Chương 23: Chapter 22

Tyrande poured herself some wine before picking up some fruits and berries for her plate.

"Now that you've met the new emissary, what's your impression Shandris?" Shandris, joining Tyrande for dinner, made a hard to decipher expression.

"Complicated. She's been abrasive and intentionally confrontational. Almost picking fights on purpose."

"I sense a but." Tyrande prodded, eager to hear her adopted daughter's thoughts. She had her own, formed on the basis of what she'd heard but she wanted to hear Shandris' thoughts first before voicing her own.

"But, she's doing it with purpose and within limits. I'll admit the initial meeting was not great for us. Sentinel Faylon was being mocking and hostile, and she took the opportunity to respond. She didn't respond in anger, however. It was like Faylon had provided an opportunity, and she took it. She has an agenda, and the hostility is a means to an end, not a result of lack in diplomatic skill." Shandris finally responded.

She had to admit that her impressions were a bit vague, and the emissary wasn't making things easy.

"Sounds reasonable. The Quel'dorei have sent emissaries to us before as punishment, but the timing and their identity implies this is not the case. What's the agenda, in your opinion?" Tyrande pushed for more. This was good training for Shandris.

"She'd drawing a line in the sand. A clear separation between our two peoples." She chewed on her cheek in thought.

"In the past, we've treated them as exiles, but still fundamentally a part of our people. A part that we were not particularly fond of, but still. They still fell under our… not exactly authority, but that's the word that comes to mind. Our responsibility. They've acted as our estranged cousins that are a bit ashamed of what caused the break, but a people with fundamentally different opinions on certain subjects, and no willingness to compromise. She's making it clear things have changed.

We might be distant cousins, but we are different people. That it's time for us to treat them as equals, or at least a people worthy of respect, which admittedly we haven't really done so far." Shandris put her vague thoughts to words.

"Not that I think they necessarily deserved it before either."

"I'm broadly on the same lines." Tyrande revealed.

"Perhaps my view of the message is less emotional, and more a case of them flexing their newly found might, which is understandable, if not necessarily entirely pleasant and positive. From what you've told me, the new group that arrived has been pushing on what we would've considered appropriate in the past, but they seem to respect certain lines. To me, that sounds like they want to declare that they're no longer under any obligation to follow our wishes, but that they're not intent on causing hostilities either."

Shandris nodded.

"Indeed. That is a fair summation." Shandris seemed relieved that Tyrande was on the same wavelength. Despite having been a Captain among the Sentinels for a long time, she still always sought Tyrande's approval.

"And your impression of the emissary as a person?" Tyrande asked. Shandris was not quick to answer, her thoughts even more complicated on this topic.

"She has the absolute loyalty of those serving under her. It is not hard to see why. Strong-willed doesn't even begin to describe her. She is a force of nature and does not tolerate idleness. It is rather obvious why her presence might have affected the Quel'dorei as a whole. And I can see how she could've led the Quel'dorei to victory over the Amani, if the behavior of those she brought here is any indication."

"Oh yes. You did send a message that they had located a clan of satyrs, and shortly after sent a message that the issue had been dealt with. I assume by the Quel'dorei? How did that happen?" Tyrande asked, now genuinely intrigued.

"Well, that's a whole story…" She started explaining.

Thalorien squeezed the handle of his blade. It was something that had passed down in the family for generations, and according to his father, was gifted to the Quel'dorei by the Dragon Queen herself. His father had passed the blade to him as he left for Kalimdor. The blade was large enough to be used by two hands, but light enough to be wielded in one, his other hand occupied by a large shield.

The sword, named Quel'delar, had a thick and curved blade, almost large enough to be a cleaver, but it was surprisingly light and nimble in his hands. Golden runes ran along the middle of the blade, and a glowing gem was located in the handguard. It was a good blade he decided. They were moving through some nameless Kaldorei ruins, their slightly wedge-shaped formation headed by paladins.

Unusual when they commonly used a square and had the paladins either provide support from the middle, or they were scattered evenly through the formation to provide protection. This time though, they were fighting ghosts and demons, and the power of Light seemed to be especially suited to combat these opponents. Thalorien was in the second line right behind the foremost paladin, Brother Vyas, who was the point of this wedge, ready to jump in if the paladin needed support.

Behind them, he could see both the Saint, and the Kaldorei observer looking over things from a hill. Apparently the Saint would only interfere if necessary, stating this was a good learning experience. He supposed she was right. She almost always was. The ghosts and spirits were rather sparse and fell quickly. According to the Saint, the ghosts were resistant to non-magical weapons and specialized in attacking through non-magical armor, neither of which were a problem with the Sin'dorei.

The paladins also used a protective aura that gave all of them a shimmering layer of protective energy, which the ghosts could do very little about. All of them easily cut down any ghosts that they came across. It wasn't until they got deeper into the ruins that things got at least moderately challenging. The satyrs were smart enough to not simply rush in.

In fact, many of them possessed a limited form of invisibility, which was dangerous enough that all of the Sin'dorei rangers focused solely on keeping the invisible Satyr in check. Alongside the satyr were little green things with large hands and long arms called Grell, and quite similar in appearance minor demons called Imps. The Grell were not dangerous by themselves, only wielding crude clubs as weapons and having little to no skill in combat, but they were numerous.

The same issue with the Imps, only the demons at least used crude magic, hurling bolts of fire at the Sin'dorei. The armor of the Sin'dorei was resistant to most magic, which turned out to be a good thing, as many of the satyr were spellcasters as well. Their dark bolts of shadowy energy were significantly more dangerous than the Imp fireballs, and the claws and unnatural strength of the satyrs were also not something to be taken lightly.

The heavy armor, shields, and the protection of the paladins held though, and slowly but methodically the enemies were ground down. The most dangerous satyrs attempting to cast larger spells were shot down by the Sin'dorei bows, or fell at the Light-based spells of the paladins. As the number of satyrs fell, the warriors of the Sin'dorei showed their own prowess and suddenly dashed out from the protection of the paladins.

They crossed the distance between them and their targets in scant few seconds using their superior speed, their sudden dashes practically stunning their targets. Literally stunning their targets on those occasions the warriors rammed their targets with their shields. A large number of satyrs suddenly fell in a surprise attack. Thalorien personally targeted the largest and most powerful satyr, likely the chief of the tribe who was attempting some kind of summoning spell by the looks of things.

The distance between them was a bit too large to traverse in time, but luckily he'd gained some training from the Spellbreakers. Enough for a basic counterspell at least. Enough to mess up the carefully prepared spell of the demonic creature with goat's hooves and horns. The pale skin and facial features were very Kaldorei-like, though the thing was covered in red fur in many places. As he charged forward, he was intercepted by another satyr rogue wielding short blades coming out of invisibility.

The rogue didn't stall him for long, as his new blade quickly slashed through a gap in the creature's defenses, easily cutting through whatever demonic energy was protecting the creature, bisecting it in two. Still, it bought the satyr chief enough time to complete some other spell. The satyr chieftain seemed to suck the life out of everything around it, including a couple of animals trapped in wooden cages around the camp, and pointed at Thalorien.

He heard a sound akin to glass shattering, and then everything went dark.

"So, the Quel'dorei cleared the ghosts and satyrs without much problem, but there were losses?" Tyrande questioned.

"Apparently that was not the case. Yes, they cleared the threat, but the emissary intervened at the end, managing to save even the warrior cursed by the satyr chieftain. From what I overheard, it was a close thing, and it seemed to take a fair amount even from the emissary, but she did manage to save the man affected. The man is still recovering, but he is alive." Shandris shook her head.

"Oh? The satyrs are rather powerful with their curses. She managed to save a person affected by one of their sacrificial ones cast by a chieftain? That's a rather commendable achievement. I'm not sure I could save someone so afflicted without giving it my all." Tyrande admitted. Her own powers of recovery were not insignificant, practically blessed by Elune, but the satyrs were very good at what they did. Their numbers were not large, but they were dangerous.

The fact that the creatures used to be Kaldorei who willingly fell to corruption was galling.

"Well, I overheard some of their paladins discussing the topic. The Light seems to be extremely good at dealing with such things, and the emissary has apparently also trained as a Spellbreaker. The man's armor dampened the effects long enough for her to reach him and basically keep him alive by flooding him with the power of the Light, while then picking the curse apart." Shandris had spent several weeks just gathering information among the Quel'dorei.

"So young, and yet so powerful. Wide array of talents as well it seems." Tyrande pondered.

"What's your impression of her as a person?" She looked towards her stepdaughter.

"Shandris, you're blushing? Why are you blushing?" She was pretty sure her stepdaughter had been interested in a man called Jared Shadowsong before. The man had been a great leader during the war against the demons thousands of years ago, before vanishing following a disagreement with the polarization in the Kaldorei society. Tyrande still remembered the time Jared had argued that Malfurion and the druids were more concerned with nature and the Emerald Dream than their own people.

Tyrande secretly didn't entirely disagree. Either way, she hadn't heard any rumors of Shandris engaging in affairs with the other Sentinels, which was surprisingly common. With roughly a third of the Kaldorei population, made up entirely of men, going to sleep for decades or centuries at a time, that left a rather steep gender imbalance in their society. Many of the Sentinels had compensated by finding enjoyment in the arms of each other. As mentioned though, she hadn't heard such rumors about Shandris.

"Well, I might have accidentally stumbled upon her while she was bathing in the river. The baths in the emissary's housing had not been fixed yet. I would like to think that I managed to sneak past the guards but I may have been pranked by them instead, considering the emissary noticed me before I even realized the situation." Shandris blushed even harder.

"That said, I now have a much better idea at least for one reason why she's so popular among her people."

"Oh?" Tyrande smirked while brimming with curiosity.

"That impressive?" Shandris cleared her throat.

"I have only seen statues and heard stories of Queen Azshara, but I'm fairly confident that the emissary has even the old queen beat." Her words caused Tyrande to lean forward in interest. That explained quite a few things actually. Queen Azshara had been practically worshipped by the old Kaldorei during her reign. It wasn't just her looks, but her looks and charisma were a major part of that worship, especially when you added on her obvious intelligence and prodigious magical talent.

As she was aware of the emissary's identity and leadership during the war and as a religious figure, the parallels were hard not to notice.

"So, we might have a second Queen Azshara on our hands?" She asked, more seriously.

"Almost certainly. She is certainly revered, though she doesn't seem to leverage her looks too heavily, preferring to hide her appearance most of the time. Although that adds to the mystique. She has also proven her strategic acumen, and her many talents are obvious. From what I understood, Queen Azshara was rather slovenly and self-centered, while the emissary seems to be the opposite.

The Quel'dorei seem convinced she's constantly working on three things at once and is borderline obsessed with avoiding stagnation and sloth. She is also very militaristic and doesn't seem to have a very high opinion of other races. Us unfortunately included." Shandris explained her impressions and what she had overheard.

"That seems both a good thing and simultaneously quite worrying. Though we might be able to temper her dislike in time. Perhaps it is time I met her personally." Tyrande decided that she needed to take the measure of this emissary herself.

Selessa was surprised at the amount of ambient mana here even on the border of Ashenvale. It wasn't the same as being under the effects of the Sunwell in Quel'thalas, or even the Starwells in Alah'thalas, but there was no need for arcane crystals to help them sustain themselves either. And the power was even thicker inside Ashenvale, the heartlands of the Kaldorei Empire. At least from what she could detect. They were still not allowed inside Ashenvale, which she didn't begrudge.

If she had her way, no Kaldorei would enter Quel'thalas or Alah'thalas either, and turnabout was fair play. The issue was that the ambient mana was suffused with the power of Life. It became blindingly obvious when she was meditating on the border like she was doing now. She had not yet gained the Life Magic skill, but she could also sense that she could gain it rather easily if she just reached for it. She had no interest. Life was not her domain. She was busy enough as it was with Arcane and Light.

Life also seemed to require a certain mindset, which she did not possess, unlike her obvious talents in Light, and her psyker mind's suitability for Arcane. In some ways, she could even be considered the opposite. She had died and been brought to life, while channeling the power of Ynnead, the Aeldari deity of Death. That left a mark. Life was a power concerned with growth and nurture. In some ways that didn't seem so disparate with her, but she was honest enough with herself to see the cracks as well.

Life was, in some ways, a very unchanging force, whereas she was a driver of progress. She abhorred stagnation. She was also a creature of war, and war was all about death, not life. She could live with peace, or at least she tried to with varying degrees of success, but it was not where she was at home. Not where she thrived. She could nurture her people and help them grow, but that was not where her real talents lie. No, she excelled in killing. She was very good at it.

That didn't make her counter to Life necessarily, but it did mean she was traveling a different path. She could feel something old and powerful approaching from far away. The being coming closer was making no effort to hide, though it wasn't announcing its approach either. It could be considered a test of sorts. This being was ancient, older than even her with both her lives combined. It felt like the beating heart of Ashenvale.

A large being stepped through the trees, staying on the other side of the river, looking directly over it at her. The being had the upper body of a Kaldorei, with one of its hands covered in thick bark, and it had two large antlers of a moose on its head. It had long green hair, and vines ran down its torso. It also had a lower body of either a moose or a deer, though clearly not a normal one, filled with thick muscle and occasionally covered with patches of moss.

"Greetings Cenarius, Lord of the Forest." She was the first to speak, recognizing who she was sitting across from. Cenarius was one of the most powerful and influential demigods who had helped the Kaldorei for thousands of years.

"Greetings Child of Light. Your presence shines bright in the Emerald Dream. Sometimes too bright." The deep bass thrum of the demigod's voice easily crossed the distance.

"What do you seek in these lands?" Interesting.

"Closure and clean separation are the main matters. My people and the Kaldorei have grown apart long ago, I'm here to make the separation clean and official. To close that chapter in our two people's past, so that a new chapter may be forged. Maybe one that is not so steeped in old grudges and barely disguised contempt."

"And yet, you carry the same contempt within, do you not?" The demigod pointed out.

"One can never fully rid themselves such emotions. I judge the Kaldorei for some of the choices they have made, the same they do for our people. That does not mean those judgements need to be the whole of our relationship. In addition, we seek to eventually set up an outpost of our own on this side of the ocean, mostly to keep an eye on things. We're still looking for a suitable location. I suspect the Kaldorei would not appreciate us making that outpost right on their doorstep." She chuckled.

"You see much for one so young." The demigod looked her directly in the eyes.

"But you are not as young as you appear, are you? You're an odd one. Not from around these parts, I suspect. You bring the winds of change with you, wherever you tread. Those winds can be both positive and negative."

"Such is the nature of change." She shrugged simply.

"Stagnation is a slow death, and very much what your chosen people have chosen for themselves. Their immortal lives lull them into an illusion that they have no need to change. The world will change around them, whether they want it or not."

"You are not wrong. Yet, you've already brought the winds of change here." The demigod looked behind her.

"You've hidden your compound from even my eyes. I would like an explanation." She thought for a moment before making the connection.

"Ah, we've hidden our use of the Arcane. It is meant to hide our magic from the Burning Legion, but it would seem my work with the runes is more effective than I thought. It seems to work against other powers as well."

"Some might take offense at such hidden actions right outside our land. Worry that you're scheming something nefarious." Cenarius didn't quite accuse her of anything, but it wasn't far from it either.

"Had I done it purposefully, that might hold some merit. As it is, you and yours can just enter the ring of the runes and you shall be able to feel everything within normally. It simply keeps any sign of our magic within the ring of the runes. You should know, we intend to connect this compound with our homeland with a portal." That's partially why she was meditating here. She needed to know the land and the ley-lines well enough to connect back to Quel'thalas.

"Unsurprising. I do not share my student's aversion to matters Arcane, though he might not react as well. To him, it's personal. If you are taking precautions to keep demons at bay, then that is fine with me. We would likely want to monitor traffic between Kalimdor and your home though. Wouldn't want you to bring an army through." The demigod took a rather relaxed position. A surprisingly relaxed in fact. From what she'd read, Cenarius wasn't supposed to be this blasé about things.

"I think that is acceptable, as long as they do not interfere with our activities unless we do start bringing an army through or something similar. We won't tolerate someone complaining over every activation of the portal." She made a counteroffer. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"I find this acceptable, Child of Light. I will relay your words to those who need to know." The enormous being nodded. There was something in the demigod's eyes that she couldn't quite place. It was a mix of emotions. Very complex, as she wasn't picking up anything specific.

"We have an accord." The demigod then simply turned and returned to the forest, practically melting away amidst the trees.

"That was definitely weird." She muttered to herself.

Tyrande wasn't used to meeting Lord Cenarius at the best of times. It was even more uncommon for the demigod to deliver a warning.

"She has a presence in the Emerald Dream. Most do not. The presence can reveal a lot about a person. Her presence is that of the epitome of war. She might not seek it, but when fighting one, she is not one you want to face. You might win, for now, but the price would be too heavy." He'd said, speaking about the emissary. The demigod had also mentioned that he wasn't certain he would be able to kill the woman, if he tried. She wouldn't win, but she would likely be able to flee successfully.

It seemed they'd reached some level of accord. The Quel'dorei would eventually build an outpost on this continent, and Tyrande agreed that it was better that outpost was somewhere they could keep an eye on it. Them setting up in Azshara was a decent compromise, though keeping the nosiest druids like Fandral Staghelm out would be a chore. As they crossed the river, they noticed someone waiting for them right away.

A male Quel'dorei in silver armor and white highlights sat on one of their hawkstrider mounts on a small hill just on the other side. It was obvious to Tyrande the color of the armor wasn't just a fashion statement. She got the impression that these paladins led from the front and wanted to draw the enemy's attention to themselves. The armor was heavy and supported a defensive fighting style.

"Greetings Kaldorei. What brings you to our compound?" The man asked, his tone in the diplomatic zone, though he was clearly not eager to see them.

"Greeting paladin. I am High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind, and I'm here to meet the emissary." She announced simply. The man nodded, her answer having been expected.

"Follow me. We'll see if she is available." The man turned his hawkstrider around, and started riding deeper into Azshara, going off the road and up the river towards the place where the previous emissary's housing had been located. It quickly became clear that things had changed. The entire area was fortified, with a wooden palisade surrounded by a ditch dug around the whole camp. There was a small and simple drawbridge made of logs that led over the makeshift moat.

A quick glance at the surroundings showed that no trees in the area had been cut to make the palisade, so where had the lumber come from? It was a good thing they hadn't started cutting down trees as the Sentinels and the druids would not react well, and neither would Cenarius. The camp itself was well organized around the previous dwelling of the old emissary. The construction of the dwelling had been significantly expanded, and there were two round buildings made of white stone next to the dwelling.

There were also changes to the dwelling's architecture which had been built in the Kaldorei style to harmonize with nature, in a very open style. Tyrande could see from the outside that a lot more rooms and walls had been added, though doors were still scant, replaced with red silken curtains. When they rode into the camp, it felt like they'd crossed some invisible barrier, as she could suddenly sense a fair bit of Arcane activity in the camp, where before she hadn't felt anything.

She also felt that the outside world was dampened, and even her connection with Elune was very slightly dimmed. A handsome male magister clad in ornate robes came to meet Tyrande and her entourage of a dozen Sentinels.

"Apologies. You're no doubt here for the emissary, but she is currently connecting a portal back home. It will still take an hour. I'm Nallorath Sunstrider, the emissary's second." The man made a small bow, his golden magical staff glinting even in the dim light of the evening. Was he a member of the ruling dynasty of the Quel'dorei?

"High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind. We got word that you're planning on connecting a portal, though I must admit my surprise at not being able to feel the portal being created despite being inside the barrier hiding such activities." The unspoken question was clear.

"Ah, that would be because the portal building has another set of runes surrounding and shielding it, just in case." The man explained, gesturing towards one of the two stone buildings at the edge of the camp. When had they even erected those?

"May I ask why?" She questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Because portals are especially prone to attracting unwanted attention due to their nature. The demonic kind. We haven't had any incidents, but best make sure things stay that way. Besides, while we're not exactly hiding our portal, we thought it better not to rub it in the faces of any visitors either. Some of your people are rather biased against the Arcane, and while we don't intend to change or make any apologies, purposeful antagonizing doesn't seem prudent either." The man explained.

Well, wasn't that interesting. The emissary was purposefully antagonistic and abrasive in her rhetoric, but clearly she acted more prudently behind the scenes, and this Nallorath seemed quite amicable and willing to be diplomatic. It was also fascinating that there were two Sunstriders present, and if her information was correct, this Nallorath was the older one, even if he did seem very young to Tyrande.

"Probably a wise precaution then." She allowed.

"May I offer you some refreshments while we wait? Straight from Quel'thalas. One of the benefits of our magic is the easy storage and transportation of supplies, with no danger of spoilage." He offered, and Tyrande had to admit she was tempted.

"Might as well." Tyrande and her entourage dismounted their Nightsabers signaling them to hunt freely in the forest, the mounts dashing off right away. Nallorath led them into the emissary's building, and up a ramp into the second floor where refreshments had been spread out on a balcony overlooking the camp, and even a view of most of Azshara. The refreshment were a delightful spread of fruits and cuts of meat, giving a good display of everything Quel'thalas had to offer.

The wines and juices were also fragrant and obviously delightful. Tyrande stuck to juice while one or two of her more adventurous guards tested the wines before indicating their approval.

"So. Nallorath Sunstrider. Member of the Sunstrider dynasty, I assume? Older cousin of the emissary and the crown prince." The question was once again implied rather than asked outright. Nallorath smiled.

"I do not mind. I'm not sure if you're aware, but my birth was a bit of a scandal, the result of an indiscretion. I've long come to terms with the fact that although I am theoretically the crown prince, my cousin is by far the more talented of the two of us. Besides, you've no doubt deciphered that the political implications of appointing a war leader as an emissary instead of the crown prince are not minor."

"Yes, perhaps not the most peaceful of intentions." She prodded. Nallorath smiled.

"My cousin is the closed fist that indicates the consequences of picking a fight, while I'm the open hand of diplomacy as long as we reach an accord. Assuming things go well, you get to deal with me. If things don't go well, you'll have to deal with her. You don't want to be on her bad books."

"That sounds vaguely threatening." She pointed out.

"Just stating facts." He shook his head.

"It's not a joke to say that she has transformed our people, and our nation entirely. She has shaken us from our self-satisfied and perhaps self-pitying stagnation."

"You talk too much." A melodious voice suddenly interrupted them, and when the woman stepped into the room wearing the golden armor of a paladin, Tyrande suddenly understood the comparison with Queen Azshara. However, where Azshara had been a flower that demanded attention and supplication, this woman was a warrior queen instead. Perhaps not a queen in title yet, but she was that in practice.

"Perhaps don't reveal everything on the first meeting." The woman chided Nallorath with a gentle voice that held a steely core of firmness.

"As you will, cousin." Nallorath bowed, but a small smile played on his lips, showing that the rebuke was more a playful one. Tyrande felt compelled to stand to meet this woman face to face. She herself was a warrior and a priestess. Someone who had walked through war and struggle to drag her own people to the other side, sometimes against her people's will.

She was someone who had to deal with politics and diplomacy, and she was also a woman who was the object of many desires, most famously the siblings Malfurion and Illidan. And here she could sense a kindred spirit. The two stood eye to eye. Usually, Kaldorei were taller and more muscular, and while Tyrande could tell she herself was more toned, she was certain that this was by choice. The woman opposite her looked the way she did because she wanted to.

And that if it came to a contest of pure physical prowess, Tyrande would not be the one coming out as victor. There was also a deep well of both wisdom and experience behind those silver eyes. Someone who had seen more than she should have. More war than Tyrande had. She understood right away what Cenarius had meant. This was not an enemy they wanted to make.

"Selessa Sunstrider, I presume."

"Indeed. And you must be Tyrande Whisperwind. I have heard many things." Selessa responded. Notably she hadn't said many good things.

"Everyone, leave us." Tyrande commanded her entourage, and Selessa gestured for Nallorath to leave as well. Without speaking the two sat opposite each other at table, all the refreshments forgotten.

"You're not as young as you seem. In fact, you might be older than me in soul, if not form." Tyrande finally said, completely certain of her deduction.

"And you are not as undiscerning as I had assumed." Selessa responded simply.

"Why do you say that?" Tyrande asked, not offended. That had been a frank and honest evaluation, not a slight.

"You can see the problems within your society. Yet, you either choose not to act, or you can't." Selessa tilted her head slightly in thought.

"Or…you believe it is not your place to make such decisions for your people." Tyrande hummed. Selessa had seen directly into the core of her being.

"I am a Priestess of Elune. It is her way, as it is mine to offer direction. Guidance. But it is up to those we guide to choose to walk the path. You've chosen a more direct method. As your cousin mentioned. You've fundamentally changed the Quel'dorei. You don't guide. You lead."

"Someone has to. Sometimes guidance is not enough. Someone has to make the hard decisions." Selessa argued. She'd argued with other Farseers about whether they should lead or simply offer guidance. Some, like the Seers of Ulthwe chose to lead. Others guided with varying levels of success. It seems that particular argument had followed her into this life.

"If the people do not have the freedom to choose, then what's the point?" Tyrande countered.

"Survival." Selessa shot back without even slightest hesitation.

"Some may argue that the freedom to choose is paramount, but at least they'll be alive to make that argument. And it's not as if I'm denying them all choices, just ones with catastrophic consequences they cannot see."

"Survival from what?" Tyrande questioned.

"There's no danger seeking your extinction, to my knowledge."

"To your knowledge. And all threats are not direct and imminent outside adversaries. Just because you are not aware of them, that doesn't mean internal threats or invisible outside threats don't exist. Besides, you don't prepare for danger when the risks materialize. You train and prepare when in peacetime and when you have the opportunity. You should know this world isn't safe. You fought the Burning Legion once. You might have to again, and they're not the only danger out there. Or already on this world.

The Red Dragonflight has already indicated they're waging a struggle in the shadows. One of the Dragonflights has been corrupted by the Void. Who else? Who among your people, perhaps?" Selessa's words were sharp and filled with caution and paranoia.

"And yet, freedom to live as we choose is also important." Tyrande insisted.

"Freedom to make mistakes so that we can learn from them. Obsessing with threats is not good either."

"Are you living with freedom, though?" Selessa questioned.

"From what I understand, a third of your people are warriors, while another third is sleeping while meddling in a dreamworld. When was the last time you built something? Developed something new? Found a new land? Created new art? Strove to be more than you are? We might be spending a lot of effort preparing, but we are still living. Developing. Growing as a people. Can you say the same?"

"The druids are doing a necessary duty, taking care of the Emerald Dream." Tyrande argued, knowing that she didn't sound convincing.

"Are they? As I understand, there were no druids before the Legion came. The Emerald Dream survived just fine before the druids. Perhaps they are necessary, but a third of your population? Even we do not have that many magisters, and we are magic obsessed as a people." Selessa shot back. Tyrande had to lean back and concede the point. This was something she quietly agreed with. Why did so many of their men have to spend so much of their time asleep, instead of building a new society alongside the women.

It was infuriating. And she shouldn't be forced to defend their poor decisions to outsiders! Their race had barely grown in several thousand years despite their immortality. They still hadn't returned even close to the numbers they'd had before the war against the Legion.

"You speak as if your people don't have problems." Tyrande deflected.

"There is a reason you were banished."

"We do. Plenty of them. But we are trying to improve. That is my gift to my people. They do get to choose. I'm simply making sure they're around to make the choice. If that narrows their options in the present, then so be it." Selessa returned to her original argument, giving them both something to think about.

"As for our banishment, admittedly the Highborne of that time were acting silly, but they were also desperate. They had dedicated their lives to Arcane, and you wanted to ban their life's work. I get that you were rattled by the war, but you don't throw away a very useful weapon just because it has potential for misuse. Every weapon has potential for misuse, or are you under the mistaken impression that druidism can't be used for evil purposes? If something is dangerous, you put in safeguards.

And there's a reason why the Legion is so obsessed with the Arcane. It's the counterforce to their existence. The Order to their Chaos."

"I have not heard of many cases of druidism used for ill." Tyrande pointed out.

"That's just lack of imagination. I can list thirty examples of how it could be misused, and I'm not even an expert on the topic. The people who want to misuse a power will do so, regardless of what power they possess. Now, all powers are not born equal and some are more dangerous than others. We hunt down any users of Fel and Void for a reason. But we've proven that Arcane can be used safely. No demonic incursions for thousands of years." Selessa wasn't having any of Tyrande's prevarication.

"What do you plan to do here?" Tyrande finally asked.

"I've mostly accomplished what I came here to do. Our ship will soon return from its voyage. This was a test for the new ship as well. I've made our point clear, and I've established a connection back to Quel'thalas. Now, I'll be around when I'm needed, but I will mostly turn my attention back to matters back home." Selessa didn't bother hiding her intentions.

"Nallorath will stick around and send a message to me when I'm needed. I can teleport over anytime." Tyrande considered for a long moment again.

"I might be interested in another conversation." She finally stated.

"I'll be available." Selessa promised. She could tell Tyrande would be a good connection and ally to have. Just like Tyrande, she could sense a lot of similarities between her and the other woman.

It still took Selessa almost a full minute of casting to form the portal back to Silvermoon. The whole process was not helped by the distance, and the fact that the portal magic had to travel along largely unfamiliar ley-lines. The portal magic of this world was interesting. The process wasn't just opening a doorway through space and stepping through, although that's how it seemed to most. Forming the portal was complicated but the power requirements were not really the issue at this stage.

The interesting part was that the strain of maintaining the portals scaled directly with the amount of traffic that went through. That, by itself, proved that the spell was more than just creating a doorway. Luckily the Sunwell made such costs largely irrelevant. As she stepped through the portal with a pair of bodyguards, exiting to the designated portal building in Silvermoon, she noted with satisfaction that the building was well organized and optimized for large-scale traffic.

Every portal was guarded by a pair consisting of a magister maintaining the portal and a Spellbreaker to make sure nothing unwanted came through and capable of shutting the portal down quickly if something tried. The building itself had been her suggestion, and she knew even without checking that the building was heavily guarded from the outside. Something that quickly proved true as there were more than a hundred Sin'dorei stationed around it. All of them saluted her as she passed.

The building was strategically positioned so that if anyone or anything tried to invade through their portals, they would not have an easy time, as the building was surrounded by walls on all four sides, and it was placed on the edge of the city, near the harbor. On the other hand, the harbor-side gate also allowed the quick and easy transfer of materials to the portals. Interestingly, the portals were less strained by the transfer of goods than from a heavy flow of people.

She had a suspicion that an alert of some sort had gone out when she started creating the portal as Anasterian and Sister Seraphina were both waiting for her near the gate into the city.

"Finally. We were starting to get a bit concerned." Anasterian looked genuinely relieved.

"It took a bit of time to attune to the location and the ley-lines." She explained curtly.

"Besides, we had to deal with some issues first."

"Issues? Nothing bad I hope?" Anasterian questioned with a concerned tone.

"Nothing we couldn't deal with. As it turned out, sending me conveyed the exact right message that we wanted to send. Not only did I meet with High Priestess Tyrande, but I was also visited by the demigod Cenarius. Incidentally, we have been approved for our colony right on the doorstep of Ashenvale where they can keep an eye on us." She summarized the important news.

"That was faster than I thought." Anasterian murmured in approval.

"Things haven't been quiet here either. Three rather major developments happened while you were gone."

"Well, don't keep me in suspense." She urged impatiently.

"The first news is that King Thoradin is dead. He abdicated his rule to his heirs, or rather their stewards, and went off in some kind of quest, which resulted in his death. We are not sure of the details, but there's a reason to believe Void involvement." Sister Seraphina rushed to speak first.

"A rather major wave of Void energy was sensed before suddenly being snuffed out. We assume Thoradin had something to do with that. We're still looking into it. The surge came from the area known as Tirisfal Glades."

"Of course, something like this would happen. Make the investigation your priority and let the Mon'keigh whine if they don't like us poking around." She gave immediate commands.

"Incidentally, there's political fallout as well." Anasterian added.

"The human mages have removed themselves from Strom, and are building their own city now. The factionalists have also gained power now that Thoradin is no longer around to keep them all together. His heirs are too young to take the throne, which complicates things further. The Queen suspects that Thoradin's allies will manage to keep things together for a while, but the empire will start fracturing within a few hundred years."

"As expected of such a primitive race." Sister Seraphina grinned a bit. Anasterian cleared his throat a bit.

"Either way, the second bit of news is a lot simpler. The Dragonhawk riders have found settlements of a new race on the southern continent. We have not yet made contact, but that is inevitable. We might want to decide how to approach them first."

"We suspected there would be others. It is nice to get that news confirmed though." Selessa nodded at the news.

"The third news is perhaps the most surprising. The trolls sent a representative. That representative was apprehended by your Sin'dorei. Apparently the trolls want to negotiate terms of complete surrender."

"Sorry, what? The trolls want to surrender?" That really caught her off-guard.

"How? Why? On what terms?"

"Pretty much any terms as long as they get to live. Apparently their witch doctors have been reading the omens, and it's only a matter of time until you kill them all. Note, I said you on purpose. They're not concerned about the rest of us. Just you."

"Flattering." She smiled a bit at that.

"Anyway, they want a future where they get to live. I floated the possibility of them all migrating somewhere else, and they practically jumped at the opportunity. If we guarantee them a safe passage, and that you won't follow them, they're willing to leave the Hinterlands. We haven't quite figured out where they'd be going. We don't really want them in the wetlands south of the human capital, nor do we want them in Highlands of the Dawn.

It would be somewhat poor form to toss them at the new race in the mountains, and the south is governed by the Gurubashi." Anasterian listed off the options.

"I'm not sure how much I care about a potential troll civil war." Sister Seraphina added her snide remark.

"Let them genocide each other."

"The downside is that they might unite against us. We are a rather big threat to them despite the distances involved. And if the Zandalari join them, we might have a fight on our hands. Dealing with two and a half troll empires might be a bit challenging even with our new capabilities. We'd win, but not as easily. Aren't there some islands in the west? We passed some on our way to Kalimdor." Selessa suggested.

"There are." Anasterian said hesitantly.

"I'm not sure how I feel about the trolls creating a navy big enough to move their entire population to the isles."

"Let's be frank, not all of them will leave, even when given the opportunity. We'll be fortunate if more than half of them go, which is fine by me. We're going to need some new enemies to use for our Ritual of Bloodying though. Luckily, Admiral Goldleaf might have found some aggressive pigmen in Kalimdor."

"We could ask the dragons." Anasterian suddenly suggested.

"That's…not a bad idea. As a solution to both problems. They might jump at the chance to move the trolls if it means saving their lives, and a big lizard with big teeth and fire breath does wonders to convince even the most reticent trolls. Also, they might know of a good enemy for us to hone ourselves against." Selessa admitted.

"Good. Now I have another request. We need another one of those swords of yours." Anasterian looked a little bashful.

"Again? I already told you I don't want them getting around. What happened to the last one?" She asked in genuine surprise. Anasterian knew her stance on the issue.

"Yeah, about that. We're planning on feeding this new sword to the old one." Anasterian admitted shamelessly.

"F-feeding? You do know the swords aren't alive? Not truly." She stammered, wanting to make sure.

"Yeaaaaah, alive is a relative term. You promised to not ask questions." Anasterian suddenly reminded her.

"And I'm starting to regret that promise more and more. Fine, I'll do it, but I'm not giving you a third unless I get some explanations." She stated firmly.

Selessa watched as the large dragon landed in front of her only a dozen meters away, sending a plume of dust into the dry air of Highlands of the Dawn. The meeting spot was a safe distance away from the fort and the shipyards, and she'd only brought a handful of guards.

"Princess Selessa." A deep masculine voice rumbled from the dragon. She did not recognize the voice or the magical signature, so this dragon had most likely not spent a lot of time in Quel'thalas. He was clearly a very large individual though, much larger than the average Red. He also felt old. Older than most dragons even. She nodded.

"I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage." She replied.

"I am Tyranastrasz, the prime consort and majordomo of Queen Alexstrasza." The huge wyrm rumbled while slowly moving around, finding a good position where he didn't tower over the elves but was still comfortable.

"Well met then, Lord Tyranastrasz. I see House Carmine was able to reach you." She greeted the dragon officially.

"The young ones mentioned that you had a matter of some importance to discuss." The dragon replied simply.

"I have two matters in fact. The first one concerns the remaining forest trolls. The trolls in the Hinterlands have given us their surrender on the condition that their lives be spared. It is obvious to both us, the trolls, and the Mon'keigh, that if the trolls are to stay in their current location, their surrender will only lead to a temporary cessation of hostilities, so they need to be relocated.

Now, personally I have no trouble wiping them out in a hundred years or so, but not everyone shares my opinion, and I've been given the impression the Red Dragonflight cares for the preservation of life. On those grounds, you might be interested in the project." She made her pitch.

"Hrmmm, I seem to recall you made a similar deal with the Queen earlier to spare some refugees." He nodded to himself.

"We are not opposed, but there is the issue of where they would be relocated."

"Well, I have some suggestions, and you might have some as well. The first choice is to chuck them at the Gurubashi. There's about even odds to whether the two tribes end up waging a war or forming an uneasy truce. The second possibility is relocating them to Kalimdor, though I have some doubts the Kaldorei will like this, and it might upset the balance of the continent. The third option is that we spotted some islands on the way to Kalimdor. They might work, but for that to work we'll definitely need your help.

We're not letting the trolls build a navy big enough to move a million trolls." She stated firmly.

"Hmm, the last option seems the most workable, though there is another possibility. There's a continent to the north with the kinds of forests the trolls might live in. The trouble is that there's already a troll empire present, and the Drakkari aren't exactly the friendliest neighbors. I will bring your suggestions to the Queen. You had another matter to discuss."

"Yes, somewhat related. With the trolls gone, we need a proper enemy to allow our warriors to bloody themselves against. You should be the party with the best information on that field." She asked. The dragon chuckled a bit.

"The lack of adversaries does dull the edge of warriors. Well, I did just mention the Northern continent, called Northrend. There are several opponents present that might pose a challenge, though I'm not sure if you want to poke the Drakkari or the Nerubians. That might lead to war you really don't want to wage. There are local challenges like Magnataurs as well, and the slumbering Vrykul, though the latter is another potential issue. There are satyrs and the local Furbolgs have gone insane."

"Oh, this place sounds fun. Tell me more." She eagerly leaned forward.

STATUS: Level: 12 5000/12000 EXP 11 Base Points/2 Advanced Points/1 Mastery Points Mandatory Perks: Beauty Over Brawn Body: 10/11 (5 Unspent Perk Points) Athletics 10 Iron Lungs Strength of a Dragon Body of Eternal Dawn Unbreaking Stride Eternal Sunstrider Heavy Weapons 10 Cleaving Strikes Blade of the Rising Sun Unyielding Vigil Fury of the Chosen Bladestorm Durability 10 Immovable object Dragon's Fortitude Unageing Regeneration Healing Factor Reflexes: 10/12 (4 Unspent Perk Point) Light Weapons 10 (4 Unspent Perk Points) Swift Strikes Nervous System 10 Keen Eyes Keen Eye for Hidden Dragon's Perception Sentinel's Eye Danger Sense Dawn's Reflex Subtlety 5 (1 Unspent Perk Point) Arcane Shots Charisma: 17/17 (+2 Max due to Eyes) Politics 17 Competent Underlings Superior Subordinates Shared Vision Intelligent Improvisation Unleased Potential Unlimited Potential Above and Beyond Inspiring Loyalty Improved Resources Rare Resources Treasure Trove Fertile Land Esprit de Corps Conflux Endless Plenty Hardy Stock Social 5 (2 Unspent Perk Points) Pleasure 1 Crafting: 8/12 (1 Unspent Perk Point) Magical Crafting 8 Master of Disassembly Superior Runework Talented Enchanter Master of Efficiency Creation 1 Nature 2 Eye for Errors Eye for Improvement Bonesinging 8 Difference of Kind Amalgamation Amplification Grand Amplification Great Works Regeneration Stronger Than You Think Discipline: 7/12 (+2 Max due to Past Experiences) (1 Unspent Perk Point) Commander 7 (1 Unspent Perk Point) Battlefield Awareness Ambush Expert Cavalry Tactics Squad Leader 5 (1 Unspent Perk Point) Sensei Soldier 6 (2 Unspent Perk Points) One With Your Steed One With Your Steed II Magic: 7/13 (2 Unspent Perk Point) Light 7 Severe healing Baptism of Light I Baptism of Light II Arcane 7 (1 Unspent Perk Point) Massive Spells Master Conjurer Spellbreaker 5 Magic Sight Anti-Magic Zone Projected AMZ