'Suramar, our haven, our sanctuary, our prison.'
He was tall for his age, yet he'd barely lived past his thirties if I had to guess. Young for our people, though I'd seen Elisande and her court do far worse to even younger especially in recent years. His fingers slid along the stone plaque at his side. Words depicting the Frozen Friends exhibit within the menagerie. Despite his fingers sliding along the magically etched Shalassian, he wasn't reading it at all. He could care less what it said. He already looked far better than he had when I found him. At least he had some color in his skin once more and didn't appear to be just skin and bones. In no time he'd flesh out and make a fine dancer on the Lure's stage. Nathanris was one of the lucky ones, if you dare call such a life lucky.
Sivandris, the tycoon himself stood at his side perfectly poised. Not a flaw nor blemish on the lord. Though his features could be described as delicate, there would be no mistaking he was a man who moved with the fluid grace of a dancer. Appearing cruel or indifferent at times, he showed more mercy than other lords and masters of the city. Though make no mistake, he had no qualms giving me orders to do what others would find heartless, vile and detestable. Despite that, he kept himself rather guarded on his true feelings about a great number of things. He'd learned to act with caution in all circumstances despite how dodgy his scheming could be, his higher goals were not what one might expect from such a cold and calculating character. He was an elf I'd grown to respect, a sentiment I had never held for the upper class till I'd met him.
Holding his glass of arcwine, Lord Lumenstone offered the other to the much younger elf like it was nothing. Clearly his status had kept him from ever wanting or needing like the younger one he now kept under his wing. A fact that young Nathanris hadn't missed in the least as he cautiously took the gracious offering while they discussed his future.
How many had they saved by now, securing a safe haven for many, even those of the resistance under the guise of the illustrious Starcaller Lure. With every new dancer he brought in, more security would be needed. It wasn't a matter of if they could afford it, it was a matter of running out of good elves he could trust. He'd already called in the last of the elite forces he'd found still alive after all these years and had employed them among the Lumenstone's personal guard. And with Elisande's forces constantly at their door, this was a very dangerous game that he continued to play.
I watched as Nathanris shook his hand, it seemed we acquired a new dancer for our stage and as an added bonus, one who liked to cook. I listened as Lord Lumenstone promised him the safety and security that he deserved. Both looked to me at the mention of protection, I'd offer them a nod. I'd assign one of my personal detail to him when we returned back at the Lure, I already had someone in mind to get the kid acquainted and set up. I couldn't afford him getting attached to me. I understood how victims held their savior complex with the one who got them out of the mess they were in, especially one as bad as his. But I wasn't a savior anymore than I was a good guy. I was just the necessary guy.
“Mr. Stone, they tell me you like to be called thus yes?”
He was part of the aristocracy of Suramar, in recent years he’d become an elf of exceptional wealth, power and influence thus a thorn in many of their sides among the courts. I had a vague notion why he summoned me here. This tycoon wanted someone dead.
“Speaking.” It was all the more confirmation he needed.
“Just as short spoken as promised too, how delightful.” He purred with a certain eloquence that I was not overly fond of. Typical for those higher up. “Allow me to make this short then for you, I’ve use for an elf of your ‘talents’ and I would like you to fight for me in an honor duel.”
It wasn’t the first time I’d witnessed Tal’ashar among the courts, nor the first time I’d seen someone of my family asked to be a champion. The question was… did he know? I didn’t give an inch as to what I was thinking, just stared at him in silent thought.
“I know you’ve been laying low for some time now Mr. Stone, and while I respect your reasoning I believe it’s time for you to stop wasting your talents with petty thieves and corrupted officials. When you win this duel for me, I will offer you a contract you can’t refuse to further aid me and those I seek to protect.”
I still said nothing, just narrowed my eyes a bit more. Where was he getting his intel, or was he that overly confident? I just wasn’t buying it, I was missing something.
“I assure you Mr. Stone, I am quite serious about this and will happily explain what I envision and seek to build but first I must make a grand statement that I am not an elf to be trifled with. And to do that, I need not just any champion. I need you.” He said firmly as he gave a nod to the guardsman at the back door.
The door opened far behind me, but I didn’t have to turn to look, I knew the moment I heard his voice. “Well hey there kid…” A voice I hadn’t heard since since the Filandau state fell. For a Shal’dorei, he’d been hit with the ugly stick one too many times course considering what our former lord had done to him I don’t think many could have recovered from it the way he had. I stared at lord before me now as he was studying my every reaction, I gave him none.
“What, pretendin’ ya don’ know who I am? Ch’... whatever.” Jaques threw up his arms then crossed them as he leaned into the doorway of the door the guardsman still held open. “Look the guy’s got a good gig, pays better than tha’ shit ya been doin’ lately too. I wouldn’ have outed ya if I didn’ believe tha’. Last thing I need is ya huntin’ my ass next.” The sound of his voice still made my skin crawl.
The tycoon stared right at me with those eyes of his and in those moments I saw something other than arrogance. Whatever it was, this elf was driven by something other than wealth and greed. I didn’t know what it was, but it he had a steadfast determination in him that did peak my interest. It was only a glimmer of a moment but he let me see in that cool calm gaze of his far more than what any words would have told me. “I need you to be my champion, but what I need more is for you to make my statement for me loud and clear. Do not toy with them Mr. Stone. I need this fast, efficient, and very clear who champions for me now.” Whatever he was planning, he was banking everything on the scare tactics my lineage could provide. I didn’t know why yet… but if Jaques was here he knew all he needed to know about me and what I was capable of.
“If I agree, our contract will conclude the moment the rite is completed.”
“It will, if you so choose. I will waste no more of your time. Though I would ask only that you hear me out after and what I would like to further propose to you before you go.”
I was well aware that this could mean my death, but I was just as equally confident it would not be me who lost the dual as Lord Lumenstone was that I’d win. He wanted a statement made to strike fear in the court who sought to get in his way, that much was clear. What wasn’t clear was what they were trying to stop him from doing. I knew too little, only that Sivandris’s rise to
power had been exceptional enough to draw unwanted attention. But what on Azeroth could catch Jaques’s attention enough to bring him here? And just how desperate was this lord to want him?
“I accept.”
~~~~~~~~
The Sanctum of Order was well guarded, I’d been here before many times in my youth but I’d avoided its walls and towers for a time. I stood at the very top of the Sanctum fully armed and across from the champion that had been chosen across from me. I knew his face though I doubted they recognized me as I had mine covered beneath the mask I wore these days. I dealt with too many poison powders and had enough things flung in my face to teach me a viable lesson to protect my senses. It was only a plus that it also covered my face and gave me the advantage of not being easy to track. Each respected Lord sat above us on opposing sides, their champions below in the fighting arena. Spectators of the courts were there to witness and watch as well and from the amount of eyes that sought to watch this battle, I knew exactly why I was asked to be here. I knew these eyes, knew these faces. All of them had been entertained by Lord Filandau for years prior to his death and thus many of them knew well of my own lineage. But none had recognized me, not yet.
“I will wrestle your title from your Champion’s lifeless hands Sivandris!” The rival called out across the way, giving the signal for her champion to begin. Sivandris just sat there in his chair with his fingers steepled and a pleasant smile on his face as he watched, not giving them an inch to see a drop of fear or worry within him. Some thought it was arrogance, but it still was not at all the case, not with him.
The Shal’dorei’s champion was very well known for their ability to weave magic. Not many caught in their runes or arcane storms lived to tell about it. The moment he raised his hands and started to weave his runes as they lit up along the ground around him, I took hold of my two blades I’d dipped in poison earlier. I was told to make this fast, not to toy with them which I never did unless ordered. I never liked to toy with people, period. But I knew what he wanted exactly, and he had been willing to pay me a large enough sum to do it. So be it.
Channeling the arcane wards a fountain of arcane energy began spiraling up around him as blades of arcane were thrown at me as more showered around us. I ran straight into that font of power he was channeling and I could see it. I could see exactly where the energies were weakest as I activated the runes beneath my armor and gripped my blades tight. With a powerful blow I sliced at what looked to onlookers to be at nothing but the power. I didn’t slice at him. The moment the blades hit their mark his spell was broken, destroyed as arcane bouts fluttered out of existence like mere magic clouds dissipating.
It stunned him, frustrated him to be more exact so he began weaving a new spell as he activated his rune only to realize it had no effect on me. I was walking now, blades still gripped and watching his every move. He was banking on the reassurance his rune would stop me from closing the distance, it didn’t. He roared out in frustration and raised his own long blade high! I took the full brunt of the force of that magic blade as it hit my own and held it there above us. Our arms were both shaking and the moment my blade made contact with his the magic of his blade was snuffed out. Again he roared out in frustrated confusion before he even realized the other blade I had shanked him with. He instantly shoved back and staggered off me holding his wound. But in desperation he summoned his deadliest spell to his hands aimed right for me!
He was frozen in that position, eyes wide as he stared at me and the arcane within his body shimmering as every vein of his could be seen glowing through his starry skin. He trembled as if he realized in that moment what was happening as I stood there with both my blades in hand pointed towards him and decided to end it. The runes beneath my armor had spread tattoos along my body head to toe as they took on a dark black ink as if they’d always been there all along despite how the naked eye could not see them. With a twist of my wrists the blades followed the motion as I dealt him a final
blow. The blades did not pierce him nor cut him… they shattered him and every ounce of mana from his body.
He cried out as the magic shattered through his body and snuffed out, dropping him to the ground as he trembled and began to wither. In an instant he was reduced to the state of the Nightfallen cut off from the nourishment of the nightwell, but in his case the loss of the very essence all Nightborne needed to survive entirely shattered from his body had destroyed him. The courts watched as he withered and died before me, the same way a select few had seen before. It was the reason the Stoneblades were eradicated and why the house we served was so feared.
Sivandris Lumenstone had just risen above the rest in that moment as he slowly stood from his seat. There was silence, terror, fear as all looked on in horror at the Stoneblade who’d survived. I’d laid low for a thousand years… and more corruption than ever was seeping into our people’s way of life. He’d made a bold statement using me, yet I was not about to become the hound of another corrupt lord. I would hear him out after this. Thankfully, not all tycoons were made the same afterall.
@daily-writing-challenge
