Heritage (I. Desperate Measures)

"Soap, y'sure this is wha' y'want?" Menorian spoke with a tone of seriousness quite out of his usual character. Jayse stood staring with arms folded at the necropolis floating over what was left of the wintergarde fields. The morning dragonblight winds cut to the very bone, every moment exposed to the elements was a test of resolve. Bad enough you would think if it wern't for the constant shrill cries of the undead littering the derilct village below the tower they were placed on watch.

"Y'know there's nae going back right, once y'go down this pat-" "I KNOW!" Jayse responded sharply in a raised voice with narrow eyes. Menorian simply looked at him then drew a deep breath looking back to the necropolis. It had been four weeks since Jayse asked this of him. Training to be come something more and 'fight fire with fire' as he put it. He knew full well Jayse didn't really have the first clue of what he was getting himself into but regardless he did see something in him. It was time he took another apprentice, his previous all not making the grade, falling in love or succumbing to darkness. Something all too inevitible with a wayward mind when the divine shadows are allowed in through the front door. But, Jayse was different firstly he was male and would be his first apprentice not being a woman which would help given Menorian's cavalier nature with charm. Secondly he was a disciplined solider well versed in combat and more importantly he was a longserving assassin already. Qualities he knew he would not need to teach him, allowing them to focus purely on spirituality and control. Easily the more important aspects of the path he'd already chosen to undertake as it was all too easy to fall, become misguided and in the end destroy yourself taking down anyone else close to you as the ship sank.

Jayse furrowed his brow chewing his lower lip. It all seemed too quick to happen, now stood on the battlements of Wintergarde Keep. Back in the war on the frontlines was both surreal and yet fammiliar. He'd not been enlisted with full rank since the third war ended and had spent most of this cold war behind the scenes and the majority reassigned in Stormwind Kingdom occupied with the cults. These cults being the whole reason he stood here, why he'd left his cover and the few people he'd come close to calling freinds back at the Smoking Blade. He'd almost lost his life too many times to count when facing shadow magic, he now had a son and Avery. Taking measures to both better prepare himself and protect them was a decision already made in his mind. He'd considered all the options, all the possibilites. Even retiring and taking on a quiet life farming, why not he had more then enough wealth and SI:7 had been good to him. But he knew, deep down he wouldn't be content living a simple life. He craved the thrill, the adrenaline on the edge of fear and uncertainty. He wasn't sadistic by any stretch but this is the person the military moulded him into, a fighter and he was truly at home right here. Looking out into the gates of fel itself, surrounded on all sides by things just waiting for the change to cut you to shreds and worse.

"It is.. That's why i'm here. Look Meno, i've thought long and hard these past two weeks. If i'm going to continue what i'm doing and have at least a hairs chance of making it to old age it's my only choice.. These cultists aren't normal people you know as well as I.. Train me.." Jayse turned to face his friend clad in dark red raiment whom was simply smirking back at him. "What's so funny?"

"You being oh so feckin' dramatic.." Menorian let out a quick mocking guffaw clasping a hand to Jayse's shoulder. Jayse simply smirked shaking his head. "Oh your a real peice of work you know that?"

"Yea a'know 'eck s'usualy th'las' thing I 'ear from th'lasses too.. Righ' you brought yer' blacks yes? Get suited up.." Menorian dropped from the rather high wall and landed still gracefully. A drop that would have usualy broken a leg..

Jayse watched him walk away, his arms still folded tightly across his chest. He'd only been here a few days and wasn't quite readjusted to the cold, but he didn't shiver at least. Not yet anyway.

"SOAP! GATE IN FIVE! MOVE Y'ARSE THA'S AN ORDER!" A bellow rang out from across the keep spurring Jayse into movement, vaulting down a masonry support to land in the crisp snow. Upon heading through to the barracks Garodin offerd a simple nod as Jayse passed. "Good t'see y'ere Soap, glad o'tha 'elp. We feckin' need it. Mind you these Legion lads.. tough as 'arseholes"

"Aye shi' welcome t'paradise eh?" Jayse grinned offering Garodin a casual salute making his way to his own bunk, stripping off his gear to change. A knot grew in his stomach taking a slight trembled breath through pulling on his gloves. Was this really the right decision or was he simply kidding himself? After everything Menorian had told him about poeple like him starting with the best intention then gradually slipping away and joining the ranks of those they sought to fight. There was no mistake of the risks involved. Still his expression as stern as the weather outside he left the barracks quickly to find Menorian stood with his back to the door looking him over.

"Tha'll do, yer sure yer nae gonna catch cold?" He grinned then nodded to follow walking up the stairs.

"So where we going, I thought you said gate in five?"

"Aye a'did, jus' wan'ed yer t'move y'arse. Keep y'on yer toes.. now.." Menorian stopped looking up and down the hallway as if making sure they wern't followed placing his hand to a door. "Righ' wha'ever y'see in here.. goes no further arigh'? Y'gonna see some thing's now i've kept 'idden from the rest o'this lot. S'gonna be shocking bu'jes 'old yer nerve.. and don'mind the blood.."

"Blood.. what blood?" Jayse blinked looking to him in suprise as Menorian turned the key in the lock sharply about to open the door. "Wait.." Jayse placed a hand to Menorian's arm. "Fecksakes Soap, I said 'old yer nerve.. s'blood o'a virgin.. I 'ad t'make a sacrifice to prepare the ritual.." Jayse blinked again in almost shock as the realisation of what he was undertaking looked to finnaly sink in. "Oh wait.. no I'm out of this no fucking way.. You killed an innocent girl!?"

"Yea 'course.. Look.. this aint becomin' a feckin' silver 'and.. just don't slip on it and try not t'throw up.. I 'ad t'strip 'er naked 'n slit 'er throat.. oh.. and ignore th'skulls 'n bats and whatever ye do... an' a do mean this.. don't feckin' touch tha'glowing shi' on the floor.. or yer soul's gonna ge'ripped out quicker then jerkin' off.. y'ear me?"

Jayse simply looked at him in silence, he did look shaken but nodded slowly and drew a deep breath shaking his hands slightly. "Alright.."

"Good lad.. in y'go.." Menorian smirked as he flung the door open wide and simply looked to catch the look spread on Jayse's face which had turned from quiet shock to unamused and rather pissed off, his tounge resting firmly in the side of his cheek with folded arms. "Oh.. very.. fecking funny.."

Menorian fell about laughing as he stumbled into the rather plain looking storeroom. No dead virgins or piles of skulls, just crates of various supplies and weaponracks. "Oh shi- a'can'breathe.. ligh'damned th'feckin look on y'face!.. Priceless!"

"Feck you Cutford.." Jayse shook his head as he entered the room and glared daggers at him.

"Oh shi' c'mon y'though I were bein' serious, do a'look like a feckin' cultist?" Menorian still laughing tried to compose himself standing tall once again to close the door behind them and locked it. Turning to scratch his forehead with an amused grin he walked to stand infront of Jayse. His expression turning rather serious on a cointoss. "Take a knee.. cause from now on.. nae games.. everythin' a'say a'will mean 'n yer t'follow m'order and word wi'out question.. y'understand me?"

Jayse looked to him slowly unfolding his arms to take a knee then nodded in silence closing his eyes. Menorian grinned for a brief moment looking him over, reaching into his belt pouch to take a black sphere in his plam. Upon clenching a fist the sphere started to glow a dull indigo before growing to a bright violet, casting the room into an unnatural hue. The sphere placed against the back of Jayse's neck tingled at first, ghostly whispers creeping over his shoulders to tease his ears but unable to make out the words. His body grew tense then in a sharp convulse the room flashed in a blinding black light that faded as quick as it eminated. Jayse fell forward to catch himself on his hands, staring at the floor still shaking.

Menorian looked him over with a slight grin then tucked the sphere away folding his arms. "It's done.. Arise Child of Shadow.."

Jayse looked up drawing a deep breath to compose. The shaking stopped, he no longer felt cramped nor wrought with pinpricked skin. "What was that?..."

"How'd y'feel?" Menorian replied looking him over with a measuring gaze. "..Normal.. I don't feel any different.." Menorian grinned then placed his hand to Jayse's shoulder taking out a small vial of black liquid "Drink this.. all o'it.."

"What is it?.." Jayse took the vial pulling the cork and necked the contents swiftly, his face suddenly contorted in a fierce grimace turning to gag. "Wrynn's arse.. That's aweful.."

"Aye.. it's poison.." Menorian didn't crack a smile this time, folding his arms. "Get used t'it.. yer gonna feel shi' and yer gonna feel shi'fer a long time.."

Jayse looked to reply in protest but simply didn't have the chance, turning to vomit on dropped knee's in an empty hessian sack. Menorian simply laughed leaning back to the wall spinning a dagger in his palm.

"S'gonna be a long trip Shadewalker.. a feckin' long trip.."