The Quest- Part 1, Determination and Purpose

The wind whipped through Malandrae's hair as her magical horse swooped low over the top of the jungle, branches and vines passing feet below it. Her silver eyes scanned the terrain below her, seeking out the exact spot where she knew she'd find the Titan structure she was searching for.

Un'goro's jungle flew below her, green and lush, it's dense foliage hiding its secrets from her eyes but not from her senses. The constructs of the Makers were like a blazing beacon to her magical senses, their technology and magic combined to draw her onward towards her destination. It took only moments for her to locate the terrace where she had first come into contact with the devices and servants of the Makers, and soon she was afoot on the jungle floor, her magical horse dismissed with a spellsong.

From the moment she had been issued her Quest by Chelody, Malandrae knew this was the first place she would have to look. Chelody wished for her to find a source of positive magic, that could be used for good. What better location than the source of life and the world itself? The Titans had built everything, and had created life with their power; if there was anywhere on Azeroth that was an example of the proper and just use of magic, the Highborne knew she would find it amongst the artifacts of the Makers. The question was, what artifact would do, and how could she obtain one?

She couldn't enter the Terrace from the main portal, for the Titans had left a caretaker there whom Malandrae had encountered once before. Although the caretaker was pleasant enough to speak with, the Highborne doubted she would be allowed to leave with any items of relevance to her quest, if any even existed in the terrace itself. But her senses told her there was more to the cliffs around the terrace than there appeared to be to the naked eye.

It took her only minutes to search the rocky outcropping that the terrace rose from before she felt power behind the stone. With a soft voice she sang, a spell flaring brightly and cracking the stone surface before her. She stepped back as dust and debris crumpled in front of her, revealing a metal door behind the stone. Malandrae nodded to herself, stepping forward and pressing her hand to it. Almost immediately, she could feel magic pulse behind it and with a grating sound the portal slid open on hinges that had not been used in eons.

Beyond the doorway a narrow corridor was illuminated with magically glowing lights, and the elf took several cautious steps forward, peering into the distance. Behind her, the portal closed, blocking the daylight out and leaving her in the cool, partially illuminated dark of the corridor. She shrugged and continued onward, the corridor curving around and coming to another door that lead into a circular chamber beyond. Here she paused, her eyes wide.

The chamber had four huge metal constructs placed around the outer diameter of the space. Directly across from the door where Malandrae stood was another portal with a giant metal mask mounted above it. The mask was in the shape of a man's face, and made of pure gold with rubies the size of her entire body for eyes. She stepped carefully into the center of the chamber, and immediately lights flickered magically around the outskirts of the room, each of the constructs humming and coming to life.

A voice boomed out, "Research and archive cache 857 online. Intruder detected. Scanning lifeform... scan complete. Lieform identified as elf, subtype night elf. Please identify yourself and state your purpose."

Malandrae blinked in surprise, looking around the room at the now ominously moving constructs. "I-I am Malandrae Moonwhisper. I-I'm here on a Quest to find artifacts t-that can demonstrate the good things that magic can be used for. I was s-sent by Chelody Smallwing."

Immediately there was a humming in the machinery followed by several clicking sounds. The voice boomed out again, "Lifeform Chelody Smallwing not identified. Purpose cannot be verified. Archival access denied. Vacate premises or security protocols will be initiated."

Malandrae blinked again, and then swallowed hard. She trembled once and then nodded. "N-no. I have to find something here. This is the only place I can think of where magic has NOT gone wrong. I have to bring back something that will inspire hope in the arts."

The mask above the door opposite to Malandrae flared with light, two red beams of energy coming from the rubies and resting on Malandrae. "Security protocol activated. Night elf lifeform must vacate premises. Unable to verify purpose." Around the edge of the room the four constructs stirred, each taking a step towards her, the ground rumbling under their weight.

Malandrae's hands clenched into fists and then she gave a small sigh. She closed her eyes and took a step forward, arms outstretched. She could feel an intense heat building in the red energy pouring down on her. "I c-can't leave. I have to do this. No matter what. I promised her I would not fail her. This is my one c-chance to make a difference. T-to preserve lives and and atone for what I've done. I'm not leaving. I won't."

The red beams traced over Malandrae's body and then abruptly stopped. The voice boomed out again, "Directive to preserve life conforms to established parameters. Biological scan of night elf indicates 99.99% probability that stated purpose is accurate based on key factors including perspiration, nervous system activity, and vocal tone monitoring. Access granted. Access is confined to single archival withdrawal."

Abruptly the heat faded around the night elf and the sounds of the constructs stirring ceased. Malandrae cautiously opened her eyes to find the room the way it was, lacking all signs that she was almost just obliterated. Across from her, the door beneath the golden mask stood open, and light poured into the chamber from the room beyond. Ignoring her near destruction at the hands of the ancient machinery, Malandrae walked forward into the light, her mouth gaping open.

Beyond the portal stood row upon row of shelves, each made of glass and illuminated from below with a soft light. Upon the shelves lay a variety of objects, virtually none of which Malandrae could identify. Clearly she was in a storage space used by the caretaker of the terrace above her or the caretakers servants to conduct experiments in Un'goro. Judging by the smell of old air in the room, Malandrae estimated it had not been opened in an inconceivably long amount of time.

"Ha! Finally something older than me that's been buried underground," she said somewhat triumphantly. "Now let's see if there is anything here that will suit my quest."

She walked to the nearest shelf, her hands reaching out to touch an object there. It appeared to be a crystal, and before her hand could touch it a voice boomed out again, "Leyline analysis crystal."

Malandrae's eyes widened and she withdrew her hand. She walked forward a few paces, her hands coming to rest over another object, this one looking to be a ring. Again the voice boomed out, "Geological reconstruction ring."

The Highborne shrugged, having no idea what either of the objects were. She took another step forward, her hand coming over an odd metal cube, about a hand's span in size. The voice came on again, "Lifeform analysis, repair, and creation matrix module."

Malandrae blinked in surprise and muttered to herself, "I wonder what that does?"

The voice boomed out again, "Lifeform analysis, repair, and creation matrix module. For use with class 3 power sources, this device is designed for field work involving the analysis of created lifeforms within the crater, repair of damaged lifeforms, and creation of alternate lifeforms to test the ecosystem. Module is non-powered."

Malandrae squinted, trying extremely hard to figure out what the voice had just told her. "S-so the caretaker could use this...to make new raptors...or something. Or fix ones that were damaged or diseased....I guess?"

Receiving no response from the machinery around her, Malandrae looked down the aisle. Her eyes came to rest on a large cylindrical crystal that was pulsing with a soft light. Her face a mask of surprise, she stepped towards it, hands outstretched. The voice boomed out, "Class three modular power source. Arcane."

Malandrae didn't need it to tell her what it was. She could FEEL it from where she was standing. Unimaginable arcane energy was trapped within the crystal, enough to restore all of her former power, enough to make her more powerful than she'd ever been in all of her many years. Unrestrained, she would be able to accomplish anything with such magic; even conceivably return to her proper time, despite what others had told her about doing so.

She trembled, her hands aching to reach out and touch the object, the pure energy calling to her like a siren's song. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to steady herself. All she had to do was reach out and take it.

And fail her Quest. Chelody had not sent her to collect massive power for herself; she'd sent her to find magic that could bring hope to others, that could inspire others in their own art. Becoming more than her former self, using stolen power to restore her life to its proper order would do no such thing.

"No...I c-can't..." she whispered, taking two steps back. Her hip bumped the shelf and she reached out to steady herself. The voice boomed out again as her hand hovered over an object, "Lifeform analysis, repair, and creation matrix module."

Malandrae blinked as her thoughts whirled.

Could this be the answer? An object used to create life, to cure disease. Made by the Makers themselves to create a better world, to create nature in all its glory. To fix...

Her eyes widened and without even hesitating Malandrae reached out and grabbed the cube. The table below it dimmed as it was removed. She held the non-powered device in her hand, staring at it intently. "This. This is what I came to find."

The voice boomed out again, "Archival withdrawal has been made. Access permitted to only a single object. Please vacate archive."

Malandrae smiled and nodded, walking swiftly towards the door. She'd found what she was looking for, and already an idea had come to mind. Her quest likely was already completed, but it wasn't enough. She knew what had to be done, but it would take further planning. And she knew just where the next leg of her journey would lead her.

It was time to create some inspiration with magic.