A Battle Maid's Azeroth Adventure

Dämmerung

Noelle stirred from her sleep and slowly opened her eyes to an unfamiliar room. The soft hues of pre-dawn—the pinks and purples—filtered into the bedroom granted to her by the Silver Hand. Her routine typically began at the first light of morning, and it seemed that travelling to another world hadn't changed that. As she sat up, she noticed her Baron Bunny, a treasure she had made under Amber's guidance, damp from her tears.

She wiped her eyes as a wave of concerns flooded her thoughts. Had she ruined her Baron Bunny? It was one of her few precious reminders of home, and she didn't want it spoiled. Had she been crying in her sleep? She hoped no one had been disturbed by it. And lastly, Oh… she was still in Azeroth, and not back in Teyvat.

As the first rays of sunlight reached her bedside, she sighed, thinking, The sun rises in the morning here, just like it does at home. With that, she lifted herself out of bed, stretched, and freshened up, clinging to the familiarity of her daily routine. Her stretches were practiced and precise, drilled into her by the senior knights of Mondstadt.

She glanced around the room, double-checking her surroundings. Yesterday's events weren't the product of her imagination. She had secretly hoped that she had merely fallen ill after her birthday, and this entire ordeal was just a fever dream.

Out of curiosity, she pinched herself. Ow. No, this wasn't a dream. She even tried a method she'd read about in one of Fischl's storybooks, but this was no fictional "dream cycle." This was her reality.

After tidying the room, she caught a glimpse of herself in a hand mirror resting on the desk. She frowned slightly, then sat at the desk, trying to collect her thoughts. Usually, at this time, she would report to Mistress Maleen for her maid duties with the Knights of Favonius, then train and complete her commissions. But what now? Her daily routine had been rooted in serving Mondstadt for years.

With a sigh, she summoned her belongings. In a soft golden shimmer, her claymore, Skyward Pride, appeared in her hands. She placed the weapon carefully on the table, laying it across the surface. Wielding this blade was an immense honour for her—one of the five weapons once carried by Lord Barbatos in the name of Mondstadt.

She traced her armoured hand gently along the glowing Anemo crystal embedded in the blade, recalling the gusts of wind that accompanied each swing. She imagined what it might have been like had Lord Barbatos granted her an Anemo Vision instead of Geo.

Next, she summoned a small bag of Mora. It was just the amount she had on her when she arrived. She didn't worry much about the lack of currency—she trusted that she would be returned home soon enough. After all, she had faith in Lord Uther and the mages of Dalaran. Besides, Mora had never been the key to her happiness; she had always worked hard and created the things that truly brought her joy.

She summoned the gifts she had received for her birthday: a windblume chaplet, a replica of The Unforged, and a set of strange ingots from Liyue.

The chaplet was made from various Mondstadt flowers—Cecilias, Windwheel Asters, Calla Lilies, and Lampgrass—each carrying the scent of home. Her thoughts drifted to Springvale, Starfell Lake, and Starsnatch Cliff as she held it. But she quickly unsummoned it. She couldn't afford to get lost in memories; work was to be done.

The replica of The Unforged and the Liyuean ingots were curious gifts. The thoughtfulness of the Traveler touched her, but The Unforged was no ordinary weapon. It was the Liyuean counterpart to Skyward Pride, once wielded by Morax during the Archon War. And as for the ingots—where had they come from? The Chasm? The Blackcliff Forge? Noelle suspected she would need to have armour forged from them sooner rather than later. With those thoughts in mind, she put away her gifts and went to the stables.

"Good morning, Nacht," she greeted her new destrier. The Lordaeronians tolerated the horse, but they were clearly uneasy about it, given its past as the Orc Slavemaster's mount.

"Do you like your name?" she asked the horse softly. "It's a good name, one from my home." Equestrian skills were essential to chivalry, though she hadn't practiced much since Grandmaster Varka's expedition. The knights had requisitioned all the horses from Captain Kaeya's cavalry, something he often joked about.

She groomed Nacht, letting the horse grow accustomed to her presence. It was working, though she wasn't entirely sure. After a while, she turned to the day's tasks, much like she had the day before.

"Morning, Madam Noelle! Off to work already?" a workman greeted her.

"Of course! I've already gotten a head start," she replied with a smile.

"You might want to join Lord Uther on his patrol," the workman suggested.

Moments later, Noelle crossed paths with Uther. "Ah, Miss Noelle, you're awake. The Orc Blademaster came up during my morning patrol, taunting us," Uther informed her.

"Oh my. Are you alright, Master Uther?" Noelle asked, concerned.

"I'm fine. It was just an illusion," Uther assured her.

"As you can see, Arthas has taken a good number of men to scout the Orc camps. I've tasked him with rescuing the captive citizens and driving away the Orcs as he sees fit."

"And what about you, Master Uther?" Noelle asked.

"I'll remain here to guard the camp from any Blackrock raids that slip past Arthas' men."

Noelle hesitated for a moment. "I'd like to help," she said firmly.

"Pardon me?" Uther asked, taken aback.

"I don't want to stand idly by while there's something I could do to help!" Noelle insisted.

"Castellan Oswall already told me you've done the work of a hundred men," Uther replied with a smile.

"But what about combat? Has Prince Arthas told you anything about my abilities?" Noelle pressed.

"He has. But I can't, in good conscience, ask you to fight for us."

"Why not? Why can't I fight?" Noelle asked, her brow furrowed.

"If what you've told me is true, that you're from another world, it could be a sign of bad things to come," Uther explained gravely.

"Bad things? What do you mean?" she asked, confused.

"The Orcs came from another world, and their Warlocks summoned demons from the Twisting Nether. Even now, the Blackrock Clan plans to sacrifice human captives to summon more demons here," Uther continued.

Noelle's eyes widened. "You don't think I'm... a demon, do you?"

"No, you're nothing like the demons I've faced. But your arrival may signal something greater, something Antonidas might be able to explain."

Noelle nodded, still processing his words.

"For now, you serve as a representative of your people—both to us and to Azeroth," Uther said, changing the subject. "You've even tamed a Blackrock horse?"

"Yes, I named him Nacht. It means 'night' in Mondstadter, because of his dark coat," she explained.

"Ah, you mentioned you're a squire?" Uther asked.

"A knight-in-training, Master Uther. The Knights of Old Mondstadt and the current Knights of Favonius follow different practices," Noelle clarified.

"Even so, I have a task suited for you. Ride out east and find Feranor Silvertoe, a Dwarven master blacksmith. He and his followers would be a great asset to our campaign. Request his services in the name of the Silver Hand," Uther instructed.

"Thank you, Master Uther! I won't let you down!" Noelle said with determination.

Uther saluted her in the Lordaeronian fashion as she rode off. He had no doubt she wouldn't disappoint. With a satisfied nod, he resumed his camp patrol, warding off any potential raids.

A/N:

TykkiMikk: Thanks. That was what I was going for. It was a little comedic break & time skip

Last edited: 23/09/2024