The Path of a Traitor - Chapter IV - The Excommunication

by **Shandrea/Nar'Gaya** Wed Apr 07, 2010 8:31 pm

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Tirisfal Glades, a short ride North-East of Brill... The rain seemed to be pouring endlessly as the group made their way to the small deserted island. Surrounded by mindless Ghouls, they sought refuge from what was bound to come. Dieter had escaped them, now free to tell the Prophet and the Cult of their betrayal. Soon, Sinclair would know it was they who had indeed stolen the Shard containing the soul of the Black Knight of Tirisfal. What would happen next...? Would there be apocalypse, or would there be serenity...? Felitzia did not know... But these were the thoughts that occupied her mind as she sat by the campfire, trying desperately to get some warmth back in her smoldering bones. She felt so cold. So... Cut off, somewhow. She did not know how to explain it, not even to herself. She looked over at Darjee. He seemed happy enough, with his eyes fixated on the Master. He looked like a puppy, ready to obey at any command given. Basking in the Glory of Nassulra, like he was destined to do. Felitzia sighed. What was her destiny? She had thought it was with the Cult... She had thought her destiny lied in serving the Shadow, serving the Prophet. But now...? Had she not gone against her beloved Prophet, as if it was the simplest of matters? Had she not directly opposed the Shadow she so willingly had sworn her unlife to? And for what...? For sitting on a cold deserted island in the middle of nowhere, responsible for the ressurection of the Cult's greatest enemy... "Will we ever be able to return?" Her voice, but a faint whisper into the wind. Nassulra turned towards her, his eyes cold as the grave, and his voice all too soft and friendly. "Oh yes we will return..." He said "And we will show them the meaning of true Power!" His lips curled in a grin that could freeze even the Fire Lord himself. Felitzia turned her eyes away, still all too intimidated by this horrid thing they had brought back from the darkness of the abyss.

Minutes, hours.. even days passed, in what seemed like an eternity, of sitting on the damned island. - Or island of the Damned, as Felitzia liked to call it in her silent thoughts. She would get up from time to time, walking aimlessly around the island. Trying to get a glimpse of Brill, or even Undercity. She had no luck yet though. Sometimes she and Darjee would pass the time by playing a game of chess, or just talking. Felitzia was getting bored out of her mind. Nassulra had gone to find the Necromancer Tharinaz, to bring her to them. He had said it was too dangerous to leave her for the Cult to find. Since the ritual, he had maybe seemed a little over-protective of her. As if he always wanted to keep her safe. Could they be connected somehow...? She sat down on the half collapsed pier and tossed a pebble into the water. The rings in the water growing ever bigger. "Almost like us..." She muttered to herself. "if the Cult is the pebble, then for every step we have taken, or are about to take, just like the rings in the water, we get further and further away from the pebble... And then... we dissolve. Becoming one with the unformable mass that is the lake." She got up from her crouched position, and walked back to the others. No more would she sit here and depress herself with dark thoughts. No more would she be cold and surrounded by the mindless. It was time to get going.

Darjee had followed her, however reluctantly. They took the little boat and made their way from the island in silence. Both of them casting nervous glances to the woods. Were they there? Did they watch them...? Felitzia felt as if even the trees themselves were watching her. The wind sounded like whispering voices, telling the Prophet they were on their way. She was bound to know by now, unless Dieter had found it in his heart to see the nessecity of their actions. That perhaps he saw that there was indeed justice in what they had done. And even if he had told the Prophet, surely they would be able to make her see the truth in it all. The Prophet was a reasonable and just ruler of the Cult. With the Shadows guidance, she would understand. Felitzia nodded to herself. "Yes," she said "They will all understand in time." Darjee sighed and shook his head at her. "I wouldn't place too much hope in that theory." He said "But it won't matter." She perked an eyebrow at him. "Don't underestimate the Prophet, Brother. She is smarter than you think. She will understand." Felitzia fixed her gaze on the water again. Was she right? Would the Prophet indeed understand? She dared not hope for too much.

The eerie feeling of "The Gallow's End" tavern enveloped them as they set foot inside. Felitzia glanced back at Darjee, who clearly was as uncomfortable as her, at what met them inside. They were all there! Felitzia felt as if she walked to her own execution as she took the few steps to her chair. Rasonal nodded at her, as did Sinclair. The Prophet merely looked at her with no readable expression on her face. Darjee sat down, and started browsing a book, apparantly leaving her to do the talking. "Brothers, Sister. What a pleasant surprise." Could they hear how much her voice was shaking? Could they see the terror in her eyes...? The Prophet smiled at her. "Ah yes, Sister Felitzia, always such an enjoyable precense to have among us." Felitzia felt as if the eyes of the Prophet saw straight through her and into the deepest corners of her soul. She knew... There was no longer a trace of doubt in Felitzia's mind. The Prophet knew of their sins against the Cult, and the Shadow. This was indeed her own funeral. Rasonal snickered at her before starting to talk, casually. Were they doing this all just to torture her? Suddenly, after merely observing her for several minutes, the Prophet started to speak. "Dearest Felitzia, I have a certain mission for you." She smiled at her. A smile that made Felitzia wish she could vanish into the hard wood in her chair. "Anything for my Prophet." She replied humbly. The Prophet wanted her to go to Thunder Bluff, to spread the word of the Shadow to the Forsaken who were there. "This may well be a good oportunity for you to prove your worth Sister Felitzia. Who knows what lies ahead of you should you prove to carry out your mission nicely." Felitzia tilted her head. This was unexpected... So the Prophet did not know after all then... The Prophet gave her a strange looking orb. "Take this, and when you get to Thunder Bluff, whisper my name into it, and you will recieve your orders." Felitzia smiled as she accepted the orb. This was turning out to be a lot easier than she had hoped for.

The silence was suddenly broken, by a loud shriek Felitzia recognized as brother Dieter. The shriek dug deeply through her bones, and she instantly knew that trouble was on the way. They all hurried outside to see what was amiss, when they saw Dieter and Tharinaz, both preparing their weapons. Felitzia glanced at Darjee, who merely nodded at her. He too knew what was about to happen. It was done, their secret was out. Dieter struck Tharinaz down, his eyes filled with more rage than Felitzia had ever seen in them. She darted forward to help Tharinaz before he could finish her off, but thus placing herself in the crossfire. So many voices... So many words... Felitzia got dizzy, the angry voices of her Brethren filled her head and she could barely even see, due to the haze infront of her eyes. The Prophet's voice came through... Echoing through her mind. "Felitzia, my dearest Sister. What have you done...? Did you really think I wouldn't find out? Did you think I would let you play me like a toy? Oh no dear Sister. You have wronged me, you have wronged the Cult. And this, i will not take so easily upon. You are hereby Excommunicated from the Cult of Shadow, and you are marked for the Inquisition. They will hunt you down, and they will tear you apart..." Felitzia's head started spinning faster and faster. What had she done? Where would she go? This was not part of the plan at all. Why wouldn't they listen?! She tried to plead with them, tried to explain why she'd done as she had. "He's changed! Really, wait and see! He will deliver us all in the hands of the Shadow..." She heard her own voice, as if far far away. "Please, dearest Prophet, you must listen to me! He's chan-..." Her sentence died out in a scream as she suddenly got a sword through her shoulder. Her eyes followed around the group. Tharinaz on the ground, herself surrounded by the people she had called friends. the people she cared for, called family. This was all so terribly wrong... She fell to her knees, and looked at the faces around her. Everything was hazy, a blurry image of rage and betrayal, mocking her... She was excommunicated! She had been torn away from the Prophet, from the Shadow. Felitzia barely recognized His voice. The voice of Nassulra, calling her name, telling her to flee. But she did not want to run away. This was her betrayal, and she would gladly take the punishment she so obviously deserved. Darjee grabbed her arm, and pulled her into a portal, making the choice for her. She felt no joy nor gratefulness... She was excommunicated...

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((Everything written is based upon, but not 100% accurate, to the RP events concerning this story-arch))