Chapter 7

**Rhoelyn:** The young man presses against the underground wall, shadows hiding him from view. He frowns as the demons pass, sensing that he was close.

**Araatris:** A voice rings out from somewhere up ahead, difficult to pinpoint within the echoing space. “Come on, kid. You’ve slept enough, now. Sit up.”

**Rhoelyn:** After a few groans, the other voice continues, “That’s it. You’re really looking rough. How are you holding up?” He continues down the passage.

**Araatris:** After a fit of coughing, a familiar voice answers, “I’m going to… have a word with the… concierge. Their beds are like rocks.” The other chuckles.

**Rhoelyn:** At the sound of Rhese’s voice, the figure shifts into a small wolf pup and darts more quickly. The tiny form easily passes by the guards.

**Araatris:** Around the corner, the tunnel opens into a wide, round room with two barred cells adjacent to each other. “Their beds are rocks,” Lash quips back.

**Rhoelyn:** The small wolf jumps in front of Rhese’s cell and shifts into a boy. He calls softly, looking nervously over his shoulder. “An’da, is that you?”

**Araatris:** Rhese gapes, grabbing the bars and pulling himself closer. “Yami? Cenarius’ Beard!” he whispers, grimacing as he sits straight. “Why are you here?”

**Rhoelyn:** “I’m here for you. Uncle Morthis didn’t want min’da to come. She kept yelling at him…” Yami frowns and grips the bars. “She’s sad without you.”

**Araatris:** The druid wraps his hands around his son’s. “Is your mother here, too?” Lash watches the exchange, especially the young night elf with black eyes.

**Rhoelyn:** Yami shakes his head. “Min’da is under min’nu’s care since she’s pregnant. They didn’t want her to leave Darnassus. I don’t know about now…”

**Araatris:** Rhese grips him tighter, “Alei, you came all this way alone?!” The demon hunter interjects, “You never mentioned that your mate was pregnant.”

**Rhoelyn:** The druid blinks. Yami grins proudly. “I’m going to be a big brother to twins.” He looks back at Rhese. “That’s why I had to come for you.”

**Araatris:** With a groan, the boy’s father rests his forehead on the bars. “Laaash,” he drawls, “I think I’ve gone delirious.” The other man laughs. “New news?”

**Rhoelyn:** “Are you sick, an’da?” The boy frees a hand to press against his father’s forehead. “I don’t think he was ready for the news, kid.” Lash snorts.

**Araatris:** Rhese coughs a few times before he looks up. “Let’s… come back to what you said, later. We have to get out of here. We have to get you out of here.”

**Rhoelyn:** Yami nods. “Of course. Min’da is worried. We need to go home.” He looks up at the door, checking its lock. “Do you know where the keys are?”

**Araatris:** The demon hunter answers him. “The inquisitor keeps them on a chain near his spellbook. I’ve seen the felguard return them there, but-”

**Rhoelyn:** “No. It’s too dangerous.” Rhese scowls at Lash. The boy looks between them and frowns thoughtfully before shifting into his late teens.

**Araatris:** “Don’t worry, an’da. I’ll bring them back right away!” “Ya-!” “Hst!” Lash interrupts his near-shout as the young man darts off down the tunnel.

**Rhoelyn:** Rhese snarls at the demon hunter. “Are you trying to get my son killed?” He forces himself to his feet and stalks toward Lash’s cell.

**Araatris:** “No, but I wonder if you are.” The other elf watches him through his blindfold, calm in the face of his rage. “If you yell, you’ll give him away.”

**Rhoelyn:** Rhese grips the bars. “You’ll have to forgive me if I want to punch you anyway.” Lash raises an eyebrow. “He’s our only hope to get out.”

**Araatris:** “He’s just a b-” The druid interrupts himself with a fit of coughing, sinking down against the cage as he hunches over. Lash frowns.

**Rhoelyn:** The demon hunter’s gaze flares. “I’m not sure you have a choice. The kid did make it here by himself. You might be underestimating him.”

**Araatris:** “I’d rather…” Rhese grips his side, trying to catch his breath. “… I’d rather underestimate him… than mourn him, old man.”

**Rhoelyn:** Lash sighs. “Then we’ll have to hope that he’s smarter than you.” Elsewhere in the underground ruins, Yami sneaks by another pair of guards.

**Araatris:** A scream rings out from somewhere down a smaller side corridor, and he winces, pausing in an alcove. “Have you ssssent the bait for the woman?”

**Rhoelyn:** “Yes, of course. We received word of where she is, but how do we know she’ll fall for it?” Yami peers around to see an eredar speaking.

**Araatris:** The inquisitor floating beside her, a gastly creature with a featureless face and robes that are ragged and runed, tugs a fel eye toward him.

**Rhoelyn:** Yami jerks back, pressing into the shadows out of sight and trying to control his breathing. “Ssshe will come, Ruuma.” The inquisitor rasps.

**Araatris:** He turns and floats a few paces away, raising a hand above a foul, hide-bound book on a carved altar. “When ssshe doesss, the druid will sssubmit.”

**Rhoelyn:** Yami risks another glance. The keys dangle from a hook beside the altar. The eredar nods, “As you wish. Should we continue interrogations?”

**Araatris:** The demon’s answer is a wordless hiss as he turns and floats off down a set of wide stairs. She follows, but the iris hovers by the altar, glowing.

**Rhoelyn:** Grimacing, the boy retreats into a corner, trying to decide his next action. He studies the next set of guards closely, noting every detail.

**Araatris:** When the felguards patrol by and the sound of their steps fades, Yami’s form shifts, expanding until a demon stands in the boy’s place, eyes black.

**Rhoelyn:** The false felguard patrols silently towards the room, never quite looking at the eye. He picks up the keys and turns back toward the door.

**Araatris:** Just as he reaches the tunnel, the fel iris zips around in front of him, stopping to hover before his face as it focuses its ‘gaze’ on him.

**Rhoelyn:** He doesn’t speak, but stares straight ahead as if awaiting orders. Yami internally grimaces wishing that he could have changed his eyes as well.

**Araatris:** Its lens expands and contracts a couple of times, making the young man nervous, but it finally just pulses twice and flits back to its post.

**Rhoelyn:** He continues his path back toward the cells, standing at attention to the side when patrols pass. Closer to the cells, he shifts again.

**Araatris:** Yami waits until the coast is clear, then dashes the last little ways to the cells, skidding around the final corner. “Kid, no!” comes a shout.

**Rhoelyn:** The voidling child throws himself back into a dark corner protectively. “Come out. We wissh to ssspeak with you, little one.” The voice hisses.

**Araatris:** Eyes wide, he stays silent until a familiar voice bites out a pained cry. “An’da!” Yami surges forward. “Don’t hurt him! W-What do you want?”

**Rhoelyn:** An eredar pins the druid with her hoof, pressing down as the druid struggles. The inquisitor laughs, a sound like fingernails on a chalkboard.

**Araatris:** “You,” the creature says simply, pointing a skeletal finger at the young man. “Your false father tried to hide you from ussss.” “Ru- agh!”

**Rhoelyn:** Yami bites his lip, clutching the keys tightly. Finally, he narrows his eyes, straightening his back. “I’ll come with you on two conditions.”

**Rhoelyn:** “First, you apologize for calling him false. He is my father.” He grows to his older self. “Second, you free them and don’t follow or harm them.”

**Araatris:** Behind them, Lash watches, his eyeless gaze intent. The weight of his attention is on the boy, and the tips of his horns protrude through the bars.

**Rhoelyn:** The inquisitor waves to Ruuma and she removes her hoof from the druid. In the few seconds that their attention is split, Yami tosses the keys.

**Araatris:** The demon hunter catches them deftly on the tip of a horn, and he grins as he shoves his head up and snags the keys. Like lightning, he’s out.

**Rhoelyn:** Lash grabs Ruuma’s sheathed sword from her side as Yami darts to Rhese. “An’da, you need to get up.” Rhese smirks as his hands glow green.

**Araatris:** “Clever alei,” the druid says, immediately breathing easier as his magic heals the damage. “Let’s go.” His form folds as the inquisitor hisses.

**Rhoelyn:** Yami nods and blurs into a cat form, mirroring his father. Lash leaps at the Inquisitor as they run, smirking. “It’s rude to ignore your guest.”

**Araatris:** “Demon hunter!” he rasps, “You will ne-aaaaeeeiii!” The borrowed sword bursts into green flame as the kal’dorei shoves it through his leathery neck.

**Rhoelyn:** Lash rushes after the other two and ahead, dancing around their enemies and clearing their path. Rhese and Yami pounce on a stray felhound.

**Araatris:** The beast dies quickly, but not without managing a pained yelp that echoes down the catacombs. Rhese nudges his son into a faster run.

**Rhoelyn:** Shouts of alarm sound behind them even as they turn the corner and see the larger opening out to fresh air. The demon hunter waits there.

**Araatris:** “Follow me and keep those cat paws quiet,” Lash mutters at them as they all step out into the felscarred and ruined canyon. “We’re not out, yet.”

**Rhoelyn:** Both felines nod. Lash frowns and angles down a narrow path. He pauses at a pair of guards, then dashes forward, quickly slashing his blade.

**Araatris:** The demon hunter’s victims fall swiftly and silently, though from somewhere up above them, they can hear Ruuma shouting orders.

**Rhoelyn:** Lash growls and looks about quickly. “We don’t have long before this entire place is alerted. Listen, I think I have an idea, but I’ll need-”

**Araatris:** A felhound tops the rise across a ravine from them and bays an alert. Cursing soundly, the elf holds out a hand to pluck something from the air.

**Rhoelyn:** A large glaive appears in his hand. With a powerful throw. The blade arcs across the ravine, cleanly slicing the beast. It swings back to him.

**Araatris:** Moving smoothly, Lash grabs the blade in both hands, the loop of chain that dangles from its center jangling. With a twist, it separates into two.

**Rhoelyn:** “Let’s go.” He runs forward. Yami and Rhese share a look before following him. The demons on their path thicken, slowing them as they fight.

**Araatris:** Finally, they find themselves being inexorably backed into a dead end. Yami peers up the cliff and then nudges Lash. The demon hunter looks up.

**Rhoelyn:** A familiar figure stares down and Lash grins. “Well, it’s about time! Where have you been?!” Rhese glances up briefly as the demons press in.

**Araatris:** The cat hunkers down, hissing at the violet protodrake that grips the cliffside above them as it leans forward. Plasmic fire dribbles from its maw.

**Rhoelyn:** Rhese hovers protectively over Yami as it breathes on the nearby demons. “That’s my boy! Now get down here. We need a ride.” Lash whistles.

**Araatris:** The massive creature leaps down from above, landing on charred demon corpses with a crunch. It coos and holds one ripped wing close to its body.

**Rhoelyn:** Lash leans around the protodrake as he pats it’s neck. “Kid, can you heal him? He’s our best chance at getting out.” Rhese shifts, staring warily.

**Araatris:** Yami stares as well after his form ripples back to the young man, but in wonder more than worry. He grins as his father rests glowing hands on it.

**Rhoelyn:** “Thanks. Yami, can you be a bit smaller? It’s going to be a heavy ride with the three of us.” Lash swings up on the drake and reaches down.

**Araatris:** The silver-haired young man nods as he takes his hand and pulls himself up. His form ripples into a six-year-old boy, and he grips Lash’s belt.

**Rhoelyn:** Rhese climbs up behind them. “Let’s go!” The demon hunter nudges the beast forward with a sharp word and the protodrake lunges into a rocky run.

**Araatris:** It takes a few loping steps before the drake is clear enough to spread his wings. He leaps but before he can gain the air, a felbat dives at them.

**Rhoelyn:** They land roughly and flatten down as their mount stumbles forward. “Rotting bats! Just run. Maybe we can get out of range.” Lash urges it onward.

**Araatris:** The protodrake lumbers along the ground. Land speed is not one of his strengths, but between tail and fire, he keeps the demons at bay.

**Rhoelyn:** Soon they’re climbing a path up that in the distance seems to lead out of felsoul hold. Rhese leans down. “Are you doing alright, alei?”

**Araatris:** Looking up, the child grins.”Yeah! It’s a little bit fun, an’da. Scary, too. But fun scary.” The druid chuckles. “You’re my boy, all right.”

**Rhoelyn:** “And min’da’s!” Lash looks over his shoulder as the skies clear. “Let’s give this another shot!” He tugs back on the protodrake’s reins.

**Araatris:** “Go, Yoz!” Bellowing a gravelly roar, the beast launches into the sky with a flap of his wings. This time, he slaps a pair of felbats with his tail.

**Rhoelyn:** They rise high above felsoul and after a moment, the demons drop away, unable to keep up. Rhese yells, “We need to find somewhere safe!”

**Araatris:** Lash calls back over his shoulder. “Agreed, kid. There’s supposed to be a night elven city to the south. They should help.” Yami blinks.

**Rhoelyn:** “There’s a city here?” The boy asks in surprise. “Yeah, seems like it’s an old one, but hopefully they can lend us a hand.” Lash comments.

**Araatris:** Rhese hesitates, but finally nods. “If they’re kin, they’ll help.” With everyone agreed, the demon hunter nudges his drake, banking south.

**Rhoelyn:** In the distance, they can see the rising towers of a large city. Yami peers around the demon hunter in awe. Rhese tightens his grip on his son.