Life Anew

The room was dim, the small windows providing only a little illumination even in the middle of the day. To Faleseth, this was a boon rather than a disadvantage. The dim light didn't bother her eyes, and if she was going to be forced to deal with people during the day she would prefer not to do it through blurry tears as she tried to force herself to see.

The Highborne sighed, walking across the wooden floor and placing delicate fingers on the counter that occupied a portion of the space. Around her there were empty shelves lining every wall, with a door behind the counter leading to a small two room apartment behind the shop-front. It wasn't much, but it was a place where she could at least start over and try to learn more about the time and people with which she was now surrounded.

A scuffling noise interrupted her thoughts and made her turn. Behind her two humans pushed the door open, a small bell on the door jingling as they struggled to bring a heavy crate into the room. Faleseth watched them as they worked, still bemused by the thought of there being races she had never heard of before. Then again, when one was magically imprisoned for eons such things likely tended to happen.

The two men placed the crate down, one of them propping the door open with a wedge so as to allow them to bring more items in. Beyond the open door Faleseth had a view of Stormwind's Mage District near the Slaughtered Lamb Tavern. Although she would have preferred to live in total isolation, the humans had some talents in practicing the arcane and would make for the best customers. They also wouldn't ask too many questions, and would generally leave her to her solitude; something that could not be said of the other Kaldorei. She'd needed to spend only a few days in the elven city to come to understand that her kind was shunned and that even the other Highborne were not like her.

She sighed, watching the humans struggle to unload another crate from a cart parked outside. No, this was for the best. She would sell some magical trinkets, charms, and cures for a bit of coin, giving the appearance of normality to those who wandered into her little shop. Behind it all, she would continue to pilfer Highborne caches where she could find them, profiting from selling the artifacts as she had already done and making more than the coin she'd spent to purchase the small shop and home where she now stood.

It wasn't comparable to the plush life she'd had in Zin-azshari, but then again there was something to be said for not having to watch one's back all the time, and for being truly alone without servants constantly pestering or eavesdropping. Faleseth just hoped that this new start would not result in a deepening depression as she continued to come to grips with the fact that she had no one and nothing familiar around her.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the humans deposited the second crate next to the first. Dust arose from around them as they let it thump on the floor. Faleseth's eyebrow shot up in annoyance as she calculated how many fragile things within the crate they likely had just destroyed. As she performed a mental tally, one of the humans walked up to her, papers in hand.

"You'll need to sign for this lady," he said gruffly. "Can't drop it off without a valid signature and company name. The magi'll have our heads if we deliver arcane items without it."

Faleseth nodded, studying the papers the man had thrust at her. She took them in hand, laying them out on the counter, "I am not part of a company though... is that going to be a problem?"

"Look lady, I don't care honestly. I just need a signature and some sort of stamp on this, you get it?" the man said in irritation. He was clearly in a rush and his partner had in fact already passed out the front door and was boarding the now empty cart.

Faleseth pursed her lips and nodded, bringing a hand up over the papers. On one of the nearby shelves a raven cawed, and the man looked up to see the ominous black bird staring at him, his attention distracted. Meanwhile, Faleseth murmured the words to a spell, the palm of her hand heating up and burning a stamp into the paper. It was in the shape of a leaf, the black emblem smoking slightly before she extinguished the magic. She gathered the papers up, handing them back to the human.

"The Blackleaf Trading Company has signed for your documents," she said with a smirk. Although she had just made it up on the spot, the idea had already spawned a multitude of potential advantages in her mind and the newly invented 'company' was something she would need to expand upon. For now it was enough for the worker, who took the papers and headed out the front door, closing it behind him and setting the bell to jingling again.

Faleseth smiled, walking over to the first of the crates as the raven launched itself from the shelf and came to rest on her shoulder. Underneath the crate's top were a large variety of neatly packed items, including spell components, herbs, special wood for wand-crafting, potions, and anything else an aspiring magi or spellcaster might want. They would make up the wares for her small shop, and also be useful in her own work.

Nodding to herself in satisfaction, Faleseth turned and headed through the doorway behind the counter, the raven riding on her shoulder like a pet. She paid it little heed, knowing that it wasn't a real bird but simply a manifestation of her magic. She paused in the adjoining room, seeing the small kitchen and living room space with the door to her bedroom beyond. This would be where she would practice her craft, worshiping Elune but also making use of her arcane magic as any true Highborne might. Long ago the other Highborne frowned upon her magical research, considering it witchcraft and inappropriate for one who followed the Moon Goddess. Faleseth knew better though; divine magic and arcane magic combined were the most formidable force possible, and she now had a new opportunity to tap into such magic sources without the oversight of her peers who were long gone and dust on the wind.

Faleseth smiled to herself, satisfied with the interior of the house she'd purchased. It was time to make it a suitable living space! She turned, the raven hopping off her shoulder and alighting on a nearby kitchen counter as the Highborne began to sing to herself, beginning to unpack her wares.

The ancient song, sung in a dialect of Darnassian that had not been spoken for tens of thousands of years, drifted out into the Mage District. The beautiful song was haunting, and would have disturbed many listeners except for the fact that the neighboring denizens of the Slaughtered Lamb had seen and heard other, far more disturbing things in their time.

Where one life ended, another life began anew. Time would tell what would become of the Moon Witch of Stormwind. 

Rifts and Healing

Faleseth sighed, stretching her back and bringing her arms up over her head to get some of the aches out of her shoulders. She had slept fitfully that day, both from the events of the previous day and the pondering that came with them as well as from the fact that she had been sleeping on a park bench on the outskirts of Darnassus. She had no home, no coin, and none of the comforts that she was accustomed to. Going from the plush life of a Highborne to the part of a forgotten relic of the past was difficult at best to adjust to.

She began to walk as the sun crept towards dusk, having slept most of the day away. Unlike 'modern' Kaldorei, she would likely never be comfortable with being awake in the daylight hours, and it was difficult for her to even begin to take in all of the ways the Night Elves had changed while she was imprisoned. She resolved to begin anew, to find a way to re-establish the lifestyle that she was comfortable with or to at least obtain an acceptable living space.

To do this, she knew she'd need resources or something of value. She had only her Faith and knowledge that was centuries out of date. It seemed a hopeless task until she realized that her knowledge would be the key to realizing this goal. She knew first hand where a cache of magical Highborne artifacts were kept as her personal items and those of the other prisoners and criminals the Highborne had either sealed away or executed likely still existed near where she had been imprisoned. It would be a trek but she could revisit the location and liberate some of these items, selling what would likely now be rare collectibles in exchange for coin.

The other Highborne would hate it of course. Faleseth had seen them, walking through Darnassus in little groups, keeping themselves distant from the other Kaldorei and having a general air of superiority about them. Their opinion meant nothing to her, for in her eyes they were the dregs of society as much as the druids that now apparently ruled. They had either betrayed or failed their Queen, and their loyalty and courage was questionable. The fact that there was no Queen now had little impact on Faleseth's first impressions and she had already decided to plot her own course.

Before she could do any of this however, Faleseth needed to reconnect with Elune. The events of the previous day had shown her that the Goddess had not forgotten her lost daughter, and her divine magic was slowly trickling back to her. It was a positive sign, and possibly the only positive thing she had to cling to in her gloomy thoughts. With this in mind, she steered her course away from Darnassus, walking into the forests of Teldrassil with a singular goal in mind.

It didn't take her long to find one of the moonwells. They were fonts of magic, their waters connected to the most ancient of magics that Faleseth's own people had once used. That they were now sources of druidic power and places of peaceful meditation were curious facts that the priestess noted only distantly as she approached the glowing waters. She had her own purpose, her own need to make use of the sacred place. She looked around, ensuring that the forest was quiet and waiting as the darkness of night fell before proceeding.

The first thing she did was remove her clothing. She took everything off, from her designer boots to her golden jewelry to the expensive dress and undergarments she wore, laying them in a neat pile on the stones beside the moonwell. Fully divested of her clothing, she dipped her toes into the glowing water, testing the warmth of the liquid and finding it to be cool and refreshing in the summer's heat. With a nod to herself, she stepped into the well, walking carefully so as not to splash the water from the sacred space and standing in the knee-high water in the center of the pool.

Faleseth sank to her knees once she was in the precise center of the water, letting the liquid surround her as she closed her eyes and began to sing. Her voice flowed out into the forest, the words not music but an ancient prayer to her Goddess and one she had not been able to voice for centuries while trapped in her prison. Immediately moonlight began to shine down on the pool, the glowing water around her sparkling as if the well itself were the source of the light. Drops of moisture on Faleseth's skin reflected the light away, leaving glittering reflections in the forest around her.

As Faleseth sang, she changed the tone and pitch of her song, the prayer becoming one that she had practiced for over a thousand years. It was not one she had learned in the temple though, but rather her own private communion with the Goddess. Long ago when the Highborne ruled, many had not understood Faleseth's special connection with her Faith and she had been something of an outcast and fringe witch amongst Elune's priestesses. That fact became obvious as the light in the pool began to darken, swirls of shadowy purple energy flowing from the Kaldorei and slowly covering the surface of the water. To someone observing, the moonwell began to resemble a moon that was being eclipsed, the dark eclipsed moon all around the praying elf.

Faleseth revered the New Moon, the Eclipsed Moon. Elune had many facets, and just as the moon brought light to the night, the New Moon still watched over the land even in darkness. And so Faleseth's faith was in that darkness, and many who revered the light that Elune brought failed to understand how important the cycles of the moon were and believed she dabbled in evil magic. In her own time she had often worshiped alone as she did now, deep in the forest in the night where others would not interrupt her vigil. She would commune with her Goddess in the way that she felt most proper, and if others called her a witch and shunned her gifts, then so be it.

Power ran through her body, and Faleseth felt a moment of peace as she connected deeply with her Faith. The worship of Elune brought serenity, and it was that sanctuary that she most needed in this hour of desperate need. She sighed, her prayer and song trailing off as a feeling of contentment settled into her, finally putting her fear, sorrow and anxiety to rest if only for a moment.

Sadly, that moment was to be very brief indeed as two hands clamped onto her shoulders and she was violently yanked backwards. Her silver eyes popped open wide in shock as she was lifted from the waters of the well, her bare feet kicking at thin air. She felt herself being whirled around and was set roughly on the ground, two druids standing there glaring at her and a third keeping her arms tightly clamped against her body.

The fact that she was naked didn't bother her a bit as she met the gaze of what must have been the group's leader. No armor, no weapon, and no spell was more powerful than her Faith. As long as it was within her she was clothed, her body protected better than plate and her weapons stronger than the sharpest blade. She said nothing as the other druid continued to stare at her in anger.

"You. You dare to enter our forests and defile our well?" he said, his voice menacing.

The druid standing next to him moved, and Faleseth watched silently from the corner of her eye as he rummaged through her clothing left next to the well. After a moment he stiffened, backing away from the garments and turning with a sneer on his face, "She's a Highborne. She has arcane items amongst her things."

The leader of the druids took a step closer, his face inches from Faleseth's, "You will explain what vile taint you were casting over our well Highborne. Explain to me why you should not be executed for the crime of using magic in our domain."

Behind the group the waters of the well had begun to clear, the darkness of Faleseth's worship fading into the moonlight once more. Faleseth merely stared at the druid, saying nothing, her face impassive as the hands holding her in place clamped down painfully on her arms, as if they were trying to force her to speak.

"You believe we are jesting perhaps? You and the other Highborne are not to use magic in our sacred places. The punishment is severe indeed," the druid said, circling her. To his credit he didn't once glance down at her nakedness, despite the fact that she appeared to be in the prime of her life. His voice carried over her shoulder as he studied her things laying beside the well, "You WILL answer to me, or the punishment shall be carried out immediately."

He returned to his original position, standing in front of her and glaring. Nature magic began to build around him, as if to emphasize the threat. Faleseth merely continued to stare. Nothing she said would explain it to his satisfaction, and she was too tired and too distraught to defend herself verbally. She also knew that Elune would not grant her the magic to strike down other Kaldorei, not near a sacred font, and not after she had just finished praying. There were certain lines that even the darkness of her powers could not cross.

He stepped closer, looking almost pleased by her lack of answer, "So be it. If you will not answer, then you will face the consequences of your actions. I sentence you for the cri-"

He was cut off by the cawing of a raven. The sound burst from the nearby forest, unnaturally loud and unexpected in the night. The druid paused, tilting his head to the side and making eye contact with one of the others, who nodded. The sound came again, closer this time, followed by the cawing of another raven.

The group turned, and although Faleseth remained still she could see one of the birds in the trees around them. It was unnatural, made of shadow and night, sitting on a branch and watching her and only her. Her gaze roamed over the tree, seeing a second of the birds, and then a third.

The druids saw them too, and murmured amongst themselves. The leader of the group turned, studying her as if in a new light. "Such creatures do not gather in this place and are an ill omen. And yet....those who use the arcane do not call animals by their sides. Explain this."

Faleseth remained silent, refusing to answer his questions. He had no RIGHT to question her; he was thousands of years her junior. She bit her lip, studying the birds in the treetops. Her lack of answer angered the druid anew, and he stepped towards her, raising a hand as if to strike her.

The forest around them errupted in pandemonium. Ravens cawed from every tree, from every bush around them. Dozens and then hundreds of them, all made of shadows, all screeching as many took flight and circled them. The druids looked up in shock, watching the creatures circle overhead.

The leader of the group lowered his hand, nodding to the druid holding her. She felt the hands clamped on her arms release her, and she reached up to rub her numb skin in surprise. She tilted her head as if in question and the druid stared her down. "There is more to you than meets the eye. You are unlike the others. I am unsure what your connection is with nature or the well, but it would be...hasty...to slay you without understanding first. You will leave this place and will not return. We will be observing you closely."

Faleseth nodded once, turning without a word and walking between them. She kept her strides as dignified as possible for a person who was completely nude and a captive only a moment before. She quickly gathered her things, not bothering to don any of her garments before turning and striding from the moonwell's clearing.

The druids watched her go with some hostility, murmuring amongst themselves again and debating what the birds might have meant. It was only when she was out of sight that they realized that all of the ravens were gone, as if they had never been there. It was a mystery they would spend many hours attempting to unravel, with little resolution in the end.

Spiritual Guidance

The sun shone down on Darnassus, the warmth of summer in the air and the sounds of animals in the forested areas just outside the city mixing with the sounds of people going about their daily business. Malandrae Moonwhisper smiled happily to herself, walking through the outskirts of the city, a toy ball cradled in her arm and wrapped with a ribbon. It was a gift for Corrienda's boy; just a little something that the Highborne thought he'd enjoy. It had been a long time since she'd stopped by to visit and she wanted to surprise her friend with a quick hello.

As she neared the section of the city where Corrienda lived, Malandrae sighed happily, pausing to take in a deep breath of the summer air. What could be better than being alive in this time and place? What was more important than sharing a moment of friendship and enjoying a beautiful summer day? Nothing as far as she was concerned! With a lightness in her stride she resumed her walking, heading towards a ramp that would lead to the upper stories of the building where Corrienda's house was located.

In her happy moment of unconcerned enjoyment of the day, Malandrae never noticed the faint glow that began to emanate from the triple moon necklace she wore around her neck. Despite her wards and skills, she didn't detect the hum of arcane energy that was beginning to build there, a spell specifically designed to escape her notice and beginning to build with fatal, explosive magical energies.

With a smile on her face, Malandrae placed a foot on the walkway leading to Corrienda's door...

**********************

Faleseth Featherwind stood in the center of Darnassus, her robes gathered about her and a cowl partially concealing her face. All around her the people of the city went about their business, enjoying the day and speaking lightly to one another. Although they were Kaldorei and similar to her, she felt as distant from them as if they were ghosts and she the only thing living. There was a deep underlying gloom that smothered her thoughts and made it difficult to decide what she should do or if she should even bother going on.

Ever since her awakening several weeks ago she had struggled to come to terms with her situation. Her nation, the mighty empire that the Night Elves have carved from the wilderness and that had existed for untold eons was gone. The Queen whom she had adored and who had ultimately punished her so cruelly was no more, and would never again restore either her punishment or her birthright as a Highborne. Faleseth felt as if she were cast out into a raging sea, with nothing familiar around her and nothing to grasp hold of. She was like a puzzle piece with no space to fit, and despite her intellect it was all she could do to just stand in the center of Darnassus, attempting to understand the new world in which she found herself.

The other Kaldorei were not like her. Even the other Highborne were as foreign to her as the creatures she had first encountered that she now understood were called 'orcs'. She had been loyal to the Queen, had lived her life in a time and place when nothing and no one compared to the might of her people. And now... now she stood alone, in a city of strangers whose words she could barely understand, bereft of everything.

She would cry, if there were tears left in her. If there were any bit of her soul that had not endured century after century of agonizing punishment and lonely imprisonment. She had been wrung dry of such emotions, and now had only the gloom and the last flickering bits of her magic and her faith in the Goddess. As she stood silently, her mouth soundlessly spoke the words that echoed through her mind, "Elune...why? Why am I here? Why did you even spare me?"

She didn't expect an answer. The Gods didn't work in such a fashion, and any who said otherwise were either worshiping some vile power or deluded. And yet... in that part of her mind where her Faith resided, in the little spark of Faleseth's spirit that remembered the New Moon, something urged her to turn her head, to look and SEE the signs.

And so the Highborne did turn. She tilted her head and looked across the city of a people who were not her people, and her silver eyes widened in shock. There, along the edge of the city was a glowing moon, shining as bright as it would at night. And yet it couldn't be there, for not a single other person glanced at it or gave any hint that they noticed it. Even as Faleseth watched, it began to slowly darken, its edge growing black as if it were being eclipsed. A sense of urgency began to flow through her, and she took a few steps towards it.

Go. Go now! Before it's too late! 

The words were unspoken, but Faleseth knew that they were true. She could feel it deep within, a sense of purpose that she'd been lacking. The Moon called to her, and as she had done for countless centuries she would heed that call. She began to hurry towards the darkening sign, passing through the city. As she watched the moon starting to eclipse the sense of urgency increased, and Faleseth found herself running, her lean form slipping between the other Kaldorei as she picked up speed. Elves glared at her as she pushed them aside, some shaking a fist at her or muttering complaints.

Ahead a group of Kaldorei had gathered to chat near the local bazaar, but Faleseth could see the Moon was half eclipsed now, and that she was running out of time. She recklessly dove into the crowd, shoving people out of the way, her robes trailing behind her and a string of curses in Darnassian chasing her through the spaces between the dwellings.

She burst around a corner, seeing the glimmer of the fading Moon on a walkway ahead of her, and she ran towards it without hesitation, her high heeled boots pounding on the wood as she hurried up. She reached the top and skidded to a halt, the Moon she had been following fully eclipsing and fading to nothing. But that was not what made her draw in a gasp. It was not what made her reel back as if she'd been slapped.

The elf ahead of her, the elf with the high pigtails on her head. That cyan hair bouncing as she walked. The way her hips swayed, the colors she had chosen to wear. All if it slammed into Faleseth like a punch to the gut, memories of that elf flowing through her, even as pale moonlight seemed to bathe the Highborne, seemed to confirm to Faleseth that this was her purpose for the moment, that this is what the Goddess had intended.

And then she noticed the spell.

How could she not? How would she possibly forget the magic of the one Highborne whom she hated above all others? How many times did Faleseth see Viala Moonwhisper cast such a spell, either in practice or for sport with her slaves? How often did she hear the venomous sound of the voice of Malandrae Moonwhisper's mother flow musically on the air as she casually formed the forces of destruction to do her bidding? How could she forget the one voice that spoke the last words Faleseth would ever hear, damning her to an eternity of horrific imprisonment at Azshara's whim, all because of the filthy lies she told?

For eons Faleseth had slept in stasis, banished from the realm, from her birthright, for a crime that she never committed. All because of the elf who now apparently sought to destroy her daughter for reasons that Faleseth neither understood nor cared about. Although Faleseth cared not a bit for the airheaded Malandrae Moonwhisper, she cared VERY much about making Viala as unhappy as possible. The questions as to why she would want Malandrae dead or how either of those Highborne still existed were irrelevant in the face of Faleseth's hatred and the fact that her Goddess had lead her here to this moment.

Shadows burst into life around Faleseth, the darkness of the New Moon coming to her as if her powers had never waned. A raven landed on her shoulder, the bird silently watching as Faleseth reached out a hand, almost casually plucking the magic from Malandrae's necklace from a distance and depositing it in her own palm. The spell glowed fitfully there, and Faleseth smiled as she understood that Viala had a scrying spell included amongst the other devastating magic; she always did like to see her handiwork.

"And so you will come to learn the pain that I have felt for all these centuries dear Viala," she purred at the spell in her palm. "He loved me before he ever loved you, and he was mine before he was yours. If you think I will ever forget, ever FORGIVE you for what you did, you are mistaken. See now as your works are undone, and know that you will NEVER have what you want ever again for as long as I draw breath. Suffer wretch, suffer and scream in anger you stupid little bitch."

House Moonwhisper had always had extremely gifted sorcerers. The spell that had been used was powerful indeed, and not one that any but a Highborne would have recognized. For all of its power though, House Moonwhisper never had Elune's favor, never had a priestess with the power to guide them.

They had never contended with a witch of the New Moon.

Faleseth grinned, her palm closing as her divine magic snuffed out the spell, the energies disappating harmlessly into the air. She paused for a moment, studying Malandrae Moonwhisper as the other Highborne continued along her way, completely unaware that her life had just been saved.

As if Faleseth had called out, Malandrae paused, her head tilting. She slowly turned, but by then Faleseth was gone, her shadows fading, her power flying away on the wings of a raven that cawed softly above them. Seeing nothing, Malandrae shrugged, turning and continuing on her way to Corrienda's house.

From the shadows of a nearby building, Faleseth watched her go, silver eyes glowing beneath her cowl, her thoughts circling around what Elune had brought her to do, and why. There would be many nights of quiet contemplation after this.
 

Rude Awakening

The sounds of combat echoed through the hollow chambers of the barrow den, steel clashing on steel mixed with cries of triumph or defeat. Beneath the earth the sounds were eerily distorted, making it difficult to determine if a battle was taking place around the next bend in the tunnels or in a distant part of the caverns.

Throughout the barrow were the resting places where druids once maintained their vigil over the Emerald Dream. Cruelly severed from their slumber when the Forsaken used plagues in this part of Ashenvale, some of the spirits still roamed the halls as angry spirits. For the Sentinels who struggled to carry one of their wounded comrades through the long dark tunnels, the spirits of their brethren were not as pressing a concern as the heavy footsteps of orcs in fast pursuit behind them.

"Turn left here!" Alaya shouted. As the leader of the Sentinels it had been her task to get the scouting party close to a nearby Horde lumber camp, but they had been ambushed long before their destination and she now questioned whether any of them would escape alive. Besides herself, she had only three other Sentinels in any sort of fighting condition, with a third carried between them, her leg pierced by a lucky sword thrust. "We have to find a chamber with a narrow opening so we can hold their greater numbers!"

Already despairing, Alaya's heart sank as she and her sister Sentinels rounded a bend deep within the barrow and found their way blocked by an ancient stone wall. Eons old, the chipped marble must have been part of a larger Highborne structure that was long since buried beneath the soil. The barrow tunnels had partially broken into the space the wall occupied, and the cold stone spelled an end to their progress. It was clear that there would be no escape this way, and with the orcs pursuing them it seemed the chase was up.

"Quickly, set Salana down and ready your weapons!" Alaya barked. Her Sentinels responded quickly, knowing they had little chance against the swarm of orcs that were about to flood the small space. The wounded Sentinel was gingerly lowered against the wall, her blood smearing the ancient surface as they eased her to the ground. After ensuring that she was at least upright, the others grabbed their weapons, preparing themselves for the end.

Just before the orcs came into sight, a strange thing happened. The purple blood smeared against the ancient stone wall had begun to run down the smooth surface, gathering in shallow indentations that might once have been carvings. As if by design, the carvings flared into fitful light, a bright blue glow of magic appearing across the surface of the wall. The Sentinels watched in awe as the glow spread, outlining runes and then a small archway on the stone surface. The glowing arch shimmered and then faded, the stone disappearing as if it had never been.

Beyond the arch was a lighted stone chamber, and Alaya immediately took stock of their options. Certainly forcing the orcs through the narrow doorway would prove a superior defensive position. Quickly she nodded to the other Sentinels and the Kaldorei filed through, dragging their wounded companion with them. Beyond the arch the elves found themselves in a circular chamber, the center dominated by a large marble slab with a figure resting upon it. Magical torches lit the interior of the chamber and runes were carved on every surface of the stone walls.

Alaya paused, her eyes wide in awe as she surveyed the room. Gently she rang slender fingers along the runes, reading the ancient elven script with some degree of difficulty. The words carved into the stone were not flattering and would, at best, be considered unflattering. She saw runes representing the words 'traitor', 'whore', 'criminal', and many other variations of these themes upon the marble. Slowly she turned, her eyes drawn to the stone slab and the figure upon it.

It was the body of a Highborne elf, the lifeless figure laying with her arms crossed upon her chest. She wore an elegant dress that was embroidered with threads made of precious metals, and a wealth of jewels decorated her fingers, wrists, ears, and even her ankles. Although the body was likely tens of thousands of years old, the moonlight pale skin and light blue hair of the reposed elf were not touched by decay or rot, and there was no hint other than the lack of breath that the Highborne was not merely sleeping.

Behind the stone slab upon which the Highborne lay stood a floor length mirror, its polished surface completely coated in dust and the golden frame that held it upright glittering fitfully in the flickering blue glow of the magical lights in the chamber. Atop the mirror's frame was an emblem of a feather cradled by the moon. In the dulled glass Alaya could almost see the reflection of an elf; perhaps one of her Sentinels who had caught the light just right.

Alaya shook her head, trying to put her curiosity at rest as she nodded to the other Sentinels, preparing herself for battle. She could feel a chill up her spine as she prepared her bow, as if something was with her. The chamber thoroughly unnerved her, as most Highborne relics did. She could swear something was watching her, and out of the corner of her eye she would catch shadowy movement, even though nothing was there when she looked. She shook her head again, taking aim at the doorway.

They came seconds later, the orcs barreling through the opening with their weapons held high. The first two died to arrows before ever making it into the chamber, the next making it only a foot past the doorway. Firing rapidly, the three combat worthy Sentinels used their bows until the last moment, only taking up glaives as the orcs closed with them. Again steel rang against steel as the combatants locked in deadly combat, the chamber instantly turned into a battleground.

Alaya found herself dodging and slashing, desperately attempting to put down the attackers even as she struggled not to be overwhelmed by their numbers in the narrow confines of the chamber. Even as she fought the unnerving feeling of something watching her continued to grow, and she could swear that she saw a bird flutter from the top of one of the glowing magical lanterns to another.

Behind her a Sentinel cried out as she was cut down, the savage roar of an orc's warcry drowning out the sound. Alaya whirled, narrowly parrying a blade directed at her back and receiving a slash to her leg from the first attacker. She cried out, falling back and taking another blow to the side. Across the chamber she saw another of her Sentinels cut down by an ax, even as the last of them ducked behind the gilded mirror. Alaya rolled across the floor, her blood spilling from her wounds as an orc jumped up on the marble slab, straddling the Highborne's body and glaring down at her.

Behind the orc one of the other attackers hurled a hand ax at the Sentinel who was sheltering behind the mirror. She ducked back and the weapon struck the glass, shattering it into a thousand glimmering shards. Throughout the chamber the tension in the air seemed to fade, and Alaya could swear she heard a sigh of relief, as if the chamber itself was finally at rest. She watched in horror as a second thrown ax took down her last Sentinel, knowing that she had failed those under her command and that she was about to die herself. The orc on the slab grinned down at her, holding an ax high above his head.

And then one of the Highborne's hands grabbed his ankle.

The orc looked down in utter shock, the surprise on his face turning to horror as he saw something that was out of Alaya's line of view. His hands trembled and his ax fell from nerveless fingers as he stiffened on the stone slab. Alaya watched in shock as his skin faded to a pale gray, the flesh rotting off and the bones sticking through. Lifelessly the orc tumbled to the ground as cloth stirred on the slab above her. She felt her heart skip a beat as the Highborne sat upright, the elf's eyes blazing with dark magics.

One of the attacking orcs acted quickly, raising a spear and hurling it at the elf on the slab. Alaya watched the weapon pierce the space where the Highborne was sitting, but instead of steel striking flesh as she suspected, the form of the Highborne burst into a thousand shadowy ravens, the birds flapping and cawing as they scattered into the air and flew erratically around the room. The orcs stared at the flock with their mouths agape, several ducking to avoid flapping wings or talons as one by one the lanterns in the room began to be extinguished by the riled birds.

Alaya felt a thrill of fear pass through her as the room gradually dimmed into pitch black, the cawing of ravens replaced with the screams of orcs as something began to kill them in the dark, using terror and bursts of magic to cut them down. She heard armored forms hitting the ground and the sounds of weapons striking stone as orcs flailed blindly in an attempt to slay their attackers.

Gradually the sounds diminished, the last orc letting out a chilling death rattle before the thud of his corpse striking the ground could be heard. Alaya curled up in a ball, hugging her knees to her chest and trying to staunch some of her wounds as she could. She could barely see in the gloom, but the form of a Kaldorei clearly stood upon the slab now, as if surveying the area.

The lanterns rekindled instantly, the light blazing up and forcing Alaya to shield her eyes. For a moment she blinked through tears before she saw the Highborne standing over her, staring down at her with a predatory look in her eyes.

"We must hurry, the Queen will know you've breached the wards," the voice was melodic, the tone betraying little urgency despite the words. "I've no idea what sort of creatures these are, but it is fortunate that I was able to awaken the dregs of my power. I doubt I could do so again so quickly."

Alaya blinked, shaking her head, "Q-queen..? What...you mean...n-no, no. There is no Queen now. The Queen is gone. I don't know how long you've been sleeping here, but there is no Queen."

The Highborne reeled back, looking at Alaya as if she'd been slapped. "You come here, to one of Her prison cells, and dare to speak such treason? You are fortunate that none of Her guardians are here to witness this, lest a far worse punishment befall you. Who are you, that you would dare to gainsay me?"

"I-I'm Alaya. I'm a Sentinel of Darnassus and these are orcs. There are many more of them in the chambers above this one and we need to work together to get out of here al-"

Her words were cut off by a gesture from the Highborne, "Nonesense! Such creatures cannot have invaded the entirety of Her domain. She would know of it and they would be crushed. Do you have any idea of who I am, of who you are lying to? I am Lady Faleseth Featherwind of House Featherwind, Courtier of the Queen's Court. You will cease your falsehoods at once!"

Alaya shook her head, "No. There is no Queen. There has been no Queen for thousands of years. You need to listen to me before they c-"

This time Alaya's words were cut off by a stinging pain in her temples. The pressure began to build, feeling like her skull was going to cave in. She gasped, her eyes tearing as the Highborne glared down at her, shadowy magic at her fingertips.

"If you will not speak the truth, then I shall TAKE the truth," Faleseth growled menacingly. She focused, increasing the power of the spell and piercing the other elf's mind, ignoring the blood that began to run for Alaya's nose.

"I s-see....yes....there it is...the truth will be exposed shortly..." Faleseth murmured. After a moment her eyes widened in horror and she gasped, releasing the spell. The Sentinel's lifeless body crumpled to the ground next to the marble slab where the Highborne had slumbered for not several hundred years as would have been her punishment, but century upon century.

"I-it can't be....it can't be...." she said softly, the room quiet now. After a moment she looked around, studying the dead and shaking her head. After having seen the inside of the chamber for an endless eternity, it was far past time that she left. It seemed that things had changed drastically since she had been punished, and that the world very well might have no Queen now.

Whatever time it was, whatever this place was now, it seemed Faleseth had a new opportunity, the gift of a new life. Her painted lips curled into a smile and she lightly stepped over the corpses in the room, heading for the exit.

It was time to see what this new world had to offer.