#celuur

And then I get a wedding gift that leaves me legit sobbing for a good ten minutes...

I’ve known for years that @celuur wanted to make a book out of the Knights’ stories, but I never imagined he’d do something like this. When people say WoW brought them together... It’s things like this. It’s finding the people who mean- who mean everything.

Chapter 1: ARGUS Asking a Draenei to retell the story of his life is almost like asking a tree to remember when it was just a sapling. Childhood and youth become whispers in the recess of the mind, the memory fades throughout the centuries. Only the key events of life still stand out after so long; eventually those too will fade with age.

From my youth, only one series of events truly stands out.

~ ~ ~

"The School of Anchorites is still available, perhaps you should reconsider." Mhelaa called from the back of our home. My mother, the mage, begging me to become a Priest, of all things. I sighed as my facial appendages twitched in frustration. "Mother, we have been over this. I am bound to the Vindicator’s call." Suddenly, from behind, my brother Versuun clapped his hands around my shoulders. "Let him be, mother, he wants to be like his father and me!" Versuun said brightly. He’d just qualified as a Vindicator himself, and was aching to be assigned. He wore his Hand of Argus tabard already, pride emanating from his face. I shrugged him off with an indulgent grin just as my mother walked in with food. She never conjured food, preferring to prepare it herself with her own hands. It tasted better for it. "Yes, and look how he ended up. Dead! I wish you two hadn’t chosen paths that place you right on the front lines..." "Our mother, the mage," Versuun said dramatically. Mhelaa clucked at him and put the food on the table. "So, Cel, will you be seeing Doraam later?" I blushed - unnoticably, I hoped. My brother, though, had keen eyes and almost fell over laughing. "Be nice to your brother. Go on, both of you. Be off! Come back in a few hours, I have important work to attend to." Versuun stood, and stretched his arms. "A meeting of the Hand has been called anyway. Best not to be late!"

~ ~ ~

Doraam... it has been so long since I thought of him. I used to dream that we would start a family. He was an Anchorite which, frankly, put me off the idea from the moment I met him. Two Anchorites in a family seemed almost too Holy. So many joyous memories of afternoons spent walking amongst the temple gardens, fishing in the lakes of Mac'Aree and studying together under the shade of crystalline trees. So many memories, eclipsed by the events of that day.

~ ~ ~

"Doraam!" I called. He was sitting at a bench in the middle of the city, hair long in two tails draped across his shoulders. His Anchorite garb blew in the strong breeze, creating almost a glow as his robes whipped about. As I approached I saw his face was dark, worried. Concern creased his smile, and I was filled with a feeling of dread. "Doraam, what troubles you?" I sat down beside him and grabbed his hand in mine. It was clammy, and shivering. I held it tighter. He looked at me and I saw panic shining from his eyes. It caught me so off guard I tried physically to pull away. He held my hand tightly. "Do you trust me, Celuur?" he breathed. His eyes darted across the city. "Of course, Doraam, what is this about?" Doraam's eyes searched my face, intently examining every corner of it for what I can only imagine was falsehood. He then cast his face downward, and began to stammer out words that would change my life forever. "The Triumvirate.. some – creature! - Sargeras, he called himself - offered them unfathomable knowledge and power! Two have accepted his offer already..." Doraam cut off, and looked around again. I said nothing, despite my many questions, simply squeezed his hand in reassurance. He continued, almost breathless. "But Velen - he has seen! He has seen what shadow, what evil would consume us, and has been given an offer of escape! This.. being of pure Light - Celuur, to see Velen describe it! - we are to escape.. today!" My mind reeled with the images Doraam’s tale conjured in my mind. I knew of Velen, one of the wisest of the Eredar. And Doraam was part of his order of Anchorites. I trusted the word of them both, but still.. the concept was almost too much for me. "Cel, we must leave with them. Velen has told those he trusts to gather people. We are to meet at the mountain peak, tonight." Doraam whipped his head around, almost in a panic. I had never seen him in such a state, yet I know he spoke truthfully, even if I did not completely understand. "I must go. Pack lightly. I shall see you tonight. Trust no-one…” We stood and embraced. I kissed him lightly. As he began to pull away, I called after him, trying to reach him with my hand. “Dor! Are you certain? This sounds…” “Yes, Cel! Please, go!” He broke into a run towards his home. I stood for a moment, paralyzed with fear. And then we left, each of us almost running in separate directions to our homes.

~ ~ ~