Equestria Was Merely a Setback!

by Thunderscourge

Rest Experience 4: Food and Thought

The cave tunnel let out after what felt like a long trek that led downwards, even including a few ledges. Trixie considered how things might go if she offered her equine form to help carry Kael and Lavitz, but while she trusted their new ally on some levels, she didn’t know him well enough to reveal her alternate form just yet. What would he think if she just sneezed and became a horse? Would he be put off?

If Kael was seemingly worse off than merely unconscious, Trixie would put his well being first, but he seemed oddly at peace and his wounds had stopped bleeding.

Upon exiting the cave the two took a moment to breathe and check that no-one was following them. Trixie took a moment to sigh in relief when no immediate threat, though it was quickly interrupted by a man in green-ish chainmail stepping out from the shadows cast beside the cave’s end.

This was one of the mercenaries with the Hunter…but he was smiling at them, and made no move to intercept them. Trixie thought back to a few moments ago and realized that after he first appeared he had disappeared from the ensuing chaos. Apparently he had thought ahead and come here.

“Mrglmrglmrgl!”

Before Trixie or Lavitz could question the mercenary’s motivations or what he would do, the war cry of a small army of Murlocs roared forth and was met by many more such noises. The cave had let out by the beach, and from the shore came the Murloc army.

The mercenary nodded in a direction before turning his back on the others, his direction quickly captured by the Murlocs headed his way. Taking it as a sign that he was not going to fight them but instead deal with the animals about to attack them, Trixie helped Lavitz along as they carried the unconscious Kael together.

The sound of Murlocs being butchered rang out into the sky as Trixie and Lavitz finally found their way to the familiar Moonbrook, which had since become a ghost town. No-one was there, and the Alliance outpost was abandoned, a vast difference compared to how things had been before. Had the people milled out under the guidance of the now defeated Defias?

Trixie noticed that despite his best efforts Lavitz was struggling to keep walking, and so she decided to address the issue. Here was yet another example of a Human that was nothing like the ones she heard about from other Elves. He had helped Kael try and save her, he had taken a risk in trying to save Vanessa even if he failed, and he ignored numerous injuries to not slow them down and carry Kael.

“Lavitz, can you keep going?”

He nodded, though his eyes were nearly closed from the pain he was enduring.

“Yeah!”

While impressed at his fortitude, enough was enough. He was half-starved and heavily wounded. With Kael not able to walk on his own just yet and Lavitz the way he was, it would be idiotic to keep moving when perhaps rest would solve their issues.

“No, we’ll stay here for the time being. You should really keep off that leg,” Trixie paused as she led the other two over to an open house, “You really are a tough guy…”

Once both Kael and Lavitz were set down on the floor of the inn-like building, Trixie set about looking for things she could use to assist their conditions.

“Does it hurt?”

Slumped against a wall, Lavitz found it more comfortable than sitting at one of the tables given the extensive damage to his leg, “It’s just a scratch. I’ve had worse,” with a smirk he brought a hand up to where his heart rested in his chest, “If something doesn’t kill me outright, it won’t keep me down.”

Trixie managed to find some medical supplies in a drawer and removed them before checking first that Kael was no longer bleeding and next that Lavitz was wincing in pain. Conscious person takes precedence over unconscious person as far as pain went, “We should at least cover your wound…”

Lavitz nodded and let Trixie use what little medical knowledge she had to patch him up, perhaps using a little too much in the ways of bandages and gauze but he was in no position to complain.

Once done, Trixie held a hand out to him to shake, “So, I’m Trixie. Thank you for helping.”

“Your friend spoke about you. I’m glad I could be of assistance,” the Warrior smiled, though it was followed by a quick grunt of pain as his leg’s wound flared up.

Trixie cast her eyes over to Kael, who was resting against a barrel of sorts. He had done something insane to come and save her. The thought made her nearly blush in embarrassment as well as question her own courage and loyalty. Would she have done exactly as he had done in his place? While not a coward, Trixie doubted she could have mustered the will to power through a cove of bandits for the sake of one person.

Still, he had…and now he was sleeping off countless injuries, having very well come close to dying.

“He’s an idiot.”

Saying that helped Trixie ignore the awkwardness of thinking about what Kael did for her. Thinking of what he did being stupid rather than brave. Why did he risk himself for her like that? Sure, they were partners, but this was far and beyond what she would expect of someone to do on behalf of a mere partner!

Lavitz nodded as he glanced over to the man resting nearby, “You aren’t really wrong. After all, if he and I hadn’t crossed paths, I don’t think either of us would have gotten out alive.”

“Will he be alright?”

“I have a feeling he’ll be just fine…” Lavitz sighed as he closed his eyes and leaned back, “If he’s half as strong as the Elf my father served under, he’ll be just fine.”

That perked Trixie’s interest. This man was obviously some kind of soldier or fighter, probably from the nearby Stormwind, so it being a generational thing made her wonder about what that must be like, “Your father was a soldier too?”

“He was, just as his father before him,” his eyes opened as his head titled back to move his gaze to the ceiling of the abandoned inn, “He died years ago, back when we were still allied with you. He died serving Kael’thas Sunstrider when Garithos turned on them.”

As Lavitz spoke Trixie set about finding him food, for the longer she looked at him the more she realized he had not been eating regularly in what must have been months. He had the body of someone who ought to be in peak physical condition, only degraded by starvation. It showed by how he could take more damage than someone ought to, but perhaps that was willpower rather than his physical capability.

He nodded in thanks as Trixie brought him some plain bread left on a table in the room, “Don’t worry. The world may be at war, but I owe your friend my life,” he wolfed down the loaf and let out a content sound before looking once again towards Kael, “My father died saving a man named Kael’thas, and now I find myself indebted to one such man. Fate can be real funny sometimes…”

That left Trixie in an awkward place, because to her it meant that Kael had forgotten completely about whatever sacrifice the Warrior’s father had made years back. Had the Warrior picked up on the identity of Kael and was not bringing it up, or was he of the mind that many Elves with blonde hair were simply named Kael’thas after their lord?

In an attempt to divert the subject, Trixie looked to the still open entrance and decided it best to shut it while discussing what lay beyond it.

“What should we do now?”

“I must return to Stormwind…” Lavitz tried to raise himself to his feet but failed, “You are welcome to join me. I am sure Lord Wrynn will reward you two for your bravery.”

Trixie frowned. Walking straight into a hive of Humans might not prove that…safe. After all, they had met a couple nice ones, but how lucky could they possibly get time after time in terms of who they would come across? Would the King even be receptive to those of their persuasion?

“He won’t mind our…”

Trixie pointed to her ears and eyes, earning a chortle from the Human in their company.

“He is a Warrior through and through. He sees your people as the enemy now because they are a part of the Horde these days, but he’s accepted the aid of an Elf before, he can be reasonable, especially if we inform him of the Brotherhood’s defeat.”

While it was certainly a risk, Trixie actually saw some potential use out of meeting with a King…namely, if he didn’t execute them on the spot, he could be a good contact and hook to have in ways. Besides, they were being hunted and if the Hunter was still breathing she would find them again.

“I don’t see a better alternative…our only other friends are far away,” thinking back to Silvermoon, Trixie once again hoped that their allies had made it out of the whole slaughter alright, “Mitter’meyer and Reuenthal are probably worried about us…”

The mention of the blonde Elf’s name made Lavitz’s eyes open, “Mitter’meyer, the Gale Wolf?”

Trixie nodded, surprised that he reacted as if he knew the man in some form. Gale Wolf rang a bell in her head for whatever reason so she nodded along, “I think so. You know him?”

He nodded, “He was one of the up and coming soldiers when my father was serving Lord Kael’thas on the behalf of Stormwind,” he closed his eyes again as he leaned back, “Every kid has their idols, and a commoner rising through the ranks with honor and valor is quite the hero to aspire to.”

“He’s a good man. We helped him out of a rough spot and he invited us over to a nice meal at his house in return. I wish everyone was as kind as him and his wife,” which made it all the weirder to Trixie that the two had not created more Mitter’meyers and Evangelines yet. He was such a devoted husband after all…

To think that without the intervention of her and Kael that he may have been brainwashed or purged made Trixie almost shudder. Silvermoon wasn’t in a great spot even before a fake Kael’thas came to ruin everyone’s day…

“I’d like to meet him one day, but I don’t see how that will happen now except on the battlefield. Even then, I wonder what would win out: his speed or my stamina?”

Trixie left her pondering to rejoin the current conversation. The idea of a man as kind as this coming to fight Mitter’meyer, another great man, did not sit right with Trixie…yet such a thing might come to be given the ongoing conflict between their races.

“I would hate to have you fight him.”

To counter the thought of war, Trixie tried looking for one of those health potions that Kael had given her. Coming across a set of red vials in the kitchen in the back of the inn gave her hope that perhaps these could treat the wounds better than simply stopping their bleeding.

As she re-entered the main room of the inn Lavitz finally spoke back, his eyes closed once again as he rested, “Aye, but isn’t that the tragedy of war? We can appreciate and honor our enemies for their merits, yet we groan and complain about our own people for their flaws.”

Trixie handed him a potion and gave a small smile. Why couldn’t their nations get along this easily?

“I suppose that’s why I don’t mind patching you up, though you’re hardly an enemy.”

“And you are doing quite well at it,” he took the entire vial in a single gulp before looking over to Trixie force feeding Kael one, “Between that and the care you showed to even an enemy, I must say you are a compassionate woman. There are few like you here in this land, and I’d reckon someone with that kind of heart would make a great wife.”

“Thank you,” Trixie blushed again from embarrassment, though she could not argue that whatever morals and values she held felt different from the norm of this land, “Perhaps one day, but right now I’m too young for something like that.”

Lavitz sighed as he thought about how old he was. Not yet thirty, he felt that he had a whole life ahead of him while at the same time as if yesterday he had been a child. Life could go by faster for some than others, and it was not a resource to be thrown away without great cause, “No-one lives forever. Life has a way of making sure of that. Take my favorite flower for example, the cherry blossom. Its beauty is greater than any other, but sadly its time in this world is short.”

The mention of cherry blossoms made Trixie’s long ears perk straight up. Ever since her sudden recollection she had the image of swirling cherry blossom petals going through her mind, but it had been in the back of her mind. Something about them calmed her, made her feel emotions long forgotten and, while she wasn’t sure that they were her favorite flower, she most certainly had an admiration for them.

Thinking more about them, Trixie could remember a particular yard with a cherry blossom tree…but the specifics evaded her. Was it home? It probably was, as she felt calm when thinking about the serene setting.

“You know, I happen to be quite a fan of those flowers as well. They are not common where I live, but I had one back home.”

“I will have to show you my own sometime. They aren’t common here either, but the Pandaren certainly have a certain beauty to their flora—”

Lavitz’s words about the Pandaren would be held for a later time as Kael lurched upward and sat straight up all the while coughing, having been force fed too much healing potion by Trixie. Not only that, his face appeared pale, like he had seen a ghost.

Trixie patted him on the back and tried to help him cough out whatever went down the wrong pipe in his throat, “Kael, are you okay?”

“I…”

He shook his head. He would not worry Trixie with the nightmare she had just accidently stirred him from.

“I’ll be fine. It was just a dream.”

Noticing that Lavitz was nearby and thus still with them, Kael looked to him and smiled.

“Lavitz...thank you.”

It’d have been impossible for Kael to save Trixie alone, and Kael found himself indebted to yet another person. He only hoped he could get to the point he wouldn’t rely on others so much, but for now he was mortal and needed others.

Lavitz shrugged it off, “No need to thank me. I owe you just as much, after all.”

Looking back to Trixie, Kael thought about something that he had been meaning to tell her about, “Trixie, Nana should be at the Saldeans’. There was a fire, so no-one is there…”

With the healing potion coursing through him, Lavitz finally had the strength to pull himself to his feet, “Well then, we should go get her before we go to Stormwind then.”

“Stormwind?”

Trixie gave Kael a nervous grin, realizing that he hadn’t heard the talk about it, “Ehh, why not? It’s not as if we can return to Silvermoon…”

That rose the curiosity of Lavitz, who had been out of the loop for months and months as far as events went, “Has something happened to Silvermoon?”

“It’s…a long story,” Kael said as a filler explanation, not really sure how much he should tell someone of another race about how utterly weak and defenseless Silvermoon was right then. After all, while Lavitz was an ally, he also had loyalties to his own King, “I’m not sure how much I should say, given the circumstances.”

Lavitz held a hand up to silence him, “I understand. I wouldn’t want to speak out of place about my own land,” he moved over to the door and opened it up, finding that the sky outside was beginning to dim as the afternoon set in, “Now, how about we find this ‘Nana’ and head to Stormwind? I want to put as much ground as possible between us and those pursuing you.”

Nana happened to be very enthusiastic about the return of Trixie, and after the two embraced (while Kael and Lavitz secured any belongings and things that should be taken along) for some time, the group headed off to a forest that bordered the edge of Westfall and led towards where Stormwind lay. Dusk set in before long, and given how the group traveled slowly on-foot they did not get too far. Trixie still felt uncomfortable transforming in front of a semi-stranger, though she now once again had pepper just in case she had to transform out of necessity.

Once they got well into the forest the sun was well on its way to setting, and while bushes nearby rustled and the occasional animal could be seen, nothing seemed particularly out to kill them just yet. This combination of factors made Lavitz stop the others, who he had been leading due to his greater familiarity with the land.

“We should camp here for the night. Stormwind is nearby, but I am afraid my legs will not be able to carry me much further.”

“I doubt Stormwind would like visitors this late anyways,” Kael joked, but it was met with a serious look from the Human rather than an amused one due to how true it was.

“No, I would suppose not.”

Using the bedding and supplies they had gathered together they managed to set up a camp of sorts while using nearby wood they managed a fire with Kael’s aid. Once everyone was settled into their temporary camp, Lavitz tried to stir up conversation with a topic he had on his mind this whole time.

“What are you two doing so far down south, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Kael pointed a thumb over in Trixie’s direction before bringing it back in to point at himself, “We’re travelers. She seeks fame and glory, while I have a more personal quest.”

“Fame, huh?” Lavitz smirked at Trixie as his mind came up with ways to fulfill her own quest, “You might happen to like the arena in Stormwind then. There is plenty to go around there.”

“I have heard of this ‘arena’ before. There is one in Stormwind?” Trixie questioned. Could this finally be the break she needed to succeed in this land?

“One of the finest. I can show you it after we meet with Lord Wrynn and stop by my house to ease my mother’s fears.”

On top of the blanket she had spread out on the ground Trixie placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head back snobbishly, “I would be most grateful for the chance to display my absolute brilliance before a crowd.”

Lavitz had taken to laying on a nice patch of grass, with his wounded leg propped up on a pile of leaves he had gathered, “Well, if you are to capture hearts and minds, now is the time to do so. Before long our people will be at each other’s throats in more open warfare rather than facing down the Illidari.”

He laid down completely and closed his eyes as he once again tried to rest. Kael had offered to be the first watch of the night and Lavitz was in no position to complain, “At least, that is, if the conflict has not escalated to greatly during my absence. Given how slow these things tend to be though I do not expect it has.”

“The Illidari? Are those Illidan’s forces?” Trixie asked, wanting to make sure she grasped the conversation’s greater context given the pieces of information she did know.

“Yes. He has gone mad from what I have last heard, and he has become a tyrant. He must be stopped before he does something drastic, as he has been known to do. One does not end up imprisoned for ten millennia for smelling flowers and skipping in meadows.”

Kael nodded, face paling slightly as he thought about what fighting Illidan’s forces meant, “And I suppose stopping him means facing down Kael’thas and the other Elves he has with him in support of Illidan.”

What was that other Kael’thas going to lead their people into, if not ruin?

“Unfortunately, yes,” Lavitz confirmed, his gaze lingering on Kael as he said so. Kael did not notice this however, as he in turn was looking to Trixie. They were exchanging glances towards Lavitz. After they came to a non-verbal agreement, Kael spoke up again.

“I do not believe you to be the sort who would abuse this knowledge, so I will pass it along to you in case it is useful…”

As her partner trailed off Trixie picked up the slack, “You see, we’re here for more than just our own reasons.”

Kael nodded over to their newest partner, who was suddenly attentive rather than dozing off, “Silvermoon was attacked by the Illidari. Red, demon powered Orcs entered the city and slaughtered those in their path.”

He intentionally left out the involvement of the pseudo-Kael to keep things from getting to weird and possibly giving himself away, but Kael had a feeling as if he had already been found out and Lavitz was allowing him to keep the secret really just as a formality.

“They were seeking some kind of power source, and they found it,” Trixie frowned as she remembered the sheer barbaric display of the forces under Kargath. Were all Orcs so brutal?

“Interesting…” Lavitz brought a hand to his chin as he pondered this development, “If so, then that means they must have something monumental planned if they are turning on their own kind.”

He looked between the two of them, “Come to think of it, an Elf was hunting you,” he stopped when his eyes reached Trixie, at which point they lingered as he continued to think about the issue, “And you were kidnapped for some kind of reward I believe. It’s surprising that the Defias was granted so many resources in such a short period of time. Someone powerful must have backed them and wanted to reward either group for your capture, yet the Defias did not seem interested in both of you.”

Everything he said checked out, and both Trixie and Kael nodded along as he spoke, but at the same time they found themselves surprised by the depths of the Warrior. He was no brute, as easily as someone of his skillset could be. Each of them was sure he would continue to keep surprising them if they let him, so they increased their expectations of him to offset future surprise.

“I can tell you both are good people, so I think we can rule out criminal activity as being the cause for your wanted status. And I think we can rule out the Alliance and the Horde as the Defias’s large benefactor as the Alliance would not side with the Defias, and the Horde would more than likely not rely on Humans to do their own task. Of course, this leaves open the opportunity that the Hunter woman worked for the Horde, but…”

Kael cut him off with a gesture. It was getting late, and the others ought to rest. He couldn’t wait for a few hours to go by and he could wake someone else to pick up his slack, at which point he could sleep off his remaining aches and pains.

“I would rather leave that discussion for tomorrow, when I’m not suffering from quite so many wounds.”

Trixie nodded as she lay down on the ground beside Kael, their shared blanket keeping her from dirtying herself on the ground, “As would I. I…have things to think about.”

Lavitz acquiesced to their desire, being quite tired himself and figuring there would always be another time to bring it up the next day, “Of course. I ought to rest myself…my spirit is tougher than my body it would seem. Now that the energy of battle has worn off me I can’t help but relax.”

It did not take long for the soldier to fall asleep, completely trusting his allies to not abandon him or rob him. Kael watched over the area for what felt like a minute but may have been more like an hour, his mind wrapped up in his nightmare from before, when Trixie’s voice interrupted him.

“Hey Kael?”

He lowered a hand to brush against her cheek. He was glad she was safe and unharmed…for the most part.

“Yes?”

Trixie took his hand in her own and squeezed it. She was mad he had been so reckless, but was happy nonetheless that he cared enough to save her.

Still, something was gnawing at her since their time in the cave. She felt like a thread was still loose from it all, like there was something to solve.

“Can we look into who killed Edwin VanCleef? You know, when we get the chance. Doesn’t have to be right away…”

The question gave Kael pause not because he was not interested in the subject of an Elf coming to Westfall and defeating the former Defias leader, but because he was quite certain he already knew the answer.

That being said, he did not feel comfortable telling Trixie, and so he deflected the subject.

“Perhaps we ought to let some tragedies just rest where they lay. Finding the man would help no-one find peace at this point.”

Trixie sighed. Kael was right, of course, as it would no longer bring Vanessa any peace, and there was no real justice to be had against an Elf who fought against a criminal.

“I suppose you are right…”

Still, what was it that Vanessa said about him again? Trixie was struggling to remember, but she felt that it had to do something with his face.

In any case, Trixie drifted off to sleep comfortable in the fact that she was surrounded by good people…and with a pet Mana Wyrm in her arms, cuddling with her as Kael looked on with envy.

Mitter’meyer watched as his closest friend seized up suddenly and let out a powerful sneeze. When Reuenthal was done with the motion, Mitter’meyer could not help but smile as the man reopened his black eye and his blue eye. It was not common to see Reuenthal break his detached, cold façade at any point and so even him doing so with a sneeze was amusing for his more impassioned friend.

To try and retain some dignity, Reuenthal cleared his throat and waxed on about something he heard in passing some time ago, his face not betraying any emotion as Mitter’meyer continued to smirk at him from across the dinner table, “It is said in some cultures that when you sneeze, it is because someone is speaking about you.”

“What a silly superstition. Where did you pick that up, the Human territories?” Mitter’meyer laughed for a moment before calming down and looking towards the kitchen, where he heard his wife finishing the final preparations for what ought to be an exquisite meal.

Reuenthal nodded in affirmation, thinking back to his time amongst the Humans in the south. He was half-Human himself, something that helped lead to his unique eyes, but he had grown up amongst Elves and so viewed the Human culture as a wholly foreign one, “Yes, I believe I did come across that odd belief there. Interesting…”

Perhaps someone there, such as their lord, was thinking of him? For whatever reason could he be doing such a thing, should the Human superstition be true?

Mitter’meyer glanced outside to where the sun was setting and sighed. He regretted not being able to help his Prince without serving as a magnet for trouble and attention given his own ranking, “I wonder how Lord Kael’thas is managing in the south?”

Reuenthal nearly finished what would be his third glass of wine that night and smirked as he thought about the possibilities, many of which did not bode too well for them, “Well enough I imagine. That woman who pursued him has not returned with his head just yet, but it could be that the weight of our lord’s skull is slowing her on her return trip.”

“Don’t say things like that,” Mitter’meyer criticized, for while not treasonous it was still almost an insult to their Prince.

To defend himself, Reuenthal proposed another possibility for his alcohol had made him more talkative, “Alternatively, he may have allied himself with some Humans and will be sending us her head, not that I would particularly care for such a gift. Where they traveled there is a cove of bandits, and though they have been cleared out before it has been some time now and they may have returned.”

Mitter’meyer relaxed as he entertained the possibility of Kael’thas befriending some Humans. There were some such as Bolvar Fordragon that could be quite formidable, and further thinking on the topic made Mitter’meyer wonder whatever happened to his old comrade’s son who was well on his way to becoming a knight, “Oh? You think he’s taken them as allies?”

Reuenthal looked down at the little remaining wine in his glass, his hand softly swirling the liquid in the glass with small movements, “Perhaps. It can play out in two different ways: one, he and his companion befriend the bandits as the bandits are opposed to Stormwind and seek its downfall much like we now do, or two, he could help out other Humans against these bandits and earn their trust. Perhaps even free some of the prisoners the bandits are prone to taking.”

Mitter’meyer sighed as he thought about how stressful that might be for their Prince. He had full faith in his ability to defeat such a small threat, but he did not wish extra hardships upon their lord like Reuenthal seemed capable of imagining, as correct as he might be, “For their sake, I hope they aren’t fighting any thieves and ruffians. Our lord has enough on his shoulders.”

When he finished speaking the sound of two plates softly gracing the surface of the table caught the attention of both men. Evangelin had snuck in while they were speaking with the first two plates of the large feast she had readied to celebrate the recent announcement that Lord Regent Lor’themar was to honor her husband and his friend for their distinguished service during the Silvermoon invasion.

“Here you are,” she stated politely before backing up and preparing to turn around to the kitchen to take the remaining platters and plates in.

Reuenthal nodded towards his friend’s wife while Mitter’meyer gleefully looked over the various foods before him like a child opening gifts.

“Thank you, Evangelin. Your skill and graciousness are unparalleled.”

She smiled to Reuenthal, but did not respond verbally. He was Mitter’meyer’s friend, and while she did not hold ill will towards him she was put-off by his aloof demeanor. Could someone who only smiled at their own misfortune truly be the best choice of friend for her husband?

Seeing them chat away at the table though, she was happy to see her husband enjoying himself. Mitter’meyer was laughing and smiling as he began to exchange old stories with his partner, and Reuenthal nodded along as his friend spoke.

For the man with the odd eyes, drinking did not free himself from the demons he felt stirring inside him: self-loathing only being the first of many. Being around a cheerful man and his loving wife contrasted so greatly to the only family life he had ever known: a bitter, abusive father and a mother who had tried killing him the day he opened his eyes to reveal her infidelity with color alone.

That night, when he fell asleep on their dining table rather unceremoniously due to cup after cup of wine, he dreamt just as Kael had earlier: only, he did not have someone to stir him from what he saw.