Chapter 1
Saehri lay defeated, her azure blood soaking into the swamp ground, the damp mud caking her cerulean skin and matting jet black hair. The axe wound in her side was sending intense, throbbing pain all over her body. How could I let them do this? Why was I too weak? The many thoughts swirling around in her head were fogged up by her fading consciousness. The world began to grow black when a voice called out her name as a silver and blue plate mail clad Draenei came running to her side. The woman's muffled shouts turned to silence as darkness finally took hold and everything faded to black. After what seemed like an eternity of tormenting nightmares Saehri's eyes fluttered open and once her vision focused she saw what looked like a hastily built hut in a secluded area of the Swamp of Sorrows. She cried out in pain as she tried to sit up, looking down at her blood soaked and partially torn black robe the priestess saw a badly healed scar running down the right side of her chest down to her hip.
"You're lucky to be alive," Vallae placed a small damp cloth on Saehri's head, forcing the confused priestess back down to the makeshift pillow. Saehri looked up to see the white haired visage of her Aunt, a Paladin and the last person on Azeroth she had any desire to see. "What were you thinking?!" The paladin's attempted angry question held more uncertainty and worry than anger in its tone and she scoffed at her Aunt's query.
"What are you doing here?" The question was spat out with contempt, she hated her people especially her cousin, so why was Vael's mother here and healing her for that matter? The Draenei winced at the pain as she forced herself to a sitting position only to be slapped hard by Vallae.
"What kind of idiotic question is that? I watched you grow up trying to bury the trauma of Argus, I saw you embrace the light fully in your training, I watched that glimmer of hope in your eyes when Vahrra was born, and I wept as I saw that glimmer become a font of hatred when she died. I don't believe you're beyond saving and while you may have shattered my son's faith you have not broken mine yet girl so as long as I live I will do everything in my power to bring you back to your son!" The indignant response took Saehri by surprise though the expression was quickly buried under a contempt-filled scowl aimed at her Aunt.
"I neither want, nor do I need saving. For that matter I don't want anything to do with any of you, your people's weakness led to your decimation on Draenor and I refuse to be a part of it any longer." Saehri reached out and grasped Vallae's shoulder in an apparent attempt to brace herself as she tried to stand while Val shook her head in disappointment.
"When will you learn that you can't…" The paladin's thought was cut short as a painful surge of shadow magic ripped through her body, grimacing in pain Vallae looked up to see her niece leaching energy from her as shadowy magic pulsed between the two women, unable to stand she watched as Saehri stood up.
"I've heard enough," Sae's emotionless gaze struck the Paladin hard, was my son right? Is she completely lost? Shaking off the insecurities the Paladin struggled to her feet.
"Y..you won't get rid of me so easily girl." Shakily grasping a potion the paladin drank and felt a little of her strength return, "from now on wherever you go I go," A stern look crossed Vallae's azure face, "I will turn you from this madness, I swear that to you." She placed a hand on Saehri's shoulder before the having it angrily shrugged off.
"Hmpf, if you are so intent on bothering me you'd better keep up." The unlikely pair made their way towards the exit of the swamp.
As the two pushed their way through Duskwood Saehri's mind raced, how could I be beaten by those savages? While outwardly apathetic the hateful priestess raged inside, furious at her own weakness, the budding obsession took hold of her destined to grow wildly out of control.
Vallae's voice broke the Draenei's thoughts, bringing her back to reality, "it's late, we should make camp for the night," silently Saehri nodded and helped her aunt build a fire and set up a small camp. Taking a moment to change out of her torn robes Saehri sat by the fire and allowed wisps of shadow magic to flutter through her fingers, as if entranced the priestess' question was spat out half interested.
"Why do you care?" Not even stopping to look up at her aunt Saehri continued to watch the shadows lick and dance upon her hand.
"What kind of question is that?! Have you been listening at all? For thousands of years I watched you grow, you are just as much my daughter as Vael is my son and I refuse to watch you torture yourself any longer!" The heartfelt words fell on uncaring ears as the Draenei responded.
"So when this little conversion of yours fails are you going to try and kill me as well?" Her tone began to shift slightly as painful memories of her parents snaked their way into her mind.
"Damnit Saehri when are you going to allow yourself to move past that? What your parents did to you was monstrous, only those as depraved as the Man'ari could do that to their own child." Slowly beginning to address herself more than Vallae the priestess' tone grew more and more melancholy.
"Perhaps they were right…" Almost childlike in tone Saehri pulled her knees into her chest and began habitually tracing the old scar running length-wise under her right eye, "had I simply joined my parents on Argus…" The priestess sighed, "There would not be so much pain." Finally looking up at her aunt the expression painted on the Draenei's face screamed of despair.
Moving to her niece's side the paladin laid Saehri's head on her shoulder, "child, the right path is never easy, never without pain. Fate has been extraordinarily unkind to you but life is cyclical, for all the pain and hatred you feel now…Saehri things can and will get better," burying her face in Vallae's shoulder the Draenei could only whimper.
"I…I don't know how to be anything else," the words half chocked out brought brought a mixture of pride and sorrow to the paladin. Looking down at her niece's face Vallae saw fear and uncertainty written all over it.
"I know somewhere buried inside all that pain is the spirited girl I knew on Argus and I will be by your side until that girl is found, you are never alone Saehri." With a frightened nod the Draenei allowed her aunt to lay her down on a bedroll.
Turning away from her aunt, Saehri allowed a sadistic grin to snake across her lips, good, now the fool won't question my every move. Sleep never came to her, it rarely did, instead Saehri spent the night allowing the hatred of her defeat to fester, power, I need power. The thought reverberated through the Draenei's mind as the sleepless night passed, rising from her bed Saehri turned meekly towards her aunt feigning uncertainty, "Val I…" pushing false tears to her face the priestess masterfully pulled at her aunt's heartstrings, "I can't return to the Draenei, not for a long time," looking up at the Paladin as tears streamed down her face, "I've done so many terrible things I…I can't face them yet but…" Sae looked down at the fading embers of the quenched fire as she continued, "Perhaps there's something I can do away from them, I know a human in Darkshire, not the most reputable or honorable person but he knows things, he knows what goes on in these cursed woods." Shifting her gaze back up to Vallae the priestess pleaded with the paladin, "If there is anything malicious happening he'll know of it. If I can help people in my own way…" Saehri's thought trailed off as she continued her ruse.
Vallae studied her niece's face and her heart broke for the girl and she understood the priestess' reservations; back on Draenor stories of a dark priestess traveled amongst her friends and family hiding in the marsh, stories of a malicious being that slaughtered whole families. Even back then Val had guessed it was her wayward niece, bringing Saehri in for a reassuring hug the Paladin ran her fingers through the nervous girl's hair and pushed aside her own budding reservations, "alright Saehri, we'll do this your way." The two stood there for a time, and though mostly an act somewhere deep in her subconscious Sae felt safe in her Aunt's embrace.
Continuing the façade Saehri led her aunt to the town, stopping in front of what seemed to be an abandoned house, "I…I need you to wait out here, this contact is very skittish and slow to trust." Searching Val's gaze for agreement the two stood studying each other's face for a few moments; finally Vallae nodded and relaxed herself, leaning against the door frame. Turning a scowl washed over Sae's face as she walked through the door and down into the basement.
"Well, well the mistress of shadow returns." The mocking tone was followed by a teasing applause, "You had an enjoyable time I assume?" The warlock grinned under his black hood as Saehri sat across from him.
"Don't test my patience Dalton, next time a little warning that my targets are the families of talented warriors would be nice." Annoyed an eruption of unstable shadows engulfed the priestess as the human across from her released a chuckle.
"I don't owe you anything girl, you work for me remember?" A twisted smile crept across the Draenei's face as a tendril of malicious shadow magic lashed out catching Dalton off guard, his mind was defenseless.
"I think not, I tire of being your pawn, your assassin, I think it's about time for you to work for me. Now, let us see what we can rip from your pathetic little mind." Painfully the Draenei invaded the warlock's mind pushing her will deeper and deeper, "Hmm, so the fel-addled human has a soft spot." Allowing for a quiet yet sadistic giggle Saehri dominated the human's mind, "Listen close Dalton because I will say this only once. You now work for me and I require information…power, I will never again let something as lowly as an Orc best me in combat. You will provide me with direction; you will point me to any artifacts or people that may provide me with such power no matter the source." Driving the warlock's mind she forced green flame to erupt from his hands, "Disobey me and I will make you slowly, and painfully immolate the small child you seem to hold so very dear." Withdrawing the shadows from his mind Saehri stood folded her arms and waited, stoic and patient for his response.
The warlock swore under his breath as he recovered from the painful intrusion, "Fine, have it your way." When the Draenei didn't leave Dalton quickly searched for a stack of papers, ruffling through them he pulled out one sheet with some scribbles written on them, "Ah here it is," Looking up at the towering Draenei Dalton continued, "over west at the Raven Hill Cemetery people have been disappearing, what corpses have been found have been twisted, horrifically, there have been rumors of fel magics in the area but I'm not so sure. Whatever is there I'd imagine it's something powerful, now get the hell out of my house."
Bowing mockingly Saehri left without a word, allowing a solemn and melancholy expression to cross her face before returning to her Aunt, Saehri feigned uncertainty, "Out west, the cemetery, Val there are people going missing, worse there are reports of fel magic possibly more." Looking down the Draenei fiddled with her hands, "Perhaps…perhaps there is something we could do to help."
Smiling Val placed a tender hand on Sae's shoulder, "This will be good for you Saehri, lead the way." Nodding the priestess mounted her black warhorse as her aunt hopped on her armored elek; the two took off in the direction of the cemetery. Finally arriving they looked over at the lesser undead crawling across the graves, "abominations," the Paladin gasped, "who would do this?"
While her Aunt was horrified Saehri struggled to suppress her nearly unbridled glee, necromancy, this will be fun, "I don't know Val," The Draenei pointed to an abandoned house on the hill, "We should start there." cutting through the lesser undead the Draenei arrived at the house, pushing through the entrance they immediately hurried upstairs; the scene was gruesome, bodies strewn across the room, twisted and decayed, on the floor was a strange looking rune. Before getting a chance to inspect it a shadow-engulfed human appeared before them.
"My, my, my, what lovely participants we have this time." The necromancer giggled as a shadowy attack smashed into Vallae bringing her to her knees, "You Paladins are all the same, tell me…how can you put so much faith in a power that continuously fails you?" Another shadowy attack slammed into the Paladin bringing her to the brink of unconsciousness. Through her blurred vision she saw Saehri stand between them, her words failed her as her strength drained from her body. Scoffing the shadowy man shook his head, "Yet another light obsessed zealot, will your race never learn?" A tendril lashed out towards the priestess only to deflect harmlessly off a similarly shadowy shield.
Grinning shadows slowly flowed around the priestess, "You'll find no light here," Saehri pushed all her will into a massive shadow attack that crashed into the necromancer, "I wonder, are all humans such easy puppets?," The priestess snaked her will towards her opponent's mind, expending much of her own mental strength on the attempt, the necromancer far outmatched Dalton. Though difficult Saehri finally managed to break the man's will before coming upon a well of necromantic knowledge, I think I'll take this thank you very much. Pouring more and more shadows into her intrusion the priestess did her best to absorb the man's knowledge before releasing him.
The necromancer crumpled painfully to his hands and knees, "You…what…are…" His labored thought was cut short as horror washed over his face, "no…no, no, no please don't touch…" Another blast of shadow magic slammed into him making him double over, screaming in pain.
Ignoring her aunt's pain-wracked form Saehri continued to gloat while the paladin struggled to grasp hold of her niece, desperately trying to hold her back. Finally as the world faded the paladin slipped into unconsciousness. "Now, let us see what has you so frightened all of a sudden." Saehri knelt down, tapping into her new knowledge she placed her hand upon the unholy rune on the floor. A sickly greenish-purple fog began to pour out from the center of the room, oozing and infecting the carcasses that littered the house.
Struggling to keep focus Saehri ground her teeth as the painful shadow magic ripped from her body and mixed with the necromantic fog that now flooded the room. One by one the corpses stood up mindlessly waiting for their master's command. Struggling to her feet the Draenei grasped tightly at her right arm, pain surging through her entire body. Using all her strength and will she pointed at the terrified necromancer as she fell to her knees squinting through the agony and before he had time to scream the ghouls were on him tearing him apart. The Draenei let out a labored chuckle as she sank to her hands and knees. As her last vestiges of consciousness faded the ghouls she had raised collapsed, one by one, into a pile upon the bloody mess that once was their opponent; finally the Draenei slipped into darkness, succumbing to the pain ripping through her body.
For an eternity unconsciousness took hold of both of them, finally through blurred vision Vallae took in the horrific scene before her. A dozen corpses piled on top of a bloody mess of a body with her niece slumbering on top of the rune in the center of the floor, by all that is holy, what did she do? More frightened than angry the Paladin took a worried look at Saehri's slumbering face. Is any of this sincere? How could someone who calls on such magics be a force for good? Struggling with her own thoughts the Draenei saw Saehri begin to stir. Pushing the doubt from her mind Vallae rushed to Sae's side, cradling her head in her hands, "Sae…" Vallae took another glance around the room, "Sae what did you do?"
Struggling to put her thoughts together Saehri shakily got to her feet, bracing herself against the wall, "Val…I…" Pretending to be deeply troubled the Draenei continued, "I did what I had to, I'm far stronger when using..." Saheri looked away towards the ground, she didn't need to finish the thought, the look on her Aunt's face said she understood, "I wasn't expecting a fight of that magnitude and I needed to end it quickly." Seeing her Val's untrusting gaze Saehri quickly shifted the conversation, "Vallae, we need to find out more about this magic," Saehri pointed at the rune on the floor, "The pain I felt, its very existence is corruptive, if there are other's out there replicating this than people are in real danger."
Vallae studied her niece for a while before responding, "You are of course correct but I feel there is more than you are letting on Saehri, if I'm to trust you…" The Draenei thought for a moment, "I'm going to need to meet this contact of yours." Nervously Saehri nodded, worried her scheme was about to fall apart the priestess spent the trip back to Darkshire in silence trying to conjure a way to salvage the illusion. Nervously Saehri led her Aunt into the small house, Dalton scoffed, annoyed at Saehri's return.
"I suppose it was too much to hope you perished in that blasted house…" The warlock raised a brow to his additional guest, "and who are you? You'll forgive me for my lack of social graces but our feisty little priestess here rarely brings me anyone….well, living." Dalton chuckled at his own joke before noticing Saehri's glowering gaze, "Fine, fine, fine, Dalton Altirus at your service," The hooded man jumped up and mocked a courteous bow.
"Spare me the false pleasantries; I can see why my niece would have me wait outside. The stench of fel hangs on you like a damned overcoat." Crossing her arms Vallae turned disapprovingly to Saehri, "You trust this thing?" Saehri shifted nervously before responding.
"I never said anything about trust, I said he knows what goes on in these woods and nothing more. I don't exactly have any virtuous acquaintances Val." The paladin studied her niece and the human for a time before sighing.
"I don't like this but I suppose we need what he knows, before we do anything though I would like to have a few words with this…thing." Vallae shifted her gaze to Saehri, "Alone please." Saehri nodded before shooting Dalton a hateful scowl and leaving the house.
"Now that we're alone what would m'lady have of me?" With another mocking bow the human chuckled lightly.
"Enough warlock, I want to know why my niece associates with the likes of you." Angrily crossing her arms the towering Draenei waited for her answer.
"Well before last night our deal was simple, I provided juicy targets for the slaughter and she returned with the information they possessed, quite useful really. Then last night she quite rudely changed the fine print of our deal. She told me to find her dangerous artifacts and powers." The warlock nonchalantly dropped to his seat, putting his feet up on the table waiting for the Draenei's response.
"To what end?" Vallae grew concerned, the desire for power is a dangerous pursuit, could Saehri be leading me on? The thought echoed in the Draenei's head as Dalton chuckled.
"The spritely not-so-young thing brooding outside is nothing if not private, she never graced me with her reasons and frankly with the ultimatum she presented to me I don't care, the bratty little priestess can go hug a Dreadlord if it get's her out of my hair. In short if you want that information you'll need to get it from her, now if you don't mind you've overstayed your welcome, zealots make me ill. All the information I have on the man you fought is on the table, take it and leave." Dalton waved Vallae off as he disappeared upstairs.
Slowly exiting the house the Paladin cast a judgmental gaze onto her niece, "I understand how you came into his service, and I can understand your hesitation to return to our people, but explain why you're searching for power, Saehri the lust for such power is a toxic quest that leads to only one inevitable conclusion, despair." Saehri feigned relief and placed a reassuring hand on her Aunt's shoulder.
"Val, I understand you don't trust me and I don't blame you, but I went to Dalton because he's easy to manipulate, and I want him to direct us because there are things, like what we encountered in the cemetery, that should not exist in this world, I'd rather us risk our lives than watch someone loose a child to something as monstrous as that." Saehri sighed, "look, I know you don't approve of my methods but the bottom line is I don't think I can put my faith in the light again, not after what I've been through I simply don't believe in its strength anymore. The humans have a saying, fight fire with fire, it's a risky strategy but as we've seen it's not without it's merit; The powers I call upon my be counterintuitive to your culture but I swear to you that the darkness that I call upon will be used for the good of the innocents I wish to protect." The Draenei chuckled slightly, "After all, all light casts a shadow does it not?"
Vallae pushed the suspicious voice to the back of her mind, desperately she wanted to believe her niece was sincere, "I am going to be watching you closely Saehri, please, make me believe you want to atone." Pulling out Dalton's papers the pair looked them over, "According to these that man we fought hailed from Tirisfal Glades, What would a human be doing in Forsaken lands?"
Shrugging Saehri pushed a half smile to her lips, "I don't know, but there's only one way to find out." Nodding the two Draenei began their journey north.