Ancient Lies

Prologue- Promises Made

Zin-Azshari, centuries before the city’s fall.

They were going to get in so much trouble; possibly the worst trouble they’d ever been in for their entire young lives. The thought repeated over and over in Kerriel Spellfury’s mind as she crawled through the garden on her hands and knees, her body almost shaking with fear. Her deep purple hair was tied back behind her head to keep it from getting tangled in the brush, but even so she had sticks and grass stuck in her long locks and dirt smeared her fine dress.

            Ahead of her, Malandrae Moonwhisper paused, turning to shoot her a mischievous smile and bring a finger to her lips. Her cyan hair bounced slightly in its tall pigtails, the adolescent Highborne’s eyes flickering silver with the excitement of the moment.

            Kerriel just shook her head, asking herself again how she’d managed to let Malandrae convince her to do this. They were too young to be in this part of the city, too young to really be adventuring on their own and certainly too young to be out in the middle of the day when everyone else was sleeping. That they’d also avoided watchful guards, passed down corridors where their presence was forbidden, and hidden themselves from other Highborne during this adventure were secondary to the amount of grounded they were going to be if anyone caught them.

Of course, Malandrae didn’t even seem to be thinking about this, the flighty young Highborne instead turning and increasing her pace, forcing Kerriel to also speed up to keep up with her friend. They’d known each other practically from the womb, and in all her twenty years Kerriel had never met a friend truer and more honest in all of the Night Elven Empire. Of course, that didn’t mean Malandrae wouldn’t get her into big trouble!

Ahead of her, Malandrae paused, beckoning her friend closer, her voice whispering through coral-painted lips, “It’s here. We made it. See? I told you we could do it!”

Kerriel swallowed hard, inching her way forward through the last of the decorative garden and out onto the grass, taking care that no guards were nearby and watching. She squirmed like a snake on her belly onward until the grass abruptly fell away a few feet down. Down into…

It was like staring into the power of the universe itself. The water before her swirled and glowed with unbelievable, unfathomable magical power. The Well of Eternity was the most glorious sight she’d ever beheld in her young life and ever would behold again in all her centuries to come. The very magic of her people, the magic that fueled everything that was their civilization, shimmered just feet from her. She lay there, numbed to a shocked silence as she stared into it and felt the waves of its power washing past her. It was forbidden for her to be there, to be so close to it, but it had been worth the potential punishment to see it up close. All of her doubts, her fears about Malandrae’s plan melted away in an instant.

A moment later, the water surged upwards as something large plunged down into it. Faster than Kerriel could move, a small splash of the Well flew upwards into her face and crashed against her. It was like being struck by a hammer’s blow, with searing power cascading through her mind and across her skin. She could taste it on her tongue, on her lips, and wanted to scream and cry and laugh joyously all at once. Her senses faded away, and all there was around her was power.

Moments later she blinked her eyes and found herself staring up at the sky. Tall, flowered plants rose over her and a cyan-haired head peered down at her. She’d been dragged into the gardens in her delirium, and a hand was clamped tightly over her mouth.

“Oh my heavens, I’m so sorry,” Malandrae mewled quietly. “I didn’t know the rock would make a splash. Please be okay, please be okay!”

Kerriel still felt the raw power flowing through her. It was burning her from the inside out, more than any magic she’d ever experienced. She knew in that moment that she would not be okay, that her tiny adolescent form could never contain the energies that had been splashed on her by her friend. She held up her hand, palm outwards, clasping Malandrae’s hand to comfort her. She didn’t blame her friend for what had happened, and if she had to die, then at least she’d had one grand adventure before she passed.

Magic arced between their palms and Malandrae’s eyes opened wide. She gasped as some of the excess energy that Kerriel’s body could not contain passed through her. Many minutes passed, the two struggling and twitching as the power was grounded and slowly flowed down to a manageable level before fading from their immediate senses. When it was over, Malandrae collapsed next to her friend, both of them hidden within the garden where Mal had dragged Kerriel after the accident.

They said nothing for a long time, both laying there and staring up at the sky, still holding hands as they came to grips with their near death experience. After a long time, Malandrae spoke softly, her voice filled with remorse, “Please don’t be mad. I totally did not know that would happen! I’m so sorry Kerri. I don’t know what I’d ever do if you’d…if-“

“Hush Mal,” Kerriel said softly, her throat sore from the repressed screams that had ripped through it. “I know you didn’t mean it. It was an accident. And I was the one who went along with this idea anyway. You know I wouldn’t stay mad at you; you’re the best friend I have ever had.”

Malandrae rolled over on her side, staring at her Highborne friend, a hesitant smile on her face. Her eyes widened as she saw the other elf, noting something odd on her chest, “Kerri…look….”

Kerriel lifted her still throbbing head up, her own eyes widening as she beheld what Malandrae was staring at. It was a fleck, a flake of what could have been snow, glowing like a shimmering white ember on her chest. She reached down, picking it up between two fingers, her mind reeling from the spark of magic within it. It was as if a droplet of the water that had struck her had frozen when it had been separated from the Well’s power. She shivered, slipping the sliver into a pocket and shaking her head, “We can’t let anyone know about that. About…what happened. We’d be in so much trouble.”

Malandrae nodded, studying her friend for a minute in silence. The elf’s hair looked odd as well. A sparkle of silver in those purple locks. Maybe it was just her imagination though and she finally responded, “I’ll never tell anyone your secrets. I swear on my life. Friends forever.”

Kerriel smiled, giving Malandrae’s hand a gentle squeeze, “Friends forever, Malandrae. No matter how much time passes.”

It was a promise the two would keep between themselves, just as they would hide their secret adventure from everyone else forevermore. It was a promise that would be tested again and again as the two Highborne grew into their power, grew in prominence within their Houses. It was a promise that would be kept sacred even when Kerriel was banished from Azshara’s courts for her indiscretions with a certain Ketheran Moonwhisper many centuries later…

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Part 1- A Simple Rescue

Ashenvale, several miles from Astranaar. Current Day.

            Malandrae made her way carefully through the forest, her heels not helping her as she walked across the uneven terrain. She’d been traveling for many hours now and was weary and, naturally, hopelessly lost. That didn’t mean she couldn’t get back since she could always use a portal spell, but it did make her wonder just how the sentinels managed to get anything done when the forest was just so heavens-forsaken big!

            No one had wanted her to go into the forest of course. They had politely asked her not to help the minute she’d volunteered. Given that half the town was out searching for the missing Kaldorei children though, it was not really possible to keep an eye on the wayward Highborne and after about fifteen solid minutes of waiting around where she’d been told to wait, Malandrae had slipped out of Astranaar and into the forests of Ashenvale.

            She wanted to do something to help. She’d been in Darnassus for half a year now and no one ever let her help or do anything of use. She had a few friendly neighbors who were kind enough to talk to her on a regular basis, but Malandrae had ample magic to lend and wanted to do more. And so the minute she’d heard about a group of missing children, she’d decided that enough was enough and she was going to help even if everyone else didn’t like it!

            Of course, being alone in the forest for several hours had put it into perspective that maybe she was not capable of finding missing people in a forest without going missing herself, but she shoved that aside and let her optimism win out, as she usually did. She sat down on a rock, crossing her legs and staring into the forest, “If I was a group of lost children in the forest, where would I be? Hmm….”

            After a moment Malandrae came to the realization that they’d probably be sitting on a rock somewhere wondering where town was, much as she was doing. It was circular reasoning that was not going to help in this situation. Shaking her head and setting her pigtails to bouncing, she rose, plunging into the forest once more. Certainly if she kept moving she’d eventually find them or find one of the search parties. Staying in one place would totally not be helpful at all!

            To what would likely be everyone’s surprise later, Malandrae’s impulsive actions paid off a few minutes later when she spied something odd on the forest floor. Stopping to pick it up, she realized she’d discovered a small wooden toy soldier. Certainly this was something one of the children had been playing with! She had found a clue! Gleefully she surveyed the forest, even her extremely poor tracking skills able to see the path of crushed and partially burned foliage that lead away from the object. Resolutely she followed down this trail, something tickling the back of her mind in caution as she proceeded.

            Around her the forest darkened, many of the trees seemingly diseased or in distress. The ground had more charred spots on it, and Malandrae walked more hesitantly the further she went. She clutched the little toy to her chest, her eyes wide and her breath coming faster as fear boiled up inside her.

            “I can do this. I can totally do this…” she murmured to herself, her heels crunching on broken sticks and burned, crinkled leaves. “It’s just a forest…nothing scary here. The children went this way right? I can go somewhere that a child has gone. I can!”

            Up ahead the forest seemed to give way to a small, burned out clearing, and Malandrae found herself hesitating even further. In a rare act of intelligent caution, she shuffled into the bushes and crawled forward, peering between two burned out tree trunks to what lay beyond.

            She’d found the children, but she’d also discovered why they had not returned home. Five little Kaldorei were in a steel cage that was connected to the ground in the burned, cleared out space. In the center stood a stone block, the object carved with eerie glowing green and purple wards that made her dizzy just looking at them. That was not the worst of it though, at least two demonic felguards stood on either side of the clearing, a number of humans and even elves stood around the stone and conversed in low voices, their dark robes and the long sacrificial knives on their belts given Malandrae little question as to who they were or what they intended with the children.

            The sight of the demons nearly was her undoing. She felt pressure in her head, her vision narrowing as her pulse raced. Her heart pounded in the back of her throat, and she felt a warmth trickling across her lips as her nose began to bleed. For many years she’d fought against the mental disorder that had left her crippled when faced with the demonic or even with memories of things that had happened in her past. Often times such attacks brought brief moments of lucidity followed by a blackout or worse.

            Malandrae struggled to remain conscious, her body shuddering from the efforts of painfully ripping the sweet relief of total blackness away. If she didn’t act, the children would die. She was their only hope and she could suffer later. Deep in the back of her mind, something ancient stirred, pieces of her that she’d not remembered for endless centuries. She was a Highborne, one of the daughters of Viala Moonwhisper; not to be taken lightly.

            With a stifled cry of pain, she rose from her hiding spot, the act one of the most difficult things she’d ever done. She stumbled into the clearly, her hands rising up even as dozens of eyes turns towards her in shock. Arcane magics flared around her fingertips, the power of a Highborne fully connected to her magic growing around her and reaching out towards those who would harm innocents. For a brief moment in time, Malandrae Moonwhisper was whole, and her enemies would learn just how she had managed to survive the Sundering all those centuries before.

            The center of the clearing erupted in an explosion of arcane magic, bodies flying away as men and elves were knocked unconscious or even shredded by the blast. Arcane missiles flared out of Malandrae’s hands, stitching across the ground and then up the body of one of the felguards, causing the demonic creature to cry out as it was rocked backwards by the explosions. All the while Malandrae ran forward in a panic, knowing she had precious little time to do what she had to do.

            She skidded to a halt as one of the cultists on the ground yelled out the words to a spell, a tear opening in space to her left and a felhunter emerging from the chaotic rift the cultist had opened. It was a horribly dangerous foe to a spellcaster, but Malandrae knew she had little time left; the second felguard was already bounding across the clearing towards her and would reach her soon after the felhunter did. It was now or never.

            In an absolutely terrifying moment, Malandrae turned away from the oncoming demons, her hand pointing towards the cage the children were in. The little ones were crying in fear and terror, their cries turning to gasps as a portal to Darnassus ripped open in the air beside them. The older ones saw what the Highborne had done and pushed their stunned little brothers and sisters forward, the children tumbling away to safety as the portal closed behind them.

            A second later, the felhunter struck, its tentacled barbs slamming into Malandrae’s back and hurling her to the ground. She could feel the creature feeding on her magic, on her life force, the demon’s entire purpose to kill spellcasters. She cried out as it sucked life and magic from her like a vampire, her energy fading quickly as it gorged itself. Her vision blurry, she saw something glinting on the ground in front of her. In a blind panic she reached forward, her hands grasping one of the cultist’s fallen daggers. She snatched it up and rolled, slamming the mundane weapon into the felhunter’s eye, the creature howling and then falling atop her as it perished from the wound.

            For a moment, she lay there panting, too weak to even move, blood running from the wounds on her back and the weight of the dead felhunter holding her in place. Her mind swirled, broken pieces of consciousness coming together for a moment, giving her access to her full faculties for a time. A shadow fell over her, the felguard having reached her. It gazed down on her, grinning evilly as it brought its weapon up to end her life.

            A pity, to die here, so far from the court. Especially when I can remember it all. There was a time when such a creature could never stop me, stop us. Us…us! I need help! Who…where?!

            Her hands scrambled against each other, one finding a bracelet on her arm. Her thoughts raced as the blade came down towards her neck. The pink elf! The Sin’dorei! I can-

            The last dregs of Malandrae Moonwhisper’s power flared and she hurtled away through time and space towards the origin of the magic contained within the bracelet on her wrist. A bracelet that had been given to her as a favor by a very unusual Magistrix…

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Part 3- Friends Forever

Sunfire Spire, dinnertime!

            Kyliska was about the happiest Sin’dorei that had ever lived. As she sat in her chair at the table, she gleefully looked at the plate that had just been set before her. The steak was unbelievable; the kodo meat had been imported fresh from Thunderbluff by a mage and kept cooled with ice spells before it was carefully seasoned and left to age for forty days. Broiled on a magical grill heated to just the right temperature, it was cooked to a precise medium-rare with the hot juices still warm enough to burn her tongue. Paired with a delicious, ridiculously expensive wine and served with sides of vegetables grown by the best herbalists in Eversong, it was the perfect meal.

            With a sigh of delight, Kyliska picked up her fork and knife, the smile on her face speaking volumes about her satisfaction as she leaned forward to cut the first bite. In that moment, the air in front of her began to sparkle and then explode with arcane power as something tore through the wards of her spire.

            Kyliska yelled, her silverware flying as a hole opened in space before her in the center of her table. A figure stumbled through it, high heels taking three steps across the table before the form of a bloody Night Elf collapsed forward three feet and landed face down in Kyliska’s meal. The arcane forces quickly sputtered out, the hole slipping away to nothingness and leaving silence behind. Wine spattered on the table from her overturned cup and hot vegetables steamed on the marble floor all around the table.

            For a brief moment, Kyliska was in utter shock until she noted the cyan-colored pigtails. Fury rose up in her as she realized the elf had collapsed on her perfect, perfect dinner, “Are you serious? ARE YOU LIGHT-DAMNED SERIOUS RIGHT NOW?! WHAT THE FUCK?!”

            After a moment of ranting Kyliska realized she might be yelling at a corpse given the two large, bleeding holes in the elf’s back. A groan coming from the unconscious figure a moment later at least gave her the satisfaction of knowing that the stupid Highborne had heard her. With a sigh, Kyliska rose, grabbing Malandrae’s shoulders and flipping her over. With a scowl of fury, she picked pieces of perfectly ruined steak off the mage and checked to see if she was still alive.

            A moment later a door burst open, Biara rushing through in a panic, her skirts bunched at her thighs to let her run faster. Braeth’el ran in behind her, out of breath as if he’d been somewhere else within the spire. Kyliska glared at them, pointing down at the unconscious elf, “She did it! She ruined my dinner!”

            Biara hurried over to the table, her eyes wide as she inspected Malandrae’s unconscious form, “She breached the wards. I felt it from my study. What’s…she’s half-dead. What happened? Is she wounded?”

            “There’s two holes in her back, like I give a shit,” Kyliska murmured. “Can we get her off the table please? If she’s going to die, I’d rather not have her do it in here.”

            Biara ignored her sister’s comments for a moment, lifting Malandrae’s torso up more carefully and studying the wounds on her back for a moment. “Felhunter. She’s been drained. She needs a lot of help and fast. I don’t think regular healing will do it either.” She paused for a minute turning to Braeth’el, “Get my apprentices to bring all of the mana crystals they can to my second laboratory and then get everyone out of the spire in between here and there. I’ll transport her there and see if we can help her.”

            “Why bother? She’s a Night elf,” Kyliska muttered, still annoyed over her meal. “She’s not exactly one of our allies or a spy for us or anything…”

            Biara gave her sister a look and shook her head, “She’s…she is someone who has magical knowledge that today’s world knows nothing about. I won’t let that fade away if I can help it. Besides, if she is grateful maybe it will be to our advantage, wouldn’t you say?”

            “Whatever…”

            Biara nodded and chanted the words to a spell, levitating the wounded Highborne off of the table and onto a disc of magic that would be used to transport her. Braeth’el reappeared a moment later, nodding at the two sisters, “I’ve cleared the way. Let’s get her up there before anyone starts to wonder what is going on.”

            Biara nodded and gestured, the unconscious Highborne floating along behind her as she began to hurry through the spire. Braeth’el trailed after her and with a sigh of irritation and one last, longing look at her ruined dinner, Kyliska followed the two out into the corridors beyond.

            It took only minutes to get to the relative privacy of Biara’s secondary laboratory. Quickly the Magistrix set to work, clearing off one of the lab tables and carefully positioning Malandrae atop the table before cancelling out her levitation spell. With a surprising gentleness, Biara rolled Malandrae onto her side, studying the wounds on her back and looking to her sister, “Can you heal these? The rest of it won’t work if she bleeds out from a normal wound.”

            Kyliska nodded, bringing her hands up and applying Light to the wounds. With a sigh of relief coming from Malandrae the bleeding immediately stopped, and although the wounds didn’t close entirely they looked much better. “That’s the best I can do unprepared,” Kyliska said. “We’ll need to get more of my Knights in here if she needs more.”

            “It’ll do I think,” Biara murmured. “Her wounds are inside rather than external. Felhunters steal magic and life-energy to feed. She needs magic badly.”

            On the table before her, Malandrae stirred, moaning in pain. Silver eyes flickered open, taking in the room and the elves standing over her. Kyliska expected her to say something dim-witted or utter some ridiculous explanation of how she had landed in her dinner, but to everyone’s surprise Malandrae’s voice was firm and filled with a something that they had never heard before, “H-house Moonwhisper owes you a great d-deal of gratitude for aiding me. I-I don’t think….even you c-can help though. D-demons…they almost got the children…s-stopped them…” She sighed and her eyes closed.

            Biara blinked in surprise staring down at the normally befuddled elf. She glanced at Kyliska and Braeth’el, both of whom could only offer shrugs. A trickle of blood ran from Malandrae’s nose that was not related to her injuries. Although Biara did not understand everything that was going on in that moment, she knew what needed to be done. Quickly she gathered up several of the mana crystals, setting them in a circle around the wounded Highborne and chanting as she began to channel the raw mana directly into Malandrae’s form.

            For a moment, nothing happened, and then as the crystals began to waver and blue arcane power swirled in the air around her, Malandrae moaned again, her silver eyes flickering open. She stared up at Biara weakly, a smile crossing her face as her glazed eyes took in the chanting form of the Magistrix.

            “Y-you…were always bad…at hiding it…” she murmured to Biara. “I-I could always see through it…I-I think this t-time might be the l-last time….h-heavens it hurts so much…”

            Biara looked at Malandrae in confusion for a moment, shaking her head, “Hush now. You’re wounded and confused, that’s all. I’ve got more than enough magic here to save you.” She began chanting again, more of the crystals dissolving as they flowed into Malandrae’s wounded form.

            “I-it’s like…w-when you….had to leave…” Malandrae murmured again in a weak voice. “I-I held your hand….d-do you remember? S-should have just gone with you. S-sorry that I d-didn’t…was a b-bad friend.”

            “What the fel is she even talking about?” Kyliska said, staring at the babbling Highborne.

            Beside her, Braeth’el shrugged and shook his head, “Sometimes people say things when they are on the cusp of death that they don’t mean or think they are talking to people who aren’t there. Who can say? She really doesn’t look so good, I don’t think she’s going to make it.”

            “She’s going to make it,” Biara snapped at them, looking angry now. “I won’t let her die. And yes, I’m sure she’s just confused. Be still, Highborne. I need to use more magic to restore what was taken from you.”

            “Sheesh, what’s the big deal, Biara?” Kyliska said in annoyance. “Like I said, she’s just a Night Elf. You’ve killed hundreds of them, what does this one matter anyway? She’s stupid as a murloc to boot.”

            Biara turned away, saying nothing and pacing angrily back and forth in front of the wounded elf, her mind frantically trying to find solutions. The magic taken from her was so great that her spirit was fading, and the crystals were not strong enough. She would need a stronger source of magic, but she was running out of time. Her pacing was interrupted when Malandrae began to cough, blood foaming out of her mouth. Biara raced back to her, reaching down to wipe her mouth with her own sleeve.

            Malandrae looked up at her, smiling weakly, “I-it’s okay…we all h-have to go sometime. T-there is not enough h-here to keep me…”

            Biara reacted angrily to this, reaching down and grasping Malandrae’s hand. Her voice was choked with a strange emotion that the others could not identify now, her words coming out in a ragged whisper, “There is one other way…”

            Malandrae shook her head weakly, “H-heavens n-no…y-you can’t. I-it would…ruin…” A coughing fit interrupted her, and the silver in her eyes began to fade as life began to flee her body. “…r-reveal…everything. N-never tell…secrets…”

            Kyliska felt Braeth’el’s arms wrap around her as she stood watching, his closeness putting off the sadness that she refused to admit was welling up inside her. It was hard to watch someone die, even if that person was an annoying idiot who was always hitting on your boyfriend and randomly ruining your dinners or causing explosions on your property. She leaned back against him, ignoring the glitter in the corner of her eye for a moment.

            Biara had tears streaming down her face now, her head bowed as she heard Malandrae’s words. Their hands were clasped, and she held them up. Her eyes opened, staring into Malandrae’s as if she could see her soul there. Her mouth opened, and she whispered words that no one but the dying Highborne would ever understand, “Friends forever…”

            Magic blazed into being between their clasped hands, arcane energies the likes of which had never been unleashed within the laboratory passing between them in an instant. Throughout the entire floor of the spire magical lanterns flickered out of existence as a gaping hole of need poured through the leylines there, sucking up every last scrap of power. Kyliska felt almost nauseous as wicked arcane energy crackled through the air around her sister and through her hand into Malandrae.

            On the table, Malandrae gasped, the life-flood of magic blazing through her like a thousand suns, warming her cold body and renewing the heart of her own magic. She drank of the power, sucking it into herself and replacing the spark of energy that had been stolen from her by the demon. She cried out in joy as she was made whole again, as a most precious gift was given to her.

            Kyliska’s eyes widened in shock as the air around Biara began to shimmer and dance. The Magistrix grit her teeth, desperately clinging to her own spells, her own magics, but in the end she knew it was fruitless if she wanted Malandrae to live. First the wards on her face and body snuffed out of existence, sucked into the raging arcane inferno flaring around her. Then she herself began to shimmer, the energies flowing across her body. Kyliska gasped as Biara’s red hair began to fade, to grow longer, glittering with a silver light so bright it was hard to look at. The outline of her form began to glow, began to bend and break as a spell that had been in place for more than a century was shattered into a million pieces to save the life of a Highborne.

            Before Kyliska’s horrified eyes, Biara disappeared almost entirely, the glowing light outlining the form of a much larger elf who was bent over Malandrae, still clasping her hand tightly. After another minute the arcane energies began to fade, and she felt Braeth’el’s arms holding her in place for a minute as they both stared at the scene before them.

            A beautiful night elf stood over Malandrae, staring down at her with a sad smile on her face and tears in her eyes. Silver hair that ran down to her back glittered with residual magic as the elf’s second hand came up to pat Malandrae’s.

            On the table, Malandrae also had tears in her eyes, her voice choked with emotion, “Kerriel…I knew…I knew it was you. But…you’ve ruined everything.”

            “Hush now, Malandrae,” the elf said in a slightly deeper, more melodic voice. “It wouldn’t have lasted forever anyway. In another hundred years, another two hundred, it would have been over either way. I made a promise to you. I owe you for everything you’ve done for me. This…this is nothing compared to what you’ve done for me.”

            “What did she do to you?!” Kyliska’ voice cried out, breaking the moment between the two elves.

            Two pairs of silver eyes turned, studying Kyliska, after a moment, the newcomer released Malandrae’s hand, gesturing for her to remain there. “Kyliska…”

            Kyliska felt herself back up, felt Braeth’el tensing behind her, “Who are you, and what did you do to Biara?! Return her at once!”

            The elf spread her hands wide, a sad expression on her face, “Kyliska… I am Biara. This is who and what I truly am.”

            Kyliska felt like someone was choking her. She shook her head, her eyes wide and almost like those of a lunatic, “W-what?! What do you…that’s not even possible! You’re lying! You did something to her!”

            “No, Kyliska,” Biara said slowly, her hands still spread wide. “I didn’t do something to ‘her’ I did something to you. I’ve lied to you, misled you, and for that I am deeply regretful. However, that fact does not change the fact that I am Biara. I am your sister.”

            “N-no! My sister is a Sin’dorei! Daughter of Tel’athar and Selun’athiel Dayfire!” Kyliska yelled. “You’re an imposter! A liar! I’ll kill you!” She began to lurch forward, breaking away from Braeth’el’s grip in a frenzy. She took two steps and slammed into a magical barrier between her and the Highborne elf.

            “No, Kyliska, you will not kill me. You will listen,” Biara said, her voice tense. “I was not born of Tel’athar and Selun’athiel’s blood. I put myself in that place, to live here beside you. To watch over you, to live my life with you. I have always been true to you, been by your side through thick and thin. I kept this from you because I knew you would not understand, would not see why it was necessary.”

            For a few moments, Kyliska raged against the barrier before her. She felt Braeth’el stepping beside her, saw his blades in his hand. His voice was steady when he spoke, “How is this possible? How did you maintain such an illusion for so long?”

            Biara smiled at him, a hint of who she’d always been in her voice, “Because magic is everything to me. Because the spellcasters here know nothing of illusion or deception. It is not difficult, when you know the right spells, to take the form of another. I am sure you’ve seen this done a thousand times. It is a trick, nothing more, nothing less. I regret that it was necessary, but Kyliska is important to me, and I wanted to watch over her.”

            “You lying, traitorous little bitch!” Kyliska burst out. “We’ve fought wars together! We’ve told each other all of our secrets! And you never once thought to tell me that you’re…you’re…I don’t even know what the fuck you are! You fucking bitch!”

            “I am a Highborne, Kyliska,” Biara said gently. “Born long before your time. I have my own reasons for keeping it from you, but was it so bad? Did I do so much wrong to you? I’ve been your friend, your confidant, your ally, your sister, for all of these years. You yourself have Kaldorei blood in you. What does this matter, beyond the lie? Why can we not continue on? I can renew the illusion.”

            Kyliska screamed at the top of her lungs, the words and inarticulate cry of rage. She pounded her sword against the barrier before her, arcane flashes flaring to life between them as she raged. “YOU LYING BITCH! YOU KILLED YOUR OWN KIND BESIDE ME! I CAN’T TRUST ANYTHING YOU’VE EVER SAID TO ME!”

            Biara frowned, looking annoyed now, “The Kaldorei are not ‘my kind’ any more than the Sin’dorei are.” She pointed towards the table, “That is my kind. Malandrae is ‘my kind’ and not the savages from the woods. I did what I had to do to remain by your side. I would kill a thousand of them to keep you safe, to see you thrive, but I will not let one of ‘my kind’ die for a silly lie that you would have seen through in your old age anyway.”

            Kyliska stopped raging, her sword clattering to the floor. Silence reigned in the room for an uncomfortable period of time. When she spoke next, her voice was cold and hollow, all emotion drained from her, “I want you to leave. I want you to take your ‘friend’ and leave and never return. I don’t know who or what you are, but you are not my sister. I will not listen to another moment of your lies. I hope somewhere your dead father and mother know that you’ve lied to them, that the daughter they doted over was never theirs and that their spirits haunt you forever you fucking lying bitch.”

            Tears ran down Biara’s face and she bowed her head for a moment, “If that is what you wish Kyli, then I will leave you. I…understand why you are upset. Step aside so I can get my things and-“

            Kyliska tore the bracelet she was wearing off and hurled it at the barricade between them, her voice a ragged scream again, “I said LEAVE NOW! YOU’RE NOT TAKING A FUCKING THING! GET THE FUCK OUT!”

            Biara winced as the bracelet she’d gifted to Kyli slammed into the barricade and then tumbled to the floor. She shook her head, her voice pained, “At least step aside so I can get Astariel. I can’t-“

            “You’re not taking her anywhere,” Kyliska said darkly. “She’s a Sin’dorei child and I’ll not have her abducted by… an evil soulless tart that thinks she can do whatever she wants. You’ll not taint one of our children with your lying filthy magic.”

            Biara glared through the barrier now, her voice hollow, “I’ll not leave my daughter here with you. She is my daughter and will come with me.”

            Kyliska bent down and scooped up her sword, pointing the blade at the barrier, “Biara, so help me if you don’t get out of my spire in the next ten seconds I will call your apprentices in and have them tear this barrier apart and then take your head myself. You will not take the child anywhere. See how you like to have your entire world ripped away from you in a moment you bitch!”

            Magic flared around Biara, her silver hair fluttering in the arcane wind. Her voice was commanding now, enough to echo through the chamber and set Kyliska’s teeth to gritting, “I will leave now and take Malandrae, but know that I will return for my daughter. You will not have her, regardless of your personal importance to me. Be glad that I feel bad for what I’ve done for you, because otherwise you would come to understand the mistake of crossing one of us. I can take everything else from you should I choose to do so.”

            With that she hurled a ball of arcane energy towards them. It slammed through the barricade and exploded at Braeth’el’s feet, shattering the marble tiles and hurling him backwards. Kyliska stumbled sideways, falling to the floor from the impact of the blast. She gazed up through glazed eyes, seeing the image of Biara tenderly scooping Malandrae up from her resting place, the other Highborne clearly alive and in much better shape than she’d been. With one last despairing look at Kyliska, light flared around the two and then they were gone, the room empty as if they’d never been there.

            With her departure Kyliska felt like a hole had been torn from her heart, and she felt her sword tumble from her hands numbly. As she began to cry, she could feel Braeth’el stirring beside her, his form rising up in a daze and coming over to her. She pressed herself against him, weeping bitterly, the enormity of what had just transpired overwhelming her at last.

            In the blackest of her despair, Kyliska knew from that moment on, nothing would be the same again. She’d been manipulated, they’d all been manipulated, for over a century by lies and tangled untruths that maybe they would never sort through. It was the end of everything, and the beginning of a darkness that would eclipse her life forever more.