(14) Freedom

Fog swirled on the road leading up to the old Keep, the steady clop of Wraithsong's hooves echoing in the darkness. A howl broke the silence, and her demonic steed snorted ashen smoke in alarm. Pausing to look backward, the road behind Annaliese only met her with more silence, the howl fading in the night. Snapping the reins, she made her steed bolt up the narrow path that lead to Arugal's haven, wondering if any had answered her plea earlier in the week. A line of fiery hooves gleamed through the fog however, and her heart was satisfied as she came across the bridge to find most of her family waiting there for her. Keruptis, Knath, Serenah, Aislin, even Melicity had shown, though it had been no secret that Anna still had this one's respect to earn.

"Thank you all for coming tonight," she spoke softly, smiling warmly at the group of her closest comrades. "I hope to put an end to him tonight, finally."

"Of course we weah gonna be heah, sugah!" Serenah barked incredulously in her honeyed voice. "No way we gonna let you take 'im on yohself!"

"As requested, Milady Annaliese," came Griffonclaw's voice by surprise. His heavy armor creaked as he bowed low before her, but Keruptis' eyes narrowed within his dark hood as he spied the paladin. "You have my word as a Knight: I am soley here to aid you tonight. As long as your Dark Lord holds his end of the bargain…"

Keruptis nearly gritted the answer between his teeth, coiling the reins of his steed in with sharp, talon-like fingers.

"You have my word. I am here to protect my own. Let us proceed inside, Annaliese."

Inside, the Keep was turned into little more than a slaughter. Efficiently, the group wiped the place of the savage Worgen, bodies falling in heaps at the onslaught. Arugal avoided confrontation this night amongst the interlopers--one wondered if he burned with fury to see his creations destroyed from a safe place…or bided his time in a secretive haven, amused. Anna weighed the idea of Bastion having compensated the dark wizard for his assistance, with the promise of a few new souls.

If so, now looking upon his wasted keep, he must have felt the pangs of betrayal by the necromancer sink in so deep…so deep…

The bodies piled on, fur and fang decimated thoughtlessly. For her, in any case…her real enemy waited, everything else that threw itself in her way was met with a focused spell, her hatred reflected in each wisp of fire, thoughts as dark as the shadow she let fly from her fingertips. Bastion had always brought out the worst in her, made the power within her quake with hate. Perhaps this is what he wanted, all this time. She decided, as they rounded the corner of Arugal's platform, that she could care less.

He stood there, at the top of the destroyed stairs, smug as ever, simply watching.

"Ah, you brought friends, my dear. How very thoughtful of you," Bastion laughed, his chuckle growing louder as he counted each head pointedly with his finger. "Now, if you'll just sit tight there, I'll get the tea kettle started…"

At this moment, the madman rolled with laughter in the faces of a none too thrilled audience. "…crumpets…then?"

Words passed between the Scions, by no manner a peaceful agreement was reached. Bastion crooned and carried on about destiny, dwelling on his twisted magics, and his creations. Annaliese nearly toppled over when Keruptis himself offered a place for Bastion among the Scions. The man laughed--enough to bring a man to tears, which infuriated the Dark Lord.

"Kill him. He can be of no use to us," Keruptis ordered from beneath his shadowy cowl. As Anna turned to face a bloodthirsty crowd, Bastion reached around her waist, like quicksilver, ensnaring her in his arms.

The knife point glided along the curve of Anna's throat. Bastion scraped the blade against the skin simply to see her blood smear the mirrored edge. She winced in reply, trying to remain still. The other's edged closer, but froze in place as Bastion dragged his hostage back against the wall, both demons following his silent command.

"I believe we are at an impasse…" he snarled, his grin wide, wicked as the blade's edge against her throat.

"Let her go…" Knath managed, closer than the others, but just as wary.

"Give me a reason why. She was mine to begin with. I create her…I can unmake her, just to create her again," he said in a silky tone, his cheek pressed against the exposed neck, as if nuzzling a lover. He entangled his fingers tighter in her hair, enjoying her whimper as he pulled at her scalp. "Just a little rip of the soul…flesh is a prison…"

In a brave moment, Knath shot forward and rammed his elbow into the necromancer's throat, the three toppling over each other in a heap. A cackle rose from the heap of bodies, and Anna rolled away, wiping at the smear of blood at her neck with a gasp.

"Die…slow…ly…" Knath grunted, his fingers taught around the flailing man's neck, suffocating him, no matter how Bastion clawed. Slowly, he did die, the last breath of life rasped from the crazed smile on his lips.

Knath stumbled on his knees, and fell over, the woman he loved rushing to his side. She gasped softly as she turned him over in her arms--the silvered letter opener was lodged in his chest, deep, blood gushing down the front of his robes.

"You saved me…" she sighed softly, the other Scions moving forward around them. He held his hand up as the paladin Griffonclaw came near, offering healing.

"You cannot afford to bleed out more, sirrah. Let me at least seal the wound."

"No, no, I suspect I can die a happy man, in the arms of the woman I love," Knath replied with a smug grin, brushing a curl of her hair away with his bloodied fingers.

"Nonsense now…you…you let him heal you…" she replied softly, beckoning Griffonclaw closer. The paladin looked between the pair and sighed .

"Only if one agrees to be my bride…" Knath spoke, a glimmering ring set in the middle of his trembling hand. Anna looked between the ring and the wound and frowned.

"Knath…you're being silly…get healed, you have to live…"

"Ah, Anna. Don't you understand, my gem? My life…would be nothing without you, not worth living. So wear it…" he spoke, leaning in closer to continue. The blood flooding his lungs made his shallow voice gurgle as he whispered.

"Or condemn yourself to being the reason for my death!"

Knath grinned as Anna hastily swiped the ring from his hand and wedged it onto her own finger, the same hand on which she wore the Scion's ring. She rose slowly to her feet as his head fell back, the wound bringing him to unconsciousness. As some of the Scions came to carry her soon-to-be husband out, many of them congratulated her. Plans circulated of a Scion wedding already, and yet, Annaliese felt as if she were being ushered into something she wasn't so sure of. Uncertainties were for the weak, however, as she had been taught, and perhaps such a step in her life was needed. She watched most of the Scions leave, including their dark leader, content with the night's events. Slowly, she meandered to the still carcass of her tormenter, his manic smile still planted across his face, neck resembling a swollen eggplant. Silently, she made her peace in that moment, thanking the body for her own freedom. Her heart grew lighter in realization of this, of what his prodigy might accomplish on her own, now that this life, was officially, her own.

Aislin's bloodcurdling scream rang out, piercing the peaceful silence that once held presence in Arugal's tower. The woman toppled to the cement stair, clutching at herself frantically. She tore at the pinned up bun of black hair in pain, as if trying to relieve herself of some burning wound within her head. Annaliese rushed to her side, but was met with twin, blazing blue eyes of anger, a feeling that the obedient slave girl rarely conveyed.

"A…Annaliese! You wretch! You've condemned me to death!!!" she spat out heatedly, her silken hair, like raven's feathers, pooling around her blanched face. The look of hatred was quickly overtaken by tears in Aislin's blue eyes. Anna could only shake her head frantically, reaching out for her Sister. The woman flinched, as if her very touch might sear her skin.

"Y…you…the curse…how could you…?" Aislin choked out before she convulsed in pain again. She twitched and writhed as if someone were poking at her tender body with an invisible brand.

"I…what have I done?! Tell me…!" Anna tried softly to argue. Melicity pushed her out of the way violently, and took the tormented woman into her arms, carrying her from the place.

"…betrayer…" Aislin whispered as she blacked out in the Prytanis' arms.

"We'll get to the bottom of this, Hegemon," Melicity said calmly, though her face was contorted with rage. The remaining Scions took hold of Annaliese firmly, leading the baffled Sister away, just behind the Prytanis. "We ought to have let him kill you. More trouble than your worth, "Sister"."

In her confusion, Annaliese began to feel the chance for life already slip from her feeble hands.