#kurel

Nirmal-Van Residence,

Kurel, Navsari Taluka, Navsari District, Gujarat State, India,

It had been a normal evening in Stormwind. Standing about the stoop of the teahouse with other members of the harbor. 

Until first Kurel and then Eilithe wandered off. 

“Reveria...” The seal had crackled with Eilithe distant sounding voice. “... Protect my children...” 

They’d followed a trail, lost hope of finding them a moment, fought against letting panic slip in and make them act wild. Xavier rewound time to see them taken, the seal pinged, Endessa opened up a portal to the Twilight Highlands. 

A temple. Abandoned. Dark and foreboding. That is what stood before them as they stepped from the portal. Reveria took the lead, motioning everyone else forward. Why here? Where was everyone? Where were the two they loved and cared for? Questions ricocheted in the druid’s mind as she marched the group forward until a grand arena came into view through a doorway.

For a time, she simply peered into the arena - elven eyes trying to pierce the unnatural darkness. Eventually she had given up though and moved forward, with a hand signal for the others to follow. 

That was the first mistake. 

Before she even knew what was happening, her chest was mauled by massive demonic claws. Blood gushed freely as she shifted to her bear form without thought, a trail of life fluid pouring on the ground as she attempted to push back the Behemoth demon before her. 

A flash of shining armor and shield let her know her nephew was beside her, Xavier showing no fear as he charged. 

Then she saw it. The soul of Eilithe. Shrieking in her ear like a banshee. 

“Xavier! Distract it so I can try to bind Eilithe’s soul!” 

His reply came with stubborn determination as Reveria rolled away and returned to her elven form. She wretched up ghostly spiders, sending them to bind the corrupt looking soul in their spectral webbing. Another shriek set Reveria’s hex to falter, followed by a blast of Fel fire. 

The agony. Never had she felt something quite like it. Her life magic withered and died, her flesh crumbled and cracked apart into dust leaving muscle, tendon, and bone visible in places. 

The sheer devastation of her body kept her staggered as the demon and soul ran rampant among her family. Soon enough though, her stubbornness showed and she tried again to subdue the soul. At first she thought she was successful, her ghostly spiders wrapping the soul up in webbing and leaving it to struggle wildly. She tried to whisper, tried to get through to her sister but in the end, that cost her even more dearly. 

The corrupt soul exploded from the webbing in a burst of Fel, leaving Reveria to shield her face with an arm as once again, she withered and decayed. Her flesh flaked off, down to the bone of her right forearm thanks to the blast. She could barely move at this point, the pain was agonizing, the hopelessness of failed attempt after failed attempt to release Eilithe’s soul beginning to take it’s toll. 

Suddenly Velerodra exploded into a ball of mist. Ay’lysae vibrated into an explosion of Fel unlike anything Reveria had seen, before crumbling to dust. 

“The... Seal... On his back... Break it! Might free... Eilithe...” 

She called out, hoping she was right. The roar of gunfire sounded out as Zhavi’s rifle sent lead at the thing. Dianesh’s daggers struck true. Soon, the seal ruptured and burst - the soul of Eilithe billowing out before exploding into shards. It was desperate, the way Reveria sent her spiders to collect but they only came up empty, leaving her to snap as she fear her sister had just been killed by her idea. 

It happened again. Fel erupted amidst Reveria’s rage and sorrow, leaving her to shriek in agony as the flesh of her nose and cheeks withered and crumbled away, leaving teeth and bone in sight. Her organs were failing, visible through the missing flesh of her chest and stomach. 

Darkness took her again.

----------------------

Agony. Pain like she had never felt before. Was she dead? No... The dead do not feel pain. 

Voices. 

Eyelids peeling open one at a time, looking towards them. 

So much pain. She could barely see. The golden soul of Kurel. The soul she knew as Eilithe. 

“Take care of each other...” 

Then they were gone. Now she felt dead. Her sister. Her best friend. Kurel. A brother she’d come to love. Gone. There was nothing she could feel in that moment because everything was gone. 

They were gone. She... Was gone. 

@eilitheduskbringer​ @kurel-andiel​ @xavier-sunshadow​ @velerodra-valesinger​ @dianeshshadowsun​ @clarcius-blackbirch​ @deadsunharbor​

Vel had been sitting on a crate unassumingly. She may have - actually been asleep, it was difficult to say with her. Yet even when the monkette was lost in one of her trance like moments, she seemed to be aware of what was going on around her.

The chattering of the three women caught her attention. Rumors were common enough but these rumors seemed particularly odd.

First, the idea of Eilithe snapping up Zelphryin didn’t seem likely. From what Vel could tell, Eilithe wasn’t exactly overly fond of Kurel’s brother, and she seemed quite content with Kurel. Eilithe had never seemed to indictate that she was the sort to keep multiple partners. And - Vel somehow couldn’t imagine Kurel being open to sharing with his brother. Though, perhaps it was a desert custom or something? Still, it didn’t sound quite right to her.

The pregnancy - seemed - possible...? Though, Vel hadn’t noticed any signs of such a thing... And Vel wasn’t sure another child was really something Eilithe was looking for... though, with her, it was hard to rule that out entirely. Though Vel was almost certain Kurel wasn’t looking for another child.

But surely if she was in fact pregnant - it wouldn’t be Zelphryin’s child ... right? That just seemed absurd and Vel couldn’t figure out why rumors would seem to suggest some sort of relationship between Eilithe and Zelphryin .

Perhaps most perplexing to her - was the fact that the theee gossiping women had all seemed to thing of Zelphryin as some sort of prize. Vel didn’t have anything against the man really, but - these women all seemed to speak of him as if he was a desirable creature. Perhaps Vel hadn’t spent enough time around the man to understand the appeal? He was certainly no Mavas, who was the ideal type of male as far as Vel was concerned.

Long after the woman had run off with various jewelry and such Vel forced herself off of her crate with a wince. She glanced down at her injured leg with a look of contempt. While Vel didn’t put much stock into these rumors, she did wonder where they had sprung up from. She figured the Cock and Candle was a good place to go prodding around. So she decided to head off in that direction.

There was no time to waste, she couldn’t be gentle about it or take her time to try and find out what each one signified. She needed to be acclimated *now*.

Was it the void or the pressure of the shadows? 

Ilyea’s eyes were still dark and people were talking and it still didn’t make sense. Didn’t they say something about wards? 

Would the wards even work? 

Where the fuck was Demy?

Her head, her head fucking hurt. Her senses were frazzled and she recognized a voice, maybe two. There were sword swings, and music.

ALL THIS FUCKING MUSIC.

GO AWAY.

GO THE FUCK AWAY.

Her head screamed but her lips couldn’t move. 

Where the hell was her voice when it mattered the most?  

Focusing, unfocusing. Re-focusing. 

She had enough energy to stand. Ilyea started to walk.

Aurora was here, Aurora was gone. Disappeared into the lights.

So many lights, like one fucking unblinking star.

Her eyes still fucking hurt.

Ilyea adjusted herself upon the simple thatched roof from one of the many houses that dotted near Aurora’s childhood home. The box that Theron had given her was produced from a sachel around her waist.  There hasn’t been much time to her and she needed to finish what she could. Erudition was getting worst and her mind ran with the possibilities of what exactly she could accomplish, if anything. Bombs kept going off into her head, bombs and plague, and blight.

Destroy it all to rebuild it all.

Ilyea’s hands dug at the vials and just straight drank it the second one pulling out the paper to write her experiences.

*Fucking undead bullshit. Tastes like the underlining smoothness of the void, and whatever they put into the waters of Undercity* 

The small piece of paper was finished and folded up to set on the side. Ilyea turned her head and spit out the blood before washing it out with some conjured water. Fucking horrible.  

Third vial was slammed just as quickly as the second one as soon as most of her spit ran clear from from the drinking water.

*Human void caster? Maybe? Runs smooth like what void magic is. The kind that tickles your throat but feels different. It has void in it.* Ilyea knew that what she wrote was unsatisfactory then what she *could* do but time was not on her side.  The third note was folded up as she took a few more swigs from her the canteen.

Lledwyn called out something, then Kurel. Then Vel.

Kael did next. Wards. We have to fucking channel to the wards. Where was Kael?

The lights didn’t matter, nor did the ever present void. It was so cold.

It was so fucking cold.

A flicker. And then a thought. Follow the cracks and then follow the seal.

Fingers dig into his flesh and she could sense Kael’s signature.  Disconnecting and reconnecting so quick wasn’t something that she had  tried but it was something that was needed.

Ilyea knew how the wards worked, how they popped and flowed over like lava. His was too fractured but if she filled in those cracks maybe she could change and empower him.

It was worth a shot.

Fourth vial was paused against the mage’s lip as if praying this one didn’t taste as bad as the last two. It was tipped back and then shot right back up as soon as the liquid hit her lips the foul liquid hitting the earth.  It tasted familiar but wrong. Void with the sharpest hints of Fel.

*NO* The forth paper was scribbled upon furiously and put to the side with the canteen coming to her lips to chase away the liquid.

The fifth one was opened after an hour at passed of furiously washing her mouth out with water. IF Theron had managed to find some void lord and put its essence in its vial, Ilyea would gather enough strength  to go down and kick his ass.

Kick his ass and never stop kicking it.

The liquid was quickly released from the glass vial and swallowed. It still had the uncomfortable feeling of void but her senses felt muddled after that last one.

“Orc and void magic. Who cares.” The last paper read as Ilyea folded it up and then send the results back to Theron. Her limit was two samples before it would fizzle. At least she knew she had a hard line rule about how much she could do this.

A hard line to train from.

Something didn’t want her there; to help Kael. 

Something was actively pushing her out from reaching Kael’s signature. Was it from within the cracks?

Ilyea was so utterly drained and the fucking stupid bird couldn’t take her fucking energy.

There was a brief flash of something jade and her limbs felt heavy, the lights were too bright and the fucking song wouldn’t stop.

Fine then.

 If it isn’t about asking permission, it’s about saving lives.

Who fucking needs your permission to do that?

If she couldn’t sync signatures with his, she’ll force hers upon him.

The last of everything she had was pushed into Kael and hopefully it’d be enough.

There was just no more time to waste.

Expedited Stay

“So what’s the name o’ this person you’re expectin’?” Chambers asked, his strides matching those of the tall elf woman he walked with.

“An’Diel,” answered Aranya, sparing a glance to the side at the human as they walked. “Captain Kurel An’Diel of Sunspire Port. He’s coming with ship and crew on his own business, and I’m not ‘expecting’ him in the sense of a gracious hostess about to roll out tea and crumpets, Chambers. I just know he’ll be here.”

The man chuckled, a rolling sound that wasn’t as rough as his typical manner would suggest it should be. “Alright, what’s he like, An’Diel?”

“Blind as an Illidari and twice as uncanny,” answered the arcanist.

“He’s Illidari?” Chambers remarked, eyebrows lofting.

“No,” replied Aranya, her characteristic lopsided smile blooming on her lips. “No, he’s something else.”

The sorceress and the overseer came to a pyramid of several boxes and crates, each with the mark of the Eclipse Syndicate stamped to them. “Now, it’s possible that the Sunspire crew won’t come through Deliverance Point,” said Aranya. “They may just keep to their ship when they aren’t on the shore.” She caught Chambers’ eyes with her smoldering green gaze. “But, if they do, these supplies are to be distributed to them for whatever they need.”

The phoenix-mage began to casually stride around the pile. “Food and fresh water rations, extra canvas and rope, apothecary supplies, tools, whatever they may have use for,” she listed off. “These are to be only given to the Sunspire crew, and only after they’ve made their return to home port may you distribute whatever is left to the war effort, Chambers. Don’t think I won’t know and hold your ass accountable if you do otherwise.”

Chambers gave a full-bellied laugh at that. “Lady Arcanist, I can’t imagine crossing your wishes even if I was flying high on the best mead in Stormheim,” he declared. “Shall I tell An’Diel who these are from?”

“Aye, you can tell him it was me,” answered Aranya. It wasn’t like Kurel would be able to see the crest on the crates and know right away. “But if the captain decides that any gratitude or appreciation is warranted, he’s to show it back in Sunspire Port. None of them are to seek me out while they’re here, no matter where on this Shore I am. They need to get their business done and get home as soon as possible.”

I don’t want you caught up in what started with me in Outland and what the Legion wants to finish with me now.

“Y’don’t want to take the captain’s regards?” Chambers asked, a bit bewildered.

Aranya leveled her smoldering eyes at the human. “Just see it done, Chambers.”

To Sunspire the titan tower lit up with runes, glowing brightly all the way to its tip top as the energy charged creating a dome dampening field inside. Magic would generally be deflected and suppressed inside. It knocked out much of the power within Sunspire, Rizzy’s new power lines and street lamps going dark as the sun went down over the port and slowly took to being replaced by the old lanterns and torches that had once decorated the town. Portals would be impossible, projectiles softened in the their strength, only a real invasion force would have a chance walking into Sunspire now.

None of them knew how or why the dome suddenly appeared. The few with knowledge of how it worked would be thankful or curse the trade-lord and his mechanical marvel. None who looked upon it as it went up would know the real story. That at the heart of the ancient power and giants stood a very small, scared, and secluded monk, wrapped in his secrets and humility, he hoped it to always stay that way.

Rizzy stood alone again.

He sent Luce and Teera out into Sunspire to search for weapons and explosives. Vel was off in the distance handling her own fears and planning her side of things. Saeris was still on his own journey, unreachable for a reason. Mavas was at Atlas and while him and the Commander were on their way it would be hours before the Aurora would fly overhead, days before the massive Calypso joined the air defense.

Kurel was mitigating his own side of the issue in Erudition. Defending Demy and Ilyea as was necessary and planning the next step in the chess match against the wolves. Killian was suddenly quiet on the comm, and could be no help considering his tenuous position between the two factions. Even Leona who had become a bit of a sounding board for the assassin, was distanced safely in Pandaria. There was no one to reach out to.

Standing within Kurel’s home - standing among his things that felt nearly as intimate to himself as they did to their owner - was almost too much. Things he had restored with killings and effort, added finances to in just the last few days from similar exploits. Things he was heir to in many ways. He had worked so hard for this. Fought at every pass, forged patience and skills he didn’t know he needed, why was he so terrified?

This isolation. Was this what Kurel felt all the time among them? The weight of the crown as it was often put; it was different than leading an operation or even running the port in ways that made him not Trade Lord, nor Captain, nor Purveyor, but perhaps nearly as important as all three… This was still different.

Riz pulled the titan disc from his pocket, shivering all over with the task at hand. The stone was created to be bound to one blood for life. It would obey that owner’s will no matter where on Azeroth they roamed. They would always be intrinsically linked to Sunspire, and perhaps the first shreds of honor to creep into Rizzy’s skin, or his budding sense of devotion forced him to understand there would be no running away after this.

The monk shut his eyes tight, bowing his head as silent tears fell down the sides of his cheeks. A silent apology reached out from his chest as if Saeris could feel it. Not that he would need nor request it, but Riz had promised him the chance to think about it. The veto power to keep their lives from settling down.

“We don’ settle down. We jus’ keep on ‘avin’ adventures then!” The redhead had soothed him.

“Promise?”

“Absolutely.”

Rizzy slipped the shadow dagger from beneath his sleeve.

“Promise?”

“Absolutely.”

The knife bit into his skin with hardly any pressure. He wouldn’t feel pain until the air hit his exposed insides, for now all he knew was the wet and the red.

“Promise?”

“Absolutely.”

From his forearm the blood dripped over the titan stone, the soft blue glow of ancient mechanics taking life, connecting to him and only him for the rest of his days. Surely if they needed to… someday it was plausible to reset the tower? Perhaps Phantom would succeed in his attempts to destroy it. Perhaps the whole thing would crumble in a decade and fall to dragon fire, who the fuck even knew.

“Saeris… promise me this is the right decision.” He spoke aloud. Riz had never had any gods, it was the closest thing to a prayer he could conceive of.

“Absolutely.”

“Alright tower... show us y’stuff, activate an close down the port.”

The locals were stirred. Worried. Rizzy should be out there comforting them, showing reassurance and strength he blatantly didn’t possess any more… but he knew Riz the Rigmaster now. He even knew Riz the Prince of Sunspire. He could be a ‘grifter’ as Demy called him and play his own face a while. He could be the nameless and hide his fears. He was the Unbreakable Reed after all and he was merely up against a third rate assassin by the title of Phantom. His first duty was to protect Vel. Second was to settle the startle around Sunspire.

The monk bandaged up his wrist and packed away the stone to handle the rest of the evening.

Basil: Have you ever had to forcibly cut ties with someone? How did you feel afterwards?

Unfortunately, yes. I had a boyfriend years ago. We were madly in love. But, after a life-altering vision, he realized his fate to become a shaman. His path separated us. We wanted to make it work, but he lamented that there were too many complications that would keep us apart. I believe that love can overcome any length of time, any obstacle, but it seemed he did not feel the same. It was that alone that made me realize we were not meant for each other as I had once thought.

Bracken: Do you like being caught out in the rain? Why/Why not?

You haven’t lived until you’ve danced in the coolness of the rain! But, I hate what it does to my hair and clothes. It’s worth doing once but be ready to change your outfit after a thorough shower.

Chamomile: What scents are soothing to you? Describe a memory that it’s attached to.

There are so many! But I’ll list one. I live in Tanaris on Land’s End Beach, in the beach house that used to be my family’s cold-season getaway. Every time I inhale the fresh sea air, I am reminded of playing with my sister and friends along the shore. The ocean depths frighten me, but its waves and scent calm me to sleep. (It’s a curious paradox.)

Dragon’s Blood: Describe a time when you discovered an inner strength that you didn’t know you had. 

An amazing piece done by @pyro-fishy after a guild event last night. 

Eilithe, Reveria, Kurel, and Mairdrin were all forced to relive painful memories.