The icy winds atop Icecrown snatched at cloaks and fur-trimmed armor alike. Stole the wispy breath of the living and tossed it to the glacier beyond. A very solemn time.
A very anxious time.
They filed through. Rank by rank.
It took forever, in Sylaess’s humble opinion. All for a bloody portal. To the deadlands. Shadowlands. Syl hated portals. They always fucked her up. She cut a glance to see if she could spot Avehi one more time. Had tried to get into formation with her, but who knew if they were still near each other? There had been so much shuffling about.
The rank before her moved up. Started popping through, one by one. So the rumors were true, then. Bolvar had had his ass handed to him by Sylvannas. And then she messed everything up. Again. Sylaess was careful to keep herself still, steady, and cool. At least outwardly. It was tiresome. But she did an excellent job of that mask.
Sigh.
Syl stepped forward unthinkingly. Just muscle memory in the line, headed into the portal. The less she thought of the insanity she was about to partake in, the easier it got.
That was a bold-faced lie, but she was grasping every thin thread to keep herself from launching off the side of Icecrown instead of into the afterlife. Both options sucked, to be fair.
Took a breath, hands on her swords hilts like they were a lifeline. Stepped through the blue-black mass of magic that would lead her to the exact place she’d been avoiding all these damned years. Literally.
The Amethyst symbolizes courage, clarity, and quick wit.
Flower: Violet
The violet represents loyalty and faithfulness.
~*~*~
Raetos ( @raetos ) and Fable ( @darkestfable ) are rather new as a couple, but that relationship has already been tested. Fable has shown courage in the face of his fears; taking a chance at a loving relationship in what was supposed to be a simple fling. Raetos, on his part, is as loyal and faithful as they come, going as far as facing the Maw to rescue his lover’s soul.
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Drop me a character name and I’ll reveal my muse’s heart…
💔 Non-existent
💗 Very low
💗💗 A little
💗💗💗 Hopeful
💗💗💗💗 High
💗💗💗💗💗 Maximum
Dahlyah Grimshatter
VISUAL ATTRACTIVENESS: 💗💗
“Oh, she’s cute as fuck. Has a smile that lights up the room. Dwarves aren’t exactly my type, but she’s got an allure to her. She’s got really nice boobs, too. That helps. Oh! And the freckles! Freckles everywhere!”
FRIENDSHIP LEVEL: 💗💗💗
“She’s a good friend. I trust her... even though she stole from me a couple of times. I mean... she didn’t see it as stealing but... it was kind of stealing. Anyway. I trust her to have my back on the field. Handles her riffle well! Plus, she comes with benefits so... hen”
SEXUAL DESIRE: 💗💗💗
“I mean, yeah. I’d do her again as long as Fable’s in the mix. She’s hot stuff! Literally. Like... her body temperature is hella high! Was a surprise the first time I was with her. Not -too- hot, thankfully. Again though, she’s a Dwarf, so... can’t exactly fit in all the way. And a bit on the short side... though when you think about it, that makes her a good height for other fun stuff. Hehe...”
ROMANTIC INTENT: 💔
“Nah, I can’t see it happening. At all. Even if I was single, I can’t see it working out. I enjoy spending time with her, and like her as a friend, but no. No romantic feelings at all there. Plus, I don’t even think she’s looking for that sort of thing, if memory serves me right.”
