The man most knew as Jon Chess woke up, finding himself in a Brotherhood of Valor hospital bed. Jon felt nexus of pain in his shoulder, his chest, and his abdomen, where the ice spikes of a Frost-focused Death Knight had almost killed Jon. Jon had accompanied a Brotherhood of Valor strike force to recover the son of Research Captain Gregwymor, and during the battle had engaged the Death Knight. Jon had been as surprised as anyone when the Death Knight had sent ice spikes shooting out, and felt the agony when they impaled him in three places - and then he remembered nothing.
Jon's training took over, and he ran a swift assessment. He was wearing a standard hospital robe, but his armor and weapons were nowhere to be found. No sign of his envenomed knives, throwing spikes, smoke grenades, FRIED, blinding powder... now Jon felt naked and vulnerable.
Sometime later, Aresia, the Lightforged paladin field medic and Jon's friend and confidante, checked later on her patient. She had brought the gear Jon had left behind on the field of battle or taken off him during his medical treatment.
The bed in which she had left Jon Chess is empty.
Jon Chess had reappeared by the time anyone else thought to check on him. His wound dressings had been changed, and he had undergone additional healing via Alchemical means. A full set of seemingly new leathers and an arsenal of weapons, devices, and tiny grenades cover the table nearby.
"So Jon, I see you found your gear," said Aresia, who had returned to check on her patient. "Now, how do you feel about eating something solid for once?"
Jon relaxed - he had expected that Aresia would have scolded him for his unexcused sojourn during the middle of the night. "Well, I had to go get it... and it was difficult enough that I think I'll stay in bed for a while... but at least I was able to pace myself, and see what I could manage... speaking of which; why can't I cast cantrips? I was in the open all the way to the... to where I keep spare supplies of this nature," Jon asked, covering the uncertainty on the subject. In the Broken Isles, and in Kul Tiras, his ability to use Shadow magic in his small ways had kept him safe and alive.
Aresia paused, thinking, while she moved the grenades into a locked dresser near Jon, and handed him the key. "Just in case Little Z comes in and finds the grenades. Cantrips? If I remember correctly, you used those when you were training me on defense against mind control, they are Shadow based?"
"Yes, my cantrips are all based on Arakkoa Shadow magic - concealment, illusion, and using Void energies. The mind defense stuff... well, the training in the Temple of the Tiger was superior, as it turned out, so I studied there, for a time."
Aresia sat next to Jon's bed, nodding as she listened.
"Well Jon, that explains a lot, I could joke and say you finally got your wish - we became one last a few nights ago, except it was through a blood transfusion and not your definition." She smiled; Jon's bedroom antics had provided her with no small measure of entertainment, and he had often made joking overtures and professions of undying passion to te tall Draenei woman. "I happen to have a rare blood type that is acceptable to all beings, and since I became Lightforged, my blood is infused with Light, so it acts as a bit of internal healing mechanism, it greatly speeds healing all over the body when combined with Light-based healing. And who knows, maybe it might add a few years to your life as well."
Jon frowned. "So... is the effect permanent? I don't mind a few more years of longevity, but not if it gets me killed in the field!"
Aresia laughed. "Yes, soon your eyes will glow a golden hue and have an odd desire to adorn your horns to attract a suitable mate, she teased Jon. "No, it won't be permanent, in fact, I think you should keep trying to use Shadow magic as a way of restoring balance to your body. I am very interested when the Light infusement dissipates."
"Well, wouldn't I have to grow horns, first?" Jon chuckled. "OK, I'll keep trying, and let you know how long the effect lasts...thank you, Ari. I have too much to accomplish before I am forcibly retired as an Agent of Cheese!" What Jon didn't mention is that with Jon having established a network of spies and informants in Kul Tiras and having helped free Jaina Proudmoor from durance vile, restoring her to the relative safety of her mother, the Lord Admiral Katherine Proudmoore, the job he had taken at the behest of Elling Trias under the guise of Trias' mercantile agent was rapidly coming to a close. His reactivation as a Commander for the Alliance Military had been retired again after the Battle of Lordaeron. While he would no doubt continue to be tasked for special assignments by the 7th Legion in Zandalar, he had almost successfully managed to put himself out of business.
Perhaps he would become an active Private Investigator again; he found helping people remarkably rewarding, and let him forgive a small part of the rotten things he did as a spy and assassin.
Jon's training took over, and he ran a swift assessment. He was wearing a standard hospital robe, but his armor and weapons were nowhere to be found. No sign of his envenomed knives, throwing spikes, smoke grenades, FRIED, blinding powder... now Jon felt naked and vulnerable.
Sometime later, Aresia, the Lightforged paladin field medic and Jon's friend and confidante, checked later on her patient. She had brought the gear Jon had left behind on the field of battle or taken off him during his medical treatment.
The bed in which she had left Jon Chess is empty.
* * *
Jon Chess had reappeared by the time anyone else thought to check on him. His wound dressings had been changed, and he had undergone additional healing via Alchemical means. A full set of seemingly new leathers and an arsenal of weapons, devices, and tiny grenades cover the table nearby.
"So Jon, I see you found your gear," said Aresia, who had returned to check on her patient. "Now, how do you feel about eating something solid for once?"
Jon relaxed - he had expected that Aresia would have scolded him for his unexcused sojourn during the middle of the night. "Well, I had to go get it... and it was difficult enough that I think I'll stay in bed for a while... but at least I was able to pace myself, and see what I could manage... speaking of which; why can't I cast cantrips? I was in the open all the way to the... to where I keep spare supplies of this nature," Jon asked, covering the uncertainty on the subject. In the Broken Isles, and in Kul Tiras, his ability to use Shadow magic in his small ways had kept him safe and alive.
Aresia paused, thinking, while she moved the grenades into a locked dresser near Jon, and handed him the key. "Just in case Little Z comes in and finds the grenades. Cantrips? If I remember correctly, you used those when you were training me on defense against mind control, they are Shadow based?"
"Yes, my cantrips are all based on Arakkoa Shadow magic - concealment, illusion, and using Void energies. The mind defense stuff... well, the training in the Temple of the Tiger was superior, as it turned out, so I studied there, for a time."
Aresia sat next to Jon's bed, nodding as she listened.
"Well Jon, that explains a lot, I could joke and say you finally got your wish - we became one last a few nights ago, except it was through a blood transfusion and not your definition." She smiled; Jon's bedroom antics had provided her with no small measure of entertainment, and he had often made joking overtures and professions of undying passion to te tall Draenei woman. "I happen to have a rare blood type that is acceptable to all beings, and since I became Lightforged, my blood is infused with Light, so it acts as a bit of internal healing mechanism, it greatly speeds healing all over the body when combined with Light-based healing. And who knows, maybe it might add a few years to your life as well."
Jon frowned. "So... is the effect permanent? I don't mind a few more years of longevity, but not if it gets me killed in the field!"
Aresia laughed. "Yes, soon your eyes will glow a golden hue and have an odd desire to adorn your horns to attract a suitable mate, she teased Jon. "No, it won't be permanent, in fact, I think you should keep trying to use Shadow magic as a way of restoring balance to your body. I am very interested when the Light infusement dissipates."
"Well, wouldn't I have to grow horns, first?" Jon chuckled. "OK, I'll keep trying, and let you know how long the effect lasts...thank you, Ari. I have too much to accomplish before I am forcibly retired as an Agent of Cheese!" What Jon didn't mention is that with Jon having established a network of spies and informants in Kul Tiras and having helped free Jaina Proudmoor from durance vile, restoring her to the relative safety of her mother, the Lord Admiral Katherine Proudmoore, the job he had taken at the behest of Elling Trias under the guise of Trias' mercantile agent was rapidly coming to a close. His reactivation as a Commander for the Alliance Military had been retired again after the Battle of Lordaeron. While he would no doubt continue to be tasked for special assignments by the 7th Legion in Zandalar, he had almost successfully managed to put himself out of business.
Perhaps he would become an active Private Investigator again; he found helping people remarkably rewarding, and let him forgive a small part of the rotten things he did as a spy and assassin.
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