One
Alleria ran her hands through Turalyon's beard and traced her fingers down his chest and circled each abdominal muscle. She kissed his neck, his arm, and followed down to his hand. The sweet taste of his skin intoxicated her. Nothing else mattered in the world. Not even the apocalypse could keep the two of them apart.
Aerobically the paladin spun her around until he was above her looking down into her eyes. The chocolate of his eyes seemed to dazzle her, and she fell into them. He bent down and kissed her lips, working his way down her chest, and to her stomach. His rough hands rubbed down the side of her, and made their way back up her leg.
The elf wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him down to her. Playfully she nibbled his ear as he came closer to her. He laughed and nipped at her neck. Closer and closer they came until a splitting scream erupted inside her head. Suddenly images passed by her face in a blink of an eye. She saw famine, death, plagues, and war that were happening to friends she knew and people the elf had never even seen in her life.
Instantly she shoved her husband off of her and sat upright in bed grasping her head in her hands. Turalyon wrapped his arm around her shoulder and questioned, "My love, are you alright? What's happening?"
The screaming in her head drowned out his words. Nothing made sense to her, and she couldn't get a grasp on anything. More and more images flew by as the screaming intensified until all at once it ceased. When the screaming stopped she envisioned herself in a wide open plain. Everything around her was a dark violet color. She saw planets around her that were wrapped in tentacles, and other planets that had been obliterated to pieces. A purple spirit floated up to her, his voice deep and thundering in her head. "You. Must. Go."
"Who are you? Go where?" Alleria asked.
"Alleria Windrunner, you know who we are. Those that transcend reality. Everything is open to us," the voice responded.
Panic struck her as she realized who she was speaking to. "Y-You're the Void Lords?"
A deep chuckle resonated throughout her body. "Is that the primitive name we've been given? Alas, it matters not. We have come to warn you."
"Warn me about what?"
The apparition replied, "Your relationship with Turalyon must end."
Alleria caught herself before she laughed outloud. "Are you serious? I would never!"
"Your love will bring about the end of everything. Light and Void may not come together for if they do destruction shall ensue," the void recited.
"I don't understand," Alleria started. "It's been years since I accepted the Void, and we've been together and fine since then. Why all of a sudden is it a problem? Plus what do you care? Isn't what you seek the end of all?"
"The end of life, yes, not the end of the Void as well."
"No! I won't do it. You're lying!" Alleria yelled.
The void warned, "Leave him and save everything, or stay and destroy the ones you love."
In an instant she was brought back to reality. Her heart was racing so fast she couldn't even catch her breath. Sweat poured from her as she tried to recollect herself. Turalyon's arm was still wrapped around her, and she turned and looked into his overly-concerned face. "My Light, are you okay? You seemed to leave me for a second," he asked.
She swallowed and nodded her head. "I'm fine, my love. It was nothing," she lied. "Now where were we?"
Turalyon smiled as she gently placed her hand on the back of his neck and in an instant he jumped back and shouted, "Ow!"
"What happened?" Alleria asked.
He responded, "I-I don't know. It felt like when you touched my neck all of a sudden I was burned."
The elf skirted around the bed to look behind Turalyon. As he rubbed his hand on his neck she noticed a mark beneath it. A blister had already begun to form on the bright red hand print that streaked the back of her lovers neck. She gasped and crawled backwards.
I've hurt him.
Anduin moped out into the busy streets of Dalaran. Although hundreds of people rushed by, greeted him, and even tried to stop and converse with him, the young boy just kept moving forward. The only thing on his mind was his conversation with the black dragon he had just had.
"It's great to see you!" Wrathion greeted.
Anduin responded, "You too! I almost didn't see you there. Seems you take the part of brooding black dragon to a whole other level." Laughter burst from the two of them and a sudden look of concern washed over Wrathion's face.
"I broke it off with Myzerian," he revealed.
A gasp escaped Anduin's lips and he reached forward brushing the dragon's arm with his palm. "Why what was wrong with him?"
Wrathion jumped back instantly away from Anduin. "Listen, I'm really busy. I have to go." Hurriedly he stormed by Anduin out into the streets. The boy shoved his hands into his pockets and walked out the door...
He shook his head as a goblin cart came speeding by him, swerving to miss him completely. "Watch where you're going, jackass!" the goblin screamed. His head didn't stay out of the clouds long as he continue to walk down the roads and the black dragon filled his thoughts again.
Was it something I said? he thought. Never before had his friend sprinted out in an instant on him. He'd also always wanted to talk about his ex-boyfriend, but now the moment Anduin said something he felt the need to run off.
The former king of Stormwind sighed to himself. Why did he care so much? He felt almost disgusted with himself when a feeling of almost hope had washed over him when Wrathion had told him he was single. They were just incredibly good friends. Things like this shouldn't bother him so much; it really wasn't any of his business.
Finally he reacted to the world around him and realized he had ended up at his destination. He peered up at the sign that read A Hero's Welcome and walked inside. Quickly he waved to the innkeeper, Isirami, and headed upstairs to his room.
When he opened the door he was surprised there was already someone inside. The woman stood almost a foot taller than he, if not taller when considering the curved horns on top of her head. Her skin was a pale lavender that seemed even paler with her light gray hair that trailed down the back of her head. Slowly he closed the door behind him and smiled at her. "Yrel, I wasn't expecting you tonight," he greeted.
The draenei grinned and ran up to him. She bent down and pecked him on the lips before walking back to her seat on the bed. "I thought I would surprise you. Seems the shipment of lumber from Teldrassil is taking longer than expected, so I wasn't needed today," Yrel explained.
Inside Anduin groaned, but on the outside he showed off his pearly teeth and walked towards her. "That's great! I feel like we don't get to spend enough time together," he laughed.
As he wandered within Yrel's range she grasped his coat and began to pull him closer to the bed. He resisted slightly but let himself be coerced into the draenei's arms. Tenderly she kissed his cheek and moved down to his neck and slyly her fingers worked to undo the buttons on his coat.
Reluctantly he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. He started to run his hands down the curves of her back and brought them around so they were positioned on her hips.
Just as his hands moved down her back, one of Yrel's traced up his leg. The moment it hit his knee he jumped back and pushed her away. A look of shock and horror covered her face. "What? What is it?" she gasped.
Anduin wiped his face off and with fumbling fingers buttoned his coat back up. He stammered, "U-Uh I f-forgot... or food order from the bar! I just couldn't wait to get home, and completely spaced it!"
"Can't it wait until after?" she asked bobbing her head.
"It'll only take a minute! I'll be right back, and we can pick up right where we left! I love you so much, Yrel," he shouted back as he sprinted out the door, leaving the draenei alone and confused.
Even outside she could hear the plant shatter that she had kicked over on her way out the door. It had no effect on the mage at all. She continued storming down the street knocking past vendors and other people on the road.
As she walked a nagging feeling kept eating at the back of her mind. Somehow she knew that newcomer. For some reason she couldn't place it. Had it been someone she had exiled from Dalaran? She simply could not know her at all and the nagging feeling was just her being overprotective of the city.
Yeah, that's what I'm doing. I want what's best for Dalaran and my people. Having an outsider come in and break all the rules doesn't fit my standards, she thought to herself.
Suddenly a hand clutching hers brought her back to reality. She looked down into the face of a goblin. The woman stood up to Jaina's knees, her giant ears appearing to weigh down her head, and the green of her skin made her blend into the plants all around her. Next to the woman was an even smaller goblin that had a tiny purple hair bow and was playing with a paper doll. "Please, miss, do you have any spare change?" the goblin woman pleaded.
Jaina smirked down at the goblin, judging the potato sacks both were wearing. Ever so slowly she tugged each individual finger off of her hand. "Honey, I don't give my money to charity cases. Especially not a go-fund-me for goblins. Your lot is notorious for ripping people off. I can list off about ten other things I would rather give my money to," she snapped.
"Please. It's just me and my daughter. We haven't anything," the woman cried.
"What's your name?" the mage asked.
"Spookie."
Jaina let out a short chuckle. "Spookie, what kind of name even is that? Listen, I've heard this song and dance before. In my city, we all work for our stay. There are plenty of places hiring around town. So I suggest, you go and find yourself a source of income before you find yourself outside with the rest of the aborms." Instantly she spun on her heel and continued to walk on leaving the goblin to deal with her fate.
She shook her head and sighed. Throwing her to the races that had succumbed to radiation or other types of poisons after the war seemed a little harsh, and she almost felt like she should turn around and apologize. As quickly as she thought about it, she laughed it off even quicker. Ever since she had gone on her terrible journey before the war and became a dreadlord, niceness seemed like a distant memory to her. It never got her anywhere. Plus the cold never bothered her anyway.
Before her stood the Violet Citadel, Jaina relaxed as she was finally home. Lazily she walked through the doorway and started to ascend the stairs to her room. There were other apprentice mages of the Kirin Tor with their faces in the books in the main room, but she brushed them off as they waved and said their greetings. Her mind was turning back to Corette, and she wanted to be alone to think.
When she reached the stone wall, she waved her hand and a door illuminated itself. After walking through, she crossed the short balcony to her room, or as others called it the Purple Parlor. She assumed it was called that because of the oversized violet circle that took up most of the floor. The only other things in the room were bits and pieces of her furniture, a couple plants, bookcases, and a tiny wooden table.
Once she took off her shoes she sauntered over to the doorway and stepped out onto her balcony. From the view she could see almost all of Dalaran, and she peered towards the Legerdemain Lounge. Not many residents were coming and going, but she knew that was due to it almost being closing time; however, she noticed from afar that Anduin seemed to be almost sprinting towards it. That's odd, she thought.
That didn't concern her as much as the far right room's window. Through it she could see Corette getting ready to go to bed. The woman had clearly already changed and showered, and was shining the plate on her left chest. I wonder, why does she only have a plate there? You would think that a full chest plate would be far more beneficial. The thought dwindled in her head as she tried to continue to search her brain for who this woman might have been. No matter who she was, though, Jaina knew she did not care for her and had already made it her goal to get that woman to either take the new resident orientation or run her from the town.
"Mommy! Mommy!" a child's voice rang out behind her. The mage spun around and noticed the little boy that had burst into her room. She beamed when he ran up to her, his tiny chubby cheeks bouncing as he ran. He quickly jumped into her arms, and she lifted him up as he showed her what he had brought home.
"What do you have there, Arza?"
The little boy held up what appeared to be a vial of water. "I learnded how to make mana water today in school!"
She laughed at how excited her child was. During the days, most of the children of Dalaran went to some form of school and beings she was a gifted sorceress, she figured her son should learn magic. At least the only magic that was able to be done in the city which was basically crafting beverages and food. Everyday he brought home something new and was more excited than he had been the previous day. It warmed her heart, and she never fully realized how lucky she had been to find him six years ago.
Slowly she sat him down on the ground and kneeled in front of him. She ran her fingers through his newly short cut golden hair that had stripes of blue that ran through it. "I'm so proud of you. My sweet boy, I don't ever tell you enough how proud of you I am, and how much I love you," she soothed.
Arza beamed and wrapped his arms around her. "I love you too, Mommy!"
She loved this child more than she had ever loved anything ever. No one would jeopardize his future, not even a refuge from out in the world. You will be gone, Miss Milton.
Her breathing was heavy as she jumped out of bed and started to pull on her clothes. Turalyon stood on the other side of the bed, dressing as well. Panic welled up inside of her threatening to burst out in the form of tears. Never before had she been as scared as she was at this moment. Thousands and thousands of years fighting demons had not prepared her for what had just happened.
Alleria replayed it in her head as she reached forward to touch her lover's neck and instantly had burned a handprint into him. Her heart ached at the thought of hurting him. Had the nightmare been more than that? Can I really not be with, Turalyon? Is this what my life has come to, she thought.
"Alleria, it's fine. I'm not dead. Will you calm down so we can talk about this?" the paladin asked.
The elf shook her head as she ripped her shirt over her head. "No. No. No we can't talk about this. I-I have to go somewhere else and think. I don't want to hurt you again," she answered.
He stopped midway through putting his arms through his shirt. Quickly he snatched it off and threw it back on the bed and took a few steps towards her. "Are you serious? I'm your husband. This affects both of us, and you don't want to talk about it?" he yelled.
She instantaneously stepped backwards. "Please, Turalyon, I'm so sorry. I really just need to clear my head. If you truly love me, let me do this. I'll be back." She kissed her hand and blew it towards him. Immediately she slipped through the door and down the stairs as she heard his fist collide with a wall. Having to pay Maiev a repair fee is so much less than having you dead.
As she neared the bottom of the stairs, Alleria noticed Maiev was beginning to close the inn. Kargath was passed out on his bar stool, and a boy sprinted to get inside. "Oh! Alleria! I was just-," the boy started.
"I'm so sorry, Anduin. I really don't have time," Alleria interjected.
Maiev asked, "You have your key to get back up to your room?"
Alleria reached into her pocket and pulled out a miniature silver key from her pocket. "Thanks for looking out, Maiev." The bartender winked and the elf stepped out into the night. The rain had died down, but the amount of people roaming around the city had not. She had to weave in and out of everyone just to get anywhere. She knew she needed to talk to someone about the dream she had, and what had just happened with Turalyon and only one person would be able to soothe her in a time like this.
Instinctively she headed towards the Dalaran Visitor's Center where her sister, Vereesa worked as a type of "law enforcement" for the city. Along with her husband the two made sure that nothing went wrong for the citizens beings magic wasn't around anymore to save people. Her steps quickened as the building came into view. Just as she was reaching for the door another vision burst into her head. She screamed and dropped to her knees, her shoulder grazing the wooden door to her sister's office.
A vision of a burning Dalaran plastered itself to her brain. Everywhere buildings burned, towers were brought to the ground, whole structures obliterated. Blood paved the streets as did the bodies of every race in Azeroth. It was as if the battle for Azeroth were replaying over in her head, but just enclosed to one city.
Behind her a crash made her spin around. A blonde haired elf boy came sprinting around a corner and kept dashing towards her. As he was nearly upon her a bright purple spike pierced through his body and hauled him into the air. His body quivered for only a moment before it fell limp on the spike and the face looked directly into hers. As the ethereal weapon dropped his dead body to the ground she tried to scream, but no sound came out. Tears wanted to fall from her eyes, but nothing happened. There lying on the streets of Dalaran, was her son Arator.
The same purple apparition she had seen earlier appeared above his body. The voice tore through her mind. "Leave. If you do not, this is the fate that will be. Light and Void will be no more, only Chaos will be left in its wake, and in that Chaos your son will be ripped from you."
Without so much as a response, she was brought back into the real world. She woke up finding herself in a chair. The elf looked around and noticed she was in a small office. Nothing special seemed to spark her interest about it. A boring desk lined the far wall, littered with papers and other miscellaneous items, and a jail cell took up the other wall.
"Praise the Sunwell you're okay, sister," a voice rang out.
Alleria turned towards the doorway to see her sister Vereesa walk in. Even while working, her younger sister knew how to radiate a room. Her silver hair framed her face and brought out the baby blue of her eyes. The silver and blue uniform she wore seemed to compliment every feature the elf had. As she walked in, she smiled and all of Alleria's concerns seemed to melt away.
"Vereesa, thank goodness. I need to speak with you immediately," the eldest sister panicked.
Vereesa strolled over to her desk and took a seat behind it. "What's going on? City appears to be dying down I have some free time."
"I've had two terrible visions. Both occurring almost back to back," Alleria explained.
"Of what?" Vereesa asked.
Alleria went on a rant explaining the first vision telling her she needed to leave Turalyon for the sake of the world. She continued on with the second vision about seeing her son stabbed through the chest and dropped onto the burning streets of Dalaran.
"Alleria, they're just visions. It's the Void trying to mess with you. This isn't the first time this has happened," her younger sister assured.
A lump formed in her throat and she seemed to choke. It passed and finally she was able to say, "It's not only that. I hurt him, Vereesa. I tried to touch my husband and I burned a handprint into his neck."
The younger sister gasped and raced around her desk to hug her sister. Alleria tensed thinking she would hurt the other, but nothing happened as she hugged her back. Vereesa stood up and eyed her sister, "What are you doing to do?"
Alleria's shoulders slumped. Every aspect she looked at it, something bad would happen. After all these years had bad luck really caught up to the couple? They had scraped by so many other times, and finally after thousands of years made it back home to their son. Maybe this was the consequences. She would do anything to save her husband and son, though. "I have to leave," she decided.
Wind brushed his hair past him as he ran. People, mounts, signs all flew by him in a blur as he raced away from his room. Without even thinking he sprinted right into the Legerdemain Lounge, and stopped hoping that his breath would eventually catch up with him.
He looked around and noticed Maiev was preparing to close down, and that Kargath had drank himself to pass out on his bar stool. He laughed as he knew that was something the orc did almost every day and Maiev simply let him stay there until the following morning. He also noticed Alleria coming down from her room upstairs. She was just the person he could speak to. "Oh! Alleria! I was just-."
"I'm sorry, Anduin. I really don't have time," she interrupted him and continued off into the night.
"I was just coming to talk to you about something completely important, but no, it's fine you go do your thing," he finished whispering to himself as he took a seat at the bar.
"What's the matter?" Maiev asked walking up to him.
"I think I have a problem," Anduin answered.
"What kind of problem?" Suddenly a dwarf stumbled through the doors. The man's flaming red beard and hair seemed like a tangled mess, a mess that noted that he had been drinking for a latter part of the day. "Excuse me, sir, we're just about to close for the evening."
"Me snake needin' to be empty," the dwarf slurred.
Maiev pointed to the far bookcase on the wall. "The restrooms are just beyond that bookcase. Simply pull on the candlestick next to it," she directed.
"Aye," the dwarf responded and stumbled towards it.
"Now what kind of problem are you experiencing," the elf asked as she handed him a beer.
Anduin grabbed the mug and took an enormous swig out of it. The cool liquid seemed to dull the ever increasing fire that was raging inside of him. So many questions seemed to pop into his head, but not one of them he could find an answer for. He looked up into Maiev's face and saw the concern that was in her eyes. The boy laughed to himself as never in a million years would he have seen Maiev Shadowsong to be the type to bartend and listen to a poor boy's woes. He smiled back at her. "Yrel and I almost...you know."
She stumbled backwards and had to grasp the counter for support. She gasped, "You haven't yet? Anduin, you realize you've been seeing each other for about a year right? Elune-adore."
"I don't need Elune to be with me. I just-I just wanted my," his voice diminished to a whisper, "first time to be with someone special," he declared.
Maiev questioned, "Is Yrel not special?"
He answered, "No! It's not that! She's great! I love her, but I can't seem to put that foot forward."
"Why not?"
"I don't know," Anduin sighed. "That's what I'm trying to figure out. Plus I've been really worried about Wrathion. He just broke up with Myzerian, and he doesn't seem to be handling it very well."
"He seemed fine to me," Maiev noted pouring Anduin another beer. "Goodness you're pounding these."
"It's fine," he said waving at her. "He is putting on a front. I know it. Deep down it's killing him, and it bothers me because he's hurting. I'm his best friend, and I want to be able to help him, but I can't. When I do he just bursts out the door and doesn't even say anything to me."
A smile crept onto Maiev's face, and then she laughed outloud. "Do you want to know what I think?"
"I don't, but I'm pretty sure you're gonna tell me." A fuzz began to descend upon his brain as he somehow came close to the bottom of his second mug of beer. He scoffed internally at the thought of getting drunk already. As King of Stormwind he rarely got to drink, and when he did it was a glass of wine at supper and that was it so it always came as a surprise how fast he actually lost grip on things.
Maiev leaned across the bar closer to him. "I think you worry about Wrathion for other reasons. Like your friendship I'm pretty sure has blossomed into something more whether you want to accept that or not. Could also be why you and Yrel haven't slept together yet."
The thought outraged Anduin. How dare she think the royal heir of Stormwind would be into a dragon, a male dragon at that. "I do not like him! I'm into women, Maiev! Why would you even say something like that?" he shouted.
"Ah, datin' tha boys. What I wou' give ta be young again," a voice stammered. Anduin spun around to see the dwarf headed out of the bathroom and watched him stumble and make his way back outside.
"I don't know. I just thought-," Maiev shrugged.
Anduin slammed the rest of his drink back and threw the mug back onto the bar causing Kargath to snort from across the bar. "You thought wrong! I can't believe you would even say something like that. I'm gonna go home and make love to my girlfriend because I can and I want to." Quickly he stood up and his head began to rush and just as fast as he had stood up, he tripped and fell backwards over his bar stool.
Maiev leaned over the bar and asked, "Are you okay? Anduin, you can't. You're clearly intoxicated."
"Yeah. I'm intoxicated with love," he paused for a bit and started to saunter towards the door, "for my girlfriend." As he strolled out onto the street he noticed the city had died down a bit. The thought made him smile as it would be easier to get back to his room.
Determined he set off in the direction of A Hero's Welcome, swaying every couple of steps he took. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally made it to the inn and up the stairs to his room. When he opened the door, he saw Yrel beneath the covers in bed reading a book. She looked up when he entered the room, and almost immediately looked back down. "Where's the food?" she asked.
"What I wanted-," he hiccuped, "wasn't on the menu," he declared as he closed the door. Slowly he walked towards the bed and once he reached it he began to crawl on top of the draenei.
"Anduin, what are you talking about? What's going on?" she asked.
"Sh," he whispered. His fingers wound their way into her hair, and he bent down and pressed his lips to hers. Gingerly the moved their way to her neck and as he opened up the blouse she was wearing he started to trace the contours of her chest.
As he started to caress her, she tossed her book to the side and ripped open his shirt. She noted how scrawny he was and hoped that she wouldn't hurt him, but threw the thought aside as they both pulled off the rest of their clothing and made their way under the covers.
When Anduin reached Yrel's bottom abdomen, he stopped and sat up. Her entire form had changed. Instead of a blue draenei he saw a brown skinned man. "What's the matter?" the man asked. Anduin peered into the man's red eyes and knew it wasn't real, but he didn't care. He dove back into Wrathion grasping every muscle in his body. They swung back and forth in ecstasy until at last a rush of relief filled his body, and he rolled over.
"Anduin, I love you," he heard Yrel say. He peered over and sobered almost instantly as he saw the woman lying there. His eyes quickly darted to the ceiling and a new sweat broke out over him.
What did I just do?
