#lirawrites

Ashes drifted from the sky as the soft glow gathered into a cleansing fire, so many swarming that the massive eredar could do nothing to fend them off. Even from afar she could see their light, watching as the spirits of her kin perished in a mass effort to defeat the force that threatened them all.

“Not again...” she heard herself whisper. 

Suddenly moving into action, she made her way deeper into Darkshore. The Horde - and Sylvanas - was held off by the wisps for now and the kaldorei forces were regrouping in the woods. Lira already felt weary, blood drying on her skin even as she moved through the mindless, mechanical habit of repoisoning her daggers. So many emotions warred within her, leaving her numb and almost empty in the meanwhile.

A whistle warned her and she twisted to the side, an arrow nicking her ear before embedding itself into a nearby tree. Diving into the shadows and ducking behind the tree, she peered out to pinpoint the source. A dark ranger came into view and Lira scowled, knowing her shadows would only hide her for so long against that particular enemy. Before she could move to engage, however, a paladin sprang out from a clearing and unwittingly allowed the hidden elf another moment of reprieve.

Focusing out towards the water as she leaned back against the tree, the glint of something caught her attention. Narrowing her eyes, Lira set out towards the old naga caverns to investigate the odd reflection. Reaching the shore, her ears wilted back in dismay as she realized what the odd, pale spikes of rock must be.

Azerite, that substance in Silithus that the factions had been having a fit about.

As she left the tent she spotted the quiet gathering, various tables set up with food from the nearby inns. Even closer sat a group of sentinels, their faces briefly lifting to look at her as she passed before they returned to their food. One, however, stood instead, handing her bowl to another.

“Sister.” Sabrieal spoke, falling in stride beside Lira as they walked.

“I don’t want to hear it.” she grumbled, accepting a plate from a volunteering pandaren. She searched the offered food and claimed bits of fruit and some fish, knowing she needed to eat despite not having an appetite.

“What you did was brave. I’m proud of you.”

Stopping in her tracks, Lira looked up at her sister as she felt her throat constrict with emotion. “What?”

Offering a small, sad smile, Sabrieal turned Lira and hugged her, stunning the assassin further as Lira squeezed her eyes shut and tried to swallow the tears. As the sentinel pulled away, they both took a breath and stood in silence for a moment.

“Would you be interested in... bonding with a hippogryph?” Sabe asked hesitantly. “Her rider... fell in the battle. She’s a rather cranky beast, but she likes fish.”

Puzzled by not only her sister’s hesitation but the offer itself, Lira tilted her head slightly. “If she wishes to, I would be open to the idea. But why wouldn’t another sentinel take in a sentinel hippogryph?”

Sabe continued to shock Lira as she looked up at the sky, blinking rapidly as her normally stern face showed a rare vulnerability. Taking a breath, she met Lira’s eyes again. “She belonged to my mate and she loved to fly as much as you do.”

Nearly dropping the plate in shock, Lira quickly set it on the table and threw her arms around her sister in comfort as Sabe dropped her face against her shoulder, a sob wracking her form. The pair of Bladesingers cried silently until Sabrieal finally pulled away.

The seed of anger started to crack as Lira’s mind cleared, listening to the chatter around her, quietly gathering information as her eyes searched. Relief filled her as she spotted Vae’riss sitting up at a cot, her mooncloth robe singed but the elf shrouded within whole and healthy. She saw Sabrieal helping to guide civilians through the mess, and then she saw Tyrande.

She ignored the protests as she got up and pushed away from the healers, ducking through the crowd. Across the way, dark amber eyes followed her movements and Sabe only just saw her sister and her target in time to intercept, grabbing her arm.

Lira was stilled, but not silenced. “TYRANDE!”

Ignoring those who turned to look, Lira’s focus was solely on the High Priestess. At first confusion marked the woman’s features before she recognized the fury upon Lira’s and turned defensive.

“Lira, no, you need to re-” Sabrieal protested, pulling Lira back as the assassin tried to lunge out of her grip. Luckily, the sentinel’s grip proved far more stubborn.

“YOU LEFT US BEHIND. WHAT KIND OF LEADER ARE YOU THAT YOU LEFT YOUR PEOPLE TO BURN!?” she yelled across the chamber, singed hair falling into her face as she continued to struggle against her sister.

Voice cold and almost ethereal, Tyrande scowled at the furious elf. “What would you have me do, assassin? Leave Malfurion to die?”

A growl lodged in her throat, eyes narrowing to silver slits of anger. “You had options. Anyone could have helped you transport him while you came to assist evacuations. And even if that wasn’t so, you chose ONE individual over ALL of our people. WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF ELUNE, AND YOU ARE HER CHOSEN. YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THERE TO PROTECT US OR FUCKING DIE TRYING!” Her voice broke as she yelled across the silence, a myriad of faces turned to watch her and the High Priestess.

“You would be well to watch your tongue. You cannot fathom the choices I must make -”

“FUCK YOU!” Tyrande looked as if Lira had smacked her as she interrupted, no longer trying to escape her sister as she shook with anger and grief. “We all make choices every fucking day. If you had stayed, we still wouldn’t have saved everyone but we could have saved more. And if you had died, you’d at least have a shred of respect to your name, Tyrande. Elune’s Chosen? I bet Elune is fucking disappointed.”

“Get on! He will carry you to safety!” she yelled over the crackle of flames. She helped them get on and grabbed his antler gently, looking him sternly in the eye. “Do not tire yourself, but rescue as many people as you can. Elune guide you, friend.”

Turning away as he took flight, the coughing civilians clinging to him, she moved through the streets and helped to redirect people toward the temple. Lira ran as she went, picking up fallen elves and guiding them to those who could carry them to safety. 

A flash of white caught her eye and she took off running, lifting her weak and coughing priestess from the grass. Vae blinked and squinted, grabbing Lira’s vest. “Lira... they’re trapped in... the house.” she rasped, her voice hoarse from the thick air. Following Vae’s weak gesture, Lira saw the door with a fiery branch blocking the way. 

Turning back to the path, Lira caught the eye of a sentinel as she raced back towards the temple. Intercepting her, Lira pressed Vae’riss into her arms. “Get her to the temple! I’ll follow behind soon!”

Lifting the small priestess in her arms, the sentinel only nodded and continued on her way with her new burden. A small twinge of regret spiked in the assassin’s heart as she watched the white braid move out of sight. I didn’t say I loved her...

Face stern and determined as she moved back toward the house, she maneuvered between the wall and branch before dropping, pushing out with her legs to scoot the burning wood out of the way. Wincing as she felt the heat press through the soles of her boots, she lashed out with a few solid kicks to finish the distance before scrambling to her feet and kicking open the door.

Ducking as smoke poured from the frame, she heard faint coughing. Her eyes burned against the press of the heat but she dove in anyway, grabbing blurred shapes that looked like people. They moved with her urgent pulls, herding them back out through the door.

It felt like she had been there forever already, in this hell. Tears she couldn’t feel dried on her face and she brushed away an ember that caught in her hair as she continued through the city, making her own way toward the temple as she guided as many as she could see to safety. Spotting a crying child near the gates, she moved toward her until someone grabbed her hand tightly.

Turning to look, she saw a masked and hooded elf glaring down at her with dark amber eyes. “You’ve been here long enough, Lira, let’s go.”

Scowling through her makeshift mask, she tried to yank away from him. “Let go, Sebanti. I’m getting the child.”

“I don’t care about the kid, Lira, I care about you. You’re going to get yourself killed.”

“I would rather die than leave a child behind.” She moved to stab him with her belt knife, his grip releasing immediately. She turned and sprinted over to the child, lifting her up like a doll as he moved to catch up.

“You are impossible, Bladesinger.” he hissed, dragging both elves back to the hippogryph he’d claimed from Rut’theran.

Flying them low as he held onto Lira and the child both, he pulled them off the beast and half dragged them into the temple. Civilians were being ushered through as a pair of mages struggled to keep a portal to Stormwind open. Lira blinked through the chaos, feeling like something was missing.

“...Where is Tyrande?” she asked, feeling the rasp in her throat.

“She’s already evacuated to Stormwind.”