Chapter 9: The Cleansing of Jintha'Alor.
"Ah no, ah blacked out again." Xainia woke up in the Ring of Valor in Orgrimmar. This time there was no voice to speak to her; she was left in the silence of the unused building.
The times that Xainia recalled being awake waned, she felt empty and saddened without the powers that had helped her overcome her troubles in the past year. The new voice which she heard only rarely rang of cold, cruel logic. Nonetheless, it was a voice as she was so used to, and she had placed her trust in it blindly.
"What can ah do? Ah've nah ta work fa." Xainia thought to herself. "Da east no scare me tho, ah can kill Hakkar." She continued thinking.
Suddenly a strange thought occurred to the troll. "Ah could go back dere. Ah heard plentah ah mah allies always askin about goin dere… it can't be too bad."
"But if you go, the memories will come. You can't handle it." The voice in Xainia's head spoke coldly.
Despite the voice, Xainia pulled a piece of paper and a charcoal pencil from her bag. She began to compose a sign. "Den ah get help."
The sign she began to compose read simply:
Help Wanted
Hallo.
Ah be gatherin friends of tha horde ta make ah trip ta tha forest
troll city of Jintha'alor. We be headin all tha way ta tha
ampitheata atop ta visit where mah parents last stood...
...
Suddenly, the memories she had overcome or avoided returned to her without the confidence her master's presence had provided. Her writing scrawled off the page and the voice spoke again.
"Ah, now you've done it. But you have a good idea. I will take care of this."
Xainia glowed with dark light as she faded into the shadows. She picked the writing back up in a much more frienzied fashion, nearly puncturing the piece of parchment.
"We be goin ta kill every one ah dem dam cannibal trolls in da city. Not ah single one be survivin when we done. We gonna need an army a least! We demand an army. Dey be destroyed fa what dey did, fa helpin Hakkar! Sack tha city! Burn tha city! Even da warchief hates forest trolls, ya all should hate em too! We be meetin in tha courtyard of tha dead city an ridin on horseback ta Jintha'alor. Dis be happenin Sunday past da midday.
Signed - Shadow Priestess Xainia
Cracking an evil grin, the shadowy figure looked up and ran out of the ring of valor to post this note at the Orgrimmar bank. As she walked through the crowded city in shadow form, many stepped aside. The shamanistic nature of many orcs made them now revile the shadow and darkness that had once blinded them. Tacking the note in a prominent place after the several mile walk through the drag to the enormous bank building, Xainia looked around the open area of the canyon which was the common area of Orgrimmar. Thinking to her self, the shadowy figure went over what she could do.
"Ah must find moah enahgy. Dah shadow must be fed." The dark form thought.
The shadows taxed Xainia greatly when they were expressed to this level. This only seemed to happen since she had completed her training and moreso since her decision when she was freed. Her kindness and sanity slept, while this dark persona walked her body around the world. Before, her master had told her that destroying enemies increased her power, but now this destruction was required by this shadow entity for it to keep control.
"Hey, you help me in Ragefire canyon, priestess?" A very untrained looking orc walked up and spoke to Xainia.
"Sure…" The shadowy figure answered, grinning evilly out of sight.
"Thank you, now I say what kill and where go in here." The orc spoke somewhat thanklessly.
Xainia followed the orc silently into the caves under Orgrimmar. Feeling invulnerable with such backup, the orc fearlessly charged into the center of a group of troggs and rock worms.
"Ah no, whatever am ah to do?" Xainia threw up her hands as she watched the young orc torn limb from limb, her regular self unaware of such an atrocity. The activities of the shadow were never known by the light. Xainia walked out of the caverns and headed back to the Ring of Valor, knowing she would not have enough time to find energy before she ran out. Lying down on the fur rug in the back of the ring after the long walk to return to it, the shadows faded and Xainia slept.
"Ah no, ah blacked out again." Xainia woke up in the Ring of Valor in Orgrimmar. This time there was no voice to speak to her; she was left in the silence of the unused building.
"Ah was writin ah lettah… it be gone. Maybe ah delivered it." She thought silently.
Listening carefully, Xainia heard another presence in the ring for once. Another troll was poking around one of the entrances to the ring. Xainia got against the wall under the large awning in the ring and watched carefully. The troll was wearing a suit of black leather armor with silver threading, two sharp looking weapons, and a wolf's head mask. The Troll glanced around, looking for others in the quiet arena. She had one hand on a weapon, as if expecting a fight. Xainia continued to keep an eye on her, removing a roasted quail from her bag and gnawing on it.
The thin Troll sighed. "Ah guess 'dey dun do tournaments 'ere..."
Xainia moved a little, catching the other troll's eye. Noticing the small Troll huddled by the fire, she loosened her grasp on her weapon. Keeping her wits about her, she crouched slightly and approched Xainia.
Xainia sighed and thought. "Ah nah, she noticed me."
" 'Ey 'dere...yah alright...?" Zilis leaned forward and spoke from behind the mask.
Xainia looked back at the wolfish-looking other troll. "Yah. who yah be?"
" 'Dey call meh Primal Zilis, ahn ya?"
"It not be important." Xainia shrugged off the question. "Why ya come 'ere, nobodah come 'ere."
Zilis raised an eyebrow. " Ah...be lookin' tah see if 'dey 'ave anah tournaments 'ere... What'chu doin' 'ere?"
"Ah dunno ah always wake up 'ere. Ah startin ta think it be mah home."
"Ya jis wake up 'ere, eh? Yah Black out?" Zilis questioned.
"Ah think."
Zilis casted her glance to the side, taking in this information. "Ah see..."
"Dere nevah be tournaments here. Dis place be shut down." Xainia scooted away from the wall. "Ah surprised ya din know dat. But dis be ah big city."
"Ah usually be out...workin'" Zilis said, guarding her profession.
"An what work dat be?" Xainia asked.
"Ah be ahn Assassin..." Zilis decided to let the other troll know.
"Dat sound ghastly." Xainia commented.
Zilis shrugged. "Eit be what ahm used tah...ah live jis like 'dah Wolf do...kill as ah need tah..." Her voice trailed off.
Xainia grabbed her head for a moment. "Wha yah say? Mah head hurts."
"Ah...nothin'" Zilis said.
Xainia continued to hold her head, a voice spoke inside of it to her.
"She is dangerous... far too close. I will take care of this." Suddenly, Xainia stood up and walked towards the troll, shadow seemed to seep from her pores as she cracked an evil grin. Her hairstyle changed from a long bunch of hair standing up in a hard cylinder to a short cut with two sharp fins on the sides and one on top.
The Rogue took a quick step back, her hands moving near her weapons, but not indicating a draw. "...!"
Xainia's voice sounded much meaner now. "What yah be doin here. Dis be mah place."
The spirits of the wolf in Zilis stirred now, and she felt the deep evil brewing inside the Priest. "'Ou...'Ou yah be! What'chu doin' in 'dis Troll, Evil Spirit!"
Xainia laughed. "Evil spirit? Oh yah entertain me. Yah be da one causin trouble here. Yah be tha one out of place."
"Ah naht be 'day one stealin' bodies!" Zilis was bearing teeth and growling like an animal now.
"Yah think dis body not be mine? Ya be ah fool." The evil voice echoed.
"Ya be noddin' but evil thoughts, 'ate, angah. Ya 'ave nah 'eart, 'dis Priest does, ya be takin' er bodah."
"If yah keep sayin dat ah have ta punish yah. Yah keep away from me. Yah not be safe. Ah dun know yah." Now Xainia sounded threatening.
Zilis quickly drew her weapon in anger, pointing it directly at the Priest's face. "Ah nevah be safe, ahn ahm not leavin' dis Priest tah be consumed bah yah."
"Oh yah be sorrah for pullin out dat blade." Xainia's shadowy hand reached out, but as it did, the shadow started to fade from it. "Dammit. Tired. Sah tired... ah must feed. Nah. Nah ta kill here." She fell to one knee and passed out on the ground, the shadows leaving her.
As the Troll fell forward, Zilis tossed her weapon into the air and caught it by the hilt. She jumped forwards and caught Xainia too before she hit the ground.
Zilis sighed. "Ah know wat ah must do." She bowed her head in acknowledgement to the Wolf Spirits.
Slowly coming to, Xainia looked up at who was holding her. "Ah nah, ah blacked out again. Who yah be.. ah know yah.. Zilis? Wha ah be in ya arms?"
"Ya...passed out in front ah me." Zilis spoke, her Wolf Mask now removed and lying near the fireplace.
"Ah did... ah be sorrah. Mah head was hurtin, now ah be tired, so tired." Xainia yawned.
"Dun worrah about it..." Zilis fell silent a moment, staring downwards. "Ya 'ungry?"
"Yah, if it not be quail. Ah be tired ah quail." Xainia said, almost like a child.
She turned around for a moment and dug through one of her packs, turning up some fish. "'Dis work? Ah kin git yah somethin' else if yah need it..." Zilis smiled.
A voice echoed in Zilis' head. "You can stay for now... but if you harm me you will wish you'd never been born."
"Ri' back at yah, paracite." Zilis thought, knowing what had spoken to her.
Zilis looked around behind her, making sure the Ring was still empty. "Ya prollah be needin' Rest...gah ahead."
"Why yah bein so nice ta me? Ah hardly know yah." Xainia asked.
"...Ah...er...yah be reminding meh ah som'un ah used tah know." Zilis shrugged akwardly.
"How. ah dun tink dere be manah like me." Xainia inquired more.
The rogue stood up, avoiding Xainia's gaze slightly. "'Dey dun need tah be jis like yah...yah remind meh ah mah sistah."
Looking apologetic, Xainia replied. "Ah, ok. well if it be bad ah be sorrah."
She smiled. "Naht at all, mah Sistah be ah wonderful person."
"Den dat be good."
"Yah...ya be needin' some sleep...ah'll leave yah be." Zilis turned and started to walk away, her thoughts racing.
"Nah. dun leave. Hardla anahone eva come here an now you go too?"
Zilis stopped in her tracks. "Ah figured ya would want privahcy.."
Zilis turned to look Xainia in the eye, still smiling, the Wolf Mask lop-sided on her head.
"Nah. ah be alone all dah time. It get boring." Xainia walked over to Zilis.
"Ah see... Yah wan more fish?" She held up a fish from her pack.
"Sure. thank ya. " Xainia went and sat by the fire.
Zilis followed her, taking her helm off and sitting it by the fire again. Xainia sat on the same side as Zilis. "Aren't yah gonna eat anahting?"
"Hrm? Ah, ahm naht 'ungry…" Zilis shook her head.
"Wha? It be noon... ah think… Actually ah dun know when it be." Xainia wondered.
"Noon'? Nah moness, it beh inta dah night..." Zilis corrected her.
"Ah musta slept long. Ah can't keep track ah time."
Zilis glanced away, pondering if the Priestess would trust her. Realizing she still didn't know her name, she asked again. "Whas ya name?"
"Xainia." The priestess actually decided to answer.
Zilis nodded quietly, then to her surprise, Xainia lay down across her. "So can ah call yah mah friend?" Xainia asked.
Zilis blinked. "Er...yah, yah kin."
"Dat be good. Ah nah had ah friend."
"...Ya 'aven't?"
"Nah. It jus been me. Well nah... Ah sorta remembah someone else, ah tauren, but mah memory be gone bad someha."
Zilis was more intrigued. "Ah see..."
Xainia yawned and turned towards the fire. "Ah gettin sleepy. Ya gonnah stay here, friend?"
"Sure...yah be needin' anahtin from 'dah Citah, 'doh?"
"Nah, ah dun hardly eva need anahting. Nevah awake long enough ta. Always tired."
Zilis nodded, lying back slightly. "Sah, Xainia...where yah from?" She stared into the Fireplace intently.
"Fa away, Eastern." Xainia yawned again. "Kingom."
The Fireplace ignited an image of the Hinterlands to Zilis. "Reallah?"
"Yah." Xainia mumbled.
"Where abouts?"
"Jintha'alor." Xainia grasped her head for a sec but just yawned, taking her hands away from it. "Ah had ah headache fah ah sec but ah tired."
Zilis glared into the fire, able to see bits and peices of Xainia's memories there. "Ah headache?"
"Yah, but ah so tired it went away."
"...Ah see."
Zilis leaned back, her head falling back against the wall, and she sighed.
"Ah lived dere with mah parents, but we didn't want to live there" More of Xainia's memories burned in the fire. "We always had ta eat da same ting. Always wolf meat."
Zilis nodded in the silence.
"But ah escaped dere. Ah think ah was gonnah go back... Ah was writing a letta. Nevah saw if eet got delivered."
The Flames etched these words into images. Zilis remembered seeing the letter posted at this image, but said nothing about it.
"Ah nevah told people dis before." Xainia sighed.
"Yah never 'ad a chance...didja?"
The image of Telina flared up in the fireplace for a moment, too quickly for Zilis to register the face. "Nah, ah always blackout. But ah be so tired right now, ah dunno why."
"Ah go ta sleep now." Zilis patted Xainia.
"Ah see yah in dah morning." Xainia shifted around a bit and settled down.
Zilis smiled. "Ahkay..."
Xainia went to sleep across Zilis.
Sighing quietly, Zilis thought. "Nah what?" She looked at her Wolf helm, as if expecting an answer. Not receiving one, she ate some of the food that she had while Xainia fell asleep and then slid Xainia off of her self and went to sleep close by. Zilis thought as she drifted off. "Well. She like food. Ah should go get sometin good."
After sleeping for a bit, Zilis snuck off to find what she wished to get for Xainia. Xainia awoke the next morning in the ring, alone. "Zilis?" Xainia looked around then frowned. "Maybe ah dreamed 'er up. Ah knew it wa too nice ta be true."
"Yes, most definitely too nice. Now come with me... my time." The shadowy voice spoke.
"Huh?" Xainia muttered as she faded into the shadows. She rose and headed out of the Ring of Valor, giving glares to the guards at the gateway. Calling her raptor, she rode quickly for the gate of the city and spoke softly to herself. "Now, what can ah kill taday."
Back in the Ring of Valor, Zilis returned only minutes later to check on Xainia. "Xainia..? Xainia, ya be 'ere? Ah brought some food fer yah!"
Xainia had by this time reached the zeppelin platform outside the city. Sensing the other troll, Xainia paused on the platform and turned towards the city. "Somebodah be in mah domain." The shadow laughed. "It be her, she think she know me. She be comin far too close."
Zilis walked through the Ring of Valor, unable to find her new friend. "Where culd she be...?" Setting the food down near the fire under the awning, Zilis went outside to ask the guards where her friend had gone. "Ey, mon, ya seen ah Troll comin' outta 'ere? 'Bout 'dis tall...blue skin?" she held her hand about the same height as herself.
One of the guards nodded. "Yeah, but she was so full of shadow that it was scarin even us."
Zilis looked worried, but she nodded. "When'd she leave?"
"I wouldn' follow her, yer crazy if you do." The other guard saw what the troll was thinking from her actions.
"...Ah naw..." She looked at the guards. "Ah can handle her." Zilis shook her head then looked up solemnly. "Danks mon, ah gotta go!"
Zilis called her raptor and headed as quickly as she could out of the horde capital city. Coming to a stop just outside Orgrimmar, she fell to one knee. Inspecting the many footprints of the ground, she sniffed the air. Catching Xainia's sent easily, she looked up. The air containing Xainia's sent became a faint red to her. She smiled and thanked the Spirits before chasing after her.
Arriving in Tirisfal some time later, Xainia disembarked from the quick traveling vessel and headed towards the Undercity. She didn't reach it though, the sight of several members of the scarlet crusade on pikes infront of the city caught her eye.
"Ah, ha perfect. Hearthglen. Encourahged murda. Dere be plentah ah tings ta kill fa enahgy." She grinned in expectation and called her raptor to head off to the western plaguelands.
On the other side of the World, Zilis sat cross legged near the zeppelin tower; she would have to wait for the next transport which would come quite some time later. The shamanistic rogue's eyes were closed in a meditative state, pondering over the recent events. Visuals of Xainia's other self raced through her mind over and over, as if in slow motion. After meditating for a great time, Zilis senses movement. A figure was coming up behind her slowly, she could tell from the noise that it was hooved and that it was attempting poorly to move with silence.
"Ya trying ta sneak up on meh, mon?" Zilis spoke to the creature behind her, without moving.
"Er...no, not at all..I'm looking for someone...maybe you've seen them?" The druid Telina inquired of the troll.
"'Ou yah be lookin' Fer?" Zilis asked in return.
"A Troll about your skin tone, red hair, done up rather nice, like this...er...about this tall.." The Druid made several gestures.
Zilis blinked blankly at the Tauren, who blushed. "'Dis Troll be 'Avin' ah name, moness?"
Telina looked off to the side for a moment, considering her options, and then looked back to Zilis. "Xainia."
Zilis looked the Druid over. "Xainia, eh?" The Rogue stood up, turning around to face the Tauren. "She gone 'dis way... 'Ou you know 'er?"
The zeppelin started to come in fnally as Telina explained some of her involvement with the priest. Zilis in turn told what she had known from the last night and where Xainia had gone. Sensing the wolf spirit within the rogue, Telina knew she would be moving quickly.
"I'll say more later. We must get on this zeppelin." Telina said as she strode past the Rogue quickly.
Hearthglen was the town which the good paladin, Prince Arthas, had protected before his fall. After the betrayal of the prince and the war, the town had risen as a bastion of the Scarlet Crusade, one of the only places purified of the plague in upper Lordaeron. This town was truly a contradiction to its plagued surroundings. Any living humans had flocked to it for protection from the undead, but unwittingly they were made to bolster the numbers of the crusade. Today, the shadows would visit the town as many others had been visited without Xainia's knowledge.
"Shamus, you look to have had a hard day, come sit by the fire. Dinner is almost ready." A townswoman greeted her troubled looking husband as he came into the house.
The man hung up his scarlet crusade tabard and sat. "Yes, some orcs tried to steal books from Mardenholde today. I don't know why we must stop them; they aren't dead. I even saw some of them ravaging Andorhal only last week." Shamus sighed.
"Shamus, don't speak like that. I know you never wanted to be here, but if an officer were to hear you, it would be the death of us." His wife was concerned.
"I know, I know. Hopefully we can get moved to the monastery and then find a way out of this cursed land, before our son is taken by the crusade."
A toddler turned over in a makeshift crib, having a late afternoon nap by the warm embers of the fire.
"Some of my comrades are so zealous, but I only wish we could have found other safe refuge. I just can't agree with some of the ideals they hold." Shamus rubbed his temples, having a slight headache for some reason.
"Yet you profess to be among our ranks for protection." An officer who had been outside the door barged in with his sword drawn. "If you are not one of us, you are our enemy."
"Mercy m'lord" The wife cried out.
"Dere be nah mercy fa yah. Tha shadah consumes all." Xainia entered the room in a whirlwind of shadow.
The officer turned. "Alive? One… Two… Three…"
Xainia watched the officer count in the procedure that many crusaders used as the prepared several terrors for him.
"Six.. It hasn't proclaimed life! It must be undead! Die!" The officer charged the troll.
Catching his arm in mid swing of the sword, she whispered pain and weakness into his head. The officer hit her about the sides a few time, but she drained such energy from his rage that it kept her unharmed. Taking his throat in one hand, she began to flay his mind. Slowly, his face turned to a fleshy liquid and ran over her hand then vaporized in a cloud of shadow energy which she quickly absorbed.
"Thank you, good priest, if you could only help us escape this curs…" The man spoke but then began to choke as Xainia grabbed him too. "Ple… No!..."
Sapping his energy into the shadows, Xainia grinned at the helpless man. His wife ran over and grabbed her arm, trying to wrestle her loved one from the shadowy grip. This only resulted in the woman being drained directly through her face by Xainia's other hand while the man continued to shrivel up helplessly. As soon as they were both drained and dead, Xainia walked slowly towards the crib, making a grim cooing noise at the young one. Reaching down at the slowly waking toddler, she picked him up by placing one hand under each side of his chin and lifting him into the air, watching his lower body kick and squirm as he came to.
"Now yah dun hafta worry about bein in tha crusade, ah taken care ah everahting." Xainia laughed evilly.
The child started to cry as the slowly drain his still young and potent spirit. As she performed his act, suddenly the door slammed wide open with familiar figures rather than more crusaders.
"Xainia!" Zilis and Telina broke into the house and shouted.
Looking up suddenly, the shadows faded from her for a second and she caught sight of what she was holding. The pupils in her eyes shrunk to miniscule sizes as she screamed horribly and droped the withered form.
"Wha... wha..." Xainia gasped, starting to breathe very quickly. The shadows quickly engulfed her again, being strong with energy from the acts committed only moments before. The shadowy Xainia turned to them. "Ya not supposed ta be here!" it focused on Zilis "Ah told yah not ta harm me, now look what yah make me see."
"Neither be yah!" Barked Zilis, bearing her teeth "Be gone from 'er bodah, yah filthah Parasite!"
Xainia laughed. "Ya speak like dat be possible."
"She wouldin' be doin' dis if yah hadin' ah come!" Zilis yelled again.
"Ah am 'er. An you be dead fa what ya do dere." Xainia began to channel shadow energy between her hands.
Zilis let loose a Feral Growl, drawing her weapons almost thoughtlessly. All that crossed her mind was 'Would this harm Xainia?' She would have to be careful. To keep everything safe, she flipped her wapons to the blunt side.
"Telina, yah stay bak...yah be 'er Bodahguard, but 'dis naht Xainia..."
"Hah. Ah know dat one. She call me masta. Be ah good servant an kill dis one wit me." The shadowy figure ordered.
Telina shot the troll a terrorfying glare then walked out of the Hut.
"Den let dah shadah fall on yah both" Xainia let loose a terrifying scream
Telina slammed the door shut as the scream emitted, leaving the two Trolls to duel it out.
After the fearful effect of the scream faded, Xainia tried to latch shadow onto Zilis as she did with her other targets and was surprised to find that the other troll was more resillient than her other victims. Images of Childhood fears and her worst nightmares flared through Zilis' mind, but she resisted the fear, immobilized temporarily
Xainia laughed evilly "Yes yah fear feeds me."
Redoubling her efforts, Zilis broke free of the nightmares. "'Dat Ain' gunna work so easah on meh!" Zilis yelled as she ran forward and swung sideways, striking the Shadow squarely in the chest.
Stunned, Xainia tumbled back with the blow. Zilis quickly followed up with a swift kick to the side. "Ah'll purge Xainia ah yah mahself if ah mus..."
Unable to even call fourth her discipline n the depths of this shadow, Xainia tried once again to latch on to Zilis vamprirically.
Pointing her sword directly at the Shadow's face again, the Wolf Helm covering her entire face, Zilis remarked once more. "Ah told ya befer, 'dat dun work on meh!"
At this comment, Xainia threw herself at Zilis, tackling her down and trying to grab at her weapons. The very shadow of her body tried to harm Zilis at the same time. Zilis gasped deeply, holding her breath as the Shadow attacked her. Placing one foot firmly on the ground, she kicked up, flipping the two over.
Xainia reached up from her now flipped position and fixed her hands on Zilis' neck. "Fall inta shadah. Fall inta shadah!"
Feeling the Shadow double Xainia's grip and start to sap her energy, Zilis gasped, it was very hard to breathe. "Kkssk.." she choked as the fought on.
"Yes.. yes give mah yah energy" Xainia said greedily.
"Ah… Wun... FAIL!" Zilis yelled. As she said this, she grabbed the shadow's wrists, kicking her in the stomach, twisting her arms back towards her body, and jumping backwards. Clutching her neck and gasping, Zilis reclaimed her breath.
Letting out a guttural and almost demonic growl, Xainia fought against the other troll.
Having forsaken her spells in the heat of battle, Xainia tried to claw at her opponent to cause harm. Zilis grabbed her Xainia by the shoulders and pushed down, forcing the shadowy troll to run past her. As soon as this happened, she caught her by the waist and ran her backwards with her into the wall, smashing into it. Letting go, Zilis stumbled backwards. The Shadow had drained her of a tremendous amount of energy. Smashing into the bricks, Xainia fell too, she got up to one knee and started coughing. Panting, Zilis glared at her.
"Mah enahgy... yah pay fa dat. Ya pay... someday." The shadow faded from her. Xainia looked around for a moment, seeing her self and Zilis injured, and remembering her surroundings. As soon as the realization fully hit, she burst out crying and ran from the cottage, calling her raptor as she ran.
"Xainia...thank 'da Spirits..." Zilis fell to one knee and coughed up blood then fell to the ground. "damnit.."
Outside, Telina was leaning against the building with a callious look on her face as crash and bang came from inside the building. Xainia's raptor knew to take her back to the guild hall, the closest safe place for her. Seeing Xainia rush by on her raptor in tears, devoid of shadows, Telina stood up with a start, calling her own mount. Xainia continued crying on the long ride, hunkered down on top of her raptor holding tightly. The image of what she held and her new friend's suffering stuck in her head. Following from a raised area, Telina tracked her back silently.
After some time riding through upper Lordaeron, nearly the rest of the day and into some of the night, Xainia entered the town of Brill. Her raptor was fairly exhausted, but it still knew where to take her. Xainia had fallen asleep for some of the ride but when she awoke the tears only returned; they stained her face and made it look puffy. The raptor stopped at the guild hall and jumped, waking her up.
"Ah no.. ah still be alive." Xainia muttered.
Xainia tried to wipe the tears off her face, but more came. She ran into the guild hall and up into one of the room on the top floor. As she entered the Hall, Telina walked up to the doors.
She patted the raptor on the side and whispered to it. "You have done well, rest now."
Many of the guild members looked up at the unknown tauren waltzing into the hall just as they had done a double take when they saw Xainia running through.
An undead paige approached Telina. "You can't just walk in here unannounced."
Telina looked down at the Undead. "And who would be announcing me? I have important bussiness to attend."
"Well, I don't know. That's why people can't normally come in." The paige answered.
Telina sighed and smirked. "I won't make any trouble, I just need to watch someone." She said as she walked up to the stairwell leading to Xainia's quarters, and sat down, leaning against the wall.
"She's fine. She accompanied us in killing Hakkar once." Marylyn spoke up and then looked at Telina "And a very important time it was."
"'Fine' is an overstatement." Telina said back to the mage.
"You can let her pass." Noktwar looked up from the large table in the hall.
Meanwhile in the upper room, the unrest continued. Xainia knelt on the bed and looked at her hands, the image still so fresh in her mind she remembered the weight of the body and the feeling of it sriveling to her touch.
"Nah.. nah.. How could ah..." Xainia said to herself.
"You should forget about this." the shadowy voice spoke in her head.
"Nah, how could ah do dat, how could ah do sometin dat horrible."
Telina could feel the Shadow creeping back into Xainia's mind from outside the room.
"You needn't be concerned. I've taken care of it."
"Yah did dis. What else yah been doin when ah not know it." Xainia questioned the voice that had replaced her master's.
"Don't let the Shadow fool you, Xainia..." Telina whispered to herself in the hall.
"It's none of your business. I am taking care of us." The shadow asserted again.
"But yah can't jus do dat!"
"Yes, I can. You even wanted me to. You made me, You can't change that."
"Nah, ah nevah wanted dis. It be worse dan what been done tah me… much worse."
The voice became Irate sounding in her head. "I said it is taken care of! Now you will sleep! You are not prepared nor equipped to deal with living, I am. Just live your few hours while I sleep and let me take care of us. It is your only option. Yah self pity is not wanted. It will not survive. You will forget today... just like every day."
Overpowered, Xainia fell asleep. The voice faded. Several days passed while Xainia slept in the upper room. Word of her announcement made it out and the day quickly approached. Xainia did not wake or hunger, the sleep she was forced into was far too deep.
Finally after some time, someone entered the room. "Xainia, wake up. Are you going to attend your own battle?" Noktwar questioned her. He was standing in the doorway with his armor on.
Marylyn also entered the room "I'll get her up." Marylyn placed a hand on the side of Xainia's face and lit it up with ice, sickering slightly.
Xainia shot awake and sat up. "Ahhh! Dat be cold! Dat be COLD!" Her eyes focused on them. "Why yah do dat?"
"You're about to sleep through the battle you've plannned." Noktwar reminded her. "The Undercity awaits you."
Xainia looked around. "Dat.. Jintha'alor... Dat be now?"
"Yes, you've been asleep for some time." The guild leader informed her.
"Oh... Den ah must go." Xainia's face was no longer reddened from crying, but her eyes were so full of dried grit that she had trouble opening them fully. Grabbing her possesions, Xainia ran out of the front of the guild hall wordlessly and grabbed her raptor.
Telina stood in front of the raptor, waiting for Xainia. She walked forward, stopping the smaller Troll as she advanced. "Wait, Xainia...here..." The Tauren licked her thumb and rubbed some of the grit out of Xainia's eyes. Telina then ruffled Xainia's hair gently, and gave her a faint smile.
Xainia paused. "Telina? What yah be doing here?" her memories of the bad day were suppressed.
"Waiting for you. Come, we're needed at the Undercity." The Druid turned away and called for her mount.
Xainia got on her raptor and rode the few miles into the ruined capital. Riding into the grand scale courtyard, Xainia was surprised to see how crowded it was. Many members of the guards and other groups as well as some mercenaries were all waiting in the courtyard. Xainia rode up onto one of the side sets of steps and looked down at the crowd. Recognizing that she was a priest, many of them figured her to be the leader. Xainia dismounted and turned to them, surprised that thier numbers nearly came to four hundred. Telina stood quietly behind her master, her eyes shining as she looked over the crowd, her arms crossed.
Calling out over the crowd, Xainia tried to wing a speech. "Ah.. Ah'd like ta thank yah all fa comin here tah help me. We Gonna be goin ta visit Jintha'alor. It be ah long journey, be dere anabodah who want ta step up ta assist."
Several people came forwards to volunteer to take control of smaller groups within the mob that had gathered. After they divided into two major groups with four smaller groups each and two groups below each of those, they were prepared to move out.
"Den Let's begin dah march." Xainia yelled out. The crowd cheered and turned to leave the courtyard under the command of the 'Lieutenants' of sorts that had been named. Xainia looked much more confident from the realization that she was making things like this happen. Silently, the shadow waited and built its energy back, Xainia had no idea of the rest of the mission that it had planned while she slept.
Even as a totally mounted army, the trip took days. The army moved its way through the plaguelands, carefully protecting camps from the wandering undead as each small group kept to its self. At the advice of her assistants, the army moved through Plaguemist Ravine as a shorter path into the Hinterlands. Leaving the rotten and plagued lands, the army pushed into the hinterlands. Wisely, they avoided the dwarf kingdom of Aerie Peak.
Xainia, you are certian you are ready for this?" Telina inquired while riding beside her, already knowing the answer.
".. ah guess. It not seem like too big of ah ting." Xainia answered in a somewhat bewildered fashion. "Ah.. ah even forget wah ah do it... Ah just know ah planned ta do dis."
Heading past the path to the city, the army camped the last night to the northeast of the troll metropolis to avoid sentries. A few more had joined the group as it traveled, but overall the army had made the nearly week long journey unscathed.
Xainia sat in her tent the last night after setting a start time for her Lieutennants on the next day. Speaking to Telina, Xainia revealed much. "Ah remembah looking out ova dis plain from da city."
Tauren nodded at Xainia. "What else?"
"When ah do it bring back dah most terrible memories.. but dey burn away... ah can't tink. Ah feel like ah dun know what be going on wit me anahmore. Ah hardly remembahd ya till ya showed up again." Xainia frowned.
"Oh? Then what -do- you remember?"
"Nothin now, mah mind be blank. It feel like ah be swimming."
The Druid sighed and gave Xainia a look of deep concern. "That's not good.."
"Ah dun know what ah can do about it. Ah know ah should know... but ah just dun."
"Ah nevah thought about it before, how ah should know, but ah do now… and it feel like it be too late. Ah should sleep. We have... whatevah we had… tomarrow."
"Jintha'alor, Master. I'll keep a close watch over you while you sleep, rest well." The Druid turned and stepped outside the tent, shooing those near-by away.
Xainia slept soundly for the night, not able to consider the next day or her past days. When the morning came, everyone began to prepare for the last bit of the march south to the city. Morning mist still covered the ground when they came to a halt fire hundred yards infront of the city's massive main gates, which stood open like a leering maw. The army lined up in thier smaller groups and Xainia walked to the front of them. She looked over the crowd, then to the city for a moment, and then grabbed her head in a bit of pain.
"You can't handle this, I'll take it from here." The shadows slowly poured from her, making the magenta and teal cloud that they usually formed. Her hair also changed again as it did some of the time. Looking back up with different eyes, she spoke loudly in a commanding voice.
"Form dah lines fah battle!" The shadowy figure yelled. "Ten deep, Fortah across."
"...Xainia...?" Telina muttered in disbelief to herself.
Obeying this strong commanding presence, the members of this attack fell into the rectangular formation with extreme precision. Xainia paced across the front of the lines speaking. "Taday, we come ta scour dese cannibal forest trolls from dis city. We come ta pay dem back fah helpin Hakkar. Nae ah single one leave 'ere alive! Da mission not be complete until everah inch, everah corner be empty. We leave dese ruins as ah symbol dat some alliances have too high ah price!"
Behind her, Telina stared in slight disbelief. "She wasn't even this violent when she fought Hakkar" she thought "She can recall why she's here now, too...and that Shadow...I wonder."
Xainia turned to the city, catching sight of Telina behind her. She cracked and evil grin and made a mocking kissy face. Xainia spoke quietly to herself. "Ah bet yah dam cannibals nevah expected tah see me again. Now ah be back."
In the city, a guard sleepily awoke from his past breakfast nap and looked out of his post towards the front of the city. His eyes became wide very quickly.
"A vessel of hate and destruction..." Telina whispered.
Turning and running to the nearby guardhouse, the troll guard exlaimed. "Boss, dere be an army outside!"
"Yah be pullin mah leg mon, what dis be ya whelp?" an older and higher ranking guard replied. He walked out to the wall to look out of the post. "See dere ain be no... ARMY... ARMY!" The boss ran back to the post yelling. "ATTACK! SOUND DA ALARM!"
Xainia yelled out at exactly the same time. "Charge!"
Obeying with a massive series of shouts, the army took arms and charged at the still open city gates. Xainia ran in at about the middle of the pack and began to rip through the unarmed and unaware trolls inside with them. Members of the army looted and snatched anything valuable looking from the houses as they began to make progress through the tiers of the city.
Cries erupted from the crowd. "Break thier bones!" … "For the Horde!" … "Power to the Forsaken!" … "Slay the cannibals" … "Let none survive!"
Rushing to keep up with the Shadowy Xainia, Telina kicked down enemies in front of her, not stopping to finish them off. Her priority was to keep an eye on Xainia. The city truly resembled a scene from hell, blood scattered everywhere with remains strewn in the streets behind the moving army. The smell of burning lumber began to fill the air as the buildings were set aflame in the army's wake. The city was neither prepared nor equipped to face such an unstoppable force. Only the numbers of the Vilebranch and the higher ground they held gave them any advantage. Catching up to Xainia finally, Telina caught her breath quickly. The shadowy troll surveyed the wreckage, looking for the next set of stairs.
"Xainia!" A familiar voice yelled out, and a tall troll covered in ripped and burned black leather dropped down from the next rise. She looked tattered and had old dry blood caked on parts of her clothing.
Xainia turned, shadowform dissappearing at the familiar voice. "Zilis? What yah be doing here?" Xainia caught sight of the slaughter around her. "Huh..." The shadows quickly re-engulfed her. "I'll deal with yah latah. Ah be too busy now." The shadow priestess ran up the next set of stairs to push the blockade that the Vilebranch had constructed at the top.
Zilis looked at Telina, and they both sighed. "Can't take my eyes off her..."
This time in the shadowy troll's head, Xainia's voice spoke. "Ah dinnah want dis. What yah be doing?"
"Quiet you, I am taking care of it. Sleep!" The shadowy voice answered her in this half sleeping state she was stuck in.
Running up the stairs to catch Xainia, Zilis continueed to yell "Xainia! Wake ap!"
Xainia was unable to sleep seeing this now, and the shadow was too concerned with battle to make her sleep. She watched quietly, feigning sleep within her own mind. Breaking the blockade on that level, the army charged through triumphantly, throwing carcasses aside as the trolls fell.
Marylyn approached Xainia. "Xainia, they're slaughtering everything, even the children. We can't pray on those weaker than us, it is against the guard's code."
"Well ah see everyone doin it gladly. Sah nevahmind it." The shadow answered and charged away from her.
"Ignore 'er, she's naht in 'er right mind" Zilis said as she ran past.
"But I can't this is inhuman, I can't believe we are calling this justice."
Telina gave Marylyn a curious glance. "We? We are not."
"But this crowd, this army… they kill indiscriminately." Marylyn protested again.
"You are free to help, you are also free to leave this chaos, but decide quick." Telina turned to give chase again.
"I will stay, but I will not kill these. I must see what has become of us that we allow this to happen." Marylyn ran with them.
They pushed on through the city, the yells continuing along with the looting and burning.
"Xainia always did wish revenge upon this place, but not like this, I know...this is not her heart... What the hell has taken her?" Telina said to her comrades.
"'Dat damned Shadah Paracite...'dis be its doin', ahm sure..." said to Telina as they moved on.
Soon it was midday, most of the city was burning below them in the statement of grim victory. Pockets were full of loot and streets full of blood.
"Xainia..." Telina had finally caught up with her Master.
Xainia was not paying attention. She was not even there when they burned the trolls out of where she had lived; she was much more concerned with the top tier. As the time neared evening and the city sat looted and in flames, the force finally approached the ampitheater, below the large waterfall at the city's peak. The final host of the trolls had closed themselves in the cave while the leader and his best warriors sat at the altar to meet the army. Clearing the final depths of the city outside of the ampitheater, the fighters, now weighed down with possessions, surrounded the area.
"At least there's no more Children..." Telina muttered. Zilis and Marylyn sighed in agreement beside her.
"That's still not good seeing as they've all been killed." Marylyn mentioned. "I even asked some others, it never crossed their minds until I mentioned it. Horrible."
"Well if it didn't cross their minds, they can't be considered too evil for it." Telina said quickly as the turned to watch the unfolding scene.
All three stood feet away from Xainia, watching now, knowing there was little they could do. She burned with a hateful malignancy as the stared at the last holdout.
The leader of the trolls called out. "Who be da leadah ah dis pack ah mongrels who seek ta wipe us from dis existence?"
Xainia stepped forward infront of the army. "Ah be. And yah be dying by mah hand. Ya can nevah make back fah what yah did tah mah parents on dis altah."
"Hm. You be ah darkspear." The Vilebranch paused to think for a while. "Den yah parents be dose who set back da rebirth ah Hakkar. Ya have damned dem as well now, we kill you, den summon deh spirits ta torture fahevah."
Xainia's words recalled the memory of the fateful night to Telina's mind...she shivered and rubbed her eye quietly.
"Gatha yah best warriors, dey face mine, an you face me." the Vilebranch leader called out.
The lieutennants, all good battlers, stepped forward eagerly while Xainia approached the Vilebranch leader. Each lieutennant was more than a match for two of what the Vilebranch could muster, nothing even near the city had challenged his warriors in such a long time that they had fallen into mediocrity.
"Yah have signed yah death warrant, Vilebranch" Xainia approached with a slow waltzing gait, almost floating, as the Vilebranch leader drew his axes and put on some scrappy armor.
"If ah die, Hakkar will bring me back ta life." He gloated.
"Hakkar is dead." Xainia held her arms down and opened her palms, turning them to face her enemy. Her aura burned with magnificenty horrible power. "An so are you."
The Vilebranch leader raised his axe as she neared while saying that, but as soon as she did, he simply stopped. Without so much as a word, he faded from existence completely. He had been utterly erased by the spell that the shadowy troll cast. Many in the army gasped at this attack as the other Vilebranch warriors fell without their leader. Pouring into the cave to flush the last of the Vilebranch from the city, the army cheered again. They had won, evidenced by the thick grey and black some flew into the sky from the tiers below them.
Xainia approached the altar and knelt down on it. "mah turn." Xainia's voice echoed in the shadowy figure's head as the shadows faded.
"Mama, Papa, ah've killed Hakkar, ah've come to see yah. Can yah forgive me?"
Silence followed. Even the armies seemd quiet.
"Can yah forgive me." Xainia repeated as the silence continued.
"You should forget about them. The memory only causes you pain, and hinders us." The voice tried to not be as agressive, realizing that it was pushed out of its control place by her.
"Forget.. Nah!" Xainia thought back, somewhat mumbling it outside of her head too.
"You should. You will. I know what's best for ya, for us."
"No. Nevah. Ah neva forget. Yah stop talkin like dat!"
Telina could faintly hear Xainia's mind as she neared her... "Xainia..."
Xainia blocked Telina out, sending a message back. "Dis be fah me tah deal with."
Telina looked down at the ground a moment, breaking into a large smile. "There you are..."
The evil voice laughed. "I don't have to stop anything. It's not like you can get rid of me. I am you! I am your hate, your revenge, your vanity, I am what you have made me. I am the power you wanted to wield and the power you used freely."
"Ah seen what yah be doing. Yah been what make me black out." Xainia indicted the voice.
"Oh, bravo, that took you long enough. I was doing what you wished, making people revere you, revile you, obey you. Ever since HE left... you've wanted me to."
"Yah stealin mah life."
"Our life I'm afraid, my dear self. Why don't yah see if yah can deal with dis? hrm?" The voice was now acting normally, having forgotten what just happened in a fit of rage. The evil voice let loose all the grim memories it had been holding back. Xainia's mind image of herself began to cry as tears came forth in the physical world too.
Sniffing the tears up, Xainia spoke. "But it was nevah me… it was yah. Yah killed dem, yah attacked mah friends."
"No, you did, your hate and want for power." The voice poked at her
Seeming to realize something, Xainia looked up in her mind and up at the sky with her body. The shadowy image of her suddenly gained a new expression, one of slight fear. "So if ya be dat... yah be no trouble."
"What do you mean? I certainly am trouble, I am the power... I am your completion."
"Yah be somethin ah made yah say. An now yah gone an showed me mah memories, yah shown me behind da blackness ah couldn't see through. Ah nevah forget dah past, but ah not gonna dwell on it. Ah not gonna let dis feeling take me ova." Xainia's mind image of herself began to shine.
"What are you thinking? I cannot see it... What! Your thoughts should be an open book to me, we are one! You cannot beat me!"
"Yah be mine. Yah be somethin ah made and ah control. Ah control mah hate, mah vanity, mah need tah use dah shadow. Impuden dream! Know yah place!" Beams of light shot from Xainia's hands in her mind, flaying the shadowy image of herself to the ground.
"Don't do this! You need me! You don't know how to live!"
Xainia began to draw all that the shadow had taken from her back. "No, yah need me. Without me, yah don't exist. Ah be in charge now... and forevah."
Manacles of light appeared around the shadowy figure's arms as her broken form stood up and looked at Xainia.
The figure replied in almost a monotone, lacking consciousness and higher thinking. "Yes, my mistress."
Xainia stood up on the altar, the shadows gone from her. Zilis felt the shadows disperse inside Xainia, and smiled, at the same time, the shadows faded from Telina's mind, and she smiled widly at Xainia.
"You've done it, Master..." The tauren said proudly.
"Ah... Ah should ah had it long ago. But thank yah. Ah dun feel it ah triumph, just takin out dah trash."
The Druid smirked. "You've still over-come it, it was not an easy task... and you over-came it alone." She stood up, still shorter than the Troll. "You've come a long way, Xainia, you truely can take care of yourself now. You have redeemed yourself completely."
The candles on the altar lit up at the same time that a beam of light shone down from above.
"She's right. Yah've done a great ting taday, Xainia" Xenus' spirit said from above her.
"Papa?" Xainia looked up and saw the spirits of both of her parents standing above the altar. Telina looked up at them both, and saluted quietly.
"Yes, mah child. We knew ya had killed Hakkar, an now yah have freed us from dis place. But dat not be da greatest ting."
"It not?" Xainia questioned.
"Yah. All priests decide how ta handle da balance ah light an shadah. Some ignore it, some be consumed by it, an othas conquer it. Yah done ah great ting bah not lettin dah shadah mastah yah" Dalnuya's spirit spoke.
"Fa dat, we be thankful. More dan fah all dis revenge an Hakkar's destruction."
"But… dey all be dead, dis be ah slaughta..." Xainia protested.
"It be somethin fa yah ta learn from an nothing more. Ya can wish all yah want dat ya hadn't done dis, but now it only be ah lesson from befah yah beat dat shadah." Xenus' spirit spoke then flew down and scrabbled around in the bones by the altar. From them he produced two daggers, still glowing with enchantments and still maintaining thier edge.
"Take dese, dey wa mine. Dah Vilebranch leave em 'ere. Dey be dah daggahs ah ah tribe, ah symbol ah Darkspear." Xenus handed her the daggers.
"Now we 'ave ah whole aftalife ta catch up on. Live happily, Xainia. We hope it be ah long time before yah be joinin us." Dalnuya spoke softly but encouragingly.
Allowed to hold them through her connection to them, Xainia reached up and hugged her parents. She waved goodbye as they rose into the air and drifted away. Taking her staff, Xainia stepped off the altar and brought it down upon the cursed surface. Even though it was not much force, the altar shattered in half and its bad magic was dispersed. The army, which has since returned and watched in stunned silence, suddenly began to clap for her.
Xainia turned to them. "Ah thank yah fah helpin me taday. Let us leave dis burned city now. Da battle be ova. Ah hope tah meet ya all on da journey again."
With that the army broke up and began to slowly head out smouldering ruin; each saying goodbye to the grim scene in his or her own way. Some of the fires billowed grey as the more sane fighters snuffed them out. Many of the druid dropped seeds in the ruins as they left.
Telina sighed while Zilis stopped and rubbed the blood off her mouth on her arm. Xainia turned to Zilis and Telina. "Ah guess it be ova now." she walked over to Zilis, who still showed her wounds. "Ah be so sorrah." Xainia hugged Zilis.
Zilis blinked at Xaina as she hugged her, then hugged her back. "Dun worrah about it, ah needed 'dah sleep." She smiled to Xainia. "An ya, it be ova."
Telina coughed. "We should get out of here, reinforcements may have been called...these walls could give way..." The Druid whistled for her mount while the others called theirs.
Xainia climbed onto her "Ah dun think there be anah left. But lets go."
Zilis nodded, calling for her own mount before leaping down off the wall and vanishing from sight. "To Orgrimmar!"
"Yah, ah wherevah. Away from dis place." Xainia followed alongside Telina.
The three rode off from the city of Jintha'alor and into the west. Xainia carried the two daggers of her tribe stashed in her pack; she had proven to herself and her comrades that though some forces may seem indominable and chaotic, nothing in the end can overcome a determined will.
