Screaming. Crying. That's all Osiris could here. Her vison black. Panic set through her, the screams where unbearable. So many screams, men, woman… children. The darkness still swarmed her eyes, fear was all she could feel. No other thought. Just fear. Breathing, heavy breathing. A new sound. Breaking through the never-ending torment. Warmth, she could feel warmth. The cry's for help now in the distance, muffled. A face loomed into view as she was pulled away from something. She felt hands holding her. The face was blurred, all around her darkness. Then gone, the face was gone. A cry rang out. It blurred into the desperate screams all around her.
"Osiris!" Someone called through the darkness. From the unknown.
Osiris's eyes snapped open, the morning sun did not welcome her back. It stayed hidden behind the thick black clouds above. Her eyes focused on a face that loomed over her.
"You ok?" Zellen asked, his hand still on her shoulder. Osiris took a moment to catch her breath, the ruins of a once great building surrounded her. The crackling of burnt wood was all that could be heard, not one bird sung.
"Nightmare." Osiris replied, she pushed herself up of her blanket. One quick look around reviled everyone ells remained asleep.
"The same one?"
"No different, I've never had that one before." She paused, the dream still all to vivid. "But it was much worse." Osiris rubbed her eyes, tears littered her face. She pulled back one of her hands and inspected it.
"You where crying, that's why I woke you." Zellen told her, he was crouched beside her. Still fully armoured, ready for battle. They all where. In the corner of the large room she was just able to see a pile of Hawkstrider's, it seemed her crying had only awoken Zellen. "The others will wake soon; the sun is up but it can't pierce the clouds." Zellen looked to the small fire, Osiris family where scattered around it. Her eyes then switched to the large open archway, a dead land waited on the other side. The trees where dead, not a single leaf took its place on the broken branches. A slight fog seemed to creep across the land. Osiris had never been to the Ghostlands, she had never strayed far from SilverMoon. And for this she was glad, there was a smell of death. It was in the breeze. The scourge ruled these lands. Osiris lay back down on her blanket, twisting her necklace in her hand.
Its was silent as they made their way through the rest of the Ghostlands, they had managed to avoided detection so far. But the Scourge are everywhere. No one dared breath a word. Osiris watched the others in front, her grandfather leading their convoy. She had purposely fallen behind slightly, leaving her to ponder over her thoughts. The trees seemed to reach out for her, with there white spiked branches. Mist seemed to circle beneath them. Suddenly it came into view. A once majestic building had been tainted by the darkness that surrounded it. A central circler building was dull; the colour had faded. Parts of it fallen away. Four towers surrounded it, and in the centre of it all a grand gate. They where soon all lined up outside the front. There Hawkstrider turning to each other, seeming to have their own conversation about the eeriness of the abandoned gate. The open abandoned gate. The eastern Plaugelands waited on the other side. Osiris examined the new world that lay on the other side, it still had an essence of death. From what she could see from her side of the gate, the fir trees where strange to her, there trunks where straight and not twisted. But life seemed not to seep through a single inch of it, it seemed to be rotting. The grass and bushes shared this fate, there orange colour made them blend in with the rest of the environment.
"I don't see the mage they spoke of." Lorrus announced. No one wanted to take another step, Osiris looked at Zellen. He offered her a forced smile, she smiled back enjoying his effort. His eyes showed his fear. Out of nowhere her sight was taken from her, a flash of blue light consuming the land around her. Osiris had to grip her rains tightly as her Hawkstrider stumbled back. Osiris blinked rapidly, her sight slowly coming back. Within a few more seconds her eyes began to focus again.
"Sorry about that." An unfamiliar voice called. Her eyes focused on the stranger. The old man stood strong, a blue aura emitted from him. It soon evaporated it to the air. His eyes were what she focused on, blue. His ears like hers. His hair grey but neatly pushed back. A human. Zellen and the rest of her family studied the man carefully.
"You speak our tongue?" the others where as surprised as Lorrus.
"Thanks to the help of a translation spell." The man admitted.
"I assume you are the mage?" Lorrus asked, his tone strong, his posture revealing the power hidden within his body.
"khadgar, pleasure to meet you. I assume you're Lorrus Dawnheart?" Osiris only then noticed the staff the man carried. Its long wooden pole had an unfamiliar bird carved into the top. A single piece of red fabric dangled from where it was rapped around the base of the bird carving.
"You would assume correctly." Lorrus replied, his dark purple Hawkstrider stood completely still as he dismounted. Everyone ells followed his lead, it was a relief for Osiris after hours in the saddle her legs preyed for a rest. "My son and daughter Lolaen and Elyn, My granddaughter Osiris and her friend Zellen Flamewalker." Lorrus gestured towards each of them. Khadgar smiled.
"I must say I am glad to finally meet you all, you must understand I dont see you as the enemy or even as part of the horde." Khadgar focused on Osiris for a second. There eyes locked. "You have had no part in what the horde has been doing, You're here to try and fix what they've done, something you're not apart of. I respect all of you." Khadgar took his eyes from Osiris.
"Thank you for your words." Lorrus was overwhelmed by the kindness of the human, over the year's his thoughts of humans had changed dramatically thanks to Osiris finding a place in his heart. If he was the man he was before he ever met Osiris, he would have not hesitated to kill the old man on sight.
"When you are ready I will take you to Stormwind." Khadgar announced. Osiris looked over at Zellen, both of them sensed each other fear. Everything was going to change.
"We are ready." Lorrus said without hesitation, Lolaen eyed khadgar suspiciously. Elyn had been listening closely. Khadgar presented his staff out in front of him, bright blue runes appeared around them. Zellen watched amazed, his eyes not believing what was right in front of him. Osiris put her hand of Light's feathered neck. Then with another flash of blinding blue light they where gone. The Ghostlands returned to its emptiness, its death. It was as if they where never there.
