Chapter One

The Warlock of Eversong

Sitting in the shade of a tree, his back resting against the soft bark, Erthos focused his attention on his hands. His brow furrowed slightly as he held his breath focusing harder, closing his eyes. There was a slight crackle in the air above his hands followed quickly by the formation of a small energy ball. Opening his eyes, the young blood elf lets out a triumphant cheer, gazing at the ball of energy.

It had taken him nearly all day practising and nearly a week of studying, but he had finally summoned a shadow bolt. He continued to gaze at the energy ball, amazed at it as it floated a few centimetres above his hand, swirling slowly.

"Hey! Erthos!" Erthos jumped slightly at the sudden noise that came at him. He looked up to see Charan, his childhood friend, running towards him. Closing his hand, the energy ball vanished with a slight flash. With a smile, Erthos stood up, brushing down his robe slightly and waved to his friend. Charan waved back as he sprinted up to Erthos, puffing and panting as he tried to catch his breath. Erthos chuckled and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Deep breaths, Charan, deep breaths." Erthos said, Charan offering a nod in response. After a few moments, the blood elf stood up right, stretching his back slightly and brushing his mid length, lightly coloured hair back in place, a stark contrast to Erthos' own long, darkly coloured hair.

"You're needed." Charan said, nodding slightly. "You have to come with me. It seems you're being sent somewhere. Come on!" Before Erthos had a chance to respond, Charan had sprinted off back to the buildings a short distance away. With a slight sigh and a smile, Ethos sprinted after his friend, quickly forgetting the small feat he had achieved not to long ago.

It wasn't long before Erthos arrived at one of the tall towers that the blood elves liked to build in the surrounding hills. Outside, happily eating the grass and hay was an impressively armoured horse that looked up at him for a moment before returning to eating.

With his curiosity peaked, Erthos walked into the tower to see Charan standing to one side. In the middle of the room stood his warlock teacher who was discussing something with someone that Erthos had not seen before. She stood tall, and heavily armoured, a long, golden cloak draped behind her. As Erthos approached, his teacher looked to him, and the woman turned around.

"Would you happen to be the one they call Erthos, young sir?" the woman asked, studying him for a moment. Reaching into a pouch that hung on her waist, the woman pulled out a letter and held it towards Erthos. "If so, this is for you."

His hands shaking, Erthos reached out and took the letter from the woman. As soon as she had turned around he had recognised her as one of the Blood Knights of Silvermoon City. He looked at the letter, glancing over to Charan who seemed to keep his composure very well, all things considered.

"This is for me?" he asked, turning the letter over in his hands, running his fingers along the seal that proved that not only had it not been opened, but it had come from the ruling council in Silvermoon. "There must be a mistake" he said, looking up at the Knight, shaking his head and laughing nervously.

"If you are Erthos, then there is no mistake" the woman said, shaking her head slightly, obviously annoyed. "Read the letter then come with me. Lord Lor'themar has summoned you." At that, the woman walked past and stepped outside, standing beside her horse. "Damn you Lor'themar" she mumbled under her breath as she climbed up onto her mount. "Making me nothing but a messenger girl…I am a Blood Knight of Silvermoon!"

Erthos could only watch as the woman walked outside to her horse. Looking at the letter again he carefully opened it and pulled it out. The letter was brief, only stating that his presence was requested in Silvermoon and that he was to travel there as soon as possible. The bottom of the letter was signed by Lor'themar. Folding the letter up and tucking it into his robes, Erthos sprinted outside.

"Wait for me!" he said as he ran up to the Blood Knight who had already started to slowly move towards Silvermoon City. Erthos took a quick look behind him to see Charan waving slightly with a smile on his lips. Waving back, Erthos quickly matched the pace of the horse and followed beside the Blood Knight.

"Do you know why im being summoned?" Erthos asked, running a hand through his hair as clouds formed overhead, travelling from the direction of Silvermoon. It looked to him like it was going to rain.

The Knight brought her steed to a halt and looked down at the young warlock she had been assigned to collect. She let out a sigh before shrugging slightly.

"All I know is that Lord Lor'themar is going to send you to the Undercity, to take some…item of some sort to Lady Sylvannas Windrunner.." she said, no enthusiasm showing in her voice, proving to Erthos that she didn't really want to be undertaking the task. She remained silent for a moment before offering a hand.

"Come on, get on" she said, nodding her head slightly at a space behind her on her horse. "I'll give you a ride to Silvermoon."

Erthos looked at the Knight for a moment, pondering on her words. He had heard of Sylvannas before, but had never met her. He had never even been to Silvermoon before, but that looked to soon be changing for him. Seeing the look of slight impatience on the Knight's face, he took the offered hand and clambered onto the back of her steed. Not used to riding on a horse, Erthos positioned himself as best he could before carefully placing his arms around the Knights waist for support.

"You know, you never mentioned your name" Erthos said, trying not to get to comfortable in his current position, afraid that the Blood Knight might not like such a breach of personal space as it was, let alone with him getting comfortable.

"My name is Zyathri" she responded as she reached forward and patted the neck of her mount. "Come Nightmare, let us go" she said to her horse. As she sat upright again, and the horse started to move, a set of golden runes seemed to form on the air around the horses hooves, causing the mount to suddenly run a lot faster.

As the mount speeds up, Erthos gripped Zyathri slightly harder, letting out a slight yelp at the increase of speed. Zyathri didn't seem to mind the young warlock holding onto her, or at least if she did, she didn't show it. He soon became accustomed to the increased speed and loosened his grip slightly.

As they rode along the clean, well placed paths, Erthos rolled Zyathri's name around in his mouth, getting used to it. Along side them, the trees whizzed past, whilst in front of them, various guards moved to one side to allow the Blood Knight and her companion through.

They were soon charging through Falconwing Square, some of the inhabitants there looking up from their shopping stalls and random tasks to watch as Nightmare swiftly rode past. Erthos looked behind them as they rode through the archway towards Silvermoon City, catching a glimpse of a couple of young children who were trying to chase after them whilst laughing gleefully.

Turning to look ahead of them, Erthos saw the Dead Scar that reached from one end of the land, all the way up to the other. The land along the scar was almost black in colour, and any trees or plants that remained were withered and decaying. The remains of various Blood Elf buildings and Scourge war machines littered the arid land, casting a nasty scene. At the very edges, it could be seen where the fresh land tried to grow back onto the Scar, but failed in its attempts.

As they approached, Erthos could make out more Blood Knights and Blood Elf conscripts fighting against the Scourge that infested the Scar. Zyathri glanced at them as they rode through, one of her hands moving down to the hilt of her blade, prepared to attack just in case. The Scourge who weren't already in combat turned their rotten heads to look at the Charger as it sped past them, letting out a groan as their bones creaked.

You'll stay away, if you know what's good for you… Zyathri thought to herself, glaring slightly at the Scourge, as they quickly made it across the Dead Scar, arriving once again on a well paved piece of road.

Ahead of the duo, the spires of Silvermoon City rose skywards, taking up the skyline. Erthos gazed at them in wonder as Zyathri brought her mount to a gentle trot as they approached the main gate. Even outside the city, Erthos could see the difference in culture.

To his left, Erthos watched as a female Tauren passed a pouch, that Erthos assumed was filled with money, to a Blood Elf who then called down a Dragonhawk for the Tauren. Erthos continued to watch as the Tauren climbed onto the back of the Dragonhawk before it launched skywards and flew over head, ferrying its rider to some far off location.

Looking to the right, Erthos saw a stable set up where a collection of Hawkstriders were happily grazing. Off to the side, at what looked to be a makeshift office that consisted of a table and two chairs, a Blood Elf was signing a contract before climbing onto the back of a vibrant red Hawkstrider after passing a large collection of coins to the owner.

Peering over Zyathri's shoulder, Erthos marvelled at the sight of the entrance to Silvermoon City as Nightmare walked through them, entering into the glistening city streets. Stopping next to the stables, Zyathri climbs down off of the back of her steed before looking to Erthos.

"Come on, I still need to get you inside" she said, rather impatiently. Inwardly, she thought to herself: Why am I doing this…it's a waste of my time and talent… Erthos could see and hear the impatience from Zyathri and quickly climbed down off of the back of Nightmare. As soon as the warlock's feet touched the floor, Nightmare trotted into the stables and started munching on some hay, whilst Erthos shook his legs slightly, trying to get some feeling back into them.

Brushing his robe down and running a hand through his hair, Erthos looked up to Zyathri who had her arms crossed over her chest, tapping her foot impatiently. Laughing nervously, Erthos quickly moves up besides her, waiting for her to lead on.

Shaking her head slightly, Zyathri starts to walk through Silvermoon at a brisk pace, Erthos having to occasionally break into a jog to keep up with the Blood Knight. Everywhere they went, the Blood Elves that went about their business stopped to look at the imposing figure of Zyathri, whispering amongst themselves.

"Doesn't she look impressive?"
"Must be important business for Zyathri to be rushing about like that."
"Mommy, I want pretty hair like hers!"
"Who do you think the boy is?"
"I don't recognise him."

Erthos tried to avoid looking around, keeping his eyes focused on the ground. He could hear all of the whispers that were floating around on the air, and he didn't want to draw any more attention to himself by gawking at everything around him.

Just in front of him, Zyathri carried on as if nothing unusual was happening. As they walked, other guards and Knights would stop and salute to Zyathri, who would return the gesture in kind before continuing on. If she felt pride in her role at all, it wasn't showing on her face. The only thing that was showing was her continued impatience.

As the duo walked through an archway into a new area of Silvermoon, that Erthos saw was sign posted as Murder Row, the warlock took a quick moment to glance around, seeing that the crowds from before were now much more scarce in this area. Only a few Blood Elves were dotted around, and they all seemed to be keeping to themselves.

Erthos gazed in wonder at the tall white buildings that were lining the sides of the large area that Zyathri led him, their slightly golden designs glistening in the sun that now shone over head. Various plants and trees were dotted around, adding a natural beauty to the scene. Erthos was so engrossed in looking around that he almost walked straight into the back of Zyathri who had stopped at the foot of the bridge leading up to the Sunfury Spire.

"This is where Lord Lor'themar will see you" Zyathri said, looking to Erthos and motioning towards the Spire. On either side of the bridge running up to the tower stood many a guard, adorned in shinning golden and red armour. Erthos looked at them, then at the tower before looking back to Zyathri.

"Am…am I going up there by myself then?" Erthos asked her, a solid lump forming in his throat as the gravity of the situation seemed to just suddenly drop on him.

"What's the matter?" Zyathri asked, smirking slightly, trying to suppress her laughter. "Need me to hold your hand while you go talk to Lord Lor'themar?" Her voice was thick with sarcasm, causing Erthos to look down at the ground with slight embarrassment. The sarcasm quickly stopped as Lord Lor'themar stepped out of the Spire.

"Zyathri!" he called out, his voice echoing all around Murder Row. "Bring the young warlock in, would you? I need to talk to you both." Before either could offer a response, Lor'themar turned around swiftly and walked back into the Spire, the velvet drapes that were adorned just inside twisting and waving about slightly.

"Alright, lets go" Zyathri says before leading Erthos up the stairs, a look of bewilderment and confusion on his face. This is not my day…Zyathri thinks to herself as she glances behind her to make sure the warlock is following, noticing that his hands are shaking slightly, causing her to shake her head and sigh.

Making sure to stay close, Erthos watched as the guards bowed slightly at Zyathri's passing. Once inside the Spire, Erthos made sure to keep his mouth closed as the two of them stopped in front of the council, Lor'themar standing at the forefront of them all.

"My Lord, this is the warlock you requested" Zyathri said, her voice sound official and formal as she took hold of Erthos and moved him in front of her so as to make sure he paid attention.

"Yes…" said Lor'themar, nodding slightly as he studied Erthos, looking him up and down. Erthos tried to remain calm as Zyathri kept her hands on his arms, keeping him in place. With a firm nod, Lor'themar carried on.

"Young man, you have been chosen to deliver this amulet to Lady Sylvannas Windrunner within the Undercity. This is a very important task that I need you to do. I trust you will be able to this without issue?" Opening up a small satchel, Lor'themar pulled out a small amulet that hung on a thin chain. The amulet a slight green glow to it, but otherwise looked unremarkable.

Erthos reached out and took the amulet in his hand, studying it for a moment. He turned it over in his hand before looking up at Lor'themar started to walk away. Taking a step forwards, Erthos quickly spoke.

"My Lord, I must ask, why me?" The words seemed to be falling out of Erthos' mouth without his permission as a look of shock spread across his face. He quickly brought his hand to his mouth, wishing he could take back what he had said, but knowing it was already too late to do so.

The leader of the Blood Elves stopped mid stride and turned to face Erthos, who started to feel very small. A faint smile played on the lips of Lor'themar as he took a step towards Erthos.

"I had heard of your training to become a warlock from your teacher." Lor'themar said, his eyes seeming to bore into Erthos. Erthos himself couldn't help but feel a slight burst of happiness that Lor'themar was aware of his training. "Think of this as a field test of your abilities." With a faint chuckled, he turns and starts to walk away again before stopping.

"Oh, and Zyathri? Accompany young Erthos, will you? You never know how the Forsaken are going to act to newcomers who enter their city" he adds before walking away, not leaving the two of them time to respond.

Zyathri watches as Lor'themar walks away before letting out a slight sigh, burying her face in the palm of her hand. What did I do to deserve this… she thought to herself. Letting her hand drop to her side, she walks outside of the Spire, quickly followed by Erthos who took the chain that held the amulet and slipped it over his head, letting it rest around his neck.

"We may as well stay at an inn for the night" Zyathri said, looking out across Murder Row. "Then tomorrow we will use the Orb of Translocation to get to the Undercity. In the mean time though, hide the amulet, will you? We do have some thieves in Silvermoon…" Zyathri shook her head slightly before walking off, leaving Erthos standing there before he slid the amulet inside his robes and jogged after the Blood Knight.

It wasn't long before the two of them had located an inn within the sprawling city of Silvermoon. Overhead the sun had started to dip slightly, and people were beginning to shut up their shops and stalls. Most inns were full, but Zyathri had managed to find the last one with a spare room.

"Yes, I can accommodate the two of you" the innkeeper said, bowing slightly towards Zyathri. "And, naturally, it will be free of charge for you, Blood Knight." Zyathri frowned slightly before pointing to Erthos.

"It's free for him as well" she said in a stern voice, causing the innkeeper to shy away slightly before nodding in response Taking the key from the innkeeper, Zyathri led Erthos upstairs to their room, opening the door into a large, open plan room that held two beds and a simple sink.

As Erthos walked in, he noticed the sleeping arrangements and started to stammer slightly. He looked to Zyathri and pointed at the room.

"Theres only one room…" he said, his cheeks turning a slight red colour as Zyathri walked in and sat down on one of the beds, undoing the straps on her shield. She looked up at Erthos as she placed her shield on the table stand beside her, smirking at him slightly.

"Surely you're not scared of sharing a room with me?" Zyathri said, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she let out a laugh. "There are two beds. Is that not enough?" Shaking her head slightly, she went back to her task, undoing the belt that kept her sword around her waist and laying it on top of her shield.

Erthos opened his mouth to respond, but found it hard to find the words. He quickly moved and sat down on the other bed, looking down at the floor. The amulet hung loosely around his neck as he turned and looked over to Zyathri who was now standing up and stretching slightly. She looked over to Erthos, remaining silent for a moment.

"Wait here" she said, moving to the door. "I need to see if the innkeeper has any other clothes for me to wear for the night." Without letting Erthos respond, she walked out of the room, a smirk still on her face, chuckling at the young Blood Elf's reactions.

Erthos waited quietly for Zyathri to return, occasionally looking around the room, before looking back at the bed that rested on the opposite side of the room. He knew he had no reason to be embarrassed by the situation. Zyathri certainly didn't seem to be. Erthos was so lost in his thoughts that the sudden arrival of Zyathri back in the room caused him to jump slightly.

"Still awake then" Zyathri said with a slight smirk, a long black robe hanging from one of her arms. Walking into the room, closing the door behind her, she placed the robe gently on the bed.

"If you're easily embarrassed, you might want to look away" she said, looking to Erthos, the smirk growing on her face. Erthos looked at her, raising one eyebrow slightly, his mind not quick to grasp what she meant.

"Well, if your not going to turn around, at least help me" Zyathri said, crossing her arms before turning around so her back was towards Erthos. "It is easier to remove these shoulder guards with help than it is by myself."

As if the penny had dropped, Erthos' eyes went wide at Zyathri's earlier statement. He stammered slightly before slowly standing up and walking to the Blood Knight. He gulped slightly as he gently moved Zyathri's hair out of the way, allowing him access to the two buckles on the back of the armour that kept the shoulder pieces in place. With his hands shaking, he quickly undone them before taking a step back.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" Zyathri said, reaching up and lifting the shoulder pieces up and over her head, placing them on the ground next to the small table. Standing up straight again, Zyathri stretched her arms above her head, seeming to be glad to be able to move about freely again. Erthos couldn't help but note that without the rather large shoulder armour, Zyathri was starting to look a lot more delicate in nature.

No longer either not needing or wanting Erthos' help, Zyathri began removing her other pieces of armour, placing them all in a neat pile. Erthos remained sat on his bed the entire time, trying not to watch the scene opposite him. His will gave out however, and he couldn't help but watch as Zyathri removed her leg armour, revealing her bare legs underneath, the skin seeming pale in the light of the room.

For a few moments, Zyathri remained standing quietly, looking out across the balcony that was in their room, the only clothing still remaining being her black Blood Knight tabard. If she knew that Erthos had been watching her, she made no motion to it. As she turned around to pick up the robe off of her bed, Erthos quickly looked away, not wanting to get caught for fear that it would result in a broken arm on his part.

"Its safe to look now, if you weren't already" Zyathri said with a smirk, leaning against the wall beside her bed, the black robe now wrapped around her, covering her almost entirely. Without any of her armour on, Erthos' eyes made notice of her rather shapely body before shaking his head slightly, looking away for a moment as he felt his cheeks turn red.

Zyathri made a slight humph noise, frowning as Erthos looked away. She looked at him for a moment before walking out onto the balcony where night had started to fully set in. She let out a quiet sigh as she rested her arms on the rails, looking across the various buildings, the quiet bustle of night life wafting on the gentle breeze that blew through Zyathri's hair.

Erthos suddenly appeared beside Zyathri, also looking across the city, although Zyathri made no move of recognition that she saw him. The two of them remained quiet as the moon finalised its position in the night sky, the clouds gently moving across the black, star filled cover above.

"You know…" Erthos said quietly, still looking outwards. "You look rather nice in that robe…" Zyathri smiled faintly as the wind changed direction slightly, blowing her lose hair across her face. "And…I did look…" Erthos closed his eyes, flinching slightly, expecting a firm punch from Zyathri. When it didn't come, he opened his eyes and looked to her.

"I know you did" she said, her voice seeming a lot softer than normal, the smile more evident on her face, more gentle. Erthos stared at Zyathri as she slowly rose up, stifling a slight yawn. "I assume you liked what you saw." With a faint smirk, Zyathri turned and walked back into their room, heading towards her bed, leaving a rather embarrassed Erthos to himself.

As he watched her walk away, Erthos swore that she was swaying her hips more deliberately… Shaking his head, chalking it up to his mind playing tricks on him, Erthos looked back out into Silvermoon, taking in a deep breath and breathing out slowly. I should sleep…big day ahead of me tomorrow… he thought to himself before turning around and heading back into the room.

Glancing to Zyathri, it seemed that she had already fallen asleep. With a faint smile, Erthos quickly extinguished the various light sources in the room before removing his robe and climbing into his bed. It didn't take him long to fall into a deep sleep.