Prologue - A Shift in Balance.

Thought I'd share a bit of a long term project of mine. Wrote the Prologue a long time ago. But thought I'd pop it onto here. Enjoy 0/

Just to specify, the character in the story is not my WoW Anivitas. I just stole his name for my in game character


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The dark stirs in the shadows.
The fire boils in the deep.
A scream is heard through an echo.
As the master does sleep.

- Deciphered tablet. Also known as the Blight Chapter.

I peered around the large instalment, and saw it, the purple tent, a large rack stood outside covered in all sorts of non-important souvenirs, I headed towards it, confident, the small rock in my hand, and pushed aside the draping covering the entrance...and was struck by a sense of dread. What if I was wrong? What if the elf recognised the value and struck me down, I was no match for an elf, was I mad, maybe the rock was having an effect on my mind? I shouldn't be here; I turned to leave and then heard a voice behind me..."Greetings...you seem troubled?"

I froze in fear, and turned back slowly, the dusty old smell of the tent finally being registered to my senses, and the back hint of exotic spices, all around the tent there was large and small trinkets, from a small statuette of Varn to Dragon spite hanging from the ceilings, how half of these things came into the elf's possession blew my mind, and the thought lashed at my mind again, the picture of the elf casting some spell melting his visitors to ash and taking their charms for his own. I shook my head, this was not a time for cowardice, I peered into the dark, looking past the many trinkets and items looking for the source of the voice..."Hello?” my voice seemed to echo off the sides of the tent as the odd spices assailed my senses. "I said you seem troubled." Said an sharp but elegant voice from the back of the tent, I peered around, seeing nothing but darkness as the large set of masks on the wall, all with pantomime features glared down at me. I started to speak, but stuttered...letting out a small garble of words before the voice cut me out, as if sensing my lapse, "I said...what do you want?"

I felt the air start to get colder, and the room seemed to close in around me, I took a deep breathe and tried not to sound as petrified as I actually was "I came here to have you examine something sir... I believe it could hold some value." The tent fell silent, and the cold feeling seemed to recede from the room, "Come in then, and tell me about it." I carried on deeper into the tent, peering at the display of artifacts on show, a large weapon rack stood to my right, a large two handed broad axe sitting upon it, the shaft pure steel and the head covered in Skarakian runes, I carried on feeling as if I was being watched the whole way..."Where are you?" I said, raising my voice a fraction too loud as it echoed throughout the tent, and nothing but silenced greeted me, I stopped in my tracks, holding the rock tight in my hand, peering around into the darkness, a large Orc skull caught my attention as I scanned the room, polished and gleaming, with a feral smile on it's perfect set of teeth, the dark pits of it's eyes seemed to stare into me, I found myself memorized by it's glare, tempting me to come closer, promising me untold power, I took a step towards it and reached out my hand...and pain shot up my arm as a large cane came out of nowhere and swatted it aside.

"Do not touch the skull of Warlord Rogh'az unless you wish to share his fate" I turned around quickly, a tall man stood before me, sharp and cruel features his trade mark pointed ears, with a hooked nose and a smile on his lips, his dark brown hair was tied in a knot behind his head, and he sported a small goatee under his lips, he seemed the same height as me, and stood in a long black overall, I breathed out a sigh of relief, throwing one more look at the skull before looking back at the elf, "What happened to him?" The elf grinned, "It is said he made a pact with the foul Demoness Varisha, she promised him un-told power in exchange for his utter devotion, being power hungry as all orcs are, he accepted without a seconds pause, and she upheld her part of the bargain, Rogh'az was leader of the Orc clans of the north for fifty five years, causing chaos for the races of the upper marshes, but he fell in battle, too a General Viscount Mathius, but he found his soul would not pass, he could see all those around him, but do nothing, even as the dear General drew his sword and took off his head, see, part of dear Varishas worship was the immortality of the soul, although not in the way our friend Rogh'az thought.." The elf paced the room around me tapping his cane on his knee as he spoke, I was almost not sure if he was talking to me or himself, but this was clearly a story he had told many times before. "His body was vanquished but his soul lived on, locked in the eternal prison that is...."

He grinned and pointed his cane at the skull next to my shoulder... "His skull...if you believe such things of course, now come we shall drink and you shall tell me of this...stone." I followed him, looking back one more time at the skull of Rogh'az as it glared at me as I walked away from the shelf, I was almost sure I felt it curse as I walked away...but it must have been in my head...I shook myself together and looked back to the elf, he walk through his maze of items with relative ease, gesturing to the many as he passed, telling me about their names and history, The staff of Malkish the sorceress, the scale of Terabon the Great, and then he stopped at a large stove at the back of the room, and gestured at it with a smile, "Let me guess, this has a story too?" I said with a sly grin on my face, the elf turned around, with a deep frown "No, this is a stove, are you daft?",  He lifted a kettle out from inside and placed it on top, pulling the crank to the side and lighting the fire before walking into a small room, I followed him through, the room was a mess, and that was putting it lightly, paper work and metal parts lay all over the room, across the desk, and all over the floor, the walls were covered in clocks, all ticking out of unison like some orchestra gone mad.

The Elf walked over to his desk and shoved all the paper work and parts sitting atop it off with a single swipe, they crashed to the floor, adding to the rising crescendo of the clocks ticking he looked up at grinning at me, his chair covered in paper work, he plonked himself down upon it not giving the crushed sheets underneath his buttocks a glance, he wriggled in his seat as if trying to get comfortable, and then peered up at me expectantly..."Well?" he raised his eyebrows, and I quickly sat down the seat, crushing more paper work beneath me. "NO!" The elf shouted and I shot up instantly, he got up and ran around the table, pulling me out the way, and grabbing the paper crushed underneath my dirty breeches, he straightened it out, trying to get rid of the creases with his hand, as you might get rid of the creases out of a shirt with an iron, after a few failed attempts he pulled all the paper work together in a neat pile, and turned and glared at me, "I'm very sorry, I had no idea it was important, when I saw the way yo-" "SILENCE!" The elf scowled, "Have some respect for others work boy or I suggest you should leave.". All sorts of protests surged up in my chest, he treated the "Work" around the room like crap, why couldn't I? And the way he called me boy made me bristle like never before, but I bit my lip, angering an elf wouldn't only mean he wouldn't help me, but that I might never leave this tent at all...I'd play along.

"I'm sorry sir, I deeply apologize" said the farm boy, Stupid boy, I grinned and bowed my head, "Your apology is accepted young sir, let me make us some tea" As if on que the kettle on the stove started to scream, and I grinned, "Do make yourself comfortable" I walked out of the room and took the kettle off the stove as the boy sat down once again in his seat, looking quite the opposite, "So, you have a name?" I shouted in a friendly voice as I poured the tea, "Timothy Lock sir" I smirked, how very uncouth and typical, "I am Anivitas Lebec, but most humans just call me Ani" I sighed, once again thinking of the shores of my home land, where once did not have to shorten every damn syllable of his name, I waved my hands over the boys tea, green tendrils shifting from my hands and into the tea below, I'd walked back in and placed one small metal cup on the boys side of the desk, and carried the other one around with me, taking a seat and smiling. "A pleasure sir" said Will, "No no, the pleasure is all mine" I grinned and wriggled in my seat, was so hard to get comfortable on these shoddy human designs. "I added a little something special, some flavouring" I smirked and took a sip of my own. Will looked at the tea, he seemed rather uncomfortable, like a rabbit caught in a wolves den. "So, down to business William, show me this stone of yours." "It's Will sir" Inserted the boy with a scowl, before he realised he had spoken out of line and quickly shut his mouth, "If you don't mind of course" He smiled, "Of course not, I will call you what you wish" I smirked at the cheek of it.

"Now show me this valuable of yours" He nodded and slowly opened his hand, inside was a small cloth...and inside that...I already knew what was inside, but my hearts still pounded with anticipation as he slid back the cover, revealing a large red crystal inside, dark lines swirling inside, A Blood Gem...at last, I smiled, trying to hide some of the wanting from my eyes, but even the lad seem to catch a drift of it. "It's worth something then?" I grinned, the boy didn't even realise how valuable the thing in his hand was. "Oh it's worth plenty, that boy is a very old, and very dangerous magical weapon, forged from dark magic" The boy's eyes widened and he quickly placed it on the desk, wiping his hand off on his shirt. Make the boy scared first, he will be more willing to be rid of it...

Anivitas didn't break the constant smile on his face, as he reached for his walking stick and started to fondle the end of it, peering at the crystal, Will wasn't as stupid as the other kids, he could see the wanting in the elf's eyes, and he planned to take advantage of it, he was frankly getting sick of this elf's mannerism, and wanted to get rid of this damn crystal as soon as possible, if his family knew he had found a dark weapon they would cast him out the village for being a bad omen, Will shook his head, "How much then?" The elf paused and looked up from the crystal at Will, almost like he had forgotten he was their, he seemed irritated to have been disturbed from his dream like trance "How much do you want?" "One hundred canes" The elf raised his eyebrows, and Will did likewise, "Surely you want more then that." The possibility blew Wills mind, One hundred canes was more then his family would earn in a lifetime...just how much was this thing worth? Will's insides started to feel light, and his heart beat in his chest. They could live like nobles! "How much...is it worth then?" he tried and failed at keeping the excitement from shaking his voice as he peered at Anivitas awaiting the answer eagerly, each passing second seeming like a lifetime, "Oh I don't know, four hundred canes?" Will's mouth dropped and he couldn't bare to contain the excitement any longer, "You have yourself a deal!!! FOUR HUNDRED! THANK YOU SO MUCH SIR!" Will couldn't believe it, the Elf smiled and raised his tea, downing the contents, noting with a disdainful look that Will had not touched his, but he hadn't trusted it, or the elf, it was probably poisoned to make his mind soft or some such, Will laughed merrily, all that fading away however as the elf opened his drawer and withdrew a large brown pouch, dropping it on the table with the heavy sound of coins clinging together, "Four hundred" Anivitas smiled and pushed over the bag. "Thank you so much sir! I tell you what, I thought all you elves were the crafty sort, but you are right as rain, you are, I thought you were going to kill me with some spell or some sort, but no you are a man o honour, thank you so much, I cannot wait to tell the parents, oh I could hug you!."

Anivitas sighed inside, this boy was getting tiresome, could he not just say the words already, he was getting tired of these games and just wanted the damn crystal in his hand. "So the crystal is mine now?" Will grinned and threw it over onto Anivitas side of the desk, it hit the table with a thud and Anivitas winced, barely able to control his anger, losing his cool now would not help his situation, and the stone would be lost to him...the boy must say the phrase. "So the...stone belongs to me?" Anivitas tried to feint surprised shock and the boy fell for it. "The Stone belongs to you sir." he spoke with a grin, "All yours, we are both happy men!" Anivitas dropped his straight posture and let out a heavy sigh of relief, he spoke once more, but his voice no longer had the friendly tint to it "Thank the nether." Will looked up, as if sensing the change in the atmosphere. "Tell me Will, you said you though all elves were crafty did you? Thought I'd kill you with some spell?" Anivitas laughed sourly, Will stood up slowly, holding the gold to his chest like a mother protecting her child, "Why yes..ye...yes my lord, but you proved me wrong, you've done a right deal today." Anivitas smiled. But I really should be on my w-"

Casting out his right hand, Anivitas face became a grimace as he growled,  purple tendrils swirling from his hand to the boys heart, streaming in and out of each other elegantly like perfect partners locked in dance, Will's face went from shock to terror as he was rooted in place and slowly lifted off the ground, his face unable to move but a mask of agony, his eyes darted back and forth begging Anivitas to let go, but he didn't he lifted him higher and higher, the colour started to drain from the boys face, his eyes bulging, his veins popping, he managed a "Pleas.." Before he through back his mouth stuck in a silent scream, and the tendrils channelling from Anivitas lashed back into his hand forming into a purple ball of light hovering just above his palm, the gold bag fell from Wills limp hands, his body still afloat, Anivitas waved his spare hand and Wills body combusted, shrivelled up and turned to ash, falling onto the floor in a pile.

Anivitas looked down at the swirling mass in his hand and smiled, such an ugly boy can make such a beautiful thing he thought, he looked at the pile of ashes on the floor and bowed his head "Thank you William, you have done me a great service." He would of happily traded the gold for the crystal...now sitting atop his table, slanted slightly, gold has no value to such a find, but it was the boy he didn't trust, he knew he'd run back, telling his village about the money, and how he sold a rare gem to the elf in the purple tent, his family would be happy beyond belief, but it would attract attention, what was the gem? Why did the elf want it? Rumours would erupt, people might get curious...jealous, or worst of all, some of his kind might be attracted to it, he couldn't have people snooping around...while of course, he could of just got up and moved his things with relative ease before any danger came to pass, he liked where his tent was, the view was spectacular in the morning...no, it was easier that the boy died.

Anivitas smiled and looked down at the purple ball in his hand "Don't worry, I'm sure you will have plenty of fun here" He grinned darkly, walking over to the table and picking up the boys tea, still full with a scowl, he downed the contents with a single gulp. "Waste of some fine tea..." Anivitas looked down at the pile of ashes and glared, kicking them out across the floor, he tuted, the purple ball still sitting quietly above his right hand, he walked back out into the front of his tent, his massive collection arrayed before him, he smiled, it all paled to what he could do with that small gem just behind him...calling to him from the desk, but first things first, he'd been taught one thing by his father before he past, waste not one resource, to waste was to defy the nature of life its self, Anivitas walked through the throng of his possessions until he found what he was looking for, Warlord Rogh'az skull stared up at Anivitas with its unblinking gaze, "I have a present for you Rogh'az...eat up." With that he slid his right hand under Rogh'az's mouth, and the ball was sucked from his hand into the skulls mouth and beyond. Anivitas grinned...Even a peasant like William's soul had a use, he chuckled and drew himself straight, taking in his victory, the gem was his, and soon...his dream would be to.

Anivitas patted the skull on the head before heading back to his precious gem...plenty of work to be done.

If anyone else had been present they might of been able to hear the dark throaty chuckle emanate from Rogh'az's skull...if you believe such things.