Introduction
Redemption
Ha'laar paused as he looked over the historic event that he was now witnessing. The room he was in was cylindrical, with dark red hues painted on the floor and walls. Streaks of a lighter red swirled outward like a whirlpool from the center of the room, every time they crossed; a beautiful golden flower was painted at the vertex. Warm sunlight fell through the scarlet silk roof, bathing the area in a cheerful red. A dark pit stood in the middle of the room, only the shadows of past glory remained in its depths. The room was completely devoid of furniture aside from a single throne-like chair, mounted on a balcony, sitting in the chair was Lor'themar, leader of the Sin'dorei. Ha'laar stood at the man's right, while Ha'laar's 9 year old daughter stood to his right. Behind him, a path led down to the scores of High Elves assembled below.
Six beings of light, known as the Naaru, surrounded the pit. Their bodies were constantly changing form from almost-human, to brilliant prisms of light. The leader of the Naaru, called A'dal, slowly advanced to the edge of the pit. He procured an ornate beaker from within his light-woven robes and held it over the side. The other Naaru reached out with their energies and summoned powers far beyond what Ha'laar could have ever imagined. They poured their Light into the beaker, until the vessel glowed so brightly that Ha'laar had to shield his eyes. A'dal raised his right arm, an appendage constantly changing shape from an arm to a prism, and whispered, "Rest in peace, brother." He removed the lid from the jar. Instantly the jar ceased to glow. Complete silence descended over the chamber while the elves held their breath. A burst of light exploded from inside the beaker, searing the air and eyes of the onlookers. It formed a whirling vortex directly over the pit, and then it …fell.
Ha'laar recalled the days when the pit had been filled with life and energy, the foundation of his race's power, now it lay dead and empty, a bitter memory of the Scourge. Yet, after this historic day, the elves would once again have their immortality.
Ha'laar's eyes attempted to focus back on the well in the center of the room. Although the room seemed darker, the pit itself seemed – alive. Shadows that had not been there before danced along the edges of the pit, as if something below was attempting to rise. A deafening roar suddenly sounded, making the onlookers jump. Ha'laar felt power course through his limbs, power he had not felt in a long time. Energy surged up from the pit, lighting up the entire room.
Cheers and cries of joy erupted from the assembled elves as the roaring power did not falter. The elves' source of magic had been renewed, and he saw many elves below laughing and crying tears of joy as magic, flames, and ice danced across their hands.
"Daddy," said Yerdua, "I feel – good."
Ha'laar smiled at her, she brought bittersweet memories of his wife, who had succumbed to her magic addiction shortly after the destruction of the Sunwell and joined the ranks of twisted elves known as Wretched. "I know sweetheart, I know, we never have to worry about not being able to defend ourselves again."
He turned back around and was startled to see A'dal floating just beyond the edge of the balcony he stood upon. The Naaru's "face" was stern, "That was your second chance, your redemption. Your foolishness and lust for power nearly destroyed your race once, and killed my brother, you will not be granted a third." Ha'laar nodded, painfully aware of the way he had first gained his light-driven powers. "However, I have one more gift for you," said A'dal, placing what Ha'laar took to be a hand on the Blood Elf's shoulder. Ha'laar's skin tingled as the Naaru channeled something into him. "You need not draw your power from his ashes any longer, and as long as you draw breath, you and your descendants shall fear no shadow."
Ha'laar nodded, "You are too kind, A'dal, we do not deserve what you have done for us, and we are forever in your debt."
A'dal's "body" shimmered and then faded away, as did the other Naaru. Ha'laar knew that they would journey back to the Outland, and attempt to restore order to the troubled world. But that was farthest from his mind as he gazed on the fountain of magic that now towered before him. The Sunwell had been restored.
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