[Alliance] Chapter Two: Session Thirty-One
September 17th (Night)
Uther has come to in the arms of his mother. Arthas is calling for another priest to ensure that the prince is alright. He thin looks at Vel, noting her white hair and the blood smeared on her face and asks if she’s alright. She said she’s just tired, and he withdraws a handkerchief and dabs at her cheek, revealing the blood smeared beneath her eyes. He said he’ll have someone sent to look her over, and then continues to call for servants and the like, starting to take charge of the situation.
Word is sent to the other Windrunners, and Esara, that they are welcome in Vel’s room.
Vincent goes to try and find Tess. He approaches Mia, and she informs him that Tess headed to her room with Valeera and several priests. Valeera is in Tess’s bed, being attended by several priests, and she still seems to be unconscious and panting, as if she was struggling with a fever. The green tattoos on her body are pulsing with fel energy. Tess nods at Vincent as he enters, and he asks if it’s gotten worse. She says it hasn’t gotten worse, but it hasn’t gotten better.
The priest that was attending Valeera tells her that there isn’t anything more she can do presently, as the situation is beyond her expertise currently. However, she reassures Tess that Valeera will live. For now.
Tess asks Vincent if everyone else was okay, and Vincent confirms. Tess comments that the entire thing was a shit show, and Vincent agrees, though there’s no point thinking about it. Vincent asks if Tess is planning on staying, and she said she doesn’t know. Krennan hasn’t been looking good, and she doesn’t believe he has much time. Tess says she believes she wants to go home back to Gilneas. If Liam and Genn are still alive, they need to know. The wall won’t keep the invaders out. Not forever, and she isn’t accomplishing anything outside of it--not anymore. She’s sick of running.
Vincent told her she needs to do what she needs to do for her people. After all, she’s a princess, and, similarly, Uther will have to start recognizing his responsibilities as well. Tess agrees. Vincent offers to help her get back to Gilneas if she needs it, and she smiles, but says she feels she can get back on her own--though the offer is appreciated. He then tells Tess to spend some time with Krennan, he can watch Valeera.
However, Tess asks him to come with him for a moment to see Krennan. She admits that she doesn’t want to watch Krennan die. Vincent agrees to accompany her, and they crack open the door. Krennan is sleeping in his bed. She tells him that she’s going to be leaving, and that she needs him to look after her mother, as Mia is also getting up in years. Vincent sees Krennan’s eyes flicker open as Tess holds his hand. He looks at her.
Krennan: “Princess…? Princess it’s you.”
Tess: “It’s me. I came back.”
Krennan smiles and touches her cheek. “You’re beautiful. You’re so beautiful. Your mother would be so proud. Please.”
Tess grabs his hand.
Krennan: “Please forgive her. She didn’t mean it… and she’s tried so hard. Please, princess. Please forgive her.”
Tess: “...Krennan. I’m so sorry. I did. I will.”
Krennan’s eyes flicker closed again and Tess collapses on the bed, still holding his hand, and weeps. “I’m so sorry. I’ll never forget. I’ll never forget what you said. I’m so sorry.”
The weeping continues for a while. Finally her sobbing slows and she stands. She pulls the blanket up over Krennan. “Sleep well, old friend.” And she kisses him on the forehead.
She comes over to Vincent and puts a hand on his shoulder. “Thank you. It means a lot more than you might realize. You’ll tell everyone else, right?”
Vincent says he will.
Tess: “‘Til next time, Vincent.”
Vincent: “We’ll see. Good luck.”
She looks back to Krennan, his breathing shallow, and then disappears down the hall. Krennan is still muttering under his breath, repeating, “Please forgive her…”
Vincent closes the door and heads back to Valeera. Nothing has changed. She’s quieted down, her breathing still shallow, but the panting seems to have slowed. Vincent opts to watch over Valeera for the night, sleeping on the chair.
The Windrunners all gather in Vel’s room. Esara plops several pillows on the ground. Arator eventually leaves Uther after ensuring he is okay to instead join his family.
Vel curls up next to her dad.
Throughout the rest of the castle, refugees are set up everywhere between the banquet hall and throughout the various rooms in the castle. It’s a quiet, sad, and tired night.
September 18th
The next morning, everyone awakens to the sound of heavy rain. They learn from the various present leaders that there are plans to send word via messenger bird to Dalaran to figure out what leadership made it out. By the end of the day or early tomorrow they are hoping for a response.
Raluhi has taken to using create food and water as much as he can. They learn early in the morning that the demon that was taken captive had died in the night, and nothing was left behind beyond her weapons, vestment, and charred bone and ash.
Vel has Esara start getting the names of the refugees, and she tries to get sendings sent out. She manages to make contact with Vereesa, who informs her she’s still in one one piece. She had retreated to the sewers, and she also says that Zaeneas said hi. Vel then contacts Alleria, telling her that Vereesa is inside, and asks on status on others. Alleria returns that she is outside with Kael’thas, Rommath, and the others, but Turalyon is still inside and the invaders will pay. Vel also manages to get ahold of Duskwither to give him a warning, and he thanks her for it, and states they are already preparing to rendevouz with the king. However, no other sendings are able to go through, particularly in Vel’s exhausted state.
She touches base with Talath with the sending stone, informing him they are okay and that she will be returning to Dalaran soon. He seems to be very, very shaken, and begs for her and the others to stay safe.
The rest of the day, Vel is working to get a registry together using the names Esara had gathered.
Remnii speaks with Jaina, asking what she can do, and Jaina said that her healing abilities could be of a great deal of help. They decide to get a group meeting together later so that Remnii can share any information she has.
Gil was also helping with things using goodberries and other such means.
That evening, a farstrider comes and finds Gil and informs him that Ranger-General Sylvanas had managed to make it out along with Nathanos. They had arrived in Dalaran, and should be arriving within a few days. Gil immediately goes and finds Lirath to inform him as well. He finds him with a group of children, playing the pipes that Gil had given him. There are mice dancing around the crate he’s sitting on, drawn to the pipes. One of the children had picked up one of the mice, and it continued to dance in their hand.
Gil recognizes Liadrin nearby.
Lirath stops playing as he sees his son, and the mice seemingly “bow” before darting away. Gil informs him that Aunt Sylvanas made it out. Lirath asks Gil if he’s alright, and Gil responds that he’s as well as he could be. Lirath gives him a tight hug, saying that he’s already becoming a better farstrider than he could hope to be.
Gil asks how Vel is doing, and Lirath said that she seems to be focusing on her work, between contacting people and reuniting families. However, he can tell that whatever happened at the Sunwell hurt her. He just wishes he knew more.
That morning, when Vincent woke up, Valeera was still unconscious. However, a bit after a priest leaves, he sees her eyes open.
Valeera: “Where… where am I?”
Vincent: “Lordaeron.”
Valeera: “Vincent? What happened?”
Vincent: “Where to begin... “
He gives Valeera a general recap of what happened.
Valeera: “I feel it.”
Vincent: “Feel what?”
Valeera: “Him. It.”
She looks down at the marks across her arms and she grips her chest.
Valeera: “Whatever that thing was, it’s crawling under my skin. It feels like my body is on fire and my blood is made of sludge.”
Her eyes, now open, are glowing a faint green.
Vincent: “Are you able to walk?”
Valeera: “I think… but I don’t want to go out there. What if they see what I am? Loraderon is priests and paladins and… Vincent… Vincent you can’t let them kill me. Uther. He promised. He promised I’d be okay. That he would protect me.”
Vincent: “He’ll uphold that. Uther made a promise. He’ll keep it. But it’s best people watch you right now.”
They talk for a moment, and then Vincent goes to find the new blue woman given she seemed to be friends with a demon of some sort. He asks her for a second opinion, and takes her to Valeera.
Valeera asks if there is anything she can do to help. However, as Remnii looks, it’s completely unlike anything she had ever seen before. It’s different from what Nyxxa had.
Remnii offers to try something the next day if Valeera would be okay with it, but she was not quite prepared for the situation. She also offers to confer with her peer, Raluhi, as he has been alive longer than she has.
In that moment, Uther appears, having been informed that Valeera had come out of her fitful slip. Almost instinctively, upon seeing him, Valeera pulls the covers up to cover the markings.
Uther: “I’m… I’m so sorry.”
Valeera: “I wasn’t… I don’t think we… I don’t know what’s happened to me.”
Uther kneels next to the bed. “Whatever it was, whatever it is, I will not abandon you. I have already failed you once. There will not be a second time.”
Valeera looks at Uther and nods. “Thank you… I don’t want to die. I’m afraid.”
Uther: “Well, I don’t recommend dying. But I will not… we’ll fight this, Valeera.”
Valeera: “Alright. I don’t even know how, but alright.”
Uther: “If I’m being perfectly honest, I’m not sure how any of this was going to play out. Given recent revelations, I doubt anyone was. But no matter what happens, Valeera, I am on your side.”
Valeera looks at Uther, then to Vincent and Remnii. She starts to cry.
Vincent: “Oh come now.”
Valeera continues crying, and in that moment, she seems very, very vulnerable for very obvious reasons. Uther leans in to hug her.
That night, Jaina has the group meet in her study.
Jaina: “Alright. Remnii, I believe you have some things you wanted to explain to everyone.”
Remnii: “Okay, hi everyone. I am not sure where to begin.”
Gilveradin: “You can start with why you look like an eredar.”
Remnii: “You can perhaps let me finish a sentence… but that is a valid question. My people are known as the draenei. Approximately 25,000 years ago, my people and the eredar were one and the same. In short, the titan Sargeras approached my people. Those that took his offer of power became the man’ari that you know now, or, as you know them, the eredar. The faction of eredar that did not become demons because draenei. The conflict continues. Is that sufficient for you. For now.”
Gil nods.
Remnii: “I would be happy to answer more in detail later, but there is much to discuss. In that nature, Raluhi and myself are both draenei. Some look like me. Some look like him. We are the same people nonetheless.”
Jaina: “Would you mind explaining that further. The two of you don’t look anything alike.”
Rermnii explains that they mutated, triggered by weaponized fel corruption.
Jaina: “So your people have been running from those that joined the demons ever since?”
Remnii confirmed, and she continued to explain about Draenor as well.
Jaina: “I suppose one of the most pressing questions I’m curious about, the magic you wield. It’s not dissimilar to the magic that our priests or Uther wields.”
Remnii again confirms, explaining they also channel the Light. “The reason the draenei do exist is that we found the Light, as Sargeras found them. My father is a priest, so I have followed in his hoofsteps.”
Remnii continues a quick summary of things she knows.
Vel: “The white-skinned eredar, then, is one of their leaders?”
Remnii’s skin goes pale. “Her name is Shaspira. They call her the White Tyrant. She is a very high ranking member of the Burning Legion.”
Jaina: “And she knows my name.”
Remnii nods.
Jaina: “I still don’t understand why.”
Uther: “She speaks the truth. When I took my turn trying to keep the portal closed, there was something in my mind, and she spoke your name.”
Vel mentions that it may be wise for Remnii to have some degree of scrying protection, and she offers Remnii her amulet of proof against detection and location. She states she would like it back eventually, as soon as Remnii finds a different means, but for the time being, Vel is assuming she is low on the demons’ priority list when compared to Jaina and Remnii.
Talk goes on, and Remnii mentions others of her people are, in fact, on Azeroth, though they need to locate them.
Remnii continues, explaining some of the big names of the orcs. Gil asks what the orcs are going to be doing. If it was just conquering, and Remnii confirms.
Remnii also mentions that the Legion attempted to take Azeroth before, but had lost.
Uther asks if the Legion’s goal is just destruction across the cosmos, and Remnii again confirms. She explains that Shaspira is in charge of ensuring the worlds they invade are either integrated or destroyed.
Uther asks about the one that he fought. What her name was.
Remnii: “Her name is Velhari. She betrayed the draenei. She was once a Vindicator. A holy warrior. In my lifetime, her and a faction of her kin betrayed us and became eredar themselves.”
Jaina: “Seems they corrupt or destroy everything they touch. All that we’ve known of the demons is fairytales.”
Remnii: “Perhaps tonight may not be the night, but I do have more information about the demons. Outside Nyxxa, if you come across a satyr, I would be cautious.”
Jaina: “it’s clear this is much more complicated than we could imagine, but our enemy is obvious. Even despite that, we must protect our home. All of us must. If these orcs have been transformed into tools of the Legion, we cannot allow the same to happen to us.”
Vel mentions the real threat of warlocks having slipped through with the refugees, and Jaina agrees. Vel continues she’s intending on speaking with the Council when she returns to Dalaran about potentially stopping that threat in its tracks, though it needs to be done delicately to prevent racial tensions from rearing their heads.
Remnii also mentions that the Horde itself is made up of different clans and some are more willing to talk than others. Jaina said that, present, diplomacy may be out of the question, which Remnii agrees, but it’s something to keep in mind. She gives a few clan names that she feels may be willing to talk someday in the future.
Jaina: “I’m sure we have learned a great deal, and there will be more, but for now, this will have to suffice. We will have a great deal to do over the coming weeks. Thank you for sharing, Remnii. I’m sure it isn’t easy, given everything you’ve said.”
The discussion starts to wrap up, and Jaina mentions that it’ll be important for Remnii to learn common in the future, and she will start making preparations for her to do so.
The group disperses, but Vincent speaks with Jaina briefly in private. He says he needs to head back to Stormwind. With everything they’ve learned, he feels it’s important he gets it to them. He isn’t sure how they will take it, but he’s willing to take a letter for aid to them as well.
Jaina isn’t against the idea, and she doesn’t feel she will have difficulty getting there, but there is only one teleportation circle and the court conjurer had since changed it. She will have to resort to typical teleportation, and wishes to ensure enough safeguards are in place.
As Vincent heads back to the room he was staying in, Mia is there. However, there is also another person there. A male human bearing the symbol of SI7.
He sees Vincent and nods his head.
Vincent: “I suppose you have something to tell me.”
SI7: “I do, yes. You’ve been busy from what I understand.”
Vincent: “Yes. Not the job I was expecting.”
SI7: “I have a message for you.”
He hands Vincent a letter.
“Agent Vincent Nightwhisper, until otherwise confirmed by a superior officer, the funds due to you from August through September is being withheld until your debriefing with a superior agent and a thorough assessment of your performance is accomplished. This has been communicated with the other agents in Lordaeron, and the spy agency the royal family of Lordaeron wields.”
It also states a location in the city Vincent is to meet where he will be evaluated for his performance. It’s a tavern called the Heroic Stallion, which is in one of the poorer regions of town.
Vincent heads in that direction, using his hat of disguise.After making arrangements, he sits down to meet with his superior.
It’s Sarah. His old mentor. She asks for his debriefing. Vincent tells her everything. She asks about Tess, and Vincent tells her that she’s heading back to Gilneas.
Sarah informs Vincent he did well, and that she is intending on reporting the information back to Stormwind. She has a few stops to make. However, she said that Vincent has a new job. One that he’s uniquely positioned to do.
Vincent: “Is it another babysitting mission?”
Sarah: “You can call it that, but this one may be more interesting.”
She slides a letter to Vincent. Vincent opens it.
There are two letters inside.
Sarah: “Be lucky you’re getting that one.” She tosses another envelope in her hand before flinging it into a fire. “That means you did a good job. This one you don’t need to worry about.”
The first letter seems to be penned by the spymaster of the SI7 itself, Matthias Shaw. It congratulates him, and then explains that he was granted the rank of Second Finger--which is accompanied with a pay increase. He’s now receiving 90 gold per month.
The second letter explains that the various kingdoms are likely sending envoys north to survey the situation. Vincent is to do two things: do whatever he can to ensure that the talks go smoothly between the various groups and any information that Vincent can provide toward the dire nature of the situation in the north is given to anyone that would assist in expediting the Alliance response to the demonic incursion. The second part is that he is to act as a formal attache and agent to one of the delegations that is going to make an appearance. Which one that is will be decided later. If he has a preference, it will be taken into consideration.
Vincent: “Well, I have my work cut out.”
Sarah passes a bag of gold over to Vincent, and he takes it.
Sarah: “I’ll be making my way back to Stormwind, but I’ll be back. Seems I’ve been deployed to the north as well.”
They then part ways.
