A/N: Well, if you haven't noticed by now, I'm changing the first chapter to include the prologue and yadda yadda. So here's prologue and chapter one of King's Crest.

King's Crest

Chapter One: Another Day, Another Journey

The shoreline appeared as a thin line on the horizon at first, blanketed by a thick fog, and got closer as the day wore on. Simonee sat on the deck of the boat, relaxing in the short time prior to the task he and his group had to undertake. The sun was beating down on both passengers and crew alike, even through the winter air. Thus was the curse of Kalimdor and the sea.

Simonee thought back to the events over the past few weeks, all spurred by an overabundance of Defias plaguing Westfall. The note, given him by Deputy Willem; the quest he took on at Baros Alexston's behest; the travel to Westfall, and in turn, to Stoutmantle; the group's split, and their separate dealings, and the loss of a dear friend; returning to Stormwind and fighting off the Horde raid. All of it, happening within mere weeks. That didn't even include being captured and being rescued by his friends. Simonee sighed, desperate for a little bit of rest from the constant traveling. 'At least,' he thought 'I have some companions to share this constant burden with.'

By nightfall, the ship was nearly to the hostile shore, and Simonee could hear the merchants of Ratchet hawking their wares to unsuspecting patrons, all the while watched by the hulking (by goblin standards) bruisers. The ship came to rest adjacent to the mooring, and the crew set to work anchoring the boat to it. The gangplank was extended to the dock, and the passengers filed off, into the strange environment. Simonee elected to go last, and patted the ship's rail as he left it for the dry land.

There now, in front of Simonee, stood the mass of Ratchet, Kalimdor. If this was supposed to be a first impression, Simonee was definitely not impressed. He stepped onto the landmass and filed his way through the throngs of nighttime travelers, finding the group near a particular armor kiosk. The goblin behind the desk sneered at them, and grudgingly repaired what armor they had. Simonee smiled at the scene; if there was anything more powerful than a goblin's greed, it had to be their contempt for humans.

Simonee walked to the side of his partners, and waited, while each got their armor repaired. Afterward, they set off. A wonderful start, indeed.

The nighttime air in the desert was cool, accompanied by a soft breeze blowing through the sandy landscape. It had been nearly an hour since Simonee, Aubs, Aeriah, Dince, Akall, and Dagerly had left the small goblin port town of Ratchet, and in that time, the six of them had put some distance behind them. In the open, they had continued to walk on, and by morning, found themselves nearly halfway into the Barrens. The desert sun sparked through the mountains on the horizon at first, sending shocks of warm air across the sand, and through the course of a few minutes, had risen above the far-away peaks. The light proved useful in helping the group find the pathway that would lead them north, and soon, they had reached the Horde town of Crossroads. Staying away from the prying eyes of the guards, the six navigated the outskirts of the small settlement. When Simonee and friends reached the other side, they sighed a collective breath of relief, and continued northward.

After they passed the Crossroads, Dince asked, "So, where we goin'?"

"To the Night Elves in Darkshore, and from there, to their capitol…" Simonee started.

"…Darnassus?" Aeriah asked, incredulous. He relished the opportunity to return to his homeland.

"Yeah," replied Simonee, smiling at his friend.

The heat started truly to bear down on them at midday, when the sun had reached its zenith in the bright blue sky. It was only a trickle of sweat on Simonee's brow at first, and when that changed into a torrent, the misery of the journey set in. Everyone was on edge and ready to snap at the slightest touch, which hadn't made the walk to the forest any easier. The problem came to a head when Dince and Aubs got into a scrap over how fast they should be walking.

"Well, you're walking too fast! You're practically running!" Aubs screamed, flustered.

"It's not my fault that you're too slow to keep up," Dince said calmly, despite Aubs' nagging. His tone of voice only seemed to make Aubs even more agitated.

"Don't tell me you don't want to yell. I know you're just as hot-and-bothered as I am in this cursed heat!"

"I don't want to yell, because that would only take more of my energy that I just don't have."

"Alright, you two, just calm down and keep quiet. There are more pressing matters that require our attention other than the speed you're walking," Simonee sighed, keeping the two from exchanging blows.

Aubs huffed and looked away, still upset. Dince merely smiled and whispered, "Thanks."

After the small disagreement, the party was silent until dusk. The sun set quickly, to their left, and instantly, a cool wave shot across the desert floor. After that, it was only a few minutes before the six reached the border between the Barrens and Ashenvale. They set up camp where the foliage began, and started a small fire, around which the group unpacked their bedrolls. The spirits were high that night, and there were songs and laughter before they slept. The next morning was just as energetic and enthusiastic as the night prior, while the group repacked and started the trek into the forest.

The transition between the two areas was almost like walking from Westfall to Darkshire. Brilliant, blazing oranges and yellows gave way to cool blues, purples, and greens. Desert sand was changed to bramble, twigs, and grass. The sun had also been replaced, by a canopy of tall, native trees. Nearly instantly, Aeriah seemed to be calmer, less anxious, and in quite a better mood. He took the lead into his native land, and showed his friends all of the natural wonders held within the forest.

"The only other place I feel comfortable like this in the Eastern Kingdoms is Darkshire. Despite all of the nightmare creatures and ogres, its really quite beautiful," he explained. The day was spent sightseeing and continuing the walk to Darkshore. It was difficult for Simonee to tell when the sun had set, but to Aeriah, it was like true night and day. He helped them decide when to make camp, but refused to allow them a fire, so close to the nature he so adored. Instead, he pulled from his pack six blankets.

At the group's confused looks, he grinned and told them the secret. "Moonkin-hide blankets, from the demonic Moonkins from the Exodar's crash site. They're actually warmer than they seem. Try them out!"

The five others in the party did as told, and were pleasantly surprised by the warmth provided by the blankets. When the six fell asleep in camp, it was late in the night, and everyone was happy. They were now halfway to the Night Elves' city of Astranaar, and with the next day's travel, they were happily situated within an inn in the city. The six feasted on great helpings of the local cultivated vegetables and fruits, prepared into compotes, salads, and various other entrees. By the time they finished, each was stuffed full of the deliciously organic foods, and ready to sleep on the cots provided, using Aeriah's Moonkin-hide blankets rather than the thin leaf blankets given them.

The morning after brought more walking, despite the complaints brought on by the group. The forest landscape was still refreshing to Aeriah, and each morning he seemed to become even friendlier. He continued pointing out little details and leading the group through the foliage during their trek, which was successful in taking their minds away from the traveling they had been doing. Before long, they heard the lapping sounds of waves breaking on the shore. They had finally entered the territory of Darkshore.

The six turned their attention to getting to the Auberdine harbor before sunset the next day, and so quickened their pace to a brisk walk, while Aeriah relinquished his tour guide duties for better time. The trees had thinned out a bit, replaced by an oppressively cold and sticky ocean air. The smell was that of salt, of brine. The sun finally was able to break through the protective canopy of leaves here, and it illuminated the floor of the forest, in all of its natural beauty. A mist had developed from the ocean, enveloping the group, seemingly trying to stop them before they made it to the dock.

When they finally did get to their destination, they had also beaten their challenge, making it to Auberdine hours before dusk. While Simonee arranged for their transportation, Aeriah led the rest of the group to the nearest inn, ordering a round of drinks for everyone. What was served, though, wasn't the usual ale. Instead, it was the finest cherry wine, cultivated by the Night Elves' master vintners. To the humans, it was the best thing they'd ever had to drink, like liquid gold. Soon, though, the entire bottle was gone, and the five of them were drunk. Simonee found the group in the inn and sighed, smiling.

"Alright, guys, the boat leaves in ten minutes. Let's get moving," he said, motioning out the door.

The five only grunted affirmation, and shuffled to their feet, laughing each time someone either slipped or fell. By the time they reached the boat, it was time to shove-off, and get on their way to Darnassus. The trip was short, and before long, they had reached the shore of the small island of Teldrassil, and had docked at the even smaller settlement of Rut'theran Village. There, they walked to the tented portal, and tentatively stepped in. The strange sensation of being pulled upward tugged at Simonee's mind, though he ignored it, as he was transported instantly across the island. The others followed and looked on with wonder as they realized where they had been dropped.

They had finally reached their destination. They were in Darnassus, the capital of the Night Elves.