Doradrassil: Ah. Thank you for coming.

 

Naevis: Longshadow. Frostsong.

 

Aertemis fades in at her surname and nods.

 

Doradrassil: It's been a while.

 

Naevis: The world's been busy. As have I.

 

Naevis: As have you.

 

Doradrassil: Then I'll be brief.

 

Doradrassil: I have with me…

 

Doradrassil pats the satchel at her side.

 

Doradrassil: …a book that was taken from a warlock. It needs to be kept from her possession…but recent events suggest she is an actionable threat even without it.

 

Naevis inclines her head, more of an invitation to continue than anything else.

 

Doradrassil: Information suggests this book was part of the warlock's campaign to summon increasingly powerful demons, each bound to a "student" under her. She's working her way up a pecking order, in a sense.

 

Doradrassil: They managed to successfully bind a dreadlord, and my informant claims they were working on annihilans.

 

Aertemis: …That… is essentially what lead to the Burning Legion's beginnings here in the first place…

 

Naevis: What actions have been taken to neutralize this?

 

Doradrassil: A team of Stormwind guard has been investigating this warlock and her "school," located in Duskwood. A team of Templars of the Rose engaged her forces to retrieve a member who had once been a student.

 

Doradrassil: The member in question is the one who took the book from the warlock.

 

Doradrassil: Finding her has proven the challenge for them. A number of spells protect her person.

 

Doradrassil: One, a beautification spell that disguises her and charms those nearby. Two, a spell on her name so she knows when it is said or written.

 

Naevis holds her hand out for the book.

 

Doradrassil: Three, a shield over her school to prevent it from being detected unless the person has a written invitation.

 

Doradrassil removes a package from her satchel, wrapped tightly in what look like bandages, and sets it on the ledge. She carefully unwraps the bandages, revealing the book's cover to be made of flesh.

 

Naevis: …typical.

 

Doradrassil: …and the book itself contains wards. She would certainly know if it is opened. Traps are likely as well, of course.

 

Aertemis: …also typical.

 

Naevis: I'd imagine there were measures taken to prevent destroying the book, too.

 

Naevis barely suppresses a sigh.

 

Doradrassil: I'm sure.

 

Doradrassil: The student in question also informed our mutual friend that the warlock is likely to counter any magical measures, predictably. Therefore…a non-magical solution was recommended: us.

 

Naevis: Who's your contact in the Rose?

 

Aertemis: A high elf mage.

 

Naevis: Of course.

 

Doradrassil: Rann Dawnbringer — a high elf mage who took up residence in Darnassus for a brief time.

 

Naevis: Dawnbringer.

 

Doradrassil: Hm?

 

Naevis: Is there a current plan of attack?

 

Doradrassil: Essentially, setting a trap and using this book to trigger it.

 

Doradrassil: The warlock doesn't know its whereabouts, and needs it to continue her operation.

 

Naevis nods.

 

Doradrassil: But we suspect time is running out on the validity of that trap…

 

Doradrassil: …she could be close to duplicating this book by now.

 

Doradrassil: Essentially, opening it should bring her running.

 

Doradrassil: There is the matter of the school, too. A raid on the school could work.

 

Doradrassil: To dismantle her operation, would be the idea. Remove her other tomes.

 

Doradrassil: There are two invitations currently in Templar hands.

 

Naevis: Resources?

 

Aertemis: Her resources are an unknown, beyond the school.

 

Naevis nods.

 

Naevis: And yours?

 

Doradrassil: Idella Vanbelle — she knows the operation well, having been a part of it for four years…

 

Doradrassil: Zen Fateshifter — though he may be reluctant to work with Wardens — he has some engineering resources that are certainly non-magical. Although in my opinion, he is a goblin trapped in a night elf's body.

 

Naevis: Fateshifter.

 

Aertemis: Kageseji Sunsinger, who recieved one of the invitations.  There is a preference to keep the girl out of it.

 

Doradrassil: And the Templars themselves.

 

Naevis: And us.

 

Naevis: Well, Longshadow, what's our strategy?

 

Doradrassil: I was hoping you would have a preference…

 

Naevis: Oh, I do.

 

Naevis: This is your operation, however. You take point.

 

Doradrassil: Understood. I would prefer the trap with the book. So long as we don't make it obvious that it *is* a trap, it lets us fight her on our terms and knowing our surroundings.

 

Doradrassil: With substantially less chance of harm to innocents.

 

Naevis: Always preferable.

 

Naevis: What's our timeframe?

 

Doradrassil: Unfortunately…we haven't the foggiest. She could have duplicated the book by now, and no longer need this one. At best, we may have weeks.

 

Naevis: So sooner is better than later.

 

Doradrassil: Of course.

 

Naevis: I want you to choose a battlefield, and make certain you know all avenues of escape.

 

Doradrassil nods.

 

Doradrassil: …and make sure she can't use them.

 

Naevis nods.

 

Naevis: We'll sit down and plan this together.

 

Naevis: Good work, Longshadow.

 

Doradrassil: Thank you, ma'am.

 

Doradrassil: Will that be all?

 

Naevis: Unless you have any further need of me.

 

Doradrassil: Understood. Thank you.

 

Doradrassil salutes Naevis with respect. She begins to wrap up the book to put it away, then stows it carefully in her pack.

Author Rann
Published
Views 439
0

Comments

No Comments

Leave a Reply