The Flight

== Analysis ==
Although the storyline tells about the fall of the noble Eyel Scoffleton, the main figure is Abbal, Eyel's butler and servant. Because it's written in the first-person, through the eyes of Abbal, you get to see the real Eyel. However the reader is rarely granted insight in the actual thoughts of the butler, only his actions are described and how he sees the events that pass. Even tough the story is experienced through the perspective of Abbal, Eyel shows the most character development, growing more desperate as the story progresses.
The story takes place over about a month, with time progressing slowlier the more the story develops. The chapters however spread further out across the timeline as the story progresses, making the actual time between each chapter increasingly longer.
== Summary ==
Eyel Scoffleton, honored nobleman of Stormwind is betrayed by his old associates. They have cut of his monetary funds and the guards are on their way to make an arrest; the charge: high treason. Eyel and his loyal servant Abbal are able to make it out of the city just in time, although Eyel is wounded in their escape. They flee to the woods, hide there for a couple of days and then make their way to one of the towns far from the city. Eyel makes contact with an old friend and recieves bad news. His once friends, now enemies have put him in ill favour of the Royal Court and his privileges and possessions have been withdrawn and Eyel is stripped of his rank as Baron. He knows he can't stay in the town for too long and he and Abbal make their way into the thick Duskwoods. There they plan what to do next to get themselves out of this desperate situation.
== Full Synopsis ==
=== Chapter One ===
"Hurry it up, Abbal!" Eyel was going through his belongings rather quickly. "We have to leave soon and I'm not taking any chances!" Odd his master used to be rather relaxed and rational when it came to urgent matters, but now.. Abbal looked at his master as he openend a drawer and took out the shirts and pants at random. "What are you standing around for! Go grab some food!". Abbal quickly turned around and headed for the kitchen. He took a glimps outside, the sunset coloured the sky with a beautifull pinkish red. "Abbal!" Abbal quickly went back to work. Abbal had seen much of Stormwind and he knew all the shortcuts and detours, but he had never traveled the streets at this pace. His masters horses were moving at what seemed the speed of light. Abbal looked down and thought that the hooves of the animal were flaming. He blinked and looked up again, they were nearing the gates.
Just as they were about to ride through the gates a group of people appeared out of nothing. Their faces hidden in darkpurple cloaks and hoods. Some were carrying swords and bows and others seemed to be armless. Abbal noticed that his master was not stoping and only secconds later he heared something miss his head only just. Abbal knew instantly what it was. The sound of a shadowbolt was not hard to reckognise. He heared some of group and his master speaking in low demonic, trying to curse eachother. As they rode through the gates one of the cloaked men shot Eyel with a black glowing arrow. Eyel moaned but he kept cursing and putting up shadowbarriers. As they moved further and further away from the gates Abbal heared a shout. "SCOFFLETON! Know we do not rest till we'll find you! You decieving dog!" He looked back and noticed the figures were not following them.
It was not until the city was out of sight before his master spoke to him and ordered a rest. While they were sitting there Abbal looked at his master's now wounded arm. He grabbed a bandage from his backpack and removed the arrow. Eyel didn't flinch, but the pain was almost unbearable. Abbal began treating the wounded arm, he was not the man to ask questions and he knew that Eyel wouldn't not anwser them if he would asked them.
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=== Chapter Two ===
Slow and steady the cart moved onward. Abbal noticed that his master was clearly unhappy with their current method of transportation. He leaned back into the pile of hay and looked at the slowly darkening sky. It was five days since they fled the city and it had been five hectic days. Eyel's arm wasn't healing properly and he began having trouble sleeping. Abbal could hear him sometimes yell or moan in his sleep. Because of the weakened state of his employer, they decided to hid in the woods for a while, they couldn't risk being seen. But the secrecy claimed it's toll. On the fourth night, while they were fast asleep, a group of bandits stole their horses and the only gear they had. Abbal looked at Eyel and wondered what they would do next. If they would reach Lakeshire, most certainly they would get noticed by the spies of their pursuers . On the other side the contact of his master could provide the information they needed. The cart rode on. The plumpy farmer had been willing to take them to Lakeshire for small 'donation'. Eyel had been furious about having to pay for this hospitality, which he deemed to be very below average. Abbal had quickly given the man a few silverlings, he didn't want to let his master start an argument and destroy their hope for a ride. Abbal sat right up again and looked on the horizon. Behind the orange hills of Redridge he saw the borders of the town of Lakeshire...
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=== Chapter Three ===
It was a nice day, the sun was set high and Abbal enjoyed sitting in the sun, moving at this slow pace. The cart wobbled a little when it rode onto the Lakeshire Bridge. A guard, standing by, neared and gave a quick look at the haystack. After a couple of seconds the cart began wobbeling again, moving over the broken bridge.
Abbal and Eyel got off the cart as it rode into town. Abbal spend a brief moment thanking the farmer, who wished him good luck on his travels, after staring annoyed at Eyel. He wasn't all to happy about his noisy passenger, who complained about the slightest inconvenience. Eyel had on his turn mocked the man for not going any faster. Abbal looked over his shoulder and noticed that Eyel was already walking towards the tavern. He quickly said goodbye to the farmer and walked to the tavern. Inside Eyel already claimed a table in a shadowy corner and had ordered himself something to drink, when Abbal entered. He quickly sat down on a chair. Eyel toke a sip of his drink and turned to his servant. "You gave him any gold?" Abbal looked confused. "The stinking farmer, did you gave him anything?" Abbal shoke his head silently, in all this years in service of the old noble he developt himself to a pretty good liar. "Good, I wouldn't have given him a copper more for a ride on that squeaking cart of him, charging us ten silver to take us to Lakeshire? Who do he think he is? It should be a priviledge to drive me to Lakeshire! Ten silver.." Abbal stayed silent, money always was his masters weakness. "Alright. Ask the bartender if he is already here." Abbal nodded and stood up, walking towards the counter. It was not always easy to follow Eyel's commands. The noble had a way of revealing very little and demanding no mistakes. Abbal knew the contact of his master was residing somewhere in town and it was a wise move to check the inn first. He never met the contacts of his master, but he knew that there weren't many left after their betrayal. After a short questioning of the bartender, Abbal returned at the table. "And..?"
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=== Chapter Four ===
Abbal was waiting at the bar. He chatted with the Gnomish barmaid for a while, but then he decided to draw not to much attention and sat down at a table. I had almost been an hour since Eyel went upstairs with the shady looking man. Abbal had an unpleasant feeling about the man, his clothes seemed ... odd. Abbal remembered that he toke a glimps off the man and for a second it looked like they were on fire. But it wasn't the thing that made him feel so ill-at-ease, it was the look he had in his eyes. Cold as the grave, piercing right through Abbal. He shivered. The man had introduced himself as Wrago, he was the man they were waiting for. Abbal only nodded when he introduced himself, but Eyel greeted him as if he was his friend. Abbal snickered, remebering his master never had any friends nor the wish for any. It was a long time since they had any guests, back home. And even when they did had guests it was always business related. Abbal sighed and leaned back in his chair. He was just about to close his eyes for a quick nap when he heared a door slam and footsteps above him. Abbal sat right up immediately. Someone was moving down the stairs rather quickly. Abbal looked at the stairs and saw that Eyel was running down the stairs. "Abbal! Get packed, we'll have to go soon!" And he ran out of the inn. Abbal raised an eyebrow whilst looking at the door. "You better do as he say and quickly." His voice was as cold as his look. A shiver ran up Abbal's spine. He stood up immediately and moved up the stairs, looking at the ground.
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=== Chapter Five ===
Drmtmt drmtm. The sound of the rain pouring down on the houses and shacks seemed to have a strange rithym in it. Abbal was running with a large backpack filled with all he could pack in the five minutes his master had given him. As they were hastily making their way out of town, Abbal saw people laughing, eating and having a good time behind windows. He wondered if he would every be behind such a window, laughing and eating and having a good time. He didn't linger to long on those toughts, there were serious matters at hand. Just as he went down, done with packing, his master told him the news. "They've taken everything...". He looked at his master, who was trying to convice a guard into lending them a horse. "Everything.." What did it mean? The house ofcourse, perhaps even the Dwarven vault. That would be everything, which ment they had no more income, no more home... Apparently the guard declined Eyel's request, as he was walking towards Abbal white hot of anger. "We'll have to go by foot.. Will have to head to the forest of Duskwood, they wouldn't find us there. If I ever get my hands on that guard.." Abbal nodded and followed Eyel. More rain fell from the skies and Abbal looked at the horizon. There was a fog coming up, he could see the shades of trees, they were nearing Duskwood. Then it hit Abbal and before he realised he said it. "But why didn't you say you were a noble?" Eyel stood still, as if struck by lighting. He turned around and looked at Abbal as if he had just slapped him in the face. In all his life as a servant to the warlock, he never had been this scared. For a moment he thought Eyel would punch him, kill him even. But he turned around and began moving to the gloomy woods. Abbal followed him quickly, he didn't say a word...
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=== Chapter Six ===
They settled in a desserted barn on the outskirts of Darkshire. Abbal looked around, the fog was heavy and didn't allow for much sight. The fog seemed to eridiate a feint glow, which casted a shade on everything. He looked up at the sky. Tall trees blocked all the light and where the reason for the constant darkness. He stared off in the distance, there the farmhouse stood as a dark and sinister shade. Abbal couldn't help but shiver, it had become a habit lately.. "Master, why are we here? Couldn't we stay in the inn?" The words cut through the eerie silence. Abbal thought it was safe to ask this question. He had been waiting a while, measuring his master's mood, trying to find the right moment. "The town is not safe, there are spies everywhere. I can't risk it." Abbal shoke his head in silence.
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"Abbal! Prepare some dinner, it's getting dark soon." Abbal was impressed by his master's capability to notice any shift in the darkness that surrounded them. He sighed and grabbed a sword. There supplies had been running low and they needed to hunt if they wanted to eat something else than manna biscuits. He walked through the woods, breaking branches and tripping over vines or walking into bushes. "Can't see a damn thing." He stumbled on till he noticed a strange area. It was less overgrown and a beam of weak light was casted on the forestfloor. Abbal peered at the clearing. There! Something moved in the bushed! Food! As carefully as he could he sneaked towards the bushes where he spotted life a moment ago. He resisted the impuls to run across the clearing to the shrubbery and instead sneaked around the light filled place. Even though he was sneaking he kept breaking branches, making them snap which broke the silence. He was halfway his way around the clearing when the bush stopped moving. He looked at the bush, for a moment he thought he saw two small darkred beats. Holding his breath he did another step towards the bush. Prrrfft. Abbal looked down and saw a big, now flat, mushroom. He heard a noise infront of him and looked up. A shade with red two beats pushed Abbal to the ground...
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=== Chapter Seven ===
A shriek cut through the air. Eyel sat right up, even though the cry sounded like it came from far away, there was a change in the atmosphere around him. Everything seemed much more..sinister and colder. "A-abbal? Are you out there?" He gazed through the mist, but he couldn't see anything. It was to dark and the mist was to thick. The only thing there was to see was the fire and the shack he was sitting next to. He could only see four, five meters through the mist. Hardly distinguishing the trees that were so close around. And yet the dark sinister shade of the farmhouse..so clearly visiable in the fog. "I want you to return here at once Abbal! I..I demand it!" His voice didn't carry far, the thick air dampend all sounds. Everything was silent, the only thing he heard was his own heart beating at a now increased pace. Everything was dead..
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The blood dripped from the wound, it had been flowing at first, but now there wasn't much left to flow. Abbal lay on the ground, drenched in blood. On top off him a worgen and from it's backside rose a small sword. Abbal threw his now dead attacker next to him. He had been lucky, very lucky. He tried to stand up and noticed that the beast had only scratched his arm. 'Some higher power must like me very much' he thought. He removed the blade from the beast. He examined his kill, could he drag it back to the camp? What way was that actually? Abbal looked around trying to find where he came from. The mysterious light that shined on the clearing was gone. Abbal was going through his options, either he'd stay where he was, with the risk off fighting off other predators who'd be after the corpse at his feet. Or he could make his way back to the camp. With the latter option sounding less threating and because the animal was stinking horribly, he decided to find his way to the farm.
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=== Chapter Eight ===
A feint light, in the distance. Could it be the farm? Abbal halted for a moment trying to make sure where he was headed. He heared something. Muffled voices? They were gone now. Ensured that the voices were his master's he continued walking through the dense forest. A small path lead to the light, which grew brighter with every step. He stopped again when the, now clear, voices raised again. "..been up to, Os?" It appeared to be a male voice. The second voice was far rougher and Abbal got the mental image of a bear trying to talk. "Oh not much, took the little one for a trip through the woods. She's got no fear for them wolves alright, hahaha" "Heh, what happened?" "Ya know the old farm?" Abbal's interest was immediately perked. "The one down the hill?" "Aye, that one. I think it was near there anyway. Well we were just about to go back an' go home, when we one of 'em jumped at her and..." Sounds of amazement or shock and a small silence and the voices continued, but Abbal wasn't listening any more. He looked to his left and noticed a small path was leading down the hill. He was about to walk down the path when a thought suddely appeared. Should he go back? Quite suprised by his own thoughts, he sat down figuring out what to do. He could go to the voices, who he had presumed to be farmers or town guard of some kind, and perhaps escape the pursuit of his master's enemies. Perhaps he would even have a chance on a honorable life. Not tucked away in darkness and secrecy... On the other hand it would not be very honorable to leave his master under this circumstances. The man was helpless without his servitude. Sitting there, figuring out what would be the right thing, thoughts and memories of his life in service of the noble resurfaced. He remebered that he had once been punished for giving a begger some change while they were passing. The strange rituals he had helped in. The cruelty of his master, that was found in every word he uttered. The daggers in his smile, the faked kindness to his guests and the seemingly joy he gained from his schemes. It made Abbal shiver. His arrogance and corrupted but rational mind, which he was so passionate about, disregarding life as it was nothing but a toy.. And yet Abbal felt compelled to stay with him after all this years of bad treatment. But his feelings of guilt for his master ill being quickly changed to feelings of hate again when he remembered about the day he had found out that his sister, who was the only one he had ever loved, had been murdered and used in yet another ritual by the associates of his master. When Abbal questioned his master's involvement in this terrible deed, the man had smiled and said: "She was a distraction and you know how I feel about those.." Abbal stood up and looked at the fork in his road. He had made his decision. Walking down the road he did not once reconsider about the decision he made. A decision that would mark him for life.
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Category:Story