Auriana
True to his word, Varian arrived at Auriana's quarters a few hours after midday, ready to escort her down to the arena. He looked serious but strangely eager, and Auriana wondered what he was planning. Varian was a strong and powerful warrior, perhaps the greatest of his kind in the world, but he didn't possess a single drop of magical talent, as far as she knew. Auriana had discussed magical theory with him on several occasions, and while his knowledge had certainly improved, he had barely progressed beyond a very basic understanding of the intricacies of magic. Auriana had no idea what the afternoon had in store, but surprisingly Varian had come through for her in magical matters before, and in the end her trust in him won out.
She followed him silently through the barracks and out into the arena, where Jaina and Kalecgos were waiting. They made for an impressive couple, the immaculately dressed Archmage and the imposing dragon lord, and Auriana couldn't help but to find herself a little intimidated. Both Jaina and Kalecgos bowed slightly to Varian as he approached, before they both turned to look Auriana over with uncannily similar expressions.
"Good afternoon, Your Majesty," Kalecgos said smoothly. "And you, Commander. How are you this fine day?"
"I'm… well, my Lord, thank you," Auriana said slowly. "Though I'd feel a bit better if I knew what His Majesty had planned."
"You haven't told her?" Jaina said quickly, putting her hands on her hips. "Varian…"
"Just… give me a minute," the King said, shooting the beautiful Archmage a stern look. "Auriana… can I have a word?"
He walked over and gently gripped Auriana's upper arm, pulling her aside so they could talk in relative privacy. She followed willingly, though she was somewhat put off by the fact that everyone else seemed to know what was going on. It didn't help that Varian wouldn't quite meet her gaze, and it was some time before he finally spoke.
"You said to me once," he said quietly, his expression very serious, "That you came back for me. After Highmaul… you said that you stopped… because of me. Because you heard my voice."
"Varian, what are you…" she began, only for her heart to leap into her throat as she realised what he was implying. "No."
"Hear me out. If there are certain triggers for your rage, is it not also possible that there are certain things that could bring you back?" he asked. "For example... ah… me?"
Auriana stepped back, certain that she must have misheard. While it was true that the thought of Varian had brought her back from the edge before, what he seemed to be suggesting was insane.
"You want to throw yourself on my mercy like… like… bait?" she exclaimed.
"I know you'd never hurt me," Varian said firmly. "I think… I know that your love for me is greater than your rage."
"It's not me you're trusting!" she said sharply. "It's… it's her…. and she's chaos and pain and everything bad inside me. I can't… I can't turn her loose on you."
Auriana was very aware of Jaina and Kalecgos nearby, and she fought to keep her voice quiet. Varian was unquestioningly a brave man, but she found it hard to believe he'd be so willing to risk his life after a lost cause. Auriana knew better than anyone the kind of damage she could do when fully roused, and while Varian's faith in her was admittedly heartening, she didn't share his belief.
Varian clearly read her objection in her eyes, and he frowned as he reached forward to take her by the shoulders. His hands were so large that most of Auriana's arms disappeared in his grasp, but the gesture gave her little comfort.
"Listen to me," he said quietly. "I trust you, but you need to learn to trust yourself. Your rage is as much a part of you as anything else, Auriana, and you can't run away from yourself forever. Believe me, I've tried, and I know better than anyone that it doesn't work. Just as I was made whole - Varian and Lo'gosh - so must you reconcile your rage with your greater self."
His words struck a nerve, but Auriana could not allow herself to be persuaded. Varian was far too important, both to her personally and to Stormwind and the Alliance more broadly. She shook her head and looked down at the ground, unable to consent, but unable to deny that there was merit in Varian's argument.
"I've done this," Varian added. "I've been where you are. Perhaps not quite on the same scale, but I certainly understand something of what you're going through. Two people can't share the same body forever. Eventually someone has to win. Personally, I'd prefer that the winner be you, rather than your rage."
Auriana winced and squeezed her eyes shut, finding she had nothing to say. Varian's voice was kind, but his soft tone did little to disguise the hard sheen of steely determination in his eyes.
"Kalecgos and Jaina agree with me," he prompted, plainly trying to elicit some sort of response. "They're here to help. If anything goes wrong, they'll cut you off. I'll be perfectly safe."
"So the three of you have conspired against me?" Auriana muttered.
"It's hardly a conspiracy," Varian said irritably, his forehead creasing. "Auriana, you can't go on this way. You can't be in the field like this, knowing that you could snap at any moment without any way back. I saw you after Highmaul, and again after the incident in this very arena. I can't have that in one of my field commanders, and I certainly can't have that happening to… to the woman I love."
"With respect, Varian, don't you think I know that? I've been living with this for years," she said, unable to keep the heat from her voice. "But that doesn't mean you should put yourself in the line of fire. You're too important."
"The choice isn't yours," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "This is my risk to take."
"Whatever else you are to me, Varian, you're also the High King. I took an oath to protect you. If I let you do this, I'm in violation of that oath," Auriana pleaded.
"And as you're so fond of saying to me, I'm Varian Wrynn. I don't need anyone else's permission. I could order you," he pointed out.
"Would you really?" she asked quietly, subconsciously standing to attention.
Varian was not afraid of treating her as a subordinate when necessary, as most recently evidenced by her temporary incarceration in Stormwind, but she had to wonder if he'd push her in this particular instance.
"No," he admitted. "But I will use my considerable powers of persuasion to convince you. Please. Let me do this for you."
Auriana sighed, and looked over towards Jaina and Kalecgos. The dragon aspect wore the same curious, mildly amused expression that he always had, though Jaina's elegant features were sharp and fiercely determined. Her icy blue eyes bored into Auriana's own, and it was all Auriana could do not to look away.
"Jaina… could we not try this without magic?" she asked.
"What would be the point? We know you can come back if you've been exhausted or cut off, your work with Kalecgos has proven that," Jaina said. "What I want from you is control. I want you to be able to work within the grips your rage, and I think Varian here is a viable mental trigger. I can't say I'm thrilled to be risking the High King of the Alliance, but he made his case well, and I'm inclined to agree."
Auriana looked nervously back at Varian, but found no quarter in his hard expression.
"I suppose I'm outnumbered," she sighed, reluctantly conceding the point. "Though… promise me that you'll cut me off the second anything even looks like it might be going wrong. Please?"
"I promise," Jaina said gently, with a quick sideways glance at Kalecgos. "I won't take chances with his life, Commander, you know that. Trust me."
"Alright," Auriana said, trying not to let her voice shake. "Where do you want me?"
"In the middle," Varian instructed, gently prodding her in the right direction. "I'll stand over here, and I suppose… well, you do whatever it is that you do. Oh, and don't even think of pretending that you can't touch your rage. I'm not letting you run away this time."
Auriana tried very hard to look as if that hadn't been exactly what she'd been thinking, but Varian knew her far too well, and he shook his head in exasperation. She sighed, and as instructed, reached for her rage. Although Auriana had struggled over the past month to really let herself go, she found it relatively easy to conjure a vision of Cathelora Anguile as a trigger for her fierce anger. The thought of the tall redhead with her hand on Varian's thigh sent a fierce heat burning across Auriana's cheeks and down into her stomach, and despite her considerable reluctance, she latched on to the uncomfortable feeling and held fast.
She had fully experienced her rage on a number of separate occasions, and by now she knew what to expect. It began as a hot feeling around her heart, which quickly turned into a roaring fire that threatened to burn her from the inside out. Her breathing rapidly increased until it hit fever pitch, and she could feel the thrill of adrenaline racing through her veins. A cloud of dark red descended over her vision, and she no longer saw the distinct faces of Varian, Jaina, and Kalecgos. To her rage, all she saw was three threats; three heartbeats just begging to be extinguished by the furious flames of her relentless magic.
"Auriana?" Varian asked cautiously. "Are you still in there?"
Pathetic little King of Stormwind, Auriana snarled, reaching blindly for her magic. Desperate puppet. I'll show you real power...
Unable to control herself, Auriana roared in fury as blinked forwards and conjured an eight foot high wall of pure flame. She sent it sweeping towards the unarmed Varian without hesitation, already calling on more magic as she watched the flames race across the arena floor. To his credit, however, Varian didn't flinch, not even bothering to step back as the flames threatened to consume him utterly. He relied instead on Jaina and Kalecgos, who immediately countered the spell with two coordinated bursts of frost magic, and Auriana hissed in disappointment as the fire burned out a mere foot in front of his face.
She dodged to the side, dimly realising that if she wanted to do any damage to Varian, she'd have to go through Jaina and Kalecgos. She blinked towards Jaina, calling on her deepest reserves of magic as she prepared to send the Archmage of the Kirin Tor to an early grave.
"Varian!" Jaina shouted warningly, the fear in her voice only serving to urge Auriana onward.
"I know!" the King shouted back. "I've got her."
Varian darted forwards with impossible speed, and physically intercepted Auriana before she could close in on Jaina. His outline shimmered strangely, and in the back of her mind Auriana realised that Jaina and Kalecgos had protected him with a shield. He grasped her wrists tightly, forcing them behind her back as he trapped her painfully against his chest. His powerful arms made for a rather effective prison, and Auriana howled in fury as she struggled impotently against his crushing grip.
"Auriana!" he snapped, holding her steady. "It's me. You know me. You don't want to hurt me."
"Let me go," she snarled, staring up at him with hateful eyes. "Let me go, or you will burn."
"No," he said, his voice infuriatingly calm as he lowered his head to meet her eyes. "I will not let you go. I'll never let you go. Come on, Auri, fight it… fight it for me. You control your rage, it doesn't control you."
His words had a strangely hypnotic effect, and with a sudden fresh burst of anger, Auriana realised he was somehow pulling her back from the edge. Her rage refused to be beaten so easily, however, and her limbs shook with effort as she fought to resist the temptation of his deep, soothing voice. She could not cast magic with her hands pinned behind her back, and nor could she manoeuvre effectively when she and Varian were standing this close. Desperate to escape, she snapped her head upwards, the hard point at the top of her skull impacting Varian's heavy chin with a stunning crack. Auriana knew she couldn't hit him hard enough to do any real damage, but the surprise of her movement was enough that his grip loosened, and as he staggered backwards, she took the opportunity to blink away.
Snarling triumphantly, she reached deep into her magic reserves and used her reckless power to tear apart the shield keeping Varian safe from her fury. Before Jaina and Kalecgos could react, she lifted her hand to call down a veritable storm of death and destruction... only to find herself curiously unable to finish the spell. Varian was shaking his head dazedly, and there was something so oddly vulnerable and human about the gesture that Auriana hesitated.
Her hand was still outstretched towards him, flames dancing at her fingertips, but she no longer felt an all-consuming urge to burn him to a crisp. His quiet words had stirred something deep within her soul, and she felt like she was being torn apart as her thoughts fluctuated wildly between wanting to protect him at all costs, and wanting to see him burn for daring to restrain her.
"Auri?" Varian said quietly, taking a tentative step forwards as if he had somehow sensed the change within her.
Auriana's rage still boiled in her very bones, but some shred of her real consciousness began to emerge as she stared deep into Varian's eyes. She could actually see him, now, not just a nameless, shapeless threat, and the longer she hesitated, the more difficult it was to bring her spellpower to bear against him. Part of her still saw Varian as a danger to be eliminated, but she saw other things now, too: memories of his wry smile, his touch, his sarcastic humour. Auriana saw the way he curled protectively around her body after making love, and the look in his eyes right before he moved to kiss her. She heard the desperation and deep passion in his voice the first time he had confessed his love for her, and she knew right then that she could never again turn her powers against him.
"It hurts," she choked, her throat raw, though with a start she realised she was now somewhat lucid.
"I know," he said quietly. "I know. But I also know you're stronger than the pain. Stronger than your rage. Control yourself."
Auriana found herself nodding blindly, though her rage still bubbled away beneath the surface. Her breathing was strained, and her vision began to swim slightly as she fought to keep herself in check.
"Varian…" she heard Jaina say softly. "Back away, please. I think we've got her right where we want her."
"Are you sure?" Varian said quietly, never taking his eyes off Auriana.
"Quite sure," Jaina said firmly. "This is precisely what we were hoping for. You've done your part, now comes the real test. Kalec?"
"I've got her," the blue dragon lord said, shaking his sleeves back as he stepped forward and prepared his magic.
"Remember, Auriana," Varian said, moving slowly away to stand beside Jaina. "Control. I'm right here."
"Auriana? Can you hear me?" Kalecgos said soothingly, very slowly raising his hands. "I'd like to see if we can duel."
Auriana's head snapped towards the blue dragon and her limited sense of control began to waver. She dearly wanted to indulge Kalecgos' request; not with control, but rather with fire, and it took everything she had not to immediately throw herself towards him. Part of her longed to test herself against the mighty dragon Aspect, to see if she had what it took to match one of the most powerful beings on the planet, but the echo of Varian's quiet voice held her in place.
"Good…" Kalecgos said, his eyes darting briefly to Varian. "Alright, Commander, let's see what you can do…"
He raised his hands into a classic defensive position, and Auriana took his movement as permission. She summoned a great pyroblast and sent it hurtling towards the dragon's head, and in seconds they were locked into the fastest and most brutal duel Auriana had ever fought in her life.
Auriana normally associated her rage with a frenetic sense of pain and audacity, but today, there was something different about the way she burned. As she began to cast, she felt an unusual synergy between her rage and her magic, and for the first time she felt as if she was no longer at war within herself. Both forces tugged at her psyche, each trying to tempt her over the edge and down into a dark pit of frantic, swirling power, but part of her was able to hold back and retain some semblance of control. Some of her usual sense of panic and unreality had faded, and despite her brightly burning anger, she was actually able to think.
The feeling was undeniably wonderful, and with a wild grin Auriana began to hurl her magic with increasing recklessness and rapidity. Kalecgos met her spell for spell, as she had well expected, but Auriana knew her own powers were not insignificant. Her rage allowed her access to a wellspring of magic far beyond her ordinary abilities, and she used her newfound understanding of the balance between chaos and control to push herself to the very limits of her considerable talent.
Unfortunately, while Auriana's mind and soul were willing, her flesh was not quite so cooperative. While Kalecgos seemed to possess an endless supply of physical stamina, Auriana was only mortal, and eventually she was forced to pay the price for her reckless use of magic. She realised belatedly that she was drawing on too much power, only noticing when she tasted the warm, distinctive tang of blood on her lips. Her head spun painfully, and hot bile rose in her throat as she tried and failed to keep going. As simple fire spell fizzled away into nothingness, she fell to her knees, barely able to lift her head. Her rage demanded that she get up, that she keep fighting, but by this stage she was completely and utterly spent. From the corner of her eye she saw Kalecgos lower his hands and step forward in concern, but she was now too far gone to care. The world around her twisted strangely, and she saw a brief burst of strange and unsettling colours before everything finally faded to black.
When Auriana eventually came to, the first thing she noticed was a relentless throbbing at the top of her head. She vaguely remembered head-butting Varian's chin, and realised that she'd probably done far more damage to herself than to him. She blinked rapidly, and could just make out Jaina and Kalecgos standing a few feet away on her left hand side, while Varian loomed anxiously near her feet.
"I think… I think it worked," Jaina said disbelievingly. "Auriana… are you alright?"
"Just… give me a minute…" she mumbled, resting her head gratefully back on the arena floor.
Auriana knew she was getting dirt and sweat and Light knew what else in her hair, but she didn't have anything left within her to care. Her heart was still racing and her limbs quivered uncontrollably, and dark black spots danced across her vision. She could still feel the lingering traces of her rage, and knew it wouldn't take much to push her back over the edge. For now, however, she remained herself, if a rather bloody and exhausted, and she squeezed her eyes tightly shut against her terrible headache as she attempted to get her breathing back under control. Mercifully, Varian, Jaina, and Kalecgos stood back, and simply watched in silence as she sought to regain full mastery of her wayward self.
Eventually, the sense of terrible pressure in her head faded, and she was able to shakily pull herself upright into a sitting position. She half-raised a hand to let the anxious looking Varian know that she was alright, but was not yet ready to stand up. Kalecgos nodded approvingly, looking down at Auriana like she was some kind of particularly interesting science experiment.
"Excellent work, Commander…" he said slowly, "You appear to have regained full control. Remarkable."
"Unfortunately," Auriana said hoarsely, surprised by how raw her voice sounded, "While we may have found something resembling a solution, it isn't very useful. I can't exactly have the High King of the Alliance follow me around on the battlefield just in case I lose my temper."
"I… actually wouldn't be opposed to that…" Varian said, lifting an eyebrow. "You know me, I'm always up for a fight."
Auriana re-opened her eyes, and gave him a withering stare. She knew he was joking, at least mostly, though she also knew he wouldn't actually say no if given a genuine opportunity to go fight at the front. He smiled faintly and offered her a hand to her feet, which Auriana accepted gratefully. The world spun a little he pulled her upright, and she had to lean into his forearms heavily for balance. Her legs felt weak and watery, as if she'd just run twenty miles, and she found it hard to concentrate with the dull pounding in her skull. Fortunately, Varian didn't seem to want to let go of her anytime soon, and she accepted his support without argument.
"That's a fair point," Jaina agreed, her blue eyes sharp as she eyed Auriana up and down, "But I am satisfied that you've made progress. I think if you continue to work hard, we'll find a more permanent solution. Good idea, Varian."
"It's been known to happen," Varian said drily. "On occasion."
"Yes, well... "Jaina said, her mouth twitching. "With your permission, Varian, I'd like to take Auriana back to Dalaran overnight for observation. We're treading in uncharted waters here, I don't want her to lapse back into an episode without supervision."
Auriana frowned at Jaina's blunt assessment of the situation, but she had to admit the Archmage had a point. She had never been able to control her rage in such a fashion before, and a part of her still wondered if her success wasn't some sort of fluke, or trick. If she were going to have a relapse, she'd rather be in Dalaran, around many powerful mages who could take her down, rather than amongst the unsuspecting populace of Stormwind.
"Agreed," Varian said, "Though… could you give us moment?"
He scratched the back of his head thoughtfully as Jaina and Kalecgos both bowed and walked a short distance away, giving him the space to address Auriana in private.
"I'm proud of you," he said seriously, placing a hand on her shoulder. "That… that took courage."
"I think it took just about everything I had. I feel awful. And you… well, you shouldn't have taken the risk," Auriana replied, though she appreciated the comfort of both his words and his touch. "I nearly took your head off with that first strike."
"At least it worked though, right?" Varian said, tracing gentle circles on her arm with his thumb.
"Apparently…" she said quietly, relaxing for the first time since she had entered the arena. "Er… I'm sorry about your chin."
"Don't be. Not the worst I've ever had… though that's no slight against your head-butting abilities. It was a good hit, I was actually rather impressed," he said, grinning.
Varian was not the kind of man who smiled very often, and even when he did, he was more prone to a sly smirk or a mere upward twitch of the lips. When he truly smiled, however, the effect was remarkable, and Auriana found herself momentarily stunned by his handsome face and powerful presence.
"With Jaina spiriting you away to Dalaran, I guess I won't see you very much before you leave for Draenor," he added, disappointment evident in his voice.
"I guess not," she agreed. "You could refuse Jaina, I suppose…"
"No," he said quickly. "She's right, you'd be safer in Dalaran."
"Still… perhaps there's another option. We're about to launch our first ships to Tanaan. Isn't it usually traditional to have some sort of ceremony when one builds a new ship?" she suggested.
"You want me to come back to Draenor with you?" Varian asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Just for a couple of days. This isn't like your first trip to Draenor, when we barely had any hold on the continent whatsoever. Lunarfall is safe," she insisted.
"I suppose I could," Varian mused. "Certainly, I could spare a day or two. Would… would you like that?"
"I asked, didn't I?" she said quietly, touching a hand to her eyes. "Besides, I think it would be good for morale. We have no idea what we're going to find in Tanaan, our soldiers could use the inspiration."
"You think?" he said, thoughtfully scratching his chin.
"You've no idea how much your men look up to you, Varian," she said seriously. "I know it would mean a lot to them to see you."
Varian harrumphed slightly, but Auriana could tell he was pleased. She could also tell from the look on his face that he wanted to kiss her, but wouldn't risk such a thing out in the open. He settled instead for tightening his grip on her shoulder, and he stared down at her with undisguised tenderness.
"And what about you?" he teased softly, his eyes crinkling warmly. "Do you look up to me?"
"Of course I do," she said drily, offering him a tired but genuine grin. "I'm only five foot tall..."