The Romancer Opalbane
Episode Twenty-Nine: Goodbye, Alessandre
"Please don't go." Opalbane begged Alessandre.
Their night together had been amazing and it was a true trial getting out of the bed at last. Alessandre stood naked in a sliver of golden sunbeam. It crossed his shoulder, cut his defined chest in two and finally settled on the gruesome old scar that ran the length of his left leg. But, from where she lay in the bed, Opalbane didn't see this. She saw the perfect muscles in her husband's back, the firm buttocks, the excellent thigh and calf muscles. A flood of blue hair, the color of the dark heart of the ocean covered his shoulders and neck. Alessandre's entire body was reminiscent of an exotic angry marble, burnt dark by some ancient fire, or perhaps the wrathful elements over the centuries. It was hard to look at the man she loved and not know the truth: Alessandre was far more than who he claimed to be. But, that he appeared dangerous was not necessarily bad. A sword could be brandished before an enemy or sheathed, for example.
Alessandre's long ears twitched slightly as he listened to his wife's breathing, the only sound in the room.
"Opalbane," he said, his back to her, "I know that you are reading my mind. I know that you're worried about what I've been thinking; that the wedding was too rushed, too desperate."
Opalbane bowed her head. She looked sheepishly at her fingers that played with the white bedsheets.
After a time, Alessandre spoke again. "I did not marry you yesterday because I thought I would go back to Stormwind and die, that last night would be our only chance to be happy together as husband and wife."
"Then, why did you hurry things? I didn't dare question it before; I love you so much that I just wanted to be your wife, even if it was because you thought you were going to die in a few days."
Alessandre turned to her. His beauty was impossible to ignore. He made no effort to cover himself, his large manhood was as natural an asset to his good looks as his luxurious hair or lean muscle. And he was Opalbane's husband now. His body was hers. The bright sunlight at his back warmed the edges of his frame, as if the sun was coming up behind him and he obscured the star.
"Moonlily… you deserve better than that. I hope you did not think you were settling with me." Alessandre looked like he wanted to say more, but then he didn't. He came to the bed instead.
Opalbane moved over for him, but he crawled around behind her. He asked her to lean against him. This time, however, they weren't running from Stormwind on the back of a peculiar silver war mount. Evenso, Opalbane sensed Alessandre wanted to save her life in the same way. Opalbane was so comfortable against her husband, she was tempted to sleep in after their energetic night together. But, this was not the time for sleeping, or for making love. It was time for Alessandre to leave and finish his mission for Shadowstep. He had to go save her life once and for all.
"I married you so fast because I did not want to wait to be your husband." Alessandre's hands roved up Opalbane's pale shoulders. He began to massage them. "I married you because I wanted to start living right away. I know that my going alone to Stormwind seems bleak, but it is the only way I can secure that new life for us." Alessandre trailed off with his important words and began to kiss his wife's neck. His whole body responded to the heat growing between them. Opalbane inhaled deeply.
"You know… there is a second boat leaving for Menethil Harbor this evening." Opalbane mentioned.
"Shadowstep will be angry. I was meant to leave on the one this morning and I'm already late… he's waiting to see me off you know."
Opalbane turned around and kissed her new husband passionately. Then she moved out of Alessandre's lap and pulled him down on top of her.
"Let's make him livid then. Let's make him furious, Al." she dared him.
Alessandre smiled, and a deep throbbing purr escaped his throat. Before long, he was enjoying himself too much to care whether or not Opalbane noticed.
Later that evening in Darnassus…
Alessandre saw how lonely Opalbane looked sitting on her humble spotted Nightsaber mount and a part of him melted.
"Moonlily, come here and ride with me. You look like you need a hug."
Wordlessly, Opalbane dismounted and handed the reigns of her mount back to the stable master. She reached up a hand and Alessandre helped her into Starshatter's saddle in front of him.
"Is he better than the way we left him on the ship?" Opalbane fretted.
Alessandre smiled proudly. "Over the years, Starshatter has become soulbound to me. He can take what I can."
And the enormous cat did look fully recovered. As they rode through Darnassus, Alessandre kept making whispering noises at the cat to keep Starshatter calm. The silver war mount took wide, eager strides, as if he knew there was a battle coming and he wanted to leap into action at any moment.
They met Shadowstep at the base of Teldrassil, on the docks near Ru'theran Village. The man's jaw was set tight, and his ivy ponytail seemed swept back more strictly than ever before, if possible. When Starshatter approached, he folded his hands behind his back.
"Why did you bring her?" Shadowstep fairly snarled.
Opalbane felt Alessandre tense. Did she hear him growling just now?
"Opalbane is my wife. She goes where I go now."
"I suppose you are taking her into the heart of Stormwind then, riots and all?" Shadowstep raised a superior eyebrow.
Alessandre urged Starshatter along, right past the grimacing Master Rogue. "I have a place where she'll be safe. Safer than Darnassus even."
"Safer than being surrounded by countless trained druids, Priestesses of Elune, Sentinels, and her mother?"
Alessandre brought Starshatter to a halt. "Master Rogue, I am only going to explain this to you once. First of all, Opalbane is an accomplished shadowpriestess, a grown woman and my wife. You will not talk about her as if she were still an orphan from Felwood with no future or hope. Secondly, contract or no, Opalbane's safety is my sole responsibility, and I'm not arguing with anyone about how to care for my wife. Don't you dare question me again." Alessandre threatened.
"He's not telling you or anyone else where he is going to hide me in Ashenvale." Opalbane read both of the men's minds at once and answered their questions quickly. Effortlessly, she'd put weight behind Alessandre's description of his capable wife. "The boat to Darkshore is here, Al. Let's be off."
Alessandre did not even say goodbye to Master Rogue Shadowstep. Shadowstep had already started back up the path to Teldrassil. Clearly, the cold man had not expected one.
At the town of Auberdine in Darkshore, Alessandre and Opalbane delayed on the docks before the ship to Menethil as long as they dared. Opalbane would not let go of him.
"I still think you might not come back alive. I feel sure that I'm going to lose you." She cried.
Alessandre turned and kissed the palms of her hands that caressed either side of his face.
"No, Moonlily. Don't think that. I am going to live. I am going to come back to you."
"Please… let's just run away. I did it before, when I went to Silithus. I know how to do it again. And I don't drink anymore, so we won't have to leave any evidence as a trail with the innkeepers—"
"No, Opalbane. I must go. Think of your family."
"Damn them!" Opalbane shook Alessandre by the shoulders. "I don't care about anyone but you… please don't leave me." She sniffled and cried for a moment, then said, "Do you have any idea what you mean to me? I worship you, I… you are the center of my world now. I thought I'd never have to tell you this, but if you don't come back, I'll be like a cultist again. I had to substitute Zar'teaus with something…" Opalbane began to panic, "Alessandre, you are all I have. I couldn't help it. It was the only way I could heal my heart."
Alessandre hugged Opalbane tight against him. The ship began to leave. "You mean the very same to me. That is why I must go." Then, he parted from her. He ran for the ship and climbed aboard at the last moment. "Remember what I told you. Go to the place I said…" his voice trailed off as the dark seawater put more and more distance between the ship and the docks. A fog came and shrouded what view of Alessandre Opalbane had left.
But the shadowpriestess stood alone for a long time on the docks. With her powers, she reached across the water, across space and time to touch her husband's mind for as long as possible. In her mind's eye, she saw Alessandre smiling. It was mischievous, playful…
Blaring images of she and the rogue contorted naked in impossible positions… loud moaning and screams of pleasure… in her bed at the Cathedral of Light, up against the wall at the tavern where Benactus re-captured her, in the Deeprun Tram, on the boat to Darnassus, on a Gryphon, with Opalbane facing him as they rode Starshatter through the Wetlands, in a dark office—a rich mocking voice told her that it was Master Rogue Shadowstep's desk… in the moonwell at the Temple of Elune surrounded by the scented purple mana-burn candles… and the last was a beautiful sunlit room with birds singing and dark green trees all around.
Go there, Alessandre told her mentally. Let Starshatter guide you to that place in the foothills and take my fantasies to warm you. They are a promise that I will return…Do you see how I always dreamed of you, even before we married? I will live to do every single one of those things to you, my wife and love…
He said more, but the distance became too great and Alessandre's rich inner voice faded from Opalbane's mind. She cried.
As planned, Onyxbane and Wisthera met Opalbane inside of Auberdine.
"Wow! That's some epic mount. How come I've never seen one like that before?"
Opalbane had banished all emotion from her face. Only the steely guise of a shadowpriestess remained. She told herself that she would not be afraid of the darkness, now that the sun in her sky had departed.
"This is Starshatter, Alessandre's mount." Opalbane reached down and scratched behind the great cat's ears. "Al wanted to take me himself but, since he was running late…" she did not want to say the rest, that her husband had gone. Starshatter rolled his great shoulders and stretched.
"Why did he give it to you? Doesn't Al need a mount himself?" Wisthera worried.
"Al and I already talked about this. I will need Starshatter more." She urged Starshatter onward. Her brother Onyxbane and his girlfriend Wisthera fell in line behind her. They made their way down the road through Darkshore and a few hours later night fell and the soft paw steps of their mounts crunched fresh earth instead of old paved road. The violet majesty of Ashenvale surrounded them. Halfway to Astranaar, Starshatter abruptly turned off the road.
"Sis! Where are you going?"
"To a safe place. Alessandre told me what to do."
"But you can't go alone… why not just stay with us?" Onyxbane began to race after her.
Starshatter climbed into the foothills in the distance and shadowmelded. Then, with a final wave, Opalbane did the same.
Wisthera caught up with the anxious Onyxbane. "I don't understand!" he spoke rapidly. "Why can't she come with us? What did Alessandre tell her? What place could possibly be safer than with her own flesh and blood?"
Wisthera cocked her head to the side, thinking. "Alessandre is her flesh and blood now." then, she paused, "Onyxbane, I am going to share a little secret with you." She waited patiently for Onyxbane to stop calling out to his disappeared sister. Finally, he turned to the mother of his child. She said, "Alessandre is an incredibly dangerous person. I have no evidence, but after the wedding it became obvious to me. I just know… he's not the type to take threats to himself or to the people he loves idly."
"What's that supposed to mean, Sara?" Onyxbane was frantic.
Wisthera went on in her strange calm and calculating tone, the voice a mastermind used when they suspected they knew everything but didn't dare let the startling truth on to anyone. "It means that whatever he plans to do in Stormwind will certainly cause considerable fallout. He is not just hiding Opalbane from us to protect her, oh no. He is hiding Opalbane to protect us as well. He doesn't want anyone to know where she is. Whatever the details of his mission, he's about to put himself at great risk to end every possible threat against your sister."
"So you're saying… he might die? Will people come after Opalbane if he can't finish?"
Wisthera eyed Onyxbane critically. "Why would you think that? No, there will be carnage, terrible carnage. But your brother-in-law, the assassin, is going to cause it." She turned her mount around, and reluctantly, Onyxbane followed. "That is the only reason to hide someone you love so well, because you know for a fact that people are about to get very angry at you and retaliate."
Onyxbane thought for a moment, then asked, "Wisthera, how do we know that Alessandre isn't, in fact, a murderer? We weren't there for his trial, you know."
Wisthera laughed arrogantly. "I'd already considered that. You know, Onyxbane, in his line of work it doesn't truly matter. You're not really going to complain about that now though, are you? The wedding is done, and your sister is about to be better off for it."
That same night, on the ship to Menethil Harbor…
Alessandre leaned against the wall of the dark cabin with the other passengers on the ship. He gave into the murderous thoughts, let them fill his mind now that the one person who mattered to him was gone and couldn't sense them.
Benactus dies, the cutthroats die, Faltheriel dies… twice. Alessandre roved his thumb up and down the blade of his rapier. He cut himself, but didn't care. He needed to see the blood, smell it. There was going to be so much… he wanted to be ready for it, the last hunt.