Beckyann was having an absolutely
wonderful evening. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time she'd
had so much fun! It had begun around dusk when she had attended
several open lectures being conducted by several prominent
archaeologists in Stormwind's keep. The focus of the lectures had
been on research techniques, recent discoveries and the implications
they had for future studies, and the categorization of the fossils of
ancient lizards and similar creatures.
To say that the subject matter had been
riveting for the amateur archaeologist was an understatement;
Beckyann had been thrilled the entire evening and her personal
journal had never been far from her hands as she took notes, asked
questions when able, and generally learned as much as she could on
the subject.
After the lectures a dinner party had
been arranged by the Explorer's League of Ironforge, with several of
their key members attending and the guests of the lectures allowed to
mingle amongst tables laden with a delicious buffet. Although the
food held no interest for Beckyann, merely being able to brush
shoulders with the key players of her field of study was exciting.
She'd dressed herself up specifically for the occasion, exchanging
her typical sunglasses with explorer's goggles and wearing a custom
tailored vest and newly purchased pants and knee-high boots to make
her look more the part of an explorer or adventurer.
As she mingled amongst the crowd, she
decided that her choice of attire was perfectly selected for the
evening; the dinner party boasted people of all races wearing
everything from battered travel hats and soiled, worn leathers to
dresses that were the height of fashion in Stormwind. Wherever one
turned there was either a famous personage surrounded by a crowd of
eager party guests or a cluster of budding young archaeologists
discussing recent finds and digs. Beckyann found herself wandering
from one group to the next, lingering here and there and gleaning
facts, gossip, and news about the latest theories in the field.
As she left one particular cluster of
her peers, Beckyann began to wander over to where a group was
gathered around a buffet table when a deep elven voice cut in over
her shoulder.
“How fascinating, that you would hide
yourself here. One could almost liken it to the way the rare treasure
can be found amongst the debris of ancient civilizations, although
whether or not comparing you to a 'treasure' is apt is certainly
debatable,” the voice said.
Beckyann turned, one brow perched above
her goggles as she studied the speaker. He was an elf dressed in
elaborate yellow and gold robes, tailored to look like those that
would be typical of a spellcaster. Blue eyes glowed softly beneath
golden brows and golden hair flowed from atop his head, artfully
arranged in what Beckyann could only assume was a style of
Quel'Thalas. She blinked once, realizing that she had stumbled upon a
Quel'dorei. But if that were the case, then why had he singled her
out amongst the crowd? It would be difficult to tell what she was
with so many bodies pressed in the room together.
“You wonder how I can tell?” the
elf said with a smirk, as if reading her thoughts. “The younger
races are always so immature with their abilities. The beating of a
heart is a telling fact; one that can be sensed if one has the senses
available to detect it.”
Beckyann frowned, her voice pitched low
enough that the elf would likely be unable to hear him in the crowd
so as to disguise its nature, “You claim to be able to hear it,
even in this noise? I find that highly unlikely.”
To Beckyann's surprise, the elf
responded as if he could hear her perfectly, his smile somewhat
mocking, “Of course I can, young lady. Or should I call you that?
Tell me, what purpose does one of your kind have in a place like
this?”
Beckyann shifted in place, frowning and
folding her hands across her chest, her journal held tightly in one
hand, “I wish to study and learn more about archaeology obviously.
Is that not the purpose of this gathering?”
The elf studied her shrewdly, as if
deciding whether or not he should accept that answer. After a time he
tilted his head, questions in his eyes, “But why? Why learn more?”
Beckyann could tell that there was more
weight to the question than the simple words that composed it. She
gave it some serious thought before framing her answer, “Because it
satisfies me to learn sometimes. Because finding something that
others have never seen before can still thrill me, thrill my mind.
Since you so obviously know what I am, know that such a thrill, such
a feeling is not something that is easily brought forth in me.
Besides, it also helps glean coin now and then. And there is art to
be uncovered as well.”
The elf considered this for some time,
finally nodding, “Fascinating. Thank you.”
He turned to walk away and Beckyann
halted him with a question of her own, “Wait! Why did you wish to
know that?”
The elf turned and looked at her again,
a smirk on his face, “To you it may seem an eternity, but ten
thousand years, give or take a few thousand, is just a blink of an
eye in the history of the world. The dead have not walked for so very
long, nor has there been a time before this when so many of them
roamed with such freedom of will. It is...fascinating to see what
they will do with that freedom. What they can rise to, or what horror
they will eventually become.”
Beckyann frowned, suspicions rising in
her mind the more she spoke with the elf. She shook her head, her
tone somewhat firm now as she responded, “You believe us something
to study or a passing anomaly, but we are here to stay. We are
something new, and not like those things that you lumped us in with.
Superior in every way, we are certainly capable of learning and
growing, even in this state. Dismiss us out of hand, and you will
find yourself surprised. Whether or not that surprise is pleasant
depends entirely on how you treat us.”
This time his stare held a hint of
danger to it, his eyes unblinking, almost seeming reptilian to
Beckyann. She stared right back at him, her hands now planted firmly
on her hips as she listened to his reply, “You should be careful
what you say, young lady. Schooling your elders can be looked down
upon you know. Some might even take offense.”
Beckyann's reply took the 'elf' by
surprise certainly, and she would remember with great satisfaction
the look on his face after she replied, “And you should take care
not to threaten things which have pushed beyond fear, beyond death.
Such words fall lightly on us, and simply urge us to act on our
impulses, which is never a good thing. Good evening to you, sir.”
He studied her for a moment longer, a
subtle smile playing across his lips, as if he'd enjoyed the banter
and the veiled threats, “And good evening to you, young lady. I
hope you learn much this evening.”
As he walked away, Beckyann's baleful
gaze burned beneath her goggles, locked on his back until the crowd
swallowed him up. In that moment, Beckyann decided that she
distinctly did not care for dragons one little bit, although she'd
deal with them if she had to.
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