Yayy! It took me two weeks! That's not too shabby!
Hmm. I don't appear to have a pre-story rant to indulge in... Hmm. Hmm hmm hmm. Hmm. Hmm. Hmm.
AHA! I actually posted the start of my Children of Auir fanfiction. It will be a secondary fanfiction, so its chapters will be shorter, and it probably wont be updated as frequently. The fanfiction was drawn from many different places. I don't expect it to be as good as MahiMahi, but I really wanted to contribute to the StarCraft community. The StarCraft fandom is hard to write in without turning a fic into a cheap rip off of Aliens. This is due mostly to the fact that Blizzard killed off half of the main characters and didn't leave much of an ending. Go figure. But I shall endure!
Obfuscation
Naxxramas
Her dreams were of blood and carnage. Of death; of destruction; of her. She saw herself slaughtering those that were dear to her. She butchered alliance and horde alike. She butchered the Scarlet Crusade and the Argent Dawn. She even butchered her own undead.
Even when she did not sleep, the visions came to her. They would sneak up on her, obscuring her senses and rendering her helpless. When Vaiden sensed a vision was coming over her, her would come up to her and wrap his arms around her. His touch was the only thing she could be certain of in her waking nightmares. She savored it, and refrained from moving once the visions had taken over. She did not want to hurt her child. She would never hurt her child.
Using him as an anchor, she carefully sifted her mind away from the terrible visions. With great patience, and with some pain, she pushed the nightmares away. The little boy was asleep in her lap, his tiny fingers clinging to her shirt.
He was so beautiful in her eyes… She lowered her head and nuzzled gently against his cheek. Her Vaiden… Her precious, precious Vaiden. He was her world. She founded her daily rituals upon an innate need to protect and nurture him- to one day see him free. She did not understand while Kel'Thuzad made no attempt to harm or pervert the child, but she was glad for it.
Perhaps it proved that parental love truly was powerful. Now, if only she could learn to depend on Vaiden less, and on herself more.
The Swamp of Sorrows
Most night elves would be revolted to find themselves in a swamp. Furion had no such reaction to the Swamp of Sorrows. He looked around curiously, observing the strange animals that meandered through the marshy landscape. The Swamp was filled to the brim with life and energy. It was refreshing after his trip through the Deadwind Pass.
He found a rock to sit down upon. There he rested a bit, rubbing his face and trying to determine exactly what he was going to do.
Furion had never returned to Tyrande after their conversation. He had said a quick and tearful farewell to his son, and had promised to visit the child in his dreams. The Archdruid had then picked up his traveling cloak, and had set off immediately for Stormwind. From there he had traveled through Duskwood and the Deadwind Pass. Now he had only to walk a short distance more through the swamp, and he would reach The Blasted Lands. The Dark Portal was currently closed. In order for Ember to get through, she would have to somehow open the portal (At least to his knowledge). That dramatic event could not have occurred without someone noticing. If Ember had indeed opened the Dark Portal, Furion would know.
So far, she hadn't. So far, she was probably still on Azeroth. In addition, there was only one way into the Blasted Lands. If he got there before her, he could encounter her before she reached the portal.
Except… He wasn't sure if he should.
He pondered for a long moment, and then blinked as he felt a familiar aura behind him. He lifted his face from his hands, and glanced over his shoulder at the being behind him.
"I suppose you are here to dissuade me from my current course of action?"
Behind him stood a magnificent and yet race-less female, no less than eight feet in height. She had smooth light-brown skin, and green hair streaked with orange. Four almond wings sprouted from her back. She was watching him attentively, and a strange sparkle was in her orange eyes.
Mahimahi. That was what she was called by the kaldorei. She tilted her head to the side, and smiled sadly at his question.
Furion snorted. "She is my daughter," he said in response to her silent acknowledgement.
Mahi winced and bit her lip.
Furion's silver eyes widened and he stood, whirling to face her. "You as well? How can you insinuate that Ember is not my child? She is my daughter!" he reiterated, this time with more conviction.
Mahi looked at the ground a moment. A breeze stirred the area. It blew softly in through the trees, and caused their ropy trunks to sway gently in the wind. The swamp grass ruffled. The swamp water rippled, and reeds made soft piping sounds under the influence of the moving air. Mahi then lifted her head, and gazed quietly at the Archdruid.
He shivered, his hands clenching. "She is my child," he repeated, but his voice cracked. "My child…"
The breeze picked up, whipping leaves and twigs around him. The angel quietly shook her head.
Furion shuddered. His strength gave out and he sank to his knees. "She is my daughter… My little Ember… I sired her… I felt her kicking in Tyrande's womb…" His voice died to a whisper as he lifted his hands to cover his face. "I sensed her first thoughts… I even picked out her name… Ember…" He trembled. "Little Ember…"
Mahi looked at him sadly, and then quietly approached him.
"I couldn't sense her in the dream… I couldn't reach her…" He withdrew slightly into himself, lowering his head and trying not to feel the tears the dripped between his fingers. "I pulled out… I came back… to find her. To find out why I could not sense her… …Ember…"
"Sometimes, Malfurion, the greatest gift we can give to our children is letting them go."
"By giving up?" he challenged, lifting his head to look at her. "By abandoning her?"
"By admitting that it might not be your destiny to save her."
"I have nature itself to help save-"
"So does she. More so than even you. You can see it."
"She is my child. My responsibility. A creature I brought into this world. A creature that nature's order demands I defend and aid. How can I just abandon her?"
"How can you restrain her, when her very existence is in limbo?"
He shuddered. "I want what is best for her," he murmured.
"I am watching over her. I promise you: this is the path that Ember must walk. Her destiny and Illidan's are intertwined. If you allow your love to blind you now, then you shall destroy both of them."
Furion slumped, defeated. He dropped his face once more into his hands. When he at last had the strength to look up, Mahi was gone. The road to the Deadwind Pass loomed on one side of him. The entrance to the Blasted Lands rose up on the other. He knelt there, looking weakly between the two, trying to decide. On one hand, he could insist that anything could be done with devotion and love. On the other, he could trust in divine providence.
What was the correct choice? Was he arrogant in assuming that he had the devotion necessary to save the child? Was he being foolish not to trust Mahi? And yet as a parent, how could he? How could he give up and not protect Ember? As a parent…
Was he her parent? He didn't know. He was so confused.
The breeze coursed gently around him.
The Temple of Ahn'Qiraj
"Oh! Let us kill him, brother! He shall be a lovely little sacrifice, don't you think?" Exclaimed one of the giant bug-people as he clapped his hands together in delight.
The other seemed to look a little annoyed, but his lust for blood overrode his disdain for his sibling. He hefted his blade and gave an insectoid smile.
"Yes. Come brother, blood is to be spilled."
"That's it? You aren't even going to ask me how I got this far into your temple grounds?" asked Nathanos in bewilderment, looking up at the two giant Qiraji in surprise. The first of the brothers blinked in surprise, and put a hand to his face in thought.
"Whatever do you mean?" he inquired curiously.
"Well, I mean, I'm an enemy Forsaken standing in the middle of your little base camp. Aren't you even curious as to how I got here? I mean, Skeram, Kri, Yauj, Vem, Sartura, Fankriss, Huhuran- there were all these very angry and powerful people between the entrance and you."
"Seeing as how you entered this chamber without our immediate knowledge, I would think you're just a little assassin- a rogue who snuck past even our most loyal guards. And you shall pay for the intrusion," explained the more militant of the two.
Nathanos glanced down at his apparel. He wondered if perhaps the two brothers were blind, and could not see his animal companions, his axes, and the fact that he was wearing fairly heavy armor. In fact, he lacked any gear that would indicate he was attempting to quietly kill someone in their sleep. "Because, of course, if I felt that I could take down the Twin Emperors of the Qiraji single-handedly, but I couldn't possibly handle their followers?"
"Who knows what goes through the minds of the infidel?" dismissed the militant brother in a harsh voice.
"Wow. Do you have brains in your ass, too?"
"What?" cried the first brother in consternation. Nathanos decided to mentally refer to him as the effeminate brother.
"I mean, seriously. 'You do not have the same god as us, so simple logic must be beyond you.' What kind of nonsense is that? That's precisely the attitude that has killed every 'superior' race that this planet has ever seen!"
"Your… your arrogance… rude!" exclaimed the effeminate brother, unable to muster a cohesive reply.
"Our race is ten times what yours will ever be, infidel! Our god gives us an enlightenment you will never have!" growled the more militant of the two, lifting his sword menacingly.
Nathanos snorted in disgust. "Oh please. The Forsaken don't hire mentally deranged architects."
The two brothers blinked.
"Whatever do you mean?" inquired the effeminate one. "When we structured the temple, it was the most glorious structure that the world had ever seen-"
"Wait, wait," Nathanos said, lifting his hands and waving them, trying to get the brother to halt. "You two designed the layout?"
"It was the temple we made to honor our god! Why would we delegate the task to anyone less than ourselves?" growled the militant of the two.
Nathanos snorted, this time mirthfully. He cupped his left elbow in his right hand and held his left hand up to his face, trying to suppress laughter. The militant one glowered and felt along the edge of his blade, while the effeminate one frowned in confusion. "Alright that… that's just sad. Oh boy. I can't even fight you now, I feel too sorry for you people."
"What? What's wrong with the layout?" cried the effeminate one in distress, practically wringing his cloak to pieces in nervousness as he did so.
"What's wrong with the layout?" the ranger exclaimed. "What's wrong with the layout? Do I start with the fact that you put your largest defensive weapon, a gigantic worm, in the back of the temple? Or do I start with the fact that you put your holiest of prophets in the front?"
"Ouro was a gift from C'Thun himself! We lavish him with the finest food and the sweetest water! He is worshiped with adoration by our people!"
"He can also smash apart a small army!"
"You would not understand- you are an infidel, a nonbeliever!"
"Wouldn't understand? You got Skeram killed! Sure, if you would have put Ouro in the front, I would have killed him first and then killed Skeram, but at least it would have looked like you were trying!"
It was the militant one's turn to stiffen up. "Impossible," he said in a low, deadly voice. "The Prophet would not have fallen to one such as-"
Nathanos pulled the Prophet's head out of his backpack, and showed it to the twin brothers. Both of them turned a sickly white color. "Which brings me to my next complaint!" he continued, so that neither of the brothers had a chance to recover and attack him. "You put C'Thun's lair right next to Skeram!"
"He wanted to be close to his lord," the militant brother snarled, comming out of his daze over Skeram's untimely demise.
"Maybe- just maybe- you should have placed them both in the back of the city, as opposed to the front," observed Nathanos acidly.
"There stands a great wall between the entrance and C'Thun!"
"Which is all fine and dandy, except for the fact that your opponents use siege engines. For the Nether's sake, one is probably there right now, blasting a hole through the wall. Granted, your god can probably take care of himself, so he'll be fine till I get there, but still!"
"Enough of this! You are no doubt stalling in order that allies of yours might harm our god!" To accent his point, the militant one lifted up his sword.
"No- no really, I'm trying to give you guys a heads up that you're both going to die, and you might want to vacate the premises."
"Indeed! And why should you do that?" he snapped.
"Honestly, I feel sorry for you."
"The sentiment will not be returned when our minions are feasting on your bones! Fankriss will enjoy devouring your tainted-"
So Nathanos pulled out Fankriss the Unyielding's head as well. Of course… he had yielded, the ranger observed. So a more apt name might have been be Fankriss the Yielding. The militant one stiffened and hesitated.
"Ah… So now you are starting to understand how I've gotten this far into the temple grounds," Nathanos purred softly. He set down both heads and reached into his pack again. "Perhaps you can answer a question for me, then. Most of the various insects and insectoid creatures that I have seen all look different from one another. I was wondering if there was just one Qiraji species norm, or if you're just a collection of species, or-"
"You blasphemous cretin-"
"Because I thought you two looked vaguely similar to those flying wasp women-" he noted, as he pulled Battleguard Satura's head out of his pack. You have the same general shape and the same beetle horns growing out of your back- although the sickle claws are strange-"
"Satura?" the militant one murmured, his eyes widening.
"And also, what's with all the bugs that have the title of 'princess'? Generally, don't you only get that appellation if you're the daughter of a ruling entity? Are they your kids or something? Because then that's just odd- what were you sleeping with? I mean I know you people look like insects, but humans look like monkeys and orcs look like pigs, and well, let's just say there aren't any razorbacks titled "Little Warchief" running around. Well, there might be some named that, but certainly none titled."
The militant one looked enraged, confused, and flabbergasted- all in one.
"And for that matter, if you two are so pious, why did you place yourselves in the back of the temple grounds next to a giant sand worm, and your gods, children, and prophets in the front?"
At that point, the effeminate brother just burst out crying. Having his temple layout insulted, as well as knowing that he might be responsible for the death of his holiest of prophets, was too much for his delicate sensibilities to handle. The militant one flew into a rage. Completely berserk, he charged after Nathanos and attempted to dispose of him with wild hacks of his massive blade. The Ranger Lord turned and nimbly avoided the blows, fleeing for the far side of the room. The militant brother pursued. The effeminate one stayed behind and smothered his face into his cloak, still crying. When the real battle began, the two brothers were separated by too great a distance; they could not help one another.
The Emperors were tricky foes. From what Nathanos had gathered about them by reading ancient battle accounts, they could heal themselves miraculously quickly if in contact with one another. In order to tackle this problem, Nathanos had split their adventuring party up along faction lines. The Horde side of the party took on the effeminate brother, while the Alliance side took on the militant one. What the ancient battle accounts had not mentioned, however, was that the militant brother was immune to magical attacks, and the effeminate brother was immune to physical ones.
Seeing this, Nathanos made ready to send all physical attackers against the militant brother and all magical attackers against the effeminate one. Luckily, he was unable to do so before the brothers suddenly changed places on him. The effeminate one stood where the militant once had, and vise versa. After the brothers pulled that particular stunt, Nathanos decided not to mix up the faction-groups. This left an ample supply of magical and physical fighters at each brother. The two different kinds of combatants could then quickly trade places when the brothers switched. The combatants who could not currently affect their target brother could spend their time resting.
This combat strategy left Nathanos with large periods of battle time during which he was mostly useless; he could not cast magic, after all. He spent his free time killing the mutated insect pets of the two emperors, and relaxing over a good book. Simultaneously he shouted out orders to the two faction groups in Common, Orcish, and sometimes Gibberish. The last was so that the Necromancer might understand what was going on. It also infuriated the Twin Emperors. His party mates mostly forgave him for his indolence. They were used to it. After all, he was the one who managed to figure out how to defeat every monstrosity they came across.
Duskwood
"And on your left, we have scenic Duskwood, land of the dead people!"
"Dead people?"
"Yup. Everyone here is dead. And any people who aren't dead contribute to the number of dead in one way or another."
"By dying or by killing things?"
"Right."
"I like killing things."
"I know you do. Ironically, there's a portal to the Emerald Dream here- right next to the Blasted Lands, which have a portal to the Outlands. Go figure. People must like to keep all of their extra -dimensional portals together or something."
Ember giggled and then blinked, looking at the land ahead of them. It was gray, and devoid of life. "What is… that?"
"That? That's Deadwind Pass. We'll try to get through as fast as possible, and without attracting any trouble."
"Trouble?"
"Yes. There are all kinds of spooks in the pass. Karazhan, Medivh's old tower is there. It's filled with plenty of dreadfully unpleasant things."
"Medivh?" The name sounded familiar, but Ember could not place it. Inside, she could feel her inner demon stirring. It was an unpleasant sensation.
"Medivh was like you, Ember. He was possessed by Sargeras. Archimonde's boss."
The little girl blinked up at Zul'vii, and then stopped walking, eyeing the gray canyon ahead with great uncertainty. The half troll looked back at her, and smiled.
"He doesn't live there anymore. It's okay; I won't let anything hurt you."
"I don't want to go there," Ember murmured, her brows furrowing in thought. She could just make out the tip of Karazhan from where she stood.
Zul'vii looked up at the tower, and then looked down at Ember. She knelt down and gently took the little girl's face in her hands. "Hey, you listen to me. The portal to Outland is on the other side of that pass. If we don't go through, we cannot get to Illidan."
Ember frowned, and looked up at Zul'vii in dismay. "But…"
Zul'vii cocked her head to the side, silently asking Ember to continue. The little girl grunted and shook her head, unable to properly voice what she felt.
"… I know you don't want to go. And it would probably be for the best if you never had to go through the pass… But Outland is filled with demons. It's been devastated by them. If you cannot be strong against Archimonde through a simple barren gorge, how will you survive in a land ruled by the demonic?"
The demon inside her was coming fully alert, intrigued by something ahead of them. "Something's wrong," Ember whispered. "Something-" The little girl cut off and gasped. The area around them went very, very still for a moment, and then a shockwave exploded from somewhere beyond the pass. The air was filled what sounded like a sharp and endless musket shot. When the noise at last died down, Zul'vii looked bewildered towards the pass.
"Well, whaddaya know? Someone beat us to the portal." She was unprepared for when Ember bull-rushed her, slicing with her mother's stolen warglaive, and screaming like a feral beast. The glaive cut deep into the hall-trolls leg and she yelped and jumped away from the frenzied girl. "Ember? What are you doing?"
The girl screamed, ripping apart a young tree between her and Zul'vii and then rushing towards the half-troll again. Zul'vii blinked and drew out an axe. She batted away the warglaive and grabbed the girl roughly by the collar. She quickly and deftly tossed the small child into a tree, and then began running in the opposite direction.
Ember was not phased by the blow, and followed full speed. The wound in the half-troll's leg sealed quickly, and after a few seconds ceased to impede her running. Zul'vii had seen Ember rage before. She understood that the girl fell into instinctive anger in order to keep Archimonde from controlling her, and so she led the small child into a pack of fairly weak undead. Duskwood was filled with fairly weak undead, after all. While Ember fought off zombies, skeletons, and ghouls, Zul'vii slipped off into the shadows. She continued to follow Ember from battle to battle, marveling in the child's strength and endurance.
Only when Ember finally collapsed from full-blown exhaustion did Zul'vii approach her. The half-troll quickly scooped up the demon-plagued child, and began heading back for the Deadwind Pass. If she was lucky, she could get to and through the pass before the little girl awakened. If the portal to Outland was indeed open for all to walk through, Zul'vii wanted to be there to make sure things didn't get out of hand.
The Temple of Ahn'Qiraj
"Was that really all that necessary?"
"What do you mean?"
"The conversation you held with them before the battle."
"I got them separated, didn't I?"
"Yes, but you made one of them burst out crying. Was that really necessary?"
"Think of it as me getting vengeance for Skeram, a payment for being lousy emperors."
"If that is so, why aren't you killing them?"
"I feel sorry for them."
Ras blinked and glanced at the Twin Emperors. They were chained to opposite sides of their room. Both were bloody messes. The magic-user was still crying. "You consider this to be mercy?"
"Mm. And a punishment for being so stupid."
"Wouldn't it be better just to kill them, so they cannot be stupid again?"
"I already thought that out, and came out with a better solution; I castrated them during the battle. Didn't you notice the one with the big sword was knocked out by pain for the majority of the fight?"
"What?"
"Yes. I felt it was the best way to eliminate their genes from the gene pool. Now they can't have stupid children."
"Wha- you- but- …Sometimes, you disturb me."
"I can also castrate you, if you'd like."
"… That's unnecessary."
"Certain?"
"You seem to have a personal vendetta against the Qiraji."
"I cannot abide stupidity. The temple layout was so disastrous that it offended me personally."
"I see." Ras was just about to walk away when he suddenly thought of something. "Wait. If you intended for them to survive, you would be assuming that they would eventually break free of their bonds."
"Yes?"
"But if they broke free of their bonds, they could heal one another. Of all wounds."
"By then, C'Thun will be dead. I also assume they'll simply kill themselves out of shame."
"You seem to be leaving a lot up to chance."
"You seem to think I care about defeating these things once and for all. I am only interested in destroying C'Thun. When he is gone, the Horde and Alliance should turn their attention back to the Plaguelands."
The ex-lich stiffened, and focused all his attention on the Ranger Lord. Nathanos had not spoken of the undead lands for a long time. "You plan on returning as soon as this is done?"
"Of course. I serve the Dark Lady, do I not? And she is currently being held captive by Arthas. I am also interested in what damage Varimathras and the Apothecaries have done while I have been gone."
"Ketala," Ras said quietly.
Nathanos snorted. "I will, of course, deal with Kel'Thuzad."
"Ketala," Ras repeated. The ranger eyed him, and then just sneered and started walking again, heading further into the enemy base. "I still do not understand why you do not kill them," Ras called, gesturing back to the emperors. "It would be simpler."
"You also do not understand why I do not kill you," Nathanos answered. "I have my reasons for everything."
"The rest of the group is still resting, Nathanos. We cannot yet move on."
The ranger glanced back at him and smirked. "As I said, I have my reasons for everything." And with that, he continued to walk. Ras hesitated for a long moment before following to see what the Forsaken was up to.
The Swamp of Sorrows
When Ember at last awakened from her rage-induced slumber, she found she was sitting on a rock in the middle of a swamp. Zul'vii was not far from her, and was looking straight at her. The half-troll 's wings were unfurled, and were splayed around her most elegantly.
Ember pounced on one of the wings and bit hard into its tendrils. Zul'vii grunted but did not object, closing her eyes as Ember ground her teeth back and forward. After a moment, she stood up, cradling the girl in her wings. Ember growled at first, and then slowly relaxed by kneading her fingers into the delicate tendrils. Zul'vii endured. When Ember was in a better state of mind, she reached forward and gently rubbed the little girl's back with a hand.
"There… are you alright?" she asked softly.
Ember just growled .
"We're very close now," she continued. "Only one more land to trek across, and then we will be in Outland. Only one more land, and then you'll be in the same world as Illidan again."
This seemed to soothe the little girl. Zul'vii gently stroked her hair, and then pulled the little girl into her lap. She never once tried to pull her agonized wing tendrils away from the little girl. "We're almost there," she said soothingly. "We made it through the Deadwind pass already."
Ember closed her eyes. Only after a long time did she open them and release Zul'vii's wing tendrils.
"Are you afraid?" the half troll inquired.
She nodded lightly. Zul'vii could say nothing in response. She might have had some advice to give if Ember's fear wasn't well-founded. After a moment, she just carefully stood up. "Ey, it's not like it's the end of the world!" she said jovially, giving Ember a gentle bounce. Ember grunted and growled. "Oh grr to you too. For your information, I get enough angst from Illidan. I don't need it from you." Ember snorted and Zul'vii laughed, plopping the elfin child on her shoulders. "C'mon. We don't have that much farther to go, and there is a friend waiting for us at the end. Look, see that pass ahead? Through there is the Blasted Lands. It's only so far away."
Ember just clung rather painfully to Zul'vii's hair, and rested her cheek against the half-troll's mane. "Zul'vii?" she inquired.
"Ya Ember?"
"What will you do when we get to Outland?"
"Mmm. I dunno. I'll help you find Illidan, and get in an argument or two with him. There might or might not be a period of reconciliation. We'll see what happens from there."
"Why did Illidan leave? Was he trying to get away from me?"
Zul'vii frowned. "I don't think so. Illidan is… a complicated person. He sometimes overreacts. Maybe he was upset over this argument you tell me he had with Furion."
"So he left because of Furion?"
"…I think Illidan left because of Illidan. I don't think he could stay anymore. He fights with Furion, yes… But it's not Furion's fault. Your father is a good person. And Illidan has let him down many times before. I think Furion's simply afraid to trust him."
"Why? Illidan is good."
Zul'vii sighed. "Only sometimes, Ember. Illidan can be really bad, too." Ember frowned. "That's why he's so good at taking care of you. He knows what it is like; he understands what is happening to you. And part of Illidan is good. That part wants to help you."
"… Why are you his friend?"
The half-troll grinned. "Cause no one else would be. So I volunteered."
"Has he been bad to you?"
"He tried to kill me once, but I forgave him. I understand Illidan better than other people. I have little to lose, and so I am not afraid to trust him. But your father has to take care of a great many people. He has to take care of nature, and you, and your mommy and brother… He has to take care of all the night elves. And Illidan has done bad things to the people Furion is charged with protecting. He is afraid that Illidan will do them again. And he has a good reason to be afraid."
"… Why does he do bad things?"
"Well, for one, Illidan is demonic- just like Archimonde. That's like asking why you do bad things. Demons do bad things; it's in the job description. But Illidan also has a tough time caring about other people. Many times, he does things that help himself out, rather than things that help the people around him. Sometimes he even helps himself out while hurting other people in the process."
Zul'vii shifted Ember's weight around a bit as they approached the pass, so that she might carry the girl more easily. The trees were thinning out. After a moment, she started talking again. "But Illidan doesn't see it that way. He feels the whole world is against him, and that people should feel blessed if selfish actions he takes benefit them. Sometimes, he really does try to do the right thing, but by then it's too late. People are already used to seeing his selfish and uncaring side. They don't want to be hurt by him, and they know he's acted poorly in the past. So they don't believe him when he says he wants to be good."
Ember just thought quietly to herself.
"But Illidan has his good side. He shares it with you, from what you have told me… And sometimes, he even shares it with me. And that good side shouldn't be given up on. Just like the good side in you."
Ember blinked, looking curiously down at the half-troll. After awhile she looked at the pass. "I miss Fyrak," the little girl mumbled.
"Yeah. I know. But we couldn't have snuck him across an entire ocean without people asking many questions of us. Furion was looking for us very hard- even so much as to ask the orcs and goblins for aid. There was quite a reward for your safe return. We would have been found."
"Yeah…"
"Well, we'll find you a new pet sooner or later," Zul'vii remarked. "Outland is filled with all kinds of interesting and dangerous things, or so Illidan tells me." This seemed to brighten the little girl's spirits. "Things'll be fine. Let's just get to that portal."
" 'Kay."
Naxxramas
"I am here…"
Zeliek stiffened, and blinked in alarm as he felt another mind wrap around his.
"It's alright… Relax …"
Immediately he lashed out at the mind, calling the holy light to barricade his thoughts. Every instinct screamed for him to defend himself. His mind was the last thing he still possessed; he would not forsake-
The voice in his head chuckled. "I am not of the Lich King. Do you not recognize my mind?" He shivered, his eyes widening.
"Ke…Ketala…"
"Indeed. Calm. I will not hurt you." It took a very great effort of will for him to obey. He swallowed and closed his eyes tightly as her mind gently enveloped his.
"What are you doing? Kel'Thuzad-"
"He cannot hear us. Calm."
"He owns me! He will know- he will-"
"I am very, very good at this, Sir Zeliek. I have hidden the truth from him in tens of thousands of minds. I can most certainly hide it in yours. Have faith."
Her last words struck him, and he fell mentally silent.
"Besides, what can he do to you that he has not already done? He has stolen your body, and he cannot steal your mind. What left is there for him to take?"
"… What do you want?"
"Friendship."
Zeliek blinked his eyes opened. He cocked his head to the side, surprised at her answer. Friendship? The word and its implications sounded so strange, now. Friendship hailed from a time when men grew up and died for one another like brothers; when great kings lead their people to battle against monsters; when all that mattered was the Light, and bringing justice to all parts of the world. Friendship was not a thing born of Naxxramas. Undeath destroyed friendship. It made old comrades devour one another in mindless hate. It encouraged unthinking servitude, and a loveless greed for power.
"That is why friendship is so important. It is the only tool left to combat undeath. And you are undead, are you not?"
Zeliek grit his teeth together and looked off to the side in shame, his hands clenching tightly on his reins. She laughed slightly, but there was no jeering in her tone.
"So am I. I have been dead for most of my existence. And yet here I am, begging friendship from you."
He lifted his head a bit, considering her words. "I am dead. I wait only for my destruction, hoping that my faith shall save my spirit when I pass from this world. There is nothing left. I am broken and defiled. I have slain all my comrades, and destroyed everything that I once loved. I am a monster. There is nothing left for me- undeath has taken me. I simply hope that by keeping control of my mind, I shall make it easier for others to kill me."
Again, she laughed. Her laughter was surprising in its tone- containing something oddly sprightly. "You think that only because you became a paladin before death. But I became a paladin after death. Everything I have known of friendship, honor, or faith; I developed long after my heart first ceased beating. And I tell you now that there is still hope."
"How…?"
"I will tell you, if you will listen, my friend."
He was silent, trying to open his mind to her words.
"Let me tell you of my adopted father, Sir Zeliek. His name is Kel'Thuzad."
The Blasted Lands
It took many, many days for Zul'vii and Ember to reach the Dark Portal. The Blasted Lands were not that large, but the suffusion of demonic activity in the area had Ember constantly on edge. She slipped into her berserk state quite often. Zul'vii simply fought with the little girl until Ember dropped of exhaustion. It was too dangerous to allow Ember to wander around unchecked. Fortunately for Zul'vii, she knew the area quite well, and was on reasonable terms with the humans of Nethergard keep. She knew where she was going, and she knew exactly how to avoid all the unpleasant groups of people that could be found in the area.
When the duo finally reached the Dark Portal, the massive structure was open for all to see. It was night when they finally came within sight of it, but its surface glowed a sickly green. There were signs of a massive struggle all over the ground. The rocky remains of infernals were scattered all about. There was no wood in the Blasted Lands, and no means by which to burn the corpses in the area. Horde and Alliance bodies were gathered up so that they might be sent home for burial. Demon corpses were left to be picked apart by carrion eaters.
Zul'vii was glad for the night. With luck, she and Ember would be able to get through the Dark Portal without incident. She crept quietly through the battlefield, using her roguish abilities to their fullest extent. There was a large army camped out before the portal. She could hear voices echoing down to her from the camp, as well as the caws and snorts of various carrion creatures lurking among the dead.
The half-troll stepped lightly among the many bodies. Troll, Orc, Forsaken, Tauren… Human, gnome, dwarf, night elf… Here and there, she saw a strange creature with hooves and tentacles writhing out of its face. She also saw a couple high elves. It seemed as if every race on Azeroth had come to fight off the demonic menace. Zul'vii carefully climbed over the body of a slain doomguard and then paused, staring at something nestled among the corpses before her. She could feel Ember stiffen.
Before her, wedged between a fallen infernal and an orc catapult, was an Eredar. His body was torn and broken, twisted torturously around one of the siege engine's spiked wheels. Zul'vii took a breath, and continued down the side of the doomguard. It was around this point that she realized that the trapped demon was still breathing. He lifted his head weakly, looking up at the half-troll as she drew near. Blood oozed down from his lips and discolored his blue toned skin. He seemed so close to death that he could not properly react to what he was seeing.
His gaze slipped down, resting on Ember. He shifted slightly and moaned in pain as blood spurted around one of the catapult spikes. "Destroyer…" he whispered. "F-forgive… my failure…" Ember's eyes widened and she shrank back from the Eredar, her whole body quivering. Zul'vii snorted, hefting one of her axes and moving towards the demon to finish it off. It lifted its eyes to hers once more, fighting back waves of agony. "Healer…" it whispered as she drew near. "Will you not save me?" She paused, surprised, and stared down at the warlock demon in confusion. He twitched, his brows furrowing and his teeth clenching in pain. "Healer…" he repeated, slowly reaching a gnarled hand out towards her. "C-Curiato…"
The use of that name surprised Zul'vii. She had only ever heard it spoken by Mahi, Tyrande, or Malfurion. She hesitated too long. As she lowered her axe, regarding the Eredar with confusion and curiosity, it gave a tiny chuckle. Its arm drooped, and it promptly expired, its life's blood staining the ground. Zul'vii shuddered and wrapped her one arm more tightly around Ember.
"Don't think about it," she murmured. She turned, and began walking around the broken catapult and the dead Eredar. Again, she headed towards the city. When the duo drew nearer, she saw that the war band was made of Horde, Alliance, and Argent Dawn members. Even a few members of the Cenarion Circle were there, rushing to and fro and trying to heal whomever they could.
From the shouts around her, Zul'vii could gather that something unpleasant had opened up the Dark Portal. Immediately, Alliance and Horde members had rushed to the scene to defend their world against the demonic onslaught. This army was the rear guard of an even greater force that had pushed on into the portal. Even now, the front lines were fighting in Outland, attempting to drive back the waves of demons.
Zul'vii had a reasonable grasp on voodoo magic, and she had examined many of the extra-dimensional portals that Illidan used for travel to Outland. She had been planning merely to use the portal as an anchoring point for a short-lived dimensional teleport to Outland. It would have been closed soon afterwards. Now, with the portal open for all to walk through, things were much more convenient. If she could but reach its shimmering surface, Zul'vii could walk through it without effort. Then she simply had to sneak Ember past demonic lines.
And Zul'vii was good at sneaking.
But apparently not good enough. As she neared the portal, she came across a healing tent where the wounded were being tended to. Zul'vii did not notice a particular feature about this healing tent until it was far too late. At the side of the tent was a raised pool of fresh water. A night elf had drawn a bucket from its surface and was splashing his face with the liquid. She did not recognize his haggard countenance, or the slight slump of his shoulders. But when he lifted his head, and his eyes alighted upon her, they recognized each other immediately.
Malfurion Stormrage stood up quickly, his eyes shifting down to Ember. The little girl's eyes were wide. She was staring at him in apprehension and distress. Zul'vii turned, locked her gaze on the portal, and bolted for it.
"Wait! Wait- by Elune, I beg of you Zul'vii! I may never see her again! Please!"
The night elf's voice was suffused with despair as he beseeched her to wait. His tone caused the half-troll to pause and look back at him in question.
The old druid had taken a few steps towards them, and one of his hands was raised in a pleading fashion. "Please, Zul'vii…"
"No! NO!" Ember screamed, her claws digging into Zul'vii's arms. "No take me back!"
"Ember, I am your-"
"NO!" the little girl shrieked desperately. "Not take me! Not yours! Not mine! Hate you! HATE YOU!"
Furion jerked backwards as if struck, anguish blossoming over his face. "Ember-"
"Leave me alone! Leave me ALONE!"
The night elf just stared at Ember for a long moment, shock written on his face. His experiences over the last few days rushed in on him then- all the death, and uncertainty, and suffering. He thought of all those he had just healed, and of those who had died in his arms. He thought of what Mahi and Tyrande had said. He thought of Illidan. At last, he could not stand thinking anymore. He quietly turned away, and walked in the opposite direction. When he reached the end of the healing tent, he slipped behind it, and sank down to knees on the unnaturally crimson soil.
Ember shuddered and shivered, clinging tightly, painfully, to Zul'vii's arms. The half-troll watched Malfurion depart, slowly realizing that if he had come to stop them, he would not have given up so easily. "… Ember, I don't think he was trying to take you back." The little girl looked up at her, her teeth clenched and her face a mask of distress. "… I think we should talk to him…"
"No! I hate him! I hate him!" she wailed fiercely.
"I will not let him take you," Zul'vii murmured.
"The portal is right there!"
"It will still be there when we are done. He will not."
"Good!"
"Ember…"
The little girl trembled, unsure. Zul'vii stroked her back for a moment, firmly and somewhat roughly. The jarring motion soothed the violent child. When the half-troll felt that Ember was in a slightly better mood, she murmured, "Let us give him one chance." And then, very slowly, she proceeded to follow the archdruid. Ember did not protest.
Furion did not hear the footsteps until he could see the edges of Zul'vii's feet. When she knelt, he looked up at her. His green hair was slightly ragged from the last few days, and his violet face sported many lines of worry and pain. Zul'vii said nothing. She looked down at the little girl in her arms, and then gently set Ember on the ground.
Ember looked up at Furion warily. When he turned his gaze to her, she growled slightly, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. He winced, and then slowly reached towards her. She bit him. He stiffened and sighed lightly, moving his other hand to gently brush over her cheek. His acceptance of her biting surprised her, and she released his other hand. He gently cupped her face.
"You have your mother's chin," he murmured softly.
Uncertain of what to do, Ember just stood still. Furion was almost a complete stranger to her. He had tried to show her affection and care upon his return, but his love had injured her more than anything else. This gentle acceptance of her aggressive persona was… new.
"… I am sorry I could not help you Ember… that I could not better fulfill the role of a father. I am sorry for driving away Illidan… I am sorry for everything." She blinked, confused and surprised. He leaned closer to her, and gently took one of her hands. Out of curiosity, she opened it, and allowed him to place a small, hard seed within her palm. "I made this for you… Something to protect you once you cross through the portal."
Ember looked up at him, and then looked down at the seed in her palm. Immediately she could sense something strange about the tiny thing, and she carefully closed her hand around it. Vines sprouted from between her fingers, wrapping around her hand and wrist. Intrigued, Ember stretched out her hand to get a better look at it. Small vines twirled around her fingers before each digit was wholly encased in a sheath of flexible wood. Wood also built up around the back of her hand, and then further down her forearm, fitting to its shape like a glove.
Ember twiddled her fingers, surprised to see how easily they bent. She lifted her other hand to feel over the pointed fingertips… and was surprised to find that each was as sharp as a mithril dagger. It was a claw. A battle-claw. And he'd made it for her. She looked up at Furion in bewilderment, before gazing down at the beautiful weapon. She turned her wrist back and forward with ease, and felt over the smooth wood of the protective gauntlet.
"I just want you to be safe…" she heard him saying. "If I cannot protect you, then at least I can equip you for what you will find in Outland." The little girl looked up at him. She was silent a moment, and then she lunged forward and hugged him, being careful not to hurt him with the battle-claw. He stiffened and his eyes widened in surprise. After a moment, he moved his arms around her, and leaned his cheek against her hair. "Be safe…"
"Thank you," she murmured.
He smiled weakly, and then gently kissed the top of her head. "I love you, my little Ember."
"I know."
He closed his eyes for a moment, and then released her. He gently placed a seed in her other hand, and that arm too was covered in claws and a protective gauntlet. "If you hurry, you should be able to get past the demons without incident." He looked up at Zul'vii. "I fear Illidan is not faring well. I have taken incursions into the Emerald Dream, for I am much needed there. In my fight against the Nightmare, I have sensed him. Madness is gripping him, Zul'vii… I fear that he might be lost. I fear that our bond will again be tested; that bond is now very frail."
Zul'vii flinched, and nodded. "I will be careful, Furion. I will not march into Illidan's lair without first discerning the best way to approach him. And I will do all I can for both your brother and your daughter."
"Thank you. Good luck… And tell Illidan that I am sorry."
"I will."
Ember looked up from her second battle-claw, noticing that she and Zul'vii were about to leave. She looked at Furion a last time, and then stood on her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek.
"Goodbye, daddy." And then, just as quickly, she and Zul'vii were gone, heading for the portal. He stared after them, uncertain of what to do, and at once feeling great sorrow and great relief.
And something much more complicated…
She'd called him "daddy"…
He wondered what that word meant to Ember. He wondered what it meant to him. He wondered what it meant to Mahi. The breeze coursed gently around him.
Yarg! Review or I shall not update! Or at least that's what I keep telling myself!