Chapter Two

Seeing the old man as he almost finished off the undead creatures that he fought though she saw that he was getting into more then he could handle she could not help the memories that came to her as she recognized the man.

She watched her Father as he attempted to sale some weapons to the paladin and priest. Only that the transaction had already taken place and they where now speaking in hush tones. She understood her father's business, what would keep his attention of these two when he could just move along to the next customer and eventually the next sale?

Whatever they where discussing seemed to be something else that made her Father's face fill with worry, he kept glancing to her and finally he beckoned her over.

"Solest, my girl, these kind people are going to take you to your uncle Alexander he is going to take care of you while I check on something."

"No, Daddy, I want to stay with you. Uncle Alex is scary and Lexra hates me!"

"It will only be for a few weeks, Solest. I have to take care of something and I can't take you with me there are some bad things where I'm going."

"Daddy, please, Daddy," she begged as tears started to flow from her little eyes.

"Now no tears, I'll bring back something for you when I get back," he lifted her chin looking into her blue eyes. "So chin up my little merchant and be brave for me."

Her sobs died down as she stood there looking at her Father before dashing off.

"Tanania, thank you for doing this for me keep an eye out for her please, I know that my brother is not a kind person."

The paladin looked at the man that she knew since her childhood and comrade in arms nodding to him. She looked to the high-elf priest at her side and they both started off after the child.

Life was harder for her when she arrived to her uncle's house. The house was run down and head clearly seen better days. Lexra her small cousin had been cold to her the first few months Solest lived with them.

Solest had kept the hope of her Father returning in her heart and when everyone in the house was asleep she would go to the attic and climb onto the roof to look up at the stars. As she looked at the stars she could not help it as the tears started to flow down her cheeks. She had not eaten for a week her Uncle's punishment for failing in her lessons. Since her first day here her fear for this man increased and her hate developed into loathing. Slowly her hate was not only on this man, but on her very father for leaving her with this evil man and when he never returned her hoped dwindled.

She looked at him the man that she had not seen in years. He was older then she remembered but it was still him he had been wounded by some of the undead that she had killed. As she tended to his wounds with the most basic of first-aid he finally spoke to her.

"I'm sorry, Cartine, I could not save you I'm sorry we could never be a true family.'

"Father, it's me Solest."

"Solest, is it really you? I thought you where the ghost of your Mother, you look so like her, so like my Cartine." He looked around panic on his face. "Hurry we must go, we have to find him!"

"Find who?"

"Your brother we need to find him, he was with your mother when the Scourged attacked, they killed your mother, but I think they missed him I found clues that he had escaped. We have to go we have to find him."

"Okay, okay, we'll find him, but first we have to take care of your wounds, here drink some of this."

"What is this?"

"Don't worry its okay Father it's a healing potion, I may not be good with first-aid but I am pretty good with potions. Drink that and I will make some food." It had been so many years since she had left her Uncle's house and the anger she felt for this man was now just a pebble within all her other feelings, and from all the lessons she had learned.

The only goal she had now was to heal her father for what little she knew and then soon to go after clues and leads to her brother, for that she would have to return to the world that she once knew.

The night had been crisp when she had first spent her first months in Stormwind after she arrived with Tanania. Many where asleep that night, but she could not it had been a few months since she was left here. Since then she had done everything that her Uncle had wanted her to, failing in it also. Sitting there on the roof she looked out into the landscape wondering if she could get a glimpse of Wizards Sanctum from her sanctuary. Just imagining all those mages learning those remarkable spells oh how she wished to be there learning the magical arts, instead of here learning to be a thief. The lessons she had gone through she hated, failing in most of them, she either was punished with no food or a beating. While Lexra watched laughing her little head off, she hated them. She hated her Uncle for doing what he did, she hated her cousin for being evil, and she hated her Father for not coming like he had promised. So she would watch the door hoping that her Father would walk though them. When the hope had started to fade after she was not able to do anything. Her hatred of him grew and grew, she needed to get out of here, she needed to find him and find out what was taking so long. With her eyes getting heavy she made her way to her bed for a new day that she felt would bring nothing, but trouble.

Everyday that Solest came to visit her at the temple Tanania could see that how she winched in pain on the wounds that Tanania tended to each day. She had always hated Alexander how he had treated others to accomplish his goals. The way that he treated his child and his niece made her angry with the cruel man that was the brother of her best friend. Her anger grew when Lexra had come for help for Solest, when she had went to the Calvera house hold finding Solest wounded the dagger that Alexander still in her small body. Using her skills in the healing arts, as a paladin, she healed the child all the time she had tears running though her face.

Lexra sat in the corner watching her work her own red hair a mess.

"Lexra, I want you to take your cousin when she wakes up and take her to a friend of mine. Stay there with him."

Lexra looked as if she was going to say something, but stopped when she saw the way the look that the Paladin woman had on her face.

Walking through the town she thought of what she should do to help the children that Alexander was taking care of. Seeing Solest near death as she did the previous night was the last straw . For her plan to start she would have to contact a few old friends. The first of which was harder to contact then the other.

The bar that she walked into was dark the people within it far more into the dark arts. This was a place that she did not want anyone that she knew to see her in. The hood that she wore did its job well hiding her identity to others. No one gave her a second glance as she took a seat.

"Well I would never think that you would come here, you must be very desperate if you came," said the young looking woman that sat in front of her with two mugs of mead.

"I came to find you, I need you to do a small thing for me."

"Oh you must be desperate to ask me for help." She looked around her and then whispered to Tanania that no one could hear her, "Why would a paladin, who speaks of the light, come looking for help from a warlock like myself."

"I know you Zelra, I know that you do not care for others unless they sold their souls to you or unless they are going to help you get to your goals. Well now it is my turn, my turn to use you for my goals. Now you can either get paid for doing this job or you will see what your dealing with demons will bring to you earlier."

"And what would you pay me, your soul? What, are you willing to pay?"

The bar in which the mages and students drank in crackle with the energies that they used and worked with everyday, her body seemed to be being pinched over and over again by these energies. She sat in her corner her hand shaking as she brought the mug to her face to drink.

"Well my old friend it seems that you that drink isn't going to be bring you at ease." She looked to the owner of the voice belonging to the Gnome standing at her table, his head barely reaching the height of it.

"Talon, it is good to see you. I'm glad you got my letter."

"Well of course, Tanania. So tell me about this child you wrote in your letter."