usershleby
usershleby
now you'll see the true power of the void
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usershleby · 1 month ago
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Comm for Shlebylee
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usershleby · 1 month ago
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The nightmares of the past are never far from reach...
Fandom: World of Warcraft
Characters: OC, Magister Umbric, Alleria Windrunner, Naleidea Rivergleam (more to be added as the fic progresses)
Rating: T+ 
Read on AO3
CHAPTER ONE || CHAPTER TWO || CHAPTER THREE || CHAPTER FOUR
Something hot and wet dripped onto Zara’thea’s cheek. It rolled down her skin slowly, leaving behind a slimy trail that cooled quickly, making her cheek itch. She groaned with discomfort at the tacky sensation, her eyes still firmly shut in sleep. Her mind was a haze of pleasant dreams and she was not yet ready to wake and face what the day had to offer. But there was an uncomfortable pinch at her side and a horrible, sickly smell that made her stomach lurch with nausea. Bleary eyed, she forced her lids to part. A curse of damnation was forming on her tongue for whoever was responsible for waking her from her peaceful slumber. 
A ghoul loomed over her, its hot, putrid breath fanning out across her face while its boney, rotting hand reached for her neck. Zara’thea yelped, her legs kicked out to catch the ghoul in its stomach and sent it flying backwards where it landed with a sickening squelch in the shadowed distance beyond. She scrambled to stand, her limbs shaking as they struggled to catch up with the sudden shift to alertness. Frantically, she looked around at the destruction that surrounded her. 
The once proud and familiar walls of her shan’dor’s estate had been reduced to rubble. Elegant marble laid in ruin, cracked and broken beyond repair. Violent shards of splintered glass splattered the dust covered floors like drops of blood. Above her, the vaulted ceiling had been torn asunder, exposing the wrecked interior to the pale, smoke filled sky. The forests beyond crumbled boundaries of the estate were overrun with festering corpses that shambled through the foliage with their sightless eyes hunting for warm flesh to sink their molted teeth into. The land teemed with undead abominations, their swollen bodies fouling the very ground they walked on. On the horizon, Silvermoon burned. 
Zara’thea’s heart slammed against her chest in wild, frantic thumps. What was happening? The thought screeched through her panic laced mind as she tried to make sense of the destruction before her. Her memories were hazy, covered by a thick film of shadow that only grew deeper the harder she tried to grasp them. She couldn’t remember how she had gotten here or what had caused her shan’dor’s house to fall.
Her shan’dor.
Where was her shan’dor?  
Overcome by a fresh wave of nausea, Zara’thea’s gaze fell, as if pulled by some invisible force, to a familiar looking figure lying prone on the ground a few steps away. The face of her mentor stared back at her, lifeless and empty. Her once warm beige skin was now pallid and waxy, her golden eyes now foggy orbs of decay. Zara’thea crashed to her knees, a horrid, gut wrenching scream ringing in her ears. 
How did this happen? How had these abominations made it past Ban’dinoriel? Where were the Farstriders, where was her sister… her sister! She was out there somewhere! She had to be! Zara’thea needed to find her, she needed to see that she was alive. She started to reach out to the Light, to grasp the gentle thread that tied the siblings together through her delicately crafted ward of protection but an unnatural rattle of bones and sickening squelch of flesh stopped her short.  
The ghoul Zara’thea had dislodged had found its feet once more and began stalking towards her with a mismatched gate, hissing at her with renewed fervor. Attention snapping over to its shambling advance, Zara’thea yanked on the Light and sent a powerful wave of Holy light at the undead creature. Only the magic that sprang forth was not the pure golden energy of the Light. It was something darker and much more sinister, purple and black and writhing with madness. 
She stared at her hands in shock, her eyes widening as her skin began to change before her eyes, soft peach giving way to an unnatural purple. She frantically rubbed at her arms as if she could stop the advance, her nails digging bloody furrows into her flesh, her blood black as night. She screamed in fear as a strange hunger began to seep into her bones, gnawing at her with knife-like fingers. 
The dour light of the plagued choked sun suddenly vanished, the inky blackness of night taking hold as the ground beneath her feet bubbled and shifted, fleshy, cancerous sores erupting onto the scourge cursed land. The face of her dead mentor laughed, twisted and hollow, sending a wave of terror down Zara’thea’s spine. Eyes that glowed like molten lava had scoured her once beautiful face, a mass of shadowy tentacles sprouting from her mouth, stretching the skin and splintering bone until she was ripped apart from the force of their growth. 
“This is your fault.” a chilling voice accused from behind her. Zara’thea spun around , falling hard onto her backside. Magister Rommath stood before her, ever the monolith of pride and wrathful vengeance. 
“You and your kind brought this upon Silvermoon.”
“No!” Zara’thea pleaded, the magister’s fel green eyes burning into her soul, setting it alight with his fury. She shook her head, a cacophony of voices screaming in her mind.
He needed to understand, she wasn’t responsible for this! She was just trying to protect them! All they wanted to do was protect their home! Tears welled in her eyes as she reached for the hem of his scarlet robes. 
“Please!” she begged, the million voices in her mind growing stronger with each ragged breath that tore from her lungs. “ Please !”
“The Sin’dorei will be avenged.” he hissed with promise as he raised his conjured staff, the elaborate weapon glowing with arcane energy, its tip hovering inches from her skull. But before he could utter the spell that would have erased her from existence, a massive barbed tentacle exploded from the ground next to him and crushed the archmage in one powerful blow. 
Zara’thea lunged out of the way of its aimless flailing, bracing herself for the inevitable impact but it never came. Instead, she began to fall as the ground beneath her opened, its hungry maw pulling her into the depths below.
Ak’agthshi ma uhnish. The words echoed loudly around her, their meaning ringing with frightful clarity in her mind, our numbers are limitless . Quel’thalas slipped away from her, leaving her floating in a vast, empty void with nothing but the screams of a thousand hungry voices and multitudes of burning eyes. She clutched her head, madness twisting her insides with its painful fingers. Her screams were blotted out by the endless voices that tore at her sanity.
En’othk uulg’shull. There is no life after death , the voices tormented her, unrelenting. Uull iwhuk h’iwn. The darkness devours all. Ull vera skish. You are mine .
Zara’thea woke with a shout, her body trembling. A cold sweat doused her skin as she blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to dispel the last vestiges of the dream from her mind. The eyes of the Black Empire glared back at her with wanton hunger, its ravenous grip tightly wound around her soul. 
You cannot resist us forever little elf. We will have you. We will consume all. 
With a whimper, she threw off her covers and planted her feet on the ground, her fingers tangling themselves in her loose hair. She could still feel them, slithering around in her mind. The voices so loud and sweet with their offers, their hunger insatiable. She pulled at her hair and forced herself to focus on the pain. 
Give in to us and see the glory of the Black Empire. Become a goddess among mortals. Everything you could ever want is right within your reach. Give in and take it. Never feel the pain of your past again. Be free in the void.  
Zara’thea breathed deeply, the sound of air rushing through her lungs drowning out the whispers of the void. She curled her toes against the packed earth, feeling its coolness, the little stones and blades of grass that made up the floor of her tent. She breathed again, the sharp scent of pine and campfire smoke slicing through the lingering perfume of death. Her fingers loosened their grip on her hair, the silky stands slipping away as she traced the line of her jaw, her fingertips brushing over her cheek bones and dancing along the line of her nose. 
She let the sensations of the world around her center her, the disparaging remnants of the void fading.  
She was in control.
With one more deep inhale, she glanced around the darkened interior of her tent and spied the source of her ire sitting innocently on her desk. A teacup with delicate gold detailing sat empty beside a small bag of herbs, unused and forgotten. 
“Figures.” Zara’thea grumbled, her voice rough with uneasy sleep. She stood, reaching for a pair of pants and tugged them on, her muscles aching from yesterday’s excavation. She snatched the teacup and herb bag as she made her way to the entrance of her tent, stopping only to shrug on a crumpled shirt and shove her feet into her boots. 
A wave of cold, snowy air greeted her as she stepped outside. The torches that demarcated the camp shone lowly in the dim, early morning light, the unlucky explorers tasked with the late watch nodding off at their posts while the rest of the expedition still slept. Zara’thea trudged down the well worn path to the center of camp, her boots splashing in the shallow river that separated the tents from the main hub. 
Three Falls Lookout was a relatively small outpost, nestled high in the mountains of the Azure Span. It overlooked the great expanse of the Blue Dragonflight’s domain from high above and served as an entry point to the cavernous depths that lay far below the Dragon Isles’ surface. The mouth of the cave was brightly lit, even in the small hours of the morning, its open maw offering the promise of adventure. 
Zara’thea and her team would soon be traveling down the winding tunnels to the caverns below. What they might find down there was still a mystery but the cold chill that seemed to tug at her consciousness whenever she passed made her pause with worry. A few expedition teams had already gone ahead, traversing the labyrinth of tunnels that lay below. Their reports were thin but all proclaimed a vast ecosystem of natural beauty. Giant crystal caverns and sulfur fields as far as the eye could see. 
But the reports also noted the dangers that plagued the subterranean zone. Fyrakk’s minions, the Zaqail, had an impressive foothold among the lava pools, their encampment overshadowed by a mysterious structure that had the explorers rightfully fearful.
Deathwing.
Suppressing a shutter, she gave the cave entrance a wide berth and climbed the short flight of steps up to the quartermaster’s tent. 
As she suspected, the tent was empty. Flaps of canvas were pulled tightly over the windows to keep out the chill and a small stove in the corner glowed with fading embers. Zara’thea found a small kettle and placed it atop the stove, feeding the dying fire kindling to coax the flames back to life. While she waited for the water to boil, she set about mixing her herbs, adding whatever she could find to the bitter tasting nettles. 
She had discovered the tea shortly after returning to Azeroth. Stinging nettles steeped in hot water did wonders to calm the mind and lead to a dreamless sleep - a necessity for the Ren’dorei. They were more susceptible to the whispers when they slept, when the lines between what was real and what was not were the most blurred. The tea helped them maintain control by depriving the void an opportunity to overpower their thoughts, giving them dreamless, peaceful sleep. It was doubtful that the tea would do much now that Zara’thea was awake but she was hoping the familiar ritual would provide the comfort she needed. 
With her cup now filled with steeping tea, Zara’thea left the tent and walked around its back, sitting down on the planks of wood that rested on the edge of the cliff face. The sun was a pale disk on the horizon, watery blues and purples giving way to the first glimmers of sunshine. A dense fog blanketed most of the forest below, only the tips of the towering evergreens pushed through the low hanging clouds. 
Despite the beauty of the forest before her, her mind wandered back to the haunting memory of her dream. It wasn’t the first time she had been plagued by that particular nightmare. Variations of the dream had performed its macabre dance behind her eyelids every so often, each time feeling like a knife had been plunged deep into her heart. 
Give in to us and never feel that pain again. We can free you from these burdens.
She would never forget waking to the horrid smell of decaying bodies. The walls that had held so many years of memories reduced to broken, lifeless rubble, knocked over as if they had been nothing but a child’s plaything. The place she had always thought of as home, lost to the destruction of the scourge. But the loss of the estate was nothing compared to the life that had been crushed beneath its crumbling weight. 
Zara’thea sniffed and blinked away the tears that stung the corner of her eyes. Her heart ached with the memory, like a fresh bruise still tender to the touch. It had been nearly seventeen years now but she still remembered every second of that day in perfect clarity. She remembered the sound that was torn from her lips at the sight of her mentor, her shan’dor, lying dead on the cracked marble floors. She remembered strong arms pulling her away, their frantic voice begging her to let go, how she had kicked and screamed until she had nearly passed out from her struggle to free herself. 
She remembered the listlessness that followed, the hollow emptiness that invaded her mind between the perilous trek back to Silvermoon. She remembered how her world ceased to have meaning when she learned the fate of her sister. 
“I thought I might find you back here.” A familiar voice said, pulling Zara’thea from her reminiscing. Falina balanced precariously on the wooden edge of the platform, taking careful steps over to where she sat before flopping down beside her. “I don’t know why you like sitting back here when all it takes is a strong breeze to send you falling to your death.”
Zara’thea smiled, her gaze drifting across the land. “I like the view.” she replied. The fog had begun to lift as the warm rays of the sun grew stronger, revealing the thick foliage below. 
It too will fall to the void, as all things are destined.
“You can get the same view from back there.” Falina jerked her thumb in the direction of the camp. 
Zara’thea bumped into her friend’s shoulder playfully. “Where’s your sense of adventure?” 
“I must have left it back in my tent along with my sense of self preservation.” the Ren’dorei said with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. Zara’thea chuckled softly, bringing the cooling cup of tea to her lips and taking a sip. The bitter flavor exploded across her tongue, the measly dried flower petals she had added doing little to soften its harsh taste. She made a mental note to stop by the market next time she was in Valdrakken to stock up on dried peacebloom.
“So, what was it?” Falina said after a moment, the younger elf squinting in the growing morning light.
Ears twitching, Zara’thea cast a sidelong glance at her friend. “What was what?”
“The nightmare.”
“Who said I had a nightmare?” Zara’thea traced her finger around the rim of her cup. 
The look Falina gave her was withering. 
“The usual.” she sighed after it became clear that her friend wasn’t going to budge until she received an answer. “Rommath, the void - same old, same old.”
“Rommath?” Falina’s long eyebrows pinched in confusion. “What was magister Rommath doing in your dream?”
“Besides being a condescending ass? Getting beat down by a void tentacle.” she shrugged. “A bit of a highlight for me, if I’m being honest.”
The prideful will fall, the void can never be banished. We will consume all.
“And he’s the reason you’re out here moping?”
“I’m not moping.” Zara’thea disputed, albeit weakly. “I’m…stoically gazing out into the world.”
“Ah, yes. Of course, that’s what you’re doing. How silly of me.” she huffed, leaning back onto the palms of her hands. 
Zara’thea watched her friend out of the corner of her eye as she relaxed, her feet swinging carelessly over the edge of the platform. Falina was a few years younger than Zara’thea yet they had known of each other, distantly, before their banishment from Silvermoon. As the daughter to a lowborn tradesman, Falina had met Zara’thea in passing, their castes in society keeping them from becoming anything beyond polite acquaintances.
It wasn’t until they had both begun to attend Magister’s Umbric’s classes did they become friends. Falina was an excellent mage, held back by her family’s lack of connection and societal status. She had seen Umbric’s teachings as a way to rise above her station and do more for the city than she would have ever been able to accomplish in her position.
Not that it worked out for her as she had hoped. 
Cast out and forgotten. The void would welcome you with open arms. Give in to us and be free.
Still, she was charming and quick witted and tended to scare people off with her naturally unamused resting face. She could have easily gone to Dalaran after the Fourth War to become the mage she was always destined to be but despite her disinterest in archeology, followed Zara’thea to the Explorer’s League. 
Falina was a good friend, a friend that deserved more than just an offhanded answer and snarky comment. 
“It was the scourge invasion.” Zara’thea admitted softly, her eyes fixed pointedly at the cup resting in her hands, watching the steam rise from the murky brown depths. “My nightmare.”
Falina hummed beside her, the tone rich with pained familiarity. “That’s what I see too, when it happens.”
“How did, I mean - where were you…” Zara’thea stumbled around the question, not sure how to formulate the correct words but Falina seemed to understand nonetheless.
Her friend pulled her legs up to her chest, resting her chin on her knees, a forlorn look misting over her brilliant blue eyes. 
 “At the shop.” she replied quietly. “We were one of the lucky ones already in the bazaar. My father helped secure the perimeter for the survivors the mages teleported in. I wanted to help but mother was so scared…I couldn’t leave her.”  sadness echoed loudly in her tone, making a lump of emotion swell in Zara’thea’s throat. “Where were you?” Falina asked in turn. 
“At the estate.” Zara’thea responded thickly. “Faedrin had left for the front lines, father and mother to Quel’Danas. I ran to my shan’dor. The scourge had not yet made it past Ban’dinoriel when I left but when they did…” 
“How did you survive?” 
Zara’thea smiled weakly, the memories shining brightly in her mind’s eyes. They had only a split second of warning before the estate was attacked. Her shan’dor had reacted without thinking, her lips moving soundlessly as Zara’thea was surrounded by a searing flash of Light. The impact hit, spraying chunks of marble everywhere as the ground shook beneath their feet.
Then, everything went black. 
“Lady Wildburn protected me.” she intoned softly. “She used the last of her strength to shield me from the walls collapsing down around us. When I came to, she was dead and…after that, I was pulled from the wreckage and brought to Silvermoon.”
“And Faedrin, your sister?”
Zara’thea closed her eyes, fighting back a fresh wave of tears. “Died. Never recovered.”
We could bring them back, we can give them life. Give in and revel in our power.
Falina rested her head on Zara’thea’s shoulder, her weight anchoring her to the present, keeping her from falling into the dark abyss of the past. 
“Elor bindel felallan morin’aminor, Faedrin.” 
Zara’thea echoed her prayer, distantly wishing for the calming warmth of the Light that was forever out of reach. She rested her cheek on the top of Falina’s head as they sat, letting the painful wave of memories wash over them until they drifted back to the shadowed recesses of their minds. 
“Do you ever think we’ll get to go back home?” Falina sounded so young, so heartbroken, her question filled with a desperate kind of hope that Zara’thea found herself lacking. There were some things she had long given up hope for.
We will rule the streets of the city, the Sunwell will become a beacon of the void.
“Maybe one day.” Zara’thea replied. “With the way things are between the Alliance and Horde, it could be possible that we may see Silvermoon again.”
“Would you go back?” the younger elf asked. “If you could?” 
Zara’thea let out a long, slow breath. 
How could she go back? That was the better fitting question. How could she walk those streets again and not see the bodies of so many of her people, decayed and rotting? How could the light of the Sunwell ever burn brighter than the pyers for the dead? 
She could not go back. Not when her mother’s face would haunt her with every step. Not when her sister’s ghost would lurk in the faces of the survivors. Not when her shan’dor’s voice would sing in the gentle breeze.
How could she possibly go back when all Silvermoon had to offer was countless painful memories?
We offer the truth. Give in and see all.
“I don’t know.” she said eventually. “I don’t know if I could.”
“I would like to.” Falina sniffed. “Just to see my parents again.”
Zara’thea reached for Falina’s hand and gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. “Perhaps you will one day. And you can show all those magisters what a mistake it was to overlook you.”
Falina laughed brightly. “Give old Rommath a good scare too, while I’m at it.”
Zara’thea smiled. “It would serve him right.”
“What a pair we make.” Falina said, lifting her head. “Sitting here like two old ladies. Don’t we have dirt to move around or something?”
“That we do.” Zara’thea nodded, pushing herself to her feet. “Well, a nice long trek through a cave first, then we move the dirt.”
Falina groaned. “How much walking?”
“I don’t want to ruin the surprise.” she winked before helping pull Falina to her feet. “Don’t worry, I’m sure that handsome Draenei from last night will carry you on his back if you ask nicely.”
“You’re just jealous he flirted with me and not you.” Falina said with a punch to Zara’thea’s arm. 
“You have me completely figured out don’t you?” the tips of her ears twitching with amusement.
“It’s a gift.” Falina tossed her long violet hair over her shoulder, the void tendrils glowing in the morning light. With a roll of her eyes, Zara’thea gave her friend a push back towards camp. 
“And we are all so lucky for it. Now go see if the other’s are stirring, we’ve got a big day ahead of ourselves.”
Falina gave her a mocking bow. “As you command, oh great leader.” before turning on her heel and marching off towards the tents. Zara’thea smiled, breathing in the pine scented air. The memory of her nightmare had all but faded, the sadness of the past tucked neatly away. She fixed her eyes on the cave opening and set her shoulders, a familiar sensation tugging at her gut. 
The master sleeps deep in the tomb. He will show you the way.
“Alright Zaralek.” she said. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”
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usershleby · 2 months ago
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Anar'alah
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fandom: world of warcraft
characters: void elf oc, lor'themar theron, halduron brightwing
word count: 1034
rating: t+
warnings: blood, mentions of death
a/n: this is just a little something I thought up while working on Chase the Wind but it didn't really fit in anywhere. hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!
~
Zara’thea woke to a putrid smell hanging in the air, the powerful scent so sickly sweet and rotten that it made her gag in revulsion. She blinked her eyes open only to find herself sprawled out on a tiled floor, surrounded by rubble and broken glass. Confused, she pushed herself into a sitting position and tried to order her sleep muddled thoughts. 
She couldn’t remember how she got here, passed out on the floor. There was a distant recollection of a conversation that rang dully in her ears, she had been speaking to someone about something. Whatever it was, she got the sense that it was important - dire even - an overwhelming sense of urgency clinging to the fraying edges of her mind. It had been interrupted by a loud sound, she remembered, an explosion of some kind, and then a blinding flash of light. Whatever happened after that, was still lost to the dark recesses of her consciousness.
Her eyes moved lazily across the dirt strewn floor, the rotting smell of decay becoming more and more overpowering by the second. Distantly, she noted that she didn’t remember her shan’dor’s house ever being so dirty. 
Zara’thea flinched as if she had been struck, a rush of memories flooding her thoughts. Quel’thalas was under attack from the undead scourge and she had run from the safety of Silvermoon’s wall to find…her teacher! 
She scrambled to her knees, slipping on something wet and hot, her eyes frantically searching the area for Lady Wildburn. 
“Shan’dor!” Zara’thea screamed when she spotted a prone figure laying a few steps away, a puddle of blood pooling beneath it. She crawled over to the body, pulling her mentor into her lap with shaking hands.
Lady Wildburn stared up at the heavens with sightless eyes, blood turning her silver hair scarlet as it spilled freely onto the floor. “Shan’dor!” Zara’thea cried again, trying to call on the Light to heal her mentor’s wounds but the holy power would not respond. The Light was gone, the flame in her chest dormant and cold. 
“No!” she screamed, tears streaming down her face. “No Shan’dor please!” Zara’thea pulled Lady Wildburn’s body close to her chest, feeling her once warm skin begin to harden and cool.
This couldn’t be happening. She couldn’t be…she couldn’t. Zara’thea needed her. She needed her.
Lost in her grief, she didn’t notice two silhouettes running towards her through the rubble. 
“We must go m’lady.” an unfamiliar voice said moments later, a gentle hand falling onto her shaking shoulder. “It is not safe here.” 
Zara’thea shook her head, eyes unseeing. How could she leave when the closest thing she’d ever have to a real mother was dead in her arms? 
“Lor’themar we must move.” a second voice said tight with unbridled anxiety. “We must get to the city before it’s too late.”
“I will not leave her Halduron.” the first voice replied firmly. Zara’thea ignored them both as a fresh onslaught of sobs tore from her chest in great and terrible waves. 
She was..she was... 
What was she supposed to do now? What hope was there for Zara’thea now without her shan’dor?  How was she supposed to continue when her shan’dor was…
Zara’thea pressed her forehead against her mentors and screamed, the sound ripping from her throat, bloody and raw. It rang throughout the ruined chamber, echoing the pain that pulled her soul asunder. 
Calloused hands touched Zara’thea’s cheek, tilting her head upwards to meet the face of the elf that kneeled beside her. His handsome face was contorted into an expression of profound sadness, a ragged wound tore down through his left eyes, mixing with the gore that clung to his features. 
“My child,” the elf said, his voice wavering, blue eyes glistening. “We must make haste to Silvermoon, now.” 
“She’ll wake up.” Zara’thea whispered hoarsely through her tears. “She has too.”
The elf closed his still functioning eye, his grip on her cheek tightening ever so slightly. “I wish it were so, I truly do but we cannot stay any longer.” he said gently. “We must go.”
“No, she’ll wake up.” she repeated, turning her head from the elf to glance at her shan’dor once more. 
She touched her pallid cheek with a bloodied finger. She remembered everything now; how she had run from Silvermoon to warn her, how they had argued when her shan’dor refused to leave, how she had shielded Zara’thea as the walls came crumbling down - sacrificing her life to save her. 
Zara’thea smiled, her fingers leaving a bloody trail as they moved across her face. She had saved her once more and now, she was…
“Lor’themar.” the other voice snapped in warning. 
“I am sorry, my child.” the elf beside her said. “But we must go and I will not leave you to fall by the scourge.” 
Without warning, his arms wrapped around her middle and lifted her into the air, Lady Wildburn’s body slipping from her lap.
“No!” she screamed, panic setting in. Zara’thea fought against the elf’s strong hold but he would not yield. “No! Shan’dor!” she cried, her legs kicking out and digging into the elf’s stomach. “Please! Wake up! Minn’da!”
“Burn it.” the elf said to his companion as he dragged Zara’thea from the wreckage, straining to keep her from breaking free. 
“No! No! Minn’da!” she screamed, fingers clawing at flesh. She couldn’t leave her, he couldn’t take her away! She needed to get back! “Minn’da please!”
“I am sorry.” the elf grunted as he hoisted her onto the saddle of his hawkstrider. He jumped up quickly behind her, holding her close so she couldn’t slip away. Still, she trashed, her body moving with desperation, seeking freedom.
The hawkstrider began to run, the bitter wind biting into Zara’thea’s tear stained cheeks as its pace quickened. 
“We have to go back!” she cried, her fists weakly connecting with the elf’s thighs. “Please we can’t leave her, we have to go back.”
“There is nothing there for you child.” the elf said somberly, his voice barely audible over her sobs. “She is gone.”
Zara’thea slumped in his arms, his words ringing in her mind with clarity, the fight leaving her body. 
She was gone.
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usershleby · 2 months ago
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The Dragon Isles awaits!
Fandom: World of Warcraft
Characters: OC, Magister Umbric, Alleria Windrunner, Naleidea Rivergleam (more to be added as the fic progresses)
Rating: T+ 
Read on AO3
CHAPTER ONE || CHAPTER TWO || CHAPTER THREE ||
Zara’thea wiped at the sweat that had gathered on her brow and sat back on her heels, her spine popping as it straightened out. Pulling the half moon spectacles that sat perched in the tangled mess of her hair down over her eyes, she examined the large chunk of rock in her hand. The light from the midday sun caught on its rough corners, illuminating a myriad of hidden colors flecked within the stone's facade. It was an interesting ore, unlike any she had ever come across in her travels yet found in abundance across the Dragon Isles, used in nearly all of the structures they had uncovered - standing or otherwise. The chunk in her hand was nothing special, lacking any delicate gold detailing or glittering glass gems but in her eyes, it was no less important than the others. 
The secrets of the past weren’t always locked away in a carefully preserved artifact; sometimes all it took was a simple stone to uncover the truth; her time with the Explorer's League had taught her that. Zara’thea brushed her fingers over the weathered surface of the rock, feeling its weight in her palm. Centuries had passed, wars had been fought, the planet itself reshaped by cataclysm after cataclysm, and yet through it all, this stone survived. It was chipped and broken but it persisted, its purpose in life different from what it had started as yet in many ways still the same. Zara’thea gave it one last careful inspection, taking mental notes of all its blemishes and hidden beauties before setting it down in the growing pile beside her. 
A worthless pile of rocks, set to crumble as the world falls. The void will give you the answers you seek. All you have to do is give in. 
Overhead, a proto-drake with sharp claws and ruby red scales swooped low, its massive form casting a dark shadow over the dig site. The sound of picks hitting rock stilled for a moment as the beast passed by but resumed moments later as it continued onward. Zara’thea watched it with a mix of awe and trepidation until it was swallowed up from view by the leafy canopy.
Proto-drakes and all sorts of predatory dragonkin were not uncommon at the dig site, even this close to the carefully guarded Ruby Life Pools. The Red Aspect and her kin may foster life in all of its forms but that didn’t mean that some of those living creatures that called these lands home didn’t pose a threat to the explorers of the Dragonscale Expedition.
Zara’thea looked around, taking in the excavation site before her. The small zone was shaded by ancient trees whose leafy branches reached high into the sky as if trying to mimic the ruddy mesas that dotted the Waking Shores. Exotic, lush flowers grew with abandon along the twisting river beds, filling the air with their sweet perfume. Explorers from all corners of Azeroth worked together in harmony as they chiseled away at the ground, unearthing the past with each swing of their tools. 
Never in her life did she think she would ever be part of such a grand expedition, and as an expedition leader no less. After nearly five years of slowly moving up the ranks within the League, she had finally gotten the chance to prove herself by leading her own group of archeologists as they explored the wonders of the Dragon Isles. It had only been a few weeks but they had already made great strides, uncovering long forgotten fragments as the Isles themselves reawakened. Each time she woke to the sounds of drakes soaring overhead, Zara’thea could feel her very soul lifting off the ground to join them. 
It was all she had ever wanted, sunkissed days spent dreaming of a life of adventure, finally becoming reality. 
There is only one path for you to walk. We will lead you down it.
Glancing over her shoulder, her eyes fell on a small gathering by the entrance to the mostly intact, central chamber. A rippling aura of magic sealed the tower, keeping the Expedition from entering and posing an interesting challenge to overcome. Mages and spell breakers worked tirelessly, exhausting every spell in their arsenal to bring the barrier down but had yet to have any luck. Members of the Horde’s Reliquary stood behind the mages as they worked, talking amongst themselves while their enchanted tools lingered around them, dusting the floor and chipping away at stubborn rock.
A tall blood elf from within the group caught her staring and sneered, his fel green eyes narrowing with disgust. Zara’thea resisted the urge to sneer back but instead raised a hand and gave the elf a jaunty wave. The elf scoffed and turned his back to her, his silken red robes billowing excessively from the movement. When he was no longer facing her,  Zara’thea stuck her tongue out and wiggled her fingers by her face, earning her a chuckle from more than one explorer nearby. 
“He’s been acting like that since he got here this morning.” a tall, void elf woman said as she absentmindedly twirled a void tendril around her finger. She sat elegantly by the pile of rocks Zara’thea had unearthed and was dutifully cataloging each stone into a large leather bound book. “I think Trixi is about ready to sneak an explosive into his tent. I’ve considered helping her.”
She will fall to the darkness, just as you will .
“As much as it would serve him right Falina,” Zara’thea chuckled. “I’d have to advise against such action.”
Falina sighed dramatically with a roll of her eyes. “Becoming an expedition leader has made you no fun.” she pouted, scratching away in her journal. 
“It’s all the paperwork they make you do.” Zara’thea pointed out, the tips of her ears twitching with amusement. “You know what they say-”
“For every artifact found there are six different forms to fill out, yes, yes I know. You lead explorers are so very inundated with paper.”
“Should I put a word in with Toddy that you’re interested in moving up the ranks then?”
Falina snapped her ledger closed, jutting her delicate chip upwards. “You wouldn’t dare.”
Zara’thea laughed. “Perhaps not yet but maybe one day.” 
Falina grunted in response, casting her attention wistfully over at the shimmering barrier. “I should be over there helping.” she said softly. “Not cataloging these stupid rocks - no offense.”
“None taken.” Zara’thea smiled sympathetically. If it had been her choice, she would have assigned Falina to assist the other mages tackling the mystery of the vault barrier but the Reliquary leader on the site had insisted that her team should have the first crack at it. Out ranked, Zara’thea had no choice but to concede. 
“It’s like we never left Silvermoon.” Falina grumbled, opening her ledger once more and flipping to a new page. 
“Indeed.” Zara’thea hummed quietly, her stomach clenching uncomfortably at her friend's words.  
It had been years since she had let her thoughts wander back to Silvermoon. She had excelled in ignoring its existence for so long now that it had ceased to exist in her mind all together. But the Reliquary was, after all, a blood elf organization and there were few who held their homeland in such high regard as the Sin’dorei. Trying to forget it now was like trying to forget a knife between the ribs.
Arrogant fools who think the Light can save them. In the end they will see the truth. The void will devour all.
Everywhere she looked, the golden crest of her former people stared back at her, proud scarlet banners rising above the earthy green flags of the Explorer’s League. The sight filled her with dread and caused her stomach to twist itself into knots, echoes of the past creeping up her spine like unwanted pests. She shook away the feeling, breathing in the rich scent of overturned dirt and forcing her mind back to the task at hand. The sun was high in the sky and there was still so much left to uncover, picking at the uncomfortable scab of the past was a waste of precious time.
Zara’thea sat up on her knees and reached for her discarded tools, their heavy weight pulling her mind back to the present and centering her. Just as she was about to bring her hammer down to strike at the rock before her, a triumphant cry rang out from the central chamber. Zara’thea turned her head towards the source of the commotion and found a darkened archway where the shimmering barrier used to be. Seconds later, a forceful gust of air expanded outward, nearly knocking the pair of void elves to the ground followed by an unsettling stillness that blanketed the dig site. 
Then, with an unnatural screech, the very ground beneath their feet heaved and the once lifeless stones scattered around the excavation zone rattled and pulled themselves free from their dirt covered tombs. Zara’thea only had a moment to understand what was unfolding before a large rocky arm shot out and clipped her head, sending her flying backwards. 
She hit the ground with a crash, her head hitting the dirt with a sickening crack. Her vision turned grey as air rushed from her lungs and for a moment, time seemed to pause, leaving her suspended in an unnatural state of neither pain nor awareness. Reality came roaring back a split second later, pain exploding through her body. Groaning, she slowly blinked to clear the haze from her eyes and found a world steeped in chaos. 
Overcharged elementals had awoken from their slumber and had begun to inflict terror around the ruins. Panicked screams echoed hollowly in her ringing ears as she watched explorers, armed only with their tools, cower in fear as colossal stone beings flung their rocky bodies at anything that moved. Even those who could defend themselves seemed to be fighting a losing battle as the animated stones bore down on them, woefully unprepared to the sudden onslaught.
“Thea!” a voice tight with fear and pain cried out, rising above the rest. Zara’thea sluggishly followed its sound, the familiarity of it calling to her as she pushed herself into an slumped position. A few feet away was her friend Falina, sprawled out on the ground with her leg bent in an unnatural position and a massive geode elemental standing over her.
Panic flooded her system like an icy wave, her body moving to react before her mind could fully process what was happening. She launched a bolt of shadow magic through the air to collide with the side of the earth elemental. Wisps of inky purple dissipated over its rocky shell but it had done the trick. The elemental turned its attention towards her, its body grinding and snapping as it slowly started to advance in her direction.
Biting her lip against the pain that flared white hot throughout her body, she pulled herself to her feet, the taste of blood sharp on her tongue. One after another she threw her bolts, a potent sense of madness growing in the air with each shadowy spike. 
Yes, yes! Embrace the void! Let it consume you!
She could see the insanity she wielded working, seeping into the stone flesh of the geode, cracking its hardened exterior and dripping from the wounds like blood. With a cry, a ring of shadow erupted outward from Zara’thea’s hunched form, crashing into all of the raging elementals around her, leeching the very essence from their bodies. The hulking geode that was advancing towards her crumbled into a lifeless pile of rocks as the shadows crashed into it, madness pulling it into its cold embrace. 
More! More! The void hungers for more!
As soon as it fell, Zara’thea released her control over the void, the voices that had been welling up inside of her mind, dropping down to a faint whisper as she ran to Falina’s side. 
You cannot resist us forever.
“My leg.” Falina gasped in pain, her pale blue skin streaked with dirt. “Broken.”
Zara’thea looked down at Falina’s leg and choked back a wave of bile rising in her throat at the sight of the mangled appendage. Bone had broken through the flesh in sharp, ragged peaks, void touched blood staining the light colored fabric of her torn pants. Frantically, Zara’thea looked around for help but there was only chaos to be found. Her only hope was to get Falina back to camp and pray the healer wasn’t trapped or dead.
“C’mon.” Zara’thea said, slinging Falina’s arm over her shoulder in single minded focus. “I need to get you out of here.” 
“I can’t walk!” her friend cried, her tears smearing the grime on her face. 
“I know but you can’t stay here!” Zara’thea ground out through a clenched jaw. “I need to get you someplace safe!”  Steeling herself, she hefted Falina up and over her shoulder, her friend’s scream of pain biting into her ears. 
Zara’thea took off in a lopsided run towards the base camp up on the ridge, each step feeling as if she was wading through mud, her friend’s cries of agony eventually falling silent as she slipped into unconsciousness. Dizziness threatened to overwhelm as she ran, her own pain throbbing in time with her rapid heartbeat but she kept pushing herself forward, one painful step at a time. 
“I need a healer!” she screamed as she staggered up the rise leading to the base camp, her breath tearing from her lungs in shallow, ragged pants. She felt more than saw, someone lift Falina from her shoulders, the sudden lack of weight nearly sending her crashing back to the ground. Wobbling on unsteady legs, she sluggishly registered a pandarian laying her friend down gently; green, mist like magic flowed from his paws to wrap about her broken leg. 
Zara’thea gave herself only a moment to steady her breathing and allow the world to stop spinning, before turning to head back down to the dig site. There were still countless others trapped down there that needed help but before she could move, a furry paw shot up and wrapped itself around her arm.
“You are injured,” the healer said, not looking up from his ministrations. “Let me help you.” 
Pain thrummed in her head, her back and spine aching but she could still hear the crush of rock and the screams of her fellow explorers from the dig site below. 
“They need my help.” she replied flatly, yanking her arm from his grasp and taking off down the path leading back into the ruins before he could protest. Shadows collessed around her as she took aim at the enraged elementals in her path. One by one they fell, leaving a trail of stone bodies in her wake. 
The void takes, it hungers.
A loud crack followed by a frustrated roar drew Zara’thea’s attention to the far end of the site, where the rocky hill gave way to the wide, winding river. The blood elf from earlier was locked in combat with a towering Watcher, his spells bouncing off the stone construct with little effect. Angered by the elf's attacks, the Watcher raised her foot and brought it crashing to the ground with a thunderous stomp, the blood elf just barely managing to doge out of the way of being crushed. Even from a distance, Zara’thea could see him struggle to rise, his strength failing.
With a roar, the Watcher continued her attack, swinging her massive arm like a battering ram in the direction of the staggered elf, intent on erasing him from existence. Zara’thea ran, vaulting over elemental corpses until she was close enough to unleash a torrent of shadowy energy. 
Give in! Give in! Let the madness consume you!
The void tore at her with its ravenous fingers, cold and hungry, enveloping her skin until all traces of herself were lost to its endless depths. Voices screamed in ears as wave after wave of madness left her body to writhe and twist around the watchers arms and legs like vines. The watcher turned her stone gaze onto Zara’thea but the power of the void was too much for the construct to shake off, the sickly purple tendrils holding fast and collapsing the watcher in on herself until she crumpled to the ground in a lifeless heap.
Zara’thea’s arms dropped to her sides like lead weights, her chest heaving as the void slowly retreated, leaving behind a terrible, hollow ache in her chest. 
Soon you will be ours. Everything will be ours.
She blinked her eyes sluggishly, watching as the blood elf man turned toward her in slow motion. Unable to keep herself on her feet any longer, she stumbled over to the shattered leg of the watcher and sat down, exhaustion washing over her in waves.
“You traitorous wretch .” he spat in Thallassan, sanguine colored spittle flying from his mouth. His face was contorted in anger, his green eyes glowing with malice as he bore down on her.  
“Well, that is certainly one way to thank someone for saving your life.” Zara’thea said in the same language, rubbing at her forehead, her fingers coming away slick and bloodied. 
“I had it all well in hand and I certainly didn’t need help from the likes of you.” The elf sneered. 
“Oh yes, clearly”. She retorted, wiping her blooded hand on her dirt stained pants. “If your goal was to become a smear on the ground. Though, I’d say that would be a step up from what you are now.”
The blood elf growled and took a threatening step forward, arcane energies flickering weakly around his clenched hands. Despite Zara’thea’s overwhelming exhaustion, her hackles rose in response, ferocious clarity springing to the forefront of her mind.
 Strike him down, infuse his mind with the madness he craves .
“Insolent cur.” he hissed. “Rommath should have slaughtered you void-cursed apostates when he had the chance.”
Zara’thea’s lips twisted into a rictus grin as she rested open palms on her knees, madness filling the air around them. “I’m right here.” she teased, her voice echoing strangely. The blood elf flinched at the sound, his green eyes widening slightly. 
Yes, yes! Show him the true power of the void!
“Why don’t you finish what your precious Magister couldn’t?” she prodded. “Or is your mana dependence flaring up?” her eyes flickered down to the fading magic encircling his hands. “Maybe you need to suck the life out of some poor, helpless creature first? I wonder how the Aspect of Life would feel about you feeding on those under her protection? I think we should find out, don’t you?”
Unleash your fury, let your anger consume you.
The blood elf hissed as he staggered backwards, forgoing his arcane ability all together and reaching for the small dagger at his hip.
Zara’thea laughed, the unsettling sound dripping with the hollow resonance of the void. Who was he to call her a traitor? To threaten her as if she hadn’t just saved his ungrateful life? She was there when the Sunwell fell, she saw the horrors his kind committed to satiate their addiction - the evidence was still written on his face, in his poisonous green eyes. Yet she was the traitor?
Show him the truth. All paths lead to us. No one can escape the void.
Long forgotten anger boiled inside of her, blistering her skin with its heat. Sordid memories of the past simmered to the surface, fueling the rage within her. It was as if she was a child again, being scolded for daring to step out of line, to break from the rigid tradition that was so forcefully imposed upon her. The elf’s face flickered in and out of focus, shifting into a visage Zara’thea had done well to burn from memory. 
Who was she to look down on her? 
Gnashing her teeth, Zara’thea forced the faded memory back, the terrified blood elf shifting back into focus. But the anger she felt refused to dissipate, strengthened by the flow of the void in her blood. 
If it was a fight he wanted, then a fight she would give him.
“What in the name of the Titans is goin’ on here?”
A rough voice sliced through the screams of the void that were roaring in her ears. She flinched, sucking in a gulp of air into her starving lungs.
No one can escape the void.  
Balen, her mentor and former expedition leader, was standing a few feet from where Zara’thea sat, eying the pair of elves with trepidation. Standing behind him was a tall, blood elven woman with dark skin and golden eyes. Her slim and elegant face was pinched with frustration and several strands of mahogany colored hair had fallen free from the elaborate bun that sat atop her head. 
The sounds of chaos from the dig site had diminished as adventurers from around the Isle had flocked to the expedition’s rescue - making quick work of the lingering elementals and ushering the last of the explorer’s to safety. 
“This elf ,” the blood elf sneered, taking another step away from Zara’thea. “Was about to attack me!”
“I nae believe that.” Balen huffed, “Ye be the one holdin’ the dagger.” 
“She threatened me!” he protested, still clenching his weapon tightly in his fist. 
There is still time, show him your power. Grant him the mercy of the void.
“Enough Inethsel.” the woman snapped. “Report back to camp immediately.”
The blood elf opened his mouth to protest but snapped it shut at the sight of the woman’s withering glare. He marched off with a huff, the blood elven woman following close behind him. 
“Ye alright there lass?” Balen asked the second the pair of blood elves were out of earshot, closing the distance between them to place a comforting hand on her shoulder. Zara’thea shook him off and jumped to her feet. 
“Should have left the kim’jael to handle the watcher by himself.” she hissed as she paced, her anger still burning brightly in her chest. “Save a man’s life and this is the thanks I get?! Typical highborn with his self inflated ego. Probably couldn’t even polymorph a kitten let alone stop a Titan construct.”  
Her eyes scanned the wrecked dig site, taking in the tools and papers scattered among the piles of elemental bodies. The sight only made her anger flare stronger. If there had been more than just Reliquary mages working on that barrier this whole debacle could have been avoided, Zara’thea was sure of it. The Explorer’s League had years of experience with Titan artifacts, they would have been able to see whatever trap the Reliquary triggered.
But Zara’thea hadn’t pushed back when she was told to let the Sin’dorei mages take the lead, believing in the spirit of cooperation the Dragonscale Expedition touted. And in the end it unfolded just as she thought it would. Over ambitious mages throwing caution to the wind just to prove they were the best and to hell with the consequences.
Yes, give into your anger. Let the void take you, we will hurt them all.
“I should have tried harder.” she said, planting her hands on her hips. “I should have insisted that Falina be part of the team. I should have gotten more League eyes on it.”
Balen sat down on the watcher’s leg. “Now, ya can play that game all day long lass, it nea gonna change what happened.” he pulled lightly on his long tawny beard. “What’s done is done.”
“All of this!” she gestured to the surrounding area. “It didn’t have to end like this! It could have been avoided if we hadn’t given in to the Reliquary’s ambition!” 
“Thea,” Balen said softly, though his tone was as hard as steel. “We cannae be makin’ assumptions of what could of happen’, ye know that better than anyone. Yer lettin’ yer personal feelings get in the way.”
She folded her arm across her chest and set her jaw, knowing full well that Balen was right but not able to accept it while her anger still burned. 
He cannot help you, only we can make things right.
“What’s done is done.” he repeated. “And no lives were lost. I call that a win, wouldn’t ye?”
Zara’thea’s shoulders slumped, her arms falling loosely to her side. Shame crept down her spine like frozen tendrils, extinguishing all traces of her fury. He was right of course. There was no way to change the past and dwelling on blame wasn’t going to change anything. 
“Now, let’s get ya back to camp.” Balen stood, dusting his hands off on his dirt covered pants. “Get ya looked over ya?” 
She nodded wordlessly, letting her former mentor lead her back to the base camp. 
The rest of the day seemed to pass in a blur, the world only seeming to shift back into focus once she was back at her tent and the sun was just beginning to set below the horizon. The sky above was awash with brilliant shades of pinks and oranges, the soft colors slowly giving way to a darkening expanse of stars. Zara’thea sat out in the warm evening air, letting the fragrant breeze wash over her skin, the soft blades of grass cool under the soles of her feet.
A mountain of paperwork awaited her back in the confines of her tent but for now, she was content to sit and soak in the last bits of daylight. A fire crackled merrily a few paces away where a group of explorer’s sat, laughing heartily as they swapped tales of their adventures with one another. The distant roar of a waterfall and the gentle chirp of insects added a delicate background to the group’s conversation, contributing to the comforting symphony of the camp. 
The frustrations and worries of the day seemed to fall off with each passing breath, the peace the environment offered, soothing any lingering hurts that still stomped around in her mind. 
But that peace was short-lived. 
The snap of a twig alerted her to an approaching figure making their way down the well trodden path from the base camp. The blood elf woman from earlier smiled as she met Zara’thea’s gaze, a diplomatic look playing on her elegant face. She was beautiful. Her warm, dark skin seemed to glow in the golden rays of sunset, her mahogany hair freed from its elaborate style, now hung loosely down her back. Her delicate mauve robes were light and flowing, making her look out of place in the center of the rugged Dragonscale camp.
Zara’thea sat up, her stomach clenching uncomfortably as the woman drew near. Frantic thoughts began to swim through her mind, her confrontation with the blood elf mage and following outburst springing to the forefront. The fear of receiving a reprimand leaving a bitter taste on her tongue. 
She cannot hurt you. Bring her to us and we will make an example of her.
Naleidea Rivergleam, the leader of the Reliquary faction of the Dragonscale Expedition, stopped in front of Zara’thea’s tent and offered her a kind smile. An arcane familiar sat perfectly posed on her shoulder, its swirling pink wings fluttering as it cocked its head quizzically in her direction.
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything am I?” she asked, her voice flowing like silk as she conjured a satin pillow out of thin air and sat down without waiting for Zara’thea’s response. The scent of old parchment and expensive perfume filled the air, dredging up old memories of a forgotten time. 
Zara’thea shook her head, not at all surprised at the blood elf’s forwardness. “Not at all.” she replied coolly, dragging her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs. Her eyes darted around the camp, looking for an excuse to disappear, not wanting to participate in whatever mind games the Reliquary leader had planned for her, but found none. 
“Wonderful.” Naleidea smiled, seeming oblivious to Zara’thea’s frosty demeanor. She reached into the folds of her skirt and pulled out an object, holding it out for Zara’thea to take. “I found these while surveying the aftermath. Balen said they belonged to you?”
Hesitantly, Zara’thea reached for the object, recognizing it to be her spectacles. She hadn’t realized they had been missing, a faint memory of them being knocked from her head at the onslaught of the elemental’s attack floating to the surface of her mind. Carefully she turned them over in her hands, the crystalline lenses sparkling like new in their metal frames. 
She offers empty gifts, we can give you everything. Give in to us and see.
“They were rather broken when I found them so I fixed them up for you.” Naleidea explained. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Thank you.” Zara’thea inclined her head, holding the glasses tightly in her hands. Despite the gesture, she couldn’t force herself to relax. Years spent in the realm of high elf society had taught her that no good deed went without some sort of catch. 
“I must confess.” Naleidea said after a moment, her arcane familiar hopping down the length of her arm to rest on her knee. “Returning your spectacles wasn’t the only reason I stopped by.”
Zara’thea bit back a laugh, her fingernails digging into the soft flesh of her palms, the delicate glasses in her grip creaking. “Is that so?” 
Naleidea’s golden eyes darted down at Zara’thea fists before glancing back at her face, a look of recognition coloring her features. “Yes,” she said gently, “I need to apologize for earlier today, for Inethsel.”  
Zara’thea lips parted in surprise.
A lie. Only we know the truth. Let us show you.
“His actions were inexcusable for a member of the Dragonscale Expedition and a poor reflection of the Reliquary.” she said, trailing a delicate finger down the spine of her familiar. The little bird extended its shimmering wings in response, a pleased coo emanating from its beak.
“I - well, thank you?” Zara’thea blinked, still trying to wrap her head around the blood elf’s words. She could count on one hand the number of apologies she had received from one of her former kin. Even before the term ‘Sin’dorei’ had been coined, her people were a proud race. Apologies just didn’t happen. To admit one had done wrong was a weakness and the Quel'dorei were anything but weak. 
And in the end, they will still fall.
“He is returning to Silvermoon in the morning.” Naleidea continued on. “There is work there that is…better suited for him.” 
Zara’thea could only nod, her surprise melding into suspicion. She studied Naleidea's face, searching. There was an unvoiced question dancing in her golden eyes, her lips twitched as if she was longing to speak but was forcing herself to remain silent. Though she sat perfectly posed on her magic cushion, Zara’thea could tell she was holding back and she had a sinking suspicion that the real reason the blood elf explorer wandered into camp wasn’t in Zara’thea best interest.
“I’ve read some of your papers.” Naleidea smiled politely, the warmth in her eyes almost seeming genuine. “Your research on the void’s impact at Uldum in the Fourth War was quite insightful. Magister Umbric must be so proud to have such a proliferant scholar such as yourself at his disposal.”
“The Locus Researchers are dedicated to their work.” Zara’thea responded flatly, rubbing her thumb along the smooth metal curve of her spectacles. “I’m happy to assist with their research.”
“So modest!” Naleidea laughed. “Don’t sell yourself short my dear! You are quite the explorer, you should be proud!”
Zara’thea offered her a tight smile before letting her eyes drop. 
A moment of tense silence passed between them, the glow from the sun dimming as it passed below the horizon, the shimmering glint of stars expanding across the purpling sky. The calm chatter of the camp began to diminish as the explorers turned in for the night, the sounds of nature pushing to the forefront. But Zara’thea would not allow herself to enjoy the beauty of the slowly approaching night, not while an unknown threat sat across from her, hiding behind the mask of a friend.
She wants to harm you, end her before she has the chance.
“Zara’thea is a lovely name.” Naleidea spoke softly, slipping into their native language as a couple of human explorers walked by. The humans nodded to the two elves as they passed, hurrying along to their own tents as twilight began to fall. The Reliquary leader waited until they were just out of ear shot before continuing. “There is a magistrix that I know, who had a daughter with that name.”  
Zara’thea’s chest tightened, a mix of anger and old fear pricking her bones as Naleidea’s truth was revealed. She was never here to apologize or return lost items, she was looking for information - an agent for her - come to snatch her away once more to force her into a life of servitude.  
“Is that so?” She hiss through clenched teeth, letting all pretense of professional decorum drop. She could feel the void responding to her emotions, the faintest whips of shadow curling around her tightly clenched fists.
Give in to us. Show her your fury.
“Indeed.” Naleidea said, watching her closely.  “She went missing a few years ago. I never did find out what happened to her.”
“A pity.”
Naleidea nodded, her elegant face losing its refined edge as a shadow of sadness fell over it, years of heartache echoing in her golden eyes. “Most assumed she died, wandered off one day and never returned. Back in those days, it wasn’t an uncommon occurrence - as I’m sure you know - but I always wondered if she somehow survived.” 
Zara’thea hummed noncommittally as she worried her bottom lip with her teeth, barely holding back the slew of insults she longed to hurl at the prim blood elf before her. 
“I could send word, let her know that her daughter is alive and well. I’m sure she would appreciate it.” 
“I think it would be best if she remained dead.” Zara’thea snapped her voice echoing with the power of the void. “For them both.” 
Yes, yes! Give in, give in!
To Naleidea’s credit, the blood elf didn’t flinch at Zara’thea’s show of aggression. She simply nodded, the lines of age becoming more pronounced on her otherwise flawless face. An air of remorse seemed to wrap itself around the older explorer, her proud shoulders sagging with centuries of endless sorrow. The sight of it brought Zara’thea’s anger up short. 
“I see.” Naleidea replied, getting to her feet in one graceful movement. “It’s getting late and we have another big day tomorrow.” With a wave of her hand, the summoned pillow vanished, the cheerful tone in her voice sounding hollow and forced. “I look forward to working with you more Lady Dawnthorn.”
“It’s Duskthorn actually.” Zara’thea responded as she stood, brushing dirt off of her already dirt stained pants.  
Naleidea smiled sadly. “Ah yes, my apologies, Lady Duskthorn.” Giving her a polite bow, the blood elf turned to leave but failed to take a step. She stood with her face cast towards the ground, her long, mahogany hair shielding her expression from view. 
“It’s been years since I last spoke to her.” she said eventually. “She doesn’t know that I’m here.”
Zara’thea blinked in surprise, her grasp on the conversation once more thrown off kilter by the Reliquary leader's words. 
She lies. She lies.
“I know you don’t trust me but I assure you, your secret is safe with me.” with one last glance in Zara’thea’s direction, Naleidea left, the growing darkness of night wrapping her in its embrace. 
Zara’thea stood outside her tent unmoving as her world bent over backwards, everything she thought she knew falling in on itself. Perhaps she had been wrong. Perhaps her view on her former kin had been twisted, warped into something more sinister by the trauma of her upbringing. Her prejudice against the Reliquary leader seeming to be unfounded and misplace. 
She shook her head, undoing the clasps to her tent and slipping into its familiar and comforting shelter. Sleep began to weigh on her as she followed through her nightly rituals, her mind still reeling. The day's events clung to her like too tight fabric, making her bones feel heavy and swollen. 
Perhaps she had been wrong but only time would tell if Naleidea spoke the truth. If not…Zara’thea shuttered at the thought. 
You know how this will end. The void echoed loudly in her exhausted mind, the nearness of sleep blurring the lines between reality. Everything will fall and we will consume all.
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usershleby · 2 months ago
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Tarot card commish for Shelby :D
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usershleby · 3 months ago
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Illustration commish for Shelby of theirs and their friends' World of Warcraft OCs :D
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usershleby · 3 months ago
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A reminder that my symmetry portrait commissions are always open!
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usershleby · 3 months ago
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Commission - Zara'thea
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usershleby · 3 months ago
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sweet sweet domestic fluff for @spectre83 for the kanera discord exchanggeeeee
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usershleby · 3 months ago
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𝓗𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓸𝓵𝓸𝓰𝔂
+ pre-Void under the cut
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usershleby · 3 months ago
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Commission! This time an Ethereal named Sarvaad 💜
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usershleby · 3 months ago
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have a Zeb and Kanan
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usershleby · 3 months ago
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Good night my sweet prince Alistair
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usershleby · 3 months ago
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Illustration commish for anurzin!!
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usershleby · 4 months ago
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She’s going to give him her handkerchief and he’s going to win a joust for her, I can feel it.
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usershleby · 4 months ago
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My little star child..
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usershleby · 4 months ago
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Shadowmoon Orc
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