For those of you familiar with my Sarah & Khadgar Chronicles, you will know this story is the next in the series and follows on from Azeroth Unfolding (albeit a little different from its predecessors). I hope you come along for the flight. Thanking you in advance.
Author's note
Disclaimer: All World of Warcarft recognised NPCs, lore and locations are owned by Blizzard Entertainment.
All other characters and story development are strictly mine.
Prologue
I was snared, captured, drawn to the window of the house overlooking Stormwind harbour. For all my left wing's injury from an arrow shaft had opened anew I fought against the pull of whatever was luring me towards the building. The pain, however, was excruciating and starting to take its toll.
There was no way I could maintain this furious effort any longer. Although I knew I would drop like a stone as soon as I stopped using my wings, I was too exhausted to care. Resigned to the fact I was either going to receive more injuries or at worst, die, I gave in to the lure of blissful oblivion.
To my utter amazement, I did not fall. My wings remained spread, they neither flapped nor folded, and yet my body moved relentlessly towards the window.
Realisation dawned - I was riding a wave of magic. As I neared the opening, I saw azure light pulsing, growing steadily brighter. I could hear it too; the unmistakable thrum and throb of an ancient, powerful magic- its sound almost tangible. It reached out from the building, beckoning me to partake of its power, to bathe in its ineluctable charm.
I neared the open window. In that instant, my memory cleared somewhat and I recognised my study! It was from here the magic stemmed and its caster was an enormous purple-skinned humanoid; a night elf. By all accounts an extremely powerful one too, whom I did not recognise.
What little energy I had left was waning yet I tried once more to pull away, to take back control. My experience had drained me however and I was left scuffling on the balcony, all to no avail.
As my body crossed the entrance to the room, the elf looked up. His eyes were amber, full of fire and fierce determination. He stood in front of a circle of runic symbols. They spun on the floor like a spinning top, pulsing, rising and falling with each chant I heard him utter.
My heart started to pound again; exhaustion gave way to fear once more. In a last desperate effort, I tried to break free of what dragged me towards the amber-eyed man, but it was pointless. He had me in the grip of a summoning spell.
I was suddenly and brutally slammed on the ground within the revolving symbols. Also drawn within that circle was my spiritual raven. Once more I was whole.
In the background, I thought I heard a woman scream but dismissed it as the pain in my left wing overtook everything else I sensed. But it was nothing compared to what I had yet to endure.
My entire body began to elongate, expand. I could hear and feel my bones breaking. Torturously, they knitted back together before breaking yet again as my body continued to distort and grow. The excruciating torment repeated itself over and over.
I cried out for the agony to stop but the amber-eyed male continued chanting over the thrum of magic, his harangue intensifying with every magical utterance. Somehow, I recognised the words. I knew the incantation.
The brief surprise gave way to another agonised screech as I felt my skin rip and peel off my muscle and bones. The avian contours and rectrices were absorbed into my torn flesh and replenished by new growth of both skin and feather which altered yet again to - cloth! My body felt like it was being turned inside out.
If this did not stop, I was going to die for sure.