When the sun found the moon
She was drinking tea in a garden
Under the green umbrella trees
In the middle of summer
After what seemed like ages, Arzog and Akirlia had managed to leave Outland and find their way to Northrend, though the task was nothing easy for the troll. While the Draenei had been perfectly at ease in Zangarmarsh and Shattrath, the moment they left any of those places, Akirlia lost her composure, losing herself in dark memories of the past, suffering severe anxiety attacks, tears streaming down her face. It was imperative to Arzog that he get her away as quickly as possible, and soon enough, they had found themselves in Dalaran, where Arzog has promised to meet his good friend, Aerleus Sunsorrow, that week. It hadn't taken long for him to find the stoic Blood Elf, and after a quick conversation, Arzog had managed to convince Aerleus to meet Akirlia.
Slouching through Dalaran with his Blood Elf companion, Arzog and his friend Aerleus searched for any sign of the woman the troll had accompanying him. She was more than Arzog could have ever asked for: stunningly beautiful, delicate like the most precious flower, yet commanding all the power of the goddesses on high. Akirlia was her name, and he wanted his closest friend in all of Azeroth to know the glowing soul that Arzog had been blessed with meeting.
However, Aerleus did not feel the same. While tall for a Blood Elf, Aerleus still did not compare to the impressive stature of his fellow Death Knight, and as they approached the garden in which Akirlia resided, his hands tapped against the armor of his leg, nose wrinkled as he felt the stares of the citizens of Dalaran upon him. Blonde hair brushed over his face in the cool breeze, barring his vision momentarily as they rounded a corner, and as Arzog stopped him, he was able to regain himself, clearing his vision, his eyes fell upon the most magnificent woman he had ever laid his gaze upon.
Platinum hair pushed over to the side of her face, her glowing silver eyes were fixed upon the book before her, idly stirring her tea which rested beside her. Her blue skin was shaded by the leaves of a willow tree, planted in the middle of the small garden, and one leg was crossed over they other, her hoof jiggling as though it had a mind of its own. She was so lovely, entranced in her book that Aerleus found himself staring, the tips of his ears growing warm as he straightened himself up, glancing at Arzog, whose gaze was likewise fixed upon her.
"'Ey, Kir!" he called, and the Draenei's head popped up, her face brightening into a smile as her eyes fell upon the troll and his friend. A moment later, she had stood, herself, and marking her page, set her book down, walking toward Arzog and Aerleus, her lips still curved.
"I wondered if you were ever going to find me!" she said with a chuckle, making a face. Aerleus' skin shivered as he allowed her voice to wash over him, thick with the accent of the Draenei people, yet soft and kind, even musical. She was a slight bit taller than Aerleus, and as her gaze moved from Arzog to him, the Blood Elf stiffened, his eyes locking upon Akirlia's.
"You must be Aerleus," she said softly, offering him a hand. "Arzog has said such good things about you…I couldn't wait to finally meet you." He looked at her hand for a moment, at a loss for what to do. Had he really been so secluded that a simple handshake was too much for him? No, not this time. Not today. Firmly grasping her slender hand, the warmth of her living body almost caused a jolt of life to strike at his heart, and when he felt her lips brush against his cheek in greeting, his stomach dropped, not used to such contact, especially from one as beautiful as Akirlia.
As she pulled away, he cleared his throat, brows furrowing slightly, concentrating on keeping the heat from rising upon his cheeks. His eyes found hers once more, and seeing the smile upon her features gave him reason to form a thin-lipped smile of his own, though still obviously uncomfortable.
Arzog must have sensed this, for a moment later he clapped his hand upon Aerleus' shoulder, roughing him up a bit. "Ya two kids get ta know each other now, got it? Ah've got some errands ta run." The troll noticed his friend stiffen, and he threw his arm around his shoulder, a deep chuckle escaping him. "Don' be worryin' yerself, Aer. Ah be leavin' ya in good hands." Without another word, he had disappeared, leacing Aerleus alone with the Draenei woman, who continued to smile warmly as they were left alone.
"Let's not stand around," she said with a small laugh, brushing her hair our of her eyes. His posture was rigid and uncomfortable, that much Akirlia could see, and closing her eyes for a moment, a glowing ruin appeared on her brow, the Gift of the Naaru washing over Aerleus, hoping that it would calm him.
Blinking, Aerleus' brows raised as he felt the warmth of the blessing wash over him, and as his gaze flickered back to Akirlia, seeing the glowing ruin and the smile upon her lips, he bowed his head humble, honored that she would perform such an act. "Thank you," he murmured solemnly, watching her as she held out her hand again to him. He was compelled to take it, but an internal struggle battled within him. She was so kind, so beautiful that he was already drawn to her presence like a bee to honey, but he did not want to seem eager in the simple action. She must have noticed, because a laugh, brilliant and musical, escaped her again as she wrapped her hand around his, pulling the Blood Elf along to her table under the willow tree, taking a seat as he sat across from her, his fingers knitting together upon the table as he studied her once more.
"Would you like some tea?" she asked, sliding a teapot near to her, an extra two teacups sitting next to it. "I had in mind that Arzog would be joining us, but I would guess not." She shrugged, shaking her head as she raised a brow, but her eyes, glowing and full of warmth and happiness, were still upon Aerleus, who nodded his head curtly, accepting her offer.
"Yes, please," he murmured, watching as she carefully poured him a cup. Even her movements were as graceful as she appeared, and as she handed him the tea, he reached out to take the cup, cold hand brushing against the warmth of her skin. It was a wonder she didn't shiver at the contact, but he bowed his head in a silent thanks before taking a sip of the hot liquid.
"Arzog tells me you live here in Northrend," she murmured, her index finger tracing along the lip of her cup. He nodded, leaning back in his seat slightly, placing his tea upon the table.
"I do," he said shortly. He could have punched himself. This woman was making an attempt to know him, to be open with him, and what was he doing? Two word replies, at best. It was a wonder she didn't just leave, fed up with his lack of communication. But perhaps Arzog had told her more than she was letting on, and she knew that his people skills were less than satisfactory.
"Mm," she mused, taking a drink of her tea. "I come to Dalaran once in a while, but we've made our home in the Eastern Kingdoms, in the Plaguelands." Her nose wrinkled in distaste at the thought, an action that Aerleus found rather cute, surprising himself with the unexpected thought. Though it had shown outwardly, Akirlia seemed not to notice as she shook her head, a smile upon her lips once more.
"Sounds, ah, pleasant." Come on, Aerleus. Say something more to her. He cleared his throat, crossing a leg over the other, his fingers tapping idly upon his thigh. "How did you end up meeting Arzog?" It was progress, to say the least, and Akirlia seemed to hop onto the question with ease.
"We tried to kill each other in Outland," she said simply, though Aerleus swore he saw a shudder plague her otherwise tranquil demeanor. He wondered why that was…perhaps he would ask in time, but to bring up something that could cause potentially bad memories would not be the best sort of first impression upon the lovely woman. Shaking her head, her smile reappeared, as though nothing had bothered in her in the first place. "We ran into each other in Zangarmarsh; I was alone, he was alone. I attacked and he won, ahaha. And now we're here!" Even as she said the name of Zangarmarsh, her voice had a dark inflection to it, no matter how cheerful her demeanor seemed to be.
His gaze swept over her face, though as her eyes found his, Aerleus found him drawn into them. Large, silver, and glowing, they bore a kindness that Aerleus was not used to, and once again, he found her intoxicating presence sending another jolt of life to his deadened heart, causing feelings of both warmth and panic to bounce around in his head. She is Arzog's intended. I'm just feeling this way because my own interactions have been rare, especially kind ones. Still, he couldn't help but feel a gnawing in his gut as he watched her lips curve into a smile, leaning forward against the table, her blonde hair fluttering in the cool evening breeze.
Evening? Had it already gotten that late? His brows furrowed together as his eyes searched for the sky, amazed that the sun was already starting its descent into the west, the clear blue sky beginning to turn into shades of gold and pink. Akirlia watched his face for a moment, biting her lip as she stifled a giggle at the surprised expression which had crossed his features. Though a moment later her eyes followed his, watching the beautiful display of colors as the sun continued to set.
"It's beautiful, isn't it," she sighed, feeling his gaze shift to her, though her eyes remained fixed upon the sky, watching as the twinkling of stars began to pop up here and there. Aerleus' eyes swept over each angle of her face to the curve of her horns to the slender tendrils that rested upon her shoulder.
"Yes…y-" He stopped himself short, his gaze fixing back upon the sky. Had he just about told her that she was beautiful? Akirlia noticed the hesitation in his voice, looking back at Aerleus, noticing the calm expression upon his face, though his eyes were slightly wider than usual in horror at what he had just about said. Gently, tentatively, she reached for his hand, giving it a small, affectionate squeeze, causing him to twitch slightly, though otherwise relax from her touch, gulping as his heart seemed to pick up its rather slow pace. She smiled at him warmly, her eyes still fixed upon his, drawing him in like a butterfly to a flower, and she sighed contentedly, completely happy with the moment.
"I'm glad to have met you, Aerleus," she murmured. "I really and truly am. Please, after we part, do keep in touch. I know Arzog misses you a lot, from the way he speaks of you, and I don't want this to be a one time thing for you and I." He was unable to speak, the strange feelings within him making it impossible to string two words together, though instead he nodded, allowing a smile, as small as it was, to grace his features, causing Akirlia's to widen even more.
"Thank you," she murmured, giving his hand one final squeeze before letting it fall away, and Aerleus found himself longing for the warmth of her hand once again. Even the voice within him, telling him this was wrong to think, couldn't stop the happiness that swelled in his heart.
"Expect letters from me," she mused, her smile becoming mischievous. "I'm afraid you probably won't be able to get rid of me now…I hope you know what you're getting yourself into." She winked before they both gazed at the sky, Draenei and Blood Elf feeling far better than they had in ages, watching the glowing moon, as silvery as Akirlia's eyes, rise into the blackened night.
In the middle of summer
All was golden in the sky
All was golden when the day met the night
