Tests of Faith

The cold wind howled through the Storm Peaks, driving snow sideways and creating a white wall of blinding storm that made visibility low. High atop a ridge line facing southwest, Seluna stood within the gale, flakes of snow whipping around her alabaster skin and sticking in her jet black hair with a sharp contrast. In the distance, impossible to see with the naked eye, Dalaran floated over more serene landscapes that were less dominated by the cold of the north. From her vantage within the mountains, Seluna could easily see it with her shadow powers, and the ridge line was the perfect place to wait and watch for a while.

The task was probably futile, but she hoped to glimpse some coming or going of Archmage Wrymcurse over the course of the day. She knew little of the work he performed for the Kirin Tor, but if he chose to return to the city or leave it via conventional means, she would know of it and follow him, studying his movements carefully. If he didn't return frequently, or if he only returned to the city itself, she would know at least that his work did not take him to Dalaran often, and she could plot to observe him closer to Silvermoon, which would be more difficult but not impossible. The cold and snow bothered her little anyway, and she stood still as the bitter flakes whipped around her, her body covered in only a light overcoat and embroidered dress.

She stayed there for several hours as the unrelenting storm dumped more snow on the lands of the Storm Peaks. Her silent vigil was interrupted by the sound of footsteps crunching in the snow further back along the ridge line. Instantly alert, Seluna ended her scrying spells and crouched down beside a snow covered bush, watching the trail behind her with an alert tension. Through the blowing white snow she could make out five figures trudging across the rugged terrain; four in armor and one in only a tattered red dress, being led by a leash with shackles on her wrists; a prisoner clearly.

As the figures drew closer along the trail, Seluna's eyes picked out more detail and she held her breath, not daring to even breathe. The four leading the prisoner were death knights, and ones dedicated to the cause of the scourge still based on the talismans that adorned them. Three males and one female, all were adorned with heavy plate armor and had their signature runeblades sheathed on their backs. Seluna watched them pass, willing them not to see her; she couldn't be bothered with them when she had her own tasks to worry about.

As they approached her hiding place at the closest point on the trail, Seluna knew that they would fail to see her. The storm and terrain made spotting her almost impossible, and they were paying little attention in the wilderness, intent instead on tormenting their captive as they led her to whatever grim fate prisoners of the scourge endured. Again, not her problem, or at least it wouldn't have been, if not for the sudden sound she heard in her mind.

It was like a choir, a song of angels that filled her mind and danced around her senses. She knew it couldn't be real, there was no one on the windswept ledge but her and the scourge party. And yet it built up around her, a harmonious melody of aching beauty. It was accompanied by a burning sensation in her back that started slowly and began to grow to excruciating levels, causing her to arch her back and look behind her frantically. Seluna's eyes widened in horror at what she saw. From her back sprouted two perfect angel's wings, made of the Light itself, a burning beacon in the snowy mountains for all to see.

In her mind, the voice of her husband Tel'athar whispered, "Your first lesson awaits my beloved."

Seluna shook her head in shock. "No....No no no NO!"

It was too late of course. Only a blind man would fail to notice the glorious Light-forged wings glowing on her back. Only the deaf would fail to hear her gasps of pain as the Light made her feel as if she was on fire. The death knights were neither deaf nor blind, and before Seluna could utter out another curse, a tendril of dark magic wrapped itself around her and yanked her from her hiding spot. She sailed through the air, the death grip bringing her to the ground before the female death knight, who grinned beneath her dark helm.

"What have we here?" she purred. She reached out to grab Seluna's arm, and the priestess leaned forward and grabbed the death knight's wrist, knowing she was not strong enough physically to overcome a champion of the scourge. What happened next surprised everyone. Seluna's touch transferred the Light to the death knight, her golden wings fading as holy fire erupted all along the woman's arm. It burned into her armor, and she became a torch of glowing Light as her body was consumed by it. Her screams were cut off abruptly as her empty armor crumpled to the ground before a stunned Seluna. The other three death knights drew their rune blades, two pointing their weapons at Seluna, one at the captive.

The death knight closest to Seluna growled and said, "Another move, another WORD other than offering your surrender, and we execute the prisoner and then you."

Seluna blinked, looking from the weapons pointed at her to the prisoner held by the scourge. She was a Quel'dorei, clearly one of the Silver Covenant based in Dalaran. Her torn garments indicated her status as a mage or healer of that group, although based on the bruises on her face and limbs the elf had seen better days. She meant nothing to Seluna, and the entire situation was utterly preposterous to the priestess. It was then that realization dawned on her.

Tel'athar...is this what I'm to learn? Am I to sacrifice myself so that another may live? Does my life belong to the Light? How could you force such a decision on me? Why must you torment me? I only want to rest, to return to you and put an end to this all. I am not a puppet, to have my free will taken by making such ridiculous choices!

Whatever game the Light had for her, whatever punishment or redemption she was being offered, Seluna didn't care. She hadn't asked to be brought back. She hadn't asked to be saved. She just wanted Tel'athar returned to her, to stay by his side for eternity. Was it so much to ask? Her bitterness overcame her.

"She means nothing to me, as you mean nothing to me," Seluna said with a frown. "I care little what you do. Kill the wench if it pleases you."

It was the wrong answer. The death knights had seen her use holy power, and didn't believe her. In a heartbeat the one near the captive had plunged his runeblade into the girl's chest. The one closest to Seluna lurched forward, blade driving towards her abdomen. She spread her arms wide, almost welcoming the cold steel as it slide into her flesh. The agony was intense, but she knew it would end soon. She would be with Tel'athar soon.

"I have failed the test," she whispered as the death knight jerked the weapon free of her body. She could see his grin on his face as her blood splattered the snow around them, and it didn't matter to her either. Tel'athar was waiting for her, and if she died she would get a chance to be reunited with him, she knew it. Even as the thought took shape, she heard the sound of the choir again.

"No...please no..." she gasped. She was given no choice though as Light built around her, binding her to the fallen prisoner. Seluna began to scream as burning pain flowed through her, a Binding Heal closing her wounds as it closed the wounds of the fallen Quel'dorei. The Light flowing through her body was utter agony, burning her every sense as it clashed with the darkness of her spirit. The death knights took a step back as her wounds closed, Light flowing around her.

It ended a second later, only the sound of the blowing snow and her choked sobs. "No...NO! IT'S NOT FAIR! LET ME GO! LET ME FREE!"

Shadows erupted from her body, whipping in the air around her like snakes. They played across her skin, danced in her hair and darkened everything around her. Her eyes faded to ice blue, and the baleful hatred that she focused on the death knights made them shudder as she walked towards them almost casually, her anger betraying itself in her voice.

"THIS IS YOUR FAULT! YOUR FAULT! NETHER TAKE YOU!" The shadows lashed out at them, and they futilely brought their weapons up to defend themselves. The magic cut through their armor, passed through their blades as if they were insubstantial. Bit by bit, piece by piece, Seluna tore the men asunder. She rent their bodies, flaying them over and over with shadows, screaming like a wraith and panting in rage until she spent all of her anger and sorrow.

When she was done, when the shadows finally receded to a brooding darkness around her, there was nothing left of the men but torn bits of bloody body and chunks of armor. She had done far more than kill them; she had desecrated their very bodies and made ruin of their physical forms. The snow around her was splattered with gore, slowly being covered by the storm. A few feet away, the Quel'dorei prisoner whimpered, taking in the scene with wide, horror-filled eyes.

Seluna's pale blue orbs focused on the Quel'dorei, and the other shuddered as shadows penetrated her mind, her eyes glazing over. The priestess frowned and spoke in a deadly whisper, "Hurl yourself from the cliff face. I've no wish to see you any longer."

"Y-yes mistress..." The Quel'dorei rose and walked woodenly to the edge of the rocks, throwing herself off. The sound of her garments flapping in the wind were quickly lost to the storm as she plummeted hundreds of feet down the side of the mountain. The storm hide her death from sight.

Seluna stood in silence for many long minutes as the snow fell around her, covering the bodies of her foes in a coating of pure white snow. She was the dead, watching the dead; her test of faith failed utterly. Her punishment, her existence would continue and she knew now that she would never escape the fate that the Light had chosen for her. She sighed and brushed snow off her clothing. She straightened her hair and slowly walked from the place of battle, she had much to think about.

As Seluna walked from the top of the mountain, she never saw the brief respite in the storm, or the way rays of sunlight slanted down to bathe the ridge top in the light of the sun. It sparkled on the new fallen snow, the purity of the beautiful sight covering the horror just beneath the surface, much like the priestess that had just walked away.