Fall From Grace
Chapter 2
Anowene often found walking to be the best way to think. And this situation certainly needed to be thought over. Her frustration and anger subsided as she wound her way through the catacombs and up to the courtyard of the once beautiful Lordaeron. She paused for a moment, looking around at the ruins surrounding her, the whispers of the death of King Terenas lingering in her ears. With a sigh, she shook her head and kept walking.
It was evening when she found herself again at the Scarlet Monastery. She smirked to herself as she strode through the halls, the faithful eyeing her warily. Anowene quickly found the tomes she had been reading a few days earlier, sat down and pulled parchment and quill from her satchel. She tried Compendium of the Fallen first; it seemed promising. Quill poised, ready to take notes, she read;
The Lich King's plan worked perfectly. Many of Lordaeron's northern villages were contaminated almost immediately. Just as in Northrend, the citizens who contracted the plague died and arose as the Lich King's willing slaves.
This wasn't at all what she was looking for. "Bah!" she shouted, startling the Wizard sitting at the table across from hers. He turned and glared at her for disturbing him. For just a moment, it appeared that he was considering confronting her and began to stand. His eyes grew wide and he sat down again quickly when he saw her hand move to the staff lying across the table. She gave an audible chuckle and waved at the wizard before returning to her research.
Anowene searched book after book, to no avail. The library had emptied, only a few people remained now. The wizard at the table across from hers had fallen asleep on his books and was snoring enthusiastically. She laughed softly and turned her attention back to the issue at hand. There seemed to be no information here about the Cult of Forgotten Shadow. Heaving another sigh, she reached for the last book she pulled from the stacks, The First War. She skimmed the text, hoping to find something, but not really expecting any results.
Another hour passed and a bleary eyed Anowene packed up the remaining book and her notes and quietly rose from the table to head home. "I'll bring the book back next week," she mumbled to the acolyte at the door and left the library.
From the personal journal of Anowene Amatarsu
I had my first meeting with Aelthalyste this morning and it was…interesting. From what I've learned, the Cult has no true leader, but they hold Aelthalyste as something of a figurehead. She's a banshee and I'm curious as to why this Cult made up of mostly Forsaken have chosen her to represent their religion. I say 'their' because I still don't feel much of a kinship with my own kind, though they're trying to change that quickly. She seemed reluctant to answer a lot of my questions about the origin of the Cult, which makes me even more wary. She did mention something about a Bishop Seline in passing. I'll need to look into that further.
From what I can gather, I am to become a Lightslayer at the next new moon. I'm not sure how to get out of this. I have a few weeks to figure it out though. At the beginning, they said I would have a choice, but that doesn't seem to be true now.
She spoke of the three main virtues; respect, tenacity, and power. There are others, but I honestly couldn't bother myself to pay much attention after she mentioned the ritual binding me as a Lightslayer. Her excitement was barely containable as she told me that I would have a suitable sacrifice to kill. Of course, it would be a priest or paladin of the Light. And she hinted that it might be someone close to me, to bind me to the Cult. Great. That's just great. What a bunch of zealots.
I've made my decision for now. I can't stop using holy spells.
Anowene loved the bright colors of Silvermoon, it was really one of her favorite places and where she made her home. She had a rented room overlooking the Bazaar and it was her one place of sanctuary. It was sparsely furnished, with just a bed and a table and chairs. The walls, however, were overflowing with books and scrolls on shelves. More scrolls were tucked away in corners and stacks of books so tall, they looked as though they would topple with the slightest breeze. On the table sat an open book, propped up by a plate with the remnants of her lunch; a half eaten apple and a wedge of cheese. The only decoration was a vase of flowering herbs she picked earlier the day before.
She had taken a break from her research into the mysterious Bishop Seline and was watching the bustle of the city below from her window. A quiet knock on her door announced a visitor and Caryn stuck her head into Anowene's room a moment later. "Anow," she said quickly, "we need your expertise. There's a scourge invasion just outside of Dalaran."
Anowene smiled broadly, "Finally, something to take my mind off of all this. I'm coming."