Vylaris' Perspective
He had a general idea of what would happen during this 'meeting', but he still didn't expect the way it would make him feel. His heart was pounding in his chest and swelled even more when the Regent Lord asked about Azdralin. Vylaris spoke the truth; he had saved her then and he'd save her as many times as she needed, but...why was that? He honestly gave up on trying to theorize an explanation.
Lor'themar eyed him with that singular, emerald eye of his. It was rather hard to pinpoint his expression. "Azdralin has confided in me her ideas of a union for the sake of reclaiming Ghostlands." Vylaris could feel the eyes of Grand Magister Rommath burning into his very soul; he knew he of all people despised void elves. Lor'themar continued. "I will need time to go over this with my council, until then, I welcome you to Silvermoon, Vylaris Darksworn."
It had been an hour or so since he had met with the Regent Lord, yet Vylaris could still feel his heart pounding. He could still see the burning eyes of Rommath.
Azdralin touched his arm gently. "Hey, you alright?"
Part of him wanted to shrug her away, but another part of him was grateful for her concern. "Yeah, just a bit shaken up."
"I'm sorry, it was a pretty nerve wracking time for me, I couldn't imagine how rough it was for you. You spoke bravely, though, did you really mean it? That you'd save my life again?"
"I did it twice already, didn't I?" Velaris glanced over at her, curious why it mattered.
Azdralin shrugged and looked down, she seemed embarrassed. "Well, yes, I guess it is a silly question."
They had arrived at the inn that the Regent Lord had arranged for them and Vylaris eagerly went inside; he really needed a proper meal and a good night's rest. The inside was beautiful and elegant and his eyes immediately fell on a lovely display of food across an embroidered table.
The warm scent of fresh, baked bread and roasted boar danced along his nose. Vylaris could feel his stomach lurch inside of him and he quickly took a seat as he began to gather portions from the various platters set around the table. He noticed Azdralin was watching him and he realized he was probably being rude. "Uh, sorry..."
She laughed and took a seat across from him on the other side of the table. "You're fine, I bet you're starving. Please, eat as much as you'd like. I can always ask the chef to make more." Azdralin began to gather her own portions.
"Yeah, I've been eating nothing but giant spiders until you brought me those rations. You'd think there'd be at least one good thing to hunt out there in that damned forest, but no, giant spiders are all you get."
"Hey, crunchy spider legs are a delicacy in Tranquilien." Azdralin mused.
Vylaris shot her a glaring look. "Come on, while I'm eating? Don't tell me about insect delicacy while I'm eating."
Azdralin shrugged. "You brought it up."
"Ah, be quiet." He waved his hand at her, allowing himself to smile only slightly.
"You have a great smile, you know."
Vylaris nearly choked on his drink when he heard her say that. He set his glass down and regained his composure as he looked back towards her. "Do you mean that, this time?" He asked, referring to when she took back calling him handsome.
Azdralin blushed and smiled at him warmly. "Yes, I do mean it. And I meant what I said last night, too."
There it was again, that feeling that started this whole...situation. He really wasn't sure how to respond and so he decided to just continue eating. The sooner he finished, the sooner he could sleep all these thoughts away.
A well-dressed elf approached them and started to pour more wine into their glasses, though it appeared that Azdralin drank very, very little of it. Vylaris showed no restraint however, downing each glass with ease. Wine made him feel numb, and feeling numb was better than...whatever this was.
As he ate his fill and drank as much as the waiter would allow, Vylaris rose from his seat, trying to ignore how tipsy he felt. "Is there a shower here?" He muttered.
Azdralin looked at him with a sort of concerned expression. "Yeah, there should be a bathroom in the upper level...do you need help getting up there?"
Vylaris shook his head and began to ascend the ramp that winded up into the upper level of the inn, gripping the railing firmly. Once up there, he was able to find the bathroom relatively easily and he immediately started throwing his armor off. He slid the clasp from his hair and he let it fall down his chest, watching the tendrils pulse lightly with a purple hue. The mere sight of them used to sicken him, now it just angered him...or did it sadden him? He wasn't sure which.
The crystalline water of the shower felt soothing and he rested his forehead against the wall as he stood there. His thoughts started to rush around in his head, though they were rather blurred. Memories all the way back to when he and his mother first experimented with void magic; they would do anything to protect their people. He remembered when the Silvermoon guards had found them, when his mother harnessed the void to fight them off; when she succumbed to it.
Tears started to burn his eyes as he pressed his back against the shower wall, sliding down until he sat in the cascading water. He held his face in his hands, letting the tears finally rush down his cheeks. The pain of all his memories were flowing out like the water around him, and for once, he didn't hold them back. Why did it all have to happen? Why did it keep haunting him?
Vylaris suddenly heard a light knock on the door and he froze for a moment, becoming silent. He must have been sobbing a lot louder than he thought he was.
"Vylaris? Are you okay in there?" It was Azdralin, her voice as pretty as birds. Did he really just think that?
"I'm fine." He called back. Wow, he thought, he really sounded miserable, she wasn't gonna believe him.
"Do you...wanna talk about it?"
"No...maybe? I don't know." Vylaris put his hands on his head, feeling as if it could explode. There were too many thoughts, too many voices.
"Well...when you're done, I'll be in one of the chamber rooms if you need me, okay?"
"Yeah." Was all that he could muster. Vylaris could hear Azdralin's footsteps as they left the bathroom door, and he sighed softly, leaning his head back against the shower wall. This wasn't good, this...vulnerability. His mother always told him to never let anyone see your emotions.
He rose from the shower floor and he turned the valve, the magical crystals humming as the flow of water stopped. Vylaris reached for a towel and shoved his face in it, getting one last cry in before he started to compose himself. After he dried his body, he gazed back towards the mirror, his tendrils still there; they were always there. They sprouted out from the base of his head and laid along his neck and chest, while his skin was toned with a purple hue. His instructor told him that extensive use of void magic could cause very noticeable alterations to the body. Some void elves welcomed these changes, but Vylaris wasn't sure his opinion about them was anywhere near positive.
Beside the sink was a small stool that had a fresh change of clothes. He quickly slid the pair of trousers on and draped the towel over his shoulders. Vylaris took another look in the mirror and decided to keep his hair down, for now. After all, Azdralin said it didn't bother her, right?
Azdralin's Perspective
Azdralin sat on the edge of the bed as she brushed her hair softly. She always kept it tied up when she was fighting, but it always felt so therapeutic to just let it rest on her shoulders. Her wound was freshly dressed, though she could probably remove the bandages in a day or so, it hadn't even bothered her since she first felt it. She got up from the bed and went to set her brush down when she heard a light knock on her door.
Startled, she spun around and looked towards the ornate door, her heart beginning to race. Was it Vylaris? She knew she told him to see her if he needed to talk, but she expected he wouldn't have even considered it.
"Yes?" She called curiously.
"Hey. It's me." Azdralin felt her blood rush to her cheeks at the sound of Vylaris' voice. She needed to pull herself together, she heard him sobbing, it wasn't the time for her to be so flustered.
She made her way over to the door and opened it slowly, seeing Vylaris looking down at her, his pale eyes filled with sorrow. He wasn't wearing anything besides some trousers and a towel over his shoulders, something she definitely wasn't used to seeing. Azdralin wasn't really sure how to help him, but she knew he was probably incredibly intoxicated from how many wine glasses he downed, and she wasn't sure if she was prepared for a drunken man to be in her chambers. She looked over her shoulders and saw Loque'nahak fully awake and alert; he must have had the same thought.
"I'm sorry." Vylaris said.
Azdralin looked at him in confusion. "What are you sorry for?"
Vylaris just shook his head and...started crying? Why was he crying?
"Hey, it's okay." Azdralin tried to calm him down but she had no idea what she was doing, she barely even knew him. She knew how to console young animals, should she try the same method?
Azdralin gently took Vylaris' hand and led him over to the bed where she sat down, beckoning him to sit down with her. She pressed her back against the wall and sat up as she brought Vylaris close in her arms, cradling his head as if he were a small child. He was incredibly heavy for her and this felt rather awkward, but she tried to pretend as if he were just a large bear cub.
She looked down and he seemed barely conscious, his eyes only open a little. He was probably exhausted, since he showed no protest to her words, nor her actions. Azdralin let him rest in her lap and, though she hesitated, she carefully wiped the hair away from his face. She began to pet his cheek softly as she whispered to him. "It's okay, everything's gonna be okay."
Even though he wasn't some wild beast, her methods seemed to work on him just as well, his eyes coming to a close as she swept her hand through his hair. She could hear Loque'nahak growling softly as he walked up to the side of the bed and she glared at him. "What did you expect me to do? Slam the door in his face?" She whispered.
Loque'nahak hissed softly. He definitely agreed with slamming the door in his face. Azdralin rolled her eyes and laid her head back against the wall behind her. She might not be able to sleep very well in this position, but it felt nice to hold someone like this, to just be close and to be still. Running her fingers through his hair one last time, she closed her eyes and let sleep take her.
Vylaris' Perspective
His head felt like a hundred birds had been pecking at it as he started to awaken to the effects of a hangover. Vylaris groaned and started to rub his eyes, his vision coming to him along with shock. Where the hell was he? He quickly sat up in bed and looked around. What happened last night? He knew he drank a lot...he showered, didn't he? What happened after that? Panic started to set in as he realized where he was. He recognized Azdralin's bow...her bag...some of her armor. Crap. He was in her room.
Vylaris became even more panicked when he realized he was wearing nothing but trousers. What the fuck happened? Did they...? No, surely that snowy beast-thing would've killed him if he even touched Azdralin. He didn't remember a damned thing and the signs around him didn't really point to an alternate conclusion.
He heard the door creak open as Azdralin walked in, her hands tussling a towel through her wet hair. She was dressed in a blue-scaled chest piece and a pair of matching pants that tightly fit around her small figure. She let go of her hair when she noticed Vylaris was awake. "Oh, hey there, sleepy head. I thought you were gonna sleep the whole morning away." When she noticed how panicked he looked, she frowned. "Everything okay?"
Vylaris felt like throwing up again. "I...did we..."
Azdralin didn't seem to catch on to his mumbling. "You must not remember last night, based on how terrified you look." She smiled softly and set the towel down. "You were crying your eyes out in the shower, I overheard you and asked if you wanted to talk about it." She walked over and sat down at the vanity, taking the brush to her hair. "You were really upset, so I calmed you down and you kind of just passed out."
Vylaris sighed softly in relief, though he wasn't sure that was a great outcome, either. "Sorry about that..."
"You really don't need to worry about it. Did you sleep okay?"
"Actually...I think I had the greatest night of sleep in a long time, besides waking up with this terrible headache." He touched his forehead lightly, wincing.
Azdralin smiled. "I'm glad you're okay, though, you should probably lay off the wine."
Vylaris nodded. "Yeah, no kidding." He groaned in embarrassment, what was he thinking?
He watched as Azdralin tied her hair up, silky strands of blue wrapping around her gentle fingertips. She noticed his gaze and she smiled shyly at him. "Are you just gonna stare at me or do you have something to say?"
Vylaris felt the blood rush to his cheeks, a feeling he never, ever felt, paired with that strange sensation in his chest that kept distracting him. "N-no...I wasn't." Well that was a lame response.
Azdralin laughed softly and got to her feet. "Well, you'll probably wanna start getting up soon. I had the innkeeper clean up your armor." She nodded towards a table that had his belongings stacked neatly across its surface. "Don't take too long, your breakfast is gonna get cold, okay?"
"Y-yeah...okay."
Azdralin gathered her things and she left the room, closing the door behind her softly. Vylaris slowly pushed himself out of the bed and stood up as he stretched his body. He really did feel good, aside from the headache, of course. As he neared the table he quickly started getting dressed, taking a moment to tie his hair up in a clasp. He looked down at his mask and considered wearing it before quickly tucking it into one of his pouches.
Vylaris descended the ramp that led to the lower level and he watched as Azdralin was seated at the table, her beast curled up below her chair. He walked over, careful not to disturb it, as he went to sit down.
Azdralin smiled. "It's about time you came down. They make an amazing hawkstrider omelet here."
Vylaris took a portion for himself and ate quietly as he drank from the pitcher of water. He needed this damn headache to go away if he was gonna tolerate whatever today would throw at him.
"So..." Azdralin's voice interrupted his train of thought. "...since Lor'themar is still waiting on a decision from his council, I thought we could take a bit of a leisure day and just enjoy the sights of Eversong, what do you think?"
Vylaris looked up from his food and thought for a moment. That did sound rather nice, especially if this was his last chance to see his homeland before the council decided to throw him out again. "I think that would be nice."
It wasn't long before they both finished their meal and began to leave the inn. Vylaris decided to keep his mask off, but left his hood draped over his head. Azdralin walked ahead of him, and a light, fragrant scent washed over him as she passed. Was that perfume he smelled? And it came from Azdralin? Why hadn't he noticed that before?
He quickened his pace so he could catch up to her and they eventually exited the city of Silvermoon. A slight chill was in the air, autumn must have been just around the corner. Vylaris took a deep breath and smiled, it felt so good to be in Quel'thalas, as long as it wasn't in the Ghostlands. Azdralin was walking ahead of him a few paces, and he frowned a little, realizing how much he disliked being even a little ways away from her. What did she do to him last night?
As they entered a beautiful grove of golden flowers, Vylaris decided to finally break the silence. "You said you calmed me down last night, how did you do that, anyways?"
Azdralin looked at him with a surprised expression. "Oh, it's kind of silly, really. I held you real close and just...petted you."
"You petted me? What, like a dog?" Vylaris laughed until he realized she was completely serious. "You're not kidding."
"No, I'm not! Besides, you really seemed to like it." She mused. "You slept like a baby, didn't you?"
Vylaris felt his ears burn with embarrassment. That's another thing that he wasn't used to. What the hell was happening to him? "Yeah, I guess so."
He watched as the snowy beast pounced through the flowers, chasing after various insects. His thoughts started to flood back into his mind, and he remembered some of the things that troubled him last night. Vylaris tried to ignore them, and it wasn't as hard as it usually was, not when he was mesmerized by that scent; he never really cared what Azdralin smelled like before.
The scent was nearly hypnotizing, and he started to crave it. She was sitting down on a beautifully crafted bench, watching the flowers, as Vylaris sat down beside her. He thought back to last night, but as hard as he tried, he couldn't remember her touch. Azdralin must have noticed how tense he was, and she turned to face him.
"What's on your mind?" She asked, concern apparent in her voice. Her soft, melodic voice.
"You." Vylaris muttered. What was the point in lying?
Azdralin's eyes widened and her cheeks were a reddish hue. "Oh...?"
He nodded and glanced to the side. "Do you think...you could do it again? The uh, the petting or whatever." Vylaris couldn't believe his own words.
The air between them felt so thick. Azdralin smiled softly and motioned for Vylaris to get closer. He hesitantly laid his head down into her lap and she slid his hood back over the top of his head. She gently touched his cheek and it felt like electricity on his skin. Her hand gently brushed through his hair as she began to pet his head.
Vylaris didn't care how ridiculous it seemed, because it felt amazing, just feeling her hand glide through his hair. He wasn't used to being touched, and definitely not like this; it was incredibly euphoric, he didn't want it to end.
Azdralin's Perspective
Azdralin could hardly believe what was happening, here she was, holding him in her lap and petting his head, again. He had been looking at her all morning like a sad puppy, and now she knew why; he was incredibly touch-starved.
She smiled as she spun his hair around in her fingers. It was funny to think that just a few days ago they had been trying to kill each other. He was such a vulnerable, wounded person, and she wanted to heal him.
He had such beautiful, deep blue hair with the slightest hint of violet, and it was rather soft. Vylaris' eyes were shut for most of the time, except for when she stroked his cheek. His somber eyes opened and he met her gaze as he felt her touch. She smiled and for a moment, he actually smiled back. Vylaris sat up and Azdralin gasped as he touched his hand to her own cheek, looking deeply into her eyes. Her chest felt like it was going to explode, he was so close to her she could feel his warm breath against her cheeks.
It felt like he was getting closer and she gasped from how intoxicating it felt, his face inches from hers. And suddenly, he pulled away, gently removing his hand from her cheek as he got up from the bench. Azdralin exhaled sharply and tried to calm her pounding heart as she looked up to see his back facing her. Was he really gonna kiss her? Why didn't he?
She felt a little shaky from the experience, not to mention a little frustrated and a little hurt. Her cheeks were completely flushed and she felt kind of terrible. Was he really not gonna say anything?
Azdralin tried to find the words but all that she could manage was. "Why?"
It was a few moments before Vylaris responded. "I just...can't. I'm sorry." And then he took off into the woods.
Vylaris' Perspective
He was an idiot, he was a real fucking idiot. Vylaris stumbled through the brush and out into a clearing by a lake and he gasped for air to catch his breath. He really just ran away from her. What was wrong with him? All these damned emotions and thoughts filled his head and he just wanted to scream.
He had fucked everything up; it would've been better if he just killed her like he was supposed to, none of this would be happening right now. His tendrils lashed as his anger started to boil over inside of him and he just wanted to burn the whole forest down.
But, he knew he didn't really want to. This used to be his home.
Used to be.
A voice whispered in his head, slightly louder than his thoughts.
They all despise you, remember?
Vylaris balled his fists.
You should've killed her.
He heard footsteps approaching from somewhere behind him and he heard that damned voice, that horrible...beautiful voice. "Vylaris?"
Just kill her.
He felt her gentle touch as she grabbed his hand and he spun around, staring down at her angrily. But as he did so, seeing her frightened, wide eyes, the voices suddenly went quiet, and he didn't feel so angry anymore.
Vylaris wrapped his arms around Azdralin and hugged her tightly as he began to sob, slowly dropping to his knees. Azdralin wrapped her arms around him in return and slowly lowered herself to the ground with him.
"It's okay. I promise it's okay." Her voice was as soft as silk in his ear and he simply melted into her arms as he cried.
It seemed like hours had passed as they kneeled there, Vylaris' cries finally ceasing. He could probably cry some more, if he only had the tears left. Azdralin began to let go of him, and as much as he wished to stay there forever, he was in quite a lot of pain from such a position. They both sat down at the edge of the lake, watching the surface bubble as fish would swim up to feed on insects.
Vylaris sighed. "I think...I'm a little messed up."
Azdralin raised a brow at him. "Just a little?" She teased.
"Okay, maybe a lot." He smiled a little. He really did enjoy her company.
"Is there some way I could help?"
Vylaris shrugged. "Tampering with this kind of magic makes us susceptible to the control of the dark beings who created it. Their voices...sometimes I get completely lost in them."
Azdralin placed her hand on his. "Well, I know that deep down, you're capable of doing good things. You're not alone, okay? I'm not gonna leave you...unless you want me to."
Vylaris shook his head. "I don't want you to go, but I'm worried what will happen if you stay."
Azdralin rose to her feet and reached her hand down to help him up. "You don't need to worry about that, I can take care of myself."
He took her hand and stood beside her, offering her an empty smile; he didn't believe her. "If you say so."
They had begun to walk back towards Silvermoon and Vylaris wasn't sure how to feel anymore. Should he accept the fact that he enjoyed being with her? Should he run away and forget all about her? Nothing seemed clear to him.
As they approached the grand entrance to the city, a royal guard approached Azdralin and bowed respectfully. "The Regent Lord requests both of you to see him at once."
Azdralin thanked the guard and turned to Vylaris. "He must have made his decision."