Parley

                Hot steam rose from the bath, creating a fine mist in the room that was soothing to any skin exposed to the air. The water was just cool enough to avoid scalding the skin, and more than hot enough to ease any deep aches one might have in their muscles. The blonde-haired Sin’dorei sitting in the bath was enjoying just such an experience, his muscular form aching from two days of hard trekking through hostile territory to scout for House Sunfire’s troops that had been contributed to the war against the Legion.

                Braeth’el sighed in contentment, easing himself further into the bath, his arms resting on the sides of the inset marble bathing pool. Magical jets in the water stirred and reheated the liquid, sending waves of massaging warmth against him and making him forget about his cramped and aching legs. Beside the pool rested an unopened bottle of fine wine and a crystal goblet, compliments of the inn in Dalaran where Braeth’el was staying. Kyliska had not wanted him to go on this trip, but she’d given him a generous budget when she finally relented. They both knew that House Sunfire’s contribution to the war was small thanks in no small part to the drama they’d been dealing with, but Kyli would be damned if that contribution was wasted or if yet more shame was brought to her House, so she’d reluctantly said goodbye for a week while Braeth’el attended to these duties.

                All had gone well, and by tomorrow he’d be taking a portal back to Silvermoon to report to Kyliska directly. In the meanwhile, though, there was the nice hot, relaxing bath and a few moments of quiet to rest and recuperate. He slid further into the water until the heat was radiating into his rock-hard chest, his head leaning back against the wall of the bathing pool. He closed his eyes, breathing in deep and just enjoying the moment.

                His moment of rest was interrupted by the slightest of sounds. It was a mere nothing, a hint of something scuffing against the floor, but it sent his senses racing. He continued to stay still, his eyes closed as his ears strained to hear the sounds. They were close to him, but obviously masked by magic. Whatever was making them was not in a rush, clearly thinking he had not detected whatever it was. He smirked internally, mentally preparing and counting down; they would soon see who was the better assassin.

                When his countdown drew to zero, he suddenly lashed out, his right hand low enough to grab the foot or claw of whatever was slinking along the edge of the bath. As he expected, his hand grabbed a solid object and he yanked as hard as he could, partially rising from the bath from the effort and water running down his form and splashing the marble tiles that made up the floor.

                Braeth’el was expecting an assassin, or perhaps some magical monster roaming undetected in Dalaran. Perhaps a demon, or some other sinister thing that had come in with the troops. What he was not expecting was the thin air beside him to flicker and for a fully grown Draenei woman to appear, her arms windmilling frantically as his grip on her hoof held firm as steel. She held her balance for a second or two before she tumbled forward, tripped by his unexpected attack. She plunged face-first into the bath, a wave of water washing over him from the impact.

                Braeth’el sighed, eyeing the pleasantly curved rear of the Draenei as she struggled to right herself in the water. A pale grey tail waggled in his face, and he absently noted that the woman had been wearing a set of matching, deep-blue underwear. It was obvious that she had intended to sneak into his bath unnoticed before revealing herself, and given that objective, it was even more obvious who the Draenei was.

                For a moment, Braeth’el merely watched the struggling creature, his mind running from watching her rump shake in his face to contemplating holding her head under water and drowning her. Given the hardened hooves that were resting in his lap, he decided to forego murder for the moment, simply sitting back down and waiting patiently for Biara to drag herself out of the water.

                He was rewarded by the amusing sight of her rising from the water, her dark red hair wet and ragged around her face, water spewing from her mouth as she coughed. He smirked at her as she managed to flip over finally and settle herself on the other side of the bath, still coughing and spitting water.

                “You’re the absolute worst spy I’ve ever seen,” Braeth’el quipped at the panting Draenei.

                “Shut up, I’m not as accustomed to slipping into people’s baths as you are, Braeth’el,” Biara returned, her eyes glaring daggers at him.

                Braeth’el laughed, recalling the time he had done this to her. The situation had been reversed, and he had been the hunted one. The memory was clear as day, as was the reason why he’d done it; a reason that likely matched Biara’s reasoning now. He studied her for a moment, noting the scar below her right eye and others, barely visible beneath the surface of the water. One rose between her large, Draenei bosom, exactly where he would have expected it to be. She could not hide her scars, regardless of the form she took, and it was something he would note in the back of his mind. He brought his eyes up to hers, his voice still amused, “Parley?”

                She sighed and rolled her eyes, “Parley, yes.”

                Braeth’el nodded, leaning back against the edge of the pool; he wasn’t going to let her ruin his relaxation. He gestured with one hand at her, “Go right ahead. I’m curious as to what you think you will say that will explain or excuse any of this.”

                “Listen, let’s cut to the core of the issue,” Biara replied in a waspish tone. “You entered my home and destroyed much of my property, murdering some of my people. I have done the same to you. At the moment, the scores between us are even, and this need go no further if you’d like it to end.”

                Braeth’el frowned, giving her a hard stare, “That is hardly all you have done to us, to Kyliska. Do you think being ‘even’ in terms of damage and death is going to make her want to forgive you? Do you think anyone can ever take you back? You lied to all of us. You’re an enemy of our people and have been all this time. How can I even trust a word you say?”

                Biara’s next words rocked Braeth’el to his core, so unexpected was the response, “Kyliska is my blood descendant.”

                “What?! What do you mean, blood descendant? You’d better provide a hell of a lot more detail than that, Biara,” Braeth’el said in shock.

                The ‘draenei’ sitting across from him sighed, her voice filled with some emotion he could not place, “Long ago, I was born Kerriel Spellfury, of House Spellfury...in Zin-Azshari. I made several mistakes in Azshara’s court. Mistakes that were unforgivable at the time. I became pregnant while unmarried and unpromised, bringing shame on my family. I was banished from that place as soon as my child was born, taking her and fleeing into the wilderness far from the heart of our empire. That child, my dear, sweet Eli, had children of her own. They survived the Sundering and prospered, their blood passed down generation after generation. Some went with the exiled Highborne, some remained behind, but I kept track of each of them, through all the long years.”

                Braeth’el felt his heart pounding his chest. The news, if true, was unbelievable. Kyli’s family were blood heirs to this…creature sitting across from him? His voice took on an angry tone as he replied, “What gives you the right to hide amongst us, to pretend to be Kyli’s friend all these years? You betrayed her as good as any enemy, whether you are her blood kin or not.”

                “Don’t you think I know that?” Biara snapped back. “This is not the first time I have intervened with one of my descendants. I am older than you can imagine. I have survived for more than ten thousand years. Don’t lecture me on what is right or wrong! I’ve done what I’ve had to do to ensure that my blood carries on. That Eli’s children…that they carry on. That what she died for is not lost.”

                Braeth’el fell silent for a moment, considering the words carefully. The impact of what she’d said struck him as he contemplated it. The thing sitting in his bath was more than ten thousand years old. Had manipulated, cheated, lied, and survived for all that time. She’d been there all along, watching her blood. Likely she had watched Sassariel, watched as she… “You knew, didn’t you? You knew what Sassariel had done. That’s why you chose to watch over Kyli. You knew there would eventually be consequences.”

                Biara gave him a level look, her eyes conveying all he needed to know about her dedication to this cause, and the depths that she would go to pursue it, “I knew. I was watching her, as I’ve watched them all. Kyliska would have eventually been found out, and would have had nowhere to turn, no ally to aid her. Now though, she is safe, she controls land, property and men. They will stay loyal to her after all these years and fight for her. I did what I had to do to ensure that.”
                “You killed your own kind. You killed Kaldorei…”

                “Kaldorei are not ‘my kind’. There are none left like me now. I was exiled from amongst the Highborne, and unwanted amongst those who did not practice the deeper magics. I was outcast before our empire fell. I scraped and clawed my way through life in the forests with a newborn babe at my breast. If not for an old witch who lived in what you call Feralas now, we would not be having this conversation. You have no idea who you are dealing with, so I would suggest you stop making assumptions,” Biara ranted.

                “An old witch?” Braeth’el asked, attempting to calm her down. Although she was obviously unarmed, being almost nude, mages tended to never really be ‘unarmed’ and he didn’t want to deal with her getting any angrier.

                His tactic worked, and her eyes looked away into the distance for a moment, “Yes. She helped me when I was most in need. Taught me to survive, to be strong. It was she who first taught me the spell I’ve used to hide myself. A spell she tortured from a dragon. I took her name to honor her, to thank her for the life she gave me and my precious child.”

                “Her name…Biara?” Braeth’el said with wide eyes. He was getting more information than he’d expected.

                Biara nodded, her eyes boring into his now, “So now you know and understand. Kyliska is my blood heir, or one of them anyway. Everything I have done, has been to see her succeed. I am not out to trick or kill her, only to keep her safe. If she remains calm, remains peacefully tucked away, you will never see me again. You have no need to hunt me, or attempt to root out my spells. I am not actively trying to harm you or yours.”

                “You realize it will be difficult to get Kyli to listen to this, or to listen to reason regarding you, right?” Braeth’el said. “You know her. She is not going to just let this go. I don’t like you. I don’t trust you, but I also don’t want to be perpetually looking over my shoulder for your next attack. If you are willing to end this...I will see what I can do. I can’t promise that she will end her war against you though.”

                Biara sighed, nodding at him, “That is the most I could ask for I suppose. And I promise you that I will leave your House alone. I will break that vow if you harm any of my descendants however. Kyliska is not the only one, and I will not tolerate you interfering with the others.”

                “The others… Saveenah!” Braeth’el said, his eyes wide as understanding dawned on him.

                “Yes, Saveenah,” Biara replied. “If you touch even a hair on her head, you will be buried so deep that you will be erased from history itself. And you will not be the first to suffer such a fate. Do I make myself clear?”

                Braeth’el rolled his eyes, “Enough with the dramatics. Saveenah is not our enemy. She’s just a kid living in the forest. I somehow doubt she’s going to rise to threaten all Silvermoon. On top of that, Kyliska actually likes her, so I’m pretty sure we can assure you that we won’t touch her.”

                Biara considered this for a moment and then nodded, “Good, we are in agreement then. I have something for you. A token of my goodwill.”

                Braeth’el watched warily as Biara brought one of her Draenei hands up and began chanting. He marveled at how well her spell had changed her. For all intents and purposes, she was as Draenei. He suspected that if he stabbed her, blue blood would flow from her veins. Her hands moved in complex patterns until a tiny portal opened beside her. It was a spell he had seen often when she wanted to retrieve an item she’d stored away magically. She reached into the portal, and pulled out a small box, placing it on the edge of the pool. Her spell faded as she opened the box, revealing a small golden ring with a glittering, magical diamond set on top.

                “This was a promise ring, given to me long ago by Malandrae’s brother. It was meant to symbolize our love and bond, but he betrayed that and abandoned me in my time of need. I’ve kept it all this time, as a reminder of that betrayal. It is priceless now, for none alive can replicate the making of the diamond or the infusion of the mana into the precious stone. It is an heirloom of a different time, a different land where those of Kyliska’s blood ruled proudly and wisely for a time. I want you to take it, to give it to her when the time is right for you and her to finally be wed. Perhaps this gift will soothe the betrayal that she felt from what I did, perhaps two betrayals will make things right again. Regardless, I want you to take it with my blessing. Let it be the end of our feud.”

                Braeth’el nodded, looking at the glittering ring for a moment before turning to look back at Biara, “Very well. I will take your peace offering, and take your words to her. Perhaps she will be willing to let this die, or at least I can calm her ambitions somewhat. I hope that we never see each other again though, Biara. You were never safe or stable to be around. You always wrought destruction, regardless of what you thought you were trying to do. Being gone from our lives will be a blessing in and of itself. So get lost, and don’t try to sneak into my bath again either. Next time I will not be so forgiving.”

                Biara looked stung by the words for a moment, her face falling for a moment before it was concealed beneath a frigid mask. She rose, water running down her smooth Draenei form, towering over him for a moment, “Very well, Braeth’el. Let us hope this is our last meeting. Farewell.”

                He knew she was trying to impress him with her new form, trying to intimidate him with her size, but he was having none of it. He absently waved her away, reaching for his bottle of wine, his tone dismissive, “Bye.”

                He watched from the corner of his eye as she stepped from the bath and walked away on those hooves, the sound of them fading into the distance, each step allowing him to relax more as the tension from being near such a dangerous creature faded. He eased himself back into the bath, sighing and then taking a sip of wine. He raised his glass to the sparkling ring sitting beside the tub, an amused smirk across his face, “At least you saved me the coin of buying a ring for her, you heartless bitch. Good riddance!”

                He sighed again, setting down his glass and letting his eyes drift closed, enjoying the heat of the water once more.