They bought plenty of supplies the next morning, including armaments for both Taz’jani and Utaki. The weapon smith, a middle-aged and balding man regarded the group with guarded suspicion. At first, the group of travelers feared that he may not sell them his wares, however, the enticement of Kali’vas’ gold was too much for him to refuse.
Taz’jani ever practical chose a wickedly sharp double axe, she could hurl it with uncanny precision and explained that was how her people often hunted the great crustaceans and turtles on the wild shores of the hinterlands. While the elderly troll Utaki chose a simple gnarled staff. As he stated it would at least help his balance when he had to walk.
They made sure to leave Darkshire with bursting bags, and full bellies. They had no clue where the next friendly stop would be beyond this point, or if there even was one. As they left the town the scattered homes thinned out until there were no further signs of habitation. They then began to climb a very steep gradient that seemed to go on indefinitely, it was hard on their mounts. It was fortunate that they were fresh, but riding double-tested them.
They passed a gloomy, ornate wrought iron archway leading to a place called Beggars Haunt, Sasha had no idea why the location had earned this name. She decided she probably didn’t want to know either, there had to be some terrible story behind it she assumed. They stopped here on the road to rest a while and take a much-needed drink from their canteens. It was by now mid-morning, and still, the heavy fog and dampness pervaded.
At Beggars Haunt stood a ruined stone tower, bearing a tattered and weather-worn Alliance standard, and shortly beyond this sorry place the forest thinned and the standing trees were now leafless. Sasha was not sure if they were dead or simply dormant?
They had reached Deadwind Pass.
The pass narrowed, and the travelers were hemmed in by tall rock escarpments that towered over their heads blocking much of the light from above. If indeed there was any sunlight to be seen in this perpetually overcast place. The entirety of this zone was a dreary gray.
The party stopped momentarily as they sighted translucent, spirit apparitions on the roadway before them, at once drawing their weapons. Fortunately, these incorporeal beings were not aggressive only lost, sad spirits that could never find rest. Sasha hoped that her love was not among them and that she hadn’t embarked on a fool’s errand, and pulled all her dearest friends into something they could not handle.
Further, on there was a foreboding sign set beneath a tree, where hung the partially dismembered cadavers of three rotting unfortunates. Were they condemned criminals, or had they been attacked and lynched?
She and her companions looked at one another in silence. ‘Turn back’ the top plank of the hastily constructed signage warned. The one beneath it elaborated or rather lamented, ‘Abandon hope, all ye that enter here.’ Sasha shivered. Those poor souls! As she urged Frostfyre forward, wondering at her sanity for even daring to venture here.
Not long after that terrible sight, they came to a deep ravine. The party stopped before the natural stone bridge that spanned the gorge. The cliffs beneath the edifice plunged hundreds of feet below, and saline-looking waters filled the void between them.
“Do you think it’s safe to cross?” Erin cautioned, nervously peeking around her cousin’s shoulder to look at the naturally formed bridge.
“Probably best if we cross one at a time, though it seems solid enough.
It’s probably been this way for thousands of years.” Kali’vas answered her.
Sasha timorously urged Frostfyre forward, and the surefooted worg loped across the bridge confidently. Sasha felt Erin exhale a sigh of relief as they made the other side.
Arturias though fussed and squawked, the giant flightless hawkstrider fluttered his almost nonexistent wings and fought Kali’vas’ best efforts to persuade him to cross the span.
So the trolls went next, while the elf calmed his panicked mount. Taz’jani and Utaki elected to dismount and walk their beast across. The horse was old and not high-spirited, he blew through his nostrils with some alarm as he sensed the sheer drop off at either side, but with gentle persuasion, he decided to cross with very little fuss.
Kali’vas had in the meantime dismounted, and he rummaged through his satchel withdrawing an old sock which he promptly put over his mount's head.
“Well here goes nothing,” The blood elf said resignedly, as he led his errant hawkstrider across one careful step at a time. Once blinded the big bird followed his master obediently.
“That just goes to show what a birdbrain he is, I would not have walked across that blindfolded,” Kali’vas said exasperatedly as he made the other side.
Everyone laughed, a sound that was rather incongruous given their current surroundings.
“Damn, which way do we go?” Sasha said, for before them just beyond the span there were now two branching roads, one that wound to the left, and one that went straight on.
“Pity we don have a map.” Taz’jani said as she studied the two pathways before her. “Any idea Erin or Kali’vas? Ju guys probably have more of an idea than anyone.”
None of them really knew where to go, so after much discussion, they decided it was probably best to just continue on the wider more direct-looking path from the bridge. The road wound forever through the deep rock, with the topography all bearing the most dismal sameness. Eventually, the winding path began to descend.
“I think that’s the exit to Swamp of Sorrows,” Sasha said, pointing to the vague hint of olive greenery she could see down the left-branching roadway. “That’s very much Horde territory, we don’t want to end up there.”
Everyone agreed, so they continued on as the road again rose before them on a steep incline. They had not gone far before they all stopped, before them not too distant was a very savage bird of prey. A bird big enough to do them real damage, a fearsome sky shadow.
Sasha motioned for the party to stop and to be still and quiet. She pulled a barbed-tipped arrow from her quiver and loosed her bow from her saddle. She stood quietly before the others and stilled her mind, raising her bow and taking careful aim. The arrow sped forward with a whispering whoosh and hit the great bird surely in the chest, it uttered a last surprised squawk before it tumbled to the ground stone dead.
“Nice shot,” Kali’vas complimented.
Sasha smiled at him before going to retrieve her arrow from the dead creature's body.
“I will walk ahead and shoot whatever is in our path.” The huntress assured her friends. It seemed the appropriate course.
At the crest of the rise, Sasha was unexpectedly jumped by a feral night-bane, a creature that was essentially a werewolf. They were fast, vicious, and strong. A creature that could go into stealth, like the most expert of rogues. It was rumored one bite from this creature would transition you into one of their own kind. What was worse, there was no cure for this malady. Many stricken with this dilemma took their own lives, rather than live on an outcast from humanity.
Sasha recoiled in fright, momentarily forgetting her training, fortunately, Frostfyre came at once to her aid, the worg’s move so sudden it sent the unsuspecting Erin tumbling backward and onto the hard roadway. Fortunately, she was uninjured, just a little bruised. Taz’jani was already running forward axe in hand ready to make a throw at the rabid creature.
The night-bane growled and snapped its jaws, fortunately only closing on air. Frostfyre was already between her mistress and the attacker, ready to go in for the kill. Ice white fur bristling, teeth bared.
That honor though would go to Kali’vas, he leaped from his mount and let go a bolt of arcane damage, easily felling the creature. Sasha was still recoiling in shock, admonishing herself for not noticing the now very obvious tracks that littered the roadway before her sooner. She had been more interested in the skies, searching above for more sky shadows, or distractedly looking over at the deep drop-off that plunged hundreds of feet below.
The group collected themselves eager to be gone from this place. Invisible enemies were not something they wished to tangle with. None knew if the cliffs and caves about them held more night-bane. They needed to move on and swiftly.
The path continued to climb, and as they reached the apex of the steep hill where the road abruptly made a turn they sighted an encampment of ogres. They seemed to be busy with troubles of their own, so the party crept by undetected. Sasha had read a lot about ogres, and her father often told her stories about them, but after the stories about orcs had been disproved, she was not sure if she believed the human’s version of ogre lore either. They were in the majority reputed to be extremely dumb, but to the young woman's mind perhaps humankind just wanted to feel important.
“Oh no not again!” Kali’vas lamented as the party came around the corner to sight yet another narrow, natural bridge. Having to repeat the entire process of previous to get his hawkstrider to cooperate.
After the crossing, the path meandered for a time between the steep gray rock faces and the lifeless overhanging trees. Skyshadows were a constant threat. The trees began to thicken, and the knotted stumps looked as though they contained anguished faces that soundlessly cried out for help. Nothing about this place felt comforting. They pushed on in silence. Mostly the path was bathed in deep shadow, interspersed by an occasional wan patch of light. Here there grew thicker undergrowth, scruffy collections of dried grasses, and leafless brush. The road ended in a T junction, restless spirits wandered the path aimlessly.
“Damn it!” Kali’vas swore suddenly. “We’ve been wandering in circles. This is where we entered!”
Sasha realized he was right, the road ran in a great loop, and now they were merely on the opposing side of the span. Soon it would be dark and they needed to be somewhere safe. This oversight could have been prevented if only they had more knowledge of the region, but none of them had ever had the reason to research or travel to this accursed place.
They turned about somewhat demoralized, and headed back the way they had come, hopefully they could work out how to get within striking distance of the dread tower before nightfall. However, that was not to be when they at last realized their mistake. They would have to go through the camp of ogres to reach their destination.
Kali’vas sighed dejectedly as he peered at the roadway that ran right through the ogre camp, the others were silent.
Sasha slid down off Frostfyre’s back, her dark eyes scanning the ogre camp. “I guess there is nothing for it but to wait until nightfall. We can then try and sneak past them.”
I don’t fancy these roads at night,” Kali’vas answered, dread in his tone.
“Neither do I.” The night-bane attack still very fresh in Sasha’s mind. “Sadly I don’t think there is a better solution though.”
The others agreed with nods of their heads and concerned looks.
The group watched the ogre camp for some time from a respectful distance. It appeared the encampment had been overrun with dangerous Deadwind widow spiders, the many inhabitants were battling furiously with the infestation of the creatures.
“Why does it always have to be spiders,” Erin said screwing up her pretty face, she really didn’t like the creatures at all.
“Were be da women?”Taz’jani had to ask. It was after all a question on everyone's mind.
Kali’vas just smirked and shrugged.
“Not sure there are ogre women,” Erin ventured, “I mean there must be, but I have never heard of anyone sighting one.”
They pondered this conundrum as they sat and waited, as the darkness closed in all around them, the air laden with fog, and their clothing and hair felt damp as they began to shiver. The wind was rising and began to whistle loudly through the dead skeletal trees making them feel even colder.
Finally, the time had arrived to take their chance at passing unnoticed through the chaotic camp. There had been much discussion as to whether they should leave the horse behind, they were very much afraid that the animals hooves would make too much noise on the hard surface and alert the ogres to their presence.
“We could wrap them in cloth.” Sasha suggested. “If we leave him behind it’s very likely that the ogres will put him in their stew pot. Besides, if we are all mounted and we are seen we have a far better chance of escape.”
Her argument made sense, so they set about finding some soft items to wrap the old horse's hooves. Finally, they were ready and made a careful passage to the far side of the camp. The ogres had been so busy with their own troubles that they had passed by completely undetected.
They made their way gingerly in the darkness, and as they rounded a sharp bend the road began to slope markedly downhill. There were lamp posts here, but it had been years since they had last been lit. The metal housings rusted to the point of decay.
They reached the bottom of the descent and the vista opened out, they could vaguely see the silhouettes of a plethora of broken cottages and buildings before them. The ruins of a once thriving settlement. Looking up they could faintly see the ominous outline of Medivh’s stone tower that jutted skyward against the backdrop of the pale starless sky.
“What is that?” Erin pointed off into the distance, it seemed there were patches of green fire burning in between the ruined cottages.
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“I don’t know,” Sasha said cautiously, the hair on the nape of her neck prickled. The place sure seemed unwelcoming. “Perhaps it will look better in the daylight?” Though she doubted this would be true.
“Well,” said Kali’vas, “let me tell you what I do know of this place while we await the dawn. I have studied this place some. This tower was built atop a nexus of potent ley lines. The energies that coursed through Karazhan sometimes warped reality here; because of that, the mage Arrexis came to Deadwind Pass to study the tower and its powers, and he experimented with warding magics outside Karazhan, attempting to neutralize the tower's strange powers. Over time a small village of humans and a church flourished here, but both ended up abandoned at some point for unknown reasons. As you can see there is little left now but ruins.”
The five adventurers sat in the clearing at the end of the road listening intently to Kali’vas’ tale. While the old horse cropped the sparse grasses close by.
“Prior to the First War, this tower as you know was inhabited by Medivh. Though he was the greatest wizard of his day, Medivh was secretly possessed by the dark spirit of Sargeras. This led him to sometimes be sick and indisposed, and as such a group of would-be clerics once came to the tower to minister to his needs, but also they came to steal from him. On another occasion, Medivh also revealed himself to be very influenced by the demon when he cursed a group of charlatan merchants who tried to sell him fraudulent magical artifacts by transforming them into the Dark riders.”
“Didn’t the Council of Six attempt to spy on him?” Erin added to the history lesson.
Kali’vas nodded. “Yes, they did, however, they always left empty-handed. He was very cunning.”
“Khadgar apprenticed here under Medivh.” Erin said in wonder. “And Medivh is also how the orcs got to Azeroth through Sargeras’ corruption.”
“Yes, there is a lot of dark history in this place. I hope we don’t find it necessary to tread its hallways, I have heard some terrible stories of what lies within.” Kali’vas replied grimly.
“I wonder why SI 7 brought Gorthan here?” Sasha puzzled, after hearing the impromptu history lesson. She was thinking of Garona Halforcen who also had connections to this hallowed site.
“The workings of SI 7 are not easily fathomed, Mi Lady. Perhaps it was at the King’s orders, or perhaps they acted alone.” Kali’vas replied. “We may never know.”
Dawn began to break, it was just as well, as the small party of adventurers could take the overbearing cold fog and gusting winds no more, though there were no direct rays of sunlight in this place of lost spirits and shadows.
Sasha’s hands were chilled to the bone, she moved stiffly to arm herself with her bow and shouldered her quiver. She took a sharp-toothed arrow from it and nocked her weapon. On looking over her shoulder at the others, they too had their weapons in hand.
“Be careful, let’s split up and search this place. Go in groups of two, I will accompany Frostfyre.”
To their dismay, the green fires that they had spotted last evening were now no more than burned-down piles of ash, and remaining fragments of charred human bone. The companions looked at one another on this gruesome discovery, their eyes said much without a word exchanged.
“We need to get this over with as swiftly as possible,” Kali’vas warned. “Then leave.”
Erin’s face was pale, as Utaki bent down, steadying himself with his staff to more closely inspect the remains. “Dis be very bad voodoo,” he said, as he shuffled the bones about with his broad fingers. “Stinks of demon taint.”
They searched the ruined village until almost midday without incident or success. The site seemed truly abandoned. As the hours ticked by with no result all were fearing that they would indeed have to venture into the dread tower. Sasha kept glancing back at it, she could see gargoylesque creatures that flew high above, near its cupola. Even with her keen eyesight, she could hardly make them out, they never seemed to leave its lofty heights.
Occasionally there was a lone skyshadow sighted high in the air, but the big bird appeared to avoid this accursed place. There were no creatures on the ground either, neither hares nor foxes. This place was empty, devoid of life.
They rested for a time and chewed on some hunks of unpalatable bread before resuming to search the far side of the settlement. Many of the buildings and small cottages were still whole, but others had collapsed in ruin, worn by weather and time.
As the afternoon wore on Sasha was beginning to dread the decision they may have to come to this evening. It was appearing more and more likely that they would have to widen the scope of their search and breach the tower. The idea filled her with dread. It was not that she was a coward, but Medivh’s tower was a thing of magic, she didn’t understand magic or its laws, it was nature she understood and had her truce with. She tried to remain positive, however.
“Sha Sha I tink we found somtin!” Called Taz’jani excitedly. Sasha ran towards where her troll friends had been searching, Frosfyre shadowing her every move. It appeared Taz had indeed found something of interest. An open passageway into an exposed basement. Unusually cold air wafted up from the ominous entrance.
A sizable structure had stood here once, but it had been completely destroyed for the most part. The homes here must have once resembled those she was familiar with in Stormwind and the surrounding shires. A strong brick chimney remained, and part of the top story. Surprisingly there remained a bookshelf, replete with tattered and decaying volumes. Perhaps this building had burned long ago, or been destroyed by a strong storm? It seemed quite odd though that the other boarded-up buildings adjoining these were quite whole.
“Look over there,” Kali’vas pointed, to see an almost identical entrance in yet another obliterated building opposite. They wandered between the two entrances, they were not at all hidden from sight. Equally cold air wafted up from them both.
Perhaps they are merely just basements? Sasha thought as she began to descend the weathered and slippery wooden stairs of the entrance Taz’jani had first discovered. Her keen dark eyes searched the dusty floors for any kind of recent incursion. Yet she saw none.
Frostfyre likewise ran about scenting for trails, the ceilings and archways were festooned with thick, sticky white spiderwebs, and her senses told the young hunter that there had not been anyone here for many, many years. Just nature and the slow onset of decay.
This had once been a large wine cellar, presumably for the tower beyond. A place that was once said to hold great feasts and gatherings. She investigated the old wine barrels knocking with her knuckles on their sides, many of them still appeared to be full.
“I wonder how good these vintages still are?” Kali’vas said wistfully. More to himself than anyone.
It was then among the old, oak wine barrels Sasha noticed the large fissure, where the floor had given way and fallen into a subterranean pit. The group crowded around the young hunter’s discovery. Not that they could see much at all, just a deep dark hole full of fallen rubble and smashed oak barrels. The air that wafted up from below had a surreal icy feel to it.
Sasha screwed up her lips before saying to the others. “I think we should investigate the other side first, maybe make some torches and set up a good fire before dark. I don’t think we are going to be leaving here today.”
The others nodded and they set about the task.
Sasha crossed to the other cellar entrance taking Frostfyre with her, bow at the ready she descended the stars. The dull afternoon still gave her enough light to see by, at least near the entrance. Her heart skipped a beat as she gazed at the disturbed dirt on the flagstones.
“Hey!” She called up to her friends. “Have any of you guys been down here?”
They all answered no very much in tandem, as they came over to the entrance to see what it was that Sasha had discovered.
Sasha bent down, carefully studying the traces of an incursion before her, ordering Frostfyre to remain on the stairs. The prints were old and very faded. Possibly made some days ago by human feet. Boot prints, definitely those of men, and more than one.
“We need to get those torches made, I think I found something.”
They spent the late afternoon gathering up the materials for firebrands and manufacturing as many as they could carry. None knew what was down there, nor how far the dark wine cellar extended underground, but they now knew with clarity someone had trespassed here.
By evening the party had their torches lit and were prepared to make the journey underground. It was possibly the safer place to be after the darkness closed in. Tenuously they descended the stairs, Sasha went in the lead. The torchlight flared in the dark space illuminating a long tunnel stretching forward into darkness.
The faint traces of footprints were soon lost once the flagstones became cleaner, being away from the detritus blown into the entrance. No one spoke, they just quietly advanced down the long passageway cut into the earth and lined expertly in bricks chiseled of stone. Great arches ran off to the sides to give the cellar support and house the copious oak barrels full of vintage. Most of these were gone or broken with rot, but a few still remained surprisingly intact.
Rats scurried away driven further to the depths of this catacomb, their shrill squeaking could be heard in the silence. The shadows were cast long and dark by the torches sputtering glare.
“Left or right?” Sasha all but whispered as they reached the end of the corridor. They thrust their torches out into the gloom to what they sensed was a large open chamber.
“This must run under the entire town, I wonder if it somehow did, or still joins the tower?” Erin added. It was plain that the presence of the tower and its dark history bothered her.
They chose to head left, but before too long came to realize that the vestibule leading off to that side was relatively small. All they found were more ancient vintages and a pile of burned bones which disconcerted them. Sasha knelt over the remains, the charred remnants were delicate, too slender to be anything but human remains. She felt relief.
So they backtracked further, investigating the rear of the large chamber. However, there was nothing of significance discovered. Just nests of scurrying rats and more barrels of ancient wine.
Sasha’s skin felt itchy, as though she was covered in nameless crawling things. She kept looking at her hands and exposed arms yet there was nothing there.
They crossed the large chamber in silence. Their Footfalls loud and echoing. The entry on the right side of this large hall loomed darkly, where at its entrance a significant beam had fallen from the ceiling and crashed down to wedge in the hallway below. They had to climb over it carefully.
This hallway was different, yes it was still dark and carved into the earth and lined with stone, but instead of barrels, there were on its walls thousands of long-necked glass bottles stored in wine racks. Kali’vas could not resist the temptation to pluck out one of the dusty vintages. It was still corked perfectly.
“Goodness, this is over one hundred years old!” The blood elf exclaimed, plainly licking his lips, rather enamored at his find. “I think I am going to have to try this later.” As he stowed the bottle into his pack.
They crept along this bottle-lined passageway where they emerged once more into another very substantial room.
“What is that? Shine the torches over there,” Sasha pointed to the right of the vast chamber.
“Dat be a well.” Taz’jani questioned peering into the darkness.
“Very strange,” Erin said, “but I think you are right.”
They made their way over to what was indeed a well, they peered down the shaft and could see water deep down below. Taz’jani threw the sturdy wooden pail down the deep shaft, the sound of a loud plop as it hit the surface of the water. She wound up the bucket until it was perched on the edge of the stone wellhead.
“It looks perfectly clear,” Sasha said, I guess it’s safe to drink?”
“Well yes it must be,” came the voice of Kali’vas, who had been further examining the area in the half-dark. He held up a goblet, a fine-looking item made of tooled bronze. The item was plainly that of very recent manufacture. “Someone was here most recently it appears.” The blood elf continued.
They found yet more evidence of a recent incursion as they searched further. More bronze goblets all similar in style to the first one they had located. There must have been a party of men here at some time. SI 7, she hoped so. She sensed she was getting close.
They combed the large chamber searching for any viable clue. There seemed to be no other entrances leading further into the depths that they could see. Two enormous wine vats stood to the rear of the chamber and a collection of broken crates.
Sasha scanned the ground for anything that could reveal a clue. It was then she noted that Frostfyre was sniffing heavily at something dark on the floor. Sasha hurried across to see what her worg companion had found so interesting. Whatever her friend had located it was riveting her. The young hunter shone her sputtering torch downwards and squatted down to see. She took the item in her fingers from beneath Frostfyre’s wet muzzle, she was not sure she liked what she touched. Hair matted with blood.
Black, long, and silken that clump of hair, she felt a chill pass over her. It was such a powerful emotion that she visibly shivered. He was or had been here.
“Over here guys,” she finally had the will to say. Holding up her bloody clue for all to see by the flickering torchlight.
Kali’vas pulled a disgusted face at the artifact. Erin stood, quizzically looking at her cousin, awaiting an explanation. Taz’jani and Utaki though needed none.
“He must be close by.” Taz reassured, clutching and squeezing at Sasha’s arm, “we fine him.”
It was then they realized that above the very large casks, there ran another smaller story built entirely of wood. What its purpose could be they did not know. Perhaps it was merely a place for supervisors of this vast cellar to stand and observe the work of their men below? They hurried to ascend the platform. There were bloodied footprints at its base, boot prints. Quite possibly the same ones Sasha had first sighted.
The young woman was feeling lightheaded and fearful as she ran up the ramp to the apex of the landing. Her friends were close to her back, and Frostfyre was right beside her. She shone her torch which was beginning to burn down to nothingness toward the darkened end of the wooden platform, there in bloodied blankets a huddled form lay.
There was more blood spattered on the wood as Sasha dropped her torch and ran across the wooden span, her footsteps hollow reverberating in the chamber. Her companions followed.
The sight that greeted her was both sad and pitiful, a torn and seemingly lifeless orc lay huddled in the fetal position. Sasha stared for long moments at the bloodied warrior, almost not registering anything else about her. It was him, her love Gorthan.
What had they done to him! She fell to her knees, she dared not breathe, his moist skin was cool to the touch, and she could see his fine long black hair in places pulled out in tufts. The marks of torture on his once clear flesh. Something broke in her then, in that moment all optimism and hope faded like a guttering candle.
She screamed “Noooooo!” It was a sound of pure anguish, a war cry, a challenge. Frostfyre pawed at the floor about the prostrate orc and whined.
Utaki had done little on this journey, but he was determined he would do anything he could at this moment. The ancient, white-haired troll was already bent double over the supine orc warrior, his hand fumbling in his medicine bag which he always carried.
Erin and Taz’jani meanwhile were doing their very best to comfort Sasha with her sudden outpouring of grief, as Frostfyre continued to lick and whine around the Gorthan’s body.
Kali’vas stood in the background, still holding the torch aloft over the terrible scene. His handsome face was grim in the half-light.
Utaki bent down low over the Mag’har orc, his two-digit hand placed on the orc’s chest. “Quiet wid you please.” Old Utaki pleaded to the others. His ear was now on the orc’s chest, listening intently.
Sasha did her best to remain quiet, but she still sobbed into Taz’jani’s shoulder. Taz’jani just held her and offered whatever comfort she could.
“He not be wid the Loa yet.” Utaki pronounced. “He be weak, but we can save him.” He was at once rummaging in his medicine bag.
Sasha had been slow to act, but it dawned on her through her haze of sadness and despair that her love yet lived. “He’s alive?” She said woodenly, not truly understanding.
Utaki nodded, “we need ta give him dis, help me.” He pulled out a pot, it was a spherical flask that glowed a bright shade of aqua.”
The others maneuvered Gorthan onto his back, but he did not stir. The blanket fell away revealing more horrific evidence of SI 7 torture. Sasha was furious at what they had done. Already the unknown Renn McGill was in her arrow sights, she would have vengeance for what he had done, SI 7 agent or not!
They poured the liquid slowly between his bloodied and split lips. Utaki was patient and tender, and the task took a long time. He pulled out a second flask from his medicine bag, this one shone with a yellowish glow.
“Dis be healin him from the infection,” he said as he began to slowly a few drips at a time administer the curative.
Sasha all but held her breath as she could see Gorthan’s throat vaguely moving as he reflexively swallowed the potions.
“I really wonder what they wanted?” Kali’vas said circumspectly more to himself than anyone.
“He was different, he was Mag’har,” Sasha said quietly, wiping at her teary eyes as she watched Utaki at his work. “He should not have been here, and SI 7 knew that.”
With the torches close to burning out completely and plunging them into total darkness, the group of adventurers decided to find all the wood they could gather up from the broken crates and barrels and light a small fire, the ceiling was high so they hoped the smoke accumulation would not be a problem. It was not what they had originally hoped to do, but they soon realized the logistics of moving the injured orc was quite beyond them all. They only managed after a supreme effort to carry him to the base of the platform. The only way he would ever reach the surface was if he could get there under his own power.
Taz’jani, Erin, and Kali’vas then made the journey back to the surface to bring the bedrolls and other necessary supplies.
Taz’jani had drawn water from the well, and Sasha and Utaki set about cleaning his wounds. It was apparent Gorthan had taken many days of torture before succumbing, and finally, his assailants had left him for dead. She wondered if they had gleaned the information they had sought? She watched on, trying not to cry as Utaki applied his healing salves.
The old witch doctor had finally given him a draft of dreamless sleep, he explained to her it would help him rest and heal. He was then set in Sasha’s warm bedroll. All they could do now was wait.