The Romancer Onyxbane

Episode Nine:

Beyond learning exactly why my sister was not at Cenarion Hold when we arrived, we found little more information about where she went, and with whom. As we sat there, stranded for a lack of information, my anger with Wisthera grew, and I decided that I didn't care what happened to her career. I asked a lot of loud questions and actually did a great job of making certain people nervous. Her contacts were eventually compelled to surprise me in a dark corner, with my healer shadowmelded nearby of course.

I had my helmet on. You couldn't see my face. My blue plate was polished, as usual, and then… there was the Reaper. I held it the way a warrior is supposed to hold his weapon, like he has every intention of using it, and well, without hesitation.

I took pleasure in blowing Wisthera's cover. I told them I was Opalbane's brother, and eventually removed my helmet to prove it. We look very much alike, almost like twins. Reluctantly, they gave in.

But, what information they had did not help us to find her, exactly. The rogues waiting for Shadowstep's agent had only been observing Opalbane, and told us which Twilight cultist camps to check. They never told me their names, but two human men spoke to me. I'm sorry to say that I think there was an orc with them too, though he rarely spoke in his heavily accented Common and remained in the background. I don't think they wanted to be seen together. They also admitted that, from what they could tell, she had gone of her own will, and was complying with everything they asked of her. That terrifies me. I hope to Elune her behavior is evidence of the opposite. I just can't believe that my sister would willingly do something like that. The information was not given to me for free, however. I told them everything I knew about Wisthera, and shared additional information about Opalbane and myself. I don't care what they do with it, as long as I find my sister. They seem to think that my family was being targeted by the demons in Felwood, and my instinct tells me that… well, they've already been busy digging into my family history. But, I think it's all nonsense.

This journal is now my most powerful weapon against those who would act against my family. The rogues in Silithus do not know that I've recorded everything that they said against my sister, or about their true intentions. I will never tell anyone what they shared with me, as I promised, but it is all here in ink, isn't it? And I'm a warrior, not a cutthroat. I will give this journal to whoever can ensure that my sister and I will be safe.

I am up late, guarding Willypearl and the novice priestess Windsong as they sleep. As I write this, I can't help but be grateful for the friends I've made in my life. Those in Westfall brought me to Willypearl, and Willypearl helped me to save my sister. Priestess Feathershine has become a powerful ally and advocate for my sister in I, in a world that still feels too big. At the end of each day, even under all this plate, and with the Reaper firm in my grasp, I still feel like the little boy who watched his parents die, who was still too young to even remember such a terrible loss, that grieving for them was even robbed from me. People say that you can't miss what you've never had, but I do every day.

And, after all this searching, after sifting through all these friends and enemies, if I lose her… the one person I remember, and have been able to keep, well then I don't see how I can go on. Nothing could replace Opalbane. Let her be a cultist, let her be a warlock, a shadow priestess, a villain, but don't let her die. Please don't let her be lost.

"You're up late, aren't you?" Willypearl joined Onyxbane at the cave entrance. The place they chose to make camp for the night was a small grotto that kept the wind out, and all around it was dry sand that even the scorpids wouldn't bother with. Nevertheless, in case they were being followed, Onyxbane insisted on keeping watch.

"Yes, I guess I am." Onyxbane quickly hid his journal in the backpack he'd brought. Back at Cenarion Hold, Onyxbane traded what was left of his ink for a lead pencil, since they would be on foot mostly. At least on the ship, the ink had time to dry. Pencils were more ideal for travel on foot. Unfortunately, they hadn't brought any mounts with them and there were none to spare or hire from the druids.

"Onyxbane, honey, you've been very down lately. I'm worried about you."

"It's because we've been here for a while, and we haven't found her yet."

"It's only been a few days, though."

"It's been months, really. More than two. And she's been wandering Azeroth all this time, without a friend."

Willypearl smiled sadly. "She has us, honey."

"I didn't want to say anything about this earlier but… you should know, in case anything happens. My sister never trusted you."

Willypearl looked a bit hurt, but then the pain in her expression was gone. "That makes sense. I was reaching out to her for years, trying to convince her that I cared, and wanted to help, all through letters."

"I don't blame her hesitation, your kindness is a rare thing. I couldn't believe it myself when we met in Westfall, and you told me how you knew my sister. She never mentioned you."

Willypearl smiled sadly. "I just wanted to help her. The Archmage said he would do terrible things to people like her… but I didn't agree with what he or the others said. Your sister is very sad, and angry, but she is not an evil person."

"No she isn't." Onyxbane forced a smile, and then leaned in and kissed his girlfriend on the cheek.

Willypearl rubbed his back for a quiet moment and then looked up at the stars. "Maybe there's bugs and bugs, but them stars are pretty, ain't they?"

"Yes, they are."

"And… Novice Windsong is asleep, isn't she?"

Onyxbane nodded. But wasn't that obvious? "And… there's something I've been dreaming of for years, and even if this isn't the best time, well, I've learned that there is never a good time for these things, is there? I don't want to waste a night like this." Willypearl nestled in close to the tall Night Elf, who was still a whole head taller than her when he sat.

"Take off your armor, Onyxbane. You can't sleep in that."

"Oh?" Onyxbane looked into her eyes. They were rich and dark. They reflected the stars.

"Yes, and… it's a cold night. You need more than covers to be warm honey. Come inside, and I can help you with that."

Onyxbane smiled. He thought about the timing, about his sister, but then decided that maybe Willypearl was right. Maybe if he even got into a better mood, it might make the search easier.

"Alright."

The gentle snoring of the young priestess mere feet away from them only encouraged the young lovers to indulge. Warm under the simple blankets and with the help of body heat, they soon forgot where they were, or why. Kisses were most important now, whispered and perhaps empty declarations of love were tossed into the narrow air space between them, and as the heat escalated, more clothing was removed, the stakes of their escape from terrible reality higher.

Finally, Willypearl stopped Onyxbane, who was well on his way to finishing things. "No. Wait."

"What?" he said, but went in for another kiss.

"I… Honey, I have to tell you something."

"Can it wait? I love it when you call me that…"

"Onyxbane, please. Please." Willypearl's tone got very serious, and Onyxbane inhaled deeply to calm himself.

"I'm sorry. I was being stupid. What is it, Willy?"

Willypearl cleared her throat, looking all around them in the darkness. The priestess' snoring rolled on.

"I'm engaged."

Onyxbane gagged a little.

"His name is Elec. I care for him deeply. He's a paladin I met after you all left Westfall, especially you, Onyxbane. But, things got very serious without you there. Elec is a good man, and he stuck by my side for years, even when I was put in the Stockades, he stuck to his guns. He didn't listen to what the other men of his order said. And… when I got out, he was right there, on his knee, with a ring. I… I didn't know what to say."

"You said yes."

"I… I said that I would think about it. But he put the ring on my finger anyway. He told me not to think too long. It was very kind of him to give me time, and I can understand that he would want other men to know that I was at least spoken for."

"So, he made a Wreathe Day out of it." Onxybane reached down under the covers and felt for Willypearl's hand. The simple gold band she wore was there, as it had always been. Only, this time he knew it wasn't just jewelry. Night Elves rarely wore jewelry, and after a few horribly embarrassing encounters with human women, Onyxbane gave up on guessing who was married and who wasn't.

"Excuse me?"

"It's a Kaldorei thing. If you're not sure you want to marry someone, but you are sure that it's a good idea, you give them a wreathe."

"Then what happens?"

"Then… I pay for all the meals, treats, and shopping for the entire day, and usually… well the whole point of a Wreathe Day is for the couple to have sex really, for the first time."

"Oh my," Willypearl worried.

"So, what are you going to do?"

Willypearl balked. "You… ain't gonna stop me?"

Onyxbane roved his eyes around a bit in the dark. "Um… no. Why should I?"

"You… don't think it's wrong?"

He shrugged. "No. I like you. And this feels good, doesn't it? Why stop?"

"But… I could break his heart, I could ruin his life. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

Onyxbane brought Willypearl's hand up to his mouth and kissed it. It was her ring finger, but that didn't cause the male elf to hesitate in the least. She winced happily.

"You mean a lot to me. You always have. If this guy misses out, well, that's his fault. You're mine now."

"You sound… positively ungentlemanly! Onyx, I'm very surprised at you."

"Do you like it?" Onyxbane chuckled softly, and tried to pick up where things left off. But Willypearl struggled.

"This is not how I imagined it at all." She protested.

"How did you want it?" Onyxbane asked, but it sounded more like he was asking about personal preference, not the longings of the heart.

"I've loved you. I never told you how much I suffered… it was so embarrassing, and I didn't want to frighten you away. But, even when I met Elec, the perfect man, a paladin, and a knight, I could not stop thinking about you, dreaming about you. You are like any human man as far as personality, but your body, your heart, are so exotic, unbelievable perfect in every way. I kept wishing I was with you instead. Onyx, it was more than just some crush. I thought, I still think that you are meant for me, and I had to risk everything to come on this trip and find out if I was just dreaming."

Onyxbane had to pause. Never had he heard anything so touching. "Now I really want you, he breathed over her. You're so sweet," he said, and went in for the kill.

"Don't you feel the same about me?"

A woman's scream pierced the air, and it resounded off the walls of the little cave. The priestess was up in an instant, and she immediately checked to where she knew her comrade, the human mage lay. When she saw Willypearl and Onyxbane together, the young night elf's eyes went wide, and Willypearl looked very embarrassed, but Onyxbane only smirked proudly.

"What was that?" the novice wrapped her blanket around herself, and tried not to look at her party members, who were quickly getting dressed. Onyxbane had his helmet and breastplate on, and the Reaper in his hands, not bothering to put on a shirt. Before the ladies could object, he was at the mouth of the cave. Willypearl, also swathed in a blanket, had her hands poised in front of her, calling mana for a frost, or perhaps polymorph spell. The priestess summoned her holy shield, and had her staff in hand.

"Oh goddess! Arrrgh!" the voice screamed again. Onyxbane peered into the dark night, and then waved the women off.

"Don't go! It could be dangerous!" Willypearl warned, but the novice had dropped her guard completely. Onyxbane disappeared into the night. Willypearl looked from the young woman and then into the dark horizon, and remembered a key thing about night elves: they could see in the dark.

"Who is it, then—" she was asking when it suddenly became painfully obvious.

"Onyxbane! Oh, how I hate you, I hate you! Don't touch me! Don't dare TOUCH ME. Let me go, you idiot, you stupid, prancing male elf!"

Willypearl used her powers to reignite the camp fire, and sure enough the voice matched with the person exactly. Onyxbane was holding Wisthera fiercely against his chest, though she was cursing the stars down out of heaven and onto his head. Her hair was dirty and mussed, her clothes were torn, and grains of sand slipped from imbetween the seams of her crude leather armor. And, as if that weren't enough, a huge scorpid stinger had speared itself through her left foot.

"Novice Windsong, can you do anything about this? I was afraid to remove the stinger myself, but killing the damn thing was easy."

"Yes, just hold her still…"

"What is she even doing here? Willypearl asked, but no one answered her. She watched helplessly as Onyxbane climbed on top of raging Wishtera to hold her down. It was a position she was now envious of.

"You blew my cover, you bastard! I sneaked down here to make sure that you didn't, but you ruined everything! And for what? They laughed at me, do you know they already sent word to Shadowstep? Do you know that Feathershine no doubt sent word as well? I'm a wanted woman because of you! On top of it all, I got stung by a damn bug trying to sneak up on you. Oh, how I HATE you Onyxbane!"

"Oh, shut up, Wisthera." Willypearl tried to defend her new boyfriend.

"Oh, shut up Wisthera." Wisthera mocked her, and was about to say something worse when the priestess removed the huge yellow stinger, and she cried out.

"It's okay, Sara, just calm down. I'm here. You're going to be alright."

"Sara?" Willypearl challenged Onyxbane, but she knew what it was. It was some kind of pet name for his ex girlfriend.

"Shh. Willypearl, just be quiet for a sec. Sara, Sara, are you with me? Don't fall asleep. You have to stay awake." Onyxbane was completely focused on this other woman.

"I was able to heal her wounds, but I'm afraid the cleansing spell failed. I was never very good at it--." The novice fretted.

"Is she going to die?" Onyxbane sounded mournful already.

"No, it's just scorpid poison. But she could lose her foot if she doesn't rest. I think I have some anti-venom in my bag, but you must calm her down, or else she could get a bad fever."

"And you!" Wisthera turned her jealous gaze onto Willypearl. "I hate you. How dare you--"

"I didn't do anything, honey."

"Don't call me that!" Wisthera roared. She twisted and lashed out under Onyxbane's fierce hold, but then she strained something and cried out in pain.

"Willy—"

"And, I don't know where you get off, trying to get sympathy like this." Willypearl continued.

"Willy," Onyxbane tried again.

"And you keep your hands off Onyxbane; he's suffered enough because of you, and—"

"Willypearl!" Onyxbane shouted at the human mage rather rudely.

"I think you and the priestess had better leave. She's too upset with you here. I think it's safe enough outside with that lone scorpid taken care of. I've checked. Take your things…"

That was the last thing Onyxbane said to her. That was the last reasonable thing he said before the arguing inside the cave subsided, and the whispered declarations of love began, and then came the physical act of love, or lust or whatever it was between Onyxbane and Wisthera. Willypearl and the novice priestess made another fire and spread their bedrolls outside, but they might as well have been back inside the cave. The lovemaking eventually got so loud, Willypearl couldn't sleep. It was so deafening, Willypearl decided she would never look at Onyxbane the same way again. Why hadn't she guessed that Onyxbane was just like everyone else? Then, Willypearl cried.