Kirabel Val'thras

Blue or Red?

They had waited until the blood had dried on the ground, the fickle half-light of a dying fire casting deceiving shadows across the canvas tent and causing the crimson ooze to gleam. Three tall figures stood around the hunched over, chest billowing form of a Kaldorei male. Even in the dim glow it was clear this unfortunate individual had been worked over in an attempt to procure some tantalizing bit of information, but the murmering between two of the three signaled that it was turning into a failure.

“ I told you this wasn’t a good idea and you couldn’t be bothered to listen due to your hatred.”

Came in hissed agitation, the dim flare of Sin’dorei gaze cast sidelong in an undercurrent of disgust.

“ This is how you get things done regardless of my own personal views.” While it didn’t hold the bite of his aggressor, the deep roll of an accented tone suggested this person had grown up in the Eastern Kingdoms and the Thalassian he spoke was the guttural harshness that accompanied most human attempts at it.

“ And you thought this was the best way to get it? We need to douze whatever fire is brewing and what he may know will help -both- sides in the end. Violence and pain can be a useful tool when applied correctly and beating him to a pulp isn’t the correct way to go about it. “

The slithering rebuttal, previously cut eyes drifting now to the silent third who made move to the tent’s exit. A slither of moonlight highlighted the face of yet another son of Quel’thalas, the high tail of rich blonde braided down back lending him a severe highlight of avian features.

“ Let us be done with this then.”

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What returned was a slim figure, body a shifting predatory prowl of a feline on the hunt and one who has the taste of blood already in it’s mouth. Silent stride slipped further into the darkness for a moment, the slow drag of a chair was heard but it wasn’t the cringe of a scrape but the slow trudge of an impending doom muddied by carnage. It stopped before the coming around figure, massive and what appeared to be slowly regenerating. Languid was the smirk on her lips, wickedly deceptive as the Negotiator lowered herself into the seat facing opposite, leather clad legs slightly akimbo in a powerful stance of comfortability as celadon eyes, terrible in their silent questing found the brightness of a rose gold gaze that shimmered with druidic magic at play. It met her own, it was the rigorous set of one who knew that something unpleasant was coming and the outcome unsure.

“ We’ll see how long you can take a beating when I silence your connection. “

A purring ripple that heralded a kittenish bat of paw at wounded prey, her voice loud enough for only his ears and it caused a sliver of fearful anxiety to creep into the feral gaze of Elune’s child. What she wasn’t expecting was the bloody spittle that was spat at her face, glimpsing the curl of a snarl.

“ Oh, you’re choosing to be brave.”

A gloved hand, digits talon tipped brought a palm to wipe at the spewed venom and that smirk only grew to a grin. Just as the rumble of Darnassian was exhaled.

“ The Shan’serrar will know. “

To this the champagne blonde laughed, cruel and hoarse.

“ I don’t care what they know, only need to know what you know. Shall we begin? “

The remaining two, silent in the back while this exchange was happening, exited the tent knowing that things were well in hand. In truth, deep down and though they would never speak it allowed, it was the screams. Horrible, pitched in ever rising agony.

Then silence.

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Hours later, before the breaching of dawn did three figures ride out to sit silent behind the cover of a hill in shell of a broken down stable. A fourth approached, this man wasn’t as intelligent as the trio who stood with not a revealing color or sigil but this particular individual was a member of the Alliance with a lion emblazoned on an outer tunic not concealed by a necessary cloak, even an ungloved hand revealed a Stormwind crest.

“ Did you get what information we need to make sure a proper exchange is made?”

A missive was handed over in silence, a quiet that continued as it was opened and information consumed.

“ You’ll get the withdrawal of our troops temporarily but we can’t give you the window forever. Be quick about your business in Ashenvale and Stormwind will come to collect payment in two days time.”

With that the meeting was over and not a remaining soul truly felt comfortable with the betraying games that went on behind the resplendent blue and gold, nor the banner of crimson and black.