Sweet Freedom

The arcane barrier glowed a deep sickly purple then faded away leaving the figure of a magister silhouetted in the doorway, flanked, as ever, by two guards.
"On your feet prisoner 64539" barked the magister and the two guards moved forward to haul the prisoner up.
"That's -Mr- 64539 to you...." replied the prisoner with a smirk as he was pulled roughly up, a discreet fist finding his solar plexus.
"No-one likes a smart-ass..." hissed the guard.
"Bring him" ordered the magister as he turned and led the way from the cells of The Quel'Thalas Corrective and Rehabilitation Facility.
Pushed unceremoniously into a stark office, his hands bound at the wrists behind his back by arcane shackles, he was presented to the overseer.
The overseer looked him up and down from behind his utilitarian desk before leafing through a file.
"Sabien Suntreader, your sentence is duly served, you will walk from here to freedom, and I trust your lesson is learnt." The Overseer intoned without inflection.
Sabien raised his head and looked at the pompous elf behind the desk.
"Then release these shackles and let me out of here" he growled.
A blow to his naked back from the guard behind silenced any further comment he may have had.
"There is a question of you -rehabilitation- " continued the magister with a smirk. "Allow yourself to be er..rehabilitated, by Silvermoon and walk free, no stain on your character and with 100 gold to help you start your new life, employment assured in one of the free labour camps and a chance to rebuild your future. You have after all been incarcerated here sometime, adjustment without aid will be difficult"
Sabien sneered and glowered at the overseer.
"Mind controlled you mean, stripped of my own thought and freewill..no thanks I'll take my chances" he spat.
The overseer shrugged dismissively and waved the guards forward.
"Get him out of here, give him his clothes he came with and 1 gold coin, no weapons" he ordered without looking up and waved them away with casual dismissal.

Within an hour Sabien found himself standing outside blinking in the unaccustomed sunlight of Eversong Woods. A moment spent feeling the sun and warm breeze on his skin, then with a grin he flipped the gold coin and caught it.
No weapons, no mount, no money but hey he was free, free to find that bastard who had screwed him..them over all those years ago.
With a determined stride he started the long walk to Silvermoon.



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Sabien entered Silvermoon, the place had changed since he last walked is avenues. Rolling his shoulders and shaking his hair he made for the inn. Spending his money on a large bourbon and savouring the forgotten taste.
Knowing he would need gold and plenty of it, he had gathered wild Bloodthistle on his walk back to the city, divided it into "deals" and he had already made a tidy profit, by the time evening came he was kitted out in new leathers and sporting a reasonable pair of second hand daggers. Now all that remained was to find contracts to tide him over until opportunity intervened.
"Tomorrow" he yawned as he headed back to the inn to see about a bed for the night, preferably one belonging to some nubile wench who wouldnt give a damn that he was out of practice.
A last drink before bed, Sabien nursed his glass, swirling the golden liquid lazily before taking a long sip.
"I should just black your other eye.." a raised female voice cut into his thoughts, he glanced up to see a redhaired Sin'Dorei girl yelling and waving her arms at a flustered looking dark haired male.
"Dia..please..." the young male said spreading his hands.
"Oh shut it Arli..." and finished her sentence with a hard slap to the males face.
Sabien laughed quietly at the scene, watching as the girl flounced out of the inn and the male stared helplessly after her, his cheeks reddening, whether with embarrassment or the effect of the slap, Sabien didn't know or care particularly.
"Dia...!" he called after her then spun to face Sabien "What you lookin' at?"
Sabien looked up at the elf.
"Doesn't seem like much from where I'm sitting Junior" and laughed slightly as the young elf bristled "Smoke?" Sabien held out a rolled joint.
Arli looked to the door through which Dia had stormed and took a hesitant step towards it, then looked back over his shoulder at Sabien holding out the thistle smoke. He grinned, "Guess I should let her cool off a bit....one smoke won't hurt..shall I get us some drinks to go with that?" and not waiting for a response headed to the bar and came back with a bottle of bourbon and two glasses.
"I'm watching you Sunblade" warned the barman "Any trouble and you're out..you hear me? out"
His back to the barman Arli swore under his breath and sat down, pouring them each a large measure of bourbon.
Sabien lit the two smokes and handed one to Arli.
"Sunblade huh?" said Sabien, he knew that name from somewhere, but for the life of him couldn't think where from. "We met before?"
Arli studied Sabien for a moment and shook his head. "Don't think so..not seen you round here before, you new in town?"
"Could say that" replied Sabien casually.
The one smoke and drink turned into three then four and both elves were a little worse for it.
"Bit of a lightweight ain't yer?" slurred Arli as he watched a drunken Sabien drain the last of the bottle.
"Guess I am...haven't touched a drop in years..til now..." Sabien slurred back. " Anyway not so heavyweight yourself..."
Arli laughed "I haven't started yet, can take my bourbon you know...been more or less a lifestyle to me you know...started young as a member of a famous gang....Blades we were called...everyone knew us..."
Sabien raised an eyebrow and looked intently at Arli.
"Really?" he smirked “They got broken up I hear…”
Arli nodded and proceeded to relate the series of events that led to the break-up of the gang and the subsequent execution of the leaders, the imprisonment of the officers and the “reconditioning” of the junior members, finishing with how he was saved from all of this because of his grandfathers position and some deal his family had struck to secure Arlis immunity.
“Lucky…” said Sabien dryly. “Then what yer do?”
Arli on a drunken flow proceeded to tell Sabien about joining Vile Thorn, his rise through the ranks and the position he now held with all of its responsibilities. Sabien nodded now and again when he thought it required it.
“What about you then?” asked Arli eventually “What do you do?”
Sabien laughed and shrugged. “Been a guest of the authorities lets say”
“Ah…” said Arli knowingly, his bourbon fogged brain trying to work out exactly what Sabien meant.
Several hours later the two staggered from the inn, Arli had the idea of using Serrar and Chey’s now empty flat as a place to collapse for the night, knowing if he were to take Sabien back to his place, he would get it in the neck..again…from Dia.
“Should join the Thorns you know” Arli said as they fell through the door. “...the girls are ok, y'know, for..y'know “ he gave a conspiratal wink “ but they're bloody touchy, always kickin' off at somethin'.I can get you in, be good to have a Sin’Dorei brother to hang with.
Sabien laughed and looked around the cold flat, looking for a sofa, chair, bed anything he could collapse onto, unused to alcohol for a long time, the vast amounts of bourbon had left him wanting to sleep. As he staggered towards a pile of floor cushions , a picture on the table caught his eye and the sudden adrenalin rush he got seemed to clear his head. He reached across and picked it up, a picture of a blonde Sin’Dorei woman standing next to a blond Sin’Dorei male in what was clearly a wedding portrait. He ran a finger over Cheys likeness and smiled coldly.
“Happy day was it?” he muttered to her picture “Well make the most of it darling, because that bastard is mine…”He jabbed a finger at Serrars likeness, “Ain’t yer Kel’Dos?”
Arli caught Sabien looking at the picture. “Beautiful ain;t she?” he slurred “Could have been me that you know…” he prodded at the picture “Not Serrar…it was me she fancied , but yeah….”
“Aye, pretty woman..so this is Serrar?” Sabien asked coolly. “Where is he? Won’t he mind us crashing here?” He laughed and glanced up at the ceiling “Theyre not…..?”
Arli laughed and shook his head while uncorking a bottle with his teeth. “Nah, they went away…messy business…” and reeled off an account of his fight with Serrar. “Thorns were after them..but not now, I called them off…being Deathmaster and all….theyre running from..something else.”
“Sounds nasty” prompted Sabien “Where did they go, do you know?”
Arli shook his head “Northrend probably, no-one goes there much since Arthas fell…’cept Thorns that is sometimes.”
Sabien looked thoughtful then grinned at Arli.
“So..this offer to join your band still open then?” he asked, smirking slightly as Arli nodded enthusiastically. “Ok then- Deathmaster- where do I sign?
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((Gets popcorn and finds a place to sit. I like how this is going Chey!))

(( And can I just add, you always portray Arli brillliantly ))

((Love this Chey! Nice getting some back story on Sab, should post a "caution hot belf pics - not safe for work" notice though))

Sabien fastened his trousers then pulled on his boots, casually shrugging off the the female that was wrapping herself around him.
“Sab....” she said trying to pull him back “Where you going...come back to bed”
Sabien ran his hands through his hair and picked up a shirt as he headed towards the door.
“I’m gonna go take a piss, then grab me a bourbon,”he said matter of factly “Don’t want to see you here when I get back, get dressed, go home”
Sab...!” she started but the door closed behind his retreating form.
What was it with females he thought as he shrugged his shirt on, half an hour in the sack and they want to move in. True he was a trophy of sorts, the rank he held in the Blades gave “his woman” a kind of kudos and immunity from the free for all attitude most males had for the women, but he wasn’t ready for any kind of commitment, hell it was hard enough keeping ambitious lower ranks in their place without having some clingy female to protect as well.
He wandered into the recreation area of the Blade headquarters and greeting a few comrades poured himself a large bourbon, sipping it slowly as he walked back to his private room on the upper floor.

He lay on his back on the bed, the female having obeyed him and left, he closed his eyes as he mulled over plans for the following days raid.
The last one had been a disaster, meant as a fruitful training exercise for younger Blades, a robbery at a magisters house, experienced Blades showing the younger ones the finer art of lock picking and training them to recognise valuable and easily disposed of goods. Reports had said the Magister and his wife were away for a few months and that their home was empty. However halfway through the robbery the magister and his wife had returned and disturbed the gang. There had been no alarm raised, the experienced Blades had quickly overpowered the couple and held them silent while the rest made good an escape. However the magisters wife had squirmed free and emitted a shrill scream, panic ensued amongst a few of the trainees and one struck her, she fell to the floor hitting her head and lying still.
The magister had struggled, tried to take a dagger from beneath his robe and flailed it wildly at the Blade who held him. The brief struggle that followed resulted in the death of the magister and the Blades fled the scene as silently and swiftly as they had arrived.
Sabien shook his head as he recalled it. They found out later the magisters wife had also died, Blades had been lucky indeed that no-one had traced it backHe was leading tomorrows job, letting a few of the lesser Blades bloody their blades as they held up a shipment that was headed from the harbour to the city. Should be a fairly easy haul. He smiled to himself and finished the last of his bourbon.
A crash of wood splintering, a cacophony of Thalassian voices yelling commands and the clashing of steel.
Sabien was on his feet, daggers in hands in a split second and stealthily opened the door.
The door was yanked from the other side and several armed Silvermoon liveried soldiers stormed the room. Within seconds he was seized and held fast.
“One of the four here” yelled a soldier as he was bustled out of the room and down the stairs.
The head quarters was swarming with military, mages and magisters. Sabiens eyes scanned the room, it seemed most of his Blade Brothers had been seized in this obviously well planned and efficient raid. It was over in minutes, every exit guarded even the hidden escape routes, obvious to Sabien there had been some kind of set up. Someone had sold them out to Silvermoon.
No time to think as they were all manhandled out of the building, forced to their knees and hands bound behind their backs painfully with arcane shackles. Any cursing or retaliation from the blades was severely and harshly dealt with. Sabien glanced up as the two leaders were brought out last, Salneas and his wife Erith, who were quickly taken away heavily restrained in arcane chains, through a portal.
The rest were kicked and pushed, still on their knees into a shambolic line. As Sabien moved position he caught a glimpse of a hooded and cloaked figure turning to flee the scene from the undergrowth. A figure he recognised, a figure he had no recollection of seeing in the Headquarters that night. “Kel’Dos” he spat under his breath. “ You bastard,...” There was no doubt in his mind that Kel’Dos Lightblade, the only Blade not present inside and spotted now fleeing the scene had been the one to sell them out.
Their trial had been swift, if it could have been called one. The young runaways and thrill seekers, who weren’t full Blades had been processed first, sentenced to be “reconditioned “ then released back to their families. The rest were sentenced to prison terms relating to their ranks, the core of the Blades being sentenced to eight years each, the next rank ten years and his own rank to twelve. It seemed that their leaders would be sentenced to longer terms. It was a crushing blow when the high Magister handed down the death penalty for the two.
Two days later the convicted Blades were herded into a courtyard and onto their knees again, there forced to watch the summary execution of their leaders.
No hangings in Silvermoon, they were far too civilised for that, instead a painless arcane execution, but one that would set an example to the rest. An arcane life drain, and although painless took several minutes to complete, and the Blades could only watch from their shackles as the two leaders whispered their goodbyes to each other and locked gazes until neither eyes could see.
The twelve years that followed for Sabien were harsh, mainly kept in solitary confinement and isolated from the outside world in a small cell, no news from Silvermoon, no eye contact allowed with the guards, forced to sit in the corner like some feral beast as his food was brought and once a week hosed down in his cell much to the amusement of the guards. Time ceased to have meaning, the outside world ceased to exist for him. He knew something happened about halfway through his sentence. Guards were hastily deployed to some kind of invasion protection force, and for a while the regime inside was easier although at times they were all but forgotten and it was often days before food was brought.
Often he was offered release if he would accept reconditioning, this he steadfastly refused, preferring to serve his sentence as himself, with his own mind, rather than walk free a puppet of Silvermoon.
Yet his mind was not his own, it was filled with only one thought Kel’Dos, with years with nothing to do but fester, the thought of vengeance obsessed him, he lived for the day he would be released and he could exact the lost years from the one who had betrayed them.


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