Remorseless and impatient, Nostalgia often strikes when we least expect it to.
Intense though it was, the pleasure that shuddered through Maliceâs body eventually began to dissipate, much like the warmth from a dying corpse, and so just as he might move on to the next foe in battle, he entertained thoughts of exploring other pursuits, at least for the moment. Before he could decide whether to train his body, or simply sharpen his blade, however, a chill breeze swept throughout the Temple, causing Pandora to rise anxiously from him and don a thin veil of silk. Meeting this development with interest, Malice followed suit and leisurely ascended from the ground below, perusing the mist inquisitively as a familiar presence emanated from its swirling folds.
Ballathor fallen before our dark rebirth has even begun, he mused, considering the ramifications of such an event while Pandora expressed her surprise and shook with, what Malice presumed to be, outrage; for he knew of their past together and that she had been the one to usher Atra in with open arms. Despite this grievous blow though, the juggernaut couldnât help but admire how easily it appeared Atra had dispatched someone of Ballathorâs stature, a creature of considerable ability and a priest in the blackest of arts. Wriggling like maggots, obsidian trails of liquid gradually poured from hidden recesses in the monsters skin then, encompassing his muscular frame in his dreaded armour once more, dislodging the blood from their embrace and, if anything, using it to highlight the daemonic images, rather than washing it away.
To struggle with Atraâs motives would be a futile effort, much like Sisyphus with his boulder, and so instead of wasting time conversing with Pandora, Malice bowed his head respectfully and then addressed his Queen, before marching up the stairs from the crypt and into the Templeâs upper levels. â Old grudges die hard, it seems, and so I shall leave you to consider our next course of action, my liegeâ. Echoing off the walls with each and every stride, the fiends footfalls lead him deeper into the Labyrinth Darkbane called home, paying little heed to his direction as his mind envisioned the future.
Reaping bloody vengeance with every breath, Atra it seemed was drawing things towards an inevitable conclusion that raised an unfortunate dilemma in the Warlordâs heart, one where loyalty to the throne threatened to become overshadowed by ancient and unresolved feelings. Initially, Malice had intended to visit the Templeâs war-room, where FiendWrath could decimate any number of adversaries, but before he could reach the sparring-partners cells, he faltered and went off in search of perspective instead. It was then that the voice of Atrox filled his ears, sounding as clearly as if he were standing right behind him and briefly shaking Malice free from his internal battle, as he grew amused by the Weaverâs words. Mimicking a chuckle with a telepathic wave, Malice zeroed in on Atrox with his senses and then delivered a response towards his brain, letting the man decide whether he wanted to receive it or not, whilst he pranced through the lands surrounding the Temple itself.
â What am I to say old friend? My appetites are as â¦vile as ever, as are the pleasures I receive from indulging them. What brings you to these damned doors though? â. With his piece said, however, the Great Devourer found himself stopped inside a vast black gallery, where tapestries both beautiful and terrible to behold stretched off for what appeared to be miles in either direction, almost as if time and space had been bent within this place to incorporate eons of history within its halls. Walking back and forth between the portraits with a grace that belied his bulk, Maliceâs eyes raked the faces of members come and gone patiently, for there was one among thousands that he sought and, after several minutes of disappointment, he finally discovered the angelic countenance of a woman. Strong and imposing, the painting portrayed a warrior crushing men beneath her heel, a vicious vixen that tore souls asunder and sowed despair in her wake, though this was but one side of the enigma, one facet of the jewel.
Ballathor knows you now, my Valkyrie, he thought, as he gazed upon Atraâlamia and marvelled at the sinful seduction that masked those deadly curves, knowing in his heart that her visage had decided the matter and, should she come to settle old scores, he wouldnât bare arms against her, couldnât deny the affection he still held to this day.