A City of Clouds

[Jaixe Furiael]

Being so acquainted with traveling worlds, the portal was far too familiar than Jaixe cared to admit. It was a familiar sensation of being pulled through a tear in space, soaring past air and stars in a swirling tunnel of light and shadow that probably didn’t exist, and were a means of the mind to comprehend what was occurring, and then finally appearing, whole and complete, at ones destination. It was always somewhat exhilarating, and secretly, he enjoyed this one familiarity.

Of course, he would probably enjoy this world far more than he thought.

This city, Coruscant he believed the stormtroopers explained to him, was sprawling and massive beyond belief. It reminded him of his home of Arcadia, though the skies were clear and free of that permanently stalking storm, and it was the middle of day, not a persistent dusk fall. This place was already better than the Skycity. The familiar feel of walking on cool steel walkways, hanging precariously over what seemed to be an endless abyss that awaited below, the feel of the wind sweeping past you with every speeding car that flew past you, the smell of industry, desperation, hopes, and clear skies. Yes, this is what he missed the most.

After exiting the portal and soaking in the familiarity that he knew would probably be quite rare in these worlds, he examined his surroundings more carefully. There were more stormtroopers and passers-by strewed about, more concerned about their current lives than they are with a new visitor with no name or status. This was a bustling city, filled with thousands or millions of occupants after all, one extra head meant very little in the grand scheme to them. But what caught his eye was a nearby terminal that seemed to be unused, awaiting another to approach it.
He did so, and as he neared where it hung on the railing, the only guard between one and a very long fall, the screen flickered to life with information.

“The Empire welcomes you to Coruscant, traveler. This public terminal is here for the public’s use. I have knowledge of the layout of the city, basic history, important tourist locations, and when the next sky taxi will arrive. What would you like to know?” Jaixe read the message, though found no buttons or means of interacting with the device on hand. On an impulse, he flicked on the screen and watched the message appear to be flung away with a menu placed behind it for the options presented to him. He lightly tapped the city layout icon, and what appeared in front of him was a miniaturized holographic projection of the city. It zoomed in to where he and the terminal was located and labelled it as a “way station” of some sort. Interesting.

He flicked again on the screen, making a rotating gesture, and watched as the projection turned at his insistence. Fascinating piece of technology, he wished Arcadia was similar to this. Though, he recalled, he wasn’t liable to return there again regardless.

With a series of flicks, turns, and other gestures applied to the screen, he maneuvered the projection around, taking in all of the labels, routes, walkways, important structures, anything he could that might be useful during his tenure here. Though the terminal lacked the information he wanted about the Omniverse, at least it was helpful in the here and now. Especially since it just showed him the way to what was called the “Library of Coruscant.” Now that was exactly what he needed.

He tapped on the far-right corner of the screen and closed the projection, returning once more to the menu screen. Now he just needed a ride.

[Jaixe Furiael]

Using the terminal, he managed to flag down a sky taxi, a floating, closed speeder painted yellow and covered in lettering and numbers. Opening one of the doors and entering, he addressed the driver and gave him the requested destination, and then resigned himself to peering out at the city around him as he flew over top of it.

He wished he could still sense the darkness. He could tell that this city was drowning in dark emotions, just by the appearance of it. No matter how beautiful the top may look, he understood that facades were hardly ever true. The desperate hopelessness, the hate, the resentment, all of the things he wished he could still feel. And yet, here he sat, disconnected and soaring through the skies with ignorance clouding his eyes. It almost felt as if this were a profound moment for him, if he could muster enough to care to discern why.

It wasn’t long before they were nearing their destination, needling through the endless sea of metal towers and overhanging signs and lines of traffic that clouded the airway. The library was larger and much more repulsively designed than he anticipated it being. It was a spiraling tower of glass and steel, where all else was so closed and secluded. It was open, it was free, towering over most of the city like a beacon of light and knowledge.

It was disgusting...

Such beautiful architecture only lied to its denizens, depriving them of the truth of their hopeless and meaningless situations. Furthermore, he could already tell that this library was obviously a construct of propaganda by this so called “Empire.” As much as he needed what knowledge he could scrape together about the situation he found himself in, to have that knowledge be potentially compromised was an irritating thought to him.
Not to even mention that he disliked entering “open” and “welcoming” places, especially if they were libraries.

It was minutes before the speeder stopped at the entrance, a walkway that ended into nothing and operated similarly as a curb would to a street. Walking onto the cool, gray, smooth steel once more and closing the door of the car behind him, he walked casually towards the entrance made of, so surprisingly, glass. How frail this building must be!

“I am not going to find this pleasant in the least…” He spoke as he ignored and walked past the two stormtroopers that also guarded this entrance for some unknown reason.

[Sarah Kerrigan]

Raal Deathwind had perused many great libraries in his life, some of which he’d held a hand in creating, and some which he’d personally devoted his time to “liberating”. He’d seen the best both orc and human had to offer, even if it was sometimes with human mages threatening to cause him to burst into flame. None of them compared to this place, and as he walked through the doors, his eyes darted from row to row with a childlike awe, as he absorbed the sheer magnitude of the building he found himself in. “It’s huge…” Raal breathed to himself.

“Yeah, probably gonna be a pain to find what you’re searching for, huh?” Zul’kis interjected, and Raal’s face shifted to a glare. He took a moment before responding, trying and failing to keep his annoyance out of his voice. “This library has a directory. Finding what we need in such a well-tended storehouse of knowledge shall not be an issue, as long as we don’t simply wander about like buffoons.” Raal stated, waving a hand as his skeletons trailed behind the two, walking without any form of stance, and with weapons sheathed. several within the library gasped and Raal thought he heard someone stifle a yell in the distance. He paid them no mind. His own minions were not causing harm or damage to property or book. Let them gape as they liked. It was the first time he’d had the pleasure of smelling fear in a long time.

“We’ll likely need to be here for some time, Zul’kis. Do as you will - I will call for you when the time comes.” Raal said sharply. Zul’kis seemed less than pleased by the idea, but nodded anyways, heading for what appeared to be a dataverse terminal of some sort. Raal, for his part, headed for the upper sections of the library, unaware of any potential attention he’d caught...

[Jaixe Furiael]

Why was fate conspiring against him? Mere moments after entering the library through the windowed doors, a couple of skeletons, one of which was garbed in black and riding atop a horse, shoved him aside as they walked through. With them was a tall, green humanoid far bigger and muscular than he thought was normal, and all were dressed rather oddly, raggedly in fact, as if they were barbaric or from an entirely different era. If it weren’t for the sheer absurdity being displayed, he would’ve shouted out then and there or rip asunder the arrogance that was being put on in front of his eyes. He stifled his annoyance and frustration again, deigning to listen to what the man spoke to the green troll, who was promptly dismissed from the horseman’s presence for the time being.

Jaixe didn’t quite understand why at the time, but he felt somewhat compelled to follow the rider. Perhaps the absurd showboating had won his senses over? Ridiculous. No, the rider might have knowledge he needs or may find intriguing at the very least. Though, a chance to tear apart those shoddily conjured bone piles would be far too enticing to pass up at this junction. Revenge can be quite satisfying for the affront those walking corpses gave him.

As Raal continued forward, deeper into the library, Jaixe followed from a distance. He attempted looking as inconspicuous as he could manage, though he was a far cry from being a master at stealth and subtlety. He also figured that anyone who would so gladly, and loudly announce their presence was at least secure in knowing when they were being trailed, though Jaixe wanted to test that hypothesis.

[Sarah Kerrigan]

Raal kept his mount walking firmly at the pace of a slow trot, stares following his entourage as he walked. It was amusing to see human and nonhuman alike balk and turn pale as they saw his ghoulish vanguard walk in front of him. Though they kept their weapons sheathed and did not further disturb the library itself, their unearthly look alone kept most of the library's occupants from stepping in Raal's way. The skeletal rider looked from shelf to shelf as he walked, perusing the massive archives for any bit of knowledge he could glean.

A green book with gold-colored stripes running through it's spine, and "The beasts of the tangled green." clearly printed in the same color caught his eye, and he pointed. some human girl jumped out of the way as one of his skeletal servants suddenly thrust it's hand out... before gently placing the book in it's hands, holding the tome with utmost care. As soon as this was done, Raal continued silently forward, repeating the process as other books caught his eye. Raal would almost be calm in doing this, if not for the buzzing at the back of his mind. Something more than human, and indeed, more than even the average nonhuman was tailing him - even with his extrasensory perception so limited and burned out by this world, Raal could tell that much. At first, he'd thought it to be a demon of some sort - certainly, the being felt like one of those chaotic manifestations of the nether, at least initially - but the longer the feeling remained, the more he felt it to be... off. While demons always and invariably felt as beings of chaos and fire, this being felt far more… subdued. The difference was that between lava and stone.

Which, Raal supposed, was why part of the library hadn’t already been burned down. Demons rarely engaged in stealth, even the subtle succubi. Raal closed his eyes as he focused on what he was going to do about the problem. Best to not react without certainty. Many strange beings occupied this strange world, and Raal supposed he wouldn’t be that surprised if it turned out a demonlord simply wandered peacefully about the realm now. Instead of outwardly reacting, he simply gave mental directions to his nearest servant to pick out a white and blue book - “history of our emperor Palpatine, the hero of coruscant” - and rolled his eyes at the sycophantic description.

It took several minutes to gather what Raal considered to be “adequate”, and Raal looked around the library, looking for a secluded area. The buzzing had not stopped - if anything, it had grown stronger - and Raal no longer had doubt. whatever it was, it was following him.
Raal dismounted \ into a small alcove containing several wooden chairs and some bare hints of victorian architecture. Leather boots created a soft imprint on the carpet, and as Raal dismounted his robes shifted only a little, the fine steel greaves and cuisse of an Azeroth knight visible as Raal’s lower body was partially exposed. For a brief moment, if one looked closely, an odd, pale white seemed to show through a slight gap in the mail layer of the armor…


Raal quickly swept into motion, taking a book from one of his undead servants without even looking at the text in question. A gloved hand grasped the arm of one of the chairs in the alcove, as Raal stood in front of one of the chairs. Finally, he turned around, guessing from some of the noise he’d heard earlier at Jaixe’s exact position, and by some measure of luck turning to look at his pursuer directly with a pointed glare.

“Your darkness sticks out like a sore thumb in this library. As does your boldness. This espionage charade is starting to waste my time, so I’ll be brief: What do you seek, dark one?”

[Jaixe Furiael]

Jaixe wasn’t so shocked when Raal so pointedly glared him down, but rather leveled that gaze with his orange-glowing eyes, and a somewhat annoyed expression that he hadn’t been able to quell. Jaixe understood he wasn't as cunning at being secretive as he'd like, and truly, he seemed rather amused that this dark figure passed his first trial with ease. He assumed a great deal from the books that the death knight had his vanguard collect. This being, however grand he made himself out to be, was similarly at a loss of information as he was. That was a comforting thought to be sure.

Jaixe walked forward onto the carpeted area without much of a word and sat opposite of the one he previously stalked in one of the cushioned chairs, having taken the time earlier to pick out a book for himself to read while he was tracing the Death Knight. It was a rather large book with a white, blank cover. On the spine, it read, “Heralds of Hell: Diablo’s Reign of Terror.” Given the fact that it was under the non-fiction section, Jaixe had a great deal of curiosity about the book’s contents in question.

He crossed his legs as he studied Raal before speaking, “An intriguing world we’ve found ourselves in, is it not? So filled with potential for life and hope, and equally so for such to be crushed beneath men that have no need for such.” He asked, though it almost seemed rhetorical, as Jaixe was piecing together what Raal was and gauging his reactions. Though, given the fact that he wore a dark robe and was, what seemed, an armored skeleton that couldn’t so easily give such subtle expressions, that might be a difficult ordeal to pull off.

“At least…” Jaixe continued without giving Raal much chance to reply, “That is what your display of prominence would speak of. If I stick out like a “sore thumb,” then you would be the rotting corpse in the closet. Even if they can’t see you, they can still sense you from a fair distance. That is not the kind of attention you should be bringing to yourself in a foreign world you know so little of…” He lectured the death knight, taking into consideration one of the books that he pulled from the shelves. “A history of our Emperor Palpatine,” he managed to discern as it was taken.

“Though I suppose it would be further rude of me to not answer your previous question. I seek knowledge, and I wonder if you’ll be of much use in this regard, dark knight..." Jaixe was, as well, inwardly curious to see if any of his assumptions were correct, or if he had missed a detail or two. It was a gamble; he couldn't be truly certain, but he still remained visibly confident and calm in his wordy display of intelligence, however flawed it might turn out to be.

[Sarah Kerrigan]

Raal’s annoyance with this shadow given form as he proceeded to seemingly ignore him at first, and the death knight’s glare only grew as he casually glanced at a book. Inwardly, some part of him knew this was for the best. Raal’s first worry was an altercation that could have had him barred from a major source of knowledge in this world, and this being seemed not to be spoiling for the fight Raal had anticipated. A far better outcome.

However, being slighted wasn’t much farther down the scale for Raal. Still, as the upstart continued to speak, Raal was slightly mollified. This one had intelligence to match his arrogance, at least, and at least some appreciation for the gift of higher thought. while he hoped to be pleasantly surprised, he was fully expecting Zul’kis to find a combat simulator or something similar for the duration of their stay here, using the dataverse terminals.


“An interesting position, though I’m more amused than insulted by your description. We both know that outward appearances are deceiving…” Raal subtly hinted. While he may know little of this shadowy being, he did know that chances were, despite his outward appearance, that he was more magic and shadow than physical form. “Coruscant is a vast world, populated mostly by humans. regardless of how I chose to enter, I would draw attention. Instead of skulking, and allowing them to draw conclusion as they wish, I simply chose one for them.” Raal retorted.

“After all, there’s few beings more easily manipulated than those who are already certain about the nature of the being they speak to.” Raal stated dryly. “Unknowns encourage mortals to exercise their intelligence, while certainties simply require them to use previous bias. The simplest way to fool someone is not to subtly tiptoe, but to make sure your subject emphasizes and dismisses importance based on your needs.” Raal stated.


“Nonetheless… I’ve no quarrel with you, at least… Not yet. nor am I a simple tool for your own knowledge to be expanded.” Raal said more sharply than he meant to. “Two deaths in service was enough.” He thought to himself. “If you wish to gain something from me, I require something in return.”

[Jaixe Furiael]

Jaixe smiled, even further amused by this robed knight than before. He had almost entirely forgotten the previous incident in favor of indulging his own curiosity now. He listened to how Raal replied, discerning the key details from the useless wordiness, as was the object of the game of intellectual debates and confrontations. It was a contest of sharpness, where one would corner the other in an attempt to persuade them to their way of thinking with as little effort as possible.

And this dark knight knew how to play, and Jaixe enjoyed that fact to its utmost. Previously, in his life outside of the Omniverse, the only one he could hold a fair conversation with tended to be his enemies, which went on and on about light and how they would defeat him. He was deprived of these games. Now he had, what he assumed, a rare chance to play it.

“Oh, but you are a simple tool for my knowledge to be expanded. You yet speak with me. Still, you hold some more that I may require, and for that I would be willing to hear your proposal as adequate payment. I do not expect one of intelligence to so freely offer themselves as a slave, nor would I trust information that was so freely given.” Jaixe responded casually to Raal, now donning a more even expression rather than a somewhat amused one. “Though, I won’t be a pawn of yours either. I have no interest in sacrificing my own freedoms for the sake of knowledge I could gather myself given time. Your mind is not that valuable to me.”

[Sarah Kerrigan]

Raal's glare sharpened slightly, but his voice did not change. "Even with your words, you seem to gamble with danger. It's been a long time since I've seen such naked pride... Yet yours has some basis, doesn't it?" Raal stated bluntly, before giving a slight signal to his undead. they moved close to different areas of the library, not attacking or striking, but seeming to keep people away from the small section of the library Raal and Jaixe found themselves in by mere proximity. "You'd be nearly impossible to use as a pawn, and this place by it's very nature discourages the idea of unwilling subordinates...

Therefore, I suppose I have no choice but to create a reasonably fair proposal. I'll make this brief... this place is but one of many others, though it is perhaps the most developed. The inhabitants are vast... yet, and I offer this much freely... Most areas stand in a state of constant chaos and conflict. Outside of this place, there are few areas not immersed in conflict.

And as always, there can be profit and power gained from such a constant state. Power, both direct and indirect, to shape the realms as one wishes. Most primes... seem not to use this fact. instead, they devote themselves to saving the simpler beings of the realms from what they consider the terrors of the world. Working as guards, heroes... well, to put it bluntly, as lackeys." Raal paused for just a second before continuing, allowing what he'd said to sink in - and realizing that despite his earlier words he was being far less than brief with some self-focused mirth.

"I'm looking for individuals willing, and wishing, to make more of themselves than that. The Omniverse is too... Wild to be controlled by any one being, as I've seen, and filled with too many individuals willing to die or become banished in exchange for stopping any so-called villain... but a few beings of vision and power, that could accomplish far more. To that end... I seek colleagues, willing to work for the mutual acquisition of power, the increase of influence, and a heightened chance of survival... or at least survival outside the bowels of hell themselves. And I offer the chance to join this mutual collaboration to you." Raal finished, noticing a pair of pale blue ears accompanying the tip of a green mohawk around the corner of one of the bookshelves. The young troll had more sense than Raal had given him credit for. Or less, given that terrible attempt at subterfuge. Raal wasn't quite sure.

[Jaixe Furiael]

Jaixe listened, visibly appearing to be merely mildly interested, but inwardly he was very curious. This death knight has thus far proven to be a worthy adversary in this little game. He was wishing to not be disappointed with this final maneuver. Though when Raal gave his proposal, Jaixe was initially stunned. Almost visibly so, if it weren’t for the large measure of self-control he had attained through experience. This being, this dark knight, was also quite the gambler as it turned out. A gambler willing to push their own agendas forward no matter the cost or reason.

Jaixe started with a low chuckle, and then proceeded to laugh more noisily, continuing with his reply after several moments where he could not help but feel so greatly humored and entertained like never been before. “A gambler I may be, but never quite as bold as you it seems. You would so willingly offer an agreement where we may use each other as pawns in our own agendas, freely and openly, to achieve goals that would be in both of our interests?” He commented on the proposal, laughing some more at the idea. “It would be too rude for me to pass such a generous offer up, wouldn’t it?”

“I suppose I will have to concede defeat to you in this little game. I would never take such a risk with a being I hardly know and understand, but you seem the least troubled by such. Very well, we shall be partners in this foreign world. At least, for however long that may last. I have learned that these worlds hold no certainty, and Omni has subverted reality for his own games.”

Jaixe’s right ear seemed to twitch as he turned his head, eyeing the large blue troll that hid behind the bookshelf. He had heard and, truthfully, felt that he was being watched from a distance, and desired to see what the source of that was. “I wonder if your friend would be so willing to accept me as you are.” Jaixe murmured, barely audible for others to hear, before turning back to the death knight.

Jaixe repositioned himself on the couch, uncrossing his legs to don a less relaxed posture. “Though I must ask, what is it that you truly desire? You act with more purpose than I, and you seek allies, though I do not yet comprehend the purpose. You speak of gaining power, but that can be obtained without the need to share it with others. And with your intellect, despite however frail your vanguard may be, it would not take so much effort. For what reason do you require the likes of me, or that blue troll, to the point that you would risk a great deal to achieve, I wonder…?”

[Sarah Kerrigan]

Raal kept his face neutral, throughout the dark one's laughter. He knew there were really only two endpoints to this conversation now, but if he'd judged the Shadow right... and as Jaiex said his first piece, Raal realized he had.

Raal's voice twisted into what could be easily called a disgusting smile. "I've yet to lose a gamble face to face. And I've generally found beings such as yourself to be best bartered with without hint of pretense or sentimentality. An alliance based on mutual benefit and profit... And thus, one likely to last."

Raal inclined his head in agreement, his jeweled truncheon slacking slightly at his side. "Partners, then. I imagine that we may yet find order within this chaotic mess. Or else I wouldn't have bothered with the tomes in this building."

As Jaixe spoke of Zul'kis, Raal merely nodded. "If he wasn't, he wouldn't have had the inner strength to hold himself to his hiding place. Zul'kis..." Raal took the amount of time needed for a long breath before continuing. "There's little use eavesdropping after you've been noticed by everyone you're eavesdropping on" Raal stated with a hint of annoyance. "Instead of being a pest, come here." Raal stated, hearing the shuffling of feet.

Raal Thought for a moment, answering before Zul'kis could reach them, as Jaixe posed his question. "I seek power over myself and others. Yet... I'll allow there is more to it than that. I'm sickened. Here, humans walk to and fro, people languish in freedom, as anything of true strength or value is cast aside in favor of what's pure and noble. The beings my people were meant to..." Raal took a second to calm himself. "For my goals, I shall keep it brief. I've wish to dominate these verses, to hold power over them. Currently, another group, one seemingly wishing to hold the omniverse to it's own moral standards, as well as smaller bands of "heroes", would take issue with beings of shadow, beings who know their power and are unafraid to wield it. It's my belief that a war has already ignited here... It's simply that our side was never informed it began. Rather than be hunted, I would have allies, and underlings, and a force capable of vying with these... instead of simply being burned and exiled.

Raal took a moment before he continued. "A world filled with so much light, so many smiling humans... I'd rather finally die in truth than continue to see it displayed before me."

[Jaixe Furiael]

”So we aren’t completely compatible, but it is an affair I will accept nonetheless.” Jaixe pondered Raal’s response, his ranting was surprisingly more anti-human than what Jaixe expected. Still, it could be dealt with. Raal had no sense of Jaixe’s own origins, and Jaixe did not consider himself human anymore regardless, so it was hardly an issue he had to worry over.

“You may find this world difficult to enforce your ideals upon. As well as upon the others. Still, it is an admirable goal, keeping ahold of one’s principles even past the death that brought them here. You will have to forgive me for wondering about how long that may last. I’ve seen many men break under pressures. In the end, darkness consumes all things…” Jaixe spoke with what seemed to be a mixture of experience and casualness that might worry others as to his intents.

“Before I forget, however, we should proceed with our respective introductions. I’d rather not refer to you as rotting corpse for the rest of this cooperative effort.” Jaixe pointed out, still not knowing the names of the beings he had just agreed to ally himself with. It didn’t truly concern him, given that names were somewhat of a fallacy as far as he was aware. They were good tools for giving your enemies something to fear in a word, but that was all they seemed useful for. There was no identity in the Realm of Darkness, there was only emotion, only intent, and, rarely, intelligence.

“Seeing as I started this ordeal, I shall introduce myself first. You may refer to me as Jaixe, a being of darkness referred to as Heartless in my world.” Jaixe introduced himself, deigning not to go into precise detail about himself. They would learn plenty of each other as time went on, it was best not to waste any more time than necessary.

[Sarah Kerrigan]

"Difficult?' Raal laughed slightly at that. "That's putting it lightly." Raal stated simply. "If you've doubts, I shall allow my actions to dispel them." Raal stated bluntly. My intentions are merely the fate of this world, for as you've stated, Darkness consumes all things. My people were, and are, darkness." Raal stated, and more than a hint of pride was within his words.

He had yet to reform them in truth, his horde, but every second seemed to bring the goal ever closer, the idea becoming more and more possible as time went by. Soon… yes, soon he would find them, the orcs of his world… perhaps orcs of other worlds, just as these humans seemed to be from the worlds of others. They would follow his banner - he understood how to rule over his own kind - and they would create a third war. One that would level these proud cities to ash. And this time, neither the Foolish Blackhand or the power-hungry Gul’dan would get in the way. Raal would make sure to redeem the horde, and bring it's true destiny to fruition.

As Raal was introduced to Jaixe, he wondered at just what this being was. Heartless… Clearly, there was something different in this one than any demon, yet he could still see the kinship, the similarities. He supposed that Jaixe must be the equivalent of the demons he knew, yet in a world so different their form had changed in many ways. Still, comparisons were useless. He would endeavor to learn more on what his companion was, rather than what he might be. “Very well… Jaixe.” Raal stated slowly. “I am Raal Deathwind. In my world, I was a being referred to as a death knight.” he stated simply. While there was more to the story to his origin, the name worked as an accurate description of race and position both, and they were already beginning to waste time.

Zul’kis managed to make his stride next to Raal at this point, finding his way through the mesh of bookcases, and Raal spoke for him. “This one is known as Zul’kis.” Raal stated simply, seeing no need to reveal any more than that. The Large troll grunted, but added nothing of his own, staring at Jaixe with curiosity.

Raal briefly glanced over the books he’d piled up, realizing that, for all this relationship could bear fruit, it was useless without a current plan of action. For now, preparation was in order. In that vein… “Have you yet summoned a communicator?” Raal asked the elegant heartless.

[Jaixe Furiael]

Jaixe figured as much about Raal’s introduction, though it was good to have an official designation for what Raal was. At least it was better than constantly referring to him as a skeleton in a ragged cloak. Zul’kis, the troll, was as Jaixe expected at first glance. The death knight was correct in stating that his introduction needed little else in detail. Then when Raal spoke of summoning a “communicator,” he so quickly recalled what Omni said and chuckled internally at how he so readily dismissed it from his mind. “I have had no need of such a device until just recently.”

So that being’s words were true. I will have to remember that. Jaixe thought to himself, then recalled that Omnilium would likely be a limited substance in this world. “It would have been a waste at the time, and I had no reason to think I would have allies.” Or, at least, intelligent ones that could use communicators. He thought, recalling that he would have likely relied on Heartless, if he could. In this world, that may not have been such a grand idea.

“Though if we require communicators, I trust you have a plan of action already then?” Jaixe inquire, as the only need for communication across long distances is in the event the two would need to split up to achieve a set of goals. “Or are you simply tired of my presence after all?”

[Sarah Kerrigan]

“I’d suggest you attempt such. It will allow us to communicate, regardless of distance. with the help of a dataverse device, you will also be capable of keeping track of local news and movements of the omniverse at large… at least

“I possess ideas… to become plans, research will be required. And all of them will have to be quickly carried out" Raal stated, mailed hands grabbing a red book as he spoke with a surprising amount of care and delicacy.

"Many are dependent on the knowledge I find within the tomes of knowledge populating this library, however. I shall speak of them when my ideas become more concrete." Raal reluctantly revealed. He wasn't used to nakedly admitting a lack of knowledge, but he had already produced enough vulnerability in his conversation with Jaixe so far that this would hardly be the tipping point. Nor was Raal capable of hiding this fact from Jaixe, either.

"This research could go quicker, however, were we to work in concert…” Raal said, already mentally thinking of a list of different tomes… and how they could be delegated.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next few days went by quickly. Raal, more due to habit than anything else, had expected to still end up doing the bulk of the work, but Jaixe was capable of quickly digging through any text and tearing out the information with the precision and speed of an accomplished scholar. Raal had initially expected Zul’kis, too, to be of less assistance than he was proving to be.

The troll was easily distracted and unfocused when it came to working through the different texts and scrolls Raal had attempted to saddle him with, but this library had other ways of learning - using auditory and visual stimuli rather than mere text - and Zul’kis showed himself to be adept at using this information. It confirmed some of Raal’s earlier suspicions about Zul’kis’s aptitude, and he exploited that to give Zul’kis several plans to follow - ones involving battle strategy and more technical combat skill.

Meanwhile, Raal worked with Jaixe, the latter making many suggestions regarding additional text to pore over, and Raal found himself surprised at how many important texts he had missed that Jaixe had caught. With his suggestions on streamlining the processs, the actual workload both of them faced was lessened considerably, while still gaining the required information. At this rate, he and Jaixe could manage to have as detailed information on the individual ‘verses and their relations as written knowledge would allow.

The two talked somewhat frequently, comparing notes and summarizing extracted information and history in short. Jaixe always spoke with a hint of amusement in his voice, as though the act of discussing such information was a pleasant activity by itself, but rarely allowed the conversation to stray too much from the subjects they were covering - Jaixe always made sure to keep a distance between himself and the Death knight in conversation, and Raal wasn’t particularly bothered by this. He was looking for a colleague, an equal, a peer… To be a friend wasn’t a necessary part of that arrangement.

Of course, merely speaking of information wasn’t useful in and of itself, after all. Raal and Jaixe constantly shot plans back and forth, often little more than half-formed ideas. Each idea was discussed and examined at length, with more plots being thrown out than were kept. Raal noticed his partner in this endeavour almost always insisted on keeping the discussion to the smallest alcoves and darkest spaces available, and often waited until almost all light disappeared in the sky above them. Raal certainly found no room to complain, but he noted that the amount of stress visible on Jaixe’s face often seemed to depend purely on where in the library he was standing at any given moment. Raal kept this in mind for the future, but chose not to comment on it.
Eventually, both of them, after long discussion, had built up a relatively complete picture of the wider world they now inhabited, and had changed vague, half-formed ideas to proper plans of action.

Three days later, Raal found himself, familiarly, staring at Jaixe over a small table. These tiny cafe tables were hardly fitting for one of his stature, but he had learned to get used to them. Neither he nor Jaixe really needed to sit for comfort’s sake, but it improved focus and simply made it easier when handling so much sensitive research material. “In a few hours, I shall leave for the jungles of the tangled green.” The old warlock stated simply. “I’ve gleaned all I can from this library, at least without further personal insight in the world. And with the crown of blackhand stolen… I may not be the only one attempting to unite the orcs under one banner.” Raal explained. “I’ll need to leave without delay. Of course… With these communicators, it’s not as though we’ll need to meet in person to stay in contact.” The Death Knight notes. “But still, before I leave I’d like to confirm your plans. What shall you prioritize, once I leave?”

[Jaixe Furiael]

These past three days were exciting, more amusing than what Jaixe would have hoped for. He had no idea that exploring the texts of a world so foreign to him would enthrall him so, let alone that this Death Knight would be almost as learned as he was in deciphering the texts and offering accurate analysis on the topics they detailed. He was as much a master as Jaixe in being a learned scholar, and such a fact surprised Jaixe. Still, in the past three days, he ensured to keep his praise and commentary in favor of streamlining the process of sorting and deciphering the vast storage of information.

And then there they sat, across from each other once more with naught but a coffee table and the all-too familiar soft cushions of the chairs surrounding it. When Raal inquired as to what Jaixe would do after departing from this now drained archive, Jaixe had pondered. There were missing links, blanks, holes in the information they had gathered. While he understood the need for haste if this plan was to work as intended, he also knew that such gaps must be filled before long. Ignorance would not stand. Not again, not when Jaixe had been given such a wondrous opportunity.

With that in mind, it was clear what his choice would be. “I will linger longer in this world and find the Archives of Ultan. There is information we yet lack that I would like to have my hands on. I will inform you of any results.” Jaixe spoke with confidence in his choice, standing up from the seat with a half-smile. “Would that I could stay here for a day or two longer… It was far more entertaining than I thought it would be.” He commented before directing his attention back to the seated Death Knight. “It would be best to avoid direct contact unless necessary. The less people can assume of our connections, the better. I would rather work in anonymity in regards to my relation with your affairs, and it should be likewise for you.” He commented stoically, watching as the Death Knight gave a quick nod of approval.

“It would be for the best.” Raal agreed, and watched as Jaixe gave a nod and departed from the library without another word of departure. To Jaixe, saying anything else would be unnecessary. When next they meet, it will either be with success or failure in achieving their goals.

With that in mind, Jaixe departed the glass structure of the library and once again stood on the platform. It was mid-day, multi-colored cars that floated in invisible lanes already flowed busily through the cluttered skies. Jaixe almost wondered what it would be like in the lower tiers, but shook the thought away. He waved down a taxi, who looked similarly to the one he rode in on, driver included, and then departed for the nearest elevator that headed down into the lower tiers.