Addiction

This is meant to be the third story in the series. If you haven't already please read the other two:

Captured
http://games.adult-fanfiction.org/story.php?no=600083593

Accusations
http://games.adult-fanfiction.org/story.php?no=600083789

-------------------------------------------------------------

Nessa's work had resumed where it left off. Only now, her little vacation had put her in a bad position. While the security investigation was going on, her quota was still ticking away. Normally that wouldn't have been so bad, but one of her colleagues had found something interesting in their research. The plague from the dead scar, previously thought to have been contained there, was found in trace amounts in herbs nearby. They were working overtime now to see just how fast it was spreading. Unfortunately for her, she already had to do overtime just to keep up.

She barely slept; opting instead to get as much work done as she could before she started falling asleep at hedesk. Stack after stack of plant samples came to her, and seemed to have no end. Her hands shook as she worked; as much from the stress of working so hard as the stress from desperately searching for any sign of the plague. Finally her body seemed to have reached its limit. A vial slipped through her fingers and shattered on the floor. Karasae looked up from her seat and decided it was time to step in.

"Nessa, you need some rest."

"It doesn't matter, Karasae," she sighed, "There's nothing here. All these samples are garbage, all my work is a joke. I used to be out in the field, but now look at me. I'm nothing."

"Nessa, please," she said, standing up and walking over to her to hold her from behind, "You're not nothing. You're everything to me."

"I know, I... I'm sorry," she said, leaning back into the demon's embrace, "I think I need to see my mentor. Maybe he can give me some advice to deal with this problem."

"Whatever you think you need, sweetie."

They went into Silvermoon City and found Nessa's old trainer. It had been a long time since she had seen him. As she entered, he looked up at her, half happy, half confused.

"Nessa? You honor an old man with your presence, but I'm afraid I have little to teach you."

"You're wrong on both counts. I'm the one who's honored, and you may yet have something useful to teach me."

"What is it, then?"

"My work... is catching up to me. I've been working around the clock and it doesn't seem to be coming to an end. I... I don't know what to do anymore. My energy is waining. I feel like I'm dying."

"Relax, Nessa. The worst thing you can do right now is to get excited. Try to get some rest. I'm sure you'll feel much better." Nessa looked down, and something caught her eye. Sticking out of a partially open drawer was a few leaves of bloodthistle. She furrowed her brow and reached down to pick them up. "Hey, what are you doing?"

"I should ask you the same," she said, holding up the bloodthistle, "Do you know how many lives this has destroyed?"

"Well, I-" Nessa cut him off by slapping him across the face with the plant leaves. He turned his head to the side.

"Get rid of this," she said, throwing it at his feet. She pulled a flask of water and a cloth out of her satchel and cleaned her hands, then tossed the cloth on top of the plant, adding, "You're better than that."

As she turned to walk away, the old man picked up the bloodthistle, holding it inside the cloth, "Nessa, wait!" She reeled and saw him holding up the bundle, "Please, take this away. I don't know if I can control myself around it."

"Very well then," she said, taking the bundle and stowing it in her bag.

She left without saying another word. Her former instructor had completely disappointed her. She really wished she hadn't seen that horrible drug in his office. That's what caused Koreli's descent; and inevitably his death. She felt sick just being near it. When she got back home, she pulled the bloodthistle out of her bag and looked at it.

"This really doesn't seem like such a big deal, now that I'm actually seeing it up close." Nessa said.

"Sometimes it's the simplest things that can bring someone down." Karasae replied.

"Koreli was weak. Perhaps if I only use a little-"

"Nessa," Karasae said sternly.

"I'm an alchemist, I know herbs better than anyone. Just this one time-"

As Nessa brought a leaf closer to her face, Karasae charged her whip with shadow energy and struck. She hit Nessa's hand, making her yelp and drop the bloodthistle. She looked at Karasae in fear and shock, cowering and backing up to the wall. She slid down the wall, holding her hand and shaking.

"What's wrong with you?" Karasae shrieked, "Have you no pride? No shame? You're going to destroy yourself!" Nessa said nothing, simply cradling her hand. Karasae saw that blood had begun to flow through the cracks of her fingers and quickly grabbed a bandage, sitting next to her on the floor. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hit you so hard. I just got scared. Can I see?"

Nessa silently gave the demon her hand. The back of her hand had a large gash across it which bled profusely. The demon quickly wrapped it up, hoping to stop the bleeding. Afterwards, Nessa looked at the demon a moment. She was afraid to speak, but knew she had to.

"Are we going to be okay?" she asked Karasae meekly.

"Yes, baby," the demon said, cradling the blood elf's injured hand softly, "Just promise me you're never going to touch that stuff."

"I promise. Can you get rid of it for me?"

"I can."

Karasae got up and picked the strewn bloodthistle off the ground. She walked out with it, leaving Nessa to contemplate her weakness with the empty room.