*Bilgewater, an office near the harbor*
Blitz Blastcap grinned to himself as he poured another pouch of gold coins onto the pile that already took up much of the surface of his desk. The sound of the objects striking one another was like soothing music to his ears. The goblin had done well for himself, and that was just what he'd planned all along. He smirked, leaning back in his high-backed leather chair, a few gold coins clutched between his fingers. His other hand ran through his dark hair, making sure it was slicked back just so. Lazily, he surveyed his surroundings, enjoying the sight of his spacious office, rich decor, and the power it gave him...as he did several times a day, every day.
A knocking on the steel door that lead out into the warehouse building beyond interrupted his joyful moment of quiet contemplation, and he frowned at the barricade, his voice a growl, "Beat it, I'm busy!"
The knock came again, more insistent this time, and he rolled his eyes as he flung the coins he'd been holding back into the pile. Irritated now, he dug around on his desk for a cigar as he shouted at the door again, "I said get lost! You got a friggin problem with your ears or somethin?"
A second later the door burst inward, the steel door hinges bent as if by some incredible force. Blitz sat bolt upright in his chair, eyes wide and unlit cigar falling from nervous fingers as a group of intruders entered his office. The two large hobgoblins that took up positions on either side of the doorframe were alarming (and ugly!) but they were not the cause of his sudden fright. It was the woman in the middle that made his heart race and a thousand excuses begin to form in the back of his mind.
Glitta Gemfall was pretty for a goblin. Decked out in a stylish dress that complimented the light green of her skin, her hair was dyed an outrageous blue and styled up in a playful look that would have been cute if not for the dangerous glint in her aqua eyes as she studied Blitz from across the distance. Slowly she entered the office, the sound of many bracelets clinking together on her wrists the only noise for a moment as she came to a halt on the other side of his desk.
Blitz broke the silence first, plastering a false smile on his face, "Hey baby, I didn't expect you to stop by the office! Shoulda just said somethin and I woulda let you in. That door's gonna cost a fortune to replace."
Glitta said nothing for a moment, merely staring at him. She broke eye contact with him a moment later, her gaze sweeping around the office that was as familiar to her as it was to him; she'd given it to him after all as it was owned by Gemfall Industries and was one of her many, many properties. They'd also spent quite a few quiet evenings there enjoying talk of all their profits and business. After a moment, Glitta finally spoke, her voice neutral, "I didn't want you to expect me. You see, I know what's been going on here, Blitz. You can 'baby' me all you want, the game's up."
Blitz blinked a few times, shaking his head, the false smile still in place, "Sweetcheeks I have no idea what your talkin about. Why don't you sit and I'll get us some of that wine you like huh? You can send your boys out into the hallway and we'll figure it out."
Glitta said nothing, disappointment in her eyes. She held a hand out and one of the hobgoblins stepped forward, placing a metal pipe into her open palm. She grasped it, her voice becoming more angry now, "So your not gonna tell the truth hmm? Even after I caught you red handed? You should fess up now Blitz, because I'm tellin you I know what you're doing."
Blitz sat back in his chair, arms spread wide, "Baby, you gotta explain yourself. I have no idea what you mean."
Glitta sighed, rolling her eyes again. She casually walked around the office, the metal pipe in her hand. She paused when she got to one wall, staring up at a painting of her own mother and father that had been hung there. They'd passed away long ago, when she was still considered a kid by goblin standards, but at times like this she missed them sorely. The fact that their portrait hung over what she knew was evidence of Blitz's crimes made her furious. Her hand came up and the pipe descended on the painting, smashing through it and the plaster wall behind. The false wall that was built over the sheet metal exterior of the building. The plaster shattered as she hit it again and again, until it fell away to reveal neatly stacked and wrapped packages.
With a look of disgust she tossed the pipe on the ground, the metal clattering as it rolled away. She snatched one of the packages from the hidden space in the wall and tore the paper wrapping, revealing its contents. She whirled, tossing the damning evidence on Blitz's desk, the package bursting open over his pile of coins.
The red leaves of bloodthistle scattered out of the packaging, laying on his desk like a bloody wound. Glitta glared at him, fury in her voice now, "You've been sneakin thistle into my warehouse. Sellin this shit to the elves behind my back. You know what I think about it."
Blitz blinked in surprise, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to think up an excuse. Failing that he frowned, becoming angry himself, "What am I supposed to do huh? Just let all this business walk away? How stupid do you think I am, Glitta?"
"How stupid do I think you are?!" Glitta yelled. "Pretty damn friggin stupid! What did I tell you about sellin crap like this huh? Yeah it's good money, until the people you're sellin it to come back and try to take the supply cause their addicts! Or their families come for blood cause you messed up one of their kin! We don't sell friggin thistle to anyone! Not from my property! Not under the Gemfall Industries name!"
"Glitta, you're bein thick," Blitz growled. "Do you know how much I made just last week? Give me a break. You're getting all high and saintly on me when you're sellin friggin stolen elf artifacts from their ruins anyways! Give it a rest!"
Glitta growled, storming across the office and slamming her hands on Blitz's desk, making the coins jump, "Art doesn't make people crazy you mook! Nobody gives a rat's ass if we take a bit of treasure from some dead elves! Living elves get friggin pissed when you sell junk that messes up their friends! This ends now!"
Blitz shook his head, leaning forward in his chair, "If that's how you feel about it..."
"Yeah, that's how I feel about it," Glitta said, giving him a hard stare.
Blitz grinned, the shotgun under his desk coming free in his hands. He rose from his chair, pumping a round into the chamber and pointing it at her from across the desk, "Guess our business is through then, ain't it?"
Glitta gasped, reeling back in shock her eyes wide and her mouth open, "You're really gonna do this? Over some friggin thistle? You're breakin my heart here babe."
Blitz smiled, aiming the shotgun at Glitta. Behind her the two hobgoblins had become tense, unsure of how to protect the Boss Lady from the gun. There was nothing they could do though, as Glitta had said, the game was up. As he squeezed the trigger, Blitz grinned and said, "It's not me, it's you baby."
The gun bucked in his hand, the round flying faster than the eye could see towards Glitta's chest. It stopped suddenly, five inches from her, a gust of wind so powerful that it had caught the round holding it in the air before her. The spent slug tumbled there, caught in a miniature whirlwind. A necklace that Glitta wore glowed softly, one of several crystal pendants on it flaring and then crumbling to dust and blowing away in the wind, the contract with the air elemental that she'd arranged expiring.
With tears in her eyes, Glitta reached out to take the slug from the air, holding it between two manicured fingers, "Everything we had, and this is all it meant to you? Everything you said to me..."
"Was for the gold you dumb bitch!" Blitz yelled, furiously bringing the shotgun up and attempting to pump another round in the chamber. He was shocked that his attack had failed. He'd heard the rumors about Glitta's dealings with elementals and that some people called her a 'shaman', whatever the heck that was, but to see mystic power displayed was startling given that she previously had shown little talent in such things.
Glitta looked at him sadly, a strangely ominous humming sound rising from the bracelets on her wrist as small capacitors there began to pick up a charge from the air around her. The air elementals that she'd made agreements with pulled the charge into the tiny devices she'd had crafted, electrical sparks surging through the metal and connecting to rings on her fingers. Shaking her head, she brought her hands up just as Blitz finished pumping his gun, her fingers splayed out as they discharged the energy towards him.
A blinding flash of light filled the room as lightning struck the desk before her, throwing it and its contents up into the air and onto Blitz. A booming crackle of thunder nearly deafened everyone in the room as the power roared out, leaving the burnt scent of ozone in the air. Blitz hit the floor hard, his shotgun bouncing away and a hundred gold coins tinkling around him before the heavy weight of the desk landed on his back, driving the breath from his lungs. Papers fluttered down around him and he grunted, trapped under the furniture.
A shadow loomed over him, and he saw Glitta looking down at him sadly, the metal pipe back in her hand. She dragged it slowly over the frame of the fallen desk, little sparks of electricity still dancing in the air. She paused, standing over him, her designer boots inches from his dazed head.
"Baby..." Blitz coughed, smoke coming out of his mouth from the burnt wood he'd inhaled, "Come on baby, don't do me like this. We had some good times together didn't we? Why don't we talk about this back at your place? We can talk in the hot tub like you like..."
Glitta looked down on him, heartbreak behind her eyes. It didn't bleed out in her voice though as she spoke the last words he'd hear from her, "Blitz. You're fired."
The metal pipe descended, and Blitz saw no more of the office or his now ex-girlfriend and former employer.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Friday, October 9, 2015
The Bond of Sisters
The sun slanted down from behind drifting clouds, the fading afternoon light creating brilliant shafts that cast shadows across the ruins of Silvermoon's outskirts. Sitting beneath a huge, ruined statue, Biara Dayfire held her knees close against her chest, staring at the patterns the light made on the grass, her thoughts a blur of conflicting emotions.
Her fire red locks had come free of their pins, framing a pretty face marked by tears and the glimmer of arcane blue wards shimmering gently on her right cheek. Her fel green eyes were unfocused, her attention turned inward to the battle that had been raging within her for the past two days, ever since her unfortunate encounter and first meeting with her newly discovered half-sister, Telatha.
The statue beneath which she brooded was as familiar to her as her home. Commissioned by her father Tel'athar long before the fall of Quel'Thalas to the Scourge, and the site of her father's assassination and mother's subsequent homicidal suicide, it was a place that she always returned to whenever heavy thoughts weighed on her mind. It was here, in this place, that her life had taken a turn for the worse all those many decades again. It was here where she had first had to shoulder the burdens of being the sole heir of House Dayfire at an age where she had only just begun to explore what being an adult really was.
From that time until now, thousands of events had unfolded which had shaped her life, guided her actions, and fundamentally changed who she was. The young Quel'dorei who would later become a Sin'dorei Magistrix was as different from her now as a complete stranger might have been, yet here in this place she could remember who she once was and where everything had first started to unravel.
Is Telatha right? Have my actions wrought nothing but destruction over the years? Am I as much a terror to those around me as my mother was in her final days and in later days, when she was nothing more than a hateful wraith? What legacy will I leave, if others see me in such a way?
It was difficult for her to think such thoughts; difficult to accept that her vision had not always been perfect or her aims justified. She shifted in place, releasing her knees and allowing her legs to slide down to hang over the broken lip of stone at the statue's base. Absently she smoothed out her richly embroidered silken dress, picking at non-existent specs on the fabric as she considered the thoughts.
For years now she had served Quel'Thalas. Served as a Magistrix, served as the ruler of a House, and served as a battle-mage. She had fought, bled, and lost loved ones against the Alliance and against other dangers which threatened her homeland. She had been as a zealot, crusading against anything that threatened the supremacy and magical might of the Sin'dorei. And in the end, she had gained precious little but scars, the loss of House Dayfire's ancestral spire, and the pain of knowing that her actions had cost so many lives.
They won't even give me acceptable apprentices anymore. I have caused so many deaths that they send only the fodder unsuitable for training or too disobedient for the other Magisters to handle. It is not just Telatha that has seen the damage I have taken with me everywhere I go.
The tears that ran freely down her face were not for her reputation. No, she would have sacrificed that and much more in a heartbeat for the greater good of Quel'Thalas. It was instead the thought that she'd failed. Failed her father's honorable memory, failed the name of Dayfire, and failed to truly do what she'd set out to do all those years ago as she first began to navigate the cut-throat politics of the nobility.
"Supported Quel'Thalas? How many have died as a result of your actions, sister? How many Sin'dorei now lay in their graves, cold and forgotten because of your 'mistakes'?" Telatha's voice seemed to whisper in her mind.
No justification, no amount of alcohol or screaming into the empty ruins around her would erase the voice and the little nagging part of her mind that told her Telatha's words had been right. Her current legacy would be nothing more than terror, than the loss of many Sin'dorei lives for little to no gain. She would be set side by side with her mother, someone considered to be a mass-murderer.
A sound in the ruins behind her caught Biara's attention, and she quickly wiped at her face, turning in the direction it had come from. Standing some distance away she spied a blonde-haired Sin'dorei in a flowing golden dress. Fel green eyes, tan skin and a pattern of what many considered to be adorable freckles met Biara's gaze, a half-smile forming as Kyliska approached.
Of all of the people in Quel'Thalas, Kyliska was the one solid rock that Biara could always count on. No matter what the circumstances were, Kyliska had been there fighting side by side with her adopted sister. Legally made a member of House Dayfire long ago, and now one of the heirs and the current leader of the combined House Sunfire, the Blood Knight was always someone that Biara had considered to be her best friend and her true family. That she had avoided Kyliska for the past several days was simply Biara's attempt not to burden her sister with her own worries.
Kyliska said nothing as she nodded at her sister and moved closer, jumping up onto the statue's base and then taking a seat beside Biara. She looked out towards the distant setting sun, the light making her hair nearly glow as dusk came on. When she spoke, she did not look at Biara, and her tones were soft, "I knew I would find you here. You always come here eventually."
"I'm sorry, Kyli. I couldn't...I just needed some time alone. I know I missed dinner and-" Biara began.
Kyliska interrupted her gently, shaking her head, "No, it's alright, really. Braeth'el told me about the meeting between you and Telatha. I understand why you needed to stay away for a while. I would have done the same if I'd been in your position."
Biara nodded, saying nothing and simply watching the sun set in the distance. Although she still felt miserable, the fact that Kyliska had come looking for her had bolstered her spirits, as it always did. No matter the problem, the two sisters had always found a way to continue on over the many difficult years since Quel'Thalas's fall.
"She's wrong, you know," Kyliska said finally, breaking the silence. "Braeth'el told me what she said, and what he also said to you. Telatha is wrong."
"No, Kyli, she's not wrong," Biara said, her voice miserable. "She's not wrong at all. How many have died due to my actions? How many have died following my orders, or in battles that I lead? I know as a Magistrix I will take on great duties from time to time and that there are risks, but maybe I'm the risk that is too great in this equation."
Kyliska gave her sister a sharp look, her voice stern now, "Don't you ever talk like that! You're letting your losses overshadow what you've done, what you've become. I remember the day your father passed. I remember that night. You came to my mother's estate, lost and broken. Do you remember what we did that night? What we swore?"
Biara sighed, looking away, her mind lost in distant memories. Her voice was soft when she replied, "I cried all night, until I was sick with it. You stayed with me, held my hair out of my face. I remember...our blood oath, yes."
Kyliska grinned, reaching out to take her sister's hand in hers, "We were young and stupid and cut our palms too deeply. Do you remember? I swore then that I would always stand beside you, through thick and thin, no matter what. I told you that you were my sister, even if not by birth, and that we would never allow the world to harm one another."
Biara smiled, nodding, "I remember. Those were difficult days, but you helped me through them."
"And I'll help you through these as well," Kyliska replied, squeezing her sister's hand. "No matter what Telatha said to you, she doesn't know what you've been through. She has not faced down rival Houses as they threatened to take your properties. She has not faced the scorn of the Magistrate, or worked tirelessly to advance magic even when others stood against it. She was isolated, living in safety and luxury while you fought, you bled for this nation. She did not have to overcome the legacy of a mother whose final act was to slaughter hundreds of innocents. You did all of that. You survived that, and became stronger for it."
Biara paused, considering her sister's words. Under the guilt, pain, and shame was a small stirring of pride at what she'd accomplished. Yes she had failed many times, but they were alive. Their House was thriving. They had defeated enemies of the Horde countless times and returned home with the glory and honor of their victories.
"On top of that, you are brave, Biara," Kyliska said, seeing the glimmer in her sister's eyes as the sorrow began to fade. "Who led us into battle countless times? Who rained fire and ice down on our enemies, or stood back to back with me and fought through situations that we should never have walked out of alive? How many assassins were sent screaming to their deaths when they dared to accost you?"
Biara's back straightened as she remembered the countless battles. The countless failed blades that had sought her heart. When she looked at Kyliska now, the fire had returned to her gaze. She had fought dragons and monsters, traitors, undead and countless other foes. Though she had wanted a life of peace and study, she had set that aside for the needs of her people, and her enemies had burned for it as a result.
Kyliska nodded, seeing in her sister the confidence that she'd been hoping for, "And finally, on top of all of that, you have corrected your mistakes. Does the ghost of your mother still haunt us? Does Selun'athiel stalk our House and seek our lives any longer? No, because you returned at the most opportune moment, tore down her wards with raging fire, and allowed us to lay her and her plans low. Her estate is a blackened ruin, being reclaimed by Eversong even as we speak."
Biara nodded, her voice confident when she replied now, "You're right, Kyli. I have done those things. I have mended my errors. And our House is prosperous now and has many allies. Oh, Kyli, I fear I've been terrible, sitting here brooding and making you worry when I should have been ignoring Telatha's barbs and brushing them off. Who is she to judge me anyway? Until she has faced true danger she is nothing more than a bastard upstart."
Kyliska grinned, releasing her sister's hand and rising, looking down at her, "Good! Then what are you going to do about it? Are you just going to sit here?"
Biara rose beside her, looking once again the proud and powerful Magistrix. She shook her head, reaching up to fix the few errant strands of fire-red hair that had come free, her voice hard now, "No, I'm not. I will continue on my path, continue with my magical research, and if Telatha wants to be difficult about it then she will live at my convenience on the properties owned by House Sunfire. You're absolutely right! I've had quite enough of this! And another thing, if they think that I'm not going to get at least intelligent apprentices to train, they have another thing coming. I will deliver a tongue-lashing to whatever committees require it in order to get a decent supply of personnel and supplies!"
Kyliska smiled, reaching over to hug her sister, "I love you, Biara. I'll always be here when you need me, you know that right?"
Biara returned the hug, feeling invigorated and revived thanks to her sister's words and comfort, "I do know that, and I love you too. No matter what, nothing will ever stand between us or against us, for as long as my blood still flows."
Kyliska released her sister and smiled. Biara grinned at her, the magical wards on her face glittering brightly as arcane power grew around her. "Enough of this brooding! Come, Kyli, let's go home. I have work to do. And the nether take anyone who stands in my way!"
Kyliska laughed as her sister tore a hole in space with her magic, the portal glimmering and leading back to their estate. As the Magistrix stepped through, Kyliska glanced once more at the setting sun over the now-peaceful ruins on the outskirts of Silvermoon. Biara's oath had not been in vain, and she knew full well the power that would face any who stood in her sister's way. And on top of that, they would face her blade as well, for the bond of sisters went both ways, and woe to any who would challenge them. Their enemies would join a long line of the dead waiting for their final judgement.
With a happy laugh Kyliska darted into the glowing portal, leaving behind the silent ruins and Biara's cast off sorrow as she headed home.
Her fire red locks had come free of their pins, framing a pretty face marked by tears and the glimmer of arcane blue wards shimmering gently on her right cheek. Her fel green eyes were unfocused, her attention turned inward to the battle that had been raging within her for the past two days, ever since her unfortunate encounter and first meeting with her newly discovered half-sister, Telatha.
The statue beneath which she brooded was as familiar to her as her home. Commissioned by her father Tel'athar long before the fall of Quel'Thalas to the Scourge, and the site of her father's assassination and mother's subsequent homicidal suicide, it was a place that she always returned to whenever heavy thoughts weighed on her mind. It was here, in this place, that her life had taken a turn for the worse all those many decades again. It was here where she had first had to shoulder the burdens of being the sole heir of House Dayfire at an age where she had only just begun to explore what being an adult really was.
From that time until now, thousands of events had unfolded which had shaped her life, guided her actions, and fundamentally changed who she was. The young Quel'dorei who would later become a Sin'dorei Magistrix was as different from her now as a complete stranger might have been, yet here in this place she could remember who she once was and where everything had first started to unravel.
Is Telatha right? Have my actions wrought nothing but destruction over the years? Am I as much a terror to those around me as my mother was in her final days and in later days, when she was nothing more than a hateful wraith? What legacy will I leave, if others see me in such a way?
It was difficult for her to think such thoughts; difficult to accept that her vision had not always been perfect or her aims justified. She shifted in place, releasing her knees and allowing her legs to slide down to hang over the broken lip of stone at the statue's base. Absently she smoothed out her richly embroidered silken dress, picking at non-existent specs on the fabric as she considered the thoughts.
For years now she had served Quel'Thalas. Served as a Magistrix, served as the ruler of a House, and served as a battle-mage. She had fought, bled, and lost loved ones against the Alliance and against other dangers which threatened her homeland. She had been as a zealot, crusading against anything that threatened the supremacy and magical might of the Sin'dorei. And in the end, she had gained precious little but scars, the loss of House Dayfire's ancestral spire, and the pain of knowing that her actions had cost so many lives.
They won't even give me acceptable apprentices anymore. I have caused so many deaths that they send only the fodder unsuitable for training or too disobedient for the other Magisters to handle. It is not just Telatha that has seen the damage I have taken with me everywhere I go.
The tears that ran freely down her face were not for her reputation. No, she would have sacrificed that and much more in a heartbeat for the greater good of Quel'Thalas. It was instead the thought that she'd failed. Failed her father's honorable memory, failed the name of Dayfire, and failed to truly do what she'd set out to do all those years ago as she first began to navigate the cut-throat politics of the nobility.
"Supported Quel'Thalas? How many have died as a result of your actions, sister? How many Sin'dorei now lay in their graves, cold and forgotten because of your 'mistakes'?" Telatha's voice seemed to whisper in her mind.
No justification, no amount of alcohol or screaming into the empty ruins around her would erase the voice and the little nagging part of her mind that told her Telatha's words had been right. Her current legacy would be nothing more than terror, than the loss of many Sin'dorei lives for little to no gain. She would be set side by side with her mother, someone considered to be a mass-murderer.
A sound in the ruins behind her caught Biara's attention, and she quickly wiped at her face, turning in the direction it had come from. Standing some distance away she spied a blonde-haired Sin'dorei in a flowing golden dress. Fel green eyes, tan skin and a pattern of what many considered to be adorable freckles met Biara's gaze, a half-smile forming as Kyliska approached.
Of all of the people in Quel'Thalas, Kyliska was the one solid rock that Biara could always count on. No matter what the circumstances were, Kyliska had been there fighting side by side with her adopted sister. Legally made a member of House Dayfire long ago, and now one of the heirs and the current leader of the combined House Sunfire, the Blood Knight was always someone that Biara had considered to be her best friend and her true family. That she had avoided Kyliska for the past several days was simply Biara's attempt not to burden her sister with her own worries.
Kyliska said nothing as she nodded at her sister and moved closer, jumping up onto the statue's base and then taking a seat beside Biara. She looked out towards the distant setting sun, the light making her hair nearly glow as dusk came on. When she spoke, she did not look at Biara, and her tones were soft, "I knew I would find you here. You always come here eventually."
"I'm sorry, Kyli. I couldn't...I just needed some time alone. I know I missed dinner and-" Biara began.
Kyliska interrupted her gently, shaking her head, "No, it's alright, really. Braeth'el told me about the meeting between you and Telatha. I understand why you needed to stay away for a while. I would have done the same if I'd been in your position."
Biara nodded, saying nothing and simply watching the sun set in the distance. Although she still felt miserable, the fact that Kyliska had come looking for her had bolstered her spirits, as it always did. No matter the problem, the two sisters had always found a way to continue on over the many difficult years since Quel'Thalas's fall.
"She's wrong, you know," Kyliska said finally, breaking the silence. "Braeth'el told me what she said, and what he also said to you. Telatha is wrong."
"No, Kyli, she's not wrong," Biara said, her voice miserable. "She's not wrong at all. How many have died due to my actions? How many have died following my orders, or in battles that I lead? I know as a Magistrix I will take on great duties from time to time and that there are risks, but maybe I'm the risk that is too great in this equation."
Kyliska gave her sister a sharp look, her voice stern now, "Don't you ever talk like that! You're letting your losses overshadow what you've done, what you've become. I remember the day your father passed. I remember that night. You came to my mother's estate, lost and broken. Do you remember what we did that night? What we swore?"
Biara sighed, looking away, her mind lost in distant memories. Her voice was soft when she replied, "I cried all night, until I was sick with it. You stayed with me, held my hair out of my face. I remember...our blood oath, yes."
Kyliska grinned, reaching out to take her sister's hand in hers, "We were young and stupid and cut our palms too deeply. Do you remember? I swore then that I would always stand beside you, through thick and thin, no matter what. I told you that you were my sister, even if not by birth, and that we would never allow the world to harm one another."
Biara smiled, nodding, "I remember. Those were difficult days, but you helped me through them."
"And I'll help you through these as well," Kyliska replied, squeezing her sister's hand. "No matter what Telatha said to you, she doesn't know what you've been through. She has not faced down rival Houses as they threatened to take your properties. She has not faced the scorn of the Magistrate, or worked tirelessly to advance magic even when others stood against it. She was isolated, living in safety and luxury while you fought, you bled for this nation. She did not have to overcome the legacy of a mother whose final act was to slaughter hundreds of innocents. You did all of that. You survived that, and became stronger for it."
Biara paused, considering her sister's words. Under the guilt, pain, and shame was a small stirring of pride at what she'd accomplished. Yes she had failed many times, but they were alive. Their House was thriving. They had defeated enemies of the Horde countless times and returned home with the glory and honor of their victories.
"On top of that, you are brave, Biara," Kyliska said, seeing the glimmer in her sister's eyes as the sorrow began to fade. "Who led us into battle countless times? Who rained fire and ice down on our enemies, or stood back to back with me and fought through situations that we should never have walked out of alive? How many assassins were sent screaming to their deaths when they dared to accost you?"
Biara's back straightened as she remembered the countless battles. The countless failed blades that had sought her heart. When she looked at Kyliska now, the fire had returned to her gaze. She had fought dragons and monsters, traitors, undead and countless other foes. Though she had wanted a life of peace and study, she had set that aside for the needs of her people, and her enemies had burned for it as a result.
Kyliska nodded, seeing in her sister the confidence that she'd been hoping for, "And finally, on top of all of that, you have corrected your mistakes. Does the ghost of your mother still haunt us? Does Selun'athiel stalk our House and seek our lives any longer? No, because you returned at the most opportune moment, tore down her wards with raging fire, and allowed us to lay her and her plans low. Her estate is a blackened ruin, being reclaimed by Eversong even as we speak."
Biara nodded, her voice confident when she replied now, "You're right, Kyli. I have done those things. I have mended my errors. And our House is prosperous now and has many allies. Oh, Kyli, I fear I've been terrible, sitting here brooding and making you worry when I should have been ignoring Telatha's barbs and brushing them off. Who is she to judge me anyway? Until she has faced true danger she is nothing more than a bastard upstart."
Kyliska grinned, releasing her sister's hand and rising, looking down at her, "Good! Then what are you going to do about it? Are you just going to sit here?"
Biara rose beside her, looking once again the proud and powerful Magistrix. She shook her head, reaching up to fix the few errant strands of fire-red hair that had come free, her voice hard now, "No, I'm not. I will continue on my path, continue with my magical research, and if Telatha wants to be difficult about it then she will live at my convenience on the properties owned by House Sunfire. You're absolutely right! I've had quite enough of this! And another thing, if they think that I'm not going to get at least intelligent apprentices to train, they have another thing coming. I will deliver a tongue-lashing to whatever committees require it in order to get a decent supply of personnel and supplies!"
Kyliska smiled, reaching over to hug her sister, "I love you, Biara. I'll always be here when you need me, you know that right?"
Biara returned the hug, feeling invigorated and revived thanks to her sister's words and comfort, "I do know that, and I love you too. No matter what, nothing will ever stand between us or against us, for as long as my blood still flows."
Kyliska released her sister and smiled. Biara grinned at her, the magical wards on her face glittering brightly as arcane power grew around her. "Enough of this brooding! Come, Kyli, let's go home. I have work to do. And the nether take anyone who stands in my way!"
Kyliska laughed as her sister tore a hole in space with her magic, the portal glimmering and leading back to their estate. As the Magistrix stepped through, Kyliska glanced once more at the setting sun over the now-peaceful ruins on the outskirts of Silvermoon. Biara's oath had not been in vain, and she knew full well the power that would face any who stood in her sister's way. And on top of that, they would face her blade as well, for the bond of sisters went both ways, and woe to any who would challenge them. Their enemies would join a long line of the dead waiting for their final judgement.
With a happy laugh Kyliska darted into the glowing portal, leaving behind the silent ruins and Biara's cast off sorrow as she headed home.
Monday, October 5, 2015
Family Politics
Biara took a deep breath to steady herself, closing her eyes and mentally forcing herself to relax. She exhaled slowly, looking down at herself to ensure that everything was in order. She wore a fine dress fit for meeting someone of high station or perhaps even to an assembly of the Magistrate. The gold and red gown trailed down to the floor, golden sandals peeking from beneath the hem. Her arms were bedecked with golden jewelry featuring green gemstones, and she'd had her hair and nails artfully attended to for an extra touch.
Looking more confident than she felt, Biara stepped forward, pushing aside the silken, opaque curtains that separated her from the meeting room beyond and stepping into the richly appointed conference area. The Silvermoon City Inn had excellent taste in decor, and she felt the surroundings put her slightly more at ease despite the lump that threatened to form in her throat. The meeting had been planned well in advance, as soon as Braeth'el had come to her with news of the person with whom she would meet. As she moved into the room, she paused, staring in shock at the person waiting for her.
She was the same height as Biara, and her eyes held the same glint of intelligence in their fel green gaze. The red locks of her hair cascaded down her back, looking so much like Biara's that the two would look almost identical if Biara's hair was not up and held in place by golden combs. Instead of bright blue arcane sigils on her right cheek, the other elf had fel green markings; the symbols as protective as those Biara wore herself although designed to ward off demonic entities rather than arcane magics.
Biara found herself lost in thought for a moment as she stared at Telatha Dayfire, her gaze completely ignoring the rather anxious looking Braeth'el standing off to the side of the room. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, ruby lips unable to let pass the many thoughts tumbling in her mind, her plans for this moment unraveling. Finally she managed to squeak out in a less than dignified voice the greeting she'd meant to give, "G-greetings...sister. This day has been too long in coming."
Telatha gazed back at Biara, her own look more stern and much less welcoming. She folded her arms across her chest, her battle robes shifting in place and a glitter of fel light accompanying the motion as she gave the other a hard stare. She'd seen Biara many times in scryings, and was not surprised by her appearance, "It is a day that I could have lived my full life without encountering. I am here by Braeth'el's request only."
Biara sucked in a gasp at this, biting her lip for a moment and then nodding her head. She gestured towards the conference table in the center of the room and its comfortable silken cushions as she spoke, "Very well. I shall not deign to believe this is a happy meeting on your part then. Will you at least sit though and speak with me? It would mean much if we could talk for a time."
Telatha shook her head, her voice still hard, "I would prefer to stand, thank you. This is not one of your social calls wherein you attempt to coddle me with sweet words or gain favor. We are at odds, and we shall always be at odds, sister."
Biara nodded again, accepting the other's decision before beginning again, "And I wish that were not so. I understand that you feel some degree of anger towards me; Braeth'el already warned me of this. I only wish to at least make a peace offering, as I believe that family should be united together. We both carry the blood of our father in our veins, and it would be shameful for us to not at least come to terms with one another, for the sake of his memory if nothing else."
Telatha nearly hissed in anger, striding towards Biara so she was inches from her, "In his memory?! What have you done to honor his memory except bring destruction on the House that he founded? How dare you come to me and pretend that we can simply unite with one another after all you have done to the Dayfire name. You brought nothing but ruin to his legacy, destruction to the home that the Dayfires have claimed for millennia, and now you speak of bonding with me? What have you done that has been useful to anyone but yourself, Biara?"
Biara reeled as if struck, and she dimly noted Braeth'el stepping forward towards the two just in case there was actual striking to be done. After a moment to steady herself, she shook her head, keeping her anger in check, "I am sorry that you feel that way. We all make mistakes, Telatha, even a Magistrix. I have done much to correct those wrongs and those who followed my father are now part of an even more powerful House that will survive for eons to come. Our enemies have fallen, and we have supported Quel'Thalas."
Telatha scoffed at this, her eyes narrowed, "Supported Quel'Thalas? How many have died as a result of your actions, sister? How many Sin'dorei now lay in their graves, cold and forgotten because of your 'mistakes'? I will not allow you to influence me, or those in my care. I do not care what apologies you make or excuses you manufacture. You are no better than Selun'athiel, and you shame our father's name."
Biara let the words sink in for a moment, her emotions a roiling pit of anger, guilt, shame, and shock. That the other would speak to her in such a way was surprising, but she'd known the meeting would be a difficult one. There was such a thing as pushing too far though, and she felt herself straightening, her back arched as she gave her half-sister an imperious stare, "I did not apologize for my mistakes, Telatha Dayfire. I said I was sorry you feel that way. I have done what I have had to do for the good of Quel'Thalas. I have made many sacrifices, fought in many battles. Not all of my efforts were successful, no, but we are still alive and more prosperous than ever before."
It was Telatha's turn to reel as if struck, Biara's tone setting her off. She bristled, jabbing an angry finger in her half-sister's direction, "Sacrifices? What sacrifices have you made other than the lives of those foolish enough to follow you? You are a facade made up of lies. A void of soul hidden behind a lovely mask. It is no wonder you have never had a suitor."
If Telatha had meant to upset Biara, then she had found the right key to unlock the pool of rage stirring within her. When Biara responded this time, her voice was an almost venomous hiss, "You know nothing of the outside world. Braeth'el has told me the circumstances of your survival. I'm sure it is very easy to judge my actions from the comfort of your secluded island where none know you exist and none threaten to slay you on a regular basis. Do you even know what lies beneath the marks on my face that you copy so glibly with your own spells? Scars, Telatha. Have you ever tasted a blade's kiss? Have you ever felt poison course through your veins? Or survived the blast of a spell that slays those standing around you only through luck or hastily applied wards? No. You've stayed free and happy on your island, away from threats, away from politics and those who would tear you down."
Telatha fell silent at this, seething but also considering the words. It was true that she had little experience with the world, but having the person who had failed and smeared the family name in the mud speak in such a fashion was an insult she could barely swallow. She shook her head furiously, her hands waving on either side as she gestured, "Enough! I said I do not wish to hear your excuses. I'm oh so sorry that your life has been so difficult. If you stopped to consider, you might realize that half of those difficulties were of your own doing! I don't know why I even agreed to meet with you. I knew nothing but perfumed lies would come from your mouth. It is a waste of my time."
She whirled, turning to go, only pausing when Braeth'el placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her, his voice consoling, "Telatha. I think it would be fair if the two of you at least tried to work your differences out here. I know you've only just returned, and you and I have much to discuss, but I'd like my niece and my employer to at least have some mutual accord."
Telatha blinked at this, her eyes wide as she stared at Braeth'el, "You're my...but how...I don't..."
"Your mother is alive, Telatha. She was seeking you in Draenor and will be returning within a day's time. We have much to discuss and I think that burying your differences with Biara would be a good start towards that," he said softly.
Telatha blinked, tears in her eyes as she stood there, trying to process all of the information that had just been handed to her at one time. She turned, gazing at Biara for a moment before shaking her head, "N-no. I have a family and friends. True friends that support me. I do not need her or her disastrous plans to live my life. I will respect her position within House Sunfire, but House Dayfire belongs to me."
Biara glared at her half-sister, her voice laced with irritation now, "Actually, it doesn't. That is my family name and its properties belong to me as part of House Sunfire. Your island is my property under the laws of Quel'Thalas. You are illegitimate and have no claims. I had not meant to press this issue, as I believe you a capable steward of those lands, but it is the truth of the matter. I have already had the properties registered properly with the Magistrate. I'd done so to keep them in holding for you, but if that is your attitude then know that you will live there by my consent."
Telatha gasped, her eyes wide, "You little bitch!"
"You've told me several times that the things I've faced are not hardships and that my mistakes were easily avoidable," Biara responded sourly. "Now you feel a taste of politics and what it can do to you. Be glad that I do respect our father's memory and that I will not be evicting you or your people from the isle. In fact, I have already made arrangements to have portals permanently established to that location...from House Sunfire holdings. This will ensure that you have all of the supplies you need, which Braeth'el has told me is a necessity as the area is in dire straits."
"You won't get away with this!" Telatha shouted, "I will find a way to remove your influence from my holdings as quickly as possible. I'll...I'll go to your sister if I have to! I will not have you holding this over my head and-"
"My sister will do nothing to stay my hand," Biara commented dryly. "And you'll do no such thing as I will instruct the guards not to allow you access to her if need be. I am not holding anything over your head. I'm helping you, and if you were not so thick headed as to see that then you would enjoy the help and the reunification of our House. In fact, I could even see you legally adopted so that you had actual title to the properties. That is, if you can get over your tirade..."
"Fuck you!" Telatha raged. She broke Braeth'el's grip from her arm and stormed away in a huff, looking so much like an angry, fel version of Biara herself that it almost made Biara smile. She would have if not for the sorrow in her heart.
After Telatha had stormed out of the room Braeth'el shot her a withering stare, his voice sour, "Nice, Biara. Real nice. And here I'd hoped that maybe you'd changed a bit. I thought maybe you'd have softened up what with having your daughter back and things being okay. I can see that you will never change though, will you? You'll always need to be in control. Always need the power. It is what consumes you, and what causes the problems you face. Telatha was right about that, you know."
Biara sighed, emotions crashing through her. When she responded, her voice was low, "I know, Braeth'el. I know. I'm...I'm sorry. It was just the way she was speaking to me..."
"Tel'athar's daughters have his fire," Braeth'el said with a consoling smile. "Perhaps you two will never get along, who knows. I will try to calm her down though. Although she cannot see it, I know that your claiming the island and resupplying it will ultimately be a good thing for the people living there. I will try to get her to see reason."
"Thank you, Braeth'el," Biara said, feeling raw inside. "I did not want to upset her, quite the opposite."
"I know, Biara. Sometimes you just go about things the wrong way though. Maybe there is a lesson here for both of you, hmm?" Braeth'el said with a sigh. "Anyway, I'd best go after her before she sets something on fire in her rage. Try and consider if perhaps there are ways you can mend this. I will speak to your sister of the matter as well. She may have some thoughts about it."
Biara nodded, another sigh escaping her. She said nothing as Braeth'el turned and left the room, leaving her alone in the conference area. Tears filled her eyes after he was gone, the weight of Telatha's words hanging on her heart. What her half-sister had accused her of had all been true of course, but she didn't understand the circumstances. Didn't know the dire straits of the House after Tel'athar's death. It was easy to judge from a distance, comfortably out of danger. It was much more difficult to make such decisions when the weight of many lives hung around your neck like an anchor.
Still in tears, Biara turned, fleeing the room and the city itself, magic flaring on her fingertips as she took herself away to seclusion, to a place where she could sit and think for a time. Life was hard sometimes, especially when politics and family clashed.
Looking more confident than she felt, Biara stepped forward, pushing aside the silken, opaque curtains that separated her from the meeting room beyond and stepping into the richly appointed conference area. The Silvermoon City Inn had excellent taste in decor, and she felt the surroundings put her slightly more at ease despite the lump that threatened to form in her throat. The meeting had been planned well in advance, as soon as Braeth'el had come to her with news of the person with whom she would meet. As she moved into the room, she paused, staring in shock at the person waiting for her.
She was the same height as Biara, and her eyes held the same glint of intelligence in their fel green gaze. The red locks of her hair cascaded down her back, looking so much like Biara's that the two would look almost identical if Biara's hair was not up and held in place by golden combs. Instead of bright blue arcane sigils on her right cheek, the other elf had fel green markings; the symbols as protective as those Biara wore herself although designed to ward off demonic entities rather than arcane magics.
Biara found herself lost in thought for a moment as she stared at Telatha Dayfire, her gaze completely ignoring the rather anxious looking Braeth'el standing off to the side of the room. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, ruby lips unable to let pass the many thoughts tumbling in her mind, her plans for this moment unraveling. Finally she managed to squeak out in a less than dignified voice the greeting she'd meant to give, "G-greetings...sister. This day has been too long in coming."
Telatha gazed back at Biara, her own look more stern and much less welcoming. She folded her arms across her chest, her battle robes shifting in place and a glitter of fel light accompanying the motion as she gave the other a hard stare. She'd seen Biara many times in scryings, and was not surprised by her appearance, "It is a day that I could have lived my full life without encountering. I am here by Braeth'el's request only."
Biara sucked in a gasp at this, biting her lip for a moment and then nodding her head. She gestured towards the conference table in the center of the room and its comfortable silken cushions as she spoke, "Very well. I shall not deign to believe this is a happy meeting on your part then. Will you at least sit though and speak with me? It would mean much if we could talk for a time."
Telatha shook her head, her voice still hard, "I would prefer to stand, thank you. This is not one of your social calls wherein you attempt to coddle me with sweet words or gain favor. We are at odds, and we shall always be at odds, sister."
Biara nodded again, accepting the other's decision before beginning again, "And I wish that were not so. I understand that you feel some degree of anger towards me; Braeth'el already warned me of this. I only wish to at least make a peace offering, as I believe that family should be united together. We both carry the blood of our father in our veins, and it would be shameful for us to not at least come to terms with one another, for the sake of his memory if nothing else."
Telatha nearly hissed in anger, striding towards Biara so she was inches from her, "In his memory?! What have you done to honor his memory except bring destruction on the House that he founded? How dare you come to me and pretend that we can simply unite with one another after all you have done to the Dayfire name. You brought nothing but ruin to his legacy, destruction to the home that the Dayfires have claimed for millennia, and now you speak of bonding with me? What have you done that has been useful to anyone but yourself, Biara?"
Biara reeled as if struck, and she dimly noted Braeth'el stepping forward towards the two just in case there was actual striking to be done. After a moment to steady herself, she shook her head, keeping her anger in check, "I am sorry that you feel that way. We all make mistakes, Telatha, even a Magistrix. I have done much to correct those wrongs and those who followed my father are now part of an even more powerful House that will survive for eons to come. Our enemies have fallen, and we have supported Quel'Thalas."
Telatha scoffed at this, her eyes narrowed, "Supported Quel'Thalas? How many have died as a result of your actions, sister? How many Sin'dorei now lay in their graves, cold and forgotten because of your 'mistakes'? I will not allow you to influence me, or those in my care. I do not care what apologies you make or excuses you manufacture. You are no better than Selun'athiel, and you shame our father's name."
Biara let the words sink in for a moment, her emotions a roiling pit of anger, guilt, shame, and shock. That the other would speak to her in such a way was surprising, but she'd known the meeting would be a difficult one. There was such a thing as pushing too far though, and she felt herself straightening, her back arched as she gave her half-sister an imperious stare, "I did not apologize for my mistakes, Telatha Dayfire. I said I was sorry you feel that way. I have done what I have had to do for the good of Quel'Thalas. I have made many sacrifices, fought in many battles. Not all of my efforts were successful, no, but we are still alive and more prosperous than ever before."
It was Telatha's turn to reel as if struck, Biara's tone setting her off. She bristled, jabbing an angry finger in her half-sister's direction, "Sacrifices? What sacrifices have you made other than the lives of those foolish enough to follow you? You are a facade made up of lies. A void of soul hidden behind a lovely mask. It is no wonder you have never had a suitor."
If Telatha had meant to upset Biara, then she had found the right key to unlock the pool of rage stirring within her. When Biara responded this time, her voice was an almost venomous hiss, "You know nothing of the outside world. Braeth'el has told me the circumstances of your survival. I'm sure it is very easy to judge my actions from the comfort of your secluded island where none know you exist and none threaten to slay you on a regular basis. Do you even know what lies beneath the marks on my face that you copy so glibly with your own spells? Scars, Telatha. Have you ever tasted a blade's kiss? Have you ever felt poison course through your veins? Or survived the blast of a spell that slays those standing around you only through luck or hastily applied wards? No. You've stayed free and happy on your island, away from threats, away from politics and those who would tear you down."
Telatha fell silent at this, seething but also considering the words. It was true that she had little experience with the world, but having the person who had failed and smeared the family name in the mud speak in such a fashion was an insult she could barely swallow. She shook her head furiously, her hands waving on either side as she gestured, "Enough! I said I do not wish to hear your excuses. I'm oh so sorry that your life has been so difficult. If you stopped to consider, you might realize that half of those difficulties were of your own doing! I don't know why I even agreed to meet with you. I knew nothing but perfumed lies would come from your mouth. It is a waste of my time."
She whirled, turning to go, only pausing when Braeth'el placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her, his voice consoling, "Telatha. I think it would be fair if the two of you at least tried to work your differences out here. I know you've only just returned, and you and I have much to discuss, but I'd like my niece and my employer to at least have some mutual accord."
Telatha blinked at this, her eyes wide as she stared at Braeth'el, "You're my...but how...I don't..."
"Your mother is alive, Telatha. She was seeking you in Draenor and will be returning within a day's time. We have much to discuss and I think that burying your differences with Biara would be a good start towards that," he said softly.
Telatha blinked, tears in her eyes as she stood there, trying to process all of the information that had just been handed to her at one time. She turned, gazing at Biara for a moment before shaking her head, "N-no. I have a family and friends. True friends that support me. I do not need her or her disastrous plans to live my life. I will respect her position within House Sunfire, but House Dayfire belongs to me."
Biara glared at her half-sister, her voice laced with irritation now, "Actually, it doesn't. That is my family name and its properties belong to me as part of House Sunfire. Your island is my property under the laws of Quel'Thalas. You are illegitimate and have no claims. I had not meant to press this issue, as I believe you a capable steward of those lands, but it is the truth of the matter. I have already had the properties registered properly with the Magistrate. I'd done so to keep them in holding for you, but if that is your attitude then know that you will live there by my consent."
Telatha gasped, her eyes wide, "You little bitch!"
"You've told me several times that the things I've faced are not hardships and that my mistakes were easily avoidable," Biara responded sourly. "Now you feel a taste of politics and what it can do to you. Be glad that I do respect our father's memory and that I will not be evicting you or your people from the isle. In fact, I have already made arrangements to have portals permanently established to that location...from House Sunfire holdings. This will ensure that you have all of the supplies you need, which Braeth'el has told me is a necessity as the area is in dire straits."
"You won't get away with this!" Telatha shouted, "I will find a way to remove your influence from my holdings as quickly as possible. I'll...I'll go to your sister if I have to! I will not have you holding this over my head and-"
"My sister will do nothing to stay my hand," Biara commented dryly. "And you'll do no such thing as I will instruct the guards not to allow you access to her if need be. I am not holding anything over your head. I'm helping you, and if you were not so thick headed as to see that then you would enjoy the help and the reunification of our House. In fact, I could even see you legally adopted so that you had actual title to the properties. That is, if you can get over your tirade..."
"Fuck you!" Telatha raged. She broke Braeth'el's grip from her arm and stormed away in a huff, looking so much like an angry, fel version of Biara herself that it almost made Biara smile. She would have if not for the sorrow in her heart.
After Telatha had stormed out of the room Braeth'el shot her a withering stare, his voice sour, "Nice, Biara. Real nice. And here I'd hoped that maybe you'd changed a bit. I thought maybe you'd have softened up what with having your daughter back and things being okay. I can see that you will never change though, will you? You'll always need to be in control. Always need the power. It is what consumes you, and what causes the problems you face. Telatha was right about that, you know."
Biara sighed, emotions crashing through her. When she responded, her voice was low, "I know, Braeth'el. I know. I'm...I'm sorry. It was just the way she was speaking to me..."
"Tel'athar's daughters have his fire," Braeth'el said with a consoling smile. "Perhaps you two will never get along, who knows. I will try to calm her down though. Although she cannot see it, I know that your claiming the island and resupplying it will ultimately be a good thing for the people living there. I will try to get her to see reason."
"Thank you, Braeth'el," Biara said, feeling raw inside. "I did not want to upset her, quite the opposite."
"I know, Biara. Sometimes you just go about things the wrong way though. Maybe there is a lesson here for both of you, hmm?" Braeth'el said with a sigh. "Anyway, I'd best go after her before she sets something on fire in her rage. Try and consider if perhaps there are ways you can mend this. I will speak to your sister of the matter as well. She may have some thoughts about it."
Biara nodded, another sigh escaping her. She said nothing as Braeth'el turned and left the room, leaving her alone in the conference area. Tears filled her eyes after he was gone, the weight of Telatha's words hanging on her heart. What her half-sister had accused her of had all been true of course, but she didn't understand the circumstances. Didn't know the dire straits of the House after Tel'athar's death. It was easy to judge from a distance, comfortably out of danger. It was much more difficult to make such decisions when the weight of many lives hung around your neck like an anchor.
Still in tears, Biara turned, fleeing the room and the city itself, magic flaring on her fingertips as she took herself away to seclusion, to a place where she could sit and think for a time. Life was hard sometimes, especially when politics and family clashed.
Friday, October 2, 2015
Operation Dawning Sea
*Some time ago, Dawnsea Manor during the attack by Houses Sunfire and Felo'melorn*
Alizathel held her head in her hands, her despair beginning to well up inside her once more. Sitting behind the desk at the front of the large classroom, it was all she could do to keep her emotions in check and not break down in front of the more than thirty students and fifteen junior priests, priestesses, and novices that attended her. Although most of the students were engaged in group activities with the senior novices, Alizathel knew that if she could not hold it together enough to keep it inside everyone would be staring and nervous a moment later.
The classroom itself was one of several on the eastern side of Dawnsea Manor, although not along the exterior wall of the structure and therefore lacking windows out into Eversong Woods beyond. The students, ranging in age from children to young adults, were Alizathel's responsibility to teach the ways of faith and guide in their education. They came from all over House Dawnsea's holdings, many of them, like her, having Dawnsea blood directly.
As another sob threatened to force its way out of her throat, Alizathel felt a sympathetic hand on her shoulder, one of her senior priestesses offering her silent comfort. It had been only a few hours since Seluna had performed her dire ritual that had included, amongst other things, living sacrifices. Beyond prisoners taken from a raid on House Felo'melorn's holdings, those sacrifices had also included Alizathel's only sister, Liandriel. That she had gone willingly to the knife, an insane zealot under Seluna's sway, did little to lessen the pain of her loss.
Even now, Alizathel and the other priests could feel Seluna's presence in the heart of the manor house, the darkness that she had unleashed upon them all a palpable force that weighed on their minds. Seluna was in absolute, utter control of the manor and her use of dark magics had been sanctioned by House Dawnsea's matriarch. There was nothing any of them could do except obey and pray for the best or rebel and die by Seluna's hand.
A distant roar made Alizathel sit up suddenly in shock, her eyes wide. Within the classroom, all teaching activities fell silent as each of the novices and priests exchanged glances with one another. The noise was accompanied by the rumblings of additional explosions, and there was only one explanation for such a sound; the enemies of House Dawnsea had come to reclaim what was taken from them at long last.
Alizathel shot to her feet, moving away from her desk and turning her back on the class behind her. She took a pendant from around her throat, holding it in the palm of her hand and looking into it. It glowed green with magic, the light reflected in her fel green eyes as she whispered a spell to it. The spell crossed the short distance across the manor house in a heartbeat, reaching out to Alizathel's betrothed, Gartius. The two often communicated silently with the pendant that the young mage and tutor had created for his beloved Alizathel, and it was through this link that her thoughts shot like arrows.
"Gartius! The day that I feared has come. Please, come to me and let us leave this place while there is still time. It doesn't have to be like this! Please, for me, come back!"
The response, when it returned, was exactly what Alizathel had feared it would be. Gartius's mind had been twisted by Seluna for some time now, his anger and rage leading him and fed by her teachings and the touches of her power. "We must fight off the invaders for the glory of Dawnsea! Don't you see? They are afraid! They've come because they know our Mistress will destroy them now that she has what she's been seeking! Now is not the time to run, it is the time to fight for Lady Seluna! Don't turn coward on me now, Liza!"
Alizathel felt tears running down her cheeks, her mind silently communicating her agony back to her betrothed, "They aren't coming because they are afraid. They're coming because she kidnapped one of their heirs and raided their holdings. You know this. Please...Gartius...if there was ever any love between us, if I have ever meant anything to you...please come back to me before our enemies reach me. Please come and save us from this. Take us away from here. I beg you my love."
His response was distant, and she could tell he was preoccupied. The pendant gave her fleeting glimpses of a hallway and panting House Dawnsea guards as they began to get into position, "You are a coward, Alizathel. You refuse to fight for Her glory because you are afraid. This riffraff will be driven from our holdings and crushed, and then she will rise, a new Queen to lead us into the future. When I am done here with these fools I will come back, and then we will talk of your cowardice and what should be done about it."
Alizathel rocked back on her feet, black despair crashing over her once more. Gartius and half of the House were under Seluna's evil sway. That they could not see it was heartbreaking. That they condoned what she had done, rampant murder of Sin'dorei and kidnapping of an heir, was beyond her ability to grasp. Before she could form another thought, there was a flare of magic through the connection, and her eyes widened as she caught a glimpse of elves falling beneath a warhorse that had been ridden hard through the double doors of the manor house's entrance, a blonde and furious Blood Knight jumping from the saddle and slashing men down all around her. Magic flared and she felt Gartius begin to assault the enemies of House Dawnsea with his power, only to feel greater magic crashing down around him. Through the link she heard elves screaming, heard Gartius grunt with pain and felt the pendant that he wore tumbling end over end. Until there was only the sound of screaming and of armored boots advancing, the distant shouts of the Heir of House Sunfire giving orders in the hallway.
And then the link went dark, and Alizathel felt her own throat become raw as she screamed aloud, "Gartius! GARTIUS! NO! OH GODS NO!"
Alizathel felt herself falling to her knees, her world spinning as the pendant tumbled lifelessly from her hands. She heard the children in her class crying, heard her priestesses shouting her name and running up beside her, but all of it was distant as tears blurred her vision. Hands grabbed her arms, hauling her up and into her seat, her novices fanning her to try to keep her conscious. And all the while in the distance were the thunderous noises of war unleashed upon their home, brought there by vengeance against Seluna.
It was hard to tell how much time passed, in her fog of despair. Alizathel was briefly aware of her students huddled together, talking quietly with anxiety in their voices. She was aware of her novices trying to console one another, or shooting her nervous but hopeful looks that she could perhaps change what was happening, but she could do little other than sit and stare lifelessly at that cold, dark pendant laying on the floor; the remnants of a life that had once been blessed and now was dark.
It was not until the classroom's door was kicked open forcefully that she finally roused, her eyes wide as two armed men stalked into the room, bearing the colors of House Sunfire on their tabards. They blinked in surprise, perhaps expecting the locked room to be full of treasures, the two Sin'dorei glancing at one another and then grinning.
"Well well, no gold but plenty of other treasure," one of them purred, eyeing Alizathel and a few of her priestesses over lewdly.
"Looks like we'll have some reward after all," the second agreed, and they advanced into the room slowly, short swords drawn. "If you all behave no one will get hurt too badly."
Alizathel felt her heart racing, fear gripping her as surely as despair had a moment before. These Sin'dorei, these beasts would slay anyone who resisted. The dark prayers that Seluna had forced them all to use stirred in her mind, and she knew that she could cut one of them down, perhaps both down. And then the next group that came into the room would take her for a combatant, possibly mistaking them all for combatants, and begin to slay the innocents in her care. She rose slowly, a lump in her throat as she stepped forward ahead of her novices, her voice shaking, "T-take me if you must, but please leave the innocents here alone. I will not fight you, I swear it. Please just spare them. Have mercy."
The first elf grinned, eyeing Alizathel up and down like a prize. He glanced back at his companion who nodded, before stepping forward to roughly grab her arm, "You're a sweet enough prize. We don't want any trouble, just some quick loot that no one will notice during the battle. If you're a good little prize, we'll leave the rest here alone."
Alizathel felt cold fear shooting up her spine as she was roughly grabbed, knowing there was nothing she could do to stop what was happening. The soldiers were not acting on orders, and would not heed any words she gave them. Even so, she opened her mouth to speak, her voice faltering as something strange happened. The elf standing further away suddenly shuddered, his eyes rolling up into his head as he fell forward. As he crumpled, Alizathel saw a knife in his back, the wound most definitely fatal.
The second elf turned in stunned shock, his blade coming up only to be parried as a cloaked figure dashed into the room, a dagger knocking the weapon up and away. A second attack was likewise blocked and then with a flash of knives the soldier that had grabbed Alizathel gasped and fell away, his grip on her arm gone as quickly as it had come and leaving her face to face with a cowled figure holding bloody daggers.
He was big, under that cloak. She could tell just from the way his leather armor hugged his body that he was many times stronger than her and at the peak of physical perfection. Fel green eyes glinted at her from beneath the cowl along with a hint of blonde hair. When he spoke, his tone was calm and soothing, his hands wide despite having daggers in them, "I mean you no harm. I am here to take you from this place."
Alizathel swallowed a lump in her throat, her heart still racing. Wary, she studied the other elf for a moment, no one else daring to breathe, "W-who are you? You do not wear our colors and if you are with them you've slain your own men. How can we trust you?"
"You can't," came the simple reply. The man sheathed his weapons and stepped back, holding his hands out again, "I can only offer you my assurances that I will not harm you. You can't believe me, but you can't stay here. The battle will sweep across this entire manor house before it is over. As for who I am, I am called Braeth'el, and I am here to honor an oath I swore long ago. Before there was a House Sunfire, there were men who fought under the banner of House Dayfire. Good men, who would not suffer cowardice or dishonors such as harming civilians in a battle. Although the fight in this place is just, when my sources discovered that the estate housed women and children for schooling I knew that they had to be removed from harm's way, so I came to see to it that that was done. House Sunfire does not need the stain of your deaths on its honor."
Alizathel took this in for a moment, hope daring to stir under the black despair and fear that had gripped her. She looked back at the other priests, who nodded slowly. She spoke to them, rather than replying to this Braeth'el that had suddenly appeared, "Get everyone together. We're moving now and quickly. We need to get them out of here, Seluna's orders be damned."
She turned to look at Braeth'el her voice still cracking from the stress, "W-we will follow you, as we have no choice. I trust you have some way to get us free of this place? The guards will not allow us to leave and will slay us for desertion."
The handsome blonde elf smiled at her and grinned, his voice low, "As it so happens, it seems I do know a way to get you free of this place, but it involves touching things that Seluna would prefer you didn't touch."
Alizathel felt a cold determination settle in her stomach, her grief pushed down as her rage and will to life surged. When she responded, her voice was flat but confident, "All the better. Lead the way then, Mr. Braeth'el. I, Alizathel Dawnsea, swear that you will not come to harm by the hand of any here while you aid us."
With a smile and a nod, Braeth'el gestured towards the door, as if to escort her to a ball, "After you, my Lady Dawnsea."
**************************************
It had been difficult, making their way through the estate. Fires had broken out all over as the invading forces fought House Dawnsea's defenders. They had to avoid both groups, lest they be mistaken for enemies by either side. There had been much hiding, and much scurrying down the halls like rats, hurrying the children along and keeping them in line and quiet so as to avoid notice.
At last though the group had made it to the corridor that Braeth'el had been leading them towards all along; a corridor that lead to one of Seluna's sanctums that Alizathel had never been inside of. How Braeth'el knew it was there deep within the manor house she did not know, nor did she think to ask. That he seemed confident in his destination was enough. The problem was, the door was guarded by five House Dawnsea soldiers, and she knew they would take issue with her approaching the 'forbidden' areas that Seluna had claimed for herself.
With the children behind her reminding her of her purpose, Alizathel took a deep breath. She glanced at Braeth'el who nodded at her in encouragement before she stepped around the corner and marched towards the men, her stride imperious and her gaze scathing, "Step aside and clear this corridor in the name of House Dawnsea!"
The guards nearly jumped at her sudden appearance, several of them leveling weapons in her direction, "Halt! You will not pass through this door on pain of death. Lady Seluna has ordered all of her portal rooms sealed!"
Alizathel halted, her nerves clawing at her as she faced them down, "I am ordering you aside. I too am of Dawnsea blood and you will obey my lawful command!"
The guards began to mutter, giving her chilling looks, "You are seeking to flee, aren't you? That makes you nothing more than a traitor. Lady Seluna has ordered death for all deserters in this time of crisis."
Alizathel felt her heart skip a beat as the men began to rush towards her with drawn blades. They crossed half the distance between them before she felt the air rustle, blowing her short black hair forward as two thrown knives passed so close to her head that she could hear them tumbling end over end in the air. Two of the rushing guards suddenly sprouted daggers from their eyes, their lifeless bodies falling as Braeth'el darted forward and around her, his weapons flashing.
The first guard slashed at him only to have his attack blocked and his arm slashed by Braeth'el's poisoned weapon. The second came into flank him and found himself tumbling as Braeth'el kicked out with his leg, tripping the elf and sending him flying. The third rushed in behind his wounded companion, shouting a warcry. Alizathel watched, almost dazed, as Braeth'el casually stepped forward, dodged his clumsy attack, and punched him in the throat so hard that he collapsed backwards gurgling. A quick slash sent the elf who had been tripped to his grave with a mortal wound, and a backstab into the wounded elf that was trying to flee ended the fight.
Braeth'el turned to shout to the priests he was escorting, and as he did so Alizathel's eyes widened in horror. Three more guards rushed from around a bend in the corridor, one of them leveling a crossbow as Braeth'el's back. There was no time to react, no time to warn him, and only the pounding of her dark prayers in her mind.
Braeth'el turned, hearing the guards and knowing he would be too late as he saw the crossbow being leveled. He brought his daggers up, his body standing as a shield before the priestess behind him. He heard the children screaming behind him and he shook his head, hoping that he had not failed in his clandestine mission. A moment later he blinked in shock as the crossbowman stumbled, blood running from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears as he fell lifelessly to the floor. The other two elves cried out, one of them also bleeding from his eyes as the second screamed in terror and ran face first into the wall, the two joining their companion on the ground.
He turned to look back, nearly gasping in surprise at what he saw. Alizathel still stood in the center of the corridor, one of the children under her care having run forward to protect her. He clung to her leg, looking with awe up at her. Her own gaze was dark, her form shrouded with shadows and dark black wings made of shadow stuff gracefully arching from her back. A hand had fallen around the child protectively, one wing cradling him as if to keep him from harm. She looked like an angel sent down from the heavens to stop the innocent from coming to harm, and Braeth'el had to blink once and remind himself that she had just silently slaughtered three men with dark magics to shake the image off.
A moment later Alizathel's power faded and in the same moment there was a sudden feeling of a heavy weight being lifted from everyone's shoulders. In that moment, deeper within the estate, Selun'athiel Dayfire was slain by her attackers, and her dark power that had held sway over the manor began to fade. Throughout the estate House Dawnsea defenders fell back, while House Sunfire and Felo'melorn soldiers routed them and began to burn the estate down.
In the corridor Alizathel felt Seluna's darkness pass almost like a sigh of relief. Although grief still clutched at her heart, a burning little ember of willpower within her rejoiced as she knew the witch had come to a bad end at long last. She lashed out with her power one last time, the doors blocking the portal room blowing open with the force of shadowy tendrils that struck them, the glitter of a portal that would lead them to safety filling the hallway.
Braeth'el offered Alizathel a formal bow before gesturing towards the glowing portal beyond, his voice soft now, "This is where we part ways, Lady Dawnsea. May you and your charges live in safety and peace going forward."
Alizathel returned the bow with a curtsy fit for royalty, "I will never forget what you have done, Braeth'el, for as long as I shall live. In light or shadow, justice and honor still live on it seems. Farewell to you, and may the gates of Quel'Thalas open for you always."
With that Braeth'el turned and disappeared down a side corridor, gone from sight in an instant. Alizathel took a deep breath to steady herself and then turned towards her charges, "Alright everyone, through the portal. It will likely lead to another Dawnsea holding where we will at least be safe. Single file and quickly now."
The children and priests hopped to obey, quickly moving to safety and leaving Alizathel alone in the corridor. She paused for a moment, taking one last look at the place that had been her home for many years, the place where she'd loved and grown up and that was, even now, being consumed by a raging inferno. With a small sigh of farewell she turned from it all, disappearing into the flickering portal and safety beyond.
Alizathel held her head in her hands, her despair beginning to well up inside her once more. Sitting behind the desk at the front of the large classroom, it was all she could do to keep her emotions in check and not break down in front of the more than thirty students and fifteen junior priests, priestesses, and novices that attended her. Although most of the students were engaged in group activities with the senior novices, Alizathel knew that if she could not hold it together enough to keep it inside everyone would be staring and nervous a moment later.
The classroom itself was one of several on the eastern side of Dawnsea Manor, although not along the exterior wall of the structure and therefore lacking windows out into Eversong Woods beyond. The students, ranging in age from children to young adults, were Alizathel's responsibility to teach the ways of faith and guide in their education. They came from all over House Dawnsea's holdings, many of them, like her, having Dawnsea blood directly.
As another sob threatened to force its way out of her throat, Alizathel felt a sympathetic hand on her shoulder, one of her senior priestesses offering her silent comfort. It had been only a few hours since Seluna had performed her dire ritual that had included, amongst other things, living sacrifices. Beyond prisoners taken from a raid on House Felo'melorn's holdings, those sacrifices had also included Alizathel's only sister, Liandriel. That she had gone willingly to the knife, an insane zealot under Seluna's sway, did little to lessen the pain of her loss.
Even now, Alizathel and the other priests could feel Seluna's presence in the heart of the manor house, the darkness that she had unleashed upon them all a palpable force that weighed on their minds. Seluna was in absolute, utter control of the manor and her use of dark magics had been sanctioned by House Dawnsea's matriarch. There was nothing any of them could do except obey and pray for the best or rebel and die by Seluna's hand.
A distant roar made Alizathel sit up suddenly in shock, her eyes wide. Within the classroom, all teaching activities fell silent as each of the novices and priests exchanged glances with one another. The noise was accompanied by the rumblings of additional explosions, and there was only one explanation for such a sound; the enemies of House Dawnsea had come to reclaim what was taken from them at long last.
Alizathel shot to her feet, moving away from her desk and turning her back on the class behind her. She took a pendant from around her throat, holding it in the palm of her hand and looking into it. It glowed green with magic, the light reflected in her fel green eyes as she whispered a spell to it. The spell crossed the short distance across the manor house in a heartbeat, reaching out to Alizathel's betrothed, Gartius. The two often communicated silently with the pendant that the young mage and tutor had created for his beloved Alizathel, and it was through this link that her thoughts shot like arrows.
"Gartius! The day that I feared has come. Please, come to me and let us leave this place while there is still time. It doesn't have to be like this! Please, for me, come back!"
The response, when it returned, was exactly what Alizathel had feared it would be. Gartius's mind had been twisted by Seluna for some time now, his anger and rage leading him and fed by her teachings and the touches of her power. "We must fight off the invaders for the glory of Dawnsea! Don't you see? They are afraid! They've come because they know our Mistress will destroy them now that she has what she's been seeking! Now is not the time to run, it is the time to fight for Lady Seluna! Don't turn coward on me now, Liza!"
Alizathel felt tears running down her cheeks, her mind silently communicating her agony back to her betrothed, "They aren't coming because they are afraid. They're coming because she kidnapped one of their heirs and raided their holdings. You know this. Please...Gartius...if there was ever any love between us, if I have ever meant anything to you...please come back to me before our enemies reach me. Please come and save us from this. Take us away from here. I beg you my love."
His response was distant, and she could tell he was preoccupied. The pendant gave her fleeting glimpses of a hallway and panting House Dawnsea guards as they began to get into position, "You are a coward, Alizathel. You refuse to fight for Her glory because you are afraid. This riffraff will be driven from our holdings and crushed, and then she will rise, a new Queen to lead us into the future. When I am done here with these fools I will come back, and then we will talk of your cowardice and what should be done about it."
Alizathel rocked back on her feet, black despair crashing over her once more. Gartius and half of the House were under Seluna's evil sway. That they could not see it was heartbreaking. That they condoned what she had done, rampant murder of Sin'dorei and kidnapping of an heir, was beyond her ability to grasp. Before she could form another thought, there was a flare of magic through the connection, and her eyes widened as she caught a glimpse of elves falling beneath a warhorse that had been ridden hard through the double doors of the manor house's entrance, a blonde and furious Blood Knight jumping from the saddle and slashing men down all around her. Magic flared and she felt Gartius begin to assault the enemies of House Dawnsea with his power, only to feel greater magic crashing down around him. Through the link she heard elves screaming, heard Gartius grunt with pain and felt the pendant that he wore tumbling end over end. Until there was only the sound of screaming and of armored boots advancing, the distant shouts of the Heir of House Sunfire giving orders in the hallway.
And then the link went dark, and Alizathel felt her own throat become raw as she screamed aloud, "Gartius! GARTIUS! NO! OH GODS NO!"
Alizathel felt herself falling to her knees, her world spinning as the pendant tumbled lifelessly from her hands. She heard the children in her class crying, heard her priestesses shouting her name and running up beside her, but all of it was distant as tears blurred her vision. Hands grabbed her arms, hauling her up and into her seat, her novices fanning her to try to keep her conscious. And all the while in the distance were the thunderous noises of war unleashed upon their home, brought there by vengeance against Seluna.
It was hard to tell how much time passed, in her fog of despair. Alizathel was briefly aware of her students huddled together, talking quietly with anxiety in their voices. She was aware of her novices trying to console one another, or shooting her nervous but hopeful looks that she could perhaps change what was happening, but she could do little other than sit and stare lifelessly at that cold, dark pendant laying on the floor; the remnants of a life that had once been blessed and now was dark.
It was not until the classroom's door was kicked open forcefully that she finally roused, her eyes wide as two armed men stalked into the room, bearing the colors of House Sunfire on their tabards. They blinked in surprise, perhaps expecting the locked room to be full of treasures, the two Sin'dorei glancing at one another and then grinning.
"Well well, no gold but plenty of other treasure," one of them purred, eyeing Alizathel and a few of her priestesses over lewdly.
"Looks like we'll have some reward after all," the second agreed, and they advanced into the room slowly, short swords drawn. "If you all behave no one will get hurt too badly."
Alizathel felt her heart racing, fear gripping her as surely as despair had a moment before. These Sin'dorei, these beasts would slay anyone who resisted. The dark prayers that Seluna had forced them all to use stirred in her mind, and she knew that she could cut one of them down, perhaps both down. And then the next group that came into the room would take her for a combatant, possibly mistaking them all for combatants, and begin to slay the innocents in her care. She rose slowly, a lump in her throat as she stepped forward ahead of her novices, her voice shaking, "T-take me if you must, but please leave the innocents here alone. I will not fight you, I swear it. Please just spare them. Have mercy."
The first elf grinned, eyeing Alizathel up and down like a prize. He glanced back at his companion who nodded, before stepping forward to roughly grab her arm, "You're a sweet enough prize. We don't want any trouble, just some quick loot that no one will notice during the battle. If you're a good little prize, we'll leave the rest here alone."
Alizathel felt cold fear shooting up her spine as she was roughly grabbed, knowing there was nothing she could do to stop what was happening. The soldiers were not acting on orders, and would not heed any words she gave them. Even so, she opened her mouth to speak, her voice faltering as something strange happened. The elf standing further away suddenly shuddered, his eyes rolling up into his head as he fell forward. As he crumpled, Alizathel saw a knife in his back, the wound most definitely fatal.
The second elf turned in stunned shock, his blade coming up only to be parried as a cloaked figure dashed into the room, a dagger knocking the weapon up and away. A second attack was likewise blocked and then with a flash of knives the soldier that had grabbed Alizathel gasped and fell away, his grip on her arm gone as quickly as it had come and leaving her face to face with a cowled figure holding bloody daggers.
He was big, under that cloak. She could tell just from the way his leather armor hugged his body that he was many times stronger than her and at the peak of physical perfection. Fel green eyes glinted at her from beneath the cowl along with a hint of blonde hair. When he spoke, his tone was calm and soothing, his hands wide despite having daggers in them, "I mean you no harm. I am here to take you from this place."
Alizathel swallowed a lump in her throat, her heart still racing. Wary, she studied the other elf for a moment, no one else daring to breathe, "W-who are you? You do not wear our colors and if you are with them you've slain your own men. How can we trust you?"
"You can't," came the simple reply. The man sheathed his weapons and stepped back, holding his hands out again, "I can only offer you my assurances that I will not harm you. You can't believe me, but you can't stay here. The battle will sweep across this entire manor house before it is over. As for who I am, I am called Braeth'el, and I am here to honor an oath I swore long ago. Before there was a House Sunfire, there were men who fought under the banner of House Dayfire. Good men, who would not suffer cowardice or dishonors such as harming civilians in a battle. Although the fight in this place is just, when my sources discovered that the estate housed women and children for schooling I knew that they had to be removed from harm's way, so I came to see to it that that was done. House Sunfire does not need the stain of your deaths on its honor."
Alizathel took this in for a moment, hope daring to stir under the black despair and fear that had gripped her. She looked back at the other priests, who nodded slowly. She spoke to them, rather than replying to this Braeth'el that had suddenly appeared, "Get everyone together. We're moving now and quickly. We need to get them out of here, Seluna's orders be damned."
She turned to look at Braeth'el her voice still cracking from the stress, "W-we will follow you, as we have no choice. I trust you have some way to get us free of this place? The guards will not allow us to leave and will slay us for desertion."
The handsome blonde elf smiled at her and grinned, his voice low, "As it so happens, it seems I do know a way to get you free of this place, but it involves touching things that Seluna would prefer you didn't touch."
Alizathel felt a cold determination settle in her stomach, her grief pushed down as her rage and will to life surged. When she responded, her voice was flat but confident, "All the better. Lead the way then, Mr. Braeth'el. I, Alizathel Dawnsea, swear that you will not come to harm by the hand of any here while you aid us."
With a smile and a nod, Braeth'el gestured towards the door, as if to escort her to a ball, "After you, my Lady Dawnsea."
**************************************
It had been difficult, making their way through the estate. Fires had broken out all over as the invading forces fought House Dawnsea's defenders. They had to avoid both groups, lest they be mistaken for enemies by either side. There had been much hiding, and much scurrying down the halls like rats, hurrying the children along and keeping them in line and quiet so as to avoid notice.
At last though the group had made it to the corridor that Braeth'el had been leading them towards all along; a corridor that lead to one of Seluna's sanctums that Alizathel had never been inside of. How Braeth'el knew it was there deep within the manor house she did not know, nor did she think to ask. That he seemed confident in his destination was enough. The problem was, the door was guarded by five House Dawnsea soldiers, and she knew they would take issue with her approaching the 'forbidden' areas that Seluna had claimed for herself.
With the children behind her reminding her of her purpose, Alizathel took a deep breath. She glanced at Braeth'el who nodded at her in encouragement before she stepped around the corner and marched towards the men, her stride imperious and her gaze scathing, "Step aside and clear this corridor in the name of House Dawnsea!"
The guards nearly jumped at her sudden appearance, several of them leveling weapons in her direction, "Halt! You will not pass through this door on pain of death. Lady Seluna has ordered all of her portal rooms sealed!"
Alizathel halted, her nerves clawing at her as she faced them down, "I am ordering you aside. I too am of Dawnsea blood and you will obey my lawful command!"
The guards began to mutter, giving her chilling looks, "You are seeking to flee, aren't you? That makes you nothing more than a traitor. Lady Seluna has ordered death for all deserters in this time of crisis."
Alizathel felt her heart skip a beat as the men began to rush towards her with drawn blades. They crossed half the distance between them before she felt the air rustle, blowing her short black hair forward as two thrown knives passed so close to her head that she could hear them tumbling end over end in the air. Two of the rushing guards suddenly sprouted daggers from their eyes, their lifeless bodies falling as Braeth'el darted forward and around her, his weapons flashing.
The first guard slashed at him only to have his attack blocked and his arm slashed by Braeth'el's poisoned weapon. The second came into flank him and found himself tumbling as Braeth'el kicked out with his leg, tripping the elf and sending him flying. The third rushed in behind his wounded companion, shouting a warcry. Alizathel watched, almost dazed, as Braeth'el casually stepped forward, dodged his clumsy attack, and punched him in the throat so hard that he collapsed backwards gurgling. A quick slash sent the elf who had been tripped to his grave with a mortal wound, and a backstab into the wounded elf that was trying to flee ended the fight.
Braeth'el turned to shout to the priests he was escorting, and as he did so Alizathel's eyes widened in horror. Three more guards rushed from around a bend in the corridor, one of them leveling a crossbow as Braeth'el's back. There was no time to react, no time to warn him, and only the pounding of her dark prayers in her mind.
Braeth'el turned, hearing the guards and knowing he would be too late as he saw the crossbow being leveled. He brought his daggers up, his body standing as a shield before the priestess behind him. He heard the children screaming behind him and he shook his head, hoping that he had not failed in his clandestine mission. A moment later he blinked in shock as the crossbowman stumbled, blood running from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears as he fell lifelessly to the floor. The other two elves cried out, one of them also bleeding from his eyes as the second screamed in terror and ran face first into the wall, the two joining their companion on the ground.
He turned to look back, nearly gasping in surprise at what he saw. Alizathel still stood in the center of the corridor, one of the children under her care having run forward to protect her. He clung to her leg, looking with awe up at her. Her own gaze was dark, her form shrouded with shadows and dark black wings made of shadow stuff gracefully arching from her back. A hand had fallen around the child protectively, one wing cradling him as if to keep him from harm. She looked like an angel sent down from the heavens to stop the innocent from coming to harm, and Braeth'el had to blink once and remind himself that she had just silently slaughtered three men with dark magics to shake the image off.
A moment later Alizathel's power faded and in the same moment there was a sudden feeling of a heavy weight being lifted from everyone's shoulders. In that moment, deeper within the estate, Selun'athiel Dayfire was slain by her attackers, and her dark power that had held sway over the manor began to fade. Throughout the estate House Dawnsea defenders fell back, while House Sunfire and Felo'melorn soldiers routed them and began to burn the estate down.
In the corridor Alizathel felt Seluna's darkness pass almost like a sigh of relief. Although grief still clutched at her heart, a burning little ember of willpower within her rejoiced as she knew the witch had come to a bad end at long last. She lashed out with her power one last time, the doors blocking the portal room blowing open with the force of shadowy tendrils that struck them, the glitter of a portal that would lead them to safety filling the hallway.
Braeth'el offered Alizathel a formal bow before gesturing towards the glowing portal beyond, his voice soft now, "This is where we part ways, Lady Dawnsea. May you and your charges live in safety and peace going forward."
Alizathel returned the bow with a curtsy fit for royalty, "I will never forget what you have done, Braeth'el, for as long as I shall live. In light or shadow, justice and honor still live on it seems. Farewell to you, and may the gates of Quel'Thalas open for you always."
With that Braeth'el turned and disappeared down a side corridor, gone from sight in an instant. Alizathel took a deep breath to steady herself and then turned towards her charges, "Alright everyone, through the portal. It will likely lead to another Dawnsea holding where we will at least be safe. Single file and quickly now."
The children and priests hopped to obey, quickly moving to safety and leaving Alizathel alone in the corridor. She paused for a moment, taking one last look at the place that had been her home for many years, the place where she'd loved and grown up and that was, even now, being consumed by a raging inferno. With a small sigh of farewell she turned from it all, disappearing into the flickering portal and safety beyond.
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