Some days later, I got a message that Harbinger Mikolaus wanted to see me. He asked me abou the spy post and especially the crystals there. He wanted to compare them to the samples from the crash site, I had provided him with earlier. Could I get him a sample from those chained crystals?
I ansvered that this should not be impossible and he handed me a special minimg pick, esigned to break any and all effects from the chain like force fields.
I went off at once, and went through the foret back the way I had ran fleeing the new guards at the spy post.
As i got there, I was surprised to find everything almost the same as I left it. I suspected a trap and went around the camp in a big circle. I found no trakc leading out from the camp except on the half hidden path, and even there the activity seemed to have only lessened sligthly sinse my last visit. I was afraid that my thumping at the crystals o break loose a sample would disturb the guards - agani there were only two, a bit older, better armed men. Then I saw the animals, abominations, what do you call them, I think they have developed from the giant praying mantisses, we brougth along in crates, together with the Elekks and the other animals from the menagerie. But they have mutated, short lived insects like the Blue flutterers ans mantisses are more prone to mutatins, at last that's what Botanist Taerix told me. Anyway, I goaded some of the creatures to the edge of teh camp opposite of where the best looking crystals were situated. I left some food in the camp with a trail of small bites leading to the ravagers. Not enough to sate them, but enouhg to whet their apetite. And a hungry ravager was not a nice thing to have in your camp.
Then I sneaked back waiting for the hungry ravagers to figth over the food. And not long after harrowing shrieks and sounds of figth came from the other side of the camp. The two Sunhawks looked at one another, jabbered in Thalassian for a short while, drew their swords and ran to the fracass.
Quickly I used the mining pick on the spot I had been loking at. Lightning struch the pick, but notheing happened to me. After a few strokes a piece of teh crystanl fell to the ground. I put it in my pocket and was gone before the guards were back from clearing the mess the ravagers had made. Now my hands were semlling of Ravagers and their favourite food, I daresd not reutrn the same way, but took the long way home, skirting Vindicator's Rest.
As I came near Vindicator’s Rest a Sunhawk on a horse with fiery hoofs tried to ride me down. He jumped off the horse, as he did not suceed, and came after med with his longsword. I pulled out my sword as he sprang from his horse and ran towards me. Suddenly recognition dawned Matis! I ripped the flare gun from my belt and shot into the air before he reached me. As we engaged, the undershrub came alive and a handful of rangers jumped out. They did not kill Matis, but took him in custody and brought him to Blood Watch.
At their insistence, I followed. Back at Blood Watch. Kuros praised me, saying that Matis was an arch-criminal and would receive his sentence shortly.
Kuros' vengeance
The Triumvirate with some Blades of Argus and me trailing had Matis kept prisoner by some magical means. The Triumvirate gathered around the strange projection device on the Town Square. A projection of the Prophet came alive and interrogated Matis.
The Prophet called him a lieutenant of the Sunhawks, and accused him of killing off the Draenei. "Genocide" was the word he used. Then The Prophet told Matis that he would be executed at light's dawning. And whether he had anything to say for himself? Matis just spit at the image of Velen.
The prophet then bade the Light have mercy on Matis' soul.
Matis then began laughing and snared; "The Light? ... I am a Blood Knight, mongrel. I do not serve the Light, the Light serves me. If mercy is to be granted, it will be by me." He laughed som e more and continued: "You seek to martyr me - so be it. Strike me down, another will rise in my place and the suffering of the Light - of the conquered - will continue uninterrupted."
Vindicator Kuros interrupted him, stating that this was blasphemy and that the Light never would allow such an aberration!
Matis countered in an arrogant voice: "The Light has no choice. It does as it is commanded. Just as the naaru you hold at the core of your vessel will do when we capture and enslave it... Do my words surprise you, blue blood? Yes, we know... We know everything."
The Prophet to my big surprise spoke in a pacifying tone, asking the guards once more to take him away.
Even as the Blades of Argus put their hands on Matis' arms, urging him to move, he spoke again: "Draenei dog! Did you know that one you call Saruan wept like a babe as I beat him? A feeling of euphoria coursed through me, knowing that I had a member of a high rank in my grasp. Were it not for Sironas' plans for him, I would have tortured him to death... As I do to all draenei that I capture. Alas, I am certain that you will see him again soon ..."
Vindicator Kuros jumped at Matis with his sword drawn, screaming: "Breathe your last breath, heathen." and stabbed him before anybody could do anything.
Then Vindicator Kuros spit on the corpse of Matis. And simultaneous The Prophet gave voice to the anger and outrage we all felt at Matis' words. In a voice as cold as the stars and ad old as time itself he said: "Find their source of power and tear it down. Tear all of it down!"
This is a revision of parts of older chapters. They will be removed from there, as I haver realized that they fit in here. That is part of the trouble with writing over several years, you become wiser 😉
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