It was a beautiful morning in the Eversong Woods, and Falthrey Dawnbringer was still asleep in his bed. The sun peeked through his open air window and revealed a pale face, with long blonde hair sprawled across the pillow.
"Falthrey! You are going to be late! You know the Academy frowns on tardiness!" yelled his mother from the kitchen.
Falthrey grumbled and struggled to open his eyes. When he pried himself from the mattress and finally opened his eyes as he swung his legs to the side of the bed, a pair of cerulean orbs were revealed.
He rubbed his eyes, in a vain attempt to get the sleepiness out, and turned to face the sun. Almost instantly, Falthrey's body seemed to perk up and in no time and he was able to get dressed. He looked around his room, taking in what the light had shown to him. His room was a warm orange color, and he had books piled at least two feet high on his desk. Opposite the door was the dresser and opposite the desk was his bed. At the foot of his bed lay his magical tools, such as his runed rods and the staff he carried with him at all times. Falthrey was only 8 years old.
He was going to the Fairbreeze Young Education Academy at the nearby Fairbreeze Village to the west, but he and his parents both had high hopes for his future. He wanted to become a Priest of the Holy Light, and was intent on attending Silvermoon University as soon as he turned 15. There he would learn advanced academics and his craft to become a priest by the age of 21. He simply could not wait until this pointless primary school business was over.
"Falthrey! Are you awake?"
"Yes, Mother! I'm getting dressed!"
Falthrey walked groggily to his dresser and pulled out his school uniform consisting of a white collared dress shirt, blue slacks and brown boots. After dressing, Falthrey went into the kitchen and greeted his mother with a kiss on the cheek. His mother was a skilled tailor. She was renowned through all of the Eversong Woods for her crafts. She made wedding dresses, shirts, pants, cloaks, even bags. She even had her own mana loom which allowed her to make exquisite custom and enchanted goods.
"Good Morning Falthrey my dear. I made you honey toast. What would you like to drink?"
Sitting down at the table, Falthrey replied, "Some milk would be fine. Thank you mother."
As Falthrey's mother was pouring the milk into a glass for Falthrey, his father came in, face covered in soot and wiping his hands with a rag. Falthrey's father was one of Quel' Thalas greatest blacksmiths. He was invited to join the Mithril Order when he was younger but turned it down in order to stay close to his wife. Nowadays, he makes swords, axes, maces, armor and shields for anyone who might need it. His goods are renowned all across Quel'Thalas and in some northern human lands, for their quality. Some say that Falthrey got his metal working skills from his father, since he was able to make his own staff from silver ore he found in his father's chest, but not many priests are blacksmiths, as Falthrey used to say.
"Good Morning Falthrey, my boy! Nice to see you have finally removed yourself from your bed!" Falthrey's father laughed.
"Well father, I don't exactly have the heat of a forge to keep me up!" Falthrey joyfully shot back.
"Anaster Dawnbringer, you were working this early again?" said Falthrey's mother.
"I needed to reforge my tools for today!"
"Oh I'm sure. Sometimes I think you love that anvil more than you love me."
"Oh don't be so dramatic Sylerria! I love you to tears, you know that. I only work so hard because I love what I do and it puts delicious honey toast like the kind that was formerly on Falthrey's plate to the table."
Falthrey's father quickly snatched up a piece of his honey toast and kept it out of Falthrey's reach while trying to eat it at the same time.
"Father! Give it back!"
"Come on, son! Use some of that magic!"
"Oh stop Anaster. Give the boy back his breakfast."
"I was only joking. You know that, right son?"
"Of course father! I love you."
"I love you too, and I love you as well Sylerria, but I must be going," said Anaster with a kiss to his wife. He continued in a hushed whisper, "There is word that the humans of Azeroth are fighting some kind of unknown force. The first attack was repelled with relative ease, but then again who knows what will happen. Don't tell the boy, I don't want him to worry about anything. By the light of the sun, the humans will stop whatever is attacking our world."
And with that Anaster left.
Falthrey looked up at his mother in curiosity and Sylerria merely answered him with a smile.
"Come now Falthrey, here are your books, we don't want you to be late to class. Silvermoon University doesn't like uneducated tardy students!"
"I know mother, I love you"
"I love you too, Falthrey, be safe, and have a good day at school."
Falthrey collected his things from his mother, and greeted the new day with a smile. The Eversong Woods were as beautiful as ever, the dragonhawks were chirping, the lynxes were purring, and the sun was shining through the trees.
'Today will change my life…I just know it!'
And with that final thought, Falthrey began his short walk to school, passing a rather large house on the way.
Selynne Duskblade woke up silently, only being able to do so by a subconscious recognition of the sun shining through her blinds. She arose from her bed and stretched, an apathetic look on her face. She sighed and got dressed silently in the Academy's female uniform. It was identical to the boys' with the exception that instead of slacks they wore skirts of the same color.
Selynne opened her bedroom door and looked around.
"Hello?" called Selynne.
No one answered. She sighed once more and proceeded into the house. She stopped in the kitchen where her unusually keen eyes had spotted a note on the pantry door. Selynne tore it from the pantry door and read it silently. It read:
Good Morning my dear. I am deeply apologetic for not being here this morning, but I have business to attend to in the woods. The bloodthistle is growing and the silverleaf is blooming. With my job as an herbalist, alchemists depend on me, but I already know you know. I digress; there is some spice bread and cheese in the pantry if you want it. Have a good day at school!
-With love, Mom
Selynne crumpled the note and threw it away. Now, it wasn't that she didn't love her parents, or vice versa. They were a good respectable loving family. In fact, they were a bit prestigious due to Selynne's father being a powerful mage in Dalaran. They even say that Calelos Duskblade was good friends with Prince Kael'Thas Sunstrider. The only problem, was that due to Calelos being in Dalaran for most of the year, he rarely saw his daughter. On top of that, Margaria, Selynne's mother, was often out in the woods or even more distant places to collect herbs to supply her shop. So, although Selynne wasn't alone; she was alone often.
Selynne retrieved her breakfast and made it silently. She looked up longingly to the stairs and gave a half-smile. There were many days when she wished that she wouldn't have to look up there, hoping her parents were home. One day, she hoped, she would wake up the sound of sizzling bacon and her mother calling her out to get breakfast that father made.
Unfortunately, that fantasy seemed to be just that…a fantasy. Selynne ate her breakfast and gathered her things. On her way out, she stopped at the mantle. She gave it a glance and took up a picture of her, and her parents. Selynne was only three years old then. She continued frowning and put it back down. Realizing that it was still far too early to walk to school, Selynne went back to her room.
"Why must I live like this?" said Selynne to herself.
"Sometimes I wish, I just had a normal family. One that didn't always work or worry about being great or famous. Dad always said 'Some people must pursue greatness…others have greatness ripe for the taking.'" Selynne thought.
Selynne went back out into the living room and looked out the window. There was a single blonde boy, seemingly walking cheerfully. She scoffed and thought once again.
'I can't believe that kid is going to school so early, he must take the scenic route.'
Selynne never did make many friends. She was a loner, mostly due that kids made fun of her for being alone all the time and for having so called "high nosed parents". The last kid that did that ended up with a broken nose and bent left ear. Ever since then, they only talk in hushed whispers when she passes. The last suspension wasn't worth the vengeance, after the talk and punishment her father gave her when he found out.
However, in Selynne's mind, that one random act of…assertion had stopped all bullying in her direction. Some bullies even ran when she came near. She liked the power. However, some didn't learn their lesson. Those that bothered her were usually much bigger, so Selynne resorted to more…witty terms of getting revenge.
She learned how to sneak past people and to lockpick the doors in the school. She would go into her classroom and then destroy homework, take money, write on the board and desks. Basically, she did everything and anything she could to pin all the blame on the person who wronged her. Alas, there were some that just didn't learn their lesson.
Selynne looked at the clock once more and decided it was time to go. She gathered her things and walked calmly out her front door. Once on the path to school; Selynne took to the wilderness and bolted as fast as she could to school. This trained her agility and speed, something she felt she needed to do in order to secure her revenge on the many boneheads that crossed her.
After a while, the Fairbreeze Young Education Academy was in sight and Selynne could see the little blonde boy entering the village. Selynne followed suit and class had begun.