Levels 4-5: Slippery Slope and Black Ice
A/N: Special thanks to ultronquake, Ketvirtas, Silentmech, refferee, nioniosbbbb, JakJak75, knetch, terrycloth, God of Physics, and Schroedingers_Katze for your comments last chapter, and I hope to hear from you all again this chapter as well as from those of you who may not have commented before! Please leave your thoughts below, and I hope you enjoy!
Trixie and Kael had to pass by a series of living trees in order to get to the area where the Wretched target was. Kael was unnerved by the moving treants, which he heard a nearby Elf call “Tenders”, and how their bark creaked as they shuffled along the ground with their feet-shaped roots. Trixie was not exactly a fan either, but she ignored them as they crossed the field to reach the spire where Felendren “the Banished” was holed up. The trees were not their objective, and they were not seemingly interested in picking a fight on their own.
A ramp that touched down at the edge of the field, where the grass was replaced by water, and granted entrance to the upper levels of the floating structure. The first platform it led to was only the size of a normal room, though it had no ceiling. On it though Trixie could see some floating creatures that appeared ethereal, and their pinkish bodies could easily be missed from afar with how they might blend with the sky.
These must be the wraiths in question. Trixie, in an attempt to not be belligerent, decided to not attack them with magic from afar. She would see first if they were in fact a threat before engaging in combat.
Trixie walked up the ramp to the platform, and the beings floating there gave no reaction to her approach. Kael put himself in-between them and Trixie, but they still did not seem to care that these two Elves were invading their place.
“Are they going to attack us?” Trixie whispered to Kael, who shrugged.
“It appears not…”
The man in charge then, this Felendren, must be a weak magic user if his summoned guards are not even capable of attacking intruders. The idea that they would be facing such a weak spellcaster made Trixie feel more comfortable, as she was expecting it to be an actual problem and a possibly difficult encounter.
In fact, it made her feel really good because Trixie was confident she could restrain and bring someone in with her new Frost Nova spell.
“Some guards. He can’t even summon beings that will stop intruders!”
They left that platform by walking on another ramp, each of the Elves being careful where they stepped because of the long fall beneath them and the relative lack of structures to keep someone from falling. At the end of the ramp was a much larger structure, this one with two floors.
This second part revealed much bulkier floating beings, these ones green and with wrist bracers, but they were not hostile either and just floated around idly as if they were completely mindless. Like a jellyfish, only magical and not prone to making beach trips regrettable.
The two found it easy to just walk on past this next set of sentries to approach the final ramp, which they assumed would lead to their foe. He was supposedly here, and they had not seen another Elf yet.
Both Trixie and Kael crept up the final ramp slowly, being careful not to possibly alert him to their presence if he did not already know. Fortunately they were not met with any resistance on the way, with the Elf on the final floor of the oddly shaped structure not noticing them.
To get a better idea about the encounter before engaging in it, Trixie began to survey the platform. Unlike the last two which she left as quickly as possible, this one she might be forced to be on for quite some time if the fight was a long one.
Vases, some floating plant pots, random books strewn about…it appeared to have no real system or reason, and Trixie could see by the arrangement of it all that she was clearly dealing with someone who was mentally unhinged.
Felendren was sickly pale even for an Elf, and his weight appeared to be unhealthy by the standards of the thin Elves. In fact, Trixie considered herself quite skinny and this man appeared to be even slighter than her. His head was balding even if he did not appear all that elderly, and his auburn hair was gathered mostly in the back where its length gave him quite then odd appearance since it contrasted greatly with his reflective head. He only wore a simple red shirt, ugly gloves with a brown coloration, similar boots, and a matching brown loincloth.
If he had not been considered crazy already, Trixie would have decided it right then. So this was what a Wretched was…
Preparing her Frostfire spell, Trixie leapt out from the end of the ramp to the final platform and yelled at the Wretched Elf.
“Stop there you fiend! We are here to apprehend you, so you had best—”
As soon as she had reached the top of the ramp, Felendren turned to her and snarled madly. He charged at Trixie as she realized that if he hit her where she was standing she could fall and possibly tumble off the platform.
Trixie jumped onto the platform and away from his first strike, causing Felendren to swipe at thin air and nearly hit Kael instead. Kael, not pleased by the near hit, began to prepare his own spell when Trixie held a hand up for him to stop. She had just finished gathering herself after her sudden lunge to the side, and she still wanted to do this without bloodshed…if possible.
“As I was saying, you had best surrender—”
Felendren ignored Kael and charged at Trixie again, seeming to focus on the one who was talking and thus drawing his attention, “Take heart! Your friends will not long mourn your passing!”
Kael swore under his breath that he would mind, while Trixie ducked under another quick attack from the mad Elf. She had begun to charge her other spell to try and slow him down, but he was stopping her from reading from her book as he continued to try and hit her.
As Kael yanked Felendren back to prevent him from striking Trixie, he managed to do just that. His clawlike hand struck Trixie across the face, drawing blood as she finished reading from her book.
“Frie’zudo!”
The ground in front of her froze where she directed the spell, and to avoid slipping Kael let go of the man and dashed to the side. Felendren, meanwhile, did not seem to mind the ice now coating some of his floor and tried to desperately rush at Trixie again.
“I’m warning you Thele-whatever your name is—”
He took one last swipe at his foe, only to slip and slide right past Trixie as she moved to dodge it anyways. As he continued to slip and slide Trixie took a hand to her scratched cheek and muttered to herself, “Dear Luna, will you let me finish a damn sentence—”
His cries of terror as he slipped off the side of the platform and into the air made Trixie pause as she realized that she had just caused him to kill himself. Trixie moved over to the edge of the platform and looked down from a spot where no ice was, only to grimace at the sight she saw. His fall had been about a hundred feet and he hit the very edge of the plains with his face, leaving little of the essential body part left.
“It was an accident!” she cried out defensively as she blanched at the sight, quickly turning away and bringing a hand to cover her mouth to prevent any bile from rising.
Seeing that the accidental murder was getting to Trixie, Kael approached her and brought her into a hug to calm her down. Trixie accepted the hug and quickly buried her face in his shoulder and chest, her mind freaking out over what she just did.
“I didn’t mean to…”
Kael was angry with himself that he didn’t have any real ability to stop it from happening, since it was too fast for him to melt the ice as the man slipped and he had no way of slowing his fall. Still, the man had attacked them, and Trixie had tried her best to reason with him to no avail. He had a feeling this would take some time for her to get used to, that there were just some wicked people out there.
“Trixie, he attacked you, and there did not seem like a chance he would stop. Do not mourn such a man, for his soul was already gone from this world,” Kael paused to stroke her back gently as she continued to sob, “We may go up against real threats, real foes who cannot be stopped without us fighting with the intent to kill them. Do you think you can handle that?”
“I…”
Removing herself from Kael, Trixie wiped her face of her tears and crossed her arms over her chest. She realized that she must have appeared weak and she decided that such a display in front of another person was not acceptable.
Trixie couldn’t bring herself to look at him as she spoke, instead looking at the quickly thawing ice, “I reserve the right to take prisoners, but if they refuse to be reasoned with and will bring harm to others I see no other choice than defeating them in combat.”
Even with her trying to act tough, Kael decided to still show his support. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and smiled, not personally as broken up about the death of the man and much more glad that his friend was safe, “Don’t worry. I can try to shoulder the burden of the killing as much as possible, but you cannot hesitate if the time comes. I would rather you live than anyone we fight.”
Uncomfortable at the touch for a reason she could not explain, Trixie again moved away from him and towards the ramp they had come from, “Come, let’s go back.”
Upon approaching it, Trixie realized that the green wraiths from below were rapidly moving up it. Their quick pace felt threatening in how determined they moved, and Trixie realized that perhaps they were going to try and protect their master…even if it was too late.
Getting a new idea about how to leave, Trixie first chucked her book off the way their target fell and then approached another edge of the platform while speaking to Kael, “I think killing him made them angry.”
Seeing the incoming Wraiths just about to reach the top of the ramp, Kael followed Trixie so that they could confront the threat together, “They should disappear without his power in a little bit. Defeating them without lifting a finger against them if we just last a moment longer.”
“Water breaks someone’s fall, right?”
The question made Kael’s stomach flop. She wasn’t thinking of jumping into the pool of water underneath this side of the platform, was she?
To make sure she wasn’t going to do anything rash, Kael decided to clarify, “Yes, it does, but why do you ask?”
About eight of the ethereal beings had come atop the platform across from where Trixie and Kael stood, and they seemed preoccupied with finding their master because of how they did not instantly rush at the two Elves. Not willing to stick around and possibly fight them, Trixie saluted the glowing beings and laughed as she stepped towards the edge.
“Sorry wraiths and assorted energy people, but the Great and Powerful Trixie is about to do a disappearing act. Farewell!”
Trixie prepared to jump off and make her exit, only to trip over her robe and tumble off the edge similarly to the Wretched man’s own fall. Kael was pleased that water was beneath them, but if she didn’t land right she could still get severely hurt.
“How graceful…”
With a sigh, Kael shook his head and prepared to jump as well.
Oh the things he did for the sake of friendship…at least his bag was waterproof.
When Kael struck the water, he expected to find Trixie on her way out of the semi-shallow water. The area the landed in was only as deep as one might find in a pool, becoming quite shallow quickly as land was quite close nearby and becoming much deeper in the opposite direction.
Apparently this was why it was called Sunstrider Isle.
Before Kael could really observe Trixie’s status, he fought to keep himself afloat in his robes as they absorbed far too much water.
“Are you okay?” he called out as he finally managed to start treading water, his head just barely above it all.
“I can’t swim!” Trixie cried out as she began to flail around him and thrash her limbs in the water, her body forcing her head above the liquid as she tried to not drown.
With the realization that they were only a couple feet from safety, Kael stopped using one arm to tread and instead used it to grab the back of Trixie’s robe, “I got you.”
With her in his grasp, Kael put his well toned muscles to use and dragged both of them over to the shore, where Trixie quickly crawled away from the waves. She coughed up some of the water as Kael started straightening himself out, not as tired or bothered by the affair as she was.
“I didn’t think you would be the type who can’t swim,” he commented while looking down at Trixie, who was taking in deep breaths to help her oxygen starved lungs.
“I thought I could…” Trixie coughed again, and her voice sounded both parts weak and sad as she tried to talk with some difficulty, “For some reason when I tried though I just started flailing. I think something is wrong with me…”
The dejection in her statement made Kael pity her, but he could not honestly say that he had not noticed something was off with her. After all, she was quite the oddity, and Kael would readily believe that she wasn’t from around here at all. She even sat like an animal might at the table, so perhaps she came from the more savage Kalimdor?
Whatever the case, he decided to not speak so as to let the matter drop entirely. That way she could feel better about herself soon, and not seem like she was either crying or just having water drip from her face.
Once calmed down, Trixie looked over at Kael. Unlike him, she was perfectly fine pointing out things she found odd about him, albeit without real malignance in her statement.
“Your clothes are soaked.”
Kael shrugged, having realized from the moment they were going to jump away from their foes that this would be the result, “As are yours, and you don’t see me complaining.”
Trixie looked down at her completely soaked robe and laughed, “You’re right.”
Not quite in the right state of mind, and also not remembering what little she knew about Elven modesty, Trixie quickly began to set about removing the soaked clothing she had on. Kael spat out a bit of water still in his mouth at the sight of Trixie once again only in her underwear as she removed the robe completely, this only not escalating further because the supposed prince’s quick addressing of the issue.
“W-what are you doing?”
Trixie turned back to face him, her eyebrow raised as she looked at him with her own curiosity. Why did he care if she was removing unnecessary clothing? She wasn’t feeling all that cold with how warm it was out, and she didn’t particularly feel as if clothes were the natural state of things, “Undressing. My clothes need to dry. Why do you care?”
Kael blushed as he turned away, since Trixie began to continue despite his protest, “Clothes are meant to preserve modesty.”
That brought a laugh out from Trixie, who had just removed the dripping wet cloth that had bound her chest, “I have no modesty, haven’t you learned?” she laughed as Kael groaned at her lack of comprehension, “And how would keeping my clothes on make me humble anyways?”
Being too polite to look at her without anything up top, Kael turned around completely and sighed, “I think you may have really hit your head before you woke up. People will give you weird looks if you do not at least wear a little more.”
“But I’m soaking wet and that’s uncomfortable…” Trixie whined as she realized he probably had a point. Everyone else was wearing clothes after all, even if some Elves were wearing semi-revealing ones.
“We need new clothes anyways, remember?” Kael reminded Trixie, hoping to settle the issue with bringing up her own point from the night before.
Trixie began to place her clothes back on begrudgingly, her voice displaying her displeasure over the effort of putting back on the drenched robes, “No, you needed new clothes.”
Kael turned to check on Trixie, who he doubted would announce having her clothes back on, and was pleased to see she was almost done, “Just keep your clothes on for my sake.”
“Fine, but only because I don’t want others to laugh at me.”
Magistrix Erona was blankly looking at the pair of drenched Elves as they recounted their recent events, ending with Trixie stating:
“So, he kind of fell off the edge of the spire, and his head wasn’t really in a position to be brought back…”
Erona was just dumbfounded that these two managed to actually get the job done, especially since they skipped a few steps of training, but she wasn’t going to complain about a nuisance being removed from the land. She held out a letter to the two along with a pouch of coins, a smile upon her face to display her approval despite her exasperation at their mentioned incompetence. Trixie had attempted to embellish the tale only for Kael to point out she tripped off the edge when trying to make a flashy exit, only to then almost drown.
“Good work nonetheless. I will give you extra coins to make up for the time you are no longer going to be here, and here is a missive from me to grant you permission into Silvermoon City.”
Trixie took the sealed letter, only to then hand it to Kael because he had the bag. It was enough for her to carry around a large book, which she had recovered from where it “fell” (quite perfectly, she might add, with no noticeable damage).
“We need a permission letter just to get in?”
A small nod came from Erona, who did not seem happy to think about the subject, “Regent Lord Lor’themar Theron has placed harsh restrictions on activities related to our capital city. Everything is to be controlled and sanctioned there, and by that I mean quite literally everything, including the people and their actions.”
Since Kael was still trying to lay low, Trixie continued to do the speaking as he made sure his scarf covered as much of his face as he could manage, “Well, thank you for your aid. Until we meet again.”
Erona gave them each a nod goodbye, and with that they began to head to the path that lead towards the inn they slept at. A map provided by the innkeeper showed that Silvermoon was located quite close by to it, and there was little else to do in the Isle for the two since Erona was basically telling them to get out before too many others got suspicious of them.
Once they were far enough away to not be heard, Trixie poked Kael on the shoulder, “Shall we stop by this capital city of ours next, or do something else? I bet they have a magnificent inn we can stay at there!”
Content to follow Trixie in whatever she wanted to do, Kael decided to let her choose despite their status as equal partners in decision making, “I have no direction currently. Perhaps Silvermoon will serve as a good place to gather information that we can then use to decide our next course of action.”
“Silvermoon it is, then! Maybe they have a bakery?”
Trixie managed to bribe the wagon drivers to bring them to the area right in front of Silvermoon, though the drivers explained they didn’t really care to go to the actual city. Trixie let them go after slipping them a couple silver coins, which she had an abundance of after the large pouch of silver and copper Erona gave her.
The city was beautiful even from the outside, as the tall outer walls were decorated with the same intricate patterns located on the building Trixie woke up beside the day prior. Red, gold, floating plants…the outer walls had the same kind of feel that Trixie was beginning to grow fond of, especially with the nearby lush trees.
Kael gulped at the sight of the front, which was not even a gate but an open passage that seemed to open up like a T shape into the tall wall. In the middle, however, was what made him nervous: a statue easily a hundred feet tall that was of a man who looked strikingly like himself.
Trixie nudged him and smiled up at it, seeing it not as a negative thing but rather as a sign that he really was a prince, which was awesome in her eyes.
At the front gates, however, a less jovial couple was standing. Two armed guards with soft red and golden armor, weapons, and shields stood vigil and were there to prevent entry. Trixie found it interesting that the city would have such a poor method of preventing others from coming in, but she supposed they weren’t facing as many invasions these days.
Trixie was forced to partially drag Kael towards the guards, since he was worried they would recognize him with a stunning model of him right behind them. Trixie decided that they could just come up with some lie if they questioned it, and at worst reveal his identity since the rumors were seemingly only rumors thus far. They couldn’t just arrest them over nothing, right?
“Halt,” came the voice of each guard as the two Blood Elves approached. Having expected this, Trixie took the letter out of her book and stopped using it as a book mark.
One guard turned to Kael and held out a hand, “Your papers?”
Annoyed that they asked Kael for the papers and not her, Trixie shoved it into the man’s hands and smiled cheekily. The guard opened the envelope and quickly read it over, and after a moment he nodded to the two in approval.
In this time the other guard took interest in Kael’s scarf, even poking it with one edge of his blade gently in an attempt to pull it off, “What are you hiding under that mask, traveler?”
Trixie pushed Kael back a step to prevent the blade from actually removing the scarf, and she confidently began to lie to them, “His lower face is misshapen from a bad run-in with the local wildlife. His pride keeps him from embarrassing himself from showing it to others.”
The one with the letter nodded as he continued to look over the document, “Your names?”
“Trixie Lulamoon, and this is my brother,” Trixie tried coming up with a random name that sounded Elvish, “Kelt’hazaid Lulamoon.”
Kael groaned at her poor choice, thinking it a silly name, but he did not want to speak and possibly be found out as a possible traitor prince.
The guards look to one another briefly before shrugging and handing back the letter, “How unfortunate to share a name with the man whose revival corrupted the Sunwell.”
Trixie chuckled, surprised that she had managed to guess an existing name, “Yes, quite.”
Kael nervously looked up at the statue, still worried he would be found out, but to his surprise the guards moved out of the way, “Very well, you may enter. Keep those documents with you if you wish to gain entry or leave.”
Trixie once again grabbed her companion and began to drag him, wanting to get away from the guards as soon as possible, “Thank you!”
Once they ducked inside, the hallway reversed itself and they managed to exit on the opposite side of the structure. When she was sure she was out of earshot, Trixie whispered to Kael.
“Wow, these guys are really serious…”
While the lack of real gate security was appalling, Kael could understand why the guards might be stern, “Seeing as how our race is in such dire straits, I can understand why, to some degree.”
Still, Trixie felt a little put off by how they had to be given permission to come in, and the guards weren’t just relaxed about it. Were things really that bad?
“I guess…”
Trixie’s words trailed off as she started to look around. Tan buildings with golden and red highlights surrounded them, and Trixie found herself amazed by the sheer size of it all. The city seemed to sprawl quite a ways beyond the gate, greatly outstripping the Farstrider Square in terms of size, and the magnificent shapes and architecture impressed them both.
Kael moved beside Trixie so she would stop dragging him, though even with this done she kept her hand on his bicep. He did not complain, not really caring about it, but he made an effort to keep in step with her as they began to walk. The entrance opened up into a U shaped path. They went along the left side of it, going past what appeared to be an inn and some shops as they just began to experience it all.
On the path, moving the opposite way, was a golem of sorts. Its body had the same kind of design of the buildings, only shaped like a humanoid, and it moved about as if it was a living being. Trixie found herself curious how it worked, but she expected the answer was magic, as how else could such a large contraption work? It was quite large, standing at about one and a half times Kael’s height, and Trixie wondered also what it was for? Was it some robot made to assist people?
“Happiness is mandatory, citizen,” the mechanical being proclaimed as it patrolled down the corridor, amusing Trixie with its seeming joyful attitude. It wanted them to be happy, which was a nice feature for a serving robot.
As they reached the end of the path, Trixie and Kael realized that they needed to take a left to continue as the other path ended. To their left it continued instead into a large square, with what appeared to be merchants and people of all sorts like some kind of bazaar. Trixie rushed into it with the hopes of finding a bread merchant, only to find something else catching her attention.
As Kael caught up to her, Trixie tugged on his sleeve and pointed to a large gathering of Elves in one corner of the bazaar, “Hey, look at all those people. Maybe they know something that can help us?”
Kael would have spoke, but a voice yelling out to the crowd cut him off.
“My brothers and sisters. Listen to me. We must speak of the survival of our people. We have narrowly survived one calamity, but I fear the next shall destroy us!”
The voice was coming from an auburn haired woman with a sleeveless shirt similar to her hair color standing on the far side of the crowd. Beside her stood a man in green cloth robes with a wise appearance, appearing quite calm in contrast to the rowdy appearance of the crowd before the two of them.
The woman continued to address those gathered with concern in her voice, “Can you not see what is happening? Open your eyes. It is laid bare for all to see. What is this new alliance? Why have we betrayed our allies of old, only to take up with the enemies of all that live?”
One of the members of the crowd shouted back with fervor, “No, you're wrong! We were the ones betrayed!”
Their comment was followed up by another from the crowd, “When have the Dwarves ever been our friends?”
Kael and Trixie looked to one another, but neither made any move to approach the group. What was this argument about?
“The Humans abandoned us in our darkest hour! Their prince himself led the assault on our lands,” came another disgruntled voice from those gathered.
The man in green shook his head at the comments he was hearing from those he was speaking to, “You fool! The prince's minions were the very Forsaken we have now allied ourselves with, and now he has betrayed us.”
“The Ranger-General of Silvermoon will be a loyal ally!”
“You speak of her as friend? You are a fool. This "Dark Lady" is not Sylvanas,” the woman in front retorted.
Ranger General, Dark Lady…Sylvanas…these things sounded familiar to Kael, and made him look back to the ring he had found in his belonging previously.
“Blood will be true. We can trust in none but our own.”
The woman scoffed, “Blood? And these Orcs, these fair weather friends? They will aid us?”
The man beside her continued with a dramatic voice, “A great blight lies across our land! It grows every day. Our need for magic weakens us, and will bring us to destruction, just as it has before!”
Trixie frowned as she remembered that she needed to feed on magic…luckily she had not felt that bad that day, but she was curious how Kael was holding up.
The crowd seemed astonished to hear his proclamation, “How are we to live without magic?”
“Look at the wonders of this city! This is magic!” another cried.
“But at what cost? You've all been blinded. We have all been blinded,” came the man’s response, his voice weary.
The crowd seemed to not be pleased by what had been said previously, “You call us traitors?”
“The magisters are traitors! They have sealed our doom,” the woman explained, her voice desperate. The crowd did not seem to be buying their arguments.
“Idealistic blather. Go back to your forests!”
“You would have us like savages!”
Their response seemed to be worrying those up front, who had not seemingly expected to face such opposition, “No, not savagery! Conscience. The excesses of our people will destroy us, and all that we have struggled to build.”
Unknown to both Trixie and Kael, a figure in the crowd began to look over at them with interest.
“We have not struggled so hard to survive, only to bring about the true destruction,” the man’s partner added, her voice still strong unlike his more weary one.
With a bit of effort the green clothed man rose his voice again and regained some vigor, “We stand on the brink of destruction. We must reconsider this rash course of action.”
Kael noticed three Elves in the crowd summon through magic another person, this one being a man with crimson robes with a black flair to them. This action seemed to frighten the people leading the public forum of sorts, as they began to speak up much more quickly.
“If we speak as one we cannot be ignored!” the woman shouted, trying to rally the citizens.
The man tried next in rapid succession, “Lend us your voices! Now is the time we must act to save our people.”
The man who had been summoned began to cast a spell, though Kael could not tell what kind.
Just before the newcomer could finish the spell, the man in green robes blurted out desperately, “Lor'themar must hear us! We will not be silenced!”
The spell completed, and the two rabble-rousers fell silent as their eyes went blank.
The man who had been summoned turned to face those who summoned him and spoke in a sickeningly smug voice, “That should take care of that. Summon me if you have further need of my services.”
Trixie unconsciously began to grip the arm of her companion, who in turn took her hand in his own to comfort her. They did not know what just happened, but whatever spell had been cast it could not have been good. Was this just everyday life in Silvermoon? The crowd did not seem at all put off by it.
The crimson robed man departed, and once he was out of the crowd the woman returned to speaking.
In an unnatural, forced voice she addressed everyone again, “We will pay back the Alliance for their betrayal a thousandfold. We will never forgive and never forget.”
Beside her, the man gestured to the area around everyone, “Lor'themar has remade Silvermoon into something we may truly be proud of.”
It was then that Kael and Trixie both realized that the man who had been summoned just brainwashed these two with mind control.
“Kael…I don’t want to be here anymore.”
Agreeing fully but also not wanting to be seen as a dissenting figure, Kael quietly stepped away from it all while guiding Trixie with an arm to do the same.
On the way back to the entrance, Trixie noticed a cringing woman with black hair crumpled on the ground by a shop. Trixie instantly rushed to their side and knelt down beside them, worried that perhaps they were hurt.
“Are you okay?”
The woman on the ground looked around nervously before pushing Trixie away, the frightened lady’s gaze upon an approaching golem, “Please, just leave me. I don’t want to get in any more trouble…”
Trixie furrowed her brow, but the sight of the approaching automaton made her realize something terrible: the golems weren’t just there to help…they were there as menacing sentries to keep everyone in line.
Trixie scurried back to Kael just as the golem began to approach the woman, its automated voice chirping, “Obey the laws of Silvermoon. Failure to do so will result in termination. Do not resist arrest further. Dissent is prohibited.”
Both of them turned away from whatever was about to happen, not wanting to think about whatever brutality the hulking robot might inflict upon the woman after its threat.
"Remain strong. Kael'thas will lead you to power and glory!" came the voice of another sentry on the way out, this one looming by the entrance.
Kael had seen enough of the Elven capital for a lifetime. Taking Trixie’s arm, he continued to lead her away in a more forceful manner.
“Let’s return to the inn.”
Once safely outside the city, past the guards, and Farstrider Inn, Trixie threw herself on top of their shared bed and let herself sink into its soft frame. She could not believe that the capital of their race was a fascist state that was seemingly repressing and mind controlling its inhabitants.
“Okay, that place…”
Kael sat down beside her, his shoulders hanging as he thought back to their experience there and how disappointing it was, “I was expecting it to be a beautiful place…” he sighed and shook his head, “Physically it is, but beyond its appearance it is a blight upon this world.”
Trixie’s eyes lit up as something came to her. Like a spark had been lit in her, she jumped up onto her feet and clenched her fists. Kael looked up at her as she turned around and she threw a hand back towards the doorway, “We’ve been wondering what to do, right? Well I think I know what your goal should be now. While I wish to become a powerful mage and become famous, you have your own epic story to embark on.”
Kael was curious where she was going with this, so he simply nodded to let her say what she had come up with. He was fine with being given a quest by her that he could make his own personal one.
Trixie pointed a finger at Kael before retracting it to clench the fist and bring it in to her chest, “You’re the noble prince that will one day rise up and take his land back from the evil chancellor who has usurped the throne, saving your people and freeing them from tyranny!”
Was this some game to her? Kael found himself laughing at the thought of the two of them overthrowing that tyranny, “You think that this is some fairy tale?”
His reaction deflated Trixie partially, though she remained spirited, “I am merely observing the roles of the story you are bound to go on.”
“Okay, and what part do you play in this fable?”
That brought back Trixie’s full emotion, her face smug and containing the haughtiness Kael was beginning to enjoy seeing if only to watch her inevitably trip herself up with it, “I am the skillful anti-hero who is instrumental to the rise of the noble hero, and gets to share in all the fame and fortune when the story ends.”
Kael’s definition of anti-hero differed from hers, though he simply thought she was misusing the term, “You don’t seem dark and edgy.”
Trixie shook her head, annoyed that she was being corrected when she wasn’t actually wrong, “No no no, classical anti-hero, not current anti-hero. Skillful instead of brutish, able to use wit to accomplish things the classical hero cannot and forming synergy with such a character by complementing eachother’s traits.”
“I would almost agree with you if I was not also intelligent, but I will cede the point that I am stronger than you, at least currently.”
“You have a half day of extra practice,” Trixie whined, trying to justify the fact that she was still behind him in magic practice.
“And actually understand the language we’re learning from,” Kael added jokingly, though it was true.
“Quiet, Kael.”
Still, the idea of playing the hero to an epic story…
Kael tilted his head back and smiled at the ceiling. His prideful friend would expect no less of him, would she? Saving a whole kingdom…
While perhaps barely trained and amnesiac, Kael started to like the idea the more and more he thought about it. With how low the Blood Elf population was, their military ought to be in pretty poor shape. With how they had to spread that small group amongst presumably a whole kingdom, that made it pretty spread thin. With a formidable force of competent soldiers and allies, Kael could perhaps pull off the retaking of his kingdom…
That required allies though, and at the moment it was just the two of them. In reality they could use some muscle on their journey like any good heroic group, and Kael was afraid he was not quite the epitome of physical might.
“If you want to turn this into a true heroic story, we are going to have to find someone to act as our muscle, someone to play the part of the brain, and someone who is able to keep the group together with some kind of charm.”
Trixie waved a hand dismissively, since she was quite happy with how things were between them and did not like the idea of possible adding another to interrupt their dynamic, “I’m sure we’ll find someone when the time comes. For now though I think we are fine just with the two of us.”
While entertaining the idea and finding himself enjoying the thought of being a savior of a whole species, Kael still had some reservations on the whole notion, “Still, I’m not quite sure about this whole endeavor…what if I am not the prince?”
While he might not be convinced he was really Kael’Thas Sunstrider, Trixie was more than convinced after seeing the giant statue. It was too great a coincidence to not be true, “Oh please, you look just like him, and you have his name. That man elsewhere in that Outlands place must be a fake, created by some evil entity to besmirch your name.”
She had a point…and so Kael decided to give in. If he could do some good, why not? It was not as if he had anything else to do, and if he was the true prince it was his duty to do this, right?
“I suppose that if I truly am Kael’Thas Sunstrider that it is my duty to free my people from his evil sway, as well as take back my position here and dethrone this…Lycanthrope Themer everyone is talking about.”
Trixie frowned at the butchered name, but she could do no better as she tried to remember it, “Lorphope Teamer?”
The fact that neither of them could get it right made Kael laugh, since it wasn’t right for the heroes of a story to not know the name of their arch-nemesis, “I suppose we should find out the villain’s name before we set on our little quest.”
Their little talk of treason was interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat at their doorway, making each of them turn their attention to where the innkeeper was standing.
“Excuse me, but there is a man here to see you.”
Trixie instantly deflated in ego, worrying suddenly that the police were coming for them and their plan to overthrow the government one day, but Kael smiled as he stood up. He could see a man standing behind the innkeeper, and he did not want to be rude and be sitting when they came in.
“Please, come in.”
The man stepped forward as the innkeeper excused herself, and once he was through the veil that acted as a “door” to the room, the two inhabitants of it found themselves astonished. He was wearing a suit of uniform black armor, signifying that he was a part of some military group, but that was not what drew their attention.
“Thank you…” the man responded as he finished entering, his eyes locking with those of Kael’thas.
One of the visitor’s eyes was glowing an eerie blue, and the other shining pitch black.
The tall, apparent soldier smiled as he finished speaking, “Lord Kael’Thas Sunstrider.”
Thanks for reading, and I hope that I can hear your thoughts in the comments below! Comments are 
after all!
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Uhmmm that's not quite correct.
Boy you simply can't pick a good name Trixie now can you?
Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinteresting.
I hate politics. Very much.
This just gets better and better.
The area the landed in was only as deep
1. They.
... This does not help me in thinking of Trixie as Illidan and Kael'thas as Malfurion... Actually, it does, just not in a entirely positive light. Because we know their lore. And suddenly I imagine Trixie flying across the battlefield with Illidan's skill set like The Hunt in Heroes of The Storm just to land by Kael's side in battle. They could essentially be the 'story that never was' even though they aren't related by blood or gender. Or live forever. Or have plants growing out of their hair. The Blades of Azzinoth calls for Trixie... And now I imagine Trixie trying to ride Kael's summon Phoenix only to get a roasted backside in return.
Like most beginning heroes, their first accomplishments tend to be that of blind luck and blunder. Well at least it got the job done. Nothing like a small visit to dystopian like city to set the mood for conspiracy against the ruling powers. they might want to seriously level up before they actually do anything, maybe buy some more books, get some clothes that actually protect them from harm instead of just looking good and definitely get some allies. Oh, maybe some weapons for when magic just does't cut it. Who might this mysterious stranger who came along at such a perfect time? Be he friend or foe? Elf or man? Or just some npc?
Great chapter.
5590572 Kelt’hazaid is close enough to Kel'Thuzad to be a TERRIBLE choice for a name in Azeroth
And what's interesting?
5592171 I don't particularly hate politics. I am intrigued by them, and enjoy delving into the theory of them.
Silvermoon City is an authoritarian regime...but it's like that because the Blood Elves are a race prone to pride and hedonism, neither of which will aid it as their race borders on extinction. They can't afford to be divided with so few of them left, but at the same time does that make mind controlling dissidents right?
I like thinking about things like that
The theory of it all is quite the interesting subject, even if the practice can be ugly.
5592530 Why thank you
What'd you like about this one?
5593125 Trixie's going to rely more on spamming Blink to get places when the time comes, but I see what you're getting at
And I think Trixie and Kael will be better off than Illidan and Malfurion because Kael is extremely loyal to Trixie, since she's the only friend, and Trixie is loyal to Kael, who she sees as the loyal companion and partner he is as well as a gentleman.
And Trixie will definitely try to ride Al'ar
With likely mixed results.
5595625 No what I mean is that politics kill brain cells. Like:
People are stupid. Individuals are smart.
5595648 Not all individuals are sadly
5593954 Hahaha, you caught that! I tried to emulate how most heroes start their journeys by having things go their way partially by accident, but I didn't expect anyone to actually catch that.
Silvermoon is all pretty and nice...but it has a lot wrong with it. A lot. As I was researching it to write about, I just kept finding more and more problems with it...at least it served as a good way of setting the agenda! Now Trixie and Kael have an ultimate goal in mind. It'll be awhile before they can do anything, but they'll definitely start upon that journey and be the heroes Trixie wants them to be
The stranger is going to be formally introduced next chapter. He's not an NPC though
Interesting question you have about him being Elf or human though 
We'll see about that. A human would be killed on sight around the Elven Kingdom after all.
5595688 Then that makes them people.
5595619 I remember the scene with the town crier kinda guy. I didnt remember it was mind control in the ending.
Heck i didnt know Silvermoon was dictated like that.
Though i dont remember much.
5595905 Oh yeah, Silvermoon is pretty fascist. I remembered the crier scene and then started putting more research in and found out that it's really worse than I originally thought...at least it makes it easy to give Trixie and Kael motivation! Best yet, it's canon! Not even vilifying anyone.
5595917 vilifying? As in they are of questionable nature themselves? I know for fact by the 100% speed mount of the Blood Knights described how the Blood Knights wielded "The Light" by force. Things get better after the Crusade as they seem to embrace it then.
So does this incarnation of Trixie have (in)famous "Lulamoon luck"? (Lulamoon luck is like a moon ,when it reaches its peak it will start to wane until it disappear completely.)
But it was nice to see Trixie swear by Luna. Although I found it weird that Keal'thas didn't found it weird.
Also I must ask where did Trixie's inner showmare go(disappeared)? I mean: Second Keal'thas must be evil puppet? What about possibility of evil and good Kael as result of soul split" Or good Kael being incarnation of remains of goodness of Blood elves? Kael's long lost twin brother" Goodness Trixie give your theories little ham, don't forsake your origins as
humbleentertainer and story teller. Crank it up!Will Trixie's eye color cause any problems? I mean only other known Blood elf with purple eyes is Valeera Sanguinar and she is with (allied to) Alliance. (No real connection between the two, but you know how some beings think.)
Am I only one who finds the fact, that the symbol of the high elves of Quel'Thalas was a unicorn, quite amusing?
5593125:
5595642 :
Speaking of summons I'm much more interested about Trixie's reaction to unicorns. Will she try to ride one as well?
And how? 
5595629 I'm just tearing up at Trixie and Kael's character development together, to show that Kael cares a lot about Trixie.
5595704 A regular human would be killed if he were to enter a elf only zone, however if the said human is powerful with a strong reputation for ending enemies then most would probably try to avoid or even ignore him to avoid any problems. Also, with his eyes being the way they are, he could just put a hood on to cover most of his features, like his short ears and none would be the wiser. As far as hight goes, well there are tall people around in the world too I assume. Just saying.
Not that it matters, however I am sure that not all humans are bastards towards the elves. Maybe even best of friends with some to the point of brotherhood. I am usually the pessimist in these things, however I can't help but try to find some good in the humans of this story.
I must admit I am enjoying the horde lore storyline. Most of it is new to me since I play alliance, and the few trips I made to Silvermoon were of a... um... shadowy nature.
I also applaud Trixie's strong moral nature. We knew she wasn't ever really evil, but it's nice to see her shine now that the other ponies aren't around to overshadow her.
Just one thing. The first sentence where you call them living trees. Since all trees are either living or dead, perhaps 'mobile' trees for those unfamiliar with WoW?
Looking forward to the next chapter, see you on Hearthstone soon!
5596158 Explain more about this Lulamoon Luck.
Trixie swore by Luna without thinking, and Kael wasn't really paying attention to what she was saying at that moment. Even if he had heard, he may have mistaken her statement as "Elune", the Night Elf goddess. While odd, she's got a lot weirder stuff about her than possibly mentioning the goddess of the Night Elves.
Trixie's inner showmare is her thinking she's about to be the (anti-) hero of an epic quest, where she helps someone overthrow a corrupt and evil regime
Besides, her showmare side is her acting. She has to purposefully try and be like that, and she doesn't have THAT much reason to be completely over the top yet.
The eye color will indeed cause problems, just not yet.
As for Rogues, I prefer Vanessa van Cleef (who I gave a vague reference to as the source for Kael's bandana).
It is kind of funny, but sadly the Blood Elves aren't into unicorns as much
Maybe it just was meant to be though!
And you honestly believe that Trixie's going to have a mount, not be one?
She's gotta be a pony at some point!
5596239 Glad you like the more side of things
They're quite the couple, even without being a couple (yet) 
5597190 Yes indeedy!
5596299 I actually have two human protagonists planned for this story and a Half-human, Half-Elf as well.
After all, there are so many of every species that some will be friendly and some will be hostile no matter which one it is, so even Humans are going to have to have a redeeming side.
5596349 Well I'm glad you're enjoying the opposite side of the equation
You may remember a story arc that is coming up though because I intend to also show some Alliance-related bits, but we'll mostly be on the Horde half...at least, Horde until Kael regains control and decides who he will ally with from there. 
We'll have to see what he thinks when that time comes, as well as who his allies are.
People often ignore this, but Trixie tried to confront the Ursa before Twilight showed up even when she could have just run away like any rational pony could. Sure, some of it was undoubtedly because of her pride, but she had to know she couldn't actually defeat it and she still stayed. Trixie may not be a "hero" in Equestria, but even so her moral compass from there is far more pacifistic than the "Lets kill literally everything in our way" nature of Azeroth. So while she may be looked down upon in Equestria, she's actually more moral than most in this setting. It's fun seeing her in this different light now that she doesn't have others stealing her spotlight
Hehe, yeah, I guess you're right. I'll fix it this weekend.
5597186
Lulamoon luck is something I noticed in majority of fan-fictions that include Trixie. It is phenomenon that could be described as: "Just when things starts to look up, they had to fall back down. Crashing unforgivably into ground." If you thing about it, it does resembles behavior of moon or lunar phases to be precise. Which wouldn't be so bad if it would end with "full moon" instead of "new moon" as it currently does.
Yes, yes I do. I can't imagine anybody, but Kael, using Trixie as his/her mount without it devolving into impromptu rodeo with inbuilt fireworks and magic blasts. As for Kael being the one to ride Trixie...It would probably end with her saying something along lines of "I must admit, it was quite a while since I was all wet* especially after being ridden so hard" or just " I've been ridden so hard that I'm all wet now" while out of her breath. And after that Kael would probably reject any more opportunities /offers to ride Trixie: "Hey Kael wanna ride me
againuntil we are all sweaty and tired?"***due to sweat
** It's one of disadvantages of having sapient mount who can take appearance of highly attractive member of opposite genre of your species. Especially one without any idea of modesty or personal space (which includes sleeping arrangements).
5599230 Oh, so Lulamoon luck is basically what I have already been doing in We Remember Everything this entire time
Trixie's gone from being destitute, an outcast, and starving to a (semi-official) Princess with some decent respect. 
I've said it before and I'll say it again: It's unfortunate for her that her rags to riches storyline ended before the actual story did, because that only leaves room for things to go downhill.
If someone tried riding Trixie without her permission, they would not be a happy camper afterwards
She's not the kind to just let someone use her like any transport animal. However, someone like Kael might earn permission, though Trixie would undoubtedly be flustered about it. After all, it's kind of embarrassing to transform into an animal and then let your partner ride you, especially if you have a giant ego (as well as an inferiority complex). As for those dialogue bits, you may be surprised about what I already have planned, but Trixie's not THAT oblivious 
About halfway to that point though. In any case, it's Kael who is going to be the most flustered after it all I have no doubt.
Trixie's going to run into some other problems that stem from being a horse when the time comes though, other than just her own ego
5599266
I noticed that, which is why I asked if it will be case in this story as well.
Trixie may not be THAT oblivious, but no one said that she can't pretend to be in order to fluster Kael as "pay back" for using her as his mount. You know: You embarrass me with using me as pack mule/mount, I embarrass you with inappropriate commentary and quips. I can see that happening. Especially after Trixies saw his reactions to her "immodesty" and disregard to personal space.
You said it yourself that she is now more open minded and she didn't faint last time when she walked onto Aria and Adagio.
5599405 I'm not going to really rehash all I've done with Trixie in WRE, since that'd just be repetitive and boring. This one is going to have more of a focus on her making a name for herself and having epic quests than having her ego destroyed and life ruined on a constant basis.
I actually have bits already finished for future chapters where Trixie's comments are left ambiguous as to whether or not she means what she's actually saying
Not gonna say what they're about, but what you're saying seems to be in the same vein. As for Trixie's interest in carnal activities, since it's a built-in biological process and all, her original pony form is averse to it all (born asexual), while her Elven body has its own different biology which means while she is in it she has its inclination (which in this case is straight). Her own mind is roughly the same despite changing bodies, so her view (icky) on it all isn't changed, but she's not disinterested completely now. Hope that makes sense.
5599461
Yes it does. At least to me. Although part of me was hoping for that "Princess Luna why am I attracted to mares now" conversation. Or at least some other transference effect(s) (Well if you substitute childhood with another form/someone else's life energy. If you go with psychological definition rather than mystical.).
5599507 I have a feeling some wouldn't be able to get it, but since the chance of someone being asexual is about 1%-ish and being straight is 90%+, it'd just be unrealistic for Trixie to end up with two completely different bodies that share her original rare inclination (or rather, the lack of). Not that anything is realistic about a horse talking and casting magic, but still
Poor Trixie. Nothing's simple or easy with her in these stories
5601750 Trixie doesn't feel like being arbitrarily confined by game limits
And I have always been a Horde player, so that's what I am interested in writing. Glad you enjoy an alternative to Alliance ponies, not that I've ever seen any stories about that. Just haven't looked for that, honestly.
Kael wants to know that is well, but it wouldn't be much of a mystery now if it instantly got solved now would it?
Then again, since this is a kinda-sequel to my story We Remember Everything where he also was in, some of my readers from that story already have their theories 
As for people not recognizing him, people ARE recognizing him, they just assume he's a lookalike since he's wearing ripped clothing and is bumbling about. It's the reason they are shunning him, since he looks like a supposedly evil person.
Trixie is wearing purple because Trixie wears purple. It's her thing. Of course she's not a Warlock, that's just silly. She dabbled in so much demonic magic there after all
As for beast master, Trixie does as she pleases. If she wants a pet, she'll get a pet. And she's also set on liberating Illidan of his weapons. Kael used weapons in his fight against players. No reason Trixie can't use them despite being a mage 
You should let them recruit an Alliance (perhaps a Worgen, they're so darn cool). Also, did I mention I bucking love this story? If only I could press that like button a few more times.
5601995 It would be nice to have someone from the Alliance, wouldn't it?
I already have my plans for their team, but you may be pleasantly surprised. Maybe.
And I am so happy that you are enjoying it so much
It's fun to write and I can't wait to see where it all goes.
He would have done well to have "Sure footed" on his boots. badun tsh.
ussnautilus.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/0825713.jpg
Talk about men in black right?
6341991 No.
...yeah, I see someone saying "Happiness is Mandatory", I get worried. When that someone is a soulless machine, I get even more worried.
And that was before the brainwashing and the lady beaten in the street.
Well that dream ended fast...