Chapter 9: The White Lady's Gift
As Ellinorra opened her eyes she was in a different place. She looked around in this new world of green, a pure world where nature's life thrived. This place seemed primitive yet powerful.
Beasts of many legends and lore were here, ones that many had said died long before her Kaldorei ancestors moved to Suramar.
This world seemed untouched by the taint in Azeroth. It was a beauteous sight.
Suddenly, someone appeared before her. Ellinorra saw that it was a woman, around the same size of the statue in the Temple of the Moon.
It was hard to see her appearance through the luminescence that surrounded her, Ellinorra only caught glimpses of alabaster skin and long, pale hair, graceful gossamer robes and a platinum circlet upon her brow. Her eyes were brilliant orbs of pure moonlight, and she smiled peacefully upon Ellinorra.
Realization struck through Ellinorra and she quickly got on her hands and knees before her Goddess, Elune.
"Ishnu-ala Shan'do!" Ellinorra said in respect.
A warm and peaceful voice filled inside Ellinorra's mind.
"You may rise my faithful Kaldorei." The Moon Goddess told her.
Ellinorra did as she said and quickly rose. "Elune, where-where are we?"
"We are in the Emerald Dream. Are you familiar with this place, my Earth child?"
"Yes. This is an ever changing realm, a world outside the boundaries of the physical world. This is what Azeroth may had been had the taint of intelligent beings not have interfered, but as far as I am concerned only druids come here for their true training to begin. I have no such powers over nature, that a druid would. I am only a priestess."
"You are not only a priestess, Teldorei."
"What do you mean?" Ellinorra inquired.
"A life as my faithful priestess was not the path you were meant to take, unlike your Sisters of Elune, your path was predetermined the very first moment I was able to commune with you through visions of the Sin'dorei lands. Those visions are why you are here in my presence this very moment. I am here to give you powers of an archdruid. Ysera has allowed me to grant you these powers, for she finds you worthy, and as do I."
"But, My Goddess, I-I don't know if I can take such powers. There are few archdruids in Azeroth, and I am sure none has as much power as you are going to give me. What, White Lady, what would you have me do with such powers?"
"To fully understand, you must see what Ysera and I have seen, Ellinorra."
A golden orb of light descended down to Ellinorra. The young priestess slowly reached for the orb.
When she made contact she felt herself being transported to another place in time.
Finally when it stopped she seemed to be in a different place, one that was very strange yet familiar to her.
Elune's voice whispered in her mind. "Do you remember this place? No, you do not recognize it in this condition. Look closer, what do you see on the ground."
Ellinorra looked down and gasped at the sight. A young Night Elven child lay at her feet, limp and dead. She looked around as she slowly discovered this place that laid in ruins, burned, and covered in death was once her home. She walked to where the Temple of the Moon would be and saw all her sisters, dead just like the others. The Old Ones that once guarded her city were burnt to nothing more than ashes.
The priestess saw that their Night Elven flags were set aflame.
Suddenly, Ellinorra heard a cry of rage and despair, she ran towards the voice that came from the main entrance of Darnassus, and saw a horrible sight.
Tyrande was surrounded by Blood Elves, her sentinels were dead, and it was just her.
Fandral stood beside Thonianion, the Sin'dorei's King.
"I tried to tell the Circle you were unfit to rule the Night Elves because I see what you cannot, that does not matter now, I am no longer an archdruid of Darnassus or slave to your Goddess. I rule under a different alliance now! One that does not limit powers because of personal gain! I am now a Druid of the Flame!"
"Fandral you traitor, you let them kill innocent people!" Tyrande exclaimed.
"Nothing in this world is innocent, except the flame." Fandral raised his hands in the air and a tornado of fire consumed him. When the fire ceased Fandral was gone.
Tyrande fell to her knees. "Goddess I have failed you..."
Thonianion was about to say something when a Blood Elf woman lunged in front of Tyrande.
"How could you do this father?" The woman yelled.
Thonianion's men were confused and began whispering and shaking their heads.
"Innocent people are dead because of you! All of this was because I loved a Night Elf. Are you men proud! Is this what it means to be Sin'dorei! The men and women you've slain today are no different from our innocent people slain years ago; they are the very reason why we call ourselves 'Sin'dorei' because we have chosen to honor them and their death. Is this what it truly means to be Sin'dorei?" Her words echoed around them.
Some of the men gave reluctant looks; others showed remorse in their eyes.
A large black panther jump over the militia and landed next to the Blood Elf woman.
The panther began to shift back into his original form, a Night Elf.
"Kill them! Kill them all! That is not my daughter, not anymore. She is merely a puppet for these tree-hugging heathens; she has been exposed to them for too long she cannot be saved!"
His men hesitated.
"I command you to kill them!" Thonianion ordered.
No one did anything.
The woman took her chance to speak.
"This is the man I love! This is the woman who saved us from a murderous tyrant you call King, and I once called father." The Blood elf pointed to Tyrande and the man beside her. "Whatever reason Thonianion gave you about why or how i left is a lie! I left because I love Azzeron not Warren, and Warren has no ill feelings towards my choice, he gave me his blessings-"
"And look where his 'blessings' got him! He's dead because of your 'choice'."
"He's not dead because of me; he's dead because of you, Thonianion! Thousands are dead because of you and I think your men deserve to know what for." The blood elf woman turned from her father and faced the Sin'dorei army.
"You were ordered to have thousands of innocent people die by your blades because-" The Blood Elf stopped. As she looked down she saw a bloodied arrow protruding from her chest and she fell to the ground.
"Belethe no," The Night Elf man yelled. He began chanting, speaking in an ancient language taught among the druids. This spell was one that was known to heal any wound of the fallen but before he could finish his spell Thonianion shot a second arrow, killing the Night Elf.
He grabbed one last arrow and aimed for Tyrande.
"You should have listened to Fandral's words when he suggested that you kill Azzeron, the outcome would have been better for all."
"Had I have listened to him, Elune would have been displeased. I know she approves of the choices I've made because she has been with me through them all."
"Tell me Priestess, where is you 'blessed Elune' now?" Thonianion said, with smug look upon his face.
"Somewhere where you'll never be; a place of pure good and happiness that is untouchable by the taint that is consuming you and your people."
As he shot his longbow Ellinorra screamed trying to lunge and save Tyrande but she felt herself being pulled out of that world and back into the Emerald Dream.
"This world is on the verge of war yet again, and I fear this is one that none will ever win. Not without innocent bloodshed and not without eradication. I have seen many futures but none are as grim as this, and none are more realistic if nothing is done. You must travel to Moonglade, that is where Tyrande is, you must warn her of the Sin'dorei's attacks, you must tell her that you have seen through my eyes what the outcome will be if she chooses to be unwise. Do you accept the powers I am about to give you?"
"Have I any choice?" Ellinorra asked.
"The free of will always has a choice, young one."
Ellinorra didn't hesitate. "I accept these powers. I will do what you ask and travel to Moonglade."
"You must remember these powers are meant for the healing and nurturing of Azeroth's nature and beings and cannot be used for personal gain. An archdruid can take many forms if they desire it so, but focus is what you'll need to keep that form. You must also take in consideration that few forms will take part in the harming of beings, so you must ask yourself if it is righteous enough for that form to fight or find another way to win the battle without the shedding of blood."
"I will remember, Goddess." Ellinorra kneel once again before Elune.
"When in hope, you doubt. Remember I will be with you."
Ellinorra nodded.
Suddenly the warm feeling that brought her here, came over her again. She knew she was going back, and she was ready for it...