Post by Bigeshu on Apr 26, 2009 11:49:18 GMT -5
"Champion, the light is beyond us, how can we mend wounds?"
It was a fair question, one that I've had to grapple with ever since I was reborn. The Holy Light is in reach for the living and those days are long gone to each of us. The young woman who asked me was attractive, as only one of her eyes had popped, while the other was a clear shade of green, perhaps of southern descent. I rolled my shoulders seeking a way to phrase the answer so it would not disgust her, at least not as much as the skull mask banner attached to my back sickened me.
"Although we cannot touch the light directly, we can reach it through others."
I could see the students questions in their faces, I waved away the chatter with an open palm and continued, giving Drake enough time to recollect his fallen jaw.
"The living, even if they do not believe, have goodness within and the shadow allows us to reach into their heart and coax that light forward for an effect or other. For the forsaken, we have to reach into their minds."
The young woman, what was her name..., raised her hand. I nodded.
"Isn't that theft?"
------------------
In the quiet of the Brill inn, I could clearly hear my squire, Dhur, approach waving the banner of Undercity. I didn't look up from my palms to register his presence. The young orc was clearly awkward and afraid of his surroundings, so I paid extra for the innkeep to clean this room and to prepare real food, things that didn't rot. I can't say if this was out of kindness or guilt, for one year ago, I tried to convince this same boy to kill himself to join my cult.
"Lord Danzy of the Un--"
"Yes."
"--dercity. I have a question."
Lovely...
I waved a hand inviting him to speak. I heard the boy step in front of me as he still held the banner above the ground. The boy was frank and his tone was admonishing.
"Why are you here?! You don't like it here."
We'd gone over this before, and I'm sure until the tournament ended we'd go over this several more times.
"I'm their champion. They need a hero and so..."
"Bull!"
That was new. He usually didn't interrupt me.
"Pardon?"
"You are not their hero, you are the hero of the orcs and Tauren. I know because Battlewail said so. She even said that you aren't crazy anymore and used your power to grow a jungle tree on Fray Island and..."
"Stop. Just stop."
He obeyed...if barely.
"I showed you the letter from the Thunder Bluff grand champ. I am not needed because they won't rob the horde of a hero."
"Fine! But why give us the butcher back!"
It was true. In my age I've learned to access the holy light through others, and the Shadow through my very own dark past as the Butcher. Damn Mortanus for bringing that up when I arrived. I'm surprised that Dhur didn't abandon me. I was desperately holding to the precipice of the Light, even as Shadowy tentacles drew me into my past..a past that felt good and oh so wrong, like a pie on a windowsill. Had I a jaw, I'd lick it at that image.
I looked back to Dhur.
"I only use the shadow to teach the new priests how to defend themselves and others. They should not have to suffer being at other's mercy like I did and..."
Dhur smirked then.
"Isn't that theft?"
I paused, he continued.
"Let them figure it out and come to their own conclusions. Maybe they'll even be like you or the Revered or..."
I stood up then. Dhur was getting too sharp. Even if he had a good point, I can only serve the Argent Crusade if they choose me to stand at the vanguard to Icecrown Citadel and I could only get that chance as Undercity's champion. As I left the room, leaving my squire to hang up the banner, I wondered if I could maintain my Light on this path.
-------------------
((Well, a short fiction I did literally just now, explaining Danzy's exaltation with Undercity, his involvement with the ARgent Crusade, and setting up a Shadow Spec!))
It was a fair question, one that I've had to grapple with ever since I was reborn. The Holy Light is in reach for the living and those days are long gone to each of us. The young woman who asked me was attractive, as only one of her eyes had popped, while the other was a clear shade of green, perhaps of southern descent. I rolled my shoulders seeking a way to phrase the answer so it would not disgust her, at least not as much as the skull mask banner attached to my back sickened me.
"Although we cannot touch the light directly, we can reach it through others."
I could see the students questions in their faces, I waved away the chatter with an open palm and continued, giving Drake enough time to recollect his fallen jaw.
"The living, even if they do not believe, have goodness within and the shadow allows us to reach into their heart and coax that light forward for an effect or other. For the forsaken, we have to reach into their minds."
The young woman, what was her name..., raised her hand. I nodded.
"Isn't that theft?"
------------------
In the quiet of the Brill inn, I could clearly hear my squire, Dhur, approach waving the banner of Undercity. I didn't look up from my palms to register his presence. The young orc was clearly awkward and afraid of his surroundings, so I paid extra for the innkeep to clean this room and to prepare real food, things that didn't rot. I can't say if this was out of kindness or guilt, for one year ago, I tried to convince this same boy to kill himself to join my cult.
"Lord Danzy of the Un--"
"Yes."
"--dercity. I have a question."
Lovely...
I waved a hand inviting him to speak. I heard the boy step in front of me as he still held the banner above the ground. The boy was frank and his tone was admonishing.
"Why are you here?! You don't like it here."
We'd gone over this before, and I'm sure until the tournament ended we'd go over this several more times.
"I'm their champion. They need a hero and so..."
"Bull!"
That was new. He usually didn't interrupt me.
"Pardon?"
"You are not their hero, you are the hero of the orcs and Tauren. I know because Battlewail said so. She even said that you aren't crazy anymore and used your power to grow a jungle tree on Fray Island and..."
"Stop. Just stop."
He obeyed...if barely.
"I showed you the letter from the Thunder Bluff grand champ. I am not needed because they won't rob the horde of a hero."
"Fine! But why give us the butcher back!"
It was true. In my age I've learned to access the holy light through others, and the Shadow through my very own dark past as the Butcher. Damn Mortanus for bringing that up when I arrived. I'm surprised that Dhur didn't abandon me. I was desperately holding to the precipice of the Light, even as Shadowy tentacles drew me into my past..a past that felt good and oh so wrong, like a pie on a windowsill. Had I a jaw, I'd lick it at that image.
I looked back to Dhur.
"I only use the shadow to teach the new priests how to defend themselves and others. They should not have to suffer being at other's mercy like I did and..."
Dhur smirked then.
"Isn't that theft?"
I paused, he continued.
"Let them figure it out and come to their own conclusions. Maybe they'll even be like you or the Revered or..."
I stood up then. Dhur was getting too sharp. Even if he had a good point, I can only serve the Argent Crusade if they choose me to stand at the vanguard to Icecrown Citadel and I could only get that chance as Undercity's champion. As I left the room, leaving my squire to hang up the banner, I wondered if I could maintain my Light on this path.
-------------------
((Well, a short fiction I did literally just now, explaining Danzy's exaltation with Undercity, his involvement with the ARgent Crusade, and setting up a Shadow Spec!))