Sorry it's been FOREVER! I feel really bad, guys. :P However, the story's about to pick up in pace... A lot.
Review responses:
lolperson2: It is pie? I like pie!
peachycupcake: Aye! And have some crazy fun in the process. ;D
Raistlin the Mage: Silly, adorable protective Lucian. :D He just doesn't get it.
Strazor: Not only something to do with the relic.. They're going to play a HUGE part in this story! :D
Shion Rasenka: Haha yes! Poor Fenris... He gets a li'l confused sometimes. :) And yes! Lots of adventure!
jillyjillyfairfax: I contemplated making him unhappy about it, and then I decided that by this point of his stress, he's at his breaking point and will pretty much just do whatever Norivana says. xD As for Unaril, I'll let him know you said that. He'll be quite pleased. ;) As for the cookies, OOH! Thank you! I needed those. :D
Aeschielle-Moonguard: Yes, four for you, Norivana! And none for Gretchen Weiners. Bye!
Sonya-Valentine: Bwahaha Norivana isn't your typical mother, either. :D
Connet: Muaha! Just wait 'til you see what kind of mischief they'll get into.
Zarabethe: Ahh, I know right? Definitely a Norivana move. :D
Khaylie: Ooh! I'm so glad you liked Breaking Faith, and especially that you're liking this one, too! And yes... This chapter in particular is definitely a Nyela/Sarion chapter. DEFINITELY. /author cackle
CherryMountain: Haha! That is awesome that you're a twin.. Jealous! xD And as for Aitto and Eko being in this story, I'm really bad with race ages but since this story is set 100 years in the future, both Eko and Aitto will have gotten old and passed away by now. :( But because I'm going to someday add in a sequel between Breaking Faith and Reawakening, they'll both definitely be in that one.
"I think you should go with them."
Nyela stared at her mother with surprise written across her face, her jaw slightly dropping.
"You—I—You want me to?" Nyela finally stuttered. Through her entire rant, she hadn't expected this as an answer.
Norivana smirked. "Yes, I think it would be good for you if you went with the twins. Not only do I trust them, but I also trust you, too. You do want to go, right? That's what this is about?"
"Of course I want to go! You mean you'll let me go even though Dad is against it?" Nyela was confused; her parents generally agreed on most things, especially when it came to taking care of their children. The fact that her mother was blatantly telling Nyela to disregard her father's orders was shocking.
"Lucian will warm up to the idea," Norivana just laughed, sipping her tea again. "He is just being a bit protective."
"Understatement of the century," Nyela scoffed, but then softened when her mom gave her a look.
"He only wants what is best for you, Nyela," Norivana reasoned. "He loves you, and he doesn't want you to go somewhere he can't easily find you."
Nyela slumped her shoulders. "I know..."
"I will talk to him." Norivana reassured her, "You'll be off on your little adventure before you know it."
Nyela smiled in relief, and Norivana returned the gesture.
"Now, let me get it all taken care of," Norivana said as she stepped to the open doorway of the room they were in. "You go pack your things. Make sure to pack lightly; include a good amount of money—split that money up in smaller purses in case of pickpockets—, a few changes of clothing, and maybe one or two personal items at most. You don't want to get weighed down. We'll keep your other things safely tucked away here while you are gone."
"Thanks," Nyela replied, feeling a little in shock that her mother had actually permitted her to go. She still hadn't allowed the realization to kick in, but she did as her mother asked, and she went up to her room and began to pull out some different clothing changes.
Fenris watched her as she rifled through different outfits.
What are you doing? He asked her curiously.
Packing, Nyela replied plainly.
If wolves could roll their eyes like people, Fenris definitely would have, and she could hear his sarcasm in his voice. Oh okay, thank you, I never would've guessed that.
Nyela simply smirked. Fenris the sarcastic Dire Wolf.
But… Seriously, Fenris prodded, What are you packing for?
"I'm going with Unaril and Sarion to Stormwind," Nyela said aloud as she finally found the shirt she'd been looking for and stuffed it into a bag. "We're going to get something from the cathedral there."
I see, Fenris stretched out across her floor, rolling over onto his back and relaxing. How long will you be gone? Can I come?
"You can come along if you want to," Nyela replied. "I don't know how long we'll be gone. It could be a while."
If you are leaving for a long time, I am going with you. Fenris said, and it sounded almost like an order. He stretched his paws straight into the air, obviously enjoying his leisure time now that the two of them had been training nonstop for months and free time was precious.
"Like I said," Nyela shrugged her shoulders. "You can come if you want."
Fenris rolled back onto his stomach and looked up at her. When are we leaving?
"Soon."
Just tell me when, he requested, rolling back over and resting his head on the floor. I'm taking a nap.
Nyela smirked and nodded. "Alright, buddy. You sleep well."
Fenris simply snorted in response and resumed his relaxation while Nyela finished stuffing clothes into her bag. Seconds later, she heard a knock at her door, and then her mother simply let herself in. Fenris glanced up, but at the sight of Norivana, he just lay his head back down on the ground and closed his eyes.
Norivana was carrying a large pack of something, which she toted over to the bed and then let it hit the mattress.
"What is that?" Nyela asked curiously, walking around the bed over next to her mother. She peered at the big bag. It was odd-shaped and cinched shut, so she had no notion of what it could possibly be.
Norivana's eyes flicked over to her sideways and she smirked with one corner of her mouth. "A gift."
Nyela raised her brows. "A gift? What for?"
"Your birthday is in two weeks," Norivana stated. "I was going to save it for then, but seeing as now you might be gone in two weeks' time, I don't think you'll mind receiving it early."
Nyela grinned excitedly and just stood there staring at it, and Norivana laughed.
"Open it!"
Nyela pulled the cinch open and turned the bag upside-down, letting its contents spill out onto the bed. Her eyes widened. Sitting there on her bed was a full set of leather armor.
"What are these for?" she reached out and picked up a pair of lightly-dyed leather greaves, inspecting them carefully. They had gold and silver etching into the material, embroidery had been sewn into the borders in beautiful patterns, and the leather itself had been tinted a royal, rich blue, almost purply. She reached out and grabbed one of the pairs of armored gloves and slipped it on; it fit perfectly.
"For you, obviously," Norivana laughed. "I spoke to your trainer, Dorion; he said you're one of his most brilliant students, and that you've already passed up the skills of some people who've been training for years." Norivana lifted a brow. "That's extremely impressive, Nyela. I'm proud of you."
Nyela smiled at the compliment. "Thanks. It's something I truly love doing... It comes naturally."
"And that's why you're so successful at it," Norivana said simply. She reached out and picked up the armored chest-piece and held it out. "Want me to help you into it? Sometimes wearing armor when going on a mission can get you more respect than just simple clothing."
"Sure. Does that mean Dad is letting me go?" Nyela smirked.
Norivana smiled as she started to help Nyela slide into the armor and began strapping her in. "He didn't take as much convincing as you'd expect, actually."
"How come?" Nyela wondered. He had seemed so strongly against her going before.
"Oh, I just made the point that when I was your age, I had already been in an army for eight years. I had to help him out of the mindset that he's in; he still thinks of you as his baby girl, and he probably always will. He'll let you go, though. I made sure of it. I think he just needed someone to reason with him. He's at his wits end with almost losing one of his children," she said sadly. "And he doesn't want to lose you both."
Nyela softened immediately and suddenly felt a pang of guilt and sympathy toward her dad. She'd known he was being overprotective, but now hearing someone else explain his motives helped her understand better. This had to be tough for him, with Julian and everything. She hadn't even thought of it like that.
Norivana continued, "Getting you this armor was his idea too, you know. He picked it out for you."
Nyela smiled and chewed her lip in thought as her mom tightened the shoulder and chest guard straps at her back, which made the armor fit her snugly to her frame. It was lightweight, breathable, and allowed for easy movement, but at the same it time made Nyela feel secure. It was perfect.
"Lucian knows his way around armor," Norivana said. "He helped me find my first unique set when we first met."
"He definitely chose it well," Nyela said as she then slipped her feet into her boots and tightened the greaves at her shins. "I'll have to thank him before I leave."
She slipped on the bracers, then the gloves, and stood up straight. Norivana took a few steps back to inspect her and smiled widely.
"It looks like it all fits," Norivana grinned.
"It feels amazing," Nyela commented, raising her arms and twisting around to test her field of motion. It seemed she could get into just about any position and the armor wouldn't impede her movement, which made her extremely happy.
"Now for the best part," Norivana said, and Nyela's brows raised.
"Best part? You mean this armor isn't the best part?"
Norivana held up one hand. "Stay right there." She then took off out of Nyela's room without further warning.
Nyela laughed to herself. What else did her mother have in store?
About fifteen seconds later, Norivana appeared, panting ever-so-slightly as if she'd just sprinted a flight of stairs. Actually, she must have, now that Nyela thought about it.
In her hands was, in Nyela's opinion, a beautiful sight.
Norivana held out a slender, sleek black longbow with rabbit fur silencers at each end of the bowstring as well as a matching quiver filled with sleek arrows. Nyela's eyes widened and she held her hands out to take it, lifting the bow into one hand. It was the perfect weight, was balanced correctly, and it fit in her palm just right.
"Dorion said that one would best fit your skill set," Norivana added. "It's weighted properly, too. Ready to use."
Nyela grinned happily. "I don't even have words..!"
Norivana smiled back as she helped Nyela strap the quiver into place. "I'm glad you like them." Nyela stretched the bowstring over her torso to keep it snugly held in its place at her back.
A voice came from her doorway.
"There's a true Hunter," her father said in a cheerful voice.
Nyela glanced over to see him leaning on the frame. She grinned.
"This is amazing!"
He chuckled and walked into her room. "We thought you'd like it."
Nodding, Nyela approached and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Dad."
He hugged her back, then pulled back and peered down at her. "So, I may have had a change of heart regarding you accompanying the twins."
Nyela gave him an impish smile. "So I heard."
He ran one hand through his hair and glanced up at Norivana, sending her a slight smile and letting out a sigh. "Yeah, it required me receiving a bit of a wake-up call, though."
"Courtesy of Mom?" Nyela laughed.
"Courtesy of your mother," he confirmed, then dropped his voice jokingly, "She packs a mean right hook."
"Hey!" Norivana butted in. "I did no such thing!" She looked at Nyela with a smirk. "I was entirely diplomatic the entire time. Fists were never involved."
Lucian held his hands up and shrugged, walking toward the doorway, "Whatever you say!" he said tauntingly, then turned around and sent Norivana a challenging wink.
A wily glare etched itself into Norivana's features, and she leapt at Lucian, who began chortling and running away from her through the hall and down the stairs. Nyela could hear her mother running and laughing after him, and she just giggled and rolled her eyes. Her parents could be so endearingly childish at times.
Nyela finished packing and then took a moment to marvel at her armor, closely inspecting the immaculate detail of the embroidery on the gloves. It was woven with intertwined silver and gold threads, which were embedded into the material in various designs of both natural and geometric shapes that all came together into one beautiful pattern. It was obvious the armor wasn't only for protection purposes; it was ornamental as well, which made her quite happy. She now had an excuse to wear it not only if she actually needed it for practical matters, but she could also wear it to formal places and could pass as a respectable champion. Not that she technically was a champion, but... No one would know the difference.
Fenris's voice brought her out of her slight trance.
What are you wearing?
She glanced down at him. He was still relaxed on the floor but had raised his head and was looking at her with his head slightly cocked.
"Armor," she replied as she lifted up her lightweight backpack, which now had everything she'd need. "And a new bow, too."
Strange choice of clothing, Fenris commented. You look like the spiny women.
Nyela laughed aloud. Fenris didn't know what the Sentinels were here, and this was the third time he had called them 'spiny women'. Perhaps it was due to their many weapons and sharp armor, she was unsure, but the nickname was pretty entertaining either way.
"Well," Nyela said as she walked toward her door, "Come on! Time to go!"
Fenris hopped to his feet and followed alongside her, and she was about to go all the way down the stairs and into the parlor of the inn, but she stopped. She needed to see Julian one more time before she left.
She went to his room and stepped in and saw one of the Priests tending to the boy, replacing his bedding and giving him some rejuvenation spells in order to keep him stable. The man saw her come in and he gave her a courteous nod, then left the room silently to give her some space. She walked over next to Julian's bed and studied his peaceful, sleeping face.
"Just wanted to say goodbye," she said softly, reaching out and tucking his bright, blood-red hair behind one of his ears. He didn't respond, which was unsurprising, but she still let out a shaky breath. "I'm going to fix this, Julian. I'm going to fix my mistake, and you're going to get better. I'll make sure of it."
Fenris nudged one of her hands with his nose consolingly and she stroked the top of her wolf's head affectionately, wiping away a tear under one of her eyes that was beginning to spill.
"Damn it, Julian," she laughed, blinking furiously. "Screw you for making me cry." A few silent moments passed before she took a deep breath and let it out to get her bearings.
"I love you, kid," she murmured, then turned and left, with Fenris following closely.
She descended the stairs and reached the parlor, where to her delight she found Unaril sitting in one of the padded sofas, reading some sort of book. She walked over next to him, but he didn't notice her (seeing as he was deeply engrossed in his reading), so she simply sat down in a nearby chair and smirked, watching him in silence.
Finally she cleared her throat.
"Whatcha reading?" she asked, and his head jerked up, brows raised. One he caught sight of her, his eyes brightened.
"I didn't notice you come in. You're sneaky," he exclaimed, then glanced back down at the book in his lap. "This? Nothing interesting, really."
"It didn't seem uninteresting when you had your nose buried in it," Nyela retorted with a laugh.
He grinned and set it down. "It's a spell tome. Healing spells, mostly. I'm just refreshing my memory."
Before Nyela could reply, Unaril's brows lifted as he took in what she was wearing.
"Nice garb!" he said enthusiastically, "That looks incredible! Where did that come from?"
"It was a gift," she said.
"Damn fine gift," he whistled, then scratched his chin thoughtfully. "You know, I once had armor sort of like that... It was brand new, sitting in my rented room at an inn; I hadn't even had the chance to wear it when I died. It's a shame, really... T'was a great set."
Nyela blinked. "You treat dying like it was no big deal."
"Well it wasn't," he replied calmly, shrugging. "I don't feel like I actually died. Your father said it's been a century, but for me personally, it's been less than year. I feel like I went on a nine-month vacation with my brother in a forest."
"The brother that killed you, I might add," Nyela said with a slight laugh. "But then again, you don't seem to hold any resentment toward that either."
"Sarion didn't kill me," he said firmly with a shake of the head. "You have no idea how long it took for me to get that into his thick head."
"Sarion? Thick head? Of course not!" Nyela laughed sarcastically, and Unaril grinned.
"Boneheaded man, that one."
"Well... If you think about it, he did kill you," Nyela said, "I mean he didn't, but... even if it was unwillingly, Sarion did...sort of...kill you." She shook her head.
"Pretty heavy accusation," Sarion's lighthearted, rich voice came from the stairway at the opposite end of the room.
Unaril and Nyela looked in his direction. He was wearing some fairly old-fashioned armor that looked like it had seen its share of wear but still appeared to be in decent shape, and over his shoulder was a small burlap backpack. He looked sleek, slim and quite handsome as always, with his hair pulled back and his dark, full goatee neatly trimmed and pointed.
The man had a charming smirk on his face as he approached and regarded Unaril. "She is right, you know."
"Right, right, and I recall the look on your face when it happened," Unaril shook his head and clicked his tongue, then let out a whooshing breath. "Whew! Hardcore, man! You got all murder-y and had the evil green eyes and everything!" He chuckled as he looked back down at his tome and continued reading it.
Nyela noticed Sarion's brows tighten just ever so slightly, but he kept his smile. She got the impression that although he held no long-lasting spite surrounding the past, it was still a bit of a touchy topic. And, how could it not be? Killing his brother, even if it wasn't him doing it, was kind of a heavy weight to carry. The two seemed to use humor to bandage it, though.
Sarion looked at Nyela and his brows raised just as Unaril's had. "Where did you get that?" He walked over to her and inspected her clothes, reaching out and running his fingers along the detail of one shoulder-guard with a fascinated expression.
"What, the armor?"
"Yes," Sarion nodded and flashed a dazzling grin at her that made her heart flip flop. "It's impeccable."
"It was a gift," she replied, unable to resist the charm of his grin, and she smiled back at him almost unintentionally.
"Any specific occasion?" he asked her as he began to fiddle with a stray strap on his pack that had just slipped out of place.
"My birthday."
Both twins raised their heads and spoke in unison, "Today?"
"It's so weird when you two do that," Nyela murmured, amused. "No, it's in a couple weeks."
"Oh, okay," Sarion nodded, and Unaril frowned.
"So why such an early gift?"
"Because I am accompanying you to Stormwind," Nyela said matter-of-factly. "I might not be here in two weeks' time."
Sarion's eyes lit up, but then he squinted and smirked a little. "And how does your father feel about that?"
"He is willing to let me go."
"Really?" Unaril's entire expression lifted, and he stood out of his seat. "Yes! What are we waiting for?"
"I don't know," Nyela laughed, standing as well. "I guess we're at the mercy of he who provides the portals."
"That makes him sound ancient," Sarion said amusingly. "Any title that starts with 'he who' just makes a man sound like a venerable old fart."
"Lucian the venerable old fart," Nyela began giggling.
"Where is the fart?" Sarion asked his brother. "I'm ready to get going."
"I saw him and Norivana sprint out the front door a while earlier," Unaril laughed.
"They left?" Nyela asked.
"Well it looked more like Lucian was being chased out," Unaril snorted.
"I'll retrieve them," Sarion laughed. "They can't have gone far."
He left the room, and Unaril walked over to Fenris leisurely, sitting down next to the wolf on the floor and scratching under his ears.
Nyela sat back down in a chair and watched the two interact. Fenris was somewhat laid back when it came to Unaril and Sarion, even now after he had figured out their shape-shifting ability. Nyela had explained it all to him, and thankfully afterward he had accepted them fairly easily.
Currently, Nyela could sense that he was content and pleased to be getting this attention from Unaril - mainly happy with the ear scratches, which were the wolf's favorite thing second only to tummy rubs.
As if on cue, Fenris rolled over into his back and Unaril began scratching the pup's fluffy stomach. Nyela smirked to herself. Somehow, Unaril's magnetic personality managed to draw in even the wolf.
Nyela spoke. "He likes you."
"Mmhm! We're pals, aren't we, Fenris?" Unaril grinned, the cerulean tuft of hair on his chin shifting with the expression.
Fenris licked his lips contentedly in response and then let his tongue hang out to the side as he panted.
Footsteps could be heard coming from the entrance of the inn, and Unaril and Nyela both looked in that direction to see Lucian, Norivana, and Sarion approaching.
Unaril hopped up off the floor and grabbed his tome, as well as his own backpack from where he'd left it next to one of the seats, and Nyela stood as well.
"Ready to go?" Lucian asked them both.
"Very!" Nyela grinned happily, feeling excited.
"I'll be setting the portal destination to just outside our orchard," Lucian said.
"How?" Sarion asked. "I thought you could only port to designated Mage portal zones?"
"Edoril and I have been working on pinpointing our portals to non-designated areas rather than to the Mage towers, and I must say we've gotten quite good at it. I can port us anywhere now, not just major settlements." Lucian smiled, then added, "Oh, and I'll be going with you guys to the city; I need to check on the tribe and make sure Verdell hasn't set the world aflame while I've been gone."
"Is Norivana staying here?" Unaril wondered. "Or is someone going to stay with Julian, at least?"
"Yeah, I'm staying here in Darnassus," Norivana said with a smile.
"Alright then, let's get this party rolling," said Sarion, his striking eyes flashing excitedly.
Lucian nodded and rubbed his hands together, then prepared a portal while they waited. Nyela glanced at her mother and sent her a smile.
"I guess this is goodbye," Nyela smirked.
"Have fun," Norivana laughed. "Don't get into too much trouble, and be safe."
Nyela hugged her mom and nodded, and Sarion spoke up.
"Don't worry, Norivana. Nyela will have us two tall, handsome bodyguards by her side. Plus, said bodyguards have fangs and claws; she'll be fine." He winked.
Norivana laughed. "Good."
Not to mention the other bodyguard with fangs and claws, Nyela heard Fenris's voice sound out, and she giggled.
"Don't forget the Dire Wolf," she said. "I've got one of those, too." She scrubbed the animal behind the ears affectionately.
Lucian finished the portal and took a step back. "Ready!"
"Whoo!" Unaril hooted, then glanced back at Norivana. "See ya, 'Vana. Wish us luck!" With that, he stepped through the portal and vanished.
Sarion, right after Unaril, sent Norivana a friendly look and then he too disappeared through the portal.
"You next, Nyela," Lucian gestured for her to go first, so she stepped into the portal.
Nyela's senses practically exploded as she went through the portal; one moment, she'd been in a very quiet, very calm and warm building. The next, she was standing in a torrential downpour right as lightning cracked across the entire sky, letting out a deafening roar of thunder overhead that had her so surprised that she almost fell backward into Darnassus again. She held her hands over her head in a failing attempt to block the violent sheets of rain that fell here; during these few months away from home, she'd completely forgotten that the rainy season had started back home. What a day to return.
"Over here!" she heard Sarion calling from up ahead in the trees, and she followed it through the angry, chilling rain, running full-speed toward him. It appeared he'd found shelter in the forest trees, and as she reached him, she was incredibly thankful. She burst into the tree line and ran right smack into him, and he, now laughing hard, had to brace her with his arms to steady and stop her.
"By Elune," he chortled goodnaturedly, "Gotta come barreling through here like a damn kodo, do you?! It's just rain, goofball."
Nyela glared at him with a smirk, teeth chattering mostly due to the wetness, not the cold. Sarion noticed her shivering and abruptly, without question, drew her in close to himself, his giant arms wrapping around her and rubbing her own arms and shoulders to warm her up. It was working, even through her armor, and the man's action made her blush profusely.
"I don't like rain," she complained, teeth chattering.
"Oh, it has its perks, see?" Sarion murmured in a low, playful tone, still warming her up, if nothing else just with his own body heat, and she glanced up at him and caught his wink. She hoped desperately he didn't catch her blush, but from the single second they made eye contact, she knew she wasn't so lucky, because his grin widened mirthfully as he bit his lower lip.
"Aw! But the rain is wonderful!" Unaril retorted to the side, holding his long arms out wide.
"Is it?" Nyela snorted. "Then why don't I see you out in it if you like it so much?"
"I didn't say I liked being in the rain," he retorted lightly. "But that doesn't mean it isn't beautiful." He pointed out into the showers that were falling in gusts against the stone city, at the same moment as a violent tendril of lightning zig-zagged across the sky through the clouds and then struck down miles outside of the city. "Breathtaking forces of nature, storms."
In Nyela's peripheral, she saw her wolf appear through the portal and then her father, both of whom looked equally surprised at being assaulted by unforgiving sheets of rain. Sarion squeezed his arms for a half-second and then released Nyela upon her father's arrival, which nearly drew a pout from her at the disconnection. She didn't want to admit how much she'd liked that.
Fenris sensed Nyela immediately and ran to her, and Lucian followed him into the forest, where the trees blocked nearly all of the rain.
"Nice of you to join us," Unaril nudged Lucian with a smile, and Lucian nodded.
"Let's go," he said. "Lots to do today and little time to do it."
Everyone followed the chieftain as he led them back through the forest to the main tree, but as they reached it, they all slowed and then stopped and stared in shock. The whole place looked abandoned; no one was here, and the door of the tree had been closed off by a single board which was sloppily nailed into place.
Nyela glanced up at the three men, all of whom had very stern looks on their faces; it was the most unsettling to see such an expression on Unaril especially, because she'd never seen him so serious before.
"This is... wrong," Lucian practically growled under his breath before he stalked up to the door and grasped his fingers around the thick, nailed board, then gave one powerful yank and ripped the board from its place, removed the nail and put it in his pocket, then chucked the board to the side. "What is the meaning of this? Where is everyone?"
Sarion ran his hands along the smooth bark of the tree near the doorway that had been marred by the nail, his expression tense. "And what happened to this tree?"
"Something is off," Unaril murmured as he raised his gaze to stare up into the branches of the tall tree. "The forest is sicker."
Nyela felt like crying. This tree was her home, but in only two months of being away, it had been deserted and left for dead. Where were its inhabitants? Where were her friends, her family..?
Lucian looked like he wanted to go inside, but something was holding him back. However, before he could make up his mind, behind them approached quick footsteps through the brush.
"Lucian! Thank Elune you're here!" Glenn exclaimed, panting as he stomped to a halt before them all and leaning over to catch his breath before straightening back up. "Goodness, one more week and I was going to have to seek you out. Have you found a cure for Julian? And have you found what is wrong with this place?"
Lucian cleared his throat. "Glenn," he spoke quickly, "What is going on here?"
"Can't you tell?" Glenn said, lifting one brow. "This whole half of the orchard.. It's unsafe. I've relocated the tribe to the other side in tents and such, but this...this...whatever this is - it's spreading. Lucian, we've got to fix it or this whole forest will be done for."
"Where are the Darnassian Druids?" Lucian asked hurriedly. "Have they done nothing?"
"They left," Glenn said. "Just one week after you did, actually. They said it was far beyond anything they could handle."
"What? Are you serious?" Lucian hissed. His hands curled into fists and his arms and shoulders flexed tightly in restraint of his anger. He took a deep breath, then let it out slowly with his eyes shut until he had calmed enough to speak again.
"Alright, Glenn. Here's what we're going to do. There's a relic, something the Archdruid suggested I seek out in order to heal both Julian and the grove here. If I can find that and use it, it may solve our issue - it can save our tree and our forest. That's why we came back; we're going to follow what leads we have in order to retrieve it. I'm going to put my faith in the hope that we'll get it today..." He placed his fingers to his temples and sighed. "This is far worse than I had anticipated."
"A relic? That's all we need to cure this place?" Glenn huffed. "Why, if I'd known that sooner, I'd go after it myself."
"Take me to where you've set up the tents," Lucian said to Glenn, then turned to the twins and Nyela. "I need to go check on the rest of the tribe. If you three want to come with and see your friends, come now. It won't be more than ten minutes, and then we're going to the cathedral."
"I'll come with you," Unaril said, and Nyela shook her head. She wanted to see her room.
"I'll just wait here."
"I'll wait with you," Sarion said to her and took a place at her side, which for some reason put a smile on Nyela's face. Unaril sent them both a suspicious, teasing glance, and then turned toward Glenn and Lucian.
Glenn took off through the forest, leading Unaril and Lucian away at a swift pace.
Nyela kicked a stone with her boot, which sent it tumbling off to the side and into a dead patch of blackened grass that had once been lush and green. She glanced up at her home tree. It was a dusky grey rather than its healthy tone of brown bark, and its leaves were dry and dark. It looked so... unhealthy, so sick, and this also made Nyela sick to her stomach.
Despite this, she peeked her head into the tree, then stepped in entirely. It was dark inside, kind of damp, and smelled musty. Fenris refused to enter the tree, so he resorted to sitting down just outside the door to wait for them.
"I don't like this," Nyela muttered as Sarion walked in after her and took in the state of the tree's interior.
He shook his head sadly. "It's like nature went on strike."
"I wonder if it would've done this with my father here," she murmured, "If he could have stopped the spread of whatever this is."
"He could have slowed it, probably," Sarion said quietly. "But stopping it altogether, even for a Druid as powerful as your father, is unlikely - if not impossible. Not without help of someone who's dealt with something like this before."
"Like Malfurion?"
"Like him, yes. If he visited here, he could probably fix it." Sarion then sighed. "But, like he said, healing the grove could backfire, and with the man's level of power, he could accidentally go overboard and infest Stormwind with a giant, verdant forest so large that the city wouldn't be able to sustain itself and would eventually collapse and be swallowed by the forest and everything in it."
Nyela let out a whistle and made for the ramp. "And that would not be good."
"Aye, I think uprooting and destroying the Alliance capital of the world would probably be against the Archdruid's best interests," Sarion chuckled, the warm sound making Nyela smile too as he followed her up different levels of the tree.
"But won't that happen anyways if this sickness keeps spreading?" Nyela asked. "We're technically in Stormwind... If this spreads for a long enough time, it could reach the civilized part of the city."
"Once that happens, it'll have nowhere to go. It's only affecting natural structures, as far as I can tell. Once it hits the stone streets and buildings of the city, it'll stop there."
Nyela pursed her lips and was going to say something else, but she reached her hallway, and the sight of it had her words frozen in her throat.
This, this floor, was the source of it all. Julian's room, which was across the hall from her own, was like a festering sore in the center of the tree. The walls surrounding it had been eaten away, leaving this huge, gaping hole where his wall would be. Nyela could see all the way through his room and through the outer wall of the tree, in which the wood had also been corroded by some sort of blackish acidic goo, like that of the creature Julian had caught.
In short, Julian's room was gone; it was just one big, open wound.
"Oh..." Nyela finally got one word out and stepped numbly into the area, over blackened engineering plans and half-decomposed parchments and dirty clothes and various dusty items from both his and her rooms. All these things of her brother's were scattered everywhere, covered in dust and death, and it made her begin to feel terrified and helpless. What if this all ended up being a dead-end, coming here to Stormwind? What if it turned out the relic didn't exist and they'd gotten their hopes up for nothing? This, what was going on here, was terrible. Could they really mend all of it? This room felt like a metaphor to her brother, and that mortified her.
Nyela took in a shaky breath and then let it out equally-as-shakily, and her voice broke out in a whimper at the end as she tried to find words to speak. Sarion reacted to this sound immediately by coming to her side and taking her hand in his.
"Hey," he said in a strong tone, his intense, glowing golden eyes boring into hers from under striking brows. "We will fix this." His hand squeezed hers as he stroked his thumb over her knuckles. "This? It's just a place. It can be rebuilt. Everything will be all right."
Nyela nodded, taking in another breath and tensing her expression to refrain from letting her upset become even more evident. Thunder echoed loudly from the storm, and then quieted, and then nothing could be heard but the rain falling against the trees. Suddenly the world became peaceful to Nyela as she stood there in the company of the tall, dark Dawnstar twin, her hand resting in his, both of them listening to the rain outside.
Nyela studied Sarion's expression. He was looking at her with a gauging stare, trying to read her almost urgently, and sincerity was the first word that came to mind when she tried to place the expression on his face. She knew Sarion to be more sarcastic and a bit brash at times, but in moments like these, he was so sweet it was almost painful.
Nyela's thoughts returned to the worry for her home, and her previously-calm expression faltered to a look of worry and uncertainty.
Sarion's hand tightened around hers in response to her grimace, which he read into perfectly.
"Nyela," he said in a quiet, deep tone and, to her honest relief, he pulled her in closer. "It's alright. This will be okay, even if we can't get the relic..."
Nyela accepted his hug, pressing her face against his chest, and took a deep breath to get her bearings. She would be okay... Julian was very sick, but he wasn't currently actually dying, and the people she cared about were still all alive and well; it was just her home that was taking the worst toll. She could handle this.
She meant to pull back from the hug, but something kept her from doing so just yet. It was... tender, this hug. Different than others she'd received, and she found herself leaning further into the hold he had on her. Sarion hadn't ever really hugged her before, and she couldn't pinpoint which emotion she felt strongest right now.
She tightened her arms and felt herself relaxing against him, indulging in the warmth that radiated from his chest and arms, and his pleasant scent. As she tightened the hug from her end, he did as well. One of his broad hands ran softly over her hair and the other rubbed her back comfortingly, helping her remove the stress from her mind, and she suddenly felt extremely warm and fuzzy, not wanting to let go of this embrace for anything.
"It will be fine," he murmured softly again against her hair, and at the sound of his voice, she sort of awoke from her little trance.
She sighed and reluctantly pulled away from the hug. "Thanks," she smiled slightly.
He returned her smile sincerely, his vivid eyes crinkling warmly at the edges as they flicked between hers through his smile. A few silent seconds passed as they hesitated there, and Nyela suddenly cleared her throat and averted her gaze, pulling her hands from his.
"My... Dad is... Probably waiting on us," she jerked her thumb back almost awkwardly and immediately internally scolded herself. Why in the world did she just do that - why would any sane person ruin such a perfect moment?
"Oh-, yeah," Sarion nodded quickly, and he then smiled almost mischievously. "You're right. We should probably... go back. Wouldn't want to keep him waiting, would we..?"
"Nope," Nyela shook her head, and after a second of hesitation, she turned and made for the ramp.
"Then again," she heard him say in a playful tone, his hand sliding along her arm and then looping one finger into hers, and she stopped and turned. He drew closer to her again silently, his gaze holding hers, and he studied her for a moment with an expression she couldn't quite read. It was a good expression, but she'd never seen it on him before.
"Then again..." he murmured almost too quietly to hear, and he lifted a hand and brushed a vivid magenta curl from her face, his thumb smoothing feather-light over her cheek and his hand grazing along her jaw. "I'm sure they could wait just a while longer." His smiling eyes flicked down to her own smile.
Nyela's heart suddenly fluttered at the contact, and she smiled back slightly. This was new, this... affectionate Sarion. And Nyela very much liked this Sarion.
He opened his mouth to say something, looking like he was torn between acting or speaking.
"There's something I have been wanting to...to try...for a long time now," he cut himself off before he could finish the sentence, biting his lip once in an attempt to refresh what he wanted to say. "I mean..."
"Yes?" Nyela noticed how he kept glancing almost longingly at her lips and she suddenly knew exactly what he was hinting toward, and it tickled her now that he was so hesitant. Almost subconsciously, she ever-so-slightly leaned toward him, letting a sly smile cover her mouth, which he yet again glanced at before wrenching his eyes back up to her own. He was tentative, and Nyela was getting impatient; it was all she could do to refrain from taking charge and kissing him first - then again what if she was reading into this wrong? Maybe he didn't even like her like that.
A few seconds passed. His eyes looked pleading, but then he switched to a look of resignation, closed his mouth, and clenched his jaw, the sharp, smooth edges of it jumping at the action.
"Ah," the man smirked quickly and shook his head, lifting his gaze elsewhere from her eyes, and he then took one hand and scratched the back of his neck. "You're right. We should... Probably get back." His eyes flashed with a vivid emotion, yet again one she couldn't quite read - almost like a strange mixture of pent-up frustration, eager yearning, and for some reason, mischief.
Nyela waited there a second, smiling up at him, and she nodded. "Alright," she said with a smirk, letting her shoulders slump and letting out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She'd been anticipating him doing something else, such as... say, kissing her, but he'd chickened out at the last second.
"I must say, Sarion," she said humorously. "I was hoping you'd kiss me. But I guess I was-"
The tall, dark man surprised her by suddenly reaching his hand out, pulling her close, and canceling her words with his own lips, capturing hers in a simple-yet-not-so-simple action. She felt the fur on his chin tickling her skin, the rough and tender texture of his lips tugging at the strings of her heart.
Nyela gladly leaned into him, and he curled his fingers into her hair as he kissed her eagerly, drawing her into his arms. Her heartbeat was all over the place, and she began to grin through the kiss, giggling happily. At this he began laughing too, pulling away but then going back in once more, kissing her heatedly now, before finally relenting.
He let out a contented breath in a quick whoosh, smiling and tilting his head momentarily. "Wow. Two more seconds and I mightn't have stopped."
Nyela kept giggling. She was a little surprised at all of this, a little shocked that it'd really happened, that he'd just kissed her, but...she wasn't complaining.
"Took you long enough," she whispered happily and then realized she was still holding onto his shirt, which she quickly released.
"Hey, I had to test the waters," he said as he smirked, "and I must say the waters are...just right." He made an OK sign with his fingers and winked at her.
"I agree," Nyela laughed and began walking toward the ramp. "But seriously, now we really need to get back to my dad."
"Ha! D'you think if he found out about this, he'd let you go with Unaril and me?" Sarion chuckled.
"He'd probably just get extremely paranoid and then end up going with us," Nyela giggled back.
Sarion snorted and nodded. "Painfully accurate."
"And that's only if we don't get the relic today," Nyela shrugged on a more serious note. "I have a good feeling about it, though."
"Me, too," Sarion smiled. "And if it isn't at the cathedral, it's probably still not far."
They reached the bottom of the ramp and Nyela thought to herself how surprised she was that she was in a good mood; despite the state of her home, she couldn't be unhappy right now, and it didn't take a genius to know why she was so happy.
"Would you look at that," Sarion gestured a hand out as the two of them exited the structure, and Nyela could see off in the distance where her father was approaching with Unaril. "We have wonderful timing."
Fenris stepped over beside Nyela and sat on his haunches as Unaril and Lucian walked up.
You know the saying, 'actions speak louder than words'? Fenris asked Nyela, and Nyela glanced down at him.
Yes, why? she wondered curiously.
Well... Whatever you were just doing... She heard his laughter in her mind and could sense his amusement. That was louder than this thunderstorm.
At this, Nyela suddenly felt her cheeks start to burn beet red right as the two men reached her and Sarion. She had forgotten how Fenris had been close enough that he could hear and see everything she was thinking and doing the entire time she'd been in the tree.
Unaril, as he came to a stop in front of her, took one look at her and immediately knew something was up; Nyela was blushing and smiling furiously, and Sarion had a smirk on his face that he couldn't wipe off for anything. Nyela sent a short glance Sarion's way and met his gaze, and she quickly averted her eyes so as to avoid suspicion of her father, but then she felt stupid; she'd just made it look even worse.
Unaril squinted his amused, dancing eyes and glanced between them suspiciously but silently while Lucian began talking.
"The other end of the orchard is safe," he said as he looked off through the trees. "It appears this spread is slowing the further it gets from the tree, but the tree is definitely the source."
Sarion cleared his throat. "Well, it's good we at least know that much."
"Much better than being completely in the dark, I guess," Lucian agreed, and he turned and started walking toward the edge of the forest. "What do you say we go get that relic?"
"You're going with us?" Unaril asked almost excitedly, though some of his attention was still directed toward Sarion and Nyela. He was suspicious, and for good reason. Thankfully, though, Lucian was walking up ahead and was missing the entire thing.
"To the cathedral, at least," said Lucian just as thunder echoed through the clouds overhead.
"And if the relic isn't there?" Unaril asked.
"Then that's where I draw the line; you guys will continue on, but I'll go back to Darnassus."
"Ah," Unaril nodded, and then the conversation stopped.
Then, Unaril, while remaining completely silent, began pestering Sarion with wordless questions. He lifted his brows questioningly at Sarion, giving him a curious look, and Sarion waved him off with one hand and shook his head, trying to ignore his twin. Nyela, though usually she'd be in on this sort of interrogation from Unaril, now finally realized what it was like to be on the receiving end and had the same, mildly-amused reaction as Sarion.
Sarion sent his brother a look that read, 'Go away!', but Unaril didn't relent.
He squinted at Nyela quizzically and then back at Sarion, then back at Nyela, and suddenly his eyes widened. He donned a purposefully-exaggerated, mock-appalled expression, jaw dropping wide and eyes round, and he began pointing between Nyela and Sarion and then drew a heart in the air. Yep, he'd just caught on without any words or explanation at all. Nyela had to admit, the man knew how to read people.
He pointed at Nyela while raising his brows at Sarion and silently mouthed the words, 'You and Nyela?'
Sarion sent Unaril a threatening 'shh!' glare, forming his mouth into a line and resisting a smile, and Nyela bit her lip to refrain from laughing at Unaril's reaction.
Unaril threw his head back in soundless, gleeful laughter as they walked, probably doing so mostly for comical effect, and he put both of his hands to his head before letting them drop. He was practically bouncing on his toes and was making a huge commotion, which was sending Sarion into a silent 'shut up!' fit.
Nyela was only relieved that her father, who was walking just up ahead of them, hadn't noticed Unaril's antics in his peripherals. Lucian for some reason had been oddly possessive when Sarion had barely shown mild, almost-joking interest in her before, and she didn't want to risk her good luck of being allowed to go with the twins on one single action. So, for now, it'd be best that her dad didn't know what had just happened.
They walked out of the forest and into the city, and Nyela was thankful that although it was still raining, it wasn't nearly as bad, and they weren't being shoved around by violent gusts of wind anymore. Even so, the four of them (plus the wolf) kept a quick pace in order to get out of the rain as soon as possible. They shortly reached the cathedral, and Nyela took a deep breath when they entered.
This was the moment of truth: they'd either have the relic here, or she and the twins would have to seek it out. She didn't even allow herself to give thought to the third possibility, the possibility that it didn't even exist.
Lucian, Unaril, and Sarion all - at the same time as they entered the large cathedral building - reached up and pulled their long damp hair back out of their faces and brushed it back with their fingers, letting it drape down their backs as they looked up and took in the size of the massive structure. To Nyela it was like looking through a black, white, and blue kaleidoscope as they all three did the same thing.
Lucian took the initiative and walked further in, looking for someone he could speak to. A young woman greeted him.
"Welcome," she said serenely, her eyes traveling over the four of them and resting on the Dire Wolf momentarily before she looked back up at Lucian and gave him a slight smile. No matter where they went, if Lucian was with the group, he was always automatically assumed the leader. "Can I help you?"
Lucian smiled cordially at her. "Would it be possible for us to speak with whoever is highest in status here, or better - whoever has been here the longest?"
The woman quirked a brow and gave Lucian a funny look. "That is a... peculiar request," she almost laughed.
"I have a peculiar mission," Lucian replied.
She watched him for a second, reading him, and then finally acquiesced with a shrug. "Alright, wait right there."
Lucian nodded and then began studying the large open room, half-attentive but mostly just trying to be patient.
Nyela glanced up at Sarion, and he at her. He sent her a smile and then his attention was drawn by someone approaching, an older, weathered man who, despite his age, walked with a tall, esteemed poise. He held his head high but didn't seem imposing or prideful, and he gave Lucian a respectful nod as he stopped in front of all of them.
"What can I do for you?" the man asked, having to crane his neck to look at them all; he was of an average height for a human, but that was nothing compared to that of Lucian and the twins, and Nyela was about six inches taller than him, too. But, even though he was small in comparison to them, he exuded an aura of power that Nyela knew came from both magic and experience.
Lucian greeted the man. "Hello. I am Lucian Silverpaw, and this is my daughter, Nyela, as well as two of my tribesmen, Unaril and Sarion Dawnstar. We are here on a mission surrounding the welfare of my youngest son and my home; both have fallen under a curse of sorts. I am not here seeking healing, rather I seek the instrument that might provide it. Do you know anything regarding a certain three-piece relic," he said, "Created by Tyrande Whisperwind and Malfurion Stormrage? I believe you, or at least this cathedral, would have the rod and the crest here? The orb is already in my possession, and I was told that this was the place to seek out the rest."
The man looked a little surprised, and he took a step forward, glanced to the sides, and then spoke in a low tone. "You mean the Staff of Panacea?"
Lucian raised his brows. He blinked, "Maybe? Is that what it is called?"
"It's the rod and the crest, yes. The two come together to create a staff," the man said. "The orb completes the relic and makes it fully functional."
Nyela suddenly felt a wave of relief. So, at least it existed. That was a good thing!
Lucian waited for the man to continue. "...And? Is it here?"
The man hesitated for a second. He took in a slow breath and looked like he was trying to sift through different words, trying to choose the best ones. He let out a short sigh. "No."
Lucian's entire stance drooped. His mouth firmed a tight line and his fingers clenched tightly, and he looked like he was restraining a lot of different words he could be saying right now, none of which would probably be very nice. Despite his frustration and his blatant disregard of hiding it or showing politeness, Nyela felt pity for her father. Dealing with this level of stress for this long was obviously getting to him; normally, he would never have shown this sort of behavior when speaking to another person. What with his tribesmen, his family, and his life being all thrown through a shredder and him being expected to pick up all the pieces and somehow glue them all back together, it was a miracle he managed to keep going, let alone stay sane in the process.
He let out a quiet, somewhat-controlled sigh and gave the old man an almost pleading look, and he spoke in an even tone. "Do you know where it is?"
Again, the man looked uncomfortable with what he was about to answer, and he shifted awkwardly. "I know who has it," he said, and then shook his head. "But as far as where, I cannot say. The man who possesses the Staff has not been here in Stormwind for nearly six months."
Lucian reached up and aggravatingly rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger. "That's something, I suppose. May I ask who has this staff?"
"A Priest who used to reside here in this cathedral. He was one of our absolute brightest and best, until..." the man looked upset and cut his words short, and he straightened up, raising his chin. "The man you're looking for... His name is Tiberius Strom."