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.

Life's Canvas

                The world around her was imaginary, a plain of existence extended within the mind of her captor, and yet, for Seluna, it was the most peace she’d experienced in many years. A portion of the land was a mighty fortress in the distance, standing tall across the empty expanse, watchful, impregnable. Yet a corner of the land had been carved for her, and in her moments of wakefulness she had a beautiful little estate, the gardened lands spreading for acres in all directions, stocked with fruits and berries and filled with things for her to do.

                She still wasn’t sure what to make of it, and it changed each time she awoke. She didn’t know why Kaelus was giving her this space when they were at war, but with each passing day it was easier to think, to be herself for a moment and not the undead creature she’d been forced to become.

                This time she awoke with a surprise; the estate’s normally bright adobe walls were bleached white, with large swathes of them empty and seemingly begging for decoration. She pondered this for a few minutes, bemused. What was Kaelus thinking with this change? What had she intended? Perhaps she’d accidentally forgotten to complete some project?

                The world was one of the mind, and Seluna had some sway in her corner. On a whim she smirked and concentrated, a set of fine brushes and brilliant paints appearing in a case on the ground before her. She picked them up, humming softly to herself, her thoughts far from the strange mental landscape. Slowly she began to dip a brush in the first pot of paint, hesitant with the first stroke but gaining confidence from memories and experiences long since buried. In the peaceful quiet, she painted…

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                Hours later, or perhaps days depending on the strange movement of time in the imaginary landscape, Kaelus would come to check in on her uninvited guest. It was never wise to leave an angry wraith unattended when it was trying to possess your mind, even if it had seemed to calm down as of late.

                As Kaelus entered the open doors of the estate she would pause, her eyes widening in surprise. Every wall was covered with murals, each painted in meticulous detail by the hands of a master of her craft. Each scene was lovingly taken from a favorite memory, and Kaelus would gently touch a few of the murals as she passed deeper into the interior of the estate.

                Here there was an image of a young, red-haired Seluna playing with her first kitten as a child. There a picture of her riding her first hawkstrider, the joy of the ride captured perfectly on her teenage face. Further in were beautiful murals of the forests of Eversong and, surprisingly, Lordaeron; memories of some of Seluna’s favorite travels in her youth.

                As she passed into the next room, one of the murals made Kaelus pause and nearly break out in laughter. There, depicted in all its glory, was a picture of Biara Dayfire as a young teenager, her form outfitted in thick padded armor and astride a hawkstrider, lance in hand as she charged an opponent down the lanes of a tourney. The determination on Biara’s face, the pride as she was just about to clip her opponent perfectly with the lance, was exquisitely detailed. In the corner of the drawing was an older Seluna, this time a mother, looking on and secretly smiling at her daughter’s success. Kaelus got a distinct sense from the arrangement of her own body’s position that Seluna’s delight at her daughter’s jousting was a secret thing, kept from her daughter for whatever reason, likely jealousy or disapproval at such a martial skill.

                Shaking her head and still smiling, Kaelus would pass into the innermost courtyard of the estate, where she would pause. There, laying on the floor in peaceful sleep, lay her captive/invader. But it was not the raging, vile wraith that rested, one arm cradling her head. The black hair had faded to natural red, the scowl and rage had faded into the simple of smile of one who dwells in a place of contentment.

                And on the wall behind her, a glorious mural of a mid-summer’s faire, the starry night sky lit up by blasts of golden and red fireworks made of magic flowing from the hands of a beautiful young magistrix, her blue eyes gazing in awe at the beauty she was creating as a crowd stood around her cheering. One amongst them smiled wider than the others, his tall, muscular form, broad shoulders, and charmingly rugged good looks captured in the smallest details. Kaelus realized that here she was seeing the first blooming of a love that would change countless lives, for better and worse.

                After a moment Kaelus discovered that she was grinning like an idiot and shook her head. With one last curious glance at the sleeping wraith, she gently backed out of the room, marveling at the captured moments as she left, leaving her guest to the first peace she’d had in a very, very long time.

The Club Scene

                Kyliska blinked in the darkness as something nudged her side again. She yawned, slowly becoming aware of someone standing over her in her bedroom. She squinted and recognized Biara’s form, her sister silently gesturing for her to follow. Sleepily she detangled herself from Braeth’el’s arms, careful not to wake him from his slumber. She let her gaze linger on his mostly naked form in the mound of sheets before her sister’s insistent tugging pulled her towards the far end of the room and into her adjoining dressing room.

                “Biara? What are you do-,“ Kyliska tried to say before being interrupted.

                “No time for that! Here, quickly put this on!” Biara said in an excited tone of voice.

                Kyliska found herself suddenly holding a bundle of clothing that had been tossed to her. She quickly began to don them, realizing it was a stunning, ruby red dress with matching jewelry and belt. She finished changing and noticed her sister was wearing a golden dress with a plunging neckline and a slit up the side that was almost indecent, the glittering fabric complimenting her red hair. Kyli’s own dress was almost an opposite companion to Biara’s, with the golden hue complimenting her own blonde hair.

                “Perfect! I’ve got shoes for you here too. There’s just one more thing I think…” Biara muttered. She brought her hands up, chanting a spell and Kyliska saw little glowing bracelets of arcane light appear around her wrists and ankles. Biara reached out and took a lock of Kyliska’s hair, illuminating the lock with a similar blue glow. She repeated the process on herself before nodding in satisfaction and turning. With another murmured spell a portal opened and Kyliska found herself haphazardly being dragged to Sunwell knew where in the middle of the night.

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                The portal disgorged the two Sin’dorei into a plaza filled with other elves, many dressed in fancy dresses like the sisters were wearing. Quite a few of them were hurrying towards a door that let light out into the courtyard each time it was opened, with many elves standing in a long queue waiting to get into the door. Still holding Kyli’s hand, Biara tugged her sister towards the door, flashing a smile at the bouncer guarding it as he let the two stunning elves cut the line and enter the doorway beyond.

                Kyliska was instantly struck with the pulsing sound of music and the flash of arcane lights as the two entered what could only be described as a club. Elves danced everywhere, with a goblin DJ playing the booming base from a strange mechanical contraption on a stage to one side. Immediately Kyliska could feel the pulse of the beat sweep through her, and she laughed as Biara began to dance next to her, the arcane ‘bracelets’ she had created for the two glowing in the dim light and highlighting the movement of their limbs.

                Shocked by her sister’s sudden desire to go out partying and thrilled by it at the same time, Kyliska let the beat take her, dancing next to her sister, her cares and worries melting away as the sound of Biara’s happy laughter was heard briefly over the beat.

                The next two hours were a blur of movement, of thrumming music, and beautiful elves with drinks in hand.

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                After a time the two sisters grew tired and moved towards the bar, taking two empty stools there. Biara nodded at the bartender, gesturing towards one of the more expensive arcane-infused beverages. The bartender set a bottle and two glasses before the elves and Biara smiled, tossing far more coin than the drink was worth onto the bar for him.

                She uncorked the bottle, pouring a glass for herself and then one for Kyliska. She brought her glass up, smiling at Kyli, her voice barely heard over the pounding of the music, “To us my dear sister. To our future. To fun!”

                “I’ll drink to that anytime!” Kyliska said with a smile, bringing her own glass up and clinking it against Biara’s. The drink burned all the way down, releasing a pleasant sensation of mana through her for a moment before fading.

                Kyliska smiled and sighed happily, studying Biara for a moment before talking loud enough for her to hear, “What made you decide to come here and do this? I love it! We haven’t done this in something like twenty years.”

                Biara returned the smile, shaking her head, “It’s been too long, and we’ve been through too much. Enough is enough I say. I’ve been thinking long and hard about things, and it’s time for a change.”

                “Thinking about what? What’s on your mind?” Kyliska replied, taking another sip of her drink.

                “That highborne…what she said about us being destructive,” Biara began, taking a sip of her own drink. “Between that and what happened to you, the way everyone just abandoned you to your misery, I realized something important. We’ve spent so much time trying to find allies, trying to build things up only to be rebuffed and to have our efforts come to nothing because others fear to go where we’ve gone. What is the point in all of it? Why should we pretend we’re anything other than we are?”

                Kyliska nodded, taking another long sip of her drink; her sister was saying what had been on her mind for a long time now, “What can we do though? What is your solution?”

                Biara smiled, patting her sister’s arm, “The solution, my dear, is to be who we were always meant to be. If others don’t want to ally with us, then so be it. If they fear our destructive nature, then let them fear us instead of respecting us. I no longer care. There will be Sin’dorei who will flock to our cause, no matter what we do. Others who want more done about the dangers to Quel’Thalas. Elves who are not afraid to risk their lives working beside us. There will always be more allies who see things our way, so who cares about those who don’t? I’m done playing their games. From now on, we’re going to take matters into our own hands. Our power, our House, our objectives will be first and foremost. If others get in the way of our plans, we will set them straight or remove them from our path.”

                Kyliska beamed; this was what she’d been waiting to her, the resolution in her sister’s voice enough to send a thrill through her. The political bullshit she’d been dealing with for months faded away like a snuffed candle and she brought her drink up to toast her sister again. As their glasses clinked, she looked beyond Biara and frowned, spying a group of House Spellblaze soldiers who had entered the club, clearly already inebriated from some other venue.

                Biara’s glass clinked against Kyli’s but then she noticed her sister’s frown. She turned, her gaze immediately going to the men that Kyliska was now scowling at. She turned back, her smile mischievous now, “Why don’t we do something about them?”

                “I’m not ‘allowed’ or we’ll have more troubles,” Kyliska said glumly.

                Biara laughed, the sound bright and full of fire, “I think you misunderstood what I said just a moment ago. Either that, or you believe I honestly give a fuck what we’re ‘allowed’ to do anymore. Those days are over. It’s a new dawn for us. You just need to do things the right way. I heard about the fight you started that caused the situation to spiral out of control. Would you like a lesson on how to do that in a way that leaves your hands clean?”

                Kyliska blinked, her eyes widening, “Are you serious? What do you mean?”

                Biara winked at her, downing the rest of her drink in one gulp and slamming her glass on the table. She slid off her stool, squirming out of her shoes and thrusting them into Kyliska’s hands. In a blink of an eye she waded into the crowd, her slender form sliding between dancing elves and her hips rocking seductively to the beat.

                Kyliska watched with her mouth hanging open in surprise as Biara shimmied up against one of the House Spellblaze guards. Her lithe body moved in time to the music, getting ever closer to him as she playfully flipped her hair in his face. He grunted, dancing closer to this elven woman that was suddenly against him, his hands sliding against her hips. Biara backed against him and dipped down, her whole body rubbing against his as she danced nearly to the floor before slowly coming back up.

                Kyliska laughed as the guard’s face turned red with excitement, her sister continuing to grind against him while gesturing at another nearby House Spellblaze guard. That elf, not seeing his companion, or anything other than Biara’s low cut dress, waded closer through the dancing elves, only to have his hand caught by Biara. She dragged him closer, for a moment sandwiched between the two guards, her body writhing as she leaned forward and kissed the second guard, her tongue very obviously playfully running against his. Her hands moved wickedly over the body of both of the elves she’d caught.

                A moment later the first guard noticed his friend kissing the girl he was dancing with. His red face became one of rage, and he reached out and pushed the other Spellblaze guard. The second elf, his rather exciting kiss suddenly broken by the shove, yelled something incoherent and punched his friend in the arm. To Kyliska’s amusement she saw Biara reach out, a dainty hand planted on each elf’s chest, the sound of her voice lost in the music but her mouth obviously saying, “Boys boys….no need to fight over me.”

                The suggestion was all it took for the first guard to react, punching his friend in the face to get him away from ‘his’ girl. The second guard reeled back into some of his companions, elves who yelled and shoved him, one of them getting elbowed in the face as the punched guard flailed. A second later the scene exploded into a fistfight, the Spellblaze guards going at each other viciously.

                As the fight expanded, Biara casually padded barefoot from the middle of it, her hips still swaying seductively as she avoided being entangled by the fist-flailing elves around her. She slipped free, returning to Kyliska’s side and getting back on her stool.

                “Oops...did I do that?” Biara said with a smirk.

                “Oh my…I totally see what I did wrong now,” Kyliska replied, refilling Biara’s glass.

                The two elves held their drinks up, clinking them merrily together as they watched the House Spellblaze guards get beaten and bodily thrown to the ground before they were dragged from the club by the bouncers. Once the commotion was done Biara slipped from the stool again, reaching out and taking Kyliska’s hand, dragging her back towards the dance floor.

                There were many more hours in the night after all, and they had a new way of life to celebrate.