Chapter 44: Rescued |
Allen couldn't help frowning as he looked at Varian, who had become so thin and gaunt.
"Brother, can you even handle this?" His tone was full of disdain. "I told you over and over again! My sister is dangerous! Very dangerous!"
At the mention of that, Varian's face instantly darkened.
"You'll have to ask Shaw about that!" His voice was hoarse and weak. "What the hell was he doing! The leader of SI:7, and he got replaced so easily!"
As they spoke, Wen Lei and the others also squeezed in.
Allen helped Varian stagger to his feet.
Once Varian steadied himself, he suddenly grabbed Allen's arm. His eyes were filled with urgency.
"Tiffin! My wife! Have you seen her?"
Allen quickly patted the back of his hand.
Just then—
Bam!
The door was shoved open violently.
A figure dressed as a maidservant stood at the entrance, a long spear clutched in her hand.
When she saw the group of uninvited guests inside, she froze for a moment. Then a murderous glint flashed in her eyes, and she lunged forward, spear at the ready.
Allen reacted quickly, raising a finger and pointing.
Tasha's Hideous Laughter!
[Saving Throw: Failed]
The maidservant halted mid-charge. Suddenly frozen in place.
She looked down at her own maid outfit and, for the first time, thought it looked utterly ridiculous. She burst into laughter.
The laughter grew louder, more maniacal, until she could no longer focus on maintaining the magical transformation.
Amid the laughter, the maidservant's form began to twist and swell.
Something seemed to writhe beneath her skin, tearing the maid dress apart.
Her body grew taller and more massive. Vicious bone spurs jutted from her back. Her face elongated, fangs and scales sprouting.
A hideous dragonman now stood before them, still laughing wildly.
Arcane Shot!
Wen Lei was the fastest to react. A beam of light shot from her hand, striking the dragonman squarely in the chest.
But the dragonman's skin was as hard as iron. The arrow only penetrated a few inches before stopping.
The searing pain snapped the dragonman out of its laughter.
It let out a furious roar, grabbed its spear, and charged at the group.
Morgan, who had crawled up without his armor or shield, panicked. He grabbed a nearby solid wooden cabinet, hoisted it above his head, and swung it at the dragonman's spear!
Boom!
The spear pierced the cabinet door, sending wood chips flying. Morgan gritted his teeth, pushing the cabinet forward.
Stella hadn't brought up many of her engineering gadgets either. Flustered, she started chanting a spell.
Clatter-clatter. A pile of steaming magical bread materialized out of thin air, forming a small mountain.
Luckily, the magical bread wasn't completely useless. When Varian saw the bread, his eyes lit up.
He was too weak—barely able to stand. He grabbed a loaf, wolfed it down, and shouted hoarsely:
"Allen! Give me a weapon!"
Allen pulled the shortsword from his waist and tossed it over.
Varian caught it. The moment the hilt touched his hand, the fire in his eyes reignited.
Wen Lei kept firing. Every arrow struck true—aiming for the dragonman's eyes, neck, and gaps in its scales.
Morgan was blazing with the Light. He swung the shattered cabinet down with all his might—Judgment Strike!
Boom!
The cabinet shattered completely, but the dragonman just swayed, growing even more enraged.
At that moment, Varian moved.
Rage burned in his chest.
Rage at the black dragon. Rage at being controlled. Rage at everything—all of it condensed into the tip of his sword.
He let out a furious roar. Like a provoked lion, he charged forward and leaped high!
Thunder Strike!
The blade, carrying the force of a thunderbolt, drove down from above, plunging precisely into the dragonman's skull and piercing straight through.
The dragonman's roar cut short.
Its massive body swayed twice, then crashed to the ground.
Varian gasped for breath, stumbled, and nearly fell. Allen quickly caught him.
"Let's go." Varian pushed his hand away, his voice hoarse but firm. "Find Tiffin."
They rushed out of the room.
In the adjoining side chamber, Tiffin Wrynn lay quietly on the bed, as if in a deep sleep.
Her face was pale, her brow furrowed, as though tormented by a nightmare.
Varian staggered to the bedside and took her hand, his voice trembling:
"Tiffin... Tiffin! Wake up!"
"Let me."
Morgan stepped forward.
He stood beside the bed, took a deep breath, clasped his hands together, and prayed softly.
"Light, you are the bane of all filth, the end of all darkness. Please heed your servant's prayer. With your radiance, cleanse this body of every power that does not belong to her."
Golden light surged from his palms. Like a warm tide, it slowly enveloped Tiffin's entire body.
The moment the light touched her, wisps of black mist seeped from her mouth, nose, and ears, dissolving in the holy radiance.
Tiffin's eyelashes fluttered.
She opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Varian's gaunt and anxious face.
"Varian..." Her voice was weak but carried a tender smile. "You're safe... that's wonderful..."
Varian pulled her into his arms.
"I'm fine. You're fine too... Everything's fine now..."
Tiffin raised a hand and gently stroked his face.
"It's good that we're both fine." Tiffin said softly. "Good that we're both fine."
The tender moment had just begun when shouts of battle erupted from outside.
The clash of steel, furious roars, and screams pierced the night, coming from elsewhere in Stormwind Keep.
Allen suddenly stood up.
"That should be Teron Gorefiend. He's lurking in Stormwind. I suspect he came for Medivh's book."
Wen Lei glanced at Allen. This was the first time he'd suddenly brought up the guess about Medivh's book.
Allen looked at Varian:
"You're too weak. Just give me the signet ring or something. We'll handle it."
Varian lifted his head.
"No."
"Why so stingy?" Allen raised an eyebrow. "It's not like I won't give it back."
"No." Varian leaned on the bedframe and slowly stood up. "I mean, I'm coming too."
Allen looked him up and down.
"In this state?" He said mercilessly. "You're not afraid of dying on the battlefield on your royal campaign?"
Varian shot him a look—tinged with a hint of disdain:
"Look at yourself. You're the spitting image of an evil black wizard. If you show up with my signet ring, which side are my soldiers supposed to attack?"
Allen was momentarily speechless.
Tiffin gently took Varian's hand, looking at him tenderly:
"Go." Her voice was soft but firm. "Don't let your people worry. I'll wait here for you to come back."
Varian leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead.
Then he straightened up, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the room. Finally, it landed on Morgan.
"Morgan."
Morgan shuddered: "Sir!"
"Can you carry me downstairs?"