Another Family Secret

 

                Feh’menthar sighed as he approached his home, his face folding into a scowl as he noted the door was ajar. His sigh and scowl quickly turned into alarm as he drew nearer though and discovered that the wards which normally guarded the door had been disturbed, no thrown, several yards from the opening. A heavy stillness lay across the land that made a chill crawl up his spine. With great wariness he walked through is front door, his every muscle tensed for battle. As soon as he entered though his concern again morphed, this time into extreme irritation.

                “I told you never to come here,” Feh’menthar said, his voice tinged with anger and directed at a figure sitting at his kitchen table.

                The newcomer stirred, leaning forward, his familiar features catching in the light coming in through the window. Younger looking than Feh’menthar and with roguishly kept black hair and a trimmed black beard, he would have resembled a typical Kaldorei if not for the ever-burning pits of fel-fire glowing in his eye sockets. They seemed to focus on Feh’menthar as a deep, gravely voice grated, “What a pleasant way to greet your brother, Feh’menthar. We should have family reunions more often with such love passed between us.”

                Feh’menthar set the pack he’d been carrying down and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. His tone was guarded as he replied, “I told you Cerendor, I don’t want you coming here. I don’t want you near Saveenah.”

                Cerendor nodded, leaning back in his chair and, to Feh’menthar’s instant annoyance, putting his muddy travel boots up on the table. “Relax Fehmen, my niece is miles out in the southern jungles picking herbs and won’t be back for hours. I checked before I came.”

                Feh’menthar’s irritation only increased at the use of his childhood nickname, but he was relieved to know that Saveenah was far out in the jungles of Feralas and would not be exposed to…this. Cerendor had long ago stopped walking the paths that Kaldorei took, instead taking up the blades of an Illidari and committing unspeakable acts. Feh’menthar eyed his brother’s worn armor and travel kit, noting the deep gashes here or there on the hardened leather. “I see you are still busy with your work, Cer. I wouldn’t think you’d bother to visit for personal reasons, so what do you want?”

                Cerendor frowned, leaning forward and pressing his battle-scarred hands on the table. The demonic claw marks across his face gave him an angry looking expression as he rasped back, “That bitch is on the loose again. I checked her sanctuary and it’s been cold for more than a year.”

                Feh’menthar sighed and nodded; he should have expected this visit now that he thought of it. The two had long been keeping track of a certain Highborne from the ancient past that was wont to torment the family. “I know. She already made a move on Kyli. I was going to tell you, but you’ve been hard to find lately.”

                Cerendor smiled and rose, nodding at his brother, “A move hmm? I’ll go and find out more. And yeah, it was hard to keep in touch being imprisoned and all that. Not to worry though, we’ll have many more happy reunions like this going forward. See you around, Fehmen.”

                With that the illidari stalked past his brother and out into the jungles, leaving Feh’menthar the task of rebuilding the wards meant to keep demons and other unpleasant entities from the premises. Feh’menthar would have thought ‘good riddance’, but he knew his brother would be back in time. Nothing got in his way when he had an objective in mind, sometimes to the horror and regret of everyone around him.

 

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                Kyliska sighed in contentment, feeling the sun beating down on her body and warming her. The sand beneath her was soft and equally warm, leaving her in a feeling of bliss. She opened one eye, turning her head to admire the sight beside her.

                Braeth’el was, like her, in his swimsuit, basking in the golden sunlight that streamed down onto the hot springs resort in Feralas. His skin was bronzed from being outdoors, the sunlight emphasizing each subtle curve of his muscular form. His breath came slowly as he slept in the warm beach sun, the rise and fall of his chest almost mesmerizing. Kyliska found herself licking her lips for a moment and grinned an evil grin; their vacation would become even more fun later that evening.

                She realized she was thirsty and lifted her cup, only to have her perfect moment shattered by the realization that she was out of beer. She sat up, managing to choke down a chuckle as Braeth’el began to snore lightly in his sleep next to her. She looked around and frowned; there was a huge line at the beach bar that she’d have to wait in to get more beer. She shrugged and quietly got up, heading towards the resort’s main bar, her bare feet digging into the hot sand as she walked.

                The two had decided a vacation was in order after everything they had been through and it was just what they’d both needed. Rest, relaxation, sun, swimming and tanning. Good food and better drink. This was the perfect week as far as Kyliska was concerned and she would have to remember to thank Biara for suggesting the place once they got back.

                As she entered the resort’s bar, her eyes had to adjust to the dim interior after being out in the bright sun for so long. She made her way, half blind, through the maze of tables, her trip halted in an instant when someone spoke her name.

                “Kyliska Sunfire, I take it?” a deep voice grated. “Got a moment?”

                Kyliska looked around the half-empty bar, trying to find where the sound had come from. None of the patrons near her were looking up and most were engaged in quiet, private conversations. Her gaze traveled farther, into the darker corners of the bar and her back stiffened as she saw two orbs of glowing felfire pointed at her. Hesitantly she made her way in that direction, her sun-blinded eyes adjusting to the darkness finally as she made out the form of a Kaldorei sitting at a table in the furthest corner.

                He was rugged looking, his lean but toned frame covered in battle-worn leather armor. His feet were up on the table, his dirty boots obviously having seen much travel. Against the wall behind him lay two crossed warglaives. He had a half-finished beer in his hand and a full ashtray on the table beside him. The glow of his eyes combined with the glaives let Kyliska instantly know she was dealing with a demon hunter, possibly an Illidari.

                “Can I help you? How do you know my name?” she stated flatly. If the demon hunter meant to fight she was game, but he seemed too relaxed for that.

                He ran his hair through his jet black hair, letting the shoulder length strands fall away from his claw-scarred face as he looked her over. Kyliska got the distinct sense he was not ‘checking her out’ but instead assessing her combat capabilities. When he responded, his mouth folded into a half-smile, “Well, I know you because I’m your uncle.” He smirked after the reply, having a feeling how she would respond.

                “W-what? Uncle? What are you talking about? Feh’menthar never said-“ Kyliska stopped herself mid-sentence, knowing full well that her ‘father’ would likely keep many things from her.

                “He doesn’t like to talk about the…problems in the family tree,” the demon hunter said, grinning as he saw the look on her face. “The name’s Cerendor, and I am indeed your uncle. Your sister doesn’t know about me either honestly; old Fehmen is not happy when I’m around and doesn’t want me corrupting her or some bullshit like that. I figured it would be fine to approach you though because you and he don’t see eye to eye.”

                Kyliska grinned at this, finding herself already liking this ‘uncle’. She moved closer, grabbing a chair and sitting down near the elf, “So why is this the first time I’m seeing you, ‘uncle’ Cerendor?”

                The demon hunter shrugged, “I’ve been away. Locked away if you know what I mean. But I’m free now and a free agent to boot. We kind of did our job with the Legion as I’m sure you know. I have other tasks though, one of them being to keep track of a certain highborne bitch that likes to cause trouble.”

                Kyliska’s eyes widened and she felt her back stiffen in alarm, “You mean Kerriel?”

                “I mean her, yes,” Cerendor replied, sounding annoyed. “That bitch doesn’t know how to mind her own business and ends up hurting people because of it. I take some pride in being a thorn in her side. Been haunting her for centuries after she tried to stop me from walking my path. We all get to do what we want to do with our lives. She doesn’t get to tell us who we are.”

                Kyliska nodded, smiling, she was definitely starting to like this newfound uncle, “I couldn’t agree more, but what do you need with me?”

                Cerendor smiled, and this time it was bone-chilling. It was the look of a man who had spent untold centuries hunting and fighting the most vile creatures ever to exist, “It’s real simple, my dear niece; she’s not done with you yet and she’s going to come back, but what she doesn’t know is that I’m around now. I can see right through her bullshit.” He tapped his temples emphasizing his flickering flame-eyes.

                Kyliska’s eyes widened as it dawned on her what he meant, “You can see through her illusions!”

                “I damn well can, and more besides. You seem pretty sharp. I like that in family. You and I are going to get along just fine,” Cerendor replied. “I need to do some spying first, but I want to give you a way to contact me. If you think she’s out there, call me. I’ll come take a look and put a blade in her if need be.”

                He leaned forward, pushing a fel-scarred stone towards her. It glimmered with demonic magic. She took it hesitantly, looking at her uncle questioningly, “Is this safe?”

                He laughed, taking his feet off the table and rising. He grabbed his warglaives and slung them on his back, tossing some coin down to pay for the beer he’d been drinking, “No, it’s not safe. But then, neither is your situation. Call me if you need me.”

                With that he walked out of the bar, leaving Kyliska holding the fel-tainted runestone, her head filled with more questions than answers. She was sure her sister could give her more advice on this, but it would wait. Nothing was going to ruin her vacation.

                A pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her and Braeth’el’s voice whispered in her ear as he came up behind her, “Everything okay?”

                “Yeah…I’ll tell you about it later. Gotta think about it for a bit,” Kyliska replied.

                “If it’s something stressful on our vacation you know the rules; that’s not allowed,” Braeth’el said, still holding her. “Fortunately for you I know a few ways to get your mind off it.”

                “Do you now?” Kyliska purred, her desire for a beer suddenly gone.

                “I do indeed,” Braeth’el grinned, gently nipping the back of her neck. “Let’s go see what kind of room the goblins here put together for us.”

                With that the two rose and headed towards their accommodations, Kyliska’s encounter forgotten for the moment. In her bag the runestone glowed dully, fel sigils crawling across it, assistance of the worst kind just a simple call away.